The problem with “scholars”, and I have read a lot of them in popular writings. I don’t have the training to make much sense of their academic work, is that basically, they bring a secular viewpoint to their efforts. AT least a lot of them do.
The whole question, in my mind, is whether Jesus is God or Jesus is not God, a secondarily, if He is God, then what are His teachings.
I could take you through my journey on this point, but why bother? The answer is, IMO, that He is God. Most scholars, especially Jewish New Testament scholars, reject that. So they can explain everything only in natural terms.
I can see their point, but I do not accept it. Can I prove that I am right? No. Nevertheless, I believe, and think, that I am.
Frankly though, if Jesus is just a man, nothing that He has to say is of anymore interest to me that the droolings of Marx or Mao, two others I read, if with considerable disgust, in my youth.
“if jesus is just a man, ...”
i respectfully disagree. for example, thomas jefferson is just a man, but does that make what he wrote not worthy of consideration by us? and how about buddha?
beyond that, i have no formal training in theology beyond catechism. so, i can probably do a fairly good job of dispensing catholic dogma. but that would rile fundamentalist christians (and others). if i took the conventional POV of fundamentalist christians, then i would risk riling catholics (and variants of catholics, and others).
everyone is claiming to know the one true meaning of the one true bible, and yet everyone is to some degree like the blind man trying to describe an elephant.
I prefer a more agnostic approach. Such an approach is by necessity non-denominational. To be a real purist, I would probably have to go back to the 4th century for the NT, and learn old greek. It would be a lot of work. Instead I am skimming here and there to try and pick up what wisdom I can. I am also doing lookaside comparisons with buddhism as well as possibly other philosophies in the future. I tend to turn off if confronted with a demand to take this or that on pure faith alone.
IOW a rational approach, or at least as rational as I can manage.
If I finish all that I may re-examine the faith aspects, but I don’t think I have that much time left.