The Fallacy of the Good Teacher Defense

Southern Pundit ^ | 11-20-2005 | Self

[JamesP81]

Many people do not believe that Jesus was the Son of the living God. While some are actively hostile to any idea that Jesus may have been God’s son, many simply consider Jesus to have been a good teacher, or a good moral person who set a good example for everyone. Still, these people do not believe that Christ was in any way divine.

Anyone who believes that the biblical account of Christ’s life was even remotely accurate would likely view him as a good person. However, what Jesus said of Himself presents some problems for those who want to believe Christ was a good teacher and nothing else.

[HarleyD]

You can’t call Jesus a good teacher and not believe He was divine.

"...and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.""

[Lee N. Field]

This "Jesus was a good teacher" stuff is a sure sign that the speaker is not familiar with the text, probably hasn't read it at all.

It's pure BS, shaken down and overflowing.

[JamesP81]

This "Jesus was a good teacher" stuff is a sure sign that the speaker is not familiar with the text, probably hasn't read it at all.

Yeah, I know. That's why I wrote this blog post because I get so tired of hearing, 'oh, Jesus was a great teacher, but he was just another man.' As I said, you can't think Jesus was merely a good teacher when he said that he was equal to God. Either He was who He said He was, or he wasn't. And if he wasn't, he can't be a good teacher because he's either lying or he's nuts. For my part, I think He is exactly who He has claimed to be.

[VeritatisSplendor]

I know people who say Jesus was a great teacher. They think Christians made up the stuff about him saying he was God.

[JamesP81]

I know people who say Jesus was a great teacher. They think Christians made up the stuff about him saying he was God.

Yet, the problem there is that Jesus did claim He was equal to God. He was either lying about that or he wasn't. If He was lying about it, then he's not a good teacher, because a good teacher does not lie. If He wasn't lying about it, then He was the Most High God, and such a truth requires from the person hearing it, one way or another.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Jesus claimed he was equal to God (John 5:18). This is supported by the reaction of the Pharisees. Under Jewish law, for someone to claim that they were a god was a blasphemy of the worst kind. The Pharisees believed Jesus guilty of this very blasphemy and their angry reactions toward him are well documented in the Gospels.

John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

So if he was claiming to BE God, then by the same method of interpretation he was also guilty of breaking the Sabbath. Sure the Pharisees thought he was blaspheming... these are the same folks who thought he was breaking the Sabbath.

Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Exactly. If being the son of YHVH is the same as being YHVH himself, then here are many gods:

1 John 3:1-2 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

[VeritatisSplendor]

sorry - I did not make myself clear. They think the verses in the Bible with Jesus saying he was God are made up - but the verses about forgiveness and do unto others and loving your enemies and being humble are the real thing, or close to what he said.

[RobbyS]

If all we knew about Jesus was what in the New Testament appealed to a rationalist like Thomas Jefferson, or what is contained in the so-called Gospel of Thomas, then Jesus would be have long been forgotten.