|
Deity of Jesus
Christ
...my response to a non-believer
Every once in a while, I receive an e-mail from someone wanting to
present his or her argument that Jesus Christ is not God or part of the
Godhead. The subject never fails to make me scratch my head and
marvel at why anyone would want to even consider such a subject.
What is the intellectual, emotional, psychological or spiritual payoff
in bringing Christ down in this way? It makes no sense to me.
Following is a condensed version of his e-mail to me:
I am not wrong about Jesus not being GOD. I
can provide many more verses to support my belief that Jesus was the
true Son of GOD, but not GOD himself. Jesus was an image of GOD that man
could know and teach his word. If the WORD says it, I believe it.
His main two arguments were
1]
That the man-made doctrine [of Jesus being God]
came from Constantine in the third century and
2]
That whereas 68 verses state Jesus was the SON of God, none actually
state that He is God. Following is my response.
Dear [name
withheld]Thanks for the reply.
You realize, don't you that regardless of the biblical belief
system people hold, they say what you said, to wit, "I
can provide many more verse [s] to support my belief that Jesus
was the true Son of GOD but not God, himself." and "If
the WORD says it , I believe it."
EVERYONE, no matter how far-fetched or just plain wrong the
belief, DOES THIS.
I suppose that if I set my mind to it and using both
scripture and secular history and other resources, I could prove
that Jesus was actually a Roman insurance salesman out of
Capernaum. You would have to believe me and agree with me
because I told you I had verses or that I believe what the Word
or other resources say. RIGHT??
Just saying something is true does not make it true.
Just because you believe something does not make it true.
Just because you say there is proof does not make it true.
Where DOES spiritual truth come from?
Does it come from the Bible? No, not actually. Yes, "thy
word is truth" [John 17:17]
but that same Word says in 1 Cor 2:14 that without the Holy
Spirit, spiritual things are foolishness to man.
THEREFORE, truth ONLY comes to the mind of a man WHEN he or
she has the Holy Spirit in them.
We now have a dilemma don't we? You believe that Jesus
Christ is NOT God...not part of the Godhead. I am in 100%
opposition to your belief as I see Him as part of the Godhead.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
It can only mean ONE thing: One of us is wrong. If one of us
is right and since Christ either is or is not God, a 50-50
proposition, then one of us probably has the luxury of the Holy
Spirit and the other not. Truth is truth and there is only one
truth here. Jesus is God or He is not.
I always wonder and am wanting to ask people like you who
have this "Jesus is not God" belief...
JUST WHO IS THIS PERSON?
Is Jesus still a human somewhere?
Was He never more than a human?
Are we to believe He never existed?
Was the whole account of Jesus written into the Bible by
well-meaning or evil people in the 3rd century?
Is He actually an angel? Some believe Jesus and the angel,
Michael to be one and the same and have "abundant proof" to back
up their claim.
Is He just some third classification of being by virtue of
title, "Son of God" ...whatever that means?
Let us look at this from a more carnal point of view. My Bible
says...
Revelation 19:15-16
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:
and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh
a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Philippians 2:10-11
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:
on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a
thousand years.
Romans 14:9
For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he
might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Matthew 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name;
and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole
earth shall he be called.
Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.
Ephesians 2:20
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Psalm 97:9
For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted
far above all gods.
John 3:31
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth
is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from
heaven is above all.
1 Samuel 2:2
There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee:
neither is there any rock like our God.
Revelation 21:23
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
is the light thereof.
What do we have here, just from these handful of verses?
1] He will rule all nations with a
rod of iron.
2] He will kill those who oppose Him.
3] He will be able to smite nations.
4] He is King of Kings.
5] He is Lord of Lords.
6] Every knee will bow to Him.
7] Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
8] He will reign for 1,000 years over all of earth.
9] He is Lord over both the dead and the living.
10] He is referred to as "God with us".
11] He is the God of the whole earth.
12] He is the first and the last.
13] His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
14] He is the chief cornerstone.
15] He is higher than all other gods [and I would assume all
angels and humans].
16] There is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like
our God.
17] He will be the light of New Jerusalem.
Speaking from a 100% carnal view point, "Whomever
this guy is...HE SEEMS TO BE THE BOSS and on some level of
authority higher than what mine is now or ever will be. Would you not
agree? I must ask, are you attempting to bring Him down a
peg or two in hopes of being placed high on some sort of
seniority list? Are you wishing to be the actual King of Kings
or the chief cornerstone?
Should you ever attain the Kingdom, will you petition God the
Father to have Jesus Christ retire or to end His own existence in the
Universe?
What would you rather have Christ say to you?---"You thought
too highly of me." OR "You did not think nearly enough of me."
People do not do ANYTHING without a payoff; a meaning, or a
conclusion. Why are you attempting to bring Christ down? WHERE
ARE YOU PUTTING HIM?. Even if one were to agree with you and
say, "Yeah, you are absolutely right, Jesus is not part of the
Godhead." What changes? Do not the 17 listed items
above still
apply? They come from the same book you think so highly of.
Whoever this guy is, He seems to have some sort of in with God
the Father. I am guessing that God the Father seems, at least,
to like this guy. Seems to me He [God
the Father] has given this guy some sort of lofty
position, if in name only. Is this not so?
I would love to have your input on this.
Sincerely,
Chris Cumming
minister of this Jesus Christ
Before you say anything, I admit I was flippant
with this individual. I do not have a lot of toleration
for those assailing the deity of Christ. The point is,
there is no proof to support this false doctrine.
There is plenty, however, to show Jesus Christ is God. The
overriding requirement for one to REALLY know this, is having the Holy Spirit of God in a converted heart. A
converted heart understands the following scriptures...
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. –Colossians
2:9
I and my Father are one. –John 10:30
But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that
ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in
him. –John 10:38
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
–Colossians 1:19
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. –1 Timothy 3:16
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. –Titus 2:13
Notice the commentary on Titus 2:13:
Titus 2:13
[Of the great God]
There can be little doubt, if any, that by "the great God" here,
the apostle referred to the Lord Jesus, for it is not a doctrine
of the New Testament that God himself as such, or in
contradistinction from his incarnate Son, will appear at the
last day. It is said, indeed, that the Saviour will come "in the
glory of his Father, with his angels" (Matt 16:27), but that God
as such will appear is not taught in the Bible. The doctrine
there is, that God will be manifest in his Son; that the divine
approach to our world be through him to judge the race; and that
though he will be accompanied with the appropriate symbols of
the divinity, yet it will be the Son of God who will be visible.
No one, accustomed to Paul's views, can well doubt that when he
used this language he had his eye throughout on the Son of God,
and that he expected no other manifestation than what would be
made through him.
In no place in the New Testament is the phrase epifaneian
(NT:2015) ... tou (NT:3588) ... Theou (NT:2316)-" the
manifestation or appearing of God"-applied to any other one than
Christ. ~from Barnes' Notes
Jesus Christ IS God!!! |