Interesting response from Professor Dale Martin of Yale to the simplistic apologetics of evangelical scholars who should know better.
Categories: Bible
Interesting response from Professor Dale Martin of Yale to the simplistic apologetics of evangelical scholars who should know better.
Categories: Bible
As I stated in my other post NONE of this is blasphemy even in Jewish Law. Again saying “Son of God” means the heir to David’s(as) throne. So there is no basis for any of this, but of course, the Greek who wrote the NT did not know this.
It is clear that the texts say that Jesus is accused of blasphemy by the Jewish priests, because He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man of Daniel 7, who ascends to the Ancient of Days and sits at His right hand of power and is given a kingdom of people from all the nations and they worship Him.
Martin has no basis for this dismissal of the blasphemy and also no basis for just dismissing the trials of Jesus as historical.
The trials, all together, are in all four gospels, each one emphasizing different aspects (before Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod, Pilate again) in different words, which is another proof of no plagiarism.
60 The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? [aa]What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. 65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.
Mark 14:60-64
Very clearly historical.
Very clear as understood by the Jewish leaders as blasphemy.
John 19:6-7 agrees
So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”
All four gospels have details on the various stages of the trials. Very historical.
//We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.//
In the same gospel , Jesus refuted this argument! It’s very odd that christians accept Jews’ accusation, yet reject Jesus’ refutation!
https://bloggingtheology2.com/2019/06/22/jesuss-argument-in-john-10/
Jesus did not refute His own argument in John 10.
Dale Tuggy fails to understand what Psalm 82 is really saying.
God is rebuking the unjust rulers and leaders who act like tyrants and dictators and don’t care about the poor and widows and orphans and think in their hears that they are “gods”.
God takes His stand in His own congregation;
He judges in the midst of the rulers. (“gods”, Elohim – rulers who are unjust and think they are ‘gods”)
2 How long will you judge unjustly
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
3 Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
And all of you are sons of the Most High.
7 “Nevertheless you will die like men
And fall like any one of the princes.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth!
For it is You who possesses all the nations.
Jesus, by quoting that in John 10, is not saying that humans are “gods”, rather He is rebuking the Pharisees for the same attitudes that these rulers / judges had in Psalm 82; and their failure to recognize that Jesus really is the Messiah, the true Son of God by nature.
“I said, You are gods” is a mocking statement, since they are unjust rulers/ judges (verses 2-5) and they will die like other mortal men (verses 7-8).
Jesus is saying “the Scriptures say “you are gods”, although mockingly, but I truly am the Son of God, so it is not blasphemy, since I really am the Son of God.”
Ken, just be honest , did Jesus talk about the status of those people or he was talking about the fact that God Himself named them “gods”? I
I said , “You are gods,
And all of you are sons of the Most High.
These titles don’t imply that they are god regardless whether they are righteous or not. This’s the point Jesus was making.
Jesus is using that text, but in the context of Psalm 82, it is a mocking statement; but about Himself, Jesus is saying He is the true Son of God, the Messiah, that the Father sent into the world.
Jesus is getting the Pharisees to look at themselves and accusing them of being the unjust rulers / judges of Psalm 82.
they will die like the rest of humanity.
But Jesus is the true Son of God, the Messiah, that the Father sent into the world.