The Person of Jesus Christ

Question 1

What is the apostles creed?

Answer 1

The summary of what Christians should believe dating from the 8th century.

Question 2

How is the apostles creed split?

Answer 2

Into three distinct sections on the: father, son and holy spirit. The one on the son is the most detailed.

Question 3

What is ebionitism?

Answer 3

A Jewish Christian group who believed that Jesus was human but also the messiah and they rejected the virgin birth.

Question 4

What does John 10:30 say?

Answer 4

“I an the father are one.”

Question 5

Why did the ebonite s not last as long as Christians?

Answer 5

Through the preaching of St Paul Christianity appealed mainly to gentiles who couldn’t understand ebonite thinking due to their Jewish practices

Question 6

What group threated the Christians?

Answer 6

Docetism

Question 7

What is docetism?

Answer 7

The belief that Jesus was divine and only appeared to be human.

Question 8

What was arianism?

Answer 8

The teachings of a 4th century Egyptian priest who said thT Jesus was not eternal and his posistion as son of God was awarded by God for aiding in the process of Salvation.

Question 9

What was the chalacedonian defonition?

Answer 9

At the council of nicaea it was declared that Christ was co equal with God.

Question 10

How is the title son of God used in the old testament?

Answer 10

Either to all Isralities who are described as the sons of God, for those who have the characteristics of God and King David and his descendants.

Question 11

What did God say to Jesus at his baptism?

Answer 11

“You are my beloved son, in you I take my delight. “

Question 12

Did Jesus ever claim himself to be the son of God?

Answer 12

No

Question 13

What is high christology?

Answer 13

It means to look from above at Jesus and his divine nature such as when Jesus said that I am the way the truth and the life, noone comes to God except through me.

Question 14

What does logos mean?

Answer 14

It is a title given to Jesus which means word, sent from God to save the world.

Question 15

What is low christology?

Answer 15

It means to look from bellow at Jesus and his knowledge of God. Looking at things he said and did eg parables, it establishes his human characteristics before his divinity.

Question 16

What does incarnation mean?

Answer 16

A high christology term meaning that Jesus was God in the flesh.

Question 17

What is an encyclical letter?

Answer 17

A letter from the Pope to Cardinals which often talking about social issues and church doctrine.

Question 18

What does theotokos mean?

Answer 18

A title for Mary, mother of God meaning God bearer.

Question 19

How many of the gospels talk of Jesus birth?

Answer 19

Two, Matthew and Luke.

Question 20

What did Pope John Paul second say in an encyclical letter in 1998?

Answer 20

God takes on a human face.

Question 21

Is a virgin birth unique to Christianity?

Answer 21

No, as Hitchen points out, many ancient God figures were born to virgins such as Horus born to Isis.

Question 22

Why would early Christians have lied about Jesus being born to a virgin?

Answer 22

It makes the significance of his birth more important which would lead to more people converting to Christianity.

Question 23

Why do Jesus micrales suggest he was the son of God?

Answer 23

God must have been working through Jesus

Question 24

What does salvific mean?

Answer 24

The idea that Jesus death saved humans from their sins

Question 25

What does Shoel mean?

Answer 25

It was a Jewish thought that after a person died they would descend into an underground pit where they would stay for an indefinite amount of time.

Question 26

What does Paul say in 1 Corinthians 15:15 and what does this mean?

Answer 26

“what we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But if he did not raise him infact the dead are not raised.” This means that if Jesus was not brought back to life Christianity would be pointless because sins would not be taken away and people would have no hope in living after death.

Question 27

What is an eschatology?

Answer 27

The doctrine of the end of times

Question 28

What did Albert Schweitzer argue about the historical Jesus?

Answer 28

He looked at other peoples understanding of Jesus and saw how their opinions changed dependent on their backgrounds. He concluded that Jesus should be understood in the context of late Jewish eschatology- Jesus preached about the end of the world and his aim was to make people repent their sins and turn back to God.

Question 29

What did David Strauss argue about the historical Jesus?

Answer 29

He rejected all the miracles of Jesus calling them myths that had been added to the original biography of Jesus to enhance his status.

Question 30

What did Bauer argue about the historical Jesus?

Answer 30

There was never a historical Jesus beacaue none of the sources were historically reliable and had been over layed with layers of myth.

Question 31

What does Kahler argue about the historical Jesus?

Answer 31

It’s impossible to separate Jesus from christ and Christians should aim to understand how christ has influenced history.

Question 32

What does Kasemann argue about Jesus?

Answer 32

Although the teachings about Jesus are largely theological, you can still find some historical truths about him. He looked at the statements of Jesus compared to the Jewish context at the time and concluded that he was probably authentic. He also said that the early Christians would not come up with any story that was embarrassing to them unless it was true, he looked at the story of John the baptist which seemed to place John above Jesus who was meant to be sinless.

Question 33

What does John Dominic Crossan argue about Jesus?

Answer 33

He was a poor Jewish peasant who attempted to break down the power structures of 1st century Jewish society by associating with those on the edge of society whilst critsing those in power like the pharisees. This appealed to the poor people who had been exploited by the Romans.

Question 34

How does Sanders view Jesus?

Answer 34

As a prophetic figure who wanted to restore Judasim to its former glory, he wanted to create a new age for Israel focusing on a new temple witj himself as God’s representative.

Question 35

What does N.T Wright argue about Jesus compared to Sanders?

Answer 35

He critises Sanders approach but agrees with the idea that Jesus offered something new and different particularly with his relationship with ordinary Jewish people.

Question 36

What are the two interpretations of the world wisdom?

Answer 36

Either it means that Jesus preached wise words to the people who heard him preach or it could be referring to wisdom literature, in Hebrew scripture its a noun that is often portrayed as a woman.

Question 37

What 3 canonical books are recognised as wisdom literature?

Answer 37

Job, proverbs, Ecclesiastes

Question 38

What are parables a form of?

Answer 38

Wisdom literature

Question 39

What does Stephen Pattison argue?

Answer 39

Jesus was a sage who would tour village to village with a message of social radicalism which would have got him into trouble with the authorities. This lead to his execution.

Question 40

How does Jesus speaking in parables speak to him being a wisdom teacher?

Answer 40

Many wisdom teachers also spoke in parables

Question 41

How does Jesus being a wisdom teacher appeal to modern rationalist ways of looking at the past?

Answer 41

Looking at Jesus with the naturalistic framework in the context of his day he is seen as a man who: preached about how to overcome social norms, had women followers and who taught about healing people and including them in the Kingdom of God.

Question 42

What happens in the beatitudes, Matt 5?

Answer 42

He picks out the meek, hungry those who mourn and those who strive to be peacemakers and says that all of these are blessed. He overturns the accepted framework of society.

Question 43

What does Theissen argue?

Answer 43

By using synagogues to talk to the disciples and ordinary people, Jesus corrospondes to our contempary idea of a rabbi.

Question 44

How does John Hick argue that Jesus should be viewed?

Answer 44

Traditional Christian doctrines such as the virgin birth should be reinterpreted to make them more consistent with other world faiths. He should be seen alongside Moses or Muhammad in a multi faith world where Jesus is seen as a teacher of wisdom who encourages people to be loving to others which can sit positively with the beliefs of other faiths.

Question 45

Why does CS Lewis argue that Jesus can not be a wisdom teacher?

Answer 45

He says there are only two possible choices about Jesus, he was either a lunatic or God. He says that it would be illogical to call Jesus a lunatic. He then says if Jesus was just a harmless preacher then he wouldn’t have had the sign above his cross that said King of the Jews.

Question 46

Why is the idea that Jesus was just a wisdom teacher seemingly illogical in regards to his fate?

Answer 46

If he was just a preacher it would have been very odd for the Romans to notice such a person, especially going as far as executing him.

Question 47

Why can orthodox Christianity be used to critis the idea of Jesus as a wisdom teacher?

Answer 47

Orthodox Christianity says that Jesus was not just a human being who teaches wise parables and sayings, he is a fundamentally different being, Jesus the son of God not merely a teacher of wisdom

Question 48

What were zealots?

Answer 48

A revolutionary group who wanted to the arms against the Romans and reclaim Israel for Judaism.

Question 49

Who would argue that Jesus can be seen as a liberator?

Answer 49

Gustavo Gutierrez

Question 50

What examples of scripture shows Jesus as a challenge to religious authority?

Answer 50

Mark 11:27-33 . Leviticus 10:25 -37

Question 51

What happens in Mark 11:27-33

Answer 51

The chief priests challenge Jesus authority to over turn the tables of money changers in the temple court. Jesus then asked if the authority of John the Baptist came from God or from humans, a question to trap the religious authorities. If they answered from God then Jesus would ask why they refused to accept the Baptists message. if they said it was human the crowd would turn against them and when they declined to answer Jesus refused to answer them.

Question 52

What is leviticus 10:25 -37?

Answer 52

The parable of the good samaritan .

Question 53

What are the two teachings of the parable of the good samaritan?

Answer 53

1. When someone is in need no matter where they come from they should be helped. 2. To critisis the religious authorities for not helping putting their religious duties before human life (a rabbi and a levite.)

Question 54

What was the garden that Jesus was arrested in and what does this story show?

Answer 54

The Garden of Gethsemane. He told Peter to put away his sword which showed that he did not encourage violence and was not a liberator.

Question 55

What scripture shows that Pontius Pilate did not see him as a revolutionary leader?

Answer 55

Mark 15:14 where he asks the Jewish leaders, “what crime has he commited.”

Question 56

What happened in 66 CE ?

Answer 56

The Zealots attempted a revolt against the Romans and for 3 years they had independence and even their own coins. However in 70 CE the roman general surrounded Jerusalem and crucified many Jews as well as selling them into slavery and forcing them to pefrom in the arena. This showed what would happen if anyone tried to revolt

Question 57

What does Grant point out about Jesus relation to the zealots?

Answer 57

It was only thirty years after Jesus that they became politicised and raised a revolt against the Romans.