ASSUMED DENIALS FOR JESUS' DEITY

MY FATHER IS "GREATER" THAN I?

 John 14:28, “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” 

What did He mean when He declared that the Father was greater than He? Was He not God? Was there a difference in His deity status versus the Father's?

The answer is obviously that there was a difference in Jesus' state while on earth at that time. There was a difference in their roles and functions when Jesus was on Earth.

Philippians 2:6-8 explains it: Jesus, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” His incarnation made a difference; He had to become as a slave servant when He was clothed with the fashion of a man.

While being on Earth, Jesus had volunteered to be subservient and physically vulnerable which would allow Him to suffer on the cross as planned.

John 17:4,5, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” His initial glory in Heaven was temporarily changed. That is, He humbled himself by His incarnation.

 

THE FATHER IS THE ONLY "TRUE" GOD?

John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” The distinction can be, and hence, was between what was true and false in religion. This was not a distinction between Jesus and the Father.

 

JESUS' ANSWER OF WHO HE IS: "I AM"

John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (The word "he" is italicized by translators because it is not in the original Greek text. Jesus identifies Himself as the "I Am." This is the Old Testament name for God given to Moses.)  

Vincent's. '“But the words are rather the solemn expression of His absolute divine being, as in John 8:58 : “If ye believe not that I am.”'

John 8:58-59a, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him” * The audience obviously understood what Jesus was asserting for they sought to stone Him.

*Their judgment of blasphemy against Jesus was based on this passage: Leviticus 24:16  “And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.”

Exodus 3:14   “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

HEBREW WORD: Strong's H1961 יָה hâyâh haw-yaw' --A primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary): - beacon, X altogether, be (-come, accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), continue, do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, X use.

GREEK WORD THAT TRANSLATES IT: Strong's G1473 ἐγώ egō eg-o' --A primary pronoun of the first person, “I” (only expressed when emphatic): - I, me.

 

LORD GOD IS ONLY ONE?

Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one H259 LORD.” Does this “one” contradict the doctrine of the “trinity”?  It is important to understand what and how the word is used. Does it mean a singular entity or a singular union.

DEFINITION of Hebrew #H259 אֶחָד 'echâd ekh-awd' = “one.” A numeral from H258; properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first: - a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.

Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one [#H259] flesh.” Just as God said, "Let us make man in our image", so God made two but they like their Creators would be a singular union of one. Therefore the plural "God" (Eloh-im) of Genesis 1:1 grammatically takes a singular verb (created) in the original language of Hebrew.

 

JESUS IS A FIRSTBORN?

Does this mean that Jesus was an initial “CREATED BEING”? NO. Colossians 1:15-17, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:    For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:    And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” 

 

Jesus was “before.” BEFORE “fore”, that is, in front of, prior (figuratively superior) to. πρό pro pro A primary preposition; “fore”, that is, in front of, prior (figuratively superior) to. In compounds it retains the same significations: - above, ago, before, or ever.

Jesus was the firstborn in God's plan. The “firstborn” historically had rights to special inheritance. It was status of preeminence. Strong's G4416 πρωτοτόκος prōtotokos pro-tot-ok'-os From G4413 and the alternate of G5088; first born (usually a noun, literally or figuratively).

BEFORE All Things. Contrary to some religious teachings, it had nothing to do with being created. John 1:3, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Jesus was not “made” or created then. But Jesus was unique in being the first one delivered from the grave never to die again. He is the “firstborn.” The rights of the firstborn are illustrated by the competition between Esau and Jacob (Genesis 27). Colossians 1:18   "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."   1 Corinthians 15:23, “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

 

JESUS DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE FATHER KNOWS.

One of the definitions of God is that He is omniscient: “all knowing.” Does this mean that Jesus was inferior and not God like the Father? Matthew 24:35,36,  “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

 

But this just explains Jesus' voluntary limitations from His decision to be incarnate (human form).   Philippians 2:7, 8, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”   I have used bold letters for my emphasis.

He took upon Himself a form (morphe ^G3444) of a servant. It was the limitation of humanity. We humans do not know everything. Only God continues to know. When Jesus was resurrected He expected to receive His former glory. John 17:5,  “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

 

JESUS HAS A SEPARATE SPIRIT THAN THE FATHER?

Romans 8:9, 10, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.    And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit life because of righteousness.”

 

The Spirit is unique from both the Father and Jesus. John 14:16, 17:  “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;   Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

Jesus pointed out to the apostles that the Spirit is a unique helper: “another comforter or helper.” The Spirit is a separate "advocate" (paraclete^G3875). The Spirit of God is the distinct Spirit of the Father and of Christ. 

John 15:26, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” The Spirit originates from the Father but is sent by Jesus. So the Spirit has a dual relationship from both the Father and the Son Jesus.

The phrase “the Spirit of Christ” of Romans 8 emphasizes the close relationship of the "Comforter" Spirit to Jesus. It is not a separate Spirit.

 

 

  GAYLON WEST   edited by: Janie Ward; Mary West