text: I actually have considerable doubt there was a single, historical Jesus. There is more historical basis for Jesus than there is for Paul Bunyan,  for instance, but less than there is for Santa Claus. However, if you accept the claim that Jesus said, "no man cometh unto the Father but by me," he was founding, at minimum, a cult. Most contemporary Christians seem to view the Gospels as contemporaneous, but they show a considerable theological retooling over time. The early Christians seem to have believed Christ would return within their lifetime and establish God's kingdom on earth. Some of the most familiar aspects of Christianity, such as a Roman-style crucifixion, show signs of being later embellishments.