World Blog by humble servant. Explaining in full detail about Jesus Pre existence.And word play use to deceive the people, indeed, is the mystery of our faith, as we say in professing it: “He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit; Seen by the angels; preached among the Gentiles, Believed in throughout the world, taken up into glory.” [1 Timothy 3:16] 3x6=18+1=19
Now let us look at this verse in the NEW AMERICAN BIBLE, which you will remember
is a much more recent translation, able to use a wider range of documents than were
available at the time of the King James translation. This translation clearly refers to Jesus,
but does not say he is God:
Wonderful, indeed, is the mystery of our faith, as we say in
professing it: “He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the
Spirit; Seen by the angels; preached among the Gentiles,
Believed in throughout the world, taken up into glory.”
[1 Timothy 3:16] This idea that Jesus did not speak on his own is repeated throughout the Gospels, as
quoted earlier. See, for example, John 7:16-18 and 12:44-50.
In the Quran, the same principle is set forth:
Whoever obeys the messenger is obeying God.
[Quran 4:80] This same idea has been expressed by other scholars on the basis of the Quran 11:1-2 and 65:10-11, where the scripture is specifically called “the messenger.”
(This is) a scripture whose verses have been perfectly designed
then elucidated. It comes from the most wise, the most
knowledgeable. Proclaiming: “You shall not worship except
God. I come to you from Him, as a preacher and a bearer of
good news.”
[Quran 11:1-2] John 14:20 sheds more light on the idea of God being represented by His words and
shows that “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” does not mean that Jesus is the
same as God:“On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in
me, and I in you.”
Obviously, Jesus’ disciples do not become Jesus, nor are they made divine when Jesus
tells them: “I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Similarly, Jesus’ statement
that “To hate me is to hate my Father” (John 15:23) does not mean that Jesus and God are
one and the same. Rather it indicates a hatred of the Father’s teachings that Jesus
delivered. Let’s look at this same verse as translated by the Jewish Publication Society of America
in its THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: According To The Masoretic Text (Philadelphia, 1917):
For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; And the
government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pelejoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom;
(That is: Wonderful in
council is God the Mighty, the Everlasting Father, the Ruler of
peace.)
[Isaiah 9:5] Though this translation is not as straightforward as the Jewish rendering of the same
verse, the difference between this translation and the King James version is doctrine shaking.
The difference between the phrases “the mighty God,” and “God-hero” is
obvious and profound. There are people today who can be considered God-heros, doing
great work in the cause of God. December 25, 2015 ·REVELATION 1:8
Going back to the New Testament, we see a similar pattern of misunderstanding and
mistranslation in another verse often quoted to show that Jesus was God. First, the King
James version:
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.
[Revelation 1:8] .JOHN 8:58 There is one last verse we should examine. It also is misunderstood by many who believe
that it shows Jesus was divine:
Jesus answered them: “I solemnly declare it: before Abraham
came to be, I AM.”[John 8:58] Extracting divinity for Jesus from this verse is stretching it far beyond its context. First of
all, a complete reading of the entire passage leaves a very different impression:
Jesus answered: “If I glorify myself, that glory comes to nothing.
He who gives me glory is the Father, the very one you claim for
your God, even though you do not know him. But I know him.
Were I to say I do not know him, I would be no better than you-a
liar! Yes, I know him well, and I keep his word. Your father
Abraham rejoiced that he might see my day. He saw it and was
glad.” At this the Jews objected: “You are not yet fifty! How can
you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered them: “I solemnly
declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
[John 8:54-58]A very clear distinction is made in this passage between Jesus and God. Also, the idea of
Jesus’ pre-existence is not at all unique in the Bible and does not prove his divinity. For
example, we see the pre-existence of Jeremiah in the Old Testament:
The word of the Lord came to me thus: Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a
prophet to the nations I appointed you.
[Jer. 1:4-5] Finally, we need to look at the title ‘Lord’ as used to refer to Jesus. This word has
sometimes been chosen as the translation instead of ‘Master’ or ‘Rabbi.’ In English it has
a much more elevated meaning and, when referring to Jesus, it is understood by many
readers to imply his divinity. Jesus’ own understanding of this title is illustrated in the
following verses from Matthew. Note that the Jews were expecting the Messiah (literally
‘the anointed one’) to come from the family of David:In turn Jesus put a question to the assembled Pharisees, “What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”David’s,” they answered He said to them, “Then how is it that David under the Spirit’s influence calls him ‘lord,’ as he does.David’s,” they answered He said to them, “Then how is it that
David under the Spirit’s influence calls him ‘lord,’ as he does. Here we see a clear distinction between the Lord God who supports His Messiah,humbling his enemies and keeping him in His protection (at His right hand), and that same Messiah as a ‘lord’ or master/rabbi. In the Middle East, the traditional title for the father, the head of the household or the leader is ‘rabb’ or ‘lord.’ This is true in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. It does not necessarily imply divinity. CONCLUSION Jesus followed the Mosaic law and did not claim divinity. According to the Bible, He was not omniscient nor omnipotent. We have examined a large number of scriptural references which are often used to
support the divinity of Jesus. As we have seen, there are factors in all of them which
negate that conclusion, or make it very questionable. Given the fact that nowhere in the
Bible do we see a direct identification of Jesus as God, and that Jesus strongly upheld all
the commandments and emphasized the First Commandment, we can only conclude that
the doctrine of Jesus’ divinity has no foundation in the scripture nor in the life and
teachings of Jesus. This concept is an innovation in Christian doctrine.
This is what God promises those who choose Him as their King:
It is not for you to be in search of what you are to eat or drink.
Stop worrying. The unbelievers of this world are always running
after these things. Your Father knows that you need such things.
Seek out instead his kingship over you, and the rest will follow in
turn.
[Luke 12:29-31]
is a much more recent translation, able to use a wider range of documents than were
available at the time of the King James translation. This translation clearly refers to Jesus,
but does not say he is God:
Wonderful, indeed, is the mystery of our faith, as we say in
professing it: “He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the
Spirit; Seen by the angels; preached among the Gentiles,
Believed in throughout the world, taken up into glory.”
[1 Timothy 3:16] This idea that Jesus did not speak on his own is repeated throughout the Gospels, as
quoted earlier. See, for example, John 7:16-18 and 12:44-50.
In the Quran, the same principle is set forth:
Whoever obeys the messenger is obeying God.
[Quran 4:80] This same idea has been expressed by other scholars on the basis of the Quran 11:1-2 and 65:10-11, where the scripture is specifically called “the messenger.”
(This is) a scripture whose verses have been perfectly designed
then elucidated. It comes from the most wise, the most
knowledgeable. Proclaiming: “You shall not worship except
God. I come to you from Him, as a preacher and a bearer of
good news.”
[Quran 11:1-2] John 14:20 sheds more light on the idea of God being represented by His words and
shows that “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” does not mean that Jesus is the
same as God:“On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in
me, and I in you.”
Obviously, Jesus’ disciples do not become Jesus, nor are they made divine when Jesus
tells them: “I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Similarly, Jesus’ statement
that “To hate me is to hate my Father” (John 15:23) does not mean that Jesus and God are
one and the same. Rather it indicates a hatred of the Father’s teachings that Jesus
delivered. Let’s look at this same verse as translated by the Jewish Publication Society of America
in its THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: According To The Masoretic Text (Philadelphia, 1917):
For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; And the
government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pelejoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom;
(That is: Wonderful in
council is God the Mighty, the Everlasting Father, the Ruler of
peace.)
[Isaiah 9:5] Though this translation is not as straightforward as the Jewish rendering of the same
verse, the difference between this translation and the King James version is doctrine shaking.
The difference between the phrases “the mighty God,” and “God-hero” is
obvious and profound. There are people today who can be considered God-heros, doing
great work in the cause of God. December 25, 2015 ·REVELATION 1:8
Going back to the New Testament, we see a similar pattern of misunderstanding and
mistranslation in another verse often quoted to show that Jesus was God. First, the King
James version:
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.
[Revelation 1:8] .JOHN 8:58 There is one last verse we should examine. It also is misunderstood by many who believe
that it shows Jesus was divine:
Jesus answered them: “I solemnly declare it: before Abraham
came to be, I AM.”[John 8:58] Extracting divinity for Jesus from this verse is stretching it far beyond its context. First of
all, a complete reading of the entire passage leaves a very different impression:
Jesus answered: “If I glorify myself, that glory comes to nothing.
He who gives me glory is the Father, the very one you claim for
your God, even though you do not know him. But I know him.
Were I to say I do not know him, I would be no better than you-a
liar! Yes, I know him well, and I keep his word. Your father
Abraham rejoiced that he might see my day. He saw it and was
glad.” At this the Jews objected: “You are not yet fifty! How can
you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered them: “I solemnly
declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
[John 8:54-58]A very clear distinction is made in this passage between Jesus and God. Also, the idea of
Jesus’ pre-existence is not at all unique in the Bible and does not prove his divinity. For
example, we see the pre-existence of Jeremiah in the Old Testament:
The word of the Lord came to me thus: Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a
prophet to the nations I appointed you.
[Jer. 1:4-5] Finally, we need to look at the title ‘Lord’ as used to refer to Jesus. This word has
sometimes been chosen as the translation instead of ‘Master’ or ‘Rabbi.’ In English it has
a much more elevated meaning and, when referring to Jesus, it is understood by many
readers to imply his divinity. Jesus’ own understanding of this title is illustrated in the
following verses from Matthew. Note that the Jews were expecting the Messiah (literally
‘the anointed one’) to come from the family of David:In turn Jesus put a question to the assembled Pharisees, “What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”David’s,” they answered He said to them, “Then how is it that David under the Spirit’s influence calls him ‘lord,’ as he does.David’s,” they answered He said to them, “Then how is it that
David under the Spirit’s influence calls him ‘lord,’ as he does. Here we see a clear distinction between the Lord God who supports His Messiah,humbling his enemies and keeping him in His protection (at His right hand), and that same Messiah as a ‘lord’ or master/rabbi. In the Middle East, the traditional title for the father, the head of the household or the leader is ‘rabb’ or ‘lord.’ This is true in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. It does not necessarily imply divinity. CONCLUSION Jesus followed the Mosaic law and did not claim divinity. According to the Bible, He was not omniscient nor omnipotent. We have examined a large number of scriptural references which are often used to
support the divinity of Jesus. As we have seen, there are factors in all of them which
negate that conclusion, or make it very questionable. Given the fact that nowhere in the
Bible do we see a direct identification of Jesus as God, and that Jesus strongly upheld all
the commandments and emphasized the First Commandment, we can only conclude that
the doctrine of Jesus’ divinity has no foundation in the scripture nor in the life and
teachings of Jesus. This concept is an innovation in Christian doctrine.
It is not for you to be in search of what you are to eat or drink.
Stop worrying. The unbelievers of this world are always running
after these things. Your Father knows that you need such things.
Seek out instead his kingship over you, and the rest will follow in
turn.
[Luke 12:29-31]
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