Extra Biblical Proof of Jesus Christ!

I have begun reading a astounding history of the Church by Eusebius. Let me first state that for those that should purchase Eusebius' The History of the Church be forewarned that Eusebius followed the teachings of Origen. Origen had Arian-like Christian beliefs. Eusebius attended the Laternal Council of Nicea, where he met Emperor Constantine and where he sided with the majority of the council who condemned Arius and his Arian Apostasy. Readers should be warned that in First Chapter: Christ and His Companions, Eusebius speaks of the divinity of Jesus and agrees on the Trinity, but believes in subordinationism; which is a false belief that Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit are subordinate to The Father. The Scriptures that refute this theology are, "I and the Father are one, if you have seen me you have seen the father," (John 10:30) and "The Father asked Who will go on our behalf? The Son responded I will Go." (Isaiah 6:8). Having warned readers, I recommend reading Eusebius' history for other reasons. Eusebius is the only historian to record the Church from Christ to Constantine. No other Church Historian has covered 30 A.D. to 300 A.D. So if you intend to learn about the early centuries of the Christianity you shall have to be content with Eusebius and ignore his flawed (later corrected by the Council of Nicaea) view of subordination.

Getting to the most fascinating news. Within Eusebius' History of the Church is recorded evidence of Christ, His Ministry, His Disciples, and the legitimacy of the Christian Faith! I shall begin with Josephus quote in Antiquities of Jews:

• "At this time appeared Jesus, a very gifted man - if indeed it is right to call him a man; for he was a worker of miracles, a teacher of such men as listened with pleasure to the truth, and he won over many Jews and many of Gentile origin as well. This was the Christ, and when at the instigation of our leading men he had been condemned to the cross by Pilate, those who had loved him at the first did not cease to do so, for on the third day he appeared to them alive again, the inspired prophets having foretold this and countless other wonderful things about him. Even now the group of people called Christians after him has not died out." (Antiquities of the Jews, XVIII. ii.3.)  

Josephus supports all Four Gospels! His account is in complete harmony with that of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Most exciting is that Josephus upon telling of Christ say, "This was the Christ," and "on the third day he appeared to them alive against, the inspired prophets having foretold this and countless other wonderful things about him." Josephus was Jewish historian who served under the Romans, in particular Titus during the Fall of Jerusalem which is contained in his Antiquities. Josephus in his account of Jesus is not just a objective one, he is claiming Jesus was the Christ and he affirms that he rose again from the dead on the third day! Josephus also debunks modern historians and atheists who claim that Christians were not around during the time of Titus or that Pilate never existed. Josephus clearly states that, "the group of people called Christians after him has not died out," and "he had been condemned to the cross by Pilate." How can Historians today dispute the truth of Jesus and Pilate when a Roman-Jewish Historian has clearly recorded it?! Josephus would have had no incentive to write propaganda. He was Jew and a Roman, both of which were predominately against Christ at the time of his death and resurrection. And yet Josephus states the whole summary of Jesus' life and his follows in a light at denotes belief.

Now for the crim da le cray. I shall quote an account in It's entirety of the King of Mesopotamia (Edessa) writing a letter to Jesus and receiving a response! Before I share this story, I must support it with the scripture in John that says, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail , I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25). Jesus Christ healed so many and preformed so many miracles that we only have succinct amount are in our The Four Gospels. This is one of those that was not included, but not surprisingly is in complete harmony with the New Testament and will make any believer weep or blink in awe:

A Story About The Prince of Edessa

The story about Thaddaeus1 is as follows: Because of His power to work miracles the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ became in every land the subject of excited talk and attracted a vast number of people in foreign lands very remote from Judea, who came in hope of being cured of diseases and disorders of every kind. Thu it happened that when King Agbar, the brilliantly successful monarch of the peoples of Mesopotamia, who was dying from a terrible physical disorder which no human power could heal, heard continued mention of the name of Jesus and unanimous tribute to His miracles, he sent a humble request to Him by a letter-carrier, begging for relief from his disease. Jesus did not immediately accede to his request, but honored him with a personal letter, promising to send one of His disciples to cure his disease, and at the same time to bring salvation to him and all his kin. In a very short time the promise was fulfilled. After His resurrection and ascent to Heaven. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, was moved by inspiration to send Thaddaeus, himself in the list of Christ's seventy disciples, to Edessa as preacher and evangelist  of the teaching about Christ. Through him every word of our Saviour's promise was fulfilled.
   Written evidence of these things is available, taken from the Record Office at Edessa, at that time the royal capital. In the public documents there, embracing early history and also the events of Abgar's time, this record is found preserved from then till now; and the most satisfactory course is to listen to the actual letters, which I have extracted from archives and translated word for word from the Syriac as follows:

• COPY OF A LETTER WRITTEN BY AGBAR THE TOPARCH TO JESUS AND SENT TO HIM AT JERUSALEM BY COURIER ANANIS   ---Agbar Uchama the Toparch to Jesus who has appeared as a gracious savior in the region of Jerusalem--- greeting. I have heard about you and about the cures you preform without drugs or herbs. If report is true, you make the blind see again and the lame walk about; you cleanse lepers, expel unclean spirits and demons, cure those suffering from chronic and painful diseases, and raise the dead. When I heard all this about you. I conclude that one of two things must be true -- either you are God and came down from heaven to do these things, or you are God's Son doing them. accordingly I am writing to beg you to come to me, whatever the inconvenience, and cure the disorder from which I suffer. I may add tat I understand  the Jews are treating you with contempt and desire to inure you: my city is very small, but highly esteemed, adequate to both of us. [He wrote this letter when the heavenly light had shone on him only a little while. It is desirable also to hear the letter which Jesus sent him by the same letter-carrier. It is only a few lines long, but very impressive. Here it is]:
• JESUS'S REPLY TO THE TOPARCH ABGAR BY THE COURIER ANANIAS --Happy are you who believed in me without having seen me! For it is written of me that those who have seen me will not believe in me, an that those who have not seen will believe and live. As to your request that I should come to you. I must complete all that I was sent to do here, and on competing it must at once be taken up to the One who sent me. When I have been taken up I will send you one of my disciples to cure your disorder and bring life to you and those with you.

    A letter from Jesus! The Lord responded to Agbar before his crucifixion in Jerusalem! The rest of the quotations will complete this story.

To these letters is subjoined the following in Syriac:

    After Jesus was taken up, Judas, also known as Thomas, sent to him as an apostle Thaddaeus, one of the Seventy, who came and stayed with Tobias, son of Tobias. when his arrival was announced [and he had been conspicuous by the wonders he preformed]. Abgar was told: 'An apostle has come here from Jesus, as He promised you in His letter. ' Then Thadaeus began in the power of God to cure every disease and weakness, to the astonishment of everyone. When Agbar heard the magnificent and astonishing things that he was doing and especially his cures, he began to suspect that this was the one to whom Jesus referred when He wrote in His letter. 'When I have been taken up I will send you one of my disciples who will cure your disorder.' So summoning Tobias, with whom Thaddaeus was staying, he said: 'I understand that a man with unusual powers has arrived and is staying in your house [and is working many cures in the name of Jesus.' Tobias answered: 'Yes, sir. A man from foreign parts has arrived and is living with me, and is performing many wonders.' Abgar replied: 'Bring him to me.'
  So Tobias went to Thaddaeus and said to him: 'The Toparch Abgar has summoned me and told me to bring you to him so that you can cure him' Thaddaeus answered: 'I will present myself, since the power of God has sent me to him.' The next day Tobias got up early and escorted Thaddaeus to Abgar. As he presented himself ,with the king's grandees standing there, at the moment of his entry a wonderful vision appeared to Abgar on the face of Thaddaeus. On seeing it Abgar bowed low before the apostle, and astonishment seized all the bystanders , for they had not seen the vision, which appeared to Abgar alone. He questioned Thaddaeus.
'Are you really a disciple of Jesus the Son of God, who said to me, "I will send you one of my disciples who will cure you and give you life"?'
Thaddaeus responded, "You wholeheartedly believed in the One who sent me, and for that reason I was sent to you. And again, if you believe in Him, in proportion to your belief shall the prayers of your hear be granted.'
"I believed in Him so strongly that I wanted to take an army and destroy the Jews who crucified Him, if I had not been prevented by the imperial power of Rome from doing so.' said Abgar.
'Our Lord has fulfilled the will of His Father, after fulfilling it He was taken up to the Father' said Thaddaeus.
'I too have believed Him and in His Father.' said Abgar.
'For that reason I lay my hand on you in His name." responded Thaddaeus.
   When he did this, Abgar was instantly cured of the disease and disorder from which he suffered. It surprised Abgar that the very thing he had heard about Jesus had actually happened to him through His disciple Thaddaeus, who had cured him without drugs or herbs -- and not only him but also Abdus son of Abdus, who had gout. He too came, and falling at his feet found his prayer answered through the hands of Thaddaeus and was cured. Many other fellow-citizens of theirs Thaddaeus restored to health, preforming many wonders and preaching the word of God.
   After this Abgar said: 'It is by the power of God that you, Thaddaeus do these things: and we ourselves were amazed. But I have a further request to make: explain to me about the coming of Jesus and how it happened, and about His power --by what did He do the things I have heard about?'
  Thaddaeus replied: 'For the time being I shall say nothing: but as I was sent to preach the word, be good enough to assemble all your citizens tomorrow, and I will preach to them and sow in them the word of life --about the coming of Jesus and how it happened: about His mission and the purpose for which His Father sent Him about His power and His deeds, and the mysteries He spoke in the world, and the power by which He did these things; about His new preaching; about his lowliness and His divinity, was crucified and descended into Hades, and rent asunder the partition which had never been rent since time began, and raised the dead; how He descended alone, but ascended with a great multitude to His Father [; and how He is seated on the right and of God the Father with glory in the heavens; and how He will come again with power to judge living and dead.'
  So Abgar instructed his citizens to assemble at daybreak and hear the preaching of Thaddaeus. After that he ordered gold and silver to be given to him. But Thaddaeus refused them and asked, 'If we have left our own property behind, how can we accept other people's?'

All this happened in the 340 Seleucid Era (30 A.D.)

What an amazing testimony! Agbar wrote to Jesus before he was crucified and was met by one of his apostles Thaddaeus. This is an extra Biblical account and thus many will call It's legitimacy into question. I myself believe it to be true. Christ did send a letter to Agbar and then His apostle as well. The reason this letter is not likely contained in our canonized Bible is because Jesus sent it on eve of his death and I doubt that any of Disciples thought to copy it because they were caught up in the tumult of their Master's arrest, trials, flogging, crucifixion, and resurrection. The story of Christ's Resurrection, Visitations, and Ascension became more important and thus this story became like one of those emails lost in the void and preserved only by those in Edessa.

The fact that extra Biblical writings exists affirming and harmonizing with what is found in the our Scriptures should encourage and increase our faith! We have proof outside the Bible and that should be part of our Apologetics! As Christians we should be jubilant that Jesus Christ is spoken of in detail by Josephus and Thaddaeus. Let what you have read reassure you that Christ is indeed the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Living Son of God, The Father and Holy Spirit.