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  7. G575 - AS Developments in Christian Theology

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A* essay on Jesus liberator
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  • G575 - AS Developments in Christian Theology
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  • OCR

This essay examines whether Jesus can only be described as a liberator or if he can be described as a teacher or the son of God aswell. IT includes all the content to answering any Jesus question.

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Document information

  • July 7, 2023
  • 3
  • 2022/2023
  • Essay
  • Unknown
  • A+

Subjects

  • liberator
  • liberation theology
  • peaceful
  • love
  • forgiveness

Written for

  • A/AS Level
  • OCR
  • Religious Studies
  • G575 - AS Developments in Christian Theology
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To what extent was Jesus more than a teacher



In Christian theology, the idea of Jesus only primarily understood as a merely a teacher has plagued
Christians throughout history. This is due to the notion of Jesus being interpreted as a liberator of
the marginalised and poor with undermining the political and religious authorities as well as the Son
of God. In this essay, I will argue whether Jesus can only be portrayed as merely a teacher or is there
other oppositions to this argument.

The concept of Jesus understood as merely a teacher may appear to some people convincing. This is
due to the perception of Jesus as a teacher of wisdom, emphasising how his authority should be
based on being an extremely influential teacher of wisdom and morality. The parables and the
Sermon of Mount establish Jesus’s authority through his use of wisdom influencing Jewish ethics-
reiterating how this parable is recognised as the focal point of Jesus’ moral teachings. Notably, Jesus
main teachings is for love, forgiveness and righteousness – perhaps to illustrate how love is self-
giving and people should act out of pure love for one another and not for only looking for personal
gain (altruistic). This idea can be strengthened when linked to the Parable of the Lost Son in the
Gospel of Luke, where the father (represents God’s attitude) welcomes his lost son and celebrating
his return despite the son’s ungrateful nature, he inhibits. However, once the lost son recognised, he
‘sinned against heaven and against you’, it highlighted Jesus central teaching on repentance and
forgiveness once the father forgave him. This enables the interpretation how Jesus’ call for radical
forgives goes against strict justice as we should forgive rather than seek our own rewards. Perhaps
this key message is to signify how one’s generosity should not be limited and one’s morality should
be utilised our virtue. This idea is weakened when we compare this view with the philosopher
Ludwig Wiggenstein as he viewed Jesus not as an abstract idea but as the embodiment of spiritual
and moral livelihood. Thus, this goes against the notion of Jesus as a teacher of morality and wisdom
but it compatible with the idea of Jesus as the Son of God as he gains authority on issue of morality
through his connection to the spiritual.

On the other hand, the concept of Jesus understood as merely a teacher may appear to some people
unconvincing due to elements of Jesus divine nature as the Son of God. Jesus’s divine nature plays a
crucial role in rationalizing and legitimizing humans’ restored connection to God. Due to the Fall of
Adam and Eve (Old Genesis), humankind has been very far removed and disconnected from God; in
order to restore this relationship with God, a sacrifice must be made - Jesus, the sacrifice, the “Lamb
of God, that takes away the sins of the word” and therefore provide Atonement. It is through this
sacrifice and the revelation through Christ that the connection was reinstated that allows us to have
a relationship with God. However, to assess the extent of Jesus’s divinity, one must consider the
miracles presented in the Gospel stories that are used to demonstrate his God-like abilities. The
miracles of Jesus could potentially be regarded as evidence of his divine self-awareness; Jesus’
power to drive out demons, to recreate sight, speech and even life, are things that only God can do,
reinforcing the message that Jesus is God’s Son. This idea can be strengthened through one of the
most important pieces of evidence for Christians of Jesus’s divine nature is the resurrection, where
Jesus was raised from the dead by God and appeared to the women and his disciples before
ascending into heaven. Perhaps, which enables this event credible is due to it offers evidence and
accounts of witnesses. Once again, this idea can be strengthened when compare this view to the
philosopher Richard Swinburne uses that to address sceptics of the validity of these events by
proposing two inductive principles; those of credulity and testimony. The former states that it is
normal to trust our senses and that perceived irregularities and extraordinary events in nature and
the world around us shouldn’t be immediately dismissed it on the basis that people wouldn’t dismiss

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