Good Example Of Essay On Martin Kahler On The “Jesus Of History” (339 Words)

According to Martin Christians, only need to have a reliable interpretation of the importance of Christ to them. Christians do not need to learn about the history of Christ and the full context of His life. Martin explains that the person of Christ as a messiah was based on the testimonies of early witnesses which formed the apostolic preaching. The historic Christ, who was from the old Covenant, did not manage to secure strong commitment from His disciples. Although Christ taught them many things up until His death, their commitment to Him was shaky and easily prone to panic and betrayal. The influence of Christ came after His resurrection. It was after the disciples received the gift of the Spirit that they turned to witnesses. For this reason, Christians believe in the preached Christ as the real Christ.
According to Martin, the History of Christ is not relevant when developing the Christian faith. I hold the view that it is important for Christians to have a clear understanding of why Christ had to come and what He was to accomplish. Martin explains that the witness of the first converts is sufficient in disclosing the authentic picture of Christ. I think studying the history of Christ is important because it might reveal certain aspects of Christ which are not present in the preached Christ.
Martin explains that what Christ did before His resurrection and his appearing to the disciples in His fullness is not as significant in gaining the faith of the disciples as compared to what he did after. I am of the view that what He did after including sending the Spirit and appearing to them only had meaning and succeeded in cementing their faith because they had experienced the before aspect. Martin explains that the collection of historical facts about Christ does not increase the perceived significance of Christ. I think the historical facts are necessary for creating an understanding of who Christ was, why He came and how He managed to accomplish His agenda for humankind.