I have always wondered there are no writings from Jesus himself. We have many who wrote their own thoughts and deeds to be passed down, many who wrote their impressions and memories of what Jesus said and taught, and God himself gave mankind the Tablets.
But we have NO writings left from the Son of God. Seems odd.
Thank you OnionEater...I was beginning to think I was out here all alone with that question/thought. I've often wondered if he DID leave texts that were destroyed. I guess it is a rhetorical question, but I know that old texts written during his time have been found as recent as the 1940's in Egypt.
I read your question and thought about it. . . .you are not alone in that question.:) Given what we did in TWI with the bible and bibliolatry, can you imagine the temptations that would come if we had Jesus own writings in our hands? Yikes!
I read your question and thought about it. . . .you are not alone in that question.:) Given what we did in TWI with the bible and bibliolatry, can you imagine the temptations that would come if we had Jesus own writings in our hands? Yikes!
YIKES is right if in the hands of TWI. But it is an interesting 'ponder' what would be today if the world had his actual writings or signature!
He was too busy DOING in his short ministry life to spend time writing it all down. And praying.
There was at that time a much bigger tradition of oral recounting than is practiced today.
But he taught his followers well enough that they could both communicate the gospel clearly, and (if they wanted) write it down as well.
There were plenty of so-called God-followers that read, taught, and wrote things down. Some were known as Pharisees, and some were known as Sadducees. There were also scribes and other rabbis. Few of their writings, or oral traditions of their actions, have survived.
Yes, it would be fascinating to read what the Man himself had written.
Ad there would be ten thousand other sects all hanging their hats on where the commas came.
I agree that he was too busy DOING things to bother writing them down. Doesn't it say somewhere in John that the whole world could not contain the books that should be written? Yeah. Last verse in the book. I guess that's why we have stenographers and journalists.
God wrote the 10 commandments with His finger for Moses. . . that's the only time I know of God writing.
Writing God breathed requires commitment, faith, knowledge to wisdom, means, and place to put it. . . It looks to me like God prefers it this way: Having someone with the faith and fortitude, and eyes and ears of truth to put words on paper of what He is doing.
In my opinion, God prefers the Word written in and by the life blood of His people.
Jesus was more of the "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee" (John 9:37-39) type of guy, rather than an "I am He. I am He" type.
When I was able to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls that toured around 30 years ago or so and I saw them in San Francisco. . .I was so awed especially at the Book of Isaiah which was almost 100% intact.
To keep that precious scroll of Isaiah safe all these years someone had so carefully put that precious book of Isaiah, carefully rolled up and sealed in a jar and put "just so" and hidden away "right there," in a place that would be safe from stormy weather and marauders and treasure hunters etc. etc. etc. Holy Spirit must have loved finding someone who was able to listen and obey with such precision.
Also I think the writing Jesus did and still does today is what He writes on our hearts after he replaces the hearts of stone with soft fleshy hearts. What's written there is written in the most indelible ink, in my opinion.
-- edit note: When I was looking at the Bible to verify what I was saying I noticed that the word "Moses" is repeated many times. I think God Almighty loves to see the names of those who love Him so and work to do His will in the earth. Seeing that name Moses there balances out the hard heartedness and plain wickedness among the chosen people that God dealt with through Moses.
These are very good reflections and thoughts. There is really no answer to my question, beyond pondering if anyone else ever wondered..."Farther Along..."
Excellent topic for what it brings to the surface for discussion! Thanks for it!
I tend to agree that the value of the life of Jesus Christ and what has been written is to point to a "living Word", a true personification of God.
Jesus could say "I am the son of God" and write it down and the reader could say what many say today to that statement - no, you're not. Or you're crazy, nice but nuts.
It is definitely interesting that nothing was written by the man Jesus. Somehow I don't doubt that He could have written something, somewhere at some time, but it wasn't significant or of importance. His actions, the impression that He made, what He did and said that was written down by others was done with such conviction and impact that it's almost a moot point.
Speaking of Elvis Presley, no one cares too much about what he wrote and to a lesser degree even what he said. But what he sang and his performances to live audiences is what is remembered and is what people still talk about all these years later, long after his death. What he did, how and when he did it.
Conversely an Einstein, I don't care how he sang but I do care about what he wrote and again to a degree what he said about what he wrote because that represents the ideas he worked with. Einstein couldn't make a theory of relativity for all of us to see and admire, he could chart the calculations and describe it though.
Different things represent and reflect the work of different kinds of effort. Whether someone believes Jesus lived or not, I think anyone who considers His story can recognize that His impact, His work, was in what He did and what He said.
I can see how it would be wonderful to have all of that written by Jesus Himself - "My LIfe As The Savior - Being the Son of God" by Jesus Christ. But it would just be words on paper and yeah, would probably have no greater impact than what we have today maybe less and weirder, as there would be people who would be rolling up children in wheel chairs to just try and touch the guide who stands next to the table that holds the box that holds the case that carries the photographs of the original document and claiming to see the face of the baby Jesus in the water in the pool next to the card stand outside the temple that sells the "I Saw The Jesus Book and All I Got Was This T-Shirt!" shirts, cards, balloons and coasters. And somebody selling tickets for the next show.
The words of Jesus on papyrus scroll would be nice but meaningless, a curiosity, were it not for what He DID that's been remembered and written by others.
Jesus could write, hey - I saved socks.....yeah, sure, try again you may have missed a step - he doesn't look like it.
I can say, Jesus saved me and while I'm not pretty I owe Him whatever I have, for better or worse.
So on that account He doesn't have to write a word, relax Jesus, I've got this one. :)
This is more than a convenient way to explain a gap in history - it's the essence of what God did in Christ.
That's my point, excarta, really. Or at least the way I take it.
It was written - however and by who(m?)ever. The story's been told and retold. Somewhere in the distant past the story of Jesus was passed on by people on whom He had the greatest impact.
Historians will allow that the "historical" Jesus er, existed. I think I've read that and found it an unwieldy way to say it but fer Krissake, Jesus has been so objectified it's probably reasonable to state it that way. A guy named Jesus, Yeshua, Kristos, the man written about in the gospels and the Bible - Josephus, Tacitus, Eusebius that mentions HIm - that he lived, at about the time the Bible places Him in history. Many if not most but not all historians allow that much.
The Bible and the other writings that have been passed down have had - IMO - a kind of domino effect that speaks to an extremely powerful life in that "Jesus".
The writings that passed muster to make the "canon" we now have (Boom!!) are fairly straightforward accounts. I'm thinking of the Gospels and Acts specifically. They have some incredible stuff in them yes, but the tone of the writing is of a person or people attempting to capture the important events of the period they cover. The following epistles make foundational statements and arguments as to the meaning of those events - "doctrine", dogma, concepts, how's and why's.
As I read the writings of the early church, the "fathers", this continues - events, doctrine, and then practical matters and business stuff - like the earlier Timothy and Titus-how the church should govern itself, how to work together, etc.
As more years get between the earlier writings and then the 3-400 year periods and subsequent "councils" that were held there's more writing that covers doctrine and the effort to elucidate and elaborate on the ideas and ideals of the earlier writings. It begins to get quite esoteric as time goes on.
This can be seen in the history of church councils - the first one in Act 15 covers Gentile converts and what that means to the church. There's a lot of doctrinal issues, ideas, Jews and Gentiles now in the same "body", definitely conflicting ideas and debate. But the church in Jerusalem is recorded as accepting the revelation Peter and Paul state they've had and agree to move on together as one, with only a very few simple demands to be made on the Gentile Christian followers. It's not heady stuff - it's very basic, and doesn't make huge intellectual or theological/religious demands on anyone - once you get past that Gentiles are now part of the church.:)
Within a couple hundred years though the church is struggling with the "who and what" of Jesus Christ, His "nature" and what all of that means. There's been a development of intellectual property within the church and as the years go on that development of doctrine continues and is stamped out and issued, council by council, not all at once but over time.
My point is that the earliest writings and accounts are about "stuff" - people, events, things that happened and that's what the church doctrine of "Christianity" is and was based on.
Later church writings become more about what those things mean and there's more postulating and extrapolation on the earlier history's meaning that's issued to broaden and beef up what "Christianity" is and means.
There are miracles and events that become part of the church's platform - that don't - and I'm trying to be respectful here - sound like they're part of the same context as what the earliest church writings speak of.
Put another way Christianity becomes very mystical and esoteric for many of the theologians that craft out the teachings of the day. Contrasting that with the earlier writings, it does come down over the years like a plausible history - where something occurs and is rooted in reality, real people, events, stuff - and then over time it becomes a verrrrrrrrrrry diverse array of ideas and doctrines as both believer and unbeliever struggle with that history, what it means, meant, doesn't mean or meant, etc. etc. etc.
I'm being very general here and as always wordy -but that's the way it comes off to me. They may be words on paper and meaningless to some people though, that's fine with me. I suggest to anyone though to read them at whatever level they wish to begin with and let what they read reach out to them and reveal itself - let it reveal itself to that person.
Or not. No charge, and so no money back guarantees here.
YIKES is right if in the hands of TWI. But it is an interesting 'ponder' what would be today if the world had his actual writings or signature!
Maybe not just in the hands of TWI...it would be a challenge for many Christians not to exalt such writings. Chondra Pierce does this funny piece on going to Israel and driving the tour guide crazy by asking him every 5 minutes if Jesus may have stood in the same place she was standing.
If you like comedy you should check her out on you-tube. Who knew you could make a living as a Christian comedian? :)
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OnionEater
I have asked that same question.
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Rejoice
Thank you OnionEater...I was beginning to think I was out here all alone with that question/thought. I've often wondered if he DID leave texts that were destroyed. I guess it is a rhetorical question, but I know that old texts written during his time have been found as recent as the 1940's in Egypt.
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geisha779
I read your question and thought about it. . . .you are not alone in that question.:) Given what we did in TWI with the bible and bibliolatry, can you imagine the temptations that would come if we had Jesus own writings in our hands? Yikes!
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Rejoice
YIKES is right if in the hands of TWI. But it is an interesting 'ponder' what would be today if the world had his actual writings or signature!
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mstar1
He was pretty busy and died young. When exactly was he supposed to write anything?
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waysider
I wonder what that stuff would go for on ebay.
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Twinky
He was too busy DOING in his short ministry life to spend time writing it all down. And praying.
There was at that time a much bigger tradition of oral recounting than is practiced today.
But he taught his followers well enough that they could both communicate the gospel clearly, and (if they wanted) write it down as well.
There were plenty of so-called God-followers that read, taught, and wrote things down. Some were known as Pharisees, and some were known as Sadducees. There were also scribes and other rabbis. Few of their writings, or oral traditions of their actions, have survived.
Yes, it would be fascinating to read what the Man himself had written.
Ad there would be ten thousand other sects all hanging their hats on where the commas came.
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excathedra
did his mom (Mary) or dad (Joseph) write anything?
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waysider
I think his mom wrote him some notes and put them in his lunchbox but he threw them all away so the other kids wouldn't see them.
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dabobbada
Joseph's Carpentry Shop
Nazareth, Galilee
19 Tishri, Year of our Lord 3772
Notes to myself -
- Looks like the little wise guy slept in again
The sundial reads 8 am I can deduct three Drachmas from his pay
- Got a note from Jona
his sons and the sons of Zebedee were dragline racing their boats
- Zeb needs a new mast
- Jona needs two hull planks
- - this is a rush order - give it to Nate
(More Shekels for the holy days )
- Well.... look who decided to show up,
walking in like he owns the place.
No! don't snap........
he... snapped his fingers....
The sundial is reading 7 am again
The guys aren't going to like this they just worked the last hour for free.
Here comes Martha of Cana for her hope chest
Floral pattern carving in oak with a cedar interior
she will love it,
Jesus made it
.....everything he does is perfect
(Try living with that if you can)
Here comes Mary with lunch...
the same thing every day - one loaf and one fish
... then the kid feeds everyone
....and the leftovers feed the poor
and there then are still leftovers
..oy vey... !
Just once, how about a lambchop... or chinese
"Jesus, quit carving birds,"
You wave your hand, the birds fly away...
then people start finding wooden eggs
Jedadiah the preist comes in for his shelving
22 shekels and 2 drachma
Ahhhh.. a good day after all.
He looks hard at my son
The ol pharisee must still be smarting from that debate they had
He always was too full of himself
Jed is really impressed with the workmanship
should I tell him my boy did it.
Nathaniel is heading out to the port with the mast and planks
maybe Zebedee's kids can come out of hiding now
The sun is setting
"Jesus, time to go home"
Life is never dull with that boy
^_^
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mstar1
His other Dad wrote alot of stuff, mostly dictated as he too was very busy
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johniam
I agree that he was too busy DOING things to bother writing them down. Doesn't it say somewhere in John that the whole world could not contain the books that should be written? Yeah. Last verse in the book. I guess that's why we have stenographers and journalists.
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Rejoice
He knew he was God's son; he had at least 23 years to write something down. HOW busy he was is simply an assumption, and would not exclude writing.
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Kit Sober
God wrote the 10 commandments with His finger for Moses. . . that's the only time I know of God writing.
Writing God breathed requires commitment, faith, knowledge to wisdom, means, and place to put it. . . It looks to me like God prefers it this way: Having someone with the faith and fortitude, and eyes and ears of truth to put words on paper of what He is doing.
In my opinion, God prefers the Word written in and by the life blood of His people.
Jesus was more of the "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee" (John 9:37-39) type of guy, rather than an "I am He. I am He" type.
When I was able to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls that toured around 30 years ago or so and I saw them in San Francisco. . .I was so awed especially at the Book of Isaiah which was almost 100% intact.
To keep that precious scroll of Isaiah safe all these years someone had so carefully put that precious book of Isaiah, carefully rolled up and sealed in a jar and put "just so" and hidden away "right there," in a place that would be safe from stormy weather and marauders and treasure hunters etc. etc. etc. Holy Spirit must have loved finding someone who was able to listen and obey with such precision.
Also I think the writing Jesus did and still does today is what He writes on our hearts after he replaces the hearts of stone with soft fleshy hearts. What's written there is written in the most indelible ink, in my opinion.
-- edit note: When I was looking at the Bible to verify what I was saying I noticed that the word "Moses" is repeated many times. I think God Almighty loves to see the names of those who love Him so and work to do His will in the earth. Seeing that name Moses there balances out the hard heartedness and plain wickedness among the chosen people that God dealt with through Moses.
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Rejoice
These are very good reflections and thoughts. There is really no answer to my question, beyond pondering if anyone else ever wondered..."Farther Along..."
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excathedra
too true, rejoice. i hope when he comes to get us i can grab my notepad of questions real fast
but of course there's that thing about knowing even as we are known
so i'm hopeful
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socks
Excellent topic for what it brings to the surface for discussion! Thanks for it!
I tend to agree that the value of the life of Jesus Christ and what has been written is to point to a "living Word", a true personification of God.
Jesus could say "I am the son of God" and write it down and the reader could say what many say today to that statement - no, you're not. Or you're crazy, nice but nuts.
It is definitely interesting that nothing was written by the man Jesus. Somehow I don't doubt that He could have written something, somewhere at some time, but it wasn't significant or of importance. His actions, the impression that He made, what He did and said that was written down by others was done with such conviction and impact that it's almost a moot point.
Speaking of Elvis Presley, no one cares too much about what he wrote and to a lesser degree even what he said. But what he sang and his performances to live audiences is what is remembered and is what people still talk about all these years later, long after his death. What he did, how and when he did it.
Conversely an Einstein, I don't care how he sang but I do care about what he wrote and again to a degree what he said about what he wrote because that represents the ideas he worked with. Einstein couldn't make a theory of relativity for all of us to see and admire, he could chart the calculations and describe it though.
Different things represent and reflect the work of different kinds of effort. Whether someone believes Jesus lived or not, I think anyone who considers His story can recognize that His impact, His work, was in what He did and what He said.
I can see how it would be wonderful to have all of that written by Jesus Himself - "My LIfe As The Savior - Being the Son of God" by Jesus Christ. But it would just be words on paper and yeah, would probably have no greater impact than what we have today maybe less and weirder, as there would be people who would be rolling up children in wheel chairs to just try and touch the guide who stands next to the table that holds the box that holds the case that carries the photographs of the original document and claiming to see the face of the baby Jesus in the water in the pool next to the card stand outside the temple that sells the "I Saw The Jesus Book and All I Got Was This T-Shirt!" shirts, cards, balloons and coasters. And somebody selling tickets for the next show.
The words of Jesus on papyrus scroll would be nice but meaningless, a curiosity, were it not for what He DID that's been remembered and written by others.
Jesus could write, hey - I saved socks.....yeah, sure, try again you may have missed a step - he doesn't look like it.
I can say, Jesus saved me and while I'm not pretty I owe Him whatever I have, for better or worse.
So on that account He doesn't have to write a word, relax Jesus, I've got this one. :)
This is more than a convenient way to explain a gap in history - it's the essence of what God did in Christ.
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excathedra
NO NO NO NO disrespect here, socklove
but what about people who think just that about the bible writers?
humbly asking
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sirguessalot
i was under the impression that "the apocalypse" was the only one written "by" Jesus. haha
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socks
That's my point, excarta, really. Or at least the way I take it.
It was written - however and by who(m?)ever. The story's been told and retold. Somewhere in the distant past the story of Jesus was passed on by people on whom He had the greatest impact.
Historians will allow that the "historical" Jesus er, existed. I think I've read that and found it an unwieldy way to say it but fer Krissake, Jesus has been so objectified it's probably reasonable to state it that way. A guy named Jesus, Yeshua, Kristos, the man written about in the gospels and the Bible - Josephus, Tacitus, Eusebius that mentions HIm - that he lived, at about the time the Bible places Him in history. Many if not most but not all historians allow that much.
The Bible and the other writings that have been passed down have had - IMO - a kind of domino effect that speaks to an extremely powerful life in that "Jesus".
The writings that passed muster to make the "canon" we now have (Boom!!) are fairly straightforward accounts. I'm thinking of the Gospels and Acts specifically. They have some incredible stuff in them yes, but the tone of the writing is of a person or people attempting to capture the important events of the period they cover. The following epistles make foundational statements and arguments as to the meaning of those events - "doctrine", dogma, concepts, how's and why's.
As I read the writings of the early church, the "fathers", this continues - events, doctrine, and then practical matters and business stuff - like the earlier Timothy and Titus-how the church should govern itself, how to work together, etc.
As more years get between the earlier writings and then the 3-400 year periods and subsequent "councils" that were held there's more writing that covers doctrine and the effort to elucidate and elaborate on the ideas and ideals of the earlier writings. It begins to get quite esoteric as time goes on.
This can be seen in the history of church councils - the first one in Act 15 covers Gentile converts and what that means to the church. There's a lot of doctrinal issues, ideas, Jews and Gentiles now in the same "body", definitely conflicting ideas and debate. But the church in Jerusalem is recorded as accepting the revelation Peter and Paul state they've had and agree to move on together as one, with only a very few simple demands to be made on the Gentile Christian followers. It's not heady stuff - it's very basic, and doesn't make huge intellectual or theological/religious demands on anyone - once you get past that Gentiles are now part of the church.:)
Within a couple hundred years though the church is struggling with the "who and what" of Jesus Christ, His "nature" and what all of that means. There's been a development of intellectual property within the church and as the years go on that development of doctrine continues and is stamped out and issued, council by council, not all at once but over time.
My point is that the earliest writings and accounts are about "stuff" - people, events, things that happened and that's what the church doctrine of "Christianity" is and was based on.
Later church writings become more about what those things mean and there's more postulating and extrapolation on the earlier history's meaning that's issued to broaden and beef up what "Christianity" is and means.
There are miracles and events that become part of the church's platform - that don't - and I'm trying to be respectful here - sound like they're part of the same context as what the earliest church writings speak of.
Put another way Christianity becomes very mystical and esoteric for many of the theologians that craft out the teachings of the day. Contrasting that with the earlier writings, it does come down over the years like a plausible history - where something occurs and is rooted in reality, real people, events, stuff - and then over time it becomes a verrrrrrrrrrry diverse array of ideas and doctrines as both believer and unbeliever struggle with that history, what it means, meant, doesn't mean or meant, etc. etc. etc.
I'm being very general here and as always wordy -but that's the way it comes off to me. They may be words on paper and meaningless to some people though, that's fine with me. I suggest to anyone though to read them at whatever level they wish to begin with and let what they read reach out to them and reveal itself - let it reveal itself to that person.
Or not. No charge, and so no money back guarantees here.
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AHAT4JC
IMO---I think that if God wanted Jesus to write, he would have. It's the obedience thing after all.
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excathedra
oh thank you socksfriend and my dearest ahat :wub:
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geisha779
Maybe not just in the hands of TWI...it would be a challenge for many Christians not to exalt such writings. Chondra Pierce does this funny piece on going to Israel and driving the tour guide crazy by asking him every 5 minutes if Jesus may have stood in the same place she was standing.
If you like comedy you should check her out on you-tube. Who knew you could make a living as a Christian comedian? :)
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krys
One of his possible books:
Washing Disciples Feet for Dummies
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