RadioHope
Your Family Gospel Station
The Family Of God - THE KINGDOM
God -The Father - The Alpha and Omega
Jesus - The Christ - The Son
The Holy Spirit - The Witness
Jesus - The Christ - The Son
The Holy Spirit - The Witness
“Are you saved?”
If you are saved you then become part of the Family of God.
Joh:1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1Jo:3:1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Ro:8:14: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Joh:1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1Jo:3:1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Ro:8:14: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
THE TRINITY DEFINED
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that there is one God, yet three distinct persons, each person is the same in substance and equal in glory and power. The Westminster Confession of Faith states:
"In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor preceding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally preceding from the Father and the Son." (6)
In opposition to the heretical Tritheism, and Monarchianism views, the true doctrine of the Trinity teaches: First, God is one indivisible in essence (Deuteronomy 4:4; Isaiah 44:6; James 2:19; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:3-6). This fact is fundamental to the Trinitarian view. Second, the one indivisible divine essence exists, as a whole and not in part, eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. B.B. Warfield summarized:
"There is one only and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence." (7)
The word substance means essence, independent being. Essence is what a thing is and when used to describe the relationship of the Persons to the Godhead, it means they are the same indivisible, numerical essence. When Trinitarians say God is, one we mean one in essence. The word subsistence denotes the manner of existence that distinguishes one thing from another. Our English word person, although inadequate, best communicates this meaning, if it is clearly emphasized that the word "person" fails to distinguish that in the Godhead there is only one substance, one intelligence, and one will, yet three co-eternal, coequal, distinct beings. (8) Third, the whole undivided essence of God belongs to each of the three persons equally. Few, if any, deny that the Father is God, but many do deny that the whole undivided essence of God belongs to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, that is, they deny the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. As pointed out earlier, this is the heresy Arianism. Groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses are Arian in that they deny both the Deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Yet the Scriptures clearly teach the Deity of both Christ and The Holy Spirit.
PROOF OF THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
The Scripture presupposes that Jesus Christ is God, therefore, Scripture abounds with numerous implicit expressions of Christ's deity. By implicit I mean that while the subject matter of a particular passage of Scripture may not be Christ's deity, it is nevertheless understood; and if His deity is not understood, then the passage becomes ridiculous and unbelievable. I will cite only a few examples, but the reader is encouraged to search out other examples. (9)
"He who loves who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37. See also Luke 14:25-26). If Jesus is a mere man, if he is nothing more than a created being, then these are the words of demented lunatic. They are the words of another Jim Jones or David Koresh. What right does any religious "teacher" have to demand that his followers love him more than their parents or children? This is absurd! Those who would have us believe that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God, are foolish for this "good" teacher demanded that His followers love Him more than their own family. Yet, if this good teacher is more than just a man, if He is God incarnate, as the Scriptures clearly teach, then this passage makes sense, since only God can demand unconditional allegiance.
"Simon, I have something to say to you" (Luke 7:40). As was Jesus custom, He accepted a dinner invitation from a Pharisee, and during this affair a woman who the Scriptures describe as a sinner came to Jesus and with her tears washed Jesus' feet. Simon, the Pharisee who invited Jesus, thought to himself that if Jesus was truly a Prophet, then He would surely have known what sort of woman this was touching Him. Jesus, knowing what Simon was thinking, turns to him and says, "Simon, I have something to say to you." Jesus then tells Simon a parable about a money lender who lent money to two individuals, one 500 denarii the other 50. When both debtors were unable to pay off their loans, the lender forgave both debtors. "Which of them," Jesus asks Simon, "Would love the money lender more?" Simon perceptively answers, "I suppose the one who owed the more." Jesus then applies His parable. Jesus says to Simon, "I entered your house ..." Jesus sets himself up as the money lender of the parable and Simon and the woman the two debtors. Jesus says to the woman, who represented the debtor owing the 500 denarii, "Your sins are forgiven." The point is, only the one owed the debt can forgive that debt. Only God can forgive sin, since sin is a debt against God. The only way the parable and the following events make sense is if Jesus Christ is truly God and therefore able to forgive sin.
"For the love of Christ constrains us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; And He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). The Scriptures declare that we are to only worship God. If one is to live for Christ, as the apostle Paul instructed, and Jesus is not God, then what does one worship God with? What more can the creature do then to live for the Creator? What higher or more majestic from of worship is there other then what Paul says: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"? If Christ is not God, then Paul is an idolater. John Stott has well said: "Nobody can call himself a Christian who does not worship Jesus. To worship Him, if he were not God, is idolatry; to withhold worship from Him, if He is, is apostasy." (10) I can cite many more examples. Nevertheless, these few are sufficient in substantiating that the Scriptures presuppose the doctrine of the deity of Christ, and that without this assumption many passages of Scripture become ridicules and idiotic. But not only do the Scriptures presuppose the deity of Jesus Christ, they also declare it outright:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-2). What could be clearer? John describes Jesus as both God and eternal, and existing with God. John here affirms both the deity of Christ and the Trinity. For a Biblical defense of this passage against cults and anti-Trinitarian groups I suggest the reader consults Walter Martin's classic, Kingdom of the Cults. "Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31). The apostle John wrote his gospel with the expressed intention of convincing his readers to believe in Jesus Christ. Part of this belief is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The expression Son of God is used in the New Testament as a description of Christ's deity. For example, in John 5:17 Jesus says, "My Father is working until now and I Myself am working.' For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath but also was call God His own Father, making Himself equal with God." The Jews understood that to be God's Son was to be equal to God. Notice Jesus does not correct their reasoning, but presents a stunning defense of His claim in verses 19-47. Likewise, in John 10:30-39 there occurs a similar situation where the Jews to whom Jesus speaks with understand His claim to be the Son of God as a direct claim to deity, and, as before, Jesus does not try to correct their reasoning, but again presents a defense of His claim.
"No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He was explained Him" (John 1:18). While this verse is one of the foremost proofs of Christ's deity, it is not without exegetical difficulties. First, some translations read: "Only begotten Son," or "one and only son" as in the King James, the New King James, the Revised Version, New English Bible, and the Living Bible. The difference is due to variations in the manuscripts, some having monogenes huios (only Son) and other manuscripts having monogenes theos (only God). Variances in the manuscripts are common and most are easily solved. The textual evidence for monogenes theos (11) is far greater than for monogenes huios, (12) and Scribes were more likely to change "begotten God" to "begotten Son" rather than visa-versa. The second problem with this verse is the word "begotten." The term "only begotten" has caused much confusion thanks in no small part to the heretical teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses. They use the term in an attempt to prove that Jesus Christ is only a created being. In the Greek, however, the word does not lend it self very easily to such an interpretation. Monogenes in the Greek means, "Unique, one of a kind, one and only," (13) "Unique (in kind) of something that is the example of its category." (14) The writings of an early Church father, Clement of Rome, (95 A.D.) furnishes an excellent example of this usage:
"Let us consider the marvelous sign which is seen in the regions of the east, that is, the parts of Arabia. There is a bird, which is name the Phoenix. This, being the only one of its kind liveth for five hundred years. (15)
The phrase "only one of its kind" is the translation of the same Greek word monogenes. When John refers to Jesus as monogenes, he means nothing more than one and only, perhaps even as a title. We are therefore to understand John 1:18 to mean: "The only one, God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
"Thomas answered Him and said, My Lord and my God'" (John 20:28). Some vainly argue that Thomas became too emotional and blurted out something incorrect. Notice, however, that Jesus does not attempt to correct this supposed slip of the tongue, but says to Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believe."
"These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and spoke of Him" (John 12:41). Since the immediate context makes Jesus the antecedent of the pronouns His and Him (vs. 36) one must ask, When did Isaiah see the Glory of Jesus? The answer is in Isaiah 6.1-13, for this is from where the apostle John quotes. Isaiah 6:1-13 is a vision of Jehovah on His throne!
"Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). "The Granville Sharpe rule of Greek grammar states that when two nouns are join by kai (and) and the first noun has the article and the second does not, then the two nouns refer to the same thing, Hence, great God and Savior' both refer to Christ Jesus." (16)
"And He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible, and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17). Verses 15-17 are part of a larger section that runs to verse 20, and is a magnificent descriptions of our Lord Jesus Christ. This passage may be an example of an early Christian hymn of praise as F.F. Bruce and many others suggest. The word image is the Greek word eikon and Paul uses it not merely to state the revelatory nature of the incarnation, but also to state who Christ is. F.F. Bruce remarks:
"To say that Christ is the image of God is to say that in Him the nature and being of God has been perfectly revealed -- that in Him the invisible has become visible." (17)
"First born" does not mean that Jesus was created since the passage states "by Him all things were created" and that He is "before all things," signifying that Jesus Christ is eternal; therefore, He cannot be part of creation. In this context, first born means that Christ is the heir of creation -- creation exists for Him.
"Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Philippians 2:6). The English word "form" is misleading because it gives the impression that Jesus is not of the same essence as God, or that Jesus is somehow a lesser, or subordinate deity. However, the Greek word morphe denotes, "The set of genuine characteristics which constitutes a thing what it is. It denotes the genuine nature of a thing." (18) "The outward appearance cannot be detached from the essence of the thing. The essence of the thing is indicated by its outward form." (19) The NIV, therefore, appropriately translates this verse, "Who being in the very nature God."
"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3).
"But of the Son He says, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His Kingdom. Thou Hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Thy God hath anointed Thee ..." (Hebrews 1:8-9a).
"For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). A perfect description of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God-man. "I and the Father are one. The Jews took up stones again to stone Him" (John 10:30-31). The Word "one" in the Greek is the neuter "hen" meaning one in essence. (20) That this is Jesus intended meaning is clear by the reaction of the Jews. Jesus is not saying He is one with God in purpose for this is hardly blasphemy and deserving death by stoning. Moreover, it cannot be reasonably maintained that the Jews merely misunderstood Jesus, otherwise Jesus surely would have clarified the misunderstanding, yet, rather then clarifying this supposed misunderstanding, Jesus responds by vindicating what He said (10:32). Note also "are" in the Greek is plural, lit., "I and the Father one we are." They are one in essence, yet separate persons.
"And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace'" (Isaiah 9:6).
"Jesus said to him, Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, show us the father'?'" (John 14:9) Philip's desire to see the Father triggered Jesus' gentle rebuke. Jesus says in verse 7 that to know Him and to see Him is the same as knowing and seeing the Father. To this Philip says, "Lord show us the Father." Now, what mere man or created being, can say, "Knowing me and seeing me is the same as knowing and seeing God! This verse, perhaps more than any other, makes clear that Jesus was either who He claimed to be, God, or that He was insane. Note also that Jesus does not say He is the Father. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus say He is the Father.
"Behold, the virgin shall be with Child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, God with us'" (Matthew 1:23).
"Jesus said to them truly, truly I say, before Abraham was born, I Am.' Therefore the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him" (John 8:58-59). The phrase "I Am" is also found in Exodus 3:14, where God instructs Moses to go to the Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses replied to God, "Behold, I am going to the Sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, What is His name?' What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I Am who I Am'; and He said, Thus you shall say to the Sons of Israel, I Am has sent you.'" When Jesus uses the same phrase, "I Am" it is nothing less than a clear and concise declaration of His deity. While Arians like the Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to believe that this is what Jesus was claiming, the Jews did and again they try to stone Him for His supposedly blasphemous statement.
"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: I am the first and the last and there is no God besides Me (Isaiah 44:6). The "Redeemer, the LORD of Host," and "the First and the Last" are OT references to Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:17-18 makes this clear: "And when I saw Him I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me saying, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore ..." (Revelation 1:17-18). For those who content that the "First and the Last" is a title belonging to Jehovah God and not to Christ, I must ask the question, When did Jehovah God die and come alive again? For Isaiah 44:6 plainly identifies the First and the Last as Jehovah, and Revelation 1:17-18 plainly says that the First and the Last died and rose again! The answer is obvious: Jesus Christ, who is truly God, the First and the Last, who is truly man, He died and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Moreover, in Revelation 22:13 the First and the last, who is Christ, is also called the Alpha and Omega. In Revelation 1:8, we have a further description of the Alpha and Omega: "I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). Almighty with a capital "G"!
THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Scriptures are equally clear regarding the deity of The Holy Spirit. In Acts 5:3-4, Peter tells Ananias that he lied to the Holy Spirit (vs. 3). Then in verse 4 Peter says: You have not lied to men, but to God. In 2 Corinthians 3:17 Paul writes: "Now the Lord is the Spirit." If the Lord is God so then is the Holy Spirit. (21) The Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), Almighty (Luke 1:35), Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7), and All knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that there is one God, yet three distinct persons, each person is the same in substance and equal in glory and power. The Westminster Confession of Faith states:
"In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor preceding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally preceding from the Father and the Son." (6)
In opposition to the heretical Tritheism, and Monarchianism views, the true doctrine of the Trinity teaches: First, God is one indivisible in essence (Deuteronomy 4:4; Isaiah 44:6; James 2:19; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:3-6). This fact is fundamental to the Trinitarian view. Second, the one indivisible divine essence exists, as a whole and not in part, eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. B.B. Warfield summarized:
"There is one only and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence." (7)
The word substance means essence, independent being. Essence is what a thing is and when used to describe the relationship of the Persons to the Godhead, it means they are the same indivisible, numerical essence. When Trinitarians say God is, one we mean one in essence. The word subsistence denotes the manner of existence that distinguishes one thing from another. Our English word person, although inadequate, best communicates this meaning, if it is clearly emphasized that the word "person" fails to distinguish that in the Godhead there is only one substance, one intelligence, and one will, yet three co-eternal, coequal, distinct beings. (8) Third, the whole undivided essence of God belongs to each of the three persons equally. Few, if any, deny that the Father is God, but many do deny that the whole undivided essence of God belongs to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, that is, they deny the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. As pointed out earlier, this is the heresy Arianism. Groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses are Arian in that they deny both the Deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Yet the Scriptures clearly teach the Deity of both Christ and The Holy Spirit.
PROOF OF THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
The Scripture presupposes that Jesus Christ is God, therefore, Scripture abounds with numerous implicit expressions of Christ's deity. By implicit I mean that while the subject matter of a particular passage of Scripture may not be Christ's deity, it is nevertheless understood; and if His deity is not understood, then the passage becomes ridiculous and unbelievable. I will cite only a few examples, but the reader is encouraged to search out other examples. (9)
"He who loves who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37. See also Luke 14:25-26). If Jesus is a mere man, if he is nothing more than a created being, then these are the words of demented lunatic. They are the words of another Jim Jones or David Koresh. What right does any religious "teacher" have to demand that his followers love him more than their parents or children? This is absurd! Those who would have us believe that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God, are foolish for this "good" teacher demanded that His followers love Him more than their own family. Yet, if this good teacher is more than just a man, if He is God incarnate, as the Scriptures clearly teach, then this passage makes sense, since only God can demand unconditional allegiance.
"Simon, I have something to say to you" (Luke 7:40). As was Jesus custom, He accepted a dinner invitation from a Pharisee, and during this affair a woman who the Scriptures describe as a sinner came to Jesus and with her tears washed Jesus' feet. Simon, the Pharisee who invited Jesus, thought to himself that if Jesus was truly a Prophet, then He would surely have known what sort of woman this was touching Him. Jesus, knowing what Simon was thinking, turns to him and says, "Simon, I have something to say to you." Jesus then tells Simon a parable about a money lender who lent money to two individuals, one 500 denarii the other 50. When both debtors were unable to pay off their loans, the lender forgave both debtors. "Which of them," Jesus asks Simon, "Would love the money lender more?" Simon perceptively answers, "I suppose the one who owed the more." Jesus then applies His parable. Jesus says to Simon, "I entered your house ..." Jesus sets himself up as the money lender of the parable and Simon and the woman the two debtors. Jesus says to the woman, who represented the debtor owing the 500 denarii, "Your sins are forgiven." The point is, only the one owed the debt can forgive that debt. Only God can forgive sin, since sin is a debt against God. The only way the parable and the following events make sense is if Jesus Christ is truly God and therefore able to forgive sin.
"For the love of Christ constrains us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; And He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). The Scriptures declare that we are to only worship God. If one is to live for Christ, as the apostle Paul instructed, and Jesus is not God, then what does one worship God with? What more can the creature do then to live for the Creator? What higher or more majestic from of worship is there other then what Paul says: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"? If Christ is not God, then Paul is an idolater. John Stott has well said: "Nobody can call himself a Christian who does not worship Jesus. To worship Him, if he were not God, is idolatry; to withhold worship from Him, if He is, is apostasy." (10) I can cite many more examples. Nevertheless, these few are sufficient in substantiating that the Scriptures presuppose the doctrine of the deity of Christ, and that without this assumption many passages of Scripture become ridicules and idiotic. But not only do the Scriptures presuppose the deity of Jesus Christ, they also declare it outright:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-2). What could be clearer? John describes Jesus as both God and eternal, and existing with God. John here affirms both the deity of Christ and the Trinity. For a Biblical defense of this passage against cults and anti-Trinitarian groups I suggest the reader consults Walter Martin's classic, Kingdom of the Cults. "Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31). The apostle John wrote his gospel with the expressed intention of convincing his readers to believe in Jesus Christ. Part of this belief is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The expression Son of God is used in the New Testament as a description of Christ's deity. For example, in John 5:17 Jesus says, "My Father is working until now and I Myself am working.' For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath but also was call God His own Father, making Himself equal with God." The Jews understood that to be God's Son was to be equal to God. Notice Jesus does not correct their reasoning, but presents a stunning defense of His claim in verses 19-47. Likewise, in John 10:30-39 there occurs a similar situation where the Jews to whom Jesus speaks with understand His claim to be the Son of God as a direct claim to deity, and, as before, Jesus does not try to correct their reasoning, but again presents a defense of His claim.
"No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He was explained Him" (John 1:18). While this verse is one of the foremost proofs of Christ's deity, it is not without exegetical difficulties. First, some translations read: "Only begotten Son," or "one and only son" as in the King James, the New King James, the Revised Version, New English Bible, and the Living Bible. The difference is due to variations in the manuscripts, some having monogenes huios (only Son) and other manuscripts having monogenes theos (only God). Variances in the manuscripts are common and most are easily solved. The textual evidence for monogenes theos (11) is far greater than for monogenes huios, (12) and Scribes were more likely to change "begotten God" to "begotten Son" rather than visa-versa. The second problem with this verse is the word "begotten." The term "only begotten" has caused much confusion thanks in no small part to the heretical teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses. They use the term in an attempt to prove that Jesus Christ is only a created being. In the Greek, however, the word does not lend it self very easily to such an interpretation. Monogenes in the Greek means, "Unique, one of a kind, one and only," (13) "Unique (in kind) of something that is the example of its category." (14) The writings of an early Church father, Clement of Rome, (95 A.D.) furnishes an excellent example of this usage:
"Let us consider the marvelous sign which is seen in the regions of the east, that is, the parts of Arabia. There is a bird, which is name the Phoenix. This, being the only one of its kind liveth for five hundred years. (15)
The phrase "only one of its kind" is the translation of the same Greek word monogenes. When John refers to Jesus as monogenes, he means nothing more than one and only, perhaps even as a title. We are therefore to understand John 1:18 to mean: "The only one, God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
"Thomas answered Him and said, My Lord and my God'" (John 20:28). Some vainly argue that Thomas became too emotional and blurted out something incorrect. Notice, however, that Jesus does not attempt to correct this supposed slip of the tongue, but says to Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believe."
"These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and spoke of Him" (John 12:41). Since the immediate context makes Jesus the antecedent of the pronouns His and Him (vs. 36) one must ask, When did Isaiah see the Glory of Jesus? The answer is in Isaiah 6.1-13, for this is from where the apostle John quotes. Isaiah 6:1-13 is a vision of Jehovah on His throne!
"Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). "The Granville Sharpe rule of Greek grammar states that when two nouns are join by kai (and) and the first noun has the article and the second does not, then the two nouns refer to the same thing, Hence, great God and Savior' both refer to Christ Jesus." (16)
"And He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible, and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17). Verses 15-17 are part of a larger section that runs to verse 20, and is a magnificent descriptions of our Lord Jesus Christ. This passage may be an example of an early Christian hymn of praise as F.F. Bruce and many others suggest. The word image is the Greek word eikon and Paul uses it not merely to state the revelatory nature of the incarnation, but also to state who Christ is. F.F. Bruce remarks:
"To say that Christ is the image of God is to say that in Him the nature and being of God has been perfectly revealed -- that in Him the invisible has become visible." (17)
"First born" does not mean that Jesus was created since the passage states "by Him all things were created" and that He is "before all things," signifying that Jesus Christ is eternal; therefore, He cannot be part of creation. In this context, first born means that Christ is the heir of creation -- creation exists for Him.
"Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Philippians 2:6). The English word "form" is misleading because it gives the impression that Jesus is not of the same essence as God, or that Jesus is somehow a lesser, or subordinate deity. However, the Greek word morphe denotes, "The set of genuine characteristics which constitutes a thing what it is. It denotes the genuine nature of a thing." (18) "The outward appearance cannot be detached from the essence of the thing. The essence of the thing is indicated by its outward form." (19) The NIV, therefore, appropriately translates this verse, "Who being in the very nature God."
"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3).
"But of the Son He says, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His Kingdom. Thou Hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Thy God hath anointed Thee ..." (Hebrews 1:8-9a).
"For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). A perfect description of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God-man. "I and the Father are one. The Jews took up stones again to stone Him" (John 10:30-31). The Word "one" in the Greek is the neuter "hen" meaning one in essence. (20) That this is Jesus intended meaning is clear by the reaction of the Jews. Jesus is not saying He is one with God in purpose for this is hardly blasphemy and deserving death by stoning. Moreover, it cannot be reasonably maintained that the Jews merely misunderstood Jesus, otherwise Jesus surely would have clarified the misunderstanding, yet, rather then clarifying this supposed misunderstanding, Jesus responds by vindicating what He said (10:32). Note also "are" in the Greek is plural, lit., "I and the Father one we are." They are one in essence, yet separate persons.
"And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace'" (Isaiah 9:6).
"Jesus said to him, Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, show us the father'?'" (John 14:9) Philip's desire to see the Father triggered Jesus' gentle rebuke. Jesus says in verse 7 that to know Him and to see Him is the same as knowing and seeing the Father. To this Philip says, "Lord show us the Father." Now, what mere man or created being, can say, "Knowing me and seeing me is the same as knowing and seeing God! This verse, perhaps more than any other, makes clear that Jesus was either who He claimed to be, God, or that He was insane. Note also that Jesus does not say He is the Father. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus say He is the Father.
"Behold, the virgin shall be with Child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, God with us'" (Matthew 1:23).
"Jesus said to them truly, truly I say, before Abraham was born, I Am.' Therefore the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him" (John 8:58-59). The phrase "I Am" is also found in Exodus 3:14, where God instructs Moses to go to the Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses replied to God, "Behold, I am going to the Sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, What is His name?' What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I Am who I Am'; and He said, Thus you shall say to the Sons of Israel, I Am has sent you.'" When Jesus uses the same phrase, "I Am" it is nothing less than a clear and concise declaration of His deity. While Arians like the Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to believe that this is what Jesus was claiming, the Jews did and again they try to stone Him for His supposedly blasphemous statement.
"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: I am the first and the last and there is no God besides Me (Isaiah 44:6). The "Redeemer, the LORD of Host," and "the First and the Last" are OT references to Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:17-18 makes this clear: "And when I saw Him I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me saying, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore ..." (Revelation 1:17-18). For those who content that the "First and the Last" is a title belonging to Jehovah God and not to Christ, I must ask the question, When did Jehovah God die and come alive again? For Isaiah 44:6 plainly identifies the First and the Last as Jehovah, and Revelation 1:17-18 plainly says that the First and the Last died and rose again! The answer is obvious: Jesus Christ, who is truly God, the First and the Last, who is truly man, He died and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Moreover, in Revelation 22:13 the First and the last, who is Christ, is also called the Alpha and Omega. In Revelation 1:8, we have a further description of the Alpha and Omega: "I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). Almighty with a capital "G"!
THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Scriptures are equally clear regarding the deity of The Holy Spirit. In Acts 5:3-4, Peter tells Ananias that he lied to the Holy Spirit (vs. 3). Then in verse 4 Peter says: You have not lied to men, but to God. In 2 Corinthians 3:17 Paul writes: "Now the Lord is the Spirit." If the Lord is God so then is the Holy Spirit. (21) The Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), Almighty (Luke 1:35), Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7), and All knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).
Listen Online
Recent Photos
Upcoming Events
Sunday, Jul 25, All day
Recent Videos
50 views - 0 comments
75 views - 0 comments
77 views - 0 comments
112 views - 0 comments
Newest Members
Saint Lucia Help Section
Saint Lucia Telephone Code Apply 1-758 + Number
--------------------------------------------------
Kesley's Comfort Guest House
Tabour Heights Anse la Raye
Saint Lucia
tel: (758)4514094/ (758)7169443/(758)3841128
email address: tutafrederick@hotmail.com
------------------------------------------------
Recent Blog Entries
by Richard Dupigny | 2 comments
by Richard Dupigny | 0 comments
