Originally posted by Sparko
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Originally posted by Sparko
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Originally posted by Sparko
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Originally posted by Sparko
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1) Jesus lives/preaches/dies
2) Sect he gives rise to continues on, developing followers and and a very Charismatic leader (Paul)
3) Saul writes letters to the various communities, from which we get a sense of what is happening in some of these communities - about 1.5- 2 decades later
4) Some authors eventually write down Acts and the four gospels - decades after the events they report
By the time we get to #4, three decades (at least) of theological evolution have occurred, and with it the inevitable historical evolution. No one was present at the birth of Jesus, yet the story is recounted in detail, but not in all gospels. The theological evolution is obvious when one compares the synoptics (with Mark being the youngest) and John, which is the oldest of the gospels and shows significant theological evolution (it is also the gospel with the greatest emphasis on miracles).
So what we have in the writings of the Christian community is an accurate historical record of what the community (or writer) - at the time of writing - believed. That is what we know. How much of it reflected what "actually happened" is another question. We are, in essence, looking at the life of Jesus through the lens of the 2nd-generation church.
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