Jesus is Not Equal to God

Jesus is Not Equal to God

Was not - Is not - And never will be...

The Scriptural evidence is overwhelming that Jesus is not equal to God. There are dozens of Scriptures in the Bible that teach he is not. Those Scriptures include statements by Jesus himself as well as some of his closest followers. Following are some thirty examples:

(1.) Was Not Equal:

"If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I"
(Jesus to his disciples - John 14:28, NRSV)

A. Jesus does not give God power – God gives Jesus Power

"By myself I can do nothing" (Jesus - John 5:30, NIV)

"You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know" (The Apostle Peter - Acts 2:22, NRSV).

B. God does not obey Jesus – Jesus obeys God

Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8, NRSV).

"I always do what pleases him" (Jesus speaking of his Father - John 8:29, NIV).

C. Jesus does not teach God – God teaches Jesus

"I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me" (Jesus - John 8:28, NIV).

"For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak" (Jesus - John 12:49, NRSV).

Then Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine but his who sent me" (John 7:16, NRSV).

D. God knows things that Jesus does not know

"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Jesus - Mark 13:32, NRSV).

E. God has ultimate authority over the kingdom of Jesus Christ

[Jesus] said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left [in my kingdom], this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father" (Matthew 20:23, NRSV).

F. God does not pray to Jesus – Jesus prays to God

Now during those days [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12, NRSV).

G. God did not sacrifice himself to Jesus – Jesus sacrifices himself to God

Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (The Apostle Paul - Ephesians 5:2, NRSV).

H. God has no God – Jesus has a God

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Jesus - Matthew 27:46, NRSV).

(2.) Though in Heaven, Jesus is Still Not Equal to God:

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and...God is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3, NRSV).

A. God has no God – Jesus still has a God

So that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6, NRSV).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3, NRSV).

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him (Ephesians 1:17, NRSV).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3, NRSV).

[Jesus said], "I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name"
(Revelation 3:12, NRSV)

B. God sits on the main throne in heaven – Jesus sits at God's right

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19, NRSV).

"...seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians, 3:1 NRSV).

Jesus does not tell God where to sit. God tells Jesus where to sit: "sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool"
(Acts 2:34, 35, NRSV).

C. God's glory is inherent - Jesus receives his glory from God

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus (Acts 3:13, NIV).

D. Jesus does not reveal things to God - God reveals things to Jesus

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place (Revelation 1:1, NIV).

E. Jesus does not give God authority – God gives Jesus authority

Then Jesus came up to them, and said, "Full authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18, Williams).

F. God made Jesus to be the head over all things for the church

God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church
(Ephesians 1:22, NLT).

G. Jesus does not give God rulership – Jesus receives rulership from God

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David"
(The angel Gabriel - Luke 1:32, NASB).

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ— this Jesus whom you crucified"
(The Apostle Peter - Acts 2:36, NASB).

(3.) Never Will Be Equal to God:

1 Corinthians 15 (The Apostle Paul - NLT)
V. 24 - After that the end will come, when [Jesus] will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.
V. 27 - For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under [Christ's] authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)
V. 28 - Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

The above is the appendix of Philippians 2:5-8 - 21st Century Reformation Commentary
by J. Dan Gill