03-29-2006, 05:22 PM
Quote:Bismillah:
thanks for the clarification, but first of all the book of Revelation as you may know is a 'dream' so it is not really sufficient to convince anyone to believe that "God Almighty" called <b>God</b> 'Jesus' <i>a 'God' </i> it is bit weird and confusing.
So what i request is to show me one single verse from the lips of Jesus Christ <b>himself</b> where he say plainly i am God or where he say worship me. if he say this statement or similar direct command that he was God and deserve worship, then please "produce your proof if you are truthful” said the Qur’an.
Please don’t think that im attaching your beliefs, not at all, im trying somehow to open your eyes a little bit to the fact that if Jesus really was God then why he deny his divinity in the Bible when someone called him good? If he refused to be called good, then how will he accept to be called God?
Salam
Wael.
Peace....
No, I don't take what you ask as an attack, though I do find it funny that you attempt to "open my eyes a little bit". My eyes are open. The account I provided was in Hebrews, not Revelations. Anyway, to your answer. Christ did claim divinity, I will show you five of them. The Jews understood him, and were angry with his claim to divinity all three times.
The first claim is here:
Matthew 12:1 - At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Matthew 12:2 - But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Matthew 12:3 - But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;
Matthew 12:4 - How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests
Matthew 12:5 - Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless
Matthew 12:6 - But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Matthew 12:7 - But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Matthew 12:8 - For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
This is also reported in Mark 2:28 and Luke 6:5.
The second time Christ worked on the sabbath this happened:
John 5:5 - And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
John 5:6 - When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
John 5:7 - The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
John 5:8 - Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:9 - And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
John 5:10 - The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
John 5:11 - He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:12 - Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
John 5:13 - And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
John 5:14 - Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 5:15 - The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
John 5:16 - And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
John 5:17 - But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
John 5:18 - Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
The third claim of divinity:
John 8:51 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
John 8:52 - Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
John 8:53 - Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
John 8:54 - Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoreth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
John 8:55 - Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
John 8:56 - Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
John 8:57 - Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
John 8:58 - Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.
John 8:59 - Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
I want to reference back to the Book of Exodus in the Torah so Christ's words are clearly understood.....
Exodus 3:13 - And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exodus 3:14 - And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:15 - And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Because God said his name I AM is his name forever, and is a memorial unto all generations, when Christ used that name for himself, the Jews immediately understood his claim.
The fourth claim of divinity is found here:
John 10:24 - Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
John 10:25 - Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
John 10:26 - But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 - And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 - My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
John 10:30 - I and my Father are one.
John 10:31 - Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
John 10:32 - Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
John 10:33 - The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
As I stated before, you will not find a verse where Christ says "I am God", however there are references where his claims were clearly understood by those he spoke them to. And when his hour had come and he was delivered into the hands of the Jews, Christ claimed divinity again:
Mark 14:60 - And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mark 14:61 - But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Mark 14:62 - And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark 14:63 - Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
Mark 14:64 - Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
This is also reported in Matthew 26:65
The Jews understood exactly what Jesus Christ claimed when he stated "Before Abraham was, I AM", "The son of man is Lord of the sabbath", "I and my Father are one" they however did not believe him, which is why they desired to kill him.
As for the man who called Jesus good:
Matthew 19:16 - And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 19:17 - And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
For the explination, I will turn to tafseer of this verse from Biblical scholars John Gill and Matthew Henry. First Gill had this to say:
Mat 19:17 - And he said unto him,.... By way of reply, first taking notice of, and questioning him about, the epithet he gave him:
why callest thou me good? not that he denied that he was so; for he was good, both as God and man, in his divine and human natures; in all his offices, and the execution of them; he was goodness itself, and did good, and nothing else but good. But the reason of the question is, because this young man considered him only as a mere man, and gave him this character as such; and which, in comparison of God, the fountain of all goodness, agrees with no mere man: wherefore our Lord's view is, by his own language; and from his own words, to instruct him in the knowledge of his proper deity. Some copies read, "why dost thou ask me concerning good". And so the Vulgate Latin, and the Ethiopic versions, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read; but the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, read as we do, and this the answer of Christ requires.
Matthew Henry:
The encouragement that Jesus Christ gave to this address. It is not his manner to send any away without an answer, that come to him on such an errand, for nothing pleases him more, Mat_19:17. In his answer,
(1.) He tenderly assists his faith; for, doubtless, he did not mean it for a reproof, when he said, Why callest thou me good? But he would seem to find that faith in what he said, when he called him good Master, which the gentleman perhaps was not conscious to himself of; he intended no more than to own and honour him as a good man, but Christ would lead him to own and honour him as a good God; for there is none good but one, that is God.
Wel Mel I hope you can after studying what I presented, accept this proof as evidence of my truthfulness and conviction in having faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Shamms
P.S. All underlinings are mine and have been added for emphasis.