Makarios: Jesus never claimed to be God???
Greetings Makarios
You stated:
"As far as I can see, there can be only two reasons for making a statement like, “Jesus never claimed to be God.”
First, the writer suffers from profound ignorance regarding the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Second, the writer is a liar.
There may be other reasons that I’m not aware of but the conclusion is the same, the writer is wrong at every level."
Makarios, it appears that you're not aware of the myriad of reasons why someone reading the Bible would say that
“Jesus never claimed to be God.”
Hmmm! Where does one begin?
The easiest one being, that there isn't any verse in Scripture, where you will find Jesus the Messiah claiming to be
Almighty GOD! No Not One!!
In all the verses that you listed you did not show one. Why? Because there isn't one? Why? Because Jesus never claimed to be Almighty GOD!!
Now let's go through some of your points:
a) Jesus the Messiah, the Son of man, is GOD's ultimate representative.
As such, GOD hath committed all judgment unto the Son: [John 5.22]
(John 5:27) And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Hence, Jesus is the Judge of all men, because Almighty GOD ...
(Acts 17:31) ... hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Almighty GOD raised him from the dead!
Which leads me to my next point.
The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
GOD Almighty alone is immortal.
[1 Tim 6.16]
Immortality means one cannot die &
ALMIGHTY GOD CANNOT DIE!!
Immortality is His alone to grant.
So, although both the Father & the Son share titles such as "Shepherd, First & Last", etc;
this alone shows a clear distinction.
ALMIGHTY GOD CANNOT DIE.
Jesus, the ONE GOD's Son, died for our sins, hence,
Jesus is NOT Almighty GOD!
b) Look at the context of Isaiah's verses concerning GOD not giving His glory.
And then compare (John 17:22) And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;
that they may be one, even as we are one:
Does that then make the disciples, GOD!!
Note, that they may be ONE even as the Father and the Son are ONE!
(See also John 17.11,21; cp. John 10.30)
Again, does that then make the disciples, GOD!!
Also, (Mat 5:14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Yet, Jesus is the light of the world!!
Does that then, make his disciples, Jesus or GOD?
NO! Of course not. Sharing titles as representatives (i.e. the disciples represent Christ, Christ represents GOD; cp. John 17.18) does not make one GOD!! The same goes for Jesus Christ!
c) Concerning "I AM", see Is Jesus the "I AM?"
d) The religious leaders accused Jesus falsely many times. They did not have his word in them [John 8.37], they neither knew him nor his Father [8,19], etc. It is not a good idea to build one's theology on Jesus' accusers; who did NOT believe him to be their Messiah!! John records their false accusations for our edification; you weren't meant to side with them!!
Concerning Mark 2:5ff ... read (Mark 2:12) And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
(Mat 9:8) But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Get it? The people glorified the ONE GOD for giving such authority (in this case, to forgive sins on GOD's behalf) to men i.e. the man Jesus of Nazareth.
They recognized that Jesus possessed GOD-given authority, to do what he did; and therefore glorified his GOD & their GOD, in this regard.
The people weren't thinking that Jesus himself was GOD!?!?
See also Jesus Forgave Sins
When accused of making himself equal to GOD; what did Jesus say? He retorted by saying:
(John 5:19) Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. ... etc
"Can do nothing of himself" are not the words of equality!
e) Jesus indeed claimed to be the Messiah. Do you know what that means?
It means you are "The Anointed One OF GOD"
[Luke 2.26, 9.20; Acts 4.26, Rev 11.15]
Every Jew knows that. Therefore, the Anointed One isn't himself GOD!!
Rather, he is YAHWEH's Anointed One, GOD's Christ!! GOD's Appointed King
[John 1.49]
Therefore, claiming Messiahship,
isn't claiming to be Almighty GOD!?!
Look again, at the same question: "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"
Get it? Are you the Messiah, the Son of the ONE GOD??
Every Jew of Christ's era, knew that to claim to be the Messiah, is to claim to be GOD's Son, GOD's Appointed, Foreordained King of Psalm Chapter 2; who will be seated at the ONE GOD's right hand according to Psalm 110.1; and be the Son of man who will come in the clouds of heaven according to Dan 7.13-14.
These terms are synonymous.
And that is exactly who Jesus claimed to be!! That Son of GOD. That Son of man!
Now, because the High Priest & Co., didn't believe on him, they accused Jesus of blasphemy i.e. being a false claimant, a false messiah, a false prophet.
[Yet another false accusation. Compare:
(John 10:36) Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest;
because I said, I am the Son of God?]
Read the verses concerning Jesus before the Sanhedrin again. Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of the ONE GOD [i.e. the Blessed, Power];
and the Son of man, who will be
at GOD's right hand.
[Matt 26.63-64, Mark 14:61-62,
Luke 22.67-70]
All synonyms meaning the very same thing ... the promised Messiah.
Jesus never claimed to be himself, GOD!!
Stop reading into verses, things which are not there!!
(Also in regards to Isaiah 9.6, see for example, Concerning Isaiah 9:6)
f) Jesus was indeed worshiped.
However, one needs to understand what "worship" in that context meant in the times of Jesus.
Today, we see the word "worship" and think one thing: GOD Almighty alone is worshiped!
Not so, in Jesus' time.
The word "worship"
[Heb. shachah; Grk. proskuneo]
had an alternative meaning when used in regards to men, such as prophets, kings & men of GOD.
(All these terms apply to Jesus of Nazareth!)
To find out what I mean, please read these articles:
g) As concerning the authority in which Jesus spoke:
(John 7:16-18) Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
(John 12:48-50) He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
(John 8:26-27) I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. 27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
(John 14:10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
h) Concerning prayer ...
(John 16:23) And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Look again at the prayers of the apostles. They always prayed to the ONE GOD, yes, in the name of Jesus!
That doesn't make Jesus' GOD!?! Rather, that makes Jesus, GOD's vindicated, glorified, servant who through his total obedience & sacrifice; has brought about mankind's redemption; therefore, whatsoever you ask the Father in His Son's name, the Father will do it i.e. for Christ' sake; hence:
Acts of the Apostles 4 [NASB]
24. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said,
"O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,
25. who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
`WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS ?
26. `THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND,
AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER
AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.'
27. "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28. to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.
29. "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,
30. while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus."
Now come on, be honest? Is this a prayer to Jesus? And is Jesus referred to in this prayer as if he is himself, GOD???
No! Jesus (like David) is GOD's servant!!
(cp. Isa 42.1, Matt 12.18)
Even in his glorified, immortalized position.
So prayers ought to be offered to the ONE GOD in the name of His Son and holy Servant, Jesus the Messiah our Lord.
This is the apostolic practice throughout the NT.
