Was Jesus Christ Really a Cult Leader?

Jesus The Cult Leader: Have We Ignored The Facts?

5 to 7 min read

What is a Cult?

A cult is a sect perceived as different from everyday life because it is considered radical or simply wrong. In contrast, religion is integrated into society. Cult members don't lead normal lives compared to free civilians; their group identity centers around their communal lifestyle often based on theological arguments. Often, a charismatic autocratic leader may facilitate undesirable outcomes, such as dictating financial measures or imposing sexual and/or work-related demands. In extreme cases, there have been instances of mass suicide. Unsettling indeed! 

There have been cult-like comparisons made with Jesus before. These seem reasonable. Why not? For instance, Jesus's followers voluntarily devoted their lives to him and willingly faced death for their beliefs. Manson's family surrendered their lives, but they committed murder for Manson. Osho's 'Red People' took up arms for Osho, and then there's the messianic aura surrounding David Koresh and the Waco disaster. Clearly, none of these cults evolved into a global religion; media scrutiny tends to reveal unhealthy sects. Hence, figures like David Koresh, Charles Manson, or Warren Jeffs are unlikely to achieve the historical renown of The Buddha or Moses in the modern era.

Some Key factors that made Christianity grow:

1. The promise of saviour and heaven in exchange for 'belief' which equated to service, loyalty and following the the sect leader. This was alluring for ancient superstitious communities.

2. The ease of communication across language barriers, with merchants along trade routes, converting influential individuals. 

3. The written accounts of Jesus Christ came from devotees who revered him, and who wanted others to revere him.

4. Christian writings defended Christianity against opposing theological views and were disseminated globally.

5. Christian evangelism infiltrated numerous other religions and traditions by cultural appropriation: turning celtic gods into saints, attempts at christianising Roman Saturnalia, Jesus as a germanic warrior Christ. 

6. The execution of Jesus was transformed into a holy symbol, a divine super martyrdom offering hope to potential converts: Preaching that God sacrificed his only son to save us all, meant that deals based on salvation continued during missionary work!

Culty Types These Days! 

The cult leader Warren Jeffs (featured in the Netflix show: Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey) and the historical figure Eoshu Msheekha (known today as Jesus Christ) are separated by over two millennia. Despite the differences in myth, culture, and geographical distance, it is intriguing to see how theological modes of operation can seemingly transcend boundaries.

Charges against Jesus according to the bible:

• Blasphemy: He claimed to be the Messiah and the son of God. Crucifixion was an incorrect punishment for blasphemy within the context of Jewish law. E.P. Sanders noted that two specific actions led to Jesus's arrest: his symbolic entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling a messianic prophecy, and his expulsion of traders from the temple. The chief priests (usually the Sanhedrin) were responsible for reporting troublemakers to the Roman governor. Under Octavian's rule, Rome maintained justice and order in its territories, not leaving such matters to the locals.

• Sedition against Rome (Likely): This was a crime in Roman territories and could have been the rationale for Jesus's crucifixion. However, religious crimes often fell under the remit of local religious authorities. Jesus, aware of his cousin John the Baptist's fate, would have understood the potential consequences of his actions. The Gospel of Mark portrays Pharisees as malevolently seeking Jesus's death for their own reasons. Professor Sanders suggests that the Gospels do not fully represent their historical and cultural context. In other words, they are not as villianous as portrayed and Roman Governor Pontius Pilate ordered the execution quickly.

Non-biblical sources:

Talmud, Sanhedrin, Tosefta:

These texts are considered late and not strictly historical, but none of it really is strictly historical given the theological spin! Nevertheless, they present alternative candidates as Jesus and Mary, his mother. The identification of Yeshua Ben Pantera as Jesus Christ is not widely accepted in biblical circles and mainstream theology. It wouldn't though, given the defamation within them. Admittedly, the new testament writings do not mention Pantera, which, yet again, if it would true make sense wouldn't it? The Pantera tradition is argued to be a polemical reaction to Christianity by Jewish authors. However, I would doubt it, if the earliest mentioning of this Yeshua ben Pantera tradition came from the 2nd-century Greek philosopher Celsus who was actively writing between 170–180 CE. This shows Celsus was propogating an existing Jewish narrative that is evidently much older that Talmudic text, the age of this these stories are unknown but it could have been a first century oral tradition.

 

Top scholars Professor Sanders and Professor Crossan say that the Romans crucified Jesus much quicker than the gospels portray. High Priest Caiaphas is seen by Sanders as being pro-active in his duty by having Jesus taken-up to justice. In doing so, he ended a potential uprising which would have saved many Jewish lives from Roman swords. Instead, it was one life for all the Jews which, fair dues, was the person who caused the trouble. Rome permitted it's provinces religious freedom and so, first century Pharisees punished their religious criminals by stoning them, not the Roman cross. Sanhedrin 43a claims that Yeshua and his five disciples were stoned to death and then hanged (crucified) on the eve of the Passover, Schäfer (2009). 

Professor Tabor (2016) has shared his ideas about Pantera being a family name. In his YouTube videos, he has referenced early church leaders and fathers, Epiphanius and Origen who have used this Pantera name in connection with Jesus. Epiphanias said Mary was the daughter of Joachim Bar Panther, the son of Levi, likely surnamed Pantera! Eas the names cursed or shamed? Tabor simply highlights the plausibilty of a Pantera family existing in the first century. He has pointed to a discovery of a first century Israeli ossuary bone box, inscribed with Joseph son of Pantera. He doesn't think it is the father of Jesus. 

Old non-biblical sources, such as Tacitus, note Emperor Nero's persecution of Christians—some of these accounts are quite blunt. The Talmud and Midrash do not support Jesus being oppressive to his followers, engaging in sexual misconduct, or being involved in terrorism. These later sources emphasize that both Jewish and Roman authorities collaborated in Jesus's execution as a joint punishment, aligning with the accounts of stoning and crucifixion—methods used by Rome to set an example for others. 

Jesus's disciples were Jewish individuals familiar with the Torah but receptive to his eschatological teachings. It is commonly accepted Jesus believed himself to be the Messiah, descended from King David, who urged his followers to abandon everything to join him, promising a hundredfold reward in the kingdom. This talk sounds very reminiscent of a cult leader.

Verdict:

There is no compelling evidence to suggest that Jesus Christ was anything other than a leader of his own movement or sect influenced by Judaic traditions and other philosophical ideas. Cults typically do not stem from established religions, unlike cases such as Warren Jeffs and the FLDS or the Waco cult. Scriptures depict Jesus challenging the religious authorities of the established Jewish faith, preaching to them about imminent divine judgment, posturing himself as a figure of key importance, attracting thrir followers, claiming salvation came only through him! This resonates strongly. In contrast to sects, cults often demand total devotion from members. A charismatic leader, such as Jesus expected his followers to bear their burdens alongside him, forsaking their families to join his cause. He sent them into perilous situations as "lambs among wolves," a practice more akin to a cult than a sect:

"If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters more than me, he cannot be my follower. Whoever will not carry the cross that is given to him when he follows me cannot be my follower." - Luke 14:25-27

"Peter began to speak to Jesus: Look, we have left everything and followed you. Jesus replied: Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life." - Mark 10:28-30

References:

Crossan, J. D. (1996). Who Killed Jesus? HarperCollins, pp. 31–38.

Sanders, E. P. (1996). The Historical Figure of Jesus. Penguin Putnam, pp. 215-238.

Schäfer, Peter. (2009). Jesus in the Talmud. Princeton University Press.

Tabor, James. (2016). TABORBLOG: The "Jesus Son of Pantera" Traditions. [Online] Available at: https://jamestabor.com/the-jesus-son-of-panthera-traditions/