The Learner
Well-Known Member
Large inset text in center page 19 'New Testament research has been leading an increasing number of scholars to the conclusion that Jesus certainly never believed himself to be God.' -Bulletin of the John Rylands Library | The Watchtower totally misleads the reader by not only omitting incredibly important information, but not even using ellipses (i.e. ". . .") to warn the reader something has been removed from the large inset text in the middle of page 19! Look what they removed! "the fact has to be faced that New Testament research over, say, the last thirty or forty years has been leading an increasing number of reputable New Testament scholars to the conclusion that Jesus himself may not have claimed any of the Christological titles which the Gospels ascribe to him, not even the functional designation 'Christ', and certainly never believed himself to be God." (Bulletin of The John Rylands Library, Vol 50, (1967-68) p 247-261, "Jesus As 'Theos' In The New Testament", by G. H. Boobyer) These same researchers have concluded that Jesus not only wasn't God, but wasn't even the Christ! Who are these leading researchers who in the last 30 years have rejected that Jesus is God? Why liberal theologians who also trash the whole Bible! Research from 1940-1970 by Bible haters, doesn't change the conclusions of real Bible students of the previous 1900 years that Jesus did in fact believe he was God! |
Jesus Continues Subordinate Similarly, we read at Hebrews 5:8 that Jesus "learned obedience from the things he suffered." Can we imagine that God had to learn anything? No, but Jesus did, for he did not know everything that God knew. And he had to learn something that God never needs to learn-obedience. God never has to obey anyone. Speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and those with him told the Jewish Sanhedrin: "God exalted this one [Jesus] . . . to his right hand." (Acts 5:31) Paul said: "God exalted him to a superior position." (Philippians 2:9) If Jesus had been God, how could Jesus have been exalted, that is, raised to a higher position than he had previously enjoyed? He would already have been an exalted part of the Trinity. If, before his exaltation, Jesus had been equal to God, exalting him any further would have made him superior to God. | Phil 2:5-6 teaches that Jesus was equal with God in his pre-earth existence but gave that equality up when he became a man. He then learned obedience (something new for God who always gives the orders) and died on the cross for us. At the resurrection and ascension, God highly exalted him. Is that so hard to understand? Click here for more details about the Subordination of Christ to the Father. JW don't realize that Trinitarians actually teach this! |
Paul also said that Christ entered "heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf." (Hebrews 9:24, JB) If you appear in someone else's presence, how can you be that person? You cannot. You must be different and separate. | More JW confusion by not knowing the difference between trinity and modalism. |
In agreement with the foregoing, the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, states: "In his post-resurrection heavenly life, Jesus is portrayed as retaining a personal individuality every bit as distinct and separate from the person of God as was his in his life on earth as the terrestrial Jesus. Alongside God and compared with God, he appears, indeed, as yet another heavenly being in God's heavenly court, just as the angels were-though as God's Son, he stands in a different category, and ranks far above them." The Bulletin also says: "What, however, is said of his life and functions as the celestial Christ neither means nor implies that in divine status he stands on a par with God himself and is fully God. On the contrary, in the New Testament picture of his heavenly person and ministry we behold a figure both separate from and subordinate to God." | The author of this article denies the inspiration of the Bible! Although the author denies Jesus is God, he also denies in the same article that Jesus is the Christ: "the fact has to be faced that New Testament research over, say, the last thirty or forty years has been leading an increasing number of reputable New Testament scholars to the conclusion that Jesus himself may not have claimed any of the Christological titles which the Gospels ascribe to him, not even the functional designation 'Christ' |