WHO IS "THE SON OF GOD?"
Followers of The Way International like to say that "Jesus is the Son of God, not God the Son." Yet, few seem to carefully think through what it means to be "the Son of God." What do you think the "Son of God" (or the "Word") is like? That he is a human son of God like the rest of us, with weaknesses and sins? Or that he is a sinless human like Adam once was? Or that he is primarily an angel-like spiritual being that existed before becoming flesh at Bethlehem (or just after)? Or that he is a created divine-like power but not Divine? Or what? Or haven't you really thought much about what it is to be the Son of God?
The Way International (TWI) condemns evangelical Christian teaching on who Jesus Christ is, but several problems are obvious to an informed reader:
1) it sets up Christian teaching as a "straw man." That is, they make it look like the case for Christ being God in nature is based on almost no Scripture. If you make the "enemy's" stance look weak, it's easy to knock down. For instance, the book Jesus Christ is Not God (JCNG) says "only six" Bible verses can be remotely used to teach the Trinity, apparently unaware of the whole pattern of Bible passages which address this.
2) it misunderstands Trinity teaching. Christian's don't believe, as Jehovah's Witnesses and Wayers often think, that there are more than one God, that Jesus did not have a human nature, or that Jesus is the Father.
3) There are huge errors and faults in TWI's arguments.
For example, JCNG, first edition, said that in Hebrews 1:2, the word "by" should be translated "for." This is totally false, as anyone who knows even a little Greek can see. We pointed this out in our book The Integrity and Accuracy of The Way's Word. A few years later the second edition came out, deleting that false idea and making up a new one-- that old manuscripts read differently. But they didn't say which ones (Wierwille never gave evidence for his claims-- perhaps he just thought everyone should accept them because he taught by "revelation.") The research team sent us a list, which turned out to be mangled and false (see the article Which Way Does it Read? To date, TWI still hasn't printed a correction of the gross inaccuracies it printed about this. In other words, TWI keeps changing its story on Heb 1:2, its stories are all inaccurate, and Hebrews 1:2 is still a clear description of Jesus as having the nature of God. The same is true of Matthew 28:19. If you are interested in how TWI has tried to twist it also, some details are in the above book and we could add others, too. VPW can't get them to read in an anti-Trinitarian way no matter how much he twists, because the Word is plain.
There are a lot of Scriptures on Christ's nature that TWI and the Jehovah's Witnesses never try to tackle (including many of the "hardest" ones. For instance, Rev 2:8, 22:13,16 (also Isaiah 41:4, 44:6) call God the Father and Jesus Christ both the "1st and last." How can there be two "1st" and two "lasts?"
Several New Testament (NT) verses quote Old Testament (OT) verses which contain the word "God." But they take out the word "God" and insert "Jesus Christ" (or make clear they refer to Jesus). If Jesus does not have the nature of God, how could a Bible writer quote a verse about God and substitute Jesus' name? Imagine them writing, "In the beginning Jim Martin created the heavens and the earth!" Gross blasphemy (unless Jesus does have God's nature)!
The same is true of about a dozen titles (I AM, judge, Light, Savior, Rock, Shepherd, Creator, King, Bridegroom, Healer), all are applied to God in the OT and to Jesus in the NT.
More than 15 verses make clear that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal in honor and nature, of which Mat 28:19 is only one.
We encourage you to work through the list of verses below slowly, Bible in hand. It's not a matter of one or two verses, but a whole pattern one can see throughout the Bible.
What does it mean that Jesus is "the Son of God?" E. W. Bullinger, who TWI respects as a Bible scholar, defines the meaning of the phrase in his book Figures of Speech Used in the Bible:
"In the singular with both articles it is used of Christ. 'The Son of God' is that blessed one who is perfect man and perfect God, perfectly human and 'the Son of man' (also with both articles) and perfectly Divine as 'the Son of God.'" (p. 504)
If you are interested in other articles about who Jesus Christ is, several web sites provide a place
to start. A starting point may be the Watchman Fellowship web site, which has material on line
about Christ and the Trinity and links to other Christian sites which address such topics.
The Deity of Jesus Christ
According To The Scriptures
1) EXPLICIT "DOCTRINAL" STATEMENTS
A. Matthew 1:13--"God with us"
B. John 1:1,18--"The Word was God"
C. Romans 9:5 - "God blessed forever"
D. 1 Timothy 3:16--"God in the flesh"
E. CoIossians 2:9-- "Fullness of the Godhead "
F. Titus 2:13--"God and Savior"
G. James 2:1--"Lord of Glory"
H. 1 John 5:20--"The true God"
I. Isaiah 9:6--"Mighty God"
J. 2 Peter l :1--"God and Savior"
K. Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:12-20;1:17-18--"First and Last"
2) CALLED THE "IMAGE" OR "FIRST-BORN" (NOT FIRST-CREATED)
A. CoIossians 1:15
B. 2 Corinthians 4:4
C. Hebrews 1:3-6
D. Psalm 89:27
3) JESUS' OWN CLAIMS
A. John 5:17-18--called God His own Father
B. John 10:30--"/ and the Father are One"
C. Matthew 19:17--"only One is good"
D. John 16:15--"all things the Father has are mine"
E. John 8:24; 8:58; 18:5-6; Mark 14:62--"I AM"
4) JESUS SEPARATES HIMSELF FROM MANKIND
A. Luke 11:13--"You being evil" (not "we")
B. John 2:24-25--did not trust Himself to man
C. John 3:7--"You must be born again"
5) WHAT CONTEMPORARIES THOUGHT OF JESUS
A. His Friends:
1. Thomas--John 20:28--"My Lord and My God "
2. Paul--Acts 20:28--God spent His own blood
3. Paul and Ananias--Acts 9:5,10; 15:17 with
Acts 22:12-22--Saul chosen by Him/God
B. His Father--Hebrews 1:8--"Your throne, O God "
C. Government:
1. Pilate--John 19:19,22--"King of the Jews"
2. Centurion--Luke 23:47--"righteous" Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39--"Son of God"
D. Enemies:
The Jews understood Jesus claimed Deity by attempting to execute Him many times--John 5:18;
John 10:35; Mark 14:63.
6) ETERNAL ("PRE") EXISTENCE
A. Micah 5:2--"From the days of eternity"
B. Isaiah 9:5--"Father of eternity"
C. John 1:1-2--"In the beginning" (origin)
D. John 1:15--"he was before me"
E. John 8:58-- "before Abraham "
F. John 17:5--"before the world"
G. Revelation 1:8--"Who is, was, is to come"
7) OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES REFERRING TO YHWH (GOD) APPLIED SPECIFICALLY TO JESUS BY NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS
A. Matthew 1:23 / Isaiah 7:14--"God with us"
B. Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23 /Isaiah 40:3--"Straighten the way of the Lord"
C. Matt. 11:10 / Malachi 3:1--messenger to c/ear way
D. Romans 10:13 / Joel 2:32--believe on Him
E. Philippians 2:10 / Isaiah 45:23--knees bow to Him
F. Hebrews 1:6 / Psalm 97:5,7--worship Him
G. Hebrews 1:8 / Psalm 45:6--"Thy throne O God "
H. Heb. 1:10-12 / Psalm 102:24-27--made the heavens
I. Revelation 1:7 / Zechariah 12:10--the pierced one
J. Revelation 15:3-4 / Deuteronomy 32:3-4 -- song of
Moses/the Lamb
8) OLD TESTAMENT TITLES REFERRING TO YHWH
APPLIED SPECIFICALLY TO JESUS BY NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS
A. Revelation 2:8; 22:13,16 / Isaiah 41:4; 44:6 -- First and Last
B. John 8:24,58 / Exodus 3:14, Isaiah 43:10 - "I AM"
C. 2 Timothy 4:1; John 5:22--Genesis 18:25--Judge
D. John 1:9; 8:12 / Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:19--Light
E. Titus 3:4,6 / Isaiah 43:11, 45:21, 35:4--Savior
F. 1 Corinthians 10:4 / Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 78:35--Rock
G. John 10:11,16 / Psalm 23:1 --Shepherd
H. Colossians 1:16; John 1:2 / Isaiah 44:24--Creator
I. Matthew 2:2; Acts 17:7 / Psalm 5:2; 24:10--King
J. Mark 2:19, John 3:29 / Hosea 2:16; Isaiah 62:5--Bridegroom
K. Acts 9:34 / Psalm 103:3--Healer
G) OTHER TITLES APPLIED TO JESUS CHRIST
A. Matthew 1:21--Jesus = "YHWH saves "
B. 1 Corinthians 12:3; John 13:13--Lord C. Acts 2:36--Lord and Christ
D. Matthew 16:16; Luke 1 :35, Hebrews 1:5--Son of God
E. Mark 2:28; 14:41 -- Son of Man (Note that most attributes tied directly to this title are explicitly God-like, not man-like.)
F. John 5:27; 6:62--Judge
G. John 8:24,28,58-- "/ A M "
H. Luke 9:26--in Glory
I. Mark 14:62--On throne and will come
J. Luke 5:24--Forgives sins
K. Luke 6:5, Mark 2:28--Lord of the Sabbath
L. Matthew 13:41--Sends his angels
10) PLACED ON PAR WITH THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. Trinitarian Events/Formulas:
1 Luke 1~35--incarnation
2 Matthew 3:16--Baptism of Jesus
3. Matthew 28:19--Baptism of believers
4. 2 Corinthians 13:14-- a blessing
5. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6--Gifts, service, working
B. The Three Working Together:
1. Ephesians 2:18,22--Access to the Father / built into dwelling
2. Ephesians 3:14-17--We are strengthened
3. Hebrews 2:3-4--Word announced, testified to
4. Acts 3:26; John 2:19; 1 Peter 3:18--Resurrection of Jesus
5. John 14:26; 15:26--Jesus sends me Holy Spirit from the Father
C. Parallels Between The Father and The Son:
1. John 5:23--Honor the Son as the Father
2. John 8:19,24--Know the Son / Know the Father
3. John 14:1--Trust in God, in Jesus
4. John 14:9--See Jesus, see the Father
5. Matthew 11:27--Only the Son knows the Father
6. 1 Corinthians 8:6--for whom we exist, through whom we exist
11) JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (barely a sampling)
A. Isaiah 9:6--Counselor, God, Father
B. Isaiah 49:7--Lord and His Holy One
C. Psalm 110:1--Lord said unto my Lord
D. Zechariah 13:7--My Shepherd and Associate
12) DIVINE ACTIONS AND ATTRIBUTES
A. Divine Actions:
1. Acts 5:31; Mark 2:5-10; Luke 5:20-24-- Forgives sins
2. Matthew 14:33; Hebrews 1:6--Receives worship (see Luke 4:8)
3. Acts 7:59; John 14:14; 2 Peter 3:18 -- Receives prayer
4. John 1:4,11:25,14:6--Gives life, light
5 John 3:13, 6:51--From heaven
6 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Zechariah 14:4-5 -- Will come on the clouds
7. John 5:27-29--Will raise all men
8. John 17:2--Gives sterna/ life
9. John 14:27' 16:33; Romans 15:33--Gives peace
10. Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3--Upholds all things
B. Divine Attributes:
1. John 2:19,10:17-18, 5:26--Self-existence
2.1 John 1:2, John 17:5,24--Eternal
3. Matthew 18:20, 28:20; John 3:13; Ephesians 1:21 --Omnipresence
4. Matthew 9:4; 12:25; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 9:47 -- Omniscience
5. Matthew 28:18; Luke 21:15; John 1:3, 10:18 -- Omnipotence
6. Hebrews 1:11-12, 13:8--Unchangeable
7. John 6:69, 8:46, Matthew 27:3-4; Luke 23:22,41 -- Holiness
8. John 1:4;11:25; 14:6--Life
- SOMETHING TO REMEMBER -
Jesus was not only God, but God-Man. The following verses help explain some Arian proof texts:
1. Colossians 2:9--Deity in bodily form (somatikos)
2. Hebrews 2:14-18--Shared humanity
3. Philippians 2:6-8-- Emptied Himself, took the form of a man (Note: The Isaiah 45:23 passage
immediately follows.)