"Ipaglaban mo nang puspusan ang pananampalataya. Panghawakan mong mabuti ang buhay na walang hanggan, dahil diyan ka tinawag ng Diyos nang ipahayag mo sa harap ng maraming saksi ang iyong pananalig kay Cristo." I Tim. 6:12

February 5, 2010

Jesus is the true God?


I john 5:20

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
"





What does I john 5:20 mean? Is Jesus the one who is being referred to as"the true God and eternal life"?

“3. 5.20-21. Knowing the true God; avoiding idolatry. The Greek of 5:20 has only the true (one) and reads literally: ‘we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding’ so that we know the true (one) and we are in true (one)’, in his Son Jesus Christ. ‘The (one) is the true God and eternal life’. It is clear from this that ‘the true (one)’ is God throughout. Christ is his Son. In the final sentence this (one) most naturally refers still to God, not to Christ, as some have suggested.” Loader, William. The Johannine Epistles. London: Epworth Press, 1992.

Other bible translation says:

"We know that Jesus Christ the Son of God has come and has shown us the true God. And because of Jesus, we now belong to the true God who gives eternal life." Contemporary english version

It is God the FATHER, and not CHRIST is the TRUE GOD that is being referred in I john 5:20. It also agree to what our Lord Jesus Christ taught, that the FATHER is the ONLY ONE true God:
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3


II peter 1:1

"Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"

What does again II Peter 1:1 mean? Does this verse mean that the God and our savior is Christ? 

Lets see:

“Next, in the words, of our God and [our] Saviour Jesus Christ, I would interpret, as in Titus ii, 13 [where see note] our God of the Father and [our] Saviour Jesus Christ of the Son. Here, there is the additional consideration in favour of this view, that the Teo are distinguished more plainly in the next verse.” The New Testament for English Readers, p. 1671
“… Peter did not claim that Jesus of Nazareth was God. He ‘was a man, commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you’…” Armstrong, Karen. A history of God. Great Britain: Mandarin Paperbacks, 1994



I Timothy 3:16

"and, confessedly, great is the secret of piety -- God was manifested in flesh, declared righteous in spirit, seen by messengers, preached among nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory!"



How about I timothy 3:16? Is it God that was manifested in the flesh?

Lets see:

“By the pronoun He with which the hymn opens, is to be understood, Christ. The Greek reading which underlies the AV translation ‘GOD’ is almost certainly wrong…” Bruce, F.F., General edition: The International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.
“3:16 The earliest Greek texts have “He” rather than “GOD”. The six phrases which follow appear to be a quotation from an early Christian hymn…” Criswell, W.A., Ph.D., ed. The Criswell Study bible, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Pubs., 1979

“… The best manuscripts read, ‘Who’, referring to Christ. He was justified by the way the Spirit worked in him.” The Westminister Study Edition of the holy Bible. Philadelphia: The westminister press, 1968

“The context makes it plain that Paul is referring to Christ when he says: He who was manifest in the flesh (ASV)… All the leading words occur elsewhere in Paul’s writings. Flesh. Paul frequently emphasizes the humanity of Christ by the use of his word (Rom. 1:3; 8:3; 9:5, Eph 5:15, Col. 1:22, Heb. 5:7; 10:20)…” Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everette F. Harrison, eds. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1990



Most bible translations and versions in the said verse use "He" instead of "God":

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory. NIV

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. NASB

2 comments:

  1. John 17:3
    New King James Version (NKJV)
    3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

    1 John 5:20
    New King James Version (NKJV)
    20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

    Similarities between John 17:3 and 1 John 5:20
    Who is the only true God?
    a) First, it was written by the same person, John.
    b) Second, eternal life were present in both.
    c) Third, knowing the Father and the Son were present in both.
    d) Fourth, true God were present in both.
    e) If you really try to understand John 17:3 and 1 John 5:20, they were really identical to each other. In what way? They were both saying that ETERNAL LIFE IS KNOWING THE FATHER AND THE SON AS THE ONLY TRUE GOD.

    Regarding 1st Timothy 3:16
    Question:
    Which one is great mystery?
    HE MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH
    or
    GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. [e) If you really try to understand John 17:3 and 1 John 5:20, they were really identical to each other. In what way? They were both saying that ETERNAL LIFE IS KNOWING THE FATHER AND THE SON AS THE ONLY TRUE GOD.]

      This is called twisting the scripture to your own destruction:

      as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. II Pet. 3:16

      Let us examine the verses you mentioned.

      And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

      Jesus is speaking to his Father, recognizing his Father to be the ONLY TRUE GOD.


      And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. I John 5:20

      Jesus and God the father are being mentioned here.

      Jesus is the "son of God" and God the Father here is "him" that has a "son, who is Jesus Christ". The true God here is the GOD WHO HAS A SON and not the SON itself.


      [Which one is great mystery?
      HE MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH
      or
      GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH?]

      There is no mystery here because we all know that it is Christ and not God who is in the flesh or was manifested in the flesh. Always remember that GOD is SPIRIT.


      Delete

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