Seeing the Light: 6. "Jesus cannot be the begotten Son of God."

- Muslims will object to Jesus being the begotten Son of the Father. Muslims will argue that the prophets were also considered sons of God, citing examples such as Adam and Ephraim, and that the term 'son of God' refers to a righteous person. Muslims will misuse Romans 8:14.

Romans 8:14 (KJV), "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

- However, Romans 8:3 is neglected in this position.

Romans 8:3 (KJV), "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"


The Bible is clear that God the Father's begotten Son is Jesus. The word "begotten" is the Greek word Strong's G3439 and it means "I. single of it's kind 1. only, used of only sons or daughters, 2. used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God" (1). Even though Christians call each other brother and sister, and although we call God the Father, 'Father', we also acknowledge that we are not the son of God, or the daughter of God. We say that we are a son or daughter because we are not begotten from the Father. We are only able to say we are children of God because the Father adopted us through Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:15 (KJV), "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."


I'm sure you have heard the phrase, but if you have not, there is a phrase that goes, "Like father, like son". The concept of God the Father having a begotten Son is biblical and here are some references to conclude this, along with Jesus demonstrating/saying that He is one with the Father, and claiming things that only the begotten Son of God the Father could claim. All verses are in the KJV version.

Luke 1:31-33, "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

John 5:17, "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

John 5:21, "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."

Romans 8:3, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"

1 John 4:9-10, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Hebrews 1:5-13 verse by verse below, formatting in this manner for easier reading.

"For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? (PSALM 2:7)

And again, I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son? ( 2 SAMUEL 7:14, 1 CHRONICLES 17:13)

And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (DEUTERONOMY 32:43)

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, And his ministers a flame of fire.

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (PSALM 45:6-7)

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest: And they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, And they shall be changed: But thou art the same, And thy years shall not fail. (PSALM 102:25-27)

But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool? (PSALM 110:1)

(end of Hebrews 1:5-13)
 
So, addressing the claim, "Jesus cannot be the begotten Son of God."

- Jesus is the begotten Son of God; the verses above demonstrate this concept.
- Notice how many of these verses are in the singular form; there is only one begotten Son.
- Although Christians are the children of God, we are only so through the adoption of the Father through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:15)


Works Cited
1. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3439/kjv/tr/0-1/

Seeing the Light: 5. "Did Jesus ever say He was God?"

- Yes, and Jesus below a brief list of verses across the Gospels and Revelation where these instances are shown. Jesus claims that He is God many, many times in the New Testament. Jesus mainly connects what He says with the Old Testament to demonstrate to the Jews that they would know exactly what Jesus was saying. All verses are in KJV unless otherwise specified. Note: all of these are amazing... my personal favorites are last!

Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV), "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
- In these verses, Jesus is directing his followers to Hosea 8:1-2, "Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee."

Matthew 9:2-6 (KJV), "And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house."
- Jesus here forgives a man of his sins, something only God can do... and additionally heals the man of his infirmity, as God does shown in Psalm 103:1-3, "Bless the LORD, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;"

Matthew 18:20 (KJV), "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
- Jesus here is saying that He has the ability to be multiple places at once... something only God can do. Jeremiah 23:23-24, "Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD."

Matthew 21:15-16 (KJV), "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"
- Jesus claims to be God here by quoting Psalm 8:1-2, "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!Who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

Matthew 24:35 (KJV), "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
- Jesus is saying that His words are eternal, another attribute of God's words as shown in Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

Mark 12:35-37 (KJV), "And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly."
- Jesus is quoting Psalm 110, demonstrating that He is to sit at the right hand of the Father on His throne (see also Revelation 1:18, 4:10, 5:12-14)

Mark 14:62 (KJV), "But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
- Jesus is stating that He is the Son of Man, the divine being in Daniel 7:13-14, "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Also, Psalm 104:1-3, "Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty: Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment:Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: Who maketh the clouds his chariot: Who walketh upon the wings of the wind:" Jesus is clearly stating to be the LORD who comes on the clouds of heaven.

Luke 10:17-20 (KJV), "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
- Jesus here says that He saw Satan fall like lightening, something clearly only God could have observed (Isaiah 14:12, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!") and additionally, Jesus gives the disciples power against the demonic... again, something only God can do (Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." so the Father gives to the Son for the Son to distribute).

Luke 17:13-19 (KJV), "and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."
- Jesus healed the group, to which He then tells the man who came back to Him, "Your faith has made you whole", for Jesus to say such a thing would indicate that Jesus not only can see people's faith which means He can see people's hearts (Jeremiah 17:10, Revelation 2:23), He can also heal people based on their faith.

John 4:9-14 (KJV), "Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

- Jesus is telling the woman that He is the source of Living Water! Jeremiah 17:13, "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters." See also Isaiah 12, "And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

John 5:21 (KJV), "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."
- Jesus raised the dead, and here Jesus is claiming just as the Father has the ability to give life, so does the Son. 1 Samuel 2:6, "The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up."

John 8:56-59 (KJV), "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."
- Here, Jesus is stating that He interacted with Abraham. Since no one has see God the Father except the Son (John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."), this means that it was Jesus who appeared to Abraham in Genesis 17 and 18. Additionally, Jesus identifies with Himself as the name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

John 14:7-11 (KJV), "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
- Jesus is saying that if they saw Him, they saw the Father. Colossians 2:9 says, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." and Hebrews 1:3 says, "who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" Jesus istelling the disciples if they saw Him, they have seen the Father, which is also why Jesus' God is the Father, but God the Father addresses Jesus as God in Psalm 45:6-7, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

For the remainder of the post, I will format Revelation differently to demonstrate that if it was not shown enough, Jesus clearly claimed to be God. I will show a verse, and below it will be the Old Testament corresponding verse.

#1. Revelation 1:8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

Genesis 17:1, "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."

#2. Revelation 1:11, "saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

Isaiah 44:6, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."


#3. Revelation 1:17-18, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Revelation 4:8-11 and 5:12-14 show worship to the one who lives forever and ever on his throne.)

Isaiah 41:4, "Who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD , the first, and with the last; I am he.


#4. Revelation 2:23, "And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."

Jeremiah 17:10, "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."


#5. Revelation 22:12, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Isaiah 40:10, "Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand , and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

#6. Revelation 22:13, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

Isaiah 41:4, "Who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD , the first, and with the last; I am he.

Seeing the Light: 4. "If Jesus is God, why did He ask the man why he called Him good if only God is good?"

The question comes from the following verses:

- Matthew 19:17 (KJV), "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

- Mark 10:18 (KJV), "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

- Luke 18:19 (KJV), "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God."

All three verses are the same account in different Gospels. Here is the full context from Matthew:

Matthew 19:16-22 (KJV), "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Matthew 19:23-26 (KJV), "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."


--ADDRESSING MATTHEW 19:16-22--
Notice: Jesus does not deny being good, He states that there is one who is good: God. But Jesus did not say, "I am not good". In fact, Jesus was actually trying to assess if the man meant what he said when he called Jesus "good". Jesus goes through some of the 10 Commandments with the man, all of which the man states he has kept. Even though the man has kept the commandments Jesus asked about,  the man indicated he was lacking something. Jesus tells the rich young ruler to sell all that he has and to give to the poor, and to follow Him... to which the man went away upset.

Why would the man go away upset? The man knew that his devotion, his focus, his attention, his worship was to his riches and not to Jesus. Jesus told the man to sell all he had and give to the poor and "come and follow me"; but why did Jesus not say "follow God"? This is another instance of Jesus revealing that He is the Almighty God.

How?

Luke 16:13 (KVJ), "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Jesus states here that people cannot serve both God and mammon (riches, money, etc.), something that the rich young ruler was trying to do. Again, this verse further shows that when Jesus told the man to forsake his riches and to "come and follow me" Jesus was revealing that He is the Almighty God in whom we must serve.


--ADDRESSING MATTHEW 19:23-26--
Let's focus on verses 25-26, "When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible"

The disciples ask Jesus who can be saved, and Jesus says it is impossible for man, meaning it is impossible for man to go to heaven by his own merit. Jesus then states though, with God all things are possible. Again, Jesus is claiming here that He is the Almighty God.

How?

Isaiah 33:22 (KJV), "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us."

Isaiah 43:11 (KJV), "I, even I, am the LORD ; and beside me there is no saviour."

Matthew 18:11 (KJV), "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."

Acts 4:10-12 (KJV), "be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1 John 4:14 (KJV), "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."


So, "If Jesus is God, why did He ask the man why he called Him good if only God is good?"

Jesus did not deny His goodness, He stated only God is good, to which Jesus then exposed the man's love for riches rather than love for God. Jesus then said to the man to sell everything and to "follow me", Jesus did not say sell everything and "follow God". In Luke 16:13, Jesus says a person cannot serve both God and riches. This ties exactly into the rich young ruler's encounter with Jesus, where Jesus basically says for the man to forsake his riches and "follow me (God)"!
Additionally, after Jesus says "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." the disciples then ask Him, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus then said to them, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" Jesus was simply saying, "with me this is possible". The LORD is the savior of the Old Testament and New Testament, because He is the same LORD. With Jesus as our Savior, having the name by which all men must be saved, all things are possible.

Seeing the Light: 3. "If Jesus is God, why did He say no one knows the day or the hour?"

This question is based on the following verse below:

- Mark 13:32, (KJV), "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."

Notice how Jesus listed who does not know the day or hour: no man, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son. These are separate categories of beings... men, angels, the Son. Jesus puts Himself in His own category, which is separate from human and heavenly beings due to His dual nature: fully God, fully man (more on this in the next few paragraphs).

Let's look first at Zechariah 14:1-9 is a prophecy

Zechariah 14:1-9 (KJV), "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: but it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one."

This is a prophecy, concerning the coming of who? The LORD.

Now let's look at Acts 1:7-12. Here, in His resurrected body (as in after His crucifixion) Jesus tells the disciples again that it's not for them to know the times or seasons that the Father has put in place... but notice what the two men (likely angels) say to the disciples after Jesus ascends to heaven.

Acts 1:7-12 (KJV), "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey."

To summarize the connection between these two passages:
1. In the book of Zechariah: The LORD  is supposed to descend onto the Mount of Olives, specifically His feet are going to touch the Mountain of Olives.
2. In the book of Zechariah: The LORD knows this one day and when it will happen.
3. In the book of Acts: Jesus is going to return to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus is the LORD who returns to the Mount of Olives! The two men (again, likely angels) literally tell the disciples that Jesus will return in the same way the disciples saw Him ascend into heaven... the disciples saw Jesus ascend while Him and them were on the Mount of Olives, and they angels state Jesus will return in the same manner as He left to the Mount of Olives! This clearly demonstrates, then, that Jesus does know the day He is to return, since the LORD in Zechariah 14:7 knows the day.

Okay... so Jesus does know, but He said He does not know... so which is it?

- It's both... Jesus is both fully God, and fully human. Jesus and the Father are one in nature, but separate in persons (Psalms 2, Psalm 45:6-7, Psalm 110, Matthew 28:19, John 8:58, John 14:1, John 14:7-11, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 4:10, Revelation 5:13-14 to name a few).

- In scripture, we see Jesus' human nature, being born from a woman, knowing/finding things out, coming to an understanding of something, praying: Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 12:45, Matthew 26:10 Luke 1:26-38, John 4:1, John 11:17, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 6:9-13 26:36-39,  Mark 1:35, 6:41, 6:46, 14:36, Luke 22:39-44, and John 17

- In scripture, we equally see Jesus' divine nature, from healing people, raising people from the dead, forgiving people's sins, never mind prophetic verses regarding the Messiah as God and man, but also teaching people as God, and (Matthew 7:29 = Psalm78:2, Isaiah 50:4, Micah 4:2, Matthew 8:23-27 = Psalm 107:23-29,  Matthew 9:2-6 = Psalm 103:3, 103:12, Matthew 20:31-34 = Psalm 118:1) Jeremiah 23:5-6 Jesus as the Messiah to be fully God and fully man, and Jesus received and accepted worship (Matthew 2:11, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 28:9, 28:17, Mark 5:6, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, and Revelation 1:18 Jesus says He lives forever and ever and Revelation 3:21 Jesus says He sits on the throne with the Father to which we are shown Jesus receiving worship in Revelation 4:9-11 and 5:14).

So, "If Jesus is God, why did He say no one knows the day or the hour?"

- Jesus is the LORD spoken of in Zechariah 14 who knows when He will return to the Mount of Olives, but because He is fully God AND fully human, Jesus humbled himself to not know the day of His return as a man, but as God He knows the day of His return.

Seeing the Light: 2. "If Jesus is God, why did He say the Father is greater than He?"

- The verse in question is john 14:28 (KJV), "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."

- Although verse alone looks to say that Jesus is inferior (whether in nature or being) to God the Father, let's take a look at some other verses within the same chapter...

John 14:1 (KJV), "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

John 14:7-11 (KJV), "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

- These verses demonstrate that Jesus is one with the Father in nature, but separate in persons... meaning, Jesus said that the disciples should believe in God and in Him. This claim alone makes Jesus equal to God in nature; again Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father, and Jesus responds by basically saying they have seen the Father through Jesus.

- Additionally, if you are following the Seeing the Light series, we examine in article 1 that Jeremiah 23:5-6 shows that the Messiah would be both God and man, which gives further context into who Jesus really is as the Messiah.

- So, "If Jesus is God, why did He say the Father is greater than He?"

Jesus said the Father is greater than He is regarding the Father's authority... not His nature. Meaning Jesus and the Father (and Holy Spirit) all share the nature of God, but there is a discrepancy in terms of authority. The same way an earthly father and son are one in nature (human nature), the same way the heavenly Father and Jesus are one in divine nature; the same way an earthly father has more authority than his earthly son, the same way the heavenly Father has more authority than Jesus due to his human nature.

Seeing the Light: 1. "If Jesus is God, why did He Pray/Who did He pray to?"

- Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. The Messiah was to be both God and man. See Jeremiah 23:5-6 in various translations below.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (KJV), "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NIV), "The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.


Jeremiah 23:5-6 (The Orthodox Jewish Bible), "Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will raise up unto Dovid a Tzemach Tzaddik, and a Melech shall reign and act wisely, and shall execute mishpat and tzedakah in ha'aretz. In his days Yehudah shall be saved, and Yisroel shall dwell safely; and this is Shmo whereby he shall be called — Adonoi (Hashem) Tzidkeinu."

Notice how the LORD is saying that a righteous Branch (the Messiah) was to come from King David's lineage, which means the Messiah would be human. However, the Messiah's name is also identified as God!

So, "If Jesus is God, why did He Pray/Who did He pray to?"

- As a man Jesus prayed to the Father (Matthew 6:9-13 26:36-39,  Mark 1:35, 6:41, 6:46, 14:36, Luke 22:39-44, and John 17).

- As God Jesus received and accepted worship (Matthew 2:11, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 28:9, 28:17, Mark 5:6, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, and Revelation 1:18 Jesus says He lives forever and ever and Revelation 3:21 Jesus says He sits on the throne with the Father to which we are shown Jesus receiving worship in Revelation 4:9-11 and 5:14).

I will be putting out a new series called, "Seeing the Light". During this series, we will be answering some of the biggest, mainstream objections to essential Christian doctrine. Topics that will be specifically addressed are the Trinity (Father, Jesus the Son, and Holy Spirit as one God consisting of three persons), the deity of Jesus (Jesus being God), and the Holy Spirit as a person and member of the Trinity. Answers to the objections that we will be looking at will provide a basis on how God operates.

My goal with "Seeing the Light" is to provide Christians and non-Christians a Biblical answer to the objections that will be discussed to provide a deeper understanding of Christianity. May God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit open our eyes and ears, and soften our hearts to see His beauty.

Many people might know or have heard of the event when Jesus quieted the storm when Him and the disciples were on a lake in a boat. This event occurs in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and again in Luke 8:22-25. For 3/4 Gospels to have this event recorded, it must have been significant, but why?

Yes, Jesus being fully God and fully man alone is awesome and is quite frankly mind-blowing, so yes, to hear of someone being able to control the weather is something we can only dream of... and yet Jesus did it, and the disciples bear witness of it. Truly, this was a remarkable event. However, there is much more of a deeper meaning behind this event, and the disciples are fully aware of what Jesus was demonstrating, and saying without the use of words.

Matthew 8:23-27, "Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Note that even though the disciples were deeply distressed and worried about their situation, Jesus was sleeping... which seems fairly odd, but it will blow your mind when you find out why. Jesus demonstrated His divinity here as well as in Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25 to the Jews and Gentiles.

-How Jesus Demonstrates He is God to the Jews-
 
"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven."

Does this passage not sound like the event of Jesus calming the storm? The teachers of the Law and Pharisees knew the Old Testament like the back of their hands, and Jesus' disciples, being Jews, also knew and were very familiar with it. The above verses are found in Psalm 107:28-29, and Jesus is doing exactly what the LORD (because He is the LORD) does in this Old Testament passage, showing that He is God Almighty. The disciples would have been able to quickly identify the parallel between their situation and Psalm 107:28-29 because of their knowledge of the Old Testament.

-How Jesus Demonstrates He is God to the Gentiles-

During Jesus' time, Rome occupied Israel. This already would make tensions high between the Jews and Romans, considering the monotheism of the Jews and polytheism of the Romans. Now, it is important to note that Roman polytheism is essentially identical to Greek polytheism due to Greece's influence on Rome. To the Greeks, the most powerful deity is Zeus, who the Romans renamed Jupiter. Zeus and Jupiter are the same god to the Greeks and Romans. Why is this important to know? In Greek and Roman polytheism, Zeus/Jupiter is the supreme god, or the king of other gods whose main power is to control weather and storms. So how did Jesus prove He was God to the Gentiles?
Jesus Christ overpowered Zeus/Jupiter, who was believed to be the most powerful of the Greek/Roman gods, by rebuking the waves and wind (which would have been sent from Zeus/Jupiter), and by Jesus rebuking the waves and wind, the storm stopped, and everything was restored to calmness. Additionally, Jesus was not worried about the power of Zeus/Jupiter because He was sleeping during the storm... indirectly stating that the power of Zeus/Jupiter is nothing compared to His power.

Conclusion: Jesus proved He is the most powerful, God Almighty by demonstrating to the Jews He is the LORD according to the Old Testament, and proved He is far more powerful than the highest ranking god in Greek/Roman polytheism to the Gentiles by humiliating Zeus/Jupiter's power so much to the point that Jesus was so unbothered by getting caught in the storm, that He was sleeping... simply to be woken up by the disciples, rebuke the waves and wind, and restore calmness to His disciples. Jesus is Almighty God!

Throughout the Bible, there are "difficulties" that we have to address regardless of the topic. Now, it's important to note that I used quotations for the word difficulties because we automatically judge things by our own human lenses. But, here is one example as to why that causes problems for us in two ways: we don't judge correctly and we exalt our moral standards above God's. Let me show you by addressing the question of incest in the Genesis account.

-Genesis 2:18, God says that it is not good for Adam to be alone and that God will make a suitable helper for him.

- 2:19 God made all kinds of beasts out of the ground, and then brought the creation to Adam, for Adam to name (this was a job given to Adam by God).

- 2:20-21  says that a suitable helper was not found for Adam...  indicating that God likely made two (male and female) of every kind of animal in verse 19

- 4:1-2 through Adam and Eve's intimacy, Eve gives birth to Cain and Abel.

- 4:13-16 indicates other people on the earth

- 4:17 Cain has a wife

- 4:25 Adam again makes love to Eve and births Seth

So how exactly did this happen, where did Cain get his wife, where did the other people come from? Adam and Eve were the first human beings on this earth; don't forget that Adam lived a total of 930 years (Genesis 5:5... quite possibly a topic in the future). God was not unaware of the situation that He put Adam and Eve in.

Genesis 1:28, "God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Also, Eve is given her name by Adam because she is the mother of all the living (Genesis 3:20).

Since Adam and Eve were the first humans, God knew they were going to reproduce, fill the earth, and subdue it because He commanded them to. This goes back to what I mentioned earlier, if God allowed it to happen this way, what we know as incest would have been still considered pure in the sight of God... regardless of how we personally feel about the Genesis account. Adam lived until he was 930 years old, there was no birth control, and realistically he would not have even wanted it because he was fulfilling a command by God and was blessed in his marriage with Eve.

However, after the flood in Genesis 6, God does condemn incest and other forms of sexual immorality in passages such as Leviticus 18. It is important to note that the Law of Moses (the laws given to the Israelites by God through Moses) was given after the flood, which cleared the earth of the wickedness that was present at that time... meaning for procreation through Adam and Eve's children, incest was permissible but is now condemned by God.  

Important Note: God instructed Adam and Eve to reproduce before the first sin and the fall of man... so from God's perspective, Adam and Eve were made perfectly and without sin, they had not yet sinned when God gave them the command to reproduce... so if they had not sinned and obeyed God's command to reproduce, they would have remained perfect, leaving no room for corruption. This would have kept a perfect bloodline, which was exactly God's intent.

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 29:16-20

In this passage, Jesus has been glorified after being raised from the dead from His crucifixion. There is power in this passage, and it's amazing how the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle John in his gospel with this crucial detail of Jesus being worshipped by those around Him, which makes what Jesus says all the more profound.

A. Jesus is worshipped by those around Him, before and after His crucifixion

B. Jesus says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him

C. Jesus commands the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Here are the facts:

1. Jesus proceeds from the Father (John 16:28)

2. Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 15:26)

Since the Son and Spirit both proceed from the Father, they are therefore one with the Father and have the same name as the Father... for example, I have my dad's last name, but I am not my dad. I am one in nature (human) with my dad and share the same last name.

This concept originates with the Trinity... the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father; however, they are one in nature (God) and share the same name.

Jesus, in all His glory is instructing believers to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit because they all share one name and are therefore equal in nature, supporting the doctrine of the Trinity.

Psalm 82:6, “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High."

John 10:34, "Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’?"

What exactly are these two verses saying? Are humans gods? It is first important to note that there is only one true and living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Out of context, these verses could seem to refer to humans as gods, but let us look at the verses with a bit more context through the surrounding verses.

Psalm 82:1-8, "God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”: “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.” Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance." (NIV)

John 10:30-38, "I and the Father are one.” Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp." (NIV)

So what does this exactly mean?

#1.   Psalm 82:1-8 in context is about God judging the earth and all judges of the earth. The "gods" are judges, specifically of Israel and they would determine the fate of other men. Psalm 82:6, "I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High." Remember, Jews recognize God as a Father, and because God is their Father, the people of Israel are His children, thus they are, "sons of the Most High". Humans are not gods, we are not divine, we are mere mortals (Psalm 56:4, Psalm 118:6).

#2.   Jesus claims He is God twice in the sequence of verses in John. The first time in John 10:30 (I and the Father are one), and then again when He quotes Psalm 82:6. Jesus was claiming to be of the same nature as God the Father, and thus equal with Him, but also as God the Judge of the earth in Psalm 82:8. 

#3.   How is Jesus God the Judge of the earth? In Psalm 82:8, Psalm 94:1-2, Psalm 98:9 and Psalm 110:6, God (the LORD, Jehovah, YAHWEH) is the Judge of the earth... and yet, the Father judges not one but has entrusted all judgment of the earth to Jesus (John 5:22-23), with all authority in heaven and on earth belonging to Jesus (Matthew 28:18-19).

As humans, we like to determine right and wrong based on our standards. The reason for this is because of the fall of man: Genesis 3:1-5, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (NIV)

The serpent last told Eve, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Isn't that what we like to do? God has determined right and wrong because He is the standard of good... so He can determine what is wrong. However, we as sinners, try to be like God in the sense that if we personally deem something as good or bad, we don't like when another has a different point of view.

As an example, what do you think is the more morally wrong scenario:

Stealing: You keep a pencil that you borrowed from a friend that they never told you it was okay to keep.

Lying: You have a friend write your name on an attendance sheet at school/an event, but you not being in attendance.

Regardless of what you think, someone else probably thinks the other option is worse. What about God, the One who determines right and wrong... are all sins equal?

When we sin, there is a wrong that is done towards God, the other individual(s), and ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:18). In Luke 17:1-2 Jesus uses imagery here to describe what it would be better for if someone causes a child of God to stumble, which may have more consequences than that of a different sin. Reading John 19:11, Mark 12:40, and Hebrews 10:26-31 all use language that could infer there is a scale that God uses to determine the punishment of sins and therefore judging justly and righteously.

A child abuser and shoplifter are guilty of one thing… sin. However, these sins are completely different regarding levels/degrees of sin. Both the child abuser and shoplifter are given an option to trust in Jesus, meaning because of what He did on the cross, all sin is paid for. If the person who shoplifts accepts Jesus’ sacrifice for themselves, the sin is covered and the individual is not charged with the sin. If the child abuser does not accept Jesus’ sacrifice, they are charged with sin and spend eternity in hell. The same is applicable and vice versa for the child abuser. We may not like that, but since Jesus paid the price for all sin, it means He paid the price for all sin... not some or certain sins.

Summary: The payment due for sin is the same: death (Romans 6:23), which is why Jesus provides His life as a ransom in which a person decides to accept Jesus' sacrifice or pay for their sins in Hell, where Scripture points to varying degrees and punishments depending on the sin that has been committed. 

How can Jesus be God if He died? Can God die? Did God die? Before answering this question, it's important to establish 4 things.

#1. Since Jesus is fully God and man (Isaiah 9:6), He then has two natures: God and man.

#2. Jesus said that He came down from Heaven (John 6:41-42, 8:42), and also claimed to be God (John 8:58, John 10:30, John 9:35-37, Mark 14:62 referencing Daniel 7:9-14).

#3. Jesus' God is the Father, as shown in John 20:17, with the Father acknowledging Jesus is God in Psalm 45:6-8.

#4. Jesus appears to people and can have conversations with them in the Old Testament Genesis 16:7-13, Genesis 18:1-5, Genesis 32:9-32, Exodus 23:20-23, Judges 13:6-23, and Daniel 3:25.

So, Jesus always existed because He is God, and chose to take the form of a human. In His human nature, Jesus ate, slept, went to the bathroom, etc., and because of His human nature, Jesus died when He was crucified.

However, since Jesus has always existed, He did not cease to exist when His human body died. In fact, Jesus said, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18).

Jesus fulfilled what He said He was going to do and took up His life again through the Father and Holy Spirit in His resurrection on the third day, appearing to more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Summary: Jesus has the authority to take up His life from the dead, while being dead, meaning although His physical body was dead, He did not cease to exist nor cease to be God. Although Jesus' human body died, He still existed, and proved that He was God in the flesh by rising from the dead. 

Jesus is not just a man or prophet, He is fully God and fully man who came down from Heaven to give His life as a ransom to pay the sin debt of all sinners. However, Jehovah's Witnesses (1) will appeal to the verses below in an attempt to show that Jesus is a creation. I will use the New World Translation (NWT) Jehovah's Witness Bible to show that even in their translation, Jesus is in fact not a created being but God Himself.

Case #1 (most lengthy)
Colossians 1:15, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; " (NWT)

However, Colossians 1:19 says, "because God was pleased to have all fullness to dwell in him" (NWT) and Colossians 2:9 says, "because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily" (NWT).

So even according to the NWT Jehovah's Witness Bible, Jesus is the image of the invisible God, whom God was pleased to have all fullness (the same fullness in Colossians 2:9) dwell in him, that fullness being divine quality. If this does not show Jesus is one with the Father and Holy Spirit in terms of the Trinity, at best the NWT just made Jesus a god and Jehovah's Witnesses are in polytheism (see also John 1:1 in the NWT where the Word (Jesus) is a god).

Additionally, between Colossians 1:16-17, the NWT added the phrase "all other things" four times in the span of two verses, with the Watchtower itself stating, "all other things: A literal rendering of the Greek text would be “all things.” (Compare Kingdom Interlinear.) However, such a rendering could give the impression that Jesus was not created but was the Creator himself.” (2). Notice the Watchtower states that the literal translation rendering the Greek does not include the word "other" in the text. This is a clear perversion of God's Word.
 
Lastly, the phrase "firstborn of all creation" does not mean Jesus was the first creation; within this context, it is regarding a status of supremacy. For example, Psalm 89:20-27 God calls King David the firstborn, the most exalted of kings of the earth... but we know King David was the youngest out of 8 sons (1 Samuel 17:12-14). So, if we go by the original Greek,  Jesus is the image of the invisible God, in him all things were created, all things have been created through him and for him, he's before all things (Colossians 1:15-17). So since Jesus is before all things (including creation), this makes Him separate from creation.


Case #2
Revelation 3:14, “To the angel of the congregation in La·o·di·ceʹaz write: These are the things that the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God:" (NWT)

The word "beginning" in this verse is Strong's G746, which in Greek is defined as, "beginning, origin" (3). Since Jesus is the Creator who is separate from creation, this verse does not state that Jesus is the beginning of creation to be interpreted as in the first creation... the Amen (Jesus), the faithful and true witness, is the origin of the creation by God since all things were created through him and for him (Colossians 1:16).


Case #3
Micah 5:2, "And you, O Bethʹle·hem Ephʹra·thah, The one too little to be among the thousands of Judah, From you will come out for me the one to be ruler in Israel, Whose origin is from ancient times, from the days of long ago." (NWT)

The reason why Jehovah's Witnesses try to use this verse is because they believe this to be a prophecy about Jesus, and rightfully so, but incorrectly interpret it in the sense that since this person had an origin, they must have been created. Since JW.org affirms the use of the King James Version (KJV), Micah 5:2 reads as such in the KJV, "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (KJV)

The phrase "whose goings forth" is the Strong's (3) Hebrew word H4163, which means "origin", with the Strong's (3) Hebrew word for "everlasting" is H5769 which means "long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world".

So, the individual of whom this prophecy is speaking of (Jesus) has had a for ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual existence and origin. Simply put, Jesus has always existed.


Works Cited:
(1) Why Is Jesus Called the Son of God? How Is Jesus God’s Son? (n.d.). JW.ORG. https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/jesus-son-of-god/

(2) Colossians 1 — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY. (2016). Jw.org; WOL. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/b/r1/lp-e/nwtsty/51/1#s=16&study=discover&v=51:1:15

(3) Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Thomas Nelson.
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The Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 3 being 1 God) is one of the bare-bone beliefs that makes someone a Christian, alongside the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of God the Son: Jesus Christ. Regardless if someone believes in the Trinity, though, most people can grasp the Father-Son relationship the Father has with Jesus. What about the Holy Spirit?

Here are 10 facts to identify the Holy Spirit and His role in the Trinity, but also for Christians:

1.  Holy Spirit is God, one with the Father and Son (Genesis 18: 1-5, Isaiah 63:7-10).

2. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is another advocate (John 14:16-17), making the Holy Spirit equal to Jesus. Consider also when Jesus states that Him and the Father will make their home in the Christian believer (John 14:23)... the Holy Spirit lives in the Christian (Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:19), further proving the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one.
 
3.  Holy Spirit is a person, not a force/energy as Jehovah's Witnesses (1) claim Him to be. A person has feelings, speaks, and can have knowledge... all attributes of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30, Acts 13:2, and 1 Corinthians 2:11). A force/energy cannot feel, speak, or have knowledge (I.e. gravity).

4. Holy Spirit is seated on God's Throne, on which God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) sit (Revelation 22:1).

5. Holy Spirit is the Living Water Jesus offers the woman at the well in John 4:10, as shown in Isaiah 49:10, along with John 7:37-39, and is the river of living water in Revelation 22:1.

6. The Holy Spirit was given to us after Jesus' ascension to help Christians (John 14:26).

7. Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

8. Holy Spirit can be represented as both fire (Daniel 7:10, Acts 2:1-4) and water (see #5).

9. Holy Spirit is the seal that Christians are marked with (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:22)

10. Holy Spirit sanctifies Christians (2 Thessalonians 2:13), helps the Christian in their weaknesses and intercedes for the Christian (Romans 8:26).


Works Cited
(1) What Is the Holy Spirit? | Bible Questions. (n.d.). JW.ORG. https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-the-holy-spirit/
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The Book of Revelation is arguably one of the most challenging books of the Bible to read. With incredible parallels with the Book of Daniel, and a great amount of imagery used, it can be easy to misinterpret, pointing to our need of Holy Spirit and our reliance on Him as we read the Word. Now, who are these two witnesses?

Revelation 11:1-12, "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on." (NIV)

Attributes of the two witnesses will be listed, with candidates A, B, and C mentioned. Dashes will be placed in the corresponding category if that individual does not necessarily match the description.

1. The two witnesses are prophets

2. Fire comes from their mouths

3. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain

4. They can turn the water into blood

5. Can strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want


A. Moses... did die (Joshua 1:1)
1. Was a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18... also a prophecy of Jesus)
2. ---
3. ---
4. God used Moses to turn water into blood (Exodus 7:20)
5. God used Moses to strike Egypt and Pharaoh with plagues (Exodus chapters 7 through 11)

B. Elijah... did not die (2 Kings 2:11)
1. Was a prophet (1 Kings 18:36)
2. ---
3. Shut up the heavens so it would not rain (1 Kings 17:1)
4. ---
5. ---

C. Enoch... did not die (Genesis 5:24)
1. ---
2. ---
3. ---
4. ---
5. ---


Conclusion: Although the two witnesses are not named, we can speculate who they could possibly be. Moses matches the description best, but Moses already died once. Elijah also fits the description as a potential witness and he did not die during his time on earth. Lastly, there is not much recorded about Enoch besides the Genesis lineage account and again Hebrews 11:5 which states that Enoch pleased God. Though we do not know who the two witnesses are, we can certainly know that the Holy Spirit is the individual working through the two witnesses, just as He worked through Moses and Elijah.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is Michael the Archangel (2). To begin, it is helpful to define the Greek word for archangel. It is Strong's G743 and is defined as, an "archangel, or chief of the angels" (1). The use of this word is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9 in the entire New Testament.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words" (NIV).

Jude 1:9, "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!" (NIV)

Daniel 10:13, "But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia." (NIV)


Analysis #1:
There is an issue with this view. Daniel 10:13 states that Michael is one of the chief princes. So, just because the term "archangel" appears only twice in the New Testament (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9), this verse clearly shows that there are multiple archangels in existence who are also given the title "chief of the angels", but that Michael is the only archangel that is named.


Analysis #2:
A...Since Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is Michael, they therefore believe that Jesus is not God. On JW.org, their website states, "Jesus was a spirit creature in heaven before he was born as a human on earth." and that, "God created Jesus before he created anything else." (3) Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is a created being, and therefore not God.

B...However, Jesus himself stated that He is God (John 8:58, John 10:30, John 14:6-14).

C... Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus is a creation. John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29 and John 1:36), and the Lamb receives worship the same way the Father does while being set apart from the rest of creation in Revelation 5:13-14, "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Summary: Jesus is the Lamb of God who is seated on the throne of God, thus He is God. "Every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them"  is praising and worshiping Jesus. Jesus is not Michael the archangel, they are two completely different people. Jesus is God, and Michael is one of Jesus' creations, therefore Michael himself is worshipping Jesus in Heaven.


Works Cited
(1) Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Thomas Nelson.


(2) The Archangel Michael—Who Is He? (n.d.). JW.ORG. https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/archangel-michael/

(3) Why Is Jesus Called the Son of God? How Is Jesus God’s Son? (n.d.). JW.ORG. https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/jesus-son-of-god/
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In the recent post, "Is Purgatory Biblical? Part 1" I addressed the Catechism of the Catholic Church's (CCC) (1) doctrine of Purgatory. For the sake of context, I am going to begin this post with the same statement by the CCC.

The CCC (2) states, "(1030)All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (1031)The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (1032) This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."


First let us address statement 1030, "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."

Difficulty #1. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (NIV).

This verse states that Jesus had no sin but paid the penalty for sin. Since Jesus was the perfect sacrifice (having never sinned), we who accept Jesus' sacrifice for our sins might become (Greek G1096 means "to become") the righteousness of God. Since Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, God the Father sees those whose faith is in Jesus the same way He sees Jesus, with perfection. Therefore, how is the Christian who is supposedly going to Purgatory "imperfectly purified" if God the Father sees them as perfect?

Difficulty #2. The following is found in 1 Peter 1:1-2, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

If God the Holy Spirit lives in the Christian (Acts 2:4, Romans 8:5-17), and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the Christian, then how is the Christian not perfectly purified if God Himself is the one removing sin from the Christian?


Next let us address 1032, "The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."

Point #1.
Ephesians 2:8-10, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (NIV).

1 Timothy 2:5-6, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time" (NIV).

Although we perform works (Ephesians 2:10), it is not by the good deeds that we are saved, nor is it by other individual's good works we are saved. We are saved by faith in Christ alone (Romans 5:1, Acts 4:12, John 3:36, John 14:6), and therefore we do not achieve holiness. Moreover, since Jesus is the only mediator between the Father and mankind, as in He is the only way bridging us to the Father, our prayers to God for the dead are inefficient at best. Jesus is the one who intercedes for all believers (Romans 8:34).


Not only is Purgatory not Biblical, it is also a dangerous idea given that it could give a false assurance of a "seconds chance". The place where Christians are purified is here on earth, through the process of sanctification by the work of the Holy Spirit. 




Works Cited

(1) Catechism of the Catholic Church - IntraText. (2025). Vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2N.HTM#

(2) CCC 1030-1032

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Purgatory: what is it, where is it, and most importantly... is it Biblical?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) (1) states that Purgatory is a real place that someone can go after they die. This means according to the CCC, there are 3 possible destinations for the dead: Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. Other sects of Christianity, however, disagree with the doctrine of Purgatory such as Protestants.

So, is Purgatory Biblical?

The CCC (2) states, "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come."

Catholic Answers states, "1 Corinthians 3:11-15 may well be the most straightforward text in all of Sacred Scripture when it comes to Purgatory" (4).

1 Corinthians 3:11-15, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." (NIV)

This verse is without a doubt talking about God's judgement. However, which of God's judgments is it referring to? One judgment is found in Revelation 20:11-15, also known as the Great White Throne Judgment.

However, these verses refer to not the Great White Throne Judgment, but rather the Judgement Seat of Christ, as shown in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (NIV).

Analysis: If a Believer does good deeds (also known as works), 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 states that if the works were done with the motive of Christ alone (such as spreading the Gospel for the spotlight to be on Christ), these works will be rewarded. However, if a Believer tries to do things or adds to motives, and therefore the motive of the deed is not based on Christ alone (such as preaching the Gospel for the spotlight to be on the individual and not Christ), then these works are burned, and the Believer does not receive a reward for these works... thus, "the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved". The loss is the work was done in vain, but because the individual has faith in Christ, they are still saved.


Jesus says in Matthew 25:31-46, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (NIV)

Jesus states that those who are saved will be placed on His right as sheep to go to Heaven, and those on His left as goats to be condemned to Hell. There is no in-between.


Works Cited

(1) Catechism of the Catholic Church - IntraText. (2025). Vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2N.HTM#

(2) CCC 1030-1031

(3) Catholic Answers. (2018, November 19). What is Purgatory? Catholic Answers; Catholic Answers. https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory

(4) Staples, T. (2014). Is Purgatory in the Bible? Catholic Answers. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/is-purgatory-in-the-bible
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You or someone you may know may ask the question, "Why would a loving God send people to Hell?" This is a good question, but to answer it, we must understand exactly who God is first.

 1. God Himself is eternal with no beginning or end (Genesis 1:1)

2. God is a judge who judges with righteousness and justice (Psalm 97:2)

3. God has set laws in place (Exodus 20:1-17)

4. God is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Therefore, God is an eternal, perfect judge who has set His laws in place over mankind.

Since God is the Creator, mankind (creation) is supposed to submit to Him. So whenever we break God's rules, we instantly sin against an eternal and perfect being. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is within the context of spiritual death... so the payment due that we have to pay God with is spiritual death.

Rightfully so! We have all sinned against God, who is perfect (therefore imperfection is not allowed in Heaven) and eternal (thus the eternal punishment of Hell). Additionally, since God is the judge, He then is the one determining the eternal destination for all of mankind.

So why is Hell a just punishment?

Hell is a just punishment given by God because He gives us a choice, literally in life-or-death terms. Jesus Christ, one with the Father and Holy Spirit as God, took the nature of a man. Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived the perfect life that we could not live because we are sinners. Jesus took the punishment that was supposed to be ours, being tortured, crucified, died, and was risen on the third day, proving that He is God. Jesus took our punishment and bore it Himself... God's choice for us is to accept Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, or we can pay for our sins eternally in Hell. God loves us so much that He gives us the choice to choose (John 3:16-36).

If this seems unfair, remember that God is the Creator and we are the creation. We cannot judge God because He is perfect and we are not (Psalm 14:3). For God to rule with justice and righteousness, He cannot be a corrupt judge. In the same way, a good judge on earth does not accept a bribe, neither does God; in the same way that a murderer and thief go to jail, the same way those not accepting of Jesus' perfect sacrifice go to Hell (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Revelation 21:8).

Jesus paid the debt of sin, but sadly, those who go to Hell refuse His offer. 

Many people think the Devil (Lucifer/Satan) is in charge of Hell, or at the very least, dishes out the punishments people endure in Hell. What if this is not true?

The Bible says that the Devil himself will be tortured in Hell (Revelation 20:10) because God created Hell for the Devil and the angels that rebelled with him (Matthew 25:41).

So the question then becomes, who is in charge of Hell?

This might come as a surprise, but the fact of the matter is that God Himself is in control and is in charge of Hell.

Daniel 7:9-11, "As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire."

Revelation 20:11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Psalm 97:1-3, "The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side."

The Apostle Paul makes it more clear that God is the one in control over Hell. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."

Here are simply three examples of how God is the One who destroys both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28) through His Fire, and that God is the One who punishes the Devil, fallen angels, and those whose faith is not in Jesus Christ for their salvation.

Please don't make the mistake of believing one of two things... or both: that Hell is not real, or that Hell is one huge party where you get to do whatever you want because the Devil allows you to. If Hell exists, and if it's not a party where the Devil is the host, what exactly is it?

Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (NIV) Since God is a spiritual being, this indicates that the spiritual world existed before the creation (the heavens + earth).

The Triune God created all things, including Heaven and Hell, which are the only spiritual destinations for each human's soul (Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus makes this a clear distinction... the sheep (those who trust in Jesus ) on His right to spend eternity in Heaven, and the goats (those who do not trust in Jesus) on His left to spend eternity in eternal punishment.

What does this eternal punishment consist of?

1. Worms will consume those who are there, and the worms will never die (Isaiah 66:24 + Mark 9:48).

2. Those who are there will also be consumed by an unquenchable fire (Isaiah 66:24 + Mark 9:48)

3. God originally made Hell for the Devil and the fallen angels (Matthew 25:41), but because we all sin, Matthew 25:41 also shows us that humans can be sentenced to Hell as well because the payment of our sin is spiritual death (Romans 6:23).

4. The Devil himself (Lucifer/Satan) is tortured in Hell (Revelation 20:10).

5. Status does not matter, those who go to Hell are not remembered (Job 24:19-20).

6. There is no peace (Isaiah 48:22, 57:21).

7. There is no rest (Revelation 14:11).

8. The spiritual body and soul are destroyed there (Matthew 10:28).

9.  Anything that God is (love, light, rest, goodness, perfection, righteousness, etc.), Hell does not have since God doesn't dwell there, but rather in Heaven. Therefore, Hell is the opposite of God's character (hatred, darkness, unrest, evil, inequity, filth, wickedness, etc.).

Did you know that the Bible is viewed as a collection of historical documents? However, more often than not, one criticism people have toward the Bible is the accuracy of how it has been translated. One view is that it's been translated so many times so therefore things were lost or changed in translation. Today we are going to explore that the Bible has the greatest accuracy in translation amongst other notable literary works and that the Bible has been translated accurately.

When looking at historical documents, it is important to consider the following:

1. Autographs are the original documents and are usually signed by the author.

2. Manuscripts are copies of the Autographs.

3. The closer the writing is written regarding the event(s), the more reliable the writing.

4. The greater number of manuscripts gives you a better idea of the original.

5. After numerous accurate manuscripts are produced if a manuscript contradicts the original or is off in translation compared to the original/other manuscripts, it would be easy to detect.

That said, let's look at how the New Testament compares to other writings.

https://storage2.snappages.site/k59aa25vu1/assets/files/Screenshot-2024-12-27-at-7.44.39 PM-63.png. (1)

As you can see, when compared to other writings such as works from Homer, Caesar, and Plato, the Bible has the smallest time gap between the original and first manuscript, along with the most manuscripts. This gives the Bible more historical accuracy than the other works listed.

Works Cited:
(1) The Bibliographical Test Updated | Christian Research Institute. (n.d.). Www.equip.org. https://www.equip.org/articles/the-bibliographical-test-updated/

Biblically, prophecy is God providing someone (a prophet) with knowledge of what will take place in the future. These interactions with God and a prophet could be a vision, through hearing the audible voice of God, or both. The prophet then would write down what was seen/heard in the revelation, and later those events would occur.

Prophecy is a crucial part of the Bible, as many things have been confirmed, are being confirmed, and will be confirmed that have been written down 2,000+ years ago. There are many different areas of prophecy that you could look into, but today we’ll specifically look at prophecies about the Messiah (Jesus), the world, and Israel.


Messianic: Jesus says in Luke 24:22 that everything written about Him must be fulfilled from the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. So let us take the book of Isaiah, Psalms, and Daniel for example.

•  Isaiah 53:4-9, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (fulfilled in Matthew 8:17, Matthew 27:35, Matthew 27:57-58)

• Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (fulfilled in Matthew 27:46)

• Psalm 22:14, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.” (also shown in Isaiah 48:21 and Zechariah 12:10, fulfilled in John 19:33)

• 22:18, “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (fulfilled in Matthew 27:35)

• Daniel 9:24-26, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed."  This prophecy essentially states the Messiah will come before the destruction of the Second Temple (516 BC to 70 AD)... Jesus was on earth within this time frame (living from 0-33 AD).

The Messianic Deity of Jesus:

• Psalm 2:7, “I will proclaim the LORD’S decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.” (fulfilled in Matthew 3:17 and Romans 1:4)

• Psalm 45:6-7, “Your throne, O God, will last forever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (also shown in Psalm 2:9, is fulfilled in Hebrews 1:9, Revelation 12:5 and Revelation 19:11-16)

• Psalm 110:1, "The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (fulfilled in Matthew 22:42-45 and Mark 16:19)

The World & Israel:

• Isaiah 11:15, “The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals." (also in Revelation 16:12...being fulfilled, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) states, "The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources warns that the river could be dry by 2040."(1)

• Isaiah 66:8, “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.” (fulfilled on May 14th, 1948) (2)

Summary: Listed above are examples of Prophecies, and much more can be found throughout the Bible. Prophecy is an important component to bring up because it shows the power of God, and that Christianity is not like other beliefs; it stands out with accuracy and precision in what God has spoken. Additionally, Biblical Prophecies are still coming to pass today, which indicates the most "minor" to the most extreme prophecies will happen.


Works Cited
(1) The Future of the Euphrates River. (n.d.). Features.csis.org. https://features.csis.org/the-future-of-the-Euphrates-River/

(2) Office of the Historian. (2019). Milestones: 1945–1952 - Office of the Historian. State.gov; Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel


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Monotheism (the belief in one God) has three main belief systems: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism, depending on who you ask will either say yes or no. Jews who say yes, are likely Messianic Jews, while Jews who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah, will say no. Muslims will say no. Christians however, say yes... but how?

After the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jesus appears to over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:1-7). One of the first interactions Jesus had with someone after He rose from the dead was with Mary Magdalene. Looking at John 20:11-18, Jesus says in verse 17, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." (NIV).

If Christians hold the the belief that the Trinity (God the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit) are 3 distinct persons but one God, how is this not a contradiction?


Here are examples of each member of the Trinity acknowledging that another member of the Trinity is God and that the members of the Trinity glorify each other as God:

1A. The Father calling the Son (Jesus) God- Psalm 45:6-7, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

1B. The Father glorifies the Son- Jesus is praying: John 17:1-5, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

2A. The Son (Jesus) calling the Father God- John 20:17, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

2B. The Son glorifies the Father- Jesus is praying: John 14:13, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

3A. The Holy Spirit-  the Holy Spirit testifies of the Father and Son in all truth, He (Holy Spirit) is consistent in glorifying the Father and Son (John 4:24, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.")

3B. The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son + Father = Jesus speaking: John 16:13-15, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."

Summary: The Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit all glorify each other and acknowledge each other as God, and are all equally YAHWEH (the LORD, Jehovah), since Isaiah 42:8 states, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols."