| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Carl" |
| Date: |
19 Jul 2007 09:18:56 PM |
| Object: |
The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
This is a very detailed and well thought out article on the deity and
authority of Jesus Christ by Dr. Norman L. Geisler. I urge my brothers and
sisters in Christ to read this and save it to share with others.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
---
The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ
By Dr. Norman L. Geisler
Orthodox Christianity claims that Jesus of Nazareth was God in human flesh.
This doctrine is absolutely essential to true Christianity. If it is true,
then Christianity is unique and authoritative. If not, then Christianity
does not differ in kind from other religions.
The basic logic of this apologetic for Christianity is: (1) The New
Testament is a historically reliable record of the life, teachings, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ; (2) Jesus taught that he was God
Incarnate; (3) Jesus proved to be God Incarnate by fulfilling Old Testament
prophecy, by a miraculous life, and by rising from the grave. Therefore,
Jesus of Nazareth is Deity.
An Examination of the Claims for the Deity of Jesus Christ
We have already shown that the New Testament documents are historically
reliable. The New Testament has been confirmed to be accurate not only in
its general outline of history but in its specific detail as well. We have
noted also that the ear- and eyewitnesses of Christ passed down contemporary
accounts of Christ's words and deeds. These words of Jesus were not only
memorized but were written down by qualified witnesses (Luke 1:1-3).
Furthermore, the New Testament writers made a clear distinction between
their words and the words of Jesus (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 7:10, 12; 11:24, 25).
Hence, a red-letter edition of the Bible which distinguishes the words of
Jesus from those of the authors of the Gospel is a realistic possibility.
That is, since there is both proven integrity and accuracy of the New
Testament writers, there is consequent historical reliability in their
quotations of Jesus. It is not necessary to assume that the New Testament
relates always a word-for-word record of Jesus' teachings. It will be
sufficient to hold that it presents the essence of his teaching on the
subject at band. Building on this basis, we will now examine precisely what
it was that Jesus claimed with respect to his own origin and nature.
Following this we will examine what his most immediate followers taught
about his deity.
An Examination of Jesus' Claims to Be Deity
There are several lines of evidence that prove (whether or not the claim is
true) that Jesus did claim to be God. This can be seen from his claims to be
the Jehovah of the Old Testament, from his acceptance of the titles of
deity, from his messianic claims, from his acceptance of worship, from the
implications of many of his actions, from the authority of his commands, and
from the reaction of the first century monotheistic Jews to his claims and
actions.
Jesus' Claim to Be Jehovah. The most forthright claims of Christ to be God
are revealed in his identification with the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
"Jehovah" (or Yawey) is the spelling given to the tetragrammaton or
designation for God (i.e., JHWH, or YHWH) in the Old Testament. This word
for God is spelled with all capital letters in the English Old Testament of
the King James (1611) and Revised Standard versions (1952), namely, L-O-R-D.
The American Standard Version (1901) transliterated it as "Jehovah." In
every case these terms refer to deity. Unlike the word adonai (usually
translated "lord") which sometimes refers to men (cf. Gen. 18:12) and other
times to God, the word LORD (Jehovah) always refers to God. To avoid
confusion we will quote here from the ASV Old Testament which uses the term
"Jehovah." For example, "I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham, unto
Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not
known to them" (Exod. 6:2, 3). So sacred was this name, JHWH, that devout
Jews would not even pronounce it. Many take the word to mean "underived
existence" or "He who is" from the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14, but the meaning of
the term is not certain. It is known for sure that Jehovah is the I AM of
Exodus 3:14 and that for the Jews he alone is God. Everything else is an
idol or false god. Nothing else was to be worshiped or served, nor were
sacrifices to be made to them (Exod. 20:5). Jehovah was a "jealous God" and
would not share either his name or his glory with another. Isaiah wrote,
"Thus saith Jehovah . I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me
there is no God" (44:6). Again, "I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory
will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images" (Isa.
42:8; cf. 48:11).
In view of the fact that the Jehovah of the Jewish Old Testament would not
give his name, honor, or glory to another, it is little wonder that the
words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth drew stones and cries of "blasphemy"
from first-century Jews. The very things that the Jehovah of the Old
Testament claimed for himself Jesus of Nazareth also claimed, as the
following verses reveal: Jesus said "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11),
but the Old Testament declared "Jehovah is my shepherd" (Ps. 23:1). Jesus
claimed to be judge of all men and nations (John 5:27 f. and Matt. 25:31 f.)
but Joel, quoting Jehovah, wrote: "for there I will sit to judge all the
nations round about" (Joel 3:12). Jesus said, "I am the light of the world"
(John 8:12) whereas Isaiah says, "Jehovah will be unto thee an everlasting
light, and thy God thy glory" (60:19). Jesus claimed in prayer before the
Father to share his eternal glory, saying, "Father, glorify thou me in thy
own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was
made." But Isaiah quoted Jehovah vowing, "my glory will I not give to
another" (42:8). Jesus spoke of himself as the coming "bridegroom" (Matt.
25:1), which is exactly how Jehovah is depicted in the Old Testament (cf.
Isa. 62:5; Hos. 2:16). In the Book of Revelation Jesus is quoted by John as
saying, "I am the first and the last" (1:17), which are precisely the words
Jehovah used to declare that there was no other God besides himself (Isa.
42:8). The Old Testament declares that "Jehovah is our light" (Ps. 27:1),
but Jesus said "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
Perhaps the strongest and most direct claim of Jesus to be Jehovah occurs in
John 8:58 where he said to the Jews, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before
Abraham was, I am." The Jews' reaction left no doubt as to how they
understood his claim. They knew he had claimed not only preexistence before
Abraham but also equality with God. They promptly picked up stones to stone
him (cf. John 8:58 and 10:31-33). Jesus had clearly claimed to be the "I AM"
of Exodus 3:14 that refers to Jehovah alone. The claim was either blasphemy
or else an indication of deity. Jesus left no doubt as to which
interpretation he wished them to take. This claim to be "I am" is repeated
in Mark 14:62 and in John 18:5, 6. In the latter case the effect on those
around Christ was dramatic: "they drew back and fell to the ground."
Jesus' Claim to Be Equal with God. On numerous occasions Jesus claimed to be
equal with God in other ways than assuming the titles of deity. Jesus said
to the scribes, "That you may know that the son of man has authority on
earth to forgive sins . I say to you [the paralytic], rise, take up your
pallet and go home" (Mark 2:10, 11). Jesus had just said to the paralytic,
"My son, your sins are forgiven" (v. 5), to which the outraged scribes
retorted, "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive
sins but God alone?" (v. 7). Jesus' claim to be able to forgive sins, the
scribes' understanding of that claim, and Jesus' healing of the man are all
evidence of his authority, and make it clear that Jesus was claiming a power
that God alone possessed (cf. Jer. 31:34).
Jesus solemnly claimed another power that God alone possessed, namely, the
power to raise and judge the dead: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and
those who hear will live . and come forth, those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
judgment" (John 5:25, 29). Jesus removed all doubt of the intentions of his
claim when he added, "For as the Father raised the dead and gives them life,
so also the Son gives life to whom he will" (v. 21). According to the Old
Testament, however, God alone is the giver of life (I Sam. 2:6; Deut. 32:39)
and can raise men from the dead (Ps. 2:7). Hence, in the face of orthodox
Jewish belief that God alone could resurrect the dead, Jesus not only boldly
proclaimed his ability to bring the dead back but also his right to judge
them. The Scriptures, however, reserved for Jehovah the right to judge men
(Joel 3:12; Deut. 32:35).
Another way that Jesus made claim to be God was by his statement that all
men should "honor the Son, even as they honor the Father," adding, "he who
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father" (John 5:23). In this same
category, Jesus exhorted his disciples, "believe in God, believe also in me"
(John 14:1). The pretensions of this claim to a monotheistic people were
evident. The Jews knew well that no man should claim honor and belief with
God. They reacted with stones (John 5:18).
Jesus' Claim to Be the Messiah-God. The Old Testament foreshadowings of the
Messiah also pointed to his deity. Hence, when Jesus claimed to fulfill the
Old Testament messianic predictions he thereby also claimed the deity
attributed to the Messiah in those passages. For example, the famous
Christmas text from Isaiah speaks of the Messiah as the "Mighty God" (9:6).
The psalmist wrote of the Messiah, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever"
(from 45:6 A.V., quoted in Heb. 1:8). Psalm 110:1 relates a conversation
between the Father and the Son: "Jehovah saith unto my Lord (Adonai), sit
thou at my right hand." Jesus applied this passage to himself in Matthew
22:43-44. Isaiah the prophet, in a great messianic prophecy, exhorted
Israel, "Behold your God" (40:9). Indeed the great messianic passage from
Daniel 7:13, quoted by Jesus at his trial before the high priest, is a text
implying the deity of the Messiah. In Daniel's vision, the Son of man
(Messiah) is also called the "ancient of days" (7:22), a phrase that is used
twice in the same passage to describe God the Father (vv. 9, 13). When Jesus
quoted this passage to the high priest who demanded that Jesus declare
whether or not he was Deity, the high priest left no doubt as to how he
interpreted Jesus' claim. "Are you the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the
Blessed?" the high priest asked. "And Jesus said, 'I am; and you will see
the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the
clouds of heaven.' " At this the high priest tore his garment and said, "Why
do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy!" (Mark 14:61-64).
In short, the Old Testament not only predicted the Messiah but also
proclaimed him to be God. And when Jesus claimed to be a fulfillment of the
Old Testament messianic passages (cf. Luke 24:27, 44; Matt. 26:54), he laid
claim to possessing the deity these passages ascribed to the Messiah. Jesus
removed all doubts of his intentions by his answer before the high priest at
his trial.
Jesus' Acceptance of Worship. The Old Testament forbids worship of anyone
but God (Exod. 20:1-4; Deut. 5:6-9). In the Bible men were not to accept
worship (see Acts 14:15) and even angels refused to be worshiped (Rev. 22:8,
9). And yet Jesus received worship on at least nine occasions without
rebuking his worshipers. The healed leper worshiped him (Matt. 8:2) and the
ruler knelt before him with his petition (Matt. 9:18). After Jesus had
stilled the storm, "those in the boat worshipped him, saying, 'Truly you are
the Son of God' " (Matt. 14:33). The Canaanite women bowed before Christ in
prayer (Matt. 15:25), as did the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matt.
20:20). Just before Jesus commissioned his followers to disciple all
nations, "they worshipped him" (Matt. 28:17). Earlier in the same chapter
the women who had just been at the tomb met Jesus "and they came up and took
hold of his feet and worshipped him" (v. 9). Mark writes of the demoniac of
the Gerasenes that "when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him"
(Mark 5:6) and the blind man said, " 'Lord, I believe;' and he worshipped
him" (John 9:38). Not to rebuke these people who knelt before him, prayed to
him, and worshiped him was not only utterly pretentious but it was
blasphemous, unless Jesus considered himself to be God. The repetition and
the context necessitate the conclusion that Jesus not only accepted but
sometimes even elicited worship from the disciples, as he did from Thomas
who cried out, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).The Authority of Jesus'
Commands. Jesus not only accepted the titles and worship due Deity alone but
he often placed his words on a par with God's. "You have heard that it was
said to men of old, . But I say unto you ." (Matt. 5:21, 22) is repeated
over and over again. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ." (Matt. 28:18, 19). God
had given the Ten Commandments through Moses, but Jesus added, "A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another" (John 13:34). Jesus
once taught that "till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot,
will pass from the Law" (Matt. 5:18). Later Jesus put his own words on the
same level as the Old Testament Law of God, saying, "Heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matt. 24:35). Speaking of those
who reject him, Jesus declared, "The word that I have spoken will be his
judge on the last day" (John 12:48). In view of his categorical and
authoritative pronouncements we are left with but one conclusion: Jesus
intended his commands to be on the level with those of God. His words were
equally authoritative with God's words.
Jesus Requested That Men Pray in His Name. Jesus not only asked men to
believe in him (John 14:1) and to obey his commandments (John 14:15), but he
asked men to pray in his name. "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it,"
he said (John 14:13). Again, "if you ask anything in my name, I will do it"
(John 14:14). Later, Jesus added, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
Indeed, Jesus insisted that "no man comes to the Father, but by me" (John
14:6). It is interesting to note in this regard that not only did the
disciples of Christ pray in Christ's name (I Cor. 5:4) but they also prayed
to Christ (Acts 7:59). There is no doubt that both Jesus intended and his
disciples understood it was Jesus' name that was to be invoked both before
God and as God's in prayer.
Throughout Jesus' claims several important points emerge. First, there is no
question that Jesus often accepted and sometimes even encouraged the
appellations and attitudes appropriate only for God. Second, Jesus himself
unquestionably affirmed by words and actions these characteristics and
prerogatives appropriate only to deity. Third, the reaction of those around
him manifests that they too understood him to be claiming deity. The
disciples responded with "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God"
(Matt. 16:16) or "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Unbelievers exclaimed,
"Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy!" (Mark 2:7). When Jesus
claimed to be one with the Father, the Jews wanted to stone him, as they
said, "for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God" (John
10:33). This they repeated on several occasions (cf. John 5:18; 8:59). The
high priest reacted similarly when he heard Christ solemnly swear to his
divine origin (Mark 14:62-64). Whatever one may think about the truth or
falsity of Christ's claims, it should be clear to the unbiased observer of
the New Testament record that Jesus claimed to be equal to and identical
with the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
Some Alleged Counterclaims of Christ. It is sometimes alleged that Jesus
denied his equality with God on the basis of the following data:(1) Jesus
said, "My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28); (2) Jesus claimed
ignorance of the time of his second coming (Mark 13:32); (3) Jesus said that
neither he nor anyone else is "good" except God (Mark 10:18); (4) Jesus
prayed on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark
15:34).
On closer examination none of these passages is contradictory with Jesus'
evident claims to deity just discussed. (1) The Father was greater than
Jesus in office but not in nature. Jesus claimed equality with God in
essence (John 5:18; 10:30); it was only in his function as Son that he was
less than the Father. (2) Jesus was ignorant of the time of his coming again
as man, just as he was ignorant of whether the fig tree had fruit (Matt.
21:19). As man Jesus tired, hungered, and thirsted; but as God he never
slumbered nor slept (Ps. 121:4). Jesus the person possessed two distinct
natures: one divine nature by which he knew all things and one human nature
which was finite in knowledge and grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52). (3) Upon
careful examination Jesus did not deny that he was good or that he was God
to the rich young ruler. Rather, Jesus said to him in essence, "Do you
realize what you are saying? Are you calling me God?" Jesus' reply left only
two alternatives: either he was good and God or else he was bad and merely
human. (4) Jesus' prayer on the cross does not imply he is not God. There
are other examples of God talking to God (or, better, one person of the
Godhead speaking to another person of the Godhead). Psalm 110:1 says, "The
LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand." Likewise, in the Old
Testament the LORD sometimes speaks to the Angel of the LORD (cf. Zech.
1:12) who also is deity (cf. Exod. 3:2 f.; Judg. 13:15 f.). These so-called
counterclaims for deity turn out to be not only completely congruous with
the uniform claim of Christ to be equal with God, but in at least one case a
closer examination of them evidences a covert claim to deity.
The Claim of Jesus' Disciples That He Was God
It is one thing for a first century Jew to claim to be God, but it is quite
another to get other monotheistic Jews to believe it. Both Jesus and the
disciples knew the Jewish Shema very well: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our
God, the Lord is one" (Mark 12:29). Paul stated the Jewish belief well when
he wrote, "For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth .
yet for us there is one God" (I Cor. 8:5, 6). Both polytheism and idolatry
were abhorrent to a Jew, and yet these first century Jewish disciples of
Jesus found it necessary to attribute deity to Jesus of Nazareth in many
ways.
Jesus Was Given the Names of Deity. John called Jesus the "first and the
last" (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13), a title which Jehovah had taken to himself in
the Old Testament (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). Both Jesus and Jehovah are
viewed as the author of eternal words (cf. Matt. 24:35 and Isa. 40:8). The
psalmist wrote, "Jehovah is my light" (27:1) but John claimed Jesus was "the
true light" (John 1:9). Likewise, "Jehovah is our rock" is a common
appellation of God in the Old Testament (see Ps. 18:2; 95:1), but the
disciples call Jesus their "rock" (I Cor. 10:4) or "stone" (I Peter 2:6-8).
Jehovah was also a husband or "bridegroom" to Israel (Hos. 2:16; Isa. 62:5),
which is how the New Testament relates Christ to his church (Eph. 5:28-33;
Rev. 21:2). "Jehovah is my shepherd," David wrote (Ps. 23:1), Peter called
Christ "the chief Shepherd" (I Peter 5:4), and the writer of the Hebrews
spoke of Christ as "the great shepherd" (13:20). Whereas the Old Testament
speaks of Jehovah as the forgiver of sins (Jer. 31:34; Ps. 130:4), the
apostles boldly proclaim that only in Jesus' name are sins forgiven (Acts
5:31; Col. 3:13). The Old Testament function of "redeemer" (cf. Hos. 13:14;
Ps. 130:7) is in the New Testament given over to Christ (Titus 2:13; Rev.
5:9). The same is true of the title "savior" (Isa. 43:3); Jesus is called
"the savior of the world" (John 4:42). The Old Testament Jehovah jealously
guarded his glory, declaring, "I am Jehovah, that is my name; my glory I
give to no other" (Isa. 42:8), and yet Paul speaks of Jesus as "the Lord of
glory" (I Cor. 2:8). The title of "judge" of mankind was reserved for
Jehovah in the Old Testament, but the disciples taught that "Jesus Christ .
is to judge the living and the dead" (II Tim. 4:1).
Jesus Was Considered to Be the Messiah-God. Many Old Testament messianic
passages make it clear that it is Jehovah who is to be the Messiah. Jehovah
is called "king" (Zech. 14:9) and it is the "angel of Jehovah" who will
redeem them (Isa. 63:9). Jehovah is the "stone" and yet the Messiah is to be
the rejected "stone" (Ps. 118:22). The Messiah is spoken of in the Old
Testament as "Lord" when it is written, "Jehovah saith unto my Lord" (Ps.
110:1), a passage which the New Testament writers apply to Christ (Acts
2:34, 35). Isaiah provided a messianic challenge to the Jews, saying,
"Behold your God!" (40:9). Indeed, there is no clearer messianic passage on
the deity of Christ than Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born . and his
name will be called 'Wonderful, counsellor. Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.' " With these predictions the New Testament writers concur,
declaring Jesus to be "Emmanuel" (which means, God with us) (Matt. 1:23,
from Isa. 7:14). In brief, the Old Testament Messiah was Jehovah and the New
Testament writers identify Jesus with the Old Testament Messiah.
One often overlooked passage in Zechariah says literally in the Hebrew text,
"When they look on me [Jehovah speaking] whom they have pierced" (12:10).
The New Testament writers do not hesitate to apply this twice to Jesus,
thereby affirming the identity of the Jehovah pierced and the Jesus
crucified (cf. John 19:37; Rev. 1:7). In his role as Messiah one day "every
knee should bow . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:11). But the passage from which Paul takes
this citation declares: "For I am God, and there is no other.. To me every
knee shall bow, and every tongue swear" (Isa. 45:22, 23). The implications
of this are strong: Jehovah alone is God and to him every knee shall one day
bow. But Paul declares that it is Jesus-Jehovah before whom one day all will
bow; they will all confess that "Jesus is Lord (Jehovah) to the glory of
God."
Jesus Was Given Powers Possessed Only by God. The disciples of Christ not
only gave him the titles of Jehovah or deity but they also attributed to him
powers that only God possesses. The New Testament writers declare that Jesus
raised the dead (John 5, 11), and yet the Old Testament declares, "Jehovah
killeth, and maketh alive" (I Sam. 2:6; cf. Deut. 32:39). Isaiah pronounced
Jehovah as "the everlasting God . the Creator of the ends of the earth"
(4:9) and Jeremiah called him the "former of all things" (10:16); the New
Testament writers speak of all things being created through Christ (John
1:2; Col. 1:16). Likewise, for the Jews "who can forgive sins but God
alone?" (Mark 2:7; cf. Jer. 31:34); and yet without hesitation the New
Testament writers attribute this same power to Jesus (Acts 5:31; 13:38).
Such an attribution should remove all reasonable doubt as to whether they
believed in the deity of Christ.
The Association of Jesus' Name with God. The Jehovah of the Old Testament
jealously guarded his name and glory; it was utter blasphemy to associate
any other name with God's. And yet without hesitation the disciples used the
name of Jesus in prayer (I Cor. 5:4). On occasion they even prayed directly
to Jesus (Acts 7:59). Often in prayers or benedictions Jesus' name is used
alongside of God the Father's in such phrases as "grace to you and peace
from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:3; cf. Eph. 1:2). At
other times three names are associated in a "trinitarian" formula, such as
the command to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). The same association is made in the apostolic
benediction, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (II Cor. 13:14). Such
association in a monotheistic context is tantamount to claiming deity for
the person so associated with God.
Direct Declarations of Jesus' Deity. Thomas's pronouncement "My Lord and my
God!" (John 20:28) is more than an exclamation; properly understood in the
context of the fourth Gospel it is the climax of the disciple's progressive
understanding of who Jesus really is. In Colossians Paul forthrightly
declares Christ to be the one in whom "the whole fulness of deity dwells
bodily" (2:9). In Titus Jesus is called "our great God and Savior" (2:13)
and the writer of Hebrews addresses Christ thus: "Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever" (1:8). Paul elsewhere speaks of Christ as the "form of God,"
a phrase that obviously means of the essence of God, paralleling the phrase
"form of man," which means the essence of man (Phil. 2:5, 8). A similar
phrase "the image of God" is used to portray Christ's deity in the New
Testament (Col. 1:15), meaning in this context not only the representation
(as it means elsewhere, cf. Gen. 1:26) but the manifestation of God himself.
Hebrews strengthens this description of Christ's deity, saying that "he
reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding
the universe by his word of power" (1:3).
The prologue of John is unequivocal on the subject of Christ's deity: "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"
(John 1:1). The absence of the definite article "the" does not indicate that
this verse should be translated "the Word was a god." The grammatical
construction without the definite article means "the Word was of the essence
of God," which is a strong way to describe his deity. The New Testament
contains many other intimations of Christ's deity, the strongest of which
are those that relate to his being Creator of all things.
Jesus Was Considered the Creator of the Universe. There is no doubt that the
Old Testament presents God alone as Creator of the universe (Gen. 1, Isa.
40, Ps. 8). And when the disciples of Christ declare Jesus to be the One
through whom all things were created, the conclusion that they were thereby
attributing deity to him is unavoidable. John wrote, "All things were made
through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (1:2).
Paul said, "All things were created through him and for him" (Col. 1:16) and
then added, "and in him all things hold together" (v. 17). The context of
this passage makes it clear that there are no exceptions; Christ is the
Creator of all things including all angels and everything visible or
invisible (v. 15). Nowhere is it made more clear that Christ is not a
creature-angelic or otherwise-than in the relation of angels to him. Since
Christ could not be both the Creator of everything and at the same time a
creature himself, it is necessary to conclude that he is himself the
uncreated Creator of all creation.1
Jesus Was Obeyed and Worshiped by Angels. Jesus received worship from men on
at least nine occasions (cf. Matt. 28:17; John 9:38). This he did without
ever rebuking the worshiper, and sometimes he seems to have encouraged it
(see p. 333). But what removes any lingering doubt that the disciples of
Christ believed that he should be worshiped as God is the fact of angelic
worship. Jesus is portrayed as "being far above all rule and authority and
power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age
but also in that which is to come" (Eph. 1:21). Even the demons submitted to
his commands (Matt. 8:32). What is more, angels who themselves refused to be
worshiped in the Bible (see Rev. 22:8, 9) are presented as worshiping
Christ. In an unmistakably lucid affirmation the Book of Hebrews says, "For
to what angel did God ever say, 'Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee'?"
And yet "when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, 'Let all God's
angels worship him' " (1:5, 6). What could be more emphatic; Christ is not
an angel but the unique Son of God, and all the angels must worship him.
Whether this view of Christ is correct or not, there should be no doubt that
it is what the disciples of Christ taught. Indeed, as was already shown, it
is what Jesus thought of himself. He claimed to be all that God is, and his
disciples believed it. As C. S. Lewis pointedly observed, in the context of
Christ's claims we are faced with marked alternatives.
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish things that
people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral
teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we
must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus
said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a
level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the
Devil of Hell."2
The Substantiation of Christ's Claims to Be God
It is one thing to claim deity and quite another to have the credentials to
support that claim. Christ did both. He offered three unique and miraculous
facts as evidence of his claim: the fulfillment of prophecy, a uniquely
miraculous life, and the resurrection from the dead. All of these are
historically provable and unique to Jesus of Nazareth. We will argue,
therefore, that Jesus alone claims to be and proves to be God incarnate.
Jesus' Unique Fulfillment of Prophecy Is Evidence of His Deity
The logic of the argument here is this: a miracle is an act of God that
confirms the truth of God associated with it. The miracles associated with
Christ's claim to be God are acts of God that confirm him to be the Son of
God. And in Jesus' case there is a convergence of three great miraculous
happenings-prophecy, his sinless life and miraculous deeds, and his
resurrection-that lead forthrightly to the conclusion that he alone is the
unique Son of God.
There Were Dozens of Predictive Prophecies About Christ in the Old
Testament. It should be obvious to any serious student of the New Testament
that not every Old Testament Scripture applied to Christ in the New
Testament was necessarily understood in its Old Testament context as a
prediction. Prophecies such as those that Jesus would be a "Nazarene" (see
Matt. 2:23) or that he would flee to Egypt (Matt. 2:15) undoubtedly fall
into this category. On the other hand, there are many Old Testament
prophecies that are best understood as applying to the Messiah; and many of
these do not make good sense in any other way. In this latter category we
will single out the most significant predictive prophecies which Christ
fulfilled.
(1) The Messiah will be born of a woman (Gen. 3:15; cf. Gal. 4:4).
(2) He would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; cf. Matt. 1:21 f.).
(3) He would come some 483 years after 444 B.C. (see Dan. 9:24 f.).3
(4) He will be of the seed of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3 and 22:18; cf. Matt. 1:1
and Gal. 3:16).
(5) He will be of the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10; cf. Luke 3:23, 33; Heb.
7:14).
(6) He will be of the House of David (II Sam. 7:12 f.; cf. Matt 1:1).
(7) His birthplace will be Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; cf. Matt. 2:1; Luke 2:4-7).
(8) He will be anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isa. 11:2; cf. Matt. 3:16, 17).
(9) He will be heralded by a messenger of the Lord (Isa. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1;
cf.Matt. 3:1, 2).
(10) He will have a ministry of miracles (Isa. 35:5, 6; cf. Matt. 9:35).
(11) He will cleanse the temple (Mal. 3:1; cf. Matt. 21:12).
(12) He will be rejected by his Jewish people (Ps. 118:22; cf. I Peter 2:7).
(13) He will die a humiliating death (Ps. 22 and Isa. 53; cf. Matt. 27)
involving:
(a) rejection by his own people (Isa. 53:3; cf. John 1:10, 11; 7:5, 48)
(b) silence before his accusers (Isa. 53:7; cf. Matt. 27:12-19)
(c) being mocked (Ps. 22:7, 8; cf. Matt. 27:31)
(d) piercing his hands and feet (Ps. 22:16; cf. Luke 23:33)
(e) being crucified with thieves (Isa. 53:12; cf. Matt. 17:38)
(f) praying for his persecutors (Isa. 53:12; cf. Luke 23:34)
(g) piercing of his side (Zech. 12:10; cf. John 19:34)
(h) buried in a rich man's tomb (Isa. 53:9; cf. Matt. 27:57-60)
(i) casting lots for his garments (Ps. 22:18; cf. John 19:23, 24).
(14) He will rise from the dead (Ps. 2:7; 16:10; cf. Acts 2:31 and Mark
16:6).
(15) He will ascend into heaven (Ps. 68:18; cf. Acts 1:9 f.).
(16) He will sit at the right hand of God (Ps. 110:1; cf. Heb. 1:3).
There are numerous other prophecies about the Messiah that were fulfilled by
Jesus but not all of them are clearly predictive. Such include his teaching
in parables (Ps. 78:2 and Matt. 13:34), the slaughter of the babies by Herod
(Jer. 31:15; cf. Matt. 2:16), his betrayal by Judas (Ps. 41:9; cf. Matt.
10:4), being sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12; cf. Matt.
26:15), being beaten (Isa. 50:6; cf. Matt. 26:67), suffering thirst on the
cross (Ps. 69:21; cf. John 19:28), and others. Because these are not clearly
predictive in their Old Testament context, we will not use them as part of
our argument.
These Old Testament Predictions About Christ Were Made Hundreds of Years in
Advance. What is truly amazing about these Old Testament predictions is that
there is no way they could be made by "intelligent guesses" or by reading
the "trend of the times" or even by "reading minds," methods used by some
present-day forecasters. Even the most liberal critic of the Old Testament
admits to the completion of the prophetic books by some four hundred years
before Christ and the Book of Daniel by about 167 B.C.4 Although there is
good evidence for accepting a more conservative dating view of the eighth
century for the earlier prophets and the ninth century for some psalms, let
us accept for the sake of argument that these prophecies about Christ came
from only the second to the fifth or sixth centuries B.C. What difference
does it make if a prophecy is given only two hundred years in advance rather
than six hundred years? Can one with less than divine power make predictions
like these four hundred years in advance but not six hundred years ahead?
And when there are dozens of these prophecies converging in the lifetime of
one man, it becomes nothing less than miraculous.
These Prophecies Were Actually Fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. This
conclusion follows from the facts already established, namely, (1) the Old
Testament statements about Christ were made hundreds of years before he was
born; (2) the New Testament is a historically reliable account of Jesus'
life; (3) the New Testament records these predictions as being fulfilled in
Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and so forth. Since the New Testament is
historically reliable, we must conclude that all of these things did indeed
happen in his life, just as the above quoted verses indicate they did.
However, the fact that events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth correspond to
these predictions does not automatically prove he is the fulfillment of
them. There are at least two other possibilities that must be considered:
(1) they may be merely an accidental concurrence of events in Jesus' life,
or (2) Jesus may have deliberately attempted to fake "fulfillment" of them.
a. Jesus Was Not a Messianic Pretender Deliberately Attempting to "Fulfill"
Prophecy
The hypothesis that Jesus was an innocent messianic pretender who
deliberately connived to "fulfill" prophecy in his own life has been made
popular by Schonfield's The Passover Plot.5 In the face of the facts,
however, this view is nothing but a speculative thesis which knits together
the most circumstantial evidence on the loom of the author's own
imagination. There are several factual reasons this hypothesis must be
rejected. First, it does not fit the known character of Christ. He was
anything but cunning and deceptive; he was open and honest. Further, such a
plot to prove that he was the Messiah would have been anything but
"innocent."6 It would have been a deliberate deception of world-wide
messianic importance. The thesis, if proven true, would make Christ out to
be a major liar and not even a good man. Second, the alleged plot to prove
Christ was the Messiah does not fit with the facts known about Jesus'
closest disciples. How was it that Jesus could hide from his most intimate
friends this intricate plot while allegedly confiding only in the young man,
Lazarus, and Joseph of Arimathea? It is implausible that Jesus would pick
these men for such a plot to feign death by drugs and pretend to rise again.
And the honest character of his disciples is incongruous with the inclusion
of them in the alleged plot. Third, even assuming that Jesus could have
cleverly connived this plan concealed from his closest disciples, how then
can we explain his sinless and miraculous life (discussed below)? As the
Jews said in John 9:16, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs [as
opening the eyes of the blind]?" Finally, the messianic-pretender hypothesis
is rendered implausible by the nature of many of the prophecies themselves.
There are many prophecies over which Jesus had absolutely no control,
including when (Dan. 9), where (Mic. 5:2), how (Isa. 7:14), and from what
tribe (Gen. 49:10) or dynasty (II Sam. 7) he would be born. Nor is it
plausible to suppose that Jesus could have staged or manipulated the
reactions of others to himself, including John's heralding (Matt. 3), his
accuser's reactions (Matt. 27:12), how the soldiers would cast lots for his
garments (John 19:23, 24), and how they would pierce his side with a spear
(John 19:34). Indeed, even Schonfield admits that Jesus' plot failed when
the Romans actually pierced him on the cross. The facts of the matter are
that there are many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled over which he had no
control and others over which he had virtually no influence. It takes an
even bigger miracle to believe that Jesus possessed superhuman manipulative
powers to bring about the apparent fulfillment of the Old Testament
predictions about the Messiah in his life.
b. These Prophecies Were Not Accidentally "Fulfilled" in Christ
God makes no mistakes. In a theistic universe where God is in control of the
course of events and where God makes predictions hundreds of years in
advance about his plan of salvation for the world, an accidental
"fulfillment" will not happen. It is virtually inconceivable that God would
allow either a total deception in his name or an accidental "fulfillment" in
the life of the wrong person. Hence, on the already established grounds that
God exists, the chance fulfillment hypothesis is ruled out. Of course chance
is not ruled out on a strictly logical level but only on moral and
theological grounds. It is logically or mathematically possible that all of
these prophecies could have converged in the fortuitous events of the life
of Jesus of Nazareth. But even here the mathematical odds are staggering. It
has been computed by mathematicians that the chances for only 16 prophecies
about Christ to come true in Jesus' life are 1 in 1045.7 For 48 prophecies
the chances are an even more amazing 1 in 10157. It is almost impossible to
conceive how large a figure this really is. But it is not the logical
improbability but the moral impossibility that rules out chance as an
explanation. An all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-perfect God will not
allow anything to thwart his plans. Predictions made hundreds of years in
advance in the name of the true and living theistic God cannot fail. This
God cannot lie and he cannot break a promise (Heb. 6:18), nor is it in
accord with his nature that those desiring the truth can be totally deceived
(Heb. 11:6; John 7:17).
The Word of God will be fulfilled by an act of God. As the writer of the
Hebrews states it, "God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various
miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit ." (2:4). If in the life of Jesus
of Nazareth, who claimed fulfillment of these predictions about the Messiah
made hundreds of years before, there came to pass all that had been
prophesied of him, then we must conclude that he indeed is the Messiah. In
short, if Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the coming Messiah, this
fulfillment must be an act of God showing him to be the Son of God.
All of the earmarks of a miracle surround Jesus' fulfillment of Old
Testament prophecy.8 (1) It was an unusual event; the chances were highly
improbable; (2) it was accompanied by theological truth claims to be the Son
of God and the fulfillment of messianic prophecy; (3) the event of Christ's
coming brought with it moral good through his teaching, life, and influence;
(4) the incarnation was not a scientific misfit; it was supernatural but not
unnatural. His miracles not only fit the natural order but they helped the
natural order fulfill itself by way of the resurrection. In all these ways
the first coming of Christ does indeed qualify as a miracle, that is, as an
act of God that confirms the message of God and brings glory to God. And in
the case of this particular miracle of the incarnation, it is an act of God
that proves Christ to be the unique Son of God. In short, Christ's claims to
be God are confirmed by the miracle of the fulfillment of messianic prophecy
in his life and death.
Jesus' Sinless and Miraculous Life Is Evidence of His Deity
Simply living a sinless life, as difficult as that would be, would not
necessarily prove someone is God. However, if someone both claims to be God
and offers a sinless life as evidence, that is an entirely different matter.
All men are sinners; God knows it and so do we. If a man lives an impeccable
life and offers as the truth about himself that he is God incarnated we must
at least take his claim seriously. There are some who dare to claim
perfection, but few take these claimants seriously, least of all those who
know them best. With Jesus it is quite different; those who knew him best
thought the most highly of him. Outsiders cast unsubstantiated allegations
at him. "We are not born of fornication [as you were]" (John 8:41), or "he
is leading the people astray" (John 7:12). Some even dared to say, "He has a
demon, and is mad" (John 10:19). At his "trial" a false accusation brought
forth that Jesus had said he would destroy the temple (Mark 14:58), "yet not
even so did their testimony agree" (v. 59). Pilate's verdict as to Jesus'
alleged crime has been the verdict of history as to his character: "I find
no crime in this man" (Luke 23:4). The soldier at the cross exclaimed,
"Certainly this man was innocent!" (Luke 23:47) and the dying thief, having
earlier derided Christ (Matt. 27:39), came to see that "this man has done
nothing wrong" and asked for a place in Jesus' kingdom (Luke 23:41, 42).
The most significant testimony as to any man's character comes from those
closest to him. From the lips of Jesus' most intimate friends and disciples
who had lived with him for several years at close range came glowing
testimonies. Peter called Christ "a lamb without blemish or spot" (I Peter
1:19) and added, "no guile was found on his lips" (2:22). John called him
"Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1; cf. 3:7). The apostle Paul adds to
this testimony the unanimously expressed belief of the first Christians that
Jesus "knew no sin" (II Cor. 5:21). And the writer of the Hebrews clearly
affirmed that Jesus was tempted like a man "yet without sinning" (4:15).
Jesus himself challenged his accusers, saying, "Which of you convicts me of
sin?" (John 8:46). Neither they nor anyone else has successfully pinned a
sin on the remarkable and impeccable character of Jesus. This being the
case, it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus really was who he claimed to
be. For his sinlessness would both testify to the truthfulness of his
self-testimony and serve as supporting evidence for it. What mere man can
live a consistently sinless life when viewed at such close range?
Jesus' life was not only sinless but it was miraculous from the beginning.
He was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:21 f.; cf. Luke 2:26 f.), he turned water
into wine (John 2:7 f.), walked on water (Matt. 14:25), multiplied bread
(John 6:11 f.), opened the eyes of the blind (John 9:7 f.), made the lame to
walk (Mark 2:3 f.), cast out demons (Mark 3:11 f.), healed the multitudes of
all kinds of sicknesses (Matt. 9:35), and even raised the dead to life again
on several occasions (see John 4:11). When asked whether he was the Messiah,
he offered his miracles as evidence, saying, "Go and tell John what you hear
and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are
cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up ." (Matt. 11:4, 5).
Miracles of these kinds were accepted by the Jews of Jesus' day as an
evident sign of divine favor on the person performing them. And the special
outpouring of messianic miracles was proof that the performer was the
Messiah (see Isa. 35:5, 6). Even the Jews who knew Jesus had healed the
blind man asked, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" (John 9:12).
The ruler Nicodemus stated the Jewish position well when he acknowledged to
Jesus, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can
do these signs that you do, unless God is with him" (John 3:2). To a
first-century monotheistic Jew, miracles such as Christ performed were an
obvious indication of divine approval. But in Christ's case divine approval
is an evidence of Christ's deity. Just as the voice from heaven at Jesus'
baptism pronounced him to be God's unique Son (Matt. 3:16, 17), so the
outpouring of messianic miracles coupled with the claims of Christ to be
Jehovah-Messiah is unmistakable evidence of his true deity. An act of God
verifies the message of God given through the one performing the act. And in
Christ's case the message was "I am God; here are the acts of God to prove
it."
Jesus' Resurrection Is Evidence of His Deity
There is a third miracle or act of God confirming Christ's claim to deity;
it is his resurrection from the dead. This is truly the grand miracle and
the greatest of them all. The fact that both the Old Testament and Jesus
predicted in advance that he would rise from the dead makes the miracle even
that much stronger. Since we have already given the evidence for the
reliability of the New Testament eyewitnesses to the events recorded
therein, it will be necessary here to examine only the testimony itself.
Both Old Testament Prophets and Jesus Predicted the Resurrection. A Jewish
monotheist believed that only God can give life (Deut. 32:39; I Sam. 2:6).
The Egyptian magicians reduplicated Moses' wonders until Moses was used of
God to turn dust into living gnats, at which miracle they exclaimed, "This
is the finger of God" (Exod. 8:19). Only God can create life and only God
can bring men back to life, they believed. Hence, in this monotheistic
context the most convincing evidence of God is a resurrection from the dead.
What makes Jesus' resurrection even more amazing is that it was predicted in
advance both in the Old Testament and by Jesus. There are two lines of Old
Testament argument for the resurrection. First, there are the passages, such
as Psalms 2 and 16, that are cited by the New Testament as applying to the
resurrection of Christ (cf. Acts 2:27 f. and Heb. 1:5). It was no doubt
passages such as these that Paul used in Jewish synagogues as "he argued
with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary
for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead" (Acts 17:2, 3). Second, the
resurrection of Christ is taught by logical deduction from two Old Testament
teachings: (1) the Messiah will come and die (cf. Isa. 53; Ps. 22) and (2)
the Messiah will have an enduring political reign from Jerusalem (Isa. 9:6;
Dan. 2:44; Zech. 13:1 f.). The only way one and the same Messiah can
accomplish the actual fulfillment of these two lines of prophecy is by a
resurrection from the dead. Jesus died before he could ever begin a reign.
Only a resurrection could make the royal prophecies realizable.
On top of these Old Testament predictions of Christ's resurrection are those
he made on several occasions himself. According to John, Jesus predicted his
resurrection from his earliest ministry, saying, "Destroy this temple [of my
body], and in three days I will raise it up again" (John 2:19, 21). Even in
the synoptics Jesus said as early as Matthew 12:40 that "as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." After Peter's
confession Jesus "began to teach them [his disciples] that the Son of man
must suffer many things . and be killed, and after three days rise again"
(Mark 8:31). Jesus repeated this same prediction again on the way to
Jerusalem and the cross (cf. Mark 14:59; Matt. 27:63). Further, Jesus said
he would raise himself from the dead. "I have power to lay it down and I
have power to take it again" (John 10:18).
Now in view of the prediction of the resurrection, the event is given
special confirming significance. Karl Popper argued that whenever a "risky
prediction" is fulfilled, it counts as confirmation of the hypothesis which
comes with it.9 If so, what could be a riskier prediction than a
resurrection; and hence, what could have greater confirmational force than
the resurrection of Christ? If a man would not accept a predicted
resurrection as evidence of a truth claim, then he has an unfalsifiable bias
against the truth (cf. Luke 16:31).
Jesus Actually Died on the Cross and Was Buried in Joseph's Tomb. Before it
can be established that Jesus really rose from the grave it must be
established that he actually died. The Koran declares that Jesus did not die
on the cross but that he feigned death (Surah IV: 157). Some skeptics have
adopted a "swoon theory" wherein Jesus appeared dead but was revived later
in the tomb. Along with this can be categorized the "drug" hypothesis that
Jesus was only doped and appeared dead but that he recovered later.
Against any such view that Christ did not really die the following evidence
can be offered. (1) Jesus refused to take the common pain-killing drug
offered crucifixion victims (Mark 15:23). He was later given only a small
nonintoxicating amount of some cheap wine to quench his thirst (Mark 15:36).
There is no evidence that Jesus was drugged; both the obvious agony and
death cry do not befit a man who is drugged. (2) The heavy loss of blood
indicates Jesus was dead. He had five wounds and was on the cross from nine
in the morning (cf. Mark 15:25) until just before sunset (Mark 15:42). (3)
Jesus was heard to have uttered a death cry by those standing by (John
19:30). (4) When pierced in the side by the soldiers "blood and water"
flowed out (John 19:34); and this is an indisputable medical sign of death,
indicating that the red and white blood corpuscles had separated.10 (5) The
experienced Roman soldiers examined Jesus and pronounced him dead without
even breaking his legs to hasten death as was their usual practice (John
19:33). (6) Jesus was hurriedly embalmed in about one hundred pounds of
spices and bandages and laid in a guarded tomb (John 19:39-40). Even if he
had resuscitated, he could not have rolled back the heavy stone, overcome
the guards, and escaped (Matt. 27:60). (7) Further, Pilate inquired to make
sure that Jesus was dead before he gave the body to Joseph of Arimathea for
burial. (8) After all this, if Jesus were somehow miraculously still alive,
his appearances would have been more those of a resuscitated wretch than of
a resurrected and triumphant Savior. It would scarcely have transformed the
disciples, led to the conversion of thousands a few weeks later, or
ultimately turned the world upside down. (9) The undisturbed appearance of
the grave clothes-apparently like an empty cocoon (John 20:7)-is further
indication that he was dead. Otherwise, why were the grave clothes
undisturbed if there had not been a miraculous rising through them? If it
was a mere physical resuscitation or revival of a swooned or drugged body,
then Christ would have had to break out of the grave clothes. But since he
simply rose through them, it would indicate that he was really dead and rose
to a glorified body that could move through grave clothes as it could walk
through closed doors (John 20:19 f.). The cumulative weight of the above
evidence, particularly the firm medical evidence of "blood and water,"
places the evidence for Christ's death beyond the shadow of doubt. In fact,
there is more evidence that Jesus died than there is that most important
people from the ancient world ever lived.
Jesus Bodily Rose from the Dead. There are many alternate explanations for
the resurrection of Christ, but none of them satisfy the facts of the
case.11 The only reasonable explanation for the missing body, the many
appearances, the transformed disciples, and the amazing origin and spread of
Christianity is the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from Joseph's
tomb.
a. Joseph Did Not Remove the Body
It is unreasonable to suppose that Joseph removed the body of Jesus. When
could he have done it? If in the dark with torches, he could have been seen.
If in the morning at dawn, the women were already there (Luke 24:1).
Further, what motive would Joseph have to remove the body? Certainly this
was not to keep the disciples from stealing it, since Luke claims that he
himself was a disciple of Christ (Luke 23:50-51). And if he were not a
disciple, then he could have produced the body and squelched the false story
of the resurrection. Furthermore, Joseph was a pious man and would not have
removed the body on the sabbath (see Luke 23:50-56). And by the next day the
guard was placed at the tomb (Matt. 27:62-66). What is more, where could
Joseph have taken the body? It was never found despite the fact that almost
two months elapsed before the disciples began preaching the resurrection.
This was plenty of time to expose the fraud, if it were one. The truth of
the matter is that the character of Joseph, the anxiety of the Jewish
leaders, and the inability of anyone to find any corpse of Jesus are strong
negative arguments against this hypothesis. On top of this, there is the
overwhelming positive evidence of the many resurrection appearances of
Christ. If Joseph stole the body, how can some ten different appearances to
a total of over five hundred people be explained?
b. Roman or Jewish Authorities Did Not Remove the Body of Jesus
The hypothesis that the authorities took the body is completely untenable.
If the authorities had the body, they could have easily produced it and
disproven the Christian claims. This they would have been more than happy to
do, as is evidenced by the manner in which Christians were challenged and
persecuted from the very beginning (see Acts 4, 5, 7). Furthermore, it is
ridiculous to suppose that the authorities took the body and then turned
around and blamed the disciples for stealing it (Matt. 28:11-15). The fact
that the consistent attitude of authorities toward the disciples was one of
resistance not refutation is a strong indication of the reality of the
resurrection of Christ. Finally, neither does the view that the authorities
took the body explain the many unquestioned appearances of Christ to
hundreds of disciples.
c. The Disciples Did Not Steal the Body of Jesus
The allegation that the disciples stole the body of Christ is a derogation
of their character as honest men. It is also inconsistent with their
unimaginative minds; they were not clever plotters. Even Schonfield looks to
someone else to fit his clever plot thesis. The disciples were fearful men
who had fled the scene for fear of being caught (Mark 14:50). Furthermore,
the tomb was heavily guarded (Matt. 27:64). And the story of the guards that
the body was stolen is highly implausible, since they were not reprimanded
for falling asleep on duty. This hypothesis, if true, would make out the
disciples to be the most pious frauds that ever lived. We would have to
believe, contrary to psychological fact, that they died for what they knew
to be false, and that they were transformed from cowards to courageous men
in a few weeks by a deceptive plot that enabled them to turn the known world
upside down. It is hardly more miraculous to believe in the resurrection
itself than to believe this highly unlikely hypothesis.
d. The Women Did Not Make a Mistake at the Tomb
Some have suggested that the women went to the wrong tomb while it was yet
dark and that, seeing it empty, they reported that Jesus had risen. This
position, too, is untenable. If it was so dark, why was the gardener already
working (John 20:15)? If they went to the wrong tomb, why did not the
authorities go to the right tomb, produce the body of Jesus, and disprove
the disciples' claim? Further, why is it that Peter later made the same
"mistake" in broad daylight (John 20:6)? How is it that both the women and
Peter saw the empty grave clothes, if they were at the wrong tomb? Finally,
how can we account for the numerous subsequent appearances of Christ to
others in broad daylight over a forty-day period (Acts 1:3)?
e. It Is Not True That the Tomb Was Never Visited
It has been suggested that almost two months went by before the disciples
proclaimed the resurrection and that their belief was based on spiritual
appearances to them, but that no one ever really visited the tomb to verify
a bodily resurrection. This hypothesis is contradicted by a host of facts,
most of which have already been discussed. First of all, the Gospels clearly
indicate that several people did visit the tomb at different times (Matt.
28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). Furthermore, the repeated bodily appearances
of Christ belie this theory. In addition, if the disciples had not visited
the tomb the authorities could have done so and refuted the claim of the
resurrection. But instead of refuting it, the authorities resisted it.
Likewise, this theory would not account for the miraculous transformation of
the disciples, nor for the conversion of thousands of people in the very
city in which it occurred only a few weeks after it occurred (Acts 2:41).
f. The Bodily Resurrection of Christ Is Confirmed by Many Proofs
The only plausible explanation of the data available is that Jesus of
Nazareth, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, really died and was buried
for three days in Joseph's tomb, and miraculously came back to life again,
permanently and bodily vacating the tomb.
The physical or bodily nature of the resurrection is proven by the fact that
Jesus was "seen" by over five hundred people (I Cor. 15:1 f.), that he
claimed to "have flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39), that he ate fish to prove he
was physical (Luke 24:42, 43), and that he challenged the doubters to look
at his wounds-"handle me, and see" (Luke 24:39). Doubting Thomas was
challenged thus: "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put your hand,
and place it in my side" (John 20:27). John, who recorded this event, wrote
later of Christ: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with
our hands, . this life was made manifest ." (I John 1:1, 2). The repeated
contact with the bodily Christ after the resurrection by ear, eye, and touch
leaves only one conclusion-they were in physical contact with a bodily
resurrected Jesus of Nazareth.
We have already discussed elsewhere the nature and number of the
eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ. We will simply summarize the
evidence here that places the experiences beyond illusion, delusion, and
reasonable doubt. (1) Jesus was seen by a sufficient number of people-over
five hundred (I Cor. 15:5)-to verify the reality of the event; (2) this was
spread over a sufficiently long period of time-forty days (Acts 1:3)-to
prove that it was not an anomalous single occurrence; (3) he was seen on a
sufficiently large number of different occasions-about ten-to provide ample
independent testimony as to his reality; (4) Jesus appeared for a
sufficiently long enough duration each time to make the identity
unquestionable. For instance, he walked and talked with some, eating in
their home with them (Luke 24:28 f.); he fished and ate breakfast with
others (John 21:1 f.); and he stayed long enough on occasions to teach them
concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3), and to perform more indisputable
miracles for them (Acts 1:3; cf. John 20:30). (5) Finally, the witnesses
were sufficiently skeptical of his appearances to eliminate the possibility
of hallucination (John 20:25; cf. Matt. 28:17). The nature of such testimony
places the reality of Christ's resurrection beyond reasonable doubt.
Summary and Conclusion
On the basis of the historical reliability of the New Testament we can be
sure that we possess the essence of the teachings of Christ about himself.
In view of the messianic prophecies Jesus fulfilled, the titles of deity he
applied to himself, and the worship he accepted, as well as the other claims
to deity Christ made, we must conclude that Jesus thought of himself as God
Incarnate in human form. An examination of his disciples' beliefs about him
reveals that they too taught that he was equal with and identical to God.
Jesus not only claimed deity but he provided a unique and threefold proof
that he was truly the person he claimed to be. He miraculously fulfilled
dozens of prophecies made hundreds of years before his birth; he lived a
sinless and miracle-filled life, and he died and rose triumphantly and
bodily out of the grave. This convergence of three lines of the miraculous
in one man-Jesus of Nazareth-confirms his claims to be the unique Son of
God. Jesus alone claimed and proved to be deity.
We are now in a position to answer another of David Hume's objections to
miracles. Hume argued that all religions present miracles in support of
their truth claims; hence, no religion can appeal to miracles since their
claims are mutually self-canceling. Now we can see this is not true. Only
Christianity has a triune concurrence of unique miracles in the person and
claims of Christ. Hence, we may argue two things: first, only Christianity
is true; and second, all other religions (based as they are on similar
sub-Christian evidence) are false, since they are mutually self-canceling.
This argument for the truth of Christianity will stand unless a similar or
unique miraculous concurrence can be historically verified for another
religion.
One very important consequence follows from the conclusion that Christ is
God, namely, his divine authority. Whatever Christ taught comes to us as the
word of God. And since God cannot lie or teach what is false (Heb. 6:18;
John 17:17), it will follow that whatever Jesus taught is true. It is from
this point that we will be able to leave the Bible as a historical document
which verifies who Jesus claimed and proved to be and show that the Bible is
more than a historical document. The Bible is what Jesus taught it to be,
namely, the authoritative Word of God.
SELECT READINGS
Anderson, J. N. D. Christianity: The Witness of History.
Bushnell, Horace. The Supernaturalness of Christ.
Montgomery, John W. History and Christianity.
Morison, Frank. Who Moved the Stone?
Payne, J. Barton. An Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy.
Stoner, Peter. Science Speaks.
Tenney, Merrill C. The Reality of the Resurrection.
Warfield, B. B. The Lord of Glory.
Yamauchi, Edwin. "Passover Plot or Easter Triumph?", in Christianity for the
Tough-Minded, John W. Montgomery, ed.
Footnotes:
1) In view of the clear teaching that Christ is Creator and not creature,
the Arian misinterpretations of phrases like Christ is "firstborn" (Col.
1:15) or "beginning" of creation (Rev. 3:14) are wrong. Christ is
"firstborn" in the sense of being the unique (not created) Son of God.
Christ is first over creation, not first in it. Likewise, Christ is
subordinate to God the Father (I Cor. 15:28) as his "head" (I Cor. 11:3) not
in nature but in office or function as Son.
2) C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp. 55, 56.
3) See Harold Hoehner, "Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ: Part
II," in Bibliotheca Sacra, vol. 131 (Jan.-March 1974), no. 521, pp. 41-54.
4) See S. R. Driver, An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament,
p. 497.
5) H. J. Schonfield, The Passover Plot.
6) For a definitive critique of Schonfield's The Passover Plot see Edwin M.
Yamauchi's "Passover Plot or Easter Triumph?" in John W. Montgomery,
Christianity for the Tough-Minded, pp. 261-71.
7) See Peter W. Stoner, Science Speaks, p. 108.
8) See Norman L. Geisler, "Christian Apologetics", Chapter 14 for further
definition of a miracle.
9) See Karl Popper, Conjectures and Refutations, p. 36.
10) The medical evidence of Christ's death has been substantiated by the
work of physicians. Compare Dr. Stroud, On the Physiological Cause of Christ's
Death.
11) Many skeptics have become Christians after examining the evidence for
the resurrection of Christ. One of the most convincing books by a converted
skeptic is that of Frank Morison, Who Moved the Stone?
.
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| User: "Mark T moi@ereagain9876542" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
19 Jul 2007 09:32:37 PM |
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"Carl" <saints@nettally.com> wroteth:
This is a very detailed and well thought out article
As if!
--
"We're Christians! We're not supposed to think!" Fanny Wype ("Nudist Colony
Of The Dead")
(1) The New Testament is a historically reliable record of the life,
teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ;
False.
(2) Jesus taught that he was God Incarnate;
False.
(3) Jesus proved to be God Incarnate by fulfilling Old Testament prophecy,
by a miraculous life, and by rising from the grave.
False.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The historic Jesus of Nazareth is DIFFERENT to the Christ of Faith.
Pre-Easter Jesus / Post-Easter Jesus
4 B.C.E. to 30 C.E. / 30 C.E. to present
Corporeal, human being of flesh and blood Spiritual / non-material
reality
Finite and mortal / Infinite, eternal
Human / Divine
A Jewish peasant / King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Figure of the past / Figure of the present
Jesus of Nazareth / Jesus Christ
Monotheistic Jew / Becomes the second person of the trinity, "God with a
human face"
Galilean Jew of the first century / "The Face of God" (metaphor based on
2 Cor. 4:6 Beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ)
From http://www.united.edu/portrait/compare.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW JESUS BECAME GOD
.... in conventional hellenistic biographies ... Famous military and
intellectual heroes were ofetn said to have at least one divinity as a
parent. Miraculous births in depictions of their lives were the rule rather
than the exception. ...
Reverse Christology: Stage One
... Peter and others ... began to think of him as the son of Adam pictured in
Daniel 7 ... perhaps the earliest Christian affirmation, has been described
as a "Exaltation christology" - as an evaluation of Jesus that assigns him
the role of son of Adam at his death and resurrection. ... Paul's letter to
the Romans ...
Christ Jesus, God's son,
descended from David,
appointed son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:
3-4)
In this view, Jesus became, or was elevated to, son of God by virtue of his
resurrection. ...
Every Israelite ought now to be confident that God has appointed him both
lord and messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2: 36)
.... Jesus himself at his trial:
You will see the son of Adam sitting at the right hand of Power and coming
with the clouds of the sky. (Mark 14:62)
Although his followers certainly regarded Jesus as an eschatological prophet
during his brief public life, his real function was to be exercised in the
future.
Reverse Christology: Stage Two
.... he was designated son of God, not at his resurrection but at his baptism
(this is known as "adoptionist christology") ...
He saw the skies torn open and the spoirit coming down toward him like a
dove. There was also a voice from the skies: "You are my favored son - I
fully approve of you." (Mark 1: 10-11)
....
Reverse Christology: Stage Three
.... the gospels of Matthew and Luke ... moved the messianic status of Jesus
back to his birth. .....
The hellenistic biography or encomium, following the model of Aristoxenus
..... consisted of five elements: a miraculous or unusual birth, revealing
childhgood episode (or episodes); a summary of wise teachings; wonderous
deeds; a martydom or noble death. ...
Reverse Christology: Stage Four
.... the prologue to John's gospel ... the Christ hymn in Philippians. ...
The divine logos, a complex Greek term here translated "word and wisdom",
existed from the beginning with God. ...
It is understandable that the bishops gathered at Nicea in 325 CE insisted
on the full equality of Christ with the father: anything less would have put
him on a par with other royal figures who could boast of one divine parent.
Jesus the Christ had to be made coequal with God for political if not for
theological reasons. In that process, the iconoclast was transformed into
the icon.
from Robert W. Funk "Honest To Jesus" (Hodder & Stoughton: 1996) pp. 279 -
295
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CHRISTUS OBNOXIUM
.... quoting from James Barr's book "Fundamentalism" on the three
distinguishing features of the Fundamentalist:
'Firstly, a fundamentalist has a very strong emphasis on the inerrancy of
the Bible, and believes in the absence from it of any sort of error.
Two, a strong hostility to modern theology and to the method, results and
implications of modern critical study of the Bible.
And three, an assurance that those who do not share their religious
viewpoint are not really true Christians at all.'
Peter Cameron "Heretic" (Doubleday; Sydney: 1994) p. 178
--
My Blog - MARK T - my thoughts on Christianity/ song covers & pics & links
http://www.blognow.com.au/strooth/
FUNDY FUNHOUSE -
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/
- a resource on the current Fundamentalist Dark Age and Christian
fundamentalism.
My Soundclick Page - download my original songs in mp3 format
http://www.soundclick.com/marktindall
.
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| User: "Gunny Freedom" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
19 Jul 2007 09:43:24 PM |
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In article <46a01ec1@dnews.tpgi.com.au>, "Mark T" <moi@ereagain9876542>
wrote:
"We're Christians! We're not supposed to think!" Fanny Wype
monkey, poo.
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/howlers.htm
.
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| User: "Mark T moi@ereagain9876542" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
19 Jul 2007 11:18:08 PM |
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"Gunny Freedom" <glen_lifeuniversneverything@gmail.com> wroteth:
monkey, poo.
Thanks!
I'd never have known that you (Psalmsmith from the Griz Cult) were shitting
over wisdom unless you had told me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer for Psalmsmith / freefall / Gunny Freedom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Lord, Psalmsmith's posts are so dull that I think I must be dead. But if
it be,
Lord, by your grace and favour, that I am not in fact dead - merely stunned
into mind-numbing oblivion by the overall tedium and general
inconsequentiality of the proceeedings - grant your servant this: grant that
Psalmsmith becomes 'called up yonder' to that 'place which you have prepared
for
him' right away ... if that be not too forward a request, of course.
Amen.
--
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CHRISTUS OBNOXIUM
.... quoting from James Barr's book "Fundamentalism" on the three
distinguishing features of the Fundamentalist:
'Firstly, a fundamentalist has a very strong emphasis on the inerrancy of
the Bible, and believes in the absence from it of any sort of error.
Two, a strong hostility to modern theology and to the method, results and
implications of modern critical study of the Bible.
And three, an assurance that those who do not share their religious
viewpoint are not really true Christians at all.'
Peter Cameron "Heretic" (Doubleday; Sydney: 1994) p. 178
--
My Blog - MARK T - my thoughts on Christianity/ song covers & pics & links
http://www.blognow.com.au/strooth/
FUNDY FUNHOUSE -
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/
- a resource on the current Fundamentalist Dark Age and Christian
fundamentalism.
My Soundclick Page - download my original songs in mp3 format
http://www.soundclick.com/marktindall
.
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| User: "Gunny Freedom" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 04:14:20 AM |
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In article <46a0377b$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au>,
"Mark T" <moi@ereagain9876542> wrote:
"Gunny Freedom" <glen_lifeuniversneverything@gmail.com> wroteth:
monkey, poo.
Thanks!
I'd never have known that you (Psalmsmith from the Griz Cult) were shitting
over wisdom unless you had told me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer for Psalmsmith / freefall / Gunny Freedom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Lord, Psalmsmith's posts are so dull that I think I must be dead. But if
it be,
Lord, by your grace and favour, that I am not in fact dead - merely stunned
into mind-numbing oblivion by the overall tedium and general
inconsequentiality of the proceeedings - grant your servant this: grant that
Psalmsmith becomes 'called up yonder' to that 'place which you have prepared
for
him' right away ... if that be not too forward a request, of course.
Amen.
HahahaHAAAAA! Mark just prayed for me to die! it's a dumb guess where
that sorta thing comes from. I'd say it's demonic. What do you folks
think?
{:-)
--
http://libertyline.blogspot.com/
.
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| User: "Mark T moi@ere02" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 05:10:51 AM |
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"Gummy Freakdom" <glen_lifeuniversneverything@gmail.com> wroteth:
monkey, poo.
Thanks!
I'd never have known that you (Psalmsmith from the Griz Cult) were
shitting
over wisdom unless you had told me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer for Psalmsmith / freefall / Gunny Freedom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Lord, Psalmsmith's posts are so dull that I think I must be dead. But
if
it be, Lord, by your grace and favour, that I am not in fact dead -
merely stunned
into mind-numbing oblivion by the overall tedium and general
inconsequentiality of the proceeedings - grant your servant this: grant
that
Psalmsmith becomes 'called up yonder' to that 'place which you have
prepared
for him' right away ... if that be not too forward a request, of course.
Amen.
HahahaHAAAAA! Mark just prayed for me to die!
Wouldn't you rather be with Jesus than annoy sane folk here on earth?
--
"Ah, brother," said the confessor, "don't you know that whoever calls his
brother Raca is liable to hell fire? Now you have the misfortune to lead
anyone who reads you into immediate temptation to call you Raca. ... "
(Voltaire -The Jesuit Berthia)
--
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CHRISTUS OBNOXIUM
.... quoting from James Barr's book "Fundamentalism" on the three
distinguishing features of the Fundamentalist:
'Firstly, a fundamentalist has a very strong emphasis on the inerrancy of
the Bible, and believes in the absence from it of any sort of error.
Two, a strong hostility to modern theology and to the method, results and
implications of modern critical study of the Bible.
And three, an assurance that those who do not share their religious
viewpoint are not really true Christians at all.'
Peter Cameron "Heretic" (Doubleday; Sydney: 1994) p. 178
--
My Blog - MARK T - my thoughts on Christianity/ song covers & pics & links
http://www.blognow.com.au/strooth/
FUNDY FUNHOUSE -
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/
- a resource on the current Fundamentalist Dark Age and Christian
fundamentalism.
My Soundclick Page - download my original songs in mp3 format
http://www.soundclick.com/marktindall
.
|
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| User: "freefall" |
|
| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 05:39:29 AM |
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Hey Mark, what label do you sell your Christian music under? I think I
want to buy an album. {:-)
In article <46a08a25$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au>, "Mark T" <moi@ere02> wrote:
"Gummy Freakdom" <glen_lifeuniversneverything@gmail.com> wroteth:
monkey, poo.
Thanks!
I'd never have known that you (Psalmsmith from the Griz Cult) were
shitting
over wisdom unless you had told me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer for Psalmsmith / freefall / Gunny Freedom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Lord, Psalmsmith's posts are so dull that I think I must be dead. But
if
it be, Lord, by your grace and favour, that I am not in fact dead -
merely stunned
into mind-numbing oblivion by the overall tedium and general
inconsequentiality of the proceeedings - grant your servant this: grant
that
Psalmsmith becomes 'called up yonder' to that 'place which you have
prepared
for him' right away ... if that be not too forward a request, of course.
Amen.
HahahaHAAAAA! Mark just prayed for me to die!
Wouldn't you rather be with Jesus than annoy sane folk here on earth?
--
"Ah, brother," said the confessor, "don't you know that whoever calls his
brother Raca is liable to hell fire? Now you have the misfortune to lead
anyone who reads you into immediate temptation to call you Raca. ... "
(Voltaire -The Jesuit Berthia)
--
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CHRISTUS OBNOXIUM
... quoting from James Barr's book "Fundamentalism" on the three
distinguishing features of the Fundamentalist:
'Firstly, a fundamentalist has a very strong emphasis on the inerrancy of
the Bible, and believes in the absence from it of any sort of error.
Two, a strong hostility to modern theology and to the method, results and
implications of modern critical study of the Bible.
And three, an assurance that those who do not share their religious
viewpoint are not really true Christians at all.'
Peter Cameron "Heretic" (Doubleday; Sydney: 1994) p. 178
.
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| User: "Mark T moi@here04" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 05:55:07 PM |
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"freefall" <free@f.all> wrote:
Hey Mark, what label do you sell your Christian music under?
Several.
See a picture of Psalmsmith / Gummy freakdumb / freefall (of the Griz Cult)
at
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/2007/06/weird-christians-at-altchristnetchristi.html
Weird Christians I Have Met.
Griz cult members have the following unfortunate features:
- a distrust and fear of freedom
- a belief in the importance of authority and in controlling what people
believe
- a corresponding preference for obedience rather than love
- a desire to give people what they want rather than the truth
- a refusal to allow themselves to be in the least disconcerted when
confronted with the true nature of their fundamentalist religion
- a readiness to persecute and exclude anyone who is of a different
persuasion.
They prefer authority, obedience, and conformity over freedom, truth, and
dissent.
Key Characteristics of the Griz cult are [adapted from Joanne Ruhland
1995]:
- Content Which Is Authoritarian
- Indoctrinates / clones
- Unquestioning obedience / Leaders do not discuss questions
- Love and loyalty are the bottom line
- Indoctrination /Leaders' conclusions must be accepted.
- Emphasis on uniformity
- Elitist / accepts SOME Christians
- Hidden agenda
- Manipulates
- Leaders "lord" it over the flock
- Results in conformity, rigidity
- Allows one avenue of service ... serving their group
- Individual is responsible to leaders
- Leaders tell individual what God's will is
- Analytical thinking hindered
- Simplistic approach to life
- Pick your own bible verse to lead you / Choices must conform to leaders'
dictates, leaders' approval
--
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CHRISTUS OBNOXIUM
.... quoting from James Barr's book "Fundamentalism" on the three
distinguishing features of the Fundamentalist:
'Firstly, a fundamentalist has a very strong emphasis on the inerrancy of
the Bible, and believes in the absence from it of any sort of error.
Two, a strong hostility to modern theology and to the method, results and
implications of modern critical study of the Bible.
And three, an assurance that those who do not share their religious
viewpoint are not really true Christians at all.'
Peter Cameron "Heretic" (Doubleday; Sydney: 1994) p. 178
--
My Blog - MARK T - my thoughts on Christianity/ song covers & pics & links
http://www.blognow.com.au/strooth/
FUNDY FUNHOUSE -
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/
- a resource on the current Fundamentalist Dark Age and Christian
fundamentalism.
My Soundclick Page - download my original songs in mp3 format
http://www.soundclick.com/marktindall
.
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| User: "freefall" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
21 Jul 2007 04:24:54 AM |
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In article <46a13d45@dnews.tpgi.com.au>, "Mark T" <moi@here04> wrote:
"freefall" <free@f.all> wrote:
Hey Mark, what label do you sell your Christian music under?
Several.
See a picture of Psalmsmith / Gummy freakdumb / freefall (of the Griz Cult)
at
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/2007/06/weird-christians-at-altchri
stnetchristi.html
Weird Christians I Have Met.
No really. I want to go to the store and buy it. Where can I go?
.
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| User: "Carl" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 08:15:41 AM |
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Your ignorance is duly noted. It is also noted that you were unable and/or
unwilling to refute Dr. Geisler's points and instead responded with
erroneous materials which were falsehoods. But you have proven to have
rejected Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible for many ridiculous heresies. I
will keep you in my prayers. Goodbye.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
.
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| User: "Mark T moi@here04" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 05:47:15 PM |
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"Carl" <saints@nettally.com> wroteth:
But you have proven to have rejected Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible for
many ridiculous heresies.
--
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CHRISTUS OBNOXIUM
.... quoting from James Barr's book "Fundamentalism" on the three
distinguishing features of the Fundamentalist:
'Firstly, a fundamentalist has a very strong emphasis on the inerrancy of
the Bible, and believes in the absence from it of any sort of error.
Two, a strong hostility to modern theology and to the method, results and
implications of modern critical study of the Bible.
And three, an assurance that those who do not share their religious
viewpoint are not really true Christians at all.'
Peter Cameron "Heretic" (Doubleday; Sydney: 1994) p. 178
--
My Blog - MARK T - my thoughts on Christianity/ song covers & pics & links
http://www.blognow.com.au/strooth/
FUNDY FUNHOUSE -
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/
- a resource on the current Fundamentalist Dark Age and Christian
fundamentalism.
My Soundclick Page - download my original songs in mp3 format
http://www.soundclick.com/marktindall
.
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| User: "bob young" |
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| Title: Re: The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ |
20 Jul 2007 12:01:16 AM |
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Carl wrote:
This is a very detailed and well thought out article on the deity and
authority of Jesus Christ by Dr. Norman L. Geisler. I urge my brothers and
sisters in Christ to read this and save it to share with others.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
---
The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ
By Dr. Norman L. Geisler
Orthodox Christianity claims that Jesus of Nazareth was God in human flesh.
The very idea being primitive and ludicrous so no need for any further reading.
[Mr. Geisler shot himself in the foot on his very first try!]
This doctrine is absolutely essential to true Christianity. If it is true,
then Christianity is unique and authoritative. If not, then Christianity
does not differ in kind from other religions.
The basic logic of this apologetic for Christianity is: (1) The New
Testament is a historically reliable record of the life, teachings, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ; (2) Jesus taught that he was God
Incarnate; (3) Jesus proved to be God Incarnate by fulfilling Old Testament
prophecy, by a miraculous life, and by rising from the grave. Therefore,
Jesus of Nazareth is Deity.
An Examination of the Claims for the Deity of Jesus Christ
We have already shown that the New Testament documents are historically
reliable. The New Testament has been confirmed to be accurate not only in
its general outline of history but in its specific detail as well. We have
noted also that the ear- and eyewitnesses of Christ passed down contemporary
accounts of Christ's words and deeds. These words of Jesus were not only
memorized but were written down by qualified witnesses (Luke 1:1-3).
Furthermore, the New Testament writers made a clear distinction between
their words and the words of Jesus (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 7:10, 12; 11:24, 25).
Hence, a red-letter edition of the Bible which distinguishes the words of
Jesus from those of the authors of the Gospel is a realistic possibility.
That is, since there is both proven integrity and accuracy of the New
Testament writers, there is consequent historical reliability in their
quotations of Jesus. It is not necessary to assume that the New Testament
relates always a word-for-word record of Jesus' teachings. It will be
sufficient to hold that it presents the essence of his teaching on the
subject at band. Building on this basis, we will now examine precisely what
it was that Jesus claimed with respect to his own origin and nature.
Following this we will examine what his most immediate followers taught
about his deity.
An Examination of Jesus' Claims to Be Deity
There are several lines of evidence that prove (whether or not the claim is
true) that Jesus did claim to be God. This can be seen from his claims to be
the Jehovah of the Old Testament, from his acceptance of the titles of
deity, from his messianic claims, from his acceptance of worship, from the
implications of many of his actions, from the authority of his commands, and
from the reaction of the first century monotheistic Jews to his claims and
actions.
Jesus' Claim to Be Jehovah. The most forthright claims of Christ to be God
are revealed in his identification with the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
"Jehovah" (or Yawey) is the spelling given to the tetragrammaton or
designation for God (i.e., JHWH, or YHWH) in the Old Testament. This word
for God is spelled with all capital letters in the English Old Testament of
the King James (1611) and Revised Standard versions (1952), namely, L-O-R-D.
The American Standard Version (1901) transliterated it as "Jehovah." In
every case these terms refer to deity. Unlike the word adonai (usually
translated "lord") which sometimes refers to men (cf. Gen. 18:12) and other
times to God, the word LORD (Jehovah) always refers to God. To avoid
confusion we will quote here from the ASV Old Testament which uses the term
"Jehovah." For example, "I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham, unto
Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not
known to them" (Exod. 6:2, 3). So sacred was this name, JHWH, that devout
Jews would not even pronounce it. Many take the word to mean "underived
existence" or "He who is" from the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14, but the meaning of
the term is not certain. It is known for sure that Jehovah is the I AM of
Exodus 3:14 and that for the Jews he alone is God. Everything else is an
idol or false god. Nothing else was to be worshiped or served, nor were
sacrifices to be made to them (Exod. 20:5). Jehovah was a "jealous God" and
would not share either his name or his glory with another. Isaiah wrote,
"Thus saith Jehovah . I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me
there is no God" (44:6). Again, "I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory
will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images" (Isa.
42:8; cf. 48:11).
In view of the fact that the Jehovah of the Jewish Old Testament would not
give his name, honor, or glory to another, it is little wonder that the
words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth drew stones and cries of "blasphemy"
from first-century Jews. The very things that the Jehovah of the Old
Testament claimed for himself Jesus of Nazareth also claimed, as the
following verses reveal: Jesus said "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11),
but the Old Testament declared "Jehovah is my shepherd" (Ps. 23:1). Jesus
claimed to be judge of all men and nations (John 5:27 f. and Matt. 25:31 f.)
but Joel, quoting Jehovah, wrote: "for there I will sit to judge all the
nations round about" (Joel 3:12). Jesus said, "I am the light of the world"
(John 8:12) whereas Isaiah says, "Jehovah will be unto thee an everlasting
light, and thy God thy glory" (60:19). Jesus claimed in prayer before the
Father to share his eternal glory, saying, "Father, glorify thou me in thy
own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was
made." But Isaiah quoted Jehovah vowing, "my glory will I not give to
another" (42:8). Jesus spoke of himself as the coming "bridegroom" (Matt.
25:1), which is exactly how Jehovah is depicted in the Old Testament (cf.
Isa. 62:5; Hos. 2:16). In the Book of Revelation Jesus is quoted by John as
saying, "I am the first and the last" (1:17), which are precisely the words
Jehovah used to declare that there was no other God besides himself (Isa.
42:8). The Old Testament declares that "Jehovah is our light" (Ps. 27:1),
but Jesus said "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).
Perhaps the strongest and most direct claim of Jesus to be Jehovah occurs in
John 8:58 where he said to the Jews, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before
Abraham was, I am." The Jews' reaction left no doubt as to how they
understood his claim. They knew he had claimed not only preexistence before
Abraham but also equality with God. They promptly picked up stones to stone
him (cf. John 8:58 and 10:31-33). Jesus had clearly claimed to be the "I AM"
of Exodus 3:14 that refers to Jehovah alone. The claim was either blasphemy
or else an indication of deity. Jesus left no doubt as to which
interpretation he wished them to take. This claim to be "I am" is repeated
in Mark 14:62 and in John 18:5, 6. In the latter case the effect on those
around Christ was dramatic: "they drew back and fell to the ground."
Jesus' Claim to Be Equal with God. On numerous occasions Jesus claimed to be
equal with God in other ways than assuming the titles of deity. Jesus said
to the scribes, "That you may know that the son of man has authority on
earth to forgive sins . I say to you [the paralytic], rise, take up your
pallet and go home" (Mark 2:10, 11). Jesus had just said to the paralytic,
"My son, your sins are forgiven" (v. 5), to which the outraged scribes
retorted, "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive
sins but God alone?" (v. 7). Jesus' claim to be able to forgive sins, the
scribes' understanding of that claim, and Jesus' healing of the man are all
evidence of his authority, and make it clear that Jesus was claiming a power
that God alone possessed (cf. Jer. 31:34).
Jesus solemnly claimed another power that God alone possessed, namely, the
power to raise and judge the dead: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and
those who hear will live . and come forth, those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
judgment" (John 5:25, 29). Jesus removed all doubt of the intentions of his
claim when he added, "For as the Father raised the dead and gives them life,
so also the Son gives life to whom he will" (v. 21). According to the Old
Testament, however, God alone is the giver of life (I Sam. 2:6; Deut. 32:39)
and can raise men from the dead (Ps. 2:7). Hence, in the face of orthodox
Jewish belief that God alone could resurrect the dead, Jesus not only boldly
proclaimed his ability to bring the dead back but also his right to judge
them. The Scriptures, however, reserved for Jehovah the right to judge men
(Joel 3:12; Deut. 32:35).
Another way that Jesus made claim to be God was by his statement that all
men should "honor the Son, even as they honor the Father," adding, "he who
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father" (John 5:23). In this same
category, Jesus exhorted his disciples, "believe in God, believe also in me"
(John 14:1). The pretensions of this claim to a monotheistic people were
evident. The Jews knew well that no man should claim honor and belief with
God. They reacted with stones (John 5:18).
Jesus' Claim to Be the Messiah-God. The Old Testament foreshadowings of the
Messiah also pointed to his deity. Hence, when Jesus claimed to fulfill the
Old Testament messianic predictions he thereby also claimed the deity
attributed to the Messiah in those passages. For example, the famous
Christmas text from Isaiah speaks of the Messiah as the "Mighty God" (9:6).
The psalmist wrote of the Messiah, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever"
(from 45:6 A.V., quoted in Heb. 1:8). Psalm 110:1 relates a conversation
between the Father and the Son: "Jehovah saith unto my Lord (Adonai), sit
thou at my right hand." Jesus applied this passage to himself in Matthew
22:43-44. Isaiah the prophet, in a great messianic prophecy, exhorted
Israel, "Behold your God" (40:9). Indeed the great messianic passage from
Daniel 7:13, quoted by Jesus at his trial before the high priest, is a text
implying the deity of the Messiah. In Daniel's vision, the Son of man
(Messiah) is also called the "ancient of days" (7:22), a phrase that is used
twice in the same passage to describe God the Father (vv. 9, 13). When Jesus
quoted this passage to the high priest who demanded that Jesus declare
whether or not he was Deity, the high priest left no doubt as to how he
interpreted Jesus' claim. "Are you the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the
Blessed?" the high priest asked. "And Jesus said, 'I am; and you will see
the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the
clouds of heaven.' " At this the high priest tore his garment and said, "Why
do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy!" (Mark 14:61-64).
In short, the Old Testament not only predicted the Messiah but also
proclaimed him to be God. And when Jesus claimed to be a fulfillment of the
Old Testament messianic passages (cf. Luke 24:27, 44; Matt. 26:54), he laid
claim to possessing the deity these passages ascribed to the Messiah. Jesus
removed all doubts of his intentions by his answer before the high priest at
his trial.
Jesus' Acceptance of Worship. The Old Testament forbids worship of anyone
but God (Exod. 20:1-4; Deut. 5:6-9). In the Bible men were not to accept
worship (see Acts 14:15) and even angels refused to be worshiped (Rev. 22:8,
9). And yet Jesus received worship on at least nine occasions without
rebuking his worshipers. The healed leper worshiped him (Matt. 8:2) and the
ruler knelt before him with his petition (Matt | |
