Historical Jesus Quotes

• The study of the Life of Jesus has had a curious history. It set out in quest of the historical Jesus, believing that when it had found Him it could bring Him straight into our time as a Teacher and Saviour. ... But He does not stay; He passes by our time and returns to His own... He returned to His own time, not owing to the application of any historical ingenuity, but by the same inevitable necessity by which the liberated pendulum returns to its original position.

  Albert Schweitzer

  Teacher, Jesus, Believe

  "The Quest of the Historical Jesus". Book by Albert Schweitzer, transl. by W. Montgomery, 1906.

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• At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship.

  Josephus

  Wise, Jesus, Men

  "An Arabic version of the Testimonium Flavianum and its implications".

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• Punishment [by Nero] was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.

  Suetonius

  Christian, Men, Class

  Suetonius (1997). “Suetonius: Lives of the Caesars, book V-VIII ; Lives of illustrious men”, Loeb Classical Library

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• Today's Politically Correct "historical Jesuses" are no different, being mere clones of the scholars who design them.

  Robert M. Price

  Jesus, Design, Historical

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• In his book The Quest of the Historical Jesus, the most definitive study that's ever been done on the subject, Albert Schweitzer admitted that there isn't a shred of conclusive proof that Christ ever lived, let alone was the son of God. He concludes that one must therefore accept both on faith. I reject both for the same reason.

  Madalyn Murray O'Hair

  Jesus, Book, Son

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• Paul's lack of concern with the historical Jesus is not due, as some have argued, to his emphasis on Christological rather than historical concerns. It is due to the simple fact that Paul had no idea who the living Jesus was, nor did he care.

  Reza Aslan

  Jesus, Simple, Ideas

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• About six years ago, Life magazine ran an article on the historicity of Jesus and I was floored to find that they conceded the only evidence we have for his existence is in the Gospels. But don't take Life's word for it. In his book The Quest of the Historical Jesus, the most definitive study that's ever been done on the subject, Albert Schweitzer admitted that there isn't a shred of conclusive proof that Christ ever lived, let alone was the son of God. He concludes that one must therefore accept both on faith.

  Madalyn Murray O'Hair

  Jesus, Book, Son

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• Though [Charles Guignebert] could not accept either the Christ myth theory, which held that no historical Jesus existed, or the Dutch Radical denial that Paul authored any of the epistles, Guignebert took both quite seriously.

  Robert M. Price

  Jesus, Historical, Denial

  "The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief". Book by Tom Flynn, 2007.

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• It is impossible to avoid the suspicion that historical Jesus research is a very safe place to do theology and call it history, to do autobiography and call it biography.

  John Dominic Crossan

  Jesus, Historical, Research

  John Dominic Crossan (2010). “The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant”, p.28, Harper Collins

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• You accept the historical Jesus?

  Albert Einstein

  Jesus, Historical, Atheism

  Albert Einstein (2010). “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein”, p.326, Princeton University Press

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• The church lives because it witholds the results of the historical Jesus-research from you

  Hans Conzelmann

  Jesus, Historical, Atheism

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