Response to Jesus Christ-God or God's Son
Jesus Christ - God or God’s Son
(And “yes” let scripture tell us the truth)
In response to your earlier e-mail, here are a few points to consider:
Concerning “Jesus’ previous existence”
Firstly, let’s look at who Jesus really is or more importantly who He is not. The Watch Tower Magazine says “there is Scriptural evidence for concluding that Michael was the name of Jesus Christ before he left heaven and after his return. (WT 5/15/1969, p. 307) Indeed, Michael the great prince is none other than Jesus Christ himself.” (WT 12/15/1984 p29)
The whole purpose of Hebrews 1 – 5 is to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus over the prophets (1:1-4), the angels (1:5 – 2:18), and Moses (3:1-6).
Hebrews 1:5 – 2:18 tell us of Christ’s superiority over the angels. In Hebrews 1:5, we are told that no angel can ever be called God’s son: “to which of the angels did He (God) ever say “Thou art my Son?” Since Jesus is the Son of God, and since no angel could ever be called God’s Son, then Jesus cannot possibly be the archangel Michael.
According to Hebrews 2:5, it is absolutely clear that no angel will rule in God’s kingdom. Rev. 19:16 tells us that Christ himself will reign supreme.
Therefore, if no angel can be called God’s Son and no angel can rule in God’s kingdom, then doesn’t this mean that Jesus cannot be the archangel Michael?
Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
This tells us where the Messiah is to be born and also, his origin from early times.
Reply: While Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He always existed as God. The deity of Christ is the central point of the Scriptures. It clearly teaches that Christ is God. There are too many references in scripture to believe otherwise. Consider the following passages:
Matthew 1:23 - Christ is called "Immanuel," which means "God with us."
Colossians 2:9 - clearly confirms the deity of Christ when it states that in Him "all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily" (New World Translation).
Acts 7:59, 60 - Stephen called Jesus "Lord", and we are to confess Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:9; I Cor. 12: 3). "Lord" in these verses is Kurios, which is the Greek word for Jehovah. It is evident from this that Christ the Lord (kurios) is Jehovah God.
Christ has many of the attributes of God that only God possesses:
Mark 2:5-7; Eph. 1:7 - Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins.
John 10:28; 17:2 - Jesus Christ has the power to give eternal life.
John 5:22, 27 - Jesus Christ has the power to judge the world.
Matt. 8:26 - Jesus Christ has the power to control nature.
Heb. 1:6, Matt. 14:33 - Jesus is worshipped by the angels and by man, and yet only God is to be worshipped according to Ex. 34:14.
Christ Himself said that worship is due to God alone (Matt. 4:10), and yet He accepted worship.
If Jesus in His pre-existent state were the archangel Michael, how could He have received worship, since angels are not allowed to receive worship (Rev. 19:10)? If Christ were not God, then worshipping Him would be idolatrous.
John 10:30 - Christ claimed to be equal with God. In this chapter, why did the Jews want to stone Him? They themselves thought His purpose was the same as God's. Verse 33 of John 10 explains that they wanted to stone Him because of blasphemy, because He claimed to be God!
Studied in context, all of these scriptures reveal that Jesus has always existed as God, who has the Bible reveals took upon Himself the form of a human that He might save us from our sin.
Passages such as Philippians 2:5-11 tell us that Jesus Christ, who existed as God, took the bodily form of a humble servant so that He could die on the cross in our place. "Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (kurios), to the glory of God the Father."
Concerning Colossians 1:15-17
You have misunderstood Colossians 1:15-17 to mean that there was a time when Christ did not exist and that He came into being at a point in time. “Firstborn” does not mean “first created”. “Firstborn” in the Greek is rendered “prototokos” which means “first in rank, preeminent one, heir”. The word carries the idea of positional pre-eminence and supremacy. Christ is the firstborn in the sense that He is positionally pre-eminent over creation and supreme over all things.
With this in mind, among the ancient Hebrews, the word “firstborn” referred to the son in the family who was in the pre-eminent position, regardless of whether or not he was literally the first son born to the parents. This firstborn son would not only be the pre-eminent one, he would also be the heir to a double portion of the family inheritance.
This meaning of firstborn is illustrated in the life of David. He was the youngest son of Jesse, yet Psalm 89:27 says of him “I also shall make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Though David was the last born in Jesse’s family, David is called the firstborn because of the pre-eminent position in which God placed him.
There are other examples of this in scripture. Compare Genesis 41:50 &51 with Jeremiah 31:9. Ephraim is called the firstborn even though Manasseh was actually the first son born to Joseph. Also, Ishmael was thirteen years older than Isaac, but it is Isaac who is referred to as the firstborn. Though Esau was born first, it is Jacob who becomes the firstborn.
If Paul had meant “first created” he would have used the Greek word “protoktsis” – a term that is never used of Christ in the New Testament.
Concerning “Was the firstborn Son equal to God?”
John. 14:28 reads, "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."
Strong's Concordance states that meizon, the Greek word for greater (Greek Dictionary #3187) simply means “larger”.
Other New Testament Dictionaries agree, meizon is positional: regarding authority, though EQUAL, the Father has authority over the Son (who became a man), as the sender is over the sent one, even though they are EQUAL in nature.
Jesus spoke these words after He humbled Himself and became a servant (Phil. 2:5-8). Furthermore, the word "greater" refers to OFFICE or POSITION and not NATURE! God is God because of His "NATURE" (Gal. 4:8). Jesus is saying in Jn. 14:28 that His Father has a "greater" OFFICE or POSITION than He does. This is how the word "greater" is used as clearly seen in Gen 41:40. That verse reads, "You [Joseph] shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I [Pharaoh] be GREATER than you," (NIV). Pharaoh was "greater" than Joseph only by OFFICE or POSITION, but not NATURE. The nature of Pharaoh and Joseph was the same, that is, human being. Similarly, the Prime Minister of Canada is GREATER than we are, as far as OFFICE or POSITION is concerned, but certainly not by NATURE!
1 Cor. 11:3 reads, "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
Does this show Jesus inferior to the Father by NATURE? If one will insist that it does, then to be consistent, he would have to say the same regarding the woman to the man! Though a wife is subject to her husband in the Lord, she is NOT inferior to him by nature. The same is true with the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the Father.
Consider the following scriptures:
According to JW theology Jesus is only a mighty god, not God Almighty. If this is the case, how do you reconcile Jehovah-God’s statements below? If Jesus is “a god” according to John 1:1, than this would make him a lesser god than God Almighty. Is Jesus a true god or a false god?
Deuteronomy 32:39 that “there is no god besides me.”
Isaiah 43:10: "No God was formed before me, nor will be after me. I, I am Jehovah, and there is no other Savior but me." Isn’t Jesus the savior?
Isaiah 44:6: "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."
Isaiah 45:5, 6: "I am Jehovah and there is no other, there is no other God except me. (this means mighty also) Though you do not know me, I have armed you so that it may be known from east to west that there is no one except me. I am Jehovah and there is no other."
Isaiah 46:9: "for I am God and there is no other."No God spelled with a big G or little g. Any man or spirit being that is called "god" cannot be the true Deity. All others called "god" are false deity.