Steven Carr

James Dunn has written a new book called 'Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?: The New Testament Evidence. (or via: amazon.co.uk)'

After over a hundred years of New Testament research, Biblical scholars are still debating whether the first Christians worshipped Jesus.

Clearly , academic Biblical scholarship is a rather ineffective tool for finding out historical facts, if that is as far as scholars have got.

Why are mainstream Biblical scholars unable to agree on even such basic things as whether or not the early Christians worshipped Jesus?

PhilosopherJay

Hi Steven,

Thanks for this.

I think it does indicates what a mess Biblical Scholarship has been in for the past 100 years or more.

Hopefully, this book indicates a more critical and serious examination of generally accepted assumptions by some in the field.

Warmly,

Philosopher Jay

Cege

My SS class is currently studying Acts, and my question has repeatedly been "When did believers understand/believe that Jesus was God incarnate and worship Jesus as equal to God?"

We're in Chapt 7, and so far, there's no understanding of the contemporary Christian-sort by first "believers" after the death/resurrection/ascension of Jesus. Jesus is described as a man by the preaching apostles; a man messiah of the sort anticipated by many Jews of the 1st century, albeit one who would have to return to earth from heaven in order to fulfill the expectations of THE messiah.

Seems that admiration and expectation from the first Christians were huge concerning Jesus, but I haven't discerned worship up to and including Acts 7.

aa5874

But, in Acts Jesus Christ is not really described as a man. Jesus Christ ascended through some cloud in chapter one. Surely the ascension of Jesus Christ cannot be the actions of a mere man.
Acts 1.9-11 In Acts, Jesus was an heavenly/earthly creature. In effect, a MYTH.

Doug Shaver

Right. That means it could not have actually happened.

It does not mean that early Christians could not have believed that it actually happened.

aa5874

But, MYTHS WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE EXISTED.

BELIEF IS THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP OF MYTHS.

MYTHOLOGY is DIRECTLY dependent upon BELIEF.

charles

I think they must have worshipped him or should I say - they worshipped the myth of his coming.

popgoestheweasel

What do you mean by 'worship the myth of his coming?'

Cege

Mere man? no, Jesus isn't described as a mere man in Acts, but he is described as a man. A heavenly/earthly creature? yes, in the sense that God made him the messiah, raised him from the dead, and took him into heaven after that resurrection.

22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Angels were appearing in Acts and talking to mere men, and angels were described as heavenly/earthly creatures but they weren't to be worshiped.

I want to know when Jesus was supposed to have been recognized as being God (as in the Trinity sense) and worshiped as God by the apostles and the converts to Christianity.