Chapter One

I I Three ways to look at Three ways to look at JesusJesus

A. “The Historical Jesus”

B. “The Jesus of History”C. “The Christ of Faith”

‘

“A. Historical Jesus”2. In Palestine 2,000 years

ago3. Historians of the time recorded:

5. 5. No No reference to supernaturalreference to supernatural, , divinity, etc.

- a preacher, wonder-worker- executed by the Romans

1. A genuine historical figure

4. Today no one seriously doubts that he existed.

““The The Historical Historical

Jesus” Jesus”

Three ways to look at Three ways to look at JesusJesus

A. “The Historical Jesus”

B. “The Jesus of History”

“The divine Son of God

as he walked the earth

in the person of Jesus of Nazareth

“B. Jesus of History”

P. 11

who lived who lived in Galilee in Galilee from 1-33 from 1-33 C.E. 148 C.E. 148 lbs 5’3”lbs 5’3”

Divine son of Divine son of GodGod

““Jesus of History”

Jesus of History”

Three ways to look at Three ways to look at JesusJesus

A. “The Historical Jesus”

B. “The Jesus of History”C. “The Christ of Faith”

“C. Christ of Faith”

The Jesus of History as raised as raised

from the deadfrom the dead by God

and is now living forever

as Lord and Savior

P. 11

glorious &

immortal

““The Christ of The Christ of Faith”Faith”

risen fr

om

the dead

beyond space &

time for all eternity

encountered in

faith experie

nces

“The Jesus of History”

“The Christ of Faith”

both refer to the same personunderstood and experienced

in two different ways.

P. 11

Note:

focuses on the encounter with Jesus

- in his earthly - in his earthly ministryministry

- - up toup to and including his his

deathdeath

““The Jesus of The Jesus of History”History”

focuses on the encounter with Jesus

especially as experienced, explained and

proclaimed

““The Christ of The Christ of Faith”Faith”

after the after the resurrectionresurrection

by the Christian Christian communitycommunity

“The Jesus of History”

“The Christ of Faith”

resurrection

30 30 C.EC.E.

1 1 C.E.C.E.

But Jesus was divine from the beginning of time, from all

eternity; he did not “become” divine.

Some early Christians thought that Christ BECAME divine at

some point -- say, at his resurrection.

Important:

II How We Learn About Jesus

A Faith Sources

B Historical Sources

A “theologian:”

Pg.13

a scholar who studies the nature of God, and the history, beliefs, and teachings of the Church.

Glossary:

A. Faith A. Faith SourcesSources

Scripturea.

Written, inspired Word of

Godb. Holy Spirit speaks through the sacred writers

Pg.13

Faith Faith SourcesSources

Scripture Traditiona. Teachings

of the apostles, and

b. experiences of the earliest Christiansc. Holy Spirit c. Holy Spirit at work in the at work in the

communitycommunity

Pg.13

Faith Faith SourcesSources

Scripture TraditionTeachings

of the apostles,

andexperiences of the earliest ChristiansHoly Spirit at Holy Spirit at work in the work in the communitycommunity

Pg.13

Holy Spirit speaks through

the sacred writers

Written, inspired Word of

God

Pg.14

“TESTAMENT” = “Covenant”

Glossary:

= “A solemn agreement between two parties”

Old Testament

New Testament

From creation up until just before

Jesus

(A) The life, works and

teaching of Jesus, (B) The earliest history of the

Christian Church

““Christian Christian Scriptures”

Pg.14

OldOld TestamentNewNew Testament

+

Glossary:

Pg.14

A complete understandin

g of Jesus

without the Old

Testament!

is impossible

Pg.14Sacred

Scriptures(The Bible)are called

i. e. writings whose authors, prompted by theprompted by the Holy SpiritHoly Spirit, convey God’s revealed

truthby using their own abilities, words and stylesGod is the ultimate author of the Scriptures

“inspired texts”

Pg.14The “canon” of sacred

scripture

The “canon” refers to those books that the church agreed were

inspired by God

(Greek for “a rule”]

Pg.14Old

Testament& New

Testamentare called “faith

sources”

They were written by believers who were

prompted by the Holy Spiritfor the purpose of

proclaiming the works of God.

Pg.15

Just about everything

the Christian Church teaches

about Jesus comes

through the four Gospels

The gospels are the link

Jesus of Nazarethand

Christians throughout the

ages.

gospels

between

P.15

B.C. “Before Christ”

A.D. “Anno Domini”

“Year of our Lord”Lord”“Common Era”

“Before Common Before Common Era”Era”

C.E.

B.C.E.

Vocabulary Note:

Pg .16

1. Josephus - Historian

II Historical Sources

2. Tacitus - Historian

B. Romans:

3.Pliny the Younger Governor 4.Suetonius - Historian

A. Jews:

Pg .18

These sources are of interest to Christians because they support

the historical existence of a man

named Jesus.

II Historical Sources

Pg .18

But to really know much about Jesus, we must turn to the

GOSPELS

II Historical Sources

Pg.18

A collection of 27 separate works by

various authors, various types of writing.

The New Testament

Pg.18

(The OT was developed (The OT was developed over a period of 1,000 over a period of 1,000

years!)years!)

Written down in the period between 50 c.e. and 100

c.e.

NT

Pg.18

personapersonal letters

l letters - - epistlesepistles

Sermon

Sermon

s -s -Hebrew

Hebrew

ss

symboli

symboli

c c

writings

writings

- -

Revelati

Revelati

onon

story of

the early

church –

Acts of th

e

Apostlesgospelgospel

ss

What is theWhat is the

principalprincipal themetheme

of the New of the New Testament?Testament?

Pg.18

(a) the lifethe life, death and resurrection

of Jesus

The two-fold The two-fold principalprincipal themetheme of of the NT:the NT:

(b) the impactthe impact he hadon the community of believers - the church.

&

What are some things we say

about who Jesus was/is?

Jesus of Jesus of Nazareth Nazareth

lived in lived in Galilee 1-33 Galilee 1-33 C.E. 148 C.E. 148

lbs, 5’3lbs, 5’3

glorious &

glorious &

immortal

immortal

Divine son of Divine son of GodGod

risen fr

om

risen fr

om

the d

ead

the d

ead

Beyond space &

time for all eternity

Encounte

red in

Encounte

red in

faith

fa

ith

experience

s

experience

s

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