Wednesday, April 25, 2012

CHRISTENDOM IS IN A UNIVERSAL IDOLATRY ENGINEERED BY ROMAN PAGANISM AND CATHOLIC THEOLOGIANS


JESUS IS NOT GOD

BUT THE SON OF GOD





Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez
Another KIHOL Publication


PROLOGUE

To establish that a prophecy is fulfilled in the life of someone great, at least seventy-five per cent of it must come to pass. So let us re-visit the O.T. and see what Isaiah the prophet said about Jesus, as well as what is attributed to King David in the Psalms;

Isaiah 42:1-9
42:1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope."
5 This is what God the LORD says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

Psalms 110
110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
2 The LORD will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will judge nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
7 He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

So where did Jesus meet all these predictions, prophecies or criteria and how much of them were fulfilled to merit his deification by Roman theologians who misrepresented what Paul intended in his epistles? In addition, here verbatim  is the earliest recognition of him by a living human even before Peter did;

John 1:49
49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
 (All quotations are from the New International Version(c) 1978 by International Bible Society)


This is Jesus’ own testimony about his position in relation to the Father;
Mark 9:33-37
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"
34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,
37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

There are gross misinterpretations still going on these days especially among semi-educated fanatics of Christendom. Listen to the lyrics of their commercialised gospel music being aggressively marketed these days and notice all the blasphemies committed all in a mad hurry to make money.

The Jews must be laughing us to scorn! Of course, they have intermittently told us; “You gentiles worship our brother Jesus, but we worship the Almighty Jehovah who actually created us, you and Jesus!” Who has ever cared to listen, let alone understand?
I have nothing to add to what the good book said & says to date!

Rev. Prof J. J. Kenez, the Vessel of the Holy Spirit
PREFACE

This is the first acknowledgement of the appropriate title for Jesus, the Christ made by any living person, yet he was not chosen as one of the earliest disciples! Why? I am fully aware that this issue has received all the ecclesiastical arguments for and against ascription of the title ‘God the Son’ as the second person in the ‘mystery of the Holy Trinity’, since the Council of Nicaea. However, the issue remains ambiguous in the minds of natural thinkers and existential philosophers who give credence to the power of rational dialogue and the supremacy of truth.

That Jesus never addressed himself, as ‘Son of God’ is not in doubt, but that early theologians ascribed to him ‘equality with’ and ‘of the same substance’ with the Almighty Father, God, the Creator is in complete contradiction to the native intelligence of even the ‘Homo Faber’. The narratives of John, the beloved apostle and brother of Jesus, which is rightly called ‘the angelic gospel’ best depicts the ministry of John, the Baptist and the call of the earliest disciples. Within the period, more than four personalities addressed Jesus as the ‘Son of God’, the ‘Lamb of God’ and finally ‘My Beloved Son’, but none ever addressed him as ‘God’! This has always been the cause of disagreement between Muslims and Christians and the point of departure for all other religious groups in the world.

Even the supernatural beings often referred to as ‘demons’ in the bible recognised him and called him “the Son of God”, never “God”. And he forbade them from making him known. There is no place in the bible narrative Jesus ever referred himself as equal to the Father!

Mark 3:11-12
11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

The heresy should be stopped. It is both blasphemous and sacrilegious to say the least and idolatrous by the standards of the first three commandments given by Moses. It sets up Jesus as competing with his Eternal Father and Creator, who raised him from the dead! Even earlier in Chapter 1, Jesus was only addressed as “the Holy One of God” but not as God! So, when and where did this idolatrous doctrine and dogma by the Roman Catholic Church start? Moreover, all over the world, it has infected the entire Christendom.

Mark 1:23-27
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God!"
25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"
26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching-- and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
Those of us who are not Jews by birth have no business claiming or defending the divinity of Jesus. His blood brothers are all over the place. We must allow them to handle it. It is a national issue for the Israelites! We should at least listen to Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles when he summarised his mission in his first letter to the Corinthians:

1 Cor 15:1-4
15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Paul’s position is clear. One who was raised by another can never claim equality with the one who raised him from the dead! He even demonstrated this in his assertion in his letter to the Church at Ephesus;
Eph 1:17
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society) 


The great apostle, Paul, inadvertently deified Jesus Christ who overpowered him on the road to Damascus but he did not originate the idolatry; now ravaging Christendom; of equating Jesus to his Almighty Father. It violates the first three commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai! The position of this writer is that Jesus, the Messiah, is not equal to his Father, has never been and will never be! Jesus never claimed equality with his Father even in chapter 17 of John’s gospel, which many erroneously point at/to as their evidence. He stated ‘inter alia’ in that his longest prayer; “I and the Father are One”, which does not translate into “I and the Father are Equal”.

This author affirms that this confusion has led to the commonest idolatry on the part of some naïve Christians who now give to Jesus, the Christ, the worship, honour and adoration due only to the Most High. Though one may worship Jesus as the promised Messiah as the three wise kings; the Magi from the Far East did; yet this adoration should not equal or replace the worship due only to the Creator God who made us and his son, Jesus.

Matt 2:9-15
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)  

By the time the Magi visited, we were not told whether Joseph had rented a better apartment for mother and child, but it is implied when you differentiate a ‘manger’ from a ‘house’. On return from Egypt he took them to Nazareth where he resided and earned his living as a carpenter! No one ever talked of Jesus being worshipped throughout his ministry again except the Saprophoenician woman who wanted Jesus to heal her daughter! Jesus, himself, discouraged people from prostrating in front of him. No! Never, for he did not even permit the centurion to pay him any special obeisance! It is that simple! Can these religious fanatics or sycophants not understand what John, the beloved apostle saw? Or do they now doubt his revelations?

Revelation 1: 1-3;
1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2 who testifies to everything he saw-- that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)
If Jesus and the Almighty are equal in all respects, why should verses 1 & 2 make distinctions between ‘the sender of the angel’, the ‘word of God’ and ‘the testimony of Jesus’? Even, the popular old King James Version that most itinerant preachers prefer to quote, which gives them the ample opportunity of interpretations the verse however they want is even more unequivocal about the differentiations;

“Rev 1:1-3
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”                        From the original authorised King James Version

The absurdity of the idolatry is more accentuated if one listens to the lyrics of misinformed gospel singers of today or analyse the contents of some prosperity gospel preachers. Jesus is their Almighty this and that, who gives them the breath of life, clothes them, feeds them, makes them prosperous, sends them to sleep, kills their enemies, finds them their marriage partners, heals their infirmities and so on and so forth. Blasphemous utterances fill most Pentecostal Churches these days, as the hungry pastors out-do each other in deifying Jesus, the Christ. Jesus said “Anything you ask the Father in my name and believe that you have received, that I will grant unto you,” not “anything you ask me in my name”!
THE PRONOUNCEMENTS OF THE LIVE APOSTLES

The real apostles who eat and dined with the Lord never equated him with God and they have the final say on this debate on the deification of their brother and teacher. Read the epistles of James, Peter and John, who was described as the one Jesus loved, who ended his gospel thus:

John 20:30-21:1
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21:20-25
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" 22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23 Because of this, the rumour spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" 24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

1 John 5:1-12
5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 This is the one who came by water and blood-Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
All from NEW IINTERNATIONAL VERSION of the HOLY BIBLE
‘SON OF GOD’ APPEARED 42 TIMES AND ONLY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, ‘JESUS IS GOD’ NEVER APPEARED ONCE
Matthew 4:3
3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
NIV
Matthew 4:6
6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
NIV
Matthew 8:29
29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
NIV
Matthew 14:33
33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
NIV
Matthew 26:63
63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."
NIV
Matthew 27:40
40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
NIV
Matthew 27:43
43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" NIV
Matthew 27:54
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
NIV
Mark 1:1
1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 
NIV
Mark 3:11
11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." NIV
Mark 15:39
39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"
NIV
Luke 1:35
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. NIV
Luke 3:38
38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
NIV
Luke 4:3
3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
NIV
Luke 4:9
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. NIV
Luke 4:41
41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. 
NIV
Luke 22:70
70 They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You are right in saying I am."
NIV
John 1:34
34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
NIV
John 1:49
49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
NIV
John 5:25
25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. NIV
John 11:27
27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
NIV
John 19:7
7 The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."
NIV
John 20:31
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
NIV
Acts 9:20
20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. NIV
Romans 1:4
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. NIV
2 Corinthians 1:19
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." NIV
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. NIV
Ephesians 4:13
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
NIV
Hebrews 4:14
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. NIV
Hebrews 6:6
6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
NIV
Hebrews 7:3
3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
NIV
Hebrews 10:29
29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? NIV
1 John 3:8
8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. NIV
1 John 4:15
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. NIV
1 John 5:5
5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
NIV
1 John 5:10
10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. NIV
1 John 5:12
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
NIV
1 John 5:13
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. NIV
1 John 5:20
20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
NIV
Revelation 2:18
18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. NIV
My friends, this does not need a commentary. Or, does it?
CHAPTER 1

THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS

Did Jesus not state in unambiguous terms that the Father is greater than he is? So, why the mass hysteria and idolatry introduced by Saul of Tarsus, due to his Damascus experience and forced conversion? Let us see what the Lord said as his valedictory speech. He prayed thus:
John 17:1-11
17:1 After Jesus said this, he looked towards heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.
8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Does any of the sentences imply, insinuate or claim equality? For one to be sent means that the sender is superior, doesn’t it? We are not doing Jesus any favour by standing up against his Almighty Father! When he said that we are his friends/brothers, did it not imply we all have One Father? Let the hypocritical fanaticism of St Paul be halted!
Even, his own cousin, John the Baptist, whose role was that of ‘a forerunner’, identified Jesus to his people. The Pharisees that queried him on his identity and later he directed his two disciples to follow Jesus; John 1:29; 36; etc. Andrew did same at John 1: 41, Nathanael was the first to use the title ‘Son of God’ as John 1: 49-50 and finally, God the Almighty Father called him ‘My Beloved Son’ at his baptism as reported by John, the Baptist, who added “ in whom I am well pleased, hear you him.”
John 1:19-2:1
19 Now, this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ”.
21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not”. "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No”.
22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"
24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent
25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptise if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26 "I baptise with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know.
27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'
31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.'
34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
38 Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.
41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you”.
49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see greater things than that."
51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”.

In Mark’s account, his introduction, his opening sentence settles the matter! John’s testimony corroborates it and finally. God, the Father, epitomises the title ‘Son’ by qualifying it as My Beloved’ during the baptism of Jesus by John, the Baptist. Note, however, that it was only John who saw the Dove that rested on him and the voice from above!

Mark 1:1-13
 1:1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"--
3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4 And so John came, baptising in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River.
6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
8 I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit."
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan.
10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,
13 and he was in the desert for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)


CHAPTER 2

THE TESTIMONY OF THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS

In addition to these preambles, if these quotations do not satisfy the ardent proponent of Jesus’ equality with the Father, let us turn to the full narratives of the other two chroniclers, Matthew and Luke! The chapter in the New Testament that best demonstrates the veracity of my thesis; ‘Jesus is not god, but the son of God, is this:

Matthew 20

20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.
2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the market-place doing nothing.
4 He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'
5 So, they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
7 "'Because no-one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'
8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'
9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.
11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,
18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death
19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him.
21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Other verses that succinctly confirm verse 23 are found in:

Matthew 24

24:1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.
2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no-one deceives you.
5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth-pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation', spoken of through the prophet Daniel-- let the reader understand--
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let no-one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.
18 Let no-one in the field go back to get his cloak.
19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be equalled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that were possible.
25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 "No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'
49 and he then begins to beat his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.
51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then we go to Mark 10: vv.17–31 for another affirmation:

 

Mark 10:17-31

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No-one is good-- except God alone.
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'"
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.
33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?"
39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with,
40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 (From the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

In this passage, there are three pointers to the difference between Jesus and his Father. He emphatically states that the Father is greater than he is! Definitely, he is in not equal to Almighty God!











CHAPTER 3

OTHER POINTERS TO THE CLEAR DIFFERENCE

The resurrected Jesus was quite different from the pre-Calvary Jesus. He now understood his mission as being for the entire human race and not for his ethnic group, the Jews or Israelites. Within the forty days left for him to correct all his errors, he disabused their minds of the ethnocentric attitude and social prejudice in which they had all grown up. He, now, ordered them to preach to the whole world rather than he pre-resurrection instructions not to enter any gentile towns. See the earlier practicum for his disciples in Matthew 10:5-5 or Mark 6:7-3 or Luke 9:1-6.The change of orientation came after both the resurrection and the Pentecost. The corrections was never understood until Peter' vision at Joppa and a missionary visit to the home of a Roman soldier living at a barracks in Caesarea Philippe. He later used it to defend himself at the first Council of the young church at Jerusalem. For details, let us see:

Acts 10
10:1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.
13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.
18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you.
20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."
21 Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?"
22 The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say."
23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along.
24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence.
26 But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."
27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.
28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"
30 Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me
31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.'
33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism
35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached--
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen-- by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,
47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
48 So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Take note of the implications of verse 42! This was a clear directive from the Lord & Master Jesus: He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

THAT JESUS WAS NOT BORN THE ‘SON OF GOD’ BUT WAS ADOPTED BY OUR ALMIGHTY FATHER AT HIS BAPTISM BY A SPECIAL ANOINTING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CAME DOWN IN THE FORM OF A DOVE AND RESTED ON HIM IS CLEARLY STATED BY PETER, THE HEAD OF THE APOSTLES, FIRST WHEN JESUS THEN CHANGED HIS NAME FROM SIMON BAR JONA TO PETER AND LATER ON THE PENTECOST DAY;

Matt 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Acts 10:37&38
37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached--38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

OTHER RELEVANT PASSAGES THAT CONFIRM THESE ARE;

Colossians 3
3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favouritism. from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
Mark 16
16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.
2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.
11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
12 Afterwards Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Matthew 10
10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts;
10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.
18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Finally, Jesus, the Son of God, was also prone to human errors as is demonstrated by his parochial selection of followers. If he were as omnipotent as the Almighty Father was, he would not have chosen only Galileans as his apostles. An articulate preacher would have followed the pattern of Moses in Exodus and selected one apostle from each of the twelve tribes of Israel as the custom was, to represent each of the original twelve sons of Jacob, the Patriarch!

Acts 2:6-8
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

(From the Holy Bible: New International Version. 
Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Read on and take special note of verses 22 – 35 for Peter’s verdict! Jesus was a man chosen by God to fulfil the promise to King David!
The Old Testament prophecies predicted has all that happened to him! So, he was the Messiah! Do we need to flog this issue further?!
To recapitulate in a few words; THERE WILL BE MORE CONVERTS AND GENUINE CHRISTIANS IF PEOPLE KNEW THAT JESUS WAS FULLY HUMAN BUT ACHIEVED GREATNESS BY HIS EXEMPLARY LIFESTYLE. HE WAS OF A NORMAL PARENTAGE OF DEVOUT JEWS, THE SON OF JOSEPH, A CARPENTER & MARY, A VIRGIN MOTHER AND A FULLTIME HOUSEWIFE. HE WAS INSTRUCTED ON THE RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS OF HIS PEOPLE AND OBEYED THEM TO THE LETTER SO WELL THAT, AT HIS BAPTISM, THE ALMIGHTY ADOPTED HIM AS HIS ONLY SON TO CARRY OUT THE SALVIFIC MISSION OF DYING ON THE CROSS TO SAVE HUMANITY! ---That, simply, is my thesis!

Even the crowd that he fed with five barely loaves and two fish recognised that he was a great prophet and wanted to take him by force and make him King of the Jews. However, Jesus, in his normal humility escaped across the lake and went into prayer. The crowd postponed their intention until after he had raised Lazarus from the dead after four days of decay. This time, they sang ‘Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord’. That still did not mean that Jesus was God! No Jew, dead or alive will ever equate a living person with their Jehovah! I concur completely:

John 6:11-15
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)




Scientifically
JESUS IS NOT GOD

HOWEVER, HE IS THE SON OF GOD!


Rev. Prof. J. J. KENEZ

Integrational Spiritan Movement Publication
 



ã2003
THE INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN MOVEMENT
Founded in 1990, is an interdisciplinary socio-cultural organisation for modern scientists who desire a self- fulfilled life spiced with spiritual devotion/ upliftment.

Our motto speaks volumes for itself;
ONE ALMIGHTY CREATOR,
ONE CREATED UNIVERSE,
ONE HUMAN FAMILY! ! !


ISBN: 987  -………………………. ………………………
© 2005 Rev. Prof. J. J. KENEZ
e-mail: saintkenez@yahoo.co.uk

 

Copyrights: All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced, or transmitted, in any form or by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without the written permission of the author.

 

 

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PROLOGUE


This is a funny appetiser which has fallen on the blind spots of many a bible student or scholar! Was Jesus not only being human when he refused to elevate ‘Nathanael’ to the position of a trusted apostle? Read the gospel of John, chapter 1:vv. 43-51. It is a teaser with a thousand-dollar prize tag on it! Send your answers to the author through his e-mail address conspicuously shown on some pages of this controversial publication. You will not only receive your reward of a thousand dollars, but you may as well be admitted into the prestigious ‘Hafanites Hall of Fame’ for Kenezians!

You may win another prize of a hundred pounds sterling for explaining the full import of the conversation between Jesus of Nazareth and the Syrophenician woman as it is related in the gospel of Matthew 15: vv.21 – 28 and corroborated by Mark 7: vv. 24 – 30. How could ‘a saviour of the entire world speak the words in verse 27? Explain!

Finally, consider the opportunity you have of being a champion who answered the three teasers correctly by winning the ultimate prize of a million francs for deciphering the full implications of the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at a well built by Jacob in Cana. This well had been in existence for centuries before both the woman and Jesus were born! Were Jews not the originators of the apartheid concept and racist policies? Mediate on John 4: vv.19 –26. Please do not gloss over the vital footnote of verse9 in earning this super prize!
You will become a more committed and pious Christian by putting on your thinking cap and rationalising so many concepts, ideas and doctrines thrown at you right from infanthood to now that you are presumably an adult! The human brain is an organ for survival like claws and fangs in lower animals that must use their muscles and horns to live. However, in human beings it is essentially a distinguishing mark of divine favour bestowed on us for a fuller appreciation of the tender loving care of the Creator.
Therefore it should arouse in us a deeper respect for God, the Almighty Father, and eternal devotion to Him for giving us that singular privilege of being the only animal on planet Earth referred to as ‘Homo sapiens’ and the lord of the universe!

GENERAL INTRODUCTION


It is important for us to decide on certain basic issues before we participate in the controversial debate that this discourse entails! Is a son equal to his father in a human family? Can a prince ever be revered as his father, the King, and issue decrees that are legitimate? Is a priest an equivalent of a bishop? Can a Vice- President ever claim equality with his President? Can you ever equate an Ambassador on a foreign mission to the Head of State of his home country that sent him overseas to represent the nation? When you have rationalised the import of these fundamental depositions, then you are qualified to participate in this debate.

You will equally be fully equipped to benefit from the simple facts and arguments in this lengthy dissertation if you agree to accept what the Lord Jesus declared in the scriptures concerning his subordinate position to his Father! Jesus said plain words that he is not equal to his father in many passages, but to date many fanatics refuse to listen to him! Shall we say that these are sycophants? See what he clearly stated in the Gospel according to John and conclude this matter for yourself!
John13:17
 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
John 14: 28
28 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
(From the New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)
Since the ascension into heaven by the Lord Jesus, as reported by his disciples, many have mistakenly equated him with God, prayed directly to him requesting for favours, adored him as the author of their individual lives and even worshipped him as the Creator of this universe. This misconception has been left to spread like an incurable virus! The dogmas and doctrines of the ‘Holy Trinity’ by the Papacy gave this error an ecclesiastical stamp of authority with the composition of the Nicene Creed! That has been the albatross of Christianity down the ages and the most important cause of the persecutions of Christians.
The crusades fought at the ‘Holy Lands’ and the counter attacks exemplified by the Muslin-led jihads were and are still the aftermath of this controversial position taken by the Catholic Church. This mass misconception is today common among the generality of Christians. In the final analysis, it has led to mass idolatry that only discrete adherents of the teaching of Jesus, the Christ, can honestly discern!
The blood relatives of the Lord Jesus often castigate and caricature us this way; “You Christians worship my brother Jesus, a Jew like myself, but I worship God who created you, Jesus and I!” May be some references from the very scripture these religious fanatics and mystics quote from will best convince every rational man that the Lord Jesus himself, never claimed to be nor implied that he was God, co-equal and co-eternal. Everyone reading this should know how to use the Bible.
N.B. *All my references are from Good News Bible.
Now, please read Isaiah 42: vv. 1 – 9, noting especially the contents of verse 8!

The earliest person that called Jesus, the son of God was not Peter, it was Nathanael! Because he was an upright Jew, Jesus did not even consider him appropriate to be one of his staunch disciples! Why? This is exactly the question articulate scholars should ask!
John 1:45-51
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you."
49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see greater things than that."
51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
(From the New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Whoever finds the accurate answer to that riddle should telephone me or send an e-mail for a prize of $100 or a holiday in Bethlehem! Now let us consider the accepted titles given to Jesus before and after his birth. This will elucidate all I have been trying hard to convey to you!

1.      “SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD”
Angel Gabriel who was sent to announce his pregnancy to a virgin gave us the real and only title that could ever be ascribed to him without profaning the name of the Almighty God who was his father. See Luke 1: vv. 26 – 38, with particular reference to verse 32. Even in a dream to persuade Joseph not to repudiate Mary for her ‘presumed infidelity’ the angel only directed him thus: ‘you will name him Jesus – because he will save his people from their sins’, see Matthew 1: vv. 18 – 21, esp. v. 21. Only Peter, the Apostle and a Roman Centurion, his executioner were privileged to use this title correctly as well. See Matthew 16: 6 and Luke 23: 4.

2.      THE  “KING OF THE JEWS”

The three wise astrologers who waited for his birth, recognised when he was actually born, travelled many days and nights and paid him homage were ‘gentile’ kings from the far East known simply as ‘The Magi” See Matthew 2, vv. 1 – 2. On arrival at Jerusalem, they asked; “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” The last verb may be a corruption of the original; ‘to pay him homage as a newly born king, as our tradition demands’. To date, diplomats pay homage to the Kings or Presidents of the countries they are sent! Obeisance paid to princes and renowned leaders to mark their birthdays is still in vogue in all cultures.


 

3.      “A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES”


Even at his presentation in the temple and naming ceremony, a God-fearing man gave thanks for staying alive to see the ‘Messiah’ adding in his hymn of praise, a great verse to a now-popular refrain ‘The Canticle of Simeon’ used in morning prayers world-wide: “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace. With my own eyes, I have seen your salvation. Which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:  A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.” For details turn to
Luke Chapter 2, and read vv. 22 – 38, with emphasis on verses 29 – 32. Then see vv. 33 – 35 for the accuracy of the prophet on the sorrowful predictions regarding the controversies, contradictions, crusades and jihads that his life would bring to later generations.

4.   “THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD”


Even King Herod, who wanted to assassinate him in his infancy and all the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, knew what the prophets called him in their scriptures and from whose lineage and town he would come from. See Matthew 2: vv. 3 – 6. It becomes paradoxical that for stating the obvious, Caiphas, the High Priest of his epoch, tore his robes at the ‘blasphemy’ before condemning him at the Council. Now read Matthew 26: vv. 57 – 67, especially vv. 62 - 65.  

5.   “THE HOLY ONE OF GOD” IS NOT SAME AS “GOD”

Supernatural beings recognised him only as:  ‘The holy one of God.’ See Mark 1, vv. 21 – 28, with particular reference to verse 24. This is corroborated verbatim in Luke 4: vv. 31 – 37, denoting a reproduction of the original! This particular healing, which was actually an exorcism best illustrated his recognition, status and authority in the supernatural realm! Verse 26 and 27 graphically recorded its effect on the people.


6.    “CALLED A NAZARENE”

On his return from the flight into Egypt, his earthly father, Joseph opted to settle in Nazareth rather than his own village in Bethlehem, for fear of Archelaus who had succeeded his father as another King Herod.
See Matthew 2 vv. 19 – 23. The very last verse states in fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy: ‘He will be called a Nazarene’.

7.    “THE WORD OF LIFE”

The theological treatise on ‘The Word’ from the angelic gospel of John greets the reader with the opening verses of chapter 1. It is in the same gospel account that ‘Lamb of God’ is most commonly used than in any other New Testament record! See John 1: vv. 1 –18 and then 29 – 34.

8.     “THE LAMB OF GOD”

His cousin was the first to introduce this title when he counselled his two his disciples to leave him and follow Jesus. In verse 29, John the Baptist, states it clearly thus: “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is repeated at verse 35 the next day before the marching orders to his two disciples to follow Jesus.

9.     “RABBI ” or “TEACHER”

It was the same ‘two disciples of John the Baptist’ who first used the Greek terminology for ‘lord’ or ‘teacher’ to address Jesus. See John 1: v. 38. Next was Nicodemus, the Jewish Leader that consulted Jesus by night! John 3: v. 2. Many others used it later, the most controversial being that of Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. See John 1: v. 38, 3: vv. 1–21, 11: vv. 1 – 44.

10.      “MY BELOVED SON” or “MY OWN DEAR SON”

This pet name is unique, for it was only used once in the entire Biblical account, in both the Old and New Testaments. At the baptism of Jesus Christ, the heavens were reportedly opened and only John, the Baptiser, John 1: vv. 29 – 34, saw and heard the Almighty God and Father to us all designate him as ‘beloved’, which GNB edition renders as ‘my own dear’. The practical implication of that nomenclature is that, whereas we are all sons and daughters of God in a general sense, Jesus Christ was/is a son of a special genre or pedigree!

The point to note is that in none of these references to the Bible or to the Encyclopaedia was Jesus ever designated “God”! So my question is: who, when, where and how were the titles “God the Son” and “God the Holy Ghost” introduced into the Christian lexicon? We need authentic answers to these fundamental questions to contain the tide of controversies surrounding the Trinitarian Doctrine that has been the genesis of disagreement between Christianity and all the other major religions of the world! It is time we called off our bluff! The existential truth is this:

It is to Saul of Tarsus who idolised Jesus after his traumatic conversion on the way to Damascus that we owe most of the idolatrous traditions of equating Jesus with his Father. Jesus never allowed anyone to equate him to the Father. Rather, all the evangelists consistently reported that he only said; “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, for I and the Father are one”. Analyse the contents of chapter 17 of John’s gospel and you will see that Jesus talked of a resemblance, not of equality! Jesus stated this more clearly in Matthew 24: vv. 36 – 44! Also read John 1: verse 49, and tell me why Simon was made Peter ‘the Rock’ instead of Nathaniel who earlier stated in unambiguous terms the real status and relevance of Jesus in Jewish history?

Let us correct this idolatry now!
That Jesus was truly human and could err was aptly demonstrated by his inability to foresee the tricks of the devil all the time, e.g. see his utter neglect or laxity in allowing the devil deceive him once

Matt 8:28-9:1
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
30 Some distance from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding.
31 The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
32 He said to them, "Go!" So, they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
(From the New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, & 1984, by International Bible Society)

Now, it is time for you to refer to the Old Testament leaders/prophets!
 Read analytically Exodus 20: vv.1-17 or Deuteronomy 5: vv. 1–21.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD ‘SAVIOUR’
Now let us peep into the variety of definitions by different languages of the term “saviour”, to better appreciate its relevance in our lives.

CHRIST, is a Greek term found in the Greek version of the Old Testament (see Bible), the Septuagint, translating the Hebrew verb mâshakh, meaning, “to anoint.” In early Israel, the custom of anointing signified the endowment of the person with the qualification for exalted office. The term Christ was applied not only to priests, but also to kings, prophets, and patriarchs. In time, the term came to mean the redeemer and restorer of the Jewish nation. In the New Testament, Christ, as a common noun and as a proper name, generally refers to Jesus of Nazareth (see Jesus Christ).[1] 

All we have been made to understand so far in these definitions is that one was supposed to save the human race! Who was it? How was he to do it? In addition, when was he to do it? If objectivity is valued in religious matters, the doctors of the Church should have seen that God’s pronouncement after the fall of Adam and Eve referred to any of her descendants. It is wrong to appropriate that singular status for ‘Emmanuel’, the son of Mary, the virgin betrothed to Joseph, the carpenter! Hers was not the only son whose pregnancy and birth was prophetic or miraculous. Samuel, Samson and John the Baptist were miracle babies but their mothers were neither virgins at conceptions nor were they‘primigravidae’. In addition, they did not ‘die for the sin of the world’ to fulfil God’s requirements!

To merit the name “saviour”, however, Jesus was the only one to do so publicly on the cross! He was the ‘spotless lamb’ that did not even ‘open its mouth when led to the slaughter’. He lived a humble life, fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about his ministry, obeyed God in everything he did and ultimately pleased his heavenly father in all things! He earned the title ‘the Messiah’, and so was crowned with Resurrection and Ascension to sit at the right hand of Almighty God!

·         Patriarch Enoch was the first human to merit physical admission into heaven (Genesis 5: vv. 21 – 24) but he was not born of a virgin!
·         Moses and Aaron could have qualified for the title but both disobeyed God and so lost their chances.
·         Joshua, Caleb, Gideon and so many other leaders chosen by God could have done better, but they were not of virgin births!
·         Prophet Elijah was the first to been drawn by chariots of fire into heaven, but we were not told the details of his birth!
·         Samson’s birth was miraculous, he was anointed and saved his people, but fell by the wayside entrapped by Delilah a philistine she-devil.
·         Saul, David and Solomon had all the trappings of being taken as saviours, however each fell to the first and original sin of our pristine father, Adam - ‘disobedience to the will of God’.
·         John, the Baptist, came very close to the title but he was pre- destined to be only an announcer of the arrival of the messiah.
·         That really leaves us with the only predestined “Son of God” who was born of a virgin and obeyed God all his life even unto the shameful death on the cross.
·          ‘Thy will be done’ and ‘It is finished’ which he concluded his ministry with, earned him the ultimate status of ‘The Saviour’!

If you really have the objective mind of a scientist, as either a trained logician or a philosopher, you cannot contest all the data that has been presented so far. I am not an atheist, an apostate nor a heretic! The inspiration for this treatise came from the Almighty Father and Creator of Jesus, You and I! I could not have written a single line without his divine guidance. May be I am more courageous in stating the facts as they are earned me the job of writing this to abolish a form of idolatry that Christendom has degenerated to due to following sheepishly a doctrine borne out of a sentimental adulation of a religious hero! ‘We must obey God rather than men!’

 

JESUS IS NOT GOD, BUT THE SON OF GOD

The chapter in the NT that best demonstrates its veracity is:


Matthew 20

20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.
2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the market-place doing nothing.
4 He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'
5 So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
7 "'Because no-one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'
8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'
9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.
11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,
18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death
19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him.
21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Other verses that succinctly confirm verse 23 are found in:

Matthew 24


24:1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.
2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no-one deceives you.
5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth-pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation', spoken of through the prophet Daniel-- let the reader understand--
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let no-one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.
18 Let no-one in the field go back to get his cloak.
19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be equalled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that were possible.
25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 "No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'
49 and he then begins to beat his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.
51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We have seen the account of what transpired during the ministry of the Saviour according to Matthew, the former tax collector, called by Jesus, and fully trained as an Apostle! Now, we can compare notes with other chroniclers who equally wrote their versions of the events of the time. Let us start with the narrative of Mark 10: vv.17–31 for another affirmation that Jesus never claimed to be equal to God:

Mark 10:17-31


17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No-one is good-- except God alone.
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'"
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.
33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?"
39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with,
40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
 (From the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

In this passage, there are three pointers to the incontrovertible difference between Jesus and his Father. Jesus, the Christ, stated so himself in clear, precise and unequivocal terms. Definitely; he is telling us that he is not equal to Almighty God!
Now, to clinch the position of this discourse, let us see the summaries of historical files of the Roman Church that can be seen in so many copies of her official documents in various encyclopaedias worldwide:

JESUS CHRIST (who lived between 8 and 4 BC-AD 29?), is the central figure of Christianity, born in Bethlehem in Judea, now known as Israel. Christians traditionally regard Jesus as the incarnate Son of God, and as having been divinely conceived by Mary, the wife of Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth. See Christ; Messiah. The principal sources of information concerning Jesus' life are the Gospels, written in the latter half of the 1st century.
The scantiness of additional material and the theological nature of biblical records caused some 19th-century biblical scholars to doubt his historical existence. Today, scholars generally agree that Jesus was a historical figure of the Jewish nation authenticated both by Christian writers and by several Roman and Jewish historians.

BEGINNING OF HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY

Two of the Gospels, Saint Matthew and Saint Luke, provide scanty information about Jesus' birth and childhood (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). No Gospel, however, mentions anything about Jesus from the time he was 12 years old until the time he began his public ministry, about 18 years later. See Matthew, Gospel According to; Luke, Gospel According to.

All three Synoptic Gospels (the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke) record Jesus' public ministry as beginning after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and as lasting about one year. Each mentions that Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River and then retired to the neighbouring wilderness for 40 days, where it was reported the devil tempted him. After this, he moved to Capernaum and began teaching. As his followers increased in number, Jesus selected disciples to work with him (see Apostle).

GROWTH OF JESUS' FOLLOWING

Using Capernaum as a base, Jesus and his disciples travelled to neighbouring towns. He promised pardon and eternal life in heaven to the most hardened sinners, provided their repentance was sincere. This emphasis incurred the enmity of the Pharisees, who feared that his teachings might lead to disregard for the authority of the Torah. Despite this opposition, Jesus' popularity increased.
The most significant moment in Jesus' public ministry was the realisation that Jesus was the Christ (Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). This revelation and the subsequent prediction by Jesus of his death and resurrection, the conditions of discipleship, and his transfiguration are the primary authority for the claims and historical work of the Christian church.

THE LAST DAYS

On the Sunday before Passover, Jesus entered Jerusalem. There, he drove from the Temple the traders and moneychangers who, by long-established custom, had been allowed to transact business in the outer court (Mark 11:15-19), and he disputed with the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees questions about his authority, tribute to Caesar, and the resurrection.

The priests and scribes, concerned that Jesus' activities would turn the Romans against them and the Jewish people (John 11:48), conspired with Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples, to arrest and kill Jesus (Luke 22:2). On Thursday, during Passover supper eaten with his disciples, he referred to his imminent betrayal and death as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. In blessing the unleavened bread and wine during the Passover services, he called the bread his body and the wine his blood (Matthew 26:27) (see Eucharist).

After the meal, they went to the Mount of Olives, where, according to Matthew (26:30-32) and Mark (14:26-28), Jesus predicted his resurrection. Knowing then that his death was near, Jesus retired to the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44) and was arrested there.

TRIAL AND CRUCIFIXION

The synoptists report that Jesus was taken to a meeting of the supreme council of the Jews, the Sanhedrin, and was condemned to death for blasphemy (Mark 14:62). Only the Roman procurator, however, could impose capital punishment, and so, Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate for sentencing. Pilate ultimately left the decision to the people, and when they insisted on Jesus' death, Pilate ordered him executed (Matthew 27:24). Jesus was executed by crucifixion, and late in the day, his body was taken down and laid in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.

THE RESURRECTION

Early, the following Sunday, his disciples found the tomb empty (Mark 16:1). Later the same day, according to Luke, John and Mark, Jesus appeared at various locations in and near Jerusalem. All the Gospels add that, for a brief time after his resurrection, Jesus instructed his disciples. Finally, according to Luke (24:50-51), Jesus ascended to heaven. Acts of the Apostles1: 2-12  reports that this ascension occurred 40 days after Jesus' resurrection.[2] 

MESSIAH, -- in theology, means ‘the Anointed One’, or ‘the Christ.’ It is the Hebrew name for the promised deliverer of humankind. Christians accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The Jewish religion asserts that the Messiah is yet to come. The concept of the Messiah combines the Hebrew ideal of a king from the line of David with the priestly tradition exemplified by Moses. Certain Old Testament passages also characterise the Messiah as a suffering servant. In Christian theology, Jesus fulfils all three concepts. In modern times, the term applies loosely to any anticipated liberator or to an expected saviour in any non-Christian religion.[3] 

BIBLE also called the Holy Bible, sacred book or Scriptures of Judaism and of Christianity. The Jewish Bible is only the Hebrew Scriptures: 39 books, whereas the Christian Bible is in two separate parts: the Old Testament (39) and the 27 books of the New Testament. The version of the Old Testament used by Roman Catholics is the Bible of Judaism plus seven other books and additions to books. The version of the Old Testament used by Protestants is limited to the 39 books of the Jewish Bible. The other books and additions to books are traditionally called the Apocrypha by Protestants and Pentecostals.

ORDER OF THE BOOKS

The Bible of Judaism consists of three distinct parts: the Torah, or Law; the Nebiim, or Prophets; and the Ketubim, or Writings. The Christian Old Testament organises the books according to type of literature: the Pentateuch, corresponding to the Torah; historical books; poetical or wisdom books; and prophetical books. The New Testament includes the four Gospels; the Acts of the Apostles; Epistles; and the Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation.

IMPORTANCE AND INFLUENCE
The most widely distributed book in human history, the Bible has been enormously influential as the foundational document of Judaism and Christianity as well as in secular contexts. The literature, art, and music of Western culture in particular are deeply indebted to biblical themes and images.

THE OLD TESTAMENT
The term Old Testament came to be applied to the Hebrew Scriptures because of the writings of Paul and some other early Christians who distinguished between the Old Covenant that God made with Israel and the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ. The books of the Old Testament include narratives, poetic works, prophetic works, the law and apocalypses.
Many Old Testament books, including Ruth, Jonah and Esther, are narratives; some are stories with plot, characterisation and setting description; and some are histories in that they are guided by facts, insofar as the writer can determine and interpret them. They are popular rather than critical works, based on unreliable oral traditions.
The poetic books of the Old Testament include Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (Songs) and in the deuterocanonical books and the Apocrypha, Sirach and the Prayer of Manasseh. Characterised by parallelism or restatement of lines, as well as by rhythm, the poetic books include many diverse genres, including songs of worship, wisdom poetry and love poetry.
Most Hebrew prophetic books contain three kinds of literature: narratives, prayers and prophetic speeches. Speeches predominate, as the essence of prophetic activity was to announce the word of God concerning the immediate future, often by forecasting punishment or salvation (see Prophecy).
Legal materials are sufficiently prominent in the Hebrew Scriptures that the term Torah (Law) came to be applied in Judaism to the first five books, and in early Christianity to the entire Old Testament. Most of the laws are found in Exodus 20 through Numbers 10.
The apocalypse as a distinctive genre arose in Israel after the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (586 to 538 BC). Apocalyptic writings generally reflect the author's historical view of his own era as a time when the powers of evil are gathering to make their final struggle against God, after which a new age will be established. Daniel is the only apocalyptic book as such in the Hebrew Scriptures.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
The literary history of the Old Testament is long and complicated, and many of the facts are not known. Behind many of the present literary works stand oral traditions, which in some cases existed for centuries alongside written materials? For more detailed information on literary history, see entries on individual Old Testament books.

According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was the author of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Modern scholars believe that the writers of the Pentateuch drew upon several different sources, each from a different writer and period. The oldest source is commonly dated in the 10th or 9th century BC, and the latest source is dated in the 6th or 5th century BC. The writers of these documents worked as editors who collected, organised, and interpreted older traditions, both oral and written.
In recent years the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings have been recognised as a unified account, called the Deuteronomistic History, of the history of Israel from the time of Moses (13th century BC) to the Babylonian captivity. Based on the last events it reports among other evidence, the Deuteronomistic History seems to have been written about 560 BC. Both the cultic and wisdom poetry of the Old Testament are difficult to date or attribute to particular authors. Few if any of the prophetic books were written entirely by the person whose name serve as the title.
THE CANON
The Hebrew Bible and the Christian versions of the Old Testament were canonised in different times and places. The Hebrew Bible became Holy Scripture in three stages: evidence indicates that the Torah became Scripture between the end of the Babylonian captivity and the separation of the Samaritans from Judaism, probably by 300 BC. The canonisation of the Nebiim occurred by the end of the 3rd century BC. The contents of the Ketubim remained somewhat fluid until after the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in AD 70.
The second canon— what is now the Roman Catholic version of the Old Testament— arose first as a translation of the earlier Hebrew books into Greek. The process began in the 3rd century BC outside of Palestine. By the end of the 1st century AD, the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) was in existence. The last major step in the history of the Christian canon took place during the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther removed from his version of the Old Testament the books that were not in the Bible of Judaism and established them as the Apocrypha.
TEXTS AND ANCIENT VERSIONS
All contemporary translators of the Bible attempt to recover and use the oldest text. No original copies exist. With regard to the Old Testament, the chief distinction is between texts in Hebrew and the translations into other ancient languages. The most important, and generally most reliable, witnesses to the Hebrew are the Masoretic texts, in other words, those produced by Jewish scholars, (called the Masoretes) who assumed the task of faithfully copying and transmitting the Bible. The standard printed Hebrew Bible in use today is a reproduction of a Masoretic text written in AD 1088. Still existing, however, are older Hebrew manuscripts, of individual books. For instance numerous manuscripts and fragments, many from the pre-Christian era, have been recovered from the Dead Sea region since 1947 (see Dead Sea Scrolls).
The major Greek version of the Hebrew Bible is called the Septuagint. The first Greek translation included only the Torah and was done in Alexandria in the 3rd century BC. Other versions include the Peshitta, or Syriac; the Old Latin; the Vulgate; and the Aramaic Targums, which were not literal translations but rather paraphrases or interpretations of the original.
THE OLD TESTAMENT AND HISTORY
As the history of Israel was told in the Old Testament, it came to be organized in a series of pivotal events or periods: the exodus, the monarchy, the exile in Babylon, and the return to Palestine with the restoration of religious institutions. Although a considerable body of information concerning the history of the ancient Near East is available from the 3rd millennium BC on, a detailed history of Israel can begin only about the time of King David. The monarchy arose during the 11th century BC in the midst of internal strife and external threat. When David became king in 1000 BC, he ended the Philistine threat and established an empire from Syria to the border of Egypt. The northern tribes rebelled under his grandson Rehoboam, and the two nations, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, separated. Both Judah and Israel fell to foreign armies. The Israelites were sent into exile in Babylon; they were set free in 538 BC, when the Persian king Cyrus the Great established the Persian Empire. At some point during the postexilic period, the history of Israel became the history of Judaism.
THEOLOGICAL THEMES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
The most pervasive theological theme of the Old Testament is that Yahweh (the name of God in the Old Testament; see God; Jehovah) is the God of Israel, of the whole earth, and of history. Two other themes include the covenant, which refers mainly to the pact between Yahweh and Israel sealed at Mount Sinai; and law, which was given as a part of the covenant and concerns relations between human beings and rules for religious practice.
THE NEW TESTAMENT: TEXT, CANON, AND EARLY VERSIONS
The New Testament consists of 27 documents written between AD 50 and 150 concerning matters of belief and practice in Christian communities. It is likely that many or all of the documents were written in Greek; however, translations into other languages existed as early as the 2nd century. Critical editions of the Greek New Testament have appeared with some regularity since the work of the Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus in the 16th century.
The 27 books of the New Testament are only a fraction of the literary production of early Christian communities. Many non-canonical Christian writings have been collected and published as New Testament Apocrypha (see Apocryphal New Testament). Knowledge of the literature of the period was increased by the 1945 discovery of the library of a heretical Christian group, the Gnostics (see Gnosticism).
It appears that the earliest attempt to establish a New Testament canon was made about 150 by a heretical Christian named Marcion. By 200, 20 of the 27 books of the New Testament were likely regarded as authoritative. In 367, the 27 books that now constitute the New Testament were determined.
THE LITERATURE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
As literature, the documents of the New Testament comprise four major types, or genres: gospel, history, epistle, and apocalypse. Within these four categories of literature, many and varied forms appear; these include poems, hymns, confessional formulas, proverbs, miracle stories, beatitudes, diatribes, lists of duties, parables, and others.
HISTORY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The New Testament focuses on a historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth (see Jesus Christ), and addresses the problems faced by his followers in a variety of specific contexts within the Roman Empire. A number of difficulties are encountered in a historical reconstruction of the period as revealed in New Testament sources. Nevertheless, scholars generally agree as to the broad chronological outline. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus began his ministry in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius (Luke 3:1), which would be 28-29. All four Gospels agree that Jesus was crucified when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea (25-36).
Little is known of Jesus before his public life. He was from Nazareth in Galilee, although both Luke and Matthew place his birth in Bethlehem, the ancestral home of King David. Only the books of Luke and Matthew contain birth and infancy stories, and these differ in several details. Many of the books of the New Testament seem to have been written for a later generation; in these books, Jesus' early followers are dead; high expectation of his final return has waned; and the need for preservation, entrenchment, and institutionalisation is evident (see Eschatology; Second Coming).
MAJOR THEMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Consistent with the Old Testament, the God of the New Testament is the creator of all life and sustainer of the universe. However, the New Testament claims in Jesus of Nazareth a unique revelation of God. His person, words, and activities are understood as bringing followers into the presence of God.
Besides Jesus, the Spirit of God, an expression representing the active presence of God, is also used throughout the New Testament. This entity is variously referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of truth. Other themes include the kingdom of God, salvation, and the inseparable connection between religious belief and moral and ethical behaviour.
THE BIBLE IN ENGLISH
The history of the English Bible is the story of its movement from possession and use by clergy alone to possession and use by the laity. Although Christianity reached England in the 3rd century, the Bible remained in Latin and almost exclusively in the hands of the clergy for a thousand years. Between the 7th and 14th centuries, portions of the Bible were translated into English, and some rough paraphrases appeared for instructing parishioners.
In 1382, the first complete English Bible appeared in a manuscript by the English reformer John Wycliffe, whose goal was to give the Bible to the people. In 1525, the English reformer William Tyndale translated the New Testament from the Greek text. Other versions followed, including the Douay or Douay-Rheims (also spelled Douai-Reims) Bible, completed between 1582 and 1609, which was commonly used by Roman Catholics in English-speaking countries. In 1604 King James I commissioned a new revision of the English Bible; it was completed in 1611. The King James Version underwent several revisions, and between 1946 and 1952, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) appeared. Widely accepted by Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic Christians, it provided the basis for the first ecumenical English Bible. Jewish translations of the Hebrew Bible into English have been appearing for two centuries.[4] 

THE ETYMOLOGICAL DERIVATIONS OF SOME WORDS
CHRIST, Greek term found in the Greek version of the Old Testament (see Bible), the Septuagint, translating the Hebrew verb mâshakh, meaning, “to anoint.” In early Israel, the custom of anointing signified the endowment of the person with the qualification for exalted office. The term Christ was applied not only to priests, but also to kings, prophets, and patriarchs. In time, the term came to mean the redeemer and restorer of the Jewish nation. In the New Testament, Christ, as a common noun and as a proper name, generally refers to Jesus of Nazareth (see Jesus Christ).[5] 
RESURRECTION, 
Resurrections as in religious belief, is the revival of the body in some form after death. Although most ancient religions expressed some belief in the soul's immortality or in the resurrection of certain divine beings, the belief in human resurrection was virtually unknown. Traces of this doctrine are found in Egyptian religion, in Zoroastrianism, and in later Judaism. In Islam, the Koran teaches the resurrection of all human beings on the Day of Judgment.

Christian belief rests on the central doctrine of Christ's resurrection, which the apostles understood as a guarantee of each individual's resurrection. The resurrection of the dead completes Christ's work of redemption for the human race. The New Testament says that all the dead will be raised to receive judgment: “Those who have done good” will proceed “to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:29). This resurrection will take place on the Last Day, ushered in by the sound of a trumpet.[6]

TRANSFIGURATION, in the New Testament, event traditionally understood as the revelation of Jesus Christ as the son of God (see Bible). Described in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9, it occurs when Jesus takes three disciples to a mountain: “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light” (Matthew 17:2). At the same time, a “voice from the cloud” said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).[7] 

PASSOVER

The ‘Passover’, is an important Jewish festival commemorating the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and their safe flight across the Red Sea. This journey, described in the Book of Exodus, was led by Hebrew prophet Moses. To encourage the Egyptians to allow the Hebrews to leave, God intended to “smite all the first-born” in the land. The festival's name is derived from God's instructions that Hebrews mark their dwellings with lamb's blood so that God could identify and thus pass over them. In accordance with rabbinic law, Jews living outside the limits of ancient Palestine celebrate the holiday for eight days and partake of a ceremonial meal, known as the Seder, on the first two nights. The narrative of the exodus is recounted and prayers of thanksgiving are offered to God. Jews living within the limits of ancient Palestine celebrate Passover for seven days, conducting a Seder on only the first night.[8]
 
CHRISTIAN CONCEPTIONS
Christianity began as a Jewish sect and thus took over the Hebrew God, the Jewish Scriptures eventually becoming, for Christians, the Old Testament. During his ministry, Jesus Christ was probably understood as a prophet of God, but by the end of the 1st century Christians had come to view him as a divine being in his own right (see Christology), and this created tension with the monotheistic tradition of Judaism. The solution of the problem was the development of the doctrine of the triune God, or Trinity, which, although it is suggested in the New Testament, was not fully formulated until the 4th century. The God of the Old Testament became, for Christians, the Father, a title that Jesus himself has applied to him and that was meant to stress his love and care rather than his power. Jesus himself, acknowledged as the Christ, was understood as the incarnate Son, or Word (Logos), the concrete manifestation of God within the finite order. Both expressions, Son and Word, imply a being who is both distinct from the Father and yet so closely akin to him as to be “of the same substance” (Greek homoousios) with him. The Holy Spirit—said in the West to proceed from the Father and the Son, in the East to proceed from the Father alone (see Filioque)—is the immanent presence and activity of God in the creation, which he strives to bring to perfection. Although Christian theology speaks of the three “persons” of the Trinity, these are not persons in the modern sense, but three ways of being of the one God.

Encarta Encyclopaedia © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

The controversial nature of Church History, the claims and counter-claims occasioned by Protestantism prevents this author from quoting from the Roman Catholic History of the Church. Until there is true Ecumenism and Unification of all Christian denominations, I will refrain from introducing conflicts associated with doctrinal and dogmatic differences in all my write-ups. I do not share the bifurcation by current day Religious Leaders all over the globe. It is a shame that despite the prayer of Jesus, the Christ, in chapter 17 of John’s gospel, we are not united!
                                                        ---- Rev. Prof. Kenez


In all the definitions from the encyclopaedia, there is no evidence to substantiate the current fanatical ways present- day Christians behave and are ascribing to Jesus all the attributes reserved exclusively for God, the Creator of the Universe! If you had analysed the contents of Exodus 20: vv.1-17 or Deuteronomy 5: vv. 1–21, as I prescribed above, you would surely have arrived at the same repentant conclusions as I did three decades ago, namely; 

Give to God, what belongs to God and to
Jesus, the Christ, what belongs to him!

I am sure you know whom I am quoting! Here, I rest my case!
Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez,
Phone: 0804-2719800 or E-mail: saintkenez@yahoo.co.uk.




From The Regional Headquarters Of
INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN MOVEMENT
Danis Family Villa, P. O. Box 139, Umuelechi-Umuezeawala, Ihiala, Federal Republic of Biafra

JESUS EARNED THE TITLE “CHRIST”

By:
Dr J. K. Danmbaezue, D.Psych., FACRS.
The Existential Theosophist & Animator of I.S.M.

I have said it on several occasions that anyone who is very serious with authentic religion, obedience to the Almighty Father and also tenacious about true worship and works of charity can aspire to Sainthood, just as Jesus aspired to and therefore earned Christhood.

That Jesus was born of Joseph and a virgin mother, Mary, and was later adopted by the Most High as his ‘Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him’ is not reducing his honour and position as the First-born.

Rather it emphasises the fact that anyone that works hard by imitating him will also earn God’s adoption. If you have been assigned a divine ministry as Jesus was, follow it through! His predecessors who could have earned the title were not tenacious and therefore failed by the way side due to human concupiscence. Only a few leaders, prophets and judges of the old dispensation like Patriarch Enoch (Gen 5) and Prophet Elijah (Kings 7) passed!

  • Moses failed by his erratic striking of the rock twice rather than once.
  • Samson slept with prostitutes and later married against God’s instruction.
  • Saul preferred sacrifices rather obeying the Almighty God to the letter.
  • David committed adultery and complicated it with pre-meditated murder.
  • Solomon was an ingrate and disobeyed God’s covenant with his father David.

I will supply the additions to this list later, for now let us get biblical support for my premise, assertion or proposition that we are all equipped to earn ‘Christhood’! Turn to;

Hebrews 5

5:1 Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.
 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
4 No one takes this honour upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
"You are my Son; today I have become your Father." 
6 And he says in another place,
"You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." 
7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered
9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.
12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 6


6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3 And God permitting, we will do so.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,
6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case-things that accompany salvation.
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." 
15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
NIV

The Evidence that he earned the title is borne out by the correct narrative in chapter 12 of John’s gospel, the beloved apostle and brother of Jesus, the Christ;

 

John 12


12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And, the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages."
6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the King of Israel!"
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.
18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.
19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.
21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."
22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name!"
Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."
29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
38 This was to fulfil the word of Isaiah the prophet:
"Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn-and I would heal them." 
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word, which I spoke, will condemn him at the last day.
49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
NIV

THE FIRST PREACHING BY THE APOSTLES

Do we accept that Simon Peter is the head of the apostles? If we do, and his leadership position was conferred upon him by Jesus, then his testimony should be final on this matter. Turn top his defence that they were drunk on the day of Pentecost for my final deposition:

Acts 2

2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!
16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
25 David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'
29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.
30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
41 Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Even, the writer of Hebrews recognised Jesus, the Christ, was merely a man elevated to the ‘Son of God’.
Heb 4:13-16
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin.
16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Another very interesting episode happened after Jesus was raised from the dead. His disciples confirm that he was only a great prophet!

Luke 24:13-24
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;
16 but they were kept from recognising him.
17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.
20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;
21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.
22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning
23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Even Patriarch King David predicted or prophesied the relationship of Jesus to the Almighty Father when in Psalm 2 he intoned:

Ps 2:7-12
7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will rule them with an iron sceptre; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
(From the New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Another confirmation that Jesus is not God was stated unequivocally in John’s gospel at many places. Let us see some examples of what Jesus said on the issue:
John 14
14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.
7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever--
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 "All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.
30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,
31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave.
(From the New International Version. Copyright (c) 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society) 

John 10:24-39
24 The Jews gathered round him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are one."
31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,

32 but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?
35 If he called them 'gods', to whom the word of God came-- and the Scripture cannot be broken--
36 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'?
37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.
38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society) 


John 12:37-13:1
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
38 This was to fulfil the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn-- and I would heal them."
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no-one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
The testimony of Jesus to his lover after his resurrection from the dead by Almighty God is the final point on the controversy over his lower position to the Father:
John 20:1-18
20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.
4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,
7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.
8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes,
11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."
14 At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus.
15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
Verses 11 – 17 supports the school of thought that propounds that Jesus was formally engaged to Mary before his arrest and crucifixion. Analyse the prohibiting sentence in verse 17 and you will realise that she had always embraced her lord, the normal way wives greet their husbands when overwhelmed by such strong emotions as palpable fear, grief over a dead child, reunion after a quarrel, and now this ‘lost & found’ situation! Jesus was only human and if the scriptures could permit “Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus” to be retained in all the versions of the Christian Bible, we have enough reason o believe that he was truly human and had every right to fall in love with a woman who lavished the costliest oil on his head , washed his feet with her repentant tears and wiped them with her hairs!

Let us stop the buffoonery of thinking we are paying the Lord much respect or protecting his divinity by lying about his true human qualities that confirm that he was only human. In one vein, theologians would want to prove his humanity by pointing out that he wept at Lazarus graveyard. That is normal if your would-be in-law, the only surviving male that would give away the bride on her wedding day died some weeks to your proposed wedding! The same theologians, would later turn around to state that Jesus could not marry because he was not an ordinary man! He would, they imply by so doing, need a woman half- divine and half-human to qualify for such a marriage! This is a diatribe! If the cap fits, let us be man enough to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! We shall shame the devil by so doing! That is my point of view!
…….Rev Prof J. J. Kenez, D.Sc., the Vessel of the Holy Spirit of God.22/07/2006 19:14:58HRS

Let us revisit he rhetorics of theologians over this matter. It is very amusing that learned scholars would be economical with the truth when it is most needed:

WYCLIFFE BIBLE COMMENTARY
“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God”.

Touch me not. The Greek calls for a different rendering: Stop clinging to me. Apparently Mary's first impulse, in her frenzy of joy, was to grasp the sacred form. Jesus did not rebuke the other women for holding his feet (Matt 28:9), for this was an act of worship; nor did he shrink from inviting Thomas to touch him (John 20:27). But Mary needed to be taught that the Lord was not with her on the basis of the old relationship. He was already glorified. He belonged now to the heavenly realm, even though he was willing to tarry for a time to meet with his friends. I am not yet ascended. The implication was that Mary would be able to touch Jesus in some sense after Ascension, i.e., she would touch him by faith in the blessed life of the Spirit. The closeness of that new relationship is attested by the fact that he spoke of his followers as brethren (cf. the anticipation of this in Matt 12:49). Even in the intimacy of the new order, however, Christ retained his own special relationship to God the Father. My Father is the language of deity; my God is the language of humanity.
(from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

THEN HENRY MATHEW COMES WITH HER VERBOSITY

John 20:11-18
The resurrection

St. Mark tells us that Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9); that appearance is here largely related; and we may observe,
I. The constancy and fervency of Mary Magdalene's affection to the Lord Jesus, v. 11.
1. She staid at the sepulchre, when Peter and John were gone, because there her Master had lain, and there she was likeliest to hear some tidings of him. Note,
(1.) Where there is a true love to Christ there will be a constant adherence to him, and a resolution with purpose of heart to cleave to him. This good woman, though she has lost him, yet, rather than seem to desert him, will abide by his grave for his sake, and continue in his love even when she wants the comfort of it.
(2.) Where there is a true desire of acquaintance with Christ there will be a constant attendance on the means of knowledge. See Hos 6:2-3, The third day he will raise us up; and then shall we know the meaning of that resurrection, if we follow on to know, as Mary here.
2. She staid there weeping, and these tears loudly bespoke her affection to her Master. Those that have lost Christ have cause to weep; she wept at the remembrance of his bitter sufferings; wept for his death, and the loss which she and her friends and the country sustained by it; wept to think of returning home without him; wept because she did not now find his body. Those that seek Christ must seek him sorrowing (Luke 2:48), must weep, not for him, but for themselves.
3. As she wept, she looked into the sepulchre, that her eye might affect her heart. When we are in search of something that we have lost we look again and again in the place where we last left it, and expected to have found it. She will look yet seven times, not knowing but that at length she may see some encouragement. Note,
(1.) Weeping must not hinder seeking. Though she wept, she stooped down and looked in.
(2.) Those are likely to seek and find that seek with affection, that seek in tears.
[3.] The further instructions that Christ gave her (v. 17): "Touch me not, but go and carry the news to the disciples."
First, He diverts her from the expectation of familiar society and conversation with him at this time: Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended. Mary was so transported with the sight of her dear Master that she forgot herself, and that state of glory into which he was now entering, and was ready to express her joy by affectionate embraces of him, which Christ here forbids at this time.
1. Touch me not thus at all, for I am to ascend to heaven. He bade the disciples touch him, for the confirmation of their faith; he allowed the women to take hold of his feet, and worship him (Matt 28:9); but Mary, supposing that he was risen, as Lazarus was, to live among them constantly, and converse with them freely as he had done, upon that presumption was about to take hold of his hand with her usual freedom. This mistake Christ rectified; she must believe him, and adore him, as exalted, but must not expect to be familiar with him as formerly. See 2 Cor 5:16. He forbids her to dote upon his bodily presence, to set her heart on this, or expect its continuance, and leads her to the spiritual converse and communion which she should have with him after he was ascended to his Father; for the greatest joy of his resurrection was that it was a step towards his ascension. Mary thought, now that her Master was risen, he would presently set up a temporal kingdom, such as they had long promised themselves. "No," says Christ, "touch me not, with any such thought; think not to lay hold on me, so as to detain me here; for, though I am not yet ascended, go to my brethren, and tell them, I am to ascend." As before his death, so now after his resurrection, he still harps upon this, that he was going away, was no more in the world; and therefore they must look higher than his bodily presence, and look further than the present state of things.
2. "Touch me not, do not stay to touch me now, stay not now to make any further enquiries, or give any further expressions of joy, for I am not yet ascended, I shall not depart immediately, it may as well be done another time; the best service thou canst do now is to carry the tidings to the disciples; lose no time therefore, but go away with all speed." Note, Public service ought to be preferred before private satisfaction. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Jacob must let an angel go, when the day breaks, and it is time for him to look after his family. Mary must not stay to talk with her Master, but must carry his message; for it is a day of good tidings, which she must not engross the comfort of, but hand it to others. See that story, 2 Kings 7:9.
Secondly, He directs her what message to carry to his disciples: But go to my brethren, and tell them, not only that I am risen (she could have told them that of herself, for she had seen him), but that I ascend. Observe,
a. To whom this message is sent: Go to my brethren with it; for he is not ashamed to call them so.
(1.) He was now entering upon his glory, and was declared to be the Son of God with greater power than ever, yet he owns his disciples as his brethren, and expresses himself with more tender affection to them than before; he had called them friends, but never brethren till now. Though Christ be high, yet he is not haughty. Notwithstanding his elevation, he disdains not to own his poor relations. (b.) His disciples had lately carried themselves very disingenuously towards him; he had never seen them together since they all forsook him and fled, when he was apprehended; justly might he now have sent them an angry message: "Go to yonder treacherous deserters, and tell them, I will never trust them any more, or have any thing more to do with them." No, he forgives, he forgets, and does not upbraid.
b. By whom it is sent: by Mary Magdalene, out of whom had been cast seven devils, yet now thus favoured. This was her reward for her constancy in adhering to Christ, and enquiring after him; and a tacit rebuke to the apostles, who had not been so close as she was in attending on the dying Jesus, nor so early as she was in meeting the rising Jesus; she becomes an apostle to the apostles.
c. What the message itself is: I ascend to my Father. Two full breasts of consolation are here in these words:-
(a.) Our joint-relation to God, resulting from our union with Christ, is an unspeakable comfort. Speaking of that inexhaustible spring of light, life, and bliss, he says, He is my Father, and our Father; my God, and your God. This is very expressive of the near relation that subsists between Christ and believers: he that sanctifieth, and those that are sanctified, are both one; for they agree in one, Heb 2:11. Here we have such an advancement of Christians, and such a condescension of Christ, as bring them very near together, so admirably well is the matter contrived, in order to their union. [a.] It is the great dignity of believers that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is, in him, their Father. A vast difference indeed there is between the respective foundations of the relation; he is Christ's Father by eternal generation, ours by a gracious adoption; yet even this warrants us to call him, as Christ did, Abba, Father. This gives a reason why Christ called them brethren, because his Father was their Father. Christ was now ascending to appear as an advocate with the Father-with his Father, and therefore we may hope he will prevail for any thing-with our Father, and therefore we may hope he will prevail for us. [b.] It is the great condescension of Christ that he is pleased to own the believer's God for his God: My God, and your God; mine, that he may be yours; the God of the Redeemer, to support him (Ps 89:26), that he might be the God of the redeemed, to save them. The summary of the new covenant is that God will be to us a God; and therefore Christ being the surety and head of the covenant, who is primarily dealt with, and believers only through him as his spiritual seed, this covenant-relation fastens first upon him, God becomes his God, and so ours; we partaking of a divine nature, Christ's Father is our Father; and, he partaking of the human nature, our God is his God.
(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Jesus made Simon Peter, the head/leader of the apostles after he had confessed that Jesus was truly the Son of God. Refer to Matthew 16:13-19, Mark 8:27-29 or Luke 9:18-20. He was present at all his miracles, so let us hear his verdict:

2 Peter 1
1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,
14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

Now take note of this and explain it to me:
Matt 10:23
23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)


I have nothing more to add to convince any sane Christian that Jesus, the Christ, was truly an adopted Son of God! He was ‘the Son of Man’, a term he freely used to describe himself! He never claimed equality with his Father! He was/is not GOD; therefore, any deification of him as a god is idolatry since it violates the first commandment of  God!

Yours truly, Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, 14/07/2006 06:51:56HRS

That Jesus prayed hard and sought God’s face before he was given divine wisdom and power to perform miracles is best illustrated by the queries of his kinsmen who were perplexed that an ordinary carpenter could do all those things:

Mark 6:1-6
6:1 Jesus left there and went to his home town, accompanied by his disciples.
2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!
3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him.
4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his home town, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour."
5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went round teaching from village to village.


(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)


No one has doubted that Jesus was the son of Mary nor that hi was the son of a carpenter. According to Jewish tradition, he had learnt his father’s trade. As the first son, he had to take care of four juniors and three sisters before thinking of settling down! Is it surprising then that like his father he had slave all his life to save enough money to pat the dowry on any damsel? Was it wrong for Mary to fall in love with Jesus? Was Martha not naïve to leave the most important thing and serve tables while her elder sister edged her out of the competition to win his hand in marriage?

Jesus was only getting to the ripe age of marriage by Jewish customs when he was arrested and murdered for putting the most sought after rich lady in the entire Palestine. Some have argued that his rivals over securing the attention of the amorous Mary of Magdala were he real plotters of his death rather than the Sanhedrin. He underestimated what the descendant of Satan through Cain could do to thwart his ministry. They just bided their time and struck when he exhausted his miraculous powers raising his would-be in-law from the dead after four days. He underrated his real adversaries!

John 20:1-18
20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.
4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,
7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.
8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes,
11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."
14 At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus.
15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

Verses 11 – 17 supports the school of thought that propounds that Jesus was formally engaged to Mary before his arrest and crucifixion. Analyse the prohibiting sentence in verse 17 and you will realise that she had always embraced her lord, the normal way wives greet their husbands when overwhelmed by such strong emotions as palpable fear, grief over a dead child, reunion after a quarrel, and now this ‘lost & found’ situation! Jesus was only human and if the scriptures could permit “Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus” to be retained in all the versions of the Christian Bible, we have enough reason o believe that he was truly human and had every right to fall in love with a woman who lavished the costliest oil on his head , washed his feet with her repentant tears and wiped them with her hairs! Let us stop the buffoonery of thinking we are paying the Lord much respect or protecting his divinity by lying about his true human qualities that confirm that he was only human. In one vein, theologians would want to prove his humanity by pointing out that he wept at Lazarus graveyard. That is normal if your would-be in-law, the only surviving male that would give away the bride on her wedding day died some weeks to your proposed wedding! The same theologians, would later turn around to state that Jesus could not marry because he was not an ordinary man! He would, they imply by so doing, need a woman half- divine and half-human to qualify for such a marriage! This is a diatribe! If the cap fits, let us be man enough to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! We shall shame the devil by so doing! That is my point of view!
Now see the testimony of Jesus himself before his crucifixion:
Matt 20:17-19
17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,
18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death
19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

“On the third day he will be raised to life!” Does that suggest omnipotence? Of course it does not! So, where did Paul get his version of ‘he rose from the dead’ which has been the most misleading phrase in Christendom? We must not put words into the mouth of Jesus, who was so humble and meek that he severally referred to himself simply as; ‘the son of man’ Saul of Tarsus, was over-reacting to the blinding light experience on the road to Damascus. We cannot allow his psychological problems delude us into ascribing to the Saviour, titles that he rejected while on earth! It is high time we told the average Christian, the whole truth about Jesus! He was nor born a “Messiah”, rather he worked to merit it! He earned it! Whereas Joseph, Moses, Samson, Saul, David and Solomon failed to earn it, he obeyed God so well in all things that he was adopted a his baptism and confirmed at the transfiguration! We do not do him any favour by deifying him when he resisted even earthly titles. Remember he escaped when the crowd wanted to make king by force shortly after he fed them with five loaves of bread and two fishes!

And now the final proof that Jesus is not God is his own testimony;

Matt 20:20-23
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him.
21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

Finally, Simon Peter ends the speculation in very clear terms that only eye witnesses of the Transfiguration on the mountain could ever or can give:
2 Peter 1:16-21
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c)  1984, by International Bible Society)

The same person who deified Jesus corrected himself in one of his letters tot the Corinthian Christians:

1 Cor 15:17-28
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 For he "has put everything under his feet". Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.
28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

And finally, it was/is Jesus himself who had/has the last word on this issue of equality with his father:

Matt 19:16-20:1
16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18 "Which ones?" the man enquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
19 honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.'"
20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27 Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

That Jesus never claimed divinity while on earth is confirmed by his own very words about his second coming to judge the world, witness:

Matt 25:31-26:1
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
32 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.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 "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.
35 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,
36 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.'
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41 "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.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 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.'
44 "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?'
45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

We do not need further evidence beyond this, The Son Of Man, was what he claimed until his death. It was based on his uprightness, loyalty and obedience even unto accepting to hang on the cross, saying; “Let thy will be done, not mine” that earned him the highest title of the Christ, the Holy One of God, but not equality with his Eternal father! QED

Yours truly as always,
………………………………………………………………Rev Prof J. J. Kenez, D.Sc.,
The Vessel of the Holy Spirit of God. 22/07/2006 19:18:58HRS. on Saturday, 22 July 2006
EPILOGUE

JESUS, WAS THE SON OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER, WHO, BECAUSE HE OBEYED THE FATHER IN ALL THINGS AND FULFILLED ALL THAT WAS PROPHESIED ABOUT THE GREATEST  PROPHET  OF HIS PEOPLE WAS LATER, ADOPTED AT HIS BAPTISM,
AS THE SON OF GOD!

Mark 6:1-13

6:1 Jesus left there and went to his home town, accompanied by his disciples.
2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!
3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him.
4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his home town, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour."
5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went round teaching from village to village.
7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff-- no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.
9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

12 They went out and preached that people should repent.
13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
 
Mark 3:31-35
31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

EPILOGUE

1 Corinthians 15:1-28
15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 For he "has put everything under his feet". Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.
28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

The psalmist also foresaw that Jesus would be resurrected from the grave by a superior power not his;

Psalms 49
49:1 Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me--
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him--
8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough--
9 that he should live on for ever and not see decay.
10 For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses for ever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah
16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendour of his house increases;
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendour will not descend with him.
18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed-- and men praise you when you prosper--
19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light [of life].
20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

Not to be parochial in my dissertation, I shall now present the only time Jesus proved to everyone that he was truly come from God:

Luke 5:17-26
17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.
18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.
19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
23 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralysed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."
25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

The reader is invited to make his/her own conclusions from all he/she has read. Making heaven is not a day’s job! A lifetime may even not be enough. How to get to the kingdom of God is what Jesus came to show us, WHICH HE EMPHASISED IS RIGHT HERE IN OUR HEARTS but there have been a million interpretations of his recommendations!
All I have to counsel is  THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS THE ONLY AUTHENTIC MODE  OF REACHING THE PROMISED HEAVEN HERE ON EARTH ITSELF BEFORE OUR INDIVIDUAL; DEATHS!
Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, the International Spiritual Leader of I. S. M.





EPILOGUE

Jesus was neither the first nor the second to ascend into heaven with his physical body! This may sound foreign to many fanatics in Christendom. However, if you believe all the stories in the bible, then remember that both Patriarch Enoch in Genesis 5 and Prophet Elijah in 2 Kings took the gold and silver medals while Jesus only picked the bronze!

Many prosperity gospel preachers of today are not disciples of the Lord and Master Jesus! They claim to perform signs and wonders but have never fed their hungry congregation even once. All they know is Malachi 7:7. When will we stop pretending to be what we are not? The greatest miracle of Jesus in his entire ministry was his compassionate care for his flock that were really famished. He fed them with five loaves and two fishes! But even at that Prophet Elisa preceded him in that example as well;
2 Kings 4: 42 - 44
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe corn, along with some ears of new corn. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
43 "How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.'"
44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

The gift of performing miracles started with Moses in Egypt and those were really stupefying ones. Then other prophets and even Judges performed lesser ones. Do you think that killing more than a thousand soldiers with only a jaw bone of lion was not a miracle or uprooting and lifting the entrance gate of a city which three hundred soldiers can not do is not also miraculous?

If Jesus was equal in all respects with His Father, why did he pray to him in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Let thy will be done!”
Go and study the conversation between Pontus Pilate and Jesus before the washing of hands by the former sequel to the mob’s “Crucify him! Crucify him!” In that narrative any sane person can surmise that the Father had greater powers than the Son. Or else, explain why he would need to request for a legion of angels! Finally review what happened at his death and expatiate on the underlined verses:
Matthew 27:45-54
45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
49 The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
However it is important to note that initially Paul never preached that Jesus was God. No, he always insisted in every authentic translation of his letters that, He is only a Lord, while his father was God!
Romans 1

1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God--
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David,
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--
12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am bound both to Greeks and Non-greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is for ever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worth while to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practise them.
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, and 1984, by International Bible Society)

From the early part of this letter to educated Romans, it is clear that it was not Saul of Tarsus who initiated the deification process. So, we need to find out how the worship of Jesus as a god started. Constantine was a worshipper of Mithra, the god of the sun for many years before he fell in love with a Christian girl. To marry the throb of his heart Paul decreed that he must first become a Christian. To get what he wanted he obliged Paul. Soon he also became the emperor and officially declared the religion of his wife and in-laws, the state religion. He persuaded Paul to include some of their belief systems and that is eventually how Christianity conquered the paganism of the Romans!


Only the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews captured the personality traits of Jesus conferred on him by the Almighty Father! In this opening chapter unlike every other book in the entire Bible, the narrative confirms my thesis that Jesus was/is the Son of God, elevated above every other created beings but never equal to the Supreme Being that created him and us! We do not show respect to the Father by equating him to his created, nor do we favour Jesus by setting him up against his Father.

Meditate on the bold phrases as think them over; Can one who was granted special powers ever be equal to the One who gave him the powers? The answer is definitely; NO! This passage states the statuses and special favours god, the Almighty Father of all of us bestowed on Jesus for a purpose! That is why he was able to stand all the temptations and triumph over the devil in every way even ‘death on the cross.’ My hope is that Christians should learn to worship god the Father as Jesus enjoined us to, and respect him for dying to save mankind!
Hebrews 1
1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him.”
7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."
8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."
10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."
13 To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
(From the Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978 and 1984, by International Bible Society)

Now, let Saul of Tarsus who engineered the Roman version of Christianity we practise today have a final word on the hierarchy of the godhead. He states that Jesus is not equal to his father God
1 Tim 2:1-7
2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men-- the testimony given in its proper time.
7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle-- I am telling the truth, I am not lying-- and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)

The issue of disobeying the very first commandment God, the Almighty, gave to Moses on Mount Sinai in the grouse I have against Christendom! Now the last book in the entire bible concludes my dissertation properly in chapter 7:

Revelation 7:9-8:1
9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
11 All the angels were standing round the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God,
12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-- who are they, and where did they come from?"
14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
(from The Holy Bible: New International Version.  Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)


It is consummated. I have run the race. I have completed the discourse. I have kept the faith. No one should hide under the canopy of religiosity and worship Jesus.
He never asked us to! The error must be corrected in today’s Christian Liturgy and the Pentecostal crusade versions of praise and worship sessions! The new era psychedelic prostrations and theatrics are idolatrous, puerile and futile!

Revolutionary Professor J. J. Kenez, D.Sc.
24/04/2001 @ 02:45:45HRS GMT


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