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In the previous pieces for this series, we referenced C. S. Lewis’s Trilemma, essentially his argument that: in claiming He was God, Jesus was either a liar, insane, or God. But before we addressed these three possibilities, we provided historical evidence that Jesus actually walked the Earth and actually claimed to be God. This brings us to Lewis’ first possibility: Was Jesus a liar?
To investigate that question, we might begin with a general observation: people do not typically lie without a motive. The liar seeks something, most commonly fortune and/or fame. In claiming to be God, is that what Jesus was seeking?
Did Jesus Lie for Fortune?
Was it fortune that motivated Jesus? People do lie to amass wealth—that’s true. But if that is what Jesus attempted, he failed terribly. When Jesus died, He died broke. Of course, that could have been easily predicted; after all, Jesus’ teaching made him a mortal enemy of the rich and powerful. Drawing the animus of the wealthy would make a curious choice for someone intent on becoming wealthy, especially with Crucifixion on the horizon.
Of course, one Apostle was motivated, at least in part, by fortune: Judas. The Gospel of John recounts that Judas stole money from the collective purse, but it was such a pittance that the Apostles didn’t seem to care that it was missing. Later, Judas betrayed Jesus for only thirty silver pieces. If that doesn’t sound like much money, that’s because it isn’t. In today’s dollars, that has been estimated to be anywhere from under a hundred bucks to a few thousand at the most—hardly a king’s ransom. If Jesus and the Apostles had so much money, why settle for such a small amount?
Continued below.
The Trilemma Of C. S. Lewis, Part Three: Was Jesus A Liar?
To investigate that question, we might begin with a general observation: people do not typically lie without a motive. The liar seeks something, most commonly fortune and/or fame. In claiming to be God, is that what Jesus was seeking?
Did Jesus Lie for Fortune?
Was it fortune that motivated Jesus? People do lie to amass wealth—that’s true. But if that is what Jesus attempted, he failed terribly. When Jesus died, He died broke. Of course, that could have been easily predicted; after all, Jesus’ teaching made him a mortal enemy of the rich and powerful. Drawing the animus of the wealthy would make a curious choice for someone intent on becoming wealthy, especially with Crucifixion on the horizon.
Of course, one Apostle was motivated, at least in part, by fortune: Judas. The Gospel of John recounts that Judas stole money from the collective purse, but it was such a pittance that the Apostles didn’t seem to care that it was missing. Later, Judas betrayed Jesus for only thirty silver pieces. If that doesn’t sound like much money, that’s because it isn’t. In today’s dollars, that has been estimated to be anywhere from under a hundred bucks to a few thousand at the most—hardly a king’s ransom. If Jesus and the Apostles had so much money, why settle for such a small amount?
Continued below.
The Trilemma Of C. S. Lewis, Part Three: Was Jesus A Liar?
