criticisms of jesus being teacher of wisdom

• There are many Biblical passages that seem to strongly support the belief that Jesus was Divine and not simply a moral teacher
• Biblical passages


  • 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.' (John 14.6)
  • 'The Father and I are one' (John 10; 30)
  • 'Whoever has seen me has seen the Father' (John 14.9)
• The resurrection of Jesus


  • It indicates that Jesus was divine, and not simply a teacher of wisdom
• Jesus' miracles


  • They are evidence of his divine status, and not simply a teacher of wisdom
• Occasions when God states that Jesus is the Son of God

  • The annunciation
  • When Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist
  • The transfiguration
• Something clearly transformed the tiny Jesus movement, and this was unlikely to have solely been his moral teachings
• Belief in Jesus' divinity as the Son of God


  It is needed to explain his authority for Christians. He would not have the same authority simply as a teacher of wisdom
• C.S. Lewis: 'There were only two choices available to us about Jesus – either he was a lunatic or he was the Son of God: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher... Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse…let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us"'
• If he was only a moral teacher, this must mean claims about the incarnation and the resurrection are false. If this is so, then there can be no salvation
• Salvation depends upon the incarnation, and the resurrection. Without the resurrection, your faith is futile
• Believing in Jesus as the Son of God is an essential part of Christian beliefs, as stated in the Apostle's creed
• If Jesus is not divine, and is simply a moral teacher, then his moral teachings lose authority. We may ask why should anyone follow Jesus' moral teachings if he is simply human