1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; 6and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness; 7and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
12Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. 13I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 14knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.
16For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, 20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. 21For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.
Many novices in biblical studies, and even a few scholars, have attempted to identify the virginal conception of Mary with pagan myths, as though the New Testament authors relied on these myths to create the story of Mary and Jesus. Such a view is based on a number of faulty assumptions and methodology. First of all, there is bias rhetoric, in which unstated bias is against supernatural intervention in the world. Biblical history and teaching is simply the result of evolutionary development.
Second is a faulty historical methodology. A few detractors to the virgin conception of Jesus seek to connect alleged parallels between mystery religions and Gnosticism with Christianity. It is true that world religions, ancient and modern, have some similarities, such as ritual meals, belief in some form of afterlife, ceremonies of initiation into the community, and some ancient religions practiced circumcision and sacrifice. To establish Christianity's dependence on these religions, though, would require not simply similarity of form, but agreement in essence. Having similarity is to be expected since we have a common human nature, experiences, and desires. What is important, however, is not the similarity of words and practices, but the meanings and significance attached to them.1 One example of such borrowing is made by two authors, in which they state, “Like Jesus, who at his crucifixion is given a crown of thorns, Dionysus was given a crown of ivy." This suggested parallel ignores the significant differences: a crown of thorns was on one occasion only forced on Jesus as a cruel mockery of Him as “King of the Jews,” while a crown of ivy was frequently and willingly worn by both Dionysus and the pagan worshipers as part of pagan ritual. Such “parallels” are merely superficial and do not indicate dependence."2
Third, those claiming that the authors of the New Testament borrowed from pagan myths fail to demonstrate that many of the myths of the pagan mysteries existed prior to Christianity. It is true that certain mystery religions existed before Christianity, but there is little information on them historically. It is more likely that they borrowed from Christian stories.
Fourth, authors like those above do an inadequate examination of the Hebrew background of Christianity. Many of the Christian terms such as "mystery," "sacrificial lamb," and "resurrection" are found in the Hebrew religion even predating the mysteries from Greece, rather than from the Ancient Near East, and ancient Greece. There is no evidence that the Jewish culture framed its religion after Greek culture, and the Maccabean wars were fought over this attempt by the Greek rulers after the time of Alexander.
Fifth, and last, there is a considerable historical connection between those matters relating to Jesus, supposedly borrowed by the authors of the Gospels. All of the books of the New Testament were written between 20-60 years after the historical events. "These were matters not done in a corner (Acts 26:26) and were not cleverly devised tales (2 Pet 1:16), but were testified to by many witnesses (Acts 2:22; 13:30-31). That the claims about Jesus were part of a grand hoax perpetrated by the early Christians, as the authors suggest, is an implausible explanation since they could be easily disproved in such a historical situation. Claims about Jesus’ resurrection, for example, could be easily disproved by a visit to His still-occupied tomb."3
Additional errors could be answered, but it is sufficient to say that the stories of Jesus are based on reliable records and personal testimonies from those who heard and recorded the words and deeds of Jesus.
NOTES
See my article on the alleged dependence of Christians on pagan myths of the ancient world, from which this article was written, and for further sources that support the historicity and accuracy of early teaching about Jesus, and early Christianity.