Jesus as a source of moral wisdom

Question 1

Jesus as a teacher of wisdom

Answer 1

What he taught always focussed on helping others, rich or poor, religious or fallen, but especially the outcasts of society.
He would teach a message of hope, that of good news - salvation from sin, death, an earthly kingdom and an eternal life.
Had valuable insights into the Hebrew tradition, which he applied to everyone. His wisdom has been handed down in many formats and has an appeal to many: Christians, Muslims, Hindus or atheists.
His message has been carried far beyond the time and setting - profound, important, clear.
Jesus’ role as a teacher of wisdom gives him authority.
Teacher of wisdom - authentic Jesus - historical Jesus.

Question 2

Evidence demonstrating Jesus as a moral teacher.

Answer 2

Good Samaritan.
Parable of the sheep and the goats.
Parable of the lost son.
Sermon on the mount.
The bleeding woman.

Question 3

Richard Dawkins

Answer 3

Scientific sceptic.

‘Jesus was a great moral teacher.’

Question 4

C. S Lewis

Answer 4

‘Mad, bad or the son of God’
He either truly was the son of God, genuinely believed he was but actually wasn’t, making him mad or knew he was deceiving people into thinking he was the son of God.
Counter argument: people around him took him as the son of God and the divine was written into the Bible later.
Should hold Jesus’ teachings alongside that of philosophers and not of higher status.

Question 5

Jesus as Rabbi

Answer 5

Referred to as a Rabbi by the disciples and others.
He was well educated, despite his background. Spent much of his time preaching and reading stories.
He spoke on many moral issues: agape love, self-sacrifice, concern for the poor and the dispossessed, the importance of honesty, justice and peace.
Used controversial moral education techniques (parables). Relevant to people of the time. Showed morality required personal responsibility, not blind obedience to the rules. Religious practices are there to serve human needs. Morality is achieved by purity of mind.

Question 6

Jesus on repentance and forgiveness

Answer 6

Continually speaks of forgiveness of sins, healing the sick and spending time with rejected groups of people and sinners.
Mind-set of the hope for mankind.
‘therefore, I tell you, her sins may have been forgiven - as her great love has shown.’
Vision of universal healing, bringing God and all of humanity back together again (Good news).
Recognised that forgiveness is hard. Once forgiven someone is set free mentally and materially to start again.
Forgiveness is at the heart of the Lord’s prayer.

Question 7

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Answer 7

Redemption and the afterlife promised by God are not the truth and authority of Christianity.
Instead, living life as honestly as possible is the truth.
Jesus’ authority derives from him as a teacher of wisdom. He affirmed authentic living.
An idea has value only if it can be lived, experienced and practiced. Jesus embodied the moral and spiritual and so was the ‘living word’. He is not an abstract idea.
Jesus was committed to the truth, had courage to speak against hypocrisy, he led a simple unadorned lifestyle and he accepted death - impressed Wittgenstein.

Question 8

Jesus on moral purity

Answer 8

Moral purity emphasised the cleanliness of a person in obeying God’s commandments and social rules.
Jesus reversal - command that the hungry be fed, the sick healed and the naked clothes of strangers welcomed.
The purity that we should seek is not measured by externalities, but by the inner intentions. Being morally pure is more important than maintaining ritual purity.
The bleeding woman - Jesus is not interested in the outward expression of ritual purity.
‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’

Question 9

Jesus’ uniqueness: John Hick and the Myth of Incarnation

Answer 9

Jesus is divinely inspired. He still has a connection with God but is not homoousious.
Hick on resurrection and miracles - church made up a metaphor for their understanding of God.
The resurrection is what sets Jesus apart from others (Moses, Mohammed, Jeremiah, etc).
Hick has a metaphorical understanding of the incarnation - Jesus was a divinely inspired moral teacher who set an example of how to live a moral life. Christology from below.

Question 10

Bonhoeffer

Answer 10

Links the incarnation to both human salvation and an understanding that we meet God in human beings.
Without it, a connection is lost with the idea of encountering God in human life, their seriousness and significance.
Incarnation needs to be literally understood, Jesus can’t be just a moral teacher.