Christ

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Has Jesus Christ Returned? (Part 2)

“Therefore He said: ‘A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return’” (Luke 19:12 NKJV).

Here, our Lord Jesus referred to himself as the nobleman who went into a far country to be made a king. Heaven is what he referred to as the far country. In Luke 20:9, he said it will take a long time before he returns.

And to Return

This phrase used by the Lord means that he will not rule from heaven. He is going to return to the earth to rule. And his servants are going to rule with him here on the earth (Rev. 5:9-10).

Will his return be visible or invisible?

The Bible is very clear as to the fact that he will return in a visible form. Two Greek words used in the original manuscripts to describe his return are the verb “phaneroo” (“to appear”)and the noun “epiphaneia” (“appearing”). The two words, used a total of 55 times in the Bible, have been defined as “to make clear (visible, manifest), make known”; “appearing, manifestation, glorious display.” (Strong’s Greek Lexicon #2015 and 5319 refer.)

For ease of reference, the passages where the words are used are Mark 4:22; 16:12; 16:14; John 1:31; 2:11; 4:21; 7:4; 9:3; 17:6; 21:1(twice); 21:14; Rom. 1:19; 3:21; 16:26; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 2:14; 3:3; 4:10; 4:11; 5:10; 5:11(twice); 7:12; 11:6; Eph. 5:13(twice); Col. 1:26; 3:4(twice); 4:4; 2 Thes. 2:8 (the visible manifestation of the Antichrist); 1 Tim. 3:16; 6:14; 2 Tim.1:10 (both the verb and noun are used); 4:1; 4:8; Tit. 1:3; 2:13; Heb. 9:8; 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20; 5:4; 1 John 1:2(twice); 2:19; 2:28; 3:2(twice); 3:5; 3:8; 4:9; Rev. 3:18; 15:4.

Some other supporting passages

There are many other passages which support the physical and visible return of Jesus Christ. A few of them are given here:

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (I John 3:2 NKJV, emphases added by me).

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matt. 24:30 NKJV, emphases added by me).

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev. 1:7 NKJV, emphasis added).

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11 NASB2020, emphases added by me).

He ascended to heaven in a physical, visible form; he is going to return in the same physical, visible form. In fact, he said his coming will be like lightning which cannot be hidden (Matt. 24:27; Luke 17:24). His coming will be heralded by “a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the loud trumpet call of God” (Matt. 24:31; 1 Thes. 4:16). The picture painted by these words is that of an earth-shaking event which will not be a secret one. The whole world would have known if Christ has returned.

The origin of the theory of the invisible return of Christ

From where did the God’s Kingdom Society (GKS) get the teaching that Jesus Christ returned in 1914 in an invisible form and has since been ruling from heaven? Is it from the Bible. No, not at all. Gideon Meriodere Urhobo, who pulled out of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (now known as Jehovah’s Witnesses) to found the GKS in 1934, carried this date from one of the failed dates of Christ’s second coming by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916). C. T. Russell and his associates predicted many dates – 1874. 1878, 1881, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975 – for the second coming of Jesus Christ, all of which failed. Contrary to clear teachings of the Bible, Russell and his successors taught their followers of the invisible return of Christ. They also taught that the resurrection of the saints will take place in 1875, the rapture of the saints to heaven in 1878, and the final end of the days of wrath in 1914.

G. M. Urhobo, with the influence of his Jehovah’s Witnesses background, must have thought that the outbreak of World War I in 1914 was provoked by Satan after he was cast out of heaven (Rev. 12). But this was just a way of getting something to support the 1914 date of C. T. Russell, no matter how untenable it was. So, there is every reason to believe that, as far as this subject is concerned, G. M. Urhobo’s teaching was a carryover from the false predictions made by C. T. Russell. By linking World War I to the time of Christ’s second coming was an exercise in eisegesis. But G. M. Urhobo was human; he was not immune to errors. Even the great reformer, Martin Luther, who discovered and opposed 95 wrong things in the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church of his days, made the grave mistake of importing infant baptism from the Roman Catholic Church to the Lutheran Church formed by him, after he left the Roman Catholic Church. While we cannot unfairly judge these men for their errors, we are shocked to observe how their followers never see anything wrong in whatever they teach or do, as if they are not humans. To me, this extreme veneration of church founders or leaders by their followers, in almost all churches, is nothing but a deification of the leaders. The millions of followers who do this are guilty of committing anthropolatry – the worship of a human being as a god. It is one major cause of the perpetuation of false doctrines in our churches.

Resurrection to life in heaven?

The GKS has also taught its members that the first resurrection is for those who’ll reign with Christ in heaven, 144,000 in number, and that it took place in 1914. Nothing is further from biblical truth than this imagination of men. The resurrection simply means being raised back to life here on the earth. And it will take place after the great apostasy and the great persecution by the Antichrist (Matt. 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; 2 Thes. 2:1-4). The Bible nowhere teaches that anyone will be raised from death to go and live in heaven. The Bible says the first resurrection, also known as the resurrection of the righteous, will take place on the day of Christ’s return (1 Cor. 15:20-23; 1 Thes. 4:16). Just before Jesus touches down at the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4,5,9), he will send his angels to gather both the resurrected and living saints to meet (Greek: “apantesis”) him in the sky. Apantesis is a technical word which connotes going out of the city to welcome a returning or visiting king or an important political or military dignitary. From the point where the saints meet Jesus in the sky, they’ll touch down at the Mount of Olives with him. He is not taking anyone to heaven; he is returning from heaven to begin his 1000-year reign on earth and to judge the wicked at the end of his reign. The angels will serve as spiritual balloons or aircrafts that will carry all the saints from every part of the earth to where they’ll be gathered to the Lord, here on the earth (2 Thes. 2:1).

The first resurrection is called the resurrection of those who belong to Christ (1 Cor. 15:23). It is also known as the resurrection of the dead in Christ (1 Thes. 4:16). Jesus called it a resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:14). To teach that only 144,000 people will take part in the first resurrection is to shamefully and ignorantly distort the clear teachings of the Bible. The 144 000 in Revelation (7:1-8; 14:1-5) is a symbolic figure representing all the saints of God who’ll be sealed before the time of the eschatological plagues when God’s anger will be poured out undiluted on the world of the wicked. It is clear from the Bible that all the righteous dead, from Abel to the last one before the return of Christ, will take part in the first resurrection. There is no biblical basis for the teaching that only 144,000 people will take part in the first resurrection.

The expectation of believers is the return of Christ from heaven (1 Thes. 1:10; Matt. 16:27; 25:31,32; Heb. 9:24,26-28). At no time and nowhere is the promise given that God will take anyone to heaven to live with Him in that invisible realm. No one has seen God at any time; no one will ever see Him (1 Tim. 6:16). Why will God take anyone to heaven when He already knew that no human being will ever see His face? Why will 144,000 people go to heaven to rule with Christ who is coming to the earth to rule? Are they going to be in heaven while Jesus is on the earth sitting on the throne of David (Isa. 9:7), meaning an earthly throne? Did Jesus not pray to God saying, ‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24 NIVUK, emphasis added)? Did the Bible not say that those who’ll reign with Christ will reign on the earth (Rev. 5:9-10; Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30)?

If Jesus is still in heaven, ruling from there, how can we say he has returned? Does this make any sense to you? Apostle Paul said, “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.” (1 Cor. 14:20 NLT).

Conclusion

Let all of us put off all forms of spiritual arrogance and listen to one another. No one is gifted by God with all the spiritual gifts. We are not better off when we place our personal or denominational pride above our desire for the truth. There is no church denomination of group where you can find all of the truth. There is no church today where you’ll not find, at least, one false doctrine. Unfortunately, all of them are claiming to be the best church of God on earth. But most of them have sunk so deep in the mire of unbiblical doctrines. Brothers and sisters, let us put aside denominational bigotry and let’s begin to learn afresh what the Bible truly teaches and put them into practice. Denominational bigotry does no good to Christianity.

IS JESUS CHRIST THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL?

Jesus archangel, Christ, jesus, micheal

One of the numerous controversies in Christendom is the teaching by some Christian groups that the Archangel Michael is the Lord Jesus Christ in His pre and post human existence.

When it comes to controversial subjects like this, the Christian owes himself or herself the duty of painstakingly searching out the truth. There are three sides in any controversy – their side, our side, and the truth. There should be the willingness in the mind of every honest and true Christian to be found, at all cost and at all times, on the side of the truth. Sometimes, this may require of us abandoning our own side and accepting theirs if they are found to be on the side of the truth. Some other times, it could be the other way round. The important thing is for all Christians, irrespective of their denominations, to come to know the real truth in the Bible. It is not expected of Christians to obstinately stick with their denominational dogmas even after hard and convincing biblical facts have been shown to them that what had been taught to them are erroneous or false. Such attitudes have led many people in denominations to develop hearts that are darkened in the midst of available light. Ultimately, such people become strongly deluded (Rom. 1: 21-24; John 9: 39-41; 2 Thes. 2: 10,11). When people in religion get deluded, they no longer see the falsehood in the things they have been indoctrinated with. It takes the grace of God for anyone in that state of strong delusion to see the light of the truth.

What Some Groups Teach

In the pre-human days of Jesus Christ, he was the chief of the angels of God in heaven who was sent by Him to communicate with the holy men and prophets of old… Jesus Christ has many other names and titles… He is also known as Emmanuel, Michael, Sun of Righteousness, the Son of Man, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David and so on.
God’s Word refers to Michael as “the archangel” (Jude 1:9). This term means “chief angel.” Notice that Michael is called the archangel. This suggests that there is only one such angel. In fact, the term “archangel” occurs in the Bible only in the singular, never in the plural.
Jesus is linked with the office of archangel. Regarding the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thes. 4:16 states: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice.” Thus, the voice of Jesus is described as being that of an archangel. This scripture therefore suggests that Jesus himself is the archangel Michael.
The Bible states that “Michael and his angels battled with the dragon… and its angels” (Rev. 12:7) … Revelation also describes Jesus as the Leader of an army of faithful angels (Rev. 19: 14-16) … So, the Bible speaks of both Michael and “his angels” and Jesus and “his angels” … Since God’s word nowhere indicates that there are two armies of faithful angels in heaven – one headed by Michael and one headed by Jesus – it is logical to conclude that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ in his heavenly role.

Biblical Facts

In the first place, an archangel is an angel the same way a General in an army is a soldier. The author of Hebrews copiously and explicitly stated that our Lord Jesus Christ is different from and preeminent over the angels of God (Heb. 1:1-14). Secondly, Michael is not the only archangel. In Daniel 10:13, the angel which God sent to Daniel told him that Michael is one of the chief princes [of God]. In other words, Michael is one of the chief angels. The New Living Translation (NLT) renders it as “Michael, one of the archangels”. This clearly reveals that God’s archangels are more than one. (Words in square brackets and bold emphases are mine throughout.)

In 1 Enoch 9:1 is written the names of five watchers [angels] who interceded with God for humanity – Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suryal and Uriel. In chapter 20 are the names of angels who watch [over the earth] – Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sarakiel Gabriel and Remiel.

We read also in the Apocryphal Book of Tobit a statement made by angel Raphael, “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One” (Tobit 12:15).

In Rev. 1:4,5, St. John sent the usual salutations to his audience from “the one who is, and who was, and who is to come [God], and “from the seven spirits” [angels] who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ…” In Rev. 8:2, John refers to the seven spirits as “the seven angels”. These are evidently the seven angels of eminence, known as archangels, who are always standing before the throne of God to take orders from the Most High God and His one and only begotten Son.

The use of definite article “the” for archangel Michael in Jude 1:9 should not be mistaken to mean that Michael is the only archangel. The definite article merely identifies Michael as the one who contended with Satan over the body of Moses. It should be noted that in 1 Thes: 4:16, the voice or shout of command is said to be that of “an archangel,” an unnamed archangel. This again suggests that the archangels of God are more than one. Michael is simply one of them.

Jesus Christ is coming as a King of kings and a Lord of lords (Rev. 17:14; 19:16). The angels who will accompany Him will be the ones who will blow the trumpets and the shout of command will be uttered by “an archangel,” NOT the King Himself (Matt. 24:31; 25:6; 1 Thes. 4:16). Matthew 25:6 makes it very clear that the Bridegroom who is the coming King is not the one who will give out the herald. Kings are not the ones who issue calls for people to come out and welcome them. That is the job of their escorting servants. Haman did it for a one-day king called Mordecai (Esther 6:6-11).

Michael and the other archangels are created spirit beings collectively called angels. The Greek word “arche” [“chief”] is joined with another word “aggelos” [“angel” which literally means “messenger”] to form the compound word archaggelos [chief angel or chief messenger]. This simply means that an archangel is a chief angel or a high-ranking angel. Archangels are leaders among God’s angels. Jesus Christ is superior to angels because He is the “monogenes” – the only one begotten by God, thus making Him a God Being like the Father. He created the angels (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). That is why it is not idolatry when the angels of God worship Him (Heb. 1:6). God will not order anyone to commit sin. The worship of angels is sin before God (Col. 2:18). And the angels themselves, because they are faithful, do not allow anyone to worship them (Rev: 19:10).

In heaven and earth, there are hierarchies in every army. Examples are seen in Num. 31:48-54; 2 Sam. 18:1-2; 24:4. It is a known fact that up to the Middle Ages, kings led their armies to war. And that does not mean that they don’t have varying cadres of commanders under them. In David’s army, for example, Joab was his commander who was in charge of other lower-rank commanders while David himself was the “commander-in-chief.”

The fact that Michael leads an army of faithful angels does not equate him with Jesus Christ. Neither does it make him the same person with Jesus Christ simply because two of them are said to lead God’s army of faithful angels. In the battle against the dragon (Rev. 12), Michael was sent to lead God’s army. But in this battle in chapter 19, Christ Himself, the King of kings and the Lord of lords will lead the army of heaven. Although it is not specifically mentioned, archangel Michael will likely be one of the chief angels in that battle, under the supreme command of the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.

Examining Some Scriptures

There is ample biblical evidence that Michael the archangel is not our Lord Jesus Christ in His pre and post human existence. The points against this teaching include:

Michael is called “one of the chief princes” by an angel (Dan. 10:13). This evidently means that Michael is one in a group of chief princes; he is not in a class of his own. The New Living Translation (NLT) renders the phrase as “one of the archangels.” This means that God has more than one archangel. Jesus Christ is not one of the created spirit beings called angels, one of which is Michael (Heb. 1: 1-14). He is the monogenes, the one and only begotten Son of God.
Jesus Christ created all the angels, Michael inclusive (John 1:1-3; Col. 1: 15-18).
Jesus Christ is the only one who has the same nature of God (Phil. 2:6). He is a God Being. He is unique.
Michael rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord. The title “Lord” refers to either God or Jesus Christ. By rebuking Satan in the name of the Lord shows that Michael is not the Lord.
It is evident from Matt. 24:30,31 and Matt. 25:6 that the archangel’s voice mentioned in 1 Thes. 4:16 is that of an unnamed archangel. It is NOT that of Jesus Christ Himself. Kings do not give such shouts of command; it is done by their escorts.

The argument by some that “the command will be given by Jesus Christ Himself for the purpose of resurrecting His friends, the dead saints (1 Cor. 15:20-23; John 15:13-14)” is plausible. The Lord Himself said that a time is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (John 5:25). But this fact does not mean that the phrase, “with the voice of “the” [or “an”] archangel” used in 1 Thes. 4:16 automatically confirms that Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael. Compare Matt. 25:6 where, at the coming of the Bridegroom, the Lord Himself, a shout of command rang out which said, “Look, the Bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet Him!” (NLT). It is clear that the Lord Himself is not the herald here. The phrase, “with the voice of an archangel” therefore means that an archangel will utter the shout of command on the order of the arriving King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, whatever command the archangel utters with his voice is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. It means the Lord will use the voice of an archangel to issue the powerful command. It doesn’t mean that Christ the King is the archangel. Compare Ezekiel 37:1-14.

Finally, it must be emphasized that God has warned His people against the worship of any of His creatures (Exod. 20: 4,5; Deut. 4: 15-19). Angels are part of the creatures of God through Christ. Therefore, to worship any of them would be idolatry (Rom. 1:25; Col. 2:18). That is why no holy angel of God will accept worship from anyone (Rev. 19:10). If therefore Jesus Christ is a created angel whose name is Michael, will God ever command His holy angels to worship one of their fellow creatures? In fact, the command “Let ALL the angels of God worship Him” (Heb. 1:6) is explicit enough that the only begotten Son of God is not in the same category with the angels.

An angel of God said Michael is one of the archangels of God (Dan. 10:13). The author of Hebrews devoted a whole chapter to drum it loudly that the only begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is the creator of all things and is superior to the angels of God (Heb. 1:1-14). Undeniably, Michael is one of God’s holy angels. These scriptures have proved beyond any argument that our Lord Jesus Christ is not the one called archangel Michael in the Bible.

Two or three witnesses establish the truth (Deut. 19:15; Matt.18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1). This truth has been established by the words of a holy angel and of the God-inspired author of the book of Hebrews. If anyone argues against this plain truth, the person does so because he or she has been blinded by denominational indoctrination. Such a person will never know the truth no matter how long he or she has been studying the Bible in his “church” or denomination (2 Tim. 3:7).

Conclusion

A Christian writer once wrote, “The truth of a teaching is not dependent on who believes it, but it is dependent on whether or not it is in line with all of the Scriptures.”

We are supposed to be contending for the faith – the body of truth, not for the denominational teachings of men. There can be no unity in Christendom until we all live above denominational dogmas. Those who teach that Jesus Christ was archangel Michael are only trying to deny the Godhood of Jesus Christ. Without knowing it, they are teaching doctrines of men (Col. 2:22) instigated by demons (1 Tim. 4:1). These are some of the teachings that lead men into confusion, errors and false worship of God. If you are a person who has an honest and good heart, quit being on the side of denominational dogmas and be willing to align yourself with biblical truth which has been grossly distorted by men in the various denominations. Only then will you be free from denominational delusion which may eventually lead to turning away from the true faith (Luke 18:8; 1 Tim. 4:1).

THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ, jesus, Unique

“And eternal life is this: to know you the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah” (John 17:3, CJB).

The statement cited above was made by our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) as part of His prayer to God the Father. In the verse, He distinguished between Himself and the Father whom He called “the only true God” and He said eternal life is gained by knowing the two of them.

What did He mean when He called the Father “the one true God”? After all, the Psalmist called Jesus God (Psalm 45:6) and Isaiah called Him “Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6). Apostle John called Him God who was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). One of His disciples named Thomas called Him ‘My Lord and My God” (John 20:28). All these passages have revealed that the Lord Jesus Christ is God or a God Being.

However, Psalm 45:7 says God is His God. Hebrews 1:8-9 which is a quotation of Psalm 45:6-7 makes us understand that the Psalm refers to the Son of God and someone else who is called His God. We therefore see Jesus Christ as a God who has the Supreme Being as His God. Jesus Christ Himself called the Father His God while He was on earth here and after His ascension to heaven. On the cross, He cried out to God the Father saying, “my God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). After His resurrection from the dead, He said to Mary Magdalene that God is His Father and His God (John 20:17). After His ascension to heaven, He made a very strong emphasis that God the Father is His God. He used the words “my God” four times in Revelation 3:12. Two glaring facts are seen in these texts – (i) Jesus Christ is God. What does that mean? (ii) There is a Supreme one who is the God and Father of Jesus Christ. The Supreme One is called the One God (Deut. 6:4; 4:35; Isa. 44:6, 8; 45:5; Mal. 2:10; Mark 12:32; 1 Cor. 8:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jam. 2:19; John 5:44; 17:3). Does this not mean that there are two Gods in the Bible? This article explains how the Godhood of Christ does not negate the oneness of God as clearly taught in the Bible.

The Dilema of Men Without Insight

The lack of scriptural insight has caused men to do wild speculations about God and His Son Jesus Christ. Some have said that since the Son is God, He is coequal with God the Father. Others have taken another extreme position by saying that inasmuch as God the Father is His God, the Son cannot be God. Some said that in His prehuman existence, the Son was archangel Michael, the first being created by God before God created all other things through Him. Oneness Pentecostals teach that the Father and the Son are not two separate and distinct persons. They teach that the Son was the Father in the flesh and, therefore, the name of the one God is Jesus Christ. On their part, Trinitarians say the one God is a union or conglomerate of three distinct, self-existed, coequal and coeternal Gods – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

These numerous speculations about God, His Son, and His holy spirit are clear evidences that many people who say they are Christians do not really know what the Bible teaches about God and the one He sent into the world to save the world from sin and death, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As rightly observed by Ellen Gould White (1827-1915), “The truth plainly revealed in the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men who, with a pretense of great wisdom teach that the Scriptures have a mystical, a secret, scriptural meaning not apparent in the language employed. These men are false teachers. It was to such a class that Jesus declared, ‘You know not the scriptures, neither the power of God’… If there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their [people’s] minds, a work would be accomplished that would make angels glad, and that would bring into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error.”

There Is Only One God

Our Lord Jesus Christ said that the Father is the one true God. Put another way, although Jesus Christ possesses Godhood which He inherited by being the only begotten Son of God, He is not the one true God. Put yet in other words, He said the Father is truly the one God. This is one truth that was well understood by His disciples. They knew that the one Supreme Being is the one God. In their writings, they affirmed this fact. Apostle Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:3). Apostle John wrote, “To him [Jesus Christ] who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood, and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen” (Rev. 1:6, WEB). Apostle Paul wrote severally that the Father is the one God. He wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing…” (Eph. 1:3, WEB). He also wrote, “I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.” (Eph. 1:17, CEV).

It is evident from the verses quoted above, among many others, that Yahweh who is the one and only Supreme Being is the one God and He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one and only self-existed Being. Every other being, including our Lord Jesus Christ, derived their existence from Him. There is no other being who came into existence by himself.

In the Old Testament, it is clearly and profusely stated that there is one God. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ and His apostles made it crystal clear that the one God is the Father of all beings. He is not the conjectured One God who is made up of three self-existent, coequal and coeternal Gods. If there are three self-existed Gods who are coequal and coeternal, none of them can ever claim to be the God of the other one. That teaching is totally at variance with the plain truth revealed in the Bible. In fact, there are only two God Beings known in the Bible – Yahweh, the Father and Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), the one and only begotten Son of God. Nowhere has the Bible said the holy spirit of God is itself God. The Godhood of the Son of God does not in any way deny the fact that the Father is the one God. This shall be explained in this article.

The only begotten of the Father

There are three classes of beings in existence. The first is the self-existent Spirit Being called God. The second class is composed of created spirit beings called angels (Heb. 1:7, 13,14). There is also the human being created by God (Gen. 1:26, 27). The angels and the human are called sons of God because they derived their lives from Him (Job 1:6; 2:1; Luke 3:38). Jesus is also called the Son of God because He derived His existence from God. But unlike the angels and the human who were brought forth out of nothing (Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:3), Jesus Christ came out of God Himself, before the beginning. The eternal, self-existent God brought Him out of Himself through a divine, spiritual begettal which is different from and superior to our begettal by our parents. The Omnipotent One had no need of a female partner in order to bring forth another Spirit of His kind. See John 3:6 and John 4:24. That is why the Bible called the Son the “monogenes”, a Greek word which means “the only begotten”. He is the only Son of God who was begotten by God Himself. He did not self-exist. He derived His existence from God who begot Him.

By God’s divine and immutable law, every offspring of any living thing inherits the nature and attributes of its begetter (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21-25). That is why trees produce trees of their kind, animals bear animals of their kind, and birds, fishes, reptiles and insects produce offsprings of their own kind. This is why the offspring of a human being is a human being. It is by that same law that the one begotten by God is Himself a God Being. He has the same nature as God who gave birth to Him.

When, therefore, the Psalmist called Jesus God in Psalm 45:6 (compare Heb. 1:8, 9), it was not in the sense that He is the supreme, self-existent one. It is purely in the sense that He inherited the same God nature as God Himself who gave birth to Him. That is why in the very next verse the Psalmist said God [the Father] is His God. This fact is made plain by Apostle Paul when he wrote of the Son that “He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to become equal with God” (Phil. 2:6, GNB (TEV),1976 Edition). In many parts of the New Testament, Jesus Christ and His apostles testified to the fact that the one God is both God and Father to Jesus Christ.

The first thing that makes our Lord Jesus Christ unique is the fact that He is the only one who has the same nature as God Himself. This is so by virtue of His being the direct offspring of God. In His prehuman existence, He was not in the same class as humans (John 1:1, 14) neither was He in the same class as the created spirit beings called angels (Heb. 1:1-14). His becoming human amounted to a temporary break in His divinity so as to save us from the punishment that we deserve because of sin.

Life in Himself

Jesus Christ said, “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself” (John 5:26, NASB).

This verse says that God has life in Himself. By the phrase “life in Himself” is meant that God has in Himself the “source” or “fountain” of life. It is from this fountain in God that life is derived. God is immortal because life resides in Him. By being the direct offspring of God, the Son got this attribute from God. So He too became a source of life. It is from this fountain that the Son gave life to all of God’s creation (John 1:3; Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:15-17). This power of creation was “given’ or “granted” to the Son by the Father (John 5:21-26). This is why the angels of God have a command to worship the Son (Heb. 1:6) because He is their creator. The Father who gave the Son to also have life in Himself is the principal creator.

We see therefore that another thing that makes Jesus Christ unique is the fact that He, like the Father, is a giver of life (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:6, 17; Col. 1:15-17). Being the one through whom God created all things is another reason He is called God like the one God. But we must always remember that the Father forever remains His God (Ps. 45:7; Rev. 3:12). Therefore the Godhood of the Son is derived from, subordinate to, and subsumed in, the Godhood of the only self-existent One who is “Supreme over Christ” (1 Cor. 11:3, GNB).

The Old Testament says that Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one (Deut. 6:4). The New Testament affirmed it that God is one and He is the one who made His “monogenes” a Creator, Saviour, Redeemer, Lord of lords, King of kings, etc, on a secondary or subordinate basis. But the principal Creator, Saviour, or Redeemer is God Himself. Though the Son is called King of kings or Lord of lords, the Supreme King of kings and Lord of lords is the Father. Only Him is God of gods. Only him is called God, the Almighty. Both the Father and the Son share the title of Alpha and Omega (Greek) or Aleph and Tau (Hebrew) because both of them were there at the creation of all things (Gen. 1:26, 27; John 1:1-3) and they’ll live forever and ever.

The Almighty God whose name is Yahweh or Yehowah is the one called God in the Bible. His Son whose name is Yeshua, although He has the same nature as God, is called the Son of God. There is no one called God the Son or God the Holy Spirit in the entire Bible. The Son will rule alongside the Father in the eternal Kingdom of God (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 21:22-23) but not as equal Kings. The Son will rule over the Kingdom of God but in subjection to the Supreme authority of God the Father (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

Damnable Doctrines

Having seen the relationship of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Father, it is easy to point out some false doctrines that have been imbibed by uninformed Christians.

1. That God is made up of three persons or Gods- the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

2. The Son and the Holy Spirit are coequal with the Father.

3. The Father and the Son are one and the same person.

4. God is one Being who manifest Himself at different times as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

5. The name of the one God is Jesus Christ.

6. While Jesus Christ was on this earth, He was a perfect God and perfect man residing in the same body at the same time.

7. The Holy Spirit is the “third” divine person in a Trinity. He is also a giver of life.

These and many more are mere human conjectures and Satan has sown them into human hearts to cause confusion and to lead people into damnable heresies. Disappointingly, many ignorant but proud people have taught them to ignorant people who now resist and reject God’s truth.

Satan has always employed two weapons in his war against God’s people. He uses the force of persecution against the truthful ones of God and the fraud of perversion of the truth in order to lead people astray from the truth. All he wants is to ensure that people don’t know the true God. His schemes have been exposed to God’s people but those who are unwise and proud are falling prey to his evil traps. They get so deceived that they begin to falsely interpret the Bible. That is why some Bible translators have twisted Philippians 2:6 and made it say that Jesus Christ is equal with God. Many are doggedly defending the Trinitarian dogma which is manifestly contradictory to the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and His holy apostles. Many are refusing to accept the truth that there is no literal “third” divine person or God, the one Trinitarians call “God the Holy Spirit”. The fact that the Bible talks of only two divine Persons, God and His Son, makes the doctrine of Trinity which means “three divine Persons or Gods united in one God” a blatantly unbiblical, false and preposterous one.

The Spirit of God which is also called the Holy Spirit is within God just as man’s spirit is within him (1 Cor. 2:11). A man’s spirit is not another person from the man; it is part of the man. So too, is the Spirit of God, also known as the Holy Spirit, not another person from God. It is grossly illogical and absurd to imagine God having another God inside Him. How terribly deluded Trinitarians are!

The teachings of Modalists or Oneness Pentecostals who say that the one God is the one who manifests Himself in the Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are also bizarre and incongruent with the revealed truth in the Bible. The one who became flesh or human being is the Son of God. God the Father Himself did not become flesh. The fact that two beings are called Father and Son are enough proof that they are two separate and distinct Persons. The Son is the one called Yeshua the Messiah or Jesus Christ. Those who say that the name of the one God is Jesus Christ only exhibit the fact that they have been strongly deluded (2 Thes. 2:10-12).

Jesus Christ is the one who became flesh (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14,17). He is the one who suffered and died (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 5:5-10) and who was raised from death the third day by God the Father (Acts 2:24,32; 3:15,26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:38-40; 13:33; Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 6:14; etc). The Son died on the cross to save us from our sins. He was buried in a borrowed tomb. On the third, the Father who alone is called the Almighty raised the Son from death. Now, the Son is sitting on a throne on the right hand side of the throne of God the Father and is making intercession for humanity (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). Salvation is gained by believing in God and His Son (John 14:1,6; 17:3). Two of them will rule in the eternal Kingdom of God (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 3:12; 11:15; 21:22-23), the Father as the Supreme King and the Son as the subordinate king (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

There are too many scriptures that show God and His Son are two separate Spirit-Beings. The Father is a Spirit-Being (John 4:24). As a Spirit-Being, He gave birth to another Spirit-Being (John 3:6). That is why His only begotten Son is also a Spirit-Being (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:6,17). He was sent to the earth in the form of a human being to die for our sins so that we can obtain the salvation of God. Even babes in the faith know that God and His Son are two separate Beings. But Modalists who are wise in their conceit have deluded themselves so much that they say that when God spoke to His Son in Gen. 1:26, He spoke to Himself. They say that whenever our Lord Jesus Christ prayed to the Father, He prayed to Himself. No wonder they find it easy to believe that the name of the one God is Jesus Christ. They forget that Christ or Messiah means anointed Saviour or Deliverer. How can the Supreme God have Christ as part of His name? Who will anoint the Most High God?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, while He was on the earth, was not a hybrid of divinity and humanity. He was in every respect like us (Heb. 2:17). This means that He was 100 percent human. That was why God had to anoint Him with His Spirit or power (Matt. 3:16; Acts 10:38) the same way God anoints all other human servants of His (2 Cor. 1:21). That was why our Lord had to hide each time the Jews tried to stone Him. He did that to avoid being killed before the time appointed by God for Him to be crucified (John 7:1-9; 8:59; Matt. 12:14-16). All the signs and wonders Jesus Christ performed on earth were the direct result of the spirit or power of God which was in Him (Acts 1:8; 10:38). It was not because He was God. On earth, He was purely human. All the miracles performed by Him were the work of God Himself (John 14:10; Matt. 12:28). Our Lord Jesus Christ was not God in the flesh. He was the Son of God in the flesh. God the Father was not, and is not, the Son. Neither was, or is, the Son of God the Almighty God who is the God and Father of the Son. Two of them are separate and distinct from each other.

The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is unique because He possesses Godhood like God Himself. His Godhood was granted by God the Father. And this places Him in a unique position as the only God who has a God. He is superior to all beings except God alone. He is subordinate to only God the Father. God the Father who brought Him forth is the only Supreme Being. The Father is the only One called the Almighty. As the Supreme Being, the Father is the only one God. No one is coequal with Him. Jesus Christ is not coequal with God. If He were coequal with God, God will not be His God. By openly declaring that God is His God, our Lord Jesus Christ has made an admission that God is Supreme over Him.

The Son of God was the one used by God to create all that exists in creation. This includes the planets, the angels and humanity. As God’s agent of creation, He is superior to all the angels and all the other beings created by Him. Like the Father, He is also God to all of God’s creation. This is another fact about the uniqueness and the preeminence of Christ over all living beings except God Himself.

THE GODHOOD OF CHRIST EXPLAINED

God Christ, Godhood

One of the most difficult subjects in Christian teaching is that which touches on the Godhood or Deity of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) the only begotten Son of God. The problem seems so insolvable that Christians seem to have agreed to belong to different schools of thought on this contentious subject. Among the various schools of thought are those who outrightly deny the Godhood of the Son of God. Are they correct? Does the Bible contain any seeming contradictions that cause the disagreements? Yes, it does. But with insight into the scriptures these seeming contradictions can easily be thrashed out.

The Son of God is called God in Psalm 45:6. Hebrews 1:8 clarifies this. Isaiah, one of the great prophets of God called the Son of God “Mighty God” (Isaiah. 9:6, emphases added throughout). John said He has been with God in the beginning and that He is God (John 1:1). Thomas, one of His disciples, called Him God (John 20:28). Thus, we have not less than three witnesses who testified to the fact that Jesus Christ is God. According to the biblical rule seen in Deut. 19:15 (Matt. 18:16; John 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1), the testimony of two or three witnesses establishes the truth. So, we accept as true the writing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God.

This article is written to help Christians and non-Christians clear their misconceptions about the Godhood of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ).

The seeming contradiction in the Bible about the Godhood of the Son of God lies in the passages which say that the only one God is the Father. Apostle Paul wrote, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist…” (1Cor.8:6). The commas used after “God” and “Father” make it clear that the one God is the Father. Here, the apostle Paul states that the one God according to the Shema Yisrael (Deut. 6:4) is the Father only. In many other passages, Paul reiterated the fact that the Father alone is the one God. See, for example, Eph. 4:6 and 1 Tim. 2:5. In Eph. 1:17, Paul drew the point home when he wrote that the Father is “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The other apostles like Peter (1 Peter 1:3) and John (Rev. 1:6) affirmed the same thing that the Father is both the God and the Father of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ).

No one can fault this teaching of the apostles because the fact came from the very mouth of Jesus Christ Himself. On the cross, He called the Father “My God” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). After His resurrection from the dead, He told Mary Magdalene that the Father is “my Father and your Father, … my God and your God” (John 20:17). And after His ascension to heaven and His glorification by the Father, He sent messages through John to the seven churches in Asia minor. In His message to the church in Philadelphia, He made a very strong emphasis to the fact that the Father is His God. In Rev. 3:12, He used the words “My God” four times.

Now the problem arises in the minds of many people as to why Jesus Christ should be regarded as God when God, the Father of all beings, is His God. If the Father is the ONE GOD, how can Yeshua be God? Does that not make Him the second God? As would be expected, many people have responded eisegetically to this seeming enigma. Some have said that the Son of God is the one and the same person as the Father. Others, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, have bluntly denied the Godhood of Jesus Christ. But the truth is that a Christian who has been given insight into the Scriptures can reconcile the seeming contradictions.

Now, here is what I have gathered from my study of the scriptures:

The Only Begotten Son of God

Yeshua HaMashiach is Son of God just as the angels and the first man, Adam are sons of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Luke 3:38). All of them derived their life or existence from God. There is, however, one difference between Jesus Christ and the others. He is the only one that is called the monogenes, a Greek word which means the “only generated” or “only begotten” Son of God. He is the only one who came out of God in a begettal process. God gave birth to Him. That is why He has been called the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14) or the only begotten Son (John 1:18; 3:16,18; Heb. 11:17; 1 John 4:9).

One of the natural laws of God is that every living thing will reproduce their own kind (Gen.1:11,12, 21,24,25). That is why animals give birth to animals, fishes reproduce fishes, birds reproduce birds, different kinds of trees reproduce their own kind, and humans give birth to humans. This law is an antitype of God and the one He gave birth to. Jesus Christ is God, or a God Being, or has the same God nature because the one who gave birth to Him is God. The nature and attributes of God were transferred to the Son through the begettal of the Son by the Father. Please compare John 3:6 where Jesus told Nicodemus that “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” This is an affirmation of the rule that the begotten will inherit the nature of the begetter.

The first thing that makes Jesus Christ God is the fact that God gave birth to Him. The use of the word “God” in relation to Him simply means that He is a God Being, or that He has the same divine or “God” nature as the Father who gave birth to Him. But as said earlier, the Son derived His life or existence from the Father. The Son did not exist by Himself or of Himself. It is the Father who gave Him the life that He has. That is why the Father, forever, is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 20:17; Eph. 1:17; 1 Pet. 1:3; Rev. 3:12). The Father is the only self-existed Being and He is the one who gave life to His Son and to others through His Son.

Being the offspring of God, the type of life the Son of God inherited from the Father is the life that the Father possesses – a divine, eternal life. The fact that the Son of God is the direct offspring of the Father explains why the two of them are God Beings. The begettal of the Son by the Father does not deny or annul the Godhood of the Son of God. The Son is called God because He has the same divine nature as the Father (Phil. 2 :6).

We need to understand that the Godhood which the Son of God inherited from His Father has not cancelled the fact that the Father remains the only self-existed Being. That is why the Father is the One God because it is from Him that all beings – the Son who was begotten of Him and all of creation – derived their existence. That is the reason Jesus Christ Himself called the Father the only true God (John 17:3). What Jesus Christ meant is that although He, Yeshua, is a God being by the fact that He was born by the Father, the Father from whom all life is derived is truly the one God. The Father is the only God.

Some people have said that God cannot have a Son because He has no wife. This carnal thinking is borne out of ignorance of the infinite God. He is transcendent in power, wisdom and ability. What is impossible with men is possible with the Almighty God (Matt. 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27). God does not need anyone else to bring His only begotten Son into existence out of Himself. God forever remains a mysterious God. The things He has revealed to us are even proving too enigmatic for our minds to comprehend. No one can fathom the inscrutable God.

The Son Is A Giver of Life

The second main thing that makes Yeshua HaMashiach God, like His Father, is because He is a giver of life (2 Cor. 3:6,17; 1 Cor. 15:45). God created all things through Him (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). He gave life to all that He created because He has in Himself the “source” or “fountain” of life. Prior to the creation of all things the Father had put in Him the divine ability to give life to all things from the “life” which is in Himself (John 5:26). God gave this divine attribute of Himself to the Son so that the Son can give life to others. This made it possible for the Son to give life to all the creation of God. Therefore, both the Father and the Son are sources of life. But this power which the Son has and which He used during the creation of the universe and all things in them was given Him by the Father (John 5:26).

The Son created all things in heaven and on the earth, visible and invisible, including the angels. No one can justly deny the fact that the Son is God to all the things that were created by Him. It should therefore not pose any surprise that God commanded His angels to worship the Son who created them (Heb. 1:6). He is their creator. Therefore, it is not idolatry if He is worshipped and honoured like the Father.

It should be understood that the Father gave two key things to His Son. First, He gave Him life, not through creation like mankind and the angels, but by bringing Him out of Himself thereby making the Son the only one that has His nature of Godhood. That makes the Son the second God being like Yahweh, the Father. The second thing He gave the Son is to “have life in Himself” just like the Father. In other words, He made His Son to be a co-giver of life. However, the ability to create things does not confer on the Son equality with the Father because the life and divine power which the Son has were given Him by the Father. The one who gave the Son life is the God of the Son and unquestionably superior to His Son (John 14:28; 1 Cor. 11:3).

Apart from the passages which expressly refer to the Son of God as God, there are some others which implicitly say He is God. A few examples are given here:

God, the Father, Himself, ordered His angels to worship the Son (Heb. 1:6). This is a veiled testimony by God Himself that His only begotten Son is also God. God will never order His creation to worship anyone who is a creature (Exodus. 34:14; Rom.1:25; Col. 2:18; Rev. 22:8,9). The command would have made God guilty of sanctioning idolatry if His Son were not God. Evidently, God would not have given this order if the Son were a created being. But the truth is that the Son is a God Being like the Father.

The kingdom of heaven is also known as the Kingdom of God. It is also called “The Kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph. 5:5). Apostle John called it “the kingdom of our Lord [God] and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). See also Rev. 21:22-22:5. Add to these texts the statement made by Jesus Christ in Rev. 3:12. There, He promised all who overcome all trials and tribulations that He will write on them (i) the name of God, (ii) His own new name, and (iii) the New Jerusalem. This means that two of them will be the co-owners and co-rulers of the eternal kingdom. Obviously, someone who is not God cannot be co-ruler with God, the Father, in an eternal kingdom called the kingdom of God.
In the gospels, we find many passages where the Son of God was worshipped. And in Revelation are found records of worship of “the one who sits on the throne” [God] and “the Lamb” [the Son of God] by angels and men. See, for example, Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-14; 7:9-12. If the Messiah were no more than a human being as supposed by the Jews and some Christian groups today, our Lord Jesus Christ would have rejected the worship the same way Barnabas and Paul (Acts 14:10-18) and an angel (Rev. 22:8,9) refused to be worshipped. He is the one who created the men and the angels on the authority of His God and Father. It was therefore not idolatry if they worship Him the same way they worship the Supreme One who alone has the titles of the Almighty, God of gods, Most High [God], the Majesty in heaven, the Omnipotent, et alia.

Are the Father and the Son Coequal?

Does the fact that the Son of God is God like the Father make Him coequal with the Father? Many theologians have written so many fantastic things on the coequality of the Son and the Holy Spirit with the Father. And since the fourth or fifth centuries when a pseudepigraphon known as the Athanasian Creed was smuggled into Christian teaching, so many weird theories have emerged in support of the creedal position. I consider it unnecessary to dissipate time and effort on the numerous conjectured theories of religious voyagers who, according to Apostle Peter, have twisted many scriptures because they are ignorant and are not sure of what they believe (2 Peter 3:16). I have chosen to reason from the Scriptures.

In the light of the Scriptures we say that the Godhood of the Son of God does not make Him coequal with God, the Father. A few points should be noted:

He is called the Son of God, the same way Adam (Luke 3:38) and angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; Gen 6:2,4) are sons of God. All of them are called sons because they derived their existence from God. No one can be coequal with the Father who is the only self-existed being.
God is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34; John 20:17; Eph. 1:3,17; Rev. 3:12). No one is coequal with his God who brought him into existence.
Jesus Christ said, “my Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). In affirming this, Apostle Paul wrote, “God is Supreme over Christ” (1 Cor. 11:3, GNB). In 1 Cor. 15: 27-28, the Apostle Paul wrote that Christ is subordinate to God. The supremacy of the Father over His only begotten Son is not in any way qualified in the Bible.

Philippians 2:6 Misunderstood

Does Philippians 2:6 say that the Son of God is coequal with God? Well, many versions of the English Bible say, in this verse, that the Son is indeed coequal with God. But all the translators who interpret the verse this way failed to follow the rules of biblical interpretation and so make the verse contradict the words that came from the lips of Jesus Christ when He said, “the Father is greater than I”

The Greek word translated “robbery” in the KJV is harpagmos. It is used only here in Phil. 2:6 and it a noun derived from the Greek verb harpazo which is used in 13 places in the Bible (Matt. 11:12; 13:19; John 6:15; 10:12; 10:28; 10:29; Acts 8:39; 23:10; 2 Cor. 12:2; 12:4; 1 Thes. 4:17; Jude 1:23; Rev. 12:5). In all the 13 places, the idea of holding on to something one already possessed is totally absent. The word carries the idea of snatching someone or something by force; something one does not have in one’s possession; robbery through the use of some force. The noun harpagmos does not connote a different action from the verb harpazo from which it is formed. What Paul meant in that verse is that Christ never attempted to become equal with God even though He has the same God nature as the Father.

The truth is that Apostle Paul who told the Corinthians that God is supreme over Christ (1 Cor. 11:3) and the Ephesians that God is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:17) would have contradicted himself and his Lord by telling the Philippians that Christ is coequal with God. What he wrote to the Philippians is that Christ’s possession of Godhood like His God and Father did not make Him think of wanting to become equal with God. This verse is rendered in the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) thus: “Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force.” The Good News Bible, using Today’s English Version, 1976 Edition, renders the verse thus: “He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should TRY TO BECOME equal with God” (bold emphasis mine). Making an attempt to become equal with someone simply means one is not equal with that person.

Apostle Paul never at any time taught anyone in any of his epistles that our Lord Jesus Christ was coequal with the Father. In Phil. 2:6, Paul was simply saying that Christ never gave thought to the idea of wanting to become equal with God, despite His having the same divine nature as the Father. Our Lord is never forgetful of the fundamental fact that the Father is His God.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ, like Adam and angels, is called the Son of God because His existence is derived from God. God, the Father, is the only one who did not derive His existence from any other being. That is why He is the only true God.

God has life in Himself. In other words, He is the source or fountain of life. He gives life to others from that fountain and that is what makes Him God.

In His infinite wisdom and foreknowledge, God gave or granted His only begotten Son to also have life in Himself (John 5:26). This means that the Son of God, like God, is also a fountain of life. It is from this fountain that the Son of God gave life to all creation when God created all things through Him. The ability to give life to others is one factor that makes Jesus Christ God like His God and Father.

We must never lose sight of the fact that the life which the Son has in Himself, out of which He gives life to others, was given or granted Him by God, His Father. We know therefore that God is the Principal giver of life while His Son is the one through whom God gives life to all other beings. The Son got His own existence directly from God, but all other beings got their existence from God through the Son.

The fact that the Son of God is a giver of Life (John 5:26; 2 Cor. 3:6,17; 1 Cor. 15:45; Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:15-17) is the second reason that makes Him God like His God and Father. But inasmuch as He derived His own life or existence from God is the reason the Father is the only true God, the one and only God (John 17:3; 1Cor. 8:6). That is also the basic reason He is not coequal with the Father. All beings derive their existence from God who is also the Father of all beings. Evidently, therefore, the Godhood of the Son does not annul the fact that there is one God and this one God is the Father (1 Cor. 8:6). The one who is “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” is the one God.

With insight into the scriptures, we cannot deny the Godhood of the Son of God, although His Godhood is derived from, subordinate to, and subsumed in the Godhood of His Father. He has never been coequal with His God and Father.

All the people who say that He cannot be God because God is His God as well as those who say that He is coequal with God lack insight into the scriptures. The same goes for those who say that the Father and the Son are one and the same person. There are strong biblical rebuttals of these fictitious doctrines.

The Bible has not taught that the Godhood of the Son automatically makes Him the Almighty or Omnipotent. There are certain things which the Father has kept as His supreme prerogative (Matt. 20:23: John 5:19,30; Acts 1:7; Mark 13:32).

The scriptures which call the Christ God can neither be controverted nor be ignored. The Son of God, Yeshua HaMashiach, although is Son like Adam and the angels in the sense that He derived His life or existence from God, the Father, He, unlike Adam and the angels is God by nature. He inherited the God nature from the Father who begot Him before the beginning of things.

The Godhood of the Son of God does not negate the fact that the Father is the one God, the Supreme God (John 17:3; 1Cor. 8:6). The Father is the only one who did not derive His existence from any other being, but all beings, including our Lord Jesus Christ, derived their life or existence from Him. The fact that the Father is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 20:17; Eph. 1:3,17; Rev. 3:12) makes the Father the one God, the Most High God. Only the Father is the One God of Christians (1 Cor. 8:6). Finally, the fact that the apostles called Jesus Christ “a man” (Acts 2:22) or “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5) does not in any way deny Christ’s Godhood. When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He was a complete human being (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14-18), His Godhood having been pulled off Him by the Father and given a human body so that He could offer His blood as sacrifice for the sins of humanity (Heb. 7:27; 9:11; 10:14). The apostles referred to Christ as “man” because He was a perfect human being when He came to the earth to offer His blood as a sin offering to God on behalf of humankind. I hope we should no longer have any confusion as to why the Bible called the Father and His only begotten Son the two God Beings (Ps.45:6-7; John 1:1) and yet refer to the Father as the only God. The Godhood of the Son neither make Him and the Father one and the same person nor make the two of them coequal. The fact that the Son derived His existence from His Father makes His Godhood subordinate to that of the Father. His Godhood is also derived from and subsumed in the Godhood of the Father. Clearly, the Divinity of the Son of God has not obliterated the fact that the Father is the one God, the only true God.

Christ

Has Jesus Christ Returned? (Part 2)

IS JESUS CHRIST THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL?

THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS CHRIST

THE GODHOOD OF CHRIST EXPLAINED

Jude1v3

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