The liar, lunatic or lordargument attempts to present a case through process of elimination of all other options, that jesus christ must have been god. The only other alternative is that he wasand isthe christ, the son of god, as he claimed. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things jesus said would not be a great mo. I like to add legend to the list, for it to fits within this theory. If jesus knew that he was not god, then he was making a deliberate misrepresentation, and he was a liar. This was the argument that lewis used to prove the divinity of jesus christ. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached eggor else he would be the devil of hell. Cs lewis is widely known as the creator of the chronicles of. He would either be a lunatic on the level with a man who says he is a poached eggor he would be the devil of hell. Cs lewis said, we only have a choice of three answers to jesus question.
Of the two groups of witnesses listed at this books beginning, the three witnesses and the eight witnesses, only the three smiths, members of the same family as joseph smith, remained in the latterday saint mormon church until the end of. Those three choices were this hes a liar, a lunatic or the lord, or even more simple. If he had been crazy, like a lunatic, we certainly would. So back in college i took a class called world religions actually took a number of these classes is really good because its good to study what people believe throughout history what people believe throughout the world its great to study of differences and know some of the similarities one of the things i found that was virtually all of these classes that i took you get a text book and each. This looks at the possibilities of jesus story of being gods son here in human form. Lewis quote on jesus as liar, lunatic, or lord from mere. Posted on november 16, 2020 witnesses old and new, words of jesus. May 09, 2017 father mike explains why jesus is god. Mere christianity liar, lunatic, or lord in mere christianity by c. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided.
The trilemma argument, popularized by christian writer c. If jesus were not lord, he would be a liar or a lunatic. He was certain that no one could seriously argue for or accept these alternatives and that left only his favored explanation. Lewis laid out in his book mere christianity an argument that would come to be known as the trilemma. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon.
If jesus claims to be god and the claim is true, then he is god. Search for jesus in amazon books and youll find over 50,000 results. May 31, 2017 probably one of the most commonly used arguments for the deity of jesus is the lord, liar, lunatic trilemma. Liar, lunatic, lord bible study lessons adult sunday. If he wasnt divine, then the only other alternatives were that he was evil or deluded. Lewis quote on jesus as liar, lunatic, or lord from mere christianity i am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him that is, christ. Lewis and popularized in mere christianity even a number of theologians have pointed out that the liar, lunatic or lord argument is unsound. If he was telling a lie about who he was, then either he was doing it consciously, making himself a cruel deceiver, or else he mistakenly thought he was telling the truth, thus making himself a lunatic. I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him.
If jesus is not lord, is not a liar, is not a lunatic, maybe he did not exist in the first place. After clicking register, you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. The book in our bibles we call the gospel of john is truly unique because it is devoted to proving only one thing the deity of jesus christ. Let us not say, im ready to accept jesus as a great moral teacher, but i dont accept his claim to be god.
Here is the schematic diagram of the lord, liar, lunatic logic tree. Jesus knew that he was not the son of god, but he was willing to lie about it. Mar 21, 2018 the trilemma argument, popularized by christian writer c. Yjesus presents the classic evidence for christ including lord. Attack each of these evasions jesus as the good man, jesus as the lunatic, jesus as the liar, jesus as the man who never claimed divinity, jesus as the mystictake away these flight squares, and there is only one square left for the unbelievers king to move to. I hope this book gets you beyond the limits of lewiss. If the first two alternatives do not suit you, then perhaps you will consider this one. Jan 09, 2008 today we will explore a very basic principle of apologetics. Given the smorgasbord of competing views, can we still have confidence in the historical jesus.
The liar, lunatic or lord argument attempts to present a case through process of elimination of all other options, that jesus christ must have been god. Aug 03, 2017 refuting liar, lunatic or lord trilemma. Jesus claimed to be the lord, so jesus is either the lord, or else hes a liar or a lunatic. He is the author of several books for private and home schools.
Some 1900 years later, cs lewis, in his book mere christianity, gave a. Lewis and presented over bbc radio and later in his seminal work mere christianity back in the 1940s. Jesus also called himself lord of the sabbath in the book of mark chapter 2 in relation to the 10 commandments god gave moses for the people of israel in the old testament. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things jesus said would. The leaders thought he must be a liar or a lunatic. He would either be a lunatic on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg. It is sometimes described as the lunatic, liar, or lord, or mad, bad, or god argument see also. Many try to claim that jesus was merely a great teacher or a. I cannot personally conclude that jesus was a liar or a lunatic. This particular chapter has stuck with me for years and in my own words i would like to give my opinion on who jesus is. The problem with liar, lunatic, or lord the bart ehrman blog. He would either be a lunatic on the level with the man who says he is a poached eggor else he would be the devil of hell. I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him that is, christ. Apr 15, 2018 lewis three options were, in a nutshell, that jesus was either a.
A man who said the things jesus said was either a liar, a lunatic or he was and is the lord from heaven. List of jewish messiah claimants and rejection of jesus. If jesus had been a liar, we would not be here today. Lunatics dont speak the way jesus spoke, think the way he thought. He explains in his quote from his book mere christianity. Mere christianity liar, lunatic, or lord youversion event. Is jesus christ a legend, lunatic, liar, or lord and god. Lunatics dont heal sick people, raise dead people, and dominate demons. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. Nov 16, 2017 thus, if jesus is not god, he is either a liar, lunatic, or legend. S lewis trilemma a good argument for the divinity of.
Now, the new testament is written, clearly, to make it obvious to any reader that jesus is not a lunatic. Jan 17, 20 and so there is an easy response to the false conclusion that because jesus called himself god, he must be a liar, a lunatic, or the lord. Lewis, christology the study of jesus christ, quotes tags a liar, c. Lewiss infamous liar, lunatic, and lord scheme is no longer intellectually tenable.
Lord liar lunatic was jesus the lord, a liar, or a lunatic. One version was popularised by university of oxford literary scholar and writer c. In recent times, however, the argument has been complicated by the fact that some add a fourth possibility. Lewis, an englishman, the lord, liar, lunatic logic tree shows that jesus could have been only the lord or a liar or a lunatic. Lord, liar, or lunatic is a chapter in josh mcdowells book, more than a carpenter. Sep 22, 2020 so, the options are either lord, liar, or lunatic never simply a man. This may be a guide to jesus, but for christians, fuller is guiding us toward a deeper understanding of god. He thinks its good newsgood news about a god who is so invested in the world that god refuses to be god without us. Liar, lunatic, and lord compiled from mere christianity by c.
Let the reader decide whether jesus is liar, lunatic, or god. Jesus, based upon what he said and did, is either a liar, lunatic, or he is lord. Jan 24, 2012 author lifecoach4god posted on january 24, 2012 september 14, 20 categories book excerpts, c. But in spite of the logic and evidence, many people cannot seem to bring themselves to this conclusion. From the first chapter of his gospel record to the last, the apostle john.
Jesus was a guy who spoke some of the most profound words ever recordedwords that have set free many individuals, even some in mental bondage. Jun 06, 2019 to say jesus was a lunatic is also a stretch, since his teaching would appear to be the quintessence of sanityand, of course, a great moral teacher is, again by definition, sane. Lewiss trilemma is an apologetic argument traditionally used to argue for the divinity of jesus. Lewis quote on jesus as liar, lunatic, or lord from. Lewis says, a man who was merely a man and said the sort of things jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. Mcdowell and sean mcdowell, excerpt of more than a carpenter. In this inspirational classic mcdowell explores the evidence on who jesus said he was.
Im sure everyone has heard of the liar, lunatic or lord trilemma from cs lewis. Many people want to regard jesus not as god but as a good, moral man or as an exceptionally wise prophet who spoke many profound truths. Consider the lord, liar, lunatic logic tree that deduces jesus could not have been a prophet, a sage or even a clever politician. He would either be a lunatic on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the devil of hell. The supposed witnesses for the book of mormon present a stark contrast to those for jesus resurrection. Lewis believed so and also believed that he had a very good argument for convincing people to agree. Lewis has made famous the trilemma that jesus must either be a lunatic, a liar, or the lord of all in his book called mere christianity. Jan 17, 2019 in other words, the argument implies that if you find it difficult to call jesus a liar or a lunatic, you are being led, therefore, to see him as lord. For catholics, the doctrine of christs divinity is central, for it is like a skeleton key that opens all the other doctrines. Lewis makes this statement, a man who was merely a man and said the sort of things jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. Some also refer to this argument as the mad, bad, or god view.
Apologists such as william lane craig cite this argument as a good example. The jesus of the bible may not be a liar or a lunatic or a lord but rather a legend. Lordliarlunatic not his phrase argument for the deity of christ. Jesuslord, liar, lunatic in his steps creating futures. If one does not wish to call jesus a liar and they refuse to say he is a lunatic, the only option left is god. I hope this book gets you beyond the limits of lewiss saying and lets you see jesus as just freaking awesome. Search for jesus at and youll find 261,474 books about him. This argument for the authenticity of jesus divinity has been used by many christians, but it was perhaps most notably used by c. Even a number of theologians have pointed out that the liar, lunatic or lord argument is unsound. In addition, jesus called himself son of man continually.
So if he was not a liar and not a lunatic, the only other logically possible conclusion is that he is god. Liar, lunatic, evidence for the resurrection, claims to deity, new. In 1936, watchman nee made a similar argument in his book, normal christian faith. Lewis socalled trilemma, or lord, liar, lunatic argument. Chesterton used something similar to the trilemma in his book, the everlasting man 1925. In other words, the jesus of the bible is not the jesus of history, so your claims about what must be trust about the jesus of the bible do not lead to conclusions about the actual lordship of the jesus of history. Lewis, he defends christianity by building a logical foundation for belief and constructing an entire theology upon that foundation.
If you explore this website at all you will see there is plenty of evidence to show the validity of the bible, thus jesus did exist. Is there good evidence to show that jesus was not a legend. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he. If christ isnt a liar or a lunatic, you only have one option. Lewis wrote in mere christianity that jesus was either lord, a lunatic, or the devil of hell. The three options lewis gives us lunatic, liar, or lord are obviously not the only possibilities on the table. He claims that if jesus wasnt actually god, he must either be a liar or a lunatic.
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