of course, there were other eye-witnesses to the resurrection....

http://babylonbee.com/news/roman-soldier-in-charge-of-guarding-tomb-of-a-troublemaking-jewish-carpenter-looking-forward-to-an-uneventful-weekend

Paul1405,

<<Christ was most likely a disciple and relative of John The Baptists, whose existence is authenticated in the writings of Josephus. John was a renegade preacher within Judaism, possibly a leader within the Essene Sect.>>

So your evidence is of the "most likely" kind and John being "a renegade preacher . . . possibly a leader." I would not choose my accountant based on such a most likely possibility. You provided nil evidence for John being <<possibly a leader within the Essene Sect>>.

From the lack of evidence you've provided in this thread, I conclude you are a ho-hum non-researcher.

Eyewitnesses? Yes, but none of the new testament writers were eyewitnesses. But used hearsay accounts to "pen" their differing versions, Albeit, with a possible element of truth? To reach unto the Kingdom of heaven ye must be born again. And given the pagan, sun worshipping Constantine had all the writings pertaining to the then Christian belief in reincarnation excluded and others, which claimed we humans are fallen angels trying to earn a passage back to heaven via the purgatory of human life in the physical realm, also excluded.

And the sins of the fathers shall be visited on the children.
Rabbi, was this man born blind for his sins or those of his father?
Neither, but so the Father could work in him.

Simply put, the values and practice as taught by the Essene Rabbi Jesus? Have little in comparison to the church that came after the intervention of Constantine. And the latter riddled with pagan ritual and belief. And given that is so, can anyone claim that the bible with all its versions and inherent contradictions to be a divinely inspired document? God is hardly likely to contradict Him/Herself!

Therefore, all those that claim the bible is the literal word of God. Clearly self deluded errant fundamentalists? Yes, the master will need to return but mainly to correct the account and words attributed to him which came from many other sources.

I believe the non Daified, Son ( It is not I who does these things but the Father in me) of the God of love, will not condemn non believers, but admit them to heaven also based on their actions during their lives, based on truth and to do unto others---! And that is all! And the very essence of early esoteric Cristian, bigotry free teaching.
Alan B.

"And even Pope Francis has stated that non-believers would be
forgiven by God if they followed their conscience and did
not hurt anybody."

I wouldn't take too much notice of a Pope who is more Commo than Catholic. If the pagans don't "hurt anybody" they don't need forgiving for hurting anybody. But what their conscience permits them to do is another matter.

If your criteria is that history must be by eye-witnesses then, apart from the Peloponnesian Wars and its aftermath, we know virtually no ancient history.

Are the Gospels reliable? Watch this ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_Db4RwZ_M&t=1696s

OzSpen,

This forum is not a "court of law", and opinion, your opinion, my opinion, anyones opinion, are all acceptable here. In the case of the Christian belief in Christ's resurrection and later ascension into Heaven, that is only supposition, considering believers claimed evidence is provided by the Gospels only, writings which cannot be corroborated by other sources. Your leap of faith in believing in Gospel events that are not evidenced based are fine with me, but don't make the claim they are fact if you have no evidence.

My use of the words "most likely" and "possibly" indicate I am offering something that is not entirely evidenced based. Saying John The Baptist was a "renegade preacher" is reasonable based on the Josephus account of him in his the 'Antiquities of the Jews' that substantiates the Gospels by saying that John was executed (beheaded) by order of Herod Antipas in the fortress at Machaerus. Beheading was not the punishment for heresy, but the punishment for transgression against the state. Herod could not order crucifixion, as that was exclusively a Roman punishment, but Herod could order beheadings.
Josephus records that the Essene's were a large sect within Judaism. The John practice of baptism in water and his message of the imminent coming of the Messiah, fits in with Essene belief, the immersion in water to absolve one of sin was a daily ritual of the Essene's, and their belief that the coming of the Messiah was at hand is identical to John message.

Like John, Jesus was possibly also an Essene Jew, his preaching of poverty, charity, piety and devotion to God etc, is very much the Essene message. Add to that, its possible the "conversion" of Saul Of Tarsus (St Paul), in my opinion the true founder of Christianity, was nothing more than his moving from the Pharisee Sect of Judaism and aligning himself with the "Jesus Movement" within the Essene Sect.