Jesus More of a Model for Living Than an Object for Worship

Does Christianity work if Jesus is simply a moral example?

Jesus claimed to be more than just a moral example

Is Jesus a Ghandi-like figure offering tips for practical living?

Read John 1:1; 18; 8:58; 10:30

Is there any evidence from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) of Jesus’ divinity?

What is your Christology of Jesus?

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really fooolish thing that people often say about him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. a man who was merely a man and said that sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Chrisitanity, p. 55-56

Why would it be foolish to say Jesus was just a great moral teacher?

2. Jesus’ followers worshiped Him as LORD

The earliest Christians worshiped Jesus as LORD, but continued to be fully committed to monotheism. What is monotheism? Why is this important?

Jesus never rejected this worship. He welcomed it without reservation. What does this say about Jesus?

Read Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9; Luke 24:52: John 9:38; Philippians 2:10; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation

What kind of worship is reserverd for God alone? What importance do the 10 Commandments have in relation to the worship of God? Christ?

3. Jesus’ moral example is binding only if He is Lord

Why should anyone care about what Jesus thinks if He is only a good moral eample? Why should anyone pay attention to Jesus’ moral code? Why is it any better than anyone else’s?

Why should a moral code matter at all?

Morality is supposedly relative, ever-changing and culturally conditioned. Why does Jesus get a pass? Because He is a prophet of God only.

What is your belief about the Bible? Is it reliable or unreliable? Inspired or uninspired? Authoritative or non-authoritative? Does this matter? Why or why not?

How do you understand 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 HCSB

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Can one accept the inspiration of Scripture and yet reject it’s teachings? Was Jesus just a prophet? Is He deserving of being our all-encompassing object of worship?

If Jesus is just a good moral teacher, and one still chooses to follow Him, do you obey His teaching on abortion, marriage, and that He is the only way of salvation?

Read John 14:6; Matthew 19:5-6; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5; 32:35

Leviticus 20:2–5 HCSB

“Say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death; the people of the country are to stone him. I will turn against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name. But if the people of the country look the other way when that man gives any of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will turn against that man and his family, and cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.

Is there a corrolation between child sacrifice and abortion? Why or why not?

Why appeal to Jesus as a good moral teacher if one is not going to follow His teaching?

4. Chrisitanity is not about Moralism…(nor is Jesus)

“By removing the person of Jesus from the equation as an object of worship, it essentially makes Christianity a religion of moralism.” -pg. 11 True of false? Why?

Is Chrisitanity truly about ‘deeds over creeds’? Why or why not? Does behavior triumph over doctrine and theology with Jesus? Why or why not?

Is following Jesus about grace or merit? Is it about what we do, or about what God has done in Christ?

1 John 4:10 HCSB

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

5. What God has joined together…(can never be split apart)

Does Jesus’ moral teaching work if we jetison his identity as God?

Matthew 19:6 HCSB

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

Study Questions for The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity by Michael J. Kruger, Chapter 1, by Rev. Shannon Whitehouse, LAC