Do you believe in the Deity of Christ?
A Study on the Deity of Jesus Christ:
This is a relatively large discussion about whether or not Jesus Christ is God by Nature, the Almighty Creator, who deserves our worship, or if He is a secondary god, a creature (whether human or angel) who should not be worshiped. In this article I am attempting to present the Biblically-based teaching of the Deity of Jesus Christ, and to answer, to the best of my knowledge and understanding (with the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit), most of the common questions and objections people usually have in regards to the Deity of Christ. I will use exegesis, logic, reason, and faith while attempting to explain the meaning of controversial passages of the Holy Word of God. I will always attempt to interpret and explain Scripture in light of other Scripture. If you have any questions or objections that are not included in this post, I encourage you to post them here, or send me a message, and I will attempt to answer them by reasoning from the Holy Scriptures.
Always compare whatever I say to what the Holy Scriptures themselves say. If anything that I say does not agree with the Bible, then please reject it and let me know so I can correct it.
Just for the record, I have not been trained at any seminary or Bible college. I am not a member of any clergy or a professional Bible scholar. I am not an expert on the Hebrew or Greek languages. However, I have been studying the Deity of Christ, along with other important doctrines, for 7 years. During my studies, I have consulted and studied very good and reliable lexicons, dictionaries, encyclopedias, commentaries, interlinear Bibles, study Bibles, handbooks, and other sources.
* All Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. *
Why is this discussion even necessary or important? You may be thinking, "Why does this even matter? What difference does it make what I believe about Jesus, as long as I try to follow His teachings and love God and love others?"
I can understand why you might think this. To many people, this topic may seem trivial -- just another minor detail that Christians like to argue about. On the contrary, however, the reason why the true identity of Christ is so important can be found in the Words of the Lord Jesus Himself. Jesus Christ said that knowing, and putting faith in, His true identity means the difference between eternal life and eternal death! Please read this in Jesus' own Words right here:
John 8:24 (ESV): "... unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."
Matthew 16:13-17 (ESV): Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 24:24 (ESV): "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."
Matthew 22:41-46 (ESV): Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
John 14:6-10 (ESV): Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
John 3:16-18 (ESV): "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name ofthe only Son of God.
John 5:39-40 (ESV): "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."
Matthew 11:28 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
As you can see, Jesus Himself thought that His true identity was the most important topic there is. It means the difference between Heaven and Hell for all eternity. If, for example, someone were to call a certain human or even one of the heavenly angels "the Christ" or "Jesus" does not mean that you have the true Jesus Christ of the Bible, the only Jesus who died for your sins and can actually save you. Just because a modern-day cult-leader claims to be "The Messiah" or an "anointed one" does not make it true.
Now, take a look at what the Apostles said about the identity of Christ:
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (ESV): But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
Acts 4:12 (ESV): "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
2 John 1:9-11 (ESV): Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
1 John 2:22-26 (ESV): Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
The Bible also makes it clear that "love" or "zeal for God" without knowledge, without truth, is not good. Zeal for God alone without truth and knowledge will not save you. (Romans 10:2; Proverbs 19:2; John 16:2; Acts 26:9-10; Galatians 1:14-15)
Think about this: Since the Bible says that salvation is found only by putting faith in One Person (the true Jesus), then that logically means if you put your faith in a different person (even if this different person is called "Jesus"), you will not be saved. Just because you call a created angel (such as Michael or Gabriel) "Jesus" does not make that angel the true Jesus who can save you. Or, if you call a wooden idol "Jesus," that doesn't make that idol the true Jesus of the Scriptures. Or, just because a person calls the leader of their religion "Messiah," does not make that leader the true Christ of the Bible. If you are trusting in any person or anything besides the true Jesus Christ of the Bible, you are on the wrong path -- the road that leads to destruction.
(The Scriptures make it very clear that no one can be saved apart from Jesus Christ, however, in regard to the people who have never heard about Jesus Christ or the Good News, there are many different views on whether or not they can be saved, and, if they can be saved, how can this harmonize with the Scriptures. This will be the topic of another thread I will post soon.)
Our Study on the Deity of Christ Begins:
Monotheism and the Worship of Yahweh:
In the pages of the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, the doctrine of "One True God" (known as Monotheism) is repeatedly presented. Nearly all modern-day Christian and Jewish religions teach Monotheism, though they disagree on the Nature of the One God (for example: Judaism teaches that the One God is only One Person, whereas the majority of Christian religions teach that the One God is Three Persons). The main doctrine of Judaism (Jewish religion) has always been, and still is, the "Shema," which is found in the Bible at Deuteronomy 6:4. That verse reads (English Standard Version, ESV): "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one." According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus Christ Himself taught that the "Shema" (together with the Commandment to love God) is the most important Commandment in the entire Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. (See Mark 12:29-30, compare Matthew 4:10) The Apostle Paul also preached the "Shema" (Monotheism) as the truth about God, as can be seen in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Galatians 3:20, and Ephesians 4:6.
In the Bible book of Isaiah, God Almighty (whose Name is YHWH, often translated as LORD, Yahweh, or Jehovah) declares emphatically again and again that He is the ONLY True God, and no other true god exists. (See Isaiah 45:5; 45:18; 45:21-22; 46:9) Yahweh even went so far as to declare that no other god has ever been formed in the past, and no god will ever be formed in the future. (See Isaiah 43:10) In fact, at Deuteronomy 32:39, Yahweh proclaimed that there is no other god together with Him. (See that verse in the New World Translation, American Standard Version of 1901, King James Version, and in the Hebrew)
The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, always teach that only the One True God, Yahweh, should be worshiped. Worshiping any other god, any angel, or any creature is idolatry, a horrible sin in the eyes of God. (See Exodus 20:3; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13-14; Matthew 4:10; Acts 10:25-26; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9) (That said, bowing to humans, out of respect, was allowed, but never religious bowing or worshiping in the same way that one worships Yahweh)
The Bible teaches that no one is like Yahweh, and no one can even be compared to Him. Not even any heavenly creature is anything like Yahweh. (See Psalm 89:5-7; 86:8; Exodus 15:11)
Yahweh said, at Isaiah 44:24, that He made Heaven and Earth "alone," or "by Himself." No one was with Him helping Him to create. No other god can claim to have made Heaven and Earth besides Yahweh. In fact, at Jeremiah 10:11, God said that all of the so-called "gods" that people worship that did not make Heaven and Earth will be destroyed.
Yahweh declared that He would never share His own glory with another. (See Isaiah 42:8; Exodus 34:14)
The Bible describes Yahweh as the only One who should be prayed to, the only One who can hear and answer our prayers, and the only One who can search through human hearts and minds. (See Jeremiah 17:10; 1 Kings 8:29-40; Psalm 65:2; 66:19; 69:13; 139:23)
The Bible shows that Yahweh is the One who forgives sins because, ultimately, all sins are sins against God. Humans can only forgive sins that were committed against them, however, they still cannot truly and finally forgive the offender in God's eyes because only God can choose to do that. (See Isaiah 43:25; 55:7; Psalm 51:4; Genesis 39:9; Leviticus 5:19; 6:2-7; 2 Samuel 12:9-14)
The Scriptures teach that there is only One God who is God by Nature, who has true Deity or Godship. Yahweh is the Only God who is God simply because He exists as God and always has existed as God. He is God because of who He is. HE IS WHO HE IS. (Exodus 3:14) All other gods are only "so-called gods," whether they are in Heaven, or on Earth. (See Romans 1:20; 1:25; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 4:8)
The Bible does teach that Satan and his demons, as well as idols, humans, money, power, and evil desires can be worshiped as "gods." The Bible definitely declares all of them to be false gods.
The Scriptures also show that angels and humans in Israel could be called "gods," because they were representatives and/or spokesmen of the One True God. (For example, God said Moses would be "as God to Pharaoh") Jesus Christ confirmed this fact at John 10:34-36. These are not "false gods," or idols, but they are not truly Gods by Nature either. They do not possess Deity. They are merely "so-called gods." (See Exodus 4:16; Psalm 8:5; Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 82:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Questions to Consider about Jesus:
With all of those facts in view, these questions then come up:
* What kind of "God" was Jesus Christ
?* Was Jesus a false god
?* Was He merely a "so-called god," a representative or spokesman of the True God?
* Was He truly God by Nature -- truly Deity
?* Should Christians worship Jesus Christ, or only God The Father?
* Should Christians pray to the Lord Jesus, or only to His Father?
* What do the Holy Scriptures say about these questions?
Answering Frequently Asked Questions about the Deity of Jesus Christ:
I am going to respond to questions and objections to the Deity of Christ before I actually present the Biblical case in support of this doctrine. In this way, perhaps, we can all have a better understanding of the identity of Jesus Christ.
1:) Does God or Jesus Christ even exist at all? Why should I believe in the Bible?
Very good questions!
This thread has been posted with the assumption that most readers viewing this already believe that the Bible is inspired and already believe in God and Jesus Christ. However, if this is not the case, and you have questions or doubts about whether God exists, or if Jesus existed, or if the Bible is God's Word, or if Jesus was actually raised from the dead, I highly encourage you to research those subjects -- examine all available evidence from both sides of the argument (archaeological, scientific, historical, etc.). The Bible writers actually encourage you to check all the facts before believing. Follow the example the Bible sets forth and "Test all things, hold onto that which is good," "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they originate from God." Go to your local library or search Google. There are several books and websites out there from both sides (believers and skeptics/atheists) which try to present evidence to support their position. Try to find the books that are the most unbiased, and that are based on facts, logic, and reason.
I do plan (God willing) on posting another thread about that topic as soon as I get the chance.
2:) Did Jesus exist in Heaven before He was born on Earth?
Before we can decide if Jesus Christ is God, we should first find out from the Scriptures whether Jesus Christ actually existed in Heaven before coming to Earth as a Man, or if His life only began when He was born on earth as a Human.
The words of Jesus Himself, as recorded in the Gospel of John, show very clearly that Jesus had a Pre-Human Existence in Heaven:
* "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." (John 3:13, ESV)
* "The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. ... I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ... I have come down from heaven. ... I am the bread that came down from heaven. ... I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:35-38, 51, ESV)
* "Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?" (John 6:62, ESV)
* "The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father." (John 16:27-28, ESV)
* "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." (John 17:4-5, ESV)
The Apostle Paul and other Bible writers also taught that Jesus Christ existed in Heaven before becoming a Man:
* "Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8, ESV)
* "For 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17, ESV)
* "But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9, ESV)
* "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, ... Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:14, 17, ESV)
* All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3, ESV)
* but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:2, ESV)
* And, "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; (Hebrews 1:10, ESV)
The Old Testament shows that at least One other Person lived with God The Father and helped God to create all things:
* Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Genesis 1:26, ESV)
* Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of usin knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever--" (Genesis 3:22, ESV)
* "Come, let usgo down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech." (Genesis 11:7, ESV)
* And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." (Isaiah 6:8, ESV)
* "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. (Proverbs 8:22-31, ESV)
(Many Bible scholars believe that "Wisdom" personified in Proverbs chapter 8 is actually a description of the Pre-Human Jesus Christ, the Logos)
* "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 2:12, ESV)
* The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." (Psalm 110:1, ESV)
There are more passages I could post, but those verses will probably be sufficient to demonstrate that the Scriptures teach that Jesus existed before He was born as a Human.
3:) What is "Deity"?
Now that it has been shown that Jesus existed in Heaven before coming to Earth, we still need to determine whether He has the Nature of Almighty God, or if He is a lesser "god."
First, just what exactly is this "Deity" that Trinitarians are always talking about?
"Deity" is the English word that several modern Bible translations use at Colossians 2:9 to describe the Nature or Essence of God that is in Christ. The Greek word used in Colossians 2:9 is a form of the word "theotes." (The word "Deity" is found at Colossians 2:9 in the New American Standard Bible [NASB], New International Version [NIV], English Standard Version [ESV], New Revised Standard Version [NRSV], and others)
* The New World Translation renders this word as "divine quality," while the Kingdom Interlinear Translation puts "divinity" on the Greek side. The NWT Reference Bible says, in the Footnote on Colossians 2:9, that the literal meaning of the Greek word is "godship."
* Thayer's Greek Bible Dictionary defines "theotes" as "the state of being God, Godhead."
* Easton's Bible Dictionary defines "theotes" as "the essential being or the nature of God."
As used in this article, the word Deity has the meaning given by Thayer's and Easton's: the state of being God and theessential being or nature of God.
(For more dictionary definitions of "Deity," see the very bottom of this post.)
4:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He pray to Himself?
Jesus Christ was never "praying to Himself." Christians do not teach that God the Father and Jesus are the same Person, rather they teach that God the Father and Jesus are two different Persons who share the same Nature or Essence. The belief that Jesus is the same Person as The Father is called "Modalism" or "Oneness Pentecostalism" or "Jesus-Onlyism." That is a heresy, an apostasy, not a true Bible teaching. The majority of Christians have always spoken out against this false teaching.
The Watchtower Society is always mixing up Trinitarianism with Modalism, as if they are the same, when, in reality, they are opposite beliefs that cannot co-exist. Half of the arguments that Jehovah's Witnesses have used against the Trinity, are actually arguments against Modalism.
Jehovah's Witnesses and other non-Trinitarians should really spend more time examining what the Trinity and the Deity of Christ really are before trying to argue against those doctrines.
Therefore, since God the Father and Jesus are two different Persons, Jesus was praying to His Father, a distinct Person, who shares the same Nature or Deity with His Son.
There is no contradiction in saying that Jesus is God [the Son], and Jesus was praying to God [the Father].
5:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why does Colossians 1:15 call Him "The Firstborn of all creation"?
This Scripture is often used by certain religious groups and people (including Jehovah's Witnesses) to "prove" that Jesus was the first creature that God created, before God made anything else. However, these verses are actually teaching something different.
In ancient Israel, the firstborn son received twice the inheritance and more honor and authority than the other sons, and upon the father's death, he was regarded as the head of the household. (Deuteronomy 21:17; Genesis 48:13-14; Genesis 49:3; 2nd Chronicles 21:3)
At Psalm 89:27, God promised that He would "place" or "appoint" David (or the coming Son of David, the Messiah) into the position of "Firstborn," which meant, in this context, the "Most High of all the kings of the earth," the one who held first place. At Exodus 4:22, God declares that "Israel is My firstborn son," that is, Israel would hold first place in God's eyes among all other nations, and Israel would be the most treasured and loved nation to God.
There was clearly a "position" or "rank" of "firstborn" in the Bible -- this was the position of being in "first place" or the "highest rank."
At Colossians 1:15-18, the Apostle Paul taught that Jesus is the "Firstborn" of all creation because all things were created through Him and for Him, He existed before anything was ever created, and He is the Firstborn because He is the One who has "first place" in all things. Since Jesus is called "Firstborn" because He created all things and existed before all things, this shows that He is not called "Firstborn" because He was the first thing created.
Paul himself, at Colossians 1:18, explains that he is referring to the position or rank of "Firstborn," because Paul says Jesus is the one who has "preeminence" or "first place" in all things. Therefore, Paul was not saying that Jesus was the first creature created by God. (Compare also Revelation 1:5)
If Jesus Himself were part of creation, how could He exist before one thing was ever created by God? Did God create Jesus through Jesus? (See John 1:3; Colossians 1:17)
At Hebrews 1:6, God commands all of His angels to worship The Firstborn Son, which would be idolatry if The Firstborn were a creature.
There is also a different understanding of this Scripture on the part of some Christians. Some believe that Colossians 1:15-18 is speaking about Jesus Christ as a Human, and that, as a Man, He was indeed a creature in the sense that His Human Body was created by God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Calling Him "Firstborn" would then mean that He holds first place among all of God's creation, or that He is the First of all of God's new creation (which are those believers who have been born again and will go to heaven with immortal human bodies). I do not agree with that understanding because Colossians 1:15-17 is talking about when Jesus Christ created angels and humans, and Jesus was definitely NOT a Human at that time. But even this explanation agrees with the Scriptures better than the idea that Jesus was the first one created by God and then God used Him to create all other things.
If you are using the New World Translation, please compare Colossians 1:15-17 in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation, the American Standard Version, and any other modern translation, and you will see that the words "[other]" are not found in the Greek text. The words "[other]" were added by the translators of the New World Translation in order to support their belief that Jesus was created by God, and then He created all other things. The Watchtower Society even admits this in the "Reasoning" Book, on pages 408-409 (italics and bold added by me):
"In harmony with everything else that the Bible says regarding the Son, NW assigns the same meaning to pan´ta at Colossians 1:16, 17 so that it reads, in part, "by means of him all other things were created . . . All other things have been created through him and for him." Thus he is shown to be a created being, part of the creation produced by God."
My question is, if the entire Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was created by God, then why does the New World Translation need to add words that are not in the Greek text in order to show that Jesus is "a created being, part of the creation produced by God"? Didn't God know what He was doing when He inspired His Apostles to write the Scriptures? Why does He need "help" from the Watchtower Society?
Finally, if Paul had wanted to say that Jesus was the "First-Created One," instead of "Firstborn" there was a different Greek word specifically for that which he could have used, but did not choose to use.
6:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why does Revelation 3:14 call Him "The Beginning of the creation of God"?
At first glance, this verse does look like it is teaching that Jesus was created by God. However, the Greek word "Arche," rendered "Beginning" in some translations, has various meanings depending on the context. Here is a list of the different meanings of this word:
Thayer's Greek Dictionary Definition of "Arche":
1) beginning, origin.
2) the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader.
3) that by which anything begins to be, the origin, the active cause.
4) the extremity of a thing.
5) the first place, principality, rule, magistracy.
So, then, Revelation 3:14 could be saying any of the following things:
1:) Jesus is the "Origin of the creation of God."
2:) Jesus is the "Leader of the creation of God."
3:) Jesus is the "Ruler of the creation of God."
4:) Jesus is the "Beginning (or First) of the creation of God."
So, that is why different translations render that verse differently -- some say that Jesus is the "Ruler of all creation," while others say He is the "Source" or "Origin" of all creation, while still others say that He is the "Beginning" of the creation of God.
Since this verse has many different possible translations, it does not seem wise to interpret it in a way that contradicts the rest of Revelation and the rest of the Bible. This verse alone would definitely not prove that Jesus is a creature. Now, the question is, what do the other Scriptures in Revelation and in the rest of the Bible say about Jesus? Is He a creature or is He the Creator?
Something else to consider is that God Almighty is referred to as "The Beginning" ("Arche") at Revelation 21:6 and 22:13. What did it mean when God Almighty was called "The Beginning"? Many Bible commentaries say that the reason God Almighty was called "The Beginning" was because He is the "Author," "Cause," and "Beginner" of all things.
Therefore, even if the rendering "Beginning" is correct at Revelation 3:14, it could still be understood to mean that Jesus is the One who began God's creation, the One who started it.
7:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why does the Bible call Him "The Only-Begotten Son"?
The Greek word rendered "Only-Begotten" in some Bibles is "Monogenes." In most modern Bible translations, this word is rendered as "Only," "One-and-Only," or "Unique." This is because the latest Biblical Greek research and scholarship has determined that this word does not mean "Only-Begotten," but rather, it means "One-of-a-Kind," "One-and-Only," or "Unique."
Even the book "Insight on the Scriptures", Volume Two, published by the Watchtower Society in 1988, admitted this when it said the following on Page 556:
"The Greek word mo·no·ge·nes´ is defined by lexicographers as "single of its kind, only," or "the only member of a kin or kind." (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 1889, p. 417; Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford, 1968, p. 1144) [...] Jesus, is "the only-begotten Son of God." (Joh 3:18) He is the only one of his kind [...]"
Modern translations such as the English Standard Version, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, God's Word Translation, NET Bible, World English Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, and others all translate Monogenes as either "Only" or "One and Only," while the New King James Version and New American Standard Bible do still render it as "Only-Begotten."
If it is correct that "monogenes" should be rendered as "Only" or "One and Only," then this does not, in any way, suggest that Jesus is a creature of God. Rather, it shows that God the Father and His Son have a very special, unique relationship, and that Jesus is the Son of God in a way that no one else is.
However, there were several early church fathers who understood the word "monogenes" to mean "Only-Begotten." They still did not teach that Jesus was a creature of God. Instead, they believed that, in a somewhat mysterious and unexplainable way, God the Father is constantly "begetting" or "producing" God the Son, like the sun is constantly emitting rays of light. (Compare Hebrews 1:3 in the Greek)
C.S. Lewis explained this belief very well in the classic book "Mere Christianity," when he showed the difference between being created by God and being begotten by God. Summing up what Lewis believed, animals only beget the same type of animal. Humans only beget other humans. God only begets God. Humans can only create something that is not human by nature (such as tools, houses, cars, machines, etc.) and God can only create things that are not God by Nature (such as angels, humans, animals, plants, etc.).
Therefore, since Jesus was begotten by God, He must be God by Nature -- in other words, He has the same Nature or basic makeup as God does.
8:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why does John 1:1 (NWT) call Him "a god"?
Nearly all modern Bible translators and Bible scholars do not agree with the rendering "The Word was a god" found at John 1:1 in the New World Translation.
Look carefully at what the following Watchtower publications admit about the true meaning of John 1:1, and how it should be translated (bold, italics, and underlining were added by me):
"Reasoning From the Scriptures," Pages 416-417, says the following about how John 1:1 should be translated:
"In his article "Qualitative Anarthrous Predicate Nouns: Mark 15:39 and John 1:1," Philip B. Harner said that such clauses as the one in John 1:1, "with an anarthrous predicate preceding the verb, are primarily qualitative in meaning. They indicate that the logos has the nature of theos." He suggests: "Perhaps the clause could be translated, ‘the Word had the same nature as God.’" (Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973, pp. 85, 87)"
"The Watchtower" issue of June 1st, 1988, Page 17 says this about John 1:1:
"the second the·os´ is a singular predicate noun occurring before the verb and without the definite article ho in Greek. In this verse, such a sentence construction points to a characteristic or quality of the subject. It highlights the nature of the Word [...]"
"Insight on the Scriptures," Volume 2, Page 54, says the following about John 1:1:
"Philip B. Harner brought out that the grammatical construction in John 1:1 involves an anarthrous predicate, that is, a predicate noun without the definite article "the," preceding the verb, which construction is primarily qualitative in meaning and indicates that "the logos has the nature of theos." He further stated: "In John 1:1 I think that the qualitative force of the predicate is so prominent that the noun [the·os´] cannot be regarded as definite." (Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973, pp. 85, 87) Other translators, also recognizing that the Greek term has qualitative force and describes the nature of the Word, therefore render the phrase: "the Word was divine."—AT; Sd; compare Mo; see NW appendix, p. 1579."
"The Watchtower" issue of August 15th, 1984, Page 30 says this about John 1:1:
"So professor B. F. Westcott hastens to state that the phrase rendered "the Word was God" describes "the nature of the Word and does not identify His Person." Well and good. But this true meaning of the original Greek is certainly not the thought conveyed by most Bibles. Still, some scholars, less supportive of Trinitarian ideas, have translated it "the Word was a divine being" or "the Word was divine." In the Journal of Biblical Literature (Volume 92, 1973), Philip P. Harner writes: "Perhaps the clause could be translated, ‘the Word had the same nature as God.’" "
"The Watchtower" issue of January 15th, 1975, Page 63, has this to say about John 1:1:
"Then, too, in the phrase rendered "the Word was a god," the term "god" is a predicate noun that describes "the Word." Says the noted scholar Westcott, coproducer of the famous Westcott and Hort Greek text of the Christian Scriptures: "It describes the nature of the Word and does not identify His Person." In view of the descriptive nature of the predicate noun for "god" in the original Greek, An American Translation renders John 1:1: "The Word was divine." ""The Watchtower" issue of March 15th, 1975, Page 174 says this about John 1:1:
"The word "God" in this application to the "Word" simply calls attention to that one’s divine nature" [...]"
"The Watchtower" issue of November 15th, 1975, Page 703 says this about John 1:1:
"Certain scholars have pointed out that anarthrous predicate nouns that precede the verb in Greek may have a qualitative significance. Thatis, they may describe the nature or status of the subject. Thus some translators render John 1:1: "The Logos was divine," (Moffatt); "the Word was divine," (Goodspeed); "the nature of the Word was the same as the nature of God," (Barclay); "the Word was with God and shared his nature," (The Translator’s New Testament)."So, according to the Watchtower Society, John 1:1 should be translated this way: "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word has the same nature as God," or "the Word shares God's nature."
Isn't that quite a bit different in meaning from the way that John 1:1 is rendered in the New World Translation? When you read "The Word was a god" in the NWT, do you think that it means The Word shares the same exact Nature that God Almighty has? Or, rather, do you think of the Word as a separate, lesser, inferior created god?
Why would the New World Translation translate it as "a god" when their very own publications teach that it should actually be translated a different way? Why would the New World Translation choose to render John 1:1 in a way that actually promotes polytheism, the worship of more than one divine God?
Here is a very serious question for all people who do not believe that Jesus Christ is God:
What does it mean for the Logos ("Word") to share the same exact Nature that God Almighty has? God, in His Nature, is Eternal, Immortal, and Almighty. How can He share in that same Nature and still not be Almighty, Eternal, or Immortal?
In addition, there are many other things to consider about the correct way of translating John 1:1, such as "Colwell's Rule." I highly recommend that you do your own research into John 1:1, examine what the Greek experts have to say, and then come to your own conclusions based on the facts, reasoning, and logic.
9:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He say "The Father is greater than I am"?
When Christ became flesh, He humbled Himself, emptied Himself, and took the position of a human slave, a little lower than the angels. He voluntarily gave up some of His rights, privileges, and glory that He enjoyed in Heaven with His Father. As a Man on earth, Jesus was abused, slandered, mocked, and tortured. He experienced all of the same human limitations and temptations that we face (except without sin).
God the Father, however, remained in Heaven, and did not become a human being, so He never gave up His rights, privileges, or glory. He did not suffer the horrible insults and abusive treatment that His Son experienced on earth. He did not have to suffer and die on the Cross as Jesus did. The Father always kept His exalted, glorious, heavenly position, greater than all else.
That is why Jesus, as a Man on earth, told His disciples that "The Father is greater than I am."
Here is the entire verse in question:
John 14:28 (ESV): You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
I think it is clear that Jesus is telling His disciples they should rejoice because He is about to return to His Father, and thus, He will be returning to His original, glorious position next to His Father in Heaven, greater than anyone or anything else. (Compare John 17:5 and Matthew 28:18)
This same Greek word for "greater" was also used by Jesus in Mark 9:34 and Luke 22:26-27, where it is clear that the word "greater" is referring to positions of authority, NOTnature or essence. So, no matter how you understand John 14:28, there is really no basis whatsoever for claiming that The Father has a better Nature or Essence than Jesus does. This verse will not support that teaching.
Something else to think about: If Jesus was not already on an equal (or almost-equal) level with The Father, why would Jesus have ever needed to say "My Father is greater"? If Jesus was only a human being, it would have been extremely obvious and pointless to say that "God is greater." That would have been like a janitor at a Wal-Mart store saying that "the President of the United States has more authority than I do."
And remember that Jesus, even as a Man, taught that all people should honor Him just as they honor The Father, and that if you have seen Him you have seen The Father. (John 5:23; John 14:9)
Also, even within the Nature of God, there are different "positions" or "ranks" or "roles" for The Father, The Son, and The Spirit. The Father is always described as having the "Head" or "Greater" position, He is always shown as the One who initiates all things and has the final say on all things. However, The Father, The Son, and The Spirit are all equally God in Nature, and deserve to be worshiped equally.
10:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He say "Only God is good"?
At Mark 10:17-18 (ESV), it says this:
"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." "
There are (at least) two ways of explaining this passage:
1:) Jesus is saying that only God is truly good, and thus you should not call Jesus good because He is not good in the same way that God is good.
OR
2:) The man believes that Jesus is only a human being, and he uses the title "Good Teacher" to refer to humans. In this case, Jesus is trying to get the man to think about His true identity, and trying to tell him that he should not use the title "Good" for any mere human, but only for God. In other words, Jesus is saying, "If you think I am only a man, why are you calling me "Good?" You should only call God "good" in the absolute sense, and I am God."
If the first option is true, and Jesus is not good in the same sense that God is good, then how would that harmonize with the following Scriptures?:
John 14:9 (ESV): Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Hebrews 1:3 (ESV): He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
John 5:23 (ESV): that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Acts 3:14-15 (ESV): But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
John 10:11, 14 (ESV): "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ... I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me."
After examining those verses, in what way exactly could Jesus be "less good" than God? Jesus called Himself "The Good Shepherd," which is most likely a reference to Yahweh from Psalm 23 and other Old Testament passages.
So, based on the rest of the inspired Scriptures, and the words of Jesus Christ, it is best to say that option 2 is the correct understanding of Mark 10:17-18.
11:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He say that He cannot not do anything of His own initiative?
Jesus said this, or similar statements, several times while on earth. (John 5:19; 5:30; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10)
Each time, He said that The Son CANNOT do anything that The Father does not approve of or initiate. If Jesus were only a man, or even an angel, wouldn't He have had the free will to choose to do things different from what His Father desired, just as we do all of the time, just as Adam and Satan did? Instead, Jesus was showing that He is God because He CANNOT go against His Father's will. It is impossible for Jesus to go against His Father's will.
Notice John 8:28 (ESV):
So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me."
Here Jesus linked His being the Great "I AM" to the fact that He cannot go against His Father's will. He was saying that "You will know that I am God, and that I cannot go against My Father or do anything apart from My Father."
So, far from proving that Jesus is inferior to God, these verses actually support the Scriptural teaching that Jesus is God Almighty, along with The Father.
12:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He say that He lives "because of the Father"?
At John 6:57, Jesus declares that He lives because of His Father. This can be understood in various ways:
1:) Jesus was created by God, therefore, He owes His life to His Father.
OR
2:) Jesus's human body and soul were created by God the Father, and so He owes His human life to His Father.
OR
3:) Jesus, as the Logos, the Son, constantly proceeds or flows out or beams forth from the Father's Divine Nature, like light rays come forth from the sun, and thus, The Father is the source of life, who is constantly "producing" Jesus. (Hebrews 1:3)
Options number 2 and 3 are both valid options and are both true Biblical teachings, but option 1 does not agree with the other Scriptures, or the rest of the Gospel of John.
13:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He not know the day and hour of His return?
Jesus told His disciples, "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:32, ESV)
He said this while on earth as a Man. Jesus was 100% Man and 100% God at the same time. No one can really understand what that is like except for Jesus. We don't know exactly how His two natures worked together. The Bible says that Jesus knew all things while He was on earth, but it also says He did not know certain things, and that as a Man He had to learn things. (John 16:30; Luke 2:52; Hebrews 5:8)
The Bible says plainly that Jesus Christ has all knowledgeand all wisdom. (Colossians 2:3)
It shouldn't surprise us that, when becoming a human being, Jesus voluntarily gave up His right to use some of His authority or privileges at certain times. The Bible says He "emptied Himself" and "humbled Himself." (Philippians 2:6-8)
Even the Watchtower Society teaches that God voluntarily chooses not to see certain future events (such as the eternal destination of each individual) so as to allow free will in mankind. Now, I don't agree with this teaching about God, but, if Jehovah's Witnesses believe that about God, why can't they believe that Jesus would voluntarily choose to limit what He knew about the future as a Man on earth?
14:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, why would He not have the authority to grant positions in His Kingdom?
At Matthew 10:23 (ESV), Jesus said this:
"to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
So, Jesus clearly taught that The Father has a higher position within the Godhead [Deity] than He does. The Bible says The Father is "The Head" of Christ, The God of Jesus, The Father of Jesus, and that Christ belongs to The Father. It also says Jesus obeys His Father, does His Father's will, and was sent by His Father.
Jesus also said: "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority." (Acts 1:7, ESV)
There are some things that The Father has reserved for Himself. The Father initiates things and has the final word on all things. This does not mean that Jesus is inferior or lesser in Nature or Essence.
There is no way we can fully understand or explain the relationship between two infinite, Almighty Persons who share the same Divine Nature. The Apostle Paul once compared this relationship to the relationship of a human husband and wife. (1st Corinthians 11:3)
The best way that I can explain it is a human husband and wife are equally human in nature. The husband is not more human than his wife. The husband is not better than his wife. The husband is the "head" of the wife in the sense that he has a God-given "greater" position of authority in the relationship -- he is supposed to have the final say. He should also be the one who takes the lead in showing his wife love, kindness, respect, and honor. The wife voluntarily and willingly submits to the husband's leadership.
In a similar way, The Father and The Son are equally God in nature. The Father is not more God than The Son. The Father is not better than The Son. The Father is the "Head" of The Son in the sense that He has a "greater" position of authority in the relationship -- He has the final say. The Father is the One who takes the lead in showing His Son love, kindness, respect, and honor. The Son voluntarily and willingly submits to His Father's leadership.
Beyond this, and beyond what the other Scriptures say about it, the relationship of The Father and The Son gets into the realm of the unknown.
15:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, who is Immortal, then how could He die on the Cross?
The Scriptures do teach that God is Immortal and cannot die in His Divine Nature. However, God the Son took on Human Flesh -- He became 100% Human and remained 100% God. He had a Human Body and Soul as we do. When He died, it was His Human Body that died, not His Divine Nature.
Jesus Christ taught that the heavenly angels cannot die. (Luke 20:36) Therefore, even if Jesus Christ were an angel, as Jehovah's Witnesses teach, He must have taken on human flesh in order to sacrifice His human body, because holy angels cannot die either.
If the Watchtower Society says a holy angel could take on human flesh to die for our sins, then why couldn't God Almighty Himself take on human nature and sacrifice His Human Body to save us from our sins. Can an angel perform a greater act of love than God? (John 15:13)
Is anything too hard for God Almighty? Is anything impossible for God? (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 32:27)
16:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, who cannot be tempted, then how was He tempted by the Devil?
James 1:13-16 (ESV) says this:
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
So, James is saying that God cannot be tempted by His own evil desires, because God does not have any evil desires.
When Jesus was a Man, He did not have any evil desires of His own either, because He was a sinless Man who did not have any sinful nature inherited from Adam. Therefore, Jesus could not be tempted in the way that James 1:13-16 describes.
Now, that said, since Jesus became 100% Human, He had all of the same limitations and experiences and temptations that we do, except without any sinful nature within. So, as a Man, Jesus was able to experience temptations from the outside, from Satan and demons, and other humans, similar to the way that Eve was tempted by the Devil.
Also, the Bible even says that God Almighty was "tempted" or "tested" by wicked humans in a certain sense, so then, God can be tempted, at least in certain ways. See the following verses:
Exodus 17:2 (Amplified Bible): Therefore, the people contended with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why do you find fault with me? Why do you tempt the Lordand try His patience?
Deuteronomy 6:16 (Amplified Bible): You shall not tempt and try the Lord your God as you tempted and tried Him in Massah.
Isaiah 7:12 (Amplified Bible): But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
If Yahweh cannot be tempted at all, then why is there a command in the Bible forbidding people from tempting Yahweh? (Deut. 6:16)
Bottom line, James 1:13-16 does not prove that Jesus is not God Almighty.
17:) If Jesus Christ is God Almighty, then why does the Bible say "No one has ever seen God"?
John 1:18 teaches that "No one has ever seen God." Other Scriptures teach the same thing. There are two possible meanings of these verses:
1:) No one has ever seen The Father (which is what Jesus taught at John 6:46). This would mean that whenever anyone saw Yahweh God in the Old Testament, they were actually seeing God the Son, not God the Father (this would harmonize with John 12:41).
OR
2:) No one has ever seen God in His full glory and in His full Divine Nature. Instead, people have only seen Theophanies, or manifestations of God in a form less than His full Divine Nature and glory.
Either way, it does not rule out the fact that people saw God in Human Flesh when they saw Jesus Christ on earth.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that 1st Timothy 6:16 is speaking about Jesus. That verse then says that no one has ever seen Jesus or can see Jesus in His full divine glory, but they did see Him as a Human. Why couldn't John 1:18 be saying the same thing about God?
18:) How can The Father and The Son have different wills or desires if they are One God?
Trinitarian Christians believe that each Person of the Holy Trinity is distinct or different. Each Person has His own mind, His own personality, His own will, His own thoughts. Otherwise, how could they actually be Three Persons?
We don't understand it all, and we can't explain it all, but within the One Nature of Almighty God, there are Three distinct Persons, each with His own mind and will.
The only time the Bible mentions The Son having a different will from His Father is when The Son is a Man in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He painfully surrenders His own will to that of His Father. So, even then, The Son's overall will was to do His Father's will no matter what He was feeling or experiencing as a Human.
19:) If Jesus is God Almighty, why would He "hand over the Kingdom to His Father"?
The Apostle Paul taught, at 1st Corinthians 15:24-28, that Jesus would one day hand over His Kingdom to The Father:
"Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, thenthe Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
So, obviously, there is a "kingdom" or "rulership" that Jesus will give back to His Father. However, other Scriptures make it clear that Jesus will rule as King of His Kingdom forever and ever, with no end:
Daniel 7:13-14 (ESV): "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Luke 1:32-33 (ESV): He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV): For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
It is my belief, based on what I have studied and researched in the Scriptures, that the "Kingdom" or "rulership" that Jesus hands over to The Father in 1st Corinthians 15:24-28 is His Mediatorship, because after sin and death have been destroyed, mankind no longer needs a Mediator or Go-Between. At this point God the Father can deal with mankind directly. However, Jesus will always be God and will always be King over His Kingdom, co-equal with The Father and The Spirit.
A Short Summary of What the Bible says about Jesus Christ being God Almighty:
* "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1, ESV) Before coming to Earth as a Human Being, Jesus was known as The Logos(The Word). The Apostle John wrote that The Logos was God the One-and-Only (Greek: Monogenes Theos), who lived with God The Father before anything was ever created. (See John 1:1-3; 1:18; 1st John 1:1-3; John 17:5; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:2; 1:10)
* The Book of Isaiah declared that the Christ would be The Mighty God, which was one of Yahweh's titles. (See Isaiah 9:6 and Isaiah 10:21; Jeremiah 32:18)
* The Apostle Thomas said to Jesus (after His Resurrection), "My Lord and My God!" The actual Greek text says "The Lord of me and The God of me!" Jesus said that all who believe the same (without seeing Him) will be blessed. (See John 20:28-29)
* The Apostle Paul wrote that all of the fullness of the Deity (or Godship) dwells in Christ bodily, and, since this Deity or Godship does not dwell in any angel, we must not worship angels. (See Colossians 2:9, 18; Hebrews chapter one) (See also the New World Translation Reference Bible footnote on Colossians 2:9)
* Before taking the form of a human slave, Jesus existed in the "Form of God," He was the "Exact Representation of God's Very Being" (or the "Exact Imprint of God's Nature"). He was "the Visible Image of the Invisible God." (See Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15)
* God never said to any angel what He said to Jesus, therefore, Jesus must not be an angel. (See Hebrews chapter 1)
* At both Psalm 45:6 and Hebrews 1:8, The Messiah is declared to be God who sits on His eternal throne; and Hebrews chapter 1 shows that no angel has ever been called God in the same way that the Messiah has. (However, the New World Translation renders those two verses differently. I recommend that you do some research into the correct rendering of those verses, and also look at how the early church fathers quoted those verses.)
* God The Father commands all of His angels to worship (Greek: proskyneo) His Firstborn Son. (Hebrews 1:6) God also commands all humans to bow down to His Son as Lord(Philippians 2:9-11), and commands all to honor The Son just as they honor The Father. (John 5:23) God shares all of His own glory with His Son. (See Revelation 5:6-14; John 17:5)
* The Apostles always taught that, to be saved, you must confess that Jesus Christ is "Lord" ("Kyrios"). "Kyrios" was the Greek word for "Lord" that was used 6,000+ times in the Greek Septuagint as a substitute for the Divine Name YHWH. Both Jesus and the Apostles used the Septuagint as their Bible when teaching others and quoting Scripture. The Apostles would quote verses that referred to YHWH as "Kyrios" and apply them directly to Jesus Christ. For the Apostles and early Christians, to say that Jesus Christ is "Kyrios" was to say that Jesus Christ is Yahweh.
* Jesus Christ made Heaven and Earth with His own hands, and He made all things, including angels, for Himself. (See Hebrews 1:10; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3)
* Jesus Christ proclaimed that He is the One who searches the hearts and minds of humans. (See Revelation 2:23; John 2:24-25)
* Jesus Christ said that He is the One who forgives sins that were committed against God. (See Mark 2:5-12)
* Jesus Christ declared that He is the One who hears and answers prayers in order to bring glory to His Father. (See John 14:13-14) He also encouraged His disciples to pray to Him directly at John 14:14 (see the Kingdom Interlinear Translation). The disciple Stephen prayed to Jesus and the Apostle Paul and Apostle John both prayed to Jesus. (See Acts 7:59; 1 Corinthians 16:22; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10; Revelation 22:20)
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It is my hope and prayer that you will seriously research, think deeply, and pray about discovering the true identity of Jesus Christ, the Jewish carpenter from Nazareth, who walked this earth 2,000 years ago. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!"
What Jesus Christ did for you:
1:) All of us, you, me, every last human on earth, is a sinner by nature. We all inherited sin from Adam and Eve. We have all chosen to break God's commands in one way or the other.
2:) God hates sin, He cannot tolerate it, He cannot have sin in His Holy Presence.
3:) God issued the death penalty for sin, even just one sin -- physical death (temporary separation of body and soul) and spiritual death (eternal separation from God).
4:) God the Father sent His One-and-Only Son, who is also God in Nature, to be born on earth as a sinless Human, to fulfill God's Law, to learn obedience, and finally, to suffer and die in OUR place, for OUR sins. He took the punishment from God that we deserved so that we can be reconciled with God.
5:) If you acknowledge that you are a sinner who needs forgiveness, repent (feel remorse and hatred for your sins), turn around (and turn to God), put faith (trust) in Jesus Christ's sacrifice for your sins, trust in Jesus ALONE as your personal Savior, your Lord, and your God, and call on His Name for salvation and forgiveness, you will be saved!
1st Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV): For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
Romans 10:9-13 (ESV): because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Acts 16:31 (ESV): And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
John 3:16 (ESV): "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
6:) Salvation is a free gift from God through Jesus Christ by His grace through faith. It cannot be earned, deserved, or merited. Good works will not save anyone. Going to church, preaching, tithing, getting baptized, saying special prayers, or reading the Bible will not save anyone, if you do not come to Jesus Christ for salvation:
John 14:6 (ESV): Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me ." John 8:24 (ESV): "unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." John 5:39-40 (ESV): "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): " Come to me , all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
May God bless you, and may He open your eyes to see the wonderful truth of His Gospel, and may you receive His free gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven!
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More Dictionary Definitions of the Greek word for "Deity" ["Theotes"]:
* Vine's Dictionary of New Testament Words says this about Colossians 2:9 and "theotes":
"Paul is declaring that in the Son there dwells all the fullness of absolute Godhead; they were no mere rays of Divine glory which gilded Him, lighting up His Person for a season and with a splendor not His own; but He was, and is, absolute and perfect God; and the Apostle uses theotes to express this essential and personal Godhead of the Son" (Trench, Syn. ii). Theotes indicates the "Divine" essence of Godhood, the personality of God..."
* Strong's Greek Bible Dictionary defines "theotes" as "divinity (abstractly): - godhead."
* Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible, Colossians 2:9:
"By the Godhead or Deity, Te?t??, we are to understand the state or being of the Divine nature; and by the fullness of that Deity, the infinite attributes essential to such a nature."
* Jaimieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Colossians 2:9:
"The Greek (theotes) means the ESSENCE and NATURE of the Godhead, not merely the divine perfections and attributes of Divinity (Greek, “theiotes”). He, as man, was not merely God-like, but in the fullest sense, God."
* Robertson's Word Pictures, Colossians 2:9:
"In this sentence, given as the reason (hoti, because) for the preceding claim for Christ as the measure of human knowledge Paul states the heart of his message about the Person of Christ. There dwells (at home) in Christ not one or more aspects of the Godhead (the very essence of God, from theos, deitas) and not to be confused with theiotes in Rom_1:20 (from theios, the quality of God, divinitas), here only in N.T. as theiote¯s only in Rom_1:20. The distinction is observed in Lucian and Plutarch. Theiote¯s occurs in the papyri and inscriptions. Paul here asserts that “all the ple¯ro¯ma of the Godhead,” not just certain aspects, dwells in Christ and in bodily form (so¯matiko¯s, late and rare adverb, in Plutarch, inscription, here only in N.T.), dwells now in Christ in his glorified humanity (Phi_2:9-11), “the body of his glory” (to¯i so¯mati te¯s doxe¯s). The fulness of the God-head was in Christ before the Incarnation (Joh_1:1, Joh_1:18; Phi_2:6), during the Incarnation (Joh_1:14, Joh_1:18; 1Jo_1:1-3). It was the Son of God who came in the likeness of men (Phi_2:7). Paul here disposes of the Docetic theory that Jesus had no human body as well as the Cerinthian separation between the man Jesus and the aeon Christ. He asserts plainly the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ in corporeal form."
* Webster's 1828 English Dictionary defines the English word "Deity" as:
1. Godhead; divinity; the nature and essence of the Supreme Being; as, the deity of the Supreme Being is manifest in his works.
2. God; the Supreme Being, or infinite self-existing Spirit.
3. A fabulous god or goddess; a superior being supposed, by heathen nations, to exist, and to preside over particular departments of nature; as Jupiter, Juno, Apollo, Diana, &c.
4. The supposed divinity or divine qualities of a pagan god.
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