JESUS WAS NEVER A NATIVE OF BETHLEHEM THE HOMETOWN OF JESUS WAS STATED CLEARLY BY EVANGELIST MARK

JESUS WAS NEVER A NATIVE OF BETHLEHEM

THE HOMETOWN OF JESUS WAS STATED CLEARLY BY EVANGELIST MARK

JESUS, WAS THE BIOLOGICAL SON OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER AND THE VIRGIN MOTHER MARY; WHO, BECAUSE HE RETAINED HIS VIRGINITY, KEPT THE MOSAIC LAWS, 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!

Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, D.Sc.

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)

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THE POWER TO MAKE BELIEVERS “CHILDREN OF GOD”

Let us explore the scriptures to see whether anyone else in the history of the world ever affirmed that he had the divine power to adopt men and women who followed him as his true brothers and sisters, thereby transforming them from children of Adam and Eve who were slaves to sin into sanctified freemen/women of the Almighty Creator of our universe!

The Gospel credited to John, the Beloved Apostle states thus:

12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; (RSV)

John 1:1-19

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'"

16 From the fulness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. 

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

John 1:1-19

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 2 He was in the beginning with God.

 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' "

16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

From the New King James Version of the Holy Bible

I have nothing to add or subtract from these divinely inspired writing of an ordinary fisherman. Who taught him?

The Almighty, the source of all knowledge!

Now, critically analyse each sentence as a natural scientist and see whether Christians are making a foolery of themselves or it is actually you, the worldly unbeliever, who is really a certified fool! 

Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, D.Sc.

Vessel of the Holy Spirit of the Almighty Creator

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? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God!"

25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"

26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching-- and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."

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

Those of us who are not Jews by birth have no business claiming or defending the divinity of Jesus. His blood brothers are all over the place. We must allow them to handle it. It is a national issue for the Israelites! We should at least listen to Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles when he summarised his mission in his first letter to the Corinthians:

1 Cor 15:1-4

15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

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

Paul’s position is clear. One who was raised by another can never claim equality with the one who raised him from the dead! He even demonstrated this in his assertion in his letter to the Church at Ephesus;

Eph 1:17

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

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

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

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

Matt 2:9-15

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

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

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

Revelation 1: 1-3;

1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

2 who testifies to everything he saw-- that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

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

If Jesus and the Almighty are equal in all respects, why should verses 1 & 2 make distinctions between ‘the sender of the angel’, the ‘word of God’ and ‘the testimony of Jesus’? Even, the popular old King James Version that most itinerant preachers prefer to quote, which gives them the ample opportunity of interpretating the verse however they want is even more unequivocal about the differentiations;

“Rev 1:1-3

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”                        From the original authorised King James Version

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

THE PRONOUNCEMENTS OF THE LIVE APOSTLES

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

John 20:30-21:1

30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21:20-25

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

1 John 5:1-12

5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 This is the one who came by water and blood-Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

All from NEW IINTERNATIONAL VERSION of the HOLY BIBLE

‘SON OF GOD’ APPEARED 42 TIMES AND ONLY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, ‘JESUS IS GOD’ NEVER APPEARED ONCE

Matthew 4:3

3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

NIV

Matthew 4:6

6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

"'He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

NIV

Matthew 8:29

29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

NIV

Matthew 14:33

33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

NIV

Matthew 26:63

63 But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

NIV

Matthew 27:40

40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

NIV

Matthew 27:43

43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" NIV

Matthew 27:54

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

NIV

Mark 1:1

1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

NIV

Mark 3:11

11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." NIV

Mark 15:39

39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

NIV

Luke 1:35

35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. NIV

Luke 3:38

38 the son of Enosh,

the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God.

NIV

Luke 4:3

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

NIV

Luke 4:9

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. NIV

Luke 4:41

41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. 

NIV

Luke 22:70

70 They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"

He replied, "You are right in saying I am."

NIV

John 1:34

34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

NIV

John 1:49

49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

NIV

John 5:25

25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. NIV

John 11:27

27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

NIV

John 19:7

7 The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

NIV

John 20:31

31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

NIV

Acts 9:20

20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. NIV

Romans 1:4

4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. NIV

2 Corinthians 1:19

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." NIV

Galatians 2:20

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. NIV

Ephesians 4:13

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

NIV

Hebrews 4:14

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. NIV

Hebrews 6:6

6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

NIV

Hebrews 7:3

3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.

NIV

Hebrews 10:29

29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? NIV

1 John 3:8

8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. NIV

1 John 4:15

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. NIV

1 John 5:5

5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

NIV

1 John 5:10

10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. NIV

1 John 5:12

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

NIV

1 John 5:13

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. NIV

1 John 5:20

20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

NIV

Revelation 2:18

18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. NIV

My friends, this does not need a commentary. Or, does it?

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."

Jerusalem

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--

Judea

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.

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.

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;

Man.

40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'

49 and he then begins to beat his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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

 

Mark 10:17-31

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No-one is good-- except God alone.

19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'"

20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel

30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.

33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,

34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?"

39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with,

40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.

42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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

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

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK BY INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN MOVEMENT

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

Our motto speaks volumes for itself;

ONE ALMIGHTY CREATOR,

ONE CREATED UNIVERSE,

ONE HUMAN FAMILY! ! !

ISBN: 987  -………………………. ………………………

© 2005 Rev. Prof. J. J. KENEZ

e-mail: saintkenez@yahoo.co.uk

 

Copyrights: All rights reserved.

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

 

 

Published & Printed By:

KIHOL   PRODUCTIONS   LIMITED

Danis Family Villa, Umuelechi, Umuezeawala,

P.O.Box 12 or 139, 0803-544-8824 or 0803-472-8772,

IHIALA, BIAFURU AMAMIFE ND’IGBO N’IME R .O. B

 

 

 

 

Kenez International Humanitarian Organisations Linkage

www . kenez @ kihol . org