Abgarus, Eusebius and Jesus
Faith cometh by hearing . . . rumors of healing
Occasionally updated and edited. Copyright © 2010

An element that propelled the Jesus movement from an obscure cult to the world's largest religion may have been its promise of physical healing. This is suggested by Eusebius (NPNF2-01) who wrote, "The divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ being noised abroad among all men on account of his wonder-working power, he attracted countless numbers from foreign countries lying far away from Judea, who had the hope of being cured of their diseases and of all kinds of sufferings."

Eusebius mentions King Abgarus as a specific example. Abgarus "ruled with great glory the nations beyond the Euphrates" but was stricken with an incurable disease. The king penned a letter to Jesus requesting to be healed. Jesus declined the invitation but wrote a note to the king in which he promised to send a disciple after his ascension. That disciple, according to Eusebiu, turned out to be Thaddeus.

Eusebius records the meeting of Thaddeus and Abgarus: "And immediately upon his entrance a great vision appeared to Abgarus in the countenance of the apostle Thaddeus. When Abgarus saw it he prostrated himself before Thaddeus, while all those who stood about were astonished; for they did not see the vision, which appeared to Abgarus alone."

Abgarus, then, became the first Christian Armenian king.

The story, while generally considered bogus, helps us understand the appeal of the Jesus cult during its formative years. According to Eusebius, "The same Thaddeus cured also many other inhabitants of the city, and did wonders and marvelous works, and preached the word of God."

It also lends insight into the credibility of Eusebius and leads us to conclude that his accounting of history is untrustworthy; (he actually quoted the note written by Jesus to Abgarus) something to keep in mind when theists rely on his works regarding the martyrdom of the apostles.

First century computer virus

Luke's gospel yields a clue regarding the driver that propelled the early Jesus movement. The writer notes that Herod Antipater was "was exceeding glad" to see Jesus. Pilate had sent Jesus to Herod for trial. The writer of Luke notes that Herod was "desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him."

What was true of Herod was true of thousands living in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and "uttermost parts of the world." Tales of Jesus being hounded by miracle seekers explains the initial growth of the Jesus cult.

It's akin to a modern-day viral web site or YouTube video that is passed on in rapid succession through the Internet. The first century 'Internet' was word of mouth.

The Jesus virus was threatened by his execution. The virus was resurrected when his followers devised an improbable scenario: Jesus had supernaturally returned to life. It is not surprising that those who believed Jesus could perform healing miracles was capable of healing the ultimate physical malady; death. (In 2009 the "CBA board adopted a decision on introducing a new banknote with a nominal value of AMD 100.000 . . . The new banknote depicts King Abgar V, the first Armenian king to adopt Christianity.") [source]
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