Chapter 4 of Powell’s book, introducing the New Testament, speaks of the person of Jesus and how he is understood, both as an earthly figure and as an exalted heavenly figure. According to Powell, many Christian doctrines often affirm a union between these two views while they see a need to distinguish them as well. Jesus, as an earthly being is presented as a Jewish man who takes on the roles of a rabbi. His style of ministry is often by the use of parables and his earthly career comes to an end when he is eventually crucified. Powell analyzes the representation of Jesus after the end of his earthly reign as one that is often contradicted as the New Testament writers had different things to say about Jesus. It focuses mostly on how the New Testament writers individually understood Jesus. Powell also discusses the modern historians’ view of the New Testament Jesus, as religious propaganda (Powell, 88) rather than a miraculous being since evidence to support this doctrine does not exist. The doctrine of Jesus as a heavenly figure, on the other hand, presents Jesus as an exalted figure who preceded creation and continues to reign dwelling in the hearts of those who believe in Him.
The unraveling of the controversial ideas of Jesus is epic. Most perspectives come down to the view of Jesus as an extraordinary being who existed before the crucifixion and continues to be manifest, though physically absent. This scope encompasses Jesus’ existence and the Kingdom of God together which means the reign of God presently in believers’ lives as well as an idea of a future realm where believers are promised to live forever with Jesus in heaven. The heavenly representation of Jesus is especially staggering as he is presented as one who inspires devotion (1 Corinthians 1), and the assurance of his return motivates Christians to continue in this devotion. An enthralling fact about the person of Jesus is that he is accorded major significance by historians, theologians as well as the New Testament writers regardless of each of their perspectives (Akyol, 2018).
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References
Powell, M. A. (2009). Introducing the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic .
Akyol, M., & Barton, J. D. (2018). JESUS WITHOUT CHRIST?. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life , (281), 6-9.
