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Some writers may toy with the fancy of a ‘Christ-myth,’ but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the ‘Christ-myth’ theories.
F. F. Bruce
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote asserts that the existence of Christ is as historically certain as that of Julius Caesar, dismissing the theories that deny Christ’s historicity.

F. F. Bruce defends the historical existence of Jesus Christ by comparing it to a well-established historical figure, Julius Caesar. He emphasizes that credible historians do not propagate the so-called 'Christ-myth' theories, implying that these theories lack a solid foundation in historical evidence. The quote serves to affirm the argument that historical figures should be evaluated based on the same reliable evidence, thus reinforcing the belief in Christ's reality as a significant figure in history.

Themes

HistoricityEvidenceHistoryChristMyth

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate about the historical validity of religious texts, one could use this quote to support the argument for Christ's historicity.

More from F. F. Bruce

The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.
F. F. BruceRead
The soul’s deepest thirst is for God Himself, who has made us so that we can never be satisfied without Him.
F. F. BruceRead

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