Reup: Christmas 2009: Reflections On The Divinity Of Jesus

~Re-Up From Christmas 2009~
Originally Published 12/15/2009

A personal message to every reader of this blog,

I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed and Happy New Year!
~ Pastor Harvey Burnett~

Isaiah 9:6 ~ "For unto us A CHILD IS BORN, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

As we enter the 2009 (now 2010) celebration of Christmas, let us never forget that as Christians we celebrate the miraculous birth of an individual so unique, that his very person simply defies human understanding. Unlike any counterparts or parallels throughout history, Jesus, being God, and without divesting himself of his divine nature, came to Earth for a singular purpose; to redeem man back to God because of the damage that sin had done.

2 Corinthians 5:19 ~ "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of RECONCILIATION."

Although the simple but yet immensely complicated truth of the incarnation of God  (god putting on the limitations of humanity and dwelling among us) has been hailed for centuries, there are yet questions as to at what point, how and to what extent the divinity of Jesus came to be. The controversy of Modalism (aka Sabellianism) (AD 215) (known today as Oneness or Jesus Only doctrine)  affirmed the equal deity of the three modes of God, but denied  their distinction as anyone other than Jesus. This was one of the first controversies over the "Economy of God" or how Jesus was divine. This doctrine was rejected by early church leaders and considered heretical.

Later  Arianism (250-336 AD)came on the scene as another attempt to understand God's Economy, but went so far as to separate God from Jesus to the extent that Jesus was said to be a created divine being created before the beginning of the world. In other words in Arius's hermeneutic Jesus was also a creature and did not share the same essence or nature of God, but was god with a LITTLE g. The Jehovah's Witness is a modern group that still holds this view. This doctrine was put down in spite of political expedience but in a biblical manner in 325 AD at the Council of Nicea as referenced below. Contrary to them that hold modalistic doctrine in many circles, those that hold to Arianism today are generally not considered Christians.

Later, in AD 415 the Council of Chalcedon declared Jesus "fully human and fully divine." in efforts to finally put an end to any divinity misunderstandings. (A portion of that statement is listed below also)

Dissension Proves What Was Taught & Believed

Even through controversy, this leads us to the truth that as early as the recording of the birth and physical life of Jesus within the earliest Christian community and the written accounts of his life called the gospels and encouragements to the church called epistles and letters to the community of believers, the concept that Jesus was divine and the concept of the God/Man (a person being both fully divine and fully human) was delivered, believed and received among them that called themselves Christians. The proclaimed Greek parallels would be worked and reworked centuries after the death of Jesus and the success of the Christian church in response to the success of this religion based on a living, dying and physically resurrected God/Man. It is interesting to note that the divinity of Jesus doesn't rest on a Creed as Creeds seek to find rest in Jesus, and does not model itself after pagan gods who were constantly dying, rising, in controversy and ultimately banished to the underworld or forced to share power with other gods sometimes unsympathetic to the plight of other god fellows.

The Renaissance

Although the Renaissance was a period of great social advancement it was also a period from which the most backwards steps would be taken spiritually and unfortunately considered to be an advancement. As noted in The Raging Battle For The Jesus OF History , Hermann S. Reimarus (1694-1768), was one of a new breed of critical thinkers who suggested that the “historical Jesus” was a very different person from the “Christ of faith”, and that Jesus was simply a misunderstood man who didn't intend to start a religion or have a religious following. Although the character of Jesus was undeniable to him, his nature and essence could only be reconciled as being flesh.

These thoughts and others like them sold in the form of biblical criticism have been the subject of much criticism and controversy in the 20th and now 21st century in movies, books, councils and amongst individuals both in and out of the pulpit.

Neo Renaissance Assertions

Modern day ministers and ministries have even put a new spin on the divine nature of Christ. Pastor Creflo A. Dollar of World Changers Church International has said this regarding the divine nature of Jesus:

"And somebody said, well, Jesus came as God! Well, how many of you know the Bible says God never sleeps nor slumbers? And yet in the book of Mark we see Jesus asleep in the back of the boat. Please listen to me. Please listen to me. This ain’t no heresy. I’m not some false prophet. I’m just reading this thing out to you of the Bible. I’m just telling you, you all these fantasy preacher have been preaching all of this stuff for all of these years and we bought the package!" ~ [Creflo Dollar, "Jesus' Growth into Sonship," December 8, 15, 2002, Product Number: 3422093, 3132094]

He also said in that same message:

"If Jesus came as God, then why did God have to anoint him? If Jesus - See God’s already anointed. If Jesus came as God, then why did God have to anoint him? Jesus came as a man, that’s why it was legal to anoint Him. God doesn’t need anointing. He is anointed. Jesus came as a man and at age thirty, God is now getting ready to demonstrate to us and give us an example of what a man with the anointing can do." [Creflo Dollar, "Jesus' Growth into Sonship," December 8, 15, 2002, Product Number: 3422093, 3132094]

Still others, appealing to a modern social gospel that is quick to accept anything that sounds sensational, have been quick to state that Jesus wasn't divine until the Council of Nicea claimed him to be so in 325 AD, nearly 300 years after his death. One such novel idea was embraced, endorsed and promoted by Dan Brown in his book 'The Divinci Code' and later in a movie by the same title directed by Fonzie's favorite friend "Richie Cunningham" aka: Ron Howard:

"Jesus establishment as the 'Son of God' was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicea." [Dan Brown, The Divinci Code Pg. 233]

 

Michael McAteer, a former Catholic, and co-author of the 1996 book 'The Man in the Scarlet Robe: 2000 Years of Searching for Jesus' holds that Jesus is a shadowy historical figure, obscured by myth. Like many skeptics, he dismisses Jesus as a religious fiction as if the world had not started thinking until he arrived with his skepticism. In fact he states: 

 

"I don’t believe in the virgin birth,"..."I don’t believe in the Resurrection."..."I would accept that somebody like Jesus existed,...That’s as far as I can go. Anybody who has a definitive answer, I think, is either dishonest or disillusioned." 

 

McAteer claims that the Gospels are secondhand accounts, written 50 or 60 years after Jesus's death and are full of embellishments. Each of these criticisms, though false are beyond the scope of this writing, but don't worry I'll get to them.

 

Then there are even others such as Rev. Bill Phipps, former moderator of the United Church of Canada (who imposes the same methodology as McAteer setting forth what he "thinks" as if the world was dependent upon his interpretations. He ignited a firestorm when he said the following regarding Jesus:

 

"I believe that God is more than Jesus. God is huge, mysterious, wholly beyond our comprehension and beyond our total understanding. Jesus therefore does not represent or embody all of God, but embodies as much of God as can be in a person. But to me that does not diminish the divine that Jesus embodies. I can say the traditional formulations very easily - Jesus is the son of God, the word made flesh, God Incarnate. Jesus is unique and special and the Christian makes the leap of faith that such divine revelation has not happened in this way in any other place, in any other historical figure." [ Rev. Bill Phipps ~ 'Maclean's' December 15, 1997]

1 Timothy 4:1~ "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to SEDUCING SPIRITS, and doctrines of devils;"

Lines Of Argumentation

In the Podcast attached to this post I reveal 6 lines of argumentation validating the divinity of Jesus and supporting the Christian teaching that the Apostles and early church not only thought that Jesus was divine but placed their life on the line for the conviction that they lived out daily. My argument is as follows:

 

1- The Historical Veracity Of The Bible

2- The Thoroughly Referenced Old Testament Within The New Testament

3- The Prophecies Of THE Old Testament & Their Fulfillment In Jesus

4- The Jewish Interpretation Of The "Suffering Servant" And The Subsequent Reversion To Nationalism

5- The Specific Reference Within The New Testament Scriptures Affirming The Deity Of Jesus

• Creeds
• Inclusios
• Declarations, Demonstrations & Doxologies

6- Extra Biblical Accounting Of The Deity Of Jesus

****The Deity Of Jesus Podcasts Are As Follows:****

1- The Deity Of Jesus Pt. 1
2- The Deity Of Jesus Pt. 2
3- The Deity Of Jesus Pt. 3
4- The Deity Of Jesus Pt. 4
5- The Deity Of Jesus Pt. 5

Because of the intricate nature of this subject and time constraints, this will not be a thoroughly comprehensive rendering but there will be enough material to encourage study and get your spiritual wheels turning. I will render at least two different broadcasts to cover all pertinent subject matter. Please feel free to send links to friends as I believe God to touch hearts and minds of many individuals. Remember, I have completed a 5 part series with over 2 hours worth of material on this subject. Please please feel free to pass this on to friends, family or individuals seeking the truth.

 

As we celebrate Christmas we should be reminded that this subject is highly important. If Jesus was just a man like any other man, his death, though noble, does not do enough to save us from our sins. For there is no perfection appealing to God by way of human flesh. If he was just a man, we cannot expect him to have been raised bodily in a physical resurrection. If Jesus is God however, and he has come to Earth taking upon himself the "likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom. 8:3) then there is a demand for action in response to what he both stated and did. Since our response has such a great eternal weight of significance attached to it, a non answer to the question of Jesus and his divinity is the equivalent of total rejection.

 

Blessed! 

Abbreviated Creeds:

The Council Of Nicea (A.D. 325):

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father. By whom all things were made, both which be in heaven and in earth. Who for us men and for our salvation came down [from heaven] and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended to heaven. And he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead... (Percival, 1899, p. 3)."

Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) . The 150 members of the Council declared that Jesus was one person with two natures:

"...we teach with one voice that the Son [of God] and our Lord Jesus Christ is to be confessed as one and the same [Person], that he is perfect in Godhead and perfect in manhood, very God and very man, of a reasonable soul and [human] body consisting, consubstantial with the Father as touching his Godhead, and consubstantial with us as touching his manhood.... This one and the same Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son [of God] must be confessed in two natures, unconfusedly, immutably, indivisibly, inseparably [united], and that without the distinction of natures being taken away by such union... (Percival, 1899, pp. 264-265)."