According to many such approaches, Paul construes Christ as a divine being in 2:6, and his comment about not seeking "equality with God as something to be grasped by force (or as 'booty')" means that Christ did not try to usurp the status of the supreme God (res rapienda). Though the language in v. 6 remains difficult, such a reading makes much better sense of the drama of 2:6-11, which seems to require a move from a lower rank in the heavens to a higher one. Furthermore, though many writers ridicule the use of terms like theos (god) for any but the supreme God of Jewish lore, this amounts to a polemical overstatement that is not carried out consistently in practice (see, e.g., IIMelchizedek ii.10. Thus, the statement that Christ was "in the form of a god" (2:6) need not suggest that Christ had some special identification with the supreme deity, though this idea has proved seductive for some. Instead, and in a rather straightforward way, being in the "form of a god" conveys that Christ was originally a lesser divine being, probably a member of the council or heavenly entourage.
Emma Wasserman, (2018). Apocalypse as Holy War: Divine Politics and Polemics in the Letters of Paul. Yale University Press, page 133.
slimboyfat
JoinedPosts by slimboyfat
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
The New Testament does not teach that the Son, the divine Logos is ontologally less than God the Father.
The NT says that God is in every way greater than Jesus.
Jesus gets his knowledge from God. (Rev 1.1)
Jesus gets his power from God. (Matt 28.18)
Jesus gets his life from God. (John 6.57)
Quite simply “the Father is greater than I”. (John 14.28)
Ontology is the language of philosophy not the Bible, but if you force that language onto the Bible it is clear that God is greater than his Son in every conceivable respect.
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
Are you using ChatGPT to write these responses?
This exaltation does not imply that Jesus became more divine or that He was somehow less than God before
Yes, it implies Jesus is less than God. Because imagine if those NT statements were made by or about God himself. Imagine God said “all power has been given to me”. You would conclude he cannot be God almighty if he received his power. Or suppose it was said about God that he was “exalted to a superior position”. You would again conclude that we are not talking about God almighty because God cannot be exalted to a superior position as he is always supreme. When the NT repeatedly says things about Jesus that indicate that he is less than God almighty it ought to be clear that Jesus is distinct from and subject to God.
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
The NT clearly teaches that Jesus was promoted by God after his resurrection. Other scriptures affirm this, such as Philippians 2 and Matthew 28. It would be nonsense to talk about God being promoted to a superior position because God is supreme. The obvious conclusion is that Jesus is distinct and subject to almighty God and owes his position and very existence to God.
Phi 2.9–11 For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground — and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Matt 28.18 Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
JWs believe that Jesus is superior to the angels for the reasons stated in Hebrews.
1. Heb 1.4 says that Jesus “has become” better than the angels because he has inherited a name better than theirs. This tells us that one reason Jesus is superior to the angels because he was promoted to a superior position by God.
2. But that’s not the only reason. Jesus is, and always has been superior to the angels because he is the “firstborn” according to Heb 1.6, and the angels worship him at God’s direction.
3. Another reason Jesus is superior to the angels is because he is the perfect reflection of God’s glory and he is the one through whom God created the world. (Heb 1.2, 3) Obviously the one who is the reflection of God’s glory is distinct from God at the same time as being superior to everything created by God through that person.
4. Heb 1.8 tells us Jesus is divine in words that were originally applied to the king of Israel but applies to God’s Son in a grander sense. Verse 9 also asserts that Jesus as a divine being is subject to his God.
JWs agree with all these reasons in Hebrews for saying Jesus as God’s unique Son is far superior to the angels. If the author of Hebrews actually believed that Jesus is superior to the angels because he’s part of a Trinity then why didn’t he just say so instead of beating about the bush with 6 or more reasons that place Jesus above the angels but also clearly distinct and subject to God?
-
72
The Watchtower's Depiction of 'paradise'..
by Ron.W. inperhaps we could post the pictures the wt have presented in their literature that depict their version of paradise here for comment/discussion:.
from: spirits of the dead—can they help you or harm you?
do they really exist?.
-
-
slimboyfat
Very interesting thread.
The early depiction of cars in paradise is interesting.
Does anyone know why there are so many waterfalls and bridges in the pictures over the years?
-
18
First Church Service at 55 years Old
by SouthCentral ini went to a christening at a church today, a black church.
it was an incredible experience!!
women were an active part of the service, and the people were very welcoming.
-
-
slimboyfat
That’s good 👍
It might not be your thing, but I’ve been to over 30 denominations now to see what they’re like. Yesterday I was in a Lutheran church for the first time, not for a service though. Some churches meet on a Saturday morning such as the Seventh-day Adventists, if you feel like a change of day. They give good food in the afternoon too, vegetarian though. The Iglesia ni Cristo give good food - non vegetarian too. Most just cup of tea and a biscuit, which is more than at the KH.
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
I don’t need to give you any evidence for angels any more than you need to give me evidence against them. If you don’t think angels exist nobody is compelling you to discuss them as if they do.
-
50
Pomo because of Proclaimers book, 1995 generation change and Daniel prophecy book
by Gorb inhave some time thinking about my recent and less recent personal history because of the summer holiday.. the 90's crossed my mind.
the years i became pimo.
a friend, a room mate during the 1993 moscow international convention, went to university.
-
-
slimboyfat
For me a real hair raising phrase came in 1996 when the WT claimed that the wrong interpretation of the superior authorities in the 30s to the 60s was a good thing because it helped JWs not to compromise during war. Can wrong interpretations be good?
-
50
Pomo because of Proclaimers book, 1995 generation change and Daniel prophecy book
by Gorb inhave some time thinking about my recent and less recent personal history because of the summer holiday.. the 90's crossed my mind.
the years i became pimo.
a friend, a room mate during the 1993 moscow international convention, went to university.
-
-
slimboyfat
Yeah whoever wrote that thought they were being smart, or appealing to their GB bosses, or whatever. Even if it loses member I guess they prefer that to losing face.