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Who is the Baha’i Jesus and how does He differ from the Christian Jesus?

firedragon

Veteran Member
Before this thread goes away... From what I understand about the Baha'i Jesus is that he was the Jewish Messiah. He was born of a virgin, but he didn't rise physically from the dead. His body died and only his spirit rose. He isn't the one that was going to return. His "dispensation" ended with the coming of Muhammad. He is not the "only" way to God. He is not God. There is no Satan. Those and other beliefs were Christians misinterpreting his teachings and what the gospels and Paul say about him. Is that close or is there anything you'd like to add or subtract?

The problem with this thread, and any other thread that wishes to discuss the different Jesus's is that Jesus is malleable according to peoples wishes. This is the case actually with all prophets, all Gods, all religions. That is said from a very simplistic point of view.

But the more serious matter is (offending Christians with apologies) that the Jesus of Christianity is not the Jesus of history, nor is he the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus of faith has evolved through out time.

Thats the problem.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Before this thread goes away... From what I understand about the Baha'i Jesus is that he was the Jewish Messiah. He was born of a virgin, but he didn't rise physically from the dead. His body died and only his spirit rose. He isn't the one that was going to return.

Hey C G, that is all correct.

His "dispensation" ended with the coming of Muhammad. He is not the "only" way to God. He is not God. There is no Satan. Those and other beliefs were Christians misinterpreting his teachings and what the gospels and Paul say about him. Is that close or is there anything you'd like to add or subtract?

The Christian dispensation ended with Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, not Muhammad’s. So too did the Islamic Dispensation. Consider Shoghi Effendi’s statement about the fall of some of the most powerful ecclesiastical and governing institutions of the Christian and Islamic worlds:

The catastrophic fall of mighty monarchies and empires in the European continent, allusions to some of which may be found in the prophecies of Bahá’u’lláh; the decline that has set in, and is still continuing, in the fortunes of the Shí‘ih hierarchy in His own native land; the fall of the Qájár dynasty, the traditional enemy of His Faith; the overthrow of the Sultanate and the Caliphate, the sustaining pillars of Sunní Islám, to which the destruction of Jerusalem in the latter part of the first century of the Christian era offers a striking parallel; the wave of secularization which is invading the Muhammadan ecclesiastical institutions in Egypt and sapping the loyalty of its staunchest supporters; the humiliating blows that have afflicted some of the most powerful Churches of Christendom in Russia, in Western Europe and Central America; the dissemination of those subversive doctrines that are undermining the foundations and overthrowing the structure of seemingly impregnable strongholds in the political and social spheres of human activity; the signs of an impending catastrophe, strangely reminiscent of the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, which threatens to engulf the whole structure of present-day civilization—all witness to the tumult which the birth of this mighty Organ of the Religion of Bahá’u’lláh has cast into the world—a tumult which will grow in scope and in intensity as the implications of this constantly evolving Scheme are more fully understood and its ramifications more widely extended over the surface of the globe.

From The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh

The USA has the largest Christian population of any country in the world. How’s Christianity looking in the USA?

You are correct that there is no literal Satan in the world Baha’i Jesus inhabits. There is salvation for one who faithfully follows the Teachings of other Manifestations of God. Its entirely up to God who He admits into Paradise and we are all dependent on His Mercy. Paul is a misunderstood genius but an Apostle of Christ nonetheless. His letters are worthy of being included in the New Testament.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Ok, thanks. Perhaps this depends also on what is meant with Trinity. However, also disciples of Jesus are one with God. I don’t think that makes Trinity.

I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
John 17:11

that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
John 17:21

I believe it wouldn't if you were just playing a numbers game.God manifests Himself in many ways but it is these three ways that make up the Trinity.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Who said Gospel of Barnabas?

Please do some research on your own Bible. And please read the comment properly prior to doing this kind of shallow research. I have said epistle of Barnabas, not Gospel of Barnabas.

Sorry about that. I learned something today.

In 16.3–4, the Epistle of Barnabas reads:

Furthermore he says again, "Behold, those who tore down this temple will themselves build it." It is happening. For because of their fighting it was torn down by the enemies. And now the very servants of the enemies will themselves rebuild it. - Wikipedia

I believe it was Jesus who said He would rebuild the Temple and was referring to His body. It only takes one false statement to reveal it had no connection to God.
 

firedragon

Veteran Member
Sorry about that. I learned something today.

In 16.3–4, the Epistle of Barnabas reads:

Furthermore he says again, "Behold, those who tore down this temple will themselves build it." It is happening. For because of their fighting it was torn down by the enemies. And now the very servants of the enemies will themselves rebuild it. - Wikipedia

I believe it was Jesus who said He would rebuild the Temple and was referring to His body. It only takes one false statement to reveal it had no connection to God.

1. But it was in the Bible.

2. The problem with quick reads plus an agenda is that you dont understand the book you quote from. The epistle of Barnabas speaks of Jews who made the temple their focal point of trust but not in God.

Please. Read your bible carefully. And do the research a little thoroughly before you commit. After all, this is your own scripture. So you should know better than to do shallow surfing.
 

CG Didymus

Veteran Member
Hey C G, that is all correct.



The Christian dispensation ended with Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, not Muhammad’s. So too did the Islamic Dispensation. Consider Shoghi Effendi’s statement about the fall of some of the most powerful ecclesiastical and governing institutions of the Christian and Islamic worlds:

The catastrophic fall of mighty monarchies and empires in the European continent, allusions to some of which may be found in the prophecies of Bahá’u’lláh; the decline that has set in, and is still continuing, in the fortunes of the Shí‘ih hierarchy in His own native land; the fall of the Qájár dynasty, the traditional enemy of His Faith; the overthrow of the Sultanate and the Caliphate, the sustaining pillars of Sunní Islám, to which the destruction of Jerusalem in the latter part of the first century of the Christian era offers a striking parallel; the wave of secularization which is invading the Muhammadan ecclesiastical institutions in Egypt and sapping the loyalty of its staunchest supporters; the humiliating blows that have afflicted some of the most powerful Churches of Christendom in Russia, in Western Europe and Central America; the dissemination of those subversive doctrines that are undermining the foundations and overthrowing the structure of seemingly impregnable strongholds in the political and social spheres of human activity; the signs of an impending catastrophe, strangely reminiscent of the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, which threatens to engulf the whole structure of present-day civilization—all witness to the tumult which the birth of this mighty Organ of the Religion of Bahá’u’lláh has cast into the world—a tumult which will grow in scope and in intensity as the implications of this constantly evolving Scheme are more fully understood and its ramifications more widely extended over the surface of the globe.

From The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh

The USA has the largest Christian population of any country in the world. How’s Christianity looking in the USA?

You are correct that there is no literal Satan in the world Baha’i Jesus inhabits. There is salvation for one who faithfully follows the Teachings of other Manifestations of God. Its entirely up to God who He admits into Paradise and we are all dependent on His Mercy. Paul is a misunderstood genius but an Apostle of Christ nonetheless. His letters are worthy of being included in the New Testament.
Thanks, I was worried this thread was going to be lost and forgotten. I'm glad it got back on the first page for a little longer.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
The problem with this thread, and any other thread that wishes to discuss the different Jesus's is that Jesus is malleable according to peoples wishes. This is the case actually with all prophets, all Gods, all religions. That is said from a very simplistic point of view.

I don’t see there is any problem with a thread comparing different perspectives of Jesus providing we stick to a descriptive account of what does or doesn't constitute Jesus from a given perspective. The historic Jesus, Christian Jesus, Muslim Jesus and Baha'i Jesus have aspects we can agree as being the same or different. For the purposes of this thread all that was required was to answer the question. Instead, some participants have gone completely off topic making divisive statements attacking alternative religious perspectives. The worst offenders have been some (but not all) Christians.

But the more serious matter is (offending Christians with apologies) that the Jesus of Christianity is not the Jesus of history, nor is he the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus of faith has evolved through out time.

Thats the problem.

I agree to some extent. I would define the real problem as being extreme Christian sensitivity to perspectives that challenge long held cherished beliefs. Some of those beliefs simply can not withstand analysis using modern Biblical historical-critical analysis. Once again, its not a problem for all Christians as some have clearly embraced modernity. A pre-nineteenth century approach to the Bible has no place in the twenty first century IMHO.
 

CG Didymus

Veteran Member
The problem with this thread, and any other thread that wishes to discuss the different Jesus's is that Jesus is malleable according to peoples wishes. This is the case actually with all prophets, all Gods, all religions. That is said from a very simplistic point of view.

But the more serious matter is (offending Christians with apologies) that the Jesus of Christianity is not the Jesus of history, nor is he the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus of faith has evolved through out time.

Thats the problem.
In theory, what the Baha'i Faith says about who Jesus is should be the correct Jesus. The Jesus of myth and legend changed the world. Could the Baha'is Jesus have become as large a religion as these other "Jesus's"? Mainly the Catholic and Evangelical Protestant Jesus. For me, I don't think so, because, supposedly, that other Jesus could save people from the devil and hell. He could exorcise demons out of them. He could heal them. They believed their Jesus was the "only" way, so they forced other people to convert from their "false" religions. They believed their Jesus was alive and coming and going to destroy evil and Satan and set up a perfect world. But, the Baha'is say that Jesus, the Jesus that changed the world, is not the real Jesus. I also think that those changes weren't necessarily all that good. And since then, a lot of good and important changes came about in opposition to that Jesus.
 

firedragon

Veteran Member
I don’t see there is any problem with a thread comparing different perspectives of Jesus providing we stick to a descriptive account of what does or doesn't constitute Jesus from a given perspective. The historic Jesus, Christian Jesus, Muslim Jesus and Baha'i Jesus have aspects we can agree as being the same or different. For the purposes of this thread all that was required was to answer the question. Instead, some participants have gone completely off topic making divisive statements attacking alternative religious perspectives. The worst offenders have been some (but not all) Christians.

You didn't understand what I said but that's not important.

I agree to some extent. I would define the real problem as being extreme Christian sensitivity to perspectives that challenge long held cherished beliefs. Some of those beliefs simply can not withstand analysis using modern Biblical historical-critical analysis. Once again, its not a problem for all Christians as some have clearly embraced modernity. A pre-nineteenth century approach to the Bible has no place in the twenty first century IMHO.

I think that sensitivity is prevalent in all brother.
 
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