JESUS
IS NOT GOD
BUT THE SON OF GOD
Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez
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
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
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
(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
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
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
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
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 Jordan
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
46 "Nazareth
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 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 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
18 "We are going up to Jerusalem
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
33 "We are going up to Jerusalem
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
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
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 Gomorrah
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
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
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
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
 |
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.
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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
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
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 Judea , now known as Israel Nazareth
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
GROWTH OF JESUS' FOLLOWING
Using Capernaum
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
THE
OLD TESTAMENT AND HISTORY
As the history of Israel Babylon Palestine Near East is available
from the 3rd millennium BC on, a
detailed history of Israel Syria Egypt Israel Judah Judah Israel Babylon Persian
Empire . At some point during the postexilic period, the history of
Israel
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 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 Galilee , although both
Luke and Matthew place his birth in Bethlehem
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
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 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
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 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 Palestine
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
139Federal Republic 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
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
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 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
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 Asia ,
10 Phrygia
and Pamphylia , Egypt Libya Cyrene 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
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
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
19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth
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
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
(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
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
18 "We are
going up to Jerusalem
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 Damascus
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
If Jesus was equal in all respects with His
Father, why did he pray to him in the Garden of Gethsemane
Go and study the conversation between Pontus
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
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
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
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.
