Why Did Jesus Come Into The World? Our articles on the Gospels, Jesus’ divinity, death and resurrection
Lord, Liar, Lunatic or Legend?
Will you go through life without assessing your views of the most influential person in history?
- Did Jesus claim to be God?
- Life’s pains, love and the Gospel
- Did Jesus rise from the dead?
- Jesus and fulfilled prophecy
- Are the Gospels based on eyewitness accounts?
- What about the lost gospels like the Gospel of Thomas?
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https://streettheologian.substack.com/
Time Magazine considers Jesus the most influential person who ever lived. Jesus plays a prominent, though very different role, in the two largest religions on earth — Christianity and Islam. Many others consider Jesus a wise moral teacher or enlightened spiritual leader.
Nonetheless, the earliest sources we have on Jesus, point to Jesus thinking he was far more than a mere moral teacher. This leads to CS Lewis’ famous Lord, liar, lunatic trilemma from Mere Christianity.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Lewis’ trilemma, has now through the influence of the likes of Bart Ehrman and various 20th century biblical critics, largely morphed into a quadrilemma (although the validity of the legend option is quite questionable).
Either:
- Lord: Jesus expressed the truth in claiming to be God and the Saviour for humanity
- Liar: Jesus deliberately lied about his identity
- Lunatic: Jesus was deluded about his identity
- Legend: Accounts where Jesus claims to be God are legendary or later embellishments and do not reflect historical statements of Jesus (if at all he existed!)
Here at Street Theologian, we contend Christ is indeed Lord- divine, crucified, resurrected Saviour. Moreover, this view is far more than merely consistent with history as the truth of Jesus offers goodness, beauty and life-changing implications which tap into the deep existential longings of every human being.
Not sure where to start? Have a look at our articles by category below:
Did Jesus claim to be God?
7 SHOCKING Truths about Nicaea
Did Constantine INVENT Jesus as God?
Is Jesus GOD in Matthew, Mark and Luke? 20 Key Considerations
Short Conversations: Did Jesus think he is God?
If Jesus is God with no beginning then why is he called a begotten firstborn Son?
Quoting Ehrman: 20 Bart Ehrman quotes every NON-CHRISTIAN should know
Life’s pains, love and the Gospel
Hurt People Hurt People: Is it possible to break the cycle with love and forgiveness?
Not all LOVE STORIES end well: Why the Gospel strikes at the heart
Identity Crisis: 6 Subtle Idols We Easily Fall For
Resurrection of Jesus
Did Jesus rise from the dead? Your comprehensive 2023 Guide
Short Conversations 2023: Did Jesus rise from the dead?
Jesus and Fulfilled Prophecy
Jesus’ Favourite Name for Himself: 3 BIG Implications
Is Jesus the Messiah? 3 Portraits from Daniel
Are the Gospels based on eyewitness accounts?
Undesigned Coincidences: Hidden Gems in the Gospels
Were the 4 Gospels given FAKE names?
Are the Gospels based on eyewitness accounts? 10 key considerations
Short Conversations: Are the 4 Gospels based on eyewitness accounts?
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke and John REALLY Write the Gospels? Short Conversations
Lost Gospels?
Gospel of Thomas: Why is it missing from the Bible? 10 Considerations
Short Conversations: Why is the Gospel of THOMAS banned from the Bible?
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