God the Son…

(References from the Authorized Version)

 

General Divinity of God the Son …

 

1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. [see Bibliography notes]

 

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

1 John 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. [see Bibliography notes].

 

Isaiah  7:14 

Matthew 1:23 

Isaiah 9:6 

 

Omnipresence of Christ

John 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

 

Verses that equate the Father and the Son, or the Godhead of the Son

John 5:17-23

John 8:16-18

John 10:30 '… I and my Father are one'.

John 14:9-11

John 17:21-23

Matthew 7:21 à Matthew 7:24 (doeth the will of the Father and doeth the sayings of Christ)…

Matthew 10:1 Christ gives power to the apostles…

Isaiah 44:6 with Revelation 1:8

Isaiah 45:11-12  with John 1:1-4

Isaiah 45:21-25 with Philippians 2:9-11

 

Only God can Save

Isaiah 43:11 (thru verse 28)  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Matthew 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

John 11:25-26

 

How could one man pay the price, and fulfill the judgment for the sin payment for many?

Romans 5:19 (one man's disobedience led to sin for all; one man's obedience led to righteousness for many)

Romans 6:23 'The wages of sin is death, but….'

1 Peter 2:24

Romans 3:10, 3:19-26

Isaiah 52:9 - 53:12

Matthew 18:11

Luke 9:56

Titus 1:4

Titus 3:4-6

John 10:27-28

John 1:12

John 10:9

John 12:47

Luke 1:47

Luke 2:11

Luke 2:25-30

Luke 23:42-43

 

 

Justified

God Justifieth: Romans 8:29-33

Isaiah 45:25

Romans 3:19-26

Romans 5 (specifically verse 9: We are Justified by the blood of Christ)

Colossians 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Justified in the Name of Christ, and by the Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:11

Justified by the Faith of Christ (His Work): Galatians 2:16

Justified by Christ's Grace: Titus 3:6-7 

 

Miracles

Jesus Christ performed many miracles which, by their very nature, witnessed that He was God Himself.  I list only a few.

John 3:2

John 5:36 Miracles bear witness of Christ's divinity

Matthew 11:5 General summary of miracles

 

Raising the dead.

Elijah and Elisha also raised the dead - but they always did so by prayer to God.

 

1 Kings 17:21

2 Kings 4:33

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ raises the dead by HIS actions (by HIS Word):

 

John 11:43-44

John 4:49-51

Luke 8:49-56

Luke 7:12-16

John 9:3-7

Himself: John 10:17-18

Us: 2 Corinthians 4:14

 

Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins

 

Mark 2:3-2:11, Matthew 9:2-9:6, Luke 5:20-26

Luke 7:36-50

 

Jesus Christ heals

 

Withered arm: Matthew 12:10-13

Blind: John 9:1-38, Mark 8:22-25, Mark 10:47-52, Matthew 20:34

Lepers: Mark 1:40-45, Matthew 8:2-3, Luke 5:12-13

Deaf and dumb: Mark 7:37

Centurian's Servant (from afar): Matthew 8:13

Sins: 1 Peter 2:24

 

Jesus Christ has dominion over nature/creation

 

Tells the storm to be quiet: Mark 4:39-41, Matthew 8:26-27, Luke 8:24

Walks on water: Mark 6:48-52, John 6:19, Matthew 14:25

Changes water into wine: John 2:7-10

Feeds 5000 (and 4000) with a few loaves of bread and fishes…Mark 8:5-9, John 6:9-13

Fig Tree: Mark 11:13-14, 20-22, Mathew 21:19

 

Timelessness

 

Micah 5:2 

John 8:56-58 Abraham saw Jesus' day

John 1:1

John 1:18

Matthew 13:35

Matthew 24:35

Rev 13:8

Isaiah 44:6

Revelations 1:8

Revelations 1:11

Revelations 5:14

Revelations 11:17

Revelation 16:5

 

All Knowing

John 1:48

John 2:24-25

John 4:17-19, 4:29

John 6:64

John 11:11-14

John 18:4

 

Throne, Power, and Glory

Matthew 19:28

Matthew 25:31

2 Chronicles 18:18 

Psalm 11:4

Psalm 45:6

Psalm 47:8

Psalm 93:2

Luke 22:69

Mark 14:61-62

Matthew 24:30

Matthew 28:18

 

Judge

Romans 14:10

2 Timothy 4:1

 

Jesus was worshipped

John 9:38

Matthew 14:33

Hebrews 1:6

Luke 24:52

John 20:28

 

Other References

Mark 5:19-20 

Mark 1:22 (having "authority")

Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Note: "LORD" is Yahweh or Jehovah; and God is OT:430 elohiym (plural form of God).

(From attached article by AiG Jonathan Sarfati: 'There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:8). Note that the Hebrew word for ‘one’ is echad which means composite unity — it is used in Genesis 2:24 where the husband and wife become ‘one flesh’. The word for absolute unity is yachid which is never used of God in the Scripture').

From the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: " On this passage the Jews lay great stress; and it is one of the four passages which they write on their phylacteries: On the word Elohim, Simeon Ben Joachi says: "Come and see the mystery of the word Elohim: there are three degrees, and each degree is by itself alone, and yet they are all one, and joined together in one, and are not divided from each other."

 

Sending the Spirit: John 14:16-18, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7-14

Right Hand of God: Mark 16:19, Hebrews 1:3

'Believeth on me' John 6:47

' believe in me' Mark 9:42

'Gospel of Christ' Romans 1:16

Bread of Life: John 6:35

Ascend up to where He was before: John 6:62

Told to shew the great things God had done, the man told the great things Jesus had done: Luke 8:38-39

John 14:6 The way, the truth, and the life…  with John 17:17 (thy Word is Truth), and John 17:19 (sanctified through the truth)

The Branch (and Root): Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15, Zech 3:8, 6:12

 

Evil spirits asking permission…

Mark 1:23-27

Mark 3:11-12

Mark 5:6-14

Job 1:6-12 Satan needs to ask permission of God to afflict Job

 

Stumbling Stone/Rock

Luke 20:17-18

Matthew 16:15-18

Exodus 17:16 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Isaiah 48:21

Exodus 33:21-22 

Deut 32:3-4

Deut 32

1 Sam 2:2

2 Sam 22:2, 22:32

2 Sam 22:47

Psalm 18:2, 31, 46

Psalm 28:1

Psalm 31:3

Psalm 62:2, 6-7

Psalm 78:19-25, 35

Psalm 89:20-29

Matthew 7:24-25

Luke 6:48

Romans 9:32-33

1 Peter 2:4-2:8

Gen 28:22

Ex 31:18

Psalm 118:19-23

Isaiah 8:13-15

Isaiah 28:16

Daniel 2:34-45

Zech 3:8-9

Matt 21:42-44

Mark 12:10

Luke 20:17-18

Acts 4:10-12

Ephesians 2:20

Rev 2:17

Job 19:23-27

 

Creation

Hebrews 1:2-3

John 1:3

John 1:10

Ephesians 3:9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus Christ our Creator
A Biblical Defence of the Trinity

by Jonathan Sarfati

The doctrine of the Trinity is difficult for some people to understand. But this is what God has revealed in Scripture about His own Being, so we should believe it.

The doctrine of the Trinity states that in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the same in essence but distinct in role — three Persons (or three centres of consciousness) and one Being (see diagram, below) The different senses of one-ness and three-ness mean that the doctrine is not self-contradictory. This is similar in principle to saying that the navy, army, and airforce are three distinct fighting entities, but are also one armed service. NB: this is not to suggest that the three persons are ‘parts’ of God. Indeed, each Person has the fullness of the Godhead (see Colossians 2:9). A better analogy is that space contains three dimensions, yet the dimensions are not ‘parts’ — the concept of ‘space’ is meaningless without all three dimensions.

Biblical derivation

All things necessary for our faith and life are either expressly set down in Scripture or may be deduced by good and necessary consequence from Scripture. Some cults, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and groups known as ‘Oneness’, or ‘Jesus-only’ Pentecostals (not to be confused with mainstream Pentecostals who do believe in the Trinity), are fond of pointing out that the word ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Bible. But the doctrine can be logically proven from the following clear teachings of Scripture as follows:

·         Ancient diagram of the TrinityThere is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:8). Note that the Hebrew word for ‘one’ is echad which means composite unity — it is used in Genesis 2:24 where the husband and wife become ‘one flesh’. The word for absolute unity is yachid which is never used of God in the Scripture.

·         The Father is called God (John 6:27, Ephesians 4:6).

·         The Son is called God (Hebrews 1:8. He is also called ‘I am’ in John 8:58 cf. Ex. 3:14 — see below for more biblical proof). He has always existed (John 1:1–3, 8:56–58), but took on full human nature in addition to His divine nature at the Incarnation (John 1:14, Philippians 2:5–11).

·         They are distinct, e.g. at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16–17 all three were present and distinct. The Son is baptized, the Father speaks from Heaven, and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, flies down and lands on the Son. See the baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.’ Note that the word ‘name’ is singular, showing that all three Persons are one Being.

The distinction in persons within the one God means that it is possible for Jesus to be the ‘one mediator between God and men’ (1 Timothy 2:5), and to be our ‘advocate with the Father’ (1 John 2:1) when we sin. An advocate is a defence lawyer, who pleads our case before a judge. This demonstrates a distinction between the persons.

The distinction makes the Substitutionary Atonement possible. How else could Jesus be the One on whom the LORD has ‘laid ... the iniquity of us all’ (Isaiah 53:6)? The one laying and the one on whom our sins are laid must be distinct.

Jesus said that His Father sent Him (John 14:24) and that the Spirit was sent by both the Father (John 14:26) and the Son (John 15:7). This also points to distinct centres of consciousness within the one God.

The fact that Jesus prayed to God the Father (John 17:1) shows there was a distinction between Father and Son. Since Jesus was fully human (as well as fully divine), and humans should pray, it follows that it was proper for Jesus to pray in His humanity.

Also, the deity of the Son, Jesus Christ, is further proved by the fact that He has attributes belonging uniquely to God, e.g.:

·         He is the Creator (Colossians 1:16–17).

·         He has the ability to forgive sins (Luke 7:47–50) and judge all people (John 5:27).

·         He sends forth the Holy Spirit (John 15:26).

·         He accepts worship (Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 14:33)

·         He is called ‘Lord’ (Romans 10:9) where ‘Lord’ (kurios) is a translation of the Old Testament Yahweh (= God) (Romans 10:13 cites Joel 2:32 which makes this clear)

·         And He is identified with the ‘Alpha and Omega’ and the equivalent ‘the first and the last’ (Revelation 1:8, 17–18, cf. Isaiah 44:6).

·         In the Old Testament, He is the Child who is called ‘Mighty God’ and ‘Everlasting Father’ (Hebrew is literally ‘Father of Eternity’, meaning ‘Author of Eternity’) (Isaiah 9:6, cf. 10:21) He would be born in Bethlehem, yet His ‘goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ (Micah 5:2)

Some Objections to the Trinity Answered

Despite the clear Biblical evidence for the Trinity, some cults have objections based on misunderstandings of Scripture.

·         Jesus said: ‘My Father is greater (meizon) than I’ (John 14:28). But this refers to the Father’s greater position in Heaven, not superior nature. Philippians 2:5–11 states that Jesus had equality by nature with God, but voluntarily took on the lower position of a servant. The same arguments apply to related passages about Jesus submitting to His Father’s will.

The word ‘better’ (kreitton) would have been used to describe superiority in nature if this is what had been meant. Indeed, kreitton is used to describe Jesus’ superiority in His very nature to the angels (Hebrews 1:4). The distinction can be illustrated in the human realm by the role of the Prime Minister — he is greater than us in position, but he is still a human being like us, so is not better in nature.

·         Jesus is called ‘the firstborn of every creature’ (Colossians 1:15). However, in Jewish imagery, ‘firstborn’ means ‘having the rights and special privileges belonging to the eldest child’. It refers to pre-eminence in rank more than to priority in time. This can be shown in passages where the term ‘firstborn’ is used of the pre-eminent son who was not the eldest, e.g. Psalm 89:27, where David is called ‘firstborn’ although he was actually the youngest son.

‘Firstborn’ does not mean ‘first created’; the Greek for the latter is protoktisis, while firstborn is prototokos. In fact, the verses after Colossians 1:15 show that Christ Himself is the creator of all things.

·         Jesus is Son of God. From this, some cults try to show that Jesus is somehow less than God. But in Jewish imagery, ‘the son of’ often meant ‘of the order of’ or ‘having the very nature of’. For example, ‘sons of the prophets’ meant ‘of the order of prophets’ (1 Kings 20:35); ‘sons of the singers’ meant ‘of the order of singers’ (Nehemiah 12:28). Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries understood that He was claiming to be God, which is why they wanted to kill him for blasphemy (John 19:7).

·         Jesus is the ‘only-begotten Son’ (John 3:16). The Greek word translated ‘only-begotten’ is monogenes, which means ‘unique, ‘one of a kind’. Jesus is the unique Son of God, because he is God by His very nature (see above). Believers in Him become ‘sons of God’ by adoption (Galatians 3:26–4:7).

This is shown in the human realm by Hebrews 11:17, where Isaac is called Abraham’s ‘only begotten son’. Abraham had other sons, but Isaac was the unique son of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis chapters 15–18, 20), born when his parents were old.

References

·         Paul Enns, Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody, 1989);

·         Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Harvest House 1993);

·         Josh McDowell & Bart Larson, Jesus: A Biblical Defence of His Deity (East Sussex, UK: Crossway Books, First British Ed. 1991).

·         W. E. Vine, M. F. Unger and W. White Jr., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (NY: Thomas Nelson, 1985).

Available online at:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4222.asp
COPYRIGHT © 2005 Answers in Genesis

 

 

Bibliography

 

1)       1 Timothy 3:16; The Revision Revised by John Burgon, 1883, pp 98, 424-501: Clearly shows the scriptural support for "God manifest in the flesh…"  [From the Greek Manuscripts alone: Qeov witnessed by 289 Manuscripts, 20 Greek Fathers; o" by 1 Manuscript and 2 late Greek Fathers; and ov by 6 Manuscripts and 0 Greek Fathers]; Versions/Translations show similar ratio of support.

2)       1 John 5:7: Good Latin, and 'internal consistency', poor Greek manuscript support (of 498 known manuscripts that contain 1 John, only ~8 include the disputed 1 John 5:7-8 verses).  Reality, though, is that there are only 8 known Greek Manuscripts that predate the 8h Century AD, that include the 1st Epistle of John.  Michael Maynard ("The Debate over 1 John 5:7-8") provides more of a Bibliography (vs. an analysis) on the controversy of this verse; and Edward F. Hill provides some commentary regarding its integrity in 'The King James Version Defended'; and Jack Moorman's "When the KJV Departs from the Majority Text", and "Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version".  The gist of it: This verse was in ALL the old English versions: Wycliffe (1380 AD), Tyndale, Geneva, King James, etc… The Latin Vulgate, Old Latin.  'If the disputed words are not included the loose ends will not join up grammatically'.

3)       Tony Warren, By the Faith of Christ, http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/bible/faithof.html

4)      Jonathan Sarfati, AiG, http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4222.asp