“There is ONE God and one mediator between God and man, the HUMAN BEING Messiah Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
“I ALONE AM GOD! I AM GOD and there is NONE LIKE ME”[Isaiah 46:9]
“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes made it a lie[Jeremiah 8:8]
http://bible-christianity.blogspot.com
Identification of True God is the first and the most important issue confronted by every human being. Any wrong decision is going to keep us in hell for ever. While we go to market for purchasing items we need, we are very choosy. Survey is carried out, reliability of products is established, then purchase is made we do not trust heresy and use our intellect to the best. Unfortunately this aspect is ignored in case of God. We tend to follow what we have been hearing since our childhood. One must read the Bible with open mind, there are clear verses without any ambiguity on oneness of God, monotheism in Old Testament and New Testament. People leave these clear verses and try to extract desired meanings for some ambiguous verses which are twisted. It is against common-sense and logic to identify God in such dubious way. Let’s keep in mind that:-
- In the New Testament seventeen passages, wherein the Father is styled one or only God, while there is not a single passage in which the Son is so styled.
- There are 320 passages in which the Father is absolutely, and by way of eminence, called God; while there is not one in which the Son is thus called.
- There are 105 passages in which the Father is denominated God, with peculiarly high titles and epithets, whereas the Son is not once denominated.
- There are 90 passages wherein it is declared that all prayers and praises ought to be offered to Him, and that everything ought to be ultimately directed to his honor and glory; while of the Son no such declaration is ever made.
- Of 1,300 passages in the New Testament wherein the word God is mentioned, not one necessarily implies the existence of more than one person in the Godhead, or that this one is any other than the Father.
- The passages wherein the Son is declared, positively, or by clearest implication, to be subordinate to the Father, deriving his being from Him, receiving from Him his power, and acting in all things wholly according to His will, are in number above 300.
In a word, the supremacy of the Father, and the inferiority of the Son, is the simple, unembarrassed, and current doctrine of the Bible; whereas, that of their equality or identity is clothed in mystery, encumbered with difficulties, and dependent, at the best, upon few passages for support after twisting and manipulation.
Here effort has been made to present the true picture about ambiguity of dubious claims to consider Jesus Christ as deity while totally ignoring clear verses on One Single God. Please spare time to think and ponder, you are answerable to God to identify Him as He is, as He wants you to do. While praying to God to open your mind to the Truth, use your intellect sincerely to discern truth from falsehood.
[Also see: True Message of Jesus Christ and Perversion by Paul ]
[Videos: http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x2pmph_Peace-Forum_christianity-appraisal/1#video=x115iv1]
“And he [Jesus] said also to the multitudes: When you see a cloud rising from the west, presently you say: A shower is coming. And so it happeneth. And when ye see the south wind blow, you say: There will heat. And it cometh to pass. You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the heaven and of the earth: but how is it that you do not discern this time?”[Luke;12:54-56:]
Bible Rejects Deity of Christ:
Let us see some interesting quotes from the Bible that actually rejects the Deity of Christ and shows that Jesus is inferior to the Father. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21) “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, bore witness of Me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape” (John 5:37) “And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” (Mark 10:18) “And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.” (John 8:50) “ Jesus answered them and said, “my doctrine are not Mine, but His who sent Me” (John 7:16) “he who does not love me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent me” (John 14:24) “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49) “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38) “saying, ‘Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42) “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30) “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16) “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28) “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me” (John 8:42) “To sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Matthew 20:23) “So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (John 7:16)
For more verses on Oneness of God:
[http://www.drazin.com/chap4.phtml] & [http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/articles/jesus-christ/is-jesus-god ] http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4DDEA7356F49C53D http://www.youtube.com/p/4DDEA7356F49C53D?version=3&hl=en_GB&fs=1
Common Verses quoted to suport Trinity-Explained: http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/verses
Trinity
It is defined in Catholic Encyclopaedia as: “The three Persons (The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) are Co-Equal and Co-Eternal: all alike are Uncreated and Omnipotent (supreme).”There is no clear verse in the bible which support the doctrine of ‘Trinity’, except 1John; 5:7,8; “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.” (in some volumes this changed as : “There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree”. In the foot not of this verse in ‘New International Version Bible’ it is written; ‘not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteen century. Dr C.I, Scofield, D.D. backed by eight other D.D.’s in a footnote to this verse opine: “It is generally agreed that this verse has no manuscript authority and has been inserted.”The fundamentalist Christians still retain this fabrication whereas; in all the modern translations including the Revised Standard Version (RSV) this pious deceit has been unceremoniously expunged.
[Read more: http://wp.me/PCgrB-cS , http://bible-christianity.blogspot.com/2013/08/does-everyone-believe-in-trinity-by.html ]
The other verses from Bible, which have been interpreted by the Catholic and Protestant Churches to support the Divinity of Jesus Christ are vague. Critical analysis of these verses, reveals that, either their wordings are ambiguous, leaving them open to a number of different interpretations, or they are later additions not found in the early manuscripts of the Bible. The most commonly quoted arguments are being examined here.
Analysis of Trinity by Christian Scholar
Dr. Brown gives the top 10 reason why the Trinity is not and was not a teaching of any of the prophets not even Jesus himself taught the trinity and he will prove that it is not valid doctrine.
Is the Trinity in Genesis?
Most Christians believe in the church doctrine of the Trinity, that God is one essence consisting of three co-equal and co-eternal Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Many cite three passages in the book of Genesis as their primary Old Testament (OT) support for the Trinity: Genesis 1.26; 3.22; 11.7. And they often refer to them when asserting that Jesus preexisted. These texts are as follows:
1.26 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’”
3.22 “Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become as one of Us, knowing good and evil’”
11.7 “And the LORD said,… ‘Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language’”
In all three instances God is the speaker, whom Christians view as God the Father. But none of these narratives identify the “Us.” Many Trinitarians have claimed the “Us” are the other two members of the Trinity: the preexistent Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The four primary interpretations of the words “us” and “our” in Genesis 1.26 are as follows:
(1) most Jews have interpreted them as God’s communication to a special group of angels who gather around God’s heavenly throne and constitute his royal court or council;
(2) post-Nicene church fathers understood God the Father to be speaking to the other two members of the Trinity;
(3) many commentators have regarded these words as a plural of majesty, which allows for Trinitarian belief but does not necessitate it;
(4) God’s addresses himself. How one interprets this text usually determines how one treats the others, so that all three passages are interpreted the same.
The “Us” in Genesis 1.26 cannot be the supposed other two members of the Trinity because it says God made man in his image. If God is a Trinity of Persons, then man, being made in God’s image, would have to be tri-personal as well. Since man is a uni- personal being, God must be a uni-personal being. The closest man ever comes to being tri-personal is schizophrenia, a mental disorder which does not reflect God.
The word translated “God” in the Hebrew Bible is elohim, the plural of eloah. Elohim is often shortened to the proper name El. Elohim occurs about 2,570 times in the OT, either as a common noun or as a divine name. Most past Trinitarians insisted that elohim, being plural, indicates that God subsists as a plurality of persons.
Jewish and many contemporary Christian scholars disagree. They contend the plural word elohim merely indicates intensity, expressing the dignity or greatness of God. Jack B. Scott says most scholars insist that this “plural ending is usually described as a plural of majesty and not intended as a true plural when used of God. This is seen in the fact that the noun elohim is consistently used with singular verb forms and with adjectives and pronouns in the singular.” Then he cites antiquities authority William F. Albright, who claims that this plural of majesty was used commonly in the ancient Near East to express the “totality of manifestations of a deity.” Trinitarian F.F. Bruce says elohim is “a plural denoting God as including within Himself all the powers of deity.”
Besides, how could the most frequent word for God (except YHWH) in the Hebrew Bible accommodate a Gentile notion that God is three persons? That contradicts strict monotheism. And it seems presumptuous of Gentiles to tell Jews what Hebrew words mean. Few church fathers knew Hebrew, and their theology suffered from it.
Scripture attests that the Most High God meets regularly with a court of angelic advisors. The psalmist tells of “the assembly of the holy ones,” describing Yahweh as “a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him” (Ps 89.5, 7). Job twice says of some angels, “the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD” to give an account of their activities (Job 1.6; 2.1). This hierarchy of delegated responsibility is like human government.
Since God regularly appoints angels to accomplish his will, perhaps he also involved them in creation. The Jewish Talmud states concerning God, “the Holy One, blessed be he, does nothing without consulting his heavenly court.” And the famed Sir Isaac Newton explained, “God does nothing by himself which he can do by another.”
Donald Gowan similarly remarks concerning Genesis 1.26 and 3.22:
There is no support in the OT for most of the proposed explanations: the royal “we,” the deliberative “we,” the plural of fullness, or an indication of a plurality of persons in the Godhead…. The only theory that uses the language of the OT itself is that which claims God is here addressing the heavenly court, as in Isa 6:8. That God was believed to consult with spiritual creatures in heaven is revealed by the scenes described in 1 Kgs. 22:19-22 and Job 1:6–2:6. Hence the consultative “we” has support from other texts, and it fits both the Gen. 1:26-27 and 3:22 on the assumption that Israel believed there were creatures in the heavenly realm (“the host of heaven,” 1 Kgs. 22:19) whose identity had something in common both with God and with human beings. The familiar objection that angels could not have participated in creation is a theological judgment about what is possible in heaven.
So, those to whom God spoke the words “us” and “our”—in Genesis 1.26, 3.22, and 11.2—probably were a special class of angels. Perhaps they were members of his royal council or “the seven spirits of God,” that is, “the seven angels who stand before God” (Revelation 1.4; 8.2), who probably are seven archangels. Regardless, the book of Genesis has no substantial evidence that they were two members of a supposed Trinity. Trinitarian Murray Harris states, “It would be inappropriate for elohim [God] or yhwh [Yahweh] ever to refer to the Trinity in the OT when in the NT theos regularly refers to the Father alone and apparently never to the Trinity.”
Note: This article is authored by Servetus the Evangelical, a.k.a. Kermit Zarley. Visit his website ServetusTheEvangelical.com to read fifty such articles. They represent condensations of his well-researched, biblically in-depth, 600-page book entitled The Restitution of Jesus Christ (2008).
Source: http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/articles/faq/is-the-trinity-in-genesis
Three Visitors to Abraham:
IN Genesis 18 Three Visitors come to Abraham and are received in unison , called Lord and bowed to, and the three Visitors answer Abraham twice in Unison and there is not one of the visitors, surpassing the other two to step out and answer Abraham, who called out “Lord” . So this revelation of Moses’ Law is about how God is One Being, but able to be Three Persons, without Material Rational doubts about it. God is able to be all the angels, spirits , powers, principalities and be One.
Appearance of God in three persons simultaneously in Genesis 18 is not proved even in the same chapter. The three visitors to Abraham are considered to be angels by many commentators of Bible,[Geneva Bible Footnotes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary]. Angels may be representatives of God. השתחיה vaystachu “bow,” or bend the body in token of respect to God or man. O Lord. – Abraham uses the word אדני ‘adonay denoting one having authority, whether divine or not. Abraham is accustomed to the divine presence, and it is quickly felt by him; God appears to Abram in a vision, and gives him great encouragement, Ge 15:1, hence three angels are not God, but God communicating with Abraham in presence of three angels. Abraham addresses himself first to one person Ge 18:3, then to more than one Ge 18:4-5. It is stated that “‘they’ said, So do Ge 18:5, ‘they’ did eat Ge 18:8, ‘ they’ said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife” Ge 18:9. Then the singular number is resumed in the phrase “‘and he said'” Ge 18:10, and at length, “The Lord said unto Abraham” Ge 18:13, and then, “and he said” Ge 18:15. Then we are told “‘the men’ rose up, and Abraham went with them” Ge 18:16. Then we have “The Lord said” twice Ge 18:17, Ge 18:20. And lastly, it is said Ge 18:22 “‘the men’ turned their faces and went toward Sodom, and Abraham was yet standing before the Lord.” From this it appears that other than the three angels in form of men and at all events, was the presence of Lord without any shape or form. The other verses of Bible which unambiguously mention about Oneness of God (Deuteronomy;6:4, Mark;12:29), Light (Isaiah;60:19; James; 1:17, 1John;1:5), Invisible (Job;23:8-9) Un-searchable (Job;11:7; 37:23;Psalms; 145:3; Isaiah; 40:28; Romans; 11:33), Omnipotent (Geneses17:1; Exodus;6:3), Omniscient (Psalms;139:1-6; Proverbs;5:21), Omnipresent (Psalms;139:7; Jeremiah;23:23), Incomparable(Isaiah;44:7; Jeremiah;10:7), None like to Him (Exodus;9:14; Deutronomy;33:26; 2Samuel;7:22; Isaiah;46:5,9), Infinite (Psalms;147:5; Romans;11:33), Wonderful, Beyond human comprehension (Psalms;139:6), and Underived. (Job;21:22; Isaiah;40:14). “I am God, and there is none like me.”(Isaiah;46:9).
God Need Not to Say, He is God:
It is argued that God is not required to say that He is God, like a doctor does not keep saying he is a doctor, so Jesus Christ did not say openly that he was God. It is well known fact that a person becomes a doctor after prolonged studies and efforts well known to people all around. God has His signs which prove His existence. As God says: “O Mankind! Worship your Lord Who created you and created those who came before you; by doing this you may expect to guard yourself against evil.”(Qur’an;2:21). Similarly it is mentioned in the Bible: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve.”(Luke;4:8). Hence if Jesus asks his followers to worship the God, he would have also asked them to worship him if he claimed to be God but he did not do so because he knew that he was not God but His messenger.
Seen Me, Seen Father:
Jesus said that: ‘he who seen me has seen the Father’ so it is argued that he was divine. According to the Gospel of John: “Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father’?”(John;14:8-9). This verse once read in conjunction with other verses the matter gets clarified: “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.”(John;1:18), “They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(John;8:19), “Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”(John;14:23-24), “He who hates me hates my Father also.”(John;15:23). “They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(John;8:19), “Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.”(John;6:46-47).
It is evident that; No one has ever seen God, phrase ‘seeing God’ is not used in lateral sense but metaphorically. Hence here, ‘seeing God’ means knowing, loving, believing and acting on the will of God (perform good deeds) and his prophet, Jesus. God says: “O believers! Obey God, obey the Prophet (Qura’n;4:59).
Thomas Said ‘My Lord My God’:
After the episode of crucifixion (crucifiction), Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus did not believe that Jesus was alive, till he puts his fingers in the wounds of Jesus. Eight days later, Jesus walks once more into the upper-room, and he finds Thomas there this time: “Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.”(John;20:27).Thomas realizes the heel he has been. He had signally rejected every proof that Jesus was alive! Every other disciple, beside Judas Iscariot the traitor, had testified that they had seen Jesus and felt him and eaten food with him, but Thomas would not believe! What would he not believe? That the living, pulsating Jesus was making his rounds – Not a ghost of Jesus. Now, being confronted with the physical reality of his presence, demonstrating his physical, material body, he was forced to exclaim: “My Lord and my God!” (John;20:28). The mark of exclamation (!) was not there in King James Version of Bible, but after thorough research, it has been placed in ‘Revised Standard Version’ of Bible. Did Thomas realize at that juncture that Jesus Christ was his Jehovah? Did he and the other disciples fall down in prostration before him? Never! His words were the words of self-reproach commonly uttered by people in routine, if some one missed the train and say; “My God! I missed the train!” It does not imply that the listener is being addressed as God. Hence the incidence does not prove the divinity of Jesus.
The Alpha and Omega:
Jesus claimed divinity, the argument goes, when he said: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (King James Version; Revelation;1:8). Alpha (The 1st), Omega (the last) are the attributes of God. However in the Revised Standard Version, biblical scholars corrected the translation and wrote: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (RSV;Revelation;1:8). A correction was also made in the New American Bible produced by Catholics. The translation of that verse has been amended to put it in its correct context as follows: “The Lord God says: ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ ” Hence after this correction, it becomes evident that this was a statement of God wrongly attributed to Jesus. [Also see in Bible Myths; http://bible-pedia.blogspot.com/2011/10/jesus-christ-ass-creator-and-alpha-and.html
Melchizedek with no beginning no end:
He is an other person, high priest mentioned in Bible, who has more God like characteristics but he is not called God.
About God it is said: ” . . . even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). And, “Your throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting” (Psalm 93:2)
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.… [Hebrews 7:1-4]
John 6:42: They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
While Melchizedek is not called called, why Jesus?
Jesus asked to pray to him – John 14:14
It is claimed that the only one verse where Jesus says that people should pray to him (Jesus) is:John 14:14: “”If you ask [αἰτήσητέ aitēsēte] Me anything in My name, I will do it.”. If we analyse it critically in the Greek word used here is αἰτήσητέ [aitēsēte] meaning “you ask.” now if we move to John 14:16 “And I will pray [ἐρωτήσω erōtēsō] the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”. The difference of Greek words may be noted. Then later the supremacy of Father is clarified at; John 16:23 “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name”.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible; Joh 14:14. If ye shall ask anything,… These words are much, the same with the former, and have been thought, by some, to have crept into the text from the margin; though they seem rather to be repeated by Christ, the more to strengthen and confirm the faith of his disciples in this matter;
People’s New Testament: We must ask in his name, or, in dependence upon the merit and intercession of Christ. As shown elsewhere, we must come with a spirit of complete submission to the Father’s will, feeling that his will is best, and saying in our hearts, Thy will be done (Mt 6:10 Lu 11:2). [http://bible.cc/john/14-14.htm]
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: 1John 4:12-17 Whatever we ask in Christ’s name, that shall be for our good, and suitable to our state, he shall give it to us. To ask in Christ’s name, is to plead his merit and intercession, and to depend upon that plea. [http://bible.cc/john/14-14.htm].
It is clear that John 14:14, is not an authentic one, crept in from marginal notes, however even if accepted, it merely highlight the intersession of Jesus Christ to God, not making him God. It is supported by John 16:23 “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name“. There are 90 passages wherein it is declared that all prayers and praises ought to be offered to Him, and that everything ought to be ultimately directed to his honor and glory; while of the Son no such declaration is ever made.
The Pre-Existence of Christ- ‘I Am’:
It is claimed that Jesus is divine because he existed prior to his appearance on earth: “Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”(John;8:58). However, the concept of the pre-existence of the prophets and of man in general, exists in both the Qur’an and the Old Testament: “Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah;1:4-5).
Prophet Solomon said: “Ages ago I was set up at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water, Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world When he established the heavens, I was there.”(Proverbs;8:23-27).
God addressed Prophet Job: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding… You Know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!” to (Job;38:4 & 21). In the Qur’an, God says: “When your Lord gathered all of Adam’s descendants (before creation) and made them bear witness for themselves, saying: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They all replied: Yes indeed, we bear witness. [That was] so you could not say on the Day of Judgment: ‘We were unaware of this.” (Qur’an;7:172).
Accordingly, the statement of Prophet Jesus; “Before Abraham was, I am,” cannot be used as evidence of his divinity. Jesus ostensibly have spoken about God’s knowledge of His prophets, which predates the creation of this world in the perspective of John;8:54-58.
One with God:
While quoting out of context, Jesus is reported to have said, “I and the Father are one.” (John;10:30), hence he is considered to be claiming divinity. However, when the Jews accused him of claiming divinity, based on that statement, “Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, Ye are gods?” He clarified for them, with a scriptural example well known to them, that he was using the metaphorical language of the prophets which should not be interpreted as ascribing divinity to himself or to other human beings. Further evidence is drawn, whereby people asked Jesus to show them the Father, and he reportedly said: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.” (John;14:10-11).
These expressions would imply Jesus’ divinity, if the rest of the Gospel of John is disregarded because, Jesus is also recorded as saying to his disciples, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”(John;14:20). Thus, combined result of Jesus’ statements at (John;14:10-11) and (John;14:20) is that: Jesus was with the Father and Father in Jesus, disciples of Jesus in Jesus and Jesus in them (disciples), hence Father in Jesus and all his 12 disciples, ‘all one’; 14 Gods![1+1+12=14] Jesus did not mean physical union. These symbolic statements mean oneness of purpose and not oneness of essence.
The symbolic interpretation is further accentuated when Jesus said, “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” (John;17:20-21).
In the Beginning was the ‘Word’:
The most frequently quoted ‘proof’ for Jesus’ divinity is: “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, full of grace and truth…” (John;1:1&14). It is to be kept in view that, these statements were not made by Jesus Christ, nor were they attributed to him by the author of the Gospel according to John. Consequently, these verses do not constitute evidence for Jesus’ divinity, especially considering the doubts held by Christian scholars about the Fourth Gospel. Most of the Bible scholars opine that: “The two pictures painted by John and the synoptic gospels (i.e., the Gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke) cannot both be historically accurate….The words attributed to Jesus in the Fourth Gospel are the creation of the evangelist for the most part, and reflect the developed language of John’s Christian community.”
Logos:
The Greek term used by the anonymous author of the Fourth Gospel (by John) for “word” is logos. In doing so, the author identifies Jesus with the pagan logos of Greek philosophy, which was the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning. The idea of the logos in Greek thought may be traced back at least to the 6th-century-BC philosopher, Heracleitus, who proposed that there was a ‘logos’ in the cosmic process analogous to the reasoning power in man. Later, the Stoics [Stoics; are members of a Greek school of philosophy, founded by Zeno about 308 B.C., believing that human beings should be free from passion and should calmly accept all occurrences as the unavoidable result of divine will or of the natural order.] defined the logos as an active, rational and spiritual principle that permeated all reality. The Greek-speaking Jewish philosopher, Judaeus Philo of Alexandria (15 BC-45 CE), taught that the logos was the intermediary between God and the cosmos, being both the agent between God and the cosmos, being both the agent of creation and the agent through which the human mind can comprehend God. The writings of Philo were preserved and cherished by the Church, and provided the inspiration for a sophisticated Christian philosophical theology. He departed from Platonic thought regarding the Logos (Word) and called it “the first-begotten Son of God”.
The identification of Jesus with the ‘Logos’ was further developed in the early Church as a result of attempts made by early Christian theologians and apologists to express the Christian faith in terms that would be intelligible to the Hellenistic world. Moreover, it was to impress their hearers with the view that Christianity was superior to, or heir to, all that was best in pagan philosophy. Thus, in their apologies and polemical works, the early Christian Fathers stated that Christ was the ‘Preexistent Logos’.
The Greek word for ‘God’ used in the phrase “and the Word was with God,” is the definite form hotheos, meaning ‘The God’. However, in the second phrase “and the Word was God”, the Greek word used for ‘God’ is the indefinite form tontheos, which means ‘a god’. Consequently, John;1:1, should more accurately be translated, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” Therefore, if the Word was a ‘god’ in the literal sense, it would mean that there were two Gods and not one. However, in Biblical language, the term ‘god’ is used metaphorically to indicate power. For example, Paul referred to the devil as “god” in 2nd Corinthians;4:4, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.” Moses is also referred to as “god” in Exodus;7:1, “And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.” Jesus is clearly mentioned as a man and messenger of God: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know”(Acts;2:22).
‘Word’ As Command:
Miraculous birth of Jesus through ‘Word form God’ has been mentioned: “When the angels said “O Mary! God gives you the good news through a Word from Him (kalimah min -hu) that you will be given a son: his name will be Messiah, (Jesus Christ) the son of Mary…”(Qur’an;3:45). “She said: “O my Lord! how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?” He said: “Even so: God creates what He Wills; whenever He decides to do anything, He only says (Word) it to ‘Be’ and it is!.”(Qur’an;3:47). Similarly, the act of creation through command (word) is also mentioned in Bible: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”(Genisis;1:3), “And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven” .”(Genisis;1:20).“for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities- all things were created through him and for him.”(Clossians;1:16).
Hence the ‘Word form God’ implies ‘the Order of Creation’ by God through His word or command. The word or command of God can not be equated with God as the revelations to the messengers are words of God but not God. The Word is of God, it is His but not Him. If Mr. X says ‘pen’, the word ‘pen’ is the word by Mr. X but ‘pen’ is not Mr. X himself.
Son of God:
It is claimed that since Jesus is the only begotten son of God and the son is like father, so Jesus is divine. According to the Bible of King James Version of 1611 : “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(John;3:16). According to the Greek Dictionary of The New Testament’; by James Strong The word ‘Son’ is the English translation of word; uiJo>v,-hwee-os’; used in the ancient Greek script, means a “son” (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figurative kinship: child, foal, son.
The word ‘begotten’ used here (John;3:16) has been expunged in the Revised Standard Version of Bible, being wrongly added because word ‘begotten’ does not exist in the original Greek script. “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.”(1John;4:7). Here, ‘born’ is the translation of Greek: genna>w,-ghen-nah’-o; meaning: ‘to procreate [properly of the father, but by extension of the mother; figurative to regenerate: bear, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring; Translation from ‘Greek Dictionary of The New Testament’; by James Strong]. According to this verse, the millions of people who love God, are born of God, obviously ghen-nah’(beget) has been used metaphorically, in the sense of knowing and closeness to God, like at John;3:16.
Expression: Son of God as Servant of God:
The Hebrews believed that God is ONE, and had neither wife nor children in any literal sense; hence it is obvious that the expression “son of God” merely meant to them “Servant of God”; one who, because of his faithful service, was close and dear to God, as a son is to a father. Christians who came from a Greek and Roman background, later misused this term. In their heritage, “son of God” signified an incarnation of a god or someone born of a physical union between male and female gods. When the Church cast aside its Hebrew foundations, it adopted the pagan concept of “son of God”, which was entirely different from the Hebrew usage. Consequently, the use of the term “son of God” should only be understood from the Semitic symbolic sense of a “servant of God”, and not in the pagan sense of a literal offspring of God. In the four Gospels, Jesus is recorded as saying: “Blessed are the peace-makers; they will be called sons of God.”(Mathew;5:9), “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of god.”(Romans; 8:14). The term ‘Son of God’ has been used numerously for people near to God like Prophet Jacob, Solomon, David in the Bible. (Some references are; 2nd Samuel 8:13-14, Psalms 89:26-27: of Job 1:6, “Psalms 2:7, in Luke 4:41, Hosea;1:10, Jeremiah;31:9, Job;2:1,38:4-7, Genesis;6:2, Deuteronomy;14:1, Luke;3:38, Exodus;4:22-23, 2Samuel;8:13-14, Psalms;2:7, 89:26-27, Luke; 4:41 and 9:22). Even the angels are referred to as ‘sons of God’: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.” (Job;1:6).
Son of Man & Son of God in New Testament:
In the Gospels Jesus is reported to have repeatedly called himself “Son of man”(Mathew; 9:6, Luke;9:22). No less than eighty five places term “Son of man” has been mentioned in New Testament. Jesus even rejected being called “Son of God”: “And demons also came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”(Luke;4:41). God says: “Further to warn those who say “God has begotten a son.” They have no knowledge, nor do their forefathers. Dreadful is the word that comes from their mouths. They speak nothing but a lie.”(Qur’an;18:4-5). Hence in the Bible, wherever Jesus, prophets or others are referred as son or sons of God, it is metaphorical and not in literal sense. Consequently claim of divinity of Jesus is not valid.
Jesus Addressed as God, Father:
An other argument given to support the divinity of Jesus is that Jesus addressed God as Abba Father, hence he was son of God, so divine: “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father”(Romans;8:15). The Hebrew word Abba~,-ab-bah’; is of Chaldee origin means father, similarly the word used in the ancient Greek script is path>r -pat-ayr’; means “father, parent”(literal or figurative, near or more remote). Hence the use of the term abba, “dear father” by Jesus’ should be understood similarly: The word ‘Father’ is used for the ‘God’ or the ‘Lord’ not as biological father but metaphorically in the spiritual sense as The Creator & Sustainer at many places in the Bible: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God.”(Romans;8:14). “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation”(Psalms;89:26), “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”(Mathew;5:48),“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven” (Mathew;6:1); “But you, when you pray, enter into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.”(Mathew; 6:6),“Be not therefore like them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him”(Mathew;6:8);“After this manner therefore pray: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name”(Mathew; 6:9);“For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.” (Mathew; 6:32), Jesus said to Mary; “…go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father; and to my God, and your God….” (John; 20:17).
Metaphorical use of word ‘Father’ in Bible:
The metaphorical use of word ‘Father’ is also found with other prophets in Bible, Joseph saying: “And now it was not you sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and governor over all the land of Egypt.”(Genesis;45:8), “… Abraham; for a father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.”(Genesis;17:5), and Job is called the father of the needy (Job;29:16). Again by theologians alluding to Psalms;110, Jesus is a called Priest or a Father of the priesthood, forever. “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.”(John;5: 37).“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” (Jhon;14:16). “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”.(John; 5:30).
Even in some of the writings of Paul, which the Church has taken to be sacred, Jesus (peace be upon him) is referred to as a “man”, distinct and different from God. Paul writes: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1Timothy;2:5). Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) did not say that to have the eternal life of paradise, man should believe in him as Almighty God or worship him as God, or believe that Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) would die for their sins. On the contrary he said that the path to salvation was through keeping the Commandments. It is indeed striking to note the divergence between the words of Prophet Jesus Christ and the Christian dogma of salvation through the sacrifice of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). James Barr has recently argued forcefully that it did not have the specially intimate sense that has so often been attributed to it, but that it simply meant “father”. To think of God as “our heavenly Father”(Mathew;6:14) was by no means new, for in the Lord’s prayer Jesus is reported to have taught his disciples to address God in this same familiar way: “Thus therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in the heavens, let thy name be sanctified,”(Mathew;6:9).
Jesus Addressed as Lord:
It is argued that since Jesus was addressed as ‘Lord’ and he did not object, hence it proves his divinity. [According to Oxford dictionary, ‘lord’ means: ‘master, lord and master, ruler, leader, chief, monarch, sovereign, king, emperor, prince, governor, commander, captain, overlord, suzerain, baron, potentate, liege, nobleman, peer, aristocrat, feudal lord, landowner, lord of the manor, seigneur; duke, earl, viscount. To believe in the Lord God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ, Christ the Lord, the Redeemer, the Saviour.’] According to a research, the word Lord has been used in New Testament KJV, at 736 places, out of this, at 731 places word Lord is used as translation of Greek;koo’-ree-os; [ku>riov from ku~rov meaning: (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication Mr. (as a respectful title): God, Lord, master, Sir]. According to ancient Greek scripts, Jesus has been referred respectfully as; koo’-ree-os, translated as ‘Lord’, where as it also means Sir, Mr. (as a respectful title). Hence instead of using Lord for Jesus as one of the meanings of koo’-ree-os, Jesus could have also been addressed as master, Sir or Mr. as a respectful title. Word ‘Lord’ besides being used as a title for God has also been used as respectable title for husband and man of authority or ruler in Old Testament: “And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord (husband) being old also?”(Genesis;18:12). In Genesis;44:18-20, the brothers of Joseph addressed him ‘Lord’ as a token of respect because Joseph was holding the seat of high authority in the government of Egypt. [‘Lord’, here is the translation of Hebrew; ynda; ‘adown, aw-done, meaning to rule; sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine): lord, master, owner. In Old Testament for ‘The One God’, a special name from Hebrew; hwhy-Yhovah, yeh-ho-vaw’; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:- Jehovah, the Lord’ has been used for example at Genesis;25:23-24.]
At five places (Luke;2:29, Acts;4:24, 2Peter;2:1, Jude;1:4, Rev;6:10) word Lord is used as a translation of Greek; despo>thv, des-pot’-ace; meaning: an absolute ruler (“despot”); Lord, master. It is mentioned in New Testament that; Simeon was a righteous and devout man of Jerusalem; he was looking for the promised comforter of Jews. When child Jesus was brought at the temple, Simeon took him up in his arms, blessed God and said; “Lord (des-pot’-ace), now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word :(Luke;2:29). Richard Francis Weymouth in; ‘The New Testament In Modern Speech’ has translated it as: “Now, O Sovereign Lord (des-pot’-ace), Thou dost send Thy servant away in peace, in fulfillment of Thy word, (Luke;2:29). Obviously here word Lord (des-pot’-ace) has been used for The God, the Supreme Deity. Similarly the other verses: “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God (theh’-os) with one accord, and said, Lord(des-pot’-ace), thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:”(Acts;4:24);“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord (des-pot’-ace-despothV) that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”(2Peter;2:1). “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord (des-pot’-ace) God (theh’-os-, deity, God),, and our Lord (kurioV kurios koo’-ree-os; Mr. as a respectful title, God, Lord, master, Sir) Jesus Christ.”(Jude;1:4).“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord (des-pot’-ace), holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”(Revlation;6:10). It is evident that the Greek; des-pot’-ace has been translated as Lord for God, ‘husband’ and ‘man of authority’ in Bible. The Greek; koo’-ree-os, has also been translated as Lord for more than one meaning including God, the titles of respect like Mr. Sir and master; which has been used for Jesus, hence it does not support the claim of divinity of Jesus by claimants.
Jesus Called Rabbi:
It is claimed that since Jesus was addressed as Rabbi, hence he was divine: “Now there was one of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus a ruler among the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God; for no one can do these miracles which you are doing, unless God is with him.”(John;3:1-2). Word ‘Rab’ (Hebrew:br rab) has its origin from Aramaic, meaning : captain, elder, chief, full, great, lord, master, stout, mighty, exceedingly, abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality). An expounder of the (Jewish) law is called a Rabbi: doctor (teacher) of the law. Rabbi, as an official title of honor: Master, Rabbi.
Jesus Accepted Worship?
Hebrews had various traditions of paying homage and respect, which may be confused to mean ‘worship’. Some have been mentioned in the Bible: Bowing frequently to the ground (Genesis;33:3-4); Falling prostrate on the ground (Esther;8:3; Mathew;2:11; Luke;8:41); Embracing and kissing the feet (Mathew;28:9; Luke;7:38,45); Kissing the dust (Psalms;72:9; Isaiah;49:23). Some example are: And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;”(Genesis;19:1); “And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,”(Genesis;18:2); “And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.”(Judges;19:20).
It is reasoned that Jesus is divine because he accepted the worship of some of his followers. Conversely, a closer look at the texts indicates that this view is based on dubious translation and misinterpretation. The term “worship” is found in the narrative mentioned in ‘King James Version’ and ‘The Revised Standard Version’, about three wise men who came from the East. They were reported to have said, “Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.”(Matthew;2:2). The word translated as worship, form the ancient Greek script is ‘pros-koo-neh’-o’(proskune>w-proskun’ew) probably derivative of Koo’-Ohn (ku>wn-ku’wn);a primary word; a dog, “hound”, literal or figurative) dog (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literal or figurative) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): worship. A careful look at the narrative in perspective reveal that the wise men of east came to see the ‘King of Jews’, not the ‘God of Jews’, the logical meanings of the Greek word ‘proskune>w-proskun’ew’ should be Prostrate Oneself In Homage (do reverence to, adore) as customary done in the East to the kings. The men of East did not say; ‘Where is the baby born to be the God of the Jews? Had they instead of king said ‘God of Jews’, the possibility to WORSHIP him would have had some rationale.
The worship as related to God, is mentioned in an other place in Bible: “We know that God hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he hears. Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”(John;9:31-33). Here besides calling Jesus as a man from God, the word ‘worshipper of God’ is used which is translation of Greek word ‘qeosebh>v-theh-os-eb-ace’; (derived from qeo>v and se>bomai); meaning: reverent of God, i.e. pious – worshipper of God. Hence proper world for worship-related with God in Greek is ‘qeosebh>v-theh-os-eb-ace’ and not proskune>w,- pros-koo-neh’-o. In continuation of same narrative, the miraculously cured blind man said: “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”(John;9:38). The word worshipped used here for Jesus, is the translation of Greek word proskune>w,- pros-koo-neh’-o also used in verse Matthew;2:2, explained above, meaning Prostrate Oneself In Homage and not qeosebh>v- ‘theh-os-eb-ace’; used to express reverence and – worship of God.[Translations from; ‘Greek Dictionary of The New Testament’; by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D.]
The comparison of different translations of verse 9:38 of Gospel according to John is self explanatory:
- “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him” (King John’s Version)
- “He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him”(Revised Standard Version)
- “And he said, I believe, Lord: and he did him homage”(Darby Translation: by John Nelson Darby)
- “I believe, Sir,” he said. And he threw himself at his feet.”(By Richard Francis Weymouth)
- “and he said, “I believe, sir,’ and bowed before him.” (Young’s Bible 1863: By Robert Young).
The most accurate and relevant translations is found at serial 5), ‘Young’s Bible Translation New Testament 1863 Version: Translated by Robert Young who translated ‘proskune>w,- pros-koo-neh’-o’ as bowed and not as worship.
In “The American Bible”, the scholarly translators added a footnote that: ‘This verse, omitted in important MSS (manuscripts), may be an addition for a baptismal liturgy. This verse is not found in important ancient manuscripts containing this Gospel. It is probably a later addition made by Church scribes for use in baptismal services’. George M. Lamsa, a renowned authority on the Bible and its original language, elucidate; ‘The Aramaic word seg-eed’, worship, also means to bend or to kneel down[cgid, seg-eed’; (Aramaic) worship, corresponding to Hebrew; cagad, saw-gad’; to prostrate oneself (in homage), fall down].
Easterners in greeting each other generally bowed the head or bent down. …‘He worshipped him’ does not imply that he worshipped Jesus in a manner as God is worshipped. Such an act would have been regarded as blasphemous and a breach of the First Commandment in the eyes of the Jews, and the man might have been stoned. But he knelt before him in token of homage and gratitude.’ Hence it is appropriate to understand the word worship used in the context for Jesus in the translations of New Testament, to mean ‘bowed in homage and gratitude’.
Jesus Preached to Worship only One God:
Jesus Christ repeatedly preached to worship only God: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”(Luke;4:8), “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.(John;4:23),“Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father(Islam: Surrender to will of God) who is in heaven On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers’.”(Mathew;7:21-23). “I John am he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God [qeo>v, theh’-os; the Supreme Divinity]”(Revelation;22:8).
The final scripture, the Qur’an, clarifies such issue by quoting a conversation which will take place between Jesus and God on the Day of Judgment: “When God will say: ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, did you tell people: “Worship me and my mother as two gods instead of God?” ’…(Jesus will say): ‘I only told them what You commanded me to say: “Worship God, my Lord and your Lord …” (Qura’n;5:116-7).
Jesus Performed Miracles with Will of God:
The performance of miracles by Jesus does not make him divine because previously many prophets have been performing miracles with the power and authority granted by God. Elisha served small quantity of bread to hundred people to their fill (2Kings;4:42-44), cured leper (2Kings;5:14), and blind (2Kings;6:17-21), raised the dead alive (2Kings;2:34), (2Kings;13:21). Elijah also raised the dead as alive (1Kings;17:21-24). Jesus walked over water, where as Moses took the children of Israel through the water: “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” (Exodus;14:22).
Hence performance of miracles is not the criteria to prove the divinity because they are performed with the power and will of God. Jesus cautioned against false prophets: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”(Mathew;24:24).
Jesus and The Prophesies of Isaiah:
Immanuel:
It is a common perception among the Christian theologians that the prophesy of advent of Jesus exist in Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah; “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin (hmle `almah al-maw’) shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”(Issiah;7:14). Here the word virgin is a translation of Hebrew word Mle `alam aw-lam’; means: young woman who is veiled, concealed, hidden, secret, damsel, maid, virgin. Al-maw’a is feminine of `µl,[,-`elem, eh’-lem; means properly, something kept out of sight, i.e. a lad: young man, stripling; eh’-lem; It is derived from alam, aw-lam’; a primitive root; to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively): – X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing).
In Hebrew; lawnme [‘Immanuw’el im-maw-noo-ale’]means; with us (is) God; Most of the scholars agree that Immanuel, is a type name of Isaiah’s son. It is evident that in actual perspective it is being mentioned at; Issiah;7:14, that a young woman will bear a son who shall be called by the name Immanuel. Translating al-maw’ as virgin, and name Immanuel in literal sense ‘God is with us,’ is nothing but interpolation, concoction to apply this prophesy to Jesus without any historic and literal justification, as it is well known fact that Jesus was never called Immanuel.
History & Analysis of Prophesies of Isaiah:
The historic milieu of the Prophesies of Isaiah have been explained at Encyclopedia Britannica:
During the Syro-Ephraimitic war (734-732 B.C), Isaiah began to challenge the policies of King Ahaz of Judah. Syria and Israel had joined forces against Judah. Isaiah’s advice to the young King of Judah was to place his trust in Yahweh. Apparently Isaiah believed that Assyria would take care of the northern threat. Ahaz, in timidity, did not want to request a sign from Yahweh. In exasperation Isaiah told the King that Yahweh would give him a sign anyway: “Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”(Issiah;7:14). [It is striking that ‘virgin’ has been replaced as ‘young woman’.] Thus, by the time this child is able to know how to choose good and refuse evil, the two minor kings of the north who were threatening Judah will be made ineffective by the Assyrians. The name Immanuel, “God is with us,” would be meaningful in this situation because God on Mt. Zion and represented in the person of the king would be faithful to his Covenant people.
Ahaz, however, placed his trust in an alliance with Assyria under the great conqueror Tiglath-pileser III. In order to give hope to the people, who were beginning to experience the Assyrian encroachments on Judean lands in 738 B.C, Isaiah uttered an oracle to “the people who walked in darkness”: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (la-‘el, ale), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”(Isaiah;9:6). Isaiah trusted that Yahweh would bring about a kingdom of peace under a ruler. ‘Mighty God’ has been translated from Hebrew; la-‘el, ale [which is a shortened from of lyia” -‘lya ‘ayil ah’-yil; which means, properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree: – mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram, tree. Hence lae – ‘el, ale; means; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity): God (god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong]. Hence proper meanings of lae-‘el, ale according to the context in this verse should be mighty man or strong man and not Mighty God.
This Prophesy is Not Applicable to Jesus:
As evident from analysis of verse, Isaiah;9:6:
(1) Jesus never desired to rule: “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”(John;18:36). “They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”(Mathew;22:21).
(2) The word ‘Mighty God’ is incorrect translation, however ‘God’ is used in Bible for prophets, metaphorically in the sense of power or judge, for example: “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a God to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”(Exodos;7:1); “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”(Psalms;82:6).
(3) ‘Everlasting’ has been used metaphorically indicating long period: “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.”(Ezekiel;37:25). “He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.” (Psalms;21:4).
(4) ‘Father’, (Hebrew; ba ‘ab awb) father is used in literal or figurative and remote application for forefather or chief. Joseph said: “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”(Genisis:45:8). Job said: “I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.”(Job;29:16).
The Prophecies of Deutero-Isaiah:
Second Isaiah contains the very expressive so-called Servant Songs. Writing from Babylon, the author begins with a message of comfort and hope and faith in Yahweh. The people are to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem, which has paid “double for all her sins.” As creator and Lord of history, God will redeem Israel, his chosen servant. Through the Servant of the Lord all the nations will be blessed: “I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.” The Suffering Servant, whether the nation Israel or an individual agent of Yahweh, will help to bring about the deliverance of the nation. Though Second Isaiah may have been referring to a hoped-for rise of a prophetic figure, many scholars now hold that the Suffering Servant is Israel in a collective sense. Christians have interpreted the Servant Songs, especially the fourth, as a prophecy referring to Jesus of Nazareth–“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…,”(Isiah;53:3) but this interpretation is theologically oriented and thus open to question, according to many scholars.
Trinity & Preaching to Gentiles:
The concept of God as preached by Jesus is of one God: “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (Mark;12:29), “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments. He said unto him, Which? Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother: and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man said unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If you will be perfect, go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”(Mathew;19:16-23). “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.(Ephesians;4:5-6).
Sir Issac Newton, great scientist & scholar rejected Trinity like many other thinkers:
However the Christians claim divinity of Jesus when, on the basis of: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”(Mathew;28:19).
An objective analysis, make this questionable because, although compiled from the same source, the Gospel according to Mark does not support this view: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”(Mark;16:15). Similarly in other books there is no mention of three: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”(Acts;2:38),“For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”(Acts;8:16), “And he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for a time.”(Acts;10:48). Therefore the early Churches did not adopt to baptize in the names of three.
As already mentioned, which is being repeated hare that; the only one verse in the whole of Bible which, the supporters interpreted to supports this Christian dogma, and that is: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.”(The first Epistle of John;5:7,8). (in some volumes this changed as : “There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree”. In the foot not of this verse in ‘New International Version Bible’ it is written; ‘not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteen century. Dr C.I, Scofield, D.D. backed by eight other D.D.’s in a footnote to this verse opine: “It is generally agreed that this verse has no manuscript authority and has been inserted.” The fundamentalist Christians still retain this fabrication whereas; in all the modern translations including the Revised Standard Version (RSV) this pious deceit has been unceremoniously expunged.
Jesus never claimed that he was sent for Gentiles; he insisted that he was sent for the Jews: “But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”(Mathew;15:24). He rather strictly forbade preaching Gentiles: “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”(Mathew;10:5-6), “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”(Mathew;19:28). Hence the conflicting references attributed to Jesus seems to be fabrication, concoction and interpolation.
Jesus Did Not Claim to be God:
God says:” Certainly they have disbelieved who say: “Christ the son of Mary is God.” While Christ himself said: “O children of Israel! Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever ascribes divinity to any one besides God, un to him will God deny paradise, and the hellfire will be his home. There will be no helper for the wrongdoers.( Qur’an;5:72). This statement of Jesus still exist in three Gospels:
“Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”(Mathew;4:10, Luke;4:8)
“Jesus said to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.”(John;2017).
According to the Christian scriptures Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) never claimed divinity. In fact there is not a single unequivocal statement in the entire Bible where Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) himself says, “I am God” or where he says, “worship me”. In fact the Bible contains statements attributed to Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) in which he preached quite the contrary: “My Father is greater than I.” (John;14:28). “My Father is greater than all.”(John;10:29). “…I cast out devils by the Spirit of God….” (Mathew;12:28). “…I with the finger of God cast out devils….” (Luke;11:20). “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”(John;5:30). Prophet Jesus refuted even the remotest suggestion of his divinity, as evident form Bible: “And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’ And he said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Mathew;19:16-17).
God says in Qur’an: “O people of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of God aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Apostle of God and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His Apostles. Say not “Trinity”: desist: it will be better for you: for God is One God: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs.(Qur’an;4:171). “Say: He is God the One and Only; God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being; He begets not, and neither is He begotten; and there is nothing that can be compared with Him.”( Qur’an;112:1-4).
Common Verses quoted to support Trinity-Explained:
The following are clear explanations of the verses in the Bible that Trinitarians have sometimes used in attempts to “prove” the Trinity and to substantiate that Jesus is God. Since there are an overwhelming number of very clear verses about Jesus Christ’s identity and his distinction from God, and since God’s Word has no contradictions, these comparatively few verses must fit with the many clear verses, and they do. http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/verses
Popular Claims of Divinity of Jesus: <<<<analysis >>>>>
Conclusion:
There is One, Single, Unique God, clearly mentioned in Bible:-
- In the New Testament seventeen passages, wherein the Father is styled one or only God, while there is not a single passage in which the Son is so styled.
- There are 320 passages in which the Father is absolutely, and by way of eminence, called God; while there is not one in which the Son is thus called.
- There are 105 passages in which the Father is denominated God, with peculiarly high titles and epithets, whereas the Son is not once denominated.
- There are 90 passages wherein it is declared that all prayers and praises ought to be offered to Him, and that everything ought to be ultimately directed to his honor and glory; while of the Son no such declaration is ever made.
- Of 1,300 passages in the New Testament wherein the word God is mentioned, not one necessarily implies the existence of more than one person in the Godhead, or that this one is any other than the Father.
- The passages wherein the Son is declared, positively, or by clearest implication, to be subordinate to the Father, deriving his being from Him, receiving from Him his power, and acting in all things wholly according to His will, are in number above 300.
- In a word, the supremacy of the Father, and the inferiority of the Son, is the simple, unembarrassed, and current doctrine of the Bible; whereas, that of their equality or identity is clothed in mystery, encumbered with difficulties, and dependent, at the best, upon few passages for support after twisting and manipulation.
Jesus will be questioned in the hereafter: “After reminding him of these favors, God will say: “O Jesus son of Marry, Did you ever say to the people, “worship me and my mother as gods beside God?” He will answer: “Glory to You! How could I say what I had no right to say? If I had ever said so, you would have certainly known it. You know what is in my heart, but I know not what is in Yours; for You have full knowledge of all the unseen. I never said anything other than what You commanded me to say, that is to worship God, Who is my Lord and your Lord. I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them; but when You called me off, You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to everything. If You punish them, they surely are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are Mighty, Wise.”(Qur’an;5:116-118). According to Bible Jesus said: “Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Islam: Surrender to will of God). On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers’.”(Methew;7:21-23).
Since present Bible is neither recorded in the original words of God revealed to the Prophets in their original languages nor the authenticity, and chain of narrators is well known, God sent His Last messenger and revealed the Last Testament, still available in the original revealed form & language. It is incumbent upon humanity to consult Quran to seek guidance.
Articles on This Site:
- Evolution of Christiainity: http://wp.me/PCgrB-cH
- Monotheism in Christianity:http://wp.me/PCgrB-d2
- Initial impact of Islam on Christianity: http://wp.me/PCgrB-ec
- Also related: True Message of Jesus Christ and Perversion by Paul
Jesus Christ, Christianity and Bible
http://bible-christianity.blogspot.com
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Claims of Divinity of Jesus-Analysis: http://wp.me/PCgrB-dI http://goo.gl/WJ0lI
Melchizedek with no beginning no end:
” . . . even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). And, “Your throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting” (Psalm 93:2)
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.… [Hebrews 7:1-4]
John 6:42: They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
Keep reading through Index >>>>>
Index
- Trinity, Divinity of Jesus
- Judaism
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