"We shall consider the case of Buddha later. First let us look at 
the main
 objections to this view that the existence of a body of teaching 
is overwhelming evidence of the existence of an historical teacher. 
The earliest Christian documents are ascribed to Paul. These 
epistles were written long before the canonical gospels were put 
together and accepted by the Church. The older protions, however, 
tell us nothing about the life of Jesus. The silence of paul is 
remarkable if indeed he was familiar with the Jesuine biography. 
Secondly, the unity of teaching, which it is said, would show it to 
have been the work of one mind is conspicuously absent. So far from 
displaying coherence, the ethical precepts are frequently obscure 
and contradictory. So far from being original, many of the sayings 
are merely quotations from Hebrew literature, and some have pagan 
parallels. As for the Sermon on the Mount, it is no more than a 
patchwork of utterances found in the Old Testament." 
_Pagan_Christs_ pg. 64

 I was suprised to hear that some of the Epistles of Paul are the 
earliest
 of the Christian writings. Anyone care to point us to an already 
typed in dating of the N.T.? Care to type one in? If such is the 
case then it is outstanding that as Paul was the first to write 
about mystery of the sacrifice of Christ he tells us nothing of the 
life of Christ. It's as if he didn't know. Surely he would have 
known such details being close to the original twelve. Perhaps he 
didn't care, such details being meaningless as the ethics, mystery 
and sacrifice of the God man were most important.

  It seems the earliest of the gospel forms was lost with Matthew 
and Mark
 being dependent opon these lost forms. This scans nicely. The 
earliest forms were probably the purest of the Jewish Christian 
story of the Messiah. As time went by more of the pagan gentile 
influence was felt as needed. Various features of the virgin birth 
of the God man, the nativity scenes, the Last Supper, the betrayal, 
the crucifiction and mysterious ressurection were incoroprated into 
the present gospels to appeal to pagan cultist.

  Some scholars indicate that Revelations was next inline. This scans
 nicely as it presents a supposedly Jewish-Christian eschotology. 
When one looks at the symbolism one can see the Mazedian influence 
in Revelations. Revelations seems to present a first or second step 
in the evolution of the Sacrifice and Resurrection of the God man. 
Perhaps a middle step is more appropriate. A middle step between 
Jewish Messiah cults and Gentile Savour cults.

---
1:128/23)

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