WHAT OTHERS CLAIMED ABOUT CHRIST
.SF
.DP
WHAT OTHERS CLAIMED ABOUT CHRIST
.IF
What did those who knew Christ best say about Him? Those who walked
with Him and shared their lives with Him... what did they claim about
His deity?
The apostle John, who called himself the apostle that Jesus loved,
was one of Jesus' contemporaries. Let's turn to John 1:1,14
.SF
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
.IF
AS NOTED IN OUR EARLIER LESSON, WHO DOES THE 'WORD' REFER TO?
.??
.C1
.C2
.IF
.DP
The claim of John is so bold and so definitive as to the deity of
Christ that some have changed the translation to read 'the Word was a
god.' That rendering of this verse is false. It results from an
unscholarly interpretation of the fact that the Greek word Theos
(God) appears here without the definite article 'the'.
Those who do this fail to recognize that John omitted the article to
point out that Jesus is God, just like the Father is God. Had he
used the definite article, he would have implied that Jesus alone is
the God. Yet even so, there are those who insist on interpreting
this phrase "a god".
.WT
.C1
.IF
There are two other problems with this faulty interpretation. First,
the New Testament is filled (over 280) with references to God without
the use of a definite article in the Greek. In fact, even the trans-
lators who render John 1:1 to read "a god" translate the exact same
phrase as simply "God" in over 90 percent of the other instances. To
be consistent, they should translate these verses as "a god".
For example: Should John 1:18 be translated
.SF
"No one has seen a god at any time"
.IF
No! And those who deny the deity of Christ don't translate it that
way either.
.WT
.C1
.PB
Besides the problem with grammar, there is another difficulty with
the mistranslation. If indeed the verse were to be translated "a
god" then we would be faced with the concept of several gods, or a
doctine called polytheism. If Jesus is "a god" then there must be
others.
Scripture is crystal clear in this matter. Over and over again, God
refers to Himself as singular, the only God and Savior. This is
known as monotheism. John's contemporaries believed in only one God
and Savior and would have rejected any departure from that doctrine.
.WT
.C1
.IF
.DP
The apostle Paul also frequently attributed deity to Jesus:
.DP
.SF
Romans 09:05 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the
flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
.DP
.IF
Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. No amount
of interpretive gymnastics can deny the simple grammar of this verse
that Christ is God.
.WT
.C1
.SF
.DP
Philippians 02:05 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus:
Philippians 02:06 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:
.IF
IN WHAT FORM WAS CHRIST?
.??
Here Paul gives us a picture of Jesus in both of His natures... as
God and as man. He has always existed as God in His essential
nature. Second, He voluntarily laid aside His glory to become the
God-man. Jesus, then, was God and remained God by nature, even when
He became a man on earth.
.WT
.C1
.SF
.DP
1 Timothy 03:16 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.
.IF
.DP
WHO IS PAUL REFERING TO WHEN HE SAYS GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH?
.??
It was Jesus Christ, who did all that this verse said He did!
.WT
.C1
.SF
.PB
.DP
Colossians 01:15 (Jesus) Who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature:
Colossians 01:16 For by him were all things created, that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by him, and for him:
Colossians 01:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things
consist.
.IF
ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE VERSES, WHO CREATED ALL THINGS?
.??
Genesis 1:1 states that "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth". WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO CONCLUDE PAUL BELIEVED ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND JESUS?
.??
.C1
.SF
.SP
Titus 02:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
.IF
.DP
A literal translation here indicates that Paul was referring to only
one person... God the Son.
.SF
Colossians 02:09 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.
Colossians 02:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all
principality and power:
.IF
.DP
HOW MUCH OF GOD EXISTS IN CHRIST AS EXPRESSED IN THE SCRIPTURE ABOVE?
.??
.C1
.IF
The apostle Peter also understood the deity of Jesus Christ:
.SF
2 Peter 01:01 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the
righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
.IF
.DP
Again, a literal translation here shows that Peter is talking about
Jesus Christ when he refers to Him as God and our Saviour.
.WT
.C1
.SF
.PB
.DP
Revelation 01:08 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.
.IF
WHAT DOES ALPHA AND OMEGA MEAN?
.??
WHO DOES THIS VERSE REFER TO?
.??
There is no dispute among translators here. Alpha and Omega means
first and last. This verse refers to the Almighty, Jehovah God. He
alone is the first and last. Does Christ ever claim to be the Alpha
and Omega... the first and last?
.??
.C1
.SF
Revelation 01:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And
he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the
first and the last:
Revelation 01:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
.IF
WHO IS SPEAKING TO THE APOSTLE JOHN IN THESE VERSES?
.??
It is He that lives, was dead, but is now alive for evermore; He that
claims "I am the first and the last"... our Lord and God and Savior
JESUS CHRIST
.WT
.C1
.C2
.IF
In our next lesson, we will address those of the "Billy-Goat" faith.
What is that? They are the people that can be distinguished by their
all too familiar cry:
"Yeah but, Yeah but, Yeah but"
.SF
.DP
"Yeah but... what about these verses?" is Lesson 4.
.WT
.IF
.30
.DP
WHAT OTHERS CLAIMED ABOUT CHRIST
.IF
What did those who knew Christ best say about Him? Those who walked
with Him and shared their lives with Him... what did they claim about
His deity?
The apostle John, who called himself the apostle that Jesus loved,
was one of Jesus' contemporaries. Let's turn to John 1:1,14
.SF
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
.IF
AS NOTED IN OUR EARLIER LESSON, WHO DOES THE 'WORD' REFER TO?
.??
.C1
.C2
.IF
.DP
The claim of John is so bold and so definitive as to the deity of
Christ that some have changed the translation to read 'the Word was a
god.' That rendering of this verse is false. It results from an
unscholarly interpretation of the fact that the Greek word Theos
(God) appears here without the definite article 'the'.
Those who do this fail to recognize that John omitted the article to
point out that Jesus is God, just like the Father is God. Had he
used the definite article, he would have implied that Jesus alone is
the God. Yet even so, there are those who insist on interpreting
this phrase "a god".
.WT
.C1
.IF
There are two other problems with this faulty interpretation. First,
the New Testament is filled (over 280) with references to God without
the use of a definite article in the Greek. In fact, even the trans-
lators who render John 1:1 to read "a god" translate the exact same
phrase as simply "God" in over 90 percent of the other instances. To
be consistent, they should translate these verses as "a god".
For example: Should John 1:18 be translated
.SF
"No one has seen a god at any time"
.IF
No! And those who deny the deity of Christ don't translate it that
way either.
.WT
.C1
.PB
Besides the problem with grammar, there is another difficulty with
the mistranslation. If indeed the verse were to be translated "a
god" then we would be faced with the concept of several gods, or a
doctine called polytheism. If Jesus is "a god" then there must be
others.
Scripture is crystal clear in this matter. Over and over again, God
refers to Himself as singular, the only God and Savior. This is
known as monotheism. John's contemporaries believed in only one God
and Savior and would have rejected any departure from that doctrine.
.WT
.C1
.IF
.DP
The apostle Paul also frequently attributed deity to Jesus:
.DP
.SF
Romans 09:05 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the
flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
.DP
.IF
Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. No amount
of interpretive gymnastics can deny the simple grammar of this verse
that Christ is God.
.WT
.C1
.SF
.DP
Philippians 02:05 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus:
Philippians 02:06 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:
.IF
IN WHAT FORM WAS CHRIST?
.??
Here Paul gives us a picture of Jesus in both of His natures... as
God and as man. He has always existed as God in His essential
nature. Second, He voluntarily laid aside His glory to become the
God-man. Jesus, then, was God and remained God by nature, even when
He became a man on earth.
.WT
.C1
.SF
.DP
1 Timothy 03:16 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.
.IF
.DP
WHO IS PAUL REFERING TO WHEN HE SAYS GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH?
.??
It was Jesus Christ, who did all that this verse said He did!
.WT
.C1
.SF
.PB
.DP
Colossians 01:15 (Jesus) Who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature:
Colossians 01:16 For by him were all things created, that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by him, and for him:
Colossians 01:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things
consist.
.IF
ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE VERSES, WHO CREATED ALL THINGS?
.??
Genesis 1:1 states that "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth". WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO CONCLUDE PAUL BELIEVED ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND JESUS?
.??
.C1
.SF
.SP
Titus 02:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
.IF
.DP
A literal translation here indicates that Paul was referring to only
one person... God the Son.
.SF
Colossians 02:09 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.
Colossians 02:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all
principality and power:
.IF
.DP
HOW MUCH OF GOD EXISTS IN CHRIST AS EXPRESSED IN THE SCRIPTURE ABOVE?
.??
.C1
.IF
The apostle Peter also understood the deity of Jesus Christ:
.SF
2 Peter 01:01 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the
righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
.IF
.DP
Again, a literal translation here shows that Peter is talking about
Jesus Christ when he refers to Him as God and our Saviour.
.WT
.C1
.SF
.PB
.DP
Revelation 01:08 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.
.IF
WHAT DOES ALPHA AND OMEGA MEAN?
.??
WHO DOES THIS VERSE REFER TO?
.??
There is no dispute among translators here. Alpha and Omega means
first and last. This verse refers to the Almighty, Jehovah God. He
alone is the first and last. Does Christ ever claim to be the Alpha
and Omega... the first and last?
.??
.C1
.SF
Revelation 01:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And
he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the
first and the last:
Revelation 01:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
.IF
WHO IS SPEAKING TO THE APOSTLE JOHN IN THESE VERSES?
.??
It is He that lives, was dead, but is now alive for evermore; He that
claims "I am the first and the last"... our Lord and God and Savior
JESUS CHRIST
.WT
.C1
.C2
.IF
In our next lesson, we will address those of the "Billy-Goat" faith.
What is that? They are the people that can be distinguished by their
all too familiar cry:
"Yeah but, Yeah but, Yeah but"
.SF
.DP
"Yeah but... what about these verses?" is Lesson 4.
.WT
.IF
.30
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