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A* Essay on 'Jesus was only a teacher of wisdom'
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A* Essay on 'Jesus was only a teacher of wisdom'
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‘Jesus was only a teacher of wisdom’ DiscussJesus Christ is believed by many to be a teacher of wisdom, a liberator of the poor and
the son of God. For Wittgenstein, Jesus is not an abstract idea, but the ‘living world’.
There are many contrasting news and opinions about who Jesus truly was. Main
strengths regarding the idea that Jesus was only a teacher of wisdom include the
parable of the prodigal son, which shows Jesus teaching forgiveness and repentance,
as well as Jesus' sermon on the mount, where he states that he has come to ‘fulfill’ the
Torah. Also, Jesus Teachings on motive and inner purity regarding the Pharisees can be
seen as a strength.
However, main challenges to this statement include the Christian belief that Jesus
authority is linked to his status in relationship to God, and to say that he is just a teacher
of wisdom would be blasphemous to worship; as well as the fact that Jesus himself
claimed to be more than just a teacher.
Therefore, I will be disagreeing with the statement that Jesus was only a teacher of
wisdom, and I will use parables and sayings of Jesus to back this up further.
Jesus is believed by many to be a teacher of wisdom though his parables, sayings and
lifestyle. The parables of the prodigal son acts a clear strength
In regards to Jesus only being a teacher of wisdom, as it teaches Christians about
forgiveness and repentance. For instance, in the parable of the prodigal son, there is a
father, an eldest son and a younger son. The eldest son is always respectful and faithful
to the father, however the younger son rebels and uses his inheritance money to travel
far away from their home to ‘party’ and commit various sinful acts. Later, a famine
occurs, and the youngest son ends up having no money and begins taking care of
someones pigs; where he gets so hungry that he considers eating pig slop, which
prompts him to return home to his family. Due to the famine, the father thought his
youngest son was dead, so when he saw him he embraced him and showers him with
gifts and a party (after the son apologizes). The eldest brother returns home and angrily
refuses to join the celebration of his brother’s return, believing his father to be foolish as
he has always been faithful but does not receive any thanks. However, the father claims
that the youngest son ‘was lost and now is found’. In this parable, the father is
interpreted as Jesus, the eldest son is believed to be interpreted to be outsiders, or
sinners. Therefore, the parable of the prodigal son is seen to be a valid strength in
regards to the statement that Jesus was only a teacher of wisdom, as it clearly shows
him teaching forgiveness and repentance to all, as well as love and community.
For literal Christians, Jesus is believed to be more than just a teacher of wisdom.
Although Jesus' identity and actions as a teacher are vitally important in Christianity, it is
not sufficient enough to only call Jesus a teacher of wisdom, and it is believed to be
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