The historical Jesus is often remembered as the
historical founder of a religion, the history of which can be
documented and analyzed. The life of Jesus on earth, and
the specific events thereof, are memorialized. The story is
borne from generation to generation in special
commemorations: “Happy Birthday Jesus” (Christmas) and
“Remember the Resurrection” (Easter). How does this
differ from the celebratory remembrances of George
Washington’s Birthday and the call to “Remember Pearl
Harbor”? When Christianity is falsely conceived of as an
historical society for the memory of and/or worship of an
historically detached founder, there is a disjunctive dualism
between Jesus Christ and what is called “Christianity.”
When Jesus is portrayed as merely a religious or
theological teacher, then the content of His teaching
becomes an ideological belief-system distinct from His
person. Even when Jesus is correctly identified as the
mediatorial representative of God (I Tim. 2:5), the High
Priest of God (Heb. 3:1; 8:1), the Son of God (John 11:27),
the rational formulation of doctrinal and theological
propositions can be formed into systematized constructs of
interpretation that stand alone from the living presence of
Jesus Christ. Christianity then becomes a theological
wallpaper
(WallPaper)
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