What if Jesus was not divine? The Gospel of Thomas and the canonical Mark do not have a birth narrative or appearances of a physical resurrected Jesus. Paul does not mention a virgin birth or an empty tomb. If these earlier witnesses are more reliable historical sources, if we take the Jesus narrative as an account of a human sage, a reformer, but not a God, then we find ourselves forced to use critical thinking, in the absence of an absolute authority/Word of God, to discover what is true now. Some will hear this as liberating good news, and others may find this to be shocking and disheartening. Still, the best path for any faith community is to follow the truth where it leads.
 

 
These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at iTunes.

Dr. Roger L. Ray
pastor, The Emerging Church
spfccc.org
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