Does Mark Really Present Jesus as God? A Response to James McGrath
In my most recent post, I argued that Mark 1:2-3 presents Jesus as the fulfillment of OT passages that discuss the coming of God himself. These verses, therefore, have tremendous implications for Mark’s Christology, namely that he views Jesus as “the Lord” of the OT.
James McGrath has responded over on his website here. Let’s have a look at McGrath’s two main complaints. Here is his first one:
…When I was a conservative Evangelical, I confess that I too made similar arguments, and never noticed how odd they are. Mark apparently believes that Jesus was God come in the flesh, and yet he expresses this not by saying it
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Does the Gospel of Mark Present Jesus as God?
Over the years it has been claimed (again and again) that John presents Jesus as divine, and the Synoptic gospels, particularly Mark, present Jesus as human. Therefore, it is argued, we have different versions of Christology within early Christianity.
While we certainly can agree that different gospels have different emphases, and that they articulate Christological truths in their own ways, is it really the case that gospels like Mark view Jesus as merely human? Not at all. In fact, it is worth noting that Mark presents Jesus as God from the very opening few verses in his gospel, in a manner that is often missed on a quick reading of … Continue reading...
Top Ten Books on the Authority of Scripture (and Honorable Mentions)
Over at The Gospel Coalition, they have published my article on the top ten book on the authority of Scripture. I go through what I think are the best modern (Reformation and later) treatments of this issue from a theological perspective (as opposed to just historical). I then give a paragraph description of each book.
Here is the bare list (you will have to go to TGC to get the full article):
10. D. A. Carson and John Woodbridge, eds., Scripture and Truth (Baker, 1983); idem, Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon (Zondervan, 1986).
9. Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena (vol. 1): Part IV: Revelation (Baker Academic, 2003).
8. E. J. … Continue reading...
Rob Bell, Oprah Winfrey, and the Missing Jesus
Getting Oprah Winfrey to endorse your book may mean a lot of different things. It would no doubt mean that books sales are going up (exponentially). It would also mean your book would be read by many folks that otherwise would not read it.
But, one thing it probably does not mean is that your book is a bold and faithful exposition of evangelical Christian beliefs. On the contrary, Oprah stands as the religious antithesis to biblical Christianity. She is not about Christianity at all, but is about spirituality. She, and millions of Americans, are simply looking for an existential experience with the divine that can bring meaning and … Continue reading...
Why Does Jesus Use the Phrase “I Am”?
One of the most stunning scenes in the Gospel of John is when Jesus debates the Jewish leadership at the end of chapter eight and declares, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (8:58). There is little doubt that this constituted a claim of divinity because in the very next verse we read, “So they picked up stones to throw at him” (8:59).
While there is little doubt that the Jews understood Jesus to be claiming a divine identity, there is some doubt regarding why they believed this. What is the background of Jesus’ “I am” declaration? Most of the time, it is assumed that Jesus … Continue reading...