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From the previous
Lesson-3G, we've come to know
the basic truth, written in the scriptures, that the "true Jesus" is
indeed the Christ, the
"Son of God"; and by believing in this basic truth, we
may have eternal life in Jesus' name ( John 20:31). This is
the very reason why the Gospel was written in the Bible by
Christ's Apostles and disciples who knew Jesus very well.(Lesson-3F).
This also clearly explains why in the New Testament, the
phrase or expression
"Son of God" is applied repeatedly, in singular,
only to Jesus, whereas, the term "God the Son" is not used at
all
Lesson-3B.2.
That is why the
phrase or title "God the Son" cannot be read in the Bible as
the title is
associated more with the development of the
Trinity doctrine which include the
doctrine of Incarnation.
Knowing that the "true Jesus" is indeed the Christ, the "Son
of God",
let us continue studying the scriptures so we may come to
know the truth about His nature and state of being.
Jesus Himself told the truth that He is
a Man
3H.1
What is the truth that Jesus told the
people
about Himself?
In John 8:40, the truth
is written:
"But
now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you
the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did
not do this. (NKJV)
Clearly and
unambiguously Jesus said. . . .
The fact that Jesus
Himself said that "He is a Man" who has told the truth
He heard from God is undeniable proof that He is really
a Man in nature and state of being, because. .
- We can be sure
that Jesus told the truth, for the scripture says
"He never sinned, and he never deceived anyone" (1 Peter 2:22,
NLT).
Jesus' statement also proves that
the Man Jesus is not God Himself for He is clearly distinct
(separate being) from
God from whom He heard the truth.
Questions to
Ponder: <
Click for details |
If
Jesus is indeed "God the Son" the
incarnation of the eternal (non-created)
second person of the Trinity or Triune
God who took on a human body and nature
and became both truly man and truly God
simultaneously (Lesson-3C.1-4),
then . . . . .
-
Why did Jesus himself say that
"He is a Man" and did not say that He is
also God?
- Why
did Jesus himself say that "He heard the
truth from God" if He is one
and
the same Triune God?
- Who,
then, is the God from whom Jesus heard the
truth? Is He the Triune God?
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Jesus prove that He is still a Man after His resurrection
3H.2
How did Jesus Himself prove to
His apostles that He is indeed a Man in nature and state of
being, and not God, even after His resurrection?
Many things was
experienced by Jesus' apostles and disciples after His
resurrection and one of this is written in Luke
24:37-42:
36.
Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood
in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to
you.'' 37. But they were terrified and frightened, and
supposed they had seen a spirit. 38. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And
why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39. "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I
Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not
have flesh and bones as you see I have.''
40. When He had said this, He showed them His hands
and His feet. 41. But while they still did not believe for joy,
and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food
here?'' 42. So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and
some honeycomb. 43. And He took it and ate in their presence. (NKJV)
When Jesus appeared in
the midst of His apostles, they were terrified and
frightened because they supposed they had seen a spirit.
But Jesus corrected them and said:
-
"Why are you
troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
-
"Behold My hands
and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and
see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones
as you see I have.''
- When He had
said this, He showed them His hands and His
feet.
- But while they
still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said
to them, "Have you any food here?''
- So they gave
Him a piece of a broiled fish and some
honeycomb.
- And He took
it and ate in their presence.
Clearly, Jesus
undeniably proved to His apostles and disciples that He
is a indeed Man in His state of being after His
resurrection, as He physically showed to them that He is
still a Man in nature with flesh and bones.
- By physically
proving to His disciples that He is not a spirit, He
undoubtedly also proved to them that He is not God
because He Himself taught them that "God is Spirit"
(John 4:24)
Questions to
Ponder: <
Click for details |
If
Jesus is indeed "God the Son" the
incarnation of the eternal (non-created)
second person of the Trinity or Triune
God who took on a human body and nature
and became both truly man and truly God
simultaneously (Lesson-3C.1-4),
then . . . .
- How could Jesus be "truly
God", who is a spirit, and also be "truly Man", with flesh and bones, at the
same time?
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Jesus a Man with a glorious body sitting at the right hand of God
3H.3
What further proves that Jesus is
really a Man in heaven? As a Man, what kind of body does
Jesus possess in heaven proving that He is still a Man?
In the following verses
these are written:
But this Man,
after He had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of
God, (Hebrews 10:12, NKJV)
What
I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
These perishable bodies of ours are not able to live
forever. (1 Corinthians 15:50, NLT)
who will change our lowly body to be like his
glorious body, by the power which enables him
even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians
3:21, RSV)
52.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead
will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53. For this perishable body must put on
imperishability, and this mortal body must put on
immortality. (1Cor.15:52-53)
Jesus is the Man who
is sitting at the right hand of God (Heb.10:12). Still a
Man with flesh and bones after His resurrection (Luke
24:39), Jesus does not have the ordinary man's body but
He now possess a "glorious body" (Phil.3:21) which is
fit to live forever in heaven (1 cor.15:50)
The fact that Jesus
possess a "glorious body" is proof enough that Jesus is
still a Man and not God, for God is spirit. Moreover, the fact that Jesus sat at
the right hand of God, is proof enough that He is not God
Himself but
Man with a glorious body.
What
kind of body is a "glorious body"?
From the above verses,
we can read, a glorious body is
unlike an ordinary man's body which is perishable
(subject to decay) and mortal (subject to death). Jesus'
"glorious body" is imperishable and immortal, the kind
of body that will live forever in heaven. This is
also the kind of body that will be given to those who
will be resurrected and saved on Judgment Day
(1Cor.15:52-53).
What
further proves that Jesus is indeed a Man and not God?
In Romans 8:34, this
is written:
who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died,
yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at
the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for
us? (RSV)
The same verse in
another version of the Bible:
Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ
Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised
to life and is at the right side of God,
pleading with him for us! (TEV)
Jesus is indeed a
Man, and not God Himself, because He is seated at the right hand
of God, interceding for us or pleading with God for us.
Questions to
Ponder:: |
The Trinity doctrine
states that God is the Triune God, existing as three
persons, but one being.
Members of the Trinity are said to be co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence,
nature, power, action, and will. (Lesson-2C.1)
-
If Jesus is indeed God, why did He
sit at the right hand of God? How can they be one
and the same Triune God
if God the Son sits at the right hand
God?
-
If Jesus is indeed God, then why
would He still plead to God on man's
behalf? How can they be one and the
same Triune
God, if God the Son pleads to God?
-
Who is the God mentioned in the
above verses? Is it the Triune God
or God the Father?
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The Apostles declared that Jesus is a
Man attested by God
3H.4
How did all the
Apostles declare the truth about Jesus that He is indeed a
Man and not God?
In Acts 2:14 & 22, these
are written:
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his
voice and said to them, . . . . .
22. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of
Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles,
wonders, and signs which God did through Him in
your midst, as you yourselves also know (NKJV)
The same verses, in
another version of the bible:
14But Peter, standing with
the eleven, raised his voice and
addressed them: . . . . . . . .
22You men of Israel, listen to
what I have to say: Jesus of
Nazareth, a Man accredited and
pointed out and shown forth and
commended and attested to you by God
by the mighty works and [the power
of performing] wonders and signs
which God worked through Him [right] in your midst, as you
yourselves know-- (Amplified Bible)
Apostle Peter together
with the eleven Apostles declared the truth about Jesus,
that He is indeed a Man, when He said . . . . . . .
The fact
that Jesus was attested by God Himself that He is a Man
is undeniable proof that Jesus is truly a Man and not
God, for He is clearly distinct (not the same being) from God who attested
that He is a Man by doing the miracles, wonders and
signs through Him.
Questions to
Ponder:: |
- If
the Apostles believe that God and
Jesus are one and the same Triune
God, then, why
did the Apostles' say that God attested, pointed
out or showed that Jesus is a Man?
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The Man Christ Jesus is the only
Mediator between God and men
3H.5
How did Apostle Paul
reveal the truth that Jesus is indeed a Man and not God?
In 1 Timothy 2:3-5, these
are written:
3.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior, 4. who desires all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God
and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (NKJV)
The same verse in another version
of the Bible:
3. This is good
and pleases God our Savior,
4. for he wants everyone to be saved and to
understand the truth.
5 For there is only one God, and there is
only one mediator between God and humanity, himself
a human being, Christ Jesus, (NJB)
Apostle Paul
reiterated the desire of God for men to be saved and
come to the knowledge of the truth. And the truth that
men must know is . . . . .
-
There
is only one God, and
-
There
is only one Mediator between the one God and men, the Man
Christ Jesus.
The Fact
that the Man Christ Jesus is the Mediator between God
and men, is proof that Jesus is a Man and not God, for
He is clearly distinct and not the same being, from the God whom He is mediating
for.
How
was the role of the Man Christ Jesus as the one Mediator
between God and men made clear?
In Galatians 3:20,
this is written:
Now there is no mediator when only one party
is involved, and God is one. (New American
Bible)
The same verse in
the New King James Version of the Bible:
Now a mediator does not mediate for one
only, but God is one. (NKJV)
Apostle Paul
explained further that there is no mediator if only
one party is involved, that is,
-
Jesus being the mediator could not be God
Himself at the
same time, because that would lead to the
ridiculous notion that Christ is a mediator of
one.
-
It is however perfectly correct to say that He
(Jesus), the mediator, is Man, because there is
not only one man but rather many men, that is
being mediated for, to the only one God.
God (only
one) (First Party) |
The Man
Christ Jesus (as Mediator) |
Humanity
(many men) (Second Party) |
The fact that the Man
Christ Jesus was made a Mediator by God, is undeniable
proof that Jesus is Man and not God Himself, for He is clearly
distinct (not the same being) from God whom He is mediating for.
Jesus the Man chosen by God to judge
the world for Him
3H.6
How did the Apostles explain that
Jesus is still a Man even when He returns the second time on
the Day of Judgment?
In Acts 17:31, this is
written:
He
has set a day when he will judge the world's people
with fairness. And he has chosen the man Jesus to
do the judging for him. God has given proof of
this to all of us by raising Jesus from death.
(Contemporary English Version)
The same verse in
another version of the bible:
For he has set a day for judging the world with
justice by the man he has appointed, and he
proved to everyone who this is by raising him
from the dead." (NLT)
The Apostle Paul
taught the following to the men of Athens
- That God has
chosen or appointed the "Man Jesus" to do the judging for Him.
- That God has
given proof or proved
to everyone who this Man is by raising Jesus from
the dead.
The above teaching
clearly proves the following
- The fact that it
is God who chose the "Man Jesus" is undeniable proof
that Jesus is a Man and not God, for He is clearly
distinct (not the same being) from God who chose Him.
- And the fact that
Jesus died is further proof that Jesus is a Man and
not God, for God does not die,
God is immortal (1Timothy
1:17).
-
The fact that it was God
who raised the Man Jesus from the dead is undeniable
proof that Jesus is a Man and not God, for He is
clearly distinct (not the same being) from God who have the power to
bring Him to life.
Questions to
Ponder: |
-
If Jesus is truly God, why did he die?
-
If Jesus is truly God, why
did God still need to raise Him (Jesus) from the dead?
- What
happened to the Triune God when God the
Son died?
- Why
would God still need to appoint the Man Jesus to
judge the world for Him if He and Jesus
are one and the same Triune God?
- Who
is the God mentioned in the above
verses? Is it the Triune God or God the
Father?
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_________
The scriptures
are very clear indeed that Jesus is a Man in nature and
state of being. For Jesus Himself said that He is a Man who
heard the truth from God (John 8:40). A Man attested by God
by doing the miracles, wonders and signs through Him (Acts 2:22).
A Man
with a glorious body sitting at the right hand of God (Heb.10:12) pleading to God
on men's behalf (Romans 8:34).
For there is only one God and only one
Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus
(1 Tim.2:5). And Jesus is
the Man chosen by God to judge the world for Him (Acts
17:31). Thus according to the scriptures, Jesus as the
Son of God is unquestionably a Man in nature and state of
being and He is distinct (separate being) from God who
proved to everyone by raising him
from the dead (Acts 17:31).
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