Does Jesus being the "Son of God" mean that he is not God by nature ?

by hooberus 92 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  hooberus

  In bible times the phrase "the Son of God" was understood as a claim to the nature of God, not a claim to be a lesser being:
  

  "The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." John 19:7

  Ron Rhodes commments:

  "Ancient Semitics and Orientals used the phrase "son of . . . " to indicate likeness or sameness of nature and equality of being. Hense, when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, His Jewish contemporaries fully understood that He was making a claim to be God in an unqualified sense. Benjamin Warfield affirms that, from the earliest days of Christianity, the phrase "Son of God" was understood to be fully equivalent to God. This is why when Jesus made His claim, the Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God" (John 19:7). Recognizing that Jesus was identifying Himself as God, the Jews wanted to put him to death for committing blasphemy (see Leviticus 24:16)." Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses. p. 243

  If the above is correct, and the phrase "the Son of God" also meant that Jesus was by nature God, then we would expect that He would be called both "God" and "Son of God" in the scriptures:

  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

  "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." John 20:28

  "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John 20:31

  (Keep in mind that when Trinitarians claim the Jesus is God, they are not saying that Jesus is the person of the Father, but that Jesus is God by nature along with the Father).
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  hooberus

  What does God say about the Son in the book of Hebrews? :

  "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Hebrews 1:8-9
  

  "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." Hebrews 1:10-12

  
  
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  hooberus

  What about the Watchtowers claim that the Son of God is an angel?

  "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" Hebrews 1:5
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  LyinEyes

  I dunno know........but I really wish I could understand this one.

  As JW's we had the answers for everything.....lol. Remember in the Revelation book, each trumpant blast was a proclamation at a convention.......or sumpin like that!!!!!!!!!!! lol. And we either feel for that explanation or we struggled with it, but we didnt argue for the most part . Now looking back I think how ridiculous that was.

  I don't give a flyin' fig about trumpant blast, locasts, or what New Jerusalem looks like.

  Is God, the Father as we knew him to be Jehovah, whatever His name is , or what his Being is,,,,,,,,,,is he the Father of Jesus. Father as in the human father /son relationship??

  All my poor brain can think of is , it is some kind of thing we might not totally understand because we are human and only know and really understand things on a human point of view. Example.......the idea that the Creator of all things, the One who made the first thing and had the power,,,,,,,alway was,,,,,,,had no beginining and no end. That always ended up giving me a headache and throwing my hands up. We as humans can only comprehend a begining to something,,,,,,,it is hard to imagien something that always was..........darnit,,,,,,,,,,doesnt everything have some sort of begining???

  Ahhhhhhhh I have done it again,,,,,,, I can't stand not knowing.

  I do know that I am not going to worry so much on trival biblical matters when there are such greater things to analyze and think on. I might never, probably will not .........know what the truth of it all is. And really how can any of us know for sure, until we are on the other side,,,,,,,,,if there is even that place.
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  English Patient

  Did Jesus actually say he was God or even Son of God, or were these words and beliefs just assumed in future events by Biblical writers?
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  ignorance is strength

  "Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."

  So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area."

  (John 8:58)
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  Narkissos

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/66342/1.ashx
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  OHappyDay

  In the Bible angels are also called "sons of God" and even "God." Does that make them "God by nature"?

  Does having the "nature of God" make someone "God by nature"?
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  Mr. Kim

  "Son of GOD". Just how difficult is it that people can't seem to figure out that "SON" means son and does NOT mean "father". In comparrison to humans, Jesus is a God. But Jesus is still the "son of GOD". NOT GOD himself.

  Humans always seem to screw-up "the most simple things."
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  OHappyDay

  I agree, Mr. Kim!

  Arian, and proud of it!!!