Was Jesus an apocalyptic teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Was Jesus an apocalyptic teacher - Essay Example Many believed Jesus was a teacher, a hero, a king, a God, who was the fulfillment of Gods promise of showing goodness first to his people-the Jews, then to the rest of the "gentile" world. As a teacher of good virtues, to the Christians, Jesus was the best. However, scholars and critics marked the contents of his messages as apocalyptic in nature and even classified him among the Jewish fundamentalists of his time who desperately portrayed the promised messiah to redeem his nation from hopelessness. Despite this we believe that his teaching, although contained some apocalyptic messages, is more deep-seated and applies to the very nature of man that when really accepted and lived into, would provide greater understanding and harmony among all the people. Most of his messages are not time-bound and can even be applied universally, for the self and for the others. Some hinted that if Jesus was not really the promised son of God, then his story is the greatest hoax ever that corrupted the earth. Amidst all criticisms we have known that the teachings he brought are priceless and have stood through the test of times. We have heard a lot about Jesus and the controversies surrounding his existence. We have no point discussing further on the controversy and we accept the fact that Jesus truly existed and brought good news in his time that created a stir globally. The question that lies ahead is putting up the teachings of Jesus on the real context and purpose. Evidences have shown that the only living sources of his teachings are the gospels, which was originally passed verbally, written, and rewritten, until finally it came out to a form so varied from the original context. The New Testament Books that we have are just few of the literatures produced almost a century after the real Jesus died. As the teachings are passed across different personalities, cultures, and communities, some thoughts are added and some are omitted. The revisions on the composition had only stopped when the final compilation came out. But the value of the message lies not on the way it is formulated. As Norman Perrin, Associate Professor of New Testament at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago stated in his Reconstruction and Interpretation of the Teachings of Jesus, it is not the accuracy of historical account that is being emphasized in the writings but the applicability of the teachings to the lives of Jesus' followers. Although many have changed in the messages and teachings, the essence is preserved and the usefulness of the teaching is still acceptable. A scholarly evaluation on the writing and rewriting of the original teachings can be discussed in technical or theological terms but what is important to an ordinary Christian believer is the impact the messages has caused their lives whatever are the motives, perspectives, orientation, and purpose of the writers. The changes may have caused vagueness or over-simplicity but the application is clear that they lived and caused to change lives until the present time. The Teachings The Apocalyptic teaching of Jesus Apocalyptic themes are very prevalent among the teachings of the early Jewish teachers and prophets and even the times of Jesus. This may have influenced him since "many of his convictions and