CFS-WB-CH07

Straight to the Source
ADDITIONAL READINGS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES
Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, Chapter III, Flavius Josephus
About this time lived Jesus, a man full of wisdom, if indeed one may call Him a man. For He was the
doer of incredible things, and the teacher of such as gladly received the truth. He thus attracted to
Himself many Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. On the accusation of the leading men
of our people, Pilate condemned Him to death upon the cross; nevertheless those who had previously
loved Him still remained faithful to Him. For on the third day He again appeared to them living, just as,
in addition to a thousand other marvelous things, prophets sent by God had foretold. And to the present
day the race of those who call themselves Christians after Him has not ceased.
1 How does Flavius Josephus describe Jesus?
2 Who do you think Josephus means by saying Christ was accused by “our people”? What does this tell
us about Josephus?
3 From the way Josephus writes, do you think he was a follower of Jesus? Why or why not?
Redemptoris Missio 6, An Encyclical Letter of Pope St. John Paul II, December 7, 1990
6. To introduce any sort of separation between the Word and Jesus Christ is contrary to the Christian
faith. St. John clearly states that the Word, who “was in the beginning with God,” is the very one who
“became flesh” (Jn 1:2, 14). Jesus is the Incarnate Word – a single and indivisible person. One cannot
separate Jesus from the Christ or speak of a “Jesus of history” who would differ from the “Christ of
faith.” The Church acknowledges and confesses Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt
16:16): Christ is none other than Jesus of Nazareth: he is the Word of God made man for the salvation
of all. In Christ “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9) and “from his fullness have we all received”
(Jn 1:16). The “only Son, who is the bosom of the Father” (Jn 1:18) is “the beloved Son, in whom
we have redemption.... For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile
to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his Cross” (Col
1:13-14, 19-20). It is precisely this uniqueness of Christ which gives him an absolute and universal significance,
whereby, while belonging to history, he remains history’s center and goal: “I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rv 22:13).
Thus, although it is legitimate and helpful to consider the various aspects of the mystery of Christ, we
must never lose sight of its unity. In the process of discovering and appreciating the manifold gifts –
especially the spiritual treasures – that God has bestowed on every people, we cannot separate those
gifts from Jesus Christ, who is at the center of God’s plan of salvation. Just as “by his incarnation the
Son of God united himself in some sense with every human being,” so too “we are obliged to hold that
the Holy Spirit offers everyone the possibility of sharing in the Paschal Mystery in a manner known to
God.” God’s plan is “to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:10).
142 Apologetics I: The Catholic Faith and Science
© Magis Center