One commonly asked question is if Jesus could write, why didn’t He write anything personally for us to read? As it turns out, He did, according to early church historians! In this episode we are going to discuss Jesus’ personal letter to King Abgar.
The letters between Jesus and King Abgar are primarily known through Eusebius of Caesarea, who discovered them in the archives of Edessa during his historical research. Eusebius presents the story in his "Ecclesiastical History," written in the early 4th century, which lends an air of antiquity and authority to the account. King Abgar V, also known as Abgar the Black, ruled the kingdom of Edessa, located in what is now southeastern Turkey, around Nine A.
D. Edessa was an important cultural and trade center during the early first century, a crossroads of various civilizations including Roman and Persian empires. King Abgar V was part of the Osroene dynasty, which made Edessa a significant political entity during a time of great regional turmoil.
Abgar’s rule is noted for its strategic diplomacy and his efforts to navigate through the power struggles between larger empires. He is often remembered not just for his political acumen but also for his unique connection to early Christian history, which intertwines his story with that of Jesus Christ. King Abgar suffered from an illness that was chronic and debilitating.
Descriptions of his condition vary, but it's clear that it was severe and no local physicians could offer him relief. It was during this time of suffering that Abgar heard about Jesus of Nazareth, whose fame as a healer had begun to spread far beyond the borders of Judea. The stories of Jesus that reached King Abgar were filled with accounts of miraculous healings: the blind seeing, the lame walking, and the sick being restored to full health.
These reports stirred a mix of hope and curiosity in the king. Abgar thought, if such tales were true, perhaps this Jesus could offer a remedy not just for his physical ailments but also for the spiritual and political ailments of his people. In his pain and hope, Abgar sent a letter to Jesus.
According to ancient Christian traditions, particularly preserved in the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea, a church historian of the fourth century, King Abgar wrote a letter to Jesus, an act that was both bold and unprecedented. In the letter, he said to Jesus: “And when I heard all those things about you, I considered that you are either God himself who has come down from heaven to act like this, or that you are the Son of God doing such things. Therefore I am writing to you and ask you to visit me and cure my illness.
Incidentally, I have heard that the Jews are grumbling about you and wish you harm. I have a city, rather small, but noble, and it is sufficient for us both. ” As you can see, in his letter, Abgar expressed a deep respect and reverence for Jesus, acknowledging Him as not just a healer but as a "savior" who performed miracles without the use of medicines or herbs.
His words reflected a profound belief in Jesus’ divine power. Here is what he said again. He said, "I have heard about you and your miracles, and I believe that you come from God.
" Going further, Abgar then extended an invitation to Jesus, offering Him refuge in Edessa—a place far from the growing hostilities that marked Jesus' ministry in Judea. He wrote to Jesus saying, “I invite you to come to me and escape the persecution you are suffering. ” The king’s request was simple yet profound—he asked for healing from his ailment, believing that Jesus’ presence alone would restore his health.
“Therefore, I write to ask you, come to me, and cure the disease that afflicts me. ” This request illustrates not only his belief in Jesus but also a hope that this power could extend beyond the Jewish populations to a Gentile ruler. Delivering the message from Edessa to Jesus in Judea was no small feat, given the considerable distance and the rudimentary nature of transportation and communication at the time.
According to historians, King Abgar entrusted this important letter to an emissary— a royal courier—who was tasked with the significant responsibility of finding Jesus and delivering the message directly to Him. This courier would have needed not only to navigate the geographic and political landscapes of the regions between Edessa and Judea but also to locate Jesus Himself, which would have been challenging given Jesus’ itinerant ministry. The emissary's journey encapsulates a physical and metaphorical search for spiritual truth and healing.
Upon reaching Jesus, according to the story, the messenger presented the letter to Jesus, thereby completing his mission. At this point, you are probably wondering: what did Jesus do after receiving the letter? That is the point of the episode.
What Jesus Wrote in His Letter to King Abgar. The response from Jesus to King Abgar's heartfelt plea is a crucial. According to the traditions preserved by Eusebius and other early Christian sources, Jesus did indeed reply to King Abgar.
Here is what Jesus wrote in the letter to the King. He wrote: “Blessed are you who has believed in me without having seen me. For it is written concerning me, that those who have seen me will not believe in me, and that those who have not seen me will believe and be saved.
But as to what you wrote to me, to come to you, it is necessary for me to fulfill all things here for which I have been sent, and after fulfilling them to be taken up to Him who sent me. But after I have been taken up, I will send one of my disciples to you to heal your disease and bring life to you and yours. ” As you can see, in His letter, Jesus acknowledged Abgar’s faith and his understanding of Jesus' mission on earth.
The response is gracious and honoring of Abgar's belief. Historically, the letter signifies an early acknowledgment of the Christian message spreading beyond Jewish populations into the broader Greco-Roman world. It suggests that Jesus was aware of His growing influence and intended for His teachings to reach all corners of the earth, symbolized by His promise to send a disciple after His ascension.
This promise also illustrates the role of the apostles in continuing Jesus’ work, a key aspect of Christian doctrine regarding the apostolic succession. What Happened After Jesus Wrote a Letter to King Abgar? According to historical accounts narrated by Eusebius and later expanded in various apocryphal texts, Jesus fulfilled His promise made in the letter after His ascension.
He sent one of His seventy disciples, identified as Thaddaeus, to Edessa. Upon arriving in Edessa, Thaddaeus is said to have healed King Abgar and many of his subjects, thus sparking a significant conversion to Christianity within the kingdom. This act not only confirmed the power and reach of Jesus’ words and promises but also firmly established one of the earliest Christian communities outside the Jewish homeland.
The kingdom of Edessa became a vital center for the spread of the faith in the East, influencing neighboring regions and playing a critical role in the formation of the early Syrian Christian tradition. According to later elaborations of the story, not only did Thaddaeus bring Jesus' letter to Edessa, but he also brought a cloth imprinted with the face of Christ, which was miraculously created when Jesus pressed a towel to His moistened face. This image, known as the Holy Face of Edessa, became a revered icon, believed to have protective powers and was a significant focus of veneration.
We shall expand more on this story in another video. Watch out for it on this channel. The exchange between King Abgar and Jesus underscored themes of faith, divine mission, and the universal scope of Jesus’ message.
It reinforced the belief that salvation through Jesus was available to all humanity, beyond the ethnic and geographic confines of Judea. The Final section of this episode will deal with the authenticity of the letter. Is the claims about Jesus writing a letter to a King in Turkey true?
As mentioned before, the letters between Jesus and King Abgar came to light through Eusebius of Caesarea, who claims to have discovered them in the archives of Edessa during his historical research. However, the authenticity of these letters has been the subject of considerable debate among scholars and theologians. First, there are no surviving copies of the original letters apart from what Eusebius transcribes.
Skeptics have argued that the style and content of the letters do not conclusively match the Judaic context of Jesus' time. However, because we do not have the original letter, we cannot also conclusively say that the letters did not exist. Second, some skeptics say the use of Greek to write the in a region where Aramaic was predominant raises questions about their origin and authenticity of the letter.
I disagree. Many speakers of Aramaic of the time wrote and spoke in Greek, which was a dominant language at the time. It makes sense if Jesus did as well.
Moreover, the letters were correspondences between two people in different countries who did not speak the same language. It would make sense for the language of correspondence to be the one that could be understood by both parties. In essence, I believe this letter existed, but it is also possible that Jesus dictated his intention to His messenger to the King, who then wrote it down.
Whatever the case, there was correspondences between Jesus and King Abgar, which later resulted in the miraculous healing of the King and the conversion of his entire household to Christianity. Thank you for watching. If you like this episode, you will also like the one about why Jesus did not write any part of the bible.
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