james a. cox, ph.d. © 2011. national survey of 1,005 adults conducted december, 2007 by the barna...
Post on 19-Dec-2015
215 views
TRANSCRIPT
CONSERVATIVES VS. LIBERALS: THE BIG “JESUS DEBATE”
James A. Cox, Ph.D.© 2011
National Survey of 1,005 AdultsConducted December, 2007
By The Barna GroupSampling error=+- 3.2%
Which of the following Bible Stories do you view as literal truth or merely as stories told to communicate life’s principles? 1. The virgin Birth of Jesus 75% Literal Truth 2. Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana? 69% Literal Truth 3. Did Jesus use five loaves of bread and two fish to feed a crowd of 5,000? 68% Literal Truth
“Politics”
Parties
ConservativesName Education Known For
William Lane Craig
Ph.D. Philosophy, Birmingham,UK, Th.D. Munich, M.A. Trinity Divinity School
Talbot School of Theology, philosophical debates, website
N.T. Wright D.Phil Oxford, Episcopal bishop, many university appointments
Craig Blomberg
Ph.D. University of Aberdeen, M.A. Trinity Divinity School
Denver Seminary, bible translation committees
Darrell Bock Ph.D. University of Abereen,
Dallas Theological Seminary
Luke Timothy Johnson
Ph.D. Yale, M.Div. Saint Meinrad School of Theology
Benedictine Monk, Priest, faculty of Yale & Indiana University
Gary R. Habermas
Ph.D. Michigan, M.A. Theology Univ. Detroit
Liberty University, debater on Resurrection of Jesus
C.S. Lewis Oxford English Professor Cambridge (UK)
LiberalsName Education Known For
Bart D. Ehrmann
Ph.D., M.Div, Princeton Seminary
Professor Religion, UNC
John Dominic Crossan
Stonebridge Seminary, D.Div Maynooth, Ireland
ordained Priest, Jesus Seminar
Marcus Borg
D.Phil. Oxford, Oregon State University Jesus Seminar
John Shelby Spong
M.Div. Episcopal Theological Seminary
Episcopal Bishop,
John A. T. Robinson
D.Phil. Cambridge Anglican Bishop, Lecturer Cambridge
Robert W. Funk
Ph.D. Vanderbilt, M.Div Butler
Founder of Jesus Seminar
Criteria for Belief
Conservative Evangelicals Primary Criteria:
a. Faithb. Scripture, informed byc. Church Tradition & Testimony
Secondary Criteria:a. Non-Christian historical sourcesb. Biblical Archaeology
Avoid: Heretical works (e.g. Gnostic)Dr. William Craig: “the New Testament documents are the most important historical sources for Jesus of Nazareth. The so-called apocryphal gospels are forgeries which came much later...…Extra-biblical sources [Josephus and other histories] confirm what we read in the gospels, but they don’t really tell us anything new.”
Liberal Bible Scholars Primary
Written Sources, earlier->better Archaeology Motivation
Avoid Supernatural Faith
Critical Assumptions
Conservative Evangelicals Entire Bible is Word of (inspired by) God Jesus:
Performed miracles Only son of God
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life
Died for sins of world Salvation only through him
John 14:6 (NIV) 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Resurrected from the dead, ascended into heaven
1 Corinthians 15:14 (ESV) And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
Nicene Creed We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
Liberal Scholars Authors of individual books differ :
Different motivations Different traditions
Discerning true history by historical-critical methods.
Criteria for authenticity: Early tradition Consistent with Jesus character Embarrassment criterion
Conservative Arguments
Lewis Tri-lemma
Jesus either: Was the son of God Was a liar Was Delusional Psychotic
Liberals say; or: Jesus never said that He meant something different than
interpreted.
Without Faith, Nothing Conservatives:
Every belief (science, existence) requires faith NT records >> any other indisputable historical
records Christianity from tiny group -> entire world thru
faith C.S. Lewis: Christianity touches understanding in
us. Liberal response:
Christ of faith ≠ Jesus of History
Resurrection: Proof of Supernatural
Conservatives: Resurrection attested to in ALL traditions No Messiah prophecies predicted it. Earliest tradition (Paul): Resurrection crucial
importance Appeared before many witnesses, esp. women? Disciples willingly died for their resurrection witness
Liberals: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof Interpretation of what happened differs between
witnesses Internal inconsistencies
Debate between William Lane Craig and Bart Ehrman
Liberal Arguments
New Testament: Hearsay
Liberals: No eyewitness testimony Paul’s letters written 20-30 years after Jesus
death Gospels written 40+ years after death, after
destruction of temple 70 AD. Conservatives: dispute dates
Gospels written by disciples 20-40 years after death.
Church tradition upholds this.
Jesus’ Broken PromiseMatthew 16:28 (NIV): I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Matthew 10:23 (NIV): 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (NIV): 29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.1 Thessalonians 4:15 (NIV)15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. Mark 13:30 (NIV): I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
"The apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, 'This generation shall not pass till all these things be done.' And He was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else. This is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible." (Essay "The World's Last Night" (1960), found in The Essential C.S. Lewis, p. 385)
Conservative Explanations
Referring to temple destruction 70 AD Referring to a generation after Israel
becomes a nation (1948) Referring to the end of the “race” rather
than generation --- could be any time.
Biblical Contradictions Liberals:
Contradictions prove men wrote Bible, not God.
Conservatives: One God, but many perspectives Contradictions nitpicking; inconsequential May go away in context Omission present, both stories need to be
integrated. Different witnesses always see things
differently
Two Genealogies
Luke 3:23-38, Matthew 1:1-17: very different genealogies:
Both have him a descendant of David Both go through Joseph as father of Jesus Both refer to actual OT descendants of David,
but Names after David are completely different Matthew skips some
Luke has 42 generations; Matthew only 28
Conservative Explanations
That Joseph had two fathers: as a result of a levirate marriage involving uterine brothers.
Legal inheritance. That Luke’s genealogy is through Mary
rather Joseph.
Biblical Inconsistencies - Birth
Liberals: Joseph & Mary from Bethlehem or Nazareth? Birth 6 AD (Quirinius Governor), or < 4 BC? No miraculous birth in Paul, Mark, or John Contradicts historical records Elements of myth Where did testimony come from?
Conservatives Stories can be cohered together Might be “different” Quirinius “Slaughtering of innocents” consistent with Herod. Virgin birth story not “essential” for faith.
http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusbirth.htm
Inconsistencies, Ministry
Liberals: Ministry 3 years (John), or 1 year (synoptic)? If birth miraculous, why no respect from family
(Mark 3:20-21, Mark 6:4-6)? Why does John the Baptist ask if he is Messiah
(Luke 7:18-23) if he already knew? (Luke 1:44, John 1:29, 36)
Turn over moneychangers table at beginning of ministry (John) or at end (Synoptic)?
Crucified on first day of passover (John 19:14) or second (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12, Luke 22:7)?
Inconsistencies, Death & Resurrection—
Easter Quiz
William Lane Craig
Next week, same bat time, same bat channel
Week 3: Detangling the threads of different traditions
Week 4: Who was Jesus the man? Week 5: From history to metaphysics