Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
Often you hear people calling non-trinitarians heathen and heretics, members of a cult.
Becoming a member or Getting in and out
Normally you would consider a group as being a cult when it is easy to get in but very difficult to get out. Most of the non-trinitarian groups are not so easy to become a member of because they require full notice of their teachings, the Biblical teachings and a life which is acceptable in the eyes of Jesus and most important acceptable for God. Once allowed to become a member and to be baptised, with some, after a questionnaire to cheque if you fulfil the requirements, the person has to live a Christian life according to the ordinances of the Holy Scriptures. As soon as the person does something against the Law of God he or she is mostly requested to leave the association. No foul play or being unfaithful to a partner are accepted so slutty actions are penalised by being put out of the congregation. Fornication is a good reason not to be allowed in the group any more.
Therefore groups like the Jehovah Witnesses are very easy to get out. Even if you have done no whorehopping but tell them so, you may leave for ever. (By matter of speech.) As you can see not really according to the real definition of a cult.
In case you consider every minority group a cult, then yes you can see in the whole history that many groups which started small, like the followers of Jesus where called a cult (The Way), but as soon as they got more money and political power they became integrated in the normal system and where even taken as the normal standard. As such history has seen growing the Lutherans, Calvinists or recently the Mormons.
The Most profitable considered to be the Main
In the United States once again it is proven that people prefer to choose the groups which they think could bring most profit. The Tea Party which has its mouth full of Judeo-Christian Values would never want to go in the sea with Obama, but do not see the danger into giving hands to Mitt Romney. In earlier days they shouted that Mormons where of the devil and today they call everybody to go and vote for Mitt Romney so that he can save America. Once considered a cult to avoid and never to work with is now the hope of American evangelists and conservative Christians.
In the past we have seen when push came to shove (or prison, or death) also most Protestants supported like the Roman Catholic Church, the Nazi regime regardless of where they fell on the theological spectrum. And prominent liberal theologians like Paul Tillich were just as hostile to the Third Reich as were prominent conservative theologians and pastors like Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And the tragic thing is that while Catholic Church and the Confessing Church rigorously opposed Nazi claims to totalitarian power over their churches and other church-related organizations, neither said much at all in the way of denouncing Nazi policy towards Jews, Jehovah Witnesses, or to the mentally-handicapped.
Lefebvrists SSPX Priest and altar server of the guild of St. Stephen.
When a group Catholics did not want to agree with the teachings of Pope John Giovanni XXIII and preferred to keep to the Latin rite they where considered heretics and the world was confronted with different Catholic Cults like the Lefebvrists or Marcel Lefebvre his Society of St. Pius X. Pope Benedict XVI had declared that, for doctrinal rather than disciplinary reasons, the SSPX had no canonical status in the Catholic Church and, because of that lack of canonical status, the ministries exercised by its ministers were not legitimate in the Catholic Church. Tensions between the society and the Holy See reached their height in 1988, when Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops against the orders of Pope John Paul II, resulting in a declaration of excommunication against the bishops who consecrated or were consecrated, an excommunication remitted for those still alive in January 2009 with a hope expressed that all members of the society would quickly return to full communion.
At the end of last century and beginning this century when everything was turned back to previous days they were taken up again in the Roman Catholic Church and are today not seen as a cult any more.
Some years ago people spoke about Catholic institutional cults like the Charismatic Catholics, Opus Dei, a.o.
Several people also used to speak out boldly against the Church of Rome and considered it from the devil or to be the Babylon of which the Bible spoke. Though it no longer seems to be in vogue to speak of the pope as “the antichrist” (Although the following people unhesitatingly did: Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Huss, John Wycliffe, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, Thomas Bacon, John Wesley, Samuel Cooper, John Cotton, and Jonathan Edwards.) or the Catholic Church as the “whore of Babylon”. Now many Protestants unwittingly believe that “our differences are not so great”.
Alliances
Franklin Graham told the Indianapolis Star (6/3/99) that his father’s longstanding ecumenical alliance with the Catholic Church and all other denominations, “was one of the smartest things his father ever did.” The charismatic Charisma magazine in 10/95 contained a 7-page article on Franklin Graham. They quoted him as saying, “I thank God for the warmth I see within many of the charismatic churches — their love for the Lord and love for the scriptures. …” He also said, “Probably (Samaritan’s Purse) largest base of support comes from the charismatic community.” He has referred to “Mother” Teresa as an “example of the woman God uses” (4/1/99, Calvary Contender). {Billy Graham General Teachings/Activities}
New Age movements also at one time were considered cults but after a few years many protestants found solace in such groups. Norman Vincent Peale advocated New Age and/or occult teachings as visualization, pantheism, human potential, positive confession, positive thinking, etc. Once on the Phil Donahue Show, Peale, a 33rd degree Mason, said, “It’s not necessary to be born again. You have your way to God, I have mine. I found eternal peace in a Shinto shrine.” (Shintoism is an ancient Oriental religion that fuses ancestor worship with mysticism.) He also denied the necessity of believing in the virgin birth.
Trinity to follow or not
Others would say those who are not following the trinitarian teachings can not call themselves Christian and can not be any different than belonging to a cult.
They forget that being a Christian should mean that one is a follower of Christ. In such respect that person calling himself should be following the Master Teacher Jesus Christ (hence the name Christian).
In case people consider a cult any group which teaches doctrines or beliefs that deviate from the biblical message of the Christian faith, they should first confine that Christian Faith. In Christendom we see lots of denominations and in each denomination people shall be able to find many more opinions and deviations from their main confession. Some say that “cults often teach some Christian truth mixed with error, which may be difficult to detect.” But they do not give a proper definition of that Christian Truth, which would be, according to the words of the many denominations being something very different from one to the other denomination, so that every denomination could be categorised as a cult.
Features
According the fundamentalism’s leading spokesman evangelist Billy Graham there are some features common to most cults:
• “They do not adhere solely to the sixty-six books of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. They add their “special revelations” to the Bible and view them as equally authoritative.”
As such all the believers who accept the apocryphal books as worthy spiritual food, would be considered a cult. This also means the Roman Catholic Church is for those Americans a cult. Especially the Roman Catholics should then also be seen as a cult, because they also have several revelations by the saints they take for granted and of inspirational value. But in several protestant denominations we also do find groups which like to use several theological and devotional books by human writers which they consider to be inspired by God. According to Billy Graham they should also come under the denominator of being a cult.
English: The icon was painted by artist Nicholas Morosoff in 1935 at the request of Bishop Wedgwood for the St Francis Church in Tekels Park, Camberley, and hangs above its main altar. Courtesy Liberal Catholic Church of St Francis of Assisi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
• “They do not accept that our relationship to Jesus Christ is a reality “by grace through faith” alone, but promote instead a salvation by works.”
By saying this they do not understand what those Christians get from the Bible, the infallible Word of God. For those, like Christadelphians, who agree that Christians should live up to their faith it is clear that it is not enough to be baptised to be saved, because faith without works is death. Strangely the others forget that they also dismember people from their congregation because they have done something which they consider to be bad. But that is in contradiction with what they say, because when that person would be saved for ever than he also should be accepted as Christian for ever. It is not right to think any murderer or wrongdoer shall go to heaven because there is the reality of Christ dying for all sinners. If they do not repent they shall not enter the small gate of the Kingdom of God (which also shall be on earth).
• For lots of Christians non-trinitarians “do not give Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, full recognition as the second Person of the Trinity, composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.”
Yes they do not recognise him as a part of some trio. They recognise him in his full potential. They do not see a God who came onto the earth to fake his death. Jesus really died, while God, as a spirit, can not die and has ever been and shall have no end. Jesus had a beginning (being born) and an end (died at the stake).
Fully recognising the offer Jesus brought, makes his action much more important than trinitarians want to see Jesus. His humility and his preparedness to give his life for people he did not kno, has more value than a God who could straight ahead, in heaven when the first sin was committed, take action and bring everything to an end. In such instance not so many people had to suffer so much. This would make God also to a very cruel person. But God is a God of love, who wanted to give men a change to prove that they could rule the world better than Him. (Part of the question in the garden of Eden).
We had to wait such a long time because it was only with Jesus, that God did find it time to bring a solution with giving a God send man, who could be tempted (remember God can not be tempted) but did not let himself go. Jesus kept straight in line with God’s teachings. Jesus choose to follow his father and to keep totally to His commandments. He is the only one man who could prove to be able to follow God, out of love for God and not wanting anything in return for it. As such, though at first lower than the angels, Jehovah God gave him a higher position and made him unto a mediator between God and men. The ones who consider, like it is written in the Holy Scriptures that Jesus is the son of God and not god the son or God Son, give Jesus full honour for all the work he has done.
Listening and reacting to Scriptures
When Scripture is life-changing, as God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) people who get to know the Bible to be infallible should under its inspiration come to insight and how more they come to get to know they should adjust their thinking and their way of living.
When we hear God’s Word, whether at a meeting, church service or in private reading, we should “devour” God’s words to us and allow them to become the joy and happiness of our heart (Jeremiah. 15:16).
After the Torah we got Prophesies and Writings to gut us under way to the Gospels to be able to recognise the God send man Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Jeshua) who was son of men and as son of God brought salvation unto many. His disciples and followers coming out of all sorts of layers of the population where preachers brought the Word of God and the Word of Christ “were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles” (Acts of the apostles 2:42; cf. 2 Timothy 1:14) long before the New Testament was written–and centuries before the New Testament canon was settled. Those who call themselves Christians should carefully to the life and beliefs of those first followers of Christ.
Doing the same
In case you want to call yourself Christian you should do the same as the first Christians who also believed that Jesus never took himself to be God himself or to be equal with Him.
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15 NIV)
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21 NIV)
“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6 NIV)
“5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature {Or in the form of} God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,” (Philippians 2:5-6 NIV)
They believed in Jesus, to be the long awaited saviour who as son of men and son of God brought God to us all to be our Father as well.
“I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man” {Daniel 7:13} with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.” (Revelation 14:14 NIV)
“When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 10:23 NIV)
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3:17 NIV)
“”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, {Or his only begotten Son} that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)
For us it should be as for them that Jesus shall have to be the Master Teacher and the example for us to come to God and a better life. He, Jesus, should be our main teacher and not theologians or scholars who say they speak in the name of God. Christians should take Jesus as their Rabbi.
“”You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and rightly so, for that is what I am.” (John 13:13 NIV)
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)
“”But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.” (Matthew 23:8 NIV)
“Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Colossians 4:1 NIV)
Christians do believe salvation belongs to God and is in Christ who came into existence only a few centuries ago, after 42 generations, when he was born (begotten) in a special way.
“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ {Or Messiah. “The Christ” (Greek) and “the Messiah” (Hebrew) both mean “the Anointed One”; also in verse 26.} the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 NIV)
“But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.” (1 Corinthians 15:38 NIV)
“17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. {Or Messiah. “The Christ” (Greek) and “the Messiah” (Hebrew) both mean “the Anointed One”.} 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:17-18 NIV)
“26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called {Or So the child to be born will be called holy,} the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1:26-38 NIV)
“Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”” (Matthew 14:33 NIV)
“I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”” (John 1:34 NIV)
“But these are written that you may {Some manuscripts may continue to} believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31 NIV)
“and who through the Spirit {Or who as to his spirit} of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God, {Or was appointed to be the Son of God with power} by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:4 NIV)
“(and for this we labour and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10 NIV)
“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1 John 4:14 NIV)
“And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”” (Revelation 7:10 NIV)
“30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.” (Acts 5:30-31 NIV)
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in {Or through} Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, left his followers as a Church in case they listen to him Jesus, with divine authority to teach in his name.
“13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, {Or Messiah; also in verse 20} the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, {Peter means rock.} and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades {Or hell} will not overcome it. {Or not prove stronger than it} 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be {Or have been} bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be {Or have been} loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” (Matthew 16:13-20 NIV)
“”I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be {Or have been} bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be {Or have been} loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18 NIV)
“”He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”” (Luke 10:16 NIV)
“And I tell you that you are Peter, {Peter means rock.} and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades {Or hell} will not overcome it. {Or not prove stronger than it}” (Matthew 16:18 NIV)
“19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in {Or into; see Acts 8:16; 19:5; Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13; 10:2 and Gal. 3:27.} the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—” (John 14:16 NIV)
Following Jesus his teachings
Christians are those who follow Jesus teachings and are also prepared to do what he asked them to do, to go out in the world and to let the name of God, to whom belongs all authority, be known all over the world.
“”I have revealed you {Greek your name; also in verse 26} to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.” (John 17:6 NIV)
“5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6 NIV)
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1 NIV)
“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3 NIV)
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” (Ephesians 4:17 NIV)
“19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:19-24 NIV)
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV)
“”You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isaiah 43:10 NIV)
“I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD {Jehovah}, “that I am God.” (Isaiah 43:12 NIV)
“1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. … 4 Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” {Deut. 31:6} 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” {Psalm 118:#6,7} 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. … 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. … 20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ….” (Hebrews 13:1-25 NIV)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”” (Acts 1:8 NIV)
“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. {Or Messiah}” (Acts 5:42 NIV)
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21 NIV)
“When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. {Or Messiah; also in verse 28}” (Acts 18:5 NIV)
“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17 NIV)
Praying Christian
Over the times people could get to read the Word of God. They could learn about Adam, Eve, Abraham, Isaac, David, Christ and God. The apostles could seen and we testified that the Father has sent His son, so did not come down Himself as deliverer of the world, but send a man who could feel how every other human being could feel. He really suffered and died in the hope that many would understand his words and come to the Father to whom he often prayed and learned everybody to pray. As Jesus kept his Father, Elohim Hashem Jehovah holy, he also wanted us to keep his Fathers Name holy and to make it be known all over the world until His Kingdom comes. In our prayers we can make our requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving because it is God who chooses us and has commissioned us to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever we ask from the Father in Jesus his name God may give us. It shall be in the name of Jesus {Jeshua} that Jehovah God shall give his followers, trusting only His one mediator between Him and humanity, Jeshua the Messiah, himself human.
“”This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” (Matthew 6:9 NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (John 15:16 NIV)
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (John 16:23 NIV)
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV)
Preaching under Christ for God
The apostles knew that Jesus as son of men was very well aware how limited he was and how limited we are. Jesus left his disciples but promised to come back. If we love Jesus, we should be glad that he has gone to the Father; because the Father is greater than Jesus, who now sits at His right hand.
Jesus wanted us to understand that the head of every man is the Messiah, and the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of the Messiah is God. All Christians should accept that. But yes we do see that the majority does not and want to place Jesus as head of everything. It is true that for the moment the world is still in the hands of evil and that there will come a time that everything shall be subjected to the son. But then comes a time that Jesus himself will subject himself to the only One God, who subjected everything to him; so that God may be everything in everyone.
Recognising the humility of Christ, who who served, those who call themselves Christian should also let the greater among us become like the younger, and one who rules like one who serves. Whoever among us wants to be a leader must become servant of the others, and whoever wants to be first must be slave! For the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve – and to give his life as a ransom for many. As he also served his Father in heaven, he demanded us to help him and not for a single day, either in the temple court, synagogue, church, public square or in private homes, should followers of Jesus stop teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Jeshua is the Messiah. Declaring with utmost seriousness the same message to Jews and other people from all nations. Telling everywhere to: “turn from sin to God; and put your trust in our lord, Jeshua the Messiah.” Making even more people into talmidim, or pupils and disciples, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the son and the Ruach haKodesh or the Power of the Most High His Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded us.
All that call themselves Christian should acknowledge publicly with their mouth that Jeshua is lord, but God the Most High Lord of the lord of lords. Telling everybody that this Almighty God raised Jesus from the dead, so that we will be delivered.
For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgement and thus continues toward deliverance. The one following Christ should not be afraid of the world and go into it proclaiming the Good News of the return of Jesus and the coming Kingdom of God. Like the apostle Paul every Christian should not boast merely because he proclaims the Good News — this they should all do from inner compulsion. Woe is them if they do not proclaim the Good News!
“”You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28 NIV)
“Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3 NIV)
“When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:28 NIV)
“26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:26-27 NIV)
“26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” (Matthew 20:26-28 NIV)
“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. {Or Messiah}” (Acts 5:42 NIV)
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21 NIV)
“19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in {Or into; see Acts 8:16; 19:5; Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13; 10:2 and Gal. 3:27.} the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)
“9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)
“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’” (Luke 10:9 NIV)
“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16 NIV)
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV)
Willing to follow
Are you willing to follow Jesus, the son of God? Are you prepared to step out of the world and let all traditions for whatever they may be?
Are you willing to follow the example apostles of Jesus and dare trying to imitate them, even as Paul himself tried to imitate the Messiah? Do you want to become like Christ and become a Brother in Christ, sharing with others in the world the Good News and boasting about the works Christ has done for us all?
Do you think that those who really follow up the task Jesus has given his pupils would be a cult?
The Bible affirms that he Word of Adonai lasts forever and that this Word is the Good News which has been proclaimed to many. The things we have heard from Jesus and his disciples, which were supported by many witnesses, these things commit to faithful people, such as will be competent to teach others also. We should make use of it, to give us the spirit to get others to know God and his son Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brothers, stand firm; though some may consider us a cult we should not like them keep to the traditions of the world, but hold to the traditions we were taught by the men who God had chosen, the Prophets, Jesus and his disciples.
Christians should be those who keep to the Word of God, like Jesus did, and who remembered everything Jesus and his followers told and observe the traditions just the way the apostles passed them on to us.
“but the word of the Lord stands for ever.” {Isaiah 40:6-8} And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:25 NIV)
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV)
“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings {Or traditions} we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 NIV)
“I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, {Or traditions} just as I passed them on to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:2 NIV)
Do you want to be a as “Follower of Jesus, part of a cult, or a Christian”?
Be a follower of the real Jesus of Nazareth who was known as the son of men and the son of God.
Christadelphians or Brothers in Christ, do follow Jesus and accept him for what he did and still does for us, as mediator between God and men.
+
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Volger van Jezus lid van een secte of een Christen
++
Please do read also:
- Christian values and voting not just a game
- Mormons again gaining some attention
- Billy Graham Removes Section From His Website Calling Mormonism a Cult After Offering To Do All That He Can Do To Help Mormon Mitt Romney
- Billy Graham Risks His “Legacy” By Scrubbing His Website Of Mormonism Cult Reference, But He Also Changed His Views About The Cult Of Rome Over 50 Years Ago
- Is the Mormon “god” of Mitt Romney and Glenn Beck, the True God or a False “god”? Is Jesus the brother of Lucifer?
- Can A Cult Member Be President Without Cult Influence?
- Controversies surrounding the Society of St. Pius X
- God’s Salvation
- Faith and works
- One Mediator between God and man
- Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
- Men of faith
- Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #1 Christian Reform
- Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #2 Roots of Jewishness
- Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #3 Of the earth or of God
- Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
- Faith related boycotts
- Right to be in the surroundings
+++
Related articles
- Cult or True Religion (wordsonsergebenhayon.wordpress.com)
“…if you believe in it, it is a religion or perhaps ‘the’ religion; and if you do not care one way or another about it, it is a sect; but if you fear and hate it, it is a cult.” Leo Pfeffer.
+
The Roman Catholic Church for example has been around ever since Constantine. He was a Roman emperor who used Christianity, which was a small cult at the time, as a means to impose his belief systems on the bishops; so he promulgated the council of Nicaea and thereby gained control of the populus. Now, over 1500 years later, people in Catholic churches today still recite the creed set down by Constantine.Many people question the Catholic Church and other religions, seeing them as some of the biggest cults in the World today: they are viewed by many as man-made constructs which have the potential to lead millions of people astray. Religion in its current form has become divisive due to it’s many man-made and dualistic doctrines which continue to divide, separate and cause wars.
- Billy Graham’s group removes Mormon cult reference from website after Romney meeting (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
Shortly after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney enjoyed cookies and soft drinks with the Rev. Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham on Thursday at the elder Graham’s mountaintop retreat, a reference to Mormonism as a cult was scrubbed from the website of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Billy Graham site removes Mormon ‘cult’ reference after Romney meeting
+
The removal of the post from the Graham group’s website was first noted by the New Civil Rights Movement website and then later by the Asheville Citizen-Times, which reported that the information on cults was accessed as recently as Thursday afternoon.
+
When asked about Graham’s beliefs about Mormonism, Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross said in a statement that “Through an inclusive evangelistic ministry spanning more than 60 years, Mr. Graham was called to preach the transformative message of the Gospel to the whole world, regardless of one’s religious background, affiliation or none. As such, he never proselytized, targeted or labeled specific people, groups, faiths or denominations. - Defining Christianity (reneland.wordpress.com)
Simply put a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus Christ. - The Whore of Babylon? (inpursuitofhappiness.wordpress.com)
Baal-vs-The “Catholic” God - Catholic Church Abuse Inquiry – Police Expose The Christian Child Abuse – Boy Scouts (truelogic.wordpress.com)
Even Mitt Romney’s Mormon cult religion has a history of molesting children. Wow, seems these holy books teach evil over moral behavior. Good thing we have several non-believers in this world or we wouldn’t have morals. - Billy Graham’s Truce with Mormonism; Scrubs Cult Reference (crooksandliars.com)
The Christian right has cried uncle and issued a truce on Mormons to try and help elect Mitt Romney.
+
During the Values Voter Summit in October, sponsored in part by the influential Family Research Council and the American Family Association, it caused quite a stir when Pastor Robert Jeffress, after introducing Rick Perry as a genuine Christian, called Mormonism a cult.
+
Christian political operatives are willing to throw away any trace of their contempt for Mormonism during the election cycle. This shows how much hatred they have for the left. They’d rather help elect a ‘cultist’ to the highest office in the land rather than stick to their alleged principles. Typically sickening.
+
To distinguish between a cult and a religion is to distinguish between influence and impotence. Both are, in fact, spawns of a smarmy fakery. - Why converting Muslims is taboo in the Catholic Church (catholicherald.co.uk)
What are they talking about at the Synod for Evangelisation? This article by Sandro Magister tells us that the Bishops have broached the taboo subject of conversions from Islam to Christianity. It makes interesting reading, despite the rather ponderous translation, (read the original here ) and I was particularly struck by this section of it, which I beg readers to consider carefully:“The Muslims do not see the difference between Christians and Westerners, because they do not distinguish, themselves, between what is religious and what is political and social. What precedes the Westerners is perceived by the Muslims as preceding the Christians. Now, Western behaviour, especially on the cultural and political level and in a general way, harms the religious and national sensitivity of the Muslims, their values, their ethics and their culture. Consequentially, this forms an obstacle to their openness to Christianity and to their possible evangelisation.”
- Billy Graham: Mormonism No Cult (orthodoxyandheterodoxy.org)
Sociologists of religion use cult to refer to a religious group that does not regard itself as exclusively true yet has negative relations with the surrounding society. Those two factors—exclusivity and societal relations—form the basis for sociological definition of religions into four kinds of groups: church (exclusive with good relations), denomination (inclusive with good relations), sect (exclusive with bad relations) and cult (inclusive with bad relations). Yet almost no one uses these terms in the way sociologists of religion use them.
+
I think what is really meant by cult in most modern Evangelical parlance is “bad/weird religious group.” And of course perhaps such a definition is right in its own way. - Grahams tighten Romney ties (newsobserver.com)
The election-year embrace of Mitt Romney by some evangelical Christians now borders on a bear hug, given a series of moves by Billy Graham and his family that appear to say it’s OK to vote for a Mormon. - Billy Graham website admits scrubbing ‘Mormons’ from ‘cult’ list after endorsing Romney (rawstory.com)
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association confirmed on Tuesday that it had removed all references to Mormonism as a “cult” from its website after their founder announced his support of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Philippians 1 – 2
Philippians 1 & 2
Statue of Saint Paul on Duchcov Castle
The Epistle is addressed to an ecclesia (or “church” if you prefer – the New Testament always refers to churches as congregations of believers, and not to the buildings where they meet) which was established by Paul on his first visit to ‘Europe’ as recorded in Acts ch 16. And it is very clear that this ecclesia had a special place in Paul’s affections – just read Philippians 4:13-18 to discover how much he appreciated their practical support for him when he had left them and moved on to Thessalonica. They were a loving group of people, and he obviously held them in high regard. But all was not well, and earlier in ch 4 we hear about 2 of the female members of the ecclesia who were not getting on together – obviously something had happened which resulted in them falling out. So he urges them to “be of the same mind in the Lord” – a simple appeal, but one which is uses language that takes us back to the earlier part of the Epistle.
In the opening chapter it is worth noting the emphasis that Paul places on them as a united group of people – notice the number of times he uses the little word “all”; 6 times in that 1st chapter. Inevitable there were differences which challenged that unity as we’ve already seen in ch 4, but he starts by emphasising the ideal. And then in ch 2 he will define for them and for us the basis on which unity of purpose and action can be achieved - by being individually united with Jesus Christ. Look at verse 2:
“Fulfil my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind”.
I’ve deliberately highlighted the word “mind” because it links back to the reference in ch 4. But it will also surface again in ch 2:5 “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”.
Let us now see what Paul will say to us about the “mind” of Christ = his attitude/outlook/disposition. He tells us that Jesus was “in the form of God”. For the majority of Christians here is confirmation that Jesus and God are one in person and substance – the widely-believed doctrine of the Trinity. But this passage does not say that Jesus was God – only that he was in the form of God and then became manifest in “the form of a bondservant” (v7). In fact it explicitly denies the foundation-stone of the Trinity because it says that Jesus did not ‘grasp at equality with God’. He came to show men and women what God is like – see for example John 14:8-9 – but he explicitly states that “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). Jesus’ mission was to perform a service to the human race, which could only be done by someone fully identifying with humanity in every respect. Read Matthew 20:25-28 for confirmation of how Jesus understood his own rôle. And see how that attitude of service is exemplified in the incident recorded in John 13:1-10 where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet – a job normally done by the household slave!
There is an interesting incident recorded in Matthew 12:15-21 where Jesus, having performed miracles of healing then requests that the beneficiaries of his healing touch do not publicly broadcast what he has done. There then follows an extended quote from Isaiah 42 where God is prophetically referring to the work to be carried out by Jesus as ‘God’s servant’; he was not to stand on the rooftops shouting out his unique status as the Son of God, but was quietly to go about his work of preaching the gospel – the good news about the kingdom of God available to both Jews and Gentiles (=non-Jews). That was the work of God’s “servant”. And what Jesus has achieved is:
Victory over sin – he was tempted like us to sin, but he never gave in to temptation – he was sinless (Heb 4:15) Victory over death – he died without deserving death, thereby earning the right to be raised from the dead, and creating a hope of resurrection from death for others associated with him (Acts 2:22-24, 1 Cor 15:20-23)
Philippians 2 becomes a summary of all that Jesus achieved, not by drawing attention to his legitimate status as the Son of God, but by making his life an extended act of service. He “became obedient to death, even the death of the cross”. The only other place in the New Testament where the obedience of Jesus is referred to is Hebrews 5:8 which, again sets aside his titular claims to emphasise his achievement:
A man who suffered, died and brought victory over sin - The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Gathering and Protecting Mankind - 1562 Frans Floris (1519/1520–1570
Someone who is co-equal and co-eternal with God cannot ‘learn obedience’ – only someone who is fully experiencing the everyday realities of human nature. The same point is made in the way the passage in Philippians 2 concludes: because Jesus accepted the role defined for him by God as a servant:
“God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (2:9-10). Jesus could not have been exalted by God if he were already enjoying the status of co-equality with God. The Father has always been greater than the Son, and will always be so (see 1 Corinthians 15:28). Jesus has now achieved a wonderful status through his voluntary submission to the will of his Father: he is at his Father’s right hand waiting for the instruction to return to the earth and beautify it by filling it with the knowledge of God’s glory (Num 14:21, Isaiah 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14, 2 Corinthians 4:6), or in the words of Philippians 2:11
And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
No surprise, then, that Paul should introduce himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ – sharing in the work of service to those whom God wishes to save. And we can now well imagine the 2 ladies at Philippi who had fallen out now understanding that if they are both trying to develop and manifest the mind of Christ then they must inevitably be reconciled to each other in order to participate in the work of ecclesial service.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (4:23)
Steve Weston
+
Preceding articles: Anointing of Christ as Prophetic Rehearsal of the Burial rites, Servant of his Father, Slave for people and God & A Messiah to die
++
Please do read also:
- Paul and Christ
- Who was Jesus? Video
- Who is Jesus #1 Introduction
- Who is Jesus Christ? #1 What does the Bible say
- Who is Jesus #2 Jesus Christ, man who died
- Who is Jesus #4 Clear statements that our heavenly Father is his “God”
- Who is Jesus #6 Jesus prays to God
- Who is Jesus #7 Also. Trust in God; trust also in me
- Who is Jesus #8 Father greater than Jesus
- Who is Jesus #9 100% or not
- Who is Jesus #10 Jesus was tempted in every way
- Who is Jesus #11 What do famous people say about Him
- Who is Jesus #12 Conclusion
- Jesus as fully human
- Da Vinci Code: Was Jesus Human or Divine?
- Jezus, Yeshua, Yahushua
- Lord or Yahuwah, Yeshua or Yahushua
- Jesus spitting image of his father
- God of all Ages a simple book about God (D. Whitehouse)
- Jesus three days in hell
- Jesus and his God
- Jesus son of God
- “Son of God” – “God the Son”
- Christian thought: acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God
- Was Jesus Religious
- Clean Flesh #2 Purity of Jesus
- Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever
- Yeshua a man with a special personality
- How people see Jesus placed in history
- Good-News Jesus among the partisans
- The Word being a quality or aspect of God Himself
- Scriptures That Show That Jesus (Yahshua) Is Not Yahweh (Jehovah)
- One Mediator between God and man
- Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Look #4 Jesus – His Parents #2
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Look #5A Jesus – Had to learn
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Look #5B Jesus – The Creator #1
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Look #5C Jesus – The Creator #2 Wisdom
- Can we not do what Jesus did?
- Christ entered our world to transform our lives
- Life and attitude of a Christian
- Practical Principles for my Life in Christ
- To belong to Christ= Christus toebehoren
- Prefering to be a Christian
- Are Christadelphians so Old Fashioned?
- Christadelphian people
- Concerning gospelfaith
- Being prudent – zorgvuldig zijn
- Parts of the body of Christ
- What part of the Body am I?
- Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father
- Every man’s work is always a portrait of himself
- How we think shows through in how we act
- People should know what you stand for
- If you want to go far in life
- A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
- A Living Faith #4 Effort
- A Living Faith #8 Change
- A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
- A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
- Caring for to become Christ-like
- If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life be
- How us to behave
- Followers with deepening
- Commitment to Christian unity
- Being one in Jesus, Jesus in us and God in Jesus
- Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
- A learning process for each of us
- Abhor evil. Adhere to goodness
- No time for immorality
- Our attitude at a difficult task
- Choosing your attitudes
- Attitude to others important for reaching them
- Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
- Remember that who you’re being is just as important as what you’re doing
- Not the circumstances in which we are placed constitutes our comfort
- Raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair
- Prefering to be a Christian
- Efeziërs 2:21-22 Church no longer holds a central place in many Christian lives
- Not liking your Christians
- To exercise blind-faith you must expel your honesty
- You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind
- Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap
- Determined To Stick With Truth.
- I serve
- Turn the Other Cheek
- There is no such thing as a “Christian politics.”
- Only worhsip the Creator of all things
- Belief of the things that God has promised
- Rebirth and belonging to a church
- Ransom for all
- This month’s survey question: Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
- Yesterday He died for me
- Understanding The Atonement
- How is it that Christ pleased God so perfectly?
- Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin
+++
Related articles
- The Happiest Man in the World (5ptsalt.com)
Philippians is one of the most personal of all of Paul’s epistles. It shares this characteristic with II Corinthians, I Thessalonians, and Philemon. Nowhere are we brought closer to the real Paul, pouring out his heart to those whom he deeply loves. - Philippians 4:19 (faithfulnibbles.wordpress.com)
God shall supply all our needs, not our wants. - The “Mind of Christ” (instrument-rated-theology.com)
for our purposes we will say that “mind” and “attitude” are fundamentally synonymous.
+
The opposite of having the mind of Christ would be to have the mind of the world (3:17-4:1). This is precisely what my first 4 articles were designed to illustrate. We cannot have both the mind of the world and the mind of Christ. - Indian River Baptist Church AM Sermon, April 15, 2012 – Jeff Gwilt: Philippians 1:1-5 (thelightheartedcalvinist.com)
- Paul’s Frame Of Mind (scripturenuggets.wordpress.com)
Before he was killed, a group of Jews visited Paul to get from him what insight they could. They sought to touch his “frame of mind.” They probably were not prepared for what they found: a frame of mind in line with the Kingdom of God.
+
Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians was written while he was a prisoner in Rome. Many times he made use of the word phroneo, which means “to have a certain frame of mind.” We may conclude that in this letter he expounded in greater measure what we have in outline form in Acts 28:22-23 as he responded to the men who wished to hear his thoughts… - The goal is Christ! (waltbrite.wordpress.com)
when we, as pastors make it our goal to build and pastor large congregations; build up our ministries to a certain fame, we may be pursuing the wrong goal. For most of the people I know with this kind of notoriety, they didn’t go looking for it. The glory of God and the salvation of souls has been and still is their number one goal and pursuit.Like the apostle Paul,our goal should be Christ, how to please him, serve him, become like him and bring others along side of us. - Philippians 4:13 Bible Verse for the Day (momsfirstscreenn.wordpress.com)
Manifests for believers #4 Eucharist
In the previous article Manifests for believers #3 Catholic versus Protestant we pointed already at the idea of the opponents of the Manifest for believers Manifest Gelovigen nemen het woord (Religiuously or Believers take the word)who do find that a lay men can not bring a sermon and also should not be allowed to say the sacred words of the consecration, nor hand out the bread and wine at the Holy Communion!” The conservative Catholics say. Also the “gegraai” or the groping in the tabernacle (the goblet), that we see now always more, is a real plague! “Women must remain with their hands from the tabernacle!” Asking that women should be able to become priests is something they do not believe the writers of the manifest are really asking. Though in the manifest Gelovigen nemen het woord is written: “We plead in favour that within the shortest time as well married men as women shall be permitted the priest office. We, religious, need them now very badly.
A delegation of the study Group Kerkenwerk (Churchwork) on Thursday 9 February, in Malines (Mechelen) handed over the Manifesto “Religiously take the word” to the Flemish bishops and has given them the list of the names of the signatories.
The Manifesto, that is a call at the Flemish bishops to break through the impasse, in which the Churches in Flanders is been found, through reformation, is endorsed by 8235 religiously, mainly via the internet, some also written.
Emmanuel Van Lierde has the impression that petitions, it appears to be well a new trend in the Flemish church. A first observed petition was that ‘for a credible and liberating church’. Ends 2010 signed 6,800 religiously that signal to encouragement in full peadofilicrisis. More recent there were petitions ‘against the secular dictatorship’ with about 3,000 signatures, against the abstraction of the service of the Brussels Saint-Kathelijnekerk with more than 6,100 signatories and on the manifesto Religious take the word followed the counter action Religious accept the word with a 200 signatories.
According to the study Group Kerkenwerk the plea to let married men and women come into the priest office, has to be seen in the frame to make it possible to have the Church grow in these difficult times in which we do need more diversification in which creatively should be sought to new roads round the multiplicity of talents and to utilize better the engagement of many religious people.
That some of the signing members of the manifest also do not believe in transubstantiation, meaning that the piece of bread given to the believers, is really the body of Christ, is pure heresy and apostasy according the opponents. For the conservatives it is clear that men as Dekimpe praise no longer the transubstantiation! They do forget that Pope Innocent III had recognized (1215) the doctrine of transubstantiation, which resulted in the public and general worship of the consecrated host. The doctrine, first elaborated by theologians in the 13th century, was incorporated into documents of the Council of Trent. In the mid-20th century, some Roman Catholic theologians interpreted it as referring to a change of meaning rather than a change of substance, but in 1965 Paul VI called for the retention of the original dogma. According to the conservative Catholics the writers of the manifest ignore the fact of the Real Presence, which is, indeed, the central dogma every Catholic should hold on.
Although the manna, a type of the Eucharist, was indeed eaten with the mouth, it could not, being a transitory food, ward off death. The second food, that offered by the Heavenly Father, is the bread of heaven, which He dispenses hic et nunc to the Jews for their spiritual nourishment, inasmuch as by reason of the Incarnation He holds up His Son to them as the object of their faith. If, however, the third kind of food, which Christ Himself promises to give only at a future time, is a new refection, differing from the last-named food of faith, it can be none other than His true Flesh and Blood, to be really eaten and drunk in Holy Communion. This is why Christ was so ready to use the realistic expression “to chew” (John 6:54, 56, 58: trogein) when speaking of this, His Bread of Life, in addition to the phrase, “to eat” (John 6:51, 53: phagein).*
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live for ever.”” (John 6:51-58 NIV)
Idolatry of the Blessed Sacrament or a Holy Host as the Body of Christ
In older times we did find already reactions against this adoration of a piece of bread.
As late as 1820 a great jubilee was celebrated at Brabant in commemoration of the desecration of the host at Enghien in 1370. This festival lasted eight days, during which sixteen hosts studded with diamonds were borne in solemn procession through the streets. Fifty years later (1870), while a committee and the clergy of Brussels were making preparations for this ancient festival, an article appeared in the “Revue Belgique,” entitled “Le Jubilé d’un Faux Miracle,” etc., which proved by the original sources that, although three Jews had been burned in 1370 on the charge of having stolen a host, “pro sacramentis punice et furtive captis,” the original document had been changed sixty-five years later to read “pro sacramento puncto et furtive accepto,” in order to fabricate an accusation of desecration of the host. Other falsifications being discovered in the document, Pope Pius IX felt obliged to stop the festival. In the Church of Sainte-Gudule, Brussels, are several Gobelin tapestries containing representations of the supposed desecration of the host in 1370.**
The refutation of the so-called Sacramentarians, a name given by Luther to those who opposed the Real Presence, evinces as clearly the impossibility of a figurative meaning. Once the manifest literal sense is abandoned, occasion is given to interminable controversies about the meaning of an enigma which Christ supposedly offered His followers for solution. *
Only ordained people who abstain from sex can bless the bread of the Lord’s Supper and say “This is my body” after which they may hand out the body of Christ, god the son, the conservative Catholics say. Asking to allow women to be able to say this is degrading the Holy Sacrament and blasphemy.(***)
The writers of the Manifest not speaking of the wine miraculously becoming the blood of Christ and the bread miraculously becoming the body of Christ seem to offend many.
But Jesus does speak of the symbology of our taking the wine and the bread as representing our unity with one another and with us being involved with the sacrifice of Christ. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:38 “whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” and Paul in Romans 6:5-13
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (6) We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (7) For one who has died has been set free from sin. (8) Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (9) We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (10) For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. (11) So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. (13) Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
+
*Proof from Scripture – The real presence as a fact > The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
**Defiling the host or sacred wafer of the mass: desecration of host
(***) God can not die, but Jesus, being a man could die but only once. A “re-sacrifice” of Jesus Christ for our sins, or a “re-offering / re-presentation” of His sacrifice is not necessary. Scripture says, that Jesus died “once for all” and does not need to be sacrificed again (Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18). Hebrews 7:27 declares, “Unlike the other high priests, He (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.” The bread and the wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus, but are not a representation of God nor His body or his blood (Because God is a ghost and has no body or blood as human beings.) The bread Jesus was breaking represented what he was going to do. The same for the wine he gave them – his blood hadn’t yet been shed, but the wine represented the blood that would be shed. These words were not meant to be taken in a literal sense then, nor are they now.
Preceding article: Manifests for believers #3 Catholic versus Protestant
To be continued: Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
++
Please do find to read:
Is Jesus Christ actually present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist/communion?
The Lord’s supper is done both to help Christians remember what Jesus has done, and also to proclaim what Jesus has done (‘For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes’: 1 Cor. 11:26).
What is Holy Communion? Why is it necessary to a Christian’s life?Children ate the OT passover so why not NT bread and wine?Are the bread and wine just symbols, or are they really Jesus flesh and blood?Why did Jesus say he wouldn’t drink wine again until the kingdom when he ate and drank other things? (Mark 14:25)Why wasn’t the lying prophet killed? (1 Kings 13)
Who Can Receive Communion? according Catholics
+++
Related articles
- Manifests for believers #1 Sex abuse setting fire to the powder (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Manifests for believers #2 Changing celibacy requirement (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Manifests for believers #3 Catholic versus Protestant (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Een Manifest voor Gelovigen (marcusampe.wordpress.com)
- Manifest tot protestantse kerk | Marcus’ s Space (marcusampe.wordpress.com)
- Manifestanten Protestant of Katholiek | Marcus’ s Space (marcusampe.wordpress.com)
- Touch Jesus and be healed through faith (cinhosa.wordpress.com)
During The Eucharist, The Church teaches that the host and wine are consecrated by the priest. After the consecration, they become the body and blood of Jesus Christ through transubstantiation. So that Catholics (and other Christian denominations) believe that upon receipt the Blessed Sacrament, we touch Jesus – literally.
+
For additional reading, the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist contains an overview of various Christian denominations and their belief (or not) in transubstantiation. The Catholic Encyclopedia has a reference article for additional information. - Audio for Eucharist (lettersonorthodoxy.wordpress.com)
Here’s some additional audio resources regarding the Eucharist - Eucharist : Communion or Discrimination?? (catholicakauniversal.wordpress.com)
Eucharist has been a controversial topic, specially in a multicultural and multi-religious continent like Asia.
+
In the Hindu temple they offer the devotees Prasad a food offering made to a god and then shared among the people, to both Hindus and non-Hindus.
+
we can Evangelize better if we understood the real concept of the Eucharist that Christ explained to us. This is something that has to be considered instead of arguing whether we should receive communion directly on hand or tongue. It would be more meaningful if we call everyone for a fellowship, a real communion without discriminating others with the sentence announced during the mass “Non-Christians are not allowed to receive Communion!” And I hope that they will dawn someday
Till then, Eucharist is only for the Baptized Christians! - The Holy Eucharist – The Bread of Life (catholicsview.wordpress.com)
The mysticism of the Christian faith has been eaten away by society. Despite miracles being recorded throughout history, as people of God we have lost faith in them. The mystery of transubstantiation (bread and wine becoming the body and blood of Jesus) is one of these miracles that occur at each Mass across the world. Non-catholic churches that used to believe in the Eucharist have gone from believing in transubstantiation to, “If you think it’s real for you, then it is real” and “it is only a symbol” in order to conform to societies’ ideals and beliefs. - Contraception, Spilling One’s “Seed” and the Obama Health Care Ruling (woodgatesview.com)
Ahh Catholicism. What fond memories I have about my first Communion, Confirmation, serving my first Mass as an alter boy and best of all, my awareness of sin. Without sin in our lives there is chaos. There can be no understanding for our purpose on earth and what lies in store for us afterwards without a sense of our sinful life. - Catechistic Introduction (boyd41.wordpress.com)
Catechistic Notes includes posts on Christian Faith and Worship. These posts comprise paraphases, quotes, references, and personal impressions from several catechistic documents. - A Bunch of Ignorance and a Mammoth of Delusion (esoriano.wordpress.com)
If what is in the cup is the real blood of Jesus, how can the mass be an unbloody sacrifice? If what is in the cup is only symbolic blood, it is also symbolically bloody, doesn’t it follow?
+
Praying and praising His name is symbolic of the incense which is pure sacrifice that will reach the throne of the Almighty! It is not something material, for then, not everyone would have access to it. It is not something readily found in those who prefer to delude themselves by way of ascribing spiritual presence to bread and wine that they call Christ’s body and blood – which they offer again and again.
Jesus begotten Son of God #20 Before and After
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #19 Compromising fact
The Anointed begotten Son of God
44. Before
““And now, esteem Me with Yourself, Father, with the esteem which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5 The Scriptures 1998+)
Prologue of the gospel of St. John from the Clementine Vulgate, edited by P. Michael Hetzenauer, O.M.Cap. Biblia Sacra, vol. V, Regensburg: Verlag Friedrich Pustet, 1922, p. 197.
“And the esteem which You gave Me I have given them, so that they might be one as We are one, “ (John 17:22 The Scriptures 1998+)
““Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me, might be with Me where I am, so that they see My esteem which You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24 The Scriptures 1998+)
It is clear then that the glory which both Jesus and the disciples “had” is a glory in promise and prospect. Jesus thus prays to have conferred on him at his ascension the glory which God had undertaken to give him from the foundation of the world. John speaks in Jewish fashion of a pre-existing Purpose, not a pre-existing second Person. Our point was well expressed by a distinguished Lutheran New Testament professor, H.H. Wendt (The System of Christian Teaching, 1907):
“It is clear that John 8:58 [‘Before Abraham was I am’] and 17:5 do not speak of a real pre-existence of Christ. We must not treat these verses in isolation, but understand them in their context.
“The saying in John 8:58, ‘Before Abraham came to be, I am’ was prompted by the fact that Jesus’ opponents had countered his remark in v. 51 by saying that Jesus was not greater than Abraham or the prophets (v. 52). As the Messiah commissioned by God Jesus is conscious of being in fact superior to Abraham and the prophets. For this reason he replies (according to the intervening words, v. 54ff) that Abraham had ‘seen his day,’ i.e., the entrance of Jesus on his historical ministry, and ‘had rejoiced to see’ that day. And Jesus strengthens his argument by adding the statement, which sounded strange to the Jews, that he had even been ‘before Abraham’ (v. 58). This last saying must be understood in connection with v. 56. Jesus speaks in vv. 55, 56 and 58 as if his present ministry on earth stretches back to the time of Abraham and even before. His sayings were perceived by the Jews in this sense and rejected as nonsense. But Jesus obviously did not (in v. 56) mean that Abraham had actually experienced Jesus’ appearance on earth and seen it literally. Jesus was referring to Abraham’s spiritual vision of his appearance on earth, by which Abraham, at the birth of Isaac, had foreseen at the same time the promised Messiah, and had rejoiced at the future prospect of the greater one (the Messiah) who would be Israel’s descendant. Jesus’ reference to his existence before Abraham’s birth must be understood in the same sense. There is no sudden heavenly pre-existence of the Messiah here: the reference is again obviously to his earthly existence. And this earthly existence is precisely the existence of the Messiah. As such, it was not only present in Abraham’s mind, but even before his time, as the subject of God’s foreordination and foresight. The sort of pre-existence Jesus has in mind is ‘ideal’ [in the world of ideas and plans]. In accordance with this consciousness of being the Messiah preordained from the beginning, Jesus can indeed make the claim to be greater than Abraham and the prophets.
“In John 17:5 Jesus asks the Father to give him now the heavenly glory which he had with the Father before the world was. The conclusion that because Jesus possessed a pre-existent glory in heaven he must also have pre-existed personally in heaven is taken too hastily. This is proven by Matthew 6:20 (‘Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven’), 25:34 (‘Come, you blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’), Col. 1:5 (‘the hope which is laid up for you in heaven about which you heard in the word of Truth, the Gospel’), and 1 Peter 1:4 (‘an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, which does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you’). Thus a reward can also be thought of as preexistent in heaven. Such a reward is destined for human beings and already held in store, to be awarded to them at the end of their life. So it is with heavenly glory which Jesus requests. He is not asking for a return to an earlier heavenly condition. Rather he asks God to give him now, at the end of his work as Messiah on earth (v. 4), the heavenly reward which God had appointed from eternity for him, as Messiah. As the Messiah and Son he knows he has been loved and foreordained by the Father from eternity (v. 24). Both John 8:58 and 17:5 are concerned with God’s predetermination of the Messiah” (cp. Teaching of Jesus, pp. 453-460).
Note: Things which are held in store as divine plans for the future are said to be “with God.” Thus in Job 10:13 Job says to God, “These things you have concealed in your heart: I know that this is with You” (see KJV). “He performs what is appointed for me, and many such decrees are with Him” (Job 23:14). Thus the glory which Jesus had “with God” was the glory which God had planned for him as the decreed reward for his Messianic work now completed. The promise of glory “pre-existed,” not Jesus himself. Note that this same glory which Jesus asked for has already been given to you (see John 17:22, 24). It was given to you and Jesus whom God loved before the foundation of the world (v. 24; cp. Eph. 1:4). You may therefore say that you now “have” that glory although it is glory in promise and prospect, to be gained at the Second Coming. Jesus had that same glory in prospect before the foundation of the world (John 17:5). [39. Anthony Buzzard, editor of Focus on the Kingdom in” Jesus' Long-Form Birth Certificate Released by Luke and Matthew (and John), 2000 years ago, and Recorded in Scripture” (June 2011)]
45. After
Paul can say that we now “have” a new body with God in heaven (2 Cor. 5:1) — i.e., we have the promise of it, not in actuality. That body will be ours at our resurrection at the return of Christ. We now “have” it in anticipation and promise only. (“We have a building of God…” 2 Cor. 5:1). We do not in fact have it yet. This is the very Jewish language of promises decreed by God. They are absolutely certain to be fulfilled.
“For we know that if the tent of our earthly house, is destroyed, we have a building from Elohim, a house not made with hands, everlasting in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1 The Scriptures 1998+)
We do not have our foundation in the dust, but we do come out from the dust and soil and shall return to the soil. As the first man was made from the dust of the earth. He came from the earth. The second man came from heaven because he was placed in the mother’s womb by the divine power of the One and Only God. In the man who wanted to die for all other men we have the treasure of the Good News.
“But Elohim gives it a body as He wishes, and to each seed a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds. And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the esteem of the heavenly is truly one, and the esteem of the earthly is another, one esteem of the sun, and another esteem of the moon, and another esteem of the stars – for star differs from star in esteem. So also is the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in disrespect, it is raised in esteem; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it has been written, “The first man Ad’am became a living being,” the last Ad’am a life-giving Spirit. The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Master from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:38-48 The Scriptures 1998+)
Adcension of Christ Jesus, the son of God - A page from the Gospel Lectionary portion of the Bamberg Apocalypse (Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, MS A. II. 42)
“For Elohim, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts for the enlightening of the knowledge of the esteem of Elohim in the face of יהושע Messiah. And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power might be of Elohim, and not of us – being hard pressed on every side,1 but not crushed; being perplexed, but not in despair; Footnote: 1See 1:8. being persecuted, but not forsaken; being thrown down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Master יהושע, that the life of יהושע might also be manifested in our body. For we, the living, are always delivered to death for the sake of יהושע, that the life of יהושע might also be manifested in our mortal flesh, so that death indeed is working in us, but the life in you. But having the same spirit of belief, according to what has been written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised up the Master יהושע shall also raise us up through יהושע, and shall present us with you. For all this is for your sake, so that favour, having spread through the many, would cause thanksgiving to overflow, unto the esteem of Elohim.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-15 The Scriptures 1998+)
°°°
*****
+
Please do also find Related articles:
- Secret or public return of Jesus
- Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
- Pre-existence
- Pre-existence of Christ
- The Nature of Preexistence in the New Testament
- Some issues relating to the pre-existence of Christ
- Around pre-existence of Christ
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Intro #1 Athanasian Creed
- Da Vinci Code: Was Jesus Human or Divine?
- The Countdown to Jesus his return has begun. But Are you ready?
- The return of Christ to the earth – soon!: PDF Christ is Coming
- Bible Teaching About His Return
- New Testament Teaching
- Other New Testament Writings
- Old Testament Teaching
- The Kingdom of God
- Behold Your King!
- Dual Fulfillment
- The Times and Seasons
- Antichrist
- Tribulation
- The Nation of Sign
- The “Rapture”
- The Lord will Come!
- Take Heed to Yourselves
It was once fashionable in religious circles to say that Jesus Christ would never return to the earth. There are still plenty of professing Christians who believe that. But there are now many others who have come to believe that the Second Coming is a very important event.
Christadelphians have always taught that the Return of Jesus Christ to the earth is vital to the fulfillment of the purpose of God. This booklet reviews Bible teaching about the Second Coming, both the events that will lead up to that miracle and the reason for the Lord’s Return. - Is the Trinity or pre-existence true? > How is Jesus Christ God?
Jesus, who came into existence as a man, is the firstborn of God’s new creation as Adam was the firstborn of the old creation. (1Corinthians 15:22: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made (by resurrection from the dead) a quickening spirit.”; Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”)
Christ’s genealogy through Mary in Luke is taken right back to Adam. (Luke 3:38: “Which was (the son) of Enos, which was (the son) of Seth, which was (the son) of Adam, which was (the son) of God.”) If Christ was to be the offspring of Abraham he had to come into being after Abraham. Abraham knew there was a saviour promised in Genesis 3:15. - Conclusion in who is Jesus Christ?Jesus did not physically exist before he was born of Mary.
1Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained (Greek proginoskw foreknown) before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
It is the same word as that used of all who will be sons (and daughters) of God.Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow (Greek proginoskw foreknow), he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
The same word is used in Acts 26:5 (knew); Romans 11:2 (foreknew);2Peter 3:17 (know these things before).His pre-existence being only in the sense that he existed in the plan and purpose of God before the creation of the world.
- Certainty in a troubled world
- Looking forward to the return of Jesus
- Why did Christ not reveal the exact time of his second coming?
- Summary on trinity
- Rapture exposed
++
+++
Related articles
- Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #7 A matter of the Future (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #11 Existence and Genesis Raising up (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #13 Pre-existence excluding virginal birth of the Only One Transposed (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #15 Son of God Originating in Mary (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #16 Prophet to be heard (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Jesus begotten Son of God #19 Compromising fact
Forgoing article: #18 Believing in inhuman or human person
The Anointed begotten Son of God
43. A compromising fact
The Holy Trinity is more usually depicted with God the Father as an elder, God the Son as Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as a divine Dove, as in Fridolin Leiber’s other work + The persons of the trinity are identified by symbols on their chests: The Son has a lamb (agnus dei), the Father an Eye of Providence, and the Spirit a dove.
““And this is everlasting life, that they should know You, the only true Elohim, and יהושע Messiah whom You have sent.” (John 17:3 The Scriptures 1998+)
““How are you able to believe, when you are receiving esteem from one another, and the esteem that is from the only Elohim you do not seek?” (John 5:44 The Scriptures 1998+)
“And one of the scribes coming near, hearing them reasoning together, knowing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first command of all?” And יהושע answered him, “The first of all the commands is, ‘Hear, O Yisra’ĕl, יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one. ‘And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first command. “And the second, like it, is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other command greater than these.” And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one Elohim, and there is no other besides Him.” (Mark 12:28-32 The Scriptures 1998+)
Several other “adjustments” became necessary under the revised doctrine of God. John was made to say in certain other verses what he did not say. This trend is well illustrated by the New International Version in John 13:3, 16:28 and 20:17.
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;” (John 13:3 NIV)
Ascension of Christ – Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), Cappella Scrovegni a Padova
“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”” (John 16:28 NIV)
“Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”” (John 20:17 NIV)
In none of these passages does the original say that Jesus was going back to God. In the first two Jesus spoke of his intention to “go to the Father” and in the last of his “ascending” to his Father. The NIV embellishes the story by telling us that Jesus was going back or returning to God. A Son whose existence is traced to his mother’s womb cannot go back to the Father, since he has never before been with the Father. Jesus also does not go to a place where he was before as God, to be God again, but he goes “to” his Father to be “with” his Father.
“יהושע, knowing that the Father had given all into His hands, and that He had come from Elohim and was going to Elohim,” (John 13:3 The Scriptures 1998+)
““I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” “ (John 16:28 The Scriptures 1998+)
“יהושע said to her, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’ ” (John 20:17 The Scriptures 1998+)
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #18 Believing in inhuman or human person
To be continued: Before and After (Parts 44 + 45)
++
- Not sure there exist a god
- Hashem השם, Hebrew for “the Name”
- Monothelitism
- Monotheism: Christelijke monotheïsten
- Reasons that Jesus was not God
- Concerning gospelfaith
- Only one God
- God is one
- God of gods
- How the Coctrine of the Trinity came to the Church or How the Doctrine of the Trinity came to the Church
- How did the Trinity Doctrine Develop
- Historical Development of Trinity
- Summary on trinity
- Trinity function
- Trinity versus Tritheism
- Why the trinity was accepted in Europe
- The Trinity – the truth
- Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
- For those who have not the rudiments of an historical sense
- How do trinitarians equate divine nature
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 – God in Christ
- One mediator
- Is the Trinity a Biblical Doctrine? + What is the Trinity? + The Father is the Only True God > Restoration Light
- Who is Jesus #1 Introduction
- Who is Jesus #2 Jesus Christ, man who died
- Who is Jesus #4 Clear statements that our heavenly Father is his “God”
- Who is Jesus #6 Jesus prays to God
- Who is Jesus #8 Father greater than Jesus
- Who is Jesus #9 100% or not
- Who is Jesus #12 Conclusion
- Pre-existence of Christ
- Resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Knowing rabboni
- Da Vinci Code: Was Jesus Human or Divine?
- The Pagan Influence of The catholic church ……The Pagan Trinity, and Saint B
- Our relationship with God, Jesus and each other
- Admittance with Christ
- Gathering with Jesus
- Sayings around God
+++
Related articles
- Have You Seen the Face of God? (lbbfchurch.wordpress.com)
Ever since His ascension into heaven, after His resurrection, Jesus has been exalted in glory. He has received even a greater glory because of His obedience to the Father’s will. As recorded in John 17, Jesus prayer to the Father was that He might again enter into this visible glory of heaven. - Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #18 Believing in inhuman or human person (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Firstfruits and the Final Harvest (eudoranachand.wordpress.com)
In the Tanakh, a cloud often expresses God’s glory. Daniel prophesied that he saw in a night vision (a dream) the second coming of Jesus, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. - A Former Pastor Warns: Leave the Church! Part 4 (endtimeebooklibrary.com)
Two books, “The Fake Jesus” and “The New Idolatry” detail historical proof that God was not the founder of the organized church. Yet for many centuries, His longsuffering and mercy endured. Both books historically connect the dots.
The book “Come Out of her, God’s People,” provides a detailed account of his memoirs as a pastor and an evangelist in a well-known African-American Denomination. - The Orthodox Definition of the Trinity (compasschurchamman.wordpress.com)
Simply stated: “The Trinity is three persons (personae) in one substance (substantia).”
“We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance.” – The Athanasian Creed - What is a Modalist? (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
There really are three (and they don’t just seem to be three or appear from time to time in different manifestations as suits the moment) who really are one. It’s a mystery that can’t be grasped by finite minds but the ability to grasp truth isn’t the final arbiter of reality. - Salvation in Islam (part 2 of 3): Worship and Obey God (aroonadorough.wordpress.com)
Tawheed is an Arabic word that means oneness, and when we talk about tawheed in relation to God it means realising and affirming God’s oneness. It is the belief that God is One, without partner or associate. There is no god worthy of worship but Allah, and this is the foundation of Islam. To profess such a belief along with the belief that Muhammad is His messenger is what makes a person Muslim. - Monotheism – One God (aroonadorough.wordpress.com)
The religion of Islam is based on one core belief, that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah. When a person embraces Islam or a Muslim wants to renew or confirm his or her faith, they profess their belief that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is His final messenger. Ashadu an la ill laha il Allah wa Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, Saying these words, the Testimony of Faith, is the first of five pillars or foundations of the religion of Islam. Belief in God is the first of six pillars of faith. - Names of God in Judaism: EMET excerpt selected by אלוה אל (powersthatbeat.wordpress.com)
The most important name of God in Judaism is the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God. This name is first mentioned in the book of Genesis and is usually translated as ’the Lord’. Because Jews have for a longperiod of time considered it blasphemy to pronounce, the correct pronunciation of this name has been forgotten—the original Hebrew texts only included consonants.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )
Jesus begotten Son of God #17 Adam, Eve, Mary and Christianity’s central figure
Jesus begotten son of God
39. Adam and Eve, Mary and Jesus
As the ‘mannin’ Eve, who was created after the image of God, became the first mother of the 1st worldgeneration, Mary was chosen to be the mother of the 2nd Adam, who was going to be the 1st of the New Generation (The third in a row). [35. The 2nd one having started after the flood.] This new child, or the child of the new beginning (Genesis) had to come directly from God to be likewise the 1st Adam and because it would have been unfair to start off from a person who would only come from fragile humans who , because of the heridarity of defects, should have to many problems to choose not to sin. The new world had to be able to start without a bug, so giving humanity more chances to succeed the Creator took again a woman, who at first [36. Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3)] had showed a deceit, giving her again the chance to bring up good children.
The birth of Christ Jesus - La Nativité - 1490 Lorenzo Costa (1460–1535) Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon
40. Identity and nature of Christianity’s central figure
As the centre of a new ecumenism the simple truth about the identity and nature of Christianity’s central figure has the backing of those many scholars who know well that neither Luke nor Matthew show any sign of believing in a pre-human eternal Son of God of the post-biblical creeds. Raymond Brown’s magisterial treatment of the birth narratives in his Birth of the Messiah makes a major point of the fact that neither Matthew nor Luke believed in the Incarnation of a pre-human, prehistoric Son.
Commenting on Luke 1:35, “therefore,” Raymond Brown says, “of the nine times dio kai occurs in the New Testament, three are in Luke/Acts. It involves a certain causality and Lyonnet (in his L’Annonciation, 61.6) points out that this has embarrassed many orthodox theologians since in pre-existence Christology a conception by the holy spirit in Mary’s womb does not bring about the existence of God’s son. Luke is seemingly unaware of such a Christology; conception is causally related to divine Sonship for him…And so I cannot follow those theologians who try to avoid the causal connotation in the ‘therefore’ which begins this line, by arguing that for Luke the conception of the child does not bring the Son of God into being.” Raymond Brown insists that according to Luke, “We are dealing with the begetting of God’s Son in the womb of Mary through God’s creative spirit.” [37. The Birth of the Messiah, London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1977, pp. 291, 312.]
“Orthodoxy” derived from later Church Councils has to turn a blind eye to Gabriel’s definition of the Son of God. It contradicted Gabriel by denying that the conception of Jesus brought about his existence as Son of God.
This is a very serious issue. Is the Jesus of the creeds, the Jesus under whose umbrella churches gather, really the created Son authorized by Scripture in Luke 1:35 and Matthew 1:18, 20?
Again, the exhaustive work of Brown on the birth narratives brings us the important fact that the Jesus of the Gospels is quite unlike the “eternally begotten” Son of the later creeds:
“Matthew and Luke press [the question of Jesus’ identity] back to Jesus’ conception. In the commentary I shall stress that Matthew and Luke show no knowledge of pre-existence; seemingly for them the conception was the becoming (begetting) of God’s Son (p. 31).”
“The fact that Matthew can speak of Jesus as ‘begotten’ (passive of gennan) suggests that for him the conception through the agency of the holy spirit is the becoming of God’s Son. [In Matthew’s and Luke’s ‘conception Christology’] God’s creative action in the conception of Jesus begets Jesus as God’s Son…There is no suggestion of an Incarnation whereby a figure who was previously with God takes on flesh. For pre-existence Christology [Incarnation], the conception of Jesus is the beginning of an earthly career but not the begetting of God’s Son. [Later] the virginal conception was no longer seen as the begetting of God’s Son, but as the incarnation of God’s Son, and that became orthodox Christian doctrine. This thought process is probably already at work at the beginning of the second century” (pp. 140-142).
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #16 Prophet to be heard
To be continued: 41. What to believe + 42. Inhuman
++
Who is Jesus Christ? #1 What does the Bible say the only man who is called “the Last Adam” , the only man who was ever born of a virgin
Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
Around pre-existence of Christ
Pre-existence of Christ #1 Intro #1 Athanasian Creed
+++
Related articles
- Luke 22:66-71 (biblestudy123.wordpress.com)
Son of man seated at the right hand - Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #11 Existence and Genesis Raising up (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #13 Pre-existence excluding virginal birth of the Only One Transposed (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #15 Son of God Originating in Mary (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #16 Prophet to be heard (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Jesus begotten Son of God #16 Prophet to be heard
The Anointed begotten Son of God
38. The Prophet to be heard
A prophet is a spokesman of a deity, one who proclaims a divine message. He is also an inspired teacher, preacher or poet. It is a foreteller (whether claiming to be inspired or not.) (32)
From the beginning God has given humankind His Word which was with them all the time by the word and writingsof the chosen men and prophets.
Jesus was also a prophet or chosen man of God. He was here on earth to teach religion, to give directions how we have to behave. He told us who his Father was and who our heavenly Father is. He also told us who we have to honour and pray to. He taught by parables or illustrations which could give us an idea what was going to happen. As a teacher he brought not exactly a new theory but summarised the old one, bringing a new cause. (33) As a Jew he taught first at the Jewish communities but his words where brought in the open air as well for all who wanted to listen. But God wanted us to listen to His son.
“While he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold a voice from the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; hear him.” (Matthew 17:5 Sawyer)
Jesus disciples went out to tell people about the happenings of this man they got to know better, and wrote down his history in the books we now know as the New Testament. Those who want to be a Christian should listen to those words in those books because they are words form the disciples of Christ Jesus and the words of Jeshua/Jesus and his Father. Not taking up these words is not listening to the disciples who were there to see and to believe. Not listening to those writings would therefore also be not listening to their Master Teacher Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was sent by his and our Father, and as such be a rejecting of this Father. By Jesus the prophecy of Isaiah is continuously being filled up in (or: for; by) them – the one continuing. Christ did not please himself, but did everything to please his Father, even at the moment he knew he was going to be handed over to die. (34)
““Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock,” “ (Matthew 7:24 The Scriptures 1998+) + ““And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them,1 shall be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand,” {Footnote: 1John 3:36.} “ (Matthew 7:26 The Scriptures 1998+)
““He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” And the taught ones came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And He answering, said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. “For whoever possesses, to him more shall be given, and he shall have overflowingly; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him. “Because of this I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “And in them the prophecy of Yeshayahu is completely filled, which says, ‘Hearing you shall hear and by no means understand, and seeing you shall see and by no means perceive, for the heart of this people has become thickened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart, and turn back, and I heal them.’ “And blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear, for truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous ones longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:9-17 The Scriptures 1998+)
““He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” “ (Luke 10:16 The Scriptures 1998+)
“And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their congregation, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this One get this wisdom and miracles? “Is this not the son of the carpenter? Is not His mother called Miryam? And His brothers Ya’aqoḇ and Yosĕph and Shim’on and Yehuḏah? “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this One get all this?” And they stumbled at Him. But יהושע said to them, “A prophet is not unappreciated except in his own country and in his own house.” “ (Matthew 13:54-57 The Scriptures 1998+)
““But this is how Elohim has filled what He had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that His Messiah was to suffer. “Repent therefore and turn back, for the blotting out of your sins, in order that times of refreshing might come from the presence of the Master, and that He sends יהושע Messiah, pre-appointed for you, whom heaven needs to receive until the times of restoration of all matters, of which Elohim spoke through the mouth of all His set-apart prophets since of old. “For Mosheh truly said to the fathers, ‘יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear according to all matters, whatever He says to you. ‘And it shall be that every being who does not hear that Prophet1 shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Footnote: 1Deut. 18:18-20. “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Shemu’ĕl and those following, have also announced these days. “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which Elohim made with our fathers, saying to Aḇraham, ‘And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.’ “To you first, Elohim, having raised up His Servant יהושע, sent Him to bless you, in turning away each one of you from your wicked ways.”1 Footnote: 1See 2:38. “(Acts 3:18-26 The Scriptures 1998+)
“For even the Messiah did not please Himself, but, as it has been written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell upon Me.” For whatever was written before was written for our instruction,1 that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have the expectation. Footnote: 11 Cor. 10:11, 2 Tim. 3:16-17. And the Elohim of endurance and encouragement give you to be of the same mind toward one another, according to Messiah יהושע, that with one mind and one mouth, you might praise the Elohim and Father of our Master יהושע Messiah. So accept one another, as Messiah also did accept us, to the esteem of Elohim. And I say that יהושע Messiah has become a servant of the circumcised for the truth of Elohim, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and for the gentiles to praise Elohim for His compassion, as it has been written, “Because of this I shall confess to You among the gentiles, and I shall sing to Your Name.” “ (Romans 15:3-9 The Scriptures 1998+)
~~~~
32. Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary
33. Compare the meaning of prophet given by the Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, 2nd Edition p 717
34. “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and falling on His knees He was praying, saying, “Father, if it be Your counsel, remove this cup from Me. Yet not My desire, but let Yours be done.” And there appeared a messenger from heaven to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He was praying more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44 The Scriptures 1998+)
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #15 Son of God Originating in Mary
To be continued: 39. Adam and Eve, Mary and Jesus + 40. Identity and nature of Christianity’s central figure
+++
Related articles
- Jesus begotten Son of God #7 A matter of the Future (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- A Survey of the Book of the New Testament (compasschurchamman.wordpress.com)
The Gospels give us four different, yet not conflicting, accounts of the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospels demonstrate how Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament and lay the foundation for the teaching of the rest of the New Testament.
Jesus begotten Son of God #15 Son of God Originating in Mary
The Anointed begotten Son of God
36. Originating in Mary
From the nativity story to the story of the beginning of Jesus ‘public life we see the line of the human link and often we also shall get to see the fragility of the Master Teacher, who sometimes got tired of the human crowd around him.
The whole story is ruined if another dimension is added to the story, namely that the Son of God was already a pre-existing member of an eternal Trinity. Gabriel has carefully defined the nature of Jesus’ Sonship and his words exclude any origin other than a supernatural origin in Mary.
Gabriel’s Jesus, Son of God — the biblical Son — originates in Mary. He is conceived and begotten by miracle. In pre-existence Christology, the main plank of Trinitarianism, a conception/begetting in Mary’s womb does not bring about the existence of God’s Son. According to Gabriel it does. Neither Gabriel nor Luke could possibly have been Trinitarians.
No need for centuries of complex wrangling over words. All that is required is belief of the angelic communication: “For this reason precisely (dio kai) — the creative miracle of God through His divine power — the child will be Son of God.” For no other reason, for this reason only. (Note the very watered-down rendering of the NIV, “so the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”)
37. Son of the Most High
Jesus as Son of God is “the Son of the Most High”.
“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:32 Complete Apostles’ Bible)
Clearly there is also written in the future sense. In case Jesus already existed, being God, he would be the Most High and therefore would be more than Great. God has been sitting on the throne form the beginning and in case Jesus was God he would have already been sitting on the throne as well and would have had already the throne of David. He also would not have David as his forefather, because David would be a great great-grandson.(30)
We also should question “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”
“And when he saw יהושע, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, יהושע, Son of the Most High Elohim? I beg You, do not torture me!”” (Luke 8:28 The Scriptures 1998+)
Though we may also be children of God by the grace of Jesus Christ, heirs’ heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, but we shall have to work very hard to become like Christ, as is one of our tasks given by the Master Teacher and his disciples. We as Christ Jesus shall have to come to live according the Spirit, in the spirit instead of in the flesh, as Jesus was in the Spirit and from the Spirit. In such a way only by submitting to God’s law, not being in the flesh we shall be able to please God. As the Spirit of Goddwelled in Jesus it should also dwell in us. And being led by the Spirit of God we are sons of God in the same way that Jesus is son of God. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (31)
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the matters of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the matters of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. Because the mind of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim, for it does not subject itself1 to the Torah of Elohim2, neither indeed is it able, {Footnotes: 1Or does not obey. 2John 15:5, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 3:9, 1 John 5:18.} and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, this one is not His. And if Messiah is in you, the body is truly dead on account of sin, but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised יהושע from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit dwelling in you. So then, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Elohim, and if children, also heirs – truly heirs of Elohim, and co-heirs with Messiah, if indeed we suffer with Him, in order that we also be exalted together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the esteem that is to be revealed in us. For the intense longing1 of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of Elohim. {Footnote: 1Lit. anxiously looking with outstretched head.} For the creation was subjected to futility, not from choice, but because of Him who subjected it, in anticipation, that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage to corruption into the esteemed freedom of the children of Elohim.” (Romans 8:5-21 The Scriptures 1998+)
Let us therefore know and understand, not walking in darkness but recognize the person to whom Jesus prayed and whom he adored and called Him his Father. As David and Jesus said that the Creator of all things was their Father, we also should say: “you are Elohim, and sons of the Supreme are all of you.” Yet we know we shall die like common humanity, most likely in a better way than Jesus died. Though Jesus never did do anything wrong but poor us we do know we are too weak to be totally like Christ, without any fault, with whom we have to be in unity.
“They do not know, nor do they understand, They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. I, I said, “You are elohim, And all of you are sons of the Most High. “But as men you die, And fall as one of the heads.” “ (Psalms 82:5-7 The Scriptures 1998+)
“My little children, I write this to you, so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Intercessor with the Father, יהושע Messiah, a righteous One. And He Himself is an atoning offering for our sins, and not for ours only but also for all the world. And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands.1{Footnote: 1See 3:6}. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected1 in him. By this we know that we are in Him.2 {Footnotes: 1Gen. 17:1, Ps. 119:1, Mt. 5:48. 2See 3:24.} The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked. Beloved, I write no fresh command to you, but an old command which you have had from the beginning. The old command is the Word which you heard from the beginning.1 {Footnote: 1See v. 24.} (1 John 2:1-7 The Scriptures 1998+)
*
Note (30): But see who is the great-grandson: “He (Jesus) will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David.” (Luke 1:32 ISV)
(31): “The spirit itself is testifying together with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16 CLV)
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary
To be continued: The Prophet to be heard
+++
Related articles
- Jesus begotten Son of God #7 A matter of the Future (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #13 Pre-existence excluding virginal birth of the Only One Transposed (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Jesus begotten Son of God #13 Pre-existence excluding virginal birth of the Only One Transposed
The Anointed begotten Son of God
29. The only one
Though Jesus came into life by becoming into the womb, and getting onto the world by getting out of the womb of the human being Miryam/Mary he was implanted in her in a special way. You could compare it with fertilisation by insemination by the Holy Spirit.
Mary and Joseph – 1462 Hans Pleydenwurff (1420–1472)
Because by Mary there was no process involving the fusion of an ovum with a sperm, which eventually leads to the development of an embryo it was an exceptional conceivement. For Mary it was her first child. Afterwards she got some other kids from a normal contact with her then husband Joseph with whom she according one of the Laws of God reproduced.
‘Conception’ is used by some to refer to implantation and is thus a subject of semantic arguments about the beginning of pregnancy, typically in the context of the abortion debate. With Mary there was a conception, an implantation by the Holy Spirit or “by the Working of God”, a conceivement
Remarkably there is the confirmation of the virginal begetting in John 1:13, if we read the Jerusalem Bible and translations like Albrecht’s German rendering of the Greek in 1920. The issue is the singular aorist verb here (egenneethee).
“not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of god.” (John 1:13 CJB)
„13 Nicht aus Geblüt der Menschen, auch nicht aus Fleischestrieb und Manneswillen, vielmehr durch Gottes Wirksamkeit ward er gezeugt.*n13.1 „ (John 1:13 Albr)
If that text is original, then it is the singular Son of God who “was begotten, not of the will of the flesh or male desire, but of God.” It is surely rather labored and strange to contrast our “rebirth” with the birth by male desire, flesh, etc. Much more natural is an easy reference to the virginal begetting of Jesus. He is then the uniquely begotten Son (monogenes) precisely because that is what he really was, uniquely brought into existence as Son.
“no one has ever seen god; but the only and unique son, who is identical with god and is at the father’s side—he has made him known.” (John 1:18 CJB)
If the conceived one in Mary is Jeshua or Jesus, he is the uniquely begotten one who could be identical with “God” because he was partly from God and partly from a human being, Mary. Being implanted by God he would be a very special person and between the many gods of the world he could receive a special position as a “god”, but that is not the same as being God, making two Gods. Being created in a special way Jesus became the highest form of created being, as Hort noted in his long dissertation on that verse.
By the Word of God, God His son as the only brought-forth Son, is to be made known to the world.
“No one has seen God at any time. The only-begotten [or, unique] Son, the One in the bosom of the Father, that One explained [Him] [or, made [Him] known]. “ (John 1:18 ALT)
30. Pre-existence and virginal birth exclude each other
Virgin Mary and infant Jesus on wall and dove of Holy Spirit and pagan symbols of the four Evangelists on ceiling – Italian Chapel, Lamb Holm, Orkney, Scotland
It was Harnack who observed that “pre-existence and virginal birth self-evidently exclude each other” (schliessen sich aus).
There is more. In the LXX of Psalm 110:3 we read the same “Today I have begotten you,” in the ruling Messianic psalm which controls the thinking of the New Testament. Psalm 110:1 is quoted massively more than any other verse from the Hebrew Bible.
“יהוה said to my Master, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” יהוה sends Your mighty sceptre out of Tsiyon. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people volunteer in the day of Your might, In the splendours of set-apartness! From the womb, from the morning, You have the dew of Your youth! יהוה has sworn and does not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Malkitseḏeq.” יהוה at Your right hand Shall smite sovereigns in the day of His wrath. “ (Psalms 110:1-5 The Scriptures 1998+)
“Jehovah will {1} send forth the {2} rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. {1) Or [stretch] 2) Or [sceptre]} Thy people {1} offer themselves willingly In the day of thy {2} power, {3} in holy array: Out of the womb of the morning {4} Thou hast the dew of thy youth. {1) Heb [are freewill-offerings] 2) Or [army] 3) Or [in the beauty of holiness] 4) Or [Thy youth are to thee] as [the dew]}” (Psalms 110:2-3 ASV)
It is out of the womb that the sending of the promised one shall come.
The rod of David’s strength shall be send out of Zion and “more than the womb of the morning”[1] Messiah shall come to sit at YHVH the Only One God Jehovah’s right hand until his enemies are subjected to him.
That Son of God is the one begotten by the Father in the LXX of verse 3. Though the Masoretic text has repointed the Hebrew to read “your youth” (yaldutecha) many Hebrew manuscripts and the Hebrew version read by Origen read “I have begotten you” (yeliditicha), exactly as in Psalm 2:7 “I have begotten you.” (All this is just like substituting “shipping” for “shopping” “skyping” for “scoping.”)
““I inscribe for a law: יהוה has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have brought You forth. “ (Psalms 2:7 The Scriptures 1998+)
Psalm 2:7 indicating that the person is “brought forth” or “birthed”[2] is clearly key as is 2 Samuel 7:14, not to mention Isaiah 7:14: “To us [in Israel] has been born or begotten a Son.”
“I will declare shall scribe the decree statute : the LORD Yah Veh hath said unto me, Thou art my Son Ben * ; this day have I begotten birthed thee. {*Ben: cp 2:12 } (Psalms 2:7 ERRB)
“I will shall be his for him, father, and he shall be my for me, son. If he commit iniquity pervert , I will chasten shall reprove him with the rod scion of men, and with the stripes plagues of the children sons of men humanity : “ (2 Samuel 7:14 ERRB)
“Therefore the Lord Adonay himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear birth a son, and shall call his name Immanuel Immanu El . “ (Isaiah 7:14 ERRB)
And in Hebrews 7:14 we know that our Lord is “descended from Judah.”
“For it is evident hath been preevidenced that our Lord sprang Adonay rose out of Juda Yah Hudah ; of unto which tribe scion Moses Mosheh spake nothing naught concerning priesthood. {Genesis 49:8, 10 } “ (Hebrews 7:14 ERRB)
In three groups of 14’s Matthew (ch. 1) lays out the complete family history of the Son of God, who later as “ideal Israel” is called out of Egypt (2:15). Jesus then gives us, as the ideal Moses, the five blocks of New Covenant teaching, each ending with the “chorus” “when Jesus had finished all these words.”
How could anyone imagine “God the Son” being the promised “prophet arising as one like Moses and from the family of Israel” (Deut. 18:15-18)? Israel had asked not to hear God speak directly to them, and God conceded. How bizarre if then a “GOD the Son” spoke to them having abandoned a life of eternity in heaven to walk on earth with an “impersonal human nature.”
32. Transposed into Eternity
Mary or Marie of the Incarnation – 16th century
Normally in English “to die” means to become deceased or coming in a state of no longer living; being dead. The traditional believe is also that you can only die once and then you shall departure from life and be a dead person.
When a person is dead he or she will not endowed any more with life; and would be inanimate.
In case Jesus died on the cross he would have been dead: deceased, extinct, lifeless, and therefore would not have or appear to have life. Though we know that God cannot die, so when he was in Jesus when did he get out of in and who let He die? Did suddenly change the body of the God into a body of a poor man? According the Muslims the person Jeshua was interchanged for somebody else. But in the Bible this is no where recorded.
Jesus did not fake his death on the wooden stake and really came to an end, so was not eternal.
The birth date as well as the begetting of the Son of God ought never to have been transposed out of history and time into the philosophical, misty “times” of eternity.
The notion of an “eternal begetting” by which, as one church father said, the Son “had a beginningless beginning” ought to have been silenced, and Scripture allowed to speak to us all.
One architect of the Trinity admitted that the Trinity is a compromise between Jewish monotheism and pagan polytheism (Gregory of Nyssa), combining the best of two worlds! This leads people to read Philippians 2 as if Paul was on board with the Trinity of which he had never heard. Jesus was not “in very nature God” (NIV) but “in the form of God,” as God’s visible image, his glory, as the unique Son. The Son’s glory or appearance, visible, was the reflection of the One God, his Father, the God of Israel, God of gods and of the creation. As that matchless human Son, Jesus did not exploit his amazing status but worked for our good, resisting the Devil and performing perfectly as a servant leader.
That is why he has been elevated to the position of ADONI, my lord (Ps. 110:1; adoni is in all 195 occurrences a non-Deity title), at the right hand of YHVH, the One God. If Jesus were GOD in the first place then his achievement and elevation is really a charade. It is what God has done and can do with a fully dedicated human being that should make us catch our breath.
[1] “Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. {from…: or, more than the womb of the morning: thou shalt have, etc}” (Psalms 110:3 AVRLE)
[2] I scribe the statute! Yah Veh says to me, You are my Son/Ben*; this day I birthed you. {*Ben; cp 2:12 } “ (Psalms 2:7 ECB)
Note: Many Christians believe Jesus was incarnated by the the act of grace whereby Christ took our human nature into union with his Divine Person and became man, supposed to God becoming God Man. Those Christians believe Christ is both God and man but can not explain how it was possible that the people who saw Christ Jesus did not die when they saw him, because everybody who sees God dies (Exodus 33:20).
And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Even this word you have spoken I shall do, for you have found favour in My eyes, and I know you by name.” Then he said, “Please, show me Your esteem.” And He said, “I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you, and I shall proclaim the Name of יהוה before you. And I shall favour him whom I favour, and shall have compassion on him whom I have compassion.” But He said, “You are unable to see My face, for no man does see Me and live.” And יהוה said, “See, there is a place with Me! And you shall stand on the rock. “And it shall be, while My esteem passes by, that I shall put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand while I pass by. “Then I shall take away My hand and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”
(Exodus 33:17-23 The Scriptures 1998+)
According to the Trinitarians they take Jesus as ‘the divine God’ which is not exactly the same as ‘a divine person’ united to a human nature (Acts 20:28; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:8; Hebrews 2:11-14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Gal. 4:4, etc.).
About the divinity Allon Maxwell says in Good-News Jesus among the partisans:” Of course mainstream theology attributes the sinless obedience of Jesus to the superior moral attributes of his alleged “divinity”. But think about it. That amounts to a serious a slander against the justice of God! What justice would there be in a God who condemned humans who were born unable to obey because of their lack of divinity? How could one ever truly love a God like that?”
We are not divine, but we can strive to get more divine. Daily we can work on our character to become a better person.
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God
To be continued: 33. Mediator + 34. Preeminent Son + 35. The beloved son
++
Read also:
- Around pre-existence of Christ
- Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Look #2 Jesus in the Old Testament
- Pre-existence of Christ #1 Intro #4 Jesus – His Parents #2 Difference
- Can God become flesh? Kan God vlees worden?
- “Son of God” – “God the Son”
- Jesus was the son of “The Father” in the fullest sense as he said on numerous occasions. + We are not divine, but we can strive to get more divine. Daily we can work on our character to become a better person. > Good-News Jesus among the partisans
- Who is Jesus Christ? #1 What does the Bible say
- Dying or not
- Immortality, eternality – onsterfelijkheid, eeuwigheid
- Christian thought: acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God
+
- Colossians 1:15-20: Preexistence or Preeminence? by William Wachtel
- The Nature of Preexistence in the New Testament or Preexistensens natur i Nya testamentet (Swedish)
- Who Is Jesus? God, or Unique Man? or Wie is Jesus? God, of Unieke Mens? (Afrikaans)
+
In Dutch:
- voorbestaan-jezus
- 18 Redenen dat Jezus niet God is.
- Redenen dat Jezus niet God is
- Afstraling van Gods heerlijkheid
- Hij die zit aan de rechterhand van Zijn Vader
- Zoon van God
- Hij die gezonden is naar de aarde
- Jezus Christus is in het vlees gekomen
- Christus Jezus: de zoon van God
- Jezus van Nazareth #1 Jezus Geboorte
- Jezus van Nazareth #2 De zoon van Maria
- Jezus van Nazareth #3 De Zoon van God
- Niet goddelijkheid van Christus toch
- Hij is de Zoon van God
- Onsterfelijkheid
+++
Related articles
- Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
There are many references in the Old Testament to Jesus in the types and in the prophecies of the messiah. - Jesus begotten Son of God #7 A matter of the Future (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Several prophesies were given in the Old Testament. A prophesy is something which is still going to happen. It does not about something what had happened in the past. - Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
According to Chambers dictionary ‘to conceive’ is to receive into or form in the womb: to form in the mind: to imagine or think: to understand: to grasp as a concept to express: to become pregnant. - Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
The Son of God of Gabriel’s announcement is none other than a divinely created Son of God, coming into existence — begotten — as Son in his mother’s womb. All other claimants to divine Sonship and Messiahship may safely be discounted.
+
God has not implanted himself in a human being. Perhaps you could say He did bring over a spark of this spirit, or immortal divinity, in a foetus through its mother. As God had created the first man he now could bring in to the woman Many elements which would bring into live a new human being, a second Adam, created as a fleshly likeness of his Creator, who is a spirit being, but that still would not make that Adam the same as its Creator. Nor would be any conceived child the same as his or her father or mother. - Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Pre-human of course implies, if you think about it, non-human. And the whole point of the Messiah, Son of God, is that he is and must be a man, “the man mediator” of the lucidly clear statement of Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Messiah Jesus,” the second Adam. - Jesus begotten Son of God #11 Existence and Genesis Raising up (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Jesus is thus son of Eve, of Abraham, of David, of Mary and at the same time of God. As Adam was also the Son of God by divine miracle and creation (Luke 3:38), so is Jesus Son of God. “God the Son” is out of the question at once, since the only and mortal Son of God, Messiah, was “brought into existence” some 2000 years ago, at a definite and predicted geographical location. - On the Nature of Christ (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
The testimonies which teach the indivisible unity of the Deity, as the One Father, out of whom ALL things have proceeded, and who is supreme above all, even above Christ (I Cor. 11:3), are inconsistent with the Trinitarian representation of God. The supremacy and unity of the Father would not be affirmable if there were three co-equal personalities in His One personality—a doctrine which presents us with a contradiction in terms as well as in sense. - The Seed Of The Woman Bruised (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Jesus, who was the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), received strength that enabled him to render sinless obedience to the requirements of his Father, and manifest a character which reflected the Divine image (1 Peter2:21–24).This was necessary for the work of redemption, so that it is not solely the work of Christ, but that of the Father and the Son acting in conjunction one with the other. The Bible teaches: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). Jesus leaned heavily upon the Father, and God strengthened him, with the result that the fullness of the Divine character was revealed in a human body, that inherited the consequences of the first sin.
Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God
The Anointed begotten Son of God
28. Son of God
In Hebrews 1:5ff three corroborating proof texts take us to the origin of the Son. 2 Samuel 7:14 reinforces Psalm 2:7 and speaks of the moment when God becomes the Father of Jesus the Son (“I will be his father and he will my son”). This is equally the moment when Jesus comes into the world, is brought into the world, i.e. is born.
“For to which of the messengers did He ever say, “You are My Son, today I have brought You forth”?1 And again, “I shall be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”?2 {Footnotes: 1Ps. 2:7. 22 Sa. 7:14.} And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, “Let all the messengers of Elohim do reverence to Him.” And of the messengers indeed He says, “… who is making His messengers spirits and His servants a flame of fire.” But to the Son He says, “Your throne, O Elohim, is forever and ever, a sceptre of straightness is the sceptre of Your reign. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Because of this, Elohim, Your Elohim, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” “ (Hebrews 1:5-9 The Scriptures 1998+)
““I inscribe for a law: יהוה has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have brought You forth. “ (Psalms 2:7 The Scriptures 1998+)
““I am to be his Father, and he is My son. If he does perversely, I shall reprove him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.” (2 Samuel 7:14 The Scriptures 1998+)
In the New Testament we do find written down that Jesus spoke of his own coming into the world (“to this end I was born,” see John 18:37) and we know when that was. He was made holy and sent into the world (John 10:36), which is an echo of Gabriel in Luke. “The one begotten (brought into existence) holy will be the Son of God.”
“Then Pilate said to Him, “So then, You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this [reason] I have been born, and for this [reason] I have come into the world, so that I should testify to the truth. Every [one] being of the truth hears My voice.” “ (John 18:37 ALT)
Jesus is been born and as for any other being that has been born he came into existence and came into the world.
John the Baptist baptizing Christ – 1723 Francesco Trevisani
“And it came to be, when all the people were immersed, יהושע also being immersed, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Set-apart Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in You I did delight.” And when יהושע Himself began, He was about thirty years of age, being, as reckoned by law, son of Yosĕph, of Ěli, of Mattithyahu, of Lĕwi, of Meleḵi, of Yanah, of Yosĕph, of Mattithyahu, of Amots, of Naḥum, of Ḥesli, of Noḡah, of Ma’ath, of Mattithyahu, of Shim’i, of Yosĕph, of Yehuḏah, of Yoḥanan, of Rephayah, of Zerubbaḇel, of She’alti’ĕl, of Neri, of Meleḵi, of Addi, of Qosam, of Elmoḏam, of Ěr, of Yehoshua, of Eli’ezer, of Yorim, of Mattithyahu, of Lĕwi, of Shim’on, of Yehuḏah, of Yosĕph, of Yonam, of Elyaqim, of Melea, of Menna, of Mattattah, of Nathan, of Dawiḏ, of Yishai, of Oḇĕḏ, of Bo’az, of Salmon, of Naḥshon, of Amminaḏaḇ, of Ram, of Ḥetsron, of Perets, of Yehuḏah, of Ya’aqoḇ, of Yitsḥaq, of Aḇraham, of Teraḥ, of Naḥor, of Seruḡ, of Re’u, of Peleḡ, of Ěḇer, of Shĕlaḥ, of Qĕynan, of Arpaḵshaḏ, of Shĕm, of Noaḥ, of Lemeḵ, of Methushelaḥ, of Ḥanoḵ, of Yereḏ, of Mahalalĕl, of Qĕynan, of Enosh, of Shĕth, of Aḏam, of Elohim.” (Luke 3:21-38 The Scriptures 1998+)
Those who kept to the commandments of the Almighty could call themselves children of God and by such they were sons or daughters of God. Today it is not otherwise. If we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and honour his Father also as our Father, God shall be willing to accept us as His children and we shall be able to be a son or a daughter of God and be allowed to call Him our Father who is in heaven.[2]
In the same manner as God by divine fiat created Adam from the dust as Son of God, so in due time He created within the womb of a human female the one who is by the action of the Holy spirit, the supernaturally begotten Son of God. It is surely destructive of straightforward information and revelation to argue that the Son of God did not have his origin in Mary but as an eternal Spirit. This is to dehumanize the Son — to make him essentially non-human, merely a divine visitor disguised as a man, while from the genealogical tree we see the he came forwards from all human beings.
[1] Luke 3: 38 Re. Murdock
[2] After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9 KJV)
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve
To be continued: 29. The only one + 30. Pre-existence and virginal birth exclude each other
Read also:
- Jesus son of God
- Christian thought: acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God
- Who is Jesus Christ?
- Who is Jesus Christ? #1 What does the Bible say
- “Son of God” – “God the Son”
- Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father
- Da Vinci Code: Was Jesus Human or Divine?
- To Know God: A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
- Can God become flesh? Kan God vlees worden?
- When we do have to become Christ do we become God?
- A Provission made by God
- Looking for this promise
- God?s Will for Us – Gods Wil voor ons
+++
Related articles
- On the Nature of Christ (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- A Ransom in Exchange for Many (kingdomherald.ro)
- The Christmas Spirit Is Spreading (watchtower.org)
+ - Rome Marketed and Packaged Christ (jesus-is-not-god.xanga.com)
- Jesus – The Promised Messiah (fromthesunrising.wordpress.com)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 6 so far )
Jesus begotten Son of God #11 Existence and Genesis Raising up
The Anointed begotten Son of God
26. Brought into existence
Anthony Buzzard, editor of Focus on the Kingdom writes in” Jesus’ Long-Form Birth Certificate Released by Luke and Matthew (and John), 2000 years ago, and Recorded in Scripture” (June 2011):
Scenes from the Life of Christ. Revers: The Announciation - Louis Alincbrot, Luís Alliincbrod 1440s
Few Bible doctrines are supplied for our understanding and edification in such a comprehensive and comprehensible way, with “Son of God” given its exact definition. But here it is: This verse should have been allowed its monitoring and supervising position and authority as the perfect exposition of what Son of God means, and consequently who Jesus is and was. He is the Son of God, remarkably but hardly surprisingly because God was his Father by miracle. Jesus is thus son of Eve, of Abraham, of David, of Mary and at the same time of God. As Adam was also the Son of God by divine miracle and creation (Luke 3:38), so is Jesus Son of God. “God the Son” is out of the question at once, since the only and mortal Son of God, Messiah, was “brought into existence” some 2000 years ago, at a definite and predicted geographical location. Isaiah 7:14 had predicted this mighty event. It is unthinkable that Matthew and Luke knew of a “God the Son,” uncreated, who left heaven and walked on the earth, while a coequal God the Father remained in heaven. That would be an obvious doubling of God. (Modalist Unitarians, in a desperate attempt to hide a threatening duality in God, said “the Son IS the Father.”)”
27. The plot thickens
If one finds intolerable the need to say “He are one and they is three” (Dr. Millard Erickson, God in Three Persons, p. 270), what is our alternative? Suppose we agree with top logician Stephen Davis that “no one has yet been able to explain in what way God is one and in what different way He is three” (p. 258).
Viktor Vasnetsov. His only begotten son and the word of God. Preparation for a Vladimir cathedral frsco 1885-1896 Tretyakov Gallery
As we have seen in chapter 22 the aorist of the key word “beget” as pointing to the origin of the true Messiah, is the great key to understanding. In that famous saying in Psalm 2:7 the Messiah is defined by these words: “You are my Son. Today I begat you = brought you into existence.” That text reappears most reasonably in Matthew 1:20, as explaining the genesis of Jesus (v. 18).
“What is begotten [by the Father] in her [aorist participle of gennao] is from holy spirit.” Again in Luke: “What is to be begotten will be the holy Son of God” or perhaps “What will be begotten holy is the Son of God.” The sense is the same.
Then in Acts 13:33, if we consult F.F. Bruce and other commentary we find the Psalm 2:7 text applied where naturally it belongs, to the coming into existence, the putting on the human scene of Jesus, not to his resurrection which has a different proof text, in verse 34: “And as for the fact that he was raised from the dead…”
Bruce is insightful: “‘Raised up’ – that is by raising him up in the sense in which he raised David (v. 22). For anistemi in this sense, see 3:22; 7:37; 3:26 (‘raised him up and sent him’). The promise of v. 23, the fulfilment of which is described in 13:33, has to do with the sending of the Messiah, not his resurrection (for which see v. 34). The addition of ‘from the dead’ in v. 34 differentiates this use of ‘raise up’ from its use in v. 33” (Acts of Apostles, Comm. on Greek text).
A Trinitarian commentator amongst many was honest enough to admit the obvious here, although it does not help his doctrine: “The Apostle does not quote in Acts 13:33 the passage from Psalm 2:7 in order to prove the resurrection of Jesus, but his incarnation [he means here the beginning of his life in Mary]. The ‘raising up’ [the RV corrected the KJV], not ‘raised up AGAIN’ as in KJV, of Jesus spoken of in v. 33, is the bringing of the Messiah into the world for his mediatorial work.
Compare Romans 9:17, ‘For this same purpose I have raised you up.’ This incarnation was promised in the second psalm. Paul then proceeds (Acts 13:34) to prove the fulfilment of the promise that the Messiah would be raised from the dead, by quoting Isaiah 53:3 and also Psalm 16:10. ‘And as concerning the fact that he raised him from the dead…I will give you the sure mercies of David’” (Dr. G.T Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, Vol. 1, p. 327.)
After all “beget” does not mean to resurrect from the dead, but to become the father of, and we know when that happened already.
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve
with: 23. Coming down from heaven; 24. First spirit and then flesh & 25. Seed of Eve
+ The Seed Of The Woman Bruised
To be continued: 28. Son of God; 29. The only one
++
Related articles
- On the Nature of Christ (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- The wrong hero (Stepping toes)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve
The Anointed begotten Son of God
23. Coming down from heaven
When people say that Jesus came down from heaven they should know that all the good things come down from heaven.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of turning.1 {Footnote: 1See Mal. 3:6.} “(James 1:17 The Scriptures 1998+)
“This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but it is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (James 3:15 The Scriptures 1998+) + “But the wisdom from above is first clean, then peaceable, gentle, ready to obey, filled with compassion and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17 The Scriptures 1998+)
Also the food we eat, like our daily bread comes from heaven.
Two distict different figures Jesus the son of God and his Father the Only One God -Image via Wikipedia
““This is the bread which comes down out of the heaven, so that anyone might eat of it, and not die. “I am the living bread which came down out of the heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And indeed, the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” The Yehud’im, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, “How is this One able to give us His flesh to eat?” יהושע therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Ad’am and drink His blood, you possess no life in yourselves. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood possesses everlasting life, and I shall raise him up in the last day. “For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood stays in Me, and I in him. “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me shall live because of Me. “This is the bread which came down out of the heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread shall live forever.” “ (John 6:50-58 The Scriptures 1998+)
Jesus his flesh is as the bread which came down from heaven. As in our previous serious about language we see that several people also are caught in the “mad about my flat” language fallacy. As we showed the difference in meaning or understanding in different parts in the world, in the UK and the USA this means totally different things. They assume that “coming down from heaven” means that you were alive in heaven before you came down literally. But “mad about my flat” means “excited about my new apartment,” when English read this in their British environment and with British language habits in mind. So what does “coming down from heaven” mean in biblical idiom, which is Hebrew (hardly surprising) in style?
We may never forget we do have to read the Bible from a Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek view. Matthew being Hebrew spoke in his tradition and meant with such a saying that one’s origin is with God the Father (also Luke said that too!). It does not mean that one is a prehuman personage. Pre-human of course implies, if you think about it, non-human. And the whole point of the Messiah, Son of God, is that he is and must be a man, “the man mediator” of the lucidly clear statement of Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Messiah Jesus,” the second Adam. Paul is keen to offset any opposing idea when he says “the spiritual man was not first” (1 Corinthians 15:46-48). The earthly man comes before the second Adam who is the Lord Messiah — not the other way round.
“For there is one Elohim,1 and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the Man Messiah יהושע, {Footnote: 11 Cor. 8:6, Eph. 4:6, Mk. 12:29-34.} “ (1 Timothy 2:5 The Scriptures 1998+)
“The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Master from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:46-48 The Scriptures 1998+)
24. First spirit and then flesh
In the 4th century strange ideas entered Christendom and certain Christians did everything to become on good terms with the men in power.
In 2 Clement 5:9 the original system was being suppressed by the philosophical notion that Jesus was “first spirit and then flesh.” That shift, documented by 2 Clement 5:9, meant that the historical Jesus was being swallowed up by a different Jesus. As Martin Werner lamented, “the historical Jesus completely disappeared” behind a Gnostic counterfeit figure (Formation of Dogma, p. 298).
A prominent spokesman for the traditional view that God is three Persons in one Essence (“three Whos in one What” as James White and Hank Hanegraaff maintain) writes: “Our Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. God tabernacling in human form. When I say that I believe in the full deity of Christ, that is what I affirm. At his birth our Lord Jesus Christ did not begin to exist” (Rev. Ian Paisley). So much for Matthew and Luke and John!
Anthony Buzzard wonders: “Putting on our Berean hats, what do we find? The origin, coming into existence of the Son of God was as follows (so wrote Matthew in 1:18): Mary was found to be pregnant under the influence of “holy spirit” — the personal operational presence and power of the One God, the Father. The result of the biological miracle worked in Mary is laid out for us: “What is begotten, fathered, brought into existence in her is from the holy spirit” (1:20). Mary would have had no difficulty understanding this very plain, unifying information, and nor should we. We might even risk being struck dumb for not believing, as was Zacharias.”
25. Seed of Eve
To bring any of the persons God foresaw in existence He uses human beings who, today, all come from the same forefathers: Adam, Noach/Noah and Abraham. In the line of David and Abraham came Jesus also into existence or “begat”, following God’s marvellous promise that the Messiah would be the seed of Eve (Genesis 3:15)[1]. In the Old Testament is written in the future sense that Jehovah our God would raise up to us a prophet from among the people to whom He spoke for generations. The priest’s due from the people[2], also would be one as the writer, to whom many would and should listen. In Old Times Jehovah had said. “I shall raise up a prophet to them from among their brothers, one like you; and I will put My Words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. And it shall be, whoever will not listen to My Words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it at his hand.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19 LITV)
““יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brothers. Listen to Him, according to all you asked of יהוה your Elohim in Ḥorĕḇ in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of יהוה my Elohim, nor let me see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ “And יהוה said to me, ‘What they have spoken is good. ‘I shall raise up for them a Prophet like you out of the midst of their brothers. And I shall put My Words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. ‘And it shall be, the man who does not listen to My Words which He speaks in My Name, I require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19 The Scriptures 1998+)
The seed of Eve would also bring the descendant by bloodline of David.
““And now, say to My servant Dawiḏ, ‘Thus said יהוה of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be ruler over My people, over Yisra’ĕl. “And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. “And I shall appoint a place for My people Yisra’ĕl, and shall plant them, and they shall dwell in a place of their own and no longer be afraid, neither shall the children of wickedness oppress them again, as at the first, even from the day I appointed rulers over My people Yisra’ĕl, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. And יהוה has declared to you that He would make you a house. “When your days are filled and you rest with your fathers, I shall raise up your seed after you, who comes from your inward parts, and shall establish his reign. “He does build a house for My Name, and I shall establish the throne of his reign forever. “I am to be his Father, and he is My son. If he does perversely, I shall reprove him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.” (2 Samuel 7:8-14 The Scriptures 1998+)
God, in a precious moment of history, initiated the history of His unique Son. The Words spoken for many years could come into realization, could come the cause of the generation.[3] This was a Son through whom God expressly did not speak in previous times.
“Elohim, having of old spoken in many portions and many ways to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by the Son, whom He has appointed heir of all, through whom also He made the ages,1 {Footnote: 1John 1:3.} who being the brightness of the esteem and the exact representation of His substance, and sustaining all by the word of His power, having made a cleansing of our sins through Himself, sat down at the right hand of the Greatness on high, having become so much better than the messengers, as He has inherited a more excellent Name than them.” (Hebrews 1:1-4 The Scriptures 1998+)
The Elohim, Jehovah God spoke about a future because naturally since that prophesied Son was not then alive! Being not alive is also not being in existence, in life, in vigour.[4]
[1] (3:16) “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her Seed, He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15 Complete Apostles’ Bible)
[2] ““And this is the priest’s right from the people, from those who bring an offering, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the stomach;” (Deuteronomy 18:3 The Scriptures 1998+)
[3] See Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary for the word ‘begat’.
[4] Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary: in being
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten
To be continued: Brought into existence + The plot thickens
++
Interesting articles related to this subject:
- Whether Jesus existed or not
- How people see Jesus placed in history
- No Other Name (But Jesus)
- Yeshua a man with a special personality
- Who was Jesus?
- Who is Jesus Christ?
- A Unique person: Who is Jesus Christ? #1 What does the Bible say
- Jesus as fully human
- Christ begotten through the power of the Holy Spirit
- Clean Flesh #2 Purity of Jesus
- Jesus spitting image of his father
- Son of the Father: Good-News Jesus among the partisans
- Scriptures That Show That Jesus (Yahshua) Is Not Yahweh (Jehovah)
- Da Vinci Code: Was Jesus Human or Divine?
- Who is Jesus #2 Jesus Christ, man who died
- Who is Jesus #4 Clear statements that our heavenly Father is his “God”
- Who is Jesus #8 Father greater than Jesus
- Also angels had to bow their knee in the name of Jesus
- One Mediator between God and man
- Pre-existence
- Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
- Altered to fit a Trinity
- Lord or Yahuwah, Yeshua or Yahushua
- A Jewish Theocracy
+++
Related articles
- How is the manna that God rained down on the Israelites a type for the Eucharist (wiki.answers.com)
Manna was food (bread) from heaven which sustained the Israelites in the wilderness. The Bible emphasizes that God caused manna to appear at the right time and place to meet His people’s needs. Jesus assured the Jews that He, and not the wilderness food, was the true Bread from heaven that conferred eternal life on those who partook of it (John 6:30-58). - The Bread and the Wine are Better Than the Manna and the Water (thekingspresence.wordpress.com)
The manna was provided by God straight from heaven. Likewise, the water came out of the rock that followed the Israelites in the wilderness. Both were God’s provision for the Israelites and shadows of Christ. - John 6 (mybiblereadingplan.wordpress.com)
This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
+
This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
+
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. - Soaked (refusingtotiptoe.com)
Coveting the nourishment of life from the Bread of Heaven. Satiated by the Manna. Permeating His existence. - What About Our Spiritual Life (verticalviewer.wordpress.com)
- This Week’s Torah Portion – Bereishit (In The Beginning) (terri0729.wordpress.com)
The Hebrew for bread of life is ‘lechem chayim.’ Yeshua was even born in
the house of bread (Beit lechem) usually called Beth-lehem in English.
This special braided bread called challah is eaten on the Sabbath
(Shabbat) and holidays. To commemorate the double portion of manna
that fell the day before the Sabbath in the wilderness, traditionally, two
loaves are on the Shabbat table.When we begin to understand Yeshua (Jesus) in His Hebraic, Jewish
cultural and Hebrew linguistic context, we not only understand the
Brit Chadashah (New Testament) more fully, but we are better equipped to
share the Word of God.
Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten
The Anointed begotten Son of God
20. Conceive
According to Chambers dictionary ‘to conceive’ is to receive into or form in the womb: to form in the mind: to imagine or think: to understand: to grasp as a concept to express: to become pregnant. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English gives as a 2nd meaning of ‘conceive’ (a woman) becomes pregnant and as example ‘to conceive a child’. Clearly to conceive means ‘bringing a child into in existence’ and ‘bringing a child onto this world’.
So when Mary came with child by the action of the Holy Spirit there was a ‘conception’ and ‘begetting’ which mark the point at which an individual begins to exist, an individual who did not exist before! It is this non-pre-existing individual whom Gabriel presents in the sacred documents for our reception. This Son of God of Scripture got a beginning a according to the prophecies was also going to die, i.e. coming to an end, finding his life being ended at the stake after he had given his life in the hands of his Father. Jesus died on a piece of wood and afterwards he was raised out of that death.
““See, we are going up to Yerushalayim, and the Son of Aḏam shall be delivered up to the chief priests and to the scribes. And they shall condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the gentiles to mock and to flog and to impale. And the third day He shall be raised.” “(Matthew 20:18-19 The Scriptures 1998+)
“So when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Impale! Impale!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and impale Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” The Yehuḏim answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, for He has made Himself the Son of Elohim.” “ (John 19:6-7 The Scriptures 1998+)
“And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. And they were giving Him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. And when they impaled Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them, what each one should take. And it was the third hour, and they impaled Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE SOVEREIGN OF THE YEHUḎIM. “(Mark 15:22-26 The Scriptures 1998+)
“And crying out with a loud voice, יהושע said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:46 The Scriptures 1998+)
““The Elohim of our fathers raised up יהושע whom you laid hands on, hanging Him on a timber. “Him, a Prince and a Saviour, Elohim has exalted to His right hand, to give repentance to Yisra’ĕl and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:30-31 The Scriptures 1998+)
21. The one who spoke 2 millennia ago
It was after Jesus was conceived he could become into existence and become the Word of God having come into fulfilment.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.
(John 1:1 The Scriptures 1998+)
God’s Word, Logos, His ideas, thought, spoken or written down, was with the Creator and naturally was Himself the Spirit and given to the community[1]. The Almighty had promised in the Garden of Eden that He would bring forth a Saviour, a Messiah, pre-appointed for all people, and now the moment had come. It ‘was going to be’ a Set-apart and Righteous One, but even as Servant of God he would be delivered up and denied.[2]
““And I put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed1. He shall crush your head, and you shall crush His heel.” {Footnote: 1First promise of the Messiah.} “(Genesis 3:15 The Scriptures 1998+)
Jesus was not with the Father before the beginning of creation but for the Apostle John it was clear that Jesus was the promised Messiah and as such was God’s Word having become reality. By being with child Mary had taken on the role of fulfiller of one of the aspects of the Plan of God.
This child of Mary was allowed to become the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was conceived and he was commissioned not only to redeem the world, but to uplift it out of sin and to restore the willing and obedient to all that was lost in Adam, and by that act he could become the first one of the new creation, the beginning of the World like Jehovah had foreseen it, and shall come into existence in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus was the coming to the world of God’s Word, the Message He had already given for many years. So Jesus could be the Divine Message or Messenger, the One through whom Jehovah’s utterances and decrees went forth. John was also redressing the balance somewhat between Paul’s new Genesis idea (actually first found in James 1:18 and Matthew 1:1 and the Pauline “Logos” (Luke 1:2) in the new “beginning” (Luke 1:1) referring to the ministry AD28-31. Jesus inaugurated the “new covenant” with Israel and it is seen as a “new creation”.
Some may object that John 1:1ff (“in the beginning was the Word…”) present us with a second Personage who is alive before his conception. If that it is to be argued, let it be clear that John would then be in contradiction of Luke and Matthew. Matthew’s and Luke’s Jesus comes into existence as the Son of God, not in eternity, but some six months later than his cousin John the Baptist.
John cannot have contradicted Luke and Matthew. The solution is to harmonize John with Luke, taking our stand with Luke. John did not write, “In the beginning was the Son of God.” What he wrote was “In the beginning was the word” (not Word, but word). Logos in Greek does not describe a person before the birth of the Son. The logos is the self-expressive intelligence and mind of the One God. Logos often carries the sense of plan or promise. That promise of a Son was indeed in the beginning. The Son, however, was still the object of promise in 2 Samuel 7:14. David did not imagine that the promised Son of God (“My Son”), David’s descendant, was already in existence! That Son was in fact begotten in due time. He was “raised up” — that is, made to appear on the scene of human history — when Mary conceived him. Acts 13:33 applies “this day I have begotten you” (Psalm 2:7) to the origin of the Son in his mother.
F.F. Bruce agrees with us: God “raised up” Jesus “in the sense in which he raised up David (Acts 13:22, cp. 3:22, 7:37). The promise of Acts 13:23, the fulfilment of which is here described [v. 33], has to do with the sending of Messiah, not his resurrection which is described in verse 34” (Acts of the Apostles, Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, p. 269).
The word, plan and promise which existed from the beginning was also “with God.” In the wisdom literature of the Bible things are said to be “with God” when they exist as decrees and promises in His divine Plan (Job 27:13; 10:13; 23:14). Wisdom was also “with God” (Prov. 8:22, 30) in the beginning but she was not a person. Neither was the logos a person, but rather a promise and plan. So closely identified with God was His word that John can say “the word was God.” The word was the creative purpose of God, in promise and later in actuality. That creative presence of God eventually emerged in history as the Son of God begotten in Mary, the unique Son (monogenes).
A number of unfortunate attempts have been made to force John not only into contradiction with the clear Christology of Matthew and Luke but into agreement with the much later decisions of Church Councils. There is no capital on “word” in John 1:1, a, b, and c. And there is no justification for reading “All things were made through Him.” That rendering improperly leads us to think of the word as a second divine Person, rather than the mind and promise of God. Eight English translations from the Greek before the KJV did not read “All things were made by Him.” They read “All things were made by it,” a much more natural way of referring to the word of God. Thus, for example, the Geneva Bible of 1602: “All things were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made.” No one reading those words would imagine that there was a Son in heaven before his birth. And no one would find in John a view of the Son different from the portrait presented by Gabriel in Luke.
“In the beginning the Word having been and the Word having been unto God and God having been the Word he having been, in the beginning, unto God all through his hand became: and without him not even one being whatever became.” (ANC)
The Word of God[3] was divine and that or it brought forth.
Also Matthew is obviously inviting us, as does John in John 1:1, to build on Genesis 1. In the beginning was the Gospel word. That “word of God” is not WORD=SON at that stage. The logos is never a spokesperson in the Old Testament. The logos in John 1:1 is the promise of the Son, who as Peter said, agreeing perfectly with John, was “foreknown” (1 Peter 1:20) from the beginning. Christians are also foreknown and so was Jeremiah in 1:5.
“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear, knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your fathers, not with what is corruptible, silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, foreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, but manifested in these last times for your sakes, who through Him believe in Elohim who raised Him from the dead and gave Him esteem, so that your belief and expectation are in Elohim.” (1 Peter 1:17-21 The Scriptures 1998+)
““Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I did set you apart – I appointed you a prophet to nations.” “ (Jeremiah 1:5 The Scriptures 1998+)
22. Begotten
Beget, begot, old use begat is according to the Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English to give existence to(as father) and give as example Abraham begat Isaac, and ‘The only begotten of the Father”. In literature it also means to cause.
The Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary tells us it is to produce or cause; to generate (commonly of the father); to produce as an effect, to cause. It also says about the begetter that it is the father: the agent that occasions or originates anything.
In such a way the Origin is by God, so the begetting of any person is by God from the beginning. All people are thought of by God, all are part of His Plan which he had already before even one man was created. Because God knows everything He also has all the names of the people in His head. Abraham was in the mind of God as Jesus was also in His thoughts form the Genesis, but also we are part of His knowledge and part of Him originating.
In the New Testament Matthew and Luke give a full and detailed account of the point of origin of the Son of God. From their genealogy we can clearly see that Jeshua, also called the son of David or Jesus began as a human being, supernaturally begotten (=brought into existence) by the Father, being conceived as Matthew 1:20 reads.
“He had been dwelling upon this, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife, for her child has been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20 TCNT)
“But while he considered these things, behold, an agent of Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take Mary to be thy wife, for that which was begotten in her is from Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20 ACV)
In several translations you shall also find this word “begotten” where you do find as synonyms “brought to existence” or “generated” (to produce or bring into being; create).
“And as he was thinking about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord was seen by him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that in her is generated by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20 LITV)
“Yet during his inward passion about these things (his reflection on his emotions and in heated pondering of the situation with violent breathing) – note and consider this! – an agent of [the] Lord [= Yahweh’s messenger], down from (or: in accord with; in correspondence to; = in) a dream, was set in clear light and made to appear to him, then saying, “Joseph, son of David [= descendent of, or one with the qualities of, David], you should not be afraid (or: caused to fear) to at once take to your side, accept and receive Mary, your wife! You see, the One within the midst of her, being generated and produced from out of Breath-effect (or: [the] Spirit) exists being (or: is) Set-apart (Holy) (or: the One being brought to birth within her continues being forth from out of the midst of [the] Holy Spirit as His origin).” (Matthew 1:20 JMNT)
This word “begotten” there is: “But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife; for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20 ABU_NT) means really “begotten in her,” not just “conceived” in her. The RV of 1881 recognized this in its margin. It is the activity of the Father bringing into existence, begetting His unique SON which is documented by Matthew 1:20. So the official, long-form birth certificate reads. The RV also helped us in the margin with Luke 1:35, showing that the Son of God was begotten and on that basis is the Son of God. On no other basis. This aorist of the verb begotten for the Son (also 1 John 5:18) is the most hidden word from an “orthodox” point of view. It is a bit embarrassing to the system!
“We know that every one who has been begotten of God sins not; but he that was begotten of God keeps himself; and the evil one touches him not.” (1 John 5:18 ABU_NT)
As we can be begotten of God so Jesus was begotten in a special way which is explained in the Evangelical chapters of the New Testament.
The word “beget,” i.e. the causative of gennao[4] or yennao. Related to ginomai (yinome), “to begin to exist,” this precious word is the key to our whole subject and to Christian unity, and confusion and chaos results from outdoing Matthew and Luke and denying that the “coming into existence” of the Son is the result of a divine historical begetting, causing the existence of a son, which is what gennao means!
Beget is a very common biblical word and its primary and obvious meaning is “to bring into existence by procreation.” God is not brought into existence. The Son was. Jesus said, “For this purpose [to proclaim the truth of his kingship, cp. Luke 4:43][5] I have been brought into existence” (John 18:37, gegeneemai). He should have said, “I was never without existence”!
On no account should claimants to belief in Holy Scripture avoid the obvious, confuse and divide the church by explaining away the rock foundation of the virginal begetting, which allows God to be the Father of the Son, in time and place, by miracle. He did the miracle once in Adam and then again in Jesus.
[1] Jesus is not an idea thought, spoken or written down – he is a man. He is the word made flesh, not the word!
And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent1 among us, and we saw His esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and truth. {Footnote: 1An indication that His birth was during the Festival of Booths.}
(John 1:14 The Scriptures 1998+) / And the Word became Man, and dwelt among us, (We saw his glory–the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth.
(John 1:14 TCNT) / And the: Word became flesh, and tabernacled with us: and we saw his glory, a glory as of the only begotten from the Father, that he was full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14 Re. Murdock)
[2] “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you indeed delivered up and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you denied the Holy and Just One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,” (Acts 3:13-14 Complete Apostles’ Bible)
[3] The Bible — An American Translation, by J. M. P. Smith and E. J. Goodspeed, Chicago. 1935 “and the Word was divine”
[4] Modern Greek pronunciation, as they do at Harvard
[5] “And He said to them, “To the other cities I also have to bring the Good News: the reign of Elohim, because for this I have been sent.” “ (Luke 4:43 The Scriptures 1998+)
“Then Pilate said to Him, “You are a sovereign, then?” יהושע answered, “You say it, because I am a sovereign. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” “(John 18:37 The Scriptures 1998+)
+
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated
To be continued: Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve
++
Read also:
- About John 1:1 and the “Logos”: In den beginne was het Woord
“In [the] beginning the Word existed, and the Word faced toward The God, and the Word was divine. This [Divinity] existed in [the] beginning with The God. All things came into existence by the agency of [the divine Word] and apart from [the Word] nothing came into existence. What came into existence” (Joh 1:1-3 MHM) - According to John 1:1-3 which is the correct reading “and the Word was God” or “and the Word was a god” & why?
(Red.Note: The words at the end of verse 1 (και θεος ην ο λογος) are correctly translated as “and Word was God”. Because of the absence of the definite article (i.e. “the”) in the Greek but according to us a very acceptable reading is also: “and the Word was a god”.) - “Only begotten Son” or “only begotten God”? (John 1:18)
- Christ begotten through the power of the Holy Spirit
- What is the difference between “begotten” and “created”?
- How was Jesus the son of God?
- How is God our father?
- Why does the Bible say call no man father on earth?
- Is Jesus inferior to God the Father? How do you understand the following verses in terms of their relationship? 1Cor 3:23; 1Cor 15:24,28; Phil 3:21.
- Did Jesus ever say he was the Messiah?
- What did Jesus mean when he said “before Abraham was, I am”?
- What does it mean that Jesus “emptied himself”? (Phil.2:6-9)
In Dutch you also may find:
- Johannes evangelie en het Woord Logos
- Christus Jezus: de zoon van God #1 Teksten uit het Johannesevangelie Logos
- Christus verwekt door de Kracht van de Heilige Geest
- Plan van Genade
- 95 stellingen Wittenberg Maarten Luther #12 Om te herinneren #3 Betreft Jezus C
- 95 stellingen Wittenberg Maarten Luther #8:64-75 About “Jesus resembling God” “being God”
- Wie zijt Gij, Here?
+++
Related articles
- Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Torah Observant, not Hebrew Roots (oflifefamilyandyhvh.wordpress.com)
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and the promised Messiah. He was certainly never trained by any rabbi. If there are correlations between what He said and what rabbis of His time or before said, it is simply because they happened to get something right, not because He learned it from them! He brought the fulness to Torah because He is/was the Word of God made flesh. - My Musings on Mere Christianity (Part 4): C.S. Lewis on Begetting (enzocortes.wordpress.com)
We don’t use the words begetting or begotten much in modern English, but everyone still know what they mean. To beget is to become the father of: to create is to make.
+
When one begets, he can only begets something of the same kind as himself. When one creates, he makes something of a different kind. - Revelation 1:5 (therenewingofyourmind.wordpress.com)
He is the “first begotten of the dead,” that is He is the first one to be raised from the dead in the glorified form that He was raised in.
+
Through His shed blood He washed and cleansed us from our sins which is why His sacrifice satisfied God’s justice for our sins. - Human Reproduction Pictures Spiritual Birth (appleofgodseye.wordpress.com)
As truly as we mortal humans have been given power to reproduce ourselves–to bring forth progeny in our own image, born with our very nature–even so the Great God is bringing forth sons in His image, born with His very divine nature! The very purpose of our existence is that we be.
+
The fetus does not attain to complete physical maturity before birth, and has no mental maturity. But, in the spiritual rebirth, one must attain reasonable spiritual maturity before he is spirit-born. - Sunday @ Heidelberg Q33-34 scottwoodburn.wordpress.com)
Why is Christ called the “only begotten Son” of God, since we are also the children of God? - When you are born of God, you are born to assurance -This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truthFor there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. – 1 John 5:6-13
Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham
The Anointed begotten Son of God
13. Son of Adam and Abraham
He would be a new Adam and also a son of Abraham – A Jew born, and as such has a right to the first offer of salvation. Salvation came to him in the sense that his heart was turned from sin and selfishness toward God and righteousness. Jesus had faith in Abraham and as such could be counted as one of his children.
“And יהושע said to him, “Today deliverance has come to this house – since he also is a son of Aḇraham. “For the Son of Aḏam has come to seek and to save what was lost.” And as they were hearing this, He spoke another parable, because He was near Yerushalayim and they thought the reign of Elohim was about to be manifested straightaway. He therefore said, “A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a reign and to return.” (Luke 19:9-12 The Scriptures 1998+)
For us this may be an assurance that all who have the faith of Abraham may be counted as children of Abraham as disciples of Jesus.
When the apostle Matthew gives us the family tree we clearly can see the connection of Jeshua/Jesus with Adam, Abraham and David. In his 1st chapter he provides basic information about the origin of Jesus, genesis of Jesus. His birth certificate is certified and guaranteed in Scripture. For Matthew this is not just his birth, but his origin (genesis, with one “nee,” Greek letter n, in the best manuscripts). That same word genesis opens the entire New Testament — as giving us the genealogy of the Son of God (Matt. 1:1)[1].
14. The Anointed son of God
The people could look out to the one who was going to be the Son of the living God.
“And Shim’on Kĕpha answering, said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim.” And יהושע answering, said to him, “Blessed are you, Shim’on Bar-Yonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in the heavens.” (Matthew 16:16-17 The Scriptures 1998+)
Peter had received the vision we as Christians all should and can receive when we are willing to open up our mind to the Father of that promised anointed one. Jeshua or Jesus, as he is better known, is the Anointed One, the Messiah, whom God promised and provided for our salvation.
“Then Kĕpha, filled with the Set-apart Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Yisra’ĕl: “If today we are called to account for a good deed towards a sick man, by whom he has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Yisra’ĕl, that in the Name of יהושע[2] Messiah of Natsareth, whom you impaled, whom Elohim raised from the dead, by Him this one stands before you, healthy. “This is ‘the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ “And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by which we need to be saved.” And seeing the boldness of Kĕpha and Yoḥanan, and perceiving that they were unlearned and ordinary men, they marvelled. And they recognised that they had been with יהושע.” (Acts 4:8-13 The Scriptures 1998+)
[1] “The book of the generation of Yahshua the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1 KJBPNV)
[2] Hebrew Yahushua or Yeshua = Jeshua, meaning ‘He shall save’ or ‘He who saves’
+
“Messiah” is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word “Christos” or “Christ”.
Jesus did say he was the Messiah. He said he was Messiah to the Samaritan woman at the well at Sychar. John 4:25-26
Jesus acknowledged being the Christ, after Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:15-17
Luke 4:18-21 + Luke 4:28-29 + Matthew 26:63-68
Jesus never said he was God the son but he claimed to be the son of God in John 10:36
++
Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #5 Apsotle, High Priest and King
To be continued: A time in the future + The one who would got begotten
++
- Who is Jesus Christ?
- Who is Jesus Christ? #1 What does the Bible say
- “Son of God” – “God the Son”
- Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father
- Da Vinci Code: Was Jesus Human or Divine?
- Through Christ’s death you can be adopted as a child of God
- Jesus son of God
“Jesus is the Son of God.” Six simple words. However, they are much more than simple words; they are the doorway that opens our hearts to God. - Christian thought: acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God
- Son of God Wise servant
- How many times was Jesus anointed by a woman?
- Did Jesus ever say he was the Messiah?
- Does the Old Testament predict two comings of the Messiah?
- Do the seventy weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 prove that Jesus was the Messiah? How is the calculation done? Can you explain me that prophecy?
- What did Jesus mean when he said “before Abraham was, I am”?
John 8:56-59
Whether the action which happens “before” is future, present or past is determined by the following verb.
Christ has already explained the context in v.56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” The seeing was in the past. But when was Christ’s day? Clearly it is future to Abraham: firstly 27-30AD, when Christ was preaching, culminating in his sacrifice, resurrection and ascension, but also secondly the “day” of Christ relates to the other “day of the Lord” verses in Christ’s teaching and elsewhere in the New and Old Testaments — the day when Christ will raise Abraham from the dead and Abraham will see Christ. - What are all the names of Jesus in the Bible?
In Dutch:
- Zoon van God
- Joodse interpretatie van Zoon van God
- 95 stellingen Wittenberg Maarten Luther #12 Om te herinneren #1 God de Vader
- 95 stellingen Wittenberg Maarten Luther #12 Om te herinneren #3 Betreft Jezus C
- Zoon van
- Jezus van Nazareth #3 De Zoon van God
- Hij is de Zoon van God
- Christelijke Overdenking: Jezus zoon van God
- Gnostiek, Judas evangelie, bijbelonderricht, zoon van God
- De rol van de Vader en zijn Zoon
- Zoon en Vader eren
+++
Related articles
- Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Jesus begotten Son of God #4 Promised Prophet and Saviour (christadelphians.wordpress.com)
- Was Jesus begotten and what does begotten mean(wiki.answers.com)In a few contexts, ‘sons’ of God are those to whom the word of God is given (Ps 82; John 10:34); and, in this, Israel has been uniquely honoured. God thus said of Israel, “Israel is my son, even my firstborn”… . Any ‘son’ of God is expected to worship Him, and Him alone.
+
Starting with “Adam”, human beings are created. St Luke describes the newly created Adam as a son of God. However, the ‘first-begotten’ of God, in the context of Hebrews 1:6, means just what it says; that, as a man, Jesus was the first and only human being conceived of God, conceived in the womb “by the power of the Most High”. So as Jesus is not only human but is, thus, also divine, he clearly merits worship.+
If Jesus was, quite literally, conceived and begotten of God in the womb of a woman, then wecan be born of God here and now. We only need to accept our weakness before him and spiritually accept and receive him. - For God So Loved the World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son (bummyla.wordpress.com)
- Jehovah Jireh(jgmtheo.wordpress.com)Abraham was full of faith, believing God’s ability to keep His promises. If God asked Abraham to sacrifice Issac Abraham believed that, God could raise Isaac from the dead. Therefore, Abraham could bring his son back after worshipping God. Isaac was the “child of promise” to elderly parents (See Gen18:11) who were past the age of childbirth. Isaac came in a sense “even from the dead” and in figure or type, Abraham received him back now.
- The Priesthood of Melchizedek(briancoatney.com)The book of Hebrews leads the willing believer into the priesthood of Melchizedek, which seems strange since Melchizedek is only mentioned in Genesis, Psalm 110, and Hebrews. How could a few tiny obscure references define the priestly order of Jesus Christ and of His offspring, namely us?
- “For with God nothing will be impossible” (worryisuseless.wordpress.com)
- The New Testament Fulfillment Of Old Testament Promises (via Dane Ortlund)(mgpcpastor.com)Dane Ortlund provides us with 27 New Testament windows through which the fulfillment of Old Testament promises can be seen.
- The New Testament’s Multi-dimensional Fulfillment of the Old(pjcockrell.wordpress.com)One former prof of mine used to say that the NT is a 27-volume commentary on the OT. Truth to that.
