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How would you respond to someone who says that Jesus Christ was a wonderful teacher but nothing more?
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Encountering a person who says Jesus was nothing more than a wonderful teacher would be perceived by me as an opportunity divinely sent. I would say a quick silent prayer for help to speak the truth in love through the Holy Spirit. I think it would also be important to remain calm and not defensive. I appreciated how simply it was stated in the lecture that it cannot be true that Christ was a great teacher if it is not also true that he is the Son of God. I think I would also try to speak from my experience as a teacher. I might try to help the person understand that as a teacher I do not try to mislead my students with incorrect information. I in fact teach them how to decipher through information that might not be accurate. Good teachers do not lie to their students. I would likely also give them some suggestions of further readings to explore on the subject of people that have done it much better than I could. If it was someone who wasn’t just a passerby but that I could continue to meet with I would ask them if we could continue having an ongoing conversation about it so I could share my faith.
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If you reach this point in a discussion with someone, I think it is best to let the scriptures speak for themselves. John 3:16 and 1 John 5:7 are good references to share.
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I believe that Jesus fulfilled the prophesies in more ways than one. Yes, He was a great teacher. But there is recorded evidence of His miracles, and conversations with people about who God the Father is, and conversations about the fulfillment of prophesy regarding the temple being rebuilt. And as Dr. Black stated, “Jesus was the completion of the Trinity”.
This is my belief… our belief. But for others to “believe” it can only come through FAITH. A personal experience with the Holy Spirit himself.
Jesus knew how important the Holy Spirit encounter was. That’s why he instructed the disciples to WAIT. I believe that without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, there remains confusion and doubt on who Jesus is. -
If I encountered someone who said Jesus was a wonderful teacher and nothing more, I would have to respond to them with Scripture. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He was the fulfillment for the prophecies and He was a sacrifice for us by dying on the cross.
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I would lovingly listen to the person, ask God to give me the words to say, to soften the person’s heart and then point to scripture that supports the truth.