Christianity has changed a lot over the years. One thing that will never change is the truth of the bodily and literal resurection of Christ. Without it, there is no Christianity.
" the Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, who was in Australia recently on a lecture tour. An eminent theologian, an expert on the historical and biblical Jesus and a staunch believer in the resurrection, he baulks at denouncing those who are not.
"I have friends who I am quite sure are Christians who do not believe in the bodily resurrection," he says carefully, citing another eminent scholar, American theologian Marcus Borg, co-author with Wright of The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions.
"But the view I take of them - and they know this - is that they are very, very muddled. They would probably return the compliment.
"Marcus Borg really does not believe Jesus Christ was bodily raised from the dead. But I know Marcus well: he loves Jesus and believes in him passionately. The philosophical and cultural world he has lived in has made it very, very difficult for him to believe in the bodily resurrection. "
Is it possible to be a Christian, to love Jesus, but not believe He rose from the dead? No....
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6 comments:
10:51 pm
First of all, I'm pretty sure I agree with you. But I'm interested in hearing you expand on the why of your last statement. (or more accurately, the why not)
I can understand how we lose the importance of the resurrection: when the gospel is boiled down to only be that Jesus came and died for my sins - there's no dependence on his resurrection in that. Which is why boiling the gospel down to that is missing the point.
11:10 pm
I am responding to Borg and Wright, Wright seems to be saying that you can love Jesus and be a christian....yet not believe in the resurection. I dont believe that is true...
Romans 10.9
and for some context, I am doing some part time lecturing on this subject
2:40 pm
not only do i not believe you can be a christian without believing in the resurrection, but i don't see why you'd want to be. surely if you don't believe in the basic tenets of a religion, you go find one that suits what you are prepared to believe. basically, the individual must all themselves to be moulded to 'fit' the religion, not the other way round.
9:47 pm
Wow... I'm pretty sure I've never met anyone who believed in Jesus (as savior) but not in the resurrection.
I'm quite sure the point of Jesus gaining "victory over death for us" would be lost without the resurrection.
Further, it seems clear that he predicted it, and his apostles, whose writings we trust to know so much about Christ, certainly believed that he had physically risen.
I would love to engage in dialog with one of these rare birds. I would think there is something in their personal history which leads them to insist that the obvious is not true. Much like the evolutionist, who has to go through such contortions to develop a theory which ignores the obvious truth of an intelligent designer.
2:38 am
Australia?
Recently the Bishop was in Barbados and in the States.
It seems a long time ago now since he took part in a march to raise awareness of CO2 emmissions and gave interviews about Christians and global warning.
How does Paul greet the converts to Jesus-worship in Corinth that he wrote to because they were scoffing at the idea of God choosing to raise a corpse?
1 Corinthians 1 ' 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.'
High praise indeed!
Mind you, Paul does call them fools for even discussing how a corpse can turn into a resurrected being.
He reminds them that Jesus became a spirit, implying that they too will become a spirit.
He even says that the difference between heavenly bodies and earthly bodies is as great as that between a fish and the moon.
Only an idiot discusses how a fish can turn into the moon!
2:41 am
Mind you, Paul took one look at what had happened to Jesus and pleaded 'Who will rescue me from this body of death?' (Romans 7:24)
Paul knew what would happen to his body and he wanted out of there.
Of course, Wright claims that asking to be rescued from your body is the same as asking for your body to be rescued.
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