Endnote 10 – What Did Jesus Really Say?

Some of the perceived corrosiveness is because of confusion about the relationship between historical judgments and theological convictions. To use an example from earlier in this essay: Whether or not Jesus said (or thought) he was both Lord and Christ should not be confused with whether or not he was (or is). For the early Church, he was certainly both Lord and Christ, as he is for Christians today, even though he may not have spoken of himself in those terms. To use an illustration from our national history, George Washington is quite properly referred to as Father of Our Country, even though he did not think of himself that way. That is, the truth of the New Testament’s perception of Jesus as both Lord and Christ is not dependent upon whether Jesus used those exalted titles himself.