CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO THE KING FOLLETT DISCOURSE
Mormons are confused about God. When they talk of him theologically they like to say they are in agreement with Christianity in worshiping the identical God that Christians worship, but later when you speak of a plan of salvation they add that God was once a human being.
GOD IS INFINITE IN HIS ETERNALITY
More than any other aspect of deity, God’s eternality is what sets him apart from other religions. While Mormons agree that God lived in eternity past, they also see him there as at one time being a created being. They also see humans, angels and God all being of the same class of being. While they may agree God lived in eternity past - they believe we all lived in eternity past. The primary difference is in the substance of God as well as his person and works. The God of the Bible is infinitely eternal as being fully God in eternity past.
When we study far enough into eternity past, we only see God. There, standing outside of time, space and matter, God created everything else [Gen. 1, John 1:1-3, Heb. 1:10]. World religions from the east [with Mormonism in agreement] see God as being part of the creation. The difference can not be negotiated away. Abraham called God Yahweh the everlasting God [Gen.. 21:33]. When God introduced himself to Moses he said even his name was eternal [Exod. 3:15]. His reign is eternal [Exod. 15:18]. Later in the second law in Deuteronomy God twice more referred to himself in those terms [Deu. 32:40, 33:27]. As the prophets and psalmists followed they continued to uphold the fact of God’s eternality [Neh. 9:5, 1 Chron. 16:36, Psalm 9:7, 41:13, 90:1-2, 93:2, Isa. 40:28, 41:4, 43:13, 44:6, Mic. 5:2, Hab. 1:12, 3:6]. We see New Testament authors like Paul in agreement [Rom. 1:20, 16:26, 1 Tim. 1:17]. We see agreement from the Pentateuch to John’s final revelation [Rev. 1:4, 6, 4:8-10, 10:6, 11:17, 15:7].
A simple reading of the Old Testament Law clears up any confusion about who God is. Jews and Christians both agree in saying “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent....” Num 23:19 The Ten Commandments forbid any form of polytheism [Ex. 20]. When we move into the New Testament, we see the Ten Commandments being brought into the New by Jesus and his apostolic authors. We see Paul for example writing to the Romans, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the image made like to corruptible man....” Rom 1:22-23 God does not want to be confused with man.
GOD IS HOLY
The God of the Bible has made it clear that he wants to be known as being infinitely holy. This means God is equally holy in eternity past as He is in the present or in eternity future. God did not learn to become holy. We see two effects of God’s holiness, one is in God’s perfection in his righteousness and second we see God remaining separate from all forms of sin. Isaiah witnessed angels worshiping, “... Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isa 6:3 As soon as Isaiah recognized what he was seeing he expressed his own sense of his own uncleanness, “... Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” Isa 6:5 Even the angels themselves used two of their wings to shield their eyes from God’s glory. Isa 6:2 Isaiah was describing a Biblical theme beginning with Moses in the law. Later prophets like Ezekiel, and Daniel agreed. We see the Psalmists in agreement. John who wrote the final book of the New Testament reported similar accounts. The word “holy” means purity that is separated from the common, the ordinary and sinful. One of God’s names is Yahweh m’Kaddesh which forever identifies Him as the Lord is Holy . Lev 20:8 In the Bible we see God declaring certain things “holy” such as days, ground, tabernacle, temple, and city. But God also declared His Word as being holy. Jeremiah 23:9 When he speaks or causes something to be written down it is entirely correct. Because of God’s integrity, “He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations” [Psalm 105:8, cf. 1 Chron. 16:15, Nehemiah 1:5, Psalm 105:42, 111:5, Daniel 9:4, Luke 1:72-74].
MORMONS IN DENIAL
Mormons are confused by the infinitely holy God of the Bible. They do not view him as having the integrity to fulfill or be faithful to his own words.. LDS apostle, Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “By the standard works of the Church is meant the following four volumes of scripture: The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. The Church uses the King James Version of the Bible, but acceptance of the Bible is coupled with a “reservation” that it is true only insofar as translated correctly. The other three, having been revealed in modern times in English, are accepted without qualification.” Another LDS apostle, Mark E. Peterson wrote, “the Bible as we know it is a different volume from what it was - and would have been - had it not been changed so much ... many insertions were made ... at times deliberate falsifications and fabrications were perpetrated.” Bruce R. McConkie, As Translated Correctly, SLC, Bookcraft, 1966, p. 4, 67.
GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF AS BEING A COMPLEX TRIUNE BEING
When Christians describe God they describe a very complex being. It is a theme in both testaments that he alone is God. He included in the Ten Commandments both a command to abstain from worshiping other gods but also a statement about his jealousy that is aroused when his creatures worship other gods [Exod. 20:1-5]. When Jesus presented himself formally at the beginning of his ministry he did not introduce himself as Israel’s second god. Instead he presented himself as Messiah who had been promised. Jesus was an orthodox Jewish man who kept the entire Ten Commandments. Yet he proclaimed himself to be fully God. He also received worship as God. He also said he and his Father were one and the same. He also prayed to the Father demonstrating they were different persons. Since the entire Bible is based on there only being one true God this raised the issue for later New Testament scholars to define just how all of this worked out.
While the word “Trinity” is not found in Scripture, we see evidence of God being Triune from Genesis through Revelation. The “Trinity” is usually described in mysterious terms and should be studied with that understanding [Col 2:2]. We have already looked at the deity of Christ. Titus 2:13, Jn 1:1, Heb 1:8; Rom 9:5, 1 Jn 5:20-21 Most of Jesus’ disciples were devout Jews who believed in the One True God of Israel. They were monotheistic to the core yet they still recognized Jesus as God incarnate. When Thomas called Jesus God Jesus accepted Thomas affirmation of deity with no censure or criticism. Jn 20:26-29 Jesus said clearly that there is only one God Mt 4:10 yet he said he is equal with God Jn 5:18 and that He and the Father are one. Jn 10:30 Elsewhere He said, “If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” Jn 8:19 Then He said, “He who beholds me beholds the One who sent me.” Jn 12:45 Even adding “He who hates me, hates my Father also.” Jn 15:23 Yet in Mark Jesus quoted the famous Shema which every Jewish child memorizes in order to maintain faith in the One True God of Israel. Mk 12:29-32
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” Deut 6:4
ISAIAH WAS A MONOTHEIST
It is clear that the Jews, who best understood their language understood that they only were to worship One God. It is also true that both Jesus’ and his disciples were orthodox monotheists. Yet they understood that Jesus was Emmanuel or “God with us” in a way that did not violate God’s own command to be obedient to monotheism.
Isaiah wrote, “You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior.” Isa 43:10-11 Jesus confirmed the reality of the Trinity, “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” Gal 3:20 Paul also taught the Trinity, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim 2:5
MORMONS IN DENIAL
Apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “Three separate personages - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - comprise the Godhead.” In contrast to the way “elohim” is used in the Bible, Mormon “Apostle” Bruce R. McConkie said, “Elohim, plural word though it is, is also used as the exalted name-title of God the Eternal Father.” The 1992 Encyclopedia on Mormonism article titled Godhead reads, “Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father; his Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost (A of F 1). These three Gods form the Godhead, which holds the keys of power over the universe.” That same article continues with a quote from Joseph Smith, “Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow—three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization anyhow.” Joseph Smith said, “there is a god above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
BIBLICAL RESPONSE
Yahweh and elohim are found linked together hundreds of times in the Bible as being the name title of the same God [Isa 44:6]. Yahweh is the personal proper name for God and elohim is a title meaning God. Mormons still use a King James Bible. Our LDS friends can recognize these names behind their English translations by noting occurrences of the capital LORD followed by God. In contrast to clear Biblical injunctions against teaching polytheism.
Joseph Smith said, “If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that he had a Father also.” Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 11 Joseph Fielding Smith who was the tenth President wrote, “Joseph Smith taught a plurality of gods, and that man by obeying the commandments of God and keeping the whole law will eventually reach the power and exaltation by which he also will become god.”
GOD IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT, AND OMNISCIENT
Jews and Christians agree in believing God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The Encyclopedia on Mormonism appears to agree in their article titled God, “The Father, as God, is omnipotent, omniscient, and, through his spirit, omnipresent (see Light of Christ).” Their Encyclopedia does not say they have a problem with God being omnipotent or omniscient. But because of the limitation a human shaped body places on an individual this makes being omnipresent impossible.
THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD
God is infinite in his relation to space. Some use the term “immensity” to describe the way God transcends all space to demonstrate that God is never limited by space. Because God is “infinitely” omnipresent this means God was equally omnipresent in eternity past as he is today and in eternity future. God, as unique from time, space and matter created all life and matter in the universe. God is revealed Biblically from Genesis to Revelation as being everywhere present. Jesus prayed stating the Father is in Heaven [Mt 6:9]. Jesus said the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father [John 17:21]. Together they indwell every believer simultaneously [Eph 4:6; Col 1:27; Rom 8:9].
MORMONS IN DENIAL
Mormons are confused by the infinitely present God of the Bible. Some try and juggle between what they have been taught about their “anthropomorphic” “god” and the confusion that brings into the Biblical God who is also omnipresent. Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie describes omnipresence in terms of rays Mormons call the “light of Christ” which flow out from the manlike body of their God into the immensity of space.”
OMNISCIENCE OF GOD
Scholars say omniscience defines infinite knowledge, and it takes omniscience to even understand omniscience. Oxford and Webster define omniscience as an “infinite” knowledge. This means God’s knowledge is equally omniscient in eternity past as in the present or in eternity future. “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” [Psalm 147:5].
God’s omniscience is a great encouragement for believers who take comfort in knowing God intimately knows them and every condition they face. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are mature toward Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9 God in His “infinite” mind “... has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heaven by His understanding.” Jer. 51:15 Man’s knowledge has a beginning and his days are filled with training, but “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” [Ps 33:11]. God’s infinite understanding includes the thought life of humanity, “For I know their works and their thoughts...” Isa 66:18 “... For I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” Ezek. 11:5 Jesus said, “Your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him. Mt 6:4, 8, 32 Paul said God’s omniscience is “past our finding out.” Rom 11:33
MORMONS IN DENIAL
Mormons are confused by God’s infinite omniscience. The current president of the LDS church, Gordon B. Hinckley said, “God is in form like a man. He is personal. He speaks, and has spoken to man. He is exalted, and “by human standards” he is allwise and allpowerful.” Mormons struggle with this concept because they believe there was a time when God was not God and was being trained as a man living on an earth like this one. Lorenzo Snow wrote a poem that said,
“First babes, then men - to gods they grew. As man now is, our God once was; As now God is, so man may be.”
Brigham Young said, “He is our Father - the Father of our spirits, and was once a man in mortal flesh as we are, and is now an exalted being ... God has once been a finite being.” Brigham Young also taught that, “... I shall see the time with yourselves that we shall know how to prepare to organize an earth like this - know how to people that earth, how to redeem it, how to sanctify it, and how to glorify it, with those who live upon it.” He taught that “every earth has its redeemer, and every earth has its tempter.” Milton R. Hunter said, “We accept the fact that God has the greatest knowledge of any person within the realm of our understanding ... Yet if we accept the great law of eternal progression, we must accept the fact that there was a time when Deity was much less powerful than He is today.” The dilemma is brought home by Joseph Smith himself when he said, “... if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him.”
OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD
The word omnipotent means infinite power. All definitions for omnipotence include the word infinite which defines God’s power as being equal in eternity past as it is in the present and in eternity future. We see the earliest evidence in Genesis where Moses wrote, “Let there be light, and there was light.” The Psalmist wrote, “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of your kingdom is a right scepter.” Ps 45:6 This is a Biblical picture of God as we see it in Revelation, “... the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Rev 11:15 “ He rules by His power for ever.” Ps 66:7 “Before the mountains were born or you gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” Psalm 90:2
MORMONS IN DENIAL
Mormons are confused by the “infinitely” omnipotent God of the Bible. A recent general authority, Milton R. Hunter wrote, “We accept the fact that God is ... the most infinite power of any person within the realm of our understanding ... yet if we accept the great law of eternal progression, we must accept the fact that there was a time when Deity was much less powerful than He is today.” LDS President, Spencer W. Kimball also wrote about an omnipotence that is not infinite but grown into over time, “God created man to live in mortality and endowed him with the potential to perpetuate the race, to subdue the earth, to perfect himself and to become as God, omniscient and omnipotent.”
GOD IS AN UNCHANGING GOD
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation teaches that God is unchangeable in His person. The Bible declares, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 From the oldest book in the Bible Job we see, “But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desires, even that he does.” Job 23:13 Moses wrote “God is not a man that He should change His mind...” Num 23:19 God told Malachi in the last book of the Old Testament, “For I am the LORD, I change not...” Mal 3:6 Paul taught that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Rom 11:29 The author of Hebrews said, “...God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath...” Heb 6:17
MORMONS IN DENIAL
An important modern LDS leader and author Milton R. Hunter said, “aeons ago God undoubtedly took advantage of every opportunity to learn the laws of truth and as He became acquainted with each new verity He righteously obeyed it ... His understanding of the universal laws continued to become more complete.” Milton R. Hunter had reference to the Mormon Doctrine called “eternal progression” which teaches man will never cease to progress even after he becomes a “god.”
THE CHRIST IN THE KING FOLLETT DISCOURSE
WAS THE CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM
The Christian response to this doctrine that Smith introduced in 1842 is that is stands in opposition to the Bible for several reasons. First we never see God allowing polytheism or even admitting there are two gods in existence. Second Satan and Christ come out of the same gene pool with the rest of the host of gods, angels and humanity. Christ before Bethlehem was eternally God in the past. Third in John chapter three when the Bible gives its plan of salvation we do not see Christ appearing with a new set of covenant laws that we must obey in order to be added upon eternally. We see the energy for Christian salvation coming from Christ. We see the person being saved merely daring to believe Christ as their required work. After this dialogue we see Abraham being told, “AND then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth” [Abraham 4:1]. This next two chapters opens and closes a biblically strange creation account that constantly mentions multiple gods being active in creation. The language used in much of chapters four and five of Abraham are also found in the dialogue from the LDS temple endowment. Mormons who attend their temple each month hear these accounts hundreds of times in their lives.
In 1842 Smith published in his periodical both the Wentworth letter which retold his first vision in polytheistic terms and introduced the polytheistic Book of Abraham.
SMITH’S NEW CHRIST CAN NOT DWELL IN THE HUMAN HEART
The next stage began in October 1843 when we see Smith actually catching one of his apostles teaching a monotheistic theme and corrects them publicly. This happened to Orson Hyde who was teaching exactly what Smith himself had previously revealed in 1833. Hyde taught that Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Christ as one complex God [Doctrine and Covenants 93:2-3]. Hyde’s text was John 14:23. To correct Hyde Smith wrote, “thee idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.” The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a person Spirit Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” [D&C 130:3, 22].
SMITH’S CHRIST AMONG OTHER GODS
Smith’s final stage came in May 1843 Theology Changes "Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them” [D&C 132:20]. In April 1844 when Smith delivered his “King Follet Discourse” which taught that God had once been a man, and man could become God.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT POLYTHEISM?
The problem with a polytheistic answer is it creates more problems than it solves biblically. The Bible presents God as being alone and forbids polytheism. The Decalogue states in very clear language that God is a jealous God [Exod. 20:3-5, Deu. 5:7-9].
In the Law God also instituted what modern Jews still call the Shema, "O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” [Deuteronomy 6:3-9].
God’s jealousy was demonstrated in the lives of Israel after they turned to the golden calf [Exod. 32:25]. Centuries later future problems with polytheism sent Israel out into captivity in the hands of their enemies [Joel 1:4-20, Hos. 11:2, 2 Kings 22:17].
MORMON CHRIST NOT ONE WITH FATHER
In the New Testament we see Jesus Christ as Messiah confirming both the Decalogue [Matthew 19:16-19] and the Shema [Mark 12:29]. Smith’s Christology limits the unity of Christ with the Father and the Holy “Ghost” as being “in purpose” only but not in substance. In the “temple theology” Mormons are taught every month when they attend the “temple” that God the Father’s true name is Elohim, the Son is Jehovah, and the third member of their “godhead” throughout creation is named “Michael.” Smith answered the problem of confusion about the trinity and Christology by saying all three are gods. The problem here is that it ignores the body of Biblical evidence which says, "I and the Father are one" [John 10:30]. Christ and the Father are also one with the Holy Spirit who are also in unity with the believer in Christ [John 14:23]. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” [I John 4:15]. Jesus even prayed this reality in his high priestly prayer before the cross "The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me” [John 17:22-23]. The final problem is in the way apostolic authors began to use this theology as an expression of orthodoxy before the closing of the New Testament [2 Corinthians 13:5, 1 John 4:15].
MORMONS SAY HUMANS AND CHRIST ARE THE EXACT SAME CLASS OF BEING
ALL HUMAN BEINGS CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN
The third problem in their Christology comes from the theology lessons taught in their temple ceremonies that state males will become gods and females goddesses like Christ. Smith wrote “you have got to be gods yourselves ... the same as all gods have done before you ... until you are able to dwell in everlasting burnings and to sit down in glory.”
The 1992 Encyclopedia on Mormonism article titled Godhood reads, “Logically and naturally, the ultimate desire of a loving Supreme Being is to help his children enjoy all that he enjoys. For Latter-day Saints, the term "godhood" denotes the attainment of such a state—one of having all divine attributes and doing as God does and being as God is. Such a state is to be enjoyed by all exalted, embodied, intelligent beings (see Deification; Eternal Progression; Exaltation; God; Perfection).”
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints teaches that all resurrected and perfected mortals become gods (cf. Gen. 3:22; Matt. 5:48). They will dwell again with God the Father, and live and act like him in endless worlds of happiness, power, love, glory, and knowledge; above all, they will have the power of procreating endless lives. Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ attained godhood (see Christology) and that he marked the path and led the way for others likewise to become exalted divine beings by following him (cf. John 14:3).”
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO CHRIST “ATTAINING” GODHOOD
Jesus was eternally and infinitely God in eternity past, present, and in eternities future. He did not just exist in eternity past but the evidence shows he was there acting as fully God. Christ himself said, “before Abraham was I am” [John 8:58]. Jesus used the very same name he was known by in Moses’ day in the opening chapters of Exodus [Ex. 3:14]. Micah knew the future Messiah’s activities had been going on “from everlasting” [Micah 5:2]. The term Micah used to define Christ’s eternality is the strongest Hebrew term available. Not only did Micah affirm his eternality but also called him “the mighty God” [Micah 5:2]. This is why no one was surprised when John called the Logos creator God and Matthew called him God with us. But he was not Israel’s second God. There was no polytheism in either testament.
PEOPLE CAN BECOME GOD
Mormons want to see Christ attaining godhood because it affirms their hope to attain godhood. A personal memory I have from my youth as a high school student attending early morning seminary was the way we memorized a quotation written by Lorenzo Snow. The Encyclopedia on Mormonism retells the story of its origin, “Much of the LDS concept of godhood is expressed in a frequently cited aphorism written in 1840 by Lorenzo Snow, fifth President of the Church. At the time, Snow was twentysix years old, having been baptized four years earlier. He recorded in his journal that he attended a meeting in which Elder H. G. Sherwood explained the parable of the Savior regarding the husbandman who hired servants and sent them forth at different hours of the day to labor for him in his vineyard. Snow continued, as recorded in his sister's biography of him: "The Spirit of the Lord rested mightily upon me—the eyes of my understanding were opened, and I saw as clear as the sun at noonday, with wonder and astonishment, the pathway of God and man. I formed the following couplet which expresses the revelation, as it was shown me…. As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be" (Eliza R. Snow, p. 46).
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO THE MORMON JESUS
As I studied through both testaments in the initial research I found many important names and titles that were associated with the person of Jesus Christ. I included them as part of my evidence because I believe the evidence of their existence is foundational to the way the everyday characters of the New Testament thought when they considered Christ. While none alone proves anything about the person of Christ, together these sayings were important to the foundation of how people thought about Jesus in a day when so many Jews were looking for their Messiah.
I believe the evidence of these names and title sayings were important because of the way Jesus himself used them. They are also important because of the way the apostles used them and then later brought them into the New Testament. I began by using this evidence because I believe an understanding of the way original names, titles, and sayings about the person of Christ in their original Old Testament setting will help as we examine many New Testament evidences that include these sayings as part of the fabric of their message to the first century world which was very different from our own.
As I examine Old Testament evidence I prefer to always begin by searching for the earliest uses by the Mosaic authorship in context with the Jewish Law or Torah. The canon on the Hebrew law was closed in Deuteronomy, and because of that no one ever added to the law. To the Jewish mind the Law had a special authority. Later prophets, hymn and wisdom writers quoted the law as foundational to their faith experience while being very careful to never add new law. After examining evidence from the Law then I will look at the way the prophets, Psalmists, and wisdom authors used the terms.
“GOD” IN THE BIBLE
When Rabbis translated The Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek Septuagint, the word they used for God Theos. Theos is found in various forms in the Greek Septuagint more than 4,000 times. Theos replaced the Hebrew names, El, Elohim, and Eloah. Contrary to the theos of Greek philosophies, the God of the Old Testament is both “monotheistic, personal, and ethical.” In the Law we see Theos replacing Elohim in the creation account [Gen. 1]. Theos is also found after humans sinned and God killed an animal to obtain a skin coat for their covering replacing their own self righteous fig leafs [Gen. 3:21]. Theos was used when God first appeared to Moses in the burning bush [Ex. 3:6]. We see Theos again when God reveals the Mosaic Law [Ex. 20:2].
Later prophets speak of salvation and identify our savior in Hosea, “Yet I have been the LORD your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except me, for there is no savior besides me” [Hosea 13:4]. We also see kurios in this verse adding the dimension that God also wanted to be known as Lord in all capitals because it replaces Yahweh the personal proper name for God.
CHRIST PRESENT IN CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS IN GENESIS
When we examine the evidence from Genesis, the Christ who we acknowledge created all things [Jn. 1:3, cf. Col. 1:15-16] can be seen at work throughout Genesis chapter one. We see evidence of Christ being present in conversations “within God” involving the creation of man. “Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” [Gen. 1:26]. If we examine this chapter in both the Hebrew text and the Greek Septuagint from 250 B.C. we see that Christ chose to be associated with the Hebrew name Elohim [plural in the Hebrew text which the Jewish rabbis translated into Theos in the singular in their Greek translation called the Septuagint. We see the confusion of the Genesis conversations being cleared up in the New Testament. We see John in his prologue saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Both logos and theos are in singular forms. We see the word “with” two times coming from the Greek word “pros” which is a preposition in the accusative in a substantive word group. A careful reading of John’s prologue reveals there is only one God present in creation with two persons Theos and Logos.
The God “Theos” Sayings in the New Testament. “Theos is the most frequent designation of God in the New Testament.” One of the earliest connections of Jesus with Theos is made in the very first chapter of Matthew, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us” [Matt. 1:23]. This passage was a direct quotation of Isaiah 7:14. This passage contains evidence for the fact that Matthew called Jesus God using the Greek word Theos.
John’s prologue also links Theos with Jesus Christ as the logos word incarnate. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” [John 1:14]. This passage places Jesus Christ before Genesis 1:1 as being creator God with Yahweh together as one complex monotheistic God. John said Theos was the Logos. In verse 14 John said the same person who he made clear was fully God in verses 1-3 took on humanity becoming fully human [John 1:14].
Thomas’ open worship of Jesus Christ as Theos was also recorded by John. “Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!” [John 20:28]. Here both kurios Lord and Theos brought the meaning that as far as Thomas was concerned Jesus was both Lord and God.
A few years later we see Paul being converted by the appearance of the risen Christ. He knew Jesus was fully God and because of that he used Theos to describe him. as creator, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” [Colossians 1:15-16]. Paul also presented Christ as Theos as being fully God, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” [Titus 2:13]. Another passage is “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” [Acts 20:28]. One of the most compelling evidences in the New Testament comes from Paul, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” [Col. 2:9].
John in his final book of the New Testament at the close of the first century summed things up well, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” [Rev. 4:11].
Here Jesus is both kurios Lord and Theos God in a setting that shows his works matched his person.
THE “I AM” SAYINGS IN THE BIBLE
The “I Am” Sayings in the Old Testament. When God chose to introduce himself to Moses first at the burning bush he used this language,. “Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, "What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."' God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you” [Exod. 3:1315]. This name is rooted in God’s personal and proper name Yahweh.
PERSON PROPER NAME FOR GOD “YAHWEH”
From the earliest books we see God’s person and personality coming through the way he revealed his name. One of the earliest and most important things God revealed about himself was the fact that he was a monotheistic deity [Ex. 8:10, 9:14, 20:2-5]. The identification of Yahweh as being both monotheistic and fully God was confirmed later by the prophets, “You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no Saviour”[Isaiah 43:10-11]. Again from Isaiah, “This is what the LORD says Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” [Isa. 44:6]. When we look at the way the prophets and hymn writers used this language they all did so in ways that agreed with the Mosaic Law. “Yet I have been the LORD your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except me, for there is no savior besides me” [Hosea 13:4].
In summary, when we see Jesus himself linking himself with these names and titles in the New Testament we must acknowledge Jesus was not a person who “attained” deity. He was the God of the Old Testament. These passages are also important evidences about both the person and work of Christ. Here is the I Am language, Yahweh, and Elohim all being applied to the same personal God who is also their redeemer. Can we come away from a study of these passages without concluding the deity and eternality of God?
The “I Am” Sayings in the New Testament. Jesus Himself used “I Am” statements in the New Testament in ways that his audience linked with the God of the Old Testament. In Matthew’s gospel we see Jesus say to the Sadducees, “have you not read what that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living” [Matt 22:31-32]. Because the Sadducees had a very small canon that only included the Torah, Jesus did not quote one of Israel’s prophets or hymn writers but went to their own Torah using the revered covenant name for God. The passage Jesus quoted was vital because it was from the day when God introduced himself to surprised Moses in the burning bush [Exod. 3:6]. That day in the temple not far from his own crucifixion, Jesus was introducing this whole crowd to the same God. Jesus didn’t say I was the God of the patriarchs, but rather I am the God of the living. While not everyone caught Jesus’ meaning, it silenced the Sadducees. John shared another I am saying, “I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am!” [John 8:58]. This is a much clearer statement by Jesus. It so clear we see in the next verse people picking up stones to put him to death but it was not yet his time. When John wrote his prologue passages like this were confirmations about the person of Christ. Christ not only lived before his birth in Bethlehem, but lived as the I Am God of the patriarchs.
Later in John’s final book the apocalypse he used quoted another I am saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. [Rev 1:8]. Here is the strongest evidence for Jesus’ eternality.
All of the sources for these “I Am” sayings come from the Mosaic Law [Exodus 3:14] which evidence both the full deity of I Am and Jesus Christ in eternity past. But John uses an I Am saying to link to define Jesus as also being fully God in eternity future. The I Am of the Old Testament was the same holy God who instituted the law and spoke to the prophets and hymn writers. His holiness caused Moses to remove his shoes in reverence and fear. When he spoke to the Sadducees and Pharisees he did so in a way that evidenced his full humanity. As Paul said to the Philippians, he emptied himself of the glory he had with the Father so that he could die on a Roman cross for our sins. But later when John recorded his vision in 95 A.D. Jesus’ original glory was fully evident again.
THE “LOGOS” SAYINGS IN THE BIBLE
Logos is a Greek word that has its root in legos which means I say. In the first century logos had Oriental and Gnostic Roots. The Oriental cultures themselves also regarded “logos” as “believed to possess dynamic power and creative power.” Many Greek philosophers saw logos as a universal mind or reason which filled the cosmos with a “fine spiritual substance.” The stoics thought it was an impersonal force that produced rational thought. Philo, the Jewish philosopher, saw logos as “the image of God which was distinct from God and the world.” The Targums used “memra” in place of logos referring to a “Memra of Yahweh” as being an executive agent for God’s work but not as a personal being. Philo’s use of logos come the closest to the sense of John’s writing Hellenistic Judaism in the first century was full of various references to Logos. Much later in the third century we see Plotinus equating logos with a “lower level emanation” from the One God.” Because of these popular uses, many later students and scholars have chosen to interpret John’s use of logos in his prologue as evidence that John did not mean to say that logos was fully God. Modern Jehovah’s Witnesses agree saying Jesus was a great Being but not fully God.
If we examine the way logos was still being used in John’s day, we do not need to suppose that John was inferring an inferiority to his Logos-Christ in his prologue. The Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament [LXX, 250 B.C.] used Logos often in conjunction with the personal proper name for God “Yahweh.” Important sayings in the Greek Old Testament like “word of Yahweh” came from Logos and we find it 241 times. The vast majority of these uses utilized the context of a “technical term” referring to the prophetic character or nature of the word of God. The Hebrew word that was translated into logos was “debar.” We see “logos” being identified often with Theos in the Law [Exod. 18:19, 19:7-8, 24:3, Deu.1:32, 4:30, 9:10, 12:28, 13:4, 27:3, 28:14, 31:12]. Jews who loved to study their Greek Bibles saw logos as being equivalent to God.
We also see “logos,” used by the prophets in the Septuagint. Jeremiah used it as a “word of vocation” or calling where there is a sense of call or mission connected [Jer. 1:4-10]. We see God dialoging placing the “logos” in Jeremiah’s mouth in v.9. Here is a sense of a personal revelation of God to Jeremiah that forever had the effect of changing him. Elsewhere in the Old Testament we see “logos” used with the context of the word being a messenger. We see prophets from Elisha to Malachi saying things like “thus says Yahweh” [2 Kings 18:19, 29, 31, cf. Gen 32:4-6]. We see the word or “logos” of God as an event 113 times in the Old Testament. We see it as a formal proclamation from Samuel through Elisha [1 Sam. 3:1, 7, 15:23, 26; 1 King 17:1, 18:36. 19:12]. We see it again in the later prophets from Amos through Isaiah and Jeremiah [Amos 1:1, Hos. 1:1, Joel 1:1, Mic. 1:1, Jer. 1:1, 15:16, Ezek. 2:9-3:3; Isa. 40:26, 58:13, 50:3].
We see “logos” and Yahweh together also importantly as being the covenant commander. We see that association with the giving of the Decalogue [Exod. 20:1-2; 34:28]. When the covenant was ratified we see the language again “all the words of Yahweh and all the ordinances” [Exod. 24:3-8]. We see command language connected this way with “logos” Yahweh in Deuteronomy as the “whole commandment [Deu. 4:13, 10:4, 1:1, 18, 4:10, 36, 5:5, 28:14].
We also see “logos” and Yahweh together in the Old Testament as instruments of judgment. The word of Yahweh became a message of judgment [Amos 2:7, 3:9, Hos. 4:2, Jer. 7:1]. We see “logos” associated with the “curse” of the covenant commandment [Deu. 12]. We also see evidence of the grace of “logos” God in the Old Testament connected with faithful warnings from the prophets for over 700 years [1 Kings 8:56, 2 Kings 10:10, 1 Sam. 1:23, 15:11, 13; 2 Sam. 7:25]. We also see “logos” connected with the prophetic summons to return [1 King 8:46-53, 1 Sam. 12:6-26; Jer. 25:3, 26:2, 36:2; Ezek. 18:1, 32:1, Jonah 3:8]. We see “logos” as the Creator Word of God [Ps 29:2-3]. This association carries over into “meteorological phenomena” [Ps. 147:7, 15-19].
“Logos” is also most importantly associated with God’s word of salvation [Pss. 33:6, 148:5, 8]. We see “logos” faithfully condescending to meet the needs of the poor [Ps. 33:13]. We see “logos” establishing the priestly systems [Exod. 25:1]. The works of creation and it’s salvation are linked [Ps. 33:4, Isa. 40-55].
The New Testament Use of Word or “Logos.” “Logos” is found 331 times in the New Testament in both secular and theological settings. When we analyze the way this term was used by the New Testament authors to describe the person of Jesus Christ we see interesting evidence.
One important evidence that touches on Jesus’ authority notes that we do not see Jesus presenting Himself by saying “thus says the word [logos] of God or the Lord.” His own statements about Himself do not often include those kind of sayings. Jesus makes a sharp break from the boundaries of the Old Testament prophet. The Old Testament prophets were in fact interpreters [bearers] of the “word” of God in the five books of the law. Jesus in fact is greater than the law as the one who was to fulfill the law. Jesus stands in contrast to the prophets when he invites His earliest disciples to “come follow me” [Mark 2:14, Mt. 4:19, 8:22, 9:9; Lk 5:27, 9:23, 14:27, Jn 1:43, 10:27, 12:26]. Unlike the prophets Jesus taught in parables. While the prophets occasionally performed miracles, miracles typified Jesus.
We see Jesus Himself presenting Himself as “the word” in the way He proclaims the word of God not as coming from another but as at the same time being God’s word and His own [John 5:24, 8:51, 12:48, 14:24, 15:3, 17:14, 17]. Jesus declared His own words were the words [rhema] of the Father [Mt. 4:4], they were truth [Jn 17:17], and the only genuine path to salvation [Jn 5:24] with judgment promised for unbelievers [Jn 12:47]. Those who heard the words of God in Jesus’ mouth heard the “totality” of “God’s self revelation.” This was the same logos John introduced in his gospel as being both fully God [John 1:1-4] as well as fully man [John 1:14] who in his letter was called the “word of life” [1 John 1:1]. Many scholars say there is evidence that this logos was so prominent a theme that John’s prologue was not just an introduction but his inclusion of an early Christian hymn.
The most important use of logos in the New Testament is in John’s prologue.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” [John 1:1-2]
It is clear from his prologue that John wanted to take his readers back to Genesis chapter one verse one. The picture in Gen 1:1 is of God standing outside of time, space, and matter, creating all time, space and matter. The “logos”connection John was making linked the person of Jesus Christ to the creator God of Genesis chapter one. It is evident that John not only wanted his readers to think of Christ as being fully God or Theos in eternity past but also creator God. John added, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” [John 1:3]. Paul also confirmed this connection [Col. 1:15-16].
As we further examine the way John associated Christ as “logos” with Theos God in his prologue, we can see evidence that he wanted his readers to catch the idea of the unity of our complex God. We see John presenting both the Father and Son as persons being with each other as persons in the Triune God. We see John using very similar terminology later in his first epistle. John uses logos almost as technical language to present the person of Jesus Christ as the one who declares the Father being the declared word or message incarnate.
John also declares the word or logos is life, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” [John 1:4]. We know that only God can create life. We see this expanded on later in John’s epistle, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life - and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us” [I John 1:1-2].
In summary, it was the Old Testament that was John’s source for his understanding of the word logos. John was not a Greek but a Jew whose root of thought was Judaism. John’s Gospel is never polytheistic like the Greek philosophers who were also pantheistic. The person of Jesus we see in connection with logos did not “attain to his deity” as Mormons suppose, but was always fully God in eternity past. An honest reading of the New Testament reveals the Christ John presented as being logos was both God and with God [Jn. 1:1-3] and just a few verses later was also fully human [Jn. 1:14]. The language John used in verse fourteen which added flesh to spirit opposed gnostic belief that define the flesh as evil. No gnostic would have written verse fourteen.
THE APOSTLES USE OF LOGOS
After Jesus’ ascension, we see the apostles preaching what they called the “logos” or word of God. What was the content of their message? The message of the early gospel was the person and work of Jesus Christ. Luke uses this term throughout Acts [Acts 4:29, 6:2, 7, 8:4, 11:19, 13:5, 7, 44, 46, 16:32, 17:13, 18:11]. The apostles also called their message the “logos” or word of the Lord throughout the book of Acts [Acts 8:25, 12:24, 13:49, 15:35, 19:10, 20]. The apostolic message was also called the “logos” or word of salvation for both the Greeks and Jews [Acts 13:26].
LORD OR “KURIOS” SAYINGS IN THE BIBLE
As I examined the Greek word “kurios” in the New Testament, I found it can have some general meanings. But when the biblical authors associated it with Theos or God, they used kurios to elevate our understanding of God to include his sovereignty as Lord and master. This is an important term for people in Jesus’ day. When we see authors linking Jesus Christ with kurios this is evidence that they did so because they believed Christ was sovereign Lord and master.
Another important Hebrew word for Lord is Yahweh. This is the personal proper name for the Hebrew God. It was unspoken and unwritten usually out of respect and reverence. When the Jewish rabbis translated their Hebrew Bible into Greek 250 years before Christ, they replaced Yahweh with kurios most often. We see that in key passages such as when God made Adam and Eve animal skin clothing [Gen. 3:21], when the Lord called Abram [Gen. 12:1], Moses saw the burning bush [Ex. 3:2], as part of the giving of the Decalogue [Ex. 20:7], in Messianic prophesies [Isa. 7:14, 9:6], redemptive passages, “But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine” [Isa 43:1], as well as in the Suffering Servant passage [Isa. 53:1, 6] “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” [Isaiah 53:6]. “Kurios" is found 9,000 times in the Greek Septuagint and in 6,156 cases it replaces the divine Hebrew personal name for God Yahweh.
In summary the Greek Septuagint uses “kurios” in ways that identifies Jesus Christ as being fully God before Bethlehem. We also see evidence for his work of creating and redeeming mankind.
In the New Testament when the apostolic authors quoted the Old Testament they often followed the pattern of the Septuagint. For example we see Jesus being identified in the New Testament with “kurios” from the Old Testament Septuagint version when Peter quoted Joel in his speech after Pentecost [Joel 2:31-32 cf. Acts 2:20-21]. We see Paul doing the same thing [Romans 10:13]. We see Peter doing this again in his general epistle [Isaiah 8:13 cf. 1 Peter 3:15].
Matthew, Luke and John use “kurios” in ways that describe both God the Father and Jesus Christ in contextual settings that highlighted their sovereignty [Matthew 1:20; 9:38, 11:25; Acts 17:24; Rev. 4:11]. This is evidence for their unity as being individual persons while still only being one complex God.
In the New Testament we see Jesus associated with “kurios” as both human leader [Mt. 7:21; 21:29; Lk 6:46] and as exalted Lord God [Rom 10:9, 1 Cor 12:3, Phil 2:11, Eph 6;12, Rev 1:5]. We often see language referring to Jesus’ ruling over all mankind associated with “kurios” [Phil 2:11, Rom 14:9]. In summary because Jesus is so often associated with kurios or Lord even displacing key Yahweh passages in the Old Testament Septuagint version this is evidence that shows Christ was fully God in the Old Testament as well as in the New.
EVIDENCE FOR JESUS’ HUMANITY IN BOTH TESTAMENTS
The first evidence for his humanity comes from God speaking to Eve in Genesis saying it would be by her future human seed that God would use to crush Satan’s head [Gen. 3:15]. Later before the close of Genesis Messiah’s humanity is evidenced in God’s prediction that he would be born into the family of Judah [Gen. 49:10]. Later in the Pentateuch God revealed to Moses that the future Messiah would be a great prophet like Moses [Deut. 18:15-19]. As God describes this future Messiah he does not do so in ways that make us think that he would come as God but man "I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” [Deut 18:18]. In the next verses God shares enough information about the message of this great human Messiah to let us know that only a false Messiah would proclaim polytheism [Deut. 18:20]. The very early writer Job implies a knowledge that when Messiah would come he would do so to redeem as a human being, "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” Job 19:25
The Psalmist agreed when he wrote "Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me” [Ps 40:7] which evidences many knew of a body of references predicting the coming Messiah. Later the prophet Isaiah gave more evidence for Jesus’ humanity by declaring not only would Jesus be born in the tribe of Judah he would also come through the family of Jesse [Isa. 11:1]. Jeremiah said he would be a descendant of David [Jer. 23:5-6, 33:15-18]. Isaiah predicted the way the man Jesus would be born in a normal family and grow up to be an adult is important evidence for Jesus’ humanity, “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no {stately} form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him” [Isa. 53:2]. One of Isaiah’s themes about Messiah was in the way he presented Christ as the “suffering servant” which gives evidence of his humanity since God can not suffer and die unless he were to take on humanity. Later in this same chapter we see Messiah being described with language that forces us to restrict our understanding of Jesus Christ as including humanity. Isaiah said he would be forsaken, bear our sins, be a lamb to the slaughter and even included a description of his grave [Isa. 53:1-9]. Daniel predicted one of Messiah’s names would be “Son of Man” [Dan. 7:13-14]. Daniel also implied Messiah would die [Dan. 9:24-26]. When Herod was searching for Messiah he asked his scholars to see where Messiah was predicted to be born and they replied that they understood Micah 5:2 as declaring he should be born in Bethlehem [Matthew 2:4-16]. Part of the body of evidence known to point to Messiah included a birthplace which necessitates Jesus was born. When Luke reported Jesus’ birth he said it happened in Bethlehem because it was the city of David [Luke 2:4]. John relies on the already existing data base of scriptural references when he records Jesus’ birthplace, "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was" [John 7:42]? By the time of the end of the apostle John’s life this fact had become so prominent that it became one of the definitions of orthodoxy, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” [1 John 4:2].
Another prediction Isaiah made about Messiah included his humanity being so complete that there would also be a relationship between Messiah and the Holy Spirit [Isa. 42:1]. We see this important interaction work itself out in Luke’s gospel after the narrative of his baptism, his temptation in the wilderness, and through his public announcement of his ministry [Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-30]. The fact that Jesus was led by the Father at times, by the Holy Spirit at times, and led himself evidences he was fully a human being.
EVIDENCES CHRIST “BOTH” FULLY GOD AND FULLY HUMAN
Had Jesus Christ been either fully God or fully human alone no one would have come away confused. It is both natures residing in the same person without mixing that causes the confusion. The famous creeds of early Christianity were attempts to answer heretical responses to the confusion.
Isaiah predicted this mysterious relationship, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this” [Isa. 9:6-7].
Here Jesus is not only human but also a child who is expected to be born. Then we see the man Jesus getting harder to understand as Isaiah reveals names associated with his person and work. Isaiah also gave other details concerning Messiah’s birth, “Then he said, "Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” [Isa. 7:1314]. That name Immanuel means “God with us.” This sign was fulfilled in a way that Matthew quoted this verse when he described Jesus’ name and birth, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US" [Matt. 1:23]. This birth must be miraculous because it is the birth of Messiah and evidences the way the second person of the trinity added flesh and blood to his divinity.
John records one of the clearest presentations of the way Jesus as fully God added flesh to his deity to come here so he could suffer in our place on the cross. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being”[John 1:13]. A few verses later John adds, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” [John 1:14].
This is the testimony of Jesus’ apostles later in church history. “Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord” [Rom. 1:14]. Paul made it even clearer in Galatians, “but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” Gal 4:4
Paul was the church’s earliest theologian. His decades of training as a Pharisee under the Law were helpful to the early church in making sense of the mystery of the way Christ took on his incarnation. Paul said Jesus added humanity to his deity. Paul began by showing Christ’s fullness of deity. Then his thought progressed to demonstrate the way Christ “emptied” himself of the manifested glory of deity temporarily so he could come to earth and die for sinful humanity.
“Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:6-11
The term “form” in verse 6 comes from morphe which can not refer to the essence of God here because Christ never emptied himself of the essence of his Godhood. John made that clear in his prologue [John 1:1-3, 14]. First the Word was fully God with God before creation and then the Word takes on human flesh in verse 14. Matthew called him Immanuel in a way that fulfilled a prophecy from Isaiah [Mt. 1:23, cf. Isa. 7:14] which was a name that meant God was with us. Paul also gave clear evidence in his letter to the Colossians that the fullness of Christ’s Deity dwelled in Christ’s human body, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” [Col. 2:9]. “For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.” [Col. 1:19].
From this we see a natural progression in Christ. He is fully God in heaven before Bethlehem. To accomplish the cross he must add humanity to his deity at Bethlehem. After that he temporarily empties himself of his manifest glory that he had with the Father. After death we still see enough of his humanity to recognize him on several occasions before his ascension. Chronologically after that date anyone who “saw” Jesus Christ saw him associated with his glorified person which also included some human traits. Saul is knocked off his horse by this glory. The apostle John falls to his feet in reverence several times during that Revelation. The reason we see this agreement is because our Bible in both testaments is in harmony.
THE PERSON OF CHRIST WITH BOTH HUMAN AND DIVINE NATURES
The main tenant from Paul is, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” [Col. 2:9]. For this reason when we consider the amount of deity in Christ we must do so in ways that fulfills what this passage teaches. The word fullness comes from pleroma. The word dwells is in the present tense which evidences Christ’s divinity is an ongoing part of his person.
Paul taught a longer text to the Philippians in the second chapter. He taught how Christ “emptied” himself of the glory and honor of deity he had with the Father so he could take on humanity to go the cross. But nowhere in that passage does Paul claim Jesus set aside his divinity to take on humanity. The word “emptied” comes from kenosis. “But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men” [Phil. 2:7]. Erickson says the key word is servant in the aorist tense which demonstrates how Jesus was suddenly “subordinated to the Father for the period of the incarnation.”
As God Jesus could have taken on the incarnation in any way he pleased. But he chose to be born in a village like Bethlehem instead of Jerusalem or Rome. He chose to reveal God to humanity through this kenosis. He also chose to use this means to redeem mankind. In his kenosis Jesus accepted the “certain limitations” of the functioning of his divine attributes but not his divine nature itself.
Jesus had two natures in one person. One of the natures was human and the other was divine. The way those two natures interacted is vitally important to solving some of the difficult Christological heresies today. As we examine the biblical record of the gospel writers we see evidence of a normally operating human being. We see no evidence of strange shiftings between natures when he prayed, preached or lived his life. We see such normality because as Erickson says, the union of those natures was such that “they did not function independently. Jesus did not exercise his deity at times and his humanity at other times. His actions were always those of divinity-humanity.”
CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE
Erickson writes, “Jesus’ humanity was not the humanity of sinful human beings, but that possessed by Adam and Eve from their creation and before their fall. The question, then, is not whether Jesus was fully human as we are; he was more human than we are. He is spiritually, the type of humanity that we will possess when we are glorified.”
One evidence for Jesus’ humanity deals with his human birth. Many details of his birth were recorded by Matthew and Luke. Even details of his unique conception were predicted by Isaiah [Is. 7:14], and his recorded by Matthew [Mt. 1:22-23].
Christ’s humanity was a necessity. He came as the Lamb of God to die a sacrificial death for humanity. Without his humanity it could not be said that he could die. His death, and thus his humanity was predicted centuries earlier by Isaiah [Isa. 53:1-7], Daniel [Dan. 9:26], Zechariah [Zech. 12:10], and the Psalmist [Ps. 22:16]. In his own ministry he often predicted his own death which required full humanity, [Mt. 12:40, 5:17-18, 8:17, Jn. 4:25-26, 5:39]. In summary as we examine the evidence of his humanity we see all these passages in both testaments assume Christ’s death - humanity.
Passages that accounted for his death are also evidence for his humanity. Mark reported Christ hung on the cross from 9:00 AM until dusk [Mk. 15:25, 33]. John recorded the way Jesus side was pierced on the cross [Jn. 19:34]. Luke shared Jesus’ words from the cross to the Father [Lk. 23:46]. Luke also recorded his death cry [Lk 23:47-49]. John said Christ gave up his spirit [Jn. 19:30].
Many passages also report Jesus’ burial which is evidence of his humanity. Mark said Pilate gave Jesus’ body to Joseph [Mk. 15:44-45]. Both Matthew and John report that Jesus’ tomb was sealed [Mt. 27:60, Jn. 19:39-40].
In summary when we look at the evidence for Jesus humanity Christians and Mormons agree in most areas.
CHRIST’S DIVINE NATURE
Erickson writes, “Jesus Christ is also our best source for knowledge of deity ... it is in Jesus that God is most fully revealed and known.” John wrote that it is only God in the person of Christ who has ever even seen God the Father.
Erickson said fallen human perspective is not up to understanding the similarities and differences between God and the original human creatures. “The initiative of the incarnation” came “from above, rather than from below.” For God to add humanity to his deity is not an unthinkable impossibility like the reverse of man becoming God.
In summary, because of the way Christ as fully God added humanity to his deity without losing his deity, this mysterious language has through the ages caused confusion. As we study some of these historic pitfalls it can help us in understanding modern heresies.
THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO SMITH’S THEOLOGY
The Bible strongly condemns polytheism. When Christ presented himself formally at the beginning of his public ministry in Luke he did not introduce himself in Galilee as Israel’s second God. Instead we see Christ emerging from his baptism in chapter three where the Father himself affirmed him. Then we see his experience in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Finally he is led by Holy Spirit into Galilee where he announces the formal beginning of his ministry. He proclaimed to the crowd in the synagogue that he was Messiah and was fulfilling this day what had been prophesied about him in the Old Testament.
“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:14-21
Christ had come to fulfill the law as Israel’s sacrificial lamb. One of the requirements of a sacrificial lamb in the Old Testament was that it must be without spot indicating a type for the way Christ would later come without sin. If he were a sinner he could not have died for us on the cross. If Christ had presented himself as Israel’s second God he would have violated the Decalogue and as a sinner be disqualified as our savior.
ISAIAH FORBADE POLYTHEISM
Isaiah wrote, "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me. "I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides me” [Isa. 43:1011].
Here Isaiah looks ahead to the reality of the coming Messiah noting his being “savior.” The language here does not predict Messiah will be a second God. Isaiah also covers both spectrums of time eternity past and eternity future with no allowance of even the existence of another God. To the Mormons who hope to attain godhood, “there never will be another god.”
Mormon theology mixes angels, men, and God. But God declared, “So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind" [1 Sam. 15:2829]. God in very clear language us stating he is not a man nor is he like men. When Moses said humans were made in God’s image no one was thinking that man could eventually attain godhood. The image was internal we see God creatively blowing a unique spirit into humanity [Gen. 2:7]. This made man unique among created beings. This allowed man to have dominion over the rest of created animals. But a careful reading does not give evidence that God was making people who could eventually become God.
SUMMARY
As a practical matter more often than not the average modern Mormon is unaware of most of these teachings. Most of these teachings are most emphasized in the temple ceremonies, but only about twenty percent of the church holds temple recommends. Often, the Mormon you are talking to is unaware of these teachings. Many think they are worshiping the same God and Christ worshiped in historic Christianity. Recent surveys suggest there is a great deal of confusion over the nature, person and work of the Mormon Jesus Christ.
TWO REASONS FOR A CONFUSING MORMON CHRIST
First of all we point to the changing world of Mormon theology. Second we would point out the fact that Mormon missionaries do not tell the full scope of the message. A recent example is at the official Mormon web site. It has a page one can click onto to find out about their Basic Beliefs.
As I studied what I read there I found that the article on Jesus Christ would not agree with articles in the Encyclopedia on Mormonism that deal with Christ. If one studies the contrast between the content of what current Mormon missionaries are out teaching with the 1992 Encyclopedia of Mormonism there are major portions going untaught. Mormon leaders answering this objection often say “we teach the milk first they are not ready for the meat yet.”
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO MORMON AFTERLIFE
One reason Mormons are so confused about their future afterlife is because they do not believe their salvation is realized in the present tense as well as the future tense. A careful examiniation of all these terms when they are explained by Mormon leaders is that they always include the phrase enduring to the end as a prerequisite for salvation. This opposes the substitutional nature of Christ’s finished work on the cross. Instead Mormons believe they will enjoy an afterlife made possible by an unbroken chain of patriarchs from Adam to each modern man.
JESUS PROMISED ETERNAL LIFE
Just as there are no genuine evidence for man having a pre-existence, there also is no evidence the Bible teaches three degrees of glory or exaltation. When we come to Christ there is an immediate change of residence spiritually that Mormons miss in their studies. Jesus taught, “I came that they may have life, and have {it} abundantly” [John 10:10]. John recorded a present, active subjunctive grammar that determines he wanted us to experience salvation right now.
PAUL PROMISED SALVATION TIED TO CHRIST
Paul wrote to Ephesus, “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” [Eph 2:5-6]. This grammar also gives us hope that our salvation is now. We know there is also a future content to our salvation after death. Our salvation however is forever linked with Christ. We will forever be co-dependant on him.
JOHN AND JESUS TEACH THIS AS A THEME
This is what Jesus had in mind before his ascension into heaven, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. "And you know the way where I am going" [John 14:3-4]. The author of Hebrews agreed in presenting this hope, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” [Heb 9:27]. There is also no evidence in the Bible for a salvation based on a “second chance” theology. This is a foreign idea that is biblically strange.
RESPONSE TO THE DEIFICATION OF MAN
"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me.” Isa 43:10
REALITY CHECK: There never has been more than One God and there never will be a seond God in the future.