fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. Deuteronomy 11:18–23 esv
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 esv
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9 esv
V. Five Reasons the Mystery Religions Did Not Influence Christianity A. Reason #1: True to its Jewish roots, Christianity did not accept other gods. 1. Jews were committed to an exclusive faith. Unlike the Gentiles of that era, Jews refused to blend their religion with other religions (syncretism). Mystery religions were inclusive, but Judaism and Christianity were exclusive. Generally speaking, Jews intensely resisted pagan ideas. In his Antiquity of the Jews, first-century Jewish historian Josephus relays the following story of the Romans attempting to enforce Roman standards on the Jews and their response to Pilate and his troops:
But now Pilate, the procurator of Judea, removed the army from Cesarea to Jerusalem, to take their winter quarters there, in order to abolish the Jewish laws. So he introduced Caesar’s effigies, which were upon the ensigns, and brought them into the city; whereas our law forbids us the very making of images; on which account the former procurators were wont to make their entry into the city with such ensigns as had not those ornaments. Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up there; which was done without the knowledge of the people, because it was done in the nighttime; but as soon as they 27