RE: Biblical Interpretation Reconsidered

Hello, I've been lurking on this list for some time, but follow some of
the threads with interest. I've gathered that there is no shortage of
controversy on just about every possible subject discussed! This comment
below confuses me. If Jesus were God as well as human, then why would he
believe something that is not true, regardless of what was written in
scripture? And if he didn't believe it, why would he perpetuate it?

I've been in conversations lately with people who say the Christ story
is all just that, a story that builds upon previous stories, like Lord
of the Rings and The Matrix are stories that in fact use messianic
elements of the Christ story, but are themselves admittedly stories. I
don't really have the type of knowledge to refute that. Then, I see all
the controversies about literalism, authorship, doctrines, tithing,
abuses, etc...It's all very complex. While I cannot deny that reading
the words of scripture and Jesus have had a profound affect on me, what
is there that differentiates this from the affects that reading and
following other sound advice would bring? I think his words are the
soundest advice and wisest I've ever read, but how am I to know whether
he was real, was God, etc, and not just as others say a fantasy
creation. If people call into question authorship of verses, literalism
of accounts, etc, how am I to defend a supposedly now outmoded belief in
a literal resurrection, upon which the entire faith truly rests?
Lunatic, Liar, Lord, or well-written mythical hero?

Still seeking,
Josh

>> 3d, Jesus' citations of OT texts in general have to be seen in
light
>>of the
>>kenotic aspect of the Incarnation. If he was fully human in the
context
>>of 1st century
>>Judaism then it is not surprising that he would have had beliefs about
the
>>authorship &
>>nature of the Hebrew scriptures typical of that culture. But
Mk.12:36,
>>e.g., shouldn't
>>be taken as proof that David actually wrote Ps.110.
>>
>> Shalom,
>> George
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>George L. Murphy
>>gmurphy@raex.com
>>http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
Received on Fri Dec 19 13:12:19 2003