christian@topaz.UUCP (04/05/87)
>Subject: Re: More Questions on Christianity< [This is a response to an article claiming that crucifixion was due to a plot to make Jesus appear to fulfill various OT prophesies. As usual I have tried to abbreviate quotations. --clh] 1- I'm rather suspicious of defining Jesus as a bible scholar. 2- The word messiah is much better than saviour (due to saviour's christian connotations. 3- Jesus & co. [:-)] didn't try to "convert" other people since they didn't form a new religion & their target audience was Jewish. [The article said that the crucifixion was the result of the misfiring of a plot. That plot was due to a misinterpretation of some prophecies about resurrection. --clh] The prophecies of the OT dealing with the messiah have almost nothing to do with resurrection or self-sacrifice. Those that do, have an allegorical meaning so obvious that no one can claim them to be as they seem (especially no scholar). Martyrdom isn't one of the qualifications to the messiah. Jesus himself seems quite reluctant to die ... [The original posting discussed how "son of God" came to be attached to Jesus --clh] Jews at those times despised the gentiles for being pagans. Thus naming their messiah with a pagan title would have been an unspeakable thing to do. The son of god was attached to Jesus by the pagan Christians, not the 12 (all Jewish) diciples. >[Have you read "The Passover Plot"? You might want to. --clh] I did. You've summed up the writers claims quite neatly. I find this book a very interesting data collection about the period. Though some of his conclusions seems to be quite apart from the historical background of the 2nd temple society.