I’ve always said the apostles were lying.
A common response is “No one would preach for a lie and die.”
People preached all kinds of things in the first century. There are records of many cults in first century Rome.
Also, we know from the gospels and Paul’s writings that the apostles were competing against other preachers of Christ.
From the gospels “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” to
Paul’s writings 2 Cor 11 “4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. ” and Gal 1:8 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!“
Lots of people were preaching lies.
Two possible conclusions:
A:People would risk harm to preach a lie.
B:There was no risk and people preached whatever the hell they wanted.
But why preach lies? In 1 Cor 9 Paul is defending himself from judgment about trying to make a living from preaching. “3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas[a]? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?”
It is quite obvious that Paul envies the other apostles for being able to avoid work because their converts supported them financially.
Some people claim that Paul was a wealthy pharisee. There is no evidence for that at all. It is obvious he is not wealthy as he has to work for a living – according to his own words. And no, the following verse does not mean Paul made a “profit” from being a jew as some low IQ believers will say in the comments below. In most translations the word is “advanced” or “benefited” which is what most thinking readers would understand the word profit to mean. “And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.” Gal 1:14
Here is my take on Paul and everyone preaching Christ. A modern example of what went on. Today, I see many people making money off of tiktoks and youtube. I have made fun of a lot of the content and producers we see today. But a few months ago I had a revelation and decided to make my own tiktoks and youtube channel. And now I am a true believer. I still have to work, but now I am making money making tiktok and youtube videos. What I used to persecute I now believe in!
What about the martyr legends? According to the church they died for what they preached! Of course a power structure like the church would claim martyrdom. Because if the truth came out that these apostles died anonymously in history or died in prison or murdered due to embezzling cash from the wrong son of a wealthy landowner or the children of a noble that would not bode well for the Christian movement.
Questions
Are these apostles the only time in history that preachers had actual truths from God or did the apostles, like every other cult leader, gain financially from willing believers manipulated to believe something they could not verify in this reality?
Do you think I addressed the “they would not die for a lie” claim sufficiently?
If not what is my explanation lacking?
Its obvious people lie for money. The apostles lied for money. That is more likely an explanation for their preaching than any truth you believe they had.
R&I ~dsg
Roger Mills
Article URL : https://bibleapologetics.org/would-you-die-for-a-lie/