Saved by Faith or by Works?

    Understandably, the issue of whether or not a person is saved by faith or by works is a very common topic of debate among those seeking God. On the one hand, passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:3-8 clearly teach that a person is saved by grace through faith, and not by works. Yet James 2:14-26 states that faith without works is dead.
    This apparent contradiction in the scriptures should of course raise some serious questions for those who believe in biblical inerrancy, not to mention the countless millions who are staking their eternal salvation on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
    If salvation is to be earned, then those claiming to be saved by faith alone are risking eternal damnation, for both themselves and others, by omitting the obvious works required. Likewise, if salvation cannot be gained through righteous deeds, then those attempting to earn their place in heaven are walking an equally treacherous path.
   The question therefore is whether or not the Bible is in conflict on the point of salvation; and whether one's path to eternal life is dependent on works or faith.

    In order to answer this question, we must first understand the context of the Book of James.

   Chronologically, James is the first book of the New Testament, written to Jewish Christians scattered by persecution somewhere between 10-20 years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the year 30-33 AD. Given the persecution facing early Christians at this time, faith, endurance, self-discipline and obedience to God are major themes throughout the book.
   Knowing this, the greater context of James 1-2 is exercising faith through living life in obedience to God's word. That said, we find that the Christians in James 2:1-13 were guilty of living a double standard. They were claiming to have faith in Jesus, yet they were guilty of showing favoritism within their community.
    After addressing the issue of discrimination in the church, James goes on to say that if a person claims to have faith but their life shows no evidence of faith, then that person's faith is dead and is of no use to anyone. (James 2:14-17) James further elaborates on this in verses 18-25 by comparing the faith of Abraham and Rahab the prostitute, both of whom were shown to have genuine faith by their actions.
    Finally, James' closing statement in verse 26 makes his point clear: Faith without good works is like a body without breath; it is dead and useless. Having dead faith, therefore, is not the same as as having no faith. A dead body is still a body. But just as a body without breath is lifeless and inanimate, so too faith without good deeds is also dead and useless.
    James is not saying that salvation comes from works instead of faith. He's saying that good works complete a person's faith, giving it life and movement and making it real. If a person's life is devoid of righteousness and good works, then how can anyone else know that that person has faith?

    Faith without works is dead, but the inverse is also true: Works without faith are also dead.

    In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus warns his followers to be cautious of false teachers saying: "Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." Jesus then goes on to say that many people who do good works and miracles in his name will be turned away from heaven because they never knew him. (Matthew 7:21-23)
    It is important to note here that these individuals did many miraculous works in the name of Jesus and even called him "Lord." However, Jesus said that they would still be turned away on the grounds that they did not personally know him, and continued to break God's laws even though they did many mighty works in his name.
    In this regard, Jesus himself makes it abundantly clear that salvation comes from knowing and being known by him, and not from good works. Good works are still important—they are the proof that a person has indeed been saved by faith in Jesus Christ. But it is God's grace that saves, not the good works themselves. The Christian's faith is nonetheless made complete by doing good works, which God prepared for us long ago, and by living a righteous life. (Galatians 5:16-25, Ephesians 2:10)

   In conclusion, we can see from the greater context of the scriptures that salvation comes not from works, but from grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness and good works are not a means of earning salvation, rather they are the evidence of salvation.
   That said, if a person says that they believe in God and claims to have faith in Jesus but their life and words show no evidence of salvation, then the validity of that person's faith should be seriously questioned. If a person claims to be a follower of Jesus but is living in open sin then their actions show that they don't really know God at all. If a person knows God, then there should be evidence in their life to prove it.
   Likewise, a person can appear to know God on the outside by doing and saying all of the right things, when in reality their heart is far from him. Instead of trusting in God's saving grace, they try to earn salvation by doing good works and playing the part of the devoted Christian. But a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Eventually the person living behind a mask of self-righteousness will be exposed, and all the good works in the world will not be enough to save them in the end.
    Salvation therefore is a matter of the heart and depends on the individual and their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is between them and God. No one else can make that choice. But once the choice has been made, salvation is assured and the works of a righteous person complete their faith and prove that it is genuine.
 
 

See Also:

The Issue of Faith: Is Faith Irrational?

Who is Jesus?

 
   

Debunked: Jesus vs. Asclepius

Jesus:

1) Born of a virgin. Was not conceived through sexual intercourse between a mortal and a god. Both of Jesus' parents remained faithful to each other and had other children after he was born. (Matthew 1:18-25, Mark 3:31-34, Luke 2:41-52)

2) Born in a cave/stable. Was placed in a manger. Birth heralded by angels and a star in the east. Was visited by magi and a group of shepherds. 

3) Jesus had twelve disciples and multiple other followers. 

4) Died without offspring and was never married. (Isaiah 53:8)

5) Had a three year ministry as a traveling teacher. He lived a sinless life and taught others to follow his example of moral excellence. (Ephesians 5:1-14)

6) In John 3:13-15 Jesus refers to a bronze snake erected by Moses, ca. 1440-1400 BC. (Numbers 21:4-9) In this story, God sent poisonous snakes among the Israelite because they were rejecting him and his provision for them in the wilderness. God then instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and to place it atop a pole in the center of camp, telling him that anyone who was bitten by a snake would be healed if they look at the bronze snake atop the pole.
    Just as the people in this Old Testament passage were miraculously saved from death by God's power through their faith, so too Jesus promised to bring spiritual healing and eternal life to those who would have faith in him, his death on the cross, and subsequent resurrection from the dead.
    (The bronze snake fashioned by Moses was later destroyed by King Hezekiah when the people began worshiping it as a god. 2 Kings 18:1-4) 

7) It was foretold in the Old Testament book of Isaiah that the Jewish Messiah would open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, and that the lame would leap for joy. (Isaiah 29:18, 35:4-6, 42:6-7) No one in the Old Testament ever healed the blind and no one in the New Testament healed the blind except Jesus. (John 9) Jesus also healed the deaf (Mark 7:31-37) and the lame (Matthew 9:1-8) In one instance, Jesus heals a lame man at a location we now know to have been home to a healing shrine of Asclepius. (John 5:1-15)
    In this particular example of Christ's healing power, Jesus bypasses the ritual associated with the healing god (waiting for the water to be moved by an angel/spirit) and heals a man simply by speaking. Likewise Jesus raised the dead, not through the use of ritual or magical herbs, but by his voice alone. (John 11:1-44, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:11-15)

8) He was arrested and tried before Pontius Pilate who sentenced him to death by crucifixion. He died and was buried for three days before rising from the dead, whereupon he was seen by multiple witnesses. (1 Corinthians 15:3-9)

9) Defeated death and the grave by rising from the dead and brings eternal life to everyone who believes in him.(1 Corinthians 15:55-57, John 17:3)

10) Died sacrificially in order to fulfill Old Testament Prophecy and the requirements of the Law of Moses for the redemption of mankind. He was the "Lamb of God," an atoning sacrifice to take away the sins of the world by taking that sin upon himself. (John 1:29-30, 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 8-10)

Asclepius:

1) Asclepius was born out of a sexual union between Apollo and one of two women, Coronis or Arsinoe. In different versions of the myth, his mother was either killed by Apollo for being unfaithful to him or died in child birth. She was then laid out on a pyre to be burned, but Apollo (or in some cases Hermes) cut the unborn Asclepius from her womb and gave him his name which means "to cut open."

2) In one version of the myth, after he was rescued from his mother's womb, Asclepius was carried away to a mountain top were he was looked after by a dog and goat and was later discovered by the shepherd Aresthanas. While still another accounts states that he was raised by the centaur Kheiron (Chiron) who taught him the art of medicine. There was no manger, star, or magi in the accounts of Asclepius' birth. Though the baby was said to have "shown with the brilliance of fire" on account that he was rescued from the flames of his mother's funeral pyre.

3) No specific number of followers is recorded, and none of them are referred to as "disciples." 

4) Was married to Epione and had many god-children who embodied the healing characteristics of their father: Janiscus, Alexenor, Aratus, Hygieia, Aegle, Iaso, and Panaceia. 

5) Did not have any specific ministry and did not teach moral values or spiritual truths. Instead, Asclepius was regarded as a physician who traveled the world and instructed people in the medical arts.

6) Asclepius is often depicted carrying a serpent-entwined staff as a symbol of his healing power. According to the myth, a serpent wrapped itself around his staff and taught him which herbs to use in order to save the life of a man close to death. The same iconography of a serpent-entwined staff can be traced to Heka, the ancient Egyptian god of magic, and has remained the symbol of the medical arts to this day.

7) Asclepius never healed the blind, deaf or lame. Though he was believed to be able to heal those near death and even to bring the dead back to life. He accomplished this by using the blood of Medusa taken from the veins on her right side—which were said to posses life giving properties—and magical herbs. That said, Asclepius never healed someone with a command or a simple touch; his healing always required ritual and medicine—sometimes even surgery.   

8) Asclepius was killed by Zeus for saving too many people from death and for bringing too many people back to life. In one version Hades, the god of the underworld, convinced Zeus to kill Asclepius because Hades was afraid that there would be no more souls in his realm if Asclepius continued to keep people from dying. Another version of the myth state that Asclepius defied the gods by overturning the natural order leading to an overpopulation of earth, and was thus slain by Zeus. While still other accounts assert that Asclepius was struck down after he accepted a payment of gold for bringing a man back to life.
     In any event, Asclepius was not arrested, tried or crucified. In one myth, however, Zeus resurrected Asclepius to avoid any future quarrels with his father, Apollo. Though most myths end with Asclepius being "set in the heavens" as the constellation Orpiuchus, the "Serpent Holder."  

9) Asclepius did not defeat death and the grave, and was in fact killed for defying the natural order of the gods.

10) Did not die sacrificially for the sins of mankind. In fact, the concept of sin is not even found in the Asclepius myth.

Conclusion:

The stories of Jesus Christ are not based on the myths of Asclepius.



*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Sources:

Encyclopedia Britannica

Olympian gods

Asclepius


See Also:
Mythology and the Messiah

Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras

Debunked: Jesus vs. Orpheus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Krishna

The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?

Debunked: Jesus vs. Orpheus

Jesus:

1) Born of a virgin. Was not conceived through sexual intercourse between a mortal and a god. (Matthew 1:18-25)

2) Born in a cave/stable. Was placed in a manger. Birth heralded by angels and a star in the east. Was visited by three magi and shepherds. Was taken to Egypt when his parents fled from Herod the Great, fulfilling Old Testament Prophecy. (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:13-15)

3) Died without offspring and was never married. (Isaiah 53:8)

4) Had twelve male disciples and multiple other followers including women. 

5) Instructed his followers to commemorate his death with the ceremony of Holy Communion. (Luke 22:19-18) He did this by giving a new symbolic meaning to the Jewish Passover Ceremony in which the bread and wine symbolized the body and blood of the lams that were slain during the first Passover. (Exodus 12, John 1:19-29)

6) Had a three year ministry as a traveling teacher. He lived a sinless life and taught others to follow his example of moral excellence. (Ephesians 5:1-14)

7) Preformed many miracles, cast out demons, raised the dead, and walked on water, etc. During his final entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus said that "stones would cheer" if the people were silent. Though we see in the text that this event—which would have been quite miraculous—never took place as the crowd never stopped cheering. (Luke 19:36-44)

8) He was arrested and tried before Pontius Pilate who sentenced him to death by crucifixion. He died and was buried for three days before rising from the dead, whereupon he was seen by multiple witnesses. (1 Corinthians 15:3-9)

9) Defeated death and the grave by rising from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

10) Died sacrificially in order to fulfill Old Testament Prophecy and the requirements of the Law of Moses for the redemption of mankind. He was the "Lamb of God," an atoning sacrifice to take away the sins of the world by taking that sin upon himself. (John 1:29-30, 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 8-10)

Orpheus:

1) Was reputedly born out of a sexual union with the Thracian king Oeagrus and a muse named Calliope. Though some versions state that Orpheus' father was the god Apollo. He was not born of a virgin. 

2) Being that Orpheus was the son of a king, he was not born in a stable. There were no angles, magi, or shepherds, and here was no star. However in some myths he did travel to Egypt to study. 

3) Was married at one point to a wood nymph named Eurydice. Though it was said that he later scorned the affection of women, prefering to instead share his love with young boys. ie he was a homosexual pedophile. 

4) Did not have any disciples or followers to speak of. Though he was one of the characters who accompanied Jason as one of the Argonauts in the epic poem Argonautica. 

5) The followers of Orpheus did use wine in a symbolic ritual in which they sought to commune/ become one with the god. However, some ancient sources state that Orpheus was merely a mortal, a great hero, and not a god. (ie. Strabo, 64 BC-c.24 AD )

6) Orpheus was a travailing musician, seer, and poet who, in some accounts, brought mankind the gifts of agriculture, writing, and medicine. Although these gifts are likewise accredited to numerous other gods depending on the myth in question. (ie both Apollo and Aesculapius also taught medicine to mankind.) Orpheus is also reputed to have started many cults of Apollo and Dionysus, and to have prescribed the secret rituals and rites of the various Greco-Roman mystery cults. He also practiced magic and astrology. That said, he did not have a specific ministry and was not widely known to be a teacher. He was not known to be a great moral exemplar and did not live a sinless life. 

7) The miracles preformed by Orpheous generally involved his music. It was said that he was able to charm inanimate objects like trees and stones with his song and bring them to life.

8) Was never arrested, tried, or crucified. Instead Orpheus was ripped apart by the Maenads—the female followers of Dionysus/Bacchus—because he preferred to worship the sun/Apollo. He also did not rise from the dead.

9) Orpheus is one of the few Greek heroes to descend to the underworld to save someone from death. However, in the Orpheus myths, he is not actually successful.
     As the story goes, Orpheus' wife died of a snakebite, so he descended into the underworld to bring her back to the land of the living with his music. Depending on the version of the myth, Orpheus either convinces Hades (the god of the underworld) to let him return with his wife or the gods deceive Orpheus with an apparition of his wife. In the story were Orpheus actual finds his wife he is instructed to lead her out of the underworld with his music. However he is told that if he looks back before leaving the underworld she will be lost to him forever. In this version Orpheus looks back before his wife has left the underworld and she vanishes. In the other version, she was never their to begin with and likewise vanishes. 
    Regardless of the myth, however, Orpheus' quest to the underworld is a complete failure. He does not defeat death in any respect, nor is he able to save anyone from death. 

10) As stated before, Orpheus did not die sacrificially. Nor did he take away anyone's sins. In fact, the concept of sin and salvation is completely absent from any Orpheus myth.

Conclusion:

The stories of Jesus Christ are not based on the myth of Orpheus. 

*     *     *     *     *     *

Sources:

Greekmythology.com

Orpheus

Orpheus/Greek Mythology

Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology  

See Also:

Mythology and the Messiah

Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras

Debunked: Jesus vs. Asclepius

Debunked: Jesus vs. Krishna

The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?

Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus

Jesus:

1) Born of a virgin. Was not conceived through sexual intercourse between a mortal and a god. (Matthew 1:18-25)

2) Born in a cave/stable. Was placed in a manger. Birth heralded by angels and a star in the east. Was visited by magi and a group of shepherds. Was taken to Egypt when his parents fled from Herod the Great, fulfilling Old Testament Prophecy. (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:13-15)

3) Preformed many miracles and turned water into wine. (John 2:1-11)

4) Jesus had twelve male disciples and multiple other followers including women. Unlike Dionysus however, there was nothing inherently attractive about Jesus. (Isaiah 53:2-6)

5) Instructed his followers to commemorate his death with the ceremony of Holy Communion. (Luke 22:19-18) He did this by giving a new symbolic meaning to the Jewish Passover Ceremony in which the bread and wine symbolized the body and blood of the lambs that were slain during the first Passover. (Exodus 12, John 1:19-29)

6) Had a three year ministry as a traveling teacher. He lived a sinless life and taught others to follow his example of moral excellence. (Ephesians 5:1-14) Jesus also taught that people needed to be spiritually "born again" in order to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:1-21)

7) Had a "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem while riding on a donkey. (Luke 19:28-40, Zechariah 9:9) 

8) He was arrested and tried before Pontius Pilate who sentenced him to death by crucifixion. He died and was buried for three days before rising from the dead, whereupon he was seen by multiple witnesses. (1 Corinthians 15:3-9)

9) Defeated death and the grave by rising from the dead.(1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

10) Died sacrificially in order to fulfill Old Testament Prophecy and the requirements of the Law of Moses for the redemption of mankind. He was the "Lamb of God," an atoning sacrifice to take away the sins of the world by taking that sin upon himself.  (John 1:29-30, 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 8-10)

Dionysus:

1) Dionysus was born out of a sexual encounter between Zeus and a mortal woman named Semele who was the daughter of Cadmus the king of Thebes. However, according to myth, Semele later asked to see Zeus' true form as a god which resulted in her being killed by his lightning bolts. Zeus then cut the unborn Dionysus from his mother's womb and sewed him into his thigh. Later, when the baby was old enough to be born, Zeus cut him out of his leg on  Mount Pramnos on the island of Ikaria. 

2) Dionysus was reportedly born on Mount Pramnos and was later raised by nymphs on the mythical Mount Nysa. There were no magi, shepherds, or angles in the Dionysus myth. Nor is there any mention of a miraculous star in the east. However, Zeus' wife, Hera, did send Titans to kill the baby Dionysus. In some myths, they ripped him apart as an infant, while in other stories he was in the form of a bull. Regardless of his form, Dionysus was ripped apart and eaten by Titans leaving only his heart behind. Zeus retrieved the heart and, depending on the myth, either sewed it back into his thigh or gave it to Semele to eat so that Dionysus could be reborn. For this reason Dionysus was sometimes known as the "twice born."

3) As a child, Dionysus discovered the art of cultivating vines and learned how to make wine and was regarded by the ancient Greeks as the first to do so. In some accounts it is implied that wine was miraculously created from Dionysus' tears, while other myths assert that he simply learned how to make wine and taught that knowledge to mankind. In that respect one could argue that Dionysus turned water (his tears) into wine. However the vast majority of ancient sources agree that no such miracle was ever performed by Dionysus. 

4) Dionysus had many followers and was sexually attractive to both men and women. However no exact number of followers is ever given. Nor are they ever referred to as "disciples." Instead, Dionysus is most often depicted surrounded by mythical creatures and "Raving Women" (Maenads) who participated with him in his wine-induced orgies.

5) The followers of the Dionysus Mystery cult practiced a ritual commemorating the death of the infant Dionysus in which they drank wine to the point of intoxication and ripped apart animals, devouring them raw, just as the Titans had done to Dionysus. (Though there is evidence that suggests the earliest rites involved human sacrifice and cannibalism.) These rituals usually climaxed in a wild frenzy of drunkenness and sexual indulgence among devotees. The rampant immorality associated with the Dionysus cult was so great that the Roman government attempted to regulate its practices and even went so far as to outlaw the religion altogether. 

6) Dionysus did not have a specific ministry. He was, however, afflicted with madness by Zeus' wife, Hera, which lead him to wander through Syria and Egypt for a time. The myths of Dionysus also state that he traveled to India and taught the local people how to cultivate grapes and to make wine.
    That said, the majority of ancient traditions state that Dionysus taught wine-making and grape cultivation, not moral principles. In fact, it is clear that any spiritual teachings Dionysus may have brought were anything but moral—even by pagan standards.
    Ironically, despite his propensity for violent dismemberment and wanton disregard for social order, Dionysus was viewed by his worshipers as a peace-loving god of culture and civilization. In the Orphic traditions he was even seen as a god of resurrection who would guide initiates to eternal life through reincarnation. 

7) Dionysus was often portrayed in a Triumphal Prepossession. Sometimes he is shown riding on a mule, though he is most often depicted dressed in leopard skins and riding in a chariot, followed by dancing centaurs, satyrs, and Meanads. Because of this, the Romans believed that Dionysus ("Bacchus" in the Roman Pantheon) was the originator of the Triumphal Procession. He did not ride on a donkey or a donkey's colt, nor did he appear in anyway humble.

8) In one myth, Dionysus was arrested by a king named Pentheus. However, Dionysus revealed himself to be the god of intoxication and had Petheus torn to pieces by mad women. He was neither crucified nor buried, nor did he rise from the dead after three days. 

9) Several myths depict Dionysus descending into the underworld to bring people back to the mortal realm. The most common story is that he traveled to the underworld in order to bring his mother back to life. Upon freeing her from the underworld, he carries her to Olympus where she remains. 
    Other Greek myths have a similar tone of descending into the underworld alive in order to bring someone else back to the mortal realm either through bribery, acts of valor, or trickery. Though at least one of these stories involving Dionysus is not a myth at all. Rather it is a comedy written by the ancient playwright Arisophanes.

10) Dionysus did not die sacrificially for anyone. Nor did he take anyone's sin upon himself. In fact, Dionysus demonstrated, condoned, and encouraged the very behaviors that Jesus himself condemned. (Mark 7:20-23, Romans 1:18-32)

Conclusion:

The stories of Jesus Christ are not based on the myths of Dionysus.



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Sources:

Greek gods and goddesses

Olympian gods

Dionysus

Dionysus and Jesus


See Also:
Mythology and the Messiah

Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras

Debunked: Jesus vs. Asclepius

Debunked: Jesus vs. Orpheus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Krishna

The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?

Celibacy and the Bible

    

     In the article, Sex and the Bible, we saw that biblical sexuality in not considered to be inherently sinful. Sex in marriage is praised, being held in high regard in both the Old and New Testaments. While sexual immorality and perversion are condemned.

     It was not until 1123 AD, at the First Council of Lateran that the doctrine of mandatory celibacy for clergy came to the forefront of Christian history. Before this time, church leaders had been allowed to marry without much thought. However, in the years following the legalization of Christianity in the 300's AD, multiple church councils had petitioned for the church to require its ministers to be celibate. These petitions had been met with mixed opposition at first, but as time went on the thought that sexuality was, by its very nature, impure began to take hold. This line of reasoning goes all the way back to the late First Century when Gnostic teachings first began to infiltrate the early church.

     The Gnostic cults held to a dualistic worldview in which all things in the material world, including sexuality, were inherently evil and only the spiritual world was pure and good. Because of this, those ascribing to the Gnostic view taught that Jesus was never physically born, but rather existed as a pure spirit who appeared to be a man. 
     Even though Gnostic teachings would ultimately be condemned as heresy, their belief in the inherent wickedness of sexuality would persist, and in 1123 AD, Canon 21 requiring mandatory clerical celibacy was officially adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. However, many church leaders remained married and continued to marry for many centuries to come.  
   
     That being said, there is no evidence in the scriptures of celibacy being a mandatory ordnance for church leaders — or anyone else for that matter. 

     In 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 the Apostle Paul instructs those who are married not to deprive each other of sexual relations, except in the event that both spouses agree to abstain for a limited time in order to devote themselves to prayer. They are then instructed to come together again so as not to be tempted by lust.
     The Apostle Paul also states that church leaders and deacons must be faithful to their wives and be self-controlled in regards to their sexuality, while raising god-fearing children and living their lives in such a way as to be above reproach. (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:6-9) And we know from 1 Corinthians 9:5 that the Apostle Peter, who is regarded by many to be the First Pope, was married as were many of Jesus' other disciples and the early church fathers.
 
     Given these examples, it is clear that the Bible makes no attempt to promote the idea of mandatory celibacy for ordained ministers. Nor does it imply that the answer to lust is to reject sexuality. Instead, the Bible teaches that we should seek sexual fulfillment in marriage so as not to be overcome with passion and sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 7:2-3, 9, 36)

     In light of this, the Apostle Paul commended those to whom God has given the gift of celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7:7. Paul then goes on to say repeatedly that marriage is not a sin, clarifying that he is not putting restrictions on people in regards to marriage, but rather trying to spare them from unnecessary hardship due to the widespread persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero in 64 AD. (1 Corinthians 7:25-40)

     Likewise, Jesus also commended those who choose to be single in order to please God. (Matthew 19:12) However, the context of the passage makes it clear that celibacy was not the issue being addressed, but rather marriage and adultery. (Matthew 19:1-12) The entire exchange between Jesus, his disciples and the Pharisees found in this passage was in regard to the First Century Jewish interpretation of the Law of Moses which stated that a man could divorce his wife as long as he gave her a written notice of divorce. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) By the time of Christ, however, the rabbinical interpretation of this passage was being used to justify multiple divorces and remarriages, thus allowing men to marry as many times as they liked by divorcing their wives whenever another woman caught their eye.
     Jesus' response condemned this practice as adultery, which is why his disciples said that it would be better not to marry at all. Jesus was not teaching that celibacy was in some way superior to marriage, but rather that marrying someone and then divorcing them in order to marry someone else made a person guilty of adultery! (Leviticus 20:10)
    

In conclusion, while the Bible does commend those who are celibate by choice, it in no way implies that celibacy is meant to be mandatory, or even permanent, among God's people. After all, it is Jesus—our High Priest in Heaven—and not our virginity, who cleanses us from sin and makes us pure before God. (1 Corinthians 1:30, Hebrews 8-10)

     
   
   
   




     
    

The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?

Introduction:

Since the publication of  Tom Harpur's "The Pagan Christ" in 2004 and the subsequent release of the YouTube documentary Zeitgeist in 2007, an ever-growing number of people have come to the conclusion that modern religions drew much of their inspiration from pagan mythology. Some have even gone so far as to conclude that all of the major religions in the world today are nothing more than a 21st century re-telling of ancient myths—if not outright plagiarism. 

When it comes to Christianity in particular, many claims have been made that the stories of Jesus, the God who died and rose again, found in the four Gospels of the Bible, is a modernized version of the Egyptian god Osiris. After all, Osiris was a king who also died and came back to life, and promised to give eternal life to his followers as a reward for their devotion. So why wouldn’t one see the obvious parallels? 

That being said, I want to present to you the facts about Osiris, as found in the ancient Egyptian mythologies, accompanied by a cross examination of the core doctrines and teachings of Christianity in order to ascertain the truth of which god is truly the Dying and Rising God.

In the Beginning: The Birth of a God

Just as the gods of ancient Egypt were numerous and varied, so too are the Egyptian accounts of creation. Some inscriptions tell of a cosmic egg that existed before creation, while other versions assert that the world was born out of water and darkness. Some of the earliest myths from the Old Kingdom attribute the creation of the world to eight primordial gods, the Ogdoad, while later stories give credit to a single creator god—Atum or Ra being two of the more popular deities. Still other accounts claim that the world began when the sun rose for the first time. However, despite their differences, most of the Egyptian creation myths do have many elements in common. That said, and for the purpose of this article, the following version of the creation myth seems to be the most accurate representation of Egyptian creation mythology.

In the beginning the world existed as a swirling void of dark, watery chaos called Nu. It was out of this darkness that the creator god, Atum emerged, creating himself through the power of his thoughts and sheer force of will. That said, spell 261 of the Coffin Text seems to imply that there was another god present before creation, Heka, the god of magic. 

Heka is sometimes referred to as “the eternal god” though in reality he seems to have been viewed more as a supernatural cosmic power—magic—used by the gods, who was later deified into the god of magic and medicine. Additionally, his claim of eternal preexistence is thrown into serious doubt by the fact that he was believed by some Egyptian cults to be the son of  the god Khnum and one of several goddesses: Nebetu’u (Hathor), Menhit, Mehetweret, or Neith, while still other texts assert that Heka was created by Atum at the time of creation.

 After creating himself, Atum created a hill, the Ben-Ben to stand on, as before that time there was no ground in Nu’s watery void. 

Now Atum was alone. Being filled with loneliness, and being neither male nor female, Atum had sex with his own shadow and gave birth to twins, a son and a daughter. His son, Shu, was born from either Atum’s sneezes or semen, depending on the myth in question. Shu became god of the air, while his sister, Tefnut, who was vomited up by Atum, became the goddess of mist and moisture. These two children of Atum brought order to the chaos and void of Nu. They divided the light from the darkness and brought stability, law and order to the world. It was this natural order that the ancient Egyptians referred to as Ma’at. Ma’at was often depicted as a feather, as it was viewed as being pure and lightweight. 

Later, the two children of Atum, Shu and his sister Tefnut had sex and gave birth to Geb, the earth god, and his sister, Nut, the sky goddess. These two gods would likewise engage in incestual relations, forcing Shu to push Nut into the sky where she would forever be separated from Geb—all for the sake of fulfilling their roles in Ma’at. However, this was not before Nut had conceived the principle gods of Egypt through her union with Geb. 

The names and number of these gods vary once again from myth to myth, with some versions of the creation story including Hathor, Thoth and Horus the Elder among those begotten of Nut. However their are four main deities that appear to be universally accepted in the narrative: Nephthys, Isis, Set (Seth) and Osiris. 

Therefore, it is clearly evident in Egyptian Mythology that Osiris was not pre-existent. That is to say, he was not eternal. He had not always existed and had a definitive beginning, being born—as most ancient gods are—through a sexual union between two other gods. 

On the other hand, Christian theology teaches that Jesus is eternal, having existed as God for eternity. (John 1:1-18, John 10:30-33) Therefore Jesus is without beginning in regards to his divine nature. 
     With respect to Jesus’ earthly nature, however, the Bible teaches that he was born of a virgin. Not through a sexual union between Mary and God—which would make Jesus a demigod—but through a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, as foretold in Isaiah 7:14 and Genesis 3:14-15. This point was of such great importance that the Bible goes out of its way to emphasis the fact that Marry remained a virgin until after the baby was born in Matthew 1:20-25. 

Additionally, Christian theology states that God has existed forever, he has no beginning and no end. He was there before creation (Genesis 1:1-2) He did not need to create himself, like Atum, in order to exist. 

Furthermore, God is triune in nature. That is to say, he exists as one God in three persons. He is not three gods. He is not a three-headed god. He is three persons in one God. Just as each of us exists as one, individual person in one human being, so God exists as three distinct persons—The Father, The Son (Jesus) and The Holy Spirit—in one eternal being: God. 

Therefore, since God is triune, God was not lonely at the time of creation. He has existed in perfect love and unity within himself for all eternity. Likewise God is not dependent on his creation for purpose and meaning—He created the world simply because it pleased him to do so. The Christian God did not require other gods working for eons to create the universe for him, he created it all by his word alone! (Genesis 1-2) The God of the Bible is literally the Creator God.

In that regard the only similarity between the Genesis account of creation and Egyptian mythology is the fact that the world was covered by a primeval ocean before the creation of dry land; a theme that, for the most part, seems to be widely held among  ancient civilizations. 
     Furthermore, it is illogical to assume that these universal themes were inspired by other religions given the fact that many of these cultures (i.e. the Polynesian cultures) are so far removed from one another that they are unlikely to have ever come into contact. 

Kingdom Come: The Reign of a God

After the creation of man—who were born from Atum’s tears in Egyptian mythology—Osiris became the ruler of Egypt, a literal pharaoh, with his sister-queen, Isis. According to the myth, Osiris was a just and gracious ruler who gave knowledge of agriculture to mankind. He also brought with him laws so that man could follow Ma’at through tending the earth and worshiping the gods.

That said, there does not appear to be any examples given of how Osiris was just or gracious aside from the statement that he simply was. 

Christ, too was a literal king, as far as his human lineage is concerned. Though he never assumed the throne of Israel during his first coming, the genealogies of Christ found in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 make it clear that he was a blood descendant of King David on both his mother’s side (Luke) and his surrogate father’s side (Matthew). Furthermore, given Jesus’ Godhood, he was also king of the universe—the creator and sustainer of life. (Psalm 36:9, 54:4, John 1:4)

Likewise, Jesus is just and gracious, not to mention righteous. He showed compassion to those who had none. (Matthew 9:35-36, 20:29-34) He healed those who could not heal themselves. (Mark 1:40-42, Luke 13:10-17) He ate with sinners (Mark 2:13-17, Luke 19:1-10) and condemned self-righteousness and hypocrisy. (Matthew 23, John 8:1-11)

Few would argue that the teachings of Jesus are anything less than morally excellent, and that his words hold those who follow them to a high standard of accountability. The main reason for this is that when Jesus taught he used the authority of the scriptures to address and reaffirm the core purpose and intent behind the Law of Moses—to Love God and to love each other. (Matthew 22:34-40, Galatians 5:13-14, Leviticus 19:18) When compared to the words of contemporary pharisaic teachers who claimed Jewish tradition as their source of authority and taught rabbinical interpretations of the scriptures rather than the scriptures themselves, it is no wonder that the people were amazed by Jesus' authoritative teachings. (Matthew 5-7, Matthew 11:28-30, Mark 1:22)
     Jesus' kingdom also differs greatly from the kingdom of Osiris in that where Osiris' kingdom is depicted as being a physical kingdom in this world, the kingdom of Christ is a spiritual kingdom found in the hearts of those who believe. (Luke 17:20-21) If Jesus' kingdom were a physical kingdom, then his followers would have fought to overthrow Rome and to save him from death when he was arrested. (John 18:33-40) 
     It is for this reason that the kingdom of God can never be overcome. (Psalm 145:13, Daniel 7:13-14)

Murder: The Death of a God

Just as the accounts of creation vary greatly in Egyptian mythology, so to do the accounts of events leading up to and culminating in Osiris’ death. In one version of the story, Osiris kicked his brother Set, the god of evil. Another myth states that Osiris had sex with Set’s consort, their sister, Nephthys—who may or may not have seduced Osiris by disguising herself as his sister-queen, Isis. While yet another version of the story says that Set simply became jealous of Osiris’ kingdom and all the good he had brought to mankind.

Accounts vary too as to the exact means by which Set murdered Osiris. Some say he took on the form of a bull and trampled him to death while others attest that he killed him as a crocodile. The most common version of the myth, however, involves trickery and an elaborate coffin. 

In this version of the story, Set created a lavishly decorated chest (coffin) made to his brother’s exact measurements. When the chest was finished, Set held a banquet and offered to give the chest as a gift to whoever best fit inside it. As one would expect, Osiris fit perfectly, and once he was inside, Set closed the chest and threw it into the Nile. The chest floated down river until it got lodged in a tree which then grew up around and encased the chest with Osiris still inside. There, encased in the tree, Osiris eventually died.

Unlike Osiris who was murdered due to his own foolishness and sexual indiscretion, Jesus gave his life up voluntarily for the forgiveness of sins. (John 10:18) 

According to Christian theology, sin is not merely doing bad things—it is a rebellion against God. And since God is the creator and sustainer of life, choosing to rebel against Him is a literal rejection of life itself. This is why the Bible says that the consequence of sin is death, both physically and spiritually. (Romans 6:23, Revelation 21:8)
It was for this reason Jesus came to earth in the first place: to live a perfect, sinless life so that he—as God—could die a criminal’s death in our place, for our sins. 

"Who has believed our message?
    To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
    like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
    nothing to attract us to him.
 He was despised and rejected—
    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
    He was despised, and we did not care.

 "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
    it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
    a punishment for his own sins!
 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed.
 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
    the sins of us all.

"He was oppressed and treated harshly,
    yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
    And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
    he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned,he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
    that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
    for the rebellion of my people.
 He had done no wrong
    and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
    he was put in a rich man’s grave.

 "But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
    and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
    he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
    and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
    he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
    my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
    for he will bear all their sins.
 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
    because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
    He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels."

~Isiah 53 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus was not murdered. Nor was he tricked. Even when he was being arrested and tried, Jesus was still in complete control of the situation. (Matthew 26:47-54, John 19:6-11)

But according to Old Testament Prophecy and Jesus’ own words, his death would not be the end of the story. Genesis 3 had predicted the coming of a virgin born man (the seed of the woman) who be wounded by the serpent (Satan) but who would ultimately crush Satan's head. A wound is not fatal, but a crushed head is. This is the oldest Messianic prophecy in the Bible, and it clearly shows that Jesus would not remain dead. 

Back to Life: The Resurrection of a God

After some time and much searching, Osiris’ wife, Isis, found the chest where her husbands body lay. Taking his corpse with her, she returned to Egypt and hid his body in the swamps of the Nile delta while she went and searched for magical herbs in order to make a potion to bring him back to life. However, Set learned of her plan. Going to the swamps Set found the place where Isis had hidden his brother’s body. Wasting no time Set hacked the corpse into pieces and scattered them across Egypt, throwing Osiris’ penis into the Nile river where it was devoured by a fish. 

Upon her return, Isis was horrified to learn what Set had done. Once more she scoured the land gathering up all of the parts of Osiris’ body, which she then sewed back together and reanimated with Magic. However, in some accounts it appears that this re-animation was not permanent, and lasted just long enough for Isis to become pregnant—either by a flash of lightning, scooping up Osiris’ seed (semen) or by creating a new penis (one separate from Osiris’ body) with which to copulate. Since Isis was in the form of a kite (a small hawk) at the time, the child born of this sexual union with Osiris would become the hawk-headed god, Horus. Horus would later go on to avenge his father through a series of battles with Set by which Horus would regain the throne of Egypt. 

However, since Osiris’ penis had been eaten by a fish, his body was incomplete. Therefore he would never again be able to return to the mortal realm. Thus Osiris became the king of the underworld, where he would remain forevermore.

In stark contrast to Osiris’ resurrection, which left the mighty Egyptian god of kings, wisdom and fertility as little more than an emasculated zombie, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was complete and permanent, despite the visible wounds on his body. (Luke 24:38-40) He was seen alive by many witnesses for a period of forty days. (1 Corinthians 15:1-9, Acts 1:3, 13:26-31) These witnesses could touch him, speak to him, and even eat and drink with him. (Luke 24:38-43) Jesus was very much alive. And when his time on earth was finished, he returned to heaven alive until the day when he will return to assume the throne of David in Jerusalem and to establish his kingdom on earth. (Acts 1:6-11, Isaiah 9:7) 

Bringer of Eternal Life: The Judgment of a God

In Egyptian mythology, a person’s spirit existed in a dualistic state. The Ka, or life-force, left a person’s body at the time of death, while the Ba, a person’s spiritual characteristics, stayed with the body. The Egyptian funeral rites were developed and intended as a way to release the Ba from the body so that it could join with the Ka and become Akh. However, the ancient Egyptians believed that the Ba still needed to return to the body every night to receive new life. Therefore, it was of paramount importance that the body be preserved. The fear that something might happen to a person’s body after death was so great in ancient Egypt that many people were buried with a statue of themselves which acted as substitutionary resting place for their Ba in the event that something ever happen to their body. 

Furthermore, the ancient Egyptians also believed that a person’s Ka—which required nourishment in life through food and drink—continued to require food and drink after death. For this reason people would  make offerings to the deceased which would then transfer into spiritual food and drink for that person’s Ka. Likewise the gods also required such offerings or they would starve. 

Due to the dualistic nature of Egyptian religion, the concept of hell was not widely accepted, though some cults did hold to a believe in a form of hell from time to time. Instead most ancient Egyptians believed in a form of annihilationism. 
     As the belief went, when a person died, their soul would have to run a veritable gauntlet of supernatural dangers in the realm of the dead before standing before Osiris who would then judge a person by their actions in life. This ceremony was preformed by the god Anubis who would weigh the deceased person’s heart on a scale against the feather of Ma’at. 

If the person’s heart weighed more than the feather, being weighed down by evil deeds, it would be fed to Ammit, “The Gobbler” and the person’s soul would cease to exist. If the scales balanced, then the person would be allowed to enter into a lush paradise where they would live forever. In this way, Osiris was seen, at least in part, as a bringer of eternal life. Though in reality, it was a person’s good deeds that earned them a place in paradise—Osiris simply pronounced judgment on whether or not they were worthy to enter. Therefore, eternal life was not a reward for devotion to Osiris specifically, but rather was earned as a reward through devotion to the cosmic balance of Ma'at.

In contrast, the Bible teaches that it is not our good deeds that earn us a place in heaven, but rather faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection. (Titus 3:3-5, Ephesians 2:8-9) According to Christian theology, no one is worthy, not even the righteous. We are all sinners, and no amount of good deeds will ever blot out a single sin. (Romans 3:10-18, Isaiah 64:6) That is why God had to save us—because we couldn’t save ourselves. 

As far as the Christian belief in the afterlife is concerned, every human being possesses an immortal soul. However, unlike the Egyptians, this soul is not dependent on a body or statue in this world in order to exist. Nor does it need continual nourishment. Furthermore, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that when a person dies they will go to be with God—either to live with him for eternity or to be judged by him. (2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Hebrews 9:27-28)
     Additionally, Christians believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, when the bodies of everyone who has ever lived, both Christians and non-Christians alike, will be raised to life again, just as Jesus was. (John 5:28-29) For some Christians, this resurrection—or rather the restoration of their mortal bodies—will take place prior to their deaths in an event known as "The Rapture," (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) though the majority of the dead will be raised shortly before God's final judgment. 
    That said, the Bible makes it clear that everyone will be judged according to their actions. (Revelation 20:11-15) However, this judgment does not decide whether or not a person will go to heaven. 
     According to the scriptures, if a person has believed the Good News about Jesus and has given their life to him, their sins have been paid for in full and their relationship with God has been restored. (Romans 5:1-11, John 5:24, Hebrews 10:10-12) This means that when a Christian is judged according to their deeds, they are being judged in order to determine what their reward in heaven will be based on the work they did for God in life. (1 Corinthians 3:5-14)
     By comparison, those who have chosen to reject Jesus will in turn be judged, according to their deeds, in order to determine the amount of punishment they will receive. In this, God is just. He is not a judge who gives the same level of punishment for minor offenses as he does for capitol crimes.
     The God of the Bible is a God of love, who desires relationship with his creation. He does not want anyone to suffer in hell (Ezekiel 33:11, 2 Peter 3:9) But he is also completely just. He cannot simply ignore the sin of one person while punishing the sin of another, when his own law demands that all sin must be punished. To ignore the smallest sin of just one person would make God guilty of showing favoritism, which would in turn mean that he is not an impartial judge and is therefore unjust in his judgment—if not corrupt.
     It is for this very reason—the absolute justice of God—that God came to earth as a man, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins upon himself, in order to offer forgiveness and grace to anyone who will accept it. (John 3:16-21)
     That said, all sin leads to death. Which means that even though one person may have sinned less than another, they are still a sinner. If that person chooses to reject God's offer to pay for those sins himself, then that person will instead be choosing to pay for their sins themselves, and will be held accountable for those sins.

The Christian view of hell, therefore, is not one of arbitrary punishment for wrongdoing. Rather, hell is the natural, spiritual outcome of a person's choice to reject God. Since God is the sustainer of life, choosing to walk away from him means that you are walking away from life itself. 

A modern allegory I can give is that of a person launching themselves into space without a spacesuit. They are showing a wanton disregard for the sustainer of their life—oxygen. Yet, instead of repenting of their foolish idea, they choose to do it anyway and suffer the consequences. (Repentance literally means "to changing/renew you mind", specifically in regards to sin (Romans 12:2) By comparison, Jesus is like a parachute given as a gift to our would-be astronaut by someone who deeply cares for him. If the fool launching himself into space without a spacesuit would only choose to use the parachute in order to return safely to earth before it is too late, all would be well. But he has to make that choice himself. No one else can make it for him.

Conclusion:

In light of the differences between the religion of ancient Egypt and Christianity, we can clearly see that the myths surrounding Osiris share virtually no similarities with Christian theology. Where the Egyptian creation myth is filled with disjointed chaos and contradictory stories, the Genesis account is concise, consistent and orderly. Where Osiris was born out of an incestual relationship between gods, Jesus always existed. When Osiris’ kingdom was overthrown he needed a son to avenge him, yet Jesus’ kingship is eternal. Osiris was killed due to his own stupidity and wickedness, while Jesus gave up his life as a ransom for others. (Mark 10:42-45) Osiris couldn’t save himself from death and was resurrected as a re-animated corpse through the efforts of others. Jesus on the other hand raised himself to life again in order to prove that he was God. Osiris offered eternal life as a reward for good works. Jesus offers eternal life as a free gift based on his grace alone, and the punishment he bore for us. (1 Peter 2:22)

No matter how hard you look at it, the evidence is irrefutable: Christianity did not draw its inspiration from Egyptian mythology. There is only one Dying and Rising God, and his name is Jesus. 

See Also:


Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras

Mythology and the Messiah

Did Jesus Say he was God?

Did Jesus Rise Really from the Dead?

Was Jesus' Physical Body Raised from the Dead?