(This blog was removed shortly after I responded.)
The gentleman presented a trinitarian point of view in an attempt to present Jesus as Almighty GOD. My responses are in this color.
There are many interesting paradoxes in the Christian faith. For instance, does anyone REALLY know how what many refer to as the Trinity works? ... Can one God be all three? ... Today however, my own inquiry is narrowed to just trying to determine through scripture, if Jesus is God.
Let us begin our search for an answer to this question with an opening statement found in the book of John:
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" John 14:7-9
... In Jesus' time, both claims and accusations had to be fortified with 2-3 witnesses. This is not unlike things are today. Think of any court case you are aware of and it will most likely call to mind witnesses. Scripturally, the need is borne out in Deut 17:6 and Matt 18:16.
Christ uses this law to establish his own identity. " If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me..."And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form." John 5:31-33, 36,37
One is able to distill from this passage that based on the testimony of witnesses, it can be proved that Jesus is God. These are no idle witnesses to be sure. According to the Scripture, Christ's witnesses include God the Father, John the Baptist (which we will extend to "man"), Jesus' own miraculous works and that of His own witness about himself.
Is Jesus [Almighty] God?
NO!!
In Jesus' time, as you put it; to GOD's people Israel, there was solely ONE GOD who was definitely NOT in any description, three!
Jesus affirmed this creed in Mark 12:28ff.
Obviously then, neither Jesus nor the scribe were trinitarian! And it ought to be equally obvious that the scribe did not believe that the man before him was actually Almighty GOD! And remember, Jesus commended the scribe. [v. 34]
Did the witness John the Baptist testify that Jesus was indeed Almighty GOD? NO!
Rather, (John 1:34) And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
(Remember, John was a Jew (like Jesus). Jews are monotheists believing in ONE GOD as ONE Person!)
What of the witness of GOD Himself?
GOD Almighty testified that Jesus was indeed His Son. GOD said nothing about His Son being also Almighty GOD!?!
Therefore, on this subject, I recommend this video:
This question has the same answer as to whether the one God be all three?
This ONE GOD associated Himself with the verses in Deut 6:4ff, known as the Shema.
This was the creed of Israel; also, this was and is the creed of Jesus the Messiah. Their GOD is ONE Being, ONE Person, ONE Entity!
(This fact hasn't changed)
Note the scribe's response:
(Mark 12:32) And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
So, John testified that Jesus was the Son of the ONE GOD.
(Mat 17:5) While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
GOD said "hear ye him." In other words, listen to His Son.
Did Jesus, GOD's Son, ever testify that he was GOD?
NEVER, NO NOT ONCE!
The Human Jesus
Isa 9.6
Jesus is indeed el gibbor. But do you know what that means?
It is not in actuality a title of deity. It means a mighty warrior and is used in ref. to a group of them i.e. plural in Ezek 32.21.
It is indeed a fitting title for our Lord since when he returns he will not be
"gentle Jesus meek & mild"; but rather, he will be the conquering king and sovereign, who will be enthroned on the throne of David
[Isa 9.7, Luke 1.32-33] as promised by GOD his Father.
For more info, on Isa 9.6, please see Concerning Isaiah 9:6
The aforementioned video also deals with Isa 9.6.
There is also another witness, that of scripture. Let us examine what thus saith the Lord through His Divine word.
The Witness of God
Isa 9:6-Jesus is called God in prophecy delivered by God through Isaiah.
Heb 1:8-9
Yes, Jesus is called 'God' in verse 8.
Does that however, make him, Almighty GOD?
Now we both know the answer to that one!
So seeing that Jesus the Messiah is both GOD's sanctified, ordained Judge [John 10.36, 5.22, Acts 17.31, etc]; Remember Heb 1.8-9 is taken from Psa 45.6-7 which was used in regards to the human kings of Israel. The king was called elohim.
(Heb 1:9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
The one addressed as God/elohim/theos (in Heb 1.8, Psa 45.6)
has a God/elohim/theos ABOVE him!! [Heb 1.9, Psa 45.7]
Heb 1:9 ought to act as a safeguard against any misunderstanding.
John 20.17 [I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and John's intent for writing his gospel:
John 20.31 [But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God];
ought to have safeguarded any misunderstanding of Thomas's messianic declaration of the resurrected Jesus.
Both Heb 1.8-9 & John 20.28 are addressed in the video.
Heb 1:8-9-Note how God is quoted as referring to Jesus as God.
Well I ask you?
Did not Almighty GOD specifically call Moses God in Exo 7.1??
In fact, He made him so.
(Exo 7:1) And YAHWEH said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. (See also Exo 4.16)
(The same Hebrew word elohim as used in
Psa 45.6 (quoted in Heb 1.8) is referred to!)
So, does this make Moses, Almighty GOD?
And did you know that the judges of Israel who judged on GOD's behalf, were also called god/elohim/theos??
See Exo 21.6, 22.8,9,28; Psa 82.6 (used by Jesus in this regard)
and the Prophet like unto Moses [Deut 18.15,18-19];
one can see in what sense Jesus Christ is indeed rightly called God!
In a representational, judicial, royal, Messianic sense!
Hence John 20.28!
However, in both the OT & NT refs. to this passage, there is indeed a clear safeguard that should shield all readers from any misunderstanding.
The very fact that he has a God above him, should inform the reader that he is not GOD Almighty; but rather, he is God in the sense that Moses & the judges were so called, by GOD Almighty. In fact, GOD Almighty anointed Jesus of Nazareth above all these fellows; hence he is the Messiah;
therefore, Jesus Christ is supreme over them all however he is under & second to his GOD, the ONE GOD, the Father.
(cp. 1 Cor 15.27-28)
Even as John 20:28 being placed between
Jesus' words:
and to my God, and your God.]
The Witness of Men
John 1:1-3, 14-This is the best known scriptural proof of Jesus’ deity.
John 20:25-28-Thomas understood him to be God.
John 1:1-3, 14
Jesus is not mentioned in John 1:1-3 at all. Verse 14 therefore informs us that Jesus is GOD's word made flesh.
"It is a common but patent misreading of the opening of John's Gospel to read it as if it said: 'In the beginning was the Son, and the Son was with God and the Son was God' (John 1:1).
The video goes into more detail concerning these verses.
John 20:25-28 is also addressed in the video.
Jesus of Nazareth is therefore, what the word of GOD became.
There is nothing in these verses that speaks of Jesus' deity
To quote Colin Brown:
What has happened here is the substitution of Son for Word (Greek logos), and thereby the Son is made a member of the Godhead which existed from the beginning."
Col 1:15-18-Paul knew him to be God.
Col 1:15-18
Paul never ever refers to Jesus as GOD Almighty.
These verses are about the new creation, the future kingdom (v. 13). The all things are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
GOD created all these things for and with His Son in view.
See also COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 - PREEXISTENCE OR PREEMINENCE?
Acts 20:28-Paul knew him to be God, referring to His own blood.
Acts 20:28
There are translational issues with this verse. The rendering "God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" is suspect.
Besides, Paul never knew Jesus to be GOD! These are Paul's words:
(1 Cor 8:4) ... that there is none other God but one.
(1 Cor 8:6) But to us there is but one God, the Father, ...
Paul followed the doctrine of his Lord & Master, Jesus; in referring to the Father as the only true GOD. John 17.3
Again, see the video in regards to this issue.
The Witness of Works
John 14:10-11-There is nothing like the demonstration of a statement to prove the statement.Christ’s resume: sight to the blind, healed the sick, made the lame walk, cleanliness to leprous, fed the hungry, raised up the humble, brought down the haughty, brought life to the dead and gave salvation to us. No mere man could do these things. Only through the power of Almighty God. ...
John 14:10-11
What does this verse actually say?
You see? The Son can do and did do NOTHING of himself!! The Father did the works
(Acts 2:22) Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
GOD performed the works through His Son.
Think about it. How can Almighty GOD do nothing of himself?
(John 14:10-11) 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. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
His Son did nothing of himself! [John 5.19]
Yet another indicator that Jesus is NOT Almighty GOD!
The Witness of Christ
Rev 1:7-8-He testifies of Himself as the Almighty.
Rev 1:7-8
Besides in Rev 1.18 Jesus clearly testified:
GOD Almighty alone has immortality innately. [1 Tim 6.16]
Don't be duped by red letter bibles. Verse 8 are not the words of Jesus.
Reference to Jesus ends with the Amen in verse 7.
Verse 8 are the words of the LORD GOD e.g.
ASV: I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
NASB: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
(Rev 1:18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; ...
Immortality means "One Cannot Die"
GOD ALMIGHTY CANNOT DIE!!
However, Jesus, GOD's Son, died for our sins.
(And of course, GOD Almighty raised him from the dead)
Hence, the Lord Jesus, is NOT Almighty GOD!
