How could Christianity have survived if Jesus had not risen from the dead (2)?

Question

In Biblical times, people were identified by whom they descended, from where they came from, and which ethnicity they were (which is why names were listed like the following: Jesus of Nazareth, Lydia of Thyatira, etc.). This is because, in these times, others judged people according to these different aspects. Now let’s look at the first of three ‘strikes’ against Jesus: He was a Jew.

For the gospel to be spread to the Gentile world, the fact of Jesus being a Jew would have been a great hurdle to overcome. The Romans already considered the Jews as trying to undermine the Roman Empire by refusing to worship their ‘gods.’ Refusing to follow the Roman social order would mean that one wished Rome ‘out of business.’
The Roman historian Tacitus said, “Among the Jews all things are profane that we hold sacred…the other practices of the Jews are sinister and revolting…proselytes to Jewry adopt the same practices, and the very first lesson they learn is to despise the gods, shed all feelings of patriotism, and consider parents, children, and brothers as readily expendable..the Jewish belief is paradoxical and degraded.”

Now imagine Jesus, a Jew, trying to convince the Romans (or other Gentiles) that He was the only way and that they should stop following their false gods. Punishment for rebels against Rome was crucifixion. Considering that it would be treason to go against the current Roman social order, why would a Roman convert to Christianity and risk being punished and shunned for rebelling against Rome. Add to that the poor reputation Jews had among the Romans, and only something like the resurrection could explain Christianity’s spread into Rome. Unless there had been absolute evidence for the resurrection, Christianity would have never had a chance in the Roman world.

(For those who want to object to Jesus’ existence, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aesLSOLuapM )

http://www.livingwaters.com/good/
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/nowayjose.html

Answer 1

The New Testament was written many, many years after Jesus died...

Answer 2

I don't doubt that Jesus lived, however I doubt what was written in the Bible about him is correct (at least completely). I do not believe he ever rose from the dead, but someone wrote about it later (The Gospel of Mark, the first gospel written, wasn't written until 30 years after Jesus' death).

Just because something is in the Bible doesn't make it so. Why should I believe what the Bible says? Why not the Mahabharata which describes a battle in which one billion people are killed (there weren't even that many people on the earth when it was written)?

Answer 3

Both an empty tomb alone and the appearances of Jesus alone are not sufficient for the rise of early Christianity and their claims about resurrection. A dead messiah is a failed messiah, plain and simple. Something extraordinary happened two thousand years ago that a small group of Jews and eventually Gentiles were willing to suffer and die for.

Answer 4

Not only would Christianity not have survived, it would have died off completely. Remember that the disciples were in fear for their lives. After they saw the Resurrected Christ, they became mighty preachers and missionaries. Not to mention that Saul would never have met Jesus on the road to Damascus and been transformed into Paul. They certainly wouldn't have risked their lives and been imprisoned and martyred for a dead man. Only for the Risen Christ.

Answer 5

good factor. in spite of the reality that fact in all areas nonetheless relies upon upon the Bible no longer being edited by potential of human palms and filtered with human perceptions. A soul that merged with God, who human beings observed as God quite rightfully in that experience, growing to be in spirit (sorry, they have been given it incorrect while they concept it exchange right into a actual physique) to coach others with regard to the potential for eternal existence makes acceptable experience. after all, it were performed earlier.

Answer 6

If Jesus wouldn't have resurrected what would be the purpose of christianity?

Answer 7

It couldn't have. You have brought up a masterful point. Unless the authors of the new testament invented this story of Christ rising again no one would follow it, so they made up the story of Christ rising up from the dead. I believe Christ lived and died but never rose again.

Answer 8

Jesus rose into the sky and became a god.

Yeah well, so who gives a holy crap?

Answer 9

It couldn't have. not only that, consider the millions of martyrs put to death from pentacost up to now... what man would willingly die for what they know is a lie? who wouldn't die for the truth? a liar.

Answer 10

No one witnessed the resurrection.