Don’t pull a con where people know you

[Zzyzx]

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An expert con man I knew said, “Don’t pull a con where people know you; the farther from home the better.�

The same was probably true 2000 years ago. Notice that Christianity did not grow and prosper where Jesus lived – but in Rome, which is well over a thousand miles away and/or across the Mediterranean Sea.

This is not to say Jesus was a conman. He was likely just another wandering preacher of Judaism NOT Christianity, and may have been one of many wannabe messiahs of the era and area. He evidently did not advocate development of a new religion.

Notice that he was not accepted by religionists of his area as being even authentic, let alone being ‘divine’ or the ‘promised messiah’ – they considered him a blasphemer and participated in his death (according to tales). Some of his entourage may have thought him to be ‘divine’ or capable of ‘walking on water’, but they seem to be a small minority of special interest people.

People living hundreds or thousands of miles away were more easily convinced to believe supernatural tales since they were not present to observe first-hand or to know personally people who did have personal knowledge.

Paul/Saul might have been a conman or at least an opportunist. He entered the scene years after Jesus was dead, claiming that Jesus appeared to him in a ‘vision’ (or hallucination or delusion or a fabrication or whatever it was supposed to be). Great story – which he doesn’t even write about himself, but leaves to the author of Acts (whoever that may have been).

Based upon the ‘vision’ Paul/Saul became promoter of a splinter group religion BUT he pitches it to Romans – Gentiles – who are far away and who are not Jewish. That audience knew nothing of Jesus and could not contradict claims and stories that glorified and deified him.

Question for debate: Why was 'Jesus following' rejected by his home area but successful among those who were not familiar with him, his preaching, or his culture?

[Tcg]

Question for debate: Why was 'Jesus following' rejected by his home area but successful among those who were not familiar with him, his preaching, or his culture?

This is untrue. According to the bible narrative by FAR the majority of Jesus disciples were from Jesus home area of Galilee. Eleven of his 12 Apotles were Galileans, at least two of whom were his own relatives.

Jesus of course attested that it was indeed true:

• Mark 6:4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.â€� 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

It is quite telling that his miracles were very limited because of this. Performing a con requires gaining the confidence (thus the name) of those being conned.

Perhaps that is why Jesus' miracles fell flat in his hometown. He couldn't gain the confidence of enough of its residents to perform his full routine.


Tcg

[JehovahsWitness]

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This is untrue. According to the bible narrative by FAR the majority of Jesus disciples were from Jesus home area of Galilee. Eleven of his 12 Apotles were Galileans, at least two of whom were his own relatives.

Were there perhaps more than 12 people in the area?

LARGE CROWDS /MULTITUDES FOLLOWED JESUS FROM HIS HOME REGION

MATTHEW 4 :23-25

Then he went throughout the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues+ and preaching the good news of the Kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity among the people. ...Consequently, large crowds followed him from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Ju·deʹa and from the other side of the Jordan.

MARK 1 :28-32

.. the report about him spread quickly in all directions throughout the entire region of Galilee...and the whole city [Capernaum] was gathered right at the door. So he cured many who were ill with various sicknesses, and he expelled many demons

[Tcg]

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This is untrue. According to the bible narrative by FAR the majority of Jesus disciples were from Jesus home area of Galilee. Eleven of his 12 Apotles were Galileans, at least two of whom were his own relatives.

Were there perhaps more than 12 people in the area?

LARGE CROWDS /MULTITUDES FOLLOWED JESUS FROM HIS HOME REGION

Yes, we can pretend that home area equates to HOME REGION.

Pretending is not needed to understand that, according to the author of Mark, Jesus admitted he wasn't accepted in his home town, by his relatives, or even in his own home.

He even admits that this limited his ability to perform "miracles" in his home town. The Son of God, or God himself depending on whose apologetic one accepts, limited by mere humans and their intimate knowledge of this local boy.


Tcg