“who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." (Mark 10:34)
The intensity of unpleasant words in describing the Passion was escalating from mocking, to spitting upon and then from flogging to killing. Though it was spoken by Jesus himself, the structure of the sentence was framed not in the first person but in the third person. The declaration about his resurrection is even more remarkable. He says, “Three days later he will rise.” It signifies that the events of Passion, death and resurrection were the fundamental faith of early Christians.
Some argue that the historical background of Jesus is not included in the Apostle Creed because its contents directly jump from the Virgin to Pilate. The history of Jesus signifies his entire work such as calling his disciples near Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, mingling with sinners and tax collectors and declaring the kingdom of God. Compared to such lengthy description of Jesus activities, the content of Apostle Creed is just a part of his prolific work.
If they intend to correct the error of faith that denies the humanness of Jesus by focusing only on his deity, then they are right in a way. Not only them but the Church Fathers have also already struggled persistently with Gnosticism. Early Christians never gave up the understanding of humanness of Jesus.
However if they denounce the Apostle Creed for lack of statement about Jesus’ historical activity in it then their attitude reveals their partial knowledge about Christianity. We confess Jesus as our Christ and the Messiah not merely because he is an incarnation of moral and altruistic, humanism but solely because he has saved mankind from their sins and will accomplish complete salvation in the eschatological reality.
His way toward Jerusalem was the way of salvation of mankind through his Passion, death and resurrection. Besides this, we have no other important reasons for believing Jesus.
The intensity of unpleasant words in describing the Passion was escalating from mocking, to spitting upon and then from flogging to killing. Though it was spoken by Jesus himself, the structure of the sentence was framed not in the first person but in the third person. The declaration about his resurrection is even more remarkable. He says, “Three days later he will rise.” It signifies that the events of Passion, death and resurrection were the fundamental faith of early Christians.
Some argue that the historical background of Jesus is not included in the Apostle Creed because its contents directly jump from the Virgin to Pilate. The history of Jesus signifies his entire work such as calling his disciples near Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, mingling with sinners and tax collectors and declaring the kingdom of God. Compared to such lengthy description of Jesus activities, the content of Apostle Creed is just a part of his prolific work.
If they intend to correct the error of faith that denies the humanness of Jesus by focusing only on his deity, then they are right in a way. Not only them but the Church Fathers have also already struggled persistently with Gnosticism. Early Christians never gave up the understanding of humanness of Jesus.
However if they denounce the Apostle Creed for lack of statement about Jesus’ historical activity in it then their attitude reveals their partial knowledge about Christianity. We confess Jesus as our Christ and the Messiah not merely because he is an incarnation of moral and altruistic, humanism but solely because he has saved mankind from their sins and will accomplish complete salvation in the eschatological reality.
His way toward Jerusalem was the way of salvation of mankind through his Passion, death and resurrection. Besides this, we have no other important reasons for believing Jesus.
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