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1. In John 10:29 Yeshua says that his Father *gave* him the sheep. This proves he is not the Father. We have one person giving something to another person.
2. In John 10:29 Yeshua says his Father is greater than all. This again proves that Yeshua is not the Father. Yeshua is great, but his Father is greater. 3. The context before John 10:30, verses 25-29, show that Yeshua and the Father are ONE in keeping the sheep. Yeshua wasn't talking about being one and the same person as the Father, but one in purpose, goal, mind, etc. 4. The Greek word for one in John 10:30 is "hen." It is the neuter tense for one (eis) and means one in unity/purpose. The neuter tense never means one in number in the Greek NT. 5. When the Jews picked up stones to stone him for claiming to be God or a god (the Greek can be translated either way), whatever was in their minds doesn't prove what was in Yeshua's mind. All through the Gospel of John we see people misunderstanding Yeshua's words. We shouldn't take our lead from his accusers. We should base what we believe about Yeshua, upon what he said. 6. If people would keep reading, they would see that Yeshua attempts to answer their accusation by quoting Psalm 82:6, a scripture about lesser gods under Yahweh. In Psalm 82, Yahweh called lesser beings (some say judges; some say angels) gods or mighty ones. If Yeshua is Yahweh Elohim, why in the world does he quote Psalm 82:6 in his defense? Psalm 82 is not about Yahweh Elohim, it's about lesser elohim under Yahweh. 7. Yeshua is quoting Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34 as a scripture that cannot be broken. In Psalm 82:6, the same beings that are called "gods" are also called "sons of the most high." Yeshua was/is THE Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32). He's the most powerful elohim, second only to Yahweh. 8. If Yahweh called those beings "gods" back in Psalm 82, how is it blasphemy for Yeshua to say he is the Son of God? (John 10:36). That's Yeshua's point. The Father sanctified him and sent him into the world (this again proves he's not Yahweh the Father). Yeshua is greater than the gods of Psalm 82, but lesser than Yahweh Elohim, the Father. 9. Yeshua not only said he was the Son of God, but that the Father was in him and he in the Father (John 10:38). The Jews listening that day were only hearing with their natural ears. They weren't really concerned with his claims, so they tried to grab him again by force. 10. This passage has Yeshua saying "I am the Son of God," not that he is God. To be the Son of God immediately proves you are not the God that you are the Son of.
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Based upon the text in John 2:19 I have been told many times that Yeshua raised himself from the dead. I take issue with such an interpretation of John 2:19 in light of the overwhelming evidence in the New Testament which teaches that "God" (YHWH) raised Yeshua from the dead.
1. The Greek text does not literally say “I will” but simply uses the Greek word egiro, meaning basically “to raise up." The text could just as easily be translated, "Destroy this temple, and in three days it will be raised." 2. Another understanding (taking the traditional KJV rendering) is that Yeshua had a vital part in his resurrection, seeing he lived perfectly before the Father. Yeshua could guarantee his resurrection by living a sinless life. Thus he says, “I will raise it up." (Compare this to where Peter told Jews “Ye have crucified him” in Acts 5:30. The Romans were actually the ones who crucified Yeshua, but the Jews were the ones who called for or demanded his crucifixion.) 3. Yeshua died. (Mt. 27:50; Lk. 23:46). He could not literally raise himself. In Scripture, death means death; unconsciousness (Ecclesiastes 9:2-6; Psalm 6:4-5; 30:9; 88:10; Isaiah 38:18).  I recently had the privilege of listening to two excellent discussions. The first was on the concept of pre-existence in the writings of second temple period Hebrews, and the second was on the nature of pre-existence in the gospel of John (particularly in regards to the person of Christ). Rather than explain it all here, I'll let Dr. Dustin Smith (dustinmartyr.wordpress.com) tell you all about it.
Here is part 1: Pre-Existence in Ancient Jewish Thought Here is part 2: The Pre-Existence of Jesus in the Gospel of John Mark 13:32 states the following (NASB):
"But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." This seems pretty straight forward to me. Not even the Son of the Father knows the day and hour of the coming that is predicted in Mark 13. One of the attributes of Deity is that Elohim is omniscient - all knowing. There is absolutely zero that Yahweh Elohim does not know. There are too many passages in the Bible that make this clear. Isaiah 46:9-10 (KJV) will suffice for now: "Remember the former things of old: for I am Elohim, and there is none else; I am Elohim, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." I have shown Mark 13:32 to many Trinitarians as well as Oneness believers and generally they usually explain to me that the Son really does know the day and the hour, exactly the opposite of what the passage blatantly says. The response goes something like this: "Well, Matthew, he was talking about his human nature not knowing, but his divine nature really did know." What this amounts to is someone saying, "I realize he said he did not know, but I believe that he really did know." Is this what Yeshua was trying to get across to his listeners when uttering these words? Was he trying to tell them that although he said he did not know he could at any point switch over to his divine nature and know all of a sudden? Do you honestly believe that is really what he meant? Is is much easier to allow the passage to speak to us from its context. The Son of the Father doesn't know, right in line with the angels and me and you. This is what the Bible says, and there is nothing in the context of the passage that would lead us to believe otherwise. I'd much rather stay with what is actually said, rather than the exact opposite of what is said. Matthew Janzen |
AuthorBlog by Matthew Janzen. Lover of Yahweh, Yeshua, my wife and 5 children. All else is commentary. Archives
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