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NASB | Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son He says, "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 1:8 But about the Son [the Father says to Him], "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE SCEPTER OF [absolute] RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. |
Subject: is God and Jesus are one person? |
Bible Note: Johnny: The church has historically recognized that Jesus was one person having two distinct but inseparable natures, one human and one divine. Jesus' human nature does not have the characteristics of divinity. For example, Jesus' human body had a beginning; God the Son has always existed. Jesus the man became tired and hungry and thirsty, which does not happen to God. Jesus the man is localized in one place at one time, while the divine nature is omnipresent. Jesus the man grew in knowledge (Luke 2:40), while Jesus' divine nature is omniscient. And, obviously, Jesus had a body which could die, which is something that His divine nature cannot do. These are issues that the early church struggled with, since Jesus is God Himself who became a real human being without ceasing to be God. What the church codified is what is known as the Definition of Chalcedon: "Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us." Therefore, since Jesus was really God and really man, one can say that Jesus' divine, omniscient nature did not communicate to Jesus' human nature the hour of His second coming. This is really the only way to reconcile passages which speak of Jesus learning and not knowing with clear passages such as: "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17 and "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form," --Colossians 2:9 The fullness of Deity includes all of the eternal, immutable aspects of God: His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it this way, which I feel is the best summation of who Christ is: "Q. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever. Q. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? A. Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin." --Joe! |