The "perfection of Jesus" myth

[Elijah John]

Is the notion of Jesus' moral perfection a myth?

Consider some New Testament evidence.

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Why do you call me good? There is none good but God alone.

-Jesus underwent John's baptism "of repentance for the forgiveness of sins If Jesus was perfect, why would he need to repent of anything?

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Let the dead bury their own dead

Is Jesus teaching against the Law here? Isn't there a Mosaic injunction to bury one's parents when they die? Is is a sin to tell people to break the Law? Isn't it a sin to call people names? (let the dead...)

For debate...

1) was Jesus indeed, morally perfect? If so, how do you account for this New Testament evidence to the contrary?

2) is there any other NT evidence that refutes the notion that Jesus was perfect?

3) Why is it so important for so many believers to cling to the notion that Jesus was perfect?

4) Does Jesus get a pass on all these things, because he is thought by many to be "God"? If he made the rules, can't he break them as well?

5) If Jesus did indeed keep the Law perfectly, isn't "being God" an unfair advantage in doing so?

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Disclaimer, by attempting to establish the fact that Jesus was not perfect, the OP in no way is suggesting that Jesus was not a Godly, righteous or moral man. One can be all of those things without being "perfect".

[Tcg]

Paul put it this way:

Jesus put it this way:

"31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?"

Matthew 23:31-33

[dianaiad]

Paul put it this way:

Jesus put it this way:

"31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?"

Matthew 23:31-33

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[Overcomer]

I quoted Paul here:

Paul put it this way:

Rom. 5:6-8: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Tcg wrote in response:

Jesus put it this way:

"31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?"

Matthew 23:31-33

I'm not sure what you meant by posting that as you didn't explain, but I'm assuming that you think there is some kind of contradiction between God demonstrating his love on the cross and Jesus calling out the Pharisees on their hypocrisy. However, that verse from Matthew only confirms the verse from Romans because Christ died for those very people he called vipers -- only they rejected him.

Paul writes this to Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:10:That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

Christ died for all humankind, but only those who accept his gift of salvation will receive it. It's like this:

A woman makes a meal for her two children. One eats it. The other refuses to. She provided sustenance for each, but only one took it. That's the way it works with Jesus and salvation. You can accept or reject it, but it's offered to all because Christ died for all -- and he died out of love for all, even the viperish ones!