Was Jesus the son of a roman soldier

Not at all…

Insert joke about Panera Bread

According to Cecil Adams:

I can’t say with any certainty since I wasn’t around 2,000 years ago but it doesn’t seem all that far fetched for his dad to have been a roman soldier. If he actually existed then he needed to have a mother and father and roman soldiers were always in Judea putting down rebellions.

“I’m puttin’ down rebellions like a mother…”

BTW, no one say “Pantera - band name”
Already taken.

I’d say the former. Very erudite, the Pythonians. When Brian claims Roman citizenship to get out of trouble, they’re riffing on all the times St. Paul did that in the Book of Acts.

'E’s not the messiah, 'e’s a very naughty boy!

Tabor’s a FOAF, which automatically makes anything I say he says suspect. :wink: I understand he’s interesting and fun, but with a one-track mind.

Interesting, Tabor had been a Christian with membership in branch of the Armstrongist Worldwide Church of God. His mentor Ernest L. Martin had some very interesting interpretations (the 4 BC date of Herod’s death was early by two years, Christ’s September birth is laid out in His horoscope of Revelation 12, the Crucifixion was on Mt. Olivet as Jesus’s crossbeam was hoisted onto a living tree to which his feet were nailed) and inspired Tabor to do a whole new Bible translation, which is still in progress. I think Tabor identifies himself as a Noachide & sees John the Baptist, Jesus, & James the Just as members of a Messianic tradition which may continue until the actual Messiah comes.

Is it heretical, anyway, to say Jesus’ father was someone other than God? After all, in Jewish prophecy and tradition, the Messiah is not the Son of God, not the way Herakles is the son of Zeus. He’ll be called the Son of God, but that’s just a title the ancient kings of Israel used, it only means “chosen of God” or “favored of God.”

Likewise, they will call his name Immanuel, even if his name is actually Jesus. Or something.

Well I assume that the people claiming him to not be the son of a god (like me) don’t really care what a religious group considers to be heretical or not.

With Garner Ted Armstrong on vocals! But I can’t complain. The Millerites have been making theology entertaining for 170 years. :wink:

Interesting, but heretical! I sometimes miss the Good Ol’ Days of Catholicism when we could simplify theology by burning annoying people like that at the stake. :smiley:

Chief Inquisitor: Your Holiness, I request your permission to torture Ernest L. Martin until he recants.

Pope: Is there a specific reason, my son?

Chief Inquisitor: Yeah, he annoys the shit out of me.

Pope: Permission granted. Go in peace.

However, I have been enjoying the theological, philological, and archaeological twists and turns Tabor and his pals have been putting us through the past few years. Endless opportunities for recreational outrage. Keeps the heart pumping.

I think it’s a reference to St Paul, who claimed to be “a Hebrew born of Hebrews”, but when put on trial asserted his rights as a Roman.

And Ye, Jesus said unto Judas, ‘I’ve got more friends like you, what do I do. Is there no standard anymore’. Matthew 14:24-27

I thought they called him Mr. Tibbs.

Some people called him Maurice, 'cause he spoke of the pompatus of love.