On Jun 11, 11:40 am, ToolPackinMama comcast.net> wrote:

It is true that Christianity, as a human cultural phenomenon, doesn't
pre-date the Earthly appearance of Jesus.

However, if one uses Christianity to mean "the true worship of the
true God", then that would subsume *authentic* Judaism, such as
existed during Bible times before the bad old Pharisees got ahold of
it.

And, of course, elsewhere than in the words of Jesus, the New
Testament does state

In principio erat Verbum,
et Verbum erat apud Deum,
et Deus erat Verbum.

Omnium per ipsum facta sunt:
et sine ipso, factum est nihil, quod factum est.

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.

All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

Moving ahead to verse 14, we get:

Et Verbum caro factus est;
et habitavit in nobis:
et vidimus gloriam Eius,
gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre
plenum gratiae et veritatus.

And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.

So, at least Christians believe Christ Himself to have been around for
a long time.

John Savard