Exactly!
If Christianity Is a Hoax
Paul responded to believers in the Corinthian church who were saying that there’s no resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12–18) by saying, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile; you are still stuck in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
If a Lie, then What’s the Point?
So exactly what you asked: if Christianity is a hoax, then what was the ultimate goal of the 12 Apostles? For according to Paul, the only ultimate goal would be to promote a lie. And if they knew it to be a lie, then their deaths were in vain, for they willingly died for the sake of what they were preaching. And if what they were preaching was a lie, then they died for nothing and are actually sitting in hell now.
Blind Lead the Blind
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are people who do this today – preach lies. Some of these people know that what they’re preaching are lies, while others believe it to be truth, and are being deceived. Those who know they’re lies will be judged as guilty, which they are, for deceiving others. However, Jesus said also that those who were deceived were in just as much trouble (in terms of destination) as those who deceived them (the blind lead the blind and both fall into a pit). So you need to be careful what you believe, and you have to know of it as being the Truth.
Evidence to the Questions
Unlike all the religions of the world, Christianity promotes questioning. Jesus asked questions all the time when he taught, and He welcomed the questions of His disciples and of those with whom He communicated. Also, unlike the world’s religions, Christianity (and Judaism) continue to be proven true, continue to verify and confirm Biblical accounts, cities, people (even kings and leaders from other nations), historical accounts, miracles, etc. Those made up obviously can’t prove their claims, and those that destroy such evidences can only be doing so because somebody knows they can’t be proven. So therefore, they destroy the evidence to keep the truth from being revealed and the lies from being exposed.
If Christ Had never Been Raised
If Christ had never been raised from the dead, then we who call on the name of Jesus have nothing to boast about, nothing to live for, and should all be pitied, for what we believe would then be false, and our destinations are nothing more than destruction for promoting lies. But the evidences precede us and confirm that what we believe and proclaim is true. Christ was risen from the dead, showing that there is a resurrection, that everything He spoke of was true, that He is who He claimed to be, and that by turning from our sin and following Him, we too may be rescued and cleansed from our sin, and though we die, we too will be raised from the dead (first spiritually, then one day in the future, body also).
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