Why would the disiples die for Christ if he were an imposter?

Question

withOUT time to think. sorry

Answer 1

Nothing personal, but that's a poor analogy.

A lot of people died defending Hitler's ideas in the German military. Did that make Hitler right, since people would die for him?

History is replete with these type of examples.  

Answer 2

they believed in him the way

the people of Jonestown believed in Jones

they killed themselves, their children and their babys

Answer 3

They didn't die for Christ, they died for their FAITH in Christ.  Just because they (and thousands of others) were willing to die for their "faith" doesn't make the object of their faith any more "right" ot true.

Answer 4

You could say that about martyrs for any creed. It's not a compelling argument for Christianity.

Answer 5

I would just add "knew" to this: 'If they knew he were an imposter?"

It is possible to be deceived by charismatic slicksters, it happens all the time.

But with Jesus, the disciples believed that he was Christ, and their belief was reinforced by his resurrection and his appearances to them after his resurrection.

They were also reinvigorated by the outpouring of the Spirit upon the church, and the subsequent miracles performed in Jesus' name, by his apostles.

The disciples were willing to die for Jesus because they knew that he truly was their Lord, the Son of God.

Answer 6

For the people who brought up Hitler, Koresh, etc, etc, etc..

None of these people offered what Christ offered..

His own life.

These people didn't offer anything, they lived for what others could give them.

Answer 7

They may have simply been mistaken.  One of humanity's hallmarks is the ability to be very, very wrong.

Jim Jones got close to a thousand people to chug Flavor-Aid with a dash of cyanide.  Does their conviction make him more or less right?

Answer 8

Okay, by your logic, David Koresh was the Messiah.  People died believing in him.  PRAISE DAVID!!!  Now, come on, that's just DUMB.

Answer 9

You're also forgetting the fact that these people BELIEVED he was the messiah. Faith that he was the person they thought he was. However, none of the texts around him were written at the time of his life, the gospels were only written after, and no jewish historian I can recall genuinely has note of Yeshua Ben Yosef in their texts (apart from Flavius Josephus, but his later entries about Jesus were clearly considered forgeries. Doesn't matter what the truth was, if the disciples believed that strongly, they would have followed him. Their faith would be all the "proof" they needed.

In all essence, if Yeshua Ben Yosef existed as a "good teacher", it is far more likely that his tale was blown way out of the water and "elaborated" to the point they are no longer his stories.

Blessings and Toodles

Answer 10

the only proof that they existed is the same as the proof Jesus existed. They are characters in the story.

Answer 11

I noticed that nobody could answer your question and nobody did.  All they did was skirt the issue.  

The fact is that no one would die for an imposter.   Hilter was not an imposter so no one died for him AS an imposter!

They cannot anwer your question because Jesus is real and the 12 knew Him and so did the 500 that Paul mentioned.  

Answer 12

Soleil posits two more options, #4 being that Christ was "honestly mistaken".    

So, if I run outside, proclaiming myself as the Son of God, can I claim I am "honestly mistaken" and not a lunatic?   I fail to see the difference.

Option #5 actually has some merit, but  #4 is superfluous and covered by the "lunatic" theory.

Answer 13

Many people died in the name of Zeus as well.

Answer 14

<sigh>

So...it's the old "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord" fallacy again, eh?

Let's not forget Options 4 & 5, though --

4.) Jesus could have simply been honestly mistaken -- he thought he was the son of God, when he was really just a man like any other;

5.) That the whole tale is a fabrication -- not an unreasonable hypothesis, considering he have ZERO firsthand knowledge of ANYthing Jesus said or did, in an empire that was famous for keeping meticulous records.

Answer 15

     They didn't die for Christ.  They died for the truth that was in them, and today, that truth, no one dies for because their integrity is a shame.

     Those who truly find God, know of Christ, and his reason for being on earth.  Christ is the Holy Ghost, that was Jesus's special calling.  To deny Christ, one denies the Holy Ghost.

      Once one learns of God, and knows that there are more levels in heaven, than just one, they also know which level they shall attain through their love of God and his Son.  Those who follow God and not the men of the world, who think they know God, will not follow false beliefs, which break all the commandments of God.   Example:  The one commandment,  Thou shalt not kill.

     Yet, in the bible, many believe that God ordered the death of many tribes and civilizations by his chosen people.  They now say, that God okays a war and the right to kill someone who is trying to kill you or your family.

     If one truly believes in God and their faith is in God and not the world, those times or trials will never come upon you.  So literally, one should never have to kill anyone.

     All wars are of Satan and not God.  All books which say, that God ordered me to kill someone are all wrong,  Yet, Christ killed no one, and let his life be taken freely on the cross.

     The reason people, kill is because they are not of God, and God will not protect them.  While at the same time, Gods chosen, shall be  watched over by him, and shall have to never defend themselves, for God will watch out over them.

    All disciples of Christ, did not fight to save their lives, they fought with words, which cut deeper than a knife, as Christ did.  They died for the truth.  God is truth.  There is a heaven, and many levels in it.

     Upon finding God, I gave all my guns away, for I know, God is watching over my wife and I, and our faith for him has soared.  We've even been happier than ever before in our life of 32 years together.

  Before I deny Christ, or God, I would die, for my principles, for truth, which is a rare commodity in todays society.  There are two truths.  One of the worlds ways, and one of Gods ways.

    God is pure love.  When God wants anger displayed all he has to do is let Satan do his job, in which Satan is growing stronger as we speak.  Satan also has to follow rules set up by God, which protect his chosen, and Satan follows Gods rules, better than most worldly men of flesh.

     The world is about to change, and it's not because of Global Warming or Barack O Bama, or John McCain.

    If you believe in any of the three mentioned shall change the world to be a better place so all will be equal, you are still blind to the truth of Gods ways.

     May God have mercy on our souls.  

Answer 16

By this logic, Jim Jones was a much worthier prophet.

Answer 17

You could ask Jim Jones' or David Koresh's followers the same question.

Deluded people will do some of the dumbest things.