06-25-2011, 03:59 AM
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#21
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: England
Posts: 2,527
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Once JC is viewed as a composite figure - then, obviously, that composite figure can reflect whatever characteristics, imaginary, from the OT, from mythology, or even reflecting historical figures, it's authors deem useful. That JC can be viewed in various manners, wisdom sage, apocalyptic prophet, prophet of social change, revolutionary etc. is par for the course...One big mix up JC - a one size fits all.....or something like that 
It's only when one goes the historical JC route that complications arise - re trying to make some sort of sense out of all the contradictory JC elements.
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Originally Posted by JonA
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Originally Posted by blkgayatheist
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Originally Posted by Toto
The strongest argument for Jesus as a political rebel is the crucifixion. Crucifixion was a punishment used by the Romans for those who rebelled against Roman rule.
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Yet the only source we have re the crucifixion does not make the association between the act and any political agitation on Jesus' part. |
The gospels do make such associations; just read some of these passages:
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Luke 23:1–5 (NRSV):
Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, 'We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.' Then Pilate asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' He answered, 'You say so.' Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, 'I find no basis for an accusation against this man.' But they were insistent and said, 'He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.'
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John 19:12–16 (NRSV):
From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, 'If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.'
When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, 'Here is your King!' They cried out, 'Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!' Pilate asked them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but the emperor.' Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
So they took Jesus;
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Mark 11:15–19 (NRSV):
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, 'Is it not written,
"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations"?
But you have made it a den of robbers.'
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
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If we set the theology aside and simply read the narrative of the gospels, they do—however weakly—associate Jesus' execution to accusations of insurrection.
Jesus being executed as a political rebel, of course, is evidence of Jesus being a political rebel. The charge may have been false, and so other evidence will be helpful, but it is a start to understanding the political nature of Jesus and his movement.
Jon |
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