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Goodbye Jesus

A Problem W/ Jesus' Post-crucifiction Walkabout


eel_shepherd

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This is probably old news in biblical contradiction circles, but I haven't run across it yet.

 

In Jesus' post-dead-but-pre-ascended phase, we have the story of two of the apostles walking along the road, sad that Jesus is gone, and they meet up with a guy who walks along with them for a while, talking things over with them. A bit later on, the guy says something to the apostles, and wham, the apostles both recognise who they've been dealing with. I won't keep you in suspense: it's Jesus, who evidently has the power to cloud men's minds so that they cannot see him.

 

Time passes, and Jesus puts in a few more appearances; but none at which Thomas was present. Thomas isn't having any, and says he won't settle for anything less than an appropriately wounded Jesus. So a week later he gets his wounded Jesus, and that's good enough for him. Now he believes.

 

Either of these stories on its own, while still total BS, is at least a story. But, taken together, they paint a picture of a being who can look like whoever and whatever he wants. So, my obvious question is: Why should a personal appearance by this type of Jesus have settled Thomas's doubting mind? We already knew beforehand that he could look like Jesus on demand.

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Goodbye Jesus

Pagels reckons that John (which is mostly what you're talking about) was edited to make Thomas look a creep... Bear in mind that the Johanite view is Pauline, whereas Thomas was a Jamesian.

 

The 'not recognising' Jesus is a very Greek plot device...

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I don't know. Why would the idea that this creature could eat food put anyone at ease? Ghosts can't eat (or at least fake it)? Who decided that? But it was good enough apparently to convince people that this story was somehow plausible. So multiform, mind-clouding, jesus probably seemed pretty logical all things considered.

 

To me it says that our wonderful "new" resurrected bodies are just as shitty as the ones we have now and no one will recognize you. What a deal. Thanks jesus. :vent:

 

mwc

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The eating reads as a late interpolation to support physical resurrection, and discredit some Gnostic sect or other in all likelihood.

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Isn't this Jesus being Jesus?

 

He pulled this stunt all the time during his minsitry, just as the bad Romans or Jews got close to catching him, he'd disappear into the crowd. Having the hippie beard and robes, he'd need magic to not be spotted amongst all the hip Roman-wannabe Jews with their short cropped military style haircuts.

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The eating reads as a late interpolation to support physical resurrection, and discredit some Gnostic sect or other in all likelihood.

Well, isn't that really what it's all about? A little tweak here and a little tweak there to bring things inline with the orthodoxy of the moment? Who knows what might have been in the story before it was "fixed" but just the idea that it was different is deemed somehow impossible.

 

mwc

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The eating reads as a late interpolation to support physical resurrection, and discredit some Gnostic sect or other in all likelihood.

Well, isn't that really what it's all about? A little tweak here and a little tweak there to bring things inline with the orthodoxy of the moment? Who knows what might have been in the story before it was "fixed" but just the idea that it was different is deemed somehow impossible.

 

mwc

 

You've read Ehrman?

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You've read Ehrman?

A little. Is there something in particular I should be looking for (or go back to)?

 

mwc

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You've read Ehrman?

A little. Is there something in particular I should be looking for (or go back to)?

 

mwc

It's one of those nagging feelings, rahter than something I remember. However 'Misquoting Jesus' was my customary lavatory reading for some little time...

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