If so please EMail us with your question to jonpartin@tiscali.co.uk and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer. EMailus.

Why Believe in Jesus?

We have four writings written in the first century which tell us about Jesus and what he did and taught.

It is quite clear from these writings that Jesus taught in a deliberate way to aid the memory as most teaching in those days was carried in the memory. This meant that people's memories were far, far better than they are today. Furthermore the nature of Christ's teachings were such that they would be constantly repeated thus reinforcing the memory. History demonstrates that people under such constraints had a remarkable ability to maintain the accuracy of what they passed on.

Furthermore Jesus teaching was outstanding. Had it been subject to change its purity would have been lost, so that the fact that this has not happened demonstrates how carefully it was remembered.

We do not know at what time it was first written down, but as Mark's complete Gospel was released before 70AD he would certainly have begun recording the matter it contains far earlier. There are good reasons for thinking that he obtained a large part of his subject matter from Peter. There are now indications that Matthew's Gospel was in writing by 60AD, this would of necessity back date Mark's finished Gospel to before then as Matthew clearly drew on Mark, and given the time lapse necessary before Mark's work would come to Matthew's attention this would date Mark's work much earlier.

However anyone who seriously examines the teaching of Jesus as contained in the Gospels can hardly fail (unless their moral sensitivities are totally dulled) to be impressed both by its breadth, and its uniqueness. These were not just commonplaces! Jesus brought a new dimension to morality.

It is irrelevant whether by carefully sifting the teachings of 1000 years we can find the occasional parallel to some of Jesus teachings. We would expect this. After all morality had exercised men's minds from time immemorial.But nowhere do we find anyone who had the same breadth of vision, and who expounded so much so succintly.

The point about Jesus is that he can be known in depth because he revealed the reality about himself through his words. The more we study his teaching the more we have to stand back and admire him, and recognise he was incomparable.

Furthermore there can be no serious doubt that his teachings changed world history, and for the good. History itself demonstrates the fact.

He is not to blame because people tried to take the credit of his name but ignored his teachings. He must not be judged by so-called followers, who often used him as an excuse for furthering their own ends, He must be judged on what he said, and the impact that it has made through history.

So able a judge as Mahatma Ghandi declared his teaching to be incomparable. Had it not been for the inconsistencies of so-called Christians whom he knew, he would probably himself have taken the name of Christian, as Sadhu Sundar Singh did.

When someone in ignorance dismisses the teaching of Jesus, he or she merely demonstrate their own inadequacy. It has long been recognised by men of all ages, whether Christian or not, that they were supreme and incomparable in the moral sphere.

Yet if we are not to be inconsistent we must recognise that along with his moral supremacy, Jesus quietly and firmly revealed himself as someone come from God, someone unique, someone with special authority from God, someone who himself would judge the world. He showed clearly that he held a position with God that no other had, and his life and teaching back up his claims. he left no doubt as to his unique relationship with 'his father' using a uniquely personal term which his listeners immediately recognised as a claim to equality with God.

That is why he could say that men stood judged by their attitude towards him. The failure to recognise God in what he was and did could only happen to those whose minds were closed. The trouble is that so few even make the effort to test this out by a detailed examination of his life and teaching.

If there are those who would know The Truth let them make that study. Forget the background. Forget the miracles. Consider him in all his glory, enter into his thinking, absorb his character.

It will not be long before you say, "My Lord and my God".

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IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE THAT PUZZLES YOU?

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FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.

THE PENTATEUCH

GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS 1.1-7.38 --- 8.1-11.47 --- 12.1-16.34--- 17.1-27.34--- NUMBERS 1-10--- 11-19--- 20-36--- DEUTERONOMY 1.1-4.44 --- 4.45-11.32 --- 12.1-29.1--- 29.2-34.12 --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- PSALMS 1-17--- ECCLESIASTES --- ISAIAH 1-5 --- 6-12 --- 13-23 --- 24-27 --- 28-35 --- 36-39 --- 40-48 --- 49-55--- 56-66--- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL 1-7 ---DANIEL 8-12 ---

NAHUM--- HABAKKUK---ZEPHANIAH ---ZECHARIAH --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- 1 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-16 --- 2 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-13 -- -GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- HEBREWS 1-6 --- 7-10 --- 11-13 --- JAMES --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- REVELATION

--- THE GOSPELS

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