The Meaning of Jesus (As A Christian Believer)
I am a Christian. I was raised Roman Catholic from birth, receiving all of the Blessed Sacraments. However, this is not to say that I have not experienced my own struggles with my faith. There was a period of time where I abandoned God, and even today, while I believe in His existence, I still struggle to be a devout follower.
When I came upon this book, I thought it would present as the perfect opportunity to learn more about my faith. It is written from the perspectives of the leading conservative and liberal scholars, and it was very interesting to read about some of the theories in the Christian faith.
While I did not agree with the majority of the book's content (because at the end of the day, religion is mostly your own personal interpretation), there were several things that I found to be eye-opening.
For one thing, there is the use of metaphorical language throughout the Bible. There are historical events that truly took place, and metaphors that help explain Jesus' wonders. For example, Jesus probably did not feed a crowd of 5,000 people with 2 fish; rather, it was a metaphor for how he was able to provide for his followers.
Secondly, Israel is meant to be the "light of the world" to the other nations of the world. This can only be achieved once Israel begins to act in such a manner; basically, only when Israel begins to act like Jesus. For example, there are some interpreters who believe Israel can never achieve this through military action.
Jesus had a brother?! 😱 I have only ever known this sentence as a conspiracy theory, but there are those who believe that James was Jesus' brother. I personally have to look into this one 🤔
The Immaculate Conception may have never happened; in fact, Jesus' entire birth story may have been the creation of his followers. Of the four gospels, only Mark and Luke report Jesus' birth, plus no one could have known what was foretold to Mary in private (IF anything was even foretold! 🥴).
There are actually a few instances of Bible passages that provide no witnesses or proof that it occurred. For example, Jesus' experience in the desert; no one can really know if he was tempted by Satan. The night in the Garden of Gethsemane; no one knows what Jesus thought to himself. Jesus being presented to Pontius Pilate; no one was there to record the judges actual words.
It never occurred to me that there are debates on whether or not Jesus was resurrected, if Jesus and God are the same person, AND if the Second Coming will even take place! All of these theories were very interesting to read about!
I'm not Christian also if I'm Born in a chatoliic country by the way I'm interested in spiritual stuff and in Christianity too, the way you talk about this book seems interesting also for who is is search of a faith or just fir curiosity I really wish I could have a strong faith
Even if you are not religious, it can still be informative to read books of this nature. We can always gain insight, regardless of preconceived beliefs 🙏
Thank you for your comment, have a wonderful weekend!
When I first read the bible, I took it at a face value and wondered how did he even do that. Many of his "miracle" doesn't even make sense scientifically. But then after learning more, almost around 24% of it are symbolic and even metaphorical.
The idea that Jesus will come back again on earth also exist within Islamic beliefs. While there are differences, we live in a world where major religion believe in it. Sometimes I wonder if it's going to be a metaphorical or literal second coming.
Theoretically, earth could last billion of years but to sustain the lives of human, it's around 100,000,000 decades 😂, something to put into perspectives too. If you're interested I would say the concise version would be here Future of Earth