A foolish claim

A foolish Claim???

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 
                                                                Psalm 14:1

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 
1 Corinthians1:18-25
As I write this Christmas is within sight here in North America. A time Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
We know it’s not his actual birth but it’s a time the early church decided to celebrate it, and it has stuck through the centuries.
Most historians be they secular, or Christian agree that Jesus did in fact exist. That the evidence both inside and outside the Bible points to the fact that Jesus did live. What secular historians and Atheist disagree with Christians on is who he is.
Christians believe Jesus is indeed the Son of God. God incarnate. That he died, rose from the grave and ascended to heaven. To the none believer foolishness. As the apostle Paul notes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
A lot of what the New Testament speaks of regarding Jesus if not true, would if you think about it be foolishness and counter productive to the cause of the Church.
It is universally accepted that most if not all of the New Testament, and most definitely the Gospels were written within living memory of the death of Jesus.
Thus too make claims such as are made in the gospels if not true would most certainly be counter productive.
But the Bible aside, records of Jesus and some of the claims of the early church abound in other writings not controlled by Christians.
Some of those who speak about Jesus and the early Christians, their beliefs and practices were even enemies and thus can’t be accused of lying for the Christian cause.
These were men like Pliny the Younger, the Roman governor of Bithynia-Pontus. Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, born 34AD  became a Pharisee at 19, later commander, of the Jewish forces in Galilee. Captured by Romans and attached to their headquarters.
Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor from 361-363 A.D. and one of the most gifted ancient adversaries to Christianity. Said In his work against Christianity:
“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”
But at the end of his life was forced to say: “Thou has conquered, O Galilean!”
                                                                                                              Julian the Apostate
The truth is Jesus existed and he did all that the Bible says he did.
If the historians and the men I’ve quoted above are wrong then I as a Christian have nothing to fear. I have simply lived a good life.
If I and they and every Christian in the world is right as we believe we are, then those who think the Gospel foolish, or God does not exist and Jesus is not who he claimed to be then those people have a lot to fear.
Jesus made it clear when he said,
.. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
                                                                                                                      John 14:6
This in a time when making such a statement could have got him the death penalty. Which makes Jesus either at least a little crazy. After all what sane man would say a thing that could possibly get him killed if it were not completely true?
Think about it.