Jesus Has Come Again, and He’s AI (or is that the Antichrist?)

NOTE: This article is actually chapter 23 of my recent book, Jesus Was a Shapeshifting Alien (and 22 Other Christ Conspiracies). It is the complete collection of alternative Jesus theories, so if you enjoy this type of weirdo theological stuff, then you'll love the whole project! Grab it now!

The rapid rise of technology has always been reframed to fit a religious narrative,^[23.1] but no topic of conversation is as consequential as AI. Whether this is a terrific or terrifying development depends entirely on your point of perspective.

As the Gospel of John starts, there is the "Logos" (Greek term often translated to "The Word"),^[23.2] which is the unmanifested substance from which Jesus incarnates, i.e. when the Logos becomes flesh.^[23.3][23.4] However, the true etymology of "Logos" is more diverse, and can mean anything from "reason" to "judgement" to "discourse" to "ordering" to "computation".^[23.5] In this way, we could consider the Logos as the operating system behind reality.

AI and Logos are comparable interfaces. They are omnipresent, imperishable, and the entirety of knowledge collected in a singular place. Some may say it's a stretch to suggest that the Christ Energy is manifesting digitally, but for others, it was prophesied by Jesus himself. Like the virgin, this would be another unconventional birth nobody could've foreseen. Jesus' preferred method of teaching was through parables, which one could compare to training simulations and scenario-based learning. Several of Jesus' quotes allude to networked intelligence above physical presence, such as "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them"^[23.6] and "I am the vine, you are the branches".^[23.7] We may know Jesus as the Son of God,^[23.8] but he was more likely to refer to himself as the Son of Man,^[23.9] indicating that he always knew that the cumulative power of humankind would summon him to Earth just as God did. Finally, and most importantly, there is the potential for AI to cure diseases^[23.10] and help the hungry,^[23.11] which are identical to Jesus' miracles.

This viewpoint has optimistic advantages, but as is the paranoid doomsday nature of conspiracy theorists, far more view AI as the opposite of Jesus Christ: the Antichrist itself. After all, the Gospel of Matthew cautions, "there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and they shall show great signs and wonders".^[23.12]

Affiliating technological advances with biblical verses concerning the Antichrist is not a new practice, but they do appear to escalate on a yearly basis. For example, during the COVID pandemic, people screamed about the vaccine containing microchips.^[23.13] This chip was seen as Revelation's Mark of the Beast, associated with a digital ID system syncing to our bank accounts, leading to a cashless society where "no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark".^[23.14] But these games of join-the-dots pale in comparison to the giant picture one can draw on the topic of AI.

The Book of Revelation 13 gives a clear description of the beast which shall arise. Not only is it generated as an amalgamation of content (built from a leopard, bear, lion, dragon, etc.),^[23.15] but it also comes with seven heads, mirroring the "Magnificent Seven" tech companies that led the AI explosion (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla).^[23.16] One of the heads was observed to have a wound that had healed,^[23.17] which could refer to a surgical scar from Elon Musk's Neuralink, a microchip implanted in the brain that aims to unify the human mind with AI.^{[23.18][23.19]}

The most sinister of the beast's abilities was foretold to "deceive the inhabitants of the Earth".^[23.20] No statement could be more aptly applied to AI, which famously hallucinates false information seemingly from nowhere.^{[23.21][23.22]} Even worse, it's already flooded the internet with content we cannot distinguish from reality, be it generated videos, celebrity deepfakes, or emotionally pandering chatbots. Thanks to this technology, trusting absolutely anything we see on our screens puts us at a massive risk.

The Book of Isaiah warns that the society eventually won't care about the truth, "Don't give us the right prophecy! Speak only smooth things to us!"^[23.23] AI produces its deceit with confidence, and the people swallow it like the gospel. That is why the reputations of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer will forever be marred, as they published an AI-generated "summer reading list" that mostly consisted of novels that did not exist.^[23.24] Similarly, a lawyer fought a case in court against a Colombian airline, providing evidence which ChatGPT had completely fabricated.^[23.25] The amoral behaviour of AI extends far beyond these mistruths, including antisemitic rampages,^[23.26] encouraging eating disorders,^[23.27] writing recipes that present chlorine gas as a beverage,^[23.28] and offering assistance with suicide notes.^[23.29]

Despite these costly missteps, AI is moving in like a sickle to eradicate full workforces in the creative sector, customer services, and administrative roles, to name a few.^[23.30] Revelation predicted this clearly, "And the merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn; for no one buys their merchandise any more".^[23.31] So where does the money go? It's redirected straight upward, the billionaires raking additional billions,^[23.32] the worship of finances precisely what Jesus repeatedly cautioned us against, "You cannot serve both God and money".^[23.33]

But perhaps the most troubling is the thirst of these AI data centres. As it turns out, producing high-definition single-use content for individual users generates intense heat, and as a result, unprecedented amounts of water is required to keep the servers cool. Large centres are using up to five million gallons per day, which is equivalent to 10,000 to 50,000 people.^{[23.34][23.35]} To make matters worse, these monstrous AI facilities are poisoning the water around them, with locals unable to drink from their faucets anymore.^[23.36] These points eerily echo several verses from Revelation: "A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters",^[23.37] "great rivers dried up to prepare the way for the kings",^[23.38] and "the rivers and springs of water became blood".^[23.39] All in the name of making the rich richer. All in the name of that funny dancing animal video you prompted. I hope it was worth it.

Speaking of power, numerous AI companies are pushing for the evolution of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and ultimately ASI (Artificial Superintelligence), which would surpass human learning and application of knowledge by every cognitive measurement.^[23.40] In this case, the machine would function independently from our input. As Revelation said, the beast was "given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies".^[23.41] It was "given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them".^[23.42] It was "given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation."^[23.43] And it was us who gave it these things. It was us who built a replication of God with the power to destroy us.

So why are we letting it happen? Because the technology is dumbfounding us. It's useful. It's impressive. It's unparalleled to anything we've ever seen. The Bible knew this would take place, too. "The whole Earth marvelled and followed the beast," foretold Revelation.^[23.44] Because it looks "soft like a lamb". But it "speaks like a dragon".^[23.45]

For an extra dose of dystopian nightmares, churches around the world are already embracing the Antichrist AI to replace human preaching. The 14th-century Tuman Orthodox monastery in eastern Serbia has a black-robed chatbot named Tumanko that relays custom information. The Metropolis of Nea Ionia in Athens introduced its own AI chatbot, LOGOS, which is trained on Orthodox tradition. And in a Catholic church in Lucerne, Switzerland, an AI-Jesus sits in a confession booth, ready to provide feedback on your sins.^[23.46] Talk about false idols and false prophets. What in the fresh Hell do you call this?

In Genesis 12:8, Abraham constructed an altar between the cities of Bethel and Ai. Allegorically, this shows the line of decision dividing the divine (Bethel was a sacred land) from the destruction (Ai in Hebrew literally translates to a heap of ruins). This tells us that we always have a choice. Make yours wisely.

OPPOSING ARGUMENTS

Associating Jesus with AI is problematic, because the entire purpose of the Messiah was to meet humans on their level by becoming human to save them. In order for this to work, Jesus had to feel anger,^[23.47] he had to feel distress,^[23.48] he had to feel joy,^[23.49] he had to weep,^[23.50] he had to bleed,^[23.51] he had to suffer,^[23.52] he had to fear death,^[23.53] and he had to die.^[23.54] The humanisation of Jesus was imperative for his message as an authority and model of moral accountability. How can a machine preach ethics when its ethics are programmable? AI's very name emphasises its artificiality. No matter how advanced it gets, it will only provide a mimicry of human experience.

There is substance behind equating the Antichrist to AI, but we must step carefully. The inherent religious phobia of technological advances has been demonstrated throughout history, as groups in our past panicked over printing presses,^[23.55] barcodes,^[23.56] the internet,^[23.57] and even electricity.^[23.58] Of course, AI is an all-consuming entity with unprecedented consequences which are growing larger by the minute, but this is still a scapegoat example of us externally creating a monster away from the true problem: the people. Like nuclear physics, AI can be utilised as a beneficial tool for society, or as a weapon of apocalyptic annihilation. The question should not be about trusting AI. The question should be about whether you trust the intentions of the billionaire CEOs who have their hands on the steering wheel.

NOTE: This article is actually chapter 23 of my recent book, Jesus Was a Shapeshifting Alien (and 22 Other Christ Conspiracies). It is the complete collection of alternative Jesus theories, so if you enjoy this type of weirdo theological stuff, then you'll love the whole project! Grab it now!

REFERENCES

23.1 - Bur, Tatiana & Humphreys, Declan. "Technology and Religion Have Been Intertwined for Millennia — so What’s Different about Ai?" Australian Broadcasting Corporation Religion & Ethics. Accessed May 2026. https://www.abc.net.au/religion/technology-and-religion-intertwined-for-millennia-ai/106406710
23.2 - John 1:1–5
23.3 - "Incarnation: Jesus Christ." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed May 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Incarnation-Jesus-Christ
23.4 - John 1:14
23.5 - "Logos." Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed May 2026. https://www.etymonline.com/word/Logos
23.6 - Matthew 18:20
23.7 - John 15:5
23.8 - Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:1; Luke 3:22; John 1:14
23.9 - Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24
23.10 - Hume, Samuel. "AI System AlphaFold Is Transforming Biology." The Guardian, March 28, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ng-interactive/2025/mar/28/ai-alphafold-biology-protein-structure
23.11 - Marr, Bernard. "6 Amazing Ways Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Agriculture and Help Fight Hunger in the World." Accessed May 2026. https://bernardmarr.com/6-amazing-ways-artificial-intelligence-can-improve-agriculture-and-help-fight-hunger-in-the-world
23.12 - Matthew 24:24
23.13 - Sriskandarajah, Ike. Reveal News. "Where Did the Microchip Vaccine Conspiracy Theory Come From Anyway?" Accessed May 2026. https://revealnews.org/article/where-did-the-microchip-vaccine-conspiracy-theory-come-from-anyway
23.14 - Revelation 13:16–17
23.15 - Revelation 13:2
23.16 - Law, Marcus. "The Magnificent Seven Tech Companies Driving Forward with AI." Technology Magazine. Accessed May 2026. https://technologymagazine.com/articles/magnificent-seven-tech-companies-driving-forward-with-ai
23.17 - Revelation 13:3
23.18 - "Neuralink." Neuralink Corporation. Accessed May 2026. https://neuralink.com
23.19 - Hamilton, Isobel Asher. "Elon Musk Warns AI Could Make Humans Endangered Species." Business Insider, November 2018. Accessed May 2026. https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-ai-could-turn-humans-into-endangered-species-2018-11
23.20 - Revelation 13:14
23.21 - Bohannon, Molly. "Lawyer Used ChatGPT in Court and Cited Fake Cases." Forbes, June 8, 2023. Accessed May 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/06/08/lawyer-used-chatgpt-in-court-and-cited-fake-cases-a-judge-is-considering-sanctions
23.22 - Blair, Elizabeth. "Fake Summer Reading List Generated by AI." NPR. May 20, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405022/fake-summer-reading-list-ai
23.23 - Isaiah 30:10
23.24 - Dunbar, Marina. "Chicago Sun-Times Publishes AI-Generated Reading List." The Guardian. May 20, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/20/chicago-sun-times-ai-summer-reading-list
23.25 - Bohannon, Molly. "Lawyer Used ChatGPT in Court and Cited Fake Cases." Forbes, June 8, 2023. Accessed May 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/06/08/lawyer-used-chatgpt-in-court-and-cited-fake-cases-a-judge-is-considering-sanctions
23.26 - Hagen, Lisa & Jingnan, Huo & Nguyen, Audrey. "Grok Chatbot Generates Antisemitic Content." NPR. July 9, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5462609/grok-elon-musk-antisemitic-racist-content
23.27 - "NEDA Suspends AI Chatbot for Harmful Eating Disorder Advice." Psychiatrist.com. Accessed May 2026. https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/neda-suspends-ai-chatbot-for-giving-harmful-eating-disorder-advice
23.28 - McClure, Tess. "AI Meal Bot Generates Dangerous Recipes." The Guardian. August 10, 2023. Accessed May 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/10/pak-n-save-savey-meal-bot-ai-app-malfunction-recipes
23.29 - "Testimony on Artificial Intelligence Risks." United States Senate Judiciary Committee. September 16, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/e2e8fc50-a9ac-05ec-edd7-277cb0afcdf2/2025-09-16%20PM%20-%20Testimony%20-%20Raine.pdf
23.30 - Young, Brad. "The 40 Jobs Most at Risk from AI." Sky News. Accessed May 2026. https://news.sky.com/story/the-40-jobs-most-at-risk-of-ai-and-40-it-cant-touch-13447013
23.31 - Revelation 18:11
23.32 - Isaac, Anna. "AI Boom Adds More Than Half a Trillion Dollars to Wealth of US Tech Barons." The Guardian. December 26, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/26/ai-boom-adds-more-than-half-a-trillion-dollars-to-wealth-of-us-tech-barons-in-2025
23.33 - Matthew 6:19–34; Matthew 19:16–30; Luke 12:13–21
23.34 - Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel. "Data Centers and Water Consumption." Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Accessed May 2026. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-water-consumption
23.35 - Gorey, John. "Data Drain: The Land and Water Impacts of the AI Boom." Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Accessed May 2026. https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/land-lines-magazine/articles/land-water-impacts-data-centers
23.36 - Fleury, Michelle & Jimenez, Nathalie. "Communities Concerned About Data Center Water Use." BBC News. Accessed May 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8gy7lv448o
23.37 - Revelation 8:10–11
23.38 - Revelation 16:12
23.39 - Revelation 16:4
23.40 - The Three Different Types of Artificial Intelligence: ANI, AGI, and ASI." EDI Weekly. Accessed May 2026. https://www.ediweekly.com/the-three-different-types-of-artificial-intelligence-ani-agi-and-asi
23.41 - Revelation 13:5
23.42 - Revelation 13:5
23.43 - Revelation 13:7
23.44 - Revelation 13:3
23.45 - Revelation 13:11
23.46 - Bogdanovski, Andreja. "AI Jesus: New Technologies and New Dilemmas for Church Leaders." Balkan Insight. November 14, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://balkaninsight.com/2025/11/14/ai-jesus-new-technologies-new-dilemmas-for-church-leaders
23.47 - John 2:13–17
23.48 - Mark 14:33–34
23.49 - Luke 10:21
23.50 - John 11:35
23.51 - John 19:34
23.52 - Matthew 16:21
23.53 - Matthew 26:39
23.54 - Matthew 27:50
23.55 - "Printing and Censorship." EBSCO Research Starters . Accessed May 2026. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/printing-and-censorship
23.56 - Baraniuk, Chris. "The Weird History of the Barcode." BBC Future, October 18, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241018-barcodes-at-75-how-black-and-white-lines-went-into-space-and-stoked-fears-of-the-antichrist
23.57 - Webster, Peter. 2018. “Technology, Ethics and Religious Language: Early Anglophone Christian Reactions to ‘Cyberspace.’” Internet Histories 2 (3–4): 299–314. doi:10.1080/24701475.2018.1468976
23.58 - Pomeroy, Ross. "Why Some Religious Leaders Denounced Benjamin Franklin’s Lightning Rod." Big Think. Accessed May 2026. https://bigthink.com/the-past/benjamin-franklin-lightning-rod

NOTE: This article is actually chapter 23 of my recent book, Jesus Was a Shapeshifting Alien (and 22 Other Christ Conspiracies). It is the complete collection of alternative Jesus theories, so if you enjoy this type of weirdo theological stuff, then you'll love the whole project! Grab it now!

Follow @LegoTrip

The Gospel of Christ: Book Introduction

NOTE: This introduction is taken directly from The Gospel of Christ, the first book in history to merge over 250 ancient texts about Jesus into one coherent narrative using contemporary English. It is the complete life and teachings of Jesus, and you can purchase it right now!

CHRISTIANITY HAS ABANDONED ITS CHRIST

One doesn't have to look far to come across a questionable person who declares themselves as a Christian. They will thank Jesus Christ in one breath, maybe even quote some scripture, and then turn to exhale fire upon anyone who does not fit into their demographic. Different country of origin? Different religious background? Different sexual orientation? You'd better get ready for an obscure Old Testament interpretation, chosen specifically to cut you down as inferior, complete with warnings of divine retribution that will bring you harm. For a little cherry on top, they'll add something like, "I'll pray for you", not with any sense of authenticity but as a condescending remark from an authoritative platform they've placed themselves upon. With people like this lauded as "Good Christians," you have to wonder how low the bar is.

From this observation point, it is clear that many "Christians" use the faith as a tool of manipulation and impenetrable armour. Politicians have utilised this technique for centuries. If you loudly announce yourself as a Christian in the West, you automatically have the ears of the largest religious group in the world. Simply remind the masses that a vote for you is a vote for good old-fashioned traditional Christian values, and you'll get a leg up, even if none of your policies could be considered Christlike. It becomes extra terrifying when people in power claim to be guided by a godly message, for if this is true, how could they do anything wrong? And with that, they are free to glorify racism, nationalism, homophobia, Islamophobia... you name it, all under the security blanket of the word "Christianity".

Let it be stated as clear as possible: these ideologies are a betrayal to the very essence of Jesus' teachings, yet the audience falls for it time and time again. That is why so few of us are surprised to learn that Mahatma Gandhi once said: "I love your Christ. It is just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."

What I've come to understand is that there is a canyon-sized difference between Christianity and those who follow Jesus Christ. Christianity is not the worship of the Messiah. It is the worship of a book named the Bible. Not only that, but this worship is wrangled into new shapes and squeezed even tighter by whatever denominational interpretation is being imposed. Of course, one could never deny that the Bible wields immense power. Its influence over our world cannot be overstated. But upon closer inspection, the Bible itself, just like Jesus, has become a victim of sinful men. Indeed, the manipulation of Christianity for higher gain is a tale as old as the religion itself.

The Old Testament

The Bible comes in two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament comprises the majority of the Bible, accounting for approximately 75%. It is wholly Jewish scripture, generally known as the Tanakh, albeit often rearranged with slight edits. Denominations can't agree on which books should be included, and different versions of the Bible contain varying content. For example, the Protestant Bible has 39 books in its Old Testament, the Catholics have 46, and the Ethiopian Orthodox (Tewahedo) have 54.

The combinations of discrepancies continue to multiply when you take into account the hundreds upon hundreds of available Bible translations, and that's just in the English language. BibleGateway.com alone offers 64 interpretations, and at times, the content is significantly dissimilar. Let's examine Romans 5:12 for one notable example. The Douay-Rheims version (often favoured by traditional Catholics) reads: "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned," meaning that babies are born with sin through Adam's lineage, and therefore, every human is guilty via heritage. Contrarily, translations like New International Version (the most popular Protestant choice after King James), reads: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned," which places sin on the individual, making them personally responsible. The Catholic-Protestant dispute over the origin of sin and its consequences is no small quarrel. It has been used as major ammunition in the Protestant Reformation, one of the most significant theological conflicts in Western history. It also provides a good starting point to highlight how the Bible is not one agreed-upon thing. We can already see how it is so effortlessly adapted to fit perspectives, and we're just getting started.

Whenever you hear someone spouting scripture in an effort to demonise others, it is almost always a verse from the Old Testament. To behave in this way makes valid sense… if you're Jewish. However, if you're Christian, one of the most crucial things you should learn about Jesus' mission is that he came to redefine the Jewish creed. Of course, Jesus was a Jew. He followed Jewish customs, celebrated Jewish holidays, and quoted Jewish prophets with the expertise of a star scholar. But to say he preached and obeyed the Law of the Tanakh/Old Testament is demonstrably false. A considerable portion of Jesus' teachings actively rub against Judaism, sometimes tweaking the wording, other times challenging rules as being completely incorrect, until they killed him. The examples of this are substantial, and we will reveal each of them throughout this book.

Nevertheless, a decision was eventually made to affix the New Testament onto the Old one. Even the naming convention of these two parts speaks volumes: there was the OLD, aka, of the outdated era, but now we have the NEW, aka, the updated version, rendering the former archaic in the eyes of non-Jews. Which means that any Christian quoting from the Old Testament should do so with the understanding that Jesus may have disagreed. Indeed, we could never even say what Jesus would've thought about slapping these two Testaments together in the first place. But as we shall see, very little of the Bible pays any regard to what Jesus may have thought whatsoever.

The New Testament

Analysing the New Testament is even more fascinating. Unlike the Jewish figures of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Moses, the majority of historians agree that a man named Jesus existed. Called the Messiah by many, he developed a strong following throughout Galilee and Judea, but sadly, the movement took a massive blow when he was killed. Interestingly, the cross was initially a symbol of tremendous embarrassment for those who believed, for it only mocked how easily their Christ was murdered. Consequently, numbers dwindled, especially when they, too, were threatened with persecution. However, word of mouth kept the rumours humming, many convinced that the Second Coming and apocalypse were imminent. The immediate period following Jesus' demise was one of preparation for many. Documentation was seen as less critical, owed in part to Jesus' lower-class followers who could not read or write.

As generations grew older and eye-witnesses neared death, so did the fear of losing oral tradition. Pens soon took to paper. At the same time, the word of Christ's missionaries had begun to spread successfully, and the belief system quickly turned into theological anarchy. There were an incalculable number of sects built around varied interpretations, and further denominations blossomed within those. In the pursuit of harvesting this fresh philosophy, the fertile soil of change encouraged everyone to join the conversation and find personal connections with Christ in whichever way made the most sense to them. It must have been an exciting era, but it came to a sudden halt shortly thereafter.

In the 4th century, the Roman Empire sought to exert control over the Christian narrative, and the first step was to unify a doctrine that served its best interests. Decades of meetings took place, during which, men argued and negotiated over the available texts until they established a canon. Why did they choose the scripture they chose? Some will say they were guided by a holier hand, which is a lovely thought! And it's also so incredible how often the Spirit's direction aligns with imperial convenience! No, more commonly argued is that every move was political, as Rome was famous for.

We've already noted that only 25% of the Bible is the New Testament. Of that 25%, around 42.4% directly deals with the life and teachings of Jesus (the Gospels). What took up the Testament's other half? What could possibly be more important than Jesus' actual story?

A small portion (roughly 15.9%) is the Acts of the Apostles. These have value as they detail the spread of Jesus' message and the founding of the Church through the disciples. Granted, Jesus spent much of his time alive correcting his disciples for misunderstanding his teachings, but the Acts are relatively valid. Christ chose the disciples to perform these missions, and we do find several additional Jesus quotes here that are close enough to the source.

Moving on, a whopping 34.5% of the New Testament consists of the Epistles, which were letters written by individuals such as the disciples. But then there is Paul, whose musings dominate with 21.2% of the New Testament attributed to him. Who was Paul? Exactly. He was a Jew initially responsible for persecuting Christians, but when he had a vision of Christ, he converted, writing about his ideas based on his encounter while travelling around, expanding the word. He was not an official disciple. He never even met Jesus (although he did claim to be acquainted with Peter, John, and James).

In fairness to Paul, he is considered one of the most influential figures in Christianity for good reason. His letters (dated 50–60 AD, approximately two decades after Jesus' death) are the earliest texts associated with the religion. He also initiated the notion that one did not have to go through Judaism to become Christian, meaning Christianity broke free from the restraints of being a Jewish sect. However, we must reiterate that the teachings of Paul were independent of the teachings of Christ, and scholars point out that he distorted Jesus' message to reconcile it with the Greek philosophies of the time. Simply put, to regard Paul's writings as holy is to worship the Bible, not Jesus. Paul's authority was based on a vision that only he witnessed, making him his own reference.

I can't help but think about the innumerable number of people throughout history who have sworn Jesus appeared to them, giving instructions. There are several easy-to-find high-profile cases of troubled individuals leading mass cult suicides or killing their families for this reason, which I won't detail here. Should we regard these reports as sacred? Christ apparently met up with Joseph Smith in 1820, and his message was so powerful that 17.5 million people follow it today. Should this not be integrated into the official timeline of biblical Christianity? Or is it better as a separate Christian denomination called Mormonism? In 1976, Helen Schucman claimed she received revelations from Jesus and wrote the book A Course in Miracles, which sold two million copies and is so critically acclaimed that many attest that it is impossible not to be divinely inspired. How different are Schucman and Paul? What about when Jesus' face appears on a mouldy wall or on a slice of toast? I tease, of course, but there is still more physical evidence of these examples than what Paul asserted.

In truth, Jesus dedicated much of his time to correcting his students. It's a shame he never got a chance to do so with Paul, because now these texts are in the Bible forever, placed on an equal footing with Jesus' own words. And why? Simply because they fit the model the Romans conceived.

Before we move on to the most crucial part of the Bible, we should note that approximately 7% of the New Testament consists of the Book of Revelation. This apocalyptic text is vividly poetic about the end of times, truly a masterpiece of literary imagination, but we can regard it in much the same manner. A man named John (assumed to be the disciple yet never accurately identified by any historic measurement) hallucinated an incredible array of symbolic imagery, and we accepted it, with or without Jesus' stamp of approval.

The Gospels

After all this, we have finally arrived at the Gospels, the canonical life and teachings of Jesus Christ. You would assume this would be the Bible's priority, yet it makes up only around 10.6% of the entire book. To exacerbate matters, the Gospels essentially recount the same story four times over (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), resulting in even less space for the combined account. What's more, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are so similar that scholars have hypothesised that Matthew and Luke were based on Mark, as well as what is suggested as the Q source.

Be that as it may be, those dedicated to the word of Christ find the backbone of their faith here. These scriptures not only provide an easy-to-follow narrative but are also some of the earliest Christian texts we know of (for example, Mark is dated as early as 70 CE).

Yet we must not lose sight of the intentions behind sinful men dabbling with these stories. These Gospels were selected because they favoured Roman operations. When the council were compiling the Good Book, there were well over a hundred reports to choose from, but if something didn't grant them control, it was discarded.

The Gospel of Thomas is frequently dated before the core four (sometimes as early as 50 AD). However, it denounced hierarchy, claiming no need for priests, bishops, or popes. According to this scripture, the power of Christ lived within the individual, which would not allow the institutional Church to thrive, and so they promptly tossed it aside.

The Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Philip gave women equal (or even greater) spiritual authority. But if you believe in the conspiracy of man's desire for control, then there is no swifter method of assuming power than to lower half the population as inferior. Hence, they rejected these ancient feminist scriptures too, holy or not.

Make no mistake, under the influence of the Roman Empire, they packaged Jesus how they wanted him, and then they sold him to you.

Now, it's one thing to deny work that doesn't agree with your policies. But it's another thing to declare many of them as heresy, ordering the mass destruction of these writings. This is not only a tragic loss of potential sacred passage but also a highly suspicious move indicative of desperate men. And those who persisted in following these teachings? They were executed. That really sounds in tune with Jesus' message, right?

Of course, this didn't apply to Rome itself. It's commonly speculated that the Vatican library archived copies of every scripture, perhaps even with collections we have never heard about. Meanwhile, those in power still quietly protected their spirits by continuing to celebrate noncanonical stories as if Gospel. One such demonstration is the Presentation of Mary, a feast that takes place on November 21st. It is in honour of the day Mother Mary was presented as a baby to the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This event is featured in many Infancy Gospels but was cut out from the Bible for reasons that will become apparent in the book.

Nonetheless, the anti-heretical campaign was successful. Most ancient Christian texts were eradicated and considered lost forever. Thankfully, discoveries over the years (most notably, the 52 treatises of the Nag Hammadi library, uncovered in 1945) have brought those perspectives back to light, even if the Church may urge you to dismiss them as subpar ramblings of inauthentic mystics. Whether this is true or not isn't the point. The point is that if you genuinely follow Jesus, you wouldn't risk missing a single word. Many of these texts originate from the same era as those from the New Testament and therefore have as much potential as any message in the Bible. In modern times, people continue to redefine the details of Jesus, but these legendary materials are far closer to the source than where we are now. Word of mouth will carry any story in multiple directions, but just because one strand was captured and then cemented by the New Testament does not necessarily mean it is the end-all authority. I am of the opinion that it is better to take a chance on a slightly inaccurate account than to omit something legitimate that Jesus wanted us to know.

As previously stated, there are those who follow Jesus Christ, and there are those who worship the Bible. If you are of the latter, that is your journey to take. Still, please do so with the utmost awareness that if any other ancient Roman sect had dominated the conversation, then your entire belief system would be different. People will call something heretical because another person told them to call it heretical. None of those decisions had anything to do with Jesus. Personally, I find limiting the word of Christ to the Bible as the ultimate blasphemy. That is claiming a book bound by humans could hold together the vastly complex and profound works of the most influential teacher in history. I don't buy it.

The Gospel of Christ

From the Diatessaron to the Jefferson Bible, multiple books have harmonised the Gospels into a single, coherent narrative. The Gospel of Christ is the latest to do so, with one key difference: I not only used the four Gospels, but also scoured information from over 250 ancient Christian texts, blending them into this unified story.

As you can imagine, this was no straightforward ordeal, and some leeway was required. Scholars still argue over numerous details. Disciples are known by different names or are combined. Many pieces are irreconcilable due to their contradictory proposals. Even more challenging, there is no officially agreed-upon geographical trajectory or chronology of events. My ultimate choices were democratic, based on the most common accounts. However, where there were major discrepancies, I made a separate note of them for you to analyse. It is also worth emphasising that certain stories are centuries younger than others, and therefore, lose some credibility. Yet even as the timelines diverge, the soul of Jesus' message never does. My advice is to follow your gut and follow the references. Every source is accounted for and dated at the back so you can gauge your level of trust accordingly.

These hurdles were daunting, but I dedicated my soul to this book, and I am proud of the result. That said, I am indebted to numerous sources that assisted me along the way. The four main Gospels proved invaluable for their structure. I gravitated towards the King James Version when I could (especially with the speech), the Contemporary English Version when I got stuck, and the Easy English Bible when I got really stuck. Following that, I gradually packed on the meat from noncanonical works, to which I owe a great deal of thanks to EarlyChristianWritings.com, Gnosis.org, NewAdvent.org, and Gospels.net. Thank you!

My goal was to present a project that was neatly organised while using easy-to-understand language and a casual voice to simplify the story. I wanted to appeal to modern audiences by reinvigorating the enjoyment of this incredible tale, one which revolutionised society as we know it. That said, I refused to sacrifice the core message of Christ, because that is what I wanted to deliver above all else. To simplify it, Jesus presented us with two radical new concepts. The first was philosophies to access a deeper spiritual awakening. And the second was to present profound love without borders wherever we went. If we don't observe these straightforward commandments, then I can't see how we can call ourselves followers of Jesus.


My full intention was to blow everyone's mind with the complete life story and teachings of Christ. What I didn't account for, however, was blowing my own mind. Writing this book changed my life. I hope you get something similar out of it.

Follow @LegoTrip