What is necessary for doing Christian apologetics?

Acts 17:1-3 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

Introduction:

Today's post answers the question: "what is involved in Christian apologetics?" Dr. William Lane Craig defines apologetics as: "The discipline in Christian theology that entails giving reasonable warrant for holding to the truth claims of Christianity". When Dr. Craig speaks of "reasonable warrant", he is referring to justifying why one believes what they believe. Certainly the Apostle Paul had a mission to go into the regions of Europe - particularly Macedonia - so as to lay the ground work for evangelism. As a plowman prepares a field for reception of seed, apologetics sculpts furrows and rows in the culture for what will be the sowing of Gospel seed in evangelism. God had called Paul by way of vision to journey to Macedonia and engage the people of ancient Europe. Paul would eventually make his way down the region of Macedonia that included key cities such as Philippi and the larger cities referenced in the passage above. The more familar cities of Thessalonica and Corinth would also be included in this missionary journey. Eventually this trip would lead to one of the most dramatic apologetic encounters occurring at the famous "Mars Hill" - an ancient think- tank of philosophers and thinkers in Athens. 

In the opening verses of today's post, we see Paul's method of apologetical groundwork as he entered in new territory. What were the essentials of Paul's apologetical method and message? Note the following thoughts from Acts 17:1-4:

1. A consistent method Acts 17:1-2a

As a general rule, Paul always bee-lined to the Synagogues (Jewish meeting-places) in keeping with the early church's mission of the "Jew first, and also the Greek" (Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16). The word translated "custom" speaks of Paul's "habit". A good apologist will have a method, an outline and overall goal in mind as they do their preparatory work for evangelism. An example of a consistent method may very well be in offering common arguments for God's existence, followed by demonstrating the reliability of the Bible and ending with the credibility of the fact of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Such a method, called "classical apologetics", has existed in one form or another since the early days of the church following the death of the apostles. 

2. A communication of worldviews.

Acts 17:2b

Luke writes in Acts 17:2b that Paul "reasoned from the scriptures" with the Jews. The Greek word translated "reasoned" is a verb from whence we derive our English word "dialogue". Thus as Paul spoke in the Synagogue, or later on with the Graeco-Roman audiences, his aim was to engage these people in dialogue. Creating an atmosphere of having "meetings for better clarity" can go a long way toward removing caricatures that Christians and non-Christians bring into the apologetical discussion. Moreover, as non-Christians are given the opportunity to dialogue with Christians, inroads are opened up for the Holy Spirit to do His convicting work (John 16:8-12). Think of how often Jesus Himself had conversations with people. In apologetics, building relationships is essential if we ever expect to see eventual conversions.  

3. Constructing evidence and arguments for why one believes the truth claims of Christianity

Luke then goes further by stating in Acts 17:2b-3 reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” The two underlined English words detail what Paul did as he laid out the case for Christianity. 

First, the word "explaining" comes from a word that refers to "opening up the meaning" of the text of scripture. We could also say that Paul's intent was to hopefully "open the minds" of his hearers. Undoubtedly there had been much prayer invested in this endeavor, since much like preaching, apologetics will never succeed apart from the Holy Spirit's intervention. 

The second word describing Paul's apologetic effort is the term "explaining". This word in the original language gives the idea of "laying out each argument or bit of evidence side by side". I'm sure the reader has seen court cases on television where lawyers will have "exhibit A" and "exhibit B" and so on. To establish guilt or innocence is done by cumulatively present each individual piece of evidence to make the overall case. In legal settings, the gold standard of establishing truth is "beyond a reasonable doubt". 

In apologetical situations, the normal standards include "plausibility" and "greatest level of probability, given the evidence." Apologetical arguments on their own do not constitute enough persuasive power to deliver certainty. Now even though that may sound disconcerting at first, the point of apologetics is to dislodge intellectual and moral objections and to move the unbeliever from outright hostility to reasonable consideration of the Christian faith. Whatever distance may remain between, say, intellectual acceptance of Christianity to full certain faith in Jesus Christ can only be bridged by the Holy Spirit and the scriptures (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). 

Apologetics functions to prepare the mind and heart of the unbeliever for what will be the presentation of the Gospel. It may take only one apologetical encounter, or one may not even get through the whole presentation before the person says they're ready to believe. Again, the Holy Spirit is the One who brings people to point of certainty in saving faith (James 1:18; Hebrews 11:1). 

Conclusion:

So, what is involved in doing Christian apologetics? In exploring Acts 17:1-3, we saw that the Apostle Paul had three major elements: consistency, communication and construction. He was consistent in his approach and methodology. He aimed for two-way communication between himself and those whom he brought forth the case for Christianity. As we already noted, the task of Christian apologetics must be conjoined to the Person and work of the Holy Spirit and prayer. Then finally, he had constructed arguments and evidence that gave justification for why he believed why he believed. 

The appropriateness and duty of Christian apologetics

Acts 17:1-3 "Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came toThessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer andrise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

Introduction:
In today's opening verses we see the Apostle Paul engaging in the practice of explaining and defending the Christian faith. Such an activity of defending and communicating the Christian faith is what we call "apologetics". The word "apologetics" derives from a Greek word ("apologia") that refers to Christians giving "a reasonable defense" or "giving an answer" as to why they have their hope in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter uses this word "apologia" (translated in most English translations by words such as "defense" or "answer") in 1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." 

The appropriateness and duty of Christian apologetics
Some Christians today will raise the question as to whether it is appropriate to do apologetics, since no one can "argue" anyone into the kingdom of God. The urgency expressed by Peter ought to put the matter to rest, since scripture asserts not only the appropriateness but duty for defending the Christian faith against doubt, opposing worldviews and hostile critics. 

Certainly engaging in apologetics with "gentleness and reverence" ensures that Christians won't lose their testimony and integrity. It can be very easy to get angry against mockers who ridicule Christianity. This blogger has engaged in apologetic work for over two decades, engaging with many non-Christian belief systems from atheism to agnosticism to Islam to Mormonism and more. The temptation to be hostile can rear its ugly head (and has certainly been experienced from time to time by this writer). The reminder from 1 Peter 3:15 expresses the truth that in as much as reasons are necessary for doing apologetics, the heart and the attitude of the apologist are equally important. 

Why apologetics must include conversation
When we see the Apostle Paul in Acts 17, we find that his typical strategy was to first engage the Jews in their gathering places of worship (called Synagogues) by "reasoning with them" from the scriptures. Later on in the same chapter, Paul is carrying on an apologetic conversation with the Greek Philosophers on Mars Hill. In Acts 17:17-18 "So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection." Paul exercised "reasoning" or quite literally "dialogue" with those who questioned and opposed the Christian faith, whether in conversation with the Jews or the Gentiles. Apologetics is not merely a one-way communique whereby one person does the talking and the other listens with no chance to raise further questions. The idea of "reasoning" carries with it a two-way exchange, a "dialogue" with an intended purpose.

Apologetics is still a worthwhile effort despite possible rejection
Both the Apostles Paul and Peter demonstrate that apologetics is appropriate in sharing the Gospel. Some today may still object in noting that very few people are won to Christ by arguments. Certainly our arguments and preaching won't win anyone on their own, since the Holy Spirit is the Agent who is responsible for bringing about the results. Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit uses "means" to achieve the conversion of sinners. We see in Acts 17 that although many people did end up mocking Paul, some did believe. We read in Acts 17:31-33 "Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them."

Conclusion: Christians need to be more about the task of Christian apologetics
So may we as Christians learn apologetical arguments, read apologetics books and explore the same-said websites and podcasts. Then, let's take those opportunities that God grants to give reasons as to why we believe. A few websites will be listed to encourage the Christian reader to apply what was written in this post today:

1. http://www.reasonablefaith.org/
2. http://rzim.org/
3. https://answersingenesis.org/

How you can tell when God is working in your prayer-life

1 John 5:15 "And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."

Introduction: A story about a misplaced bag

I recently had the experience of having my luggage being forgotten by the airliner at a certain stopover while on my way to a certain state. Whenever you travel a long way from home, you never realize how important the basics of life really are until you are without them. The bag that had been left at the certain airport contained clothes and personal effects. When I had gotten off of the final flight and waited at the baggage claim, I soon realized that the bag had been left at the previous airport. So, I went to the baggage claim counter and put in a request, with the clerk giving me a claim number. The only thing they could do was ensure me that the bag would be delivered by hand in the next day or so. 

I held tightly onto that claim ticket and went onto the website where I could type in further information and hopefully track the bag. The place where I was staying was located in an area with poor phone reception. The computer website told me the bag would be delivered by 3:30 p.m the next day. As the next afternoon rolled around, it was going on 3:00 p.m and I was beginning to wonder if the airport, the baggage claim service and all the people it took to make the delivery possible would come through on their promise. 

Soon I got a phone call - but then the call dropped. After about four or five missed calls, I was able to text the driver the address where I was staying. When the knock came on the door, I was excited. There was my bag! I knew by looking at it and the driver that my request had been fulfilled. When the driver saw me, I offered my claim ticket and he said it was unnecessary, since through our repeated efforts to communicate he had deduced that I was his intended recipient.  

How you can tell when God is working in your prayer-life

Now for the point of the story: you and I dear Christian can be certain of God's working in our lives and can know for sure when He has answered our requests. The passage above begins with the truth: "And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask...". That conditional "if" is based upon the fact relayed in the previous verse of the confidence we have to come to God in prayer. Do we trust God? When we pray to Him, are we confident that He will come thought for us? 

I'll admit, I was nervous about the airline's abilities and at one point was unsure whether I would use them again. But as soon as that bag arrived, all of that was erased. I wonder if that is how we often treat God in prayer? We chew our spiritual fingernails and really wonder if He is trustworthy. When we see answered prayer, we will of course praise the Lord after the fact. But what about before? Moreover, I wonder how often we have experienced answered prayer without even knowing it? 

To the degree with have confidence in God's character will determine how well we can identified answered prayer. Notice what the Apostle John writes in the second half of 1 John 5:14 "....we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." The Greek word translated "we know" speaks of "understanding". Henceforth the ability to understand where God is working in relationship to our prayers increases as we "understand" or "know" that He is trustworthy. 

If you and I dear Christian could just see how often God is at work in our lives and works in response to prayers that perhaps we had forgotten about, we would perhaps be not so quick to doubt God the next time we pray. When the answer comes, will you and I recognize it? I hope we will. Unlike the occasional foibles of air travel, God will never leave one detail of our lives unchecked.  We can be sure that His will and purposes will be achieved on His time. We just need to trust Him, so that we can recognize His work in the present and future times to come.  

The need to rest

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Introduction:
Today's post is going to make an important announcement regarding what I've concluded from praying and thinking about needing to rest for a season from blogging. But first, let me say a word about what the scripture says about the necessity of rest in the Christian life. 

Two four letter words: Busy and Rest
I am convinced that in today's Christian world we have two four-letter words, one of which is dirty to God and one of which is dirty to us. The word that we find ourselves saying often to God that is dirty to Him is the word "busy": "I'm too busy to pray" or "I'm too busy too stop and check on so-and-so" or "I'm to busy to sit and listen." One wise saint of God described the word "busy" in acrostic form: "burdened under satan's yoke." Certainly God in His Word warns us of getting too "busy" and not resting or taking time out to pray and seek His face. (Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 11:28-30)

The second four letter word is dirty to us but pleasant to God. That word is "rest". I have noticed lately how when talking to Christians or even in my own activities and thoughts how little room there is for "rest". The idea of taking time out to rest is repulsive to many Christians. Why is that? Let's be honest - we don't like resting in prayer before God because we like control. Scripture abounds with God calling His people to come and rest and spend time with Him in prayer. Rest is something God did after creation and is still doing, affirming His Sovereign control over all he has made. 

Rest is at the core of what it means to be a Christian, since in it we are affirming Christ's Sovereign control over us. It is in the place of prayer in conjunction with God's word that the Christian is once again refreshed and recharged.  Rest is seasonal or weekly. We know there are times and seasons of rest - followed by seasons and times of activity. Both are ordained by God and constitute the rhythm of healthy Christian discipleship.

My need to rest, but to hopefully resume blogging in the near future
To all my readers, blogging has become a major part of my life. However, I really feel inclined to take a season of "rest" from what has become a daily activity for me. There are just those times when "rest" is required, and for me, that time is now. I want to continue to grow in my walk with the Lord and aim to pick up the "proverbial pen" once more in the near future whenever God sees fit and inclines me to become active once again in blogging. I urge readers to explore this blog-site. The goal has been and will always be to provide "growing Christian resources" for people that emphasize the practical, doctrinal and supernatural aspects of the Christian walk. Blessings! 

P3 - How we know Jesus demonstrated Himself to be Messiah and God-Incarnate - Jesus' exorcisms demonstrate His Divine authority

Matthew 8:28-34 "When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. 31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to thedemoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region."

Introduction:
Did Jesus understand Himself to be the Messiah and revelation of God in human flesh? In yesterday's post we considered how Jesus regarded Himself to be no-less than the sole gateway to God, and no-less than God in human flesh by His use of the phrase "truly, truly". The day before we considered how Jesus understood Himself to be on equal par- with God by his phrase: "but I say". Both posts have been exploring Jesus' claims by way of what is often deemed "implicit Christology", meaning we can tell "implicitly" by Jesus' words and actions whether or not He believed himself to be Messiah and God-incarnate. Such activities are "implicit" and, when combined with "explicit" evidence such as His titles (Son of Man for example) and explicit statements (John 14:6), we can gain an accurate picture of Jesus. 

In today's post we raise the question again: how well did Jesus understand Himself to be with respect to being the Messiah and decisive revelation of God in human flesh? Demonstrating this to be the case is important, since the Jesus I worship and preach and that Bible believing Christians have staked their trust in must surely be more than another "prophet" or mere "holy-man". Today we consider a third line of evidence supporting Jesus' self-designation as Messiah and God-incarnate, namely His exorcisms.

Jesus casting out of Demons represents an unprecedented demonstration of Divine authority
On at least eight occassions we find record of Jesus casting demons out of people (Matt 8:28,31; 9:34; 10:8; 12:24,27,28 and the associated parallels in Mark and Luke, as well as additional passages). One can comb the Old Testament and not find one example of exorcism. Certainly there were Jewish Rabbi's who claimed to have such abilities (such as Honi the Circle Drawer and Ben Dosa). When one scans the Rabbinic writings, the claim is made that the Jewish teachers derived methods of exorcism extending all the way back to King Solomon. 

It is one thing to make claims and build entire traditions around such claims. However, could such claims be verified? The claims hung in the air - but to demonstrate such was quite another matter. When we consider Jesus' actions and teachings - the reaction of critics and crowds alike gives us the first clue that His exorcisms were not mere parlor tricks, smoke and mirrors. Demonic possession was deemed by the Jews and Gentiles alike as hopelessly incurable. Such infestations by the fallen angelic realm could not be cured by conventional means.

When Jesus came on the scene and began doing exorcisms as a regular part of His ministry - He was no less than God Himself in human flesh. I would urge readers to survey the passages I gave earlier to grasp the full scope of Jesus' power and activity. When we add Jesus' exorcisms to the evidence of His use of the phrases: "but I say to you" and "Truly, truly I say to you", we have yet more evidence that Jesus viewed Himself as Messiah and God-Incarnate. 

P2 - How we know Jesus demonstrated Himself to be Messiah and God-Incarnate - Jesus' as the sole gateway to God

John 1:51 "And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Introduction:
Did Jesus understand Himself to be the Messiah and revelation of God in human flesh? This two-fold question is important to answer, since many today claim that Jesus never understood Himself to be neither. In yesterday's post we considered how Jesus understood Himself to be on equal par- with God by his phrase: "but I say". This phrase was His way of saying He was equal in authority to the Old Testament and above and superior to the Jewish traditions of His time. Such a statement undoubtedly sparked controversy and marvel from both Jesus' opponents and followers. 

In today's post we raise the question again: how well did Jesus understand Himself to be with respect to being the Messiah and decisive revelation of God in human flesh? In conversations that I've had over the years with people of differing worldviews, religions and even-skeptics - the charge has been that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah nor God's decisive revelation of Himself in true humanity. Demonstrating this to be the case is important, since the Jesus I worship and preach and that Bible believing Christians have staked their trust in must surely be more than another "prophet" or mere "holy-man". 

As I noted yesterday, this series of posts aims to explore whether or not Jesus understood Himself (by way of his words and actions) to not only be the Messiah or deliverer of His people, but also God in human flesh, the Savior of the world and other truths that are unfolded in the New Testament. We witnessed yesterday Jesus' implicit claim to be Divinely authoritative by way of His phrase: "but I say to you". Today, we will consider another action and teaching of Jesus, whereby He uses the phrase: "truly, truly I say to you" or "verily, verily I say to you".

How Jesus' use of "truly, truly" or "verily, verily" or "amen, amen" was His way of claiming to be the sole gateway to God
Whenever one reads any of the writings of the Jewish teachers of Jesus day, the teacher (or Rabbi) would give his exposition of a particular text, and then end the teaching by way of the phrase "truly" (or "amen" or for those who use the KJV, "verily"). Such a method was the Rabbi's way of saying "what I just said is based upon the Bible and other authoritative tradition" or "what I just taught can be confirmed by others". No Rabbi would had ever dreamed of placing this phrase in front of their teaching, lest they be presuming themselves to need no other validating authority.  As a matter of fact, if any Rabbi would had done such a practice, it would be assumed He was setting himself up to be His own authority - which only God can do.

When we compare Jesus' teaching and actions, we discover that unlike the Rabbi's of his day, Jesus did what would had been unthinkable - he started out His teachings oftentimes by the phrase: "truly, truly" (or "verily, verily" or "amen, amen"). In John 1:51, we read Jesus saying: "And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” 

Jesus' words to Nathanael - whom he was calling to be a disciple - was that the vision that Old Testament Jacob had of his encounter with God at Peniel in Genesis 28 concerning the ladder descending from heaven to earth was nothing short of Jesus Himself! The mysterious ladder with angels ascending and descending certainly perplexed Jacob, prompting him to exclaim in Genesis 28:16-17 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Though Jacob (the patriarch whose sons were the originators of Israel's twelve tribes) may not had comprehended the identity of the ladder, he knew enough by grace to conclude that He had been encountered by God Himself. As Jesus expresses commentary on this very text to Nathanael, (whom by the way he designates as an Israelite in whom there is no guile, a wordplay on Jacob's original name meaning "one who has guile, a deceiver), Jesus unveils the fact that He himself is the gateway to God.  

Now herein is the kicker, prior to this entire exposition, Jesus frontloads his teaching with the phrase: "truly, truly". In other words, Jesus is in effect saying that He has authority to express the truth of Genesis 28, and thus requires no other authority to verify His self-interpretation to Nathanael. 

This strategy of Jesus in placing "truly, truly" (or "amen, amen") in front of His teachins is found throughout John's Gospel (John 1:51; 3:3,5,11; 5:24,25; 6:26,32,47,53; 8:34,51,58; 10:1,7; 12:24; 13:16,20,21,38; 14:12; 16:20,23; 21:18) Is it any wonder we find Jesus not just implicitly demonstrating this fact by his saying "truly, truly", but also explicitly saying Himself to be "The way, the truth and the life" in John 14:6? It is clear both by the implicit words and actions of Jesus, as well as explicit utterances such as John 14:6, that Jesus understood Himself to be the Messiah and God in human flesh. Therefore we have yet another line of proof from Jesus' own lips and actions regarding His self-understanding as Messiah and God Incarnate. 

P1 - How we know Jesus claimed Himself to be Messiah and God-Incarnate - Jesus as authoritative as God

Matthew 5:18-19 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Introduction:
Did Jesus understand Himself to be the Messiah and revelation of God in human flesh? This two-fold question is important to answer, since many today claim that Jesus never understood Himself to be neither. In conversations that I've had over the years with people of differing worldviews, religions and even-skeptics - the charge has been that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah nor God's decisive revelation of Himself in true humanity. Scholar Michael J. Wilkins notes this challenge in a chapter, "Who Did Jesus Think He Was?" from the book "Contending with Christianity's Critics" (Edited by William Lane Craig and Paul Copan, B&H Publishing 2009): "Modern Critics read the data of the New Testament differently by consistently making a distinction between what they refer to as the 'Jesus of History' and 'the Christ of faith'." Wilkins later notes: "But they contend that He never explicitly called Himself Messiah, He silenced those who tried to give Him messianic status (Mark 1:2-25; 8:29-30), and He declared that He was different from His heavenly Father, who knew things about the future that He himself did not know (Mark 13:32). Jesus knew He was a special agent of God, but He did not claim that He was anything other than a prophet like those of the Old Testament."

Dr. Wilkin's observations of the critics is important, since if it is the case that Jesus did not understand Himself to be the Messiah nor God incarnate, then His mission clearly had different aims than presented in the rest of the New Testament. Moreover, what pastors preach on Sunday morning and Christians have clung to about Jesus throughout the centuries has been at best a delusion. The Jesus I worship and preach and that Bible believing Christians have staked their trust in must surely be more than another "prophet" or mere "holy-man". This series of posts will aim to explore whether or not Jesus understood Himself (by way of his words and actions) to not only be the Messiah or deliverer of His people, but also God in human flesh, the Savior of the world and other truths that are unfolded in the New Testament.

A quick word about the sources for Jesus' ministry and life
To begin, when understanding the sources for Jesus' life and ministry, one must consider the Gospels, Acts and Epistles not as "one source", but rather several independent ancient sources. Certainly the Gospels, Acts, Epistles (and Revelation) are Divinely inspired to be sure, however when assessing claims made by Jesus, we approach them as historically reliable sources that speak and report about what Jesus said and did. Each book of the Bible was individually written under Divine inspiration, with the books later on collected and regarded together as the "Canon" or "rule and standard of faith". Hence, though our Bibles today do comprise "The Book" we call "The Bible", when understanding the life and ministry of Jesus, each Gospel is counted as "one source". 

Exploring Jesus' self-understanding by His words and actions, or what is called "implicit Christology"
With that caveat out of the way, we can turn to the Gospel records to discern how Jesus understood His life and ministry. Such an approach is designated in New Testament studies as: "Implicit Christology", meaning the message Jesus preaches and acts out relative to the in-breaking of the kingdom of God, and He being king over it. Dr. William Lane Craig comments on this approach in his book "Reasonable Faith" (Crossway, 2008) - "But we may gain additional insight into Jesus' self-understanding by examining His teaching and behavior." Craig later notes: "In other words, the titles serve only to express 'explictly' what Jesus is in his teaching and behavior had already expressed about himself 'implicitly'."

Jesus understood Himself to be as authoritative as God
In the opening verses of this post, we find Jesus commenting on how the words of the Old Testament (which is all that existed in His day) would never pass way. For millennia, Christians everywhere have rightly understood these passages to be bedrock for establishing the authority and preservation of God's word down through the ages. As Jesus goes on though, it is abundantly clear that in His teaching, He also viewed Himself on equal par with the Old Testament scriptures, and more specifically the first five books or what are termed "Torah" (which means "Law" or "that which guides". Jesus states in Matthew 5:20-22 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall beliable to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell."

Twice Jesus uses the phrase: “but I say”. Oftentimes throughout scripture we will find the formula "it is written" or "thus says the Lord" to indicate the Divine authority of God as expressed by the scriptures. Truly what Jesus said - or more to the point - how He said it - tells us that He in effect viewed Himself as the Divine Son of God speaking forth as God to the people. No other prophet in the Old Testament ever speaks in this fashion. Furthermore, when Jesus remarked about "you have heard it said" or something to that effect, He was contrasting the Jewish tradition of His day that had built up around the Old Testament. Such tradition was comprised of centuries of various teachings by teachers called "Rabbis". What Jesus was doing was not only setting Himself in equal par to the Torah, but also over and against the traditions of men.

I would encourage the reader to look at the following scripture references in the Gospels to witness how Jesus' understood Himself to be Divinely authoritative through His statements of "but I say" (Matt 5:22,28,31-32, 44; 7:28-29; 12:6; 17:22; 26:29; Mk 10:2-12; Lk 4:25; 6:27; 9:27; John 5:34).

This brief study today has skimmed the surface in establishing the first line of evidence concerning Jesus' claim to Messiahship and being God-incarnate. By claiming Himself to be on par with the Torah and claiming to be as authoritative as God Himself in His teachings - we find that Jesus did understand Himself to be the Messiah and Son of God. Tomorrow we will consider another set of Jesus' actions and words (implicit Christology) that demonstrates Jesus' claim as Messiah and God-incarnate.