Is Michael God?

VI. Jesus Christ Is God A. Explicit statements 1. Isa. 9:6; note 10:21. Translations which render "mighty hero," are inconsistent in their rendering of 10:21. Also note that Ezek. 32:21 is (a) not in the same context, as is Isa. 10:21, and (b) speaking of false gods, cf. I.G.5. above. 2. John 1:1 Even if Jesus is here called "a god" (as some have argued), since there is only one God, Jesus is that God. However, the "a god" rendering is incorrect. Other passages using the Greek word for God (theos) in the same construction are always rendered "God": Mark 12:27; Luke 20:38; John 8:54; Phil 2:13; Heb. 11:16. Passages in which a shift occurs from ho theos ("the God") to theos ("God") never imply a shift in meaning: Mark 12:27; Luke 20:37- 38; John 3:2; 13:3; Rom. 1:21; 1 Thess. 1:9; heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 4:10- 11 3. John 1:18. The best manuscripts have "the unique God" (monogenês, frequently rendered "only-begotten," actually means "one of a kind," "unique," though in the NT always in the context of a son or daughter). Even if one translates "only-begotten," the idea is not of a "begotten god" as opposed to an "unbegotten god." 4. John 20:28. Compare Rev. 4:11, where the same construction is used in the plural ("our") instead of the singular ("my"). See also Psa. 35:23. Note that Christ's response indicates that Thomas' acclamation was not wrong. Also note that John 20:17 does show that the Father was Jesus' "God" (due to Jesus becoming a man), but the words "my God" as spoken by Thomas later in the same chapter must mean no less than in v. 17. Thus, what the Father is to Jesus in His humanity, Jesus is to Thomas (and therefore to us as well). 5. Acts 20:28: "the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." The variant readings (e.g. "the church of the Lord") show that the original was understood to mean "His own blood," not "the blood of His own [Son]" (since otherwise no one would have thought to change it). Thus all other renderings are attempts to evade the startling clarity and meaning of this passage. 6. Rom. 9:5. While grammatically this is not the only possible interpretation, the consistent form of doxologies in Scripture, as well as the smoothest reading of the text, supports the identification of Christ as "God" in this verse. 7. Titus 2:13. Grammatically and contextually, this is one of the strongest proof-texts for the deity of Christ. Sharp's first rule, properly understood, proves that the text should be translated "our great God and Savior" (cf. same construction in Luke 20:37; Rev. 1:6; and many other passages). Note also that Paul always uses the word "manifestation" ("appearing") of Christ: 2 Thess. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2. Tim. 1:10; 4:1, 8. 8. Heb. 1:8. The rendering, "God is your throne," is nonsense - God is not a throne, He is the one who sits on the throne! Also, "God is your throne," if taken to mean God is the source of one's rule, could be said about any angelic ruler - but Hebrews 1 is arguing that Jesus is superior to the angels. 9. 2 Pet. 1:1. The same construction is used here as in Titus 2:13; see the parallel passages in 2 Pet. 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 18. 10. 1 John 5:20. Note that the most obvious antecedent for "this" is Jesus Christ. Also note that the "eternal life" is Christ, as can be seen from 1:2. B. Jesus is Jehovah/Yahweh 1. Rom. 10:9-13: Note the repeated "for," which links these verses closely together. The "Lord" of 10:13 must be the "Lord" of 10:9, 12. 2. Phil. 2:9-11. In context, the "name that is above every name" is "Lord" (vs. 11), i.e., Jehovah. 3. Heb. 1:10: Here God the Father addresses the Son as "Lord," in a quotation from Psa. 102:25 (cf. 102:24, where the person addressed is called "God"). Since here the Father addresses the Son as "Lord," this cannot be explained away as a text in which a creature addresses Christ as God/Lord in a merely representational sense. 4. 1 Pet. 2:3-4: This verse is nearly an exact quotation of Psa. 34:8a, where "Lord" is Jehovah. From 1 Pet. 2:4-8 it is also clear that "the Lord" in v. 3 is Jesus. 5. 1 Pet. 3:14-15: these verses are a clear reference to Isa. 8:12-13, where the one who is to be regarded as holy is Jehovah. 6. Texts where Jesus is spoken of as the "one Lord" (cf. Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29): 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:5; cf. Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 12:5. C. Jesus has the titles of God 1. Titles belonging only to God a. The first and the last: Rev. 1:17; 22:13; cf. Isa. 44:6 b. King of kings and Lord of lords: 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16 2. Titles belonging in the ultimate sense only to God a. Savior: Luke 2:11; John 4:42; 1 John 4:14; Titus 2:13, cf. v. 10; etc.; cf. Isa. 43.11; 45:21-22; 1 Tim. 4:10; on Jesus becoming the source of salvation; Heb. 5:9, cf. Ex. 15:2; Psa. 118:14, 21 b. Shepherd: John 10:11; Heb. 13:20; cf. Psa. 23:1; Isa. 40:11 c. Rock: 1 Cor. 10:4; cf. Isa. 44:8 D. Jesus received the honors due to God alone 1. Honor: John 5:23 2. Love: Matt. 10:37 3. Prayer: John 14:14 (text debated, but in any case it is Jesus who answers the prayer); Acts 1:24-25; 7:59-60 (cf. Luke 23:34, 46); Rom. 10:12-13; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 12:8-10 (where "the Lord" must be Jesus, cf. v. 9); 2 Thess. 2:16-17; etc. 4. Worship (proskuneô): Matt. 28:17; Heb. 1:6 (cf. Psa. 97:7); cf. Matt 4:10 5. Religious or sacred service (latreuô): Rev. 22:13 6. Doxological praise: 2 Tim. 4:18; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 1:5-6; 5:13 7. Faith: John 3:16; 14:1; etc. E. Jesus does the works of God 1. Creation: John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 3:14 (where archê probably means ruler); on "through" and "in" cf. Rom. 11:36; Heb. 2:10; Acts 17:28; cf. also Isa. 44:24 2. Sustains the universe: Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3, 11-12 3. Salvation: a. In General: See C.2.a. above b. Forgives sins: Matt. 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26; note that Jesus forgives sins not committed against Him. 4. All of them: John 5:17-29 (including judgment, cf. Matt. 25:31- 46; 2 Cor. 5:10) F. Jesus has all the incommunicable attributes of God 1. All of them: John 1:1; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15; 2:9; Heb. 1:3 2. Self-existent: John 5:26 3. Unchangeable: Heb. 1:10-12 (in the same sense as YHWH); 13:8 4. Eternal: John 1:1; 8:58; 17:5; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:2 5. Omnipresent: Matt. 18:20; 28:20; John 3:13; Eph. 1:23; 4:10; Col. 3:11 6. Omniscient: John 16:30; 21:17; cf. 2:23-24 7. Incomprehensible: Matt. 11:25-27 G. Jesus is "equal with God" 1. John 5:18: Although John is relating what the Jews understood Jesus to be claiming, the context shows they were basically right: In v. 17 claimed to be exempt from the Sabbath along with His Father, and in 5:19-29 Jesus claimed to do all of the world of the Father and to deserve the same honor as the Father 2. Phil. 2:6: Jesus did not attempt to seize recognition by the world as being equal with God, but attained that recognition by humbling himself and being exalted by the Father (vv. 7-11) H. Jesus is the Son of God 1. "Son" in Scripture can mean simply one possessing the nature of something, whether literal or figurative (e.g. "Son of man," "sons of thunder," "sons of disobedience," cf. Mark 3:7; Eph. 2:1). 2. Usually when "son of" is used in relation to a person (son of man, son of Abraham, son of David, etc.) the son possesses the nature of his father. 3. Jesus is clearly not the literal Son of God, i.e., He was not physically procreated by God. 4. On the other hand, Jesus is clearly the Son of God in a unique sense (cf. "only-begotten son," John 1:14; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9) and in a preeminent sense (i.e. the term is more fitting for Him than for anyone else). 5. Scripture is explicit that the Son possesses God's essence or nature (cf. F. above). 6. Jesus' repeated claim to be the Son of God was consistently understood by the Jewish leaders as a blasphemous claim to equality with God, an understanding Jesus never denied: John 5:17-23; 8:58-59; 10:30-39; 19:7; Matt. 26:63-65. 7. Jesus is therefore by nature God's Son, not God's creation or God's servant; Jesus is God's Son who became a servant for our sake and for the Father's glory (John 13:13-15; 17:4; Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 1:4-13; 3:1-6; 5:8; etc.). I. Objections 1. Prov. 8:22: This text is not a literal description of Christ, but a poetic personification of wisdom (cf. all of Prov. 1-9, esp. 8:12-21; 9:1-6), poetically saying that God "got" His wisdom before He did

https://www.calvarychapelboston.com/Biblical Basis Trinity Bowman.pdf

Wow, that is a lot of scripture to unpack! Perhaps you'd want to publish it in book form? As to the Trinity, there is the scripture where God says, "This is my son, in whom I am well pleased". Sadly the Holy Spirit remains obscure, and I don't know why. I'm pretty peaceful about whether there is one person or three. We'll see sooner or later.

Calvary Chapel is one of the churches that threw me out. It is doubtful that I could walk into any church except the Unitarians and not be asked to leave. It's been good for me and prodded me to doing lots of study and praying alone. Now with Covid, that is doubly reinforced. Don't care to alarm folk, but I think that we are at the end.

There certainly is a mystery to the nature of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. From my perspective, God is my Father. Jesus is my brother, we are adelphos, from the same womb. He is also my Lord and my friend. The Spirit mostly describes His natural state of being. He, God, is a spirit and He is the Father of my spirit.

From my personal life: to my wife I am “husband” and “friend”; to my children, father; to my siblings, brother; my parents, son, and grandson to my grandparents. Yet, I am one person. But, because of my position within many relationships, I cannot say I am a singular entity. I am several. Yet, I know I am one person.

I think, because of our divisions, there is something about oneness that alludes us. But the prayer of Jesus will be answered:

“I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me,and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Do you not believe that all that belong to Him are already One?

There certainly is a mystery to the nature of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. From my perspective, God is my Father. Jesus is my brother, we are adelphos, from the same womb. He is also my Lord and my friend. The Spirit mostly describes His natural state of being. He, God, is a spirit and He is the Father of my spirit.

From my personal life: to my wife I am “husband” and “friend”; to my children, father; to my siblings, brother; my parents, son, and grandson to my grandparents. Yet, I am one person. But, because of my position within many relationships, I cannot say I am a singular entity. I am several. Yet, I know I am one person.

I think, because of our divisions, there is something about oneness that alludes us. But the prayer of Jesus will be answered:

“I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me,and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

There is also Scripture that states Jesus and satan are brothers. I was quite upset when I heard that, It is quite confusing to me.

There is also Scripture that states Jesus and satan are brothers. I was quite upset when I heard that, It is quite confusing to me.

Hello Katia, while I believe that there is a LDS teaching to that effect, the Bible neither says nor insinuates that they (Jesus and Satan) are brothers. Like us, Satan (the head of the fallen angels) is a creature, and the Lord Jesus is his Creator .. e.g. John 1:1-3, so they cannot be brothers (physically or spiritually).

God bless you!

~Deut
p.s. - I suppose I should also mention that LDS/Mormons are NOT Christians.

Hi:
You are going to make me work aren't you. I was sure that I saw that in the KJV but I am not infallible. My searches keep routing me back to the Mormons. I was a Mormon for a while. Sorry to spread error. They also teach that many will get planets of their own and be Gods. Hmmmm

I use Biblegateway often. It is much easier than my old 40lb Strong's Concordance. I was told, incorrectly, that the Mormons use the KJV and now that appears to be incorrect.

Does anyone here believe that Michael is God? I think SDA's believe that.

They still do. Along with there other books.Its king James with Josph smith commentary.There book says we have the truth and the word of god

Does anyone here believe that Michael is God? I think SDA's believe that.

They also teach that many will get planets of their own and be Gods. Hmmmm

There is much that is appealing about certain LDS beliefs, especially if you are a Sci/Fi fan like I am

The rub comes when you are both a Sci/Fi fan AND a Christian (who is even moderately acquainted with the truth of God's word), because when you learn what they (the LDS) actually teach/believe, it comes down to them being wrong or the Bible being wrong in more than just a few cases.

I'm glad that you are looking into these things/seeking to know the truth. Keep up the good work

God bless you!

~Deut