Disclaimer: I'm not a theologian, I'm a layman. So this is MY OPINION and my researching. You go on and have your own. You can do it! I have faith in you.
FACTS......
Deity, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Let's do some simple research into the Deity of Jesus, His death and resurrection, 10 facts on each subject and then a little extra-biblical sources that speak on the subject.
What does the Bible have to say, what did non-Christian writes have to say and where do we stand? My goal is to make this simple and easy to read and follow along. Feel free to share.
The Deity of Jesus Christ
1. Scriptural claims of Oneness with God:
In the Gospels, Jesus explicitly claims divine authority and oneness with the Father, notably stating, "I and the Father are one" John 10:30 and applying the divine name "I AM" to himself John 8:58
Jesus is God, is a Part of God but is Not the Father. He comes from the Father.
2. The Concept of the Incarnation:
In our Christian theology, we hold that Jesus, God took on human flesh --a doctrine known as the Incarnation -- making him FULLY God and FULLY Man simultaneously also know as the Hypostatic Union. (I do love a big word!)
3. Pre-Existence:
According to the New Testament, Jesus did not come into existence at his birth; rather the WORD -LOGOS - existed eternally before creation. John 1:1-3
4. Exercise of Divine Prerogatives:
Throughout his ministry, Jesus claimed authority reserved strictly for God, including forgiving sins, Mark 2:5-7 and acting as the final judge of humanity. Matt 25: 31-32
5. Reception of Worship:
While angel and apostles strictly refused to worship in biblical texts, Jesus routinely accepted worship from his followers without reprimand. Matt 14:33 and John 20:28-29
6. Creator and Sustainer:
Epistles like Colossians 1:16-17 state that all things were created through Jesus and that in Him all things hold together.
7. Fulfilment of Old Testament YHWH passages:
Early Christian writes applied Old Testament passages originally written about YHWH directly to Jesus; e.g., comparing Isaiah 40:3 to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus
8. Trinitarian Formula:
Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matt 28:19, placing himself on an equal plane with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
9. The First Council of Nicaea - 325 AD:
Formally codified the orthodox belief that Jesus is "homoousios" meaning of the same substance/essence with God the father, refuting Arianism.
(the exact text will be at the end of this blog before the bibliography)
10. The Council of Chalcedon 451AD:
Established the precise theological phrasing that Jesus possesses two distinct natures - Divine and Human - joined in one person without confusion or division.
(the exact text will be at the end of this blog under the Nicaea quote)
10 Facts about the Death of Jesus
1. Execution Method:
Jesus died by Roman crucifixion, a form of capital punishment designed to maximize public shame and physical torment, typically reserved for slaves, non-citizens and political insurgents.
2. Historical Consensus:
Virtually all modern secular and religious historians agree as a matter of historical fact that Jesus of Nazareth was executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate.
3. Timing and Context:
His arrest and execution coincided with the Jewish festival of Passover in Jerusalem, likely in the year 30AD or 33 Ad.
4. Official Charges:
On the Roman cross, the titulus (inscription of charges) read "King of the Jews." Indicating he was executed under Roman Law for perceived sedition against Caesar.
5. Physiological Cause:
Death by crucifixion usually resulted from a combination of hypovolemic shock, exhaustion, and progressive asphyxiation, as the victim could no longer lift themselves to breathe.
6. Medical Details in the Gospels:
The Gospel of John records that a Roman Soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear, yielding "blood and water," which modern medical literature interprets as pericardial fluid and blood consistent with severe trauma and cardiac failure.
7. Non-Christian Historical Attestation:
Tacitus a Roman historian, Josephus a Jewish historian, Lucian of Samosata all explicitly confirm in ancient non-Christian writings that Jesus was executed by order of Pontius Pilate.
8. The Burial:
Following Roman permission granted to Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus was wrapped in linen cloths and placed in a nearby rock-cut tomb before the Sabbath began.
9. The Scourging:
Prior to the crucifixion, Jesus underwent Roman flagellation (verberatio), using a whip loaded with metal or bone fragments that stripped the flesh and caused severe internal blood loss.
10. Theological Significance:
In Christina doctrine, the death of Jesus is viewed as an substitutionary, atoning sacrifice that pays the debt of human sin and reconciles humanity to God.
10 Facts about the Resurrection of Jesus
1. Central Pillar of Christianity:
The resurrection is the foundational doctrine of the Christian faith the Apostle Paul noted in 1 Cor 15:14 that if Christ was not raised, Christian preaching and faith are useless.
2. The Empty Tomb:
All Four canonical Gospels record that women - Specifically Mary Magdalene, were the first to discover the empty tomb on the first day of the week (Sunday).
3.Attestation by Female Witnesses:
Historically, because female testimony carried low weight in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish legal courts, the inclusion of women as the primary initial witnesses strongly points to the historical authenticity of the gospels narrative (the criterion of embarrassment).
4. Multiple Post-Resurrection Appearances:
Early traditions record Jesus appearing after his death to individuals (Peter, James), small groups (the disciples), and large crowds (over 500 people at once, per 1 Cor 15:6
5. Transformation of the Disciples:
Historical records show the immediate transformation of the apostles from fearful fugitives into bold proclamation-makers who willingly faced martyrdom for their testimony for their testimony that they had seen the risen Jesus.
6. The Creed in 1 Corinthians 15:
Scholars generally date the oral creed recorded in 1 Cor.15: 3-8 to within 2 to 5 years of Jesus' death, making it one of the earliest recorded pieces of Christian Tradition
7. Shift in the Sabbath Worship Day:
Early Jewish Christians shifter their primary day of worship from Saturday (the traditional day Sabbath) to Sunday "the Lord's Day", specifically to commemorate the resurrection.
8. Nature of the Resurrection Body:
New Testament theology distinguishes the resurrection of Jesus who was raised with a glorified, immortal body that was no longer subject to physical decay or death, unlike the Lazarus who would have died again.
9. Alternative Historical Hypotheses:
Secular historians and skeptics over the centuries have proposed alternative explanations for the resurrection accounts-such as the stolen body hypothesis, swoon theory, or mass hallucination theory -- though each faces significant historical objections.
10. The Jewish context:
Prior to Jesus, Jewish apocalyptic tradition expected a general resurrection of all people at the end of human history; the early Christin claim that a single individual was resurrected in the middle of history was an unprecedented theological shift.
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Historians rely on secular Roman, Jewish and Greek writers from the 1st and 2nd centuries to cross-reference New Testament details regarding the existence and execution of Jesus.
Key Roman Historical Accounts
1. Tacitus - Annals, c. 116AD
The Roman historian Cornelius
Tacitus discussed Nero's scapegoating of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. He explicitly wrote:
"Christus, 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 Pilatus..."
Historical Significance:
This Confirms historically the execution of Jesus under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius's reign and notes that the movement originated in Judea before spreading to Rome.
2. Suetonius - Lives of the 12 Caesars, c. 121AD
Suetonius, chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian, noted in his biography of Emperor Claudius (Life of Claudius 25.4) that Claudius: "Expelled the Jews from Rome since they rioted constantly at the instigation of Chrestus."
Historical Significance:
"Chrestus" is widely understood by scholars as a common misspelling of Christus. This documents early Jewish-Christina unrest in Rome around 49AD, matching the account in Acts 18:2
3. Pliny the Younger - Letters to Trajan, c. 112AD
As governor of Bithynia-Pontus, modern day Turkey, Pliny wrote to Emperor Trajan asking how to handle the growing legal proceedings against Christians. He described their practices:
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternated verse a hymn to Christ, as to a god..."
Historical Significance:
Documents the early 2nd-century belief in Christ's divinity and the rapid spread of Christian liturgical practices among Roman Citizens
Jewish Historical Accounts
4. Flavius Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews, c. 93-94AD
The Jewish historian Josephus mentions Jesus in two distinct passages:
-the James passage: Antiquities 20.9.1: Describing the execution of James in 62AD, Josephus refers to him as "the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ." Scholars view this passage as authentic and virtually uncorrupted.
-The Testimonium Flavianum: Antiquities 18.3.3: A longer passage mentioning Jesus as a wise man and teacher who was crucified under Pilate. While medieval Christian copyists added theological interpolations (e.g., calling him the Messiah), most modern scholars agree an original core text regarding Jesus exists beneath the edits.
Greek and Syrian Satirists and Philosophers
5. Lucian of Samosata - The passing of Peregrinus, c.165AD
A Greek satirist who mocked Christians for worshipping a crucified teacher:
"The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day - the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account..."
Historical Significance:
Provides hostile attestation confirming that early Christians worshipped Jesus as a founder who had been executed on a cross.
6. Mara Bar-Serapion - Letter, post-73 AD
A Stoic philosopher from Syria wrote a letter to his son from prison, comparing the execution of wise leaders:
"What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished..."
Historical Significance:
Refers to Jesus as the "wise King" of the Jews, linking his execution to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD
| Source | Date Range | Background | Key Detail Confirmed |
| Josephus | 93–94 AD | Jewish Historian | Existence, execution under Pilate, relationship to James |
| Pliny the Younger | 112 AD | Roman Governor | Early Christian worship of Jesus as divine |
| Tacitus | 116 AD | Roman Historian | Crucifixion under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius's reign |
| Suetonius | 121 AD | Roman Biographer | Early presence of Christian movement in Rome by 49 AD |
| Lucian | ~165 AD | Greek Satirist | Crucifixion of Jesus and his role as founder of the movement |
Key Epigraphic & Artifact Evidence
- The Pontius Pilate Stone (1961): Discovered during excavations at the ancient Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima, this limestone block features a 1st-century Latin inscription naming Pontius Pilatus, Prefect of Judea. It confirms the historical existence and exact official Roman title of the magistrate who ordered Jesus’s execution.
- The Caiaphas Ossuary (1990): Uncovered in a tomb in Jerusalem's Peace Forest, this ornate 1st-century limestone bone box bears the Aramaic inscription "Joseph, son of Caiaphas" (Yehosef bar Qayafa). Joseph Caiaphas was the Jewish High Priest who presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.
- Crucifixion Artifact — Jehohanan’s Heel Bone (1968): Discovered in a 1st-century tomb at Giv'at HaMavtar in northern Jerusalem, the skeletal remains of a man named Jehohanan were found with an 11.5 cm iron nail still embedded in his right heel bone, accompanied by traces of olive wood. This find provides direct physical proof of Roman crucifixion techniques in 1st-century Judea as described in the New Testament.
- The Erastus Inscription (1929): Found paved into a plaza near the theater in Corinth, a Latin inscription mentions Erastus, a city treasurer who paid for the paving at his own expense—matching the civic title and location of the Erastus mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:23.
Geographic & Structural Sites
- The Pool of Siloam (2004): Uncovered during sewer line repairs in Jerusalem, archaeologists excavated the lower freshwater reservoir built during the reign of Herod the Great. This matches the specific location and architectural description of the pool mentioned in John 9.
- The Pool of Bethesda: Located in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem, excavations revealed a 1st-century double-pool complex with five porticoes (colonnades), validating the exact architectural detail recorded in John 5:2, which had long been questioned by critical scholars.
- 1st-Century Nazareth Inhabitance: Excavations in Nazareth (notably by the Israel Antiquities Authority and archaeologist Ken Dark) uncovered 1st-century stone structures, agricultural terraces, and rock-cut tombs, proving Nazareth was an active, humble Jewish village during Jesus’s upbringing.
- The Capernaum Synagogue Base & House of Peter: In Capernaum, excavations beneath a 4th-century white limestone synagogue revealed the basalt foundations of a 1st-century synagogue where Jesus taught. Adjacent to it, archaeologists found a 1st-century domestic structure with early Christian graffiti (domus-ecclesia), traditionally identified as the house of Simon Peter.
Textual & Manuscript Archaeology
- The Rylands Library Papyrus P52 (c. 125 AD): Discovered in Egypt, this fragment of the Gospel of John (John 18:31–33, 37–38) is the earliest known physical manuscript fragment of any New Testament text, proving that gospel texts had already been written, copied, and geographically distributed across the Mediterranean by the early 2nd century.
Historical Summary Matrix
| Artifact / Site | Date Found | Historical Significance |
| Pilate Stone | 1961 | Confirms existence and title of the Roman governor who condemned Jesus |
| Caiaphas Ossuary | 1990 | Physical evidence for the High Priest mentioned in the Sanhedrin trial |
| Giv'at HaMavtar Heel Bone | 1968 | Physical archaeological proof of Roman nail-crucifixion practices in Jerusalem |
| Pool of Siloam | 2004 | Confirms exact 1st-century location of gospel miraculous events |
| Papyrus P52 | 1920s | Physical manuscript proof of early gospel text transmission by c. 125 AD |
Flavius Josephus: 37 AD (died c. 100 AD)
Pliny the Younger: 61 AD or 62 AD (died c. 113 AD)
Tacitus: c. 56 AD (died c. 120 AD)
Suetonius: c. 69 AD (died c. 122 AD or later)
Lucian of Samosata: c. 125 AD (died c. 180 AD)
Origen: c. 185 AD (died c. 253 AD)
Eusebius of Caesarea: c. 260 AD (died 339 AD)
Mara Bar-Serapion: Late 1st century BC to 1st century AD (exact birth year unknown; his famous letter was written post-73 AD)
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First Council of Nicaea:
The Exact Greek Text and Translation
The central section of the original 325 AD Creed of Nicaea reads:
Greek Text:
...καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μονογενῆ, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός· Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, Φῶς ἐκ Φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα, οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί...
English Translation:
"...And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten; that is, from the substance of the Father; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance [homoousios] with the Father..."
The Anathemas (Explicit Condemnations)
To ensure no ambiguity remained regarding the homoousios, the Council attached an explicit series of condemnations (anathemas) at the end of the 325 AD text, explicitly naming and rejecting alternative views on Christ's substance:
"And those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or who maintain that the Son of God is of another hypostasis or essence [ousia], or that he is created, or mutable, or alterable—the catholic and apostolic church anathematizes."
Key Distinctions Settled at Nicaea
Begotten, Not Made (Gennethenta, ou Poiethenta): The council affirmed that Jesus derives his being eternally from the Father rather than being part of the created universe.
Homoousios vs. Homoiousios: The council chose homoousios ("same substance") over homoiousios ("similar substance"), establishing that the divine nature of the Son is identical in essence to that of the Father, not merely a close reflection or secondary deity.
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The Council of Chalcedon on the Two Natures of Christ
The Exact Greek Text and Translation
Greek Text:...ἑπόμενοι τοίνυν τοῖς ἁγίοις πατράσιν, ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖν Υἱὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν συμφώνως ἅπαντες ἐκδιδάσκομεν, τὸν αὐτὸν τέλειον ἐν θεότητι καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν τέλειον ἐν ἀνθρωπότητι, Θεὸν ἀληθῶς καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἀληθῶς τὸν αὐτόν... ἐν δύο φύσεσιν ἀσυγχύτως, ἀτρέπτως, ἀδιαιρέτως, ἀχωρίστως γνωριζόμενον...
English Translation:"...Following the holy Fathers, we all with one consent teach people to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body... acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably..."
The "Four Adverbs" of Chalcedon
- Inconfusedly (asynchytōs): The two natures do not mix or blend together to create a third, hybrid nature.
- Unchangeably (atreptōs): The divine nature did not change into a human nature, nor did the human nature transform into a divine nature.
- Indivisibly (adiairetōs): The two natures are not divided into two separate beings or entities.
- Inseparably (achōristōs): The two natures are permanently united in the one person of Christ and can never be detached from one another.
Distinction of Natures and Unity of Person
"The distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one person [prosopon] and one subsistence [hypostasis], not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ..."
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Bibliography
Primary Ancient Sources
Josephus, Flavius (c. 93–94 AD). Antiquities of the Jews (Antiquitates Judaicae), Books 18 and 20.
Edition: Translated by H. St. J. Thackeray, Ralph Marcus, Allen Wikgren, and Louis H. Feldman, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press.
Lucian of Samosata (c. 165 AD). The Passing of Peregrinus (De Morte Peregrini).
Edition: Translated by A. M. Harmon, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press.
Pliny the Younger (c. 112 AD). Letters (Epistulae), Book 10, Letter 96.
Edition: Translated by Betty Radice, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press.
Suetonius, Gaius Tranquillus (c. 121 AD). Lives of the Twelve Caesars (De Vita Caesarum), Life of Claudius, Section 25.4.
Edition: Translated by J. C. Rolfe, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press.
Tacitus, Cornelius (c. 116 AD). Annals (Annales), Book 15, Chapter 44.
Edition: Translated by John Jackson, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press.
Modern Critical Works & Scholarship
Carrier, Richard (2014). On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt. Sheffield Phoenix Press.
Meier, John P. (1991). A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 1: The Roots of the Problem and the Person. Anchor Bible Reference Library / Doubleday.
Olson, Ken (1999). "Eusebius and the Testimonium Flavianum." Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 61(2), 198–222.
Pines, Shlomo (1971). An Arabic Version of the Testimonium Flavianum and its Implications. Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Vermes, Géza (2011). Jesus in the Jewish World. SCM Press.
Primary Inscriptions & Artifact Publications
The Pilate Stone: Frova, Antonio. (1961). "L'iscrizione di Ponzio Pilato a Cesarea." Rendiconti dell'Istituto Lombardo, Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, 95, pp. 419–434.
The Caiaphas Ossuary: Reich, Ronny. (1992). "Caiaphas Name Inscribed on Bone Boxes Found in Jerusalem Cave." Biblical Archaeology Review, 18(5), pp. 38–44, 76.
Crucifixion Heel Bone (Jehohanan): Haas, Nicu. (1970). "Anthropological Observations on the Skeletal Remains from Giv'at ha-Mavtar." Israel Exploration Journal, 20(1/2), pp. 38–59.
The Erastus Inscription: Kent, John Harvey. (1966). Corinth: Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Volume VIII, Part III: The Inscriptions 1926–1950. Princeton: ASCSA.
Papyrus P52 (Rylands Library Papyrus P52): Roberts, Colin H. (1935). An Unpublished Fragment of the Fourth Gospel in the John Rylands Library. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Archaeological Excavations & Academic Syntheses
Pool of Siloam: Reich, Ronny, Shukron, Eli, & Ehrlich, Hadar. (2007). "The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem of the Second Temple Period." Revue Biblique, 114(1), pp. 30–54.
Pool of Bethesda: Gibson, Shimon. (2005). "The Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem and its Context." Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 137(1), pp. 17–34.
Nazareth Structures: Dark, Ken. (2020). The Sisters of Nazareth Convent: A Roman-period, Byzantine, and Crusader site in central Nazareth. London: Routledge.
Capernaum Synagogue & House of Peter: Corbo, Virgilio C. (1975). Cafarnao I: Gli edifici della città. Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press.
General Archaeological Overview: Evans, Craig A. (2006). Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence. Westminster John Knox Press.
