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God is opinion and doesn't care if it's name is Capitalized... or does She?


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Years ago I read the following simple but effective illustration from Greg Koukl on how to use a napkin, a pen, and a Bible verse to show a Jehovah’s Witness that Scripture teaches (even in their own translation) that Jesus must be God. Greg, who is the president of Stand to Reason and the author of one of my favorite books on reasoning with unbelievers, kindly granted permission to reprint the explanation below. I hope you find it helpful.


Understanding the Trinity may be impossible, but proving that the Trinity is scriptural is not an especially difficult task. One needs only to define the Trinity accurately, then show that the Bible teaches the details of the definition. It makes no difference whether the word “Trinity” appears in the text or not. It only matters if the doctrine is taught there.

 

The definition of the Trinity is straightforward: there is only one God and He subsists as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God in three persons. Simple.

 

How to Prove the Trinity

 

If you want to prove the Trinity, then, all you need to do is show that three specific truths are taught in Scripture. First, there’s only one God. Second, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are truly distinct persons. Third, each has the essential attribute of deity. That’s it.

 

The first item–the oneness of God–is virtually uncontested by those challenging the Trinity on Scriptural grounds. Almost all who hold Scripture in high regard acknowledge the famous Shema of Deuteronomy 6:1, “”Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! ”

 

The second, that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are truly distinct persons, is denied by modalists like Oneness Pentecostals. They hold there is one God who manifests Himself in different “modes” at different times, sometimes as the Father and sometimes as the Son. The popular illustration of the Trinity that a man can be a father to his son yet, in other modes, a husband to his wife and a brother to his siblings is a fine illustration of this second-century heresy, and not the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. In this view the Father and the Son are both fully God, but there is no genuine distinction between the persons, only a linguistic distinction.

 

The third, that the distinct persons are each fully God, is denied by Arians like Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jesus and the Father are distinct persons, they say, but do not share the essential attribute of deity. Only the Father is God. Jesus is a lesser, created “god.”

 

The Irrefutable Argument

 

My purpose is to answer the Arian challenge by giving an airtight, scriptural proof for the deity of Jesus Christ. This technique is so simple you should be able to sketch it out on a napkin from memory the next time someone knocks on your door. Remember, you don’t have to master every counter-argument to every verse thrown at you. All you need is one unequivocal textual proof to make your case. Here it is. It comes from the Gospel of John.

 

Most discussions of this nature focus initially on John 1:1. It says,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

That’s the way your Bible reads.

But the Jehovah’s Witness’s New World Translation renders the verse this way:

“In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”

The heated discussion that follows is almost never productive. Don’t waste your time wrestling with Greek grammar neither of you understand.

Just drop down two verses. Verse three says,

“All things came into being by Him [the Word], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

The NWT is virtually the same:

“All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence.”

Have your visitor read the verse out loud. Then take out a napkin or a piece of scratch paper and draw a large box. Explaining that this box represents everything that exists. Run a line right through the middle of the box, dividing everything that exists into two categories. It will look something like this:

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-10.19.38-PM-56

On the left side write “all things that never came into being,” that is, all things that exist but have never been created.

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-10.21.01-PM-56

Ask your friend, “What goes in that box?” If he says “God” he got the right answer. God is the only thing that exists that has never been created. God alone is eternal and uncreated. Put the word “God” in the left-hand side of your box.

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-10.21.52-PM-56

 

Label the right side “all things that came into being,” that is, all created things.

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-10.23.02-PM-56

Write “all created things” there.

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Everything in this box was created through Jesus, according to verse three. Ask your friend if he understands that.

 

Now write “created through Jesus” outside the box and run an arrow to the right side. Your box should now look something like this:

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-10.26.58-PM-56

Take a moment to point out to your guest how this illustration is structured. The larger box includes everything there is, was or ever will be. Each particular existent falls into one of two categories: created or not created.

 

According to the law of excluded middle either a thing was created or it wasn’t created—there is no third option—so the categories are all-encompassing.

 

According to the law of noncontradiction a thing can’t be both created and not created, so the categories are mutually exclusive. Any particular thing has to be one or the other. It’s very simple.

 

Next you’re going to determine what category Jesus belongs in. Take a coin out of your pocket.

Quarter-Head1-300x225.jpg

Tell your guest this coin represents Jesus Christ. Hand him the coin and ask him to place Jesus in the category where He belongs.

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The first impulse of a Jehovah’s Witness, of course, is to place Jesus in the category of “all things that came into being” because that’s what their theology dictates. In keeping with the teaching of Arius in the early fourth century, there was a time “when the Word was not.” Jesus was the first created being and everything else was created by Jehovah through Jesus.

 

But John 1:3 doesn’t allow that option. Look at the wording carefully. John says,

 

All things came into being by Him,

and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

 

or in the NWT,

 

“. . . and apart from him not even one thing came into existence” (emphasis mine).

“…and apart from him not even one thing came into existence” (emphasis mine).

John says the same thing two different ways for emphasis and clarity: everything that ever came into being owes its existence to Jesus, who caused it all to happen. If Jesus caused all created things to come into existence, then He must have existed before all created things came into existence. Therefore, the Word could not have been created.

 

In other words, if Jesus created everything that has come into being, and Jesus also came into being (as they contend), then Jesus created Himself. He would have to exist as Creator before He existed as a created thing, which is absurd. Therefore, Jesus can’t be placed in the square labeled, “all things that came into being.”

 

Just a side note. Much is made of the Greek word dia, translated “by” in the first phrase, but can also be translated “through.” But it makes no difference whether all things were created “by” Jesus or “through” Jesus with Jehovah as the agency (as the Witnesses suggest). The point is that in either case Jesus is existing before the creation of all things that ever came into being.So, the coin can’t be placed on the right. At this point your visitor may want to place Jesus somewhere on the paper outside the larger box. But, as we’ve seen, you can’t do that.

 

These categories are all-encompassing and mutually exclusive; there’s no “place” outside to put Him.

 

Everything goes on one side of the larger box or the other.

 

If Jesus can’t be placed on the right side with created things, then He must go on the left with uncreated things, identifying Jesus as the uncreated Creator. Jesus is God.

 

Two Rejoinders

 

I have only come across two rejoinders to this proof for Jesus’ deity. Each is so weak it merely serves to bolster our argument.

 

Rejoinder #1

 

The first goes something like this.

 

Wait a minute, Greg. You didn’t read the verse carefully. You missed something in the text. Notice the phrase ‘apart from Him.’ The apostle excludes Jesus from the count in this verse. If you said, ‘Apart from Billy, the whole family is going to Disneyland’ you wouldn’t mean that Billy wasn’t part of the family, just that he wasn’t included in the count. Every member of the family is going to Disneyland with the exception of Billy. In the same way, every created thing was created by Jesus with the exception of Jesus Himself. Jehovah created Jesus first, then Jesus created everything else.”

 

Note that this rebuttal turns on the ability to replace “apart from Him” with the phrase “excluding Jesus.” Allegedly they’re synonymous.

 

Note that this rebuttal turns on the ability to replace “apart from Him” with the phrase “excluding Jesus.” Allegedly they’re synonymous.

 

OK, let’s try the replacement and see what happens. The verse then looks like this: “With the exception of Jesus, nothing came into being that has come into being.”

 

If your brow is furrowed trying to figure this out, I’m not surprised. The reconstructed phrase is nearly nonsense. Strictly speaking, it means that Jesus is the only created thing that exists.

 

Read it again and see for yourself. Obviously, the phrase “apart from Jesus” can’t mean “with the exception of Jesus.” These phrases are not synonymous.

 

“Apart from Him” means something entirely different. It means “apart from His agency.” It’s the same as saying, “Apart from me you’ll never get to San Diego.

I’ve got the car.” Apart from Jesus’ agency nothing came into being that has come into being. Why? Because Jesus is the Creator. He is God. That makes perfect sense in the context.

 

Rejoinder #2

 

The second attempt at refutation comes from a handful of more sophisticated Arians who know better than to lean on the bent reed of the first rejoinder. They go back to the opening phrase “In the beginning” and note that it is anarthrous, that is, it has no article in the original Greek. Since John merely writes “In beginning” he could be meaning “in a beginning.”

 

Jehovah created Jesus, the story goes, at some indeterminate time in the past. Then after some unspecified second beginning (“a beginning”), He created everything else through Jesus. The details of verse three apply only to what happens after this second beginning. That’s the argument.

 

This grasping-at-the-wind is an example of what I call “Bedtime Story.” Here the detractor tells a story to put your argument to rest, but like all mere stories there is no foundation in fact. Nothing in the details of the text itself suggests this alternate translation. In fact, even the NWT renders it accurately.

 

Further, it strains at a gnat and swallows a camel. A focus on the gnat in verse one misses the camel two verses later. The phrases “all things” and “nothing” in verse three admit of no time restrictions. The only alternate “facts” available are found in the wishful thinking of those whose theology demands another reading. It’s clear from the text that Jesus is God.

 

Parrying the Counter-Attack

 

Objections that Jesus is distinguished from the Father in other passages (as when He prays to the Father in John 17) merely bolster our defense of the Trinity.

Agreed, Jesus is not the Father. Jesus can talk to the Father because each is a separate person, but as Creator, Jesus shares the same divine essence as the Father. Remember our definition: there is only one God and He subsists as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Obviously, then we’d expect to find evidence of personal interaction among each of them.

 

Remember, don’t let your guest play “What About?” and drag you all over the New Testament. Keep bringing the issue back to John 1:3. All other verses must be understood in light of the unmistakable fact that Jesus is the uncreated Creator.

 

One parting thought. This exercise also resolves the translation controversy of verse one. Is the Word fully God or merely “a god”? John’s teaching in verse three makes unmistakable the intent of his opening remark:

 

In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.

 

And that settles it.

 

Yours for the truth,

Gregory Koukl
President, Stand to Reason

Edited by Markinsa
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Quoted from PrehistoricMan

 

think baptism is important.  I was baptized.  1994.

 

 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

 

Repent and be baptized....FOR the forgiveness of your sins.  Why is it you read that and it doesnt compute for you?  It literally says that.  I really dont understand how you can read that and say it doesnt say what it says.  Is it just because ole prehistoric man cannot be right under any circumstances?  Or is it something else?  Please tell me you are not a robot that has pre programmed responses like the other two I am debating.  Please tell me you can think for yourself.  Does it say that or not?  I dont understand how people can read a verse and it is clear what it says but they think it says something else.  It baffles me.  For instance thou shall not steal.  Now I think it means do not steal.  Will you say that too or is it more important to you that I am wrong about that too?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have already said twice the act of Baptism DOES NOT FORGIVE SINS. 

As for stealing? Yes I believe it is wrong. 

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1 hour ago, nstoolman1 said:

Quoted from PrehistoricMan

 

think baptism is important.  I was baptized.  1994.

 

 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

 

Repent and be baptized....FOR the forgiveness of your sins.  Why is it you read that and it doesnt compute for you?  It literally says that.  I really dont understand how you can read that and say it doesnt say what it says.  Is it just because ole prehistoric man cannot be right under any circumstances?  Or is it something else?  Please tell me you are not a robot that has pre programmed responses like the other two I am debating.  Please tell me you can think for yourself.  Does it say that or not?  I dont understand how people can read a verse and it is clear what it says but they think it says something else.  It baffles me.  For instance thou shall not steal.  Now I think it means do not steal.  Will you say that too or is it more important to you that I am wrong about that too?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have already said twice the act of Baptism DOES NOT FORGIVE SINS. 

As for stealing? Yes I believe it is wrong. 

Well finally we can agree on something.  So how do you come to terms with the verse literally saying baptism forgives sins?  I feel like you are someone that will at least speak to me.  Markinsa just wants to post article after article with no discussion.  He is obsessed with being right and not with reasoning.  Being right has clouded his judgment.  He wont even accept this NON JW article below because his narrative must be upheld.

 

Jesus is not God - Bible Verses and Proofs | Stay Biblical

God cannot die. God doesn’t pray to himself. God doesn’t argue with himself. God didn’t anoint himself. God lives in Jesus, but Jesus is not God. The following Bible Verses will prove the fact that Jesus is NOT God.

Everything in the Bible has to be understood as it is written. You can’t interpret whatever you like and claim that it is the truth. The word of the Bible doesn’t need to be interpreted! You have to accept it as it is written.

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32)

 

God and Jesus are one, because God lives in Jesus

The most Bible Verses that are used to claim that Jesus is God, are Verses which actually prove that God lives in Jesus. God is spirit and therefore He dwells in his children.

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10)

That God lives in Jesus doesn’t mean that Jesus is God. It means that God and Jesus are one. And Jesus taught us that we can become one with God as well! But do we become God then? Of course not!

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:21-22)

Adam and Eve were one as well. But does this make them one and the same person? Surely not. They still remain two persons, even though they are one. If two people marry each other, will they be one person? Of course not. But still, they will be inseparable in God’s eyes.

 

The resurrection of the dead comes by man

This Bible Verse is that clear, that there really isn’t much left to explain. It says that because death came by man (Adam and Eve), the resurrection of the dead comes by man, as well. That means that Jesus has to be a human, because the resurrection of the dead came through him. Take a look for yourself:

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:21-25)

 

God puts everything under Jesus feet

Why should God put everything under his own feet, if everything already belongs to him? He has created everything, therefore He is also the owner of all things. This Verse can only make sense, if Jesus is actually another person and not God himself:

For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. (1 Corinthians 15:27)

 

Jesus can’t do anything of his own

If he says that he can’t do anything of his own, how was he able to do great signs and wonders? Because God did all these things THROUGH him:

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30)

 

There is one God and one mediator. Jesus is NOT God.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Thimothy 2:5-6)

 

Jesus is not God, but Jesus has a God

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. (Ephesians 1:15-17)

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)

 

Jesus has only one God

Jesus said that there is only one God. If he was God himself, why didn’t he just say that he is God? Wouldn’t that be much easier for everyone?

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. (Mark 12:29)

 

Jesus is not God, because God is not a human

For I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee. (Hosea 11:9)

God is not a man … neither the son of man. (Numbers 23:19)

For he [God] is not a man. (1 Samuel 15:29)

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. (Deuternomy 6:4)

 

Jesus died, but God can’t die

God doesn’t die, because He himself is life. Therefore it was necessary for Him to forsake Jesus on the cross. And that is also the reason why Jesus cried out these words: “God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:33-34)

 

Jesus is not God, because Jesus doesn’t know what God knows

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Matthew 24:34-36)

 

Jesus has a different will than God. Jesus is not God!

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)

 

Jesus thanks God for hearing him

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 11:41-42)

 

Jesus says that only God is good

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. (Luke 18:18-19)

 

Jesus own words

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John17:3)

 

Jesus is not God, but the son of God

He saith unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-17)

 

Jesus did not anoint himself, but was anointed by God

And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. (Hebrews 5:4-5)

 

God and Jesus still remain two entities

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55-56)

 

We only have one God, the Father

For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)

 

And we also praise only one God, the Father of Jesus Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

 

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10 minutes ago, PrehistoricMan said:

Well finally we can agree on something.  So how do you come to terms with the verse literally saying baptism forgives sins?  I feel like you are someone that will at least speak to me.  Markinsa just wants to post article after article with no discussion.  He is obsessed with being right and not with reasoning.  Being right has clouded his judgment.  He wont even accept this NON JW article below because his narrative must be upheld.

Which verse do you speak of. did some one C and P a verse from somewhere?

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2 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

Markinsa just wants to post article after article with no discussion.  He is obsessed with being right and not with reasoning.  Being right has clouded his judgment.  He wont even accept this NON JW article below because his narrative must be upheld.

 

Really? I respond to your posts line by line, and I occasionally get a denial back from you concerning a scripture I post. I to have hound you to get you to answer simple questions, Yet, You just post JW articles with nonsensical reasonings on why they interpret the scripture the way they do. You NEVER responded to the contents using your own brain.  

 

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-10.45.48-PM-56

Where do you put Jesus? 

 

You are a JW, that non longer goes to the Temple? What happen did they kick you out?

 

.

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DOES THE BIBLE INDIRECTLY TEACH THAT JESUS IS GOD?

What Everyone Needs to Know about Jesus – Question 6

 

The New Testament gives direct evidence that Jesus is God. Indeed, a number of passages make this beyond all doubt. However, there is more. It also provides indirect evidence for the deity of Jesus Christ.

 

There are many indirect references that could be cited. They include the following testimony.

Jesus Possesses the Attributes of Deity

According to Scripture, Jesus possessed certain attributes that belong to God alone.

1. Jesus Is All-Knowing

Jesus is said to have been all-knowing. He knew the thoughts of people. Luke writes about this in his gospel. He put it this way:

Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. And the man stood up. (Luke 6:8 CEV)

While some believe this is Jesus merely perceiving what people were thinking by their expressions, it seems to mean much more than this.

We find that Jesus was able to tell the Samaritan woman her past history without having previously met her. Jesus said,

For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly. (John 4:18 NKJV)

Jesus knew all of these things about her without having ever met the woman.

This Samaritan woman later testified to His supernatural knowledge when she said the following to the people of her village:

Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he? (John 4:29 NRSV)

He knew things that mere humans do not have the ability to know.

The disciples of Jesus recognized this fact. They said the following words to Him on the night of His betrayal:

Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God. (John 16:30 NRSV)

This unique ability of Jesus was recognized by His disciples.

We also read elsewhere in John’s gospel of the complete knowledge of Jesus. He records the following exchange between Jesus and Simon Peter:

Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17 God’s Word)

Peter recognized Jesus’ ability to know all things.

In the Book of Acts, we read of Jesus’ disciples acknowledging His ability to know all things. They realized that He knew everyone’s heart:

And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.” (Acts 1:24 NKJV)

They realized the extent of His knowledge; it was unlimited.

Jesus demonstrated knowledge about things that only someone who is all-knowing could know. This includes things which will take place in the future. We read the following predictions of Jesus in Matthew:

From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matthew 16:21 HCSB)

These predictions came true just as Jesus said. The evidence from Scripture is that Jesus is all-knowing. Of course, being all-knowing, or omniscient, is something which belongs to God alone.

2. Jesus Is Everywhere Present

Jesus said that He is present with believers everywhere. Matthew records Him making the following statement:

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20 NKJV)

Where believers gather, Jesus is there.

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says that He would always be with His disciples:

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20 NLT)

This is a wonderful promise of Jesus. He will be with those who are His until the end of this present age.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians about the fact that Jesus is everywhere-present. He explained it in this manner:

And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence. (Ephesians 1:23 NLT)

Jesus’ presence is everywhere.

Paul also wrote to the Ephesians about the presence of Jesus Christ extending to the entire universe. He said,

This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe. (Ephesians 4:10 CEV)

Paul wrote to the Colossians about Christ being “in everything.” He said,

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11 NIV)

The fact that Jesus is everywhere present is taught in Scripture. This is another indication of His deity since only God can be everywhere present.

3. Jesus’ Nature Is Unchangeable

The character of Jesus does not change. Indeed, the writer to the Hebrews said He remains the same forever.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

Only God is unchangeable in His nature. This is another indication that Jesus Christ is the eternal God.

4. Jesus Has Life in Himself

The Bible says that Jesus has life in Himself. John wrote,

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4 KJV)

Later, in John’s gospel, we read of Jesus claiming to be “the life.”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NRSV)

All other creation, humans, animals, and plants, are alive because someone, or something, else has given it to them. Jesus has life in Himself; it is not derived from any other source. This is a further indication of His deity.

5. Jesus Is All-Powerful

Jesus is also said to be all-powerful, or omnipotent. This is an attribute which belongs to God alone. Jesus Himself claimed this. We read,

Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! (Matthew 28:18 CEV)

The fact that Jesus is all knowing, everywhere present, unchangeable, has life in Himself, and is all-powerful, demonstrates that He is God. Indeed, these attributes belong to God alone. Nobody, human or angel, could claim them.

6. Jesus Has Existed for All Eternity

There is more evidence. The Scripture teaches the eternality of Jesus. This means that Jesus Christ has existed for all eternity. There was never a time when He did not exist. The biblical testimony is as follows.

A. THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN

The Apostle John wrote that Jesus existed prior to the creation of the universe. In the very first verse of his gospel, he said the following:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)

As far back as we go Jesus is already there.

Jesus Himself prayed that God the Father would restore His eternal glory to Him. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus said,

So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. (John 17:5 NRSV)

Jesus was in the Father’s presence, will all of its glory, before the world had been created. This is certainly a sign of deity.

Isaiah the prophet also saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of Him. John wrote about this in his gospel. He said,

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. (John 12:41 NKJV)

The reference to Isaiah seeing the glory of Jesus is found in Isaiah 6:1-3. It reads as follows:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-3 NIV)

The fact that Jesus has existed for all eternity is also known as the “doctrine of eternality.” It is sometimes equated with the doctrine of pre-existence. However, the pre-existence of Christ merely means that He existed before He was born. It does not necessarily mean that He existed eternally, but it could mean that.

B. THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Although John the Baptist was born before Jesus, John testified that Jesus existed before him. It says in the gospel of John,

John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’” (John 1:15 NRSV)

While Jesus was born after John, He actually existed before him.

John the Baptist also said the same thing. We read his words as follows:

This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’ (John 1:30 HCSB)

While strictly speaking this does not mean that Jesus Christ was eternal, it is consistent with the idea of His eternal existence.

The writer to the Hebrews said that God the Son made the universe and everything which is in it. He said,

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NLT)

God the Son created the universe. This is another indication of His eternal existence.

7. Jesus Is God the Son, a Member of the Trinity

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. It is important to realize that what is true about God is true about each Person in the Trinity. The Bible says that God has existed for all eternity. The psalmist wrote,

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2 NRSV)

Since eternal existence is an attribute of God alone, it logically follows that Jesus is God. Jesus, therefore, being God has existed for all eternity. This means that there was no point when He came into existence. Since He had no beginning He will have no end. He is not limited by time in any sense. Of course, this characteristic or attribute belongs to God alone.

8. Jesus Is Equal to God in His Names

Jesus is also spoken of as an equal with God. They both possess the same names. We can make the following observations.

A. JESUS IS THE “I AM”

At the famous encounter at the “burning bush” the God of the Bible told Moses that He was the, “I am.” We read,

God replied, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14 NLT)

Thus, the God of the Bible says that He is the “I AM.”

Jesus applied this same title to Himself. In the Gospel of John we read of Jesus making this claim when addressing the religious rulers:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:56-58 NKJV)

The fact that the people understood His claim can be seen in their reaction. Scripture says they attempted to kill Him with stones when He made this statement.

B. JESUS IS LORD

The God of the Bible is called the LORD in the Old Testament. We read in the Book of Exodus about this. It says,

God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” (Exodus 6:2, 3 NIV)

The LORD is the personal name of God. It is the Hebrew Yahweh or Jehovah.

Jesus is also addressed as LORD. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter said the following about Jesus to the crowd that had gathered:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah! (Acts 2:36 HCSB)

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead gives further proof that He is Lord.

Paul wrote that Jesus Christ is Lord, Yahweh:

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 NRSV)

Jesus is the God of the Old Testament.

C. JESUS IS THE LORD OF LORDS

The God of the Old Testament is called LORD OF LORDS. Moses wrote the following:

For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. (Deuteronomy 10:17 HCSB)

Jesus is also called the LORD OF LORDS. In the Book of Revelation, it says,

They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.” (Revelation 17:14 God’s Word)

Both the God of the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ, are called the Lord of Lords.

D. JESUS IS THE SHEPHERD

The Lord is the shepherd of His people. David wrote,

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 KJV)

Jesus is also the Good Shepherd.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14, 15 NRSV)

There is only one “Good Shepherd.” It is the Lord.

E. JESUS IS THE ALPHA AND OMEGA

God alone is the Alpha and Omega. John wrote in the Book of Revelation about God claiming this for Himself:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 HCSB)

While the Lord God is the Alpha and Omega we also discover that Jesus Christ is also the Alpha and Omega. Jesus said,

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:12, 13 NIV)

Therefore, we see that there are a large number of names that belong to God alone, that also belong to Jesus.

F. JESUS IS IMMANUEL: GOD WITH US

Jesus was to be called “Immanuel—God with us.” We read about this in Matthew’s gospel. He wrote,

All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: “The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:22, 23 God’s Word)

The fact that Jesus is called, “God with us,” is another indication of His deity.

9. Jesus Has a Unique Relationship with God the Father

There is more indirect evidence for Jesus’ deity. We find that He had a unique relationship with God the Father. Indeed, He called God “My Father”:

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.” (John 8:49 NRSV)

There is something else we must note. Jesus never equated His relationship with the Father with the relationship that His disciples had. He never referred to the Father as “Our Father” when referring to His relationship with God. It was always “Your Father” and “My Father.”

For example, at His resurrection He made this distinction to Mary Magdalene. We read the following:

Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17 NRSV)

Thus, Jesus was careful to make the distinction between His relationship with God the Father and that of others. Indeed, it was not the same.

Jesus and the Father Are One

We find further statements from Jesus which illustrates this truth. He said to the religious rulers,

I and my Father are one. (John 10:30 KJV)

The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus for making this statement because they knew He was claiming some type of equality with God. In fact, when they brought Him before Pontius Pilate they made clear their reason for wanting Jesus dead:

The Jewish leaders replied, “By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” (John 19:7 NLT)

They realized Whom Jesus claimed to be. Though they did not believe His claims they certainly understood what He was saying.

10. Jesus Is Put On an Equal Level with God

On a number of occasions Jesus is associated with the God of the Bible in an equal manner. For example, the baptismal formula in Scripture puts Jesus on an equal level with God the Father. We read,

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19 NRSV)

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all equated in the baptismal formula.

We also find Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit, equated with God the Father in the apostolic benediction. It says,

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. (2 Corinthians 13:14 NRSV)

Again, He is placed on an equal level with God the Father. Since God shares His glory with nobody this is another indication of the deity of Christ.

11. Jesus Has a Heavenly Origin

Scripture says that the origin of Jesus Christ was not from earth but rather from heaven. The writer to the Hebrews compared the Old Testament character Melchizedek with Jesus. He made the comparison in this manner:

Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. (Hebrews 7:3 NRSV)

Melchizedek resembled God the Son in that Scripture records no beginning and no end for him. As the eternal God, Jesus had no beginning and certainly He will have no end.

The Bible says that Jesus Christ came to earth from heaven. The Gospel of John records the words of John the Baptist:

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. (John 3:31 NIV)

John testified of Jesus’ heavenly origin.

Jesus Himself claimed that He came down from heaven to the earth. He said,

For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want. (John 6:38 NLT)

According to the Bible, Jesus’ origin was from heaven above. This is further testimony of His divine origin.

12. Jesus Allowed Himself to Be Worshipped

The God who reveals Himself in the Bible has made it clear that He is the only One deserving worship. In the Ten Commandments He said,

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3 NKJV)

Worship belongs to God alone.

When Satan wanted Jesus to worship him, Jesus refused. Instead, He responded in the following way:

“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.’” (Matthew 4:10 NLT)

Worship belongs to God alone.

A. JESUS WAS WORSHIPPED BY THE PEOPLE

Jesus testified that worship is something that is reserved for God alone. Yet, Jesus allowed Himself to be worshiped:

And as they went, Jesus met them. “Greetings!” he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:9 NLT)

Jesus received their worship.

On another occasion, Scripture records someone saying the following words to Jesus:

Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. (John 9:38 NKJV)

Jesus allowed Himself to be worshipped on this occasion also. If only God is to be worshiped, as the Bible testifies, and Jesus allowed Himself to be worshiped, then the natural conclusion is that Jesus believed Himself to be God.

On another occasion, Jesus said,

That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (John 5:23 NKJV)

Jesus said people were to honor Him “just as” they honor God the Father. If Jesus were not God then for people to honor Him as they honored God would be blasphemous.

B. THE ANGELS WERE COMMANDED TO WORSHIP JESUS

The first chapter of Hebrews tells us that God commanded the angels to worship Jesus. It reads as follows:

For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” And again God said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” And then, when he presented his honored Son to the world, God said, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” (Hebrews 1:5, 6 NLT )

Since God the Father commanded worship of the Son, the Son must be of equal character with the Father. Otherwise He would not give that command.

C. ALL CREATION IS TO WORSHIP JESUS

We are told that all creation will worship Jesus. John wrote about this in the Book of Revelation. He put it this way,

I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea. Every creature in those places was singing, “To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever.” The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the leaders bowed and worshiped. (Revelation 5:13, 14 God’s Word)

Jesus richly deserved the worship of creation.

13. Jesus Was Addressed in Prayer

Jesus was also directly addressed in prayer. We find that the Apostles asked Jesus who should replace Judas:

Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.” (Acts 1:24 NIV)

We only pray to God, nobody else.

Stephen, the first recorded martyr of the Christian church, prayed to Jesus as he was being killed by an unruly mob. He said,

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. (Acts 7:59, 60 NRSV)

Only God is addressed in prayer. Jesus, therefore, must be God.

14. Jesus Forgave Sins

Another indirect testimony to Jesus being God is His ability to forgive sins. In the presence of the religious leaders, Jesus told a sinful woman that her sins were forgiven:

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48 NKJV)

He claimed to be able to forgive sins.

In another occasion, He said the following to a paralyzed man:

My son, your sins are forgiven. (Mark 2:5 NLT)

The religious rulers on both occasions were indignant. They demanded an explanation as to why Jesus would speak in this manner:

Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins. (Mark 2:7 CEV)

No doubt the rulers were remembering when God said,

I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25 NRSV)

If only God has the ability to forgive sins, and Jesus claimed the ability to forgive sins, then Jesus is claiming to be God. Humans may temporarily forgive sins committed against other humans, but only God can eternally forgive sins. By claiming to forgive sins Jesus demonstrated His Deity.

There is something else. Jesus forgave sins that were committed against the Lord God. Only God has the right to forgive sins against Him. We can only forgive sins that have been committed against us. This is another indication that Jesus is God.

15. Jesus Will Judge the World

Judgment of the world is something that only God can do. The Bible says the following about God judging the earth:

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. (Psalm 96:12, 13 NIV)

The Lord will come and judge the earth.

Jesus claimed that He would judge the world. We read in John’s gospel:

For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. (John 5:22 NKJV)

The Son will be judge of the world.

The Apostle Paul said that God will judge the entire world through Jesus. Before a hostile crowd in Athens, Paul said the following about Jesus.

Because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:31 HCSB)

According to Paul, Jesus will be the One which every human being will have to answer to.

Paul wrote to Timothy about Jesus judging the world. He wrote,

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge. (2 Timothy 4:1 NIV)

The Bible says that only God has the right to judge the world; no one else has that authority. However, it also says that Jesus claimed that He would be that judge. This is more indirect evidence that Jesus is God.

16. Jesus Is the Creator

Among the many deeds attributed to Jesus is the creation of the entire universe. The Scripture expressly states that Jesus was involved as the Creator. The Gospel of John, in speaking of Jesus, said,

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3 KJV)

Here we have the statement that Jesus created everything. Not one thing has been created apart from Him.

The Apostle Paul also testified to Jesus being the Creator. He wrote of this aspect of Jesus’ character to the church at Colosse:

Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16 NLT)

This statement makes it abundantly clear that Jesus created all things in the universe. This includes all things visible and invisible.

Though Jesus was the Creator of all things, this world did not recognize Him as such. One of the saddest verses in the Bible testifies to that fact:

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:10 KJV)

Jesus created the world but when He visited His creation the people did not receive Him for who He truly was. This, of course, is tragic.

17. Jesus Sustains All Things by His Spoken Word

Not only did Jesus create everything in the beginning, He also sustains His creation. The Apostle Paul, after testifying to the creative work of Jesus, wrote,

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17 NKJV)

All things are held together by Christ.

The Book of Hebrews takes this a step further. It teaches that Christ is “upholding all things by the word of his power”:

The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (Hebrews 1:3 NLT)

Jesus is the one who holds the universe together. That is, He is the Person who keeps it running in an orderly fashion. The idea is that Jesus is keeping all things together by His spoken Word. Thus, it is the spoken word of Jesus that now upholds the universe. This testifies to the magnificent power which he possesses.

18. Jesus Is the Ruler Over All Things

The Apostle Paul testified that Jesus Christ is the ruler over all things in the universe. He said to the Colossians,

And you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:10 NRSV)

Jesus rules the universe, and all that is in it. Thus, Jesus Christ is both Creator and Ruler.

19. Jesus Will Raise the Dead

Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ will raise the dead as well as transform the bodies of believers. John records the Lord saying

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28, 29 NIV)

These are tremendous claims which Jesus has made of Himself.

The Apostle Paul also wrote about Jesus raising the dead when He returns. He explained what will happen in his letter to the Philippians:

He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. (Philippians 3:21 NLT)

Since only God has the power to raise the dead, this is another indication that Jesus Christ is indeed God Almighty.

20. Jesus Gives Spiritual Life to Believers

The Bible says that Jesus has the authority to grant spiritual life to whomever He pleases. Jesus Himself said,

Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. (John 5:21 CEV)

Both the Father and the Son have authority to give life to believers. This put the Father and Jesus on an equal level.

21. Jesus Will Give Eternal Life to Believers

Jesus said that He will give eternal life to those who believe in Him. John records Jesus saying the following:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will ****** them out of my hand. (John 10:28 NRSV)

He is the One who grants life everlasting. Again, we have another fantastic claim by Jesus.

When Jesus prayed to God the Father, He again acknowledged He was able to do this. John records Jesus saying to the Father,

For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. (John 17:2 NLT)

This is another indication of Jesus’ deity.

22. Everyone Will Confess That Jesus Is Lord

The Scripture says that everything in heaven, earth, and under the earth will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The Apostle emphasized this in his letter to the Philippians. He said,

This is why God has given him an exceptional honor—the name honored above all other names—so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. My dear friends, you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I’m absent. In the same way continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him. (Philippians 2:9-12 God’s Word)

The fact that everything in the universe will confess Jesus is Lord (Yahweh, or Jehovah) proves that He indeed is Almighty God.

23. Jesus Has Equal Glory with God the Father

Jesus claimed equal glory with God the Father:

So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. (John 17:5 NRSV)

Only God could claim that. He shares His glory with no one. We read in Isaiah,

I am doing this for myself, only for myself. Why should my name be dishonored? I will not give my glory to anyone else. (Isaiah 48:11 God’s Word)

Since God shares His glory with no other, Jesus must be God.

24. He Has the Same Nature as God

Scripture says that Jesus has the same nature as the God of the Bible:

Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. (Philippians 2:6 NLT)

The writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus is the exact representation of God:

He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3 NRSV)

Jesus is God by nature.

The Claims Are Not Enough

If God did reveal Himself to humanity, then we would expect Him to identify Himself as God. However we would expect more than mere claims. They would have to be backed up with a demonstration of His power and knowledge. Jesus realized that claiming to be God does not, by itself, make the claims true. He said,

If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid. (John 5:31 HCSB)

This is why Jesus did more than make claims about Himself. He backed it up with His works. He said,

But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. (John 5:36-38 NRSV)

He backed up His claims with convincing evidence. These evidences include miracles, fulfilled prophecy, and His resurrection from the dead. All of the evidence points to the fact that Jesus Christ is more than a mere man. Indeed, He is the Almighty God.

Summary – Question 6
Does the Bible Indirectly Teach That Jesus Is God?

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ was fully human. However, Scripture gives evidence both directly and indirectly that Jesus Christ was more than a mere man. From the description of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament, we find that He is the eternal God. We have the following indirect evidences that Jesus is the God of the Bible.

 

For one thing, we find that Jesus possesses a number of attributes or characteristics that belong to deity. Indeed, Scripture says that Jesus has existed from all eternity. Only God is eternal in nature.

 

Scripture teaches that Jesus is also a member of the Holy Trinity. In fact, we find that He is put on an equal level with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This would never happen unless Jesus was God Himself.

 

Jesus Christ is also equal to God in certain names. There are names which belong to God alone such as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Good Shepherd which are also given to Jesus. This is another factor in demonstrating that they are equal in nature.

 

We also find that while on earth Jesus had a unique relationship with God the Father. He could address Him as “My Father” in a unique way from other people. Jesus never equated His relationship with the Father with that of others.

 

The Bible also emphasizes Jesus had a heavenly origin. In fact, His origin is contrasted with human beings whose origin is from the earth.

 

One clear mark of deity is that Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be worshiped. Worship is something which is due to God alone. The fact the Father commanded the angels to worship Jesus as well as the fact that He received it goes to show that Jesus is God Himself.

 

There is also the fact that Jesus was addressed in prayer. Only God is addressed in prayer. We do not pray to angels or to other humans.

 

Of all the indirect references that show that Jesus is God one of the clearest is His claim to forgive sins.

 

In the Old Testament, the God of the Bible makes it clear that He alone has the right to forgive sin. The New Testament records that Jesus claimed the same right. Jesus would not make this claim unless He had the right to do so.

 

Jesus also claimed to be the judge of the world. Other New Testament writers echoed His claim. Since Scripture is clear that the judgment of humanity belongs to God alone, the logical inference is that Jesus is the God of Scripture.

 

The Bible also says that Jesus is the Creator of the entire universe. Furthermore, He sustains the universe by His spoken word. Jesus also presently rules the universe. Thus, the creation and the running of the universe belong to Him.

 

We also find that Jesus will raise the dead at His coming. Again, He claimed this right for Himself. Since only God can raise the dead, Jesus must Himself be God.

 

Jesus gives spiritual life as well as eternal life to believers. This is something which only God can grant. No human or angel can impart life.

 

The Apostle Paul wrote that everyone will one day confess Jesus Christ as LORD. This means they will acknowledge Him as Yahweh, or Jehovah.

 

The New Testament also says that Jesus has equal glory with God the Father. Since God will not share His glory the conclusion is that Jesus is God Himself.

 

Thus, Jesus performs work that only God can perform. These abilities cannot be delegated because they are characteristics of God alone.

 

We conclude that the Bible indirectly teaches in a number of different ways that Jesus Christ is Almighty God—the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

 

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Luke 1:39-45 (NASB)

39 Now at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

 

 

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What Does It Mean That Christ Is the Firstborn of All Creation? (Colossians 1)

Read the Passage

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Confession and Worship of the Church

This passage is often described as a “hymn” because it appears to reflect the confession and worship of the church and because it clearly has been crafted with some care. Some commentators have argued that, while all these observations are true, we should be careful not to rush too quickly to use the term “hymn.” To use this term, they argue, seems to imply a work of poetry intended to be sung, and it is not at all clear that such is the nature of this passage.1Pao argues, however, that the term “hymn” is appropriate if understood in its literary context. Many scholars have also claimed that this text is “tradition.” By this they mean that Paul has adopted material already in circulation and incorporated it into his letter. Once again, we should be cautious about this view. The supposed prior history of this text is entirely conjectural. Regardless of any possible history of the text or certain parts of it, we can say that it is now fully integrated into its context and so expresses just what Paul intended to say. Whether others had a hand in shaping the passage at an earlier stage is irrelevant. It is Paul’s thought now, and all that we know of the richness of Paul’s theological thought leads us to conclude that he is entirely capable of producing such a glorious passage of praise.2

 

This passage is carefully constructed, characterized by general balance across two sections and by repetition of key terms and phrases. We will summarize a number of these features here. First, the passage begins in verse 15 with the nominative masculine singular relative pronoun (hos). This particular form is repeated in verse 18. These two verses mark the beginning of two sections, roughly similar in length, that have some thematic coherence. Three instances of the nominative masculine singular personal pronoun (autos) occur in verses 17 and 18. Forms of this personal pronoun, in three different prepositional phrases, occur in verses 16 and 17 and then again in verses 19 and 20. The repetition of the important term prōtotokos (“firstborn”) in verse 15 and in verse 18 is likewise a significant marker of the two sections. In the first part of the passage, the ktis- root (create/creation) is repeated three times in verses 15 and 16. We also see repetition of the adjective pas (“all”), particularly its substantival form, ta panta (“all things”), in verses 16 and 17 and again in verse 20.

 

All of these features justify the description of this passage as “exalted prose” (or “hymn,” used cautiously). Paul is so captivated by the wonder of the person and work of Jesus that the expressions of his thought in writing are raised to new heights.

A Figurative Firstborn

The initial relative pronoun refers to “the Son” mentioned in verse 13. It points, therefore, to a different “he” than the same relative pronoun at the beginning of verse 13 does, the antecedent of which was God the Father. The Son is described as the “image” (eikōn) of God, immediately followed by a further description: “firstborn of all creation.” The phrase eikōn tou theou (“image of God”) recalls the language of Genesis 1:26–27 (cf. also Gen. 5:1; 9:6). The phrase prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs (“firstborn of all creation”) is infamously highlighted by Jehovah’s Witnesses and others with Arian sympathies who claim that it teaches that Christ is the first and greatest of all God’s creatures. While it is true that the phrase is somewhat enigmatic, the most fundamental principle of biblical interpretation demands that it be understood in the context of the whole of Scripture. Following this principle leaves the Arian interpretation untenable. A particularly important text for understanding this difficult phrase is Psalm 89:27: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” This verse appears in a section of the psalm speaking of Yahweh’s covenant with David. It is perfectly clear from the biblical accounts of David that he was not physically the firstborn of his family. In fact, he was the youngest of his brothers. This demonstrates that the term “firstborn” may be used in a figurative manner. Further, the term “firstborn” is qualified with the phrase, “the highest of the kings of the earth.” This indicates that, in the context of Psalm 89, to be made “firstborn” by God means to be exalted to the highest place. Such a reading of “firstborn” makes perfect sense in the context of Colossians 1.

 

In verse 16, Paul now explains the Son’s exalted status over all creation (beginning with hoti, “because”). The first explanation is that all things were created, in Greek, en autō. As in verse 14, this prepositional phrase might legitimately be translated as either “in him” or “by him.” In this context, the phrase should probably be treated as instrumental (“by him”), showing that the Son is the agent by whom the creator God brought all things into existence (cf. John 1:3).

 

How should we understand ta panta (“all things”) in this passage? The phrase is used several times in this passage, and in most cases it seems fairly clear that it should be read as an all-inclusive term. “All things” are created by the Son (v. 16). This is then unpacked by paired phrases making the sense as inclusive as possible (v. 16b). The Son has created all things in heaven as well as on earth, visible as well as invisible. He has created all authorities and powers (understood to be “cosmic” or “angelic” beings and powers.3 Likewise, according to verse 17, he is “before all things,” and in him “all things hold together.” It is inconceivable that Paul would suggest that any aspect of creation existed before the Son or that any aspect of it is self-sustaining apart from him. All of this is fairly uncontroversial. The difficulty arises when exactly the same phrase is used in the second part of the passage (v. 20). There God is said “to reconcile to himself all things” through the Son and to make peace through the blood of his cross. Does this text teach universal reconciliation, universal peace with God? In other words, does it teach universalism?

 

All things were created not only by the Son but also “through him” and “for him” (di’ autou and eis auton). These two prepositional phrases communicate significant ideas in extremely condensed form. Dia followed by the genitive case indicates agency or means.4 The most natural reading is that the Son is the active agent of creation. Wallace suggests eight possible uses of eis followed by the accusative.5In this case, the construction should be read as indicating advantage (“for him”).

Primacy of Christ

What is more, he is “before all things,” and “in him all things hold together.” “Before all things” might be read in a temporal sense (meaning prior to all things) or a hierarchical one (meaning superior to all things). The temporal sense seems to be implied by the declaration that the Son is the one who created all things. The repeated use of the term “firstborn,” however, when understood in light of Old Testament usage, suggests the primacy of the Son’s importance is being emphasized. The statement that in the Son “all things hold together” is paralleled in thought in Hebrews 1:3.

 

Verses 17 and 18a of Colossians 1 form a transitional section in the passage. Both verses begin with the phrase “And he is” (kai autos estin), using the third-person personal pronoun rather than the relative pronoun used in verse 15. These verses mark a shift of theme from the Son’s relationship to creation to his relationship to the church. This close connection may imply that Paul regards the church as the new creation. (Compare 2 Cor. 5:17 and Gal. 6:15, where Paul speaks of the experience of being in Christ as “new creation.”)

 

Paul’s description of the Son as the head of the body is very similar to his description of Christ elsewhere (cf. esp. 1 Corinthians 12). The significance of the metaphor of the body is made explicit by the articular noun standing in apposition to “the body,” thus explaining that the body is “the church.” Of the four occurrences of the term ekklēsia in Colossians (Col. 1:18, 24; Col. 4:15, 16), the first two refer to what we might call the “universal church,” that is, the single church composed of all believers throughout all ages. The latter two, on the other hand, refer to local expressions of the church: the church that meets in Nympha’s home and the church of the Laodiceans. This is somewhat different from Ephesians, where all nine references to the ekklēsia are to the universal church. Paul apparently was quite content to recognize a breadth of meaning in the word.6

 

Verse 18b completes the transition by using the relative pronoun hos (“who” or “he”) in a manner parallel to verse 15 and by repeating the use of prōtotokos (“firstborn”), so that “he is the image of the invisible God, . . . firstborn of all creation” (hos estin eikōn tou theou tou aoratou, prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs; v. 15) is complemented by “he is the beginning, . . . firstborn from the dead” (hos estin archē, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn; v. 18b). The sense of primacy communicated by prōtotokos7 is further highlighted by the phrase, “that in everything he might be preeminent.” There is a measure of similarity of sound between the two terms (prōtotokos, firstborn; and prōteuōn, preeminent) to further link them together. So the meaning of the participle prōteuōn (from the verb prōteuō, “to hold the highest rank in a group, be first, have first place”) should govern our understanding of the meaning of prōtotokos, ruling out any suggestion that Christ is a created being.

 

In Verse 19, Paul now provides further explanation of what it means for the Son to be preeminent, opening with a clause that begins with hoti (“because”). The verse is difficult to translate and interpret because there is ambiguity concerning the function of the phrase pan to plērōma (“all the fullness”). Since the noun is neuter in gender, there are two possible readings. We could read the noun as (a) in the nominative case (indicating the subject of a sentence in Gk.), giving the meaning, “All the fullness was pleased to dwell in him.” Alternatively, we could read the noun as (b) in the accusative case (indicating the direct object of a sentence), giving the meaning, “He [God, supplied from context] was pleased to have all the fullness dwell in him.” The arguments for the two positions are quite even, and Moo suggests there is substantial measure of overlap in the two meanings if the phrase “all the fullness” is understood as shorthand for “God in all his fullness.”8 On that basis, I am inclined to adopt position (a), as does the ESV. While the fine point of syntax may be challenging, the general sense of the verse is reasonably clear: God has ensured that in Jesus is found all that makes God to be God. As Moo points out, there is an interesting similarity between the wording of this verse and the Greek translation of Psalm 68:16: “the mountain that God desired to dwell in it.”

 

Thus, Moo says, “In a typical New Testament emphasis, Christ replaces the temple as the ‘place’ where God now dwells. . . . This is now where all that can be known and experienced of God is to be found.”9

 

The sentence expressing God’s good pleasure or choice is continued further with a complementary infinitive that completes the train of thought: “and through him to reconcile all things to him [or, himself]” (AT). The compound verb apokatallassō is used twice in close proximity here in Colossians 1. The only other place in the New Testament where it is used is Ephesians 2:16. The pinnacle of this remarkable passage is the accomplishment of reconciliation.

 

Notes:

  1. Pao, Colossians and Philemon, 90, for discussion.
  2. Ibid., 90–91.
  3. Cf. Peter T. O’Brien, Colossians–Philemon, WBC (Waco, TX: Word, 1982), 46–47.
  4. Cf. Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 368–369.
  5. Cf. ibid., 369.
  6. Cf. O’Brien, Colossians–Philemon, 57–61, for a good discussion.
  7. Cf. BDAG, s.v. πρωτότοκος.
  8. Moo, Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, 133.
  9. Ibid.

This article is adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11) edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton, Jr., and Jay Sklar.

 

 

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Defend Jehovah's Witnesses: Colossians 1:15 - "Firstborn" Versus "Pre-eminent" (defendingjehovahswitnesses.blogspot.com)

Colossians 1:15 - "Firstborn" Versus "Pre-eminent"

 
Is Colossians 1:15 really saying that Jesus Christ is the "FIRSTBORN of all creation"? Yes.

However, some trinitarians insist that the literal "firstborn of all creation" describing Jesus at Col. 1:15 really means "the pre-eminent one over all creation."

Prototokos ("first-born"), literally means "born first" - see Young's Analytical Concordance - or Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. The New Testament in the King James Version and most other trinitarian translations use this meaning throughout. Here are all the instances of prototokos in the NT: Matt. 1:25 (King James only); Luke 2:7; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15; Col. 1:18; Heb. 1:5, 6; Heb. 11:28; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 1:5 (compare Col. 1:18). None of them clearly means "pre-eminent". Not only do all of these scriptures that use prototokos have either the certain or the most probable meaning of "first-born," but we rarely (if ever) see any Bible translate them as anything but "first-born" or its literal equivalent except at Col. 1:15-18 where the actual meaning would disprove a trinity concept! A few trinitarian translations force an improper interpretation for prototokos at this scripture only (e.g. NIV, NEB).
 
The use of the word prototokos in the Bible always means one who has come into existence first in time - before all the rest of his "brothers" - the beginning (arkhe) of his father's creative (or procreative) works. - see pp. 77-88 in Dr. Jason BeDuhn's Truth in Translation, University Press of America, 2003.
 
Yet some trinitarians, however, still insist that the Biblical use of the Greek prototokos can, sometimes, mean "pre-eminent" because they dare not admit the obvious, true, literal meaning of Col. 1:15.
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@PrehistoricMan I want to thank you for making the above post.  Without that post, I doubt I would have found this.

 

“Being both the ‘First’ and the ‘Only’ is not a contradiction of terms
but rather a revelation of the nature and work of Jesus.”

Bible Study ~ First-Begotten, Only-Begotten

INTRODUCTION

The pernickety observer of the English language will immediately point out  that there must be a contradiction in my title for this study. If someone, or  something, is said to be the first in any sense, this would usually imply that  that person or thing cannot at the same time be the only, seeing that first  would normally mean that there must be others after! This of course would  normally be correct, however… when we come to the person of the Lord Jesus, we  find in Scripture that He is many things all at once, and has many ‘titles’ and  descriptions all at the same time. A good example of this is Isaiah 9:6, where  the prophet speaks of the coming Saviour as “a Son” and in the very same passage  he also refers to Him as “the everlasting Father!” It will be well known to most  Christians that the Bible also reveals Jesus to be both a ‘lion’ and a ‘lamb’.  And so in this short study we shall see how that Jesus is both the Only and the  First.

 

The fuller phrases we shall be looking at here are actually ONLY-begotten and  FIRST-begotten (also same as FIRST-born). In the case of the latter, for some  reason the translators of the Authorized Version of the Bible sometimes used two  words (first_begotten) and sometimes used only one (firstbegotten) when making  their translation (unless this is a quirk of the printers?). I have no idea why  that should be! I shall take my own route and use hyphenation for both of our  words/phrases (except where I have copied direct from the New Testament). The  translators also sometimes translated the same Greek word for first-begotten as  first-born. Anyhow, these are the two relevant Greek words taken from Strong’s:

  • Only-begotten Greek = MǑNǑGĚNĒS (Strong’s 3439)
  • First-begotten Greek = PRŌTǑTǑKǑS (Strong’s 4416)

I am not a Greek Scholar, just a ‘layman’, so to speak, with a Greek  dictionary. I would be going beyond my measure to attempt to expound upon the  minutiae of these words. What I do wish to share with you from this study is an  overall picture of how these two words are used in relation to the person of the  Lord Jesus. There are arguments used from one (if not both?) of these words that  aim to prove that Jesus is created as opposed to eternal. I shall not be  directly attempting to argue about this as I am going to assume that the likely  readers of this study are already well convinced in both heart and mind of  Jesus’ eternal deity. Having said that, a part of this study will indeed be  mentioning the eternal and unique nature of Christ.

In simple terms, this is a summary of our two words in respect of what is  relevant to this study:

 

MǑNǑGĚNĒS – The only, unique, one of a kind.

 

I like to remember this word like this: mono (meaning one) & gene (as in our  genetic make-up). He is the only one who carries the same ‘gene’ as His Father.

 

PRŌTǑTǑKǑS – The first (born or, begotten), first of a kind, pre-eminent.

 

I like to remember this word also by an English derivative – prototype.

 

(My personal means of trying to remember these words are not offered as  scholarly insights).

JESUS – THE ONLY-BEGOTTEN

Let’s start by looking at some references that use the word MǑNǑGĚNĒS. This  first verse has to be the most well known one:

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that  whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John  3:16)

 

John uses this word, MǑNǑGĚNĒS, five times in his writings, and only ever in  reference to Jesus. For completeness sake here are the other references: John  1:14, 1:18, 3:18 & 1 John 4:9.

 

The most important element of what I want us to see in the John 3:16 verse is  that Jesus was already God’s only-begotten BEFORE that He was incarnated in  Mary’s womb. Jesus was ‘begotten’ of His Father before ever He came to be born  on earth. As I said earlier, I will not be taking space here to try to argue on  the subject of the deity of Jesus, I will simply make the briefest of comments  regarding the use of the term ‘begotten’.

 

I believe that the use of the term ‘begotten’ is in some way poetic and  expressive, a term that is humanly understandable in terms of expressing the  relationship between God The Father and God The Son. Here is a note from Vine’s  Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words concerning MǑNǑGĚNĒS:

 

“The expression also suggests the thought of the deepest affection, as in the  case of the OT word yachid, variously rendered, “only one,” Gen 22:2,12; “only  son,” Jer 6:26; Amo 8:10; Zec 12:10; “only beloved” Pro 4:3, and “darling,” Psa  22:20; 35:17”

 

MǑNǑGĚNĒS therefore not only conveys singleness but also uniqueness, special  relationship, loving affection.

 

It has to be said that this word is also used of ordinary people and not  solely of Jesus. It is used three times in Luke’s Gospel: Luke 7:12, 8:42,9:38  and is translated respectively only-son, only-daughter and only-child. If in any  of these three instances mentioned in Luke there was born a second-daughter / a  second-son / a second-child then the only-begotten would have immediately ceased  to be such. They simply would have become the first-daughter / first-son etc.  This may seem an obvious point to make but it is said in order to lead us into  something further. MǑNǑGĚNĒS is applied to ordinary mortals, but where Scripture  uses this word in connection with the person of the Lord Jesus it takes on extra  special meaning.

 

If we were to interpret the language of the Bible in a strictly ordinary way  with respect to this word there would be nothing particularly revelatory about  Jesus being called the MǑNǑGĚNĒS of God. It could be said that He was only the  only-begotten of the Father until such time as there should be others like Him.  In the realm of the natural we know that Mary went on to conceive and bring  forth other children. In the realm of the spiritual we read in the New Testament  of many becoming sons of God. In either case we could think therefore that Jesus  is no longer be the Only-begotten of God. Such does sound like a reasonable  conclusion. However…look at this next passage of Scripture:

 

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had  received the promises offered up his only begotten (MǑNǑGĚNĒS) son.” (Hebrews  11:17)

 

Isaac was Abraham’s only-begotten son!? Does this writer to the Hebrews not  know his Old Testament history very well? Ishmael was not only brother to Isaac  at the time that this ‘act of worship’ took place, but Ishmael was born before  Isaac. Therefore, if MǑNǑGĚNĒS has no further implication than simply being the  first born of a family then Isaac was never, at any point, the MǑNǑGĚNĒS of  Abraham.

 

It seems to me that there is deep significance in this. Here we are shown  that God has given a meaning to the term MǑNǑGĚNĒS, which is above and beyond  the normal use it had in human society, as in the three references in Luke.  Isaac was not the MǑNǑGĚNĒS because he was born first – he wasn’t. He wasn’t the  MǑNǑGĚNĒS because he was at that point the only son of Abraham. No. Isaac being  referred to here as Abraham’s only-begotten can only be in connection with some  greater calling and purpose.

 

We don’t need to look back at all the detail now, but you will no doubt be  familiar with the facts. Isaac was the child of promise, the son of grace  (gift), the heir, the one elect according to all of God’s purposes for Abraham,  his descendants and the whole world! The reference in Hebrews to his being the  only-begotten is not a historical oversight on the part of the writer, but  rather a glorious revelation and insight into the centrality and importance of  his role.

 

As we well know, the whole episode on Mount Moriah was figurative of the  sacrifice of Jesus. What we see in ‘type’ of Isaac’s centrality to the purposes  of God is really first and foremost applicable to the person and work of Jesus.  Where the Bible refers to Jesus as being the only-begotten Son of God, it is  much more than in the sense of being an only child. It is a revelation of His  unique, inimitable (not able to be copied or reproduced) character. Jesus was,  and is, and ever shall be THE ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.

THE EXPRESS IMAGE

To round off this particular aspect of our theme I’d just like to briefly  mention one other Greek word for us to consider. This word is only used once in  the entire New Testament:

 

CHARAKTĒR (Strong’s 5481)

This is what the Online Bible Greek Lexicon says:

 

“ the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness,  precise reproduction in every respect, i.e facsimile.”

 

And this is how the Hebrews writer uses this word in respect of Jesus Christ:

“Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his (God’s) glory, and the express image  of his person.” (Heb 1:3)

 

Jesus, and Jesus alone, was, is, and ever shall remain, the only one who can  be thought of as being the express image of God – i.e. God manifested in human  flesh. Because of what we have seen regarding Isaac being called the MǑNǑGĚNĒS  despite having a brother at the time, we can therefore continue to recognize  Jesus as the MǑNǑGĚNĒS of God despite there being many sons of God (which we  shall consider next). He has not ceased to be God’s Only, unique Son just  because God has been ‘begetting’ other sons. Jesus still remains the MǑNǑGĚNĒS  and whenever we read the term ‘only-begotten’ in our New Testament we should  remember that in that one word there is a revelation from God of who Jesus is.  As typified in Isaac, we see that being called the MǑNǑGĚNĒS reveals His eternal  destiny as The Chosen One and Heir of His Father.

JESUS – THE FIRST

Now we come the second part of the study, where we shall consider Jesus as  the First. I trust that it is now accepted that this is not a contradiction of  the revelation of Jesus being the Only. Instead, what we shall see is that we  have a further, complementary revelation of the person and work of Christ that  much more practically applies to our Christian walk. PRŌTǑTǑKǑS is used nine  times in our New Testament.

 

First of all I will say that just like MǑNǑGĚNĒS this word is also used in an  ordinary human sense. It is in fact used three times in this way: “And (Joseph)  knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his  name JESUS” (Matthew 1:25). Notice here that Jesus is simply “her” (that is,  Mary’s) first-born. It is used in the same way in Luke 2:7. Thirdly, it is also  used in this ordinary sense in Hebrews 11:28 which talks of the first-born of  the Egyptians.

 

That deals with three of the occasions where PRŌTǑTǑKǑS is used all in a very  ordinary way. This now leaves us with six more mentions, which are all used in  reference to Jesus in a more special way. In the following passage, from  Colossians, we have two of those further six references to PRŌTǑTǑKǑS.

 

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature (or,  all creation): For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that  are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or  principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he  is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the  body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all  things he might have the pre-eminence.” (Col 1:15-18)

FIRST-BORN OF ALL CREATION

Did you notice how different the two references to Jesus being the first-born  were in this passage? The first reference states that Jesus was already the  first-born at, or prior to, the time when He was busy creating the world and  every living creature. (By the way – naming Jesus as the Creator of the Universe  is of course one of many plain confirmations in Scripture that He is actually  God Almighty!). The second reference says that He is the first-born from the  dead.

 

In respect of the first usage of this word there is one other passage of  Scripture that also reveals the same:

 

“And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith,  And let all the angels of God worship him.” (Hebrews 1:6)

 

This again makes clear that Jesus didn’t become the first-begotten when He  came into the world but He was already the first-begotten before he was brought  into the world. He was both the MǑNǑGĚNĒS and the PRŌTǑTǑKǑS before the world  began.

 

I want to give more attention to the second usage (first-born from the dead)  of this word so I shall only comment briefly on this first. If you go back to  our earlier definition of this word PRŌTǑTǑKǑS you will see that part of the  meaning is ‘pre-eminent’. I would like to suggest that the sense in which Jesus  was the PRŌTǑTǑKǑS from before the foundation of the world is primarily implying  His pre-eminence. This should be clear from the passage in Colossians where we  read “all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things,  and by him all things consist.” Jesus always was, and is, and ever shall be the  PRŌTǑTǑKǑS (pre-eminent one) in all things. He is the pre-eminent one of His own  creation and is the pre-eminent one of His Church.

FIRST-BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD

Now we shall look at the second occurrence of first-born in the Colossians  passage. Jesus is said to be “the firstborn from the dead.” And here is another  instance where this same phrase occurs:

 

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of  the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. (Revelation 1:5)

 

In order to understand the meaning of this saying we need to look at two  passages of Scripture. First we must go back into the Book of Psalms. In the  second psalm we read:

“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this  day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine  inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (Psa  2:7,8)

 

We have seen how that in the sense of Jesus being the MǑNǑGĚNĒS He always was  so, and we have seen also that in the first sense of Him being the PRŌTǑTǑKǑS  (first-born of all creation) He was already this too, but this second usage of  PRŌTǑTǑKǑS (first-begotten from the dead) is quite distinct from the first. The  above-mentioned psalm tells us that there was a specific moment in time when  Jesus was “begotten.” This portion of this psalm was prophetic, and so was  looking forward to such a time when this would happen. The fact that it is  written in the past tense (‘I have begotten’ – i.e. already) does not  technically prove that it refers to a past event. Such is the nature of many Old  Testament prophecies. It is very clear, if we allow the New to interpret the  Old, that this event was yet to come. The psalmist was indeed foretelling it. So  when can an actual precise moment in human history be pinpointed as a day when  God begat His Son? Here it is:

 

“But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which  came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the  people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was  made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in  that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm,  Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Acts 13:30–33)

 

Paul, expounding the Gospel here to his Jewish hearers in the synagogue,  makes this point: On the day of resurrection Jesus was begotten of His Father.  Of this occasion Jesus is said to be the first-born from the dead. The  implication is plain. God had every intention that there was going to be others  who were begotten of Him in the same way. In fact Hebrews 12:23 shows us that  God’s plan was to have an entire Church (company of people) comprised of people  just like Jesus:

 

“To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in  heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made  perfect.”

BORN INTO HIS IMAGE

So what is the fuller implication of this saying – Jesus is the first-born  from the dead? Once we see this it will help us to understand the critical event  that we must pass through in order to begin the process of becoming like Him.  For it is plain enough in the New Testament that the forming of the image and  likeness of Christ is God’s priority work in men and women. In the sense that  Jesus is said to be the first-born from the dead it is implied that others are  to follow. The truth is that it is God’s intention that others are to be (and in  fact many already have been) born from the dead. It is in the sense of this  second usage of PRŌTǑTǑKǑS that Jesus is, as it were, a ‘prototype’. He has  become the model for a new type of man. Hence, we read in 1Co 15:47 that he is  “the second man.” Adam was of course “the first man;” Adam was the first  prototype man; he begat children, including you and me, in his own image, but  this image became entirely unacceptable to God after sin entered into it. And  so, a central part of all that Jesus came to do was to provide a new and  acceptable image (meaning likeness of character) for men and women to be born  into.

 

This assertion of being born into His likeness cannot be overstated. There  must still be an ongoing process of transformation (Ro. 12:2) but think of it  this way: can a common garden worm be transformed into a beautiful butterfly? Of  course not, only a chrysalis can be made into such a creature. So, if I am born  into the image of Adam I cannot with all the best will in heaven and earth ever  be transformed (by process of metamorphosis) into the image of Christ. The only  way that it is possible for me to become like Jesus is that I must start the  process by first being born into His life stream in place of my original  inherited life stream which was derived from Adam.

 

So you see, we entered the image of the first man simply by being born into  it. Now we must we enter the image of the second man the same way. Hence, the  perfectly Scriptural phrase ‘born again’. “You MUST be born again.” But how can  a man be born a second time; can he enter again into his mother’s womb? No, it’s  too late for that. There remains therefore only one path to this critical event  – you must first die! Such is the summary and only conclusion of a conversation  that Jesus had with a man named Nicodemus. But we must remember that the words  of Jesus were “spirit and life.” He spoke of a spiritual rebirth just as He was  later to speak in a spiritual sense when He said that we must “eat His flesh and  drink His blood.” Now, if you and I must be born into God’s family after the  same manner of Jesus then we, following the path He has laid down for us, also  MUST die and MUST be afterward resurrected just as He was.

 

But how do we do this? The answer is – we don’t! God does it for us:

 

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were  baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even  so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together  in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his  resurrection.” (Rom 6:3-5)

 

Be very careful how you read the above passage of inspired Scripture. It  says: “baptized into Jesus Christ.” I cannot emphasise this point enough. It is  a spiritual baptism that brings this all about. It is The Baptism (immersion)  into Jesus Christ (through the person of the Holy Spirit) NOT a baptism into  water that effects all of this for you and me and all who come into the saving  life of Christ. Water baptism is certainly a God ordained sign of all this, but  no bath, river or mighty ocean has one drop of eternal saving power in it. Water  baptism is a symbol (pictorial portrayal) of The One (Eph 4:5) real, wonderful,  life-imparting Baptism of God.

 

In summary, we must see that just as Jesus was born from the dead we too must  through a process of spiritual baptism also die and rise again into a newness of  life. For the Christian, death is not just a future event awaiting our bodies.  Thank God there awaits us a physical resurrection too following our physical  death, but it is an absolute necessity that we are baptized (thoroughly immersed  into/permeated with) into Christ bringing about a death of our ‘Self’ here and  now. As a result we are raised (resurrected) now into newness of life. What  life? Our new life? No, not our own new life, but the life of The Son of God,  His actual resurrected life inside of us. His life inside us then works to  conform us to His own image.

 

In this (being one born from the dead), Jesus is not unique – just The First!  He does not want to be unique, and He does not want to be ‘one-of-a-kind’. In  fact He died in order to provide a way for God to have other sons just like Him.  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and  die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John  12:24). He died so that we could be born (again), and in turn, grow to be just  like Him.

THE REPRODUCIBLE IMAGE

There is only one other reference to Jesus being the first-begotten. This is  it:

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the  image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans  8:29)

 

We ended the section on MǑNǑGĚNĒS by seeing a counterpart word, which equally  expresses Jesus’ unique nature (CHARAKTĒR). We shall end this part now by seeing  a counterpart word to PRŌTǑTǑKǑS, which expresses the fact that in this sense it  is God’s intention that we all become just like Jesus.

 

ĔIKŌN (Strong’s 1504)

This is some of what the Online Bible Greek Lexicon says:

 

…Used of the moral likeness of renewed men to God… The image of the Son of  God, into which true Christians are transformed, is likeness not only to the  heavenly body, but also to the most holy and blessed state of mind, which Christ  possesses… One in whom the likeness of any one is seen…

 

It is clear from the final reference above (Romans 8:29) and others we have  seen that from all eternity it has been in the heart and will of God to  transform and conform mere mortals into the image (ĔIKŌN) of His Son. The  beginning of that process requires first being born into His life.

CONCLUSION

  • We have seen in this study that Jesus was, is and ever shall be the ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. He is unique, eternal, the express image of Almighty God. He is God manifest in human flesh.
  • We have also seen that He is the FIRST-BORN OF ALL CREATION. He is creator God and has all authority and pre-eminence over His creation and His Church.
  • Lastly we have seen that He is the FIRST-BEGOTTEN FROM THE DEAD. He paved the way in death and resurrection that we may enter in to eternal life.

He is The Beginning and The End;
The Alpha and The Omega.
He is The Way, The Truth and The Life,
JESUS IS THE FIRST & THE ONLY!

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Article ID: JAW215 | By: Thomas A. Howe

 

This article first appeared in the Practical Hermeneutics column of the Christian Research Journal, volume27, number6 (2004). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org

 

If someone were to ask you, “What does the word dog mean?” you might respond, “Well, use it in a sentence!” Most words have a range of meanings, and what a word means depends on how it is used.

 

Doing a word study is a helpful Bible study practice; however, it involves more than just looking up all the verses where a word is used in the Bible. It involves discovering those factors that specify which meaning is being used in a given context. People sometimes make the mistake of thinking that a word has the same meaning in every instance.

 

Consider, for example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses explanation of the meaning of firstborn in Colossians 1:15:

 

In what sense is Jesus Christ the “firstborn of all creation”?…According to the customary meaning of “firstborn,” it indicates that Jesus is the eldest in Jehovah’s family of sons….Before Colossians 1:15, the expression “the firstborn of” occurs upwards of 30 times in the Bible, and in each instance that it is applied to living creatures the same meaning applies—the firstborn is part of the group. “The firstborn of Israel” is one of the sons of Israel; “the firstborn of Pharaoh” is one of Pharaoh’s family; “the firstborn of beast” are themselves animals.1

 

Doing a word study also involves considering the word in its original language. You may not have any formal training in the biblical languages, but you can still study some things about the original biblical words. Anyone who has access to some basic reference materials can do this. The eight steps below explain how.

 

Step One: Identify the word that you want to study and ask questions like, Why is this word important? Is it a key word in the passage? The word we will study here is firstborn. Jehovah’s Witnesses use this word to argue that Jesus is not God, but is part of creation—literally the first (oldest) of Jehovah’s created sons.

 

Step Two: Look up the English word in The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible in order to identify the main form of the Greek word that was used originally.2 Strong’s lists each English word used in the Bible and every verse in which it appears.3 Next to each verse listed is a number. Strong’s assigns a number to the main form of each original word in the Bible, and many Bible reference materials use Strong’s numbers to help identify words. Strong’s number for firstborn in Colossians1:15 is 4416.

 

Next, turn to the Greek dictionary in the back of Strong’s and find the entry with that number.4 The numbered entry will tell you the lexical form of the Greek word in that verse. The lexical form is the main form of the word, the form that is found in a Greek lexicon (dictionary). Strong’s number 4416 points to the Greek word prototokos.

 

Step Three: Identify the textual form of the word. The textual form is how the word appears in a particular verse and may differ from the lexical form. A word may have several variations (called inflections) depending on how it is being used in a sentence. In English, for example, the words talked, talking, and talker are inflections of the word talk.

 

If you don’t know how to read Greek you can discover the textual form by using an interlinear New Testament, which shows the Greek text of the New Testament with an English translation below it. Find the verse and the particular English word (or phrase) you are studying, then look at the Greek word above it. Look closely at the letters in the Greek word, even if you don’t know what they are, so that you can visually identify that word in Step Four. In Colossians 1:15, above the English word firstborn is the Greek word prototokos. This is the textual form, which happens to be the same as the lexical form.

 

Step Four: Identify the parsing information for the textual form of the word. The parsing information explains how a word is functioning grammatically in a sentence, such as whether it is a noun or a verb, singular or plural.

 

A good tool to help you discover this information is The Analytical Lexicon by William D. Mounce.5 This is a special dictionary that lists the parsing information for each textual form found in the New Testament. Mounce numbers the words according to a different system than Strong’s, but includes an appendix that cross-references the two numbering systems. To find a word, first look in the appendix and find the Strong’s number that you identified in Step Two. Next to Strong’s number will be the corresponding number that Mounce uses. Turn to the lexicon section and find that number next to one of the main entry words in bold (it is the first number inside the brackets). The word in bold is the lexical form and under it is all its variations. Visually identify which one of these forms matches the textual form you found in Step Three. The textual form of our word in Colossians 1:15, again, is the same as the lexical form: prototokos.

 

Finally, look next to the form you have identified to find its parsing information. Our word prototokos is a nominative, singular, masculine adjective. A nominative adjective modifies a certain type of noun or pronoun. In this instance, the adjective prototokos is attributing a quality to the subject, which is “He” (Jesus). It is saying that He is prototokos (firstborn).

 

Step Five: Look up the word in a Greek dictionary and discover its range of meaning. The standard dictionary for the Greek New Testament is A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Walter Bauer.6 Our word, prototokos, can be found in the third edition of Bauer’s dictionary on page 894. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that this word can mean only that Jesus “is the eldest in Jehovah’s family of sons.” Bauer’s dictionary, however, indicates that prototokos has two broad ranges of meaning: (1)literally pertaining to birth order; and (2)pertaining to having the special status associated with a firstborn, even if one is not literally the firstborn. The word, therefore, does not always have the literal meaning that the Jehovah’s Witnesses insist it has.

 

Step Six: Go back to Strong’s and locate other occurrences of the word in the Bible. Look for three things: (1)other uses by the same author in the same book; (2)other uses by the same author in his other books; (3)uses by other authors.

 

Same Author, Same Book: Paul uses prototokos twice in Colossians, in 1:15 and 1:18. Verse 18 could not possibly be referring to physical birth because it identifies Jesus as the firstborn “out of the dead.” Paul must be using the term figuratively here to indicate having the status of the firstborn. This seems to be Paul’s emphasis when he says, “so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

 

Same Author, Different Books: Paul uses a different form of the word (prototokon) in Romans 8:29. Here he refers to Jesus as “His Son,” which points to the first meaning from Bauer’s dictionary, literally pertaining to physical birth order; but the text is not specific enough to dictate that this must be the meaning. On the basis of this sentence alone, the word can be taken either way; therefore, this context is not decisive.

 

Same Word, Different Authors: Luke uses prototokos in Luke2:7, where it refers to Jesus’ physical birth order. This use, however, does not help the Jehovah’s Witnesses argument that Jesus therefore must be a created being. First, “created being” is not one of the meanings of prototokos found in Bauer’s dictionary, and Jehovah’s Witnesses offer no evidence that the word was ever used to mean this. Second, the fact that Jesus was physically born does not necessarily mean that He was created. Christian theology explains that although Jesus took on a human body that had a beginning, He (in His divine nature and person) is eternal. Finally, physical birth order is only one of the possible meanings, and just because Luke uses it this way does not mean Paul must be using it this way.

 

The word is also found in the Greek translation of Psalm89:27, where it refers to the Davidic King whom God will exalt above all kings. In this passage, however, the term cannot mean physical birth order, because the king that God will make His firstborn is already living. The use here indicates a place of preeminence or supremacy. There are other instances of the word in the Bible, but these are sufficient to illustrate how other authors’ use of the word helps us to understand its range of meaning.

 

Step Seven: Discover any relevant historical and theological information about the word using the Bible and other works. Bible dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, and books on ancient Jewish manners and customs will provide historical information. Systematic theologies, theological dictionaries, theological wordbooks, and even commentaries will provide information about any possible theological significance of the word. Our term firstborn seems to have significance in ancient Jewish culture as referring to a position of greater blessing and importance among brothers, usually based on birth order, but not always; for example, Jacob and Esau (Gen.27:1–42) and Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen.48:8–20).

 

Step Eight: Draw conclusions and make applications. Some things we have learned from our brief word study are: (1)The word firstborn (prototokos) does not always mean “first in physical birth order.” It sometimes means preeminence or superiority. Colossians1:15 may be saying that Jesus has preeminence or superiority over all of creation. (2)The meaning “first in physical birth order” does not mean that the person must be a created being. Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that the firstborn of an animal is itself an animal.

 

Following this reasoning, then, the firstborn of God must be God! (3)Colossians1:15 does not say that Jesus is a created being (and Christ’s deity is well attested in that chapter and throughout the Bible); therefore, if Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this verse is saying that Jesus is a created being, they must already believe this, because they cannot get this meaning from the text.

 

Understanding the Bible in its original languages involves more than just doing word studies; but doing a word study correctly is a good place to start in order to unravel debates that turn upon the meaning of a single word.

 

— Thomas A. Howe

 

NOTES

1. Reasoning from the Scriptures (New York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1985), 408.

2. A number of Bible study computer programs and Web sites simplify word studies by automatically identifying much of the information and linking together many of the tools discussed in this article.

3. Strong’s uses the King James Version, but concordances for other translations are available.

4. These steps apply to Hebrew words as well using Hebrew language tools. Strong’s dictionaries can be helpful for identifying words, but are not standard works for discovering definitions.

5. William D. Mounce, The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993).

6. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, ed. Frederick William Danker, 3rd ed. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000). This lexicon is commonly referred to as BDAG. The third edition of BDAG includes an index of words numbered according to Strong’s to help you find the correct Greek word.

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On 8/14/2021 at 6:22 AM, Markinsa said:

 

What/Who do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

.

You are asking a Non Christian , who has admitted to being a independent , what's ever that is , a agnostic if anything to understand Christianity . Ask Christians about Christianity. Pre is as much a Christian as a RINO is a Republican . He just loves arguing about something he admits to not believing in .

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2 minutes ago, new york kevin said:

You are asking a Non Christian , who has admitted to being a independent , what's ever that is , a agnostic if anything to understand Christianity . Ask Christians about Christianity. Pre is as much a Christian as a RINO is a Republican . He just loves arguing about something he admits to not believing in .

 

My reason for asking that question was to get him to think.  Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.

 

Besides, as long as God's Word is being revealed there is a chance. :twothumbs: 

 

[Isa 55:11 NASB20] 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding [in the purpose] for which I sent it.

 

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2 hours ago, Markinsa said:

 

My reason for asking that question was to get him to think.  Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.

 

Besides, as long as God's Word is being revealed there is a chance. :twothumbs: 

 

[Isa 55:11 NASB20] 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding [in the purpose] for which I sent it.

 

Actually angels are called Gods.  And WHERE in the Bible does it say that Jesus can be only one of three things?  Doesnt that kind of defeat your trinity teaching?  If you believe Jesus is God, then he could not have been a man.  I mean, by your logic, you just proved the trinity wrong did you not?

 

NYK, REALLY?  I have posted around 20 scriptures proving my point, and your take away is that I am agnostic?  Wow just wow.  I cannot debate you.  Aunt Sophie has nothing on you.

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5 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

Actually angels are called Gods. 

 

Please refresh my memory, what verse is that?

 

And  you never answered Who or what do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

5 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

If you believe Jesus is God, then he could not have been a man

 

Why is that?  Are you limiting the Power of God? 

 

[Isa 55:8 NASB20] 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

 

5 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

I mean, by your logic, you just proved the trinity wrong did you not?

 

Nope. If God chooses takes the form of Angel or Man, it does not make him any less God.

 

[Heb 2:7, 9 NASB20] 7 "YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR; ... 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, [namely,] Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

 

 

.

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12 hours ago, Markinsa said:

 

Please refresh my memory, what verse is that?

 

And  you never answered Who or what do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

 

Why is that?  Are you limiting the Power of God? 

 

[Isa 55:8 NASB20] 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

 

 

Nope. If God chooses takes the form of Angel or Man, it does not make him any less God.

 

[Heb 2:7, 9 NASB20] 7 "YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR; ... 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, [namely,] Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

 

 

.

 

My reason for asking that question was to get him to think.  Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.------------YOU LITERALLY SAID THESE WORDS.  Why are you trying to back out of it now?  Are these your words or not?

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8 minutes ago, PrehistoricMan said:

 

My reason for asking that question was to get him to think.  Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.------------YOU LITERALLY SAID THESE WORDS.  Why are you trying to back out of it now?  Are these your words or not?

 

Oh, I'm so sorry, Yes those are my words; I'm far from backing out.  I thought English was your first language.  Was my reply not adequate enough for you?  Perhaps that is why you keep forgetting to answer my questions?  

 

12 hours ago, Markinsa said:

And  you never answered Who or what do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

12 hours ago, Markinsa said:

 

18 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

If you believe Jesus is God, then he could not have been a man

 

Why is that?  Are you limiting the Power of God? 

 

Why aren't you answering my questions?

.

 

 

 

 

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55 minutes ago, PrehistoricMan said:

So since you said this...... Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human-----It destroys your trinity argument.  PERIOD.  Because if Jesus were God, he could not have been human, which he was on Earth.  Your entire belief system is destroyed.  

 

And as I told you, God can do/be anything He wants. Be it Angel or Human or Burning Bush.   Or are you limiting God's power?  

 

Now this is the third of fourth time I have asked you this question.

 

Who or what do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

.

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3 hours ago, Markinsa said:

 

And as I told you, God can do/be anything He wants. Be it Angel or Human or Burning Bush.   Or are you limiting God's power?  

 

Now this is the third of fourth time I have asked you this question.

 

Who or what do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

.

 Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.  THAT is what you said.  YOU limited him.  YOU said this not me.  Why lie about it?  You said it, own up to it.

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5 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

 Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.  THAT is what you said.  YOU limited him.  YOU said this not me.  Why lie about it?  You said it, own up to it.

I've been reading the exchanges here and it seems to be getting really heated.  If I may interject a thought, I believe that the basis for this is the Bible.  If you believe that the Bible is the true Word of God, then the Bible states that Jesus is God incarnate.  He was born of woman in order to be human, but the seed which was planted was planted by the Spirit of God so that He would not be subject to the sin nature that had "stained" humanity.  Therefor, He was both human and God.  The Bible states that Jesus is the Living Word of God and that all things were created by the Word of God.

 

I apologize that I don't have time right now to look up and reference the scriptures to support my statements, but I can at a later time if you find necessary.

 

Also, this exchange seems to be trying to argue spiritual things from human logic.  Paul tells us this is not wise and that the human mind cannot understand some spiritual things.  Some things require faith and not logic, visual confirmation or physical facts that we can go touch.  For example, I take it on faith that George Washington was actually the "Founding Father" of this country.  I've read the history books, but nobody alive today can actually prove that he ever existed!

 

In short, if one believes that the Bible is true and it's your foundation for belief, then you HAVE to believe that Jesus is God and 1/3 of a Holy Trinity.  You HAVE to accept it by Faith, because there is historical evidence that Jesus walked the earth and did many of things that the Bible tells about...same as George Washington.  But if one does not believe that the Bible is true, in all of its writings, then there will never be a resolution to this discussion.  Either the Bible, the written Word of God, is true-all of it-or it's not.

 

Thanks for reading!

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8 hours ago, PrehistoricMan said:

Jesus can only be one of three things, God, Angel or Human.  THAT is what you said.  YOU limited him.  YOU said this not me.  Why lie about it?  You said it, own up to it.

 

Now I think everyone can see why you interpret the Bible the way you do.  :lol: 

 

Yes that is what I said. and I have NEVER denied saying it.  But what I said doesn't limit Jesus, it is not my fault you don't understand my intent.    I KNOW Jesus is GOD, so when I said God, Angel or Human, I've already given Jesus all the Power and Authority of God, because He is GOD.  You're the one that seems to have a hard time recognizing WHO Jesus is.

 

Now for the 5th time, who is Jesus? Apparently, you are unable to attack someone and answer questions at the same time?  

 

Who or what do you think Jesus is, if not God?

 

.

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On 8/30/2021 at 11:44 PM, PrehistoricMan said:

NYK, REALLY?  I have posted around 20 scriptures proving my point, and your take away is that I am agnostic?  Wow just wow.  I cannot debate you.  Aunt Sophie has nothing on you.

Yup really !!! How lame a rino christian agnostic you are . You think because you throw out a thousand quotes of scripture , that that proves your faith and understanding in Christianity . Christianity being that which you admitted in this thread to not believing in.  Leaving out the deity of the Godhead aka Holy Trinity , and all that is in heaven there is one source that knows more about Christianity than all Bibal Scholars on earth will ever know ; that source is satan.  The jealous former heavenly angel of light . Of course since it, is a liar, you can , well ... others but you would be deceived if you believed any minor or major twist it suggests regarding Christianity. It is from the devils understanding , that it has birthed false Christian religions and doctrines over the last 2700 years. The very false doctrines, false teachings, false prophets , false miracles , the Holy Bible speaks of. There is hope for you still Pre, yes even up to the last second before you die to get to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior , as it's written in the Bible . That is of not ok to wait till then, because what if you did instantly in a accident, never offering you the opportunity to turn your life over to Jesus ? To late, is to late . I wouldn't risk that . You can, but not me.

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7 hours ago, tjokie said:

I've been reading the exchanges here and it seems to be getting really heated.  If I may interject a thought, I believe that the basis for this is the Bible.  If you believe that the Bible is the true Word of God, then the Bible states that Jesus is God incarnate.  He was born of woman in order to be human, but the seed which was planted was planted by the Spirit of God so that He would not be subject to the sin nature that had "stained" humanity.  Therefor, He was both human and God.  The Bible states that Jesus is the Living Word of God and that all things were created by the Word of God.

 

I apologize that I don't have time right now to look up and reference the scriptures to support system" rel="">support my statements, but I can at a later time if you find necessary.

 

Also, this exchange seems to be trying to argue spiritual things from human logic.  Paul tells us this is not wise and that the human mind cannot understand some spiritual things.  Some things require faith and not logic, visual confirmation or physical facts that we can go touch.  For example, I take it on faith that George Washington was actually the "Founding Father" of this country.  I've read the history books, but nobody alive today can actually prove that he ever existed!

 

In short, if one believes that the Bible is true and it's your foundation for belief, then you HAVE to believe that Jesus is God and 1/3 of a Holy Trinity.  You HAVE to accept it by Faith, because there is historical evidence that Jesus walked the earth and did many of things that the Bible tells about...same as George Washington.  But if one does not believe that the Bible is true, in all of its writings, then there will never be a resolution to this discussion.  Either the Bible, the written Word of God, is true-all of it-or it's not.

 

Thanks for reading!

Thank you for your post.  Except the Bible never says Jesus is God incarnate.  Find me that exact phrase in the Bible.  Yes all things were created by God and his Son Jesus in heaven.  BUT Jesus did have a beginning.  He was not always existed.  Revelation 3:14 English Standard Version
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.   So if Jesus is the BEGINNING of God´s creation, then he cannot actually BE God.  Again the word trinity doesnt appear in the Bible.  So why should one believe it?  I believe in the entire word of the Bible.  

 

If you have truly read all of the exchanges on this page.  All 8 pages and you still come to this conclusion, there is nothing more I can say.  To say you believe everything the others have said and none of the scriptures I have posted....baffles me.  Just a simple one.  Explain Exodus 3:14  NO MAN may see God and live.  Yet thousands saw Jesus.  Do you understand that verse?  Jesus himself even repeats it at John 1:18.  NO MAN has ever seen God.

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