Jesus ≠ God
[ad_1]
Trinitarians claim that Jesus is God.
[5:17] Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is the Messiah, the son of Mary. Say, “Who could oppose GOD if He willed to annihilate the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone on earth?” To GOD belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them. He creates whatever He wills. GOD is Omnipotent.
لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ ٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
They claim that Jesus is equal to God and should be worshiped as God. Interestingly, this goes against the scripture that they claim to uphold.
[3:79] Never would a human being whom GOD blessed with the scripture and prophethood say to the people, “Idolize me beside GOD.” Instead, (he would say), “Devote yourselves absolutely to your Lord alone,” according to the scripture you preach and the teachings you learn.
مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ
God is Greater than Jesus
Jesus claimed God is greater than he is; therefore, Jesus is not equal to God.
28 You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
JESUS CLAIMS ONLY GOD IS GOOD
Jesus denounced being called “good” claiming that no one is good except God alone. Therefore, Jesus is not equal to God.
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
Jesus WAS A Servant of God
Jesus calls himself a servant of God, and a servant is never equal to their master but always subservient. Therefore, Jesus is not equal to God.
16 Truly, truly, I (Jesus) say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[b] above his master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant[c] like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el′zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets; 20 he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick, till he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name will the Gentiles hope.”
26 God, having raised up His servant,[c] sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant[c] Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
Jesus Subjected to God
According to Paul, Jesus was subjected to God and, therefore, not equal to God.
27 “For God[a] has put all things in subjection under His feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection under Him,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be everything to every one.
Jesus WAS Subject to God’s Will
Jesus could only act out the will of God and, therefore, was not equal to God.
30 “I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
21 “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’
32 And they went to a place which was called Gethsem′ane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.”[c] 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.[a] 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Jesus Has No Authority Independent from God
When Jesus was asked by his disciples if they could have a place next to Jesus in the Afterlife, Jesus responded that that decision was not his to grant. Therefore, if God was the only one who could grant such a request therefore, Jesus is not equal to God.
35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb′edee, came forward to him, and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
God cannot be tempted
According to Matthew 4:1 and Mark 1:13, Satan tempted Jesus, yet James 1:13 states that God cannot be tempted by evil. Therefore, Jesus is not equal to God.
13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.
Jesus Prayed to God
Jesus prayed to God, as in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and His prayer in Gethsemane in Matthew 26:39. Additionally, when Jesus was distressed by temptation, he prayed to God for strength,, for the flesh is weak. This shows that Jesus had weaknesses and needed God, while God is All-Powerful and needs no one. Therefore, Jesus is not equal to God.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.
32 And they went to a place which was called Gethsem′ane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.”[c] 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch[d] one hour? 38 Watch[e] and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.
God Raised Jesus
God raised Jesus. Therefore, Jesus was dependent on God to be raised and resurrected.
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, several arguments suggest that Jesus is not equal to God, drawing on biblical passages and Jesus’ own actions and words. These include Jesus acknowledging that “God is greater than I” and His refusal to claim inherent goodness, deferring instead to God as the sole embodiment of goodness.
Further, Jesus is portrayed as a servant of God, reinforcing the principle that a servant is not above their master, which implies a hierarchical relationship. Paul’s writings, particularly in 1 Corinthians 15, describe Jesus as being subjected to God, highlighting a distinction in their roles. Jesus’ statements about being unable to act independently of God’s will, lacking independent authority, experiencing temptation, and engaging in prayer to God further underscore His distinct and subordinate role.
Moreover, the act of God raising Jesus from the dead is seen as a definitive assertion of God’s supremacy. These points collectively form a basis for the argument that, within the context of these biblical narratives and teachings, Jesus is presented as distinct from and not coequal with God in terms of authority, nature, and capability.
[ad_2]
