the person of Jesus scholars arguments

self knowledge/liberator/teacher/god

sanders response to selfknowldge

historical Jesus saw himself as least messenger

. saw himself as gods last messenger before the establishment of the kingdom

. he considered the temple would be renewed and the twelve tribes of Isreal would be reassembled

. vision of society as reversed, the poor and meek and lowly would have leading places

. popular figure amounts ordinary people because of his healings,

. his teachings of non violence, hope for outcasts an teaching of gods grace made him substantially different from others at the time but not suffienct enough to make him unique

rammer views on Jesus’ self knowledge

human consciousness must have unknown future infront of it. if Jesus was conscious of the god the fathers awareness of all times then he must not have been human

. to think of it like an onion, human self consciousness is layered such like one. we have a deep understanding of our self within us but it is not always on the surface of our consciousness

.therefore in the garden or on the cross or in the dessert his human self consciousness was close to the surface but his divine was deep within

o’collins views on Jesus’ self knowledge

challenges the idea these questions can ever be answered

1. it’s very difficult to undertake any study of the inner world of any being, especially for one who has left no writing of his own

2. to make any claim on Jesus’ self knowledge requires an understanding on the complexity of the multilayered structure of how we can experience reality within memory emotion experience intuition

3. consciousness is not the same as knowledge of a separate object /

Jesus as a liberator REZA ASLAN STRENGTHS

. Jesus’ followers have suspicious names e.g Simon my zealot and they had weapons, gethsemane

.when arrested and put to death on civic not religious crime ‘king of the jews’ = sedation

.entrance on Palm Sunday orchestrated to fulfil messianic prophecy

.’give to caesar what is caesar and to god what is gods’ = liberate the lands of Isreal

Jesus as a liberator RATZINGER WEAKNESSES

. against LT Jesus rejects violent revolution those who live by the sword will die by the sword’ he does not confirm messianic title, pilate accuses him, sidesteps questions about Roman rule ‘blessed be the peace makers’

.Aslan assumes Jesus is poor but as a carpenter he wouldn’t be. Jesus is also called a rabbi suggesting that he is educated. Jesus’ disciples were not poor men e.g fishermen are small businessmen

COUNTER= possible the early church tried to hide Jesus’ revolutionary tendencies to avoid persecution

jesus as a teacher HICK STRENGTHS

.Jesus’ ability to be aware of and act on gods will is not unique but shared with prophets e.g Moses treating the incarnation metaphor sets aside questions about Jesus’ divine nature but still holds significant as model to live a moral life

Jesus as a teacher BURTON MACK STRENGTHS

.Jesus not a liberator but a cynic- wise men whose parables and aphorisms were designed to challenge their audiences and make them question their values

.Jesus provides guidance on the application of the law to moral problems and is sometimes called rabbi

Jesus as a teacher BONHOEFFER WEAKNESSES

. incarnation linked to human salvation and understanding that we meet god in human beings. we encounter god in the oppressed the struggle for justice

.hicks understanding of salvation is personal salvation which is different from salvation from sin and lacks political message of gospel

Jesus as teacher HITCHENS WEAKNESSES

.Jesus is not wise e.g his teaching ‘whoever is without sin may cast the first stone’- only non sinners have the right to punish…… how can we prosecute offenders

Jesus as god OVERALL STRENGTH

.early christians identified jews with god. the New Testament applies the term ‘god’ to Jesus as gods own son implying a unique status

Jesus as god BAPTISM STRENGTHS

these suggest that he was uniquely close to god

Jesus as god COUNCIL OF NICAEA STRENGTHS

Jesus is one substance within the father - homoousios

Jesus as god COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON STRENGTHS

.christ is in two natures, which come together in one person and one hypostasis without confusion

e.g miracles and resurrection

Jesus as god HUME WEAKNESSES

no evidence for miracles e.g probability argument

Jesus as god WRIGHT WEAKNESSES

.Jesus healing people who have been excused > Jesus showing power to united all Israel for renewed covenant and forgiveness of sins to inaugurate a kingdom of heaven on earth

. not unique - prophets in bibles who heard gods voice and martyrs who gave up their lives

Jesus as god SCHILLEBEECKX WEAKNESSES

Jesus miracles = metaphor e.g calming the storm = a source of calm but how?

theissen

• ‘the shadow of galileen’ is a fictional book that is used to explore the historical character of jesus

• in the book the characters refer to jesus as a teacher, healer and messiah highlighting the uncertanity that we have about his nature

• theissen pressents jesus as a real historical figure and highlights his peaceful nature