Interpretations of Jesus’ Authority

• Adoptionism


  - Mark was more authentic than other gospels. Written first and has no birth narratives

  - Mark starts with baptism; Jesus' ministry began with baptism, authority was acquired from God when he was baptised

  - 3rd century synod declared adoptionism as a heresy
• Arianism


  - developed by arius; said that Jesus was not fully divine.

  - Jesus was a normal human who God had placed a divine spark into

  - God the father had always existed but the father created Jesus

  - blasphemy to argue god could become a human

  - dismissed the trinity
• Liberalism


  - 'son of God' was given to several people to suggest closeness with God eg angels (genesis)

  - marks gospel was the first to be written so more trustworthy. ''Son of God' added later, developed over time

  - Jesus is central to Christianity. An exceptional human but not God

  - liberals read the bible to research the original language, style of writing and the context of the sayings for the time they were written in
• Demythologisation


  - developed by rudolf bultmann; bultmann was concerned that the main message of the bible cannot reach people today because it is trapped in the mythological language of the New Testament time. Believes people today would not believe such incredulous stories

  - stated that miracles were an obstacle to faith

  - demythologised Jesus walking on water (said it was a sand bank), angels speaking etc