As a fellow believer, a fellow Christian not a pastor but just another person saved and forgiven by the grace of God, my heart aches with a deep concern over the insidious deception woven by false teachers and prophets, particularly when it strikes at the very core of our belief – the absolute and undeniable Divinity of Jesus Christ. This isn't merely an academic debate; it's the bedrock upon which our salvation and eternal hope are built. To compromise or distort the truth of who Jesus is, is to unravel the very fabric of our redemption.
One of the most heartbreaking tactics employed by these deceivers is the subtle erosion of Jesus' divine nature through the manipulation of scripture. They might cherry-pick verses that highlight His humanity, presenting Him as merely a good teacher or a prophet, while deliberately downplaying or misinterpreting the countless passages that unequivocally declare His deity. They might twist verses like John 14:28 ("The Father is greater than I") and such as John 10:30 ("I and the Father are one"), out of context, ignoring the numerous declarations of His equality with the Father. Here are a few of these declarations.
John 5:16-18 NIV [16] So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. [17] In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” [18] For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
The Jewish leaders were seeking to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus' claim to work as His Father works and His use of "my own Father" were understood by the Jewish leaders as a claim to equality. Jesus doesn't correct this understanding.
John 8:58-59 NIV [58] “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” [59] At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Jesus uses the divine name "I AM," echoing God's self-identification in Exodus 3:14.
Exodus 3:14 NIV God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
This declaration of pre-existence and divine identity caused the Jews to attempt to stone Him for blasphemy.
John 14:9 NIV Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus equates seeing Him with seeing the Father, implying a shared divine nature.
John 17:2-5 NIV [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (emphasis mine)
Jesus speaks of a shared glory with the Father from before creation, implying His pre-existence and divine nature.
The prologue to the Gospel of John identifies Jesus (the Word) as being God from the very beginning.
John 1:1-5 NIV [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (emphasis mine)
This selective and skewed approach used by false teachers creates a false image of Jesus, stripping Him of His rightful place as God incarnate.
My burden intensifies when I see how these false teachings undermine the very essence of the Gospel. If Jesus is not fully God, then His sacrifice on the cross loses its infinite and atoning power. How can a mere man, however righteous, bear the weight of the world's sin? It is only through the perfect, divine Son of God that we find true and lasting redemption. To diminish His divinity is to diminish the hope we have in Him.
Colossians 2:9-12 NIV [9] For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (emphasis mine)
This isn't a suggestion; it's a profound truth that must be fiercely guarded.
Furthermore, these distorted views often lead to a misunderstanding of Jesus' authority and our relationship with Him. If He is not God, then our worship is misplaced, and our reliance on Him for salvation is misguided. The scriptures are clear. Jesus is Lord .
Philippians 2:8-11 NIV [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (emphasis mine)
Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 19:16 NIV On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
Jesus’ lordship is rooted in His divine nature. To deny His full divinity is to diminish His rightful authority in our lives and open ourselves up to other, ultimately false, sources of guidance.
My plea to you, my fellow believers, is to be vigilant and discerning, especially regarding teachings about the person and nature of Jesus Christ. Immerse yourselves in scripture, studying not just isolated verses, but the whole counsel of God. Seek out sound, biblically grounded teaching that upholds the full divinity of Jesus. Test every teaching against the clear and consistent witness of scripture. Be wary of those who present a "Jesus" who is less than the one revealed in the Gospels and the Epistles.
My heart longs to see you rooted and grounded in the truth of who Jesus truly is – the eternal Son of God, co-equal with the Father, our Savior, our Lord, and our God. Let us stand firm against any wind of false doctrine that seeks to diminish His glory and jeopardize our salvation. Let our understanding of His divine identity be the unwavering anchor of our faith.
One of the most heartbreaking tactics employed by these deceivers is the subtle erosion of Jesus' divine nature through the manipulation of scripture. They might cherry-pick verses that highlight His humanity, presenting Him as merely a good teacher or a prophet, while deliberately downplaying or misinterpreting the countless passages that unequivocally declare His deity. They might twist verses like John 14:28 ("The Father is greater than I") and such as John 10:30 ("I and the Father are one"), out of context, ignoring the numerous declarations of His equality with the Father. Here are a few of these declarations.
John 5:16-18 NIV [16] So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. [17] In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” [18] For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
The Jewish leaders were seeking to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus' claim to work as His Father works and His use of "my own Father" were understood by the Jewish leaders as a claim to equality. Jesus doesn't correct this understanding.
John 8:58-59 NIV [58] “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” [59] At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Jesus uses the divine name "I AM," echoing God's self-identification in Exodus 3:14.
Exodus 3:14 NIV God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
This declaration of pre-existence and divine identity caused the Jews to attempt to stone Him for blasphemy.
John 14:9 NIV Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus equates seeing Him with seeing the Father, implying a shared divine nature.
John 17:2-5 NIV [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (emphasis mine)
Jesus speaks of a shared glory with the Father from before creation, implying His pre-existence and divine nature.
The prologue to the Gospel of John identifies Jesus (the Word) as being God from the very beginning.
John 1:1-5 NIV [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (emphasis mine)
This selective and skewed approach used by false teachers creates a false image of Jesus, stripping Him of His rightful place as God incarnate.
My burden intensifies when I see how these false teachings undermine the very essence of the Gospel. If Jesus is not fully God, then His sacrifice on the cross loses its infinite and atoning power. How can a mere man, however righteous, bear the weight of the world's sin? It is only through the perfect, divine Son of God that we find true and lasting redemption. To diminish His divinity is to diminish the hope we have in Him.
Colossians 2:9-12 NIV [9] For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (emphasis mine)
This isn't a suggestion; it's a profound truth that must be fiercely guarded.
Furthermore, these distorted views often lead to a misunderstanding of Jesus' authority and our relationship with Him. If He is not God, then our worship is misplaced, and our reliance on Him for salvation is misguided. The scriptures are clear. Jesus is Lord .
Philippians 2:8-11 NIV [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (emphasis mine)
Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 19:16 NIV On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
Jesus’ lordship is rooted in His divine nature. To deny His full divinity is to diminish His rightful authority in our lives and open ourselves up to other, ultimately false, sources of guidance.
My plea to you, my fellow believers, is to be vigilant and discerning, especially regarding teachings about the person and nature of Jesus Christ. Immerse yourselves in scripture, studying not just isolated verses, but the whole counsel of God. Seek out sound, biblically grounded teaching that upholds the full divinity of Jesus. Test every teaching against the clear and consistent witness of scripture. Be wary of those who present a "Jesus" who is less than the one revealed in the Gospels and the Epistles.
My heart longs to see you rooted and grounded in the truth of who Jesus truly is – the eternal Son of God, co-equal with the Father, our Savior, our Lord, and our God. Let us stand firm against any wind of false doctrine that seeks to diminish His glory and jeopardize our salvation. Let our understanding of His divine identity be the unwavering anchor of our faith.
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