Who is Jesus? Is he God? (page 35)

Kenneson

Mondo1,

Gen. 1:1 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Several verses afterwards mention that God went on to say? Isn't this referring to the Word of John 1:1-3?

Mondo1

1:3 in part refers to it, some view 1:1 as an allusion to it too, but I don't hold to that view.

Kenneson

Mondo1,

Well, what is your view? Gen. 1:25 says God made the wild beasts and the moving animals according to their kind. How is this different from the making of man in verse 26?

As I mentioned, the semantic range of "make" is wider than "create." It says "let us make," because "make" would include the thought of "create," but it would also include a wider range of meaning as well, and so it is appropriate. It seems "make" may be used here because of how it is said that he did it per verse 24.

LittleToe

Mondo:I hope you won't mind me being candid in stating that it sounds like you're picking and choosing what interpretation you want to put on each verse according to your own pre-determined theology?

May I ask you to be just as candid with me when I ask whether you accept that the semantic range would permit an interpretation of the Word being the one who breathed life into Adam's nostrils, as an intermediary bearing the title of "God"?

I do understand that this is not your belief - I'm certainly not trying to make you capitulate your beliefs - I'm just trying to understand whether or not you are too dogmatic to accept that others can have an equally reasonable exegesis of the same texts (regardless of whether or not it is ultimately right or wrong).

Mondo1

If the agency principle were to apply here, then we might say the Logos did it, but I cannot find any reason to here apply that, and as such, and as the one performing the action is specifically defined, I have to say that the Logos did not do it, but the one defined did. I have to deal with what the text says, not a loose interpretation.

Pubsinger

I think that was a "no" LT

Kenneson

Mondo1,

Since "all things came into existence through him, and apart from him [the Word], not even one thing came into existence," (John 1:3) how can you say that man in Gen. 1:26 is not included? Is man not included in the "all things" CREATED of Col. 1: 16-17?

Mondo1

I didn't say that.

LittleToe

Mondo:
And yet you do accept that it can rightly be appropriate to call Jesus "God", a la Thomas et al? Do you see how some might arrive at the conclusion that it is emminently possible (some might say probable, but to each their own) that it was the Word that breathed?

Again, I acknowledge that this isn't your personal conviction on the matter. Hopefully you'll see by now that that isn't the aim of my exchanges with you. I'm simply really enjoying the discussion and your point of view. You've evidently put some thought into the subject, beyond the mere "read and underline" attitude of many rank and file JWs. It's refreshing to see.

Who is Jesus? Is he God?

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