Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 1:1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Gen 1:1; Is 9:6] |
Bible Question:
I have been talking to a Jehovah's Witnesses. We were discussing Hebrews 1. I was trying to point out the diety of Christ in Hebrews 1-9. As you know parts of this scripture reference the Psalms 45. My questions is: If the Psalms is addressing the king. Is the Psalms calling the king God. as in Hebrews. The Jehovah's Witnesses, say even though the king is being called a god doesn't mean he is the One True God as it in in Hebrews. He says that Jesus is being referenced as a God but not the one True God. Saying that God in this context means a God. And he goes on to say how can God, Your God ..be one in the same? |
Bible Answer: Novetta, This excerpt from a book on the Psalms which I am reading may help. "Psalm 45 is clearly a psalm about the Davidic king and seems to be a wedding psalm. Interestingly, some scholars like, Gary Rendsburg, see this psalm as northern in origin, which would provide another link to the two previous psalms. Mitchell seems to see the placement of this psalm after the plea from exile as an indication of God's plan to restore the land under the Davidic king: "Psalms 42-43 represent Israel in exile...Psalm 45 therefore becomes the answer to this prayer, revealing the redeemer, the bridegroom-king, who will turn Israel's sorrow to joy." "Furthermore, Mitchell shows how the content of Psalms 44 and 45 is much like the scheme of Zecarhiah 9-11. There Israel is described as gathered from exile where they have been "scattered" (Zech 10:9; 13:7; Ps 44:8) by a Davidic king (Zech 2:7-10; 12:7-14; Psalm 450, who comes "riding" in (Zech 9:9; Ps 45:4) as a bridegroom to a daughter/bride (Zech 9:9; Ps 45:10). "Arguably, the most intriguing part of Psalm 45 is it's declaration, "Your throne endures for ever and ever"(v. 6). While some scholars assert that this statement is directed at Yaweh, this does not seem to be the case. Indeed, ALL ancient versions of this passage outside of the Masoretic Text understand this to be a statement directed to the Davidic king, including the Septuagint, the Targums, the New Testament Book of Hebrews, Aquila, Summachus, the Peshitta, and the Vulgate. Hence, the kingship of David is inextricably linked to the kingship of God. This connection is made in 1 Chronicles 28:5: "[The Lord] has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord." Likewise, the Davidic kingdom is clearly understood as the kingdom of God: "[N]ow you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David" (2 Chron 13:8). "The close connection between the throne of David and the kingship of God is especially seen in the description of Zion as both the city of David and the city of God. Hence Zion is referred to as the "city of God" in Psalm 46:4. Psalm 47 then, is a psalm of God's kingship. This is followed by a song of Zion in Psalm 48. Thus a certain kingship/Zion interlocking patter is formed. Mount Zion manifests the union of the kingship of God with the Davidic dynasty. There is no tension between the two. God reigns through the Davidic king." Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God's Kingdom (p 95-97) Michael Barber Emmaus Road Publishing, 2001 Stubenville, OH Emmaus |