“[Jesus’] apostles [would not] have endured their own torturous deaths for refusing to preach of the risen Christ if there had been any doubt about it in their minds.”

 

Well, even though it might seem logical at first glance, this argument actually has very little merit.  After all, many followers of many religious leaders (& many adherents of many political leaders as well) have willingly sacrificed themselves for their leaders’ false teachings &/or their own varied misunderstandings.   In addition, it was clearly & consistently displayed throughout the New Testament that Jesus’ disciples never actually “got it” (see Mark 8:14-21, Matthew 16:12, John 6:32-35, John 6:68, Matthew 15:2-16, Mark 8:27-33, Mark 9:33-34, Mark 16:13, John 20:9, Mark 10:24-32 etc), and that they thereafter sacrificed themselves for a deluded belief in Jesus – a belief that Jesus himself repeatedly renounced (see Mark 10:18, John 6:15, Matthew 22:41-45, Matthew 16:20, Mark 8:30, Luke 9:21 etc) – can therefore come as no great surprise.   Jesus’ most intimate followers were indeed a devout bunch, that much is certain.  They were also essentially clueless as to The Way he was actually trying to share with them, just like the vast majority of modern-day Christians still seem to be completely unaware of the same to this day.

Filed under: Burnishing Bigotry by Scaughdt