Good Morning, DLL, I hope you had a refreshing night's sleep!
The book, The Jewish-Christian Controversy, lists basic reasons devout Jews reject Christendom: first is the trinity, considered rank polytheism by those who have prayed for 35 centuries "The Lord our God is One". [Actually: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah] I'm pleased that you acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah, but beware the trinitarian contradiction that denies your roots.
A second objection: the savage bloody wars blessed and prayed by all sects of Christendom thru the ages. War or no, a river of Israelite blood has flowed from trinitarian sabers in genocide only Jehovah has prevented from eradicating the People of the Book. The 6,000,000 murdered by Hitler [whom the Pope was first to recognize and who died Catholic, never excommunicated] simply filled up the measure Christendom's traditional hatred of Jews. Read: The Pope and the Jews in the Middle Ages.
The Bible is no arcane relic of an extinct race; it's the heritage of a vibrant people possessing the same language, same blood, and the identical personalities I discern in God's great Jewish book. I have personal knowledge of this as my wife is a full-blood daughter of Abraham.
"God" as the term is used in Scripture is not always applied in the absolute sense, that is: to Jehovah. The Hebrew word was "El," probably meaning "Mighty One, Strong One," and is used for Jehovah, other gods, and to men. Its appears extensively in proper names: ELisha [God is Salvation], MichaEL [Who is Like God?], EliEL [My God Is God] ELihu, ELijah, ELeazar, etc.
Scripture notes many gods [Ps 86:8] but 1 Cor 8:4-6 establishes an absolute scale: There is no God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on Earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; yet to us there is one God the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things See the distinction here between the Father and the Son? Whatever is served or worshiped can be a god, even one's belly! [Php 3:19] In all cases the worshiper or servant has lesser power, but the god in not necessarily Jehovah, the Absolute Sovereign.
If Yeshua said he has a God it can only mean he is not equal to Him:
He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. [Rev 3:14]
I'm ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God Jn 20:17.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor 1:3 & Eph 1:3
A Father is older and superior to a son, who obeys the father: Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered As Absolute Sovereign, Jehovah cannot obey! For Jesus' obedience Jehovah highly exalted him and gave unto him the name which is above every other name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Php 2:9-10] This was a blessing Jehovah bestowed upon His faithful Son. Hebrews 7:7 says: without any dispute the less is blessed by the better
So what of Isa 9:6 where Jesus is called mighty god, and Thomas' exclamation at Jn 20:28? In each the Messiah is superior: to "us" in Isaiah, and to Thomas. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Neither verse eliminates plain declarations Jesus has a God to which He is likewise unequal, as He shall ever be: Then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all 1 Cor 15:25-28.
At Isaiah 9:6 the Messiah is 'El Gib-bohr', Mighty God, not 'El Shaddai', God Almighty, which is applied only to Jehovah at Gen 17:1. Please note, DLL, I've responded to your specific challenges, it's time, in fairness, for you to respond to some of mine.
DLL, my best wishes in Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Don Martini |
