Jesus Christ Eternal God with the Father

Created: 18 Apr 2009 / Modified: 26 Dec 2013 While many people believe that the Son of God is a created being, or that the God of the Old Testament is the Father, whi le Jesus is the God of the New Testament, the Bible teaches that both of these views are incorrect. The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, is the divine, eternal God, the revelation of the Father, and the active agent of both creation and redemption. The following passages will show that Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word of God and is God, and that He was with the Father from eternity, and that He (the Son) is the God of both the Old and New Testaments. The Son of God goes by many names and titles in the Bible especially in the Old Testament. Among the most prevalent is the Angel of the LORD.

We Interact with the Godhead through the Son of God

John 1:18 KJV No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Colossians 1:12-17 KJV Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (14) In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: (17) And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
What this tells us is that in every instance that God appears unto man in the Old Testament, it is in the person of the Son of God, the second person of the Godhead, who is the ambassador and visible representative of the Godhead to mankind and the rest of the entire universe. Look carefully whenever you see the phrase angel of the LORD in the Old Testament, and see if the behavior is that of an angel, or actually of God. Look at what statements or commands are given, how they are given, and whether or not worship is accepted.
Examples: Genesis 18; Exodus 3; Exodus 33:17-34:8; Numbers 22:31-35; Joshua 5:13-15;

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The Son of God is One with the Father

Revelation 1:1-2, 8 KJV 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. (8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Isaiah 9:6 KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 1:1-3, 14 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. (14) And the Word was made 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. John 10:30 KJV I and my Father are one. Exodus 3:13-14 KJV And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them? (14) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. John 8:56-58 KJV Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad. (57) Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. John 17:1, 5, 21 KJV These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: (5) And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. (21) That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. Revelation 21:6-7 KJV And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.
The Son of God, being Himself God, has always existed along with the Father. Among other things, this is evidenced by His equating Himself with the Father, and by His invoking of the name I AM which was communicated to Moses at the burning bush. The Jews knew that He was invoking the identity of God which is why they felt that He was blaspheming.

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God is Eternal
Deuteronomy 33:27 KJV (27) The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Matthew 23:37 KJV (37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Psalms 93:2 KJV Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. Isaiah 9:6 KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Micah 5:2 KJV But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Hebrews 1:8 KJV 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. 2 Peter 1:11 KJV For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 10:10 KJV But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting king: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation. Revelation 19:13-16 KJV And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Look at how Jesus in Matthew 23 invokes the same imagery of the eternal God that is presented in Deuteronomy 33 that of protection under His wings and applies it to Himself. Look at how Jesus title as The Word of God, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19) matches the prophecy found in Jeremiah 10 of an everlasting King. Micah not only prophesies where Jesus would be born, but that He existed previously from everlasting. Look at how the kingdom of Jesus is indicated to be an eternal kingdom. Only an eternal King could rule an eternal kingdom.

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Jesus Is NOT a Created Being

Hebrews 1:8 KJV 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. Psalms 2:7 KJV I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Hebrews 1:1-6 KJV God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (4) Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (5) For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? (6) And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. Philippians 2:5-8 KJV Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Colossians 2:6-10 KJV As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: (9) For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Many people have tried to assert that Jesus is a created being with a beginning in the far distant past because the Bible refers to Him as the only-begotten Son of God. Lets see what the Bible says about this. The Messianic prophecy found in Psalms 2:7 and referenced in Hebrews 1:6 shows us at what point the Fathers declaration of begotten went into effect. Philippians 2 also highlights that timing of Jesus being made a man. This declaration clearly refers to the incarnation of Jesus Christ and is further confirmed by the Father at Christs baptism/anointing. Hebrews 1:8 and Isaiah 9:6 make it clear that the firstbegotten of God *is* Himself God, and Colossians 2 emphasizes that the Son of God is fully a member of the Godhead. Colossians 1 and John 1 show us that the Son of God is our primary point of contact within the Godhead since the Old Testament. Since the Son of God created everything that was ever created (without Him was nothing made that was made), it is quite impossible for He Himself to be a created being. If you look closely at all the texts presented so far, especially Hebrews 1:6, you will see that the Bible teaches us that Jesus is begotten only in context of the incarnation. Finally, as Matthew 1:23 reminds us, another name for Jesus is Emmanuel, or God with us.

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The Son of God has many names & titles, including Michael the Archangel Isaiah 9:6 KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 KJV For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Jude 1:9 KJV Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Daniel 9:25 KJV Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. Daniel 10:21 KJV But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Daniel 12:1 KJV And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Joshua 5:13-15 KJV And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him, and said unto Him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? (14) And He said, Nay; but as Captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant? (15) And the Captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Isaiah 9:6 is perhaps the Bibles greatest single collection of names for the Son of God. While we typically refer to the Son of God as Jesus wherever we see Him in the OT or NT, the name Jesus is really assigned for His birth and ministry (Matthew 1:21). Another name and title that belong to the Son of God is Michael the Archangel. He is the commander in chief of the Fathers heavenly host (Captain of the host). Some have suggested that an archangel must be an angel, but the Captain of Gods hosts is as far away from being an angel, as the Commander-in-Chief of the USA is as far away from being a soldier. Additionally, the title is The Archangel, not an archangel. The title is only used twice in the KJV both times with the definite article and the reference in 1 Thessalonians 4 is unmistakably the Son of God.

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The Titles of the Father also apply to the Son Isaiah 9:6 KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 8:56-58 KJV Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad. (57) Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. Revelation 1:8 KJV I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:11 KJV Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Revelation 2:8 KJV And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; Revelation 19:13-16 KJV And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 21:6-7 KJV And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. Revelation 22:13 KJV I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
In the Book of Revelation, the Son of God reveals that titles such as Alpha and Omega and the First and the Last and I AM belong to Him just as much as they belong to God the Father. The title Alpha and Omega is found 4 times in the book of Revelation, and is coupled (at different times) with the following titles or descriptions: The Beginning and the End (3x) The First and the Last (2x) The Almighty (1x) Which is, and Which was, and Which is too come (1x)

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Jesus, the Lamb of God, Accepts Worship and Forgives Sins

Luke 4:8 KJV And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. John 20:27-29 KJV Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28) And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. (29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Mark 2:5-11 KJV When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. (6) But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, (7) Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? (8) And immediately when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? (9) Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? (10) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (He saith to the sick of the palsy,) (11) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. Hebrews 1:6 KJV And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. Revelation 4:10-11 KJV The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 14:6-7 KJV And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (7) Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Revelation 21:22 KJV And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
We have already seen from John 1, Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1 that the Son of God created all things. Now in Revelation, we see Him receiving worship on account of His creative power and on account of His redemptive power. Jesus accepts worship that is due to God because He is God and has always existed with the Father. And Revelation makes it clear that He will be worshipped again throughout eternity. Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, is the eternal, self-existing Son of God: eternal with the Father, the active agent of creation and redemption, and having a beginning only in relation to the incarnation.

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Let Us Hear the Conclusion of the Whole Matter

1 John 2:22-23 KJV Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Luke 5:20-25 KJV And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. (21) And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? (22) But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? (23) Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? (24) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. (25) And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
One of the definitions of antichrist is to deny who Jesus is, and what His mission was. If Jesus were not God, we could not worship Him without violating the 1st commandment. This is true whether He were just a good man, a great prophet, an angel or even some lower form of god than the Father. Worship of Jesus under any of those circumstances would be a violation of the 1st and 3rd commandments. The Son of God did not (and does not) think it robbery to be equal with God because He *is* Himself God. As John 1 shows us, He is God made flesh so that He could dwell among us and become our sacrifice of atonement, and reconnect us with the Godhead. The Jews asked, Who can forgive sins but God only? The answer is, No One. Therefore, when Jesus forgave sins, and read the minds of the Pharisees, He showed clearly that He is God. The Son of God is God, and equal with His Father, while operating in subordinate role to His Father. Within the Godhead, there is unity, equality and hierarchy all without contradiction. In recent years, much of the controversy over the recognition of Christs divinity and equality with His Father stems largely from the use of modern translations that undermine many of the texts that show His divinity. For more information about the role that Bible translations play in this issue, see the following: AmazingFacts: The Faithful Witness
o o http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/book/e/65/t/the-faithful-witness.aspx http://bit.ly/YQRnue (PDF Version)

What's the Difference between Versions of the Bible?

o o http://www.ucg.org/bible-study/whats-difference-between-various-bible-versions/ http://bit.ly/125R4Iq (PDF Version)

Translation Comparison Charts

o o o http://www.notjustanotherbook.com/biblecomparison.htm http://www.apbrown2.net/web/TranslationComparisonChart.htm http://bit.ly/165XAFG (PDF Version)

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Resources for Further Study

The following resources are made available to aid believers in their study of the scriptures:

The Key Principles of Effective Bible Study Addressing Biblical Challenges Properly

- http://bit.ly/17vs3LU - http://bit.ly/1dGELKx

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