What a position to be in!!!

I marvel at the position that God has placed us in as His children. Paul states this position in Colossians 3:1-4, when he writes that we are "in" Christ. My God, what an awe-inspiring thought...I am in Christ Jesus. I died with Him (the old me that is -- Romans 6:6), I was buried with Him (Romans 6:4), and when He arose, I arose to new life in Him (Romans 6:11). As Christ said, "Because I live, you shall live also (John 14:19)." Jesus said it so clearly in John 17:3: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (NASB)." My strength to live this Christian life comes from the fact that it is not me, but the Spirit of Christ within me. I am in Christ, He should be living through me and this is possible only as I keep my faith in Him and what He has done for me on the cross. Through this, we are made more than conquerors because of Jesus Christ. As Ravi Zacharias stated: "Jesus did not come to make bad men good, but He came to make dead men live."

Dr. John Lennox's Response to Stephen Hawking

Dr. John Lennox's Response to Stephen Hawking

Was the virgin birth an original pagan doctrine?

The argument from many skeptics concerning the virgin birth of Christ is that the whole idea was borrowed from pagan myths of other so called virgin births that pre-ceded the times of Jesus. For example, Walter Bundy in his book, Jesus and The First Three Gospels, states: “The idea of a supernatural or virgin birth is pagan, and it must have found its way into the story of Jesus through Gentile-Christian channels (pg. 10; quoted from an article by Wayne Jackson on www.christiancourier.com).” Another such attack was levied by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy in their book¸ The Jesus Mysteries (pg. 9; quoted from the book Reinventing Jesus, J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer and Daniel B. Wallace). They write:”Why should we consider the stories of Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, Attis, Mithras, and the other Pagan Mystery saviors as fables, yet come across essentially the same story told in a Jewish context and believe it to be the biography of a carpenter from Bethlehem.” Josh McDowell notes: "Some have attempted to account for the virgin birth by tracing it to Greek or Babylonian mythology. They argue that the Gospel writers borrowed this story from the mythology of their day. This view does not fit the facts, for there is not any hero in pagan mythology for which a virgin birth is claimed, and moreover it would be unthinkable to the Jewish mind to construct such a story from mythology. Many deities among Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians were reported born in an unusual manner, but for the most part these beings never actually existed. The accounts are filled with obvious mythological elements which are totally absent from the Gospel narratives. They are reports of a god or goddess being born into the world by sexual relations between some heavenly being or by some adulterous affair among the gods and goddesses (A Ready Defense, pgs. 189-190).” This attack against the virgin birth of Jesus is one that, when researched actually proves that the event is found in the gospels only. After an exhaustive study of the claims, Louis Matthew Sweet stated: “After a careful, laborious, and occasionally wearisome study of the evidence offered and the analogies urged, I am convinced that heathenism knows nothing of virgin births. Supernatural births it has without number, but never from a virgin in the New Testament sense and never without physical generation, except in a few isolated instances of magical births on the part of women who had not the slightest claim to be called virgins. In all recorded instances which I have been able to examine, if the mother was a virgin before conception took place she could not make that claim afterward. (The Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ, pg. 188; quoted from an article by Wayne Jackson on www.christiancourier.com)” Even Thomas Boslooper, who denied the historical account of a virgin birth, admitted: “The literature of the world is prolific with narratives of unusual births, but it contains no precise analogy to the virgin birth in Matthew and Luke. Jesus’ ‘virgin birth’ is not ‘pagan. (The Virgin Birth, pg. 136; quoted from an article by Wayne Jackson on www.christiancourier.com)” As we see, the so called myths of a Pagan pre-Christian virgin birth do not exist. The evidence is overwhelming and the claims by the adversaries of the biblical story have no ground to stand on. Let me add to this the words of Dr. Thomas Thorburn, who writes: “All these various stories of supernatural conceptions and births, which we meet with in folklore and the history of mythology, have this one point in common-they serve to point not so much to the similarity as to the complete contrast and dissimilarity which exists between the Christian birth-story and the tales which are current in various pagan circles. (Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, pg. 190)” My final statement is a quote from Dr. Norman Geisler. He writes: “Historical evidence that Jesus was supernaturally conceived of a virgin is more than substantial. Indeed, there are more eyewitness contemporary records of the virgin birth than for most events from the ancient world. The records show no signs of myth development. Indeed, they are surrounded by historical references to real people, places and times. Thus, there is no reason to believe Jesus was not literally, biologically born of a virgin just as the Bible claims he was. Only an unjustified antisupernatural bias is ground for any conclusion to the contrary. (Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, pg. 764)”

Christians view of the Council of Nicea?

What are your views on the Council of Nicaea which took place in 325AD and was convened by Constantine 1? I have done much research, and it seems that before this date, the apostles of Jesus believed that he was a Prophet , sent by the One true Gog. However, it was at this council that it was "decided" that Jesus would be seen as Divine.

How could Christians pretend this council never took place?
Why would a Christian see Jesus as Divine, when the ORIGINAL scriptures and followers, saw him as merely a Prophet?

My answer:
With serious respect, you must have done your research in the book The Davinci Code. Whether you're a Christian or not, you must know that the New Testament is replete with references of Jesus' divinity. Mark 8:27-29 and 14:61-64 is only two of many references. And the book of Mark is believed to have been written between 15-20 years after the life of Christ with a surviving manuscript dated between 1st and 2nd century A.D. I suggest that you research the Apostles' Creed which Paul quotes in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. Anyway, I'm not trying to be abrasive and I don't know the sincerity of your question, but truthfully, the evidence is overwhelming, the Council of Nicaea did not even bring into discussion or vote whether they should accept the divinity of Christ. And by the way, the non-Christian source of encyclopedia Britannica 2007 states that the "council condemned Arianism", which it goes on to state was a "Christian heresy that declared that Christ is not truly divine but a created being." Just one of many sources.

Islamic perspective

How can Christians talk about Hindus and other religions that worship Idols and compare others to God when they compare a man (JESUS) to God and the holy spirit as well? They hold these 2 things right next to God. That is the same as idol worshiping! They even say "In Jesus Christ we pray" They do everything through this man yet they bash us Muslims for having prophet Mohammad (saw) who we do not even worship, pray to, or anything else that would match him to God. I find Christianity to be very cult like.

My answer:
Hmmm...the Koran itself states two things about Jesus that are very interesting. It says that He was born of a virgin, which only Divinity can cause to happen, therefore making Jesus the offspring of Divinity, which makes Him of the same nature as God. It also states that Jesus raised people from the dead, and act of God (Mohammad never did). Also, read the New Testament gospels and note the many references that Christ made concerning His divine nature (Luke 22:67-71; 23:3; John 8:42; 14:6-11). The greatest event that validated His claims is the resurrection, which is a historical fact that has never been disproved. Many have tried and ended up coming to faith in Christ. No other religious leader has or ever will do that. If you would search the facts and use your ability to reason, I believe that you would find the truth. I do not respond in hostility, but in sincerity and truthfulness

Is it all real?

Is god and all of the other things the bible speaks about real?

My answer:
Let's see, according to archeology, history and modern reality, Jerusalem, Egypt, Babylon, David, Paul, Abraham, Moses, Bethlehem, The Dead Sea, and Jesus, just to name a few are/were very real. Now, sure God is real. It's evident through nature and the multiplied millions of lives that have been changed by Him. Miracles, which are real, attest to Him and the fact that so many people spend so much time attacking Him and trying to refute Him tells us that He is real. I never see anyone attacking the reality of Santa, the tooth fairy or even the Easter bunny or the Buddha or the 300 plus million Hindu gods. Why the God of the bible? Because His reality means that there is someone to whom we will be ultimately accountable to, and mankind doesn't want that because of the way they live, so they think that by denying Him, it will do away with Him. But even the great French atheist Voltaire admitted on his deathbed..."I die, forsaken of God and men..."

Proof of Jesus' existence

What is the most convincing evidence for the existence of Jesus?

Apart from the Bible, as there are too many flaws for it to be taken as solid evidence he was here.

I want to believe, I'm trying to believe. It just seems to me that there is more evidence against Christianity than there is for it.

My answer:

Apart from the bible, which by the way would hold up as substantial evidence in a court of law, we see testimony of Jesus from:
Tacitus - a Roman historian
Suetonius
Pliny the Younger
Epictetus
Lucian
Aristides
Hieracles
Josephus
and Julian the Apostate just to name a few.

By the way, with much respect, how do we know that Julius Caesar really existed? By historical accounts. The New Testament has and will time after time be supported by history. Do the research with an open heart and don't allow the biased Christian haters make your decision for you. If Christ is real (and I believe He is), then He will reveal to you the truth. Oh yeah, there is no evidence against Christianity, for I am one and there is no proof that I don't exist.

Source(s):

The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell - pgs 119-136
Caesar and Christ: A History of Roman Civilization and of Christianity From Their Beginnings to A.D. 325 by Will Durant

Is there good and evil?

To me, good and evil aren't real. They exist because the concept of good and evil exist, therefore we attribute them to what we see fit. You say God is Good, and Satan is Evil, yet there are many things I've read in the Bible that God has done, and I would consider extremely evil.

You can't define a person as good or evil, because good and evil aren't tangible measurements of their actions, just our perspective and personal opinion on what they've done.

9/11 in America was "Evil", yet in many other countries they called it a miracle.

My Answer:
I'll start by asking a question. Can you show me a culture or society of people where rape, torture, stealing, or the murder is accepted by the general consensus of the people. Nowhere. Why? Because of a transcendent moral law. It's like saying there is no right or wrong. What you have is a postmodern view that is out of touch with reality. Those who rejoiced over 9/11 were those who are motivated by an hatred of the United States. What Hitler did is considered evil not by a biased group of people, but by an inward moral law that is found resident in humanity, but can be overridden by the dark descent into decadence. That's why words like madman, wicked, infidel, demon, tyrant, etc. exist because they are words that are in touch with a real world, just as words like truth, justice, mercy, heroism, integrity, righteous, etc. convey to us that which exist in a real world also. Let me add by saying that right and wrong exist; everyone cannot be right and that all philosophies and worldviews cannot be true, because truth by definition is exclusive.

The bible is a book roughly 1500 years old that has been mistranslated, edited down by the canan, and cherry picked by every one who reads it. Ask yourself this, if a guy today wrote a new religious text and said it was inspired by god would you believe him or say he's psycho unless he could prove it?Historical the bible has actually been debunked. I'm not attacking your belief but I do think there is too much much religion and not enough spirituality. The bible is suppose to be the inspired word of god so why edit it? why decide what to put in and what to take out? There are 32 books tht weren't put in the bible. Its good you have faith keep it but don't have it in that book but in the characteristics that make up a possible Jesus and every other mythological hero. To have blind faith is harder to accept. Yes blind faith can inspire you to help the needy but it can also inspire you to blow up abortion clinics or kill thousands with pronise of 72 virgins. the bible does contradict quite a bit and most of the stories were rewrites from other books such as Gilgamesh thts over 3000 years older then the bible. Even the story of Jesus is shared by hundreds of deities tht predates J...esus by many centuries. Your right there are many different authors but the inspired word was edited. We're getting closer to explaining all of creation. There's a reason why the sun is the original god cuz early man actually saw its magnificents. It gave them life, warmth, and light. You can't take the bible literally unless you take the whole thing literally, you can't cherry pick it like most ppl who read it do. Most fables have a hint of truth, but man has a habit of of sensationalizing thing. Robin Hood, King Author, Dracula, etc all created out of historical events and ppl. The bible is book put together by a comittee put together by Emperor Constantine called the Canon, for political reasons. Then he made it law and if you didn't believe you were put to death for blasphemy. So yes there are some historical figures in the bible but the "fairy tale-ish" type stories is what keeps you interested, miracles, super hero abilities etc.

My response:
Mr. D, I know we haven't met but you seem very intelligent but badly misinformed. First, the historical evidence bears out that the bible was written over a 1500-1600 year period, by over 40 different authors ...in 3 languages; Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek; on 3 continents and has more than 5000 more manuscripts than the next nearest book of antiquity, Homer's Iliad which has 600 manuscripts. And though there are many versions ( which I wouldn't read a majority of ), all of the word for word TRANSLATIONS agree. All of this is well researched and documented in the book "The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict" written by the former atheist Josh McDowell, who by the way compiled this material while attempting to disprove Christianity. And all of the debunking that is mentioned in these comments sounds like the zeitgeist movie, which holds no merit in modern scholarship. Now I will add more as time permits. I wonder which pagan religion is referred to when it is mentioned that Jesus' life is copied from? Mithra-ism, Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis or even Zeus? Well, not a one comes close which I will document soon. And talk about faith, it's not s blind faith but one that is founded on historical truths. Let me state that if a man wrote a new religious text inspired claiming it was inspired by God modern scholars and theologians would reject it as well as all true Christians should because the Canonized scriptures declare that God has spoken ...in finality and that his final revelation is in the Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3) and God also gives us the end of all things in his revelation through Jesus to John in Revelation 1-22 (see 1:1). And the 32 books that were left out of the Canon were so because they did not meet the criteria of the true writings of the apostles and first century authors inspired by God. We see these books rejected by the church fathers prior to Constantine's rule. For example, Iraneus of Lyons in Against Heresies (A.D. 175) stating the four gospels were given to us by the Word (Jesus). Irenaeus c.180

“Others again declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons, are related to themselves. On this account, they add, they have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of them has suffered injury. For Sophia was in the habit of carrying off that which belonged to her from them to herself. They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas.” (Against Heresies 1.31)

This was to denounce the gnostic gospels which was left out of the canon. Time and space will not permit me to write of other church fathers who predate the Canon but quote extensively from the scriptures that make up the Canon,but I will give you one more from another church father who rejected the gnostic gospels...over a hundred years before they were rejected by the church's Canon in 397 A.D.

Origen c.254
“I know a certain gospel which is called “The Gospel according to Thomas” and a “Gospel according to Matthias” and many others have we read - lest we should in any way be considered ignorant of those who imagine they possess some knowledge if they are acquainted with these. Nevertheless, among all these we have approved solely what the church has recognized, which is that only four gospels should be accepted.” (Homily on Luke 1:1)
The parallels between Gilgamesh and scripture shows that the early cultures knew of a worldwide flood and the origin of man from creation. As we see, the worldwide flood is found in many ancient cultures which attests to the veracity of scr...iptures. Now concerning Jesus and other deities that supposedly share his story, let me add: That Jesus of Nazareth is a documented figure from history as attested by his followers (New Testament) who were eyewitnesses and who died for their firm conviction that they saw their risen Lord. Nobody will die for what they know to be a lie. We also see Jesus mentioned by Josephus and Tacitus as well. Now the pagan myths were just that myths and not one myth, whether Dionysus, Osiris, Adonis or Mithra contains the resurrection of a literal body of the one who is killed, and none of them contain the virgin birth in the same context of the birth of Jesus. By the way, the most complete texts we have of these pagan myths mentioning a rising Adonis is from the second century A.D., long after the story of Christ. My friends, the proof of history debunking the bible just doesn't exist. From history, to archeology, science and even predictive prophecy, the bible is steadfast and reliable and has outlived it's pallbearers and it is an anvil that has worn out many a hammer of the agnostics, skeptics and atheist through the centuries...and it is still the # 1 best seller in all of history. It was the great Irish historian W.E.H. Lecky, who by no means was a Christian, stated:
-- “the character of Jesus has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but the strongest incentive to its practice, and has exerted so deep an influence, that it may be truly said, that the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind, than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.”
And here are a few more quotes:
“…if one judged a person’s greatness by historical standards…by this test Jesus stands first.”
H.G. Wells

“As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by his effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. That influence appears to be mounting.”

Kenneth Scott LaTourette

“If ever man was God, or God was man, Jesus Christ was both.”
Lord Byron

“If the life and death of Socrates were those of a sage, the life and death of Jesus were those of a God.”
J.J. Rousseau
Also, as a Christian, I do not take the bible literally, but it is to be taken at face value and for us to apply it in its proper context from Old to the New Testament revelations and commands. To the honest heart and mind who is searching for truth, God has assured that they will find Him.

If God can do ANYTHING...?

Young lady asked:
Then can't he stop evil without interfering with our free will, and provide the lessons we would learn due to this evil without it, using his omnipotence?

My answer:
Let's see...if there is no evil, then there would be no free will because there would be nothing to choose between, i.e., good or evil. If there is no evil, then what lessons would there be to learn from it.

Oh yeah, there are things that God can't do. He can't lie (Hebrews 6:18), God can't reject a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), He can't share His glory with anyone else (Isaiah 42:8), He can't sleep (Psalm 121:4), and He can't stop loving you (Jeremiah 31:3) and that is just to name a few.

Real morals don't exist?So do real absolute morals not exist? Or do they only exist within the realm of Christianity?

This was asked by a person a couple of years back.

My answer:
To say that there are no absolute morals is foolishness. In every culture, we find that murder, rape and theft is wrong, just to name a few. To even say that there are no absolutes in life whether it be morality or truth would be an absolute statement in and of itself. This is a self defeating argument that you bring. Evil is divided into three facets. The face of evil, the fact of evil and the feeling of evil. If you choose to say there are no facts or a face for evil, but yet in yourself you find that you feel a dislike for something such as, murder or rape, then you still have to deal with the issue of where those feelings came from. What would your answer be? The answer is an objective moral law innate in humanity.

I'm a Pagan, I don't believe in the bible being the only truth.

This young lady stated the following as well:
Try to convince me otherwise, here are the rules:
No quoting the bible AT ALL
No speak of hell and eternal suffering
None of that "I feel it is right" or "God did this in my life"
No "God told me" or "God/Jesus says.."
You may only use 100% provable facts (Cite your source, links prefered)
No "read the bible" stuff (I have twice already)
And NO Opinionated sites
Only cold, hard, provable facts (The old "we exist" and "look at everything around you" bits are not acceptable)

My answer:

From my gathering, your request is like asking me to make you a cake without an oven, flour, milk, butter or eggs. maybe I misunderstood you. I enjoy a good, honest, non-bashing discussion. This is not an attempt at humor either.

But I will try to raise some points.
First, I need a non biblical reason for an objective moral law innate in all humanity.
Secondly, there is the non-biblical accounts of Jesus' resurrection. (Tacitus or Josephus)
Third, the Cosmological argument. Robert Jastrow, founder-director of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies, said, "A sound explanation may exist for the explosive birth of our universe; but if it does, science cannot find out what the explanation is. The scientists' pursuit of the past ends in the moment of creation."**
These are just a few. Now before I get bashed by those outside of our conversation, I know that these are not indepth explanations. One line can never suffice for so grand a subject. Respond to this if it is of interest. Have a great day.

Source(s):

**"God and the Astronomers", pg. 105; Robert Jastrow

Is there any verse in the bible where Jesus says I am going to pay for your sins ?

This was asked my a Muslim.
Jesus said the following
"Obey the Commandments" (Matthew 19:17)
Why would he say that if he knows already he is going to pay for our sins ..what is the use of following the commandments then ?!! because whether you followed it or not you are already forgiven ?!!!

where is it in the bible that Jesus says I will pay for your sins?




My answer:

Isaiah 53:4 - Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].(B)
5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
This is one of the Jewish Old Testament prophets 600 years before Jesus came prophesying of why the Messiah would die.
Luke 24: 27 - Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself...44Then He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything which is written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 45Then He [thoroughly] opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 And said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer and on the third day rise from ([l]among) the dead,(B) 47 And that repentance [with a view to and as the condition of] forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
Those are the words of Jesus Himself to His disciples. Now let's see what His Apostles says. Paul, who persecuted and killed Christians before his conversion when met Christ; states this:
1 Corinthians 15:1 - AND NOW let me remind you [since it seems to have escaped you], brethren, of the Gospel (the glad tidings of salvation) which I proclaimed to you, which you welcomed and accepted and upon which your faith rests,
2 And by which you are saved, if you hold fast and keep firmly what I preached to you, unless you believed at first without effect and all for nothing. 3 For I passed on to you first of all what I also had received, that Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for our sins in accordance with [what] the Scriptures [foretold],(A) 4 That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold,(B)

It's amazing how the bible has such a continuity.

Did the early Christians teach the Trinity?

The person who asked this also made the following quote:

Historian Arthur Weigall notes: “Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon, and nowhere in the New Testament does the word ‘Trinity’ appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord.”—The Paganism in Our Christianity.

My Answer:

The Ante-Nicene Fathers

Author: Athenagoras the Athenian
Time of writing: 175-177
Topic: Trinity
Years before Nicaea: 148 to 150

“Who, then, would not be astonished to hear men who speak of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and who declare both their power in union and their distinction in order, called atheists?”

“…that they know God and His Logos, what is the oneness of the Son with the Father, what the communion of the Father with the Son, what is the Spirit, what is the unity of these three, the Spirit, the Son, the Father, and their distinction in unity…”

Author: Theopholus, Bishop of Antioch
Time of writing: 180
Topic: Trinity
Years before Nicaea: 145

“In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His wisdom.”

Author: Clement of Alexandria
Time of writing: 195
Topic: Trinity
Years before Nicaea: 130

“…thank the Alone Father and Son, Son and Father, the Son, Instructor and Teacher, with the Holy Spirit, all in One, in whom is all, for whom all is One, for whom is eternity…”

Author: Tertullian
Time of writing: 213
Topic: Trinity
Years before Nicaea: 112

“Bear always in mind that this is the rule of faith which I profess; by it I testify that the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are inseparable from each other, and so will you know in what sense this is said. Now, observe, my assertion is that the Father is one, and the Son one, and the Spirit one, and that They are distinct from Each Other. This statement is taken in a wrong sense by every uneducated as well as every perversely disposed person, as if it predicated a diversity, in such a sense as to imply a separation among the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit.”

“Still, in these few quotations the distinction of Persons in the Trinity is clearly set forth. For there is the Spirit Himself who speaks, and the Father to whom He speaks, and the Son of whom He speaks.”

“With these did He then speak, in the Unity of the Trinity, as with His ministers and witnesses In the following text also He distinguishes among the Persons…”

Author: Hippolytus
Time of writing: 205
Topic: Trinity
Years before Nicaea: 120

“Many other passages, or rather all of them, attest the truth. A man, therefore, even though he will it not, is compelled to acknowledge God the Father Almighty, and Christ Jesus the Son of God, who, being God, became man, to whom also the Father made all things subject, Himself excepted, and the Holy Spirit; and that these, therefore, are three. But if he desires to learn how it is shown still that there is one God, let him know that His power is one. As far as regards the power, therefore, God is one. But as far as regards the economy there is a threefold manifestation, as shall be proved afterwards when we give account of the true doctrine.”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” If, then, the Word was with God, and was also God, what follows? Would one say that he speaks of two Gods? I shall not indeed speak of two Gods, but of one; of two Persons however, and of a third economy (disposition), viz., the grace of the Holy Ghost. For the Father indeed is One, but there are two Persons, because there is also the Son; and then there is the third, the Holy Spirit. The Father decrees, the Word executes, and the Son is manifested, through whom the Father is believed on. The economy of harmony is led back to one God; for God is One. It is the Father who commands, and the Son who obeys, and the Holy Spirit who gives understanding: the Father who is above all, and the Son who is through all, and the Holy Spirit who is in all. And we cannot otherwise think of one God, but by believing in truth in Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”

Source(s):

A PleTo Autolycus, II:xv, (ANF 2:100-101)
The Paedagogus, III:xii, (ANF 2:295)
Against Praxeas, IX, (ANF 3:603)
a for the Christians, X, (ANF 2:133)
Against the Heresy of One Noetus, 8, (ANF 5:226)

Is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ a borrowed legend?

This question came from a gentleman named Solomon.
My answer:

No, it's a fact of history. To answer you and correct heathen princess, the bible itself is the greatest of ancient documents with over 5000 manuscripts. There is no close second, and if you guys would be intellectually honest, you would do the research and discover its truth. Also, another historical document is Josephus' writings. He states:
"Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man...a doer of wonderful works. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate...condemned him to he cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. For he appeared to them alive again the third day...and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day. (Josephus, AJ, 18.3.3) Josephus was not a Christian.
Also the Roman historian Tacitus, concerning Nero's persecution of Christians, states:
"Christus (Christ), from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate..." (Tacitus, A, 15.44)
By the way, the archaeological evidence of Pilate further validates the reliability of the New Testament.
You can accept or reject Jesus as savior, but to say he never existed or was not crucified is to deny the historical evidence.

Source(s):

Josephus, Antiquties of the Jews, 18.3.3
Tacitus, A, 15.44