Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | John 14:28 "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 14:28 "You heard Me tell you, 'I am going away, and I am coming back to you.' If you [really] loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going [back] to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. |
Bible Question:
We on this forum do not make Jesus greater than the Father. We have only said that Jesus humbled Himself and came to earth in the likeness of men, yet being God. In comparing Luke 14:7-24 and Matthew 22:1-22, who is "giving" the wedding feast? In the Kingdom Hall of heaven who will fill that wedding hall? What will be required of the guests? From the heart, Ray |
Bible Answer: Hello Ray, When there is a choice of alternatives, as when punctuation becomes vital, what the Bible itself says must be permitted to direct. (When the Bible was first written, there was no such thing as punctuation.) I know I’m not telling you anything here, just letting you know I agree with you. And the same principle holds true in beginning names with capital letters; it is up to the translator as to what use he makes of these. Thus, if like you, believe the holy spirit to be the third person of a Trinity will, of course, capitalize “Holy Spirit,” as at Acts 1:8, which reads (NEB): “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” But notice Ray, in the actual account when Jesus’ words were fulfilled, what do we read? “This will happen in the last days: I will pour out upon everyone a portion of my spirit.” (Acts 2:17, NEB) Where is the capital letter? It is not there! Why not? Because God could not pour out a portion of a coequal God; “spirit,” as used here, clearly could not refer to a person. Since this text relates to the very thing Jesus foretold at Acts 1:8, it must follow that he did not have a person in mind when he spoke of his apostles as receiving holy spirit, and so in Acts 1:8 it should not have been capitalized either. All of this is in harmony with the words of John the Baptist that, while he baptized with water, the coming One “will baptize you with holy spirit.” (Mark 1:8) One cannot be baptizing with another person but one can baptize others with water or with an active force, which is what God’s holy spirit is. So, as translators we must let the rest of God’s Word direct when there is a choice between renderings. Just thought I would write something on capitalization. Now to answer your question. :-) And you Ray wrote: We on this forum do not make Jesus greater than the Father. We have only said that Jesus humbled Himself and came to earth in the likeness of men, yet being God. Ray, “yet being God”. By capitalizing theos we understand “Almighty God Jehovah”. The Bible teaches that Jesus is indeed theos but only the Father is Almighty theos, thus being the true theos. Without question Jesus is to be loved, and honored (worshipped if you will) as the Son of the Almighty theos. He willingly left his heavenly position in the spirit realm became a mere man and died on behalf of mankind as a redemptive offer that was accepted by the Almighty theos. John 3:16 Just think about it, if the Almighty theos himself came to the earth and was to “prove that he could stay loyal to his Almighty theos”, what do we have? An illogical scenario. You Ray, ask me: In comparing Luke 14:7-24 and Matthew 22:1-22, who is "giving" the wedding feast? In the Kingdom Hall of heaven who will fill that wedding hall? What will be required of the guests? Well, “the master” providing the meal represents Almighty Jehovah theos; “the slave” extending the invitation, Mighty theos Jesus Christ; and the “grand evening meal,” the opportunities to be in line for the Kingdom of the heavens. What will be required of the guests? First, they have to be invited. Those first to receive the invitation to come in line for the Kingdom were, above all others, the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day. However, they rejected the invitation. Thus, beginning particularly at Pentecost 33 C.E., a second invitation was extended to the despised and lowly ones of the Jewish nation. But not enough responded to fill the 144,000 places in God’s heavenly Kingdom. So in 36 C.E., three and a half years later, the third and final invitation was extended to uncircumcised non-Jews, and the gathering of such ones has continued into our day. Tara |