Originally posted by Elin,
I get the virulent spirit of antichrist presenting itself simply as one who has doubts about the gospel because of the influence of a Jewish friend.
Word to the wise: it's not a supposed "Jewish friend" who is doing the influencing.
"even now, many anti-Christs have come." (1Jn 2:18)
"Who is the liar? It is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Such a man is the anti-Christ--he denies the Father and the Son." (1Jn 2:22)
"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh
have gone into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the anti-Christ." (2Jn 7)
This is what Jesus said about himself.
You get to decide whether you believe him or not:
•He came from heaven (Jn 3;13, 6:38, 42, 62)
•and was sent by God (Jn 5:36-40, 10:36, 13:3, 16:28)
•to die as a ransom for the sins of many (Mt 20:28, 26:28, Jn 10:11),
•with power to forgive sin (Mt 9:2-6),
•to conquer Satan (Jn 12:31; Lk 10:18; Mk 1:23-26, 5:6-13),
•to speak for God (Jn 7:16, 8:25-28, 12:44-45, 49-50, 14:10, Lk 9:35, 10:16),
•and to judge all mankind (Jn 5:22, 27, 8:26, 12:48, Mt 25:31-33),
•as the exclusive way to God (Jn 14:6; Ac 4:12) - excludes all other ways,
•the source of all truth and life (Jn 1:4, 5:25-26, 6:39-40),
•the decisive factor in the eternal destiny of every man (Jn 3:18-19, 36, 5:24, 6:40, 8:24-25),
•possessing all authority (power) in heaven and earth (Mt 26:64, 28:18; Lk 10:22, Jn 13:3, 13),
•equal with God (Jn 5:18, 8:19, 12:44-45, 14:7-9, 16:15, 17:10); i.e., doing what God does (Jn 5:19)
•as the Father works, so the Son works (miracles) - (Jn 5:17)
•as the Father gives life, so the Son gives life (Jn 5:21)
•as the Father is Judge, so the Son is Judge (Jn 5:22)
•as the Father is to be honored, so the Son is to be honored (Jn 5:23)
•as the Father has (eternal) life in himself, so the Son has (eternal) life in himself (Jn 5:26)
•as the Father sends with authority and power, so the Son sends with authority and power (Jn 20:21)
•as the Father confers the kingdom, so the Son confers the kingdom (Lk 22:29)
•as the Father is Lawgiver, so the Son is Lawgiver (Mt 5:23-47, 12:7-8, 19:9, 21:23-27, chp 23)
•empowering the apostles to speak for him, as well as for God (Lk 10:16, Jn 13:20)
•and to recall and understand all things correctly (Jn 14:26, 16:13-15, Lk 24:48-49).
And remember, Jesus said he was speaking exactly what God told him to say
when he made all these claims about himself (Jn 12:49).
And finally, his name is Emmanuel which is "God with us." (Mt 1:23)
Jesus is saying in these staggering claims that he is no less than God.
And that is precisely the way the Jews (who were there) understood him
(Mk 2:3-7; Jn 6:41-42, 10:30-33, 5:18, 8:58-59; 19:7), which is why they had him killed.