🔊 Listen to this

The Origin of The Concept Of Jesus’ Divinity

Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR

Christian beliefs were completed in the forth century, after deifying Jesus (PBUH) and the Holy Spirit, and confirming the Holy Bible.

Paul established a new Christianity after Jesus (PBUH), so where did Paul and the later Church Councils, derive these new beliefs? To answer that question we quote what Charles Gene Pier said in his book “Christianity, its Beginning and its Development”, he said, “Detailed study of Paul’s longer Epistles, results in finding a mixture of strange ideas, both Jewish and idolatrous Greek concepts.

To explain and illustrate further, we review some of the old religions before Christianity, to show the similarity between ancient Paganism and Christian Paganism. This similarity has touched the basis and the branches of Christian creeds, so we could know the origin and the source, from which Christianity takes its beliefs and creeds.

1. God’s Incarnation in Ancient Pagan Religions

Believing in an incarnated God, the second divine hypostasis of God, incarnated to forgive people’s sins, is an old and known belief in ancient religions, such as Hinduism. In his book “India”, the historian Allen said, “Krishna is the greatest of all the incarnated gods, and much superior to them, for they were only partly divine, but He (Krishna) appeared as god in a human figure.

Mentioned in the Indian book “Baha Kavat Boron”, Krishna said, “I will incarnate in Yedwa house, and come out from Devaki womb, I will be born and die, the time has come to show my power, and relieve the earth of its burden”. Therefore, the Hindus considered him a divine incarnation that made him worthy of worship.

The prominent historian Dwain talked about Buddha in his book “The Myths of the Torah, the Gospel, and Their Similarity in Other Religions”. He said, “Buddha was born of the virgin Maya, whom the Buddhists in India and other countries worship. They say about him, “He left the heaven and descended to appear as a human figure, as mercy to people to save them from their sins and to guide them”.

The historian Dawn also mentioned that the Europeans were astonished when they went to Comorine, west of India, from seeing the people worship a god called Silvahana, and he was born of a virgin.
Among humans that people said were incarnate, is the god Fuhi in China, and Wisten Nonick and Hwankty, and others.

People used to say of the god Bromesus, “He was a real man and a real god.1 Thus, we can say that God’s incarnation existed in ancient Pagan religions before Christianity, from which Paul and the Councils took the belief of Jesus’ divinity.

2. The Incarnation for Forgiveness and Salvation

What Christians believe about the reason for the incarnation corresponds with that of the ancient Pagan religions, as Christians say, the incarnation was for Jesus to die and save humanity from their sins.
The prominent scholar Hawk quoted the same about the Indian incarnated gods. He said, “Indians believe that, one of the gods had incarnated, and sacrificed himself to save the people from their sins”

The same was quoted about Buddha, whom the historian Morris William mentioned in his book (Indian Religion), “of his mercy (meaning Buddha) he left the heaven and came to the earth, to save humanity from their sins and pains, and from the punishment they deserve.”

Dawn mentions in his book “The Myths of the Torah, the Gospel, and Their Similarity in Other Religions”; Indians call Bokhas, the son of Jupiter, the nations’ savior.”

The same was said about Hercules, Mithra, the Persians’ savior, and Bacob, the Mexican crucified god, and others, whom their followers believed to be gods, incarnated to forgive sins.

3. The Incarnated God and Creation

Similar to the Christians’ belief that Jesus the Son is the creator, is the ancient religions’ belief in their incarnated gods. The Indians’ sacred books mention that “Krishna the son of god from the virgin Divacki, is the second divine hypostasis in the Holy Trinity, created heavens and earth, and for them (the believers) he is the first and the last”.

In the holy book “Bhagwad Geeta”, Krishna said to his student Argon, “I am the god of the all creations, I created them and humans… know me, I am the creator of humans”.

The Chinese believe that the Father created nothing, and the son Latotho, who was born from a virgin, created everything. In their prayers to Adermizd, the Persians say, “to Adermizd I pray, for he created everything that was created or will be. He is the wise, the strong, who created the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars.”

The Assyrians believe the same of the first son “Nerdock”, also those who deify “Adonis”, and “Laokion”, and others. Likewise, in the old Egyptian tradition, the god “Atom” created every living thing by the word, which created life and everything edible, and all what humans love or hate.

4. Eternity and Immortality of the Incarnated Gods

John described Jesus in his Revelation, as the first and the last, and the Alpha and Omega. This description corresponds exactly with the description of the idolatrous and their incarnated gods, of which they believe in their eternity and immortality.

In the Indian book “Geeta”, Krishna said, “It never happened that I was nonexistent, I made everything, and I am the everlasting and the eternal, the creator who existed before everything. I am the strong ruler, who has power over the universe; I am the first, the middle, and the last of everything’.

From Argon’s prayers to Krishna, “you are the everlasting, the great, whom we must know, who controls the beings; you are the god who existed before gods”. The book “Fishno Borani” describes him: “he has no start, no middle, and no end”.

Mentioned in the Indian scriptures about Buddha: “he is Alpha and Omega, there is no start or end to his existence, and he is the god, the owner, the powerful and the everlasting”. The same was said about Lawken, Lawtz, Armizd, Zios, and many others, who were called the “Alpha and Omega”.

4. The Dates of Gods’ Birth, Worship, and Traditions

Not only do Christian beliefs correspond with other religions on some issues, but also on worshipping and dates as well. The idolatrous believe, in spite of the differences of their gods, that their incarnated gods were born on 25th of December, such as the god Mithra and others.

That is what the Orthodox Christians say of their dates. It was fixed in 530 C.E. by the priest Deunesus. He wanted to draw Christians away from the idolatrous celebrations, and occupy them with Christian celebration. The same happened in many other idolatrous celebrations, so the Christians took the dates and the traditions from them.

In his book, “The History of the Anglican Church”, Priest Beid quoted Pope Gregory’s first speech, (601C.E), in which he quoted Pope Mellitus’s advice, which forbade the destruction of the idolatrous temples. 
In addition, he believed in turning them away from worshipping the devil to worship the true God, to clean the people’s hearts of sins.

And make it easier for them to visit the temples, which they used to visit.
Thus, the new Christian will not find any difference, in the place or the content, between Christianity and what he/she believes, which will make it easier to spread Christianity.