Saturday, November 8, 2008

Matthew 12:8 - Lord of the Sabbath

The following scriptures are presented as proof that Jesus is his God, since Jesus said that he is "lord of the sabbath." It is claimed that this means that Jesus is "lord" over God's law, and that since he is lord of God's law, this means that jesus is God (Jehovah, Yahweh).

From the World English translation:

Matthew 12:8 - For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Mark 2:28 - Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.

Luke 6:5 - He said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

The idea that what Jesus said here means that Jesus is his God has to be added to, read into the scriptures by way of assumptions, and then reading those assumptions into what Jesus said. The assumptions are made that since Jesus said that he is lord of the sabbath, that this means that he is lord over God's law, and this further means that Jesus is his God. And the assumptions are made for the purpose of serving the assumption that Jesus is Yahweh.

Jesus said that all things that he has had been given to him by his Father. (Matthew 28:18; Luke 10:22) Jesus further identified his God and Father as the only true God. (John 17:1,3) Thus whatever lordship that Jesus has was given to Jesus by the only true God. Peter said: "God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (Acts 2:36) This agrees with Isaiah 61:1, where the promised one is depicted as stating: "Yahweh has anointed me." The word "Christ" means "anointed one." The only true God, Yahweh, has made Jesus "lord" -- ruler, master -- of all things, excluding God Himself, and this includes the antitype of the "shadow" sabbaths. (Galatians 4:1; Colossians 2:16,17; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:3,17,20-22) Being the the promised son of the man (Matthew 19:28; 25:31; 26:64; Mark 2:10; 14:62; Luke 18:31; 21:27; 22:69), that is, the promised Son, (seed, offspring) of David (Psalm 89:36; 132:11; Isaiah 9:6,7; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Matthew 1:1; John 7:42; Acts 2:30; Romans 1:3), Jesus is made lord and given dominion over all -- excluding God, who gives this dominion to Jesus. (Psalm 2:6-8; 45:7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:2; 42:1; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5; Daniel 7:13,14; Matthew 12:28; 28:28; Luke 1:32; 4:14,18; 5:17; John 3:34; 5:19,27,30; 10:18,36-38; Acts 2:22; 10:38; Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:17-22; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,4,6,9; 1 Peter 3:22) This does not mean that Jesus is the only true God who has made Jesus "lord."

It is also true that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had used Jesus in the making of the ages (Hebrews 1:1,2), which brings up the possibility that Jesus was used by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in giving the Law to Moses, and that, in this sense he could be referred to as "Lord of the sabbath." If this assumption is correct, however, such an application still does not mean that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Nevertheless, "Lord" in the Greek is anarthrous; it does not have the definite article. It is not saying that Jesus is "the" Lord of the sabbath, but rather, Jesus is simply called "Lord" or "Master" of the sabbath. Jesus was "master" of the sabbath, not because he was God, but because he, as the son of the man, that is, as the promised son of the man, David (see scriptures above), being born under the Law (Galatians 4:4), obeyed the Law without failure. Had he disobeyed that law in one small part, he could not have actually fulfilled the Law, and thus he would have nothing to sacrifice, since he would be just as guilty and in need of redemption from condemnation as any other man. (Matthew 5:17; James 2:10) Jesus was therefore, as the promised son of the man, David, master of the sabbath, obeying God's laws concerning the sabbath perfectly. Jesus' obedience, and his sacrifice of right to human life gained by that obedience, fulfilled the Law, and thus the Law was figuratively nailed to the stauros with Jesus. -- Colossians 2:14.

The offering in sacrifice of Jesus' blood and body brought forth the inauguration of another covenant, called the "New Covenant." (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 10:14,29; 12:24; 13:20) Through faith in his blood, the Jew can become counted as dead to the Law (Romans 7:4), counted as having died with Jesus (Romans 6:8,11), so as to belong to Jesus, being imputed justification and sanctified through the blood of the new covenant. -- Romans 3,4.

Additionally, Jesus knew from his God and Father (John 8:28) what was really in observance of the law, and what it was "lawful" to do on the sabbath, as opposed to the strict applications that Jews were making concerning the sabbath. Jesus said "it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day." (Matthew 12:12) Some parts of the law apply over other parts of the Law, as Jesus illustrated by David's eating of the shewbread, which was, strictly speaking, unlawful. But "mercy" in the Law is of greater importance in some instances, so that what would otherwise be "unlawful" would be "lawful" -- permitted by the law.

Click Here for some recommended books on the christology.


CLICK HERE
to post comments, questions, etc. on our "Jesus and His God" Discussion Board

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Jesus as the Human Son of God

The claim is made by some trinitarians and some others that the expression "Son of God" means that Jesus is/was 100% God, and yet that Jesus is/was also 100% human. It is further claimed that Jesus was/is not a mixture of the two, since such a mixture is alleged to be an impossibility.

The truth is that, scripturally, it is not a matter of Jesus' being a mixture of two. The scriptures show that the expressions "the son of the Most High", and the "son of God" do not mean that Jesus is the Most High.

Luke 1:30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Luke 1:31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name 'Jesus.'
Luke 1:32 - He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. [Yahweh] God will give to him the throne of his father, David.
Luke 1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end of his kingdom."
Luke 1:34 Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, seeing I am a virgin?"
Luke 1:35 The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one which is born from you will be called the Son of God.

Matthew 1:20 - But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived (gennao -- begotten*) in her is of the Holy Spirit.
============
*See this word used in John 3:3,4,5,6,7,8. The King James Version renders this word various ways, including "begat", "born", "gender", and "bring forth".
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=1080

Here we find that the one to be called the "the son of the Most High", "the Son of God," was indeed flesh in the womb of Mary, nothing more, nothing less, except that his flesh, his body, was provided by God Himself, so that Jesus was not born into this world as a son of disobedience, a son of wrath, under the bondage of corruption. -- Ecclesiastes 1:5; 7:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:21; Ephesians 2:2,3; Hebrews 10:5; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5.

The scriptures nowhere speak of the birth or begettal of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who is identified in the Bible as being the God and Father of Jesus. -- Exodus 3:15 (Acts 3:13); Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4); Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16; Acts 3:22,23); Matthew 4:10 (Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8); Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23); Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.

Thus, in Bible, we do find that Jesus "the son of God" was begotten, not as "God" in the womb of Mary, but as a flesh and blood human being, nothing more, nothing less.

The scriptures in no place refer to Jesus as the Most High, but he is "the son of the Most High." -- Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16

We have no scriptural reason to add to and read into any of this that "the Son of God" means that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and at the same was a human being who was not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To so reason leads to more and more assumptions that are added to the scriptures to justify the reasoning, such as adding to and reading into the scriptures that since the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is spoken of as the God of Jesus, then Jesus the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is not the Jesus the human being who has as his God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Jesus. Taking this to its logical conclusion would lead to the conclusion that the assumed Jesus the God is not the same person as Jesus the human being who has claimed to be Jesus the God/being who is the God of Jesus.

Trinitarians often present further assumptions which have to be added to the scriptures when it is claimed that Jesus was "begotten" [which means to be brought forth into existence] in eternity, that is, outside of time, and thus it is further claimed that Jesus has always existed since he was begotten [brought forth into existence] outside of time. In reality, such an idea would mean that Jesus was never brought forth into existence, since it is alleged that he has always existed, and also since no time was existing that would have any relation to his being brought forth into existence.

Although we do not know of anyone who make such a claim, we can definitely say, however, that the begettal in the womb of Mary of the son of the Most High is not referring to any alleged begettal of the son of the Most High in eternity. That which was begotten in the womb of Mary was indeed "the son of the Most High," "the son of God," and not the begettal of a God being/nature of Jesus. (Luke 1:32,35) We should also note that Isaac is spoken of as being born/begotten of the spirit in Galatians 4:29.

We read of others who are said to be "sons of the Most High" in Psalm 82:6. These are evidently the same sons that is spoken of in John 1:11,12, those to whom the Logos came. (John 1:14,11,12; 10:35) These are made "sons of God" through faith in Jesus, and are led by God's spirit, being born -- begotten/brought forth -- of the spirit. -- Galatians 3:7; Romans 8:14; John 3:8.

Galatians 3:4-6 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all: 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father. So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law covenant, that he might redeem them that were under the law covenant, that we might receive the placement as sons. And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. -- THE REVISED VERSION (American Edition) Improved and Corrected from manuscripts discovered and published to A.D. 1999.

Many trinitarians will admit that the expression "son of the Most High" in Luke 1:32 refers to Jesus as a human, and not as the Most High. In so doing, however, they are unwittingly admitting that "son of the Most High" does not mean that the son is also "Most High". Likewise, the expression "Son of God" (Luke 1:32) does not mean that God reproduced himself as an alleged offspring "nature/being" of God Almighty, but rather that the son brought forth in the womb of Mary was the Christ, whom the Jews recognized was to be "the Son of God." (Matthew 26:63) While in the days of his flesh, the Son of God was flesh, nothing more, nothing less, having the crown of glory that is a little lower than that of the angels. -- John 1:14; Hebrews 5:7,9.

Additionally, the word "begotten/born" [brought forth] in the Bible does not necessarily mean to be brought forth of the same substance. This is a false reasoning of man, based on the laws of reproduction that God has placed on the reproduction of his living creation on the earth. (Genesis 1:11,12,21,24) From this it is supposed that these laws of physical reproduction should also apply to the Creator, so that for the Creator to have a son would mean that the Son would be of the same substance as his Father, and thus equal to his Father in every way, that is, he would be a God being/nature. The scriptures, however, never say this.

When Jesus was begotten/born of the holy spirit in the womb of Mary (Matthew 1:20), he was not begotten as a spirit being, but as a human being. If the theory of being begotten produces the same substance from which it was begotten be true, then Jesus as begotten in the womb of Mary was of the same substance as the holy spirit, and would not be flesh at all. However, in reality, that which was begotten in the womb of Mary was flesh, a little lower than the angels, nothing more, nothing less.
See:
Born of the Spirit


Nor does John 3:3,5,7 offer any proof that being begotten/born of the spirit means that one is a spirit being, as some have assumed. Jesus also said we must be begotten/born of water; does this mean that we are to become water beings, as well as spirit beings? (John 3:5) Obviously, Jesus is talking about something other than becoming water beings or spirit beings as a result of the begettal of water and spirit.
See:
With What Kind of Body Will We Be Raised?


The scriptures show that Jesus was begotten/born/brought forth three times.

(1) as the firstborn creature. -- Colossians 1:15; Proverbs 8:22-25.
See:
Did Jesus Have a Beginning?


(2) of the holy spirit as a human, born of a woman, under the law, a little lower than the angels. -- Matthew 1:20; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 2:9.

(3) from the dead when he was raised from the dead. -- Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5.
See:
Jesus Died a Human Being - Raised a Spirit Being
Some Books of Interest:
I do not necessarily recommend all that these authors may present:

Languages from the World of the Bible By Gzella, Holger (EDT) (Google Affiliate Ad)



John 1:1 Regarding “Was” and Eternity (moved to Jesus and His God)

This study has been moved to: http://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/2016/12/white.html