The Facts in the Life of the Historical Jesus

Abstract

This essay defends the historical reliability and theological significance of the life of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. Blume critiques modern critical approaches—including form criticism, redaction criticism, and the “new hermeneutic”—which deny or diminish the factual basis of the Gospels. He contrasts these with the apostolic witness, early church fathers, and confessional Lutheran theology, all of which affirm the concrete, miraculous events of Jesus’ life as foundational to Christian faith. Drawing on Luther’s principles of interpretation and historical scholarship, Blume argues that Scripture presents real events, not myth or allegory, and that attempts to spiritualize or existentially reinterpret the text undermine its divine authority. He concludes that the Gospels are both preaching and history, and that the inspired words of the evangelists are God’s revelation of truth, not subject to modern skepticism or revision. Abstract generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)