I want to focus on what the writer of Hebrews stated at Hebrews 1:3. "And He/Jesus Christ is the radiance of His/God the Father glory and the EXACT representation of His NATURE, and upholds all things by the word of His/Jesus Christ power. When He/Jesus Christ had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (NASB).
The Greek word for "nature" is "hypostasis" and it means "the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing." The only other place "hypostasis" is used is at Hebrews 11:1 and there the word is rendered as "substance." The KJB renders the word nature as "person." The Apostel Paul uses that word which in the Greek is "phusis" at Galatians 4:8 to distinguish God from those who are NOT gods. For example, "However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by NATURE are no gods."
So according to Thayer as well as Strong, the Greek word, refers to the "sum of innate properties and powers" by which one kind of thing differs from another kind or thing. It refers to the "distinctive native peculiarities, natural characteristics of its subject. In short, Hebrews 1:3 is clearly teaching that Jesus Christ is God by nature.
Now, there is the argument (especially from Unitarians) that the word "image" really means that Jesus Christ is a "copy" of God but not God Himself, or a "facsimile" which btw is an exact copy but the copy is not the person himself. The reason that argument won't hold water is because Jesus Christ has the same exact nature of His Father. This is why I have always asked the question, "Give me an example of a son that does not share the same nature as its father." This is a universal law which cannot be disputed.
IN GOD THE SON,
bluto
The Greek word for "nature" is "hypostasis" and it means "the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing." The only other place "hypostasis" is used is at Hebrews 11:1 and there the word is rendered as "substance." The KJB renders the word nature as "person." The Apostel Paul uses that word which in the Greek is "phusis" at Galatians 4:8 to distinguish God from those who are NOT gods. For example, "However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by NATURE are no gods."
So according to Thayer as well as Strong, the Greek word, refers to the "sum of innate properties and powers" by which one kind of thing differs from another kind or thing. It refers to the "distinctive native peculiarities, natural characteristics of its subject. In short, Hebrews 1:3 is clearly teaching that Jesus Christ is God by nature.
Now, there is the argument (especially from Unitarians) that the word "image" really means that Jesus Christ is a "copy" of God but not God Himself, or a "facsimile" which btw is an exact copy but the copy is not the person himself. The reason that argument won't hold water is because Jesus Christ has the same exact nature of His Father. This is why I have always asked the question, "Give me an example of a son that does not share the same nature as its father." This is a universal law which cannot be disputed.
IN GOD THE SON,
bluto
