Question: Dear Greg,
In Isaiah 9:6 the name used to describe Jesus is the “eternal father”. Some religious groups use this scripture to promote the oneness or Jesus only movement. Please share with me your thoughts concerning this title.
Also, please share with me your wisdom of the scripture found in Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25 of the camel and the “eye of the needle”.
Thanks in helping others to get a better understanding of the Word.
T.W.
Answer: Dear T.W.,
Those who oppose the biblical truth that God is one while existing eternally as three co-essential yet separate divine Persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) try to use this verse to “disprove” the Trinity. That is, if Jesus is the Son, how can he be the Father?
The context of this verse (Isaiah 9:6) first describes the birth of the Everlasting Son, the Eternal Son of God, as a human—his incarnation. The verse, rather than describing the nature of God, is clearly talking about the second person of the Godhead, the Son of God, Jesus, who as very man and very God came to save us from our sins. Verse 7 continues this theme.
Nothing is said in either verse 6 or 7 about the first person, the Father, or the third person, the Holy Spirit, of the Triune God clearly revealed in the New Testament (not in contradiction to the one God of the Old Testament, but in addition to). As for the reference to Jesus as Father, we should first note that all of the titles listed are titles that describe him to his people, to humanity—and speak of his relationship to us. Second, the term “Everlasting Father” is better understood and translated as “Father of eternity. That is, Jesus is the door of eternal life. He is the father of eternity in the sense that he makes eternity available to human beings. He provides eternal, everlasting life and without him we would not have life eternal.
The camel through the eye of a needle is a perfect example of those who read
the Bible often failing to understand that it is written as literature, using
literary styles. Jesus was not speaking of some literal obstacle that
rich people must overcome, but rather was speaking metaphorically and with a
sense of humor in describing how difficult it is for those who are rich in this
world’s goods to accept the objectives and goals of the
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht
(Most Recent/Heaven/Hell)
Question: Hello Greg,
I have a question that has been bugging me for a few weeks now. I have been watching some TV programs. There is a host that connects the dead with the living. The dead give information to the host, who then tells the living (usually relatives) what the person who has passed is trying to tell them. The living relatives validate the messages and it gets pretty emotional sometimes. In my heart something tells me this is not good. It’s not possible.
Greg, can you share with me what the Bible says concerning the dead? Can we communicate with our loved ones who have passed away? Thanks for your time.
Marie
Answer: Dear Marie,
Nowhere does the Bible suggest that human beings can be in communication with the souls of those who are dead. The Bible, and our common sense experience, shows us that our bodies decay upon death. But our soul—some feel more comfortable calling it our spirit—goes to God. Most Christians believe our soul is conscious with God. Christians usually use the term “in heaven”, which is fine except that we need to realize that God is not confined to a place, so “in heaven” simply means with God—“wherever” that is. As humans we have no concept of spiritual “space” because we are confined to time and space. Beyond that, the Bible reveals nothing. It does not tell us to pray to the dead, but only to God. Therefore, anyone who suggests that they can give us messages from the dead is a fraud. They cannot be disproven of course, which is why they persist so boldly with such wild allegations. People believe them, but then again we human beings have proven ourselves easy to deceive!
Look to God alone, not to some other “source”. May God bless you Marie.
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht