I would respectfullly disagree with AGuest's view that Jesus was not divine at the same time he was human. John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1-8; Titus 2:13. I believe that the Bible teaches that he was both divine and human. It was as a man that he was killed. His divine nature did not die.
May you all have peace! Golly, so much here! If only we'd stop looking to the Law, the Bible, what man thinks/teaches... and look to Christ himself.
I'd like to address Ding's (peace to you, dear one!) disagreement and understanding of "divine" nature, first, if you all will permit me. The divine nature does not die... nor does our spirit. When we die, our FLESH dies... but our spirits do not. They simply sleep (unless they have been destroyed, by fire), until they are resurrected... either to life... or to judgment (and destruction). So, regardless of the spirit that was IN him, whether his own and/or God's, such spirit (for him, divine) would not have died.
We, too, those of us who belong to God by means of Christ, can also have "divine" nature within us because our flesh is merely a vessel... one which houses our OWN spirit... but may also house God's. (John 14:23; Acts 2:4; Romans 8:9, 10). That is what Israel saw "reflected" on Moses' face. But having such spirit dwell IN us... does not make US "divine." It simply means that we are a TEMPLE of the "divine."
Which is what occurred with our Lord, as well: HIS own spirit dwelled in his vessel of flesh... as WELL as that of the Most Holy One of Israel. But that did not make him God... or "divine." That "divinity" us the GLORY of God... His "GodNESS." That Christ's own spirit AS WELL AS God's spirit... existed in him... and that the two were/are NOT the same is evidenced by what occurred with HIM (and not Paul)... and was said by HIM (and not Paul):
- 1. That spirit "coming down upon him" when he came up from the Jordan. Had it been in him prior to, there would have been no need for it to "come down";
- 2. My Lord's words TO the Father, "Father, glorify me with the glory that I HAD... alongside you before the founding of the world...". He wanted BACK what he had given up to come here. He did not bring it with him;
- 3. My Lord's words TO the Father, "Father, if YOU wish, remove this cup from ME; yet, not MY will... but YOURS". By this statement, he acknowledged that HIS will was not necessarily the same as the FATHER's will...
- 4. "Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani?" or "My God, My God... why have YOU forsaken ME?"
You quoted Colossians 2:9, and that was fine; however, you stopped short of 2:10 and had you read that you might have seen even more, including that the verses aren't accurately transliterated, so the confusion is understandable. Verse 9, TRUTHFULLY stated:
"... because it is in him that all the fullness of the [Deity] dwells bodily."
This does not mean that he IS God; it means that the spirit of God... the Godness... dwelled in my Lord's body. But that same Godness... can dwell in US. Thus, verse 10 states:
"And so YOU are possessed of the fullness by means of him, who is the head of all government and authority."
That Godness, however, was not with him when he was tempted... and when he was put to death. The "hedge" was "removed"... so that he could BE tempted... and so that he could prove HIS loyalty and integrity in the end. Had it, the "deity" been present, the Adversary would have rejected the reply.
I am surprised at those who use Hebrews 1:1-8 to prove the position that Christ is God, when those very verses state that he is a "representation," a "son," an "heir," that he "inherited," etc.
My Lord is the IMAGE of God. An image... is a reflection, a copy, a facsimile... OF the real... but is NOT the real thing itself. In the case of my Lord, he is the MIRROR that we must look INTO... in order to see God. Prior to him, the LAW was that "mirror", which is why Moses reflected the GLORY of God... after receiving the Law.
Finally, the verse Titus 2:13, is an error of the scribes. How do we know? Well, we can always ask, of course. Failing that, however, we can look at what the verse literally states and try to understand what it's speaking of. According to the KJV, that verse states:
"... while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, [Jesus] Christ..."
The Greek from which it was transliterated states:
"... looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our Great God and Savior Christ [Jesus]."
What "glory" was Paul (?) speaking of? Christ is recorded to say:
"... they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity. "Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, YOU know that summer is near. Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father."
What we all must keep in mind is that, in addition to the FACT that scribes HAVE tampered with not only the scriptures, but the entire Bible and other related writings, we are WRONG to assume that all of the 1 st century writers believed accurately. They did not and we have accounts to show, including Paul. Paul taught things that DIRECTLY OPPOSED what Christ taught... and it caused divisions. So, we have to be CAREFUL when reading Paul, from the get go, as well as when reading ANYTHING written in the Bible due to the "false stylus" of the scribes.
So, what is the BEST way to know whether what is written it TRUE or not? Dear ones... GO TO THE SOURCE! The very book that so many of you put your faith IN... says:
"This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to HIM."
"Come to ME."
"You are searching the scriptures... yet, you do not want to come to ME."
"God's Word... is ALIVE!"
"... the anointing that YOU received from him remains in YOU, and YOU do not need anyone to be teaching YOU; but, as the anointing from him is teaching YOU about all things, and is true and is no lie..."
and...
"Look! I am WITH you... ALL the days...!"
And SO much more! Truly, HOW can you say you have faith in a book that you don't even heed the words of?? If you can't put faith in Christ, that he IS alive and speaks, shouldn't you at least put faith in what the book you claim to be the authority itself states that HE... and GOD... said... so much so over what it states others said?
ARE we to judge? According to Paul, yes. According to Christ, no. IS he God? According to Paul, yes. According to Christ, no. Whom do YOU follow?
There is a REASON why my Lord referred to himself... as "the Son... of MAN."
I bid you all peace, and ears to hear when the Spirit and the Bride say to YOU:
"Come! Take 'life's water'... FREE!"
A slave of Christ, the Holy One of Israel and Holy Spirit, and by means of him, of the God, the MOST Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies,
SA