I'm gonna do some scriptural hopping to find out the clear biblical formula as opposed to any creeds that were formulated in councils of men for who exactly Jesus is.
Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. —1 John 5:1-5
The bible says that we can be born of God and that we are if we confess Christ and that God raised him from the dead ..So if we are born of God and we aren't the same God he is why is Christ if he is born of God as well?
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” —1 John 4:14, 15
And what does Son of God mean exactly?
Matthew 3:17 Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.”
John 10:36: do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and dispatched into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, I am God’s Son?
So Jesus is God's son and that is what son of God means. He is the most special one,made firstborn heir to a kingdom like no other but yet he remains a son.
Solomon, Adam, and Israel all sons of God in a special way.If God calls you his son it does not mean you are him but that he loves you dearly and you are favored.
One question I've heard is why did the Jews want to stone him for saying he was God's son if so many are..I can only assume because they thought he was somehow usurping God's sole rights but they were wrong.Scriptures let us know people were amazed that God had given such authority to a man!So no one thought he WAS GOD!They also knew he was making claims to be the Messiah but they simply didn't believe it.
He is “the apostle and high priest of our confession”—the “one mediator between God and men” (Heb. 3:1; 1 Tim. 2:5).
So here we have some more clear succint formulas of who Christ is ..high priest and mediator.
So he is high priest and high priests in scripture are to be served which does not make them God but those who have been appointed by God himself to be so.
According to the manner of Melchizedek is his priesthood..one that is not from appointment from man but from God and eternal once having begun.
“God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” —Acts 2:36
Interestingly,trinitarians have a God who had to be made Lord or his human nature did I should say which really doesn't make any sense at all since he is still one hundred percent man right?So why did his human nature have to be made Lord if he already was 100 percent God and his human nature supposedly retained nothing but humanity?Either his human nature is no longer really a human nature because it had to be made Lord supposedly again OR it is still 100 percent human as I've heard trinitarians say..Which is it?Both make moot of scripture..that Jesus was a perfect man who was exalted to the right hand of his father because he obeyed God not because he is God.
I'm probably inadvertantly misrepresenting something here in regards to the "2 natures" thing in my ditziness..if so,forgive me.
“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Rom. 10:9
I already covered how Jesus had to be MADE LORD and I confess that readily and without hesitation.I also confess that God raised him from death and that he is alive to plead for me now at God's right hand.Yet to Christians I'm not a christian at all.Interesting.
What does it mean when the bible says Jesus dies?How does the bible define death?.First let us establish that souls can die and be destroyed and perish.(Ez 18:4,Matt 10:28,James5:20)Having said that let's go further
Ecc 9:5:the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all(excluding the possibility that one is breathing moving or existing elsewhere)
Psalms 146:4: His spirit goes out, he goes
back to his ground;In that day his thoughts do perish.
So since Jesus died and this is God's definition of death there is no reason to think Jesus was anything but completely gone until his God raised him in the 3rd day.Any other confession is a manmade one based on philosophy of man and is frankly Gnostic..So on the third day God gave Christ back his spirit or his breath and animating force so that he could breathe move and live again.I confess this ..Do you?Do you confess that Christ was dead in a grave and not alive at all with no thoughts for 3 days?
Moving on..John lets us know why he wrote his book..why he wrote the book of John:
“These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name.” —John 20:31
Just because he has been appointed to a position that no other son has ever been exalted does not mean he is anything but God's most beloved exalted son.
Isaiah 11:1-3 "1. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him (Jesus)-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of
counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (Jesus fearing his GOD)--
3. and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or
decide by what he hears with his ears;"
Matthew 12:18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him (Jesus), and he will proclaim justice to the nations."
So we know from these that God's spirit rests upon his awesome servant Jesus..Jesus is not a servant of his own being but a servant of his God who allows him to live and breathe and gives him his orders and will..
Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Naz·a·rene´, a man publicly shown by God to you through powerful works and portents and signs that God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know, 24 But God resurrected him by loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to continue to be held fast by it.
So death held him fast for three days but did not continue to.As promised,his God raised him on the 3rd day.
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his Servant, Jesus
So again we have Jesus being nothing but DISTINGUISHED from the Most High of the OT as the most high's servant and son.never said to be a member of his being..anywhere ..ever..
Acts 3:22 In fact, Moses said, ‘Jehovah God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. you must listen to him according to all the things he speaks to you. 23 Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’ 26 To you first God, after raising up his Servant, sent him forth to bless you by turning each one away from your wicked deeds.”
Here were more testimonies from God-breathed scripture who Jesus is.No need to infer anything further than what's given.
Daniel 7:13 “I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man happened to be coming; and to the Ancient of Days he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. 14 And to him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin.
So what we have here is a lovely picture of someone like the SON OF MAN being GIVEN a rulership from a loving father aka the Ancient of Days and being distinguished from that one as the one who had to be given what he has and would have to here be excluded from himself being the Ancient of Days unless you're willing to only be traditional and philosophical as opposed to succintly biblical..The Ancient of Days would be the supreme sovereign Lord of the universe the Most High Jehovah God almighty.. God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob God of my appointed king and consecrated Lord Jesus Christ..
Again I would like you ask why a human nature had to be given anything given the fact that it is still one hundred percent human and the God nature should've already had this.And has it ever stricken you as bizarre at all to blame every reliance and declaration of inferiority of Jesus's to a nature and not just Jesus himself,who never qualified this for us?
1 Corinthians 15:27 For God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that it is with the exception of the one who subjected all things to him. 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.
Let's never forget to praise the God of Jesus Christ and let us cease to worship anyone else as the same God who is the God of Jesus Christ.
John 17:3:. This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.
And this isn't a "joint object" as I've heard James White say or two persons existing in the same God as trinitarians boldly say but a father who is the only true God and his son who he sent forth to save us who will always serve him and worship him as his one and only True Most High God.And because of Jesus faith obedience and goodness and love God has exalted him to be our Lord and King and second most high over all the universe..Praise God for his power to do this.Praise Jesus for his exalted status and love and goodness and exceptionalness..Praise Jesus for all the same reasons that God blessed his most exalted servant and son.Because God loves him and tells us to.Because he is deserving king and Lord.
So if you're the one who thinks that these statements and BIBLICALLY based "givens" are not good enough "formulas" for who Christ really is then I would say you have a problem with scripture itself ..If Jesus being called God on a literal few occasions in a representational and authoritative sense,authority that he had to be GIVEN cannot be reconciled in your mind with the sheer irrefutable Jewish Monotheism without having to add 2 persons to God's "being" then imo there's a problem.In light of the clear and tenable proof that there is precedent in scripture for others to bear the name of God and the title of God that he places within them. They are acting on his behalf.If they have been given power from the Most High himself.
3 simple truths..1.No one may see God and live.Jesus has been seen and not just in manifestations and agents revealing him but literally seen and people continued to live.2.God cannot die and Jesus can and did.3.Calling someone who is God "God's son" would be misleading and ridiculous.
Reminds me of Jesus saying we need to be like children..I knew as a child God's son wasn't God and told the preachers around me..I did not listen to them when they insisted he was.I knew it wasn't possible.And quickly recognized scriptural precedent for others bearing the title god..And doesn't the bible say that the kingdom belongs to childlike ones?Is it really appropriate to not trust that God would've revealed a distinctive formula so we would at least know he was three persons?Even IF we couldn't grasp it?Do you really think he wanted to conceal his identity of a composition of three persons so that 400 yrs later trinitarians could arrogantly proclaim that you cannot know who he is except through divine revelation and that we should not question this "orthodox" "truth" and are in fact threatened with title "heretic" and "cultist" if we do.Suddenly the logic and reason and truth seeking God endowed and blessed me with isn't valid and must be ignored?Suddenly I am unchristian for only being willing to confess Christ as Messiah,Son of the Living God?
For those of you who condemn people like me to either hell or something else for not confessing that Christ is the second person of a triune God then your condemnation is unfounded given my ready willingness to confess that Christ is the beloved most exalted of God's sons who has been anointed as Christ by the God he himself serves and worships ...all I can say is..who are you to judge someone for confessing what the bible says we must confess for salvation and then telling me I have none?
Now the scriptures I've provided are the overwhelming testimony of Christ's identity.The trinity "proof texts" are never clear and can all be found wanting even in the "orthodox" community itself..conflicting views and interpretations..So when you have a doctrine that forces you to infer,be dogmatic about irrefutably precarious texts to formulate doctrine not even based on scriptural terms,and throw reason by the wayside while embracing philosophical terminology the bible never uses..then houston we have a problemo.
In conclusion,Jesus is :1.High Priest..2.Appointed as Lord..3.Mediator..4.The Christ of God..4.God's Son..5.servant of and beloved One of God...6.Second only to God and worthy of our confession, faith, and honor.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
HeLLL naw.
This is all taken from an online essay by Steve Scianni called
"the contributions of Chris Morgan in Hell under Fire"
under the heading
Conditional Immortality and Hell
found here:
http://hungertruth.com/Religion_Articles.html
Read the other articles found there under that heading as well for a wealth of important information :)
"the contributions of Chris Morgan in Hell under Fire"
under the heading
Conditional Immortality and Hell
found here:
http://hungertruth.com/Religion_Articles.html
Read the other articles found there under that heading as well for a wealth of important information :)
Melchizedek
This is all taken from the following page..I copied most of it to paste..there may have been a few more points in there I left out here if you'd like to check it out:)..There are also some other links on the page so visit it.This is for trinitarians who can't do their own research ;)..
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=335
Hebrews 7:3: without father or mother, without lineage, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest in perpetuity. (Montgomery)
Some, in reading the above scripture, see something in it that is not there, that Jesus has neither beginning of days, nor end of life. They do not seem to notice that when saying that *he* has neither beginning of days, Paul is speaking, not of Jesus, but of Melchizedek (also spelled Melchizedec), and not literally, but figuratively, to show the difference between the priesthood of Jesus and the Aaronic priesthood. If one reads this literally then we must believe that Mechizedek was always a priest from eterity past and that he is still now a priest. Jesus, of course, did begin his priesthood, but not with a lineage or beginning of days here on earth, but in heaven. There is no earthly lineage, no earthly beginning, from which his priesthood is attached. There is nothing here that says that Jesus existed for eternity past; such has to be read into the text.
Paul says that Melchizedek resembles the Son of God. Yes, Jesus is Son of God [He is not the God of whom is Son], and yes, Jesus does live forever, having been given such power by God, although this is not what is being spoken of in the verse, for it is concerning the priesthood that Paul is speaking, not existence. Paul is not saying that Jesus exists “from eternity”; this has to be imagined, assumed, and read into what he said. The only reason I can see for reading this into the text is to promote the idea that Jesus is Yahweh.
Very few believe that Melchizedek is God Almighty himself, having lived for eternity past, having no beginning, no ending, etc. Very few believe that Melchizedek literally continues to be a priest even to this day and forever. And, of course, we know that Jesus had a father. But Jesus had no earthly father from which he obtained a priesthood. To take the view that Paul is speaking literally would make Melchizedek Yahweh, and not our Lord Jesus, who is called the “only-begotten” (John 1:14,18; 3:16,18; Hebrews 11:17; 1 John 4:9), “the Son of God” (Mark 1:1; Luke 1:32,35; John 1:34; 3:18; 5:25; 6:27; 9:35; 10:36; 11:4; 20:31; Acts 9:20, etc.), “the beginning of the creation of God.” (Revelation 3:14)
It would scarcely be necessary to show that Christ was not without a Father. Call to mind his words: “Father forgive them;” (Luke 23:34) Jesus was “born of a woman.” Wakefield’s version renders this (Hebrews 7:3) “Of whose father, mother, pedigree, birth, and death, we have no account.” There was a strict record kept of parentage, birth, death, &c., of every Levite, so that any one claiming to be a priest or Levite could prove it by the records.
It is testified of Melchizedek that he had no end of years, yet we do not see him living today; and it is testified of Christ that he did die, but he was made alive. This same Paul could say of Christ: “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man.” We conclude, then, that as Christ, in the days of his flesh, had a Father existing on the spiritual plane, and a mother who existed on the earthly plane. Jesus did “die for our sins,” “even the death of the cross,” therefore we have to conclude that Paul is not speaking literally about either the lack of father, birth or death of either Melchizedek or Jesus in a literal sense, but rather he is illustrating the lack of genealogy of the order of the Christ’s priesthood as shown by the account of Melchizedek, and thus Jesus’ priesthood is after the order of Mechizedek, not being of Aaronic genealogy, not having any earthly beginning or end.
When is Jesus made priest after the order of Melchizedek? Has he always been such a priest? No, but while this priesthood has no earthly beginning — he could not even have been such a priest while on earth, while in the days of his flesh, nor did Jesus have an earthly father from whom he could claim a priesthood — he was made priest after his return to heaven. (Hebrews 8:1-4; 9:11; 10:11-12) Thus like Melchizedek, Jesus’ priesthood does have a beginning in the heavens, but it is not seen on earth, nor is it given as a result of any earthly inheritance of the law and its priesthood. Like Mechizedek, Jesus does not literally have “no beginning of days”, but his heavenly priesthood has no beginning of days on earth, nor can be it be accounted for by human descent.
Jesus, now possessing endless life that will never die again, and he will be a priest for all eternity. — Romans 6:9; Hebrews 7:8,16,24,25; Revelation 1:18.
To interject a meaning into Hebrews 7:3 that Jesus is God Almighty because of the description given to Melchizedek is to derive such a meaning out of context, and detract from what Paul was actually saying.
Nor did Jesus glorify himself as priest, for we read: “Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest.” (Hebrews 5:5) It is Yahweh himself that speaks to the Messiah saying: “You are a priest forever according the order (manner, Hebrew Dibrah, Strong’s Hebrew #1700) of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4) Thus Paul says that Jesus is “named by God a high priest after the order (fashion, Greek, Taxis, Strong’s Greek #5010) of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:11,17,21) And it is Yahweh, the God and Father of Jesus, who speaks to the Messiah, saying: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” — Psalm 110:1
Thus there is nothing in Hebrews 7:3 that proves that Jesus is Yahweh.
Even as Jesus is made a perpetual priest, Melchizedek is made by Yahweh in the prophecy of Psalm 110:4 (Hebrews 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:11,15.21) like the Son of God pertaining to the priesthood of the Son of God. So that Jesus becomes a priest after the likeness of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 7:15,21) It does not prove anything, however, about the definition that trinitarians would like to give to eternity (as having no beginning), for Jesus has not always been a priest.
The fact that Melchizedek is made like the Son of God does not do away with the fact that it is of Melchizedek that Paul says that he is without beginning of days and or end of life.
There is no genealogical record of Melchizedek, his priesthood had no genealogical record of its beginning of days and no record of its ending of life. Paul is, of course, speaking symbolically, and not literally. Nevertheless, this is how his priesthood is a type of the priesthood of Jesus. We know that Melchizedek’s priesthood actually did have a beginning, and we know that Melchizedek himself did have a beginning, even though we do not know who his father and mother were, nor when he was born, when his priesthood began, etc. Nevertheless, his priesthood was not one that had a heritage from a lineage of priests, and in this Melchizedek is like Jesus. This is Paul’s argument in Hebrews chapters 3 through 10. “After the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest” (Hebrews 7:15), a priesthood superior to that of the Aaronic priesthood; Jesus did not receive a lineage as a priest from Aaron. Thus Melchizedek — is made, rendered similar, by the expression of Yahweh (Psalm 110:4), to the priesthood of Jesus. We also know that Jesus was not such a priest while on earth — thus he did not become a priest after the order of Melchizedek until after he was raised from the dead. He did become a perpetual priest after his ascension.
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=335
Hebrews 7:3: without father or mother, without lineage, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest in perpetuity. (Montgomery)
Some, in reading the above scripture, see something in it that is not there, that Jesus has neither beginning of days, nor end of life. They do not seem to notice that when saying that *he* has neither beginning of days, Paul is speaking, not of Jesus, but of Melchizedek (also spelled Melchizedec), and not literally, but figuratively, to show the difference between the priesthood of Jesus and the Aaronic priesthood. If one reads this literally then we must believe that Mechizedek was always a priest from eterity past and that he is still now a priest. Jesus, of course, did begin his priesthood, but not with a lineage or beginning of days here on earth, but in heaven. There is no earthly lineage, no earthly beginning, from which his priesthood is attached. There is nothing here that says that Jesus existed for eternity past; such has to be read into the text.
Paul says that Melchizedek resembles the Son of God. Yes, Jesus is Son of God [He is not the God of whom is Son], and yes, Jesus does live forever, having been given such power by God, although this is not what is being spoken of in the verse, for it is concerning the priesthood that Paul is speaking, not existence. Paul is not saying that Jesus exists “from eternity”; this has to be imagined, assumed, and read into what he said. The only reason I can see for reading this into the text is to promote the idea that Jesus is Yahweh.
Very few believe that Melchizedek is God Almighty himself, having lived for eternity past, having no beginning, no ending, etc. Very few believe that Melchizedek literally continues to be a priest even to this day and forever. And, of course, we know that Jesus had a father. But Jesus had no earthly father from which he obtained a priesthood. To take the view that Paul is speaking literally would make Melchizedek Yahweh, and not our Lord Jesus, who is called the “only-begotten” (John 1:14,18; 3:16,18; Hebrews 11:17; 1 John 4:9), “the Son of God” (Mark 1:1; Luke 1:32,35; John 1:34; 3:18; 5:25; 6:27; 9:35; 10:36; 11:4; 20:31; Acts 9:20, etc.), “the beginning of the creation of God.” (Revelation 3:14)
It would scarcely be necessary to show that Christ was not without a Father. Call to mind his words: “Father forgive them;” (Luke 23:34) Jesus was “born of a woman.” Wakefield’s version renders this (Hebrews 7:3) “Of whose father, mother, pedigree, birth, and death, we have no account.” There was a strict record kept of parentage, birth, death, &c., of every Levite, so that any one claiming to be a priest or Levite could prove it by the records.
It is testified of Melchizedek that he had no end of years, yet we do not see him living today; and it is testified of Christ that he did die, but he was made alive. This same Paul could say of Christ: “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man.” We conclude, then, that as Christ, in the days of his flesh, had a Father existing on the spiritual plane, and a mother who existed on the earthly plane. Jesus did “die for our sins,” “even the death of the cross,” therefore we have to conclude that Paul is not speaking literally about either the lack of father, birth or death of either Melchizedek or Jesus in a literal sense, but rather he is illustrating the lack of genealogy of the order of the Christ’s priesthood as shown by the account of Melchizedek, and thus Jesus’ priesthood is after the order of Mechizedek, not being of Aaronic genealogy, not having any earthly beginning or end.
When is Jesus made priest after the order of Melchizedek? Has he always been such a priest? No, but while this priesthood has no earthly beginning — he could not even have been such a priest while on earth, while in the days of his flesh, nor did Jesus have an earthly father from whom he could claim a priesthood — he was made priest after his return to heaven. (Hebrews 8:1-4; 9:11; 10:11-12) Thus like Melchizedek, Jesus’ priesthood does have a beginning in the heavens, but it is not seen on earth, nor is it given as a result of any earthly inheritance of the law and its priesthood. Like Mechizedek, Jesus does not literally have “no beginning of days”, but his heavenly priesthood has no beginning of days on earth, nor can be it be accounted for by human descent.
Jesus, now possessing endless life that will never die again, and he will be a priest for all eternity. — Romans 6:9; Hebrews 7:8,16,24,25; Revelation 1:18.
To interject a meaning into Hebrews 7:3 that Jesus is God Almighty because of the description given to Melchizedek is to derive such a meaning out of context, and detract from what Paul was actually saying.
Nor did Jesus glorify himself as priest, for we read: “Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest.” (Hebrews 5:5) It is Yahweh himself that speaks to the Messiah saying: “You are a priest forever according the order (manner, Hebrew Dibrah, Strong’s Hebrew #1700) of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4) Thus Paul says that Jesus is “named by God a high priest after the order (fashion, Greek, Taxis, Strong’s Greek #5010) of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:11,17,21) And it is Yahweh, the God and Father of Jesus, who speaks to the Messiah, saying: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” — Psalm 110:1
Thus there is nothing in Hebrews 7:3 that proves that Jesus is Yahweh.
Even as Jesus is made a perpetual priest, Melchizedek is made by Yahweh in the prophecy of Psalm 110:4 (Hebrews 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:11,15.21) like the Son of God pertaining to the priesthood of the Son of God. So that Jesus becomes a priest after the likeness of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 7:15,21) It does not prove anything, however, about the definition that trinitarians would like to give to eternity (as having no beginning), for Jesus has not always been a priest.
The fact that Melchizedek is made like the Son of God does not do away with the fact that it is of Melchizedek that Paul says that he is without beginning of days and or end of life.
There is no genealogical record of Melchizedek, his priesthood had no genealogical record of its beginning of days and no record of its ending of life. Paul is, of course, speaking symbolically, and not literally. Nevertheless, this is how his priesthood is a type of the priesthood of Jesus. We know that Melchizedek’s priesthood actually did have a beginning, and we know that Melchizedek himself did have a beginning, even though we do not know who his father and mother were, nor when he was born, when his priesthood began, etc. Nevertheless, his priesthood was not one that had a heritage from a lineage of priests, and in this Melchizedek is like Jesus. This is Paul’s argument in Hebrews chapters 3 through 10. “After the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest” (Hebrews 7:15), a priesthood superior to that of the Aaronic priesthood; Jesus did not receive a lineage as a priest from Aaron. Thus Melchizedek — is made, rendered similar, by the expression of Yahweh (Psalm 110:4), to the priesthood of Jesus. We also know that Jesus was not such a priest while on earth — thus he did not become a priest after the order of Melchizedek until after he was raised from the dead. He did become a perpetual priest after his ascension.
Friday, June 5, 2009
What is the holy spirit?
John 3:34:For the one whom God sent forth speaks the sayings of God, for he does not give the spirit by measure.
John 20:22 And after he said this he blew upon them and said to them: “Receive holy spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any persons, they stand forgiven to them; if you retain those of any persons, they stand retained.”
What these texts tell me is that Jehovah,Jesus's father,is the SOURCE of the holy spirit..He GIVES it to Jesus without measure and Jesus ,as mediator and due to authority afforded him from his superior,dispenses measures of it to his followers so that they TOO can accomplish what he or his father would,EVEN FORGIVE SIN!Significantly,the spirit was given by Jesus BREATHING upon them,.Think about it.Did he breathe a PERSON??Are people baptized in a PERSON and water and fire??
This video is simple enough...from youtube user ancienthebreworg..I have tried to reason with trinitarians that our spirit is our breath,what animates us and so God's HOLY spirit is a kazillion times more dynamic and unexplainable than even ours and so He can use it in ways we cannot fathom or understand but that it ISN'T a PERSON..I hope you'll sincerely watch this..very brief though it may be,it should REALLY help you embrace something true if you're willing...I don't like to define the holy spirit as anything but the holy spirit..I'm not sure "active force" does it justice..it is certainly not to be put into words..if our spirits animate us,make us breathe like electricity for a TV imagine GOD'S how dynamic and unfathomable!The main point I'm trying to make is that it is extraordinary because it is God's BUT THAT IT ISN'T A PERSON lol..MAYBE part of the problem is the common "Christian" belief that spirits are separate entities that survive our deaths.This is false.When our spirits return to God that means our lives are in his hands..He can return our breath(ruah,pneuma=spirit=breath) and animation at the resurrection.Not that we're alive when we are dead...We have to be raised before we are alive again after we die.That is WHY there is a resurrection.If we were already in our destinations why the need for one?!I've heard it all..EXAMINE ALL THINGS.
John 20:22 And after he said this he blew upon them and said to them: “Receive holy spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any persons, they stand forgiven to them; if you retain those of any persons, they stand retained.”
What these texts tell me is that Jehovah,Jesus's father,is the SOURCE of the holy spirit..He GIVES it to Jesus without measure and Jesus ,as mediator and due to authority afforded him from his superior,dispenses measures of it to his followers so that they TOO can accomplish what he or his father would,EVEN FORGIVE SIN!Significantly,the spirit was given by Jesus BREATHING upon them,.Think about it.Did he breathe a PERSON??Are people baptized in a PERSON and water and fire??
This video is simple enough...from youtube user ancienthebreworg..I have tried to reason with trinitarians that our spirit is our breath,what animates us and so God's HOLY spirit is a kazillion times more dynamic and unexplainable than even ours and so He can use it in ways we cannot fathom or understand but that it ISN'T a PERSON..I hope you'll sincerely watch this..very brief though it may be,it should REALLY help you embrace something true if you're willing...I don't like to define the holy spirit as anything but the holy spirit..I'm not sure "active force" does it justice..it is certainly not to be put into words..if our spirits animate us,make us breathe like electricity for a TV imagine GOD'S how dynamic and unfathomable!The main point I'm trying to make is that it is extraordinary because it is God's BUT THAT IT ISN'T A PERSON lol..MAYBE part of the problem is the common "Christian" belief that spirits are separate entities that survive our deaths.This is false.When our spirits return to God that means our lives are in his hands..He can return our breath(ruah,pneuma=spirit=breath) and animation at the resurrection.Not that we're alive when we are dead...We have to be raised before we are alive again after we die.That is WHY there is a resurrection.If we were already in our destinations why the need for one?!I've heard it all..EXAMINE ALL THINGS.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
James White's finest moments.
This video was uploaded by a youtube user named ivandefendingtruth..
Listen as White dances all over the place trying to imply Jesus didn't mean what he said when he said his father was the ONLY TRUE GOD.Obviously,White cannnot believe Jesus here or he wouldn't be a trinitarian..so he tries to pull something from his bum.AS IF John 17:5 proves a trinity!lol..I guess he threw John 17:22 out the window in his exegesis of John 17:5 ..otherwise,the trinity would ONCE again be exposed as hot air,as John 17:22 tells us the KIND of glory he shared with his father?(which in my understanding was a DECREED glory to come)..the same kind the disciples will!!
And here watch James White give us all a lesson in eisegesis!Eisegesis 101 supremo.
Listen as White dances all over the place trying to imply Jesus didn't mean what he said when he said his father was the ONLY TRUE GOD.Obviously,White cannnot believe Jesus here or he wouldn't be a trinitarian..so he tries to pull something from his bum.AS IF John 17:5 proves a trinity!lol..I guess he threw John 17:22 out the window in his exegesis of John 17:5 ..otherwise,the trinity would ONCE again be exposed as hot air,as John 17:22 tells us the KIND of glory he shared with his father?(which in my understanding was a DECREED glory to come)..the same kind the disciples will!!
And here watch James White give us all a lesson in eisegesis!Eisegesis 101 supremo.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Who is Jesus?(by Patrick Navas)
This is a portion of an essay written by Patrick Navas,author of "Divine Truth or Human Tradition"..just wanted to share.He isn't a Jehovah's Witness.
Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah
Although controversy still rages in religious circles regarding the true identity of Jesus, in the first century, the original, foundational truth of the gospel was that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited “Christ” or “Messiah”—God’s “beloved” and “anointed” Son. The sense of the term Messiah (‘anointed one’) is brought out in Jesus’ own words regarding himself as “the one whom the Father consecrated and sent forth into the world,” and when God himself testified of Jesus during his baptism, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” He is, according to Scripture, the one whom God “sent” and the one on whom God, the Father, has “set his seal.” —John 10:36; Matt. 3:16; John 3:34; 5:30; 7:29; 6:27
Faith in, and confession of, Jesus as “the Christ” is essential, the true foundation of Christian faith; so much that the faith itself was, in the minds’ of the apostles, directly tied to one’s being “born of God”—a truth delivered by way of direct revelation from the Father. This was demonstrated in Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus pointedly asked his disciples, “who do you say that I am?”—to which the disciple Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In turn, Jesus responded, “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” —Matt. 16:13-18
In perfect harmony, at the end of his Gospel account, the apostle John summarized the purpose of his own writings in this way:
“These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name.” —John 20:31
Unlike the doctrinal formulations of the historic “creeds,” the disclosure of Jesus’ identity as “the Christ” and “Son of God” is neither an interpretation nor a theological inference, but a divinely-revealed truth upon which the gospel stands. This is the true article of the Christian faith, resting not on the traditions of men but on the testimony of God Himself. As the apostle John wrote in his first epistle:
“If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is surely greater; for this is the testimony of God, that He has borne witness to His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to His Son.” —1 John 5:9-10
The apostle likewise assured those whom he was writing to in the first century:
“…everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” —1 John 5:1-5
The children of God are not identified by conformity to a man-made tradition, but, as the apostle wrote, by believing that Jesus is “the Christ” and because they “practice righteousness” (1 John 3:4-10). And because “the righteousness of God is revealed” in the gospel, those “who hunger and thirst after righteousness” find their fill in the words of “the righteous one,” God’s Son (Rom. 1:17; Matt. 5:6; Acts 3:14; 1 John 2:1), who imparts in believers confidence that his message was truly from God, as he made clear:
“My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” —John 7:16-17
That is to say, the words of the Messiah are trustworthy and righteous, for he has “not spoken on [his] own authority, but the Father who sent [him] has Himself given [him] a commandment—what to say and what to speak,” the commandment that leads to “eternal life.” —John 12:49, 50
The apostle John bore witness to the same hope, based on the same sure foundation:
“And we ourselves have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” —1 John 4:14, 15
In spite of the theological formulations of early “church” councils and traditional creeds, the life that Jesus has in himself, as God’s Son, was “granted” to him by one who is “greater” than himself—his Father—and he himself lives “because of” Him (John 5:36; 6:57; 14:28). He is, as Scripture says, “the image of the invisible God,” “the reflection of [God’s] glory” and “the exact representation of His very being” (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:2, 3). He is “the apostle and high priest of our confession”—the “one mediator between God and men” (Heb. 3:1; 1 Tim. 2:5).
These are descriptions that reflect the true, divinely-revealed role and identity of Jesus, the Messiah. Unfortunately the so-called “orthodox” or “mainline” church institutions have, in a multitude of ways, defected from the original letter, and spirit, of Scripture—requiring the confession of doctrine and language that go beyond what is revealed there. As pervasive as they have proven to be historically, however, institution-based creedal formulas that go beyond the Scripture’s own language are unnecessary and often misleading. Because the Scriptures themselves are “able to make [one] wise unto salvation,” and because they spell the truth out with sufficient clarity on these matters, “the man of God” is under no obligation to recognize the authority of any other source (See for example: 1 Cor. 8:6; John 17:3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Deut. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-18).
The Lordship of Jesus Christ
In the Christian Scriptures Jesus is dignified with the status of “Lord” because of the all-encompassing authority given to him by God; as Jesus declared to his disciples after the resurrection: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18; Psalm 110:1). Jesus was a faithful servant of God who lived a perfectly obedient life to the point of an agonizing death—“for this reason God has so highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name…” (Acts 3:26; Isaiah 52:13; Phil. 2:8-11). Because of his enduring faithfulness as “the only begotten of the Father,” God has not only “seated him at His right hand” but “has placed all things under his feet,” appointing him “to be head over everything for the congregation” of God’s people (John 1:14; Eph. 1:20-22); as Peter gave assurance to the house of Israel:
“God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” —Acts 2:36
This is the testimony of the apostles, who, throughout their public ministry, continually drew attention to the Messiah’s resurrection and God-given Lordship as essential to the good news of salvation:
“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Rom. 10:9
Scripturally, however, to honor Jesus as “Lord” is not to conflate him with the “one God, the Father,” who is “one,” but to recognize the authority that his Father, God, has vested in him. That is why our obedience to, and confession of, Jesus as the exalted “Lord” always resounds “to the glory of God the Father.” —Phil. 2:11; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Deut. 6:4; Compare John 5:22, 23; 12:26
The dangers of “another gospel”
“…the good news that was proclaimed by me was not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
—The apostle Paul, Galatians 1:11, NRSV
The good news preached by Jesus and his apostles is the same one Christians accept and live by today—requiring no additions, refinements, or alterations (Gal. 1:6-9). As it was in the first century, Christians today continue “devoting themselves to the apostles’ doctrine”—“sound doctrine” that is, thankfully, preserved for us in scriptural form to this day. —Tit. 1:9; 2:1; Acts 2:42; 2 Tim. 3:14-18
The apostles were well aware of the human tendency to corrupt and suppress the truth of the message they were entrusted with (Acts 20:29-32). They knew that, through various agencies, Satan falsely presented himself as “an angel of light,” and that his servants would “disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness.” They knew that the enemy deliberately worked to “blind the minds of unbelievers,” and of false teachers who would “secretly bring in destructive divisions” just as they would “distort the gospel of Christ.” That is why the apostles wrote much to address the threat of a “different gospel,” admonishing Christians to “examine everything carefully,” and to “not believe every spirit” but to “test the spirits to see whether they are of God,” since “many false prophets” and “deceivers have gone out into the world.” —2 Cor. 4:4; 11:14; 2 Pet. 2:1;1 John 4:1; 2 John 7; 1 Thess. 5:21; Gal. 1:7; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6
Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah
Although controversy still rages in religious circles regarding the true identity of Jesus, in the first century, the original, foundational truth of the gospel was that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited “Christ” or “Messiah”—God’s “beloved” and “anointed” Son. The sense of the term Messiah (‘anointed one’) is brought out in Jesus’ own words regarding himself as “the one whom the Father consecrated and sent forth into the world,” and when God himself testified of Jesus during his baptism, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” He is, according to Scripture, the one whom God “sent” and the one on whom God, the Father, has “set his seal.” —John 10:36; Matt. 3:16; John 3:34; 5:30; 7:29; 6:27
Faith in, and confession of, Jesus as “the Christ” is essential, the true foundation of Christian faith; so much that the faith itself was, in the minds’ of the apostles, directly tied to one’s being “born of God”—a truth delivered by way of direct revelation from the Father. This was demonstrated in Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus pointedly asked his disciples, “who do you say that I am?”—to which the disciple Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In turn, Jesus responded, “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” —Matt. 16:13-18
In perfect harmony, at the end of his Gospel account, the apostle John summarized the purpose of his own writings in this way:
“These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name.” —John 20:31
Unlike the doctrinal formulations of the historic “creeds,” the disclosure of Jesus’ identity as “the Christ” and “Son of God” is neither an interpretation nor a theological inference, but a divinely-revealed truth upon which the gospel stands. This is the true article of the Christian faith, resting not on the traditions of men but on the testimony of God Himself. As the apostle John wrote in his first epistle:
“If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is surely greater; for this is the testimony of God, that He has borne witness to His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to His Son.” —1 John 5:9-10
The apostle likewise assured those whom he was writing to in the first century:
“…everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” —1 John 5:1-5
The children of God are not identified by conformity to a man-made tradition, but, as the apostle wrote, by believing that Jesus is “the Christ” and because they “practice righteousness” (1 John 3:4-10). And because “the righteousness of God is revealed” in the gospel, those “who hunger and thirst after righteousness” find their fill in the words of “the righteous one,” God’s Son (Rom. 1:17; Matt. 5:6; Acts 3:14; 1 John 2:1), who imparts in believers confidence that his message was truly from God, as he made clear:
“My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” —John 7:16-17
That is to say, the words of the Messiah are trustworthy and righteous, for he has “not spoken on [his] own authority, but the Father who sent [him] has Himself given [him] a commandment—what to say and what to speak,” the commandment that leads to “eternal life.” —John 12:49, 50
The apostle John bore witness to the same hope, based on the same sure foundation:
“And we ourselves have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” —1 John 4:14, 15
In spite of the theological formulations of early “church” councils and traditional creeds, the life that Jesus has in himself, as God’s Son, was “granted” to him by one who is “greater” than himself—his Father—and he himself lives “because of” Him (John 5:36; 6:57; 14:28). He is, as Scripture says, “the image of the invisible God,” “the reflection of [God’s] glory” and “the exact representation of His very being” (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:2, 3). He is “the apostle and high priest of our confession”—the “one mediator between God and men” (Heb. 3:1; 1 Tim. 2:5).
These are descriptions that reflect the true, divinely-revealed role and identity of Jesus, the Messiah. Unfortunately the so-called “orthodox” or “mainline” church institutions have, in a multitude of ways, defected from the original letter, and spirit, of Scripture—requiring the confession of doctrine and language that go beyond what is revealed there. As pervasive as they have proven to be historically, however, institution-based creedal formulas that go beyond the Scripture’s own language are unnecessary and often misleading. Because the Scriptures themselves are “able to make [one] wise unto salvation,” and because they spell the truth out with sufficient clarity on these matters, “the man of God” is under no obligation to recognize the authority of any other source (See for example: 1 Cor. 8:6; John 17:3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Deut. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-18).
The Lordship of Jesus Christ
In the Christian Scriptures Jesus is dignified with the status of “Lord” because of the all-encompassing authority given to him by God; as Jesus declared to his disciples after the resurrection: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18; Psalm 110:1). Jesus was a faithful servant of God who lived a perfectly obedient life to the point of an agonizing death—“for this reason God has so highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name…” (Acts 3:26; Isaiah 52:13; Phil. 2:8-11). Because of his enduring faithfulness as “the only begotten of the Father,” God has not only “seated him at His right hand” but “has placed all things under his feet,” appointing him “to be head over everything for the congregation” of God’s people (John 1:14; Eph. 1:20-22); as Peter gave assurance to the house of Israel:
“God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” —Acts 2:36
This is the testimony of the apostles, who, throughout their public ministry, continually drew attention to the Messiah’s resurrection and God-given Lordship as essential to the good news of salvation:
“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Rom. 10:9
Scripturally, however, to honor Jesus as “Lord” is not to conflate him with the “one God, the Father,” who is “one,” but to recognize the authority that his Father, God, has vested in him. That is why our obedience to, and confession of, Jesus as the exalted “Lord” always resounds “to the glory of God the Father.” —Phil. 2:11; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Deut. 6:4; Compare John 5:22, 23; 12:26
The dangers of “another gospel”
“…the good news that was proclaimed by me was not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
—The apostle Paul, Galatians 1:11, NRSV
The good news preached by Jesus and his apostles is the same one Christians accept and live by today—requiring no additions, refinements, or alterations (Gal. 1:6-9). As it was in the first century, Christians today continue “devoting themselves to the apostles’ doctrine”—“sound doctrine” that is, thankfully, preserved for us in scriptural form to this day. —Tit. 1:9; 2:1; Acts 2:42; 2 Tim. 3:14-18
The apostles were well aware of the human tendency to corrupt and suppress the truth of the message they were entrusted with (Acts 20:29-32). They knew that, through various agencies, Satan falsely presented himself as “an angel of light,” and that his servants would “disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness.” They knew that the enemy deliberately worked to “blind the minds of unbelievers,” and of false teachers who would “secretly bring in destructive divisions” just as they would “distort the gospel of Christ.” That is why the apostles wrote much to address the threat of a “different gospel,” admonishing Christians to “examine everything carefully,” and to “not believe every spirit” but to “test the spirits to see whether they are of God,” since “many false prophets” and “deceivers have gone out into the world.” —2 Cor. 4:4; 11:14; 2 Pet. 2:1;1 John 4:1; 2 John 7; 1 Thess. 5:21; Gal. 1:7; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6
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