Is Jesus God? The Bible says: … yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything came into being and through whom we live. (1 Cor 8:6).
This powerful Corinthians statement is a good thing to keep in mind when considering the deity of the Son or the Holy Ghost on the basis of another Bible verse. When it is generally accepted principle that the Bible cannot contradict itself, the one who accepts the divinity of the Son or the Holy Ghost should give an explanation for this verse1 Cor 8:6; ..”for us there is but one God, the Father” – once again: there is but one God, the father.
What did Jesus say about his relationship with God the Father?
JESUS ANSWERED, “THE FOREMOST IS, HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; (Mar 12:29)
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (Deut 6:4)
Jesus confirmed the confession of faith of Israel, word for word. If, during the time of Jesus and the apostles, someone had even tried to explain God to consist of three God persons, God the Father, (Jehovah), in addition to two other God persons, such a man might well have become stoned for blasphemy. John tells in his gospel how the Jews were going to stone Jesus for this very reason. Jesus, however, told the listeners what they actually knew; a man can be called god too if the word of God has come to him and he is acting on behalf of God, as Jesus was. Jesus does not anywhere in the Bible claim to be God or to be one of the persons of the Triune God. Instead, he acknowledged that he was the Son of God.
Jhn 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.
31 The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, We are not going to stone you for a good work but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, are making yourself God!
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods?
35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken)
36 how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe me;
38 But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
1 Tim 3:16 Am.Std. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; [1] He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the [2] nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. [1) The word God, in place of He who rests on no sufficient ancient evidence. Some ancient authorities read which 2) Or Gentiles ]
This is a very meaningful verse; it is not at all inconsequential whether it was God who has appeared in the flesh, or only a man – “he who”. If the correct translation is God, it would mean that Jesus is the God who has appeared in the flesh. The Catholic manuscript Vatican MS for an understandable reason wants to interpret this “God who appeared in the flesh …” but Alexandrian MS instead interpreted it as “He who …” Which one is right? There is a tiny difference between the writing of the two texts.
Panin explained the matter using the Bible numerics, and noted that the following version implements the code correctly: 16 And confessedly great is the mystery of: godliness; Who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory. (NENT) – ‘Who was’ is the right translation. This verse does not testify for or against the divinity of Jesus.
What does ‘Lord’ mean in the Bible?
Many people are under the impression that the name often used in the Bible, ‘Lord’ means God. As the word Lord has been used equally of Jesus and of God the Father, the conclusion is drawn that Jesus is also God. In addition to the Lord, the word Saviour is also referred both to the Father and the Son. Also, the Redeemer is spoken of in the Bible. How can we know what these titles mean? Do they describe both the Father as well as his Son?
When the Old Testament speaks of God the Father the word Lord is often used. In general, however, God is called Lord God or by using God’s proper name Jehovah (Yĕhovah ‘elohiym).
The OT speaks of the Redeemer in several places. NT does not use Redeemer when speaking of Christ. Isa 63:16 For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; You, Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; Your name is from Everlasting. Isa 60:16 … Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Saviour and Your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. – Although this verse says that the name of God is from the beginning of times the Redeemer, it is not the proper name of God.
The Old Testament and the New Testament speak of the Saviour. 2 Pet 1:11 “for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” – This eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ means the Kingdom of God, the king of which Christ is. Christ is also the king of the coming Millennial kingdom. After the thousand years have passed, Christ will hand over the power back to God the Father.
2 Pet 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen,”
In two of the above verses of 2 Peter, he speaks of the grace “of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” and the eternal kingdom. Jesus offers believers salvation through faith, and he redeems us from the curse of sin. Otherwise, the interpretation often goes wrong in the fact that our Lord does not mean God. Jesus is our Lord and our Saviour / Redeemer. Act 2:36 proves it: “Let all the house of Israel, therefore, know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.
Remember what the Bible says: … the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor 11: 3)
Lord in the New Testament, Kyrios
Mat 20:30 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!” 31 The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!” Ἰησοῦς παράγει ἔκραξαν λέγοντες Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς κύριε υἱὸς Δαβίδ (Textus Receptus)
32 Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They told him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
One cannot think that during Jesus’ time two blind men thought when Jesus was passing by that it was God who was passing by. They had probably heard of the healer named Jesus. They also spoke of Jesus as the son of David, which they would never have used for God.
When the Bible speaks of the Lord, the word is Kyrios. Kyrios can also be a landlord or some other earthly lord. The word is used of Jesus and of God the Father. How can we know which Lord is in question?
Mat 22:37 NASB: And He [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ¬– Here Jesus is talking about Lord God, ”Kyrios sy Theos”, κύριος σύ θεός. He is by no means speaking of himself as God, who should be loved.
What word did the disciples use for Jesus, their Master, and teacher? Mat 8:25 The disciples came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord (Kyrios)! We are dying!” σῴζω κύριος ἀπόλλυμι, sōzō kyrios apollymi.
Has God raised Jesus as Lord and God? Act 2:36 “Let all the house of Israel, therefore, know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ (κύριος Χριστός, kyrios Christos), this Jesus whom you crucified.” Please note: Lord and Christ, not Lord God i.e. Kyrios theos.
Jesus’ titles are Lord and Christ, or Messiah, which means anointed. Wikipedia says: Ha Mashiach (המשיח, “the Messiah”, “the anointed one”), often referred to as melekh Mashiach (מלך המשיח “King Messiah”), is to be a human leader, physically descended from the paternal Davidic line through King David and King Solomon. He is thought to accomplish predetermined things in only one future arrival, including the unification of the tribes of Israel, the gathering of all Jews to Eretz Israel, the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, the ushering in of a Messianic Age of global universal peace, and the annunciation of the world to come
What did Jesus teach?
Mat 4:7 Jesus said to him, “It is also written, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”
22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Jesus called God the Father Lord your God (Kyrios sy Theos); He is the only one to be worshiped and served as God.
Some internet sites and mainstream churches condemn those who believe otherwise: “Now it is clear that God is triune, and those who do not acknowledge the God of the Bible are servants of idolatry, the deniers of the triune God are not Christians. They serve another god, as the Bible tells us. The part of the servants of is eternal perdition, hell!”
In fact, I think that if you are mistaken you will be forgiven if you have earnestly searched for the truth.
Luk 6:37 says: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Jesus – God or Man?
Those who defend the deity of Jesus, please answer the following questions:
– God the Father raised Jesus as Lord and Christ as he ascended up to heaven; how can God be raised? The Lord and Christ rank in fact lower than God.
– God has always existed and always will. How is it then possible that Jesus did not have eternal life before God granted it to him?
– Jesus Himself confessed that he has a God. How could God have a God?
– Jesus is a mediator between God and men. Why then does the Bible say that the mediator is a human being?
– God cannot die; how could Jesus die? Why did God the Father have to awaken him from the dead – why did not Jesus himself awaken himself? Or do you believe that Jesus did not really die? Or that only his human nature died, but not his divine nature?
– Why did Jesus never say that he is God? Why it took about 300 years before the Catholic Church recognized Jesus as God.
– Why did Jesus pray to God if he himself was the Almighty? Why did he admit that the Father is greater than that?
– God is all-knowing; Jesus admitted that he did not know everything, not even the time of his second coming. It is only known to the Father. Is not Jesus omniscient God?
– 1 Cor 15:28 When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all. – This verse relates to the time in the future when the millennial reign of Christ has completed its mission and the final judgment has been executed. All evil has been removed and eternal peace of God prevails. Then, the kingship of Jesus ends and he accepts his new role as God’s High Priest, so that God [the Father] may be all in all.
The High Priest is certainly an important post in the coming Kingdom of God, but it is different from God Himself. We also see that God the Father is alone God and he is all in all.
God (the Father) is one. Yet, Elohiym is a plural form, why? What does it mean in the Christian concept of God? When God created the earth, the Spirit of God, who is his executive power, moved on earth. However, the Holy Spirit of God is not, as Athanasius once defined, equal with God the Father. God sends his spirit to do the will expressed by God’s word. Jesus Christ, whom God has made as Lord and Christ, is the Son born of God, a human being and the mediator between man and God. God has raised him to sit on God’s right-hand side on the throne of heaven. Jesus uses all the power of God, including the judgment of the coming world.
