The Jesus of History versus the Christ of Faith

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and the seditious “King of the Jews,” whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime. Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself.
Speaker: Reza Aslan

[@roselotusmystic]

"Everything begins in mysticism and ends in politics." - Charles Peguy

[@tiffanyamverrfreno8186]

And tomorrow I just got home from work a little busy at work today and tomorrow I think you mami sa bangs na na na na NA YANG KATAKAWAN MO SA BUHAY HND DUWAG O TAKOT TWAG DUN a little busy at work today and tomorrow I just got home from work a little busy at work today and tomorrow I uyyyy maging you mami you mami sa bangs na na na na na na na na na na na na you mami sa bangs na gupit mo na na you can get it done before the

[@MuzharJamaluddin]

I will look up peguy😊

[@elizabethbeal5406]

What do they mean Jesus couldn’t read?! He knew the scriptures. He pulled them out and read from them in front of the priests....

[@maxsingh2510]

They must be confused with Mohammad

[@galacticstar7674]

@Felsimore Gumtang you wrote it , lol

[@BradWatsonMiami]

Joseph Father of God was a "tekton"/rabbi/teacher as was Jesus who taught the rabbis in the Temple at age 12. He was then recognized as GOD's 'chosen one' and was taken to the world's leading centers of knowledge for the next 18 years where he learned and taught. At age 30, he reappears in the Bible narrative. Rabbi Y'shua bar Yosef (Teacher Jesus son of Joseph) was born on Saturday (Sabbath) April 17, 6 BC / 17.4.748 AUC / 29 Nisan 3755 HC. God-incarnate was an Aries the Ram/Lamb. The Messiah/Christ was lashed 39x and crucified on Friday April 7, 30 AD / 7.4.783 AUC / 14 Nisan 3790 HC - again under Aries and Jesus is known as the "Lamb of GOD". Jesus miraculously survived his ordeal - he had a near-death experience - and may have lived another 40 years before dying and being entombed in the JesusFamilyTomb.com (& KZbin). John the Baptist & Jesus were Essenes: mystical Hebrews who practiced the ancient sacred Mysteries including reincarnation. They taught reincarnation in Matthew 3:2 & 4:17, 6:19-21, 11:14-15, "born-again", "resurrection of the dead", etc. Jesus has been famously reincarnated many times in the last 2,000 years including Da Vinci, Galileo, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein and... See 7seals.blogspot.com - only the reincarnated Christ could produce this. It's triggered The Apocalypse/Revelation which is not the 'end of the world'. COVID-19 is part of Seal #4: S=19 (18.6) Theory.

[@haggismcbaggis9485]

It is easy to tell a story that a 12 year-old Jesus could blow the minds of the rabbis with His teachings without actually mentioning what the teachings were. The only other mention of his potential literacy was that he could doodle in the sand while a woman of sin was getting stoned. However, that story is considered fake too.

[@haggismcbaggis9485]

I'm referring to the strong evidence that the pericope adulterae is a late interpolation. Given that the nativity stories of Matthew and Luke do not line up, I'm also suspicious of childhood stories about Jesus. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and_the_woman_taken_in_adultery

[@matthewmaguire3554]

The apostles complaining about Mary Magdalene having too much influence over Jesus sounds like the moaning and groaning around Yoko and John.

[@susanfanning9480]

Oh nooo. I remember very well in detail how Yoko broke up the Beatles. We were horrified! Off subject ,however, you brought up an intense 15 year old's memory. 😃

[@deborahlawrence4063]

I appreciated Reza's rich historical context of first century Judaism in the Roman occupation, but I find his approach to scripture conflicted. He initially invalidates the gospel records as a historical resource then he cherry picks his use of them to sketch out the details of Jesus' life-at times, misquoting them. For example, he confuses the account of the Samaritan woman at the well with the Canaanite woman who sought exorcism for her daughter. Contrary to what Reza says, Jesus did pass through Samaria. It was the Canaanite woman that he addressed with the statement, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Reza's attributing the Lord's Prayer to John the Baptizer is even more troubling. If Jesus was John's disciple, why did John rather recognize Jesus as the ONE who should be baptizing him? Reza also erroneously states that John “invented” baptism. On the contrary, ancient Judaism required an immersion ritual for conversion. These ritual immersions were call “mikveh.” Outside of the bible records, I was surprised that Reza makes no mention of hostile independent sources such as Jewish historian Josephus (95 A.D.) and Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (116 AD). And finally, the earliest creeds created within three years of the crucifixion acknowledge the divinity of Jesus-not sufficient time for myths to develop regarding his deity, death, and resurrection. James the brother of Jesus, 11 of the original apostles, Paul, and many early followers died for holding these beliefs.The fact is, the basic tenets of faith were established from the very beginning. Even the term “Christian” was coined in ancient Antioch in the mid first century. So where is this “chasm” between the historical Jesus of Nazareth and the “Christ” (i.e., messiah)? Is this not the same person? “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (40-60 AD)

[@josephcarilus]

Well stated, Deborah! I too noticed the discrepancies in Reza's presentation. We are living in interesting times where casting aspersions on the divinity of Jesus is fashionable. A cursory glance at the comments hereunder shows the bias against Christian orthodoxy. The bias and love for pseudo-intellectual lies transcend the desire to be scholarly and independent-minded. There is a spirit behind it. That spirit is also the very force behind the popularisation of the so-called previously lost gospels which interestingly are more gnostic in number. All the same, let the apostates do their work as we also labour in our noble cause (Revelation 22:11). In the end, truth will triumph and every tongue will confess and every knee will bow to the Son, to the glory of the Father.

[@deborahlawrence4063]

​@@josephcarilus Noble indeed, Joseph. It is by God’s grace, we rise to the challenge of living in a post-truth world. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Thanks be to God.

[@josephcarilus]

@@deborahlawrence4063 Amen!

[@richcooperdoesthework]

This has already been discussed by Richard Carrier: 1) Josephus wrote little of Jesus and his only statement was confirmed to be a later interpolation that was placed by later Christians who knew there was no documentation of Jesus outside of the Gospels 2) Tacitus: Only spoke about Christians during his day. He had no historical information on Jesus himself. There was no trinity, virgin birth, etc among James. James lived and died as a Torah observant Jewish apostle that believed Jesus was the Messiah but not God/Trinity/virgin birth. He kept the Jewish laws as well.

[@richcooperdoesthework]

@@josephcarilus Her points on both Tacitus and Josephus has been thoroughly debunked by scholars such as Richard Carrier. She has presented no challenge that hasn't been thoroughly debunked already.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Ahh Christianity!!! Christianity - The belief that God sacrificed God to God to save God's creation from God.

[@StarFox85]

epic isnt it? ganja back then was the shit!😂😂

[@siradamthebombdiggity]

www.gotquestions.org/did-God-sacrifice-Himself.html

[@kraigthorne]

Crazy prayinmantis You have the perfect username because what you posted is CRAZY. Chris·ti·an·i·ty ˌkrisCHēˈanədē/Submit noun the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.

[@The_Other_Ghost]

kraigthorne Chris·ti·an·i·ty ˌkrisCHēˈanədē/Submit noun The religion that worships a god that is "love" even though it tells you how to buy, keep and beat your slaves (Exodus 20:20-21), Kill children and infants (1 Samuel 15:3), kill the infidel (DT 17)... And is Good! But killing infants was in a different time... or that would be "crazy".

[@kraigthorne]

Guacamole It looks like you are not aware that slavery was a part of EVERY human society until the Christian nations decided to get rid of it. One can even say that if it were not for Christianity we would still have slaves today. Seeing as how there are no people of Amalek on this Earth I do not see how 1 Samuel 15:3 has anything to do with Christians, seeing as how there were NO Christians in the time of Samuel. If DT is the book of Deuteronomy you should know that Christians do NOT follow the Law of Moses. As far as killing babies goes, all true Christian Churches are against the killing of the unborn, but atheist are responsible for the deaths of over 300 million unborn children in China alone.

[@leealexander3507]

A nice reminder of some of my college courses so many decades ago. This had nothing to do with my major in equine husbandry but being a curious person I took a lot of side roads along the way.

[@leealexander3507]

@Richard Fox 😅

[@jasonherring7450]

I am sorry I am having trouble with the name he says at 36:00 Elizabeth shutter Lorenzo?? I googled it but couldn’t find anything. Any help?

[@teresahanlon2205]

Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza German theologian

[@smileyhomeimprovementsjohn6165]

Where are you getting these info.??

[@helennesan7708]

I'm sorry that I missed to add one more... I'm from India and was a Hindu who accepted Jesus Christ. Please don't mislead people showing Krishna is the Christ version. That's a grave mistake. Please read Mahabharata (Epic of India) to figure out who Krishna is.... Not sure about other countries but definitely not in India. Thanks

[@readquranandlearnaboutisla592]

The the Glories Qur'an Affirm that prophet jesus isa son Maryam was miraculous with his honorable virgin Mary and in Holy Hadith his also was virgin unmarried peace be aboun him

[@solomonkanwai9362]

Who is Krishna please?

[@kesmaj]

​@@solomonkanwai9362 my frend and space director

[@joed8605]

The Father is God. John 4:23 (KJV) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Believing Christ is God isn't believing he is the Son of God. It denies both God and his Son.

[@MrAlibaba1122]

God wants us to idolize him serve him worship him love him follow him, but the devil mislead us by making creatures of god important and idolize them serve them worship them love them and follow them. Moses krishna jesus muhammad etc were all creatures of god. God is the only and most important.

[@livingwaters6828]

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8

[@TheConqueror009]

Burn the bible for god is dead

[@livingwaters6828]

KJ Wolfe The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God ... Psalm 14:1

[@TheConqueror009]

Ah yes Psalm 141. Roman's 12:2 'Do not conform to the ways of the world but change yourself by the renewing of your mind'. Scripture versus scripture. Let me ask you something do you believe the scripture came literally from the mouth of God himself?

[@livingwaters6828]

@@TheConqueror009 it came to the prophets and apostles inspired by the Holy Spirit, the verse which you are quoting from the Bible is actually telling people to align with God's way, read it in context and not just 1 verse.

[@TheConqueror009]

What is God's way.

[@hasone1848]

This presentation was so good I watch an hour long KZbin video twice in a row. Great job!!

[@trafficjon400]

You don't know but story telling but when truth hits you won't be ready for it hitting your inners.

[@gemguy6812]

did it tickle your ears to hear someone give a talk that aligns with your worldview? I get it.

[@eduardogardin879]

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried." -G K Chesterton

[@mrrolandlawrence]

indeed it was tried - and those who were deemed a nusicance to the church were either turtured, tortured & killed, the dead - dug up & tried also found heretic & property seized. slavery, & the crusades were a thinly disguised pilgrimage of genocide.

[@readquranandlearnaboutisla592]

The the Glories Qur'an Affirm that prophet jesus isa son Maryam was miraculous with his honorable virgin Mary and in Holy Hadith his also was virgin unmarried peace be aboun him

[@JESUSCHRIST-ONLYWAYTOHEAVEN]

THE IMAGES OF CHRIST WITH THOSE HAND SYMBOLS ARE A MOCKERY MADE BY FREEMASONS. IT IS PAGAN BUT THATS NOT JESUS! MOST OF CATHOLICISM IS FROM PAGANISM. ITS A CULT LIKE JW, MORMONISM, AND EVERY OTHER FALSE RELIGION. THAT BEING SAID THERE IS A TON OF EVIDENCE FOR JESUS AND THE BIBLE! TURN FROM SIN AND CALL UPON JESUS TO SAVE YOU OR YOU WILL FACE THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD! HE IS A LOVING GOD BUT HE IS A JUST GOD SO HE HAS TO PUNISH SIN! ITS NOT A GAME PEOPLE, YOU COULD DIE TOMORROW, QUIT PLAYING AROUND, THESE ARE END TIMES!!! TURN TO JESUS NOW! ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS STOP PUTTING YOUR HOPE IN THE GOVERNMENT, IN RELIGION, IN SCIENCE, IN WEALTH, IN CELEBS, IN SPORTS, IN THE WORLD (IT WILL PERISH!) YOU CAN STAND ON YOUR OWN AGAINST GOD AND TRY TO JUSTIFY YOUR SIN WHEN YOU WONT EVEN BE ABLE TO LOOK UP YOU WILL BE WEEPING IN TERROR REALIZING YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKE. YOU WONT WIN AN ARGUMENT WITH GOD, HE CREATED EVERYTHING!!! GOD SEES EVERYTHING YOUVE EVER DONE; YOU WONT FOOL HIM!!! OR PUT YOUR TRUST IN JESUS WHO DIED ON THE CROSS AND TOOK THE WRATH OF GOD IN OUR PLACE FOR OUR SINS. IT'S A FREE GIFT BUT HE CANT FORCE YOU TO TAKE IT. WILL YOU CALL UPON HIM NOW AND SURRENDER TO HIM. TALK TO HIM LIKE A BEST FRIEND, HE'S WAITING AND HE LOVES YOU. Turn back to God Our Creator, not religion. Religion creates bondage, in Christ there is freedom. Im not talking church, im not talking religion, im talking relationship with your Creator. Call upon Jesus now and ask Him into your life and to forgive your sins. hell is the absence of God Almighty who gives us the breath in our lungs, water, food, sunshine, love, kindness, patience, faithfulness, hope, rest, help etc. hell is real and its a place of torment: you will have to live with all your mistakes, regrets, you will feel all the pain you caused others... you be hungry but not be able to eat you will be thirsty but wont be able to drink you will be tired but cant sleep you will have no hope you will have no rest you will feel pure hatred towards you (satan and the fallen angels/demons hate you and want to drag you to hell) “For the wages of sin is death (hell), but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” -Romans 6:23 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6 "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." -Matthew 10:33

[@dvforever]

@@mrrolandlawrence Have you read the New Testament? When did Christ command his followers to torture, kill, seize property, capture slaves and wage crusades? Never! Sinful people will do anything they want and justify it somehow. Christianity is way too difficult! Love your enemies, Christ commanded! Pray for those who persecute you. Who is going to do all that? People have tried and most have failed. But we do have saints throughout history who tried to live like Christ and were somewhat successful. They are remembered.

[@gerardo2360]

@@JESUSCHRIST-ONLYWAYTOHEAVEN Please stop preaching fear!

[@SB-xt5jk]

I read the book and this talk was a much more digestible format. I honestly took more away from this then the 8hrs I spent reading the book. I don't know if that's a compliment or not, but if you liked this talk and want a good deal more depth I recommend checking out the book.

[@Frst2nxt]

neither had depth. he is full of hot air without a single substantial claim. he's simply a Muslim at heart who attacks a Christianity he had never understood for that reason alone. and even Islam is something he's never really looked at honestly.

[@SB-xt5jk]

Peter Jackson you seem reasonable. I read his book and I didn’t and don’t feel like he is attacking Christianity. Much of what he states is pretty mainstream with religious scholars. You on the other hand seem like you have an axe to grind. Keep your mind open and your heart pure dude!

[@NICEFINENEWROBOT]

@@SB-xt5jk There is one way to attack christianity by way of dissolving the simple truth like this Reza Aslan does. He's a bright guy with a lot of fantasy.

[@Son_of_aesthetics]

@@Frst2nxt He's not a muslim,he's man of science and evidence! I hope dogmacy will let you see the reality as it is,not as your belief system makes you see

[@Frst2nxt]

@@SB-xt5jk He's ingenuine and purposely publishes very untenable pop culture quips that have only ever been made by shallow thinkers who have the axe to grind. He purposely tries to make all sense of Christianity be lost while attributing things more Christian than Islamic to islam. He literally ignores mist sources for select uninformed popular opinion.

[@franscobben9044]

Thank You sincerely!

[@pig5267]

34:00 Aslan had his story of the gospels mixed up. The woman at the well whom Jesus asked for a drink was a Samaritan. This is found in the gospel of John. He is referring to the Syrophoenician who asked Jesus to cast out the demons possessing her daughter. Found in Mark. There is nothing about Jesus asking for a drink in this story.

[@banikjc]

He lost me right there.

[@agostocobain2729]

Thats a slight mishap. He slipped up with a tiny mistake. He did amazing, all of it from the top of his head no notes, no slides with key points, he did excellent.

[@estuchedepeluche2212]

Did Reza said he was going to keep his comment brief?

[@qhealthandwellnes]

when people who only know bout Jesus from Sundayschool wants to debate with a man who is a scholar and professor in religion....

[@HassanRaza-xb5qc]

+chester ryan agree Chester.. you hit the nail on the spot.. I am doing my own research on the books and coming to a close conclusion as reza... so true what you say... they have their own wishful thinking in sunday school... without investigating or researching... its actually quite sad..i guess

[@AJ-yw7hf]

+chester ryan Give me a break. Do u know how many scholars have poured over everything having to do w/ the Bible? The world wasnt waiting for more than 2,000 years just for Aslan to come along for him to try to claim in a twisted Orwellian way that when Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers, Jesus was supposedly trying to get people to commit violence. Seriously. Aslan very *Obviously* has an agenda, which is about propaganda.

[@AndersonVieira1]

+chester ryan You cannot debate something that you believe by faith. People feel God, that's why they believe in him.

[@alexbarrett8359]

except when a bias Muslim hates Christians and when he thinks his smart then people like John Lenox comes along and blows him out of the water lol he sure is smart.

[@AJ-yw7hf]

+Hassan Raza Your overgeneralization towards *Millions* of others who you do not know is sad. You seem to think Aslan throws religion out the window when in fact he does not. Who knows what you are even referring to.

[@bobdemott]

A journey is determined by your own understanding and when you think you know, you don't know, it is only when you come to the understanding you don't know that you are capable of learning and knowing.

[@staceystrukel1917]

Exactly! When you succumb to what you dont know and surrender your ego the truth will be summoned to you.

[@scambammer6102]

oh goodie a derpism

[@drgeorgek]

Doesn’t mean it’s true.,,

[@bobdemott]

@@drgeorgek Doesn't mean it is not either, every coin has two sides

[@hansgrobin3124]

Very thorough question answering. Liked the presentation

[@karolbednarczyk3107]

I spent couple of hours on translating this video over a year ago and still noone accepted it. Why @KZbin? Why?

[@lisablue6020]

There are quite a few points where he asserts things as if they are definite facts when they aren't. For instance it isn't an absolute fact that a rabbi had to be married; in some communities and some circumstances they would have to be married, for instance to be in the Sanhedrin, as it was thought necessary to have had a family before pronouncing judgement on others in order to have a better knowledge of life's problems and to develop compassion. Also the literacy rates among Jews were higher than he states, and he completely ignores the fact that Jesus is described as reading from the scrolls in the synagogue.

[@lostpony4885]

The fact of jesus reading scrolls is stated by who? Facts

[@jadephoenixdragon9820]

@@lostpony4885 someone else posted a quote from Luke in the Bible. It’s funny people are trying to defend Christ’s literacy like he couldn’t have been intelligent and compassionate and a leader of men without reading.

[@undergroundpublishing]

@@lostpony4885 Luke: Chapter 4. Now demand facts from this entertaining fraud.

[@undergroundpublishing]

That's because everything in this is complete B.S. Jesus wasn't a Zealot. There is nothing whatsoever in the Gospels, Epistles, or surrounding history that would remotely suggest such a dumb idea. The fact that he throws away the Gospels shows his real agenda. Luke was a legal testimony given to the Roman courts in defense of Paul. Matthew was written within

[@lisablue6020]

@@jadephoenixdragon9820 Good point.

[@intensewordsessionswithnic7314]

the response to the woman who said "what's your favorite story in the gospels" has a lot of misleading facts. Unless you have other extraBiblical sources, the gospels don't teach that Jesus was John's disciple, secondly, the disciples of Jesus never said, "teach us to pray as JOHN TAUGHT YOU", you are adding to the info there and that's irresponsible of you. lastly, Jesus never baptized anyone (John 4). actually John makes it clear that Jesus baptized no one. Jesus did not start His movement when John died, that's another lie. by the time John died Jesus had massive crowds. actually this bothered John's disciples and John said it himself that Jesus much increase and he must decrease. All i'm asking is if you gonna comment on the gospels get your facts straight.

[@lucycarlos4923]

I have been investigating About Jesus more so with all the second coming of Jesus, and this was the most satisfying, cool talk I heard about him and history.. Brilliant!!!! Will continue looking for more of Reza. Very interesting your story about your personal development too.

[@li-jv9go]

He's fraud. Be careful. He reverted back to his previous faith. He's not Christian.

[@jacuz169]

@@li-jv9go Your comment is irrelevant.

[@anonanon973]

You know he converted to Islam

[@anonanon973]

@@li-jv9go he didn’t have a previous faith

[@jacuz169]

@@anonanon973 Whether Aslan is christian or muslim or without "faith" is irrelevant to his legitimacy and credentials as a reputable scholar. He need only be an sincere historian.

[@jacqueslombard7155]

During his first question from his audience, Reza said: "So when He (Jesus) goes to see the Syrophoenician woman, really the only non-Jew that He ever has real contact with, in the Synoptic gospels". Then he describes the story further by explaining that Jesus went to draw some well (guess this was just a slip of the tongue and he actually meant water) and then He met a Syrophoenician woman there and she invited Jesus to her town to come and preach. He (Jesus) then has a conversation with the woman about the food for the children (Israel) and she famously said "the dogs (Gentiles) can eat the crumbs that fall from the table". After this Jesus said, "You're right. Go your faith has healed you". Then Reza makes this bold statement that "THAT Jesus never, ever sets foot in a gentile city, He never preaches to a gentile community. Why? ‘Cause He’s a Jew preaching Judaism to other Jews”... There are so many unbiblical and false statements here! First of all, make sure that when you quote events from Scripture you actually know Scripture and you quote them correctly. Merging events (The Syrophoenician Woman & The Woman at the Well) confuses your audience and drives home your view and not the truth! The Syrophoenician Woman is found in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 and the Woman at the Well is found in John 4 - go read it for yourself again to make sure you understand the context and the difference between the two. Secondly, the Syrophoenician woman wasn't the only non-Jew that Jesus ever had real contact with. Just from these two stories mentioned earlier, we see Jesus engaging with two different women who both were non-Jews. This statement was completely untrue! Jesus’ first encounter with Gentiles was when He was visited by the Magi when He was a toddler (Matthew 2). It is interesting that the Gospel of Matthew, written for a Jewish audience, kicks off with a visit of the Magi. Presumably, pagan Gentiles traveled hundreds of miles to worship the “King of the Jews.” With this visit, Matthew foreshadowed his theme of the Gentiles’ positive response to Jesus’ ministry. During His ministry, there was the encounter with the Roman Centurion (Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:2). A Centurion was a Roman military leader with a rank equivalent to that of a captain in the U.S. Army. Being part of the occupying Roman military force, he would have represented everything the Jews would have hated about Rome. If Jesus is looking to make a prophetic statement, meeting with a Roman Centurion was the perfect way to start. Writing to a Jewish audience, Matthew gave no background information about the Centurion. When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, the Centurion appeared before Jesus asking for a miracle. To see a Roman leader asking a Jew for a favor would have been shocking for Matthew’s Jewish readers. In Matthew’s account, Jesus responded by asking “Shall I come and heal him?” (Matthew 8:7). Jesus asked the same question that Matthew’s readers would have asked. They would have said, “No”. Jews and Gentiles did not associate with each other. For a Jew to enter a Gentile home would make him ceremonially unclean. The Centurion offers a surprising response. He states that he is not worthy to have Jesus come to his house. One could imagine Matthew’s Jewish audience nodding their heads in agreement. This is when the narrative takes a surprising turn. The Centurion then told Jesus there is no need for Him to come to his home, “only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matt. 8:8). In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you with no one in Israel have I found such faith’ (Matthew 8:10; Luke 7:9). Jesus was saying to both his original Jewish audience and to Matthew’s Jewish readers that this Gentile had more faith than any Jew he had ever met. Undoubtedly, that would be a difficult thing for Jews to hear. Jesus’ next encounter with a Gentile occurs in the town of Gadara, part of the Decapolis. The Decapolis was a predominantly Gentile area and this story is included in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew 8:26-34; Luke 8:26-39; Mark 5:1-20). All three Gospels give the impression that Jesus’ sole purpose for traveling to this Gentile area was to heal the demoniac(s), because the moment He stepped out of the boat, he (they) appear. Jesus casts out the demons and sends them into pigs and the man was healed and, for the first time in a long time, totally sane. The pig herdsmen told the townfolk what Jesus did. Instead of being appreciative of Jesus delivering the demoniac(s), the locals saw His actions as hurting their economy. They asked Jesus to leave. The main point in all three Gospels is that Jesus was willing to go out of His way to the land of the despised Gentiles and show compassion by delivering a complete social outcast. Jesus not only goes out of His way but travels to a land of pig farming near tombs, all of which would be unclean to Jews. Jesus does not allow typical Jewish sensibilities to keep Him from helping this Gentile. He intentionally crosses well-known Jewish boundary markers to heal him. The Gospel of Mark includes two additional stories of Jesus interacting with Gentiles. The first of these follows immediately on the heels of our previous story of the Syrophoenician woman. According to Mark, Jesus travels from Tyre, which is 35 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, and returns to the Decapolis, which is at the south end of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 7:31). This is the Gentile the same Gentile territory in which Jesus delivered the Demoniac (Mark 5:19-20). Apparently, the former demoniac that Jesus had commissioned to share what had happened to him did a credible job. When Jesus arrives, the people are aware that God has used Him to heal people. A crowd, presumably of Gentiles, brings a man with a speech impediment for Jesus to heal. Once again, Jesus heals the man. Mark writes this story in such a way that it gives every appearance that Jesus went significantly out of His way, headed into Gentile territory to heal this man. Since Mark gave no indication of Jesus’ returns to Israel, the view held by most Bible scholars is that Jesus continued His ministry to the Gentiles. He attracts a crowd. After several days of being with Jesus, the crowd was hungry. According to Mark, it was here, in the Decapolis region, where Jesus fed the 4,000. In Mark, Jesus fed 5,000 Jews and later, fed 4,000 Gentiles. Though both miracles were motivated by Jesus’ compassion, undoubtedly, in this case, Jesus wished to demonstrate having compassion for Gentiles for the benefit of His disciples. One wonders when it may have dawned on His disciples that Jesus had no qualms with breaking bread with Gentiles. By Jesus’ words and deeds, he demonstrated what racial reconciliation should be like between Jews and Gentiles. That Jesus went out of His way to travel Gentile territory twice - three times in the Gospel of Mark - each time healing Gentiles in Gentile lands, teaches us that we should be willing to leave our comfort zones and cross-racial barriers to restore broken relationships. Part of His mission was that we would no longer be divided by titles or race: slave versus free; rich versus poor; Jew versus Gentile; or today, Armenian versus Turk; Ukrainian versus Russian; or Black versus White. Jesus lived a life of racial reconciliation in a world full of racial hate. Jesus came not only to reconcile us with God, but also to reconcile us with each other: Jews and Gentiles, Armenians and Turks, Ukrainian and Russian, and Black and White. As the Apostle Paul said, Jesus came to reconcile ALL THINGS. (Colossians 1:20). The final thing I would like to touch on is where Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Again, when quoting Scripture, please quote it correctly! The Scripture states: “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught HIS disciples.”” (Luke 11:1). Incorrectly quoting Scripture confuses your audience and drives home your point of view and not the truth! Stop playing fast and loose with the text!

[@gideon4773]

you are correct in your observation. many won't read through it sadly, but I pray they will so they can too see that this man has made an attempt to mix his personal beliefs with history and has done so quite dishonestly. even down to certain statements he made that can quickly go over your head if you aren't aware, such as " there being very little you can know about the history of Jesus and that the gospels aren't historical biographies but rather creeds of faith" the gospels are historical documents and have biographic material in them that can be correlated to His historical person. the gospels serve as all three. i would suggest people on this thread read "the case for christ" by lee Strobel. he spent 2 years investigating the history and reliability of the gospels while he was very much an atheist, not just an atheist but one who wanted to disprove the history of Jesus and the gospels; meaning, he had a bias operating in him but despite that he searched the facts unbiasedly and came to find the opposite conclusion as this speaker her who doubtfully spent 2 years every day doing research on this subject.

[@gerisnoke4374]

Thank you for your detailed response, and you, and Gideon below, are quite right in what you say. This author/speaker/? self-professed historian and ex-Christian does confuse his personal beliefs with the actual historical record and puts a slant on it which is inaccurate and dishonest, and he alleges details that are just untrue. He said Jesus was born in Nazareth, when we know he was born in Bethlehem. He says Jesus was "illiterate and uneducated", a "country bumpkin", however Jesus knew the OT Scriptures inside and out and was wiser than the teachers he discoursed with in the Temple at age 12. No-one was a match for him and his wisdom. He says Jesus was a mere follower or disciple of John the Baptist, and took up John's mantle after he died, when in actuality Jesus was a leader, not a follower, and even John recognized this. He said Jesus was trying to create a movement which is belittling of his true motives of dispensing truth and reconciliation. He alleges the Gospels to have been written late, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, thus negating prophesy Jesus made in Matthew 24. It is true that corruptions may have entered the texts, but he is flippant in assuming he knows what's legitimate and what isn't. He suggests Jesus was born a bastard child, and apparently denies all supernatural accounts in the Gospels including the virgin birth. He says there are only 3 things we can be sure of about Jesus, but then goes on about wild speculations, like there being a relationship between him and Mary Magdalene. He says the way to figure out the truth about Jesus was just to plug him into first century Palestine as a Jew. Jesus, however, was totally independent of customary expectations, as he was the Son of God, not just a product of his culture. I agree that there is a disconnect between the "Jesus of history" and the "Christ of faith" which needs to be corrected. Paul is probably responsible for much of this "Christ of faith" (Paul never even met Jesus), and true followers of Yahushua need to reassess Paul, as he is a false apostle causing much confusion and division. I agree that much of the "infinitely malleable Christ of faith" is perverted and wrong, but one cannot dismiss the truth that Jesus, born a human being with Mary his mother and God his father, is the unique, beloved, literal Son of God and he is now seated at His right hand and will judge the world. This author presents only 2 options about Jesus - a mythical, divine "Christ of faith" and a normal human being who had no special relation to God, or supernatural powers, or essential role in the history and redemption of mankind - neither of which are true. He presents a false dichotomy. Actually, this sounds like the typical Muslim position of seeing Jesus as just a prophet, but perhaps not even that. .

[@gerisnoke4374]

@Charlie What a kind thing to say. Thank you.

[@DS-xp4jb]

I couldnt finish what u wrote. I got the gist. I agree with you, this guy has determined that the Gospels are not historical. I disagree.

[@DS-xp4jb]

Apostle Paul was fictional.

[@oozecandy]

And aqueducts- I will admit they also gave us the aqueducts. And the sanitation. All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

[@darrenleaguecity]

LOL

[@gabrielp9646]

PLEASEE... Romans didn´t gave nobody sanitiation, not medicine, not education, not wine, not public order... PLEASEE PEOPLE, LIFE OF BRIAN IS NOT A HISTORICAL MOVIE ¬¬

[@gabrielp9646]

@Luis Martinez That´s bullshit. The muslims had public health (and math) since 1000 years before the roman empire was a thing xDxD

[@kennethsequeira8803]

*insert Captain America reference meme here*

[@nigelkhan5331]

@@gabrielp9646 I think you mean the Arabs my friend :) Islam is about 1500 yrs old while the Arabs have been around way longer than that

[@ryanestess]

At 33:51 you confused the stories of the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7 and Matthew 15) with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4)... 😐

[@oforimensah4711]

That man is a liar and Antichrist!!

[@elsablue3646]

Ofori Mensah yea he rejected Jesus very sad his only salvation pray for him

[@micheles1521]

@@oforimensah4711 Not surprising considering where he studied.

[@howellelizabeth]

This man is wrong. When he admitted to going to a Jesuit university and also called Jesus our mascot there was red flags both times and this guy is luciferian and he is here to disseminate the word of God and tried to confuse us so that will seek another Avenue and look for a new religion there is no new religion God is the only religion God that is our Master amen

[@spacezombie4069]

Wow. I think I felt a puzzle piece click into place.

[@anonanon973]

What do you mean

[@SkywalkerSamadhi]

I know what you mean.

[@goobermcboogerballs1420]

@@anonanon973 probably just confirmed some hypothesis he might have had.

[@anonanon973]

@@goobermcboogerballs1420 oh okay how are u my friend

[@alexasteffen9894]

Who is the speaker?

[@christopherj.samuel6672]

I find it weird how you first mention (11:30) that the Gospels are more like credals of faith, not historical documents, testimonies of faith and should those be taken out you know very little about Jesus but, for every claim you've made about Jesus until now, you resort back to finding a ground of proof in the Gospels. But, they are creedal of faith, not historical documents.. ??

[@Musee5]

Christopher Jordan what is your problem?

[@dylanwagoner9768]

Musee5 I’m pretty sure he made plain what the problem was. The speaker is inconsistent

[@Musee5]

Dylan Wagoner my friend. He is talking about the bible. The bible itself is inconsistent. So how do you expect someone who talk about the bible to be inconsistent?? Have you ever seen a christian being consistent on the bible?🤦‍♂️ Take it easy man

[@dylanwagoner9768]

Musee5 Not to upset, thanks. He’s inconsistent in saying the Bible isn’t historical and then using it to prove history.

[@maikeliphillips850]

@@dylanwagoner9768 dont apologies this guy is an idiot

[@Lvillalobos00]

“...Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

[@rolandovelasquez135]

Exactly.

[@HakeemTheDream616]

Alot of white people going to be so disappointed when they figure out Jesus is Black

[@raccoon6072]

...and gay.

[@stevefrench6737]

I heard the whole talk- I sensed much more than I heard. Reza presented well, however I think the number of scrolls now unearthed more than satisfy a good historian’s need for evidence of first and second hand accounts. Fascinating that he’s more interested in the humanitarian effort than the possibility of an eternal redemption story. Certainly a fresh perspective

[@joannamariaochoa6830]

Inventions of the Roman Empire anyway, nobody needs a savor, that's not how the system works

[@dude9318]

@@joannamariaochoa6830 what do you mean?

[@joannamariaochoa6830]

@@dude9318 the Universe is a converter of raw Energy in conscious Energy

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Scrolls? You mean papyri? The oldest manuscript we have of the Bible is the size of a credit card. So no. WE do NOT have credible historical evidence for the Jesus of faith.

[@mikeyseo]

its not fresh. its the oldest perspective in the book. the liars perspective.

[@nuggetoftruth-ericking7489]

Thank you for this info..very interesting stuff..well done.

[@flyfast77]

It's straight misinformation

[@flyfast77]

Esp the gap junk there wasn't one

[@li-jv9go]

@@flyfast77 ikr.

[@joemanly9519]

Disciples started churches and died for their devotion to Jesus. I would not martyr myself unless I had witnessed something so profound that my conviction was more powerful than my fear of death.

[@stevenseagull753]

Amen, this speaker is butchering scripture

[@iAmMattN]

Oh, well, thank you for all the contextual history.

[@iAmMattN]

@@stevenseagull753 scripture is only understand with thorough contextual study. It is not the word of god.. that take is for the people that help pay for the lifestyle of preachers/priests.

[@iAmMattN]

@@stevenseagull753 I implore you to take higher learning classes on the contextual history of the new testament at the very least.. yes, by ordained ministers. Also, making books written by men an idol to be worshipped is perfect for common people.. keep it up you good Christian you.

[@pig5267]

So? What is your point? 911 terrorists were also ready and willing to die.

[@teachmechinese]

I religiously watched Reza Aslan's show on TV until it got canceled =(( I could listen to him all day!

[@kelliepatrick519]

@@trafficjon400 Actually, what Christians 'believe' is the fake stuff. Most Christians don't know their own bible. And what they do know comes from apologetics-type writings that try to 'improve' on it by trying to bring it up to modern-day ethics standards.

[@teachmechinese]

​@@trafficjon400no idea what you're trying to say

[@trafficjon400]

@@teachmechinese Skeep eat.

[@robertwilliams624]

There are no Official Roman Records showing that Jesus ever existed in the time frame of Rome's control of Palestine. Nor are their any architectural evidences of his existence. You need to recall the early Church fathers who stated, and believed that Jesus and Joshua were one and the same person. Further, reda Ahmed Osman's " Jesus in the House of the Pharaohs".

[@caseychristiansen931]

I just want to point out that he made a Life of Brian joke at 15:19.

[@laowho451]

Wish I'd stayed that long. It would have made it worth it.

[@greengirlva]

When reading comments under something I am often reminded not to read comments under something as people take something worthy of discussion and turn it ugly and hateful. He is truly an academic offering his interpretation of his studies. Don't quote the Bible back at his statements as that is divine text/divinely inspired text and he is talking history; not necessarily the same thing.

[@ronclass1782]

@ nobody with any type of understanding of this subject thinks that Jesus did not exist as a historical person, because he did. The question is if he was God or not. But then the third question is how accurate are the gospels, which there seems to be some doubt.

If there was a historical Jesus, nobody who met him ever wrote a word about him. Paul started writing a year or two after JC allegedly died, but never met a flesh and blood man. Paul's Jesus was a voice in his head. Many decades later the gospels were written, also by men who never met a flesh and blood Jesus.

Jesus is clearly just one of many pagan godmen stories. No reason to believe he was original in any way. He was just the Jewish take on the common godman myth. The most powerful male god impregnated an earth woman. It is like the Superman myth we know today in comic books. The details differ, such as Jor-El sending his son to earth to save a planet, but the elements of myth are the core.

Ron Class - The bible ends with the promise Jesus would return on a flying horse, white of course, the color of good magic. Mythology.

[@fiddledotgoth]

@ I found Ian Wilson's book, Jesus: The Evidence very interesting on the question of whether Jesus existed or not - Interesting because it was not conclusive either way...

[@lauramason7445]

Thank you for a wonderful lecture but I have an unanswered question. Why did you stop being a Christian?

[@CommonSenceGUY79]

@laura mason, because he read the bible!!

[@giovannymendez9587]

It because he a false teacher he have no faith so he don’t wanna dig into the history that prove Christianity his main goal was to make Jesus seem human only and trying to catch people attention he didn’t even wanna talk about John part of the gospel he scare of the truth so he made up another story. Like come on now where in the Bible it speaks Jesus kissing marry on the lip and. His people being jealous like really you try to make Jesus sound feminist by his relationship with God this guy probably left his Faith over his feeling with guys I personally think he gay

[@CommonSenceGUY79]

@@giovannymendez9587 I think you slack CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS!! So, I won't respond!! btw, facts don't care about your feelings. Hey, somebody gotta tell you, and I'm the truth tracking, so it might as well be me!!

[@giovannymendez9587]

@@CommonSenceGUY79 you don’t have no facts the facts are in the book just cause you gay don’t Mean you gotta be offensive and how about that for some truth

[@giovannymendez9587]

@@CommonSenceGUY79 and if you wanna talk facts he don’t know Jesus his idea on Jesus being just a human is what he came to teach not the historical Jesus he got that wrong plus when you lost faith you don’t have the gift of truth you don’t have the spirit guiding you by faith he is close to Islam and that why I know for a fact he got the wrong Jesus cause Muhammad a false prophet and they don’t know Paul nor Jesus never meet them or a witness of Jesus go threw the source if you wanna know what is fact and not

[@garymensurati1631]

Very interesting, much to ponder. Thank you !

[@diogotxx]

As the comments shows, it is never easy to deal with mythology and very old beliefs.

[@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked]

I remember when she said that dumb shit and both are wrong. Santa was a fellow Italian, dark skinned in this case (like plenty of Southern Italians), and unoriginal and so forth guy named "Jesus" was Jewish (in faith and in bloodline), not Caucasian. #Agnostic #Atheist #AntiTheist

[@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked]

Kingdom was a geographical place in Israel, not a place in heaven. Besides a bunch of other things mistranslated, misunderstood, lied about, etc by Christians.

[@truemanrep3267]

@@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked have you read the Torah? even the parts that say your messiah will be from the line of David born in Bethlehem ride on a Ass/donkey. will be lifted up, no bones broken. did you read the part were your God told your forefathers to camp and walk in the wilderness in the formation of a Roman Cross. and look in belief at a carved pole with a snake coiled for instant healing? representing spiritual salvation. all foreshadowing thing to come.

[@sandypidgeon4343]

@@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked wrong - you are as misinformed as Aslan is.

[@WBKimmons]

@@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked no. This is not a deep understanding of Jesus. Sorry

[@top10ers694]

I am korean and i ve never seen jesus buddah in my life. I think he just wants to emphasize the fact that christianity can take on any religion and culture but that's non sense. There is no jejus christ in buddism.

[@thedon7845]

He wasnt illiterate because he read the scriptures, I believe he read Isaiah to the listeners in a synagogue in the gospels

[@innit1407]

Who told you that, were you there? And don't say the Bible told you because there's no proof that anything in the Bible is true.

[@thedon7845]

@@innit1407 luke 4;17 he read it in the synagogue; also throughout the gospels he quotes alot of the old testament. Although his family was poor in jewish tradition they take pride in reading and learning the law.

[@mikedictator8645]

@@innit1407 the bible indeed is a living book.breath by the creator of the univers

[@ingus5552]

@@innit1407 There is written about Ceasar August, Ceasar Tiberius, Pontius Pilatus, Herod The Great, Herod Agripa, ... Historical persons who reigned in those times. So your statment is a lie or foolishness.

[@romeo92314]

@@innit1407 History is your proof of the Bible because history is revolved around the Bible. Most if not all of the earliest counts of war is centered around the Bible. Don't believe me do the research and find out for yourself.

[@nel3068]

this just made me wanna learn more about history and religion ...please what's his name ?

[@MMradnane]

Reza Aslan

[@cedricgist7614]

I braced myself to see where this talk was going and cringed a bit when the speaker confessed that he was no longer a Christian. But... But I listened to the love he expressed for the historical Jesus and I was reminded that you don't have to be a Christian to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I am ashamed of how we have misrepresented the Christ we claim to follow and at times have done more to drive souls away from Him than to Him. The problem with Christianity is not Jesus Christ: the problem is with imperfect believers who don't obey Christ.

[@coopercooper4978]

I don't call myself a Christian and I believe in a spiritual Jesus and follow his teachings. I just call myself a believer of Christ. The word Christian has to much emphasis in humanities ego. I am a simple person where 2 scriptures stand out for me in the bible and who I wholehearthly believe in. 1. Love God with all your heart,, mind,soul. 2. Love others as yourself. As a simple believer those 2 scripture have made the foundation of my life stronger,, more honest, more peaceful and more loving. There is no price for spiritual love.

[@antonjeu]

@the grey ghost the historical "definition" of christianity has changed through history and was more formally codified in creeds written by religious political figures seeking to concentrate power in a secular priesthood. So... your comment was the contradiction

[@joecoolioness6399]

@@coopercooper4978 nice for you but I remain unconvinced of the story of god or jesus. And that goes for all religions by the way. I drink a glass of Vodka and I feel wonderful and tell everyone I love them but it doesn't mean that my feelings mean Vodka is god.

[@moally55]

According to Saul, yes. According to Yashua, a big fat NO!

[@trafficjon400]

Christians fouled the entire game they played for decades.Sick of the Christian or so called fould christians who make up story's by even LYING to get what they want and how they want it even if it leads most today away from creator confusing the hell in to the one who thought they wanted to know now is stuck with nothing.

[@QuixoticRaskol]

At 38:07 he says that Jesus is "never" referred to as the son of Joseph, but this is flat-out wrong. Luke 4:22 has people asking "is this not the son of Joseph?" and in John 6:42 people ask, "Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" Also the genealogies at the beginning of Matthew and Luke specifically mention Joseph as Jesus' father.

[@TheSmithDorian]

I think he meant as a name or a way of being addressed by somebody. So nobody calls to him Jesus son of Joseph. In Luke 4:22 and John 6:42 the situation is different - it's a discussion over why Jesus is doing certain things as he is just a man ..we know his father and mother etc. I would imagine that Reza Aslan would say that this was further confirmation his point (i.e., people obviously knew who Jesus' father was and yet for some reason they didn't call him the son of his father when they referred to him).

[@hoperestorationcenter]

@@TheSmithDorian He said that "Yashua/Jesus was NEVER referred to as Ben Yusef" NOT TRUE... Please see Dr. Worm's comment...

[@lazitazen6882]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video ❤

[@filsdejeannoir1776]

0:01 So the thumbnail; is that a painting of Reza? Looks exactly like his face.

[@ADBCSH-je7uj]

To "flesh out" the Jesus of history with the minimal facts provided by ancient secular sources is a real challenge. This was a fair and respectful presentation of a not so easy subject. Good job!

[@hermes11th]

Well he could only be confined and reasoned in history, then he wouldn’t be too important for US. His Body Remains.

[@objectivereality1392]

What is a "secular source" ? In other words, why are the gospel accounts of Jesus "non-secular"? They weren't intended to be "religious" or "spiritual". They were intended to be historical accounts of Jesus's life.

[@darrelblaineford3071]

@@objectivereality1392 Pn

[@jaribu2758]

@@objectivereality1392 Absolutely the reverse. Ancient writers would have been not cared about the literal-ism we seek today.

[@themaskedman221]

@@objectivereality1392 On the contrary, the gospel accounts belong to a genre of writing that incorporates a mixture of historical events, mythology, theology, politics and philosophy. They were intended not just to give an account, but to persuade others as to its veracity. Secular sources, in my opinion, would be the Jesus references in the writings of Tacitus and Josephus: non-Christian authors who were writing with an anti-Christian bias. Unfortunately they didn't have much to say, which makes sense considering Christianity was still regarded as a tiny and not very significant cult at that time.

[@Hicky33]

He's no longer a Christian...after attending a Jesuit school. Says it all.

[@gibbiv]

When he said he's no longer a Christian I took this as meaning he no longer follows the Christian religion. The religion is a system with flaws, unlike the perfect Jesus.

[@Hicky33]

@@gibbiv though there never was a hint he believe Jesus is truly devine, not just merely one of the many poor men who were crucified for rebellion against Rome as he clearly mentioned.

[@McLKeith]

Who appointed you arbitrator of who is or is not a Christian?

[@Hicky33]

@@McLKeith by his own admission he USED to believe in Christianity...

[@aikido7]

You are misinformed. Jesuits are part of the Catholic tradition. Catholicism is Christian.

[@georgi9514]

Dearest Reza! I wish I could hug you!!! I can not believe that I just came upon your talk today for the first time! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your view, passion, wisdom and commitment to truth and keeping it "real". I would LOVE to talk to you about the "sequel" to your presentation, the aspect of Jesus/Yeshua as the "Christ". It is my conviction that the time is now for each and every human to consider finding that God-given aspect in ourselves, the Christ within and identify with their Christian (Krystian) aspect, meaning messiah, messenger, way-shower. - rather than waiting for a redeemer to do it for us - to wake up, take our power back and let our own Light shine! It is time for the Light to prevail over the illusion/slavery that ruled humanity for a long time.

[@sp8878]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZuvd4Gqft15qbc

[@firebrand9578]

This kinda makes it sound like the Jesus of history was just so good at talking himself up that he ended up inspiring the biggest fanfic of all time

[@randyg.7940]

I believe that to be true

[@Milton1963]

@@daviddelamora7695 what? paul was jesus' contemporary

[@Milton1963]

@@daviddelamora7695 you "Paul made him God after a century" which wrong.

[@andylumehibringyougold.5764]

@@randyg.7940 kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6nHanVuhNFom5Y The kingdom of heaven has come to you. Andy Lumeh ministries Evangelist, River of Life Church, London. Jesus Christ is Lord.

[@randyg.7940]

@@andylumehibringyougold.5764 do you know any Boyz to men?

[@reenslane6898]

I enjoyed the talk, want the book🤗 thx

[@DoubtingThoma]

While I agree to the comment that the Christ of faith has transformed to the race/culture of many regions, the depiction of Krishna (or a version of the deity) as the primary visualization for Indian Christians is disingenuous and deeply insensitive. While I understand that the imagery is used to drive a point home, I now find myself questioning the other ‘facts’ that the speaker laid out. This is not to say that the myth surrounding Krishna ( which dates centuries prior to Christ) doesn’t have similarities with the Christ story - and it is absolutely fair to debate how these similarities came into being. But to show the Krishna image or some obscure artist’s/sect’s (if there is one) rendition of combined imagery , as representing the Indian Christians, has rooted out the authenticity of the session and the speaker. One can only wonder how many more ‘facts’ he conjured! PS: India has a rich tradition of many religions including Christianity. We have had the first Indian Christians prior to Romans converting any of the tribes in the modern Western world. The middle-eastern, Indian and later European influence to the Christ imagery in India is a bit more nuanced than showing a Krishna figure :)

[@BBlueu2]

The story of Krishna, is just one of many, to closely resemble the story of Jesus Christ in the Bible. This concept was, around for a long time before the Gospel was ever written. That's just a historical fact.

[@HeroQuestFans]

the idea that somehow the Krishna story inspired the Christian writers of the New Testament is deeply problematic on a factual level. the truth is that the Hindu texts continued to develop long after the arrival of European (Western) Christian missionaries and didn't arrive into any definitive form until the 19th century. so while "Krishna" predates Jesus, historians don't actually consider him a historical figure, and his stories that may seem in superficial ways to resemble some things in the Jesus stories of the bible, cannot honestly be said to have had any derivation... except the opposite way (the Hindus being influenced by Christians). Jesus Mythicism is bunk, especially the "copycat mythicism" argued by people like the late Acharya S (Dorothy Murdock, who was an "adviser" for the film "Zeitgeist" if anyone remembers that trash) and parroted by media goofs like Bill Maher as if it were gospel (pardon the reference). the supposed parallels with Krishna are pretty weak. he wasn't born of a virgin (his mom had many other children before him and a god couple possessed the human couple while they had sex). or he wasn't crucified (he was shot in the foot in a hunting accident and died under a tree in the woods). Krishna was also nothing like Jesus in life, according to the stories. last I checked, Jesus didn't drive a chariot and give advise to a general in a huge civil war. nor did he go around as a teenager fooling around with shepherdesses. and I'm pretty sure he wasn't blue either (sorry, had to throw that one in too, but I think you get the point). the Hindu "Trimurti" is nothing like the Christian Trinity (the Hindus have 330 million gods, not just these three, and Jesus is unique, there are not a half dozen "avatars" in Christianity). Three persons in one God, vs. 330 million... hmm, I'm just not sure. how are they different? also, to many Hindus, EVERYTHING is part of God, "GOD" is actually an impersonal oneness. they also have that pesky reincarnation thing. so the religions are very different. of course it was the 19th century Christian anthropologists that decided to organize and define what "Hinduism" was from the various different tribal religions and cultures all over the subcontinent. without realizing it, they shaped it nearly as much as the people living there.

[@HeroQuestFans]

@Hisao Naoki You are absolutely right. they try to say that because one character is an incarnation of a deity, then therefore they are not only the same but that Jesus was a copy of Krishna! apart from the difficulty of establishing Krishna as a historical figure like Jesus, their lives are nothing alike and the concept of avatars is somewhat different (Vishnu, one of the many Hindu gods has multiple incarnations, the One God of Christianity identified as the same from Judaism, is ultimate, the creator of everything... Vishnu is not the creator in Hinduism and not even the first or most powerful god... has only one incarnation that of Jesus Christ who was eternally pre-existent). So they are only similar on the surface, but these guys run with it. it gets funnier the more you study it... Jesus was a virgin born carpenter and celibate who preached justice and mercy and healed the sick but was crucified by the Romans for political reasons... while Krishna was born after his parents got possessed by gods and goddesses and had sex in prison grew up to became a ladies man and then a chariot driver in the military, and was killed in a tragic hunting accident. I guess Jesus cast out demons by exorcism while Krishna actually engaged them in combat but it's really a stretch to compare them.

[@HeroQuestFans]

@Hisao Naoki I took the basic college course on it (and a later seminar), also had a housemate that practiced, so I know some basics. ;)

[@howellelizabeth]

4 your suspicions in reservations or right on the money this guy is an admitted Jesuit I mean he never claimed to be just what you want to just one University and Trust and Believe the Jesuits are all about they're luciferian points of interest in everything this man has said has disseminated any type of goodness that religion has to offer in any part of the story the point of faith this man is no good this man is evil he has been set out to do what he has to do which is to confuse the masses that's exactly what the distance from the Spanish Inquisition is one of the worst thing that ever happened they tried to do that and Italy and they were ran out and they finally got their hooks in in in Spain but these men have been in the ears of Emperor's for years and have tried to rule the universe and disseminate God's word they have tried to wipe out the Jewish faith three times in history this man is no good he's a Jesuit

[@doloreslehmann8628]

34:00 You're mixing up the story of the Samaritan woman with the Syro-Phoenician woman. The former he encounters in the Gospel of John, at the well, and presents himself as the Messiah to her, the latter is the one that approaches him so that he might heal her sick daughter, to her he says the line about the children and the dogs.

[@hayneshuntingcom]

thats right

[@hoperestorationcenter]

WOW i scrolled to see how many people on this platform actually knew the scriptures to see this error and by God you are the only one so far...Blessings and Shalom Delores Lehmann

[@andyokus5735]

I had the same experience as this man at 14. However I didn't buy into an idea God actually revealed itself to me. I was transformed in the blink of an eye. I told people " I had found the Lord ". However what happened to me was so real and so sacred I didn't try to tell or convert anyone. It was too personal it still is. I will share my experience with anyone who is totally sincere and wants to know.

[@trafficjon400]

In words ?

[@trafficjon400]

I SAW A SPIRIT AT 14 YEARS OLD. But i could have ben delusional but it was thier i saw it. Faded slowly in 5 minutes as to tell me it was not fake. Never saw it again and knowing i don't have delusions is what make me know i don't.

[@glockdookie5231]

Id like to know

[@knatsomitab7376]

Andy! I had that same rebirth. I went from thinking I believed too knowing our Lord and Savior. Was something I kept quiet on, I had everyone comment on my new me. Only ever said "God did that".

[@OmensLeJustice]

These sheep lap up what this "youtuber" has to say but, there's no way you had an experience outside of thier rudimentary understanding. Anyone that's had the experience knows exactly how rich it is, it's unreachable to the lawless.

[@bigstunna2049]

This is such a great thought provoking talk. Whether you're a Christian or not I think everyone can benefit from it.

[@rickymartin5747]

This guy is an incel

[@Broomful]

I was raised Christian and currently a agnostic i agree love these lectures definitely a ton more of them

[@OmensLeJustice]

@@Broomful wow, that's got to be the worst timed exit in the time line of humans.

[@deborahlawrence4063]

Provocative, yes. And full of contradictions and errors...whether you are Christian or not, it is important to have all the facts. This man is not practicing good scholarship, but I am sure he is making money on his book regardless!

[@stash.]

You'll never hear him discuss IRAN literally ever, his ancestral home-land kinda strikes me as odd

[@stash.]

He'll not waste a moment bringing up others cultural ancestral homelands during debates but will never mention IRAN, i mean ever He mostly chokes on about Indonesia during heated debates, the man is a fraud, his interviewers are much too stupid as he knows this, and plays into it

[@stiryotype4695]

+Qamar Ckm But he´s discussing the history of religion isn´t he?

[@sherifRizq]

I don't get it why historian would totally dismiss the bible as a historical document....why do not they compare it to historical documents !!?

[@jmorra]

"The first thing Jesus does when he comes back is (he) gets rid of all the Jews." What a load of crap. Why wasn't there someone in the audience to call him out on this garbage? He is preaching to a choir who read "The Da Vinci Code."

[@bethsherdell2079]

No, he doesn't get rid of us, but he converts us all and then we rise to heaven with him, or else we are cast down into hell. That is what every church I've been to teaches. THAT is why the evangelicals supposedly love Israel; because they see it as fertile ground to convert the Jews.

[@hayneshuntingcom]

first thing Jesus did ( in 2nd Peter ) was go into hades or a hell (holding place) and PREACH and set captives there free Think about who was there, those antidiluvins , those bad people at Noahs time " every though they had was evil"

[@Suusuumo]

Just for your information, you internet trolls, a Muslim is not a Muslim if they do not believe in Jesus.

[@daterapeface5340]

+Suusuu Lander That is true, but they only believe in Jesus as a prophet.

[@ubaidh66]

Jesus that ate and slept yes.

[@bromponie7330]

+Neil Reinhardt How ignorant.

[@bromponie7330]

Well, seeing how virtually all professional scholars relevant to the field acknowledge his existence, how Jesus is the most well-attested Palestinian Jew in the entire 1st century apart from Josephus, and how over 40+ early authors make reference to Jesus - including the greatest Roman historian of his era, Cornelius Tacitus, I'd have to disagree.

[@Posiman]

Neil: It's you, who is being ignorant here. The overwhelming concensus of all historians is that there certainly was a man called Jesus of Nazareth, a preacher who started a jewish sect that later evolved into christianism. I'm an atheist myself, but I like to base my claims about history on the works of actual historians, not on the Zietgeist movies and Bill Maher's comedy routines...

[@coreyburns352]

How was Jesus illiterate? - 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. - This mans work misses simple things

[@coreyburns352]

@Kaptain Kid It is recorded in the gospels of him mistering in Hebrew, in Hebrew tradition all children learn the Torah which Christ Jesus was a minister of, also to the words of Moses, the words of the Prophets. This is easily found in scriptures

[@boburanus69]

illiterate used to mean more than just reading ability. It was a profound lack of education that they are referring to here, not ability to read.

[@coreyburns352]

@@boburanus69 No he has been explicit multiple time on Jesus and the 12 inability to read or write which is not what the scriptures say.

[@boburanus69]

@@coreyburns352 the entire premise of this talk is to discuss Jesus differently than the way the Bible talks about him. Your scripture verse doesn't have any support from actual recorded history. Therefore, it hasn't been established that Jesus could in fact read or write. And my earlier point still stands, he's talking about more than just reading and writing.

[@coreyburns352]

@@boburanus69 The gospels are recorded history, it absolutely has been established, if neglecting this to fabricate a narrative is respectable than thats where this stands. A fabrication

[@pipspot]

Really blessed by this video. Eye opening!

[@killingtime5610]

🤔34:05.. Is he combining the story of the woman at the well in John 4 with the story of the woman of Canaan in Matthew 15:21-28? Those are two different stories with two different meanings. 😔We should read the Word for ourselves.

[@5Gazto]

21:14 It seems that the economic system hasn't changed that much since then.

[@cassie.melvin]

Until now… cryptocurrency is changing everything.

[@christopherj.samuel6672]

From which historical source do you get the idea that John the Baptist was Jesus' mentor?! Please, I'd like to know. Or, is it just something you concluded?

[@PotPoet]

It may be inferred from several different observations: - John was alleged to precede Jesus in time and overlap with him. - John was alleged to have gathered greater crowds than Jesus did at the time that they met. - John baptized Jesus instead of the reverse. - John was given greater honor by Josephus in his histories than that which was ascribed to Jesus Even if these passages were later modifications to Josephus (likely) it still shows Johannine precedence - especially so if the editors of Josephus were Pauline style Christians (also likely). - Jesus was called a "sophistes" and therefore must have had a mentor. The inference cannot be absolutely proven - "history" must always remain as a summary of our best speculations.

[@CommonSenceGUY79]

@@Psalm34rws, the bible is NOT a HISTORICAL source !!!!!!

[@isaacblackwell6126]

@@CommonSenceGUY79 why do you think that?

[@CommonSenceGUY79]

@@Psalm34rws,There is no HISTORICAL evidence outside of the bible that prove jesus ever EXITED!!!! you can't use the bible to prove the bible, were is your outside SOURCES?????

[@Redeemed52597]

@@CommonSenceGUY79 The documentary Jesus of Testimony provides historical evidence of Jesus outside the Bible: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3izloZqrbeFgqs But to say there is no historical evidence outside the Bible is erroneous, because the various documents that speak of Jesus that eventually made it into the New Testament Bible were not part of the New Testament when they were written because there was no New Testament at the time they were written! The New Testament was compiled centuries later out of a compilation of historical documents.

[@malgorzataochotnicka9832]

You should read Autobiografi of Jesus channeled by Tina Spalding available at amazon

[@fromnothing5818]

Seems very little can be said about Jesus that is not some sort of putting words into his mouth, or painting history without strong factual evidence.

[@donalddorsey6271]

That goes for the Bible also . JESUS said I come only to the house by of ISREAL the JEWS and it wasn't to save them from there sins !

[@DougWarner25]

@@donalddorsey6271 ????

[@donalddorsey6271]

Jesus said I COME ONLY to the LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL , that means no other race but the JEWS !

[@thisgeneration2894]

Reza, Merry Christmas..

[@budtendersguidetothegalaxy5522]

Josephus flavius wrote about the tale of Titus Flavius the fisher of men.....documentation was always changed if it did not suit the current ruling families world view

[@V_George]

What’s the point of inventing a “historical Jesus” and reject the real Jesus of the Bible?

[@christinareihill]

Beautiful. Thank you Mr Aslan.

[@carolynsilvers9999]

I enjoyed listening to this presentation. I have read your books and I like the way you always open my mind to want to know more and to research... People do not have to agree but should at least be able listen, ponder and become curious.

[@micheles1521]

People want to hear what pleases them, not what the Truth is. 2Timothy 4 3-4 KJV For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

[@ybench5871]

lol it is history, u dont need to agree or disagree, u just accept it. Of course if ur a historian u can debate it, but I doubt u are ...

[@7pinky791]

@@micheles1521 Absolutely spot on!

[@trafficjon400]

ATHEIST

[@bradleyjohnson6107]

Everybody I know who still claims to believe in Jesus as divine has their own very personal definition of who he is and usually, unsurprisingly, he approves of everything they believe, everything they are, and of everything they do. How convenient.

[@lorrainephillips7250]

Bradley Johnson: That's a shame. when I first started to go to Church, many years ago, I felt that everyone else had their act together apart from me and felt totally put down in the midst of these 'perfect' Christians. After a while the cracks began to show and I got to realise that 95% of these people were putting on a show. It was then that I made a break and left with a few of the remaining 5% to start up a Church for those who were not interested in faking it but were genuinely seeking God's help with the things that were binding us and hindering us from being truly set free in Him. It was the best thing we ever did and although very sadly we had to move on after several wonderful years, I say God forbid that I should ever make another think that I had it all stitched together - there is no one perfect but Jesus Christ Himself! God bless you Bradley. 😊✝

[@montanahaven5823]

You can speak for the people you've met. Try following it- different outcome. Lots of commands- not an easy thing . When he says take the narrow road you and you listen narrow takes on a new meaning.

@@montanahaven5823- yes, myths are like that.

[@montanahaven5823]

@ like what? I've seen more than enough prophesies including the Jews returning as a nation. Astronomical evidence so- call it what you want. I'm facing it.

[@lorrainephillips7250]

@ : The 'personal' definition of Jesus Christ that I hold, is largely formed of the Scriptural teachings and therefore it is one that I share with the majority of believers. As I commented to Bradley Johnson, we formed a Church as a breakaway group that needed to find Jesus and gain freedom from our bondages. We were a group made up of drug/alcohol/sex addicts, depressives etc. and bar two or three of us, we had a problem with believing that God could like us, let alone love us! Therefore the, 'Wonderful Years', that I speak of, are ones that have seen us learning to receive His love toward us, in the process of being healed and released from the things that had until then, defined us. In no way did I suggest or imply that, 'He approves of everything you believe, everything you are, and of everything you do'. Perhaps because we started from such 'low' places, we are very much aware of our humility before God and of our thankfulness toward He who picked us up from such a place and who had loved us despite ourselves. Whilst I live on this earth I can never take that for granted and all that I am assured of is, that The Lord God Almighty loves me and 'approves' of my belief in Him. Every day I am aware of my failings before Him, wrong thoughts, wrong words, wrong actions that I cannot justify and need to repent of and renew my mind in The Word. Despite this my joy is in knowing that every time that I fall, there is a learning and a growing closer to Him and I praise God for this always! (An excellent book that illustrates the walk with Christ completely, is The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan). In the meanwhile, I pray that The Lord opens your ears and eyes to know the truth and The Truth shall set you free. God bless you.

[@Julianestebanllano]

Por favor pueden activar los subtítulos del video para poder ver los subtítulos en español. Mil gracias.

[@John-lv6uj]

This man needs to read Jeremiah 9:23,24

[@stephweaver8836]

My favorite verses!

[@josephbishara4791]

You're right. People have a lot to say about Jesus. Not because he's anything special (he's not the first man to claim to be a god and he won't be the last), but because for the past 2000 years, he has been thrust down our throats by two Empires - Roman and British. These Empires made all the rules and decided who people worshipped. These Empires also killed those who refused to believe that this human is a god. These Empires also established traditions, holidays, institutions and rituals to celebrate the human-god called Jesus.

[@sssdagmo89]

Jesus did and still doing miracles don't forget that

[@josephbishara4791]

@@sssdagmo89 I can say crazy things too. Wanna hear mine? Okay. I just had a 2 hour conversation with the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. He explained to me how he was betrayed by 60 conspirators and stabbed 23 times.

[@sssdagmo89]

@@josephbishara4791 you'll need him remember my words

[@dod1mcb1]

@@sssdagmo89 aye right. Haha. Nice tinfoil hat you are wearing.

[@sssdagmo89]

@@dod1mcb1the hell supposed to mean?

[@ReneFabre]

I was in the Bay Area 1983-84. My uncle John, Methodist minister, theologian, gave me such open eye'd reasons for being here and interesting conjecture . He knew many languages and Sanskrit . I'm grateful it wasn't opinion. It was curiosity, totally unbiased, and he coached me, it's not white, discover your own Jesus. Your conversation so resonates. Jesus wasn't politics ( but was) and least known. Yet... Indeed, who was he talking to and why? We've spun this into total global domination. It can but not necessarily be reexamined. Jesus the man in his day today is far more important than any time in history. I will continue to consider. Thank You for thought provoking conversation.

[@JewessChrstnMystic]

So who was jesus and where can I find irrefutable proof he existed and was a man that died for our sins, and how can I prove the bible is inerrant and pure and haunt been rewritten thousands of times and corrupted? And why did he speak in parables hard to understand if he really wanted people saved. I get so confused on these thi gs and desperately seeking God.

[@883frederick]

@@JewessChrstnMystic Hi Katlin, my name is Fred and I have been a Christian since the age of 12 (Now 59). If you want to know who Jesus is then I believe the gospels and the epistles are the only place to look. Mr Aslan is simply wrong on so many claims in this talk to the uninitiated but is very cleverly deceptive in his delivery. The gospels are regarded as historical by most 'credible' scholars and I have never heard anyone one other than Aslan describe them as 'credals of faith'. The first gospel written down we believe is the gospel of Mark and the first line states, "The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God". So, the very first thing Mark wants you to know is that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God. The second thing Mark wants you to know is that John the Baptist was merely a messenger sent to prepare us for the coming of Jesus and certainly NOT Jesus teacher. Verse 2 clearly states this fact, "As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” This historical account totally dismisses Aslan's frankly ridiculous claim that Jesus was a disciple of John. John said himself that he was not fit to untie His shoelaces in v7. Jesus was not illiterate as He read from the OT in Luke 4 and also wrote in the sand in John 8. I could go on but Mr Aslan is not taken seriously in the academic world. He is a Muslim with his own agenda. If you want to find the real Jesus He is there in the gospels. Most of the parables are pretty easy to understand and He only uses parables to make people think, but most of his teaching is pretty simple as found in the sermon on the the mount Matt 5,6,7. May I leave you with C S Lewis's famous claim about Jesus. "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God." I wish you well on your journey and believe that if you search for Him with an open heart you will find Him. Another very credible KZbin resource is a guy called Mike Winger and I suggest you give him a listen, and if I can be of any further use to you then please let me know. Blessings Fred

[@sarahtaylor804]

@@JewessChrstnMystic So you want proof? Get on an Airplane & visit the temple in Jerusalem. You can stand on the steps where he stood. You can walk the streets he walked. There is even a city called Bethlehem. Also Roman History confirms scripture: Caesar Agusustus asked for a census because he thought he was being robbed by his tax collectors. Line by line the scriptures can be proven true. Also the testimony of Josephus.

[@sarahtaylor804]

I agree with Freddie Holmes below: This nut is just rehashing Islamic mis-truths about Jesus. "He was just a good man." But even the Quoran doesnt say that. They are so willfully ignorent of real truth they don't even know what their own "holy book" says. In reality he confesses he's an aetheist.

[@JewessChrstnMystic]

@@sarahtaylor804 ehh. The Roman's could have made it all up.. or changed it to what we know today.. I dont trust Rome, and theres alot of theories talking about how the flavians invented jesus and wrote the new testament.. you forget that Rome knew the area very well, they had people living there and running Israel at that point in time. Have you seen the documentary ceasers messiah? Have you researched things about saturn and the black cube, have you read any of the nag hammadi scriptures? Theres alot of information out there. Have you looked into saturn, Jupiter, and venus worship? Literally go into the search bar and type any of the subjects I mentioned and see what you find. Also maybe look up how the Jews worship saturn and saturn was known as kronos "the father" ... it shocked me to to find put everything I've found the last couple of months. I came to the faith again about 5 months ago but then started researching and found a ton of stuff I didnt want to find.

[@jaysabz7355]

Love this guy. Researched, even keeled, open minded. Agree or disagree with him, he lays it all out for us to review and make up our own minds.

[@MrAbuYaz]

He's a:fraud.

[@li-jv9go]

@@MrAbuYaz exactly idk how people believe him. Aslan made fake claims.

[@anonanon973]

So what conclusion did you come to

[@xperiagalvez2398]

Agreed

[@xperiagalvez2398]

@@MrAbuYaz how?

[@kobalt77]

I learned a lot from this presentation, thank you so much for sharing.

[@aspeninstitute]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kobalt77]

@@aspeninstitute Very much so. 🙏

[@1984potionlover]

I love the the look of the Chinese Jesus. His whole face is smiling. :)

[@stlkngyomom]

Actually he's in religious ecstacy because Chinese Comunist Party is harvesting his organs.

[@joecaner]

@@stlkngyomom Brutal! Jesus as a Falun Gong martyr.

[@MsBettyRubble]

I like the Chinese Jesus, too, Nancy.

[@barbaraclemons4086]

Nancy Cousintine I love the black Korean Jesus

[@dhwang101]

This got to be the best PR success ever! turning a failed Jewish Messiah into a universal savior of any color and justifying a racist comment from a ignorant TV personality. Megan Kelly did not think as deep as this author give her credits for.

[@GENESIS-3]

A very simple, direct and interesting way of presenting the conflict of the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith. Good points!

[@jakehccc1]

So Simple it becomes mindless. His lies about Christ are Stunning! He is a True Muslim trying to wash Christ down the sewer. He isn't irrelevant but Evil!!! Listen at your Peril.

[@YESHUAISTWL]

The SAVIOUR borne of a Virgin was named YESHUA by His DAD YHWH The Almighty All-knowing, Ever Faithful Creator of us All.

[@truthterrain3484]

YT algorithm tried really hard with this one.

[@brittanygoodrich9392]

I am an ex-Christian and a graduate from a prominent Christian school, and I've learned more today than I ever have. Thank you for this! I will definitely be checking out Reza Aslan's other works.

[@annagabriel8351]

Did you was a born again Christian?

[@sonosolo4528]

@@annagabriel8351 i hope you were being ironic otherwise I'll take back my thumbs up.

[@sonosolo4528]

Did you go to school in Illinois? Why not say the name?

[@annagabriel8351]

@@sonosolo4528 I'm being very serious on my question.

[@sonosolo4528]

@@annagabriel8351 Did you was?

[@davidjackson6152]

There is no contrariety, however subtle, between the Our Savior of the scriptures and that of the writings of first and second century historians and commentators. Every new piece of archeological or literature unearthed further demonstrates the accuracy of Bible history.

[@johnchambers2860]

That delusional statement amazes me. How can anyone be so fucking stupid.

[@benban8055]

@@johnchambers2860 The truth sounds extremely stupid to the ignorant and uninitiated.

[@davidjackson6152]

@@johnchambers2860 Tell me Johnny, whats the last big discovery concerning Christ? Or maybe the last 3. You obviously keep up on things. How else could you make such a statement?

[@18dot7]

@@johnchambers2860 - I feel you. The ignorance is with so many, it is hard to _believe._ They believe the unbelievable and completely ignore that there are more amazing stories about other gods out there. Mythology.

[@abdulazizmanaf2015]

@James Bringle I applaud u for not acknowledging the Bible! Because for me it is supposed to be the Word of God but it became corrupted! So wat do u believe then?

[@mikedebell2242]

The Syro-phoenician woman was near Tyre. The woman at the well was Samaritan.

[@tlc9716]

exactly what I was thinking, and the Samritan's were Jews, just jews that had fallen away and mixed their race.

[@IDeviseTV3]

Shalom! Selah! Peace be onto you Michael. Blessings and good health and protection upon you and your family, co workers and friends in spirit of God. God wrote through me 19 years ago a powerful movie script. Hope you enjoy and share love to all who views this. Find your inner Christ in you, your hope and glory. Humbly and confidently in his nature forever in him we pray and meditate. Happy 2021! Our dreams manifest! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJiVe3ijjtB1pLM

[@melindamassey14]

He made light of Jesus, calling him a mascot. And said flippantly, "people are interested in Jesus, who knew?" Then curses.

[@shirasheartbeats]

tearing in the first 12 minutes..his way of presenting things encompass a lot in such a simple format. deeply grateful

[@trafficjon400]

Deeply foolish. nothing he said is but only a satan type of steer up.

[@spiritsplice]

That's what the church loves, gullible people who are swayed by emotional bs.

[@JoBrill07]

Horse shit

[@raydendenko5260]

09:56 This is factually incorrect. I have spent my life all over India and haven't seen a single depiction of Jesus like this . This is Krishna all the way, there is absolutely zero christian imagery in the picture (not even the cross).

[@joshuadouma999]

Thank you for saving me time. I will now jump one minute ahead over a talk I think will be riddled with an absence of the historical method and sound logic.

[@pdoylemi]

I agree with almost everything Reza said. But he is also the guy who said, *_"I'm definitely a Muslim and Sufism is the tradition within Islam that I most closely adhere to." He also proclaims himself a "genuinely committed disciple of Jesus of Nazareth."_*

[@fionafiona1146]

Jesus, who is a profet in Islam?

[@busterbiloxi3833]

He's a bit confused.

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

Jesus is featured in the Koran. You knwo you can educate yourself before making a judgement

[@ton_of_youtube1831]

As others who have read this author’s book have noticed, there are many errors with this author’s book entitled, “Zealot: the life and times of Jesus of nazareth”. The book is an interesting read but flawed. It seems fashionable these days to attack Jesus and Christianity. But you be your own judge. If you read his book that I mentioned above please reference a Bible to verify his claims.

[@borisjo13]

What did I just read? Why would you reference a bible? How do you know that what it said in the bible is the truth? We don't.

[@ton_of_youtube1831]

@@borisjo13 I’m not saying that the Bible is true nor am I saying that the Bible is untrue. My point is that this author made a statement about the Bible which was not true. For example, a statement the author makes (in his book that I previously mentioned) was that in the Gospel of Matthew there is no reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This statement is untrue. I have written to the author about such errors and never received a reply. I only ask that you review the author’s statements as you would any other author.

[@joeconklin9804]

@@ton_of_youtube1831 it's probably something to do with no actual account of the resurrection itself. Merely that the stone had been rolled away and the body missing. Other gospels talk about the women who "witnessed a resurrection". The discrepancies are very important and concerning.

[@ton_of_youtube1831]

@t van If you are referring to Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus ("...the scales fall from Paul's eyes...") the phrase "the scales fall from someone's eyes" is an idiom for " someone who is no longer deceived" or "somebody finally understands the truth".

[@ton_of_youtube1831]

@@joeconklin9804 True. But what I am referring to is that the author states in his book that there was no account in the Gospel of Matthew of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you look in the Bible the last chapter (chapter 28) describes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am not debating whether it happened or not, or if it happened in some other fashion than described. I am merely stating that the passage exists yet the author says (in his book) it does not. Better to read Bart Ehrman or N. T. Wright (depending on which side of the debate someone is on).

[@MichelleMyBelle]

Thank you for this! Just one point to make, baptism wasn't John's invention at all. It's based on a Jewish practice, called the Mikvah, where Jews submerge themselves in water as a cleansing ritual. Rivers were a common place to do this, since a Mikvah is supposed to have a natural water source. Earliest accounts of ritual baths that were actually built, for the purpose of this Jewish immersion ritual (the natural water source in this case might be rain water, which is also acceptable) are traced back to around 100 B.C. It's likely Jews were already doing this way before 100 B.C. but weren't actually building pools for this purpose yet (or there is no remaining evidence of those pools, if they were), and were doing this solely in other bodies of water, (i.e., rivers). The word "baptism" comes from the Greek word "baptizó," which makes sense since this the language that the New Testament was written in, and so people inaccurately believe that it was a new invention, if they aren't super familiar with Jewish practices. Jews were using the word "Mikvah", which is a Hebrew word meaning gathering/collection of water, and this word is first seen way back in Genesis. In Judaism, entering a Mikvah has always been a way to cleanse yourself and to come out with a clean slate. It's often done after difficult life events, or during life transitions (i.e., before marriage, after divorce, etc.) So this idea of being "reborn" as a result of a baptism totally already existed, and Jews were doing this already for over a century, at minimum, when John came around. He just incorporated this idea into his own teachings, which really wouldn't have been a stretch at all.

[@MichelleMyBelle]

Here is some more info on the Mikvah and it's connection to Baptism: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3eUnp-Ygdqjhdk

[@xtianityisalie]

Wrong. Baptism was for the remission of sin and mikveh is for ritual impurity. Two totally different things. Not too bright are ya?? Mikvehs are also used by men for ritual impurity and before setting out on big things like trips, businesses and marriage. Nothing like what every xtian uses if for. How many times to xtians see the water?? Maybe once... Jews see it regularly for multiple reasons. So please get a clue before you make yourself look foolish. Oops too late!!!!

[@MichelleMyBelle]

You completely missed my point. I am talking about the ORIGINS of baptism, and what it was used for during the times of Jesus and John the baptist (during the times of the 2nd beit hamikdash). There was no baptism, it was a Mikvah. I already explained in my origin comment, which you seemed to not have actually read. You are talking about what baptism is used for in modern times in comparison to the Mikvah. Did you forget that "John the baptist" and Jesus were religious Jews? Obviously it is a different thing in the modern day, but the ORIGIN is from the Mikvah. When Jesus "baptized" himself in the Jordan river, it was a Mikvah ritual. I am Jewish, I know what Mikvah is used for. John the baptist did not create baptism, because it was a Mikvah. Keep in mind that Jesus' followers were still practicing Judaism for 200 years after Jesus' death before Christianity even existed.

[@xtianityisalie]

@MichellleMyBellle Jesus and.John aren't even real people and neither are the xtian writings.

[@xtianityisalie]

@MichellleMyBellle in the xtian wrtings is says: Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's what it was used for for them... There is 0 connection between mikveh and baptism.

[@thysvanzyl2782]

I'd love to hear Reza Aslan speak on C.S. Lewis' vision of Great Lion, Aslan (thee-hee-hee!)

[@alom4093]

*ONE True GOD, ONE True WORD, ONE True SPIRIT* *Triple Holy UNITY* ❤️❤️❤️ *Holy, Holy, Holy is The LORD ALMIGHTY!*

[@SeekThePaleSeptember]

+ I am not super religious. But I love History & loved this. Found it and Reza Aslan extremely fascinating.

[@MaximilianonMars]

He's inconsistent, he accepts poor evidence, fabricates other points, ignores good evidence. Remember this idiot ate human remains for views on his crappy CNN TV show, that's who you're following.

[@SeekThePaleSeptember]

@@MaximilianonMars + Wait... WHAAAA?! Who ate human remains, and more importantly... Where can I watch that?

[@littleandre4957]

'Jesus' WERE called "Jesus, the son of Joseph" three times though ('Luke' 3:23, 'Joh' 1:45; 6:42).

[@beegood1215]

And John the Baptist was his cousin.

[@sanjivb53]

Fascinating presentation!

[@Mosfortune]

22 minutes in and no scripture has been brought out... how you gonna talk about The Man of the Book and not read from the BOOK...

[@KP-zm1bo]

You're so basic...

[@Mosfortune]

@@KP-zm1bo it's the only way to be baby

[@drugaddict6386]

Because there's no proof anuything in that book Is true. He's talking about facts se sctually know about Jesús snd the Time he lived in. You can't use the bible to probé whats in the bible

[@Mosfortune]

@@drugaddict6386 what's your nationality according to the scripts?

[@drugaddict6386]

@@Mosfortune wdym?

[@abigalerichard3679]

he's being funny and the audience is quite dry &stiff 😂aw

[@aaronrobinson2121]

Yeah they were pretty stiff. Not sure why; I know it was a divisive subject, but he handled it pretty well I thought.

[@Frst2nxt]

the joke is him being up there. he never read one passage of the bible with care.

[@jerihurd]

I thought that, too!

[@TREVASLARK]

@@Frst2nxt Well, but how do you know that ?

[@RonanBrowneMusic]

The most likely reason to think that there was no reaction from the audience is that we heard only his microphone. We didn’t hear the reaction from that audience. But no doubt they most likely did laugh at the quips etc.

[@FireflySA]

Thank you for great insight stay empowered

[@objectivereality1392]

Overall, a very fascinating talk, and I give credit to Azlan for recognizing the positive in the Christian faith as well as the negative. But a few critiques: Azlan: "The Jesus of faith can be anything you want him to be. He is infinitely malleable." Which "faith" are we talking about here? This is certainly not a belief of anyone belonging to the orthodox Christian faith (Roman Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox). If Jesus can be "anything", that means he's nothing. In order for Jesus to matter, we have to agree on who he is and what he did. That's the whole point of Christendom's existence... To recognize the distinct character of Jesus, and to obey him. People who turn Jesus into an "infinitely malleable" figure who is "anything we want him to be" are not practicing Christianity-- which requires people to objectively take in the scriptural accounts of what Jesus tells us, grapple with them, and respond. Instead, they're projecting whatever "feels good" to them onto Jesus, which requires an absurdly liberal level of interpretation of the text (if not complete ignorance and/or rejection of it). ------------ Azlan: "Take away the 'Christian writings' (Gospels) and we know almost nothing about Jesus." The gospels cannot possibly be "Christian writings" because the Gospels pre-date Christianity. The canonical gospels are simply eye-witness accounts from the perspective of 4 different witnesses. These Jewish (not Christian, because Christianity didn't exist yet) witnesses thought what they were seeing was *historically significant*, so they documented it... And the things they documented are presented in great detail in the gospels. What's so fascinating about Azlan's presentation here, is that at the beginning of it, Azlan rejects the gospels as legitimate historical accounts of Jesus's life by mischaracterizing them as somehow biased toward a religion that doesn't exist yet... But then, for the remainder of his presentation, he tells us all sorts of facts about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, etc. which came from (wait for it) the gospels! Both canonical and non-canonical. So which is it? Are the gospel accounts of Jesus and his followers historically reliable or aren't they? And if they aren't, why continue to talk for an hour about gospel accounts of these figures as if you believe they are historically reliable? This is highly confusing. ------------ Azlan: "Most Jews were referred to as "Son of 'father's name'"... But Jesus was actually called 'son of Mary' in the gospels which is impossible... It just doesn't happen... It's so bizarre". Yeah, it's almost as if people acknowledged that Jesus's father was not of this Earth and therefore unnamed...

[@danielmurphy7255]

Exactly. Anyone thinking Jesus is a malleable figure obviously hasn't read a scrap of the Bible. Jesus of History is the Jesus of Faith, pulling up artistic interpretations and other people's fallacies count for nothing. 🤦 He's designed an argument around an IDEA in his mind About Jesus.

[@noahbrasseur9398]

Interesting... your post is very similar to what I posted a year ago. I challenge you to find the agenda of Mr. Aslan. What do you think it is, if any? Take note: this man is not dumb. He has spent all of his life studying this stuff. The amount of knowledge he displays in this talk shows that he is without excuse regarding the serious errors in his logic that you have mentioned. What's the agenda?

[@danielmurphy7255]

@@noahbrasseur9398 I think they're trying to make Jesus a figure of normal logic, to remove the supernatural, for "Science" (Satanic Religion of Evolution) they NEED it for their Satanic Worldview, they want to brainwash kids and destroy their sense of wonderment, trust, culture, and faith, because it is tied to the Principles, Logic and Reasoning, Ethics and Morals of Christianity. Christ is the Core of the Doctrine, discrediting Him is an obvious assault on the entirety of the Faith, and the reason is obvious, it's what holds Christians together, he is trying to destroy Christianity, and has not an iota of sincerity. Clearly dude ran from God because he's GAY, doesn't like that God doesn't like that, and had to create a "reasonable" reason to run from God. People who runs from God get BITTER at God, and over Time Satan works their minds into Delusions, you become convinced of your decision, and become offended and persecute the people who won't allow you to live in your fantasy world. 🤷

[@objectivereality1392]

@@noahbrasseur9398 Good question. I think Azlan is just a typical Muslim Apologist. His agenda is simply to defend Islam, which means he has to find ways to dismiss Christianity. When criticizing Christianity, I've noticed that Muslim apologists, generally speaking, tend to use a lot of straw man arguments and mischaracterizations of Christianity to make their points. Azlan is no different-- He counts on his audience (atheist, new-age, or Islamic) to know almost nothing (if not absolutely nothing) about Christianity-- Particularly the historicity of the Gospels. He leverages his audiences' ignorance by repeatedly reminding them that he's a "religious scholar", which causes the audience to fail to actually fact check him. You're right that Azlan SHOULD be educated and intelligent enough to know what he's saying is just completely wrong. But I don't think he's being malicious here. I think, when people are confronted by the truth of the Gospel (and therefore the truth of God), they react in one of two ways-- 1.) They are saved by irresistible grace -- They are overcome by the holiness of God, the sweetness of Christ's sacrifice, and (very importantly) the total depravity of their own sinful nature. They immediately realize that there is no hope for them apart from Jesus's work on the cross. Thus, they become believers forever. 2.) They are absolutely terrified and/or enraged -- This is the typical rebellion of those that aren't part of God's elect. No matter how apparent the truth is, they refuse to see it because it requires them to see themSELVES as fundamentally flawed. The arrogance of some men won't allow them to look in the mirror and see anything but perfection. They run away from the truth because it convicts them of their sinful nature. They double down on their rejection of Christ and thus, God. I think item "2" could be what's happening here. I'll continue to pray that the Lord allows Azlan to acknowledge what I think he already knows in his soul.