The Deity of Christ
(This is a slightly condensed version of a letter I wrote to a man who disagreed with my letter to the Courier Journal on the Deity of Christ.) I appreciate you taking the time to respond by my letter to the editor about the Godhead...First, I do not believe in three Gods—neither does anyone else who believes what the Bible says about the Godhead. There are basically three words in the O.T. describing God—El (Elohim, plural), which means Mighty One; YHWH (Jehovah, though we do not know how it should be spelled) which indicates Eternal (I Am), and Adonai (Master, Lord) which indicates Sovereignty. The N.T. does not use the word "Jehovah" but uses Kurios (Lord) and Theos (God). Dt. 6:4 is the classic statement of the Godhead in the O.T. "Hear O Israel: The LORD (YHWH, singular) our God (Elohim, plural), the LORD (YHWH, singular) is one!" This indicates a plurality of beings called God, and yet they are one. There is one Deity, Godhead or Godhood, but there are three Diving Beings composing the one Godhead. Now, I will give further evidence for these assertions.
Moses wrote: "In the beginning God (plural) created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). A plurality of beings are viewed as singular—a united one, not a numerical one. Then "God said, Let Us make man in Our image.. So God created man in His Own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Gen. 1:26,27). The passage says nothing about angels creating, nor about men being created in the image of angels. God created and they were created in His image. The rest of God's revelation confirms who was involved in creation. John said, "In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God (a separate Being), and the Word was God (same in essence). All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (Jn. 1:1-3). That tells us tells us who "Us" and "Our" is in Gen. 1:26,27. Hebrews 1:2 also says that God has spoken to us through His Son "through whom also He made the worlds." Paul nailed it down securely, when he wrote: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible...All things were created through Him and for Him" (Col. 1:16). If Jesus is a created Being, He had to create Himself! Or, Paul did not tell the truth. Furthermore, when Jesus appeared to Thomas and told him to "reach your hand here and put it into My side," Thomas exclaimed: "My Lord and My God" (Jn. 20:25-28). Jesus commended him for that conclusion! Paul said if you "confess with your mouth the Lord you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9,13. The NWT, by Watchtower Society, says Lord in v. 9 and Jehovah in v. 13.)
You said "Michael (chief angel, Logos) was Jesus." First, "chief angel" does not mean Logos. (Logos means Word.) Daniel said that Michael was "one of the chief princes" (Dan. 10:13). He also mentioned Gabriel, though he does not call him a chief angel (Dan. 9:21)...The writer of Hebrews asked the question: "To which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You? And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" (Heb. 1:5). That is a rhetorical question, and the answer is clearly implied! Then, the writer said: "But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God is forever and ever" (Heb. 1:8). Yes, I know that Jesus will come "with the voice of an archangel," but that no more proves He is an archangel than "with the trumpet of God" proves (within itself) that He is God (1 Thess. 4;16).
I want to present one more evidence that Jesus is Deity. Isaiah said: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD (Jehovah); Make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Is. 40:3). That clearly refers to the work of John the Baptist (Mt. 3:1-3; Lk. 1:76). The NWT (Jehovah Witness Version) says "Jehovah" in these two passages. The word "Jehovah" is not in the N.T., but the word "Kurios" refers to the same person as "YHWH." So, John prepared the way for Jehovah! This harmonizes with what Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (Jn. 5:58). When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, He said: "I AM WHO I AM. And he said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you" (Ex. 3:13,14). There are other evidences that could be presented to produce faith in Jesus as "Immanuel, which is translated, God with us" (Mt. 1:23). This is not a matter of indifference.
Moses wrote: "In the beginning God (plural) created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). A plurality of beings are viewed as singular—a united one, not a numerical one. Then "God said, Let Us make man in Our image.. So God created man in His Own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Gen. 1:26,27). The passage says nothing about angels creating, nor about men being created in the image of angels. God created and they were created in His image. The rest of God's revelation confirms who was involved in creation. John said, "In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God (a separate Being), and the Word was God (same in essence). All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (Jn. 1:1-3). That tells us tells us who "Us" and "Our" is in Gen. 1:26,27. Hebrews 1:2 also says that God has spoken to us through His Son "through whom also He made the worlds." Paul nailed it down securely, when he wrote: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible...All things were created through Him and for Him" (Col. 1:16). If Jesus is a created Being, He had to create Himself! Or, Paul did not tell the truth. Furthermore, when Jesus appeared to Thomas and told him to "reach your hand here and put it into My side," Thomas exclaimed: "My Lord and My God" (Jn. 20:25-28). Jesus commended him for that conclusion! Paul said if you "confess with your mouth the Lord you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9,13. The NWT, by Watchtower Society, says Lord in v. 9 and Jehovah in v. 13.)
You said "Michael (chief angel, Logos) was Jesus." First, "chief angel" does not mean Logos. (Logos means Word.) Daniel said that Michael was "one of the chief princes" (Dan. 10:13). He also mentioned Gabriel, though he does not call him a chief angel (Dan. 9:21)...The writer of Hebrews asked the question: "To which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You? And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" (Heb. 1:5). That is a rhetorical question, and the answer is clearly implied! Then, the writer said: "But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God is forever and ever" (Heb. 1:8). Yes, I know that Jesus will come "with the voice of an archangel," but that no more proves He is an archangel than "with the trumpet of God" proves (within itself) that He is God (1 Thess. 4;16).
I want to present one more evidence that Jesus is Deity. Isaiah said: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD (Jehovah); Make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Is. 40:3). That clearly refers to the work of John the Baptist (Mt. 3:1-3; Lk. 1:76). The NWT (Jehovah Witness Version) says "Jehovah" in these two passages. The word "Jehovah" is not in the N.T., but the word "Kurios" refers to the same person as "YHWH." So, John prepared the way for Jehovah! This harmonizes with what Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (Jn. 5:58). When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, He said: "I AM WHO I AM. And he said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you" (Ex. 3:13,14). There are other evidences that could be presented to produce faith in Jesus as "Immanuel, which is translated, God with us" (Mt. 1:23). This is not a matter of indifference.