c. 1996 Religion News Service
(RNS)-Since 1985, a group of scholars calling themselves the Jesus Seminar has pursued the “real” Jesus. Here, on some basic questions, is how their historical portrait clashes with the traditional theological figure as presented in the Bible.
-Did Jesus’ body rise from the dead?
Bible: Yes. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, plus the epistles of Paul, refer to the resurrection.
Jesus Seminar: No. His body decayed. Jesus rose only in the hearts of his followers. The resurrection is their myth.
-Was Jesus born of a virgin?
Bible: Yes. Matthew and Luke record the virgin birth; Mark and John have no birth story.
Jesus Seminar: No. The birth accounts emphasize different details to reinforce the writers’ later themes. They should be read metaphorically.
-Was Jesus the divine son of God?
Bible: Yes. He referred to God as “Abba” (the equivalent of “Daddy”) and himself as “the Son of Man.” Church fathers, relying heavily on the Gospel of John, later asserted Jesus was, and is, divine.
Jesus Seminar: Jesus never said he was God’s son or the Jewish Messiah. The highly symbolic Gospel of John is unreliable as a literal historic record.
-Did Jesus heal people and drive out demons?
Bible: Yes. All four Gospels record healings and exorcisms.
Jesus Seminar. Yes. The accounts are too numerous to discount, indicating that, like shamans and others in history, Jesus somehow helped the sick and the hurting.
MJP END
