Saturday, July 16, 2011

Mythology and the Bible

Q: Hello, I searched your site and generally did not find the answer to these questions. 1.) What is the relevance of Christian Mythology in Christianity? 2.) What is the River Styx, and can it be ascertained in Christianity? 3.) Should Christian Mythology be considered as a part of Christianity? I ask these questions because I learned that "myth" during the times of the new Christians were considered as Stories, so it would make sense, i.e. Stories of the Bible, but then it began to be known as lies or false stories, so I'm curious to know about all of these. Thank you for your time, and I'm sorry if it is on the site and I couldn't find it.

A: Thank you for your question. 1.) By "Christian Mythology" I assume you are referring to the biblical accounts which explain how the world and its inhabitants came to have their present form and God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as Christian Mythology as it pertains to the truth of the Bible. To assume there is such a thing is to take as fact the ideas of those who believe that Christian Mythology exists to begin with and that it is up to Christians and Biblical scholars to disprove their accusations. Often times those who believe that the Bible is a book of myths have already made up their mind about the Bible and only seek to destroy it through anecdotal evidence and, in some cases, outright falsehoods about the Bible. Ultimately, the truth of the Bible rests on what a person believes about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ claimed to be God (John 8:58; John 10:30). Jesus Christ performed miracles (Matthew 15:30; Mark 1:34; Luke 7:21-22; John 4:46). Jesus Christ lived a sinless life (John 8:29). Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of the world (Matthew 26:2; Mark 10:33-34;). Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead (Matthew 16:21, 28:9-10, 16-20; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:26-29). Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples and many other witnesses. That is why the Apostle Peter wrote, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Peter 1:16)."

2.) The River Styx has no relevance to the Bible or Christianity. In Greek Mythology, according to various sources, "the River Styx is a river which formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld, Hades. It circles Hades nine times. The rivers Styx, Phlegethon, Acheron and Cocytus all converge at the center of Hades on a great marsh." While this fictitious river and location may resemble the Hell mentioned in the Bible, it is not the same location nor does it have anything to do with the Bible. It is not a real river and the Hades associated with it is not the real Hell that awaits all those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. The real Hell is described as a "Lake of Fire" (Revelation 20:13-15) not as a river named Styx. The real Hell is also described as a place of fire (Matthew 25:41), full of gloomy dungeons (2 Peter 2:4), a place of torment (Luke 16:23), a place of eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46) and a place of the blackest darkness (Jude 1:6, 13). As the prophet Daniel said, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2)." The place of "everlasting contempt" is not the River Styx.

3.) Again, Christian Mythology should not be considered as part of Christianity. It is the myths themselves that should be investigated. For centuries people have spent a good portion of their lives dedicated to destroying the historical and spiritual truths of the Bible and Jesus Christ. Not only have people tried to insert mythology like the River Styx into the Bible, but they have also claimed that large parts of the Bible, including the account of Jesus Christ, were adapted from pagan mystery religions. What you will discover, under a closer examination, is that these other religious stories are exaggerated and make claims that don't even compare to the truths of the Bible. One could even go so far as to claim that the pagan mystery religions were influenced by Christianity. As I stated earlier, everything rests on what a person believes about Jesus Christ. If who He is, God in the flesh, is not true then it really doesn't matter what else the Bible has to say. "Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:29-31).”

I encourage you to continue to investigate these things you are asking about. You mentioned that the website did not answer your questions satisfactorily. I am not sure what it was you searched for, but I would encourage you to go back through the website and search for topics like "Is Jesus a Myth?"or "Paganism" and see where it takes you. I believe it will encourage you in your search for answers. Ultimately, ask the Lord to guide you and reveal to you His truths about the origins of the Bible and the Christian faith. While you are doing that may I remind you never to lose sight of Jesus Christ in all this. When Jesus was with the disciples, many of them were still doubting if He was the prophesied Messiah, the Christ, the Jewish nation had long been waiting to arrive. Jesus asked them the most important question anybody can be asked. ""When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am (Matthew 16:13-15)?”" Who do you say is Jesus Christ? The correct answer to that is the beginning of finding answers to all the other questions you have about the Bible and life in general. I pray you answer wisely. Grace and Peace.

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