"Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, Who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, Who sent me." (John 8:14-18)
"Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid." (John 8:13)
Could Jesus be God?
Jesus is clarifying that he is representing God and that God is his witness. He is saying, "I am not alone" because there is another individual - the Supreme Being - with whom Jesus has a relationship.How could sectarian teachers possibly claim in good conscience that Jesus is the Supreme Being after Jesus makes this clear statement? Throughout his teachings, Jesus refers to God as a separate individual. And he prayed to the Supreme Being. Could Jesus be praying to himself - thereby deceiving others?
Jesus is obviously indicating there are two individuals here: Jesus and the Supreme Being. If Jesus was the Supreme Being how could the Supreme Being give witness to Jesus? It would be a ridiculous statement to make. This is the very crux of the challenge by the Pharisees about Jesus appearing as his own witness: Another - separate - person is required in order to give witness.
Furthermore, the statement "Who sent me" also indicates the existence of two persons - the sender and the one being sent. This is the situation between the Supreme Being and Jesus. The Supreme Being dispatched Jesus to teach about Him.
The Supreme Being sent Jesus to show us that we can be truly spiritually happy by loving and serving God. This is also the meaning of Jesus' sacrifice: To show us that happiness lies deeper than the temporary physical body. Happiness is a part of the spiritual individual, achievable when we come to love and serve God and leave our self-centeredness behind.
Why do some say Jesus is God?
Yet sectarian teachers still try to promote that Jesus is the Supreme Being. Why is that? This doctrine was spawned by the politically-minded Roman Emperor Constantine and his appointed First Council of Nicea - an assembly of church leaders personally selected by Constantine.The purpose was to organize and control followers through a religious doctrine enforced by law.
This doctrine, the Nicene Creed, stated that Jesus was God as part of a trinity (The Father, Son, Holy Ghost). This basically set up Jesus to be given the title of God. Even though he prayed to God.
Saying a religious teacher is effectively God is not new to religious history. Even today we find new religions popping up led by charismatic teachers who claim to be God - of God-like.
Saying a religious teacher is effectively God is not new to religious history. Even today we find new religions popping up led by charismatic teachers who claim to be God - of God-like.
But Jesus didn't claim to be God. He actually specifically denied being God:
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.” (John 5:30)
Jesus said this repeatedly - that God sent him. If Jesus was God then God could not have sent him. He would have sent himself.
This claim - that Jesus was God - came from the ruler of the most powerful empire in the world at the time: The Roman Emperor.
And they were serious about enforcing this. The Romans persecuted many people who subscribed to any other philosophy. This is why Constantine ordered the massacre of an entire branch of followers called the Donatists.
The Donatists simply held the opinion that a priest who turned on his faith during the Roman massacres of Christians was not qualified to continue in the position of priest afterward.
For this reason, the Donatists were brutally slaughtered, and their existence was effectively erased from the desert region of North Africa.
Where did the Nicene Creed come from?
This doctrine that Jesus is God has no basis in scripture at all. Rather, it is based upon Paul's philosophy, which differed from Jesus' own disciples. Paul actually argued against the teachings of Peter and James - in public.Paul, who had not heard Jesus' teachings directly, created a philosophy (called Pauline theology) that God came to earth as Jesus in order to die for our sins.
Jesus did not teach this. The one and only verse that is claimed as evidence was when Jesus said:
"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)
The problem with this claim is the Greek word translated to "one" actually means "united" in this context. This is not the same as one. A person can be united with another (like spouses) but does not become the other. They do not lose their individuality.
To be united with someone simply means that we have the same purpose and the same intentions. Jesus confirmed this over and over when he would say he was doing the will of God:
"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)Yet the Roman government forcefully promoted the Creed of Nicea, which contrived that God was a trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Certainly, a case can be made that God utilized Jesus to communicate with us. After all, Jesus says above, "the Father, Who sent me." This effectively makes Jesus God's messenger.
But Jesus cannot both be God and be sent by God at the same time. That would be deceptive. Jesus is not being deceptive. He understood that the Supreme Being is an individual personality separate from Jesus.
But Jesus cannot both be God and be sent by God at the same time. That would be deceptive. Jesus is not being deceptive. He understood that the Supreme Being is an individual personality separate from Jesus.
What about Jesus being the 'Son of God'?
This depends upon how someone defines "son." Both the Greek words and the Hebrew words translated to "son" can also mean "subject" or "pupil" or "devoted follower." Consider some of these verses in this context:... the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. (Genesis 6:1-3)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
“...because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)
"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4:6)
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus..." (Galatians 3:26)In fact, all of these and other verses from the New Testament others translate the word "son" from the Greek word υἱὸς. The word υἱὸς can be translated to "son", but according to the lexicon, this is only used "in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)."
The lexicon also states that υἱὸς is "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower." This indicates the word υἱὸς is more appropriately translated in these texts to "servant" or "follower" or "devoted follower."
This is confirmed by another statement by Jesus:
This is confirmed by another statement by Jesus:
“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:49-50)It is a ridiculous assumption that the Supreme Being, the Creator of the entire physical world, spiritual world, and all of their innumerable citizens, would be limited to only being able to have one son. Is God impotent? Can He only give birth to one single son?
Is this a way of claiming exclusivity?
This concept of Jesus being the Supreme Being, or being God's only Son are both attempts to accomplish the same goal: Exclusivity to achieve political superiority.The attempt strives to present a particular sectarian organization and form of worship as correct, giving the church political and social exclusivity. If either Jesus is the Supreme Being, or Jesus is God's only son, there would be no other way to approach the Supreme Being than through their organization. All others are condemned.
This of course worked during the early Roman church, and through many centuries of persecution and bloodshed of any other forms of worship, until about the Fourteenth century.
This of course worked during the early Roman church, and through many centuries of persecution and bloodshed of any other forms of worship, until about the Fourteenth century.
We find it interesting that the Romans also allowed the worship of the Greek and Roman gods - and utilized the pagan holidays of the solstice and Easter - the worship of the pagan god Eastre, a hare idol - as their sectarian holidays.
To the disdain of the Catholic emperors (Popes), the Fourteenth century gave rise to protestant sects, and the Roman Catholic church lost its dominance over sectarian Christianity. These protestant sects utilized most of the key Roman Catholic philosophy in order to retain ecclesiastical authority.
To the disdain of the Catholic emperors (Popes), the Fourteenth century gave rise to protestant sects, and the Roman Catholic church lost its dominance over sectarian Christianity. These protestant sects utilized most of the key Roman Catholic philosophy in order to retain ecclesiastical authority.
Even still, many acts of violence in the name of Christianity occurred throughout this period and afterward by these ecclesiastical sectarian organizations - against those who did not agree with their particular brand of sectarianism. Could these violent oppressors be followers of the same Jesus who taught:
“But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39)Certainly this bent on claiming Jesus as the Supreme Being or the only son of God comes from the same position of political control: Both are attempts to utilize Jesus for the purposes of control. Through brutal government control by the Romans. Or through the social control of followers by sectarian institutions. These have been used as a means for control over followers through the centuries.
This social control can be seen today as we hear followers who chant empty phrases reflecting the teachings of these ecclesiastical institutions, such as "I'm saved." and others.
Is this a way of ignoring God?
Claiming that Jesus is the Supreme Being means to virtually ignore the real Supreme Being. This is the polar opposite of Jesus' instruction to love the Supreme Being with all our hearts, soul and mind.The bottom line, evidenced by the statement above, is that Jesus quite simply described himself as God's servant and messenger ("Who sent me"). His loving relationship with the Supreme Being was exhibited through his teachings and his acts of sacrifice. He was, quite simply, the perfect loving servant of the Supreme Being.
But that does not mean that there were not also other loving servants of the Supreme Being through the ages who were also God's messengers. It does not mean that there were no other loving servants of the Supreme Being that taught their particular society, according to the culture, time and circumstance.
As documented throughout the Bible, they individually taught their followers how to focus our lives upon the Supreme Being and re-develop our loving relationship with the Supreme Being.
Certainly, we can agree that Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Eli, Samuel, David, Solomon, Job, Jonah, Jeremiah and John the Baptist were also God's messengers.
We see clear evidence that God sent these loving servants as His messengers as well. Consider for example, how the Supreme Being instructed Joshua to carry a message to Joshua's followers:
And certainly, there have been even other loving servants of the Supreme Being dispatched as messengers outside of those spoken of in the New and Old Testaments. The Supreme Being reaches out to everyone.
We see clear evidence that God sent these loving servants as His messengers as well. Consider for example, how the Supreme Being instructed Joshua to carry a message to Joshua's followers:
"Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it." (Joshua 7:13)The Supreme Being has sent numerous messengers over the ages to represent Him to their followers. The proof lies within the very same set of scriptures where Jesus' life and teachings are described.
And certainly, there have been even other loving servants of the Supreme Being dispatched as messengers outside of those spoken of in the New and Old Testaments. The Supreme Being reaches out to everyone.
God's message is not restricted to one person or one period of time or one sacrifice. Yes, Jesus is the perfect loving servant of the Supreme Being, but the Supreme Being has not stopped sending His loving servants to deliver His message to us.
And what is that message? The Supreme Being wants us back. He wants us to return to Him because He knows we can only be ultimately happy when we re-establish our eternal loving relationship with Him, as Jesus taught:
And what is that message? The Supreme Being wants us back. He wants us to return to Him because He knows we can only be ultimately happy when we re-establish our eternal loving relationship with Him, as Jesus taught:
“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)
