JUST ANOTHER MYTH?
Critics often argue that the story of Christ is merely a product of ancient mythology. If this were true, it would mean that Christianity is nothing more than a belief system borrowed from various myths. And just like other so-called gods, Jesus would be just another myth. Those who support this view tend to ignore the overwhelming historical evidence for the existence of Christ. They highlight every perceived similarity between Christ and pagan gods, while conveniently overlooking all the crucial differences.
Here are a few important points to remember when facing issues like this:
POINT 1: The New Testament wasn’t written later unlike the myths; it was written by people living at the time when the recorded events happened.
Suetonius (c. 69–122 AD), a Roman biographer, wrote that Julius Caesar became divine after his death. According to him, after Julius died, “a comet appeared… This was held to be Caesar’s soul, elevated to heaven; hence the star, now placed above the forehead of his divine image.” He reported a similar event when Emperor Augustus was cremated, saying his spirit was seen “soaring up to Heaven through the flames.” Deifying political leaders after their deaths was a common theme in ancient mythology. Some people claim that the same thing happened with Jesus—that He was only made into a god later on. But this accusation has no solid basis. Suetonius wrote those accounts around 121 AD—about 165 years after Julius Caesar’s death (44 BC), and about 107 years after Augustus died (14 AD)! That’s a long gap, with no eyewitnesses alive to verify the events.
In contrast, the New Testament was written by people who either witnessed the life of Christ themselves or had access to eyewitnesses of the events they recorded. That means the Gospels weren’t legends made up long after the fact, but written accounts of recent events. Legends don’t easily develop when the accounts are written while eyewitnesses are still alive to correct any false information.
POINT 2: Many alleged similarities between Christ and other myths are either greatly exaggerated or completely fabricated.
Some claim that the story of Jesus was just copied from the myth of Osiris, an Egyptian god who was supposedly resurrected from the dead. Others argue that the Gospel story is just a retelling of Horus, another Egyptian deity who was allegedly born of a virgin. They say that Jesus being the “Son of God” isn’t unique, since figures like Perseus and Hercules were also called sons of gods. Christ’s incarnation is also said to mirror that of Krishna, a Hindu deity considered an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. Critics argue that these similarities prove that Jesus’ story isn’t original. However, a closer and more honest look at these mythologies shows that the similarities simply don’t exist—they are either distorted or completely made up.
For example:
-
Osiris was not resurrected in the way Jesus was. After his death, his body was reassembled, and he became a dead god who ruled the underworld—not someone who rose again and walked among the living. In contrast, Jesus truly resurrected, appeared with a glorified body, and was seen alive by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6), many of whom were still alive when the New Testament was written.
-
Horus was not born of a virgin. His mother, Isis, conceived him through magical means using the recovered sexual organ of the dismembered Osiris—an account very far from the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18).
-
The so-called sons of gods in Greek mythology (like Perseus or Hercules) were demigods—half-human, half-divine, and thus lesser deities. Jesus, on the other hand, is not half-God—He is fully God and fully man, eternal and co-equal with the Father (John 1:1).
-
In Greek mythology, gods would sometimes disguise themselves as humans. But in Christianity, God actually became human (John 1:14).
-
In Hindu mythology, Krishna is just one of ten avatars of Vishnu. In contrast, Christianity teaches that the incarnation happened once and only through Christ (Galatians 4:4). Jesus is not one of many manifestations of God—He is the fullness of God in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).
Critics often alter, cherry-pick, or invent details in these myths to make them look similar to Christianity. But when the original sources are studied honestly, the differences are clear and overwhelming. In truth, there are no real parallels between the biblical Jesus and these ancient mythological figures.
POINT 3: Some myths borrowed from Christianity, not the other way around.
Critics often cite the myth of Mithras, a Persian deity, as the supposed basis of the story of Christ. They claim that Mithras was also born of a virgin, was a teacher and master with twelve followers, and likewise sacrificed himself for humanity. There are also legends about Alexander the Great which say he was born of a virgin, performed miracles, and became divine. Since these myths supposedly came before Christianity, critics argue that the story of Christ was just copied from them. But how true is this claim?
The myths that critics say the Gospels copied actually developed after the rise of Christianity, not before the arrival of Jesus Christ. There’s no record in early Mithraic tradition that Mithras was born of a virgin (according to the myth, he was born out of solid rock), or that he was a teacher or had twelve followers. The only notable element in his story is his battle with a bull—there is no story of self-sacrifice for humanity. These legends only emerged hundreds of years after the New Testament was written and are absent from the earliest versions of the Mithras myth.
As for Alexander the Great, the miracle legends surrounding him developed over the course of a thousand years and are not found in the earliest records of his life. Dr. Ron Rhodes explains, “Leaders of pagan cults that were challenged by Christianity would logically seek to counter the challenge by offering a pagan substitute.” Historical evidence shows that these myths actually copied from Christianity—not the other way around.
________
There is no valid reason to believe that the story of Christ was fabricated by borrowing from myths about pagan gods whom the Jews, in fact, despised. “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16). The Gospels were based on the testimony of those who actually saw Christ. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31). Stay Curious.
Sources and Studies:
Geisler, N. (1999). “Mythology and the New Testament.” Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker Books.
Geisler, N. (1999). “Mithraism.” Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker Books.
Rowe, R. (n.d.). Alleged similarities between Jesus and pagan deities. Reasonable Faith Perth. Retrieved from: https://www.reasonablefaithperth.org/copied-myth
Craig, W. L. (2009). Jesus and pagan mythology. Reasonable Faith. Retrieved from: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/.../jesus-and-pagan...
Comments
Post a Comment