And Luke contradict one another in describing events that preceded Jesus’ birth, which should have been well-documented for such a miraculous event.

Josephus is a very credible author, since he lived during the era following the death of Jesus, from 37-100 AD. “For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks” (Josephus, Antiquities 18.63). It is not surprising that Jesus won over many Jews, since he was Jewish himself and often opposed Rome, which frequently condemned them to death. However, the vagueness of the statement suggests that he was writing to a Christian audience. He does not explain what the “surprising feats” are. He

The gospel of John, written circa 125 AD, relays the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (van Minnen 1). The baptism may have actually occurred, since some baptisms were recorded. However, the gospel also relays conversations that John the Baptist had with several men about Jesus. Considering that this gospel has dialogue, John either based the story on second-hand accounts, or made the dialogue up. “John thought that dialogue would liven the story up and make it easier for people to relate to the characters. However, he did the opposite. The dialogue, although the story was livelier, discredited John by making it appear that he made the whole thing up and Jesus was a character in John’s imagination.

In conclusion, Jesus was a historical figure, but his character and deeds have been greatly exaggerated. The gospels of Matthew and Luke contradict one another on a critical issue to Christians, which is the miraculous birth of Jesus.

assumed his audience would automatically know what he

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