The Deity of Jesus Christ

According to “Wikipedia,” the Emperor Constantine convened the First Council of Nicea in Bithynia, Turkey (325 A.D.) to help resolve the issue among the Bishops of the Christian Church over the Deity of Jesus Christ. What the controversy was about centered on the interpretation of two Greek words, ‘homoousian,’ and ‘homoiasian.’ The former word is translated “same,” and the latter, as “similar.” The Bishop of Alexandria and others favored the opinion that Jesus Christ was of “similar” substance as God the Father, but the Council ended with the unanimous consensus which adopted the theological and doctrinal use “same;” which has been the traditional teaching in the Western Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Churches ever since.

John 1: 1-3, 14
In the beginning was the “Word,” and the ’Word,’ was with God, and the ‘Word,’ was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. And the “Word” became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

1: 18
No one has seen God at any time (Cp. I John 4: 12a; Hebrews 3a). The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

6: 22
And they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

8: 42
Jesus said to them, “If God was your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

10: 32-33
Jesus answered them, “Many good works have I shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”

14: 8-10
Phillip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father (Cp. Colossians 1: 20; 2: 9); so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? . . . but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

17: 3
“And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, ‘the only true God,’ and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”

Romans 8: 29
For whom He [God the Father], foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, the He [Jesus] might be the firstborn [from the dead] among many brethren (Cp. I Corinthians 15: 20, 23).

I Corinthians 15: 24-25, 27-28
[And] then comes the end; when He [Jesus] delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He [God the Father] puts an end to all rule and all authority and all power. For He [Jesus] must reign until He [God the Father] has put all enemies under His [Jesus] feet (Cp. Psalms 110: 1; Hebrews 1: 13). For “He [God the Father] has put all things under His [Jesus] feet;” But when He [God the Father] says “all things are put under Him [Jesus],” it is evident that He [God the Father] who put all things under Him [Jesus] is accepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him [God the Father], then the Son will also be subject to Him [God the Father] who put all things under Him [Jesus], that God [the Father] may be all in all.

Philippians 2: 5-8
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery [or better; a thing to be grasped or understood] to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Cp. John 10: 15, 17-18).

Colossians 1: 15-17, 18b, 19-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth (Cp. Genesis 1: 1-2) visible and invisible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him
(Cp. John 1: 1-3). And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence (Cp. I Corinthians 15: 20, 23; Revelations 1: 5-6)). For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness [of the “Godhead”] should dwell [bodily] (Cp. Colossians 2: 9).

I Timothy 6: 13, 15-16
I urge you in the sight of God [the Father] who gives life to all things
(Cp. Luke 20: 38), and before Christ Jesus, who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, Which He [God the Father] will manifest in His own time (Cp. Matthew 24: 36), He [God the Father] who is the blessed and only Potentate/Sovereign, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords (Cp. Revelations 19:
11, 13, 16??), who alone has immortality (Cp. John 5: 26??), dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

I Timothy 1: 17
Now to the King eternal, immortal (Cp. John 5: 26??), invisible, the only God
(Cp. John 1: 17; 16: 3-4; Jude 25), be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

In a latter passage (Cp. Philippians 2: 6), Jesus is mentioned as being “in the form of God,” which is significant. There is however persuasive philosophical argument that postulates how can a ‘Being’ who is by His very nature pure spiritual substance, ineffable, immortal, and transcendent, can become involved in “Matter;” as presented in Aristotle’s ‘Unmovable Mover.’

Malachi 3: 6a,
“For I, the Lord, do not change. . .”

Hebrews 13: 8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever (Cp. 1: 12).

‘Paul Younan’, a scholar in modern times has translated texts of the “Peshitta” an Aramaic version of the New Testament, which gives a little bit more clarity and consistency to difficult passages which the Greek to English editions may obscure. In the gospel of JOHN, an interesting Aramaic word is used for the Greek, “Logos" [Word], and that is the word “Miltha.” The translation can be ‘Word,’ in the normal use, but in a deeper and more spiritually and theologically significant way, two words come to mind; namely, “Manifestation” or “Substance.” Also, Andrew Gabriel Roth, Aramaic scholar and Netzari,("Nazarene")brings out a few other interesting points, that in Yeshuah Maschiah ("Jesus the Messiah")the divine Name is revealed.

This is further supported beginning back in Exodus 3: 14, where, "I AM THAT I AM" contains the Hebrew verb 'hayah'("to be"). Since Hebrew contains only consonants, one is left with YH; root of the unpronouncable, ineffable and sacred Name of God represented by the letters YHVH, or the "Tetragrammaton." In Psalms 68: 4, the Name of God as YaH is used, and it is where the word 'Hallelujah' is derived. A more exact rendering should be, "Allelu-YaH," or "praises to YaH." This same Name is also recorded in Isaiah 12: 2; 26: 4. Therefore, Y'sHuaH does reveal the sacred Name as the vowel "u" could easily be replaced with "v;" thus rendering Y'sHVaH. The angel in MATTHEW correctly named the holy Child because the Name 'Jesus' or rather,("Yeshuah") literally means, "God saves."

NOTE: The "V" is more symbolically correct but "U" is easier grammatically.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 1, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com