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| Vol. 14 No. 10 October 2012 | Page 14 |
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| Vol. 14 No. 10 October 2012 | Page 14 |
David R. Kenney
Have you read the false claim that the Father created Jesus before the world? That would mean Jesus is not eternal, and thus He is not divine. However, the Bible teaches Jesus is of the same nature as the Father.
A misunderstood passage is “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15 NKJV). Some mistakenly think “firstborn” refers to chronology; however, the Greek term prototokos reflects on quality or superiority. Jesus is superior to all creation. The next verse shows this: “For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him [Jesus] and for him [Jesus]” (Colossians 1:16).
Also, both the Father and the Son are said to be eternal. The Father: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; Besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). The Son: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8; cf. 1:11; 21:6; 22:13). Paul wrote that Christ is divine, hence not created. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Paul also stated Jesus is God, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
In John 8:58, Jesus referred to Himself as “I AM” just as God had in Exodus 3:14. To claim “I AM” is equivalent to saying He is of the same nature as the Father. Those Jews clearly understood Jesus’ claim to be eternal since they immediately picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy.
Robert Johnson
When Peter confessed to Jesus He was the Son of God, our Lord made this interesting statement to Peter and to the rest of the apostles. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19 NASB). The phrases “shall have been bound” and “shall have been loosed” are a more literal translation of the Greek text. The apostles did not have the authority to decide doctrine, but they did have the authority to declare doctrine, what God had bound and loosed. When we read God’s commands in Scripture, then, it is not human interpretation or tradition, but God’s will for us.
This concept is important for us to understand, as there are those today who would have us believe the clear commands of Scripture are merely human tradition. Baptism is one doctrine being interpreted this way. “You don’t have to be immersed to be saved; it’s just tradition.” It is tradition, in the sense it has been handed down to us, but Scripture makes clear that it is divine tradition, not of human origin. Was it not Jesus who said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16)? What about His words in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Of course, Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, stated it plainly in 1 Peter 3:21. “Baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
If we accept Scripture as the Word of God, the only logical conclusion one can reach is that baptism (immersion) is essential for the forgiveness of sin. Appealing to objections in modern culture, some wave their hands and use the magical word “tradition” to eliminate the necessity of baptism. This is not all that’s being eliminated when such is done.
The principle expressed about baptism is a microcosm of the bigger problem society in general, and some in the church, have. “That is just your opinion.” “I do not feel that way about it.” Such phrases indicate the problem is not really about how to interpret Scripture, but where authority over our lives exists. If the Bible is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and if Christ has all authority (Matthew 28:18), then we must listen to and respond to what Scripture says, for it alone has words of eternal life (John 6:68), and will be the criterion by which we are judged (John 12:48).
Satan wants us to believe we are the standard, and so many readily embrace such a philosophy. It does not change the words of Jesus, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 ESV). Just saying something does not make it so. Just wanting something to be so does not make it so. Jeremiah reminded the people of his day, “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?” (Jeremiah 5:30-31). It is a question we face today as well. How will we answer?