Jesus Christ: the greatest story ever told?

[Brian2]

God wouldn't because it would naturally lead to idolatry. Deuteronomy 4:15.

But what if God sent His Son to become a man?

 

[Brian2]

It's not a question of what God CAN do. It's a question of what God CHOOSES to do. If you accept the Tanakh (Old TEstament) then you have to accept that God is not a man. Not Caesar, not Jesus, period.

“God is not a man… or a son of man”- Num. 23:19;
“… For he is not a man, that he should repent”-1 Sam. 15:29
“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court." Job 9:32
"For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you." Hosea 11:9

You think that God would not choose to become a man. What if He sent His Son to become a man?

 

[firedragon]

Is the story of Jesus Christ the greatest story ever told? I think so.

The story of God sending His only son to die for our immorality, in order to redeem our souls, is a touching one, isn't it?

It assumes that we need redemption. Don't we all? Jesus Christ offers us this in the most selfless way.

More than two billion people believe in Christ as the son of God who died for us. It's a story too good not to be true. I find myself desiring to believe in the story too.

It is a story that has endured for millieneum and changed the lives of billions of people.

If it is truly just a story, what a great and powerful story it is!

In my opinion, the Buddha's story is bigger and greater. Maybe Christs story is greater, I am just stating my personal opinion. To me, the Buddhas story is much much much more detailed, bigger, greater and more impactful.

Again, that's anecdotal.

 

[pearl]

Because the gospels combine history with myth and legend, it is really impossible to know what Jesus did and said. I think most of the extravagant claims he made, such as being the way the truth and the life, are actually just words put into his mouth by people who collected the legends decades after his death.

And that's the stuff of scholarship, distinguishing what is legend, folklore, myth, especially when one has no concept of what myth is and its purpose.
Considering the time of actual writing of the Gospels, the sub-apostolic age,
we find the beliefs and practices already present in the earliest communities.

 

[dybmh]

But what if God sent His Son to become a man?

That's more believeable than God becoming a man. Although, if I recall, you are trinitarian, and that puts us right back to the same problem. God wouldn't become a man or a son because it would encourage idol worship.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

And that's the stuff of scholarship, distinguishing what is legend, folklore, myth, especially when one has no concept of what myth is and its purpose.
Considering the time of actual writing of the Gospels, the sub-apostolic age,
we find the beliefs and practices already present in the earliest communities.

The first of the gospel to be written was Mark, which was composed around 70 CE. That is decades later than Jesus. The oral legends that existed at the time were included in the text.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

You think that God would not choose to become a man. What if He sent His Son to become a man?

There is no only begotten son. God does not procreate and give birth to little baby gods.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

And those who deny the light call their wilful blindness wisdom. There being none so blind, as those who will not see.

You should apply this to yourself.

 

[Redemptionsong]

There is no only begotten son. God does not procreate and give birth to little baby gods.

Yet it says in the Psalms that God judges amongst the gods (Psalms 82:1), that the Lord is a great King above all gods (Psalms 95:3), and that gods worship God (Psalms 97:7,9).

In John 10:34,35 Jesus says, 'ls it not written in your law, l said, Ye are gods?
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;...'

So, the full measure of the Father's Spirit is in the Son, distributed amongst the body (made up of many individuals), who become 'gods' as they receive the Holy Spirit (by measure).

 

[RestlessSoul]

You should apply this to yourself.

Proverbs 9:8

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

 

[pearl]

The first of the gospel to be written was Mark, which was composed around 70 CE. That is decades later than Jesus. The oral legends that existed at the time were included in the text.

By the time Mark wrote Jesus had been preached as the Christ for several decades. If we were left with only the letters of Paul, a magnificent theology about what God has done in Christ but leaving Jesus 'faceless', simply 'born of a woman', Mark gives to us a 'portrait' of Jesus.
Another question, who is the audience Mark wrote for? It is suggested that they were Greek-speakers who did not know Aramaic. Either the author or audience or both lived in an area where Latin was used and influenced Greek vocabulary. Probably not Jews for the most part as the author had to explain Jewish purification customs.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

That's more believeable than God becoming a man. Although, if I recall, you are trinitarian, and that puts us right back to the same problem. God wouldn't become a man or a son because it would encourage idol worship.

There is no only begotten son. God does not procreate and give birth to little baby gods.

Have you ever heard of the hypostatic union? It's the theological belief that Jesus Christ took on a human nature, yet he remained fully God. It's in conjunction with the Trinity doctrine . It's what I was taught when I was a Christian, and it's what I believed during that time. I attended a Baptist church as a child and switched to a Nazarene Church when I was 18, and this belief was preached in both of these churches. FYI, these articles explain what I'm talking about: What is the Hypostatic Union? and Does Christ have two natures?

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Have you ever heard of the hypostatic union? It's the theological belief that Jesus Christ took on a human nature, yet he remained fully God. It's in conjunction with the Trinity doctrine . It's what I was taught when I was a Christian, and it's what I believed during that time. I attended a Baptist church as a child and switched to a Nazarene Church when I was 18, and this belief was preached in both of these churches. FYI, these articles explain what I'm talking about: What is the Hypostatic Union? and Does Christ have two natures?

Yes, I'm familiar with Christian Christology. But I utterly reject it. It not only violates common sense, but it contradicts the clear teaching in the Tanakh that God is not a man.


“God is not a man… or a son of man”- Num. 23:19;
“… For he is not a man, that he should repent”-1 Sam. 15:29
“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court." Job 9:32
"For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you." Hosea 11:9

 

[IndigoChild5559]

By the time Mark wrote Jesus had been preached as the Christ for several decades. If we were left with only the letters of Paul, a magnificent theology about what God has done in Christ but leaving Jesus 'faceless', simply 'born of a woman', Mark gives to us a 'portrait' of Jesus.
Another question, who is the audience Mark wrote for? It is suggested that they were Greek-speakers who did not know Aramaic. Either the author or audience or both lived in an area where Latin was used and influenced Greek vocabulary. Probably not Jews for the most part as the author had to explain Jewish purification customs.

Paul never even met Jesus.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Yet it says in the Psalms that God judges amongst the gods (Psalm 82:1), that the Lord is a great King above all gods (Psalm 95:3), and that gods worship God (Psalm 97:7,9).

In John 10:34,35 Jesus says, 'ls it not written in your law, l said, Ye are gods?
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;'

So, the full measure of the Father's Spirit is in the Son, distributed amongst the body (made up of many individuals), who become 'gods' as they receive the Holy Spirit (by measure).

The word elohim basically means Power. It can refer to many differnt things. It is often used as a title for God. It can also mean angels. It can even mean human judges.

When the psalms says, "Ye ar gods" it is referring to the human power we have. It does not mean there is more than one God.

 

[pearl]

Paul never even met Jesus.

Outside of a mystical experience of the Christ, no he had not.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Outside of a mystical experience of the Christ, no he had not.

Hallucinations don't count.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Hallucinations don't count.

Unless they happen to Moses?

 

[Redemptionsong]

Yes, I'm familiar with Christian Christology. But I utterly reject it. It not only violates common sense, but it contradicts the clear teaching in the Tanakh that God is not a man.


“God is not a man… or a son of man”- Num. 23:19;
“… For he is not a man, that he should repent”-1 Sam. 15:29
“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court." Job 9:32
"For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you." Hosea 11:9

You are quite right to quote these scriptures.

It should be emphasised that nowhere does the NT say that God is a man. The Christian position is that Jesus Christ (whilst on earth) was fully man and fully God. This is why he is called the Son of God. In other words, the Holy Spirit, sent by God the Father, rested upon Jesus from the time of his baptism. Before that, Jesus was a righteous man living under the law. But, he was no ordinary man because his conception was brought about by God. Hence, he was born of a woman (Genesis 3:15) but not of a human father.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

You are quite right to quote these scriptures.

It should be emphasised that nowhere does the NT say that God is a man. The Christian position is that Jesus Christ (whilst on earth) was fully man and fully God. This is why he is called the Son of God. In other words, the Holy Spirit, sent by God the Father, rested upon Jesus from the time of his baptism. Before that, Jesus was a righteous man living under the law. But, he was no ordinary man because his conception was brought about by God. Hence, he was born of a woman (Genesis 3:15) but not of a human father.

Just saying, Christians say that Jesus was a man who was also God. That flies in the face of those Tanakh verses I quoted you.