Apostolic Friends Forum - One Solitary Life

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizpeh (Post 822164)

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navys that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that ONE SOLITARY LIFE!

http://www.my.homewithgod.com/mkcath...l/onelife.html

This is very moving, but I don't believe it's entirely biblical. The bible tells us that Jesus was a rabbi,

John 1:49
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 3:2 (spoken by Nicodemus, a Pharisee)
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

John 3:26
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

John 6:25
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

In order to become a rabbi a Jewish male had to have successfully passed all religious education as a young man. In addition he had to have been interviewed by a rabbi and taken in as a student. Each student underwent rigorous religious training under their respective rabbi. This is the equivalent to having attended a religious university or seminary. If a student showed particular skill and gifting that student was often welcomed into the rabbinical circle and became a rabbi. From there a student would gather disciples and teach their interpretation of the Torah (known as a rabbi's "yoke").

Yet it gets even more interesting with Jesus. Pay close attention to this event...

John 8:1-3
1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

Here we see Jesus teaching in the Temple. This was an honor granted to only the most respected and highest ranking rabbis. Not only do we see this, but we see the Pharisees bringing a case of adultery before him. This indicates that Jesus had judicial power granted him as a high ranking rabbi. It's quite possible that Jesus was the presiding rabbinical authority in the temple on this day because we see the Pharisees issue charges of adultery against a woman. In a sense he is functioning as a Judge of Jewish Law, therefore his words are legally binding. The intent of the Pharisees was to trap him. Roman law forbade Jewish authorities from issuing the death sentence. The Pharisees hoped Christ would be bound by the Law to condemn her to death, thus justifying charging Jesus murder under Roman Law. However, Christ turns the tables and issues the verdict that one of their own number who is without sin be the one to cast the first stone. This put the Pharisees in the hot seat. Now in order to follow through on their own charges, they would have to break Roman law. This forced them to drop the charges against her. So we see Jesus making decisions with the finesse and savvy of a courtroom attorney.

So Jesus was highly educated, high ranking, and highly skilled. His credentials were impeccable. And most likely he had written much under his rabbinical tutorship.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my thoughts.

God bless.