Why Study the Historical Jesus?
Because our faith is based not just upon
a religious founder but also upon a historical figure for Whom more
evidence exists than for both Julius Caesar and Shih Huang Ti
combined.
Till today, many
Christians, Jews, journalists, theologians, historians and skeptics
are still actively taking a keen interest in discovering and
studying every archaeological find or manuscript that might shed
light or doubt on the origins of our faith.
We, too, must be
armed with these facts to confirm our faith and equip ourselves with
reasons for the faith we hold in order to answer enquirers (1 Peter
3.15).
Quietly trust
yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as
you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful
way. (1 Peter 3:15, TLB)
The Bible itself
has a high view of literal historical narrative, all of it was
written for our instruction (Romans 15.4; 1 Corinthians 10.11),
therefore we can be instructed out of the historical life of Jesus
as much as from our definitive theological statements about God. We
will derive faith from history rather than divide faith from
history.
One problem of past and present has been the division between faith
and history, between the divine and the man, between worship and
apologetic.
Very often
people are not interested in the Jesus of history, but are contented
with the one they have come to worship even if the resemblance is
distorted, exaggerated or quite different altogether.