Question: Greg,

I have looked at some of the answers given to the curious and to the sincere. I believe your heart is attempting to give valid answers, but Greg, they just aren’t true. How can you tell interested ones that Jesus was "divine" when he was on the earth? Satan would easily have challenged Jehovah with this response: "How is it you claim Jesus is an equal and corresponding sacrifice if he is greater than Adam?" You see, Greg, if Jesus had been any more than "Adam", (with freedom of choice as to whom he served) he could not have been that "equal sacrifice".

This also blows a hole in the "trinity" story. If Jehovah sent himself, how could it prove that a MAN could be faithful to death? Satan would have had a field day with this one! You might consider the "whole of the scriptures" before misleading any more sheep-like children of God. I doubt you will print this as it would cause you too much controversy. Please think about these things, and reply if you feel so inclined. I believe you are seeking the truth, but you might be so involved in your "business" that certain things are escaping your view.

Courageously in God,

Anthony

Answer: Dear Anthony,

Thanks for your message, and for your perspective. It seems that we may have a fundamental difference of views about what truth is, or at least the process of arriving at truth. You feel that I am attempting to give valid answers but they "just aren’t true."

You primarily are concerned about the divinity of Jesus – preferring, I presume, his humanity. But the Bible (and it really should be our final court of arbitration – I’m sure you would agree) insists on God coming in the flesh. We would note Matthew 1, Colossians 1, John 1 and Philippians 2 for starters. We would want to look at many other passages – which I would be happy to look at (some are already posted on our website).

We would want to consider what it means to be in the One and Only – or only begotten – what the Greek term "Monogenes" means (John 1). We would look at the terms Son of God and son of man, both used by Gospel writers to describe Jesus’ nature. Logically, if someone is a son, then he is equal/the same as in nature, not less than, his father.

If you have questions about this position, I would be delighted to be helpful, for I have studied it carefully and am familiar with it. The teaching first officially surfaced under a man named Arius, and then in modern times one of its "re-births" was under the teaching of Charles Taze Russell, and after him, (Judge) J.R. Rutherford.

You note that Jesus could not have been divine for as God he "could not have been that ‘equal sacrifice’". Please supply more discussion here. How could he not have been an "equal" sacrifice? Supply Scripture and logic please.

For example: Are you saying that Jesus paid a ransom to God (Jehovah if you wish) on the cross (stake or tree if you wish) and that in so doing Adam’s sin was removed, enabling humans to live righteous lives that would qualify them to save themselves? If so, such a view is unbiblical.

1. If Jesus were only human and been able, somehow, to be a spiritual Superman, keeping the Jewish law perfectly, then his death would have ransomed/earned/gained salvation for only one person (or perhaps one other in addition to himself, depending upon how one views the original sin as Paul explained in Romans 5). In this connection you had asked, "If Jehovah sent himself…" He did "send himself" in the person of Jesus for no other life could have been worth so much. But because he was and is God he could not, and cannot die. Thus to save us from our sin, he added humanity to his divinity – which is why the Gospel writers speak of the Son of God and the son of man – the same person, the God-man, Jesus, our Savior.
2. The Bible is clear. No good works on the part of humans are salvific. We cannot earn our salvation. Salvation is by God’s grace, imparted to us because of the perfect work of Christ on the cross, and because of God’s love for us. We cannot attain eternal life by our works, neither can we maintain it. Eternal life is by grace. That is the clear message of the Bible – see Ephesians 2 for starters.
3. If Jesus were something less than God – say, for example, Michael, the archangel, then why did he accept worship? Why did he say that God was his Father? Why did he say that he would resurrect his own dead and decaying body?