Jesus Christ As A Historical Figure

Bertrand Russell once wrote, “Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if He did we do not know anything about Him.” Anyone who makes such a statement hasn’t done their homework. There is ample proof for the existence of Jesus Christ both in and outside of scripture. F.F. Bruce states,

“Some writers may toy with the fancy of a ‘Christ-myth,’ but they do not do
so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as
axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar.
It is not historians who propagate the ‘Christ-myth’ theories.”

We have secular historians such as Cornelius Tacitus, Lecian of Samosata, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger, Thallus, Phegon, and Mara Bar-Serapion. The Babylonian Talmud refers to Jesus Christ when we read these words, “On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu (Greek name for Jesus).” Then we have the editions of Jewish historians, such as Jospheus & Philo, who mention Jesus Christ.

There is also the writings of early church fathers who were at least two persons away from knowing Jesus Christ Himself. These writes include Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Quadratus, Justin Martyr and others.There is no doubt that history proves that Jesus Christ did exist. Next I will turn to the discussion of Jesus being God and Savior of the world.