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18 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 42

Greeks. He was the Messiah. When Pilate, upon A portrait of the first-century A.D. Judahite
hearing him accused by men of the highest historian Flavius Josephus.
standing amongst us, had condemned him to be
crucified, those who had in the first place come
to love him did not give up their affection for
him. On the third day he appeared to them re-
stored to life, for the prophets of God had pro-
phesied these and countless other marvellous
things about him. And the tribe of Christians, so-
called after him, has still to this day not dis-
appeared” (Antiquities of the Jews, 18:63-64).
2. Does Scripture reveal the Messiah’s
apostles? Matthew 10:1-12.
COMMENT: JOSEPHUS, the non-
Christian Judahite HISTORIAN of the first cen-
tury A.D., also admits the historicity of Yeshua’s
disciples, as he does also of John the Baptist. He
calls John the Baptist “the good man” (Antiqui-
ties of the Jews, xviii:5, 2). Scholars recognize
the genuineness of Josephus’ account about the
death of James, “the brother of Jesus who was
called Christ” (Ant., xx:9, 1).
Did the Romans know that Pontius Pilate brothers, and John the Baptist. They have been
gave sentence for the crucifixion of the Messiah? recorded by contemporary non-Christian histo-
Says Tacitus around 115 A.D., in Annals, XV, rians. It stands irrefutably proved that the person
44: “Christus [the Latin spelling of ”Christ"], Yeshua the Messiah is NOT a myth and that the
from whom the name [Christians] had its origin, new Testament record is TRUE!
suffered the extreme penalty [crucifixion] dur-
ing the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of Pontius Pilate Resurfaces!
our procurators, Pontius Pilate...."
There is the PROOF the Messiah lived! In the Bible accounts, Pontius Pilate was
This was not a Christian writing, but a the Roman Governor responsible for ordering
pagan Roman historian who hated everything the Messiah to be put to death.
Christian! Tacitus had access to the government 1. Read Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26, 57-66;
records. He had the PROOF the Messiah was Mark 15:1-15, 42-47; Luke 23:1-7, 11-25,
crucified! 50-56 and John 18:28 to 19:42.
HERE IS THE PROOF OUTSIDE OF COMMENT: It wasn’t too long ago
THE BIBLE -- PROOF THAT THE MESSIAH when many scholars were questioning the actual
PERFORMED MIRACLES — THAT HE DID existence of a Roman Governor with the name
PREACH THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM Pontius Pilate -- the procurator who ordered the
OF YEHOVAH GOD -- THAT HE DID CALL Messiah’s death. Until recently, there was no
DISCIPLES -- THAT HE DID HAVE BROTH- contemporary evidence outside the Bible for
ERS! Pilate’s existence (although Tacitus, Josephus
These are actual facts OUTSIDE THE and Philo all wrote about him). For centuries
BIBLE proving the existence of the Messiah, Pilate was known only from these scant histo-
Mary -- the Messiah’s mother -- the Messiah’s rical records and the Gospels. No direct physical

Archaeology and the Bible