Jesus Christ is the most influential figure on the planet, with more than 2 billion worshippers worldwide and many more who fondly study his teachings. But what if he never existed? Many skeptics have posed this very question, and while true believers scoff at such suggestions, the debate is far from resolved. Jesus may have changed the world, but did he really walk the Earth?
Regarding John, I have already asked questions about Zindler’s epistemic tests for authorship of an ancient document. We may add date to that as well. How does he date the Annals of Tacitus, reputedly written around 115 AD?
His designation of John as “otherworldly” merely assumes, without proving, a materialist dichotomy between the miraculous and history. I may also ask, since Tacitus reports that Vespasian did miracles, and yet is regarded as a reliable historian, does Zindler also dismiss the works of Tacitus on that basis?
I will also ask Zindler to argue for evidence of this reputed “Signs Gospel” for which there is neither literary nor testimonial evidence. Indeed, why are not these stories simply part of a core of teachings commonly used by the apostolic circle?
I will also ask Zindler of this: “Nor is there anything in the Signs Gospel that would lead one to suppose that it was an eye-witness account.” Will Zinlder please list for us what he considers proof of an “eyewitness account” being recorded, and then show us that his criteria can be consistently applied to the majority of eyewitness accounts? Also, since Tacitus was not an eyewitness to most of the history he records, are we to dismiss it on that basis?
Finally, I am not clear on why the addition of Ch. 21 to John’s Gospel indicates inauthenticity. I have read many books where an author published later editions and wrote corresponding prefaces for each later edition. Does this male their work “inauthentic”? It does not seem that Zindler’s criteria have any objective basis.
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