Jesus is God

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TheLearner

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Jan 14, 2019
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The Holy Spirit of God allows us to understand His truth. Once this truth is revealed to someone, it is natural for that person to want to reveal it to others. Of course, everyone on CC thinks that they have the truth and everyone should be bold enough to share their truth. Salvation comes through the foolishness of preaching and those that are destined to believe the truth will. You cannot force anyone to believe your truth. All that we can do is to present it and let the Holy Spirit of God touch the hearts and mind of those who will receive it.
God has always existed. He has no beginning and no end. He transcends time, is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and all-powerful. He can be described as an essence that permeates everywhere and possesses a mind, heart, and soul. Eph 4: 6 There is...One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. In John 15: 26 and John 8: 42 the Holy Spirit and Christ proceedeth from the Father. The Holy Spirit is the Father's Spirit through which He communicates and empowers. Christ is a spiritual being with His own mind, heart, and soul, and with a free will, but because He is filled with the Father's Spirit, He is One with the Father and displays the same image as the Father. It is through Christ that the Father communicates and performs His will of creating everything in existence. Jesus is the Son of Man because of Mary, and the Son of God through the Holy Spirit of the Father. Christ ( the Word, Jehovah, the Lord, etc.) existed before Jesus was born, sat at the Father's right hand (meaning that He performed the Father's will) in creation, and therefore is the God of all creation and Lord of all except the Father (whom He obeys). All authority is given to Him in heaven and on earth by the Father. Yes, He lowered Himself to become human, but He was sent when He was in Heaven. Isaiah 43: 10 ... before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. This verse is spoken by Christ because the Father has no beginning but apparently, the God (Christ) in Isaiah 43: 10 had a time that existed before Him which means that He didn't always exist in the past. Actually, the beginning started when Christ was formed out of the Father's essence. Alpha and Omega means the first and the last.
Ephesians 4:30
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.


Ephesians 4

J.B. Phillips New Testament



Christians should be at one, as God is one
4 1-6 As God’s prisoner, then, I beg you to live lives worthy of your high calling. Accept life with humility and patience, making allowances for each other because you love each other. Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will inevitably be at peace with one another. You all belong to one body, of which there is one Spirit, just as you all experienced one calling to one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father of us all, who is the one over all, the one working through all and the one living in all.
God’s gifts vary, but it is the same God who gives
7-8 Naturally there are different gifts and functions; individually grace is given to us in different ways out of the rich diversity of Christ’s giving. As the scripture says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men’.
9-10 (Note the implication here—to say that Christ “ascended” means that he must previously have “descended”, that is from the height of Heaven to the depth of this world. The one who made this descent is identically the same person as he who has now ascended high above the very Heavens—that the whole universe from lowest to highest might know his presence.)
11-13 His “gifts to men” were varied. Some he made his messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some he gave the power to guide and teach his people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity—that measure of development which is meant by the “fullness of Christ”.
True maturity means growing up “into” Christ
14-16 We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love.
Have no more to do with the old life! Learn the new
17-19 This is my instruction, then, which I give you from God. Do not live any longer as the Gentiles live. For they live blindfold in a world of illusion, and cut off from the life of God through ignorance and insensitiveness. They have stifled their consciences and then surrendered themselves to sensuality, practising any form of impurity which lust can suggest.
20-24 But you have learned nothing like that from Christ, if you have really heard his voice and understood the truth that he has taught you. No, what you learned was to fling off the dirty clothes of the old way of living, which were rotted through and through with lust’s illusions, and, with yourselves mentally and spiritually re-made, to put on the clean fresh clothes of the new life which was made by God’s design for righteousness and the holiness which is no illusion.
25 Finish, then, with lying and tell your neighbour the truth. For we are not separate units but intimately related to each other in Christ.
26-27 If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry—don’t give the devil that sort of foothold.
The new life means positive good
28 If you used to be a thief you must not only give up stealing, but you must learn to make an honest living, so that you may be able to give to those in need.
29 Let there be no more foul language, but good words instead—words suitable for the occasion, which God can use to help other people.
30 Never hurt the Holy Spirit. He is, remember, the personal pledge of your eventual full redemption.
31-32 Let there be no more resentment, no more anger or temper, no more violent self-assertiveness, no more slander and no more malicious remarks, Be kind to each other, be understanding. Be as ready to forgive others as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.
 

Magenta

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Jul 3, 2015
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Jn 1:1-3 is enough to refute Modern Arianism.

"John 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:1
:)
 

TheLearner

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2019
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Yeah, it's as clear as a bell.. but many want to make Jesus lesser than the Father. I don't get it.
"
2. JESUS WAS SUBORDINATE TO HIS FATHER IN POWER AND GLORY (ARIANISM).
Unlike the Docetists, another group believed Jesus was truly a man, but not equal with God the Father in power and glory. This group attacked Jesus’s divine status. After all, how could God himself have such immediate contact with mankind? In order to deal with this perceived problem, this group attempted to strip Jesus of his eternal nature, and they were known as Arians. Arianism undermines the Bible’s teaching on God being one in essence and three in persons, because only God himself could rescue people from their sin."
https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/3-false-teachings-about-jesus/

JW's are modern Arians.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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There is little doubt what Jesus was claiming either in His words directly or in the response of the Pharisees.
One doesn't have to accept the deity of Christ, but I don't see how they can say no such claim is proffered.
Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in
your sins.
“Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.
John 8:23-25
 

wattie

Senior Member
Feb 24, 2009
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New Zealand
"
2. JESUS WAS SUBORDINATE TO HIS FATHER IN POWER AND GLORY (ARIANISM).
Unlike the Docetists, another group believed Jesus was truly a man, but not equal with God the Father in power and glory. This group attacked Jesus’s divine status. After all, how could God himself have such immediate contact with mankind? In order to deal with this perceived problem, this group attempted to strip Jesus of his eternal nature, and they were known as Arians. Arianism undermines the Bible’s teaching on God being one in essence and three in persons, because only God himself could rescue people from their sin."
https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/3-false-teachings-about-jesus/

JW's are modern Arians.
Yeah... Jesus was 'self limiting'.. not inferior :)
 
Mar 4, 2020
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Jn 1:1-3 is enough to refute Modern Arianism.

"John 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
It isn't enough to refute modern Arianism because John 1:1-3 is clearly a parallel to Genesis 1 where God used His spoken words to create. The the word "word" being capitalized in John 1 is subjective and reflects the bias of the translators. In the original Koine Greek, only proper nouns were capitalized. Given that, a valid interpretation is that the "word" is that God's words are part of who He is and what He uses to create.

If that's so, then John 1:14 could be understood as follows: God used His words to create Jesus and God's words were manifested in Jesus who was full of grace and truth.

John 1:14
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,884
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"
2. JESUS WAS SUBORDINATE TO HIS FATHER IN POWER AND GLORY (ARIANISM).
Unlike the Docetists, another group believed Jesus was truly a man, but not equal with God the Father in power and glory. This group attacked Jesus’s divine status. After all, how could God himself have such immediate contact with mankind? In order to deal with this perceived problem, this group attempted to strip Jesus of his eternal nature, and they were known as Arians. Arianism undermines the Bible’s teaching on God being one in essence and three in persons, because only God himself could rescue people from their sin."
https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/3-false-teachings-about-jesus/

JW's are modern Arians.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking
the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore
God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
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What earthly phenomenon could even come near to an illustration of Jesus' relevance toward God without missing anything? Identical twin? i.e., an exact imprint as per Heb 1:3?
Nope, that misses because a twin can't 'step out of himself' as Jesus did, being God Himself (Phil 2:6) 6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.… note the word "made' in the phrase "being made in human likeness," doesn't denote any sort of a creation but rather a sort of "happening."
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,132
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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking
the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore
God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:5-11
Nice! We were on the same page, same verses, at the same time!
...where two are gathered (in My Name), there I AM with them! :love:
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
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Surely there is relevance in Jesus (form?), as our High Priest, and the ceremonial removal of His garments to take the burnt offering up from the altar and putting on other clothes to carry the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place... (Lev 6:10)
 
Dec 30, 2020
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43
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking
the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore
God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
Christ existed before Jesus was born. Christ proceedeth from the Father and sat on the right hand of the Father which means that all things created were by the Father through Christ. Of course, Christ is the God and Lord of all creation, but the Father is the one God of all. Christ existed in the form of God and as stated in Isaiah 43: 10 before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Since there was a time before the God of Isaiah 43: 10, he cannot be the one God of all because God has always existed and has no beginning. The beginning starts when Christ was formed. Christ has His own mind but perfectly obeys the Father's will. Christ was the Son of God before he lowered Himself to become human. The Father put all things under Christ's feet except Himself. Christ was under the command of the Father even while in Heaven because He was sent to die for us when He was in Heaven. Jesus said that all authority is given to Him in Heaven and on earth. It is the Father that has given Him this authority. The Father communicates with and empowers living beings through His Holy Spirit. ( John 12: 49-50, John 10: 37-38). Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus ( the ) Christ. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, It is the Father that has created our existence and has blessed us through His Son because when we are saved and receive His Holy Spirit, we become part of Christ's spiritual body and will be in Him as part of His body, and will be partakers of all the blessings that He will receive from the Father in Heaven.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,884
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Christ existed before Jesus was born. Christ proceedeth from the Father and sat on the right hand of the Father which means that all things created were by the Father through Christ. Of course, Christ is the God and Lord of all creation, but the Father is the one God of all. Christ existed in the form of God and as stated in Isaiah 43: 10 before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Since there was a time before the God of Isaiah 43: 10, he cannot be the one God of all because God has always existed and has no beginning. The beginning starts when Christ was formed. Christ has His own mind but perfectly obeys the Father's will. Christ was the Son of God before he lowered Himself to become human. The Father put all things under Christ's feet except Himself. Christ was under the command of the Father even while in Heaven because He was sent to die for us when He was in Heaven. Jesus said that all authority is given to Him in Heaven and on earth. It is the Father that has given Him this authority. The Father communicates with and empowers living beings through His Holy Spirit. ( John 12: 49-50, John 10: 37-38). Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus ( the ) Christ. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, It is the Father that has created our existence and has blessed us through His Son because when we are saved and receive His Holy Spirit, we become part of Christ's spiritual body and will be in Him as part of His body, and will be partakers of all the blessings that He will receive from the Father in Heaven.

Isaiah 43:10-11
:)
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus ( the ) Christ. who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
It is the Father that has created our
existence and has blessed us through His Son because when we are saved and receive His Holy
Spirit, we become part of Christ's spiritual body and will be in Him as part of His body, and will be
partakers of all the blessings that He will receive from the Father in Heaven.

Ephesians 1:3 + Philippians 2:13
:)
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
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The beginning starts when Christ was formed.
Jesus existed in the form of God but was never "formed." Christ is not a creation as the verb "formed" per the Isaiah verse has separate meaning from the noun "form of God" or "form of a servant." One speaks to being fashioned, or created, and the other speaks to an appearance. For example, Adam was formed from the dust in the image of God or fashioned in the appearance of God but Adam never existed in the exact form of God that includes his nature, or character. Jesus revealed God's character because He possesses His character.
Jesus' character is humble in that He did not consider (the matter of fact) equality with God anything to be grasped. So, the Son is not yet subject to Him (being His equal) who put all things under Him although He subjects Himself to Father nonetheless as a True and Faithful Servant does toward the God He loves.
1Cor15: 28And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.
 
Mar 4, 2020
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Jesus existed in the form of God but was never "formed." Christ is not a creation as the verb "formed" per the Isaiah verse has separate meaning from the noun "form of God" or "form of a servant." One speaks to being fashioned, or created, and the other speaks to an appearance. For example, Adam was formed from the dust in the image of God or fashioned in the appearance of God but Adam never existed in the exact form of God that includes his nature, or character. Jesus revealed God's character because He possesses His character.
Jesus' character is humble in that He did not consider (the matter of fact) equality with God anything to be grasped. So, the Son is not yet subject to Him (being His equal) who put all things under Him although He subjects Himself to Father nonetheless as a True and Faithful Servant does toward the God He loves.
1Cor15: 28And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.
1 Cor 15:27
27For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.

Do you see that God and Christ are two different persons in this verse alone? There is an entire network of verses and passages throughout the New Testament showing that Christ and God are different persons. What do you make of this verse that says God is not subordinate to Christ?