IN SEARCH OF THE TRUE JESUS

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti

By Francesco Schiano Lomoriello, GBU Staff in Naples.

The expression ‘search for the historical Jesus’ refers to the effort to reconstruct a portrait of Jesus of Nazareth that bypasses that offered by the gospels, in order to come as close as possible to the historical truth.

The starting assumption is that the authors of the Gospels were not motivated by a desire to report objective truth, but by theological and doctrinal intentions. Therefore, they are accused of having included in their accounts facts that did not really happen, or at least not in the manner described, in order to support the positions of the Christian communities of which they were an expression.

Three stages of research

Today, three phases of research can be recognised:

– The first developed between the 18th and the early part of the 20th century. Illuminist-derived Rationalism led scholars such as Hermann Reimarus to suggest the difference between the ‘Christ of Faith’ and the ‘Jesus of History’. Biographies of Jesus were written that were above all an attempt to rationalise and naturalise the gospels, purging them of all supernatural elements. Rudolf Bultmann was the last protagonist of this phase and the one who put an end to it. He suggested that the Jesus of History was inaccessible to research. This conclusion was motivated by the observation that every biography of Jesus published in the previous two centuries had offered a different portrait from the others, fuelled not so much by the desired criteria of objectivity, but by the orientation and prejudices of those who had proposed it.

– It was in fact a disciple of Bultmann, Ernst Kasemann, who was the initiator of the second wave of studies on the historical Jesus. Convinced, unlike his master, of the possibility of bridging the gap between the Christ of Faith and the Jesus of History through the critical study of New Testament texts. It was the middle of the 20th century and this season was short-lived because important archaeological discoveries imposed a new approach to research.

– Studies based on discoveries such as the Nag Hammadi Library and the Qumran Scrolls allowed historians to gain a deeper understanding of the society and culture of the ancient Middle East. This knowledge is the foundation of the third phase approach of research on the historical Jesus. Since the 1960s, more and more scholars have become interested in the possibility of distilling historical truth from the New Testament texts. This is done not only through philological and literary work, but by analysing the biblical accounts in the light of the knowledge gained about the society in which Jesus lived and the gospels were written. An important feature of this third phase is the presence among its initiators of atheist and agnostic scholars, who in some cases are deconverted Christians.

How to address the issue

Confronting the works of scholars, past and present, who strongly question the reliability of the Gospel accounts can be no small challenge for believers. However, we have the tools to meet that challenge and turn it into an evangelistic opportunity.

1. Eyewitnesses and the real Jesus

The starting assumption we have referred to, namely the belief that the canonical Gospels do not represent historical accounts but theological reconstructions of the figure of Jesus, is by no means proven. The internal evidence seems to suggest quite the opposite. If one considers the presence of so many details that are not necessary to the narrative (the number of fish caught at the second miraculous catch, the young man covered by a sheet present at Jesus’ arrest, the fact that John arrived at the tomb before Peter, etc.), the stories that make the Gospels look bad, the stories that make the Gospels look bad, etc., the stories that make the Gospels look bad. ), to the stories that cast the disciples in a bad light, or to the declaration of intent that Luke offers at the beginning of his Gospel (…it seemed good to me too, after having thoroughly informed myself of everything from the beginning, to write about it in order…), it can be reasonably argued that the evangelists reported eyewitness accounts with the aim of presenting us with the real Jesus.

It is precisely the category of testimony that scholar Richard Bauckham suggests in his Jesus and the Eyewitnesses in order to properly understand the literary genre Gospels. Extremely subjective, but not unreliable.

On the other hand, the date of publication of the New Testament writings, which can be placed at the latest between 60 and 95 A.D., makes it rather difficult to argue that they contain myths and legends, since eyewitnesses of the narrated facts were still in circulation at that time.

2. Meet the Christ by researching the historical Jesus

Today, most students are convinced that the Bible is not a reliable text; to speak about Jesus from what the Gospels say often means clashing with this prejudice. In such a context, the search for the historical Jesus represents a meeting point between the believer and the sceptic. In other words, one can approach the New Testament texts as a sceptic and analyse them with the tools of modern historiography. One can try to understand who Jesus of Nazareth was, without first accepting the doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible, and meet the Christ.

There is no shortage of testimonies from ordinary people and scholars who, analysing the Gospels as non-believers, ended up recognising Jesus as their God and Lord, just as happened to the first sceptic, the disciple Thomas.

  1. Bauckham R., Gesù e i testimoni oculari, Ed. GBU, Chieti 2010 ↩︎
  2. Si vedano, ad esempio, i seguenti libri di autori che hanno raccontato la loro esperienza: Chi ha rimosso la pietra?, F. Morison, Più che un falegname, J. MacDowell, Il caso Gesù, L. Strobel ↩︎

Faith is harmful (?)

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti
by Cristiano Meregaglia, GBU Staff worker

This article is a summary of a workshop that Cristiano himself offered to the students at our event Formazione GBU (ndr)

“Imagine there’s no heaven / It’s easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us only sky / Imagine all the people / Living for today… / Imagine there’s no countries / It isn’t hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion too / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace…”

Lennon, John. Imagine

This is what John Lennon sang in 1971, hoping for a time when people could finally live just for today, without being oppressed by the thought of a heaven or hell awaiting them at the moment of death, and a world where there would be no nations and religions opposing one another, preventing peace that would otherwise be possible.

Of course, even more than 50 years later, these words and these hopes are still present and strong in the society we live in, suggesting that faith is not only rationally unsustainable but also morally harmful, and that, therefore, society would be much more functional if every religious root were to be uprooted from it. This idea has been explicitly supported by the main exponents of t

The “new” ateism

This idea has been explicitly supported by the main exponents of the so-called New Atheism movement, who, without mincing my words, have dedicated long pages to describing the great evils that religion has produced throughout history, from the Crusades to the Jihad, from religious wars to contemporary theocratic regimes, clearly highlighting how the solution for a better world seems to be precisely what the Beatles singer envisioned.

It is interesting to note, however, that although these authors are labeled as new atheists, the ideas they support are anything but new, as they are effectively derived from the reflections of past thinkers. Among these past thinkers, it is impossible to ignore Bertrand Russell, who, with his collection of essays compiled in the text Why I Am Not a Christian, represents, in fact, a normative reference for much of the literature produced within the New Atheism movement.

Religion: a disease to be eradicated

In one of those essays, titled “Has Religion Contributed to Civilization?”, Russell presents precisely those arguments that, decades later, Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Odifreddi, Augias, and other contemporary intellectuals continue to propose to argue for the damage religion has caused. Specifically, Russell argues that religion is “a kind of disease, born out of fear and a source of unspeakable suffering for humanity,”, his point of  view relating to both the intellectual and moral spheres. On the one hand, the philosopher claims that religion hinders free thought and rational inquiry; on the other, by imposing a morality considered absolute and anchored to archaic concepts, it also creates the conflicts that are at the root of human unhappiness. Thus, he concludes the aforementioned essay writing:

“With the progress of knowledge and technology, universal happiness can be achieved; but the main obstacle to using them for this purpose is the teaching of religion. Religion prevents our children from receiving a rational education; religion prevents us from removing the fundamental causes of wars; religion prevents us from teaching the ethics of scientific cooperation instead of the old, aberrant doctrines of guilt and punishment. Humanity may be on the threshold of a golden age; but to cross it, we must first slay the dragon guarding the door: this dragon is religion.”

Russel, B. “Perché non sono cristiano”, Longanesi & C., Milano, 1960, p.24

Now, as biting as these criticisms may be, it is helpful to point out that it is legitimate, and perhaps even necessary, to agree with some of the claims made in the essay. It is undeniable that many people, claiming to be Christians (or of other religions), have indeed committed reprehensible acts throughout history, often abusing their social position provided to them by religion; and it is equally understandable to agree with the insistence on the need to reject an uncritical faith (one that is not aware of what it believes and why it believes it).

That being said, it is also necessary to point out that such criticisms are, in fact, open to strong counterarguments, which can be articulated along three lines of response.

1. The preaching of Christ and its impact on society

First of all, it is easy to demonstrate how the true Christianity, as embodied and preached by Jesus Christ himself, is radically different from other religions and, in many cases, from how Christians have portrayed it. True Christianity, in fact, far from being a source of violence, has at its root the persuasion through inner contrition rather than external coercion through the use of force. It is of no coincidence, therefore, that when Jesus, just hours before his death sentence, was in Gethsemane and Peter tried to defend him with weapons from his enemies, not only did he order his disciple to put away his sword, but he also healed the servant of the high priest who had been injured by that sword (Mt 26:51-52; Lk 22:51).

Furthermore, it is easy to show that true Christianity is not only not a cause of harm to society but that society as a whole has benefited from the influence of Christianity, which has created hospitals, the Red Cross, orphanages, universities… to the point that an atheist journalist wrote in The Times that in Africa, the contribution of evangelism to the progress of society has far exceeded that provided by any other organization, governmental or otherwise (M. Parris, The Times, 27.12.2008).

2. A society that wants to get rid of God

Secondly, it can just as easily be shown that a society in which God is removed opens the door to any violation and abuse by the powerful, precisely because it removes the premise that one must be accountable for his own actions before a just God. The 20th century is full of such examples, from Stalin’s Russia to Mao’s China, to Pol Pot’s Cambodia. Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in this regard, stated that “if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous Revolution that swallowed up 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to say: men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened” (A. Solzhenitsyn, Templeton Prize Address, 1983).

3. Flawed argument

Finally, it can be pointed out that the very principles by which religion is criticized today are Christian principles, principles that would not exist without the cultural revolution brought about by Jesus and the subsequent Christianity. The freedom, equality, progress, and peace that seem to be questioned in society by religion are, in fact, nothing more than the product of Christianity, and we are so immersed in them that they are like the air we breathe (cf. G. Scrivener, The Air We Breathe, Introduction).

True greatness!

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti
by Sharon Fichera, student leader GBU Bologna

Hello everyone! My name is Sharon, I am 20 years old and Sicilian. I am also Bolognese by adoption, since I moved to the capital of tortellini to study Classical Literature. I love Jesus and I love talking about Him and, because of this, when I got to know the GBU, I fell in love with it and joined the group of students in Bologna.

This year I took part in the Formazione conference for Coordinators (GBU student leaders), which was held in Rimini at the beginning of October. In short, Formazione prepares young leaders to be a support to the GBU at local level. Needless to say, God worked in me more than I could have expected, which is why I want to tell you about my experience.

The Formazione programme consists of training in three different tracks:

Bible and Prayer

We deepened our knowledge of the Scriptures and our relationship with God through inductive Bible studies (SBI), prayer, praise and sermons. In this track we studied Mark chapters 8-10. What struck me most was seeing the continuous power play that is inherent in the human soul. Jesus was trying to teach the disciples that they should sacrifice themselves daily, love and serve others selflessly, stop trying to earn eternal life by their own efforts, and accept God’s love. Instead, they behaved arrogantly, did not understand the teachings of Jesus and believed they were superior to others, as well as competing among themselves as to who was the greatest. Jesus tried to teach them what true greatness was, but they (and often we) had hard hearts.

Coordinators

This track was designed to teach us who a coordinator should be and what he or she should do to make the right contribution to the local GBU and the mission in the university. It was also good to focus on our own potential as well as the potential of our GBU groups. What impressed me most was learning what it means to be mature coordinators. The definition we gave of spiritual maturity is ‘Constant, consistent and conscious growth in Christ’. To walk in this growth it is necessary to die to oneself, accept suffering, embrace sacrifice and the cross, knowing that all this is done for a greater joy and glory, namely the proclamation of the gospel and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Evangelism

With this track we focused on sharing Jesus from student to student, both individually and as a local group. I really enjoyed a seminar entitled ‘Damaging Faith (?)’, in which we read some of the criticisms made of Christianity throughout History and Philosophy. I found it useful and inspiring to be given tools to counter these criticisms. Furthermore, it was very interesting to note that many people are not indignant or angry because of God, but because of what the Church has done in the name of God. This challenged me to be a good example to those around me and to honour Christ in everything I do.

But on a practical level, what has this training done?

Personally, the training encouraged and challenged me to be aware of my role as coordinator, to serve others, to sacrifice myself for Christ, to live a life of prayer, to seek the face of God, and to spread the gospel without shame. I am sure that all of us there received a great boost to work in our GBUs, for our GBUs and with our GBUs, to share Jesus from student to student.

At this point only one question remains, implicitly, to be answered: ‘What is true greatness?’  

To find out, we need only look to Jesus, the greatest King who trod the earth, the servant who washed the feet of his disciples.

Partners wanted!

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti

by Simon Cowell, GBU Staff worker in Bari

One of my favourite bible passages is Philippians 1.  The letter to the Philippians is rightly known as “the letter of joy” for the deep connection between the apostle Paul and this small church in the ancient Roman city of Philippi.  Having greeted the church, the first thing Paul writes is this:


I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-5

Did you notice the main reason for the apostle’s profound gratitude to God?  It’s their partnership in the gospel – this good work started in them by God, so that this church wouldn’t just be recipients of the gospel but active participants in it.  Sometimes we don’t think about how amazing this is: Paul, this giant of the early church, history’s first great missionary, the man chosen by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles – this man considered the partnership of this tiny, insignificant church to be immensely precious, and brought him great joy.  Why?

Partnership in the gospel

Paul knew that the work of the gospel is too big, too vast and important to be left to the “professionals” or “experts” (even those as able and gifted as the apostles!)  Proclaiming Jesus, and the eternal life to be found in him, is the main mission of the church – of the whole church, including that small community in Philippi.  This is a profound biblical truth: every Christian ministry is fundamentally collaborative.  In the case of Paul and the Philippians, it was Paul who criss-crossed the Mediterranean (multiple times!), preaching Christ and founding churches.  It was the Philippians who contributed in two vitally important ways: prayerful support, and financial support.

The importance of prayer

Referring to his imprisonment and his gospel “rivals”, Paul writes this to the Philippians: “I know that this will lead to my salvation through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ”.  Even though they weren’t physically with him, Paul explains the importance of their prayers in the midst of his difficulties – they are the only thing he mentions other than the help of the Holy Spirit!
Partnership in the gospel means praying; interceding with the Lord of Hosts to do what only He can do: transform hearts and minds to accept Christ Jesus and the eternal life that only he can offer.

The importance of giving

Still writing to the Philippians, Paul speaks various times of his joy in their financial partnership in the gospel:


“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me… no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone”

(4:10, 15)

Paul also emphasises that this financial partnership is not a matter of his needs, and certainly not of his greed.  Rather, he underlines the benefits that they receive as a result of their generosity:

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account… and my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”

(4:17, 19)

All of this to say that giving to those who proclaim the gospel isn’t just a sacrifice, or even an investment, but a means but which God blesses even the giver.  When we give we are growing in spiritual fruitfulness; when we give, strangely, we receive from the divine riches.  No wonder the apostle was full of joy to see these precious brothers and sisters openly show the work of the Spirit in them!

The GBU, the gospel and you

Partnership in the gospel, therefore, is one of Paul’s main reasons for thankfulness and for joy.  And the mission of the GBU is that the proclamation of the same gospel of Jesus Christ might continue even today, in every Italian university – that we might in some way be sharing Jesus from student to student.  But just as Paul couldn’t and didn’t want to take on this project alone, so it is for us in the GBU. 

We’re looking for partners!  We’re looking for people who are going to strive in prayer together with us, who also want to see Jesus proclaimed and glorified in Italian universities, and who want to support this work financially.  If you’re not already our partner, or a member of the Associazione GBU, or a financial donor, then today’s the day to start this beautiful partnership – for the salvation of souls, for the growth of the Italian (and beyond!) church, and for our mutual building up in the faith.  To find out more, click the link below!

https://gbu.it/en/how-to-donate/

un-SATISFIED

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti

Emanuele Berti tells us about his experience with the “Mission Week” that the GBU Florence group organized from March 11th to the 14th.

PREPARATION

Preparing for the week, for me, was a process that was as challenging as it was formative. It began several months ago and has proved to be an ongoing challenge. The choice of the theme and its development were particularly complex. Each time I found myself doubting the outcome, and I had difficulty figuring out what was an appropriate approach to engage students. Initially, I explored concepts such as victory and defeat, and the meaning of life, focusing on the reality of university students.

Later, under the Lord’s guidance, I oriented the theme toward dissatisfaction. In collaboration with other coordinators and staff, we looked for ways to address this topic with students. However, we opted for a direct approach with students through questions, which we often use in the GBU to initiate discussion. We also used a poster board, which summarized the concept of dissatisfaction through two key phrases: 

  1. “Human beings are often dissatisfied not because they want too much, but rather because they want too little.” By C.S. Lewis
  2. “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will thirst no more.” John 4:14

I have realized in this preparation how constantly revisiting and reworking ideas is a challenging and tiring process, but I have also realized how essential and necessary it is; not only in preparing for an evangelistic week!

THE WORK IS IN YOUR HANDS

We planned the evangelistic days with personal prayer during the mornings, and then devoting the afternoons to evangelism and interaction with the students. On the first day, we gathered for an analysis and study of the Gospel, exploring its meaning and how to convey it to the students. The enthusiasm and joy I felt during the first day of preparation was so intense that the next day I found myself in bed with fever, nausea and sore throat! I spent two days in bed.

Initially, I was sorry that I could not attend, but then I felt great joy in knowing that others were at the university, sharing the Word of Jesus with students. I realized that the Word and the Gospel are free, not imprisoned, and continue to spread, despite our limitations.

WE ARE STRONG ONLY IN THE LORD

On the last day, after much prayer, I was able to find the strength to get out of bed and reach the university, joining the others. Although I was still sick, voiceless, with some fever and tiredness, I experienced how the Lord works in our very weakness. The warmth of the sunshine and the encouraging conversations lifted my spirits. To attract people, we had decided to use a little door and a ball. At first, they did not arouse much interest, but once we figured out how to make use of them, the Lord acted in an extraordinary way. We proposed a game in which, in exchange for a prize (a candy), people had to answer a question. In addition to the main poster board, we displayed another one with the pattern of the two ways of living, represented by six pictures illustrating the gospel. It was surprising to note that almost all the people, at least a dozen, understood the meaning of the gospel on their own after I asked them to try to understand what the pictures meant. It was a real miracle, and some people even agreed to come to the Mark Drama.

SATISFIED

These days have made me realize even more that only the Lord Jesus can truly satisfy. We can find many religions, ideas and sources of entertainment, but only Jesus can reconcile us with God. He is the only righteous one, the only sinless one, the only one who can redeem us and give us eternal satisfaction, a satisfaction that knows no end. He is the water that quenches our thirst — forever! Through His mercy, God welcomes every student, whether they have been a lifelong blasphemer, an arrogant person or an atheist. If they repent and believe in Jesus, they can be reconciled and God awaits them with open arms, rejoicing for the lost sheep who has been found, for the one who had died and has come back to life.

Emanuele Berti, GBU Florence student