To properly understand the Word of God, (Holy Scripture), one must begin with an exegesical exploration of the context, and original languages.  Exegesis is the proper method for ascertaining the Truth.  Eisegesis occurs when a reader reads his/her interpretation into the text.  As a result, exigesis tends to be objective when employed effectively; while eisegesis is regarded as highly subjective.

In these end-time days in which we live, many false teachers attempt to deceive.  Therefore, we will attempt to defend the Scriptures, when doctrinal truth is called into question!

 

The Name of the Lord . . .
Did Jesus Ever Claim To Be God?
Commentary on the News
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor

One of the most baffling claims I've heard repeated about Jesus is the one that says Jesus Christ never claimed to be God. Indeed, some will go so far as to say that Jesus Christ didn't even THINK He was God.

I read one critic's opinion that said 'if Jesus were alive today, He would be astonished and dismayed' to find Himself an object of worship.

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times, and I've seen it in print under the names of some otherwise fairly astute and intelligent authors.

There are as many opinions about Jesus as there are religious worldviews on this planet. Everybody wants to include Him as part of their own religious dogma, provided He doesn't mind playing second fiddle to their own deity.

There is a Muslim 'Jesus' [Isa] but the Muslim Jesus is not God. The Muslim Jesus wasn't born of a virgin, did not go to the Cross, and certainly never rose again from the dead. The Muslim Jesus was not God, but instead, he was a prophet and a teacher.

Jesus plays some kind of role in most the great pagan religions of the world. But with the exception of Christianity, the pagan Jesus was invariably depicted as a 'good man' or as a 'wise teacher'.

And for THAT reason, those who deny the Deity of Christ do so in order to keep their own religious doctrine from flying apart. If the real Jesus claimed to be God, then He was neither 'good' nor 'wise'.

'Good' men don't lie about who they are. 'Wise' men don't allow themselves to be executed to perpetuate a lie. If Jesus Christ wasn't God, but claimed He was, then He was a liar and a lunatic.

So whether or not Jesus Christ believed He was God is of critical importance to their doctrine. The Islamic Jesus says of himself,

He [Jesus] said: 'I am indeed a servant of God. He has given me revelation and made me a prophet; He has made me blessed wheresoever I be; and He has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable. So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)!' Such was Jesus the son of Mary. It is a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is." (Sura 19:30-35).

So Islam's Jesus is NOT the begotten Son of God -- because it does not befit their god to have a son.

"Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how God makes His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!" (5:75).

For Islam to recognize that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God would require throwing out the Koran.

The Koran advances the belief that Mohammed was the final prophet of God. But if Jesus had claimed to be the only begotten Son of God, then Mohammed would not only be a liar, he would have been unnecessary.

Or Jesus would have to be exposed as a fraud. Since Mohammed evidently couldn't credibly deny His existence, the best he could do instead was 'adopt' Him as a mascot.

Islamic theology relies on Mohammed being superior to Jesus, but makes no claim that Mohammed was divine. If Jesus therefore simply CLAIMED to be the Son of God, then Mohammed would either be an inferior prophet, or Isa couldn't be a prophet at all.

In either case, Islam's foundational stone would crumble.

Most cults find a way to reduce Jesus to the status of a created being, for the same reason. If Jesus claimed to be God, then their god can't be, or they wouldn't need a Jesus.

They'd have their own 'Jesus' and wouldn't need to recreate ours to fit their image.

To the Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ isn't the Eternal God, but rather, a creation OF God.

Charles Taze Russell accomplished this transformation by including a single letter in the text of John 1:1 in his 'New World Translation: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was [a] god."

The Mormons not only deny the Deity of Christ, they deny the Deity of God Himself. The Mormon God was once a man himself, and Jesus Christ was really Satan's smarter brother.

Mormons believe that God liked the plan for the salvation of mankind that Jesus submitted better than the one that Satan came up with. So Jesus got to be the Savior of Mankind, and Lucifer became Satan out of sibling rivalry.

All the cults who claim Jesus do so on the grounds He was either a good man and a wise teacher or that He was merely another prophet sent from God.

If at some point, Jesus claimed to be God come in the flesh, then He could be neither.

Consider this. There are somewhere between a billion and two billion Muslims on this planet. They not only believe He was just another prophet, their entire religion demands it.

It isn't that Islam would crumble if Jesus WAS Divine, it would crumble if Jesus simply BELIEVED He was Divine. As previously noted, if He believed He was the Son of God, He could NOT be a prophet of God. He could only be Who He claimed to be, or He would be a liar. There is no logical third option.

If He said He was the Son of God, He cannot be a prophet. And if He thought that He was, and was mistaken, deluded or insane, well, then He cannot be a prophet, as Islam claims.

Jesus never said, "I am God" in the English Bible. Instead, the Bible quotes Jesus as saying, "before Abraham was, I am." "I am" is one of the Hebrew Names for God. When Moses asked God to identify Himself, He replied, "I am that I am. Tell them that I AM sent you."

To the Jews living under the Mosaic Law, "I AM" could only be a reference to the God Who handed Moses the two tablets.

Jesus knew exactly what He was saying, and so did the assembled Jews. Abraham lived around 2160 BC; about as far removed from Christ's time as Christ's time was from our point on the timeline. What else could claiming present-tense existence before Abraham's time possibly mean?

Whether it is clear to the modern-day critics what He was saying, it was plenty clear to the Jews of Jesus' day. After He made the claim, the Jews prepared to stone Him for blasphemy, but He slipped away in the crowd.

To somehow see this as a claim of anything other than one of Divinity is an act of intellectual desperation. What else could it POSSIBLY mean? If I said to you, "before Jesus was, I am," how would YOU, a non-Jew living in 21st century, interpret that remark?

If YOU see it that way, how could the religious Jews of the 1st century have interpreted it to mean something different?

Matthew 28:18 records Jesus saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Who has ALL authority in heaven and earth?

Who does Islam think that refers to? Mohammed? Hardly. Only Allah is all-powerful. Who do the Jehovah's Witnesses believe has all power in heaven and earth? Or the Mormons? Or any other religion that co-opts Christ in a supporting role?

Jesus claimed to be "Lord of the Sabbath". Who did the Jews believe was the Lord of the Sabbath? (Answer: the One Who gave Moses the tablets. They knew Him as "I AM".)

Jesus said that authority was given Him to forgive sins. Remember, He was addressing the most religious Jews of His day -- they knew that the authority to forgive sins belongs to God alone.

Jesus claimed to be the "light of the world' that provides salvation. David identified Jehovah as his "light and salvation." (Psalms 27:1)

Jesus identified Himself as "the Good Shepherd" who was 'sent to the lost sheep of Israel' (Matthew 15:24) Ezekiel 34:11 identifies the Good Shepherd; "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out."

Jesus said He would separate the sheep nations from the goat nations. Ezekiel 34:17 says that this is a function of God:

"And as for you, My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats."

Jesus said of His sheep: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:27-28)

Now, is it even POSSIBLE that the observant Jews of Israel circa AD 30 could be confused as to the identity of the One Who gives eternal life? Can you conceive of the possibility that the observant Jews of circa AD 30 were unfamiliar with the identity of the "Great I AM"?

Or that there is any other way for the Jews to have understood Christ's claim to be anything less than Divinity? What was the charge under which Christ was convicted by the Sanhedrin?

Did Jesus ever directly claim to be the Christ, the Son of God? You tell me.

"Again the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I AM:" (Mark 14:61-62)

Is this unclear?

If one requires proof that Jesus Christ is real, and that Jesus Christ IS the only-begotten Son of God, the most convincing evidence is found in the number of religions that co-opted Him into it -- to lend themselves legitimacy.

Why do the religions that claim Christ do so? And having done so, why claim a watered-down version of who He is? The reason they cannot deny Him outright is -- because He is real.

And the reason they cannot acknowledge Him for Whom He claims to be is because it would expose their own doctrine as false.

Even acknowledging that He made the claim of Divinity exposes that religion as false. If He claimed Divinity, but was merely a man, He has no credentials as a prophet of God. God cannot lie.

If Jesus was a liar Who allowed Himself to be executed to perpetuate a myth, then He has no credentials as a wise teacher. In either case, there would be no reason for any other religion to even WANT Him, let alone kidnap Him as their prophet.

In the final analysis, logic dictates that the Person of Jesus Christ was the Son of God, truly God and truly Man, Who lived a sinless life and died a sinner's death as full payment for the sins of mankind, and now sits at the Right Hand of the Father.

Or those religions who have adopted Him as their prophet are following a liar and a lunatic.

In either case, it exposes them as cheap counterfeits. If He is not Lord OF all, then He cannot be Lord AT All.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

That Name is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

© www.omegaletter.com

 

This question probably enters the mind of every pet owner, especially when they lose a beloved pet companion. We have pets that have personalities and feelings, and can think and reason. It seems as though whatever it is that makes each pet unique (a soul) is like that which makes each human unique. Therefore, we wonder if pets (or any other animals) go to heaven. Before going on, it is most important to state that if pets do go to heaven, their owners will also have to go to heaven to see them. The Bible makes it clear that the majority of people will not go to heaven—see Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14 (Mat 7:13,14) for one example. Therefore, it is critical that we remind everyone that they need to get right with God themselves or their chances of seeing a departed pet again are zero. There are numerous examples of animals associated with heaven (including 2 Kings 2:11, Revelation 5:13 and 19:11-14) or the “new creation” (Isaiah 65:17-25). Still, the question is “were these animals new creations or do these animals include reborn earthly creatures?” Let’s look at the facts. ·        Both mankind and animals are formed from the ground (Genesis 2:7, 19). This reveals that the physical bodies of both are similar, but it does not tell us about their immortality. ·        God’s covenant with Noah included both people and animals (Genesis 9:9-11). However, that covenant was not one of eternal life, but that He would not again destroy the earth with a flood. ·        The fourth commandment as recorded in Deuteronomy 5:12-15 includes a Sabbath rest for animals as well as people. Again, it reveals some equality between people and animals, but makes no statement regarding animals going to heaven. ·        God takes care of both men and animals (see Matthew 6:26 and Psalm 104—verses 14 and 27-30 in particular). Although death is mentioned in Psalm 104:29, we learn nothing regarding an afterlife. ·        At some future time, Christ (a Rod from the stem of Jesse) will bring about a time of peace where all animals and man will be in harmony (Isaiah 11:1-9). Still, the description is not necessarily of heaven, and these animals are not necessarily reborn animals. Notice the recurring theme, although animals are our “equals” in some ways, none of these passages tells us anything about whether an animal has eternal life. Some writers claim that “all things” in passages like Acts 3:19-21, Philippians 3:20,21, Hebrews 2:8, and Revelation 21:5 include animals. The passage in Romans 8:18-25 certainly does include animals as part of “the creation.” Still, none of these passages reveals that the animals and plants included in “the creation” are reborn rather than newly created. Ephesians 1:3-14 is a passage that speaks of redemption through Christ’s sacrifice. (Redemption concerns setting someone or something free that belonged to another.) Specifically, verse 10 states “that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” Here, “all things” is universal—spiritual and material. That is, this passage is speaking about bringing everything back to a perfect “Genesis chapter 1” condition. Again, this does not directly comment on the eternal life of animals. A Special Comment—This Topic’s Most Popular Passage Probably the most commonly cited passage used for “proof” that animals go to heaven is Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verses 18-22. Since it is so commonly cited, we will examine Ecclesiastes chapter 3 in some detail. First, King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He was (next to Christ) the wisest man to walk the earth. He was also the wealthiest person in the world and could have anything he wanted. As a result, he experimented with everything that this world could offer him. It takes little reading in the book of Ecclesiastes to learn the conclusion: all that the world could provide was meaningless. Next, let’s look at Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verses 10 and 11: 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.   Here we learn that God put eternity into the hearts of people. This makes a distinction between man and beast—not a physical distinction, but a spiritual one. (Notice the contrast with the other Bible passages dealing with animals. They do not refer to eternity or immortality.)   Next, verses 15 to 17 reveal that judgment is coming for wicked people: 15 That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.   16 Moreover I saw under the sun:  In the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there.   17 I said in my heart,  “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”   Of course, the average Jew (the original readers of this Bible text) probably thought, “this does not apply to me,” since they believed that physically being born a Jew (God’s chosen people) was their guarantee of entrance into heaven. Therefore, the text continues: 18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.   This puts the Jewish reader “in his place” (along with the rest of us). In verses 18-20, the perspective is clearly that of a physical comparison of man to animals. (Solomon already made the spiritual distinction of man in verses 10 and 11.) Now in verses 18-20, we see that both have breath, both die, and both go back to dust. These physical comparisons point towards a completely meaningless existence (from a physical or worldly perspective).   With the a spiritual distinction made in verses 10-11, and the physical comparison made in verses 18-20, we now come to verses 21 and 22. They ask two questions that bring the reader to the point of the entire chapter (and the entire book of Ecclesiastes, for that matter).   Question one: 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? Answer: The “who” is God.   Question two: 22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage.[1] For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Answer: Again, the “who” is God.   That is the point of Ecclesiastes: this world and what it has to offer us is meaningless by itself, therefore turn towards God, where you can find meaning. As Ecclesiastes states in chapter 12, verse 13: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.   [1] Note: People’s works only have to be their (meaningless) heritage if they ignore God. Anyone who gets right with God will have an eternal existence with Him forever in his kingdom. This is a heritage worth having.   So, where does that leave us? It leaves us with the truth—the Bible is silent regarding an afterlife for animals. However, we do have one hope. The key passage for this question does not deal with animals directly, but rather God’s promise to those who inherit God’s kingdom—those people who have gotten right with God and will go to heaven themselves. For them, the passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 applies: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”   Obviously, what God has prepared for us is wonderful beyond comprehension. Therefore, love your pets as much as you can while they are here. Those of us who go to heaven will later understand that everything worked out perfectly regarding our pets.   Copyright © 2000 by Clarifying Christianity (SM). Printed copies of this article may be circulated if it is reproduced in its entirety, along with this copyright notice. You may not charge for, request a donation for, or seek reimbursement from anyone for such copies.                       Links are OK. All rights reserved. All Bible passages were taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.   All information contained in Clarifying Christianity is a resource for questions dealing with Christian issues. It is not to be taken as Christian counseling. Seek a qualified Christian counselor for help with all such issues. If you choose to work with a Christian counselor, it is your responsibility to ask pertinent questions before you begin, to assure yourself of their qualities and abilities.