So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

[Your closest friendnt]

8 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi 1to3,

this quote is from C.J.Rolls, (past century Bible teacher)

`The rich young ruler recognised the inherent goodness of His character and addressed Him, "Good Master'" whereupon Christ in answering him caught up the use he made of "good," and replied, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God."

The implication here is, "By your addressing Me as GOOD master, do you really recognise that I am God?"

Marilyn.

Not only this man after seing the good Jesus was doing to everyone who came to him, and often he went out of his way to places and people that they did not have send an invitation to him, or the Holy Spirit have made something known to him and sent him on a mission, as in the case if the man who lived in the semetary, and Jesus obeying God went to his town on a mission from God. 

This is the same as when Peter heal the man at the gate of the Temple, and follow up with many miracles doing good to the sick. 

In these examples and many others the people only see Jesus or Peter doing the good, and as they were a custom to their cultures the prophet was receiving gifts for their doins, but Jesus never asked or demant any gift from anyone he healed, anyone could received from his goodness even those without any money. 

By these standards Jesus was a good man to the people and indeed he was, 

Jesus knew that the people only see him, and do not see the power that works in him, and which power was guiding in his missions and the good he was doing to the people, to everyone even the sinners, the outcast, the poor and never asked or received anything in returned. 

And he also had his disciples with him and he was teaching them by example. 

And as we see with Peter later on, who followed his example and said it is not me, do not give the glory to me, but to the power that works in me, "in the name of Jesus", see Jesus . 

And like Jesus freely give and freely receive. 

As with Nathan who as the custom was brought gifts to the prophet to pray for his healing as per the custom. - he did not accept the gift that time-, and the priests received gifts to intercede for people.....

So Jesus show that the people do not see the power that works in him, and some of the leaders were telling themselfs because Jesus was doing miracles on the Sabbath, and to the lepers, sinners and cast out the unclean spirits , helping those who were possesed by them as a result considered unclean.

For these reasons they were speading the news that Jesus does the miracles by the powers of the ocult, as the priests of Farao in Egypt or their neibouring countries. 

Thus were telling people that the power that works in Jesus is of the Devil.

As some of the leaders were present , ever present all the time following as to what he says, trying to twist the meaning of his words to find an opportunity to accused him of something. - read carefully between the lines- he took this oportunity to declare to the people in general, but also to the leaders that I know your moves , your thoughts about me , your intentions and your plans.

So he Jesus use this as a step to tell everyone that the power that works in him is from God, and its his will that this goodness is working in me for your benefit, he discrived him self as an instrument of the goodness of the HEAVENLY FATHER.

He wanted to introduce to them -one of the reasons the HEAVENLY FATHER. 

As it is the same with us today the power of the Holy Spirit works in us in the Name of Jesus Christ. 

 

[Adstar]

On 7/7/2018 at 8:48 AM, 1to3 said:

 

So, there is this person on the internet claiming to be a Jewish christian saying  because of this verse it confirms that Christ the promised messiah was -is-not God and that it is a blaspheme to call Christ Jesus God.

 

I would like to know how would you explain to them the meaning of

Luke 18:19 ^:So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

 

It can be explained by reading the passage in context..

Matthew 19

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

 

Here we see a man whose foundation belief is  achieving eternity with God by good Works. He is asking Jesus how He can do to make it into eternity with God. Of course this is impossible for any man to justify his own place in eternity with God. So Jesus response to this man must be understood from this starting point of the conversation between the two. Now lets go to the next verse:

 

Matthew 19

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

 

Remember this man was a Jew who looked upon Jesus as being a teacher a rabbi, He did not know that Jesus was The Word of God, God made flesh. Jesus was Good. But Jesus knew this man did not know who Jesus was so His reply was teaching the man Never to call another human being Good because no man was good. Only God is good.  So then Jesus starts to convict the man of his inability to earn eternity by his own righteousness, We continue:

 

 

Matthew 19

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’[h] and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.[j] What do I still lack?”

 

 

Now of course he is wrong in his reply, the man may have genuinely believed he was keeping all the commandments but as we know Jesus declared that even if you look at another woman with lust you are an adulterer and if you hate someone you are a murderer. So Jesus looking into the man knowing his weaknesses just picked something he would not be able to do. AND at the same time revealed that a man must be Perfect if he wants to have eternity with God. Something No man can achieve. The Scriptures continue:

 

 

Matthew 19

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

 

Can you imagine how crushed the young man was at that time? He went away knowing he could not justify himself before God because God requires Perfection which no man can achieve. That young man was now "set up" to receive the Love of the Truth of the Gospel. I imagine one day him hearing peter preaching and leaping for joy. I hope he did. But this in not where this episode ends the disciples at the time where also under the false impression that eternity with God was earned by good works and works of the law. They where dumbstruck by what Jesus said the chapter continues:

 

 

Matthew 19

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to 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 His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

 

 

They did say Who then can be saved but they where still thinking that being saved was something that was still earned, paid for by man to God in the currency of good works and works of the Law. They knew that Jesus said to the man that he had to be perfect. Then Jesus gave them a definitive answer in the next verse:

 

 

Matthew 19

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

Jesus both made it clear that it was Impossible for men to gain eternity by their own efforts. And confirmed that mankind's Salvation could only be achieved by the Gods Works. God has done this by providing Atonement to cover mans imperfection through the death and resurrection of the Messiah Jesus.

[Willa]

On 7/6/2018 at 3:48 PM, 1to3 said:

Luke 18:19 ^:So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

This confirms that Jesus is God the Son, since He alone lived a righteous life was and is God, and is able to be in the Fathers presence.  The Lamb of God at Passover had to be without spot or blemish.  It had to be innocent and perfect in every way.  John The Baptist introduced Jesus saying "Behold, the Lamb of tGod, that takes away the sin of the world."

Joh 1:28  These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Joh 1:29  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Joh 1:30  This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.'

Joh 1:31  I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

 2Co 5:2 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

[Alan Hales]

On ‎7‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 1:48 AM, 1to3 said:

Hi brother Duke The verses that you gave and that would be presented to the Jewish man who thinks he is a christian but does not believe that Christ is God,may very well use your verses to defend his point of view that we like Christ can find God, but that does not make Christ God.

And the last verse saying i am in the Father and the Father in me, can be easily used  by some to defend why Christ was not God as god is in everybody and everybody is in  God.

 

I m really looking for a substantial explanation to explain  Luke 18:19

 

I hope if not you somebody can give a good scriptural defense as to what Christ Jesus said and meant when He said don'T call me good, only my father in heaven is good.

 

Jesus was saying, "I'm either God and therefore I'm God, Or I'm not Good therefore I'm not God". Although Jesus was the Son of God, [God the Son] He operated as the son of man.

[1to3]

4 minutes ago, Alan Hales said:

Jesus was saying, "I'm either God and therefore I'm God, Or I'm not Good therefore I'm not God". Although Jesus was the Son of God, [God the Son] He operated as the son of man.

So what do you think then? was Christ Jesus good ?

[Alan Hales]

22 minutes ago, 1to3 said:

So what do you think then? was Christ Jesus good ?

Jesus was good, God Anointed Him and He went about doing good, Acts 10: 38.

[Your closest friendnt]

On 7/6/2018 at 6:48 PM, 1to3 said:

 

So, there is this person on the internet claiming to be a Jewish christian saying  because of this verse it confirms that Christ the promised messiah was -is-not God and that it is a blaspheme to call Christ Jesus God.

 

I would like to know how would you explain to them the meaning of

Luke 18:19 ^:So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

 

 

 

.

Jesus also said to this man, "leave everything and follow me", 

The disciples of Jesus were also present, and when they heard Jesus said "leave everything and follow me", they were quite surprised. 

In the past Jesus had said to them "follow me", and they left everything and follow him.

But Jesus did not say to them the samething that he said to this man: "sell everything and follow me", 

We see their reaction to the statement Jesus made, 

Jesus did not asked them the same thing, when he called them. 

That time the disciples had their coultural beliefs about the Christ. 

They were taught to believe that the Christ will by a miracle free the Land of the Romans and Herod, and be the King just like David, unite the two kingdoms of Israel into one as in the time of David, and that he had chosen the twelve to be the Governors and he will give them wisdom to be the Judges of the twelve trives. 

This had to come with them living in Palaces and have a lot of wealth and servants, and they thought many other similar things pertaining to their future. 

Jesus use this opportunity to say that to this man for more than one reason.

Je was telling the disciples this is what is going to required from them when the right time will come, the time when the Holy Spirit will come to them and he will asked them to go in missions with him in places far away and will have to leave everything behind and not come back. 

He was telling them their dreams as they were at that time will not come to pass and he will required from them to follow him where he will sent them and take him with them to Gentile teritory in the Spirit, or he will go to the Gentiles and they will follow him their. 

Jesus was telling them his plans for them. 

That time they were not raedy to understand, but later they did. 

He also was telling them the power that would be working in them is from God, the Holy Spirit. 

And people cannot see the power that was working in them.

Jesus was telling them to tell the people about the Holy Spirit that was guiding and working the miracles. 

The same thing Jesus was telling the people that was doing the things the power that was working in him was guiding to do. 

He was saying that God was in him telling him what to do. 

He was pointing to the power that was working him. 

Now here is this . 

Why this power was in Jesus and why this power wants Jesus to wittness to people who that power was. 

This is something else to talk about. 

Because Jesus was in the likeness of the second Adam, and was not from the seed of any man , even the seed of a Jewish man. He was from God.

That time the people were not ready to be told too many things, so Jesus was telling them that he is from God, that he has come from above, and that puzzle the people because not only they knew his parents and his brothers, and many people can give witnesses that they watch Jesus grow up. 

But also the woman who help Mary give birth, gave witness that she help Mary give birth. 

For that matter everyone who witness his birth or right after, as the Sheppards. 

Later Jesus was telling about being "the Lord of the Sabbath", ........and being the light and the Life..  

The disciples later explained that Jesus before his birth "EMMANUEL", was the Creator if all things, and Adam, the one who breath the Life in Adam. 

The disciples later preach him as EMMANUEL, who left everything unto death and God exaulted him and raised him from the dead and made him Lord and Judge of all, sitted him on his Throne .

And Jesus said " All the power and Authority is given unto me from the Heavenly FATHER.

[1to3]

6 minutes ago, Your closest friendnt said:

He also was telling them the power that would be working in them is from God, the Holy Spirit. 

Hello Your closest friendnt;

Firstly I find it difficult to understand your long explanations along with your English syntax. I understand that if writing English as a second language , good English syntax may not come so easy, but nevertheless it makes it more difficult to understand you especially when it is accompanied by long responses.  

From all you write and how you use your English syntax, you seem to leave room for the reader to wounder weather you think Christ was God or not.

From what you have written and from what I have come to understand from what you have written, is it  your opinion  that it does not matter whether a person think Christ is God or not for them to be saved?  Is that correct? because we all should understand automatically that Christ Jesus was in your words: a "Heavenly Patriarch"?

 

 

The bible  bible says :

1 John 2:2

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.…

 

1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

Romans 3:25

Study Bible

Righteousness through Faith
…24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.…

 

Christ Jesus could not become the propitiation for our sins if He Himself was not GOOD=God's only begotten Son and part of the trinity: Father -Son- Holy Spirit.

Christ's Blood had to be good, direct from God-pure untainted, spotless for Him to be the propitiation for our sins.

its not only believing that Christ was the promised Messiah, like believing in earthly Patriarchs of the bible: Abraham, Issac and Moses its believing completely that Christ BLOOD was Pure as He was the only begotten Son of God that without Him no one, no Jew , no gentile can come to the Father but through HIM-Christ Jesus.

Just so I know where you stand more clearly, do you believe this also?

 

 

 

[Your closest friendnt]

7 hours ago, 1to3 said:

Hello Your closest friendnt;

Firstly I find it difficult to understand your long explanations along with your English syntax. I understand that if writing English as a second language , good English syntax may not come so easy, but nevertheless it makes it more difficult to understand you especially when it is accompanied by long responses.  

From all you write and how you use your English syntax, you seem to leave room for the reader to wounder weather you think Christ was God or not.

From what you have written and from what I have come to understand from what you have written, is it  your opinion  that it does not matter whether a person think Christ is God or not for them to be saved?  Is that correct? because we all should understand automatically that Christ Jesus was in your words: a "Heavenly Patriarch"?

 

 

The bible  bible says :

1 John 2:2

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.…

 

1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

Romans 3:25

Study Bible

Righteousness through Faith
…24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.…

 

Christ Jesus could not become the propitiation for our sins if He Himself was not GOOD=God's only begotten Son and part of the trinity: Father -Son- Holy Spirit.

Christ's Blood had to be good, direct from God-pure untainted, spotless for Him to be the propitiation for our sins.

its not only believing that Christ was the promised Messiah, like believing in earthly Patriarchs of the bible: Abraham, Issac and Moses its believing completely that Christ BLOOD was Pure as He was the only begotten Son of God that without Him no one, no Jew , no gentile can come to the Father but through HIM-Christ Jesus.

Just so I know where you stand more clearly, do you believe this also?

 

 

 

Hello brother ito3, thank you for your responses, Jesus answer did not say "I am good", and did not say "I am God", this is clear from reading the text.

You do not need to be a professor in english.

Unless being a professor includes the skill, step by step to read into things they are not there.   

I with english as a second languish I can do a strate reading, why can not you? 

If you want to raise the issue about Jesus being God, very well, but why using this scripture. 

It's incorrect english to say "Jesus is God", 

No one of the disciples ever use this phrase "Jesus is God", 

Not even Jesus use these words for himself. 

They disciples of Jesus unlike the others that follow who were not from the first pick , even modern ones, they do not like to use the same words the disciples use. 

Have you ever wonder why? 

There many scriptures from Jesus that he speaks about himself, and manymore from the disciples. 

That tell us in plain English not to look for the Creator the way Adam , Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Aaron........even the disciples look before they understand that that they cannot find him because he is no where to be found. 

Unless they understand the meaning of EMMANUEL. 

And they understand how he was concieved. 

And how he grew up, and his mission that took him to the Cross, from the Cross to the lowest parts of the earth, from the Lowest parts of the earth, to the Earth again through his resuraction, and to the hiest in the Heaven .

Heaving a new Glory that he never had before and no one else had before, -if you can understand this-. 

He went back to Heaven to his Heavenly FATHER. 

But not the same way when he left HEAVEN. 

He left Heaven, before he create the Earth and man, with a body from the Earth, and giving him from his life. 

The first man was Adam, with the body of flesh and bones, and the rest, intestines eyes .......and "blood" , no one else had these before, without going to the age of the dinashores, and enything else that was here on earth. 

To make it simple to understand the meaning of EMMANUEL. 

When the Creator has just made man- even before he made man- he knew that one day he will look just like Adam. 

And he even knew how that is going to happened. 

When as the seed of the woman, the virgin birth, and he also knew that time his mission, and that being conceived he cannot bring anything he had before he was conceived. 

Things pertaining to wisdom, knowledge, ......

Even was hidden from him for a period of time who he was before being conceived and being borned. 

They had him believe that Joseph was his Father. 

Till we find out , that about when he was twelve years old, that he knew things not anyone had teach him, of course his parents and the relatives or friends teach him childrens stories , games and songs, and the story of his ancestors as all the children had to learn, and participate in their religious celebrations. 

When as an infant was growing up they teach him, Jesus did not teach them, they teach him hiw to speak and their language. 

But when he was about twelve years old, 

We are told that he knew many things no one had teach him, from the people around him, that he knew many things they -his parents- did not understand, 

Jesus also about that time he knew who he realy was. 

And he confronded his parents and told them that they do not to hide it anymore from him. 

He knew that Joseph was not his Father.

And he said my FATHER is in Heaven. 

Or I should go on my Father's business. 

And his parents told him to keep it a secret....not to get them in trouble, till the right time comes.

We see that Jesus had Heavenly teachers to teach him many things  as he was growing up. 

 

[1to3]

Hello Your closest friendnt;

Thank you for your explanation,

Yes some of what you write is written and found in the bible but then some other things that you bring up are not found in the bible.

You said""No one of the disciples ever use this phrase "Jesus is God",  

Really ? then what about what John wrote?

 

From where did you take your sources to the things you mention that are not written in the bible like?

"When as the seed of the woman, the virgin birth, and he also knew that time his mission, and that being conceived he cannot bring anything he had before he was conceived.  

Things pertaining to wisdom, knowledge, ......"

 

"Heaving a new Glory that he never had before and no one else had before, -if you can understand this-. 

He went back to Heaven to his Heavenly FATHER. 

But not the same way when he left HEAVEN. 

He left Heaven, before he create the Earth and man, with a body from the Earth, and giving him from his life. "

 

------------------------------------

Here is an explanation of Jesus being God:

 

 

 

 

 

 

the greatest difference between Jesus Christ and all other religious leaders is that, according to Christians, he claimed to be God (See, “Did Jesus Claim to be God?“) . If this claim of his is false, the message of the gospel loses all credibility. That message is that God loved us so much that He became a man to die for our sins, offering us eternal life with Himself. Thus, if Jesus is not God, then we have been lied to.

 

Some religions teach that Jesus was a created being. And books, like The Da Vinci Code, have become best-sellers by saying neither Jesus nor his apostles taught that he is God (See “Mona Lisa’s Smirk“).

These attacks on the divinity of Christ raise the question of what happened nearly 2000 years ago that caused Christianity to claim that its founder, Jesus Christ, is actually God. In “Did Jesus Claim to be God” we see that the evidence from the New Testament points strongly to the fact that Jesus did claim to be God. But were the eyewitnesses, who heard Jesus’ words and saw his miraculous deeds, convinced that he is equal in every way with his Father? Or did they think that Jesus was merely a higher created being or a great prophet like Moses?

To sort out truth from fiction, we need to go back to the words of the apostles who were there when Jesus walked the earth, and wrote their testimonies of what they saw and heard.

Jesus had picked very ordinary men to be his followers. He spent three years with them, teaching them about himself and explaining to them the deep truths of God’s Word. During those three years, Jesus performed numerous miracles, made audacious claims, and lived an absolutely righteous life. Later, these apostles wrote down many of Jesus’ words and deeds. These New Testament accounts have been called extremely reliable, far exceeding all other ancient historical documents for authenticity.

When they first encountered Jesus, the apostles had no idea who he was. However, as they heard his profound words and saw him restore sight to the blind and raise the dead, they may have recalled the prophecies indicating the Messiah would be God Himself. (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2). But as they saw him dying on the cross, Jesus appeared defeated and powerless. Any thoughts they might have had that Jesus was God undoubtedly vanished at the cross.

However, three days after that traumatic event, the one, who had appeared impotent while hanging on the cross, miraculously appeared alive to his followers. And he had risen bodily. They saw him, touched him, ate with him, and heard him talk of his glorified position as the supreme authority in the universe. Simon Peter, who was one of the closest of Jesus’ disciples, and an eyewitness, wrote:

 

“We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father….We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice.” (2 Peter 1: 16, 17

But does the fact that the apostles saw God’s glory and heard God’s voice through Jesus mean that they regarded him as God? New Testament scholar A. H. McNeile gives us the answer:

“…no sooner had the Life of Jesus ended in apparent failure and shame than the great body of Christians—not an individual here and there, but the mass of the Church—passed over at once to the fixed belief that He was God.”

So, did the apostles who wrote the New Testament accounts really believe that Jesus is God, or did they regard him as a created being? If they regarded Jesus as God, did they consider him as the Creator of the universe, or something less? Those who deny Jesus’ deity say that the apostles taught that Jesus is God’s supreme creation, and that the Father alone is the eternal God. So, to clarify their beliefs about Jesus, we will examine their words, asking three questions:

1. Did the apostles and early Christians worship and pray to Jesus as Lord?
2. Did the apostles teach that Jesus is the Creator written of in Genesis?
3. Did the apostles worship Jesus as Preeminent in the universe?

Lord

After Jesus ascended, the apostles stunned both Jew and Roman by proclaiming Jesus as “Lord”.[3] And the apostles did the unthinkable and worshipped Jesus, even praying to him as if he was God. Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” as he was being stoned to death. (Acts 7:59).

Other believers soon joined Stephen, who even in the face of death, “never ceased for a single day…to teach and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus (Acts 5:42). The apostles, most of whom were martyred, passed on their knowledge of Jesus to church fathers who carried on their message into the next generation.

Ignatius, a disciple of the Apostle John, wrote about Jesus’ 2nd coming, “Look for him that is above the times, him who has not times, him who is invisible”. In a letter to Polycarp he states “Jesus is God”, “God incarnate,” and to the Ephesians he writes,” … God Himself appearing in the form of a man, for the renewal of eternal life.” (Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians 4:13)

Clement of Rome in 96 A. D. also taught Jesus’ divinity, saying, “We ought to think of Jesus Christ as of God.” (2nd Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 1:1)

Polycarp, also a pupil of John’s, was tried before the Roman proconsul for worshipping Jesus as Lord. While the frenzied crowd shouted for his blood, the Roman judge demanded he proclaim Caesar as Lord. But Polycarp went to the stake, rather than renounce Jesus as his Lord, responding,

“Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”[4]

As the early church grew, Gnostics and other cults began teaching that Jesus was a created being, inferior to the Father. This came to a head in the fourth century when Arius, a popular preacher from Libya, persuaded many leaders that Jesus wasn’t fully God. Then in 325 A. D. at the Council of Nicaea, church leaders met to resolve the issue of whether Jesus is the Creator, or merely a creation.[5] These church leaders overwhelmingly affirmed the long-held Christian conviction and New Testament teaching that Jesus is fully God.[6]

Creator

In Genesis the God of the Bible is revealed as Creator of everything from the tiny atom to the magnitude of space with its billions of galaxies. Thus, it would have been heresy for a Jew to think an angel or any other created being was the Creator. Isaiah confirms that God (Yahweh) is the Creator:

“This is what the Lord, the Creator and Holy One of Israel says…I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command….I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!” (Isaiah 45:11a, 12, 13b)

So, did the apostles view Jesus as part of creation, or as the Creator?”

John’s Testimony

When Jesus’ disciples gazed at the stars on dark evenings, they most likely didn’t even dream that the Creator of those stars might be in their very presence. Yet after his resurrection, they saw Jesus with new eyes. And before he left earth, Jesus began to unfold mysteries to them about his identity.

Recalling his Lord’s words, John begins his gospel by revealing who Jesus is:

“In the beginning the Word (logos) already existed. He was with God, and he was God….He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. Life itself was in him and this life gives light to everyone.” (John 1:1, 3-4)

Although scientists now believe the universe had a beginning from nothing, they can’t tell us who was there to start it all. John reveals that before creation, “the Word already existed”, and was “with God.”

So who or what is this pre-existent Word? John’s next words clarify who he is talking about: “the Word was God.[7]

As a Jew, John believed in one God. But John is talking about two entities here, God and the Word. Some groups, who teach that Jesus was created, erroneously translate this passage to mean the Word is a god rather than the God. But New Testament scholar F. F. Bruce writes that “rendering the phrase as “a god” is a frightful mistranslated because the omission of the indefinite article is common with nouns in the predicative construction.”[8]

Therefore, John, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, tells us:

1. the “Word” existed before creation
2. the “Word” is the Creator who created everything
3. the “Word” is God

Thus far, John has told us that the Word is eternal, Created everything, and is God. But he doesn’t tell us whether the Word is a force or a person until verse 14.

“So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us.” He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father” (John 1:14).

John clearly refers here to Jesus. Furthermore, in his epistle he confirms it:

“The one who existed from the beginning i“nothing exists that he didn’t make.” If nothing existed apart from him, it follows that Jesus couldn’t have been a created being. And according to John, the Word (Jesus) is Gs the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).

John tells us that “nothing exists that he didn’t make.” If nothing existed apart from him, it follows that Jesus couldn’t have been a created being. And according to John, the Word (Jesus) is God

 

source article:

https://y-jesus.com/more/ajg-apostles-jesus-god/3/