Spiritual Israelite
Well-Known Member
Why are you not being honest with him about this?It depends on how one defines "deity". Typically when Christians talk about the Deity of Christ, they speak in terms of his quiddity, the "what-ness" of Jesus. This idea is exemplified and defined in many of the creedal statements.
The following comes from the Athanasian Creed, which I believe is unbiblical.
The Father is uncreated,
the Son is uncreated,
the Holy Spirit is uncreated.
The Father is immeasurable,
the Son is immeasurable,
the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.
The Father is eternal,
the Son is eternal,
the Holy Spirit is eternal.
And yet there are not three eternal beings;
there is but one eternal being.
So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.
This doctrine doesn't come from the Bible itself, it actually comes from early Christians who were steeped in Aristotle's metaphysics. They attempted to define the oneness of God in scientific terms asking "what is the nature of God, The Trinity, and Jesus specifically?
I believe in the Trinity and I believe that Jesus is God. But I believe that the Bible defines the relationship between Father and Son, not in terms of their quiddity, but in terms of their identity. The Biblical claim is that Jesus is the son of God; he is the image of God; he is the exegesis of God.
John says that no one has seen God at anytime. In this he speaks about the Transcendent Creator. The best analogy I have heard with regard to transcendence is an author's standpoint with respect to his novel. Putting aside the fact that the characters in a novel are fictional, the author/novel analogy helps me understand the concept of transcendence. No one has seen God in the same way that a character in a novel can never see the author. The characters exist on a lower level of existence than the author and they can never rise to his or her level of existence. If the Author wants to place himself in the novel and interact with the characters, he need to write himself into the story. In a sense, I believe God the transcendent one, has written himself into his creation, so to speak, in the man Jesus.
The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all one, but it does not follow, therefore that each of them are of the same essence. Jesus is not deity in the same way that God is deity. Jesus has a divine nature in that he represents all of the qualities of God's character: righteous, good, truthful, loving, just, merciful, patient, kind, self-control and all of these attributes. But even as Jesus has a divine nature, he has his own will. And as a freewill agent, he is our hero because as a freewill agent, he lived a perfectly obedient life. Jesus is God in every way that a human being can witness. Jesus is the perfect representation of God's glory and grace.
So, I would disagree with the reformed view, set in stone 1700 years ago, which is based in Greek philosophy and enforced by excommunication, torture, and death. I affirm that Jesus is a true man.
You do not believe Jesus existed in any way, shape or form before He was born to the virgin Mary. That is what you have said before. Why did you not inform him of this?
You deny that the Word in this passage is referring to Jesus:
John 1:1 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.
You deny that Jesus is eternal and that He created all things. Why did you not inform him of this? Jesus can't be God without being the Creator and without being eternal. You show that you don't even know who God is by claiming that someone who you think has only existed for around 2,000 years could be God.