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 chance, look  for  any  of  these  things,  or  at least  aim  at  attaining  them? No, indeed! On the  contrary,  they  knew  perfectly  well that they  had  nothing  to  expect  but  mockery, contradiction,  shame,  persecution,  and death.

With such  a  prospect  as  this  could  the apostles have  lied  and  deceived,  could  they have invented  the  history  of  the  life  of  Christ? No reasonable  man  could  seriously  assert  such a thing. No; the  apostles  were  themselves completely persuaded  of  the  truth  of  everything which  they  preached  to  the  world,  and wrote down  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  concerning Jesus  Christ. Nor did  they  hesitate for a  moment  to  lay  down  their  life  as  a  testimony to  the  truth.

4. Moreover,  even  Jewish  and  pagan  historians bear  explicit  witness  to  the  fact  that Christ really  lived. For example,  a  Jewish writer, Josephus  Flavius,  thus  expresses himself in  the  first  century:  "At  that  time lived  Jesus,  a  wise  man,  if  indeed  he  may  be called  a  man.  For  he  performed  many  wonderful works.  .  .  .  When  Pilate,  in  consequence of  an  accusation  brought  against  him by  the  most  prominent  men  of  our  nation, condemned  him  to  be  crucified,  his  disciples still  adhered  to  him.  He  rose  again,  and appeared  to  them  alive  on  the  third  day,  according to  what  the  holy  prophets  had  foretold of  him  in  this,  and  a  thousand  other marvelous  respects."