Are the Gospels Myths?
It is common to hear the claim that the Gospels are not trustworthy because they are just myths. Is this true? Are the Gospels myths?
Well, it depends on what you mean by “myth.”
The Cambridge Dictionary gives two definitions of myth with the first being:
a traditional story, esp. one which explains the early history or a cultural belief or practice of a group of people, or explains a natural event
The narrative books of the New Testament, Gospels and Acts, do sort of fit that definition. It explains the beginning of Christianity by telling the story of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and the first years of the church.
Most Christians are going to be uncomfortable seeing any myth in the Gospels, even though the definition seems to fit. The reason is that there is a second part of the definition:
A myth is also a commonly believed but false idea
Where the problem arises is when people blur these two definitions. They assume that if the Gospels fit the first part of the definition, the second must apply as well.
But that is not how definitions work. Multiple definitions are offered because words are used in different ways and one definition does not fit every use of the word.
There are mythical aspects to the Gospels, but that does not require that the Gospels be understood as false. An anointing of Jesus can be described that explains why Jesus is called Christ (Anointed One) without denying that the described anointing every took place.
What I am talking about here is the fallacy of equivocation:
The fallacy of equivocation occurs when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an ambiguous way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and then another meaning in another portion of the argument.
Critics are equivocating on the use of myth in order to try and demonstrate the falsehood of the Gospels. But just because the Gospels resemble myth in one way does not mean that they are “simply myths” in the other way.
I discuss the relationship between Christianity and other myths at my Jesus Myth Theory website.
