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