An Open Letter to a Seventh-Day Adventist

The following appeared in one of the Old Theology tracts, written by Brother Barton (While we are in general agreement, there are a few things that we disagree with — RRD) We are presenting some annotations, such as expanding the abbreviated names of the books of the Bible to their full names. In some cases, we have restored God’s Holy Name as “Jehovah.” Edited by Ronald R. Day, Sr.

Old Theology Quarterly
AN OPEN LETTER TO A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

Dear Sir and Brother: –

Even though differing from you in my views of the Law, I feel constrained to express admiration for the zeal with which you and your co-workers have endeavored to promulgate what you believe to be the truth of God. If we believe anything to be right we must act upon it until the Lord grants us to see otherwise. I had far rather be wrong and consistent than right and inconsistent, though it is best of all to be both right and consistent.

Comment: While a person’s ideas may be consistent within the idea conceived, if it is not in harmony with the Bible, it is obviously not consistent with what the Bible says. Our effort should surely be to be consistent with what the Bible teaches.

I feel justified in addressing you as a Brother in Christ because of the many points upon which we can hold harmonious fellowship. We look to the same Father in heaven. We trust in the merit of the same great sacrifice for sin. We are seeking light from the same inspired Scripture. We are both striving to live in the way that will be to the glory of God. We see eye to eye upon the nature of the soul, the penalty for sin, earth’s restitution to Edenic conditions, the Babylonian state of so-called Christendom, and the impending time of trouble along financial, political and social lines. Then last, but not least, we each see the necessity of suffering with Christ if we would be glorified with him, and have already suffered a little of the scorn and derision which the world hurls at the soldier of the cross. The enumeration of all these points on which we are agreed will enable you to realize that what I am about to say respecting our differences is not meant in a spirit of wrangling, but solely for the purpose of sharing with you the blessedness and joy which has dawned in our hearts with this comforting light; and with almost every sentence, I breathe a prayer that the dear Lord will bless and condescend to use this feeble ministry to his glory.

Comment: It is not for us to disfellowship those in the Seventh-Day Adventist church who have given their life to Jehovah through Jesus, even if they may be still blinded on some points. We believe that Jesus knows those who are his sheep, irrespective of what denomination or sect they may be affiliated with.

Our differences seem to hinge largely upon the Sabbath question, so I will come immediately to its consideration.

We agree with our Adventist friends that God never authorized anyone to change the Sabbath of the Decalog from the seventh day of the week to the first, but we do believe that just as truly as the Christian has a greater High Priest, and a greater sacrifice, and a greater tabernacle than Israel had, so, too, the follower of Christ has a much greater Sabbath than the follower of Moses. Everything under the Jewish dispensation was typical of “good things to come.” (Hebrews 10:1)Editor’s Note: Hebrews 10:1:

Hebrews 10:1 – For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near. — Revised Standard Version.

The law is therefore not the reality, but rather only a shadow of the reality. Your shadow is not you, but it provides an outline of your body.The Atonement Day, the passover, the sabbatic years, the jubilees, etc., were all figures of more important things; so why should it seem strange that the seventh or Sabbath day was typical any more than the seventh or sabbatic year? But in order that you may see this to be the Scriptural thought hear Paul in Colossians 2:16, 17: “Let no man therefore judge you, in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of good things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Editor’s note: The word “body” in Colossians 2:17 figuratively refers to a body rather than a figurative shadow of the body. Some translations render body as “substance” or “reality” in this verse. It represents the actuality of the the typical shadow as given to Israel. This usage of the word “body” should not be confused with the figurative usage of the word “body” as representing the church as the body of Christ.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Hebrews 7:11-14

Hebrews 7:11-14 – Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what further need [was there] that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are said belongeth to another tribe, from which no man hath given attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests. — American Standard Version.

 At the time of the writing of letter to the Hebrews, we find the Law Covenant had still not passed away, but that it was “near to vanishing away.” Indeed, the Law is still active and still condemns any Jew who has not become dead to the Law. (Luke 16:14-31; Romans 7:1-6; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 3:14.) When finally the present heavens and earth have passed away, only then does the law itself pass away, for then all Jews under the Law Covenant of this age will have become dead to the Law. — Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17.

At the same time, we should note that it is the typical Law Covenant that passes away (Colossians 2:16,17; Hebrews 7:11-28; 8:4,5,13; 10:1), not the reality of God’s eternal Law of love which is expressed within the Law Covenant. — Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8.

We find, then, that Jehovah used the very same language in speaking of the weekly Sabbath which he used respecting other Jewish institutions which passed away when that of which they were typical came; so similarly may not the Jewish Sabbath have passed away, being supplanted by a greater Sabbath? Notice our Lord’s words in Matthew 5:17, 18 , “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfill; for verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled” Our Savior did not say the Law should not pass away, but that it should not pass away until it was fulfilled. But he tells us first that he came to fulfill it; so if it was fulfilled in him is has passed away. [Editor’s note: It has passed away only for those Jews who believe and accept Christ; the rest remain under its condemnation. The Law will eventually vanish when all who are presently under that Law become dead to the Law through Christ. See our study: The Fulfilling of the Law.] There is a vast difference between a thing being destroyed and passing away as a result of fulfillment. The law of circumcision was never destroyed, but it passed away and was abolished when that to which it pointed, circumcision of the heart, was set forth, and it is this higher circumcision we must observe. (Romans 2:28, 29) Likewise Christ did not destroy the Law, or set it at naught, but his perfect life fulfilled its every requirement, as we imperfect creatures could not, and thus he became the great inheritor of all the promises of the Law, with the right to distribute what he inherited under the Law to all who would become his. Additionally the Law led to Christ and pointed him out as the holy One of whom Moses had said, “Hear ye him.” (Acts 7:37; Galatians 3:24, 25) Therefore to consider the Law given through Moses as binding upon the Christian is to doubt whether Christ has accomplished what he came for; “to fulfill” the Law. Of course the Christian must study that Law, and he finds jewels of inspired wisdom in it, but he studies it as a shadow of better things, as typical of the blessings promised under the greater than Moses Christ.Comments: Acts 7:37 is a reference to Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Jesus is the prophet whom Jehovah has raised like Moses. Eventually all who are live forever must hear the prophet Jesus, and be obedient to him. — See also Acts 3:13-26.

The Law Covenant brings us to Christ, through whom we may be regenerated as new creatures, and as new creatures we have no sin, and thus are not in need of any laws to provide justification. — 1 Timothy 1:9. Then is the follower of Christ under no law? Yes, he is under a new law, a higher law. Just as he has a better High Priest, a better sacrifice, a better everything than the Jew had, so he has a better law, and it contains a better Sabbath. Isaiah 42:21 foretold that Christ was to “magnify the Law and make it honorable,” and we are now under this magnified law. The Law said: “Thou shalt not kill,” but Christ magnified that when he taught that whosoever hateth his brother without a cause is guilty of murder. (See Matthew. 5:21, 22, 27, 28) The Law said: “Thou shalt not steal,” but Christ taught us that we should not merely refrain from robbing our neighbor, but be ever ready to share with him what we had, even to the extent of laying down our lives for our brethren. (John 13:24; 1 John 3:16.) The Law said: “Honor thy father and thy mother,” but we are instructed to “honor all to whom honor is due.” –Romans 13:7.

Now, dear brother, the Adventists see that Christ magnified the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th commandments, but they fail to realize that he magnified the 4th, the Sabbath commandment, too. To the contrary, they believe he made it smaller. One of your brethren put it to me this way: “Before Christ every little act contrary to the Sabbath commandment, even the building of a fire, was to be severely punished, but since Christ’s sacrifice, so long as we try to do our best to keep the Sabbath, the Lord will pardon and overlook where we come short in our obedience to that command.” That would have magnified God’s mercy, but it would not have magnified the commandment. Would it be magnifying the 6th commandment if we should say: “Before Christ murder was to be severely punished, but since then, if you try to keep the Law – ‘thou shalt not kill’ it will be all right if you do kill a man once in a while?” Yet that is the only sense in which I have ever been able to find the seventh-day Adventists viewing the Sabbath differently from the Jews of old.

Let me now present our understanding of how Christ magnified the Sabbath Law. The Israelite was to consider one-tenth of what he had as holy unto [Jehovah]; but do we ever hear the Christian advised to give a tithe to [Jehovah}? Not once. How much are we advised to give him? All that we are and have. We are to give all that we can in as direct a way as we can, and the balance is to be given him in a more indirect way; e. g., we give him the money we spend for food and clothing, because our body belongs to him and is being used to glorify and serve him. The food gives us strength to do more for him, therefore the money we spend for food is being spent for our Lord. (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 10:31; 2 Corinthians 5:15) In Luke 14:33 our Master does not tell us to forsake or surrender a tenth, but “all that he hath.” But the Christian not only gives [Jehovah] more than the Jew gave; he also gives it in a higher sense. The Jew gave to [Jehovah] by giving to the priests and Levites, but the Christian gives to [Jehovah] by trying to do everything in the way [Jehovah] would approve. “[Jehovah], what wilt thou have me to do with this dollar, or this hour, or with these hands?” is his heart’s constant sentiment.

The Jew sang: “Some of self and some of thee.” The Christian sings: “None of self but all of thee.”

Likewise the Jew gave God one-seventh of his time, but the Christian is to give him seven-sevenths. [Jehovah] said in Leviticus 19:30 , “Ye shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary.” The sanctuary was the holy structure through which God manifested himself to Israel; so to them the word meant a certain definite holy place; but the Christian finds his sanctuary wherever he is; every place is a holy place to him. Similarly every day is a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to him. He has a better sanctuary to reverence and a better Sabbath to keep. But not only does his Sabbath differ from the typical Sabbath, the nature of his rest also differs. It does not merely mean a cessation from manual labor, but a rest from laboring for self in order to work and live for God. It means to rest as God rested after he had completed the work of creation, as the Word expresses it: “To enter into his rest.” God’s rest does not mean idleness, “He sends his rain and causes his sun to shine” on the seventh just as much as on any other day. Then how did he rest? He ceased working for himself in order to work for man through his Son. And how do we rest like him? By ceasing to work for self in order to work for him through Christ. Hear Hebrews 4:10, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” And then Paul continues in verse 11, “let us labor therefore,” not let us cease from labor, but labor to put down those selfish propensities which would lead us, contrary to God’s will, to live for self, instead of permitting us “to enter into that rest.” This rest of which the seventh day was a type will not end with this life, but it will continue an eternal rest, begun here and consummated in eternity.

Let me digress here to say that God’s rest day was not a period of 24 hours, but, like the six days of creation, was a long period of time. In our own language this is a very common use of the word “day,” and it is equally frequent in Bible language. (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 95:7-10). While the day of salvation of 2 Cor. 6:2 is already over 1800 years long, so it was with the great days of creation; they were long periods of time, and likewise the seventh day, in which God rested, is a long period; it is not over yet. However, time will hardly permit me to give you the Scriptural proofs here on this point, but if you wish I may take it up later.

EDITOR’S NOTE: See links to our studies related to Genesis 1.

But to return to the subject of this letter. In Isaiah 58:13 we have a description by the inspired Prophet of what constitutes Christian Sabbath keeping. We must refrain from doing our own ways, and from finding our own pleasures, and from speaking our own words. That is Sabbath keeping. But the Christian must do that every day, therefore every day must be a Sabbath to him. For fear you may not apply the latter part of the verse to the Sabbath let me refer you to the Revised Version, which reads: “And shalt honor it, not doing thine own ways,” etc. Every day we are to “speak as the oracles of God.” (1 Peter 4:11) Every day God is to work in us “to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Every day “the steps of a good man are ordered of [Jehovah].” (Psalm 37:23.) So again I say, every day is a Sabbath to him who liveth “not unto himself.” Is not this a glorious magnifying of the Law?

We can now see how “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4. We can understand why Paul could say in Galatians 3:19, “The Law was added” . . . “TILL THE SEED SHOULD COME,” and then in verses 23 to 25 he boldly compares the Law to a severe pedagogue to whom they were committed for a season, “but after that faith is come we are no longer under a pedagogue.” And we can comprehend why Paul mourns because “ye observe days” Galatians 4:10, 11, and intimates that the brother is weak who “esteems one day above another” Romans 14:1-7, failing to realize that they are all to be counted as days in which His glory is to be sought.  I know how the seventh-day Adventists divide the Law into two parts, calling the Decalogue “the law of God,” and the remainder “the law of Moses,” and then claiming that Christ did away with the law of Moses, but not with the law of God. This is an awful mistake; it was all the Law of God, because it came from Him, and it as all the Law of Moses in that it came through him. (Leviticus 26:46; Deuteronomy 5:5) Thus our Savior, in Mark 7:10, quotes one of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16), and then in the same verse a law which was not in the Decalogue (Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9), and yet attributes them both to Moses. He was not the author of either, but he was the agent through whom God delivered both commands. Furthermore, the fact that the Law, which was until John (Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:13), included the Decalog as well as the ceremonial features of the Law, is proved by Romans 7:6,7; for Paul, after saying, “we are delivered from the law,” leaves no doubt as to what law is meant by quoting from the tenth commandment. And as his words show we are no longer under the letter (it was the letter which was on the stones), but under the spirit, the antitype, that which was shadowed forth in the words on stone, the greater law of love. (Jas. 1:26; 2:8.) When we read, therefore, in the books from Acts to Revelation about the redeemed keeping “the commandments of God,” we do not think of the letters in stone given through Moses, but of the magnified “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:2) Notice another passage, viz., 2 Corinthians 3:3-11. The expression, “written and engraven in stones,” and the reference to Moses’ face shining at the time is evidence that Paul is speaking of the Decalog. In verse 7 he tells us how the Law was accompanied with such glory that it even caused Moses’ face to shine. Then in verse 8 he refers to something which would be accompanied with more glory, and following this up shows that when “the glory that excelleth” (v. 10) should come then that which was given with glory i. e the Law written and engraven on stones was to be “done away.” (v. 11). Note the remarkable similarity between the Revised Version rendering of verse 11 and Matthew 5:18. Then in 2 Corinthians 3:12 to 18 Paul shows that while Israel had Moses cover his face so they could not see the glorious results of the giving of that glorious Law, yet we should refrain from covering our hearts with the veil of prejudice, etc., as we wish to see the more glorious results of this more glorious law upon the hearts and lives of our brethren, especially as it was reflected in our great Elder Brother, the Lord Jesus. — 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Dear brother, much more might be written, but I must refrain from more than one or two brief statements. Paul’s preaching upon the seventh day, etc., is no endorsement of seventh-day Adventism. That was a day when the cessation from labor brought the Jews together in their synagogues and gave Paul an opportunity he gladly used. Wherever and whenever he found ears to hear he was ready to preach. There were crowds in the synagogues on the seventh day; so Paul went there, and there were numbers at the market every day; so Paul preached there on other days (Acts 17:17.) So just as Paul esteemed those opportunities, so we esteem the opportunities afforded us on the first day, not because there is a divine command to consider that day a Sabbath above other days, although we consider it a very appropriate day for meetings of the people of God, being our Lord’s resurrection day. However, refraining from actual labor on the first day is not an endorsement of the wrong ideas many have held about it, any more than a belief in the Bible would mean an endorsement of the many wrong views which have been entertained of its teaching.

I fear the seventh-day keepers have been putting the new wine into the old bottles; let us rather use the new bottles provided through our Savior. (Matthew 9:17.) “Prove all things,” including these things, and if found in harmony with the Word of God may you have grace to act upon this fuller light, of which Sinai’s light was but a type, and to rest in this better sense. It has been a great comfort to me to find that salvation did not hang upon such a slender cord as the keeping of a weekly rest day.

There are other features of the Sabbath, for instance it s foreshadowing of the Millennium, which I have not touched upon at all. Pastor Chas. T Russell, of Allegheny, Pa., has treated that phase of the subject most beautifully. Have you ever read his book, “The Divine Plan of the Ages?” It is a book of 386 pages, cloth bound, for 25 cents. {FREE COPY] The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 612 Arch Street, Allegheny, Pa., supplies them. It puts the Scriptures upon the Millennium in a new light by helping to lay aside that “veil” we have already referred to.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Of course, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Brother Russell’s day no longer exists. The building at 612 Arch Street no longer exists. If you contact the Watchtower Society of today, however, they will try to turn you away from “The Divine Plan of the Ages” with the claim that they now have new light. We have provided links to an online copy of the Divine Plan book, as well as a link to where you may obtain to a free paper (magazine style)  copy of the book.

Trusting you will be willing to receive this in the same spirit in which is was written, and asking our heavenly Father’s blessing upon its mission, I subscribe myself,

Your Brother in the service of the King of kings,

B H Barton

What We Believe

God has revealed his truth by means of his holy spirit through the prophets in the Old Testament and through Jesus and his apostles in the New Testament. (Mark 12:36; Luke 4:11; 10:21; 24:27,44; Acts 1:16; 2:33; 10:38; 28:25; Hebrews 1:1,2; 3:7; 1 Peter 3:10-12; 2 Peter 1:21) God, by means of his holy spirit, especially led the apostles into all the truths concerning Christ and what he said. (John 14:26; 16:4-13; Acts 1:2; Galatians 1:12; Ephesians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:2) That which was revealed (including that revealed through the Old Testament) in the first century was the “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3) Jesus was the only “prophet” assigned to this speak to us as a prophet of Yahweh in these latter days, and he speaks, by means of God’s holy spirit, through his apostles. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 1:2; 3:13-26; Hebrews 1:1,2) The truths revealed to the apostles and made available to us are recorded in the Bible (the commonly-accepted 66 books) itself. (Ephesians 3:3-12; Colossians 1:25,26; 1 John 4:6) Of course, without the holy spirit, these things that are recorded will still be a mystery to us. — Mark 4:11; 1 Corinthians 2:7-10.
See:Understanding Kingdom Mysteries

God, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that man was created sinless, in God’s character image, and that he was given a dominion, and that through sin mankind fell under the penalty of death and destruction, by which mankind came to be by nature children of wrath, made subjects of corruption, all being under condemnation through Adam, and through which mankind is undergoing exposure to futility and various evils, permitted by God to teach him by experience the evil nature and effects of sin and the desirability of hating and forsaking it. — Genesis 1:26-28,31; 2:17; Psalm 8:5-8 (Mankind does not now have this dominion — Hebrews 2:6-8); Ecclesiastes 1:2-15; Romans 5:12-19; 6:23; 8:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Ephesians 2:3; Psalm 90:15.

God, by means of his holy spirit, reveals that the basis of hope for everlasting life for the elect and the non-elect is in the fact that God “is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe”; that Jesus by the grace of God tasted death for every man, “a ransom for all”; that God “desires to have all men to be saved, and come to full knowledge of the truth,” and that Jesus is “true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world”, “the testimony in its own times (in due time – KJV)”. — 1 Timothy 4:10; 2:3-6; Hebrews 2:9; John 1:9 (New King James Version).

God, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that the Gospel was preached to Abraham, saying, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”; “all the nations [the heathen] of the earth shall be blessed”; that Jesus, along with all the sons of God of this age, make up the great “seed of Abraham”, through whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed”. That this blessing of salvation and enlightenment for the heathen will come during Jesus’ second advent, in “the times of restitution of all things,” when God’s kingdom will fill the whole earth, when the heathen will not be under the deceptions of the great Adversary. — Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; 26:4; Daniel 2:34,35,44,45; Galatians 3:7-9; Matthew 6:10; Acts 3:19-23; Revelaton 20:1-3.

God’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that the Gospel Age has been the Church’s judgment day (2 Thessalonians 1:4,5; 1 Peter 4:17), but God “has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world [the non-believers of this age] in righteousness” — “the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men; but . . . do not be ignorant of this one thing, that one day with Yahweh is as a thousand years.”; that Jesus said of the unbeliever in this age: “If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.” — John 12:47,48; Acts 17:31; 2 Peter 3:7,8; Psalm 90:4; Revelation 20:12-15.

God’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that Jesus is the satisfaction for the sins of the Church and the world; that the world’s new judgment day through Jesus will be “in righteousness”, with Satan abyssed so that he will not be able to deceive the nations [heathen]; that mankind lost his first chance of life because of Adam’s sin, and thus “the ransom for all” will give each of them will have one full, free, fair opportunity to gain eternal life through Christ, either in this life or after being awakened from the dead in the new day of judgment; that in this new judgment day there will be no blinding influences of Satan, and all the nations [the unbelieving heathen of this age, as well as the unbelieving Jew of this age] will learn the ways of Yahweh, for then the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the only true God, Yahweh. — Psalm 9:8; 96:13; 98:9; Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:4,5,9; 25:7-9; 29:18,24; Jeremiah 31:34; John 5:28,29; 1 John 2:2; Acts 17:31; 24:15; Revelation 20:1-3,7,12,13; Acts 24:15.

Yahweh’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that the hope of God’s true people now being developed is that they will have an abundant entrance into God’s everlasting Kingdom; that their present mission is to develop and perfect themselves and others in Christ-likeness, to preach and teach others the Gospel, the Good News of God’s Kingdom through Jesus to the world as did Jesus, and, as the seed of Abraham, to prepare for the work of blessing all the families of the earth in the coming Kingdom on earth. — Genesis 12:3; 22:16-18; Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:9; Daniel 2:44; 7:22,27; Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 10:7; 24:14; 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Luke 8:1; 9:6; 24:47; John 13:15; Acts 3:19-25; 5:42; 8:4; 10:42; 20:25,35; 28:31; Romans 15:3,5; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 6:2; 11:1; Galatians 3:7-9,16,29; Ephesians 5:2; 6:10-18; Philippians 2:5: 2 Timothy 4:1,2; Hebrews 5:12; 6:13-20; 1 Peter 2:21; 4:1; 1 John 2:6.

God’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that Yahweh (Jehovah) is the only true God, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus. Jesus has one who is the Supreme Being over him; Jesus is not his Supreme Being whom he worships, prays to, and who sent him, and whose will he carried out in willful obedience. — Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4); Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16); Matthew 4:10 (Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8); Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23); Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.

Click Here for the study: Jesus is not Yawheh

God’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that Jesus is the firstborn creature, existing with his God and Father before the world of mankind began; that through [Greek, dia], or by means of [Greek, en], his firstborn creature, all [Greek, panta] dominions, thrones, principalities and powers in heaven (invisible spirit beings) and on earth (the visible dominion given to man — Genesis 1:26,28; Psalm 8:4-8) came into existence, with the evident exception of himself and his God (see 1 Corinthians 15:27 for a direct example of evident exception related to “the all” being spoken of). — John 1:1; 6:62; 17:5; Colossians 1:15-18; Revelation 3:14.
Click Here for the study: In the Beginning
Click Here for the study: Did Jesus Have a Beginning?

God’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that Jesus is divine; that He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, became a life-giving spirit, highly exalted by his God and Father, and given by his God a name which is above every name. (1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Philippians 2:9-11). God’s holy spirit reveals through the scriptures that the holy spirit itself proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is manifested in all true Christians. — 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 2 Timothy 1:7.
Click Here for the study: Jesus Died a Human Being – Raised a Spirit Being

We believe most associated with the Bible Students movement are in general agreement with the above statements.

The general home page of Restoration Light is:
http://rlbible.com/

The God of Jesus — The Only Most High

Many people do not think of Jesus as having a God, since they believe that Jesus is the only true God. However, the Bible shows that Jesus believes that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is his God. Despite the claims of many who said that he did, Jesus never claimed to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. All of the claims people make that would have any scripture saying that Jesus is Yahweh actually assumes that thought due to the spirit of human imagination by which assumptions have been formulated, and those assumptions have been placed over the scripture to make it appear that the scripture is declaring Jesus to be Yahweh (Jehovah), the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Jesus has One who is the Supreme Being over him; Jesus is not his Supreme Being whom he worships, prays to, and who sent him, and whose will he carried out in willful obedience. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 [Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4]; Matthew 4:7 [Deuteronomy 6:16]; Matthew 4:10 [Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8]; Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 [Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23]; Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12)

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that Jesus was sent by Yahweh, speaks for Yahweh as his unipersonal God and Father, represents Yahweh, and was raised and glorified by the unipersonal God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus never claimed to be, nor do the scriptures present Jesus as, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom Jesus represents and speaks for. — Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 22:32; 23:39; Mark 11:9,10; 12:26; Luke 13:35; 20:37; John 3:2,17,32-35; 4:34; 5:19,30,36,43; 6:57; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,38; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:8,26; 20:17; Acts 2:22,34-36; 3:13-26; 5:30; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 8:6; 11:31; Colossians 1:3,15; 2:9-12; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:1.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that Jesus is son of the unipersonal Most High, Yahweh. Jesus is never spoken of as the “Most High”; he is not the only Most High Yahweh of whom he is the son. — Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is never once presented in the Bible as more than one person; He is always presented as one person. In the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is always presented unipersonally as separate and distinct from His son. His Son is not once presented as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. — Acts 3:13-26; Hebrews 1:1,2.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that Jesus is son of the unipersonal Most High, Yahweh. Jesus is never spoken of as the “Most High”; he is not the only Most High Yahweh of whom he is the son. — Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16.

If Jesus is the Most High, then the Most High and another Most High is over the Most High, and thus you have two Most High, one Most High that is not as Most High and the other Most High, in which case, you really would not have two Most Highs, since the very fact that one Most High is higher than the other Most High would render that one not the Most High.

For more information, please see:

There is Only One True God

The Unipersonal God Spoke Through His Son

Does God Share His Glory as Most High With Jesus?

Revelation 1:1,8 and the Unipersonal God

The God of Jesus Speaks

Far Above All Rule

“Most High” Scriptures

Did Jesus Really Say that the Father is the Only True God?

The Logos Was Theos

The God (Supreme Being) of Jesus

“I am” (Ego Eimi)

Acceptable and Unacceptable Worship

ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE WORSHIP

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” — John 4:24.

Unless otherwise noted, all scriptural quotations are from the World English translation.

WORSHIP is that outward manifestation of reverence for holy things which is pleasing to God, if done in a proper manner and from the right motive. But it is possible to assume the attitude of worship, and yet not offer worship that would be acceptable to God. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, our Lord is declaring the manner of worship which the Father would accept. One might worship and bow down, and yet not be acceptable to the Father. And so the Lord indicates here that acceptable worship is that which is offered to God in spirit and in truth.

Our Lord makes a distinction between worship in spirit and worship in truth. We might have the Truth and know a great deal about the Lord; but if we did not go to Him in Spirit — in the right attitude of heart — our worship would not be acceptable, no matter how much we might know. On the other hand, a man might be a heathen and yet have a great deal of the spirit of worship, but he could not render acceptable worship unless he had the Truth. Take, for example, Cornelius, the centurion. He prayed often and gave much alms to the poor, but he was a Gentile. He had the real heart intention to come near to God, but God did not accept him at that time. Why not? Because he did not have the Truth, and could not receive it until the due time for the Gentiles. But we find that when the right time came, this Gentile was the first one to receive from God the knowledge of the Truth, so that he might worship, not only in spirit, but in truth also. He received the assurance that his prayers were now accepted by God.

The truth which was sent to Cornelius is the essential thing that we must all have to come near to God and be acceptable. This truth necessary to Cornelius was that though he was a sinner, God had provided in Jesus a redeemer, a satisfaction for sin. He learned that by becoming a follower of Jesus and seeking to do the will of God as expressed by Jesus, he would be in harmony with God’s arrangement. This was the great Truth made known to Cornelius. He received the holy spirit, and came into the family of God.

The same principle holds good today. There are people in heathen lands who have the spirit of worship, but they are without the truth respecting Jesus. And this truth must be known to the person before he can be a worshiper of God in the proper sense.

This was true also in respect to the Samaritans, to one of whom the words of our text were addressed. The Samaritans were a Gentile people, who worshiped God in Mount Gerizim, the mountain of Samaria. And they took delight in thinking that God was their God. When this woman of Samaria inquired of Jesus she said, We worship God in this mountain of Samaria, but you Jews say that the only place to worship God is in Jerusalem.

Jesus explained to her, saying in substance, You worship not knowing what you worship, but we Jews have the truth on this subject — we know what we worship. We Jews may worship God because, under the Divine Covenant made with our nation, we have the privilege of coming to God in prayer, and of having God hear and answer prayer. We are worshiping according to God’s directions. And He might have added, Many of you have the spirit of worship, but you do not have the truth on the subject. It would have been possible for the Samaritans to become proselyte Jews. But they did not know the necessity for this; hence they did not come in.

During the Gospel Age we, through Christ, have the privilege of becoming sons of God, and heirs of God. Some have thus come into God’s family. If, however, we should come with this truth, but not in the proper spirit, our prayers would not rise above our heads. It is those only who have come into proper relationship with God as children of the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord, who can worship in Spirit and in Truth. These and these only will receive the fulfilment of the exceeding great and precious promises.

Adapted from Reprints 5321

The Logos of God

It is claimed by many unitarians and some others that that Jesus had no sentient existence before his coming into the world. Many base such a claim on certain things said by Philo and some other Jewish writers who adopted and adapted heathen mythologies and philosophies into their writings.

Just because the apostate Philo, or any other apostate Jew, believed something concerning the word “Logos” does not mean that John was speaking of the Logos in John 1:1,2 in the same manner, or that John was confirming the apostate’s belief. That John is applying the term “Logos” to the Son of God can be seen from Revelation 19:13, where Jesus is called by the titular name, “The Logos of God.” Jesus is the word of God because he is the promised prophet like Moses, who Yahweh foretold: “I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.” — Deuteronomy 18:18.

John, of course, is writing retrospectively in John 1:1,2, using the title of the promised one who would speak the words of Yahweh. Nevertheless, he does speak of that one as being in existence before the beginning of the world of mankind — before the beginning of the world that was made by means of the Logos. (John 1:10) This agrees with John 17:5, where Jesus speaks of the glory he had with the only true God before the world of mankind was made. This, of course, does not mean that Jesus was the only true God whom he was with, but rather gives even more evidence that Jesus is not God. It agree with Jesus words concerning himself, that he descended from heaven, the only man on earth who could make that claim, so that he could tell of heavenly things that he had seen in heaven. (John 3:12,13) Thus, Jesus speaks of ascending to “where” he was before. — John 6:62.

John 1:1,2 does use the word THEOS applied to Jesus, but it should be viewed similar to the usage of forms of the Hebrew EL as used in the Old Testament when applied to others than Yahweh or false gods. This usage is demonstrated by the King James Version rendering in the following verses: Genesis 23:6 (mighty); Genesis 30:8 (mighty); Genesis 31:29 (power); Deuteronomy 28:32 (might); 1 Samuel 14:15 (great); Nehemiah 5:5 (power); Psalm 8:5 (angels); Psalm 36:6 (great); Psalm 82:1 (mighty); Proverbs 3:27 (power); Psalm 29:1 (mighty); Ezekiel 32:21 (strong); Jonah 3:3 (exceeding). Likewise, Jesus, being with the only true God before the world of mankind was made, was not the only true God whom he was with, but he was “mighty” with the only true God, thus the Logos “was” mighty, or “the Logos was a mighty one.”

This speaks of a past situation, that is, before the world of mankind was made, Jesus “was” mighty. In John 17:5, Jesus asks for that glory that he had with his Father before the world was made. Thus, at the time of this prayer Jesus did not have that glory that he formerly had with his Father. Paul, using the glories of physical bodies, illustrates of two general forms of glory of living beings, the celestial (heavenly) and the terrestrial (earthly). (1 Corinthians 15:40) Jesus had the glory of the celestial before became flesh. It was God who prepared Jesus’ body in the womb of Mary (Hebrews 10:5), so that Jesus’ flesh would not be born into this world with the crooked condition that is upon mankind due to Adam’s sin. (Eccleisiastes 1:13-15; Romans 5:12-19) Thus, instead of being crooked, unjust, as the rest of mankind, Jesus was born into this world in an just condition, the same upright, purely just condition (2 Peter 3:18) as Adam had before Adam sinned. (Ecclesiastes 7:29) As such, he had the unblemished crown of glory as a human. — Hebrews 2:9.
However, unlike Adam, Jesus never fell short of the glory of God due to sin, since he never sinned. (Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5) The maintained the human glory unblemished — just (Hebrews 9:14; 2 Peter 3:18), thus, he had the right to live forever as a human. (Leviticus 8:5; Nehemiah 9:29; Matthew 19:16,17; Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:12; ) Jesus, however, did not hold onto that just human flesh but sacrificed his unblemished flesh for the life of the world. (John 6:51; Hebrews 10:10; 2 Peter 3:18) Having sacrificed that flesh, Hebrews 5:7 speaks of the “days of his flesh” as something past. And Peter tells us that he was the just one [in his flesh], who died for the unjust [the world of mankind dying in Adam], and he was “put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” (2 Peter 3:18) Jesus, therefore, no longer has the glory of the human, but he again has to glory that he prayed to be returned to him in John 17:5, that is,
the celestial glory.

Some have confused “mediator” with the term Logos of God. The mediator, however, is not the same function as the Logos of God, although the Logos is also the Mediator.

The mediator between God and Man is is a person, and he is mediator due to fact that he gave up his just flesh as a ransom for all, and has been exalted to the right hand of Yahweh. — Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 53:12; Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 7:25; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 1:1,2.

Items I have written of related interest:

https://reslight.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/oneness-vs-trinity-vs-the-bible/

Items others have written of related interest (I do not necessarily agree with all conclusions given.):

http://www.winpie.com/what-do-you-think-of-the-following-comment-on-john-11/

John 20:28 Part B

Many will insist that Thomas is calling Jesus “the god of me” in John 20:28, and from this they will assume and add to the scripture that Jesus is Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They simply ignore the Hebraic application of the words THEOS, EL, and ELOHIM (the Greek and Hebrew words that are usually rendered as “god” or “God”) as applied to others than the Most High, Yahweh. Once one does a study in the scriptures of the Hebraic usage of these words, it becomes apparent that they can be used of others than Yahweh to denote power, strength, might, rulership, etc., rather than as a title for Supreme Being.

If Thomas was indeed calling Jesus “the god of me” in John 20:28, this would not be the rule in the scriptures, for no where else is the expression, “the god of me”, or “the god of us”, applied to Jesus. The general rule of scripture is to distinguish between Jesus and his God. * However, Thomas would certainly not be blasphemous in calling Jesus “the god of me”, but if this be the application, I would render it “the strength/ruler of me”, in accordance to the usage of EL and ELOHIM in the Hebrew scriptures when used of others than Yahweh.
==========
*http://rlbible.com/jesus/jesusnotyhwh.html

In the case of trinitarians, there is certainly nothing there that gives reason to think that the expression used means that Jesus is a person of his God; thus, in addition to adding to the scripture the assumption that Jesus is Yahweh, they would have to also add to that the assumption that Jesus is a person of Yahweh. However, in accepting the leading of God spirit by means of the things that God has revealed in the scriptures, the default reasoning would be to look upon the expression Thomas used in John 20:28 in light of the usage of the Hebraic tradition that would apply the word to one who is not the Most High, which tradition does not have to be added to scripture as does the trinity and oneness doctrines, for the tradition is actual scripture. Thus, for one who would view THEOS, EL and ELOHIM as applied to others than Yahweh, the default assumption would be that Thomas is not calling using THEOS in John 20:28 to designate Jesus as the Supreme Being, but rather that Thomas is designating Jesus as his mighty one, as a ruler.

More more concerning the Hebraic usage of EL, ELOHIM and THEOS:
http://rlbible.com/jesus/hebraictitles.html

Other references concerning John 20:28:
http://rlbible.com/forum/index.php?topic=260.0
http://rlbible.com/forum/index.php?topic=118.0
http://rlbible.com/jesus/john-20-28.html

In service of Jesus and his God,
Ronald

John 20:28 – The God of Thomas

Regarding John 20:28.

The general rule all through the New Testament is to distinguish between “Jesus” and his “God”. In only a very, very, few instances is THEOS actually applied to Jesus. Because of this, and due to Thomas’ use of the definite article twice in the Greek as it reads in John 20:28, some scholars have questioned whether Thomas actually meant the second phrase to be applied to Jesus. The most literal rendering of Thomas’ words to Jesus are “THE LORD [OF] ME AND THE GOD [OF] ME.” If Thomas were referring to one person, then he only needed to have used the definite article once. This is demonstrated in a few verses before John 20:28, in John 10:17:

legei autee ieesous mee mou haptou oupw gar
IS SAYING TO HER JESUS NOT OF ME BE TOUCHING, NOT YET FOR
3004 0846_6 2424 3361 1473_2 0680 0681 3768 1063
anabebeeka pros ton patera poreuou de pros
I HAVE ASCENDED TOWARD THE FATHER; BE GOING BUT TOWARD
0305 4314 3588 3962 4198 1161 4314
tous adelphous mou kai eipe autois anabainw
THE BROTHERS OF ME AND SAY TO THEM I AM ASCENDING
3588 0080 1473_2 2532 1511_7 0846_93 0305
pros ton patera mou kai patera humwn kai theon
TOWARD THE FATHER OF ME AND FATHER OF YOU AND GOD
4314 3588 3962 1473_2 2532 3962 4771_5 2532 2316
mou kai theon humwn
OF ME AND GOD OF YOU.
1473_2 2532 2316 4771_5

Notice that the Jesus only used “one” definite article, thus showing that only one person is being spoken of. Likewise, if Thomas had only been referring to one person in John 20:28, then only one definite article would have been needed.

Additionally, there is no custom of calling Jesus “my God” or “our God” anywhere in the NT. One has to look to later writers to find such a custom.

Nevertheless, as I have shown elsewhere, the word THEOS can apply to Jesus, even as Jesus applied the plural of THEOS to the sons of God in John 10:34,35 (See Psalm 82), without having any meaning that Jesus is his God.

http://rlbible.com/forum/index.php?topic=118.0

http://rlbible.com/jesus/john-20-28.html

http://rlbible.com/jesus/hebraictitles.html

In service of Jesus and his God,

Ronald

“I am” in John 8:58

John 8:58 “Jesus said … Before Abraham was, I AM”

It is being claimed regarding John 8:58 that “I AM” used by Jesus “was the name God used for Himself when talking to Moses (Exodus 3:14) and this is why the Jews wanted Jesus dead … because He made Himself equal with God. ” Some claim that Jesus was saying that he had been existence for eternity past, and thus that he was never created. The purpose is to make the claim that Jesus is a person of triune God. Actually, there is nothing here, or anywhere else in the Bible, about God existing as three separate and distinct persons. Such an idea has to be added to, and read into, what Jesus said.

Was Jesus in John 8:58 quoting from Exodus 3:14? The name in Exodus 3:14 by which Yahweh spoke of himself in its full form is usually transliterated as “EHYEH ASHER EHYEH” or “EHJEH ASHER EHJEEH”. Its short form, which also appears in Exodus 3:14 is simply EHJEH. Was Jesus saying in John 8:58 that his name is EHYEH? Actually, no. The expression in Greek that Jesus used is often transliterated as EGO EIMI. Did Jesus say that this was his name? No, there is no discussion concerning Jesus’ name in John 8:58 nor anywhere in the context. Rather, the discussion is concerning the age of Jesus.

Jesus expressly shows that he is not the only true God who sent him in John 17:1,3. Since there is only one true God, then Jesus, being sent by the only true God, is not the only true God. The only true God who sent Jesus is the One who identified Himself as EHYEH ASHER EHYEH in Exodus 3:14,15.

Exodus 3:14 – God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM [EHYEH ASHER EHYEH],” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: “I AM [EHYEH] has sent me to you.”

Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh [Jehovah], the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.

EHJEH and JEHOVAH are simply two different forms of the same name. EHJEH is in the first person of the verb, and JEHOVAH represents the third person of the same verb.

The only true God, by means of his Holy Spirit through the Scriptures, reveals that it is Himself, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sent Jesus, and who anointed Jesus, and whom Jesus worshiped and prayed to as his God. — Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4); Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16); Matthew 4:10 (Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20; Luke 4:8); Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6 (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23); Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 4:3; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.

Indeed, the prophecy states that the Messiah was to shepherd and to stand in the name of his God, Jehovah. (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3) The “born” part of firstborn in Colossians 1:15 shows that he was brought forth in existence before the sons of God (Job 38:4-7) that God created by means of his firstborn Son. So was Jesus claiming to be his God in John 8:58? Is there any link between John 8:58 and Exodus 3:14? Only as can be seen by the way the translators and others would make such a link. Of course, Jesus did not say, as did the only true God in Exodus 3:14, that his name is EHJEH, nor was he speaking about his name at all, but rather he was talking about his existence before Abraham. While he was speaking of his existence before Abraham, he did not say that he had been existing for eternity past before Abraham.  Indeed, if that is what he meant, he could have left Abraham out, and simply stated he had always been existence.

Could it be that Jesus was quoting the Greek Septuagint Version (LXX) of Exodus 3:14 when he says EGO EIMI in John 8:58? Hardly, since in the Greek Septuagint Version, the short name of EHYEH is rendered as HO OHN, not EGO EIMI. The full form is rendered as a sentence: EGO EIMI HO OHN, which means “I am the being”. Thus the Septuagint gives EGO EIMI a predicate, but the short form is simply HO OHN, “The Being”. So if Jesus quoted the LXX, he would have used HO OHN, not EGO EIMI, which, of course, in context would have made no sense at all. Further, if he were quoting the LXX from the long form EGO EIMI HO OHN, then he left the subject and verb “I am” without a predicate, which indicates further that he was not quoting the LXX.

Actually, in the Greek, what scholars have labeled as a present indicative active can be used in a past setting to denote a continuous condition originating in the past and continuing into the present. In English such is often expressed in some form of the past tense, as in the case of John 8:58: “I was”, or “I have been”, etc. (See John 14:8,9) Thus Moffatt renders John 8:58 as

“Truly, truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “I have existed before Abraham was born.”

So, what Jesus was saying is very simple: “I have/had been existing since before Abraham was.” There is no need to imagine, assume, add to, and read into what Jesus said that he was claiming to be EHJEH of Exodus 3:14, or that he was claiming that he had always existed from eternity past.

For more information concerning John 8:58, and “I am” in other scriptures, see: Ehjeh and I am
For more information concerning Jesus as being a creature, see: God’s Creation Through Jesus

To obtain a copy of the book, The Atonement Between God and Man:
CLICK HERE

How could Jesus remain sinless?

<![CDATA[

The question has been asked: If Jesus is not Yahweh, and was simply a man, how is it that Jesus was able to remain sinless cradle to grave when neither Adam nor Eve could do so even for a short time?

Jesus had ample time to learn from his Father before he came to the earth. He was “sanctified” and “sent into the world” of mankind, which implies that he was perfectly prepared for this experience before being sent by the only true God “into” the world of mankind. As a human, however, it appears possible that he was led by the spirit to draw upon this knowledge as needed, similar to the manner that the holy spirit was sent as a helper to the apostles to remind them of the things Jesus had already taught them. Technically, Jesus could have sinned as did Adam, but the scriptures inform us that he always obeyed his God, and was without sin.

After his baptism, we are informed that Jesus had unlimited access to the holy spirit. Before he began his ministry, he had been obedient, but there is no record of his being persecuted for his obedience. The added strength of the holy spirit could also have provided another way for him to remain obedient even while suffering.

For further study, see:
http://rlbible.com/atonement/

Who is Jesus?

There are many conjectures about who Jesus was and is; sad to say, most views presented inadequately reveal who the real Jesus is as portrayed in the Scriptures. Almost every prevailing doctrinal opinion attaches philosophies on the revealed Word in order to make Jesus appear to be some one he never claimed to be. The apostle Paul reported of some in his day who were, in effect, preaching another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:14), that is, they were preaching Jesus, but not the truth about Jesus. Nor can we in this day – when Satan and his demons are working miracles so as to deceive, if possible, the elect (Matthew 24:24; Revelation 13:14; 16:14; 19:20) – expect that, simply because we have found someone who can perform miraculous or wonderful works, that we have found the true Jesus in the message of the worker of miracles who might be doing miracles in Jesus’ name. (Matthew 7:22) Indeed, many heathen who do not believe in Jesus at all claim miracles performed in the name(s) of their gods or idols.

It is recorded that Jesus once asked his disciples: “Who do men say that I am?” He got a reply, that some reasoned him to be John the baptist risen from the dead; that others thought him to be Elijah risen from the dead, and others considered him as being perhaps one of the other prophets. Then came the point of the question: “But who do you that I am?” Peter responded and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus admitted the correctness of this, saying, “You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven.” — Matthew 16:13-17; Mark 8:27-30.

Afterwards, Jesus proceeded to explain to the beloved Twelve the experiences that lay before him — how the Kingdom would be formally proffered to the people of Israel, and how through their representatives, the elders, the chief priests, they would reject Him; how he would be killed, and after three days rise again. This, of course, is not what the Jewish populace in general had expected of Messiah. So what would be the reactions of the disciples concerning this description of Jesus’ own expectations concerning himself? — Mark 8:31; Matthew 16:21.

He made the statement about his death very emphatic, and the disciples clearly understood it. Perhaps they were disappointed, considered it a disgrace upon the Messiah to take such a view of the future, and a disgrace also upon the apostles, because if Jesus had such expectations it would modify and regulate his course, and soon disaster would come to him, and the dashing of all their hopes which he had inculcated — hopes of sitting with him in his throne, etc.

Doubtless all of the apostles were disappointed, but only Peter had the courage to express himself, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you.” In effect, Peter was saying: You will, we all know, as the Messiah, attain the throne of Israel and thus eventually the throne of the world, and bring blessing to the whole human race; and as you have promised, we will be with you in your throne. — Matthew 16:22; Mark 8:32.

In this course Peter was opposing the Yahweh’s will and plan, of which the death of Jesus was the very center or hub, from which would radiate all the fulfillments of all the various promises — to his church first, to Israel next, and finally to all nations, peoples, kindreds and tongues. Jesus perceived that these influences were striving to hinder his consummation of his sacrifice, even as Satan tried to do in the beginning of his consecration. To make the matter very emphatic he said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.” Then he began to make clear to his followers what had not been “food in due season” to give them before, in such plain terms, namely, that whoever desired to be counted in with him in any part of his work must realize that it would cost him all that he possessed of an this world’s affections; he must deny himself, take up his stauros and follow him.

The great question of eighteen centuries ago is the great question of today! Who is Jesus? If, as some claim, he was merely a good man, a most able teacher, then he was not the promised Messiah, for the promises concerning the Messiah showed that, although he was the embodiment of all the qualities of what man would consider to be “good man”, he was more, much more. To be the Christ, he must have been “the man Christ Jesus,” who gave Himself a ransom price for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:5,6.) And this signifies that he must have been, not of ordinary birth, but extraordinary, born from above, because if born in the ordinary course of nature he would be like others of Adam’s sons, subject to the sentence of death, and hence unable to save either himself or others. But if he was the Christ (which means Anointed One), the Sent of God, who left the glory he had with his God, the only true God (John 17:1,3,5), and was made flesh, having a body prepared by God himself (Hebrews 10:5), with the glory of a sinless man, that he might “taste death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:9; 10:10) Thus, we see him as the great redeemer (deliverer, repurchase) of the world, whose death was necessary as a ransom, or corresponding price, to secure the release of mankind from the death sentence and to make possible the resurrection of Adam and his race. — Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.

If you have not already done so, we recommend a thorough study of the scriptures presented in the “What We Believe” article.

https://reslight.wordpress.com/2007/05/26/what-we-believe/