The person of Jesus Christ essay plan Flashcards
Introduction:
Jesus relevant from AD 30 to now, shifted entire course of Christianity.
Dichotomy- was he a teacher of wisdom, the genuine son of God or a political activist?
He was profound in altering the way people see God, stated he wasn’t a being to be feared, but a father- like figure ‘Abba’.
Yet flipped tables, emotional outbursts. Was crucified on the grounds of politics.
His teachings were biased to his own opinions, not like a ‘Rabbi’.
I believe he was a political activist.
Teacher of Wisdom:
Jesus supposedly looked like a ‘Rabbi’, a Jewish teacher of wisdom.
Teachings focused on love, forgiveness and healing the sick.
Taught in the synagogue, which required literacy.
Talks of forgiveness of sins (Mark 2:1-12).
Sermon on the Mount- Jesus focused on the poor, said that their sins could be forgiven.
Advantages- Dawkins: ‘Jesus was a great moral teacher’. John Hick ‘The myth of God incarnate’, Jesus is incarnate, similar to other religious figures like Guru Nanak and St. Francis. Close to God, inspired a moral life.
CS Lewis- need to accept God as a whole or as a lunatic. Christopher Hitchens- ‘how could an imperfect society determine how to prosecute offenders?’- teachings caused controversy, political activist.
Jesus as the son of God:
Paul speaks of Jesus as ‘God’s own son’.
Jesus refers to God as ‘Abba’, a fatherly term.
There is a belief that there is a ‘perfect conjunction’ between God and Jesus and that their two natures are in the ‘hypostatic union’.
Yet, Bishop Appilinaris says that humans minds are ‘enslaved to filthy thoughts’. Surely can not be part human.
Therefore, homoousios comes in. Jesus and God same substance, not a blend.
With this, dichotomy of Jesus’ awareness of his state comes in. Rahner states that his conscience is layered, similar to an onion. Gerald O’ Collins says that Jesus was ‘aware of his divine reality’.
Miracles important:
Jesus walks on Sea of Galilee. Transfiguration- took disciples up onto a mountain and he started glowing. Ressurection is what Christians see as the main evidence that Jesus is the son of God. Yet, Hume and Dawkins don’t think that the miracles are real and Schillbeeckx views it as metaphorical.
Political activist:
Jewish people lived under Roman Occupation.
Jesus wanted to free people from social convention.
Had arguments with pharisees and was arrested by Sandherin.
Jews hoped for a messiah, ‘I came to bring a sword not peace’. Jesus’ followers were often regarded as ‘dagger men’.
Jesus flipped tables and Robert Webb describes this as ‘social banditry’. Spoke for poor and women.
Crucifixion was a punishment for political rebels.
Yet sanders does state that it was exaggerated but who is to say that the miracles were not exaggerated?
