Jesus the Teacher
Good Christian / bad Christian, good Muslim / bad Muslim, Jesus is a respected figure in both Christianity and Islam. Considered the Son of God by one and an inspired prophet by the other, the Gospels of the New Testament and the book of Injil within the Quran both site Jesus as one who supported and enforced the commandments while expanding those principles of serving God to include caring for others.
Matthew's Accounts of Christ's Beliefs
Subsequently, the following passages from Matthew's gospel have a uniquely truthful ring, because...
Jesus states his distain for organized, church worship...
"...And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."
"...Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”
"All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Although it's reasonable to assume some of Jesus' deeds were eventually transcribed to writing, it is unlikely this was done during Jesus' or his apostles' lifetime. Nevertheless, the process of oral tradition should not be trivialized. Oral tradition of the Gospel, or "Good News", was essential to the rapid spread of Christianity.
Today, the scriptures of Matthew, Mark and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because the stories and phrasings are consistent.
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Good Christian / bad Christian, good Muslim / bad Muslim, Jesus is a respected figure in both Christianity and Islam. Considered the Son of God by one and an inspired prophet by the other, the Gospels of the New Testament and the book of Injil within the Quran both site Jesus as one who supported and enforced the commandments while expanding those principles of serving God to include caring for others.
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| Pope John Paul II kissing a copy of the Quran |
Interpreting the Word
However, where the Gospels and the Injil differ regarding the tale of Christ, is over interpretation. Muslims believe the Christian Gospels contain a divine message, that Jesus spoke the word of God, but that the exact message has been altered over time. Most Christians believe the four evangelists to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to relate the message of Jesus.
Christian Gospel Sourcing
Most Bible historians believe the canonic Gospels to have likely been skewed by a combination of translation, regionalization and abundant scripting errors, inevitable over time. Also, there was considerable disagreement over Gospel authenticity at the first Ecumenical Council, The Council of Nicaea, organized by Constantine the Great in 325 CE. This led to sectarian division, deliberate edits and exclusions. Muslims too believe the words of Jesus to have been altered by Christians, both accidentally and deliberately. |
| Council of Nicaea - 325 CE (detail of icon) |
Historical renditions
Bible historians are also in unanimous agreement over oral tradition being the primary source of Gospel preaching during the first century of the Apostolic Age, primarily because most early converts were illiterate. Moreover, any paper trail would have greatly aided in the persecution, arrests and execution of Christians by Roman Authorities. |
| P52 - The oldest surviving Gospel manuscript 125-150CE (2.5x3.5 inches) |
- NOTE: During the time of Christ, literacy was generally in short supply. For example, few Romans could read and write. Most Roman Emperors of those days could read, but few could actually write. Emperor Claudius had previously been a history student and therefore had obtained a formal scribe's training. Other emperors would have simply used an imperial scribe.
- Consequently, in a poor province like Judaea, it remains doubtful any comprehensive set of Gospels would have been transcribed during the first century following the death of Jesus.
- Of the four Evangelists, Matthew the Apostle had been a government employee (tax collector) and Luke a doctor, so they both may have had some aptitude for writing.
- By contrast, there is no evidence John or Mark had any training in clerical skills. Nevertheless, they may very well have been good if not gifted (inspired?) orators, perhaps even linguists.
Matthew's Accounts of Christ's Beliefs
Subsequently, the following passages from Matthew's gospel have a uniquely truthful ring, because...
- They were conveyed by Matthew, an original apostle and friend to Jesus.
- They were not discarded during The Council of Nicaea (325CE), even though they do not seem to embrace many beliefs held by established, organized Christian denominations today.
- Matthew's overall portrayal of Jesus is not unlike those in the other Synoptic Gospels.
- These verses are consistent with current theological criticisms of today's Christian attendance (i.e.: Pope Francis, Pope Paul II, Pope John XXIII, etc.), while fully compatible with the type of life Jesus described by other evangelists.
What follows is a selection of verse from the Gospel of Matthew regarding Jesus' exposed personal views of religion, worship and salvation.
Jesus' views on organized religion (Matthew [6:5])
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| Weekend Churchgoers |
"...And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."
Christ's instructs who to convert (Matthew [10:5-8])
"...These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." |
| Christ with his disciples (Rembrandt) |
Christ mandates a vow of poverty to all followers (Matthew [10:9-15])
"...Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."Christ's creed of obedience and social awareness (Matthew [19:16-24])
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| Jesus Teaching the Poor (Rembrandt) |
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”
"All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
 |
| The Apostle Matthew (Rembrandt) |
Matthew's Credibility
Of the four Evangelists, Matthew and John were amongst the original twelve apostles and subsequently knew Jesus personally.Although it's reasonable to assume some of Jesus' deeds were eventually transcribed to writing, it is unlikely this was done during Jesus' or his apostles' lifetime. Nevertheless, the process of oral tradition should not be trivialized. Oral tradition of the Gospel, or "Good News", was essential to the rapid spread of Christianity.
Today, the scriptures of Matthew, Mark and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because the stories and phrasings are consistent.
Non-synoptic John
Consequently, the gospels of the apostle/evangelist John remain suspect from both consistency and theological contexts. Apparently, John's Gospel is a collective work of pseudepigraphic authors. John's Bible was first contested in the third century by Dionysius, the archbishop of Alexandria, who noted the writing style of the Book of Revelations to be inconsistent with other works attributed to John, even containing theological differences.|
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Got Feedback?
Comments? Questions? Corrections? Any feedback at all? Just click on the comments box at the bottom of this page and enter your thoughts. All comments are welcome.
Santuario de Guadalupe, the oil painting by Tom Mallon. This 42" x 22" canvas is the latest addition to the Santa Fe Portrait Series. The Santuario is the oldest shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the US.
Visit this later update by CLICKING HERE
Shostakovich and Cultural Snobbery, Could anyone survive Stalin's Purges, compose a large body, write for himself and the masses while producing constantly great work?
Visit this later update by CLICKING HERE
Tom Mallon's website "MallonArt". This website will provide you with links to all his paintings, drawings and other artwork portfolios, including the ongoing series entitled the Santa Fe Portrait.
Visit this later update by CLICKING HERE
Feedback is welcome.
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