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SUBJECT:
Jesus and the Old Testament--contradictions?
Introduction:
This e-mail came to us by a member of the church.
He knows and believes that Jesus was the God of the
Old Testament. His concern is about a set of
scriptures that might seem to some to indicate that
God the Father was the God of the Old Testament.
He is asking for us to clear up what could be
understood by some to be a contradiction. We
do this by demonstrating that one needs to define
the term "God" in each of the verses in the set.
Some refer to Christ and some to God the Father.
None of the verses are a contradiction to the fact
Jesus was the God of the Old Testament.
It was not the purpose of this letter to prove that
Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament.
This fact was a given. We did include the text
of the booklet by Mr. Armstrong that deals with this
subject. We did this so that the one asking
the question would have resource material to show
those he might have encountered who felt there was a
contradiction. |
QUESTION:
I have a question I hope you
can help me with. John 1:1-3 along with other scriptures
seem to say that Christ was the God of the Old Testament. If
this is so, how does one deal with the following scriptures:
Hebrews 1:1-2, Acts 3:13, Acts 3:22,26, Acts 4:24-27, and
Acts 5:30-31. These scriptures seem to say that the Father
and not Christ, was the God of the Old Testament. Please if
you can help clear this up.
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the
beginning with God.
3 All things were made by
him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
ANSWER:
You can clear this up by
understanding that the word "God" when used in certain
contexts means the Family of God and is referring to one of
the two individuals depending on the context. To answer
this question properly, I have to make assumptions about
you.
I take it you believe that
Jesus was the God of the Old Testament. I also take it that
you believe that there are, at present, only two God beings,
that is, God, the Father and Jesus Christ.
This being so, let us look at
one of the verses you listed:
Hebrews
1:1-2
1:1 God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of
all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
If we believe Jesus was the
God of the Old Testament (which He was) then what is going
on in these two verses?
Since there are two beings in
the God Family, the word God "theos--Strongs 2316, is used
as a Family name. Theos refers to divinity and not a
specific person or being. Therefore you must figure these
things in context. Right here in Hebrews 1 we see clearly
how this is true.
Look at verse 3 which speaks
of Jesus:
Hebrews
1:3
Who being the brightness of
his glory, and the express image of his person, and
upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had
by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high;
Note: This verse shows, in part, that Christ was
the God of the Old Testament and also shows that He is part
of the family. Now notice verse 8:
Hebrews
1:8
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.
God, the Father calls Jesus
Christ (clearly) "God"
Notice another verse:
John 20:28
And Thomas answered and said
unto him, My Lord and my God.
Note: Thomas, disciple of Jesus Christ calls
Jesus "God". Jesus did not correct him. Jesus is God.
Now notice three other verses
where Jesus is referred to as God.
Isaiah
45:18
For thus saith the LORD that
created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and
made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain,
he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is
none else.
Hebrews 3:3-4
3 For this man was counted
worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath
builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4 For every house is builded
by some man; but he that built all things is God.
1 Tim 3:16
And without controversy great
is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world, received up into glory.
All of the New Testament
words are "theos"--Strongs 2316 which has this meaning:
NT:2316
theos (theh'-os); of
uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with NT:3588) the
supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism,
very:
KJV - X exceeding, God, god
[-ly, -ward].
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary.)
There is nothing in this
definition stating or referring to one being.
Here is the definition from
Webster's on "Divinity":
Divinity (Page: 439)
Di*vin"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Divinities (#). [F. divinité, L. divinitas. See Divine, a.]
1. The state of being divine;
the nature or essence of God; deity; godhead.
Note:
The keyword here is "godhead". The godhead refers to the
collection of beings (2 now) in the God Family.
No where do you find a verse
that states that God, the Father is the God of the Old
Testament.
So, here is what we have:
1) There are, at present, two
God beings, God, the Father and Jesus Christ
2) Jesus is the God of the
Old Testament.
3) Jesus was the God of
Creation in Genesis (John 1, Hebrews 4:11, Hebrews 3:3-4,
Hebrews 1:10-12, Colossians 1:16-17, Ephesians 3:9, Isaiah
45:18)
4) Jesus is called and
referred to as God in New Testament scriptures (John 20:28,
Hebrews 1:8, Matthew 14:33, John 5:23, John 20:31, Acts
7:59-60, 1 Timothy 3:16)
5) The word "God" in the New
Testament can refer to God, the Father, Jesus, or both
depending on the context where it is used.
Let is make conclusions based
on these facts regarding the other verses brought up in the
question.
Acts 3:13
The God of Abraham, and of
Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified
his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the
presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him
Note: Clearly God, the Father is the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but then so is Christ as they are
One. The context here is in reference to Christ from the
Godhead or God Family. God, the Father hath glorified his
Son Jesus. This is clearly, God the Father. This is in no
way a contradiction.
Acts 3:22
For Moses truly said unto the
fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you
of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all
things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Note: God, the Father will raise up Christ
Acts 3:26
Unto you first God, having
raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning
away every one of you from his iniquities.
Note: This word, "God" is referring to the
Father..
Acts
4:24-27
24 And when they heard that,
they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said,
Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and
the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy
servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the
people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth
stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the
Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy
holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were
gathered together,
Note:
Verse 24: Jesus Christ
Verse 26: Both
Notice the commentary as it
discusses some of what we have discussed in this document.
Acts 4:26
[Against the Lord] In
the Hebrew, "against Yahweh." This is the special name which
is given in the Scriptures to God. They rose
against his plan of
appointing a Messiah, and against the Messiah whom he had
chosen.
[Against his Christ]
Hebrew, against his Messiah, or his Anointed. This is one of
the places where the word "Messiah" is used in the Old
Testament. The word occurs in about 40 places, and is
commonly translated "his anointed," and is applied to kings.
The direct reference of the word to the Messiah in the Old
Testament is not frequent. This passage implies that
opposition to the Messiah is opposition to Yahweh. And this
is uniformly supposed in the sacred Scriptures. He that is
opposed to Christ is opposed to God. He that neglects him
neglects God. He that despises him despises God, Matthew
10:40; 18:5; John 12:44-45; Luke 10:16, "He that despiseth
me, despiseth him that sent me." The reasons of this are:
(1)
That the Messiah is
"the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image
of his person," Hebrews 1:3.
(2)
He is equal with the
Father, possessing the same attributes and the same power,
John 1:1; Philippians 2:6.
(3)
He is appointed by God
to this great work of saving people. To despise him, or to
oppose him, is to despise and oppose him who appointed him
to this work, to contemn his counsels, and to set him at
naught.
(4) His work is dear to God.
It has engaged his thoughts. It has been approved by him.
His mission has been confirmed by the
miraculous power of the
Father, and by every possible manifestation of his
approbation and love. To oppose the Messiah is, therefore,
to oppose what is dear to the heart of God, and which has
long been the object of his tender solicitude. It follows
from this, that they who neglect the Christian religion are
exposing themselves to the displeasure of God, and
endangering their everlasting interests. No man is safe who
opposes God; and no man can have evidence that God will
approve him who does not embrace the Messiah, whom He has
appointed to redeem the world. ~from Barnes' Notes
Acts
5:30-31
30 The God of our fathers
raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with
his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Note: A clear reference to the Father.
These verses are much easier
to understand when we know how the word "God" is used.
See the booklet, "Christ
in the Old Testament"
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