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Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Godhead. It is He who did the actual act of creation by means of His own omnipotence(John 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17).
Both John 1:1 with 1:14, and Phil 2:5-8 state in the clearest possible way that Jesus Christ eternally pre-existed as God, and that He became a man.
Those passages are clear, yet there are those who will not accept what they say. One passage that opponents of the deity of Jesus Christ bring up is
Matthew 28:18 'And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ''All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.''
The question is asked, 'How can Jesus Christ be God if all authority has been given to Him?'
The answer is that the authority being given to Him is not to be thought of in connnection with His deity, but rather with regard to His Mediatorship.
Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He is eternal and infinite God, co-equal with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit. He is also true humanity (John 1:1,14; Phil 2:5-8). As the God-Man Jesus Christ is equal with God and with man. And as such, He is the mediator between God the Father and man.
The doctrine of mediation is a major aspect of Christology and is mentioned in passages such as 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:24.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6] who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time.
Heb 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better convenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14] how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15] And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Heb 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder and first president of Dallas Theological Seminary, on the subject of the mediation of Jesus Christ writes...
'The mediation of Christ is to be observed in three aspects. (1) As a prophet (Heb. 1:1 ff.). Here He represents God to man. (2) As a priest. Here He especially represents man to God (Heb. 9:15). (3) As a king (Ps.2). In this particular He reigns as God's choice of king over the earth. His kingdom will be mediatorial, in which time every enemy must be destroyed, even death. That kingdom reign lasts forever and forever (1 Cor. 15:24-28). Christ is the Interpreter of God to man and the Door of access for man to God (John 1:18; 10:7).
Systematic Theology, Lewis Sperry Chafer, vol 7, p 234,235.
After His Millennial reign Jesus Christ will continue to reign forever (Ps 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9; Rev 22:1).
Concerning Matt 28:18 and Jesus' mediatorship, Albert Barnes in Barnes' Notes on the Bible writes...
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth - The "Son of God," as "Creator," had an original right to all things, to control them and dispose of them. See John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:8. But the universe is put under him more particularly as Mediator, that he might redeem his people; that he might gather a church; that he might defend his chosen; that he might subdue all their enemies, and bring them off conquerors and more than conquerors, Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:25-27; John 5:22-23; Philippians 2:6-11. It is in reference to this, doubtless, that he speaks here power or authority committed to him over all things, that he might redeem, defend, and save the church purchased with his own blood. His mediatorial government extends, therefore, over the material world, over angels, over devils, over wicked men, and over his own people. Matthew 28:18 Bible Commentary
Again, as God, Jesus Christ has eternally existed and is co-equal with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit. But in accordance with the predetermined plan of God (Acts 2:23) Jesus Christ as the God-Man has been given authority related to the execution of that plan.
Because the Second Person of the Trinity - God the Son, was willing to become a man and become obedient even to the point of death, God the Father exalted the God-Man (Jesus Christ in hypostatic union since the moment of His Incarnation and continuing forever) and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.
Phil 2:5 'Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6] who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7] but emptied Himself (refrained from the independent use of His deity), taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8] And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9] Therefore also God (the Father) highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11] and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
>>Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He is eternal and infinite God, co-equal with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit.<<
Problems with this claim:
a. God the Father is unbegotten.
b. God the Son is begotten and proceeds from the Father.
c. God the Holy Spirit is begotten and proceeds from the Father and the Son.
But to be coequal: a+b+c and c=b=a. (That's a contradiction, see above).
Second, if three persons were co-equal, they'd be identical, ie. none of the three would have or lack any aspect that the others have.
The Trinity claim developed in the late second and third century to account for a second God (Jesus) in monotheism doesn't survive a logical examination.
Last edited by ancient warrior; 03-27-2012 at 07:48 PM..
Reason: add
>>Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He is eternal and infinite God, co-equal with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit.<<
Problems with this claim:
a. God the Father is unbegotten.
b. God the Son is begotten and proceeds from the Father.
c. God the Holy Spirit is begotten and proceeds from the Father and the Son.
But to be coequal: a+b+c and c=b=a. (That's a contradiction, see above).
Second, if three persons were co-equal, they'd be identical, ie. none of the three would have or lack any aspect that the others have.
The Trinity claim developed in the late second and third century to account for a second God (Jesus) in monotheism doesn't survive a logical examination.
There is no problem with Mike's claim, it is true and Biblical. The Trinity is taught throughout the Bible.
>>Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He is eternal and infinite God, co-equal with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit.<<
Problems with this claim:
a. God the Father is unbegotten.
b. God the Son is begotten and proceeds from the Father.
c. God the Holy Spirit is begotten and proceeds from the Father and the Son.
But to be coequal: a+b+c and c=b=a. (That's a contradiction, see above).
Second, if three persons were co-equal, they'd be identical, ie. none of the three would have or lack any aspect that the others have.
The Trinity claim developed in the late second and third century to account for a second God (Jesus) in monotheism doesn't survive a logical examination.
All three Persons of the trinity are identical in their essence. Each of the three Persons possesses to an infinite degree the attributes of Sovereignty, Righteousness, Justice, Love, Eternal Life, Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Immutability, and Veracity. It is in His essence that God is a United One.
Acts 17:29 '"Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature (theÃos [Godhead]) is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
2304 theÃos (an adjective, derived from 2316 /theós, "God") – divine, manifesting the characteristics of God's nature.
2304 /theÃos ("divine nature") ties God's essence to His self-manifestation, permitting all people to know Him by observing His attributes. Strong's Greek: 2304. ????? (theios) -- divine
2320 theótēs (a feminine noun derived from 2316 /theós, "God") – the personal God revealed in the Bible who is triune and infinitely relational as demonstrated by the embodiment of the Godhead in the incarnated Christ (used only in Col 2:9).
Mike your case seems to be for Christ being devine; as if someone has denied it.
You seem to be all over the place with definitions meaning a whole lot of stuff
for some round about way of saying the old English term godhead means 3 persons.
As you state: "Jesus is the second Person of The Godhead".
When the old English Term of godhead means Divinity or if you will One 0f Divinity.
Not THE Divinity 0f Three Persons.
Since when does the old english term of godhead means multipules?
When it just means Divine-godhood. It does not mean 3 godhoods.
Last edited by RevelationWriter; 03-28-2012 at 07:31 AM..
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