If Jesus Came Today, He Wouldn’t Be a Christian

The title of this post isn’t a statement by me, but the title of a song, if you can believe it, by a band called Obadiah and the Minor Prophets:

The lyrics are really interesting:

I love Jesus

And Jesus loves me

I know all about him

Because I’ve got a PhD

Studying Religion and Church History

And the development of Christology

From its pre-Christian origins

To the Council of Chalcedon

In 451 – Yeah!

If I could make a machine

To travel back in time

I’d go to the first century

And live in Palestine

I could talk to John the Baptist

And Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa

I’d find St Paul

And punch him in the head

Then I’d talk to Jesus

And listen to everything he said – Yeah!

I’m sure that Jesus

Must be turning in his grave

When he sees those

Who are preaching in his name

If Jesus came today he wouldn’t be a Christian

No, he’d probably be a liberal Jew

That’s why I don’t want to be a Christian

Just a follower of Jesus

… Or maybe just a Buddhist – Yeah!

You can download other music by Jeff Simonds from his web site.

We’ve all presumably encountered the point of view that Jeff sings about in the song, but this is the first time I’ve heard someone sing about it. Gretta Vosper, in her book expressing her own Christian viewpoint, she mentions the issue of progressive Christians who think differently than conservative and fundamentalist Christians on a large number of issues, but then sing the same songs. I wonder whether this marks a turning point…

(HT NT Wrong)