Jeff Simmonds has a PhD in Religious Studies, and has specialized in the study of first century Judaism, early Christianity and the teachings of Jesus in their social context. He is currently writing a book called Jesus the Zealot that outlines his conclusions and his point of view.

The Christian church, Jeff says, has fundamentally misunderstood the teachings of Jesus which were about the injustice and oppression that the Jews were then experiencing under tyrannical Roman occupation and rule. Jesus' message was essentially revolutionary and called for an overthrow of the existing world order in which the poor would be rewarded and the rich would be dispossessed.

Jesus believed that God would intervene in human history to overthrow the Romans and re-establish self-rule in Palestine for the oppressed people of God: the poor, the widows and orphans, tax-collectors, prostitutes, outcasts and "sinners".

Christianity, which has, with few exceptions, followed the teachings of Paul rather than the teachings of Jesus, has more often than not supported oppression and injustice - as today with conservative American Christianity's support of George Bush and the war in Iraq. Jesus of Nazareth certainly would not recognize the religion that claims to follow him, and neither would he agree with what Christianity teaches.

Jeff doesn't like Bishop Brian Tamaki from the Destiny Church.

But Jeff supports Matariki Kapiti.