Why were people offended when Christ came?

[Elioenai26]

Why were some people offended at the teachings of Christ when He came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come to men?

 

[Davian]

Why were some people offended at the teachings of Christ when He came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come to men?

You mean, hypothetically. Just checking.

 

[Elioenai26]

You mean, hypothetically. Just checking.

No, I do not mean hypothetically.

If you do not believe Jesus of Nazareth was an actual man who lived and walked the earth and was crucified at the request of the religious elite of His day then that is perfectly fine.

This question is addressed to those who do believe the historical records of the life of Christ are accurate.

I will ask that any comments on the veracity of the gospel accounts and or historicity of Jesus of Nazareth be redirected elsewhere and that only the original question be addressed.

With all humility and respect I make this request.

 

[Davian]

No, I do not mean hypothetically.

If you do not believe Jesus of Nazareth was an actual man who lived and walked the earth and was crucified at the request of the religious elite of His day then that is perfectly fine.

This question is addressed to those who do believe the historical records of the life of Christ are accurate.

I will ask that any comments on the veracity of the gospel accounts and or historicity of Jesus of Nazareth be redirected elsewhere and that only the original question be addressed.

With all humility and respect I make this request.

If that was your intent, why did you not post this in the Exploring Christianity or World religions forums? The mods will move it on request.

 

[Elioenai26]

If that was your intent, why did you not post this in the Exploring Christianity or World religions forums? The mods will move it on request.

I posted it here because I felt the need to. If it is moved then it is moved. God knows best.

 

[Gadarene]

I've no idea to which "people" you refer, some specificity would help.

Taking one possible answer - I increasingly have more sympathy for the Pharisees in the gospel account than I previously did, who I'm sure may well have been more complex individuals than the cartoon-villainish characterisation of them in the gospels.

They were attempting to get people to follow a set of laws that had been given to them under a covenant, which they had to follow on pain of exile and destruction - a threat that, according to their own beliefs, God had already made good on several times.

And then a chap shows up claiming to be the next stage in the plan, effectively laughing at them for taking the laws so seriously. I'm wondering what response the incarnation of an omniscient deity expected exactly, hanging such a threat over feeble human heads? Some people may indeed react legalistically to such a threat, and would not take kindly to someone rocking the boat.

 

[Elioenai26]

I've no idea to which "people" you refer, some specificity would help.

All who were offended at Him.

Taking one possible answer - I increasingly have more sympathy for the Pharisees in the gospel account than I previously did, who I'm sure may well have been more complex individuals than the cartoon-villainish characterisation of them in the gospels.

They were attempting to get people to follow a set of laws that had been given to them under a covenant, which they had to follow on pain of exile and destruction - a threat that, according to their own beliefs, God had already made good on several times.

And then a chap shows up claiming to be the next stage in the plan, effectively laughing at them for taking the laws so seriously.

Interesting Gadarene, and thank you for taking the time to respond.

It is true, the Law of Moses was theirs to follow and obey. It is also interesting to note that Jesus never once laughed at them for taking the law so seriously as you put it. In fact, Jesus encouraged the people to listen to the scribes and the pharisees and to indeed obey what they instructed them to do. Jesus however, encouraged the people not to live and act the way the scribes and pharisees did, for they were hypocrites. They assigned numerous "laws" to be kept and rituals to be performed that God never commanded and then punished the people when they failed in their duties when they themselves did not practice what they preached.

For this reason, Jesus openly rebuked them for their hypocrisy before the multitudes, and for this reason were the religious hypocrites offended.

I'm wondering what response the incarnation of an omniscient deity expected exactly, hanging such a threat over feeble human heads?

Christ expected them to love God with all their heart, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbors as they loved themselves, for Christ Himself said that upon those two commandments the whole Law rested.

He also expected jealousy, malice, and resentment from those whom he exposed as hypocrites.

Some people may indeed react legalistically to such a threat, and would not take kindly to someone rocking the boat.

The religious leaders who were threatened by His popularity sought to use the Law as a means to trap Him and convict Him of transgressing said Law. Something they were never able to do...

 

[Sectio Aurea]

Why were some people offended at the teachings of Christ when He came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come to men?

1. I don't know what people you are talking about, who?

2. There appeared to be very little interest in Jesus during his short life, many decades past between his supposed resurrection and any interest in his life. It took almost three centuries before Rome (Constantine the Great) actually legalised Christianity. The mixture of paganism helped Christianity become more acceptable.

So how do we discern what is purely teachings from Jesus?

 

[Elioenai26]

1. I don't know what people you are talking about, who?

Any and all who were offended at Him.

2. There appeared to be very little interest in Jesus during his short life,

Where did you gather this information from? Christ had multitudes of followers from all over Judea, literally thousands following Him and worshiping Him as the long awaited Messiah. He also had many detractors and enemies, powerful enemies. So powerful in fact that they were successful in causing Him to be crucified under Pontius Pilate after having been sent to Herod and back. From the beginning of His public ministry around the age of thirty, until His death, His life was a whirlwind of activity. The last thing one could rightly say was that there was "very little interest" in Him.

many decades past between his supposed resurrection and any interest in his life.

This is not supported by any historical record. In fact, the historical records actually give us the exact opposite of what you espouse. For on the Day of Pentecost (less than two months after Christ's death and resurrection) Peter preached after having received the power of the Holy Spirit and thousands in the capital city - Jerusalem were saved and thus began the era of the Church...

It took almost three centuries before Rome (Constantine the Great) actually legalised Christianity. The mixture of paganism helped Christianity become more acceptable. So how do we discern what is purely teachings from Jesus?

The legalization of Christianity and it becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire did not just happen in one day. The years prior to said event are full of accounts of Christianity spreading literally like wildfire throughout the empire. It started from the time Christ began preaching and teaching and has continued even up until this day. Spreading under immense and extreme torture and persecution. Throughout this time, holy, trustworthy men were entrusted with the transmission and safeguarding of the letters and gospels written by the apostles and protected said texts, oftentimes risking their very lives.

Biblical scholars have studied the various methods of transmission and copying and are confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that the gospel accounts we have today were written by first century eyewitnesses or people who personally knew said witnesses of the events recorded.

And to reiterate, this is not a thread about the authenticity of the gospel accounts. This thread is addressed to those who understand that the gospel accounts are indeed accurate accounts of the life and teachings of Christ.

Please, I implore anyone interested in posting here to keep this is mind.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

1. What was written about Jesus during his lifetime? IOW, to be more precise, written at the time he was alive.

2. Is this evidence the original copy?

 

[Elioenai26]

1. What was written about Jesus during his lifetime? IOW, to be more precise, written at the time he was alive.

2. Is this evidence the original copy?

Once again and with all due respect and humility, I ask that we remain on topic and discuss why people were offended when Christ came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come among men.

I can understand if you are unconvinced that the gospels are reliable but this thread might not be for you. If you would like you can private message me or email me or start a new thread.

 

[variant]

Sadly we don't get the contemporary opposition argument from people who actually saw Jesus (such a thing simply doesn't exist), our entire outline of them comes from believers after the fact.

So, we don't really have their story as to what they thought and we can't make a great historical inference.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

Once again and with all due respect and humility, I ask that we remain on topic and discuss why people were offended when Christ came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come among men.

Evading my questions only excludes me from defining yours, is this deliberate?
First you must define Jesus teachings.
Then you must define who these people are and what they said.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

These is no real point discussing an aspect of something unless the authenticity of that "something" is established first.

It would be prudent to ask for evidence of Jesus teaching's by way of original copy, recorded during the life of Jesus, by an author with a name.

This would be a fair request if we are going to discuss the teachings of Jesus or anyone else for that matter.

Please present us such evidence Elio?

Then we can deduce with more precision "what" exactly anybody found offensive.

 

[Davian]

Once again and with all due respect and humility, I ask that we remain on topic and discuss why people were offended when Christ came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come among men.

I can understand if you are unconvinced that the gospels are reliable but this thread might not be for you. If you would like you can private message me or email me or start a new thread.

Respect and humility? Where did you find that?

As I already said, there are other forums here where your presuppositional apologetics may get the free pass that it will not, and should not get here.

To the OP, was not Jesus an end-of-world apocalyptic preacher?

Were there not other apocalyptic preachers at that time as well?

 

[Sectio Aurea]

Christ had multitudes of followers from all over Judea, literally thousands following Him and worshiping Him as the long awaited Messiah. He also had many detractors and enemies, powerful enemies. So powerful in fact that they were successful in causing Him to be crucified under Pontius Pilate after having been sent to Herod and back. From the beginning of His public ministry around the age of thirty, until His death, His life was a whirlwind of activity. The last thing one could rightly say was that there was "very little interest" in Him.

Elio, consider this, if Jesus lived sometime between 4 B.C.E and 30 C.E as most would agree. And we have good scholarly evidence for other seemingly less dramatic events at or before that period of time.

Why didn't anybody make mention of Jesus during his lifetime or death?


Tell me why?

 

[lordistrength]

Why were some people offended at the teachings of Christ when He came preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God had come to men?

The entire world apart from God, rejects God.

 

[lordistrength]

Why didn't anybody make mention of Jesus during his lifetime or death?

We have many accounts of believers in the Gospel.

Disagreeing with the Gospel dosn't mean it is false. It is truth.

 

[Sectio Aurea]

The entire world apart from God, rejects God.

Elio rejects thousands of gods, except for maybe 3 (The trinity) or 4. (The trinity + Satan)

 

[lordistrength]

Elio rejects thousands of gods, except for maybe 3 (The trinity) or 4. (The trinity + Satan)

God is a trinity. God is One.