Subject: Which Church is the right one? |
Bible Note: Jesus, the Son of God. Hank, you asked in my theology, who is Jesus Christ. The name and title of the Son of God from the time of his anointing while on earth. The person who became known as Jesus Christ did not begin life here on earth. He himself spoke of his prehuman heavenly life. (John 3:13) Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man. (John 6:38,62) because I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me. 62 What, therefore, if YOU should behold the Son of man ascending to where he was before? (John 8:23,42,58) So he went on to say to them: “YOU are from the realms below; I am from the realms above. YOU are from this world; I am not from this world. 42 Jesus said to them: “If God were YOUR Father, YOU would love me, for from God I came forth and am here. Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth. 58 Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” John 1:1, 2 gives the heavenly name of the one who became Jesus, saying: “In the beginning the Word [Gr., Lo'gos] was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god [“was divine,” AT -- The Complete Bible—An American Translation (1939; as printed in 1951), J. M. Powis Smith and Edgar J. Goodspeed; Mo -- A New Translation of the Bible (1935; as printed in 1954), James Moffatt; or “of divine being,” Böhmer; Stage (both German)]. This one was in the beginning with God.” Since Jehovah is eternal and had no beginning (Psalm 90:2) Before the mountains themselves were born, Or you proceeded to bring forth as with labor pains the earth and the productive land, Even from time indefinite to time indefinite you are God. (Revelation 15:3) And they are singing the song of Moses the slave of God and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity. the Word’s being with God from “the beginning” must here refer to the beginning of Jehovah’s creative works. This is confirmed by other texts identifying Jesus as “the firstborn of all creation,” “the beginning of the creation by God.” (Col 1:15; Re 1:1; 3:14) Thus the Scriptures identify the Word (Jesus in his prehuman existence) as God’s first creation, his firstborn Son. That Jehovah was truly the Father or Life-Giver to this firstborn Son and, hence, that this Son was actually a creature of God is evident from Jesus’ own statements. He pointed to God as the Source of his life, saying, “I live because of the Father.” According to the context, this meant that his life resulted from or was caused by his Father, even as the gaining of life by dying men would result from their faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. (John 6:56,57) He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me forth and I live because of the Father, he also that feeds on me, even that one will live because of me. (continued) |