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Why Study the Historical Jesus?


Because our faith is based not just upon a religious founder but also upon a historical figure for Whom more evidence exists than for both Julius Caesar and Shih Huang Ti combined.

Till today, many Christians, Jews, journalists, theologians, historians and skeptics are still actively taking a keen interest in discovering and studying every archaeological find or manuscript that might shed light or doubt on the origins of our faith.

We, too, must be armed with these facts to confirm our faith and equip ourselves with reasons for the faith we hold in order to answer enquirers (1 Peter 3.15).

Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. (1 Peter 3:15, TLB)

The Bible itself has a high view of literal historical narrative, all of it was written for our instruction (Romans 15.4; 1 Corinthians 10.11), therefore we can be instructed out of the historical life of Jesus as much as from our definitive theological statements about God. We will derive faith from history rather than divide faith from history.

One problem of past and present has been the division between faith and history, between the divine and the man, between worship and apologetic.

Very often people are not interested in the Jesus of history, but are contented with the one they have come to worship even if the resemblance is distorted, exaggerated or quite different altogether.