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[Pilgrim]

Jodi,

You stated that I “treat the bible, just picking out what you want so it fits your doctrine while not applying the rest”. Let’s examine who actually does that.

In John 1:2 the word “He” is used to refer to “the Word” in John 1:1 indicating a being. So let’s now read John 1:1-3 as it is written. “In the beginning was (He) the Word and (He) the Word was with (not IN) God, and (He) the Word was God. The same (He the Word) was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him (He the Word); and without Him (He the Word) was not any thing made that was made”. This explicit and clear text is supported elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g. Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, Philippians 2 to cite a few).

In John 1:14 we read “And (He) the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us“.

In John 1:30 John the Baptist says plainly and explicitly of the person Jesus the Lamb Of God (who is the Word made flesh), spoken of in this very chapter, “This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was BEFORE me.”

Now this is how you interpret these verses to fit your doctrine: “In the beginning was the mind, plan, intention, thought (of the Father) and the mind, plan, intention, thoughts (of the Father) was with the Father, and the mind, plan, intention, thoughts (of the Father) was the Father. The same (I.e. the mind, plan, intention, thoughts of the Father) was in the beginning with the Father. All things were made by the mind, plan, intention, thoughts (of the Father) and without the mind, plan, intention, thoughts (of the Father) was not any thing made that was made”. This same method of interpretation then is used in the other scriptures and in John 1:14 we read, according to you interpretation, “And mind, plan, intention, thoughts of the Father was made flesh, and dwelt among us“.

In John 1:30 we are now supposed to read, according to your interpretation, “This is the mind, plan, intention, thoughts (of the Father ) of whom I said, After me comes a man (the prophesied man who is the mind, plan, intention, thoughts of the Father) who is preferred before me: for he (the prophesied man who is the mind, plan, intention, thoughts of the Father) was before (in the mind, plan, intention, thoughts Of the Father) me.”  John 1:30

It seems pretty clear who is interpreting and changing scripture to fit their doctrine. I haven’t changed the explicit and clear text of scripture at all, letting it rather speak truth without the need to approach it from a particular doctrinal position by rewording the text. Yet to understand even these FEW verses in John 1, in order to fit your theology, one has to replace scriptural text with other unstated meaning and a set of words to make it read what you want it to say. All because you can not allow scripture to contradict your view of the Father being the one and only true God.

Beside this you miss the many parallels between John 1 and Genesis 1.

You do a similar thing in regard to other texts and also in relation to the Holy Spirit [which I MAY illustrate in a future post if I think it would be of any use seeing you look at scripture through particular doctrinal (not scriptural nor inspired) “glasses”].

[Pilgrim]

Jesus is never called the second Adam in scripture. He is called the last Adam and the Second Man. Very important and significant distinctions.

“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”  1Co 15:45

“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”  1Co 15:47

 

[Pilgrim]

Hi Jodi,

You said “The word of God is God, he and his words are one and the same thing”. So God “was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). So Jesus was God and Man. I knew you would eventually acknowledge the truth.

[Pilgrim]

Jodi,

“Jesus Christ the faithful witness” is indeed “the first begotten from the dead”, “God having raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption”, and gave Him “the sure mercies of David”, an eternal throne, Jesus becoming “the firstfruits of them that slept”, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming”.

God having raised Christ from the dead, “set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body”.

And ”God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved believers, even when believers were dead in sins (I.e. were dead in trespasses and sins) He quickened together with Christ, by grace saving them and raising them up together, and making them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Christ being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, shed forth the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost birthing the church and in the days following by the same means added to the church such as should be saved, Christ being the baptiser with the Holy Spirit and Fire.

Indeed in Matthew 10:20 we read Jesus said to his disciples “the Spirit of  your Father” will speak in them. But we know from Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12 that that Spirit is the Holy Ghost. Now if as you say “the Holy Spirit is our one true God our Heavenly Father”, you are saying Christ (the raised and exalted Man) received God the Father himself and baptised men and women into God the Father himself. But scripture teaches that “by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, (the church, the body of Christ) whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”  (1 Corinthians 12:13).

When Jesus prior to His ascension told the disciples to wait for “the promise of the Father” he was speaking of the baptism with the Holy Ghost when they “receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and be witnesses” unto Jesus everywhere they were sent.

Jesus baptised men and women with the person of the Holy Spirit who was the other comforter, the Spirit Of Truth (Christ) to come who as Jesus said would guide them into all truth: “for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify ME: for he shall receive of MINE, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:13-14). All things that the Father had belonged to Jesus “therefore said I (Jesus), that he (the Holy Spirit) shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you”.

The language of such texts clearly speak of three in action towards disciples, the Father sending the Holy Spirit to Christ Jesus who then poured forth (baptised) the waiting disciples with the person of the received Holy Spirit.

From the day of Pentecost on the Holy Spirit spoke to and through the Apostles and does so today, God according to his mercy saving men and women, Jew and Gentile by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he sheds on them abundantly through Jesus Christ their Saviour.

Glory be to God, what a glorious gospel.

[Pilgrim]

Hi Proclaimer,

Thanks for drawing my attention to the fact you don’t teach that the Word is the Holy Spirit. My post should have been directed to Edj.

Cheers.

Re: Your comment Eve is not Adam, so Jesus is not God misses what I was saying and the truth. Eve and Adam are both in substance (essence, nature) human (flesh and blood) but with different roles. The biological difference between Man and Woman is their chromosomes but not their humanity. The Word and the Father are both in substance (essence, nature) spirit but have different roles. That the Word IS God is clearly stated in John 1:1 plus we in this same chapter the truth that Jesus, who is the WORD made flesh, was as the WORD the creator for it says “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (v.3) and later “the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (v.10). In addition there are several other scriptures that indicate his involvement as Creator in creation, one example being Colossians 1:15-17.

 

[Pilgrim]

Proclaimer,

To say the FATHER is Spirit and the WORD is Spirit and the HOLY SPIRIT is Spirit is simply stating they share the same nature. It does not mean the WORD is the HOLY SPIRIT. Men and Women are humans. They share the same nature but Men are not therefore Women. Together they are MAN(kind) in the image and likeness of ELOHIM. The FATHER is eternal, the WORD is eternal and the SPIRIT is eternal. They share the same existence. Men are mortal, Women are mortal. They share the same mortal existence and corruption, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption”.

[Pilgrim]

Hi Edj,

I am a bit disappointed with your response. If you had read my post correctly you would have noticed I never said the word “He” was in John 1:1, But it was in chapter 1. LightenUp is correct.

In regard to God being Spirit, Jesus said “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth.”  (John 4:24).

This in no way changes the fact that the Word is God, or that the Word became flesh. SPIRIT is the essential nature of God, no matter by what name he is called, whether Jehovah, Elohim, Father, Son or Holy Spirit. God is outside time, space and matter. He is uncreated. He created all these things. Heaven is his throne and earth his footstool.

[Pilgrim]

Edj,

I use the KJV. The quotes were simply to show there are various translations of the Greek. I don’t need to change the words of scripture. I take them at their plain meaning under the inspiration of the Spirit who reveals the truth concerning God and the WORD. Those who read for the “WORD” in the first verses of John as meaning “Mind or Plan” of God and not the WORD as a person need to change the text to fit their theological starting point, thus reading scripture through their theological “spectacles”.

Chapter 1 is all about introducing us to the WORD, who He was and is, how he became flesh and blood and dwelt (tabernacled) among men as the Son and who was preceded by “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of Adonai,’”, (which phrase itself would indicate the arrival of Adonai in Christ). John Baptist was commissioned to prepare the way and introduce Jesus Christ in two central facets of his earthly ministry, as the “Lamb Of God who takes away the sin of the world” and the “baptiser with the Holy Spirit”.

Verse 18 announces how that this Son was seated in the most intimate of relationships with God, confirming him to be what is stated in the first verses of the chapter, the WORD which was WITH God and IS God, who was in the beginning, the one by whom all things were made (verses 3,10), and has a strong link with Elohim in Genesis 1 who in the beginning created the heavens and the earth.

In speaking of the Son being in the bosom of the Father the verse describes the unity of nature, and essence, between the Father and Son; their distinct personality and relationship.

The Syriac version here renders it, “the only begotten, God which is in the bosom of the Father”; clearly showing, that he is the only begotten, as he is God.

[Pilgrim]

Proclaimer,

Question: How does one know Him that is true and that they are in Him that is True? By being in (soaked in) His Son Jesus Christ.

John 1:18

Greek interlinear New Testament – “Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν  πώποτε; μονογενὴς Θεὸς, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο”. English translation ”God no one has seen ever yet; [the] only begotten God, the [One] being in the bosom of the Father, He has made [Him] known”.

Amplified Bible: – “No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].” (Amplified).

Tree of Life Version – Messianic – “No one has ever seen God; but the one and only God, in the Father’s embrace, has made Him known.”

[Pilgrim]

Hi Carmel,

Eternal Life is that life that is everlasting and is with God. It is predominantly associated with Jesus Christ, who is the one through whom Eternal life comes, God gifting it to those who hear the voice of Jesus and receive Him. Jesus is the only one of whom it is said He is “that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (1 John 1:2). In John 1 this Life was in the WORD and is the light of mankind.

A well known verse is helpful here “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Christ is the key association with Eternal Life.

[Pilgrim]

Gene, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judges another?”  (James 4:12)

[Pilgrim]

Hi Proclaimer,

You stated that the way you are interpreting 1 John 5:20 is the only way it can be read. This is apparently not so. The commentator Albert Barnes said this about that verse: “There has been much difference of opinion in regard to this important passage; whether it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the immediate antecedent, or to a more remote antecedent – referring to God, as such.“

I believe this verse is stating Jesus Christ is the true God, and eternal life. I believe Albert Barnes provides a correct commentary on this verse, which I am sure you can read for yourself without the need for me to paste here. It seems clear to me syntax wise, that the ‘This’ in the last sentence of the verse relates to the last one spoken of in the preceding sentence, namely Jesus Christ. Incidentally I don’t read the word “true” as you do as it can correctly be translated “genuine” and therefore opposed to “not genuine” (see comments below).

As regards John 17:3 we need to understand Jesus was speaking as the new Man, the representative Man, as a son to the Father, the one who is the genuine God and not one of the gods of the nations “which by nature are no gods ”. When the Lord responded to the Devil’s temptations He always answered as Man “It is written Man…(etc)”. Jesus was redeeming what had been lost in Adam. He fulfilled all righteousness by addressing the Father correctly as the only true/genuine God I.e. as the one who is truly (by nature) to be worshipped as God. This comes out in the rest of that chapter for he desires those He prays for to have the same unity/oneness and access to God as He had as Man.

Having said that, Jesus is not excluding himself from being divine or God. We note on the contrary that Jesus also requested “Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world came to be.” This is not the glory of being the word as in the MIND and PLAN of God but the person who is THE WORD which was WITH God and IS God. Christ here acknowledges his divinity, that existence “in the form of God”, that equality with God, which he did not grasp at when He humbled himself.

The “Lord from heaven” had finished the work given him by the Father and was returning home. In John 13 we are told “Yeshua knew that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come FROM God and was returning to God.”  (John 13:3) I.e. the person going back is the same person who came.  So John 17:3 is not a denial that Jesus is divine for John 17:5 confirms that divinity.

We should also not overlook the very important fact that in John 17 Eternal Life is the knowledge of BOTH (not just one) I.e. the knowledge of the Father who is truly/genuinely God AND Jesus Christ who the Father sent.

[Pilgrim]

Dear oh dear Gene, how confused you are. You cannot even properly or correctly read other’s posts nor follow proper scriptural hermeneutics. What a shame.

Added to which your constant berating and castigating speaks loudly of what spirit you are of.

Further discussion with you is of no profit.

[Pilgrim]

Gene,

A dangerous ground would be that which the Scribes and Pharisees stood on who sat Moses’ seat. To them Jesus said, when they asked him ‘Are we blind also?’, If you were blind, you should have no sin: but now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains”. You present yourself in posts as having a high degree of discernment and knowledge and more enlightened than other contributors and treat other contributors with contempt, berating them and railing at them. This did the Pharisees. Be careful Gene.

In relation to Numbers 23:19 the context is this. Balaam has been hired by Balak to curse Israel but instead Balaam is blessing them. To which Balak said unto Balaam, “What have you done unto me? I took you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.”  Balak keeps trying to get Balaam to change what he is doing I.e. to curse instead of bless. But the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth. So when Balaam took up his parable, he said “Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, son of Zippor: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it”.

The contrast in the text is between the character, disposition and behaviour of God and that of man and the son of man. God cannot lie or repent like man can and does. The grammatical structure of the verse does not place a pause after man or son of man but reads “God is not a man that ….. nor the son of man that….”.  It is a comparison. God unlike man had spoken and was going to accomplish his word to bless not curse. As Balaam said “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?”  Numbers 23:8

This is not a proof text to state God cannot become man. I know you don’t believe John 1:1-18 teaches that the Word is a being and was WITH God and IS God, who took on flesh and blood through the womb of Mary thereby becoming the second Man and the Son Of Man called Jesus Christ. I do believe these scriptures as written and that this and numerous other scriptures teach the the truth that the person Jesus was preexisted as God, came from heaven, became a man and accomplished the will of God in the redemption of mankind and the reconciliation of the world bringing many sons like him to glory. He will come again, judge all, and create new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness and God and the Lamb Jesus Christ are the temple and light of New Jerusalem.

This Jesus was of the same character, disposition and behaviour of God and he never lied or repented, always accomplishing what he was send to say and do.

Your own belief system teaches Jesus had the full measure of the Spirit who is God (God being Spirit) and holds to 2 Corinthians 5:19 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”. So you do believe in God living on this earth in a man.

In the discussions I have held with you so far I have found that you invariably do not read scripture within its context, nor give due regard to the meaning of the text under discussion, nor allow the plain words of scripture to mean and say what they are saying, instead seem focussed on striving about words and have an interpretation of all scripture based on a particular starting theological position. Then when you seem to get in a corner you come up with fanciful and incorrect explanations.

I would have hoped for a better approach from you.

[Pilgrim]

Gene,

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why behold the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye”.

Farewell Gene.

[Pilgrim]

Praise, glory and honour be to Christ Jesus, “the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of his person”, “the Word of Life”, that “eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested“ in flesh and blood and was “seen and heard” and “looked upon” and was “touched”, the “Son of God” that has come “and has 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.”

Amen “THIS IS  THE TRUE GOD, and eternal life”. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen”.

Blessings on all who “believe on this Son of God” for they “have the witness in” themselves, “the witness of God which he has testified of his Son” and have overcome the world. Such “honour the Son as they honour the Father”. Such “walk in truth”, in Jesus Christ, “the way, the truth and the life” and have access to the Father. Such “have known surely that” that Jesus Christ “came out from” the Father, and have believed that the Father did send” him. Such have “believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” and “does truth” coming “to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” and is not condemned.

Those that believe not this record of God have “made him (God) a liar; because (they) believe not the record that God gave of his Son”. Such “honours not the Son” and therefore “honour not the Father which sent him”. The one who “that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”.

[Pilgrim]

This text has been used to prove that God is not a man “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”  (Numbers 23:19).

Tragically that interpretation is again taken out of context and miss the meaning of the text. Clearly God does repent (see Jeremiah 18:8; Amos 7:3-6, same word used). Jesus speaking to the Jews (John 8:39-58) called them liars. God is not a liar nor is Jesus. God is not a wrongdoer that he needs to repent like men. Jesus never sinned so never needed to repent.

The meaning of the text is that God never changes his mind, alters his counsels, purposes, and decrees like men do. Look at the context to see what is being said. The rest of the text makes it plain “hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?“. He is faithful to his carry out his word. This is also very true of the perfect man Jesus Christ, which would clearly equate him as being of equal standing as God. In fact if it is claimed that the criteria to be God is not lying and not repenting then Jesus fits the criteria.

It is tragic that verses are taken out of context in an attempt to prove a point.

[Pilgrim]

Re: 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Mark 12:29:

To interpret that 1 Corinthians 8:6 teaches that One God is the Father to the exclusion of Christ Jesus is to argue “One Lord Jesus Christ” means Jesus Christ is Lord to the exclusion of the Father.

Further if Jesus is the One Lord as Paul says then “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:“ (Mark 12:29) could be read “Hear, O Israel; Jesus Christ our God is one Lord”. The Greek word for Lord in both passages is “Kurios”.

In addition, 1 Corinthians 6:8 should be read in context. The discussion in the chapter is about idols. Paul is making a contrast, in contradistinction from the “many gods” the “many lords” whom the pagans worshipped.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>Mankind has a multitude of idols, gods and lords. In contrast, believers worship only one who is genuinely/truly God and one who is genuinely/truly Lord. Also the whole verse needs to be read in its entirety i.e. the Father “of whom are all things, and we in him“ and of Jesus Christ “by whom are all things, and we by him” (See Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:15-18).

Re: Mark 12:29:

Jesus is not including himself by using “our” since he is simply quoting OT text (Deuteronomy 6:4) in answer to a question about what is the first commandment, not about himself in relation to the first commandment. But even if He were including himself in using “our” would he not be speaking in his capacity as the representative man, the Son Of Man. It is in this capacity that Jesus is speaking in John 17:3, as MAN(representative of true man). But there is more because the verse is telling us the source of Eternal Life and the manner it is obtained is by the knowledge (intimate fellowship) of both God and of his Son Jesus Christ who is the Eternal life that “eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us“.

And reading on in John 17 Jesus, who incidentally prays more for others than himself, he discloses to us that he is returning to the Father from whom he came, having accomplished the work he was sent to do I.e. the redemption and reconciliation of the world, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21). He had glorified the Father on the earth, and would glorify it by his death, resurrection and ascension. Because he had fulfilled the will of God, he is asking Father to glorify him “with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was”. So John 17 not only showing the Manhood Of Jesus but reveals he had a pre-existent glory and he was returning “home”. That glory can’t mean a glory he had before the world as a “word” or “thought” in God because he is asking to be glorified with the Father’s “self” (his essential being as God) and he is using a personal pronoun “I”, indicating personal existence.

it is so important to read scripture in context not pluck words out.

[Pilgrim]

Hi Jodi,

All see there was One who was prophesied to come, would be a man, a root and offspring of David, a righteous Branch and a King, the seed of Abraham, born of a woman, born under the law, the righteous branch, the arm of the Lord, a Priest after the order of Melchizedek who was like unto the son of God. That “since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”  (1 Corinthians 15:21).

But this One who came, the second man, was also the Word who is God and this Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

You are not correct regarding the forgiveness of sins. This is not because of YVHV’s anointing but by the shedding of the the blood of God (Acts 20:28), Christ’s blood as scripture says “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”  (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Matthew 26:28). The Lamb Of God takes away sin. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”  Hebrews 9:22-24. “but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”  Hebrews 9:26

[Pilgrim]

Christ is “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet”, and God “gave him to be the head over all things to the church”.

It was fitting that He should be sent by the Father, the Creator of all things, to assume human nature, and should be tempted by Satan, that He might fulfil the promises, and carry off a glorious and perfect victory.

Christ did both wage war against our enemy, and crush him who had at the beginning led us all away captives in Adam, and He Christ trampled upon Satan’s head, as foretold in Genesis when God said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall be on the bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15).

For from that time, He who should be born of a woman, namely from the Virgin, taking on flesh and blood like Abraham’s seed, was preached bruising the head of the serpent. This is the seed of which the apostle says in the Epistle to the Galatians, that the law of works was established “until the seed should come to whom the promise was made”. (Galatians 3:19). This fact is exhibited in a still clearer light in the same Epistle, where he thus speaks: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4).

For indeed the enemy would not have been fairly vanquished, unless it had been a man born of a woman who conquered Satan. For it was by means of a woman that he got the advantage over man at first, setting himself up as man’s opponent. And therefore does the Lord profess Himself to be the Son of man, comprising in Himself that original man out of whom the woman was fashioned, in order that, as our species went down to death through a vanquished man, so we may ascend to life again through a victorious man; and as through a man death received victory against us, so again by a man we may receive the victory against death.

God the Father and His Word (Logos) formed all created things by Their own power and wisdom and the Word of God was made flesh, human, to be suspended upon a tree, as that human, Jesus Christ. He who is The Son of God, received all power from the Father, took flesh upon Him to redeem mankind and reconcile the world back unto Himself and finally bring in just and worthy judgment upon all prior to the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwells righteousness.

The Apostle John speaking by revelation, tells us the WORD who is both God and with God was “in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made that was made”. (John 1:1, etc). We are told in the WORD is LIFE, Eternal Life, which was with the Father, and this Life lights everyone who comes and has come into the world.  John says of the Word Himself: “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. To His own things He came, and His own people received Him not. However, as many as did receive Him, to these gave He power to become the sons of God, to those that believe in His name” (John 1:10, etc). And again, showing us that He had human nature, John said: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). And in continuation he says, “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten by the Father, full of grace and truth”.

We clearly see from this scripture the Creator of the world is truly the Word of God: and this is our Lord, who in the last times was made man, existing in this world as man but at the same time as the Word of God governing and arranging all things, “upholding all things by the word of His power”. He came to His own in a visible manner, by being made flesh, and hung upon the tree, that He might sum up all things in Himself. But His own peculiar people did not receive Him for who He is, and therefore did not receive life.

John thus plainly points out to those willing to hear, that is, to those having ears, that there is one God, the Father over all, and one Word of God, who is both God and with God, who is through all, and is the one by whom all things have been made; and that this world belongs to Him, and was made by Him, according to the Father’s will. Those who do not receive him for who He is do not receive life but to those who “received him, to them” He gives “power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.

Blessings on all who receive Him for who He is.

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