Aqualung said:
There are many gods. But we only have one God. It doesn't really matter if you think it's God, or Jesus. God is essentially directing Jesus, but Jesus is the one who is directly our God. Since they are united in purpose, there is no discrepency between the two, and so it doesn't really matter which you think of. But Jesus is directly our God. God is just Jesus' supervisor.
Jesus wasn't a mere messanger. He came to restore the higher law. He came to fulfill god's promise to his children. He wasn't just telling people what his plan was, like angels, he was fulfilling the plan.
Angels aren't the only begotten son of god, either.
There are many that are called gods, but that doesn't mean they are real gods. Even man is called gods in the Psalms.
"For I am God, and
there is no other; I am God, and
there is none like me" (Isaiah 46:9).
"Hear, O Israel:
The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
Exodus 6
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. KJV
His name is YHWH, Jesus is the Son.
Mark 15:
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Therefore Jesus is not God.
John 17:3,
3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. NASB
...that they may know you, the only true God...the actual words of Jesus saying another is God.
Ephesians 1
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
"... we know ... that there is no God but one" (I Corinthians 8:4).
"yet for us there is one God, the Father , from whom are all things" (I Corinthians 8:6).
"there is ... one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:6).
one God and Father.... one God and Father of Jesus.
Jesus said that he is the Son:
John 10
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
Luke 22:70,71,NASB,
70 And they all said, "Are You the Son of God, then?" And He said to them, "Yes, I am."
71 Then they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."
In verse 36 he says he is the Son, and also he says "Yes, I am" when asked if he is the Son of God.
Also I did not say that he was a "mere" messenger....giving the impression that I said something other than I did.
Jesus was many things, and messenger was one of them.
I must admit that this belief that there are many gods is new to me...I didn't know that anyone believed that. The many gods and false gods spoken of in the bible are not literal actual living gods, (some are idols )but the imaginations in the minds of men who believe other than what God Almighty states in the bible, that he is the only God.
Also I wish to say that this thread is an interesting subject, but I've been through this discussion so many times for several years now on other message boards, so therefore I see little point in going into it all over again, so I will be bowing out. Hope that you all have a fullfilling and rewarding discussion that is a learning experience...God bless..
Jensen:bounce