“Jesus’ relationship with God was very special or truly unique” Discuss.
Introduction
Define: Hypostatic union- the belief that Christ is both fully God and fully human, indivisible,
two natures united in one person.
Importance: If Jesus truly had a special and unique relationship with God that we can
deduce that he is divine or even suggest that he was indeed the Son of God.
Scholars: E.P Sanders, Hick, O’Collins, McGrath
Conclusion: Jesus’ relationship with God was very special or truly unique.
Paragraph 1
Point: Jesus’ relationship with God was very special and truly unique.
Argument: The relationship between Jesus and God- the- father is mysterious. Jesus calls
God ‘Abba’ and a heavenly voice declares Jesus ‘my son’, but Jesus does not use the term
‘son’ himself. In the letter to the Hebrews a psalm is addressed to Jesus as God. It was
believed by the early church that there was a ‘perfect conjunction’ between Jesus and God,
referred to as a hypostatic union.
Jesus expresses that his unique relationship with God the Father is the only means to
salvation because, as he says in John’s gospel ‘The Father and I are one’ (John 10:30) and,
‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9).
Counterargument: Theologians argue that these sayings really illustrate is not so much that
Jesus was God, but that he was fully conscious of God’s will and entirely desired to fulfil it.
Again in John’s Gospel, Jesus says ‘the Father is greater than I’ (John 14:28) because as a
human being he could not have been all-knowing and all-powerful as God is.
Paragraph 2
Point: Jesus’ relationship with God was not special or unique.
Argument: E.P. Sanders in his investigation of the historical Jesus commented that the
claims about the uniqueness of Jesus as the Son of God can never be proved with historical
evidence. History and faith are separate categories:
"it is... a fault of New Testament scholarship that so many do not see that the use of such
words as 'unique' and 'unprecedented' shows that they have shifted their perspective from
that of critical history and exegesis to that of faith." - 'Jesus and Judaism'.
, Perhaps Jesus was a Rabbi with a special message- He used moral education techniques
with controversial or surprising stories. These took unexpected turns and seemed designed
to get his listeners to think again about preconceptions (The Good Samaritan).
John Hick believes that whilst the resurrection is a powerful metaphor for Christian hope, it
is not a unique idea or claim and nor should it be.
Sanders says that his teachings on non-violence, hope for outcasts etc. make him different
from others at the time, but it is not sufficient to say he was unique.
Counterargument: But Sanders did not take into account the significance of the
resurrection, because he believes it belongs in the category of faith as it cannot be
objectively and historically analysed. However you cannot critically assess whether Jesus
was truly special or unique without addressing the resurrection as multiple testimonies of
the resurrection need to at least be acknowledged.For many (who believe in low Christology
as well), this is the decisive moment where Jesus' divinity was shown in an entirely new way.
They believe that his death and resurrection establish a new relationship with God as "the
way, and the truth, and the life" - necessary for him to have authority.
Paragraph 3
Point: Jesus’ relationship with God was very special or unique because of the resurrection.
Argument: The resurrection of Jesus discloses God in a new way and startling way, through
a focus on suffering, new life and unconditional love (O’Collins). McGrath suggests that the
Resurrection of Jesus plays a key role in Christian theology.
The Resurrection distinguishes the life of Jesus from that of other preachers at the time. He
is wholly God and wholly human so it was Jesus’ job to atone human sin. They have a special
relationship because God chose Jesus to die and rise again.
Counterargument: Jesus himself raised Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter from the dead- pits into
question if it was truly a great miracle.
Introduction
Define: Hypostatic union- the belief that Christ is both fully God and fully human, indivisible,
two natures united in one person.
Importance: If Jesus truly had a special and unique relationship with God that we can
deduce that he is divine or even suggest that he was indeed the Son of God.
Scholars: E.P Sanders, Hick, O’Collins, McGrath
Conclusion: Jesus’ relationship with God was very special or truly unique.
Paragraph 1
Point: Jesus’ relationship with God was very special and truly unique.
Argument: The relationship between Jesus and God- the- father is mysterious. Jesus calls
God ‘Abba’ and a heavenly voice declares Jesus ‘my son’, but Jesus does not use the term
‘son’ himself. In the letter to the Hebrews a psalm is addressed to Jesus as God. It was
believed by the early church that there was a ‘perfect conjunction’ between Jesus and God,
referred to as a hypostatic union.
Jesus expresses that his unique relationship with God the Father is the only means to
salvation because, as he says in John’s gospel ‘The Father and I are one’ (John 10:30) and,
‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9).
Counterargument: Theologians argue that these sayings really illustrate is not so much that
Jesus was God, but that he was fully conscious of God’s will and entirely desired to fulfil it.
Again in John’s Gospel, Jesus says ‘the Father is greater than I’ (John 14:28) because as a
human being he could not have been all-knowing and all-powerful as God is.
Paragraph 2
Point: Jesus’ relationship with God was not special or unique.
Argument: E.P. Sanders in his investigation of the historical Jesus commented that the
claims about the uniqueness of Jesus as the Son of God can never be proved with historical
evidence. History and faith are separate categories:
"it is... a fault of New Testament scholarship that so many do not see that the use of such
words as 'unique' and 'unprecedented' shows that they have shifted their perspective from
that of critical history and exegesis to that of faith." - 'Jesus and Judaism'.
, Perhaps Jesus was a Rabbi with a special message- He used moral education techniques
with controversial or surprising stories. These took unexpected turns and seemed designed
to get his listeners to think again about preconceptions (The Good Samaritan).
John Hick believes that whilst the resurrection is a powerful metaphor for Christian hope, it
is not a unique idea or claim and nor should it be.
Sanders says that his teachings on non-violence, hope for outcasts etc. make him different
from others at the time, but it is not sufficient to say he was unique.
Counterargument: But Sanders did not take into account the significance of the
resurrection, because he believes it belongs in the category of faith as it cannot be
objectively and historically analysed. However you cannot critically assess whether Jesus
was truly special or unique without addressing the resurrection as multiple testimonies of
the resurrection need to at least be acknowledged.For many (who believe in low Christology
as well), this is the decisive moment where Jesus' divinity was shown in an entirely new way.
They believe that his death and resurrection establish a new relationship with God as "the
way, and the truth, and the life" - necessary for him to have authority.
Paragraph 3
Point: Jesus’ relationship with God was very special or unique because of the resurrection.
Argument: The resurrection of Jesus discloses God in a new way and startling way, through
a focus on suffering, new life and unconditional love (O’Collins). McGrath suggests that the
Resurrection of Jesus plays a key role in Christian theology.
The Resurrection distinguishes the life of Jesus from that of other preachers at the time. He
is wholly God and wholly human so it was Jesus’ job to atone human sin. They have a special
relationship because God chose Jesus to die and rise again.
Counterargument: Jesus himself raised Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter from the dead- pits into
question if it was truly a great miracle.
