📖 Biblical Definition
The Lewis Trilemma is C. S. Lewis's argument in Mere Christianity: given Christ's claims to be God, three options exist. He was a deceiver (Liar), genuinely deluded (Lunatic), or telling the truth (Lord). Lewis ruled out Liar (because Christ's ethical teaching is incompatible with deliberate deception of cosmic scale) and Lunatic (because the consistent moral and spiritual genius of His teaching is incompatible with delusion). Therefore: Lord. The trilemma forces a choice; good moral teacher is not on the menu.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
(C. S. Lewis's argument.) Christ was Liar, Lunatic, or Lord; good moral teacher is not on the menu.
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C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952), Book II, Chapter 3 ‘The Shocking Alternative’: I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say.
Modern critique: the trilemma assumes Christ historically claimed deity (a claim the trilemma's defenders argue he did, though some scholars dispute it). Defenders respond that the Gospels' claims about Christ's self-understanding are well-attested in early apostolic preaching and unlikely to be wholesale fabrication.
📖 Key Scripture
John 8:58 — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
John 10:30 — "I and my Father are one."
Mark 2:5 — "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Mark 14:62 — "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern Christianity often hears good moral teacher as polite respect; Lewis insists the option is incoherent — Christ's claims rule it out.
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Lewis's logic: a man who says what Christ said is either deliberately deceiving, genuinely deluded, or telling the truth. There is no fourth option that preserves good moral teacher. A man who falsely claims to be God is not a good moral teacher; he is dangerously wrong.
The household's evangelism gains by deploying the trilemma carefully. Force the conversation past good teacher to the actual claims. The actual claims rule out the comfortable middle position; Christ Himself made the trilemma unavoidable.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek tri (three) plus lēmma (premise).
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Greek trilēmma — three premises; on analogy with dilēmma (two premises).
Note: also sometimes called the ‘Mad, Bad, or God’ argument.
Usage
"Liar, Lunatic, or Lord."
"Good moral teacher is not on the menu."
"Christ's claims rule out the comfortable middle position."