Letter 23: Historical Jesus

Review:
Letter 22 was mostly Screwtape complaining about Wormwood's blunder of allowing the patient to fall in love with a true Christian. Also discussed the 'noise' Satan brings into our lives and smelling of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17. Did you get hit with any noise this week? Run into anyone who just reeked of the Holy Spirit?

 Outline:
  • Screwtape is more composed than in his last letter. He is concerned about the patient really getting to know these new, true Christians.
  • Talks about using the third type of power: The World, The Flesh, Angel of Light.
  • Screwtape now has a new strategy to combat the situation. These new Christian friends seem very intelligent. Attack him in a way that borders between theology and politics.
  • Get him to look at the "historical Jesus" based on biography of a past character.
    1. Tends to direct attention to something which does not exist. As we create a historical Jesus who is how we imagine he was.
    2. Makes it look like Jesus is great because we declared himself as great, not because He was the Lord come to earth to save us. He becomes a great teacher, and no more.
    3. Destroys devotional life. Cannot have a relationship with a historic character.
  • Christianity should be moved into politics, not to create a just society; but to get the patient to think of Christianity as a tool or a 'means to an end'. Hopefully that end is individual's own advantage, but if not let it be something other than just the truth. Believe in Jesus, not because of He is the Truth, but for some other reason.
Terminology:
  • Debauchee - one participating in debauchery, corruption, rough or crude in nature.
  • Accretions - growth over time.
  • Manifold - of many variations or diversity.
  • Promulgated - made known by open declaration.
  • Terminus - final goal, the end.
  • Panacea - a remedy for all ills or sicknesses.
Questions/Discussions:
  1. Screwtape mentions three Powers that are available to them? World, Flesh, Spiritual. See 2 Corinthians 11:12-15. The Enemy will try to tell us to do things that could be construed as 'good'.
  2. Who does the World say Christ was? Maybe a prophet, a great leader, etc. Why do unsaved people go to Church? Or why do some people send their children to church if they never go? There is little argument that church helps teach them right from wrong. Matthew 16: 13-18 The Church is built on us telling people who Christ is in our lives, not some 'historical Jesus' with whom we can not have a relationship.
  3. Is Christ alive? How do you know? See Acts 2:32, 2 Corinthians 13:4
  4. Are we using Christ to justify anything we want or anything we declare as good? How does our religion and our Christianity mix?
  5. Quote from Billy Graham: "Unless God is revealed to us through personal experience, we can never really know God. Most of us know about God, but that is quite different from knowing God. We learn about God through the agencies of the church, the Sunday school, the youth activities, the worship services. Many people stop in their quest for God at this point. It is one thing to be introduced to a person, but quite another thing to know him personally."
Scripture:
Homework:
Think about who Christ is. Write down a description of your best friend and then write down a description of Christ. Compare the detail of the two.

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