Did Jesus claim to be God?

[TonyChanYT]

The Bible does not record where Jesus said: "I am God". However, he said in (NIV) John 10:

30 "I and the Father are one.”

Jesus claimed to be one with the Father.

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus' opponents thought that Jesus claimed to be God.

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’?

Jesus didn't deny the claim.

35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?

More precisely, Jesus insisted that he was the Son of God.

Elsewhere in John 14:

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

There is strong evidence that Jesus implied that he was God but he had always preferred to label himself as the Son of Man and the Son of God.

See also

• In the epistles, Jesus is often treated as God
• Did Jesus know that he was God?
• Why did Jesus not say explicitly that he was God in the Gospels?

 

[Jim C]

Jesus actually refers to God the Father as His God a few times in scripture.

For example, in Revelation 3:2 Christ is admonishing the church in Sardis and says:

REV 3:2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of My God.

However, John 1:1 states "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word was with God and the Word was God"

So as the Word of God Jesus was God, but as the Son of Man Jesus always considered Himself to be subordinate to God, the Father.

 

[Webers_Home]

~
Jesus openly declared himself to be the Messiah. (John 4:25-26)

That was a really huge declaration because according to Matt 22:42-45,
Ps 110:1, and Ps 45:1-7, Messiah is, at the very minimum, a divine being.
_

 

[Traveler]

This is one of those deceptions that has played havoc.

There is God the Father
There is Jesus the only beggon son of God. All the other sons of God were created.

This was the understanding that the original disciples had. To demonstrate take a look at the opening greetings in all the Epistoles. All of them. In every case a clear distinction is made between the Father and the Son. Jesus sits at the right hand of God, not on the seat of God.

 

[TonyChanYT]

There is Jesus the only beggon son of God. All the other sons of God were created.

Right. See The only begotten God

 

[Webers_Home]

~

The Bible does not record where Jesus said: "I am God". However, he said in (NIV) John 10:30
"I and the Father are one.” Jesus claimed to be one with the Father.

I would not recommend using that verse to prove Jesus claimed to be God
because the Greek word translated "one" is somewhat ambiguous. It can
indicate quantity and it can also indicate unification; for example:

● John 17:22 . . I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they
may be one as we are one

NOTE: There are quite few folks at large who sincerely believe the gentle
Jesus of the New Testament was a radical, i.e. just the opposite of the fire
and brimstone Yahweh in the Old Testament. But not so; Jesus and Yahweh
are in perfect agreement.

● John 5:19 . . I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can
do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does
the Son also does.

● John 6:38 . . I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do
the will of Him who sent me.

● John 8:29 . . The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone,
for I always do what pleases Him.

For example; when God inundated the world with Noah's flood killing
everybody in its path, Jesus would've cheered Him on. When God incinerated
the entire town of Sodom-- burning everyone to death including men,
women, and children; young and old alike --Jesus would've cheered Him on.
When God slew all the firstborn of man and beast in Egypt: Jesus would've
cheered Him on.
_

 

[amadeus]

@TonyChanYT
Consider also the following verse:

Heb 1:8

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

 

[Traveler]

Why not consider psalm number two. A clear distinction between God and Jesus. Just because Jesus is also a deity it does not make him his Father.

 

[Webers_Home]

~
The Watchtower Society-- a.k.a. Jehovah's Witnesses --refuses to believe it's
possible for a supernatural entity to exist as a spirit being and a material
being simultaneously; but there are several theophanies in the Old
Testament that support the possibility, e.g. Gen 18:1-33, Gen 32:24-30, Ex
24:1-11, and Josh 5:13-15, et al.

Theophanies are quite a level above James Cameron's avatars. Theophanies
aren't vehicles and/or artificial people, rather, they are 100% fully
functioning humans who can be thought of as God's interaction with
mankind in a safe mode (cf. Ex 33:20 & 1Tim 6:13-16)

The Old Testament's theophanies are very useful for preparing a Bible
reader's mind to buy into the ultimate theophany: Christ Jesus.

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

● John 1:14 . .The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

The Word's flesh is a complex theophany. Those others in the Old Testament
popped out of nowhere-- so to speak --whereas the Word's flesh can trace his
human origin all the way back to Adam, i.e. Christ Jesus is one of Adam's many
paternal grandsons, ergo: the Word's theophany is our fellow man whereas those
Old Testament theophanies were nobody's fellow man.
_

 

[ElieG12]

Since Jesus said:

John 20:17 Jesus said to her: “Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.’”

... this statement "a supernatural entity [existing] as a spirit being and a material being simultaneously" is ridiculous.

 

[GracePeace]

The Bible does not record where Jesus said: "I am God". However, he said in (NIV) John 10:


Jesus claimed to be one with the Father.


Jesus' opponents thought that Jesus claimed to be God.


Jesus didn't deny the claim.


More precisely, Jesus insisted that he was the Son of God.

Elsewhere in John 14:


There is strong evidence that Jesus implied that he was God but he had always preferred to label himself as the Son of Man and the Son of God.

See also

• In the epistles, Jesus is often treated as God
• Did Jesus know that he was God?
• Why did Jesus not say explicitly that he was God in the Gospels?

I'm not 100% decided on this.

Paul says Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.
Therefore, to see Christ is to see God.
John says Isaiah's vision of God wasn't God but was Jesus.

"No one has seen God", but lots of people saw Jesus.
If Jesus was seen, but no one saw God, Jesus can't be God.

Jesus also says the Father is greater than He is.
He says His Father is the only true God.
Revelation is a vision God gave Jesus.
Why is Jesus receiving revelations?
He has incomplete knowledge
But wouldn't His being a Son infer it isn't His place to have omniscience anyway?

That doesn't mean I could easily describe what Jesus actually is, because no one else could be said to have had "equality with God" (which itself means Christ isn't God--to have equality with something would be to assert yourself as being one thing and to assert the thing you have equality with is something else), or to be "the visible image of the invisible God". For sure, He isn't merely a man, because God created all things by Christ--He existed before everything.

It's really not an easy thing to comprehend. It's difficult.

 

[ElieG12]

When Jesus was on earth, God was in heaven, and Jesus talked about Him.

 

[TonyChanYT]

"No one has seen God", but lots of people saw Jesus.

Good point. See No one has ever seen God. Really? and follow up there.

If Jesus was seen, but no one saw God, Jesus can't be God.

Right, this is a logical and divine mystery. When it comes to the nature of God, human logic often fails

 

[dev553344]

The Bible does not record where Jesus said: "I am God". However, he said in (NIV) John 10:


Jesus claimed to be one with the Father.


Jesus' opponents thought that Jesus claimed to be God.


Jesus didn't deny the claim.


More precisely, Jesus insisted that he was the Son of God.

Elsewhere in John 14:


There is strong evidence that Jesus implied that he was God but he had always preferred to label himself as the Son of Man and the Son of God.

See also

• In the epistles, Jesus is often treated as God
• Did Jesus know that he was God?
• Why did Jesus not say explicitly that he was God in the Gospels?

@marks what do you think if this? Curious!

 

[GracePeace]

Good point. See No one has ever seen God. Really? and follow up there.

I read the OP but didn't see anything that would resolve these issues.

Right, this is a logical and divine mystery. When it comes to the nature of God, human logic often fails

Yeah, it's "mysterious", and there are reasons (eg, the aforementioned--there are others) why people struggle with accepting that "Jesus is God". He well may be, because there are arguments for that, as well, but it's not so straightforward.

 

[Traveler]

@marks what do you think if this? Curious!

I am also one with my wife, does not mean I am my wife.

 

[dev553344]

I am also one with my wife, does not mean I am my wife.

Huh? I was more curious about what marks thinks about the thread.

 

[dev553344]

I give this thread "Oh" about x hours before it's locked

 

[GracePeace]

I give this thread "Oh" about x hours before it's locked

Popcorn has carbs. No! LOL

 

[TonyChanYT]

I read the OP but didn't see anything that would resolve these issues.

Thanks for reading. Describe one of these issues precisely.