gladtobeout

I have heard many great things about the museum. I can't wait to go later this month.

I was just wondering from all the legal beagles out there, what happens to the property when TWI goes under? It seems so sad to the think that Mrs. Weirwille's family wouldn't get any part of it. If they get into financial trouble and let's say can't pay their bills, then what happens. Or Does the land go to the board of TWI since they are the only legal members? I know that so many different things could happen, but what are the options?

I had a forty hour a week job and I got out about 4:00pm. I then left for the leaders house and would work there till 11 or 12 almost every night. I did their ABS reports, cleaning, preparing meals, and babysitting. When I was in-residence I was in class and work all day and then the leadership would call me out of bed at 11 so I could come to their apartment and give the person a foot massage and a back rub. This person was pregnant and expected everyone to do absolutely everything for her. I wouldn't get home until 2:00am and have to report to the kitchen at 4:00am. My roomates would tell her that I had a 4:00 kitchen shift, but she didn't care. Finally my roomates quit answering the phone and just let it ring. She was veryyyyyyyyyy displeased.

Congradulations to the graduate

I think it's interesting to hear how everyone got involved. I always wondered if very many people became involved through door to door witnessing. I figured that most people became involved through friends.

Well becoming me again started by first leaping out of TWI and second Greasespot. Greasespot helped me to see more of what was going on and helped me go over everything that I had been taught and try to figure out what was truth and what wasn't. That was a huge victory for me and it helped me to get rid of the guilt that I was carrying. I say guilt because I introduced people to the ministry, some were still in and that was almost too much for me to bear. I have started over with my belief system and attempted to more earnestly study before I make decisions on what I believe. I definitely don't believe just because a certain someone says so. I feel fresh, new and myself.

Wows moved to my small town and they came into where I worked. They started coming in every day to say "hi" to me. After a couple of weeks of these briefs visits, they invited me to fellowship. I ended up staying in for 9 years.

I was just curious how everyone got involved with TWI. I tried to do this as a poll. But I messed it up somehow. I was wondering if you were introduced by: family, a friend, a co-worker, or by a stranger just witnessing to you.

My husband and I left in 1989 after we got Loy's ranting (10:30 morning fellowship.) He had just fired our local leadership for absolutely no good reason.

Sorry, I can't answer your questions, but I'm sure you will get some soon. But hey, welcome, welcome, welcome. Enjoy your stay here at the cafe.

How do the innies feel about the fact that are so few left? Aren't they questioning or wondering,"why are we still here." I just wonder what goes through their minds?

Does anyone know about how many people are left? I'm sure that HQ will just have to live off the stockpile of funds since they probably have little ABS coming.

My husband and I left in 89 after receiving L@y's Sunday morning ranting tape. You know the one where he talks about how great he was. Our local leadership was fired for absolutely no Godly reason and we knew the leaders at HQ were not doing God's word. I also had serious problems with some of the doctrinal issues especially the abortion issue. It was very evident that the leaders at HQ were not living love and that the ministry was basically finished IMHO.

That's who it looks like to me.

It was always so sad that the majority of leadership just wanted to be "mini me's" ie. VP or L*Y instead of being who God made them to be.

Wow, this is very sad. It seems so lifeless and empty. I feel sorry for those people. They must feel that there is no way out. Why else would they stay.

It is hard to believe that there could be more than a few hundred people left. Actually, it's shocking that there is anyone left at all.

Has Twi gotten any better these days as far as how they treat the people? I'm mean, are the leadership still keeping a close watch on everyone and hammering down on people or has it become somewhat nicer? I figured with L@y gone, at least he's not there yelling at people.

T-Bone I'm so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I meant no condescension or ill will at all. I just simply thought that you might like to see the paper. Have a great day.

Eyes Thanks for sharing your story. I too was taught that hitchhiking was bad and Illegal in some areas and I had a real hard time with that. I did not enjoy lead. It seemed like people were just being judged on whether or not they can be rock jocks. There was little to no compassion when I went in 1985. They wanted us to squirm at our evaluations on our duo. I told them that I didn't care what evalution they gave me because God Almighty knows my heart and that's all that mattered to me. I'm so sickened by the lack of love and evil that took place. Thanks again for sharing with all of us.

T-Bone, Maybe this will help.

T-Bone, Maybe this will help.

275 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS A MAN (part B) PART THREE: SOME OTHER GOOD REASONS Here are some more good reasons to believe that Jesus’ nature is man, and that his identity can be summed up as the Son of man and the Son of God. #234) 1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. {To be “subject unto” means to be subordinated unto or submitted unto. If the Son is God then he shouldn’t be subject to anyone. Obviously we must apply a little spin to this verse, for it simply can’t mean what it clearly says.} #235) 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; {As I said, it is a tangled web of deceit that the devil has woven for nearly two millennia to try to conceal the simple truth about Jesus. There is only ONE God, and Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between that God and men. Jesus is defined here in the Bible as what; a God, a third of a God, the second person of the Triune Godhead, a God-man, a part of the Blessed Trinity? Absolutely not. It says “the man Christ Jesus.” And again, this is the present tense. This is his position today, not prior to his crucifixion and resurrection. Today, seated at the right hand of God, in heaven, he serves as the only mediator between God and men. If it says he is the man Christ Jesus, why are so many insisting that he is God?} I will answer that question. It is because most men follow the crowd. They watch where others are going and they go the same way. Explain to me 1940s Germany otherwise. Did each of the millions of loyal Germans independently arrive at the concept of a need for world domination on their own, or were they persuaded by what they observed and heard from their neighbors, fellow workers, and relatives? You know the answer. You know that peer pressure alone brought the great majority of them into an acceptance of Hitler’s goals. The same is true of the millions of Christians in the world today who profess a belief in the Trinity. As mentioned above, the word trinity does not even exist in the Bible. Likewise, there is not one Bible passage that defines such a concept while omitting the word. No human can claim to have learned of these things through Biblical study. These are lies that have been passed down from one generation to the next, unquestioned by most. Yes, I know I am being very blunt. I am accusing you of having been taught by man rather than God if you are a believer in the Trinity. You never learned that information from the Bible. You have been taught to find verses that do not specifically dispute the Trinity and to profess that they are therefore teaching the Trinity, while overlooking dozens and dozens of scriptures that do specifically contradict the possibility of a Trinity. In common terms, you have been duped. #236) James 1:13…God cannot be tempted with evil…: #237) Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest (referring to Jesus) which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.{The second verse says that Jesus, the high priest, was tempted in all points, but the first verse says God cannot be tempted. Surely you recall Jesus’ temptations in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. The web of deceit has to keep growing. You may have heard the explanation “Oh, well, you see, it was Christ’s human side that was tempted, not his God side.” What? Check your Bible. The term “God side” is not there. “Oh, but that’s okay, that’s just how we express what we all know to be true, that Jesus is fully God and fully man. That’s taught throughout the scriptures. Why, it’s the foundation of all Christianity!...” This non-biblical “truth” is used to relentlessly assault the simplicity of the Bible.} #238) John 14: 28…If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. {If I said “the Father (referring to God) is greater than I” everyone would agree the meaning is simple, but if Jesus says it then simplicity goes out the door. Now it’s time to bring in the spin artists. It’s time for double talk; any illogical argument will suffice to prove that the Bible does not mean what the words would normally communicate. Millions, if not billions, of people have been discouraged from searching the Bible by these tactics of the devil to discredit its accuracy and precision. Oh, yes, I am saying that the devil is the originator of this lie about Jesus’ identity, and it is the devil’s influence that steers people into ignoring the words given by God in favor of those of men.} #239) Matthew 28:18 And Jesus…spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. {Who gave him the power? “God the Father” you say? But Jesus is supposedly co-eternal and omnipotent. He would have always had all power.} #240) 1 Corinthians 11:3 …the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. {This verse plainly shows Christ’s subordination to God, as well as their distinct identities. But again, we are Christians. We can ignore the plain meaning of words.} #241) John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. {Jesus shows that his relationship to God and the Father is the same relationship that the brethren have. Oh, not to worry, we can write this verse off with 50-50 reasoning. This was the “man side” talking. Voila, problem solved.} #242) John 5:30 I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. {Did Jesus actually have his own will? Wouldn’t his will have been identical to the Father’s will since they both are God?} #243) Mark 14:35-36 And he…prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. {A casual reading indicates that Jesus and the Father did have separate wills. Not surprisingly Jesus’ will was not to endure the coming crucifixion and other ordeals. But, his final decision was to do things God’s way. The explanation: “Well, you see, that was the human part of Jesus. You’ve got to understand, he was 50% human and 50% God.” But I never read that in the Bible. “Oh, well, you see, we all know that Jesus was...”} #244) Ephesians 1:17-20…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, {God raised Christ from the dead and took him to heavenly places. One was dead. The other restored the dead one to life. God did not die. It was Christ. “Oh, well you see, it was God the Son that died. God the Father brought him back to life.” But the words God the Son aren’t in the Bible anywhere! “Well, you see, that’s taught throughout the Bible. Those exact words may not be there, but it’s obvious. We all know...”} Why must we rely so much on words that aren’t in the Bible and reject the plain meaning of so many that are? In the words of Susan Pouter “Stop the insanity!” #245) Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. {Only the Father knows the exact date when this age will come to an end. 1 John 3:20 declares that God “knoweth all things.” If Jesus is “fully God” why doesn’t he know everything? There is a simple explanation. The other explanation is “Well, you see, Jesus’ God side was being silent at this point. This was the man side of Jesus speaking and of course the man side wouldn’t know that information.”} #246) Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent…{Yet Jesus is classified many times as a man and as the Son of man. “Oh, well, you see, this verse is talking about God the Father, not God the Son. The Son could be a man. We all know…” Yeah, we all know that when we see God face to face He will understand that it was perfectly acceptable of us to totally disregard what He had said because of what “we all knew.” Perhaps we’ll be big enough to sit down and explain to God how He should have worded these things differently.} The totally unsubstantiated claim of there being a God the Son who is fully human and fully God (or half and half) is used over and over again to prove its own existence! This is called circular reasoning, but that doesn’t matter if sticking to your church’s teachings is more important than learning the truth. #247-256) Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD…beside me there is no God. Isaiah 44: 8…Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved… for I am God, and there is none else. Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?... Mark 12:32-34 And the scribe said…for there is one God; and there is none other but he… And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: Romans 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify… Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all… 1 Timothy 2:5…there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well… {I don’t know how many times the Bible repeats the theme that there is only one God, but it is a large number. I only selected ten. The singularity of God is simply cast aside in the Trinity by a declaration that three things are actually one. There, that was simple. It does not matter that there is no scripture informing us that three can equal one, no scripture informing us that God exists in three different forms, no scripture informing us that we can bypass first grade math when we read the Bible. The verse from 1 Timothy bluntly excludes the possibility of Jesus Christ being within a “three part” God. All of that can be overlooked. Just apply a little Trinitarian mumbo-jumbo, or simply go with “Well, we all know…”} #257) 1 Corinthians 8:6..to us there is but one God, the Father,… and one Lord Jesus Christ…{This verse also shows us there is only one God, and look how it specifically identifies “the Father” as being that God. The Son is not included, in fact, he is specifically excluded. This is no isolated peculiar verse. This is the norm.} #258) John 8:17-18 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. {Jesus did not ignore first grade math. When counting himself and the Father Jesus came to a total of two. Here is the formula: 1+1=2. Many kindergarten children can calculate this. But on Sunday mornings the Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and many others wave the magic wand and the rules of math and grammar vanish as they enter the fantasy world invented by Satan, the great deceiver. The end result – exactly as Satan had hoped, the Bible’s authority is reduced to that of a stack of Hallmark cards full of flowery niceties.} #259-261) John 17:3…that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 2 John 3…from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father… 2 John 2:9… that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. {I hated grammar when I was in the fourth grade but I do recall that when the word “and” is used it connects two things together. These verses, like many others, bring that same first grade math problem to the forefront. Jesus is mentioned many times using the word “and” to connect him to “the Father” or to “God.” Grammatically then they are different “things.” However, once you have read some Trinitarian writings you will realize that Christian realities need not be restricted by linguistic or mathematical laws. Christians can speak utter gibberish and declare it to be rock solid holy doctrine direct from the lips of God.} #262) Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God…and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God…{This is Jesus speaking. Again, even when these future events occur Jesus will still be referring to the One to Whom he is subjected as “my God.” The Son of God has a God. God the Father does not. Why is that?} #263) Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… {Repeatedly the Bible establishes that “the Father” of Jesus and his “God” are the same entity. Jesus as “God the Son” should not have a God. He himself would be that God just as much as God the Father would be that God. We just don’t need this confusion ADDED to the Bible.} #264) Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit… {Why would God commend (to place, set, or entrust) His spirit with anybody else? Oh, never mind. I forgot, this was the human half of the God-man talking. By the way, when does his God half talk? And why didn’t he ever mention his split nature? It must be because he knew how plainly it would later be revealed between the lines in our Bibles. There seems to be so much written between the lines that nullifies that which is on the lines. Isn’t that so helpful for us when it’s time to justify our doctrines?} #265) I have heard it stated that there is no way a man could do what needed to be done to redeem mankind; it had to be God. The Bible flatly disagrees with this premise. Romans 5:12-19 …by one man sin entered into the world…through the offence of one many be dead…the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many…by one man's offence death reigned by one…For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. {This passage emphasizes that one man (Adam) brought sin and death into the world, making many men sinners. Likewise, by one MAN the solution was provided. To declare that only God could come and fix the problems of the world is to declare that the Bible is wrong. One man made the mess. Another man cleaned it up.} #266) 1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. {The context reveals that the “first man” is Adam and the “second man” is Jesus. The first man held the power to wreak havoc on the universe by disobedience to God. The second man held the power to restore it all by obedience to God. God’s logic and sense of justice is perfect.} #267) Colossians 1:13-15…his dear Son…Who is the image of the invisible God… #268) 2 Corinthians 4:4… Christ, who is the image of God…{Jesus Christ is the image of God. The image of a couch is NOT the couch. It is a drawing, painting, photograph, or some other type of representation that reveals at least in part characteristics of the couch. Folks, if we don’t allow the words of the Bible to mean what they say then we have nothing when we hold a Bible in our hands. Christ is not God. He is the IMAGE of God. If you saw my son you might say he is the image of me since there is a strong family resemblance, but if you insist that he is me they will eventually haul you away to the funny farm.} #269) John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. {Colossians 1:15 (see reason #267) said that God is invisible, and this verse says he is a Spirit. Do you really see no discrepancy between these descriptions of God and how Jesus is described in the Bible? If you honestly don’t see any discrepancy then you have read way too far into this paper. You are wasting your time.} #270) John 5:43-45 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not… How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father...{How utterly nonsensical the Bible becomes if we insist on inserting the Trinity doctrine into it! In its absence the passage makes perfect sense. With the doctrine thrown in we have to revise everything that Jesus said here. Now we have something like: “I, God the Son, am come in the name of God the Father, and ye receive me not…How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from all three essences of God contained in the Triune Godhead only? Do no think that I, the second part of the Godhead, will accuse you to the first part of the Godhead…” This revision work has to be performed countless hundreds of times.} #271) Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. {Jesus clearly establishes that there is a father-son relationship between him and God. This type of relationship is very easily grasped by the human mind. Is God telling us that this relationship is very simple, yet privately wondering if we are going to be smart enough to figure out that in truth it is really quite complicated?} #272) John 5:19 Then answered Jesus...The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do…these also doeth the Son likewise. {Trinitarian explanations declare that Jesus is omnipotent (all powerful) like God the Father. If you reject that this statement classifies Jesus as something far less than omnipotent then you simply reject language.} #273) In the Bible there are about 20,000 singular pronouns used in referencing God. I’ll only count this as one reason, instead of 20,000. Wouldn’t a loving God go ahead and clearly communicate to us that there are actually three forms of Him instead of consistently sticking with this “solo” representation of Himself? #274) The word “God” appears in the Bible over 3,800 times. I won’t list them all. Even though the singularity of God is not specifically spelled out in most of them, the fact that NOT ONE of them ever mentions God consisting of three parts, three essences, three forms, or three persons is strong evidence that there was no intention by the author (God) for the readers (humans) to infer that concept. PART FOUR: EQUAL TIME In the interest of “equal time” I will include a fuller explanation of the Trinity from The Catholic Encyclopedia. The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion-- the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." In this Trinity of Persons the Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father and the Son. Yet, notwithstanding this difference as to origin, the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent. This, the Church teaches, is the revelation regarding God’s nature which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came upon earth to deliver to the world: and which she proposes to man as the foundation of her whole dogmatic system. In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word trias (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180. He speaks of "the Trinity of God [the Father], His Word and His Wisdom… Did that clear things up? Here are some terms they used that are not in the Bible, nor are they in our common vernacular, nor do they have any intelligible meaning: 1) Trinity. 2) unity of the Godhead. 3) eternal generation. 4) eternal procession. 5) co-eternal. 6) Three Divine Persons. The second paragraph proclaims that in scripture “there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together.” Does that mean that one day we might open our Bibles and the word denoting the Trinity will be there? What kind of evil have Christians accused God of having done; of having expected us all to understand an intricate doctrine full of double talk that changes the otherwise simple and clear meaning of hundreds of Bible verses? And not only that, but of also failing to ever come out and simply have the doctrine recorded, leaving us with an obligation to discover it between the lines! This vile attack on God’s character could only originate from one source. John 8:44 says “the devil…was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” It is the devil who authored this lie. You are the target. See John 10:10.} Reason #275) In the continued interest of providing equal time let’s address a couple of verses often quoted as “proof” that Jesus is God or that there is a Trinity. I will count as only one “reason” the fact that most of these “proofs” can easily be shown to involve faulty interpretations of the scriptures, revealing the shallow studiousness of far too many Christians. For example: John 10:30 I and my Father are one. {This is one of the most popular “proofs.” I’m sure you will agree that the word “God” does not follow the word “one,” but that is what is supposedly being implied. But it requires little skill to flip seven chapters over and read :} John 17:11… Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: {Jesus prayed that his followers would “be one” in the same fashion as he and his Father were one. The meaning is once again obvious unless you have predetermined that you will not see it. The oneness has to mean a oneness of motivation, of purpose, or frame of mind. If Jesus meant “one God” in chapter 10, verse 30, then he was praying for his followers also to be “one God” in chapter 17. This would be madness. Should chapter 17 be ignored in order to maintain your traditional beliefs?} Another favorite “proof” is part of John 14:9. John 14:9 …he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…{Reading only that part of the verse does sound as if Jesus was claiming to be God, but this is a perfect example of failure to rightly divide the word of truth as is called for in 2 Timothy 2:15. The context shows that Jesus was speaking of understanding God, not of seeing him with the two eyes. Let’s review the context. John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you. Verse 3… I will come again, and receive you unto myself… Verse 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Verse 5 Thomas saith… we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Verse 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. {Jesus’ identity again revealed as different from the Father’s.} Verse 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. {The word “known” used 3 times here is translated from the Greek word ginosko which means to perceive or gain an insight into something, not just a shallow “knowing.” I “know” my mailman in the sense that I would recognize him at the grocery store, but that’s about it. I don’t know his name, his educational background, where he grew up, what his favorite activities are, etc. etc..To know him in the sense of the word ginosko I would have to spend some quality time with him and pay attention. Then I could perceive what he is actually all about. In this verse Jesus is reproving Thomas for not having figured out what he was all about. He says that Thomas would have gained an understanding of what God is all about if he had just gained that understanding about himself. Why would Jesus make that claim? Very simply because it was totally true. According to John 4:34 and 6:38 his purpose was to always do the will of the One that sent him. Anyone watching and listening to Jesus closely would have been provided with the perfect explanation as to all that God is.} Verse 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. {Obviously Philip was asking Jesus to explain to them the Father. The Greek word deiknuo, translated as “shew” in this verse can mean to lift the finger and point at something to show, or it can mean to explain with words to show. Certainly Philip was not requesting that Jesus point at a visible “Father” hiding behind a tree or standing in a crowd. He was asking Jesus to verbally explain the Father unto them.} Verse 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?... {The word “known” is once again translated from ginosko. First it was Thomas getting reproved. Now it’s Philip’s turn. Then Jesus continues.} …he that hath seen (orao) me hath seen (orao) the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? {The Greek word orao, translated twice as “seen” can mean either to see with the two eyes or to “see” in the mind, to perceive. Therefore this statement can have ONLY ONE MEANING. With the entire context revolving around the idea of learning all about God by paying attention to Jesus, he has to be saying “…he that hath perceived me hath perceived the Father.” Do you see what I mean? When I ask “Do you see what I mean” I am using the English word “see” in the same way as this Greek word orao is often used. If you still insist that Jesus did in fact intend to communicate seeing with the eyes in verse 9 then you are claiming that Jesus is actually God the Father. Please read the verse again. It does not say “…he that hath seen me hath seen God;” it says “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Jesus would have to be his own Father! This is utter nonsense. Oh, what a web this lie started!} There are other passages that are frequently quoted to support the doctrine of the Trinity. I am not going to address any more. I wrote this paper with the desire to prod you into “searching the scriptures” as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11 to see if they were being taught accurately. If you are willing to look more closely at what the Bible says about this subject there are excellent books that will help you work through this subject without compromising on logic, math, linguistics, or common sense. Here are a few of them. Who is Jesus by Anthony Buzzard. Call Atlanta Bible College at 1-800-347-4261 They Never Told me this in Church by Greg Deuble. Call 1-800-347-4261 One God and One Lord by Graeser, Lynn, and Schoenheit. Call 1-317-255-6189 The Doctrine of The Trinity – Christianity’s Self Inflicted Wound by Buzzard and Hunting. (This is a more scholarly work.) Call 1-800-347-4261 I remind you that if you met my son and me you would probably notice some strong similarities. However, similar things are NOT identical things. Jesus is similar to God in many ways but he is also different in a number of ways. As noted above Jesus has a God. God the Father does not. Jesus is subject to God the Father. God the Father is subject to no one. God knows everything. Jesus does not. God can not be tempted. Jesus was tempted in every point. God is spirit and is invisible. Jesus is a man. God is all-powerful. Jesus could do nothing of himself. Etc., etc... I have presented 275 reasons why I believe Jesus’ nature is man and his identity includes being the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, and other things. Neither his nature nor his identity is God. The Bible contradicts the mere possibility of Jesus being God in many ways. The body of evidence is overwhelming. While I only provided a “defense” to two pieces of evidence used to support the claim that Jesus is God I have recommended several excellent books that will defend many more in a logical, straightforward fashion using no double-talk. I did not address the additional claim of the Trinity doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit being God. That was not the intent of this paper. Jesus Christ was not, is not, and never will be God. He is as the Bible portrays him. He is the man who was brought into this world with no sin, remained sinless, accepted the sins of the whole world into himself, and experienced death as the consequence of those sins. No other man will love like the Lord Jesus Christ. He deserves all of the honor that the Bible says he will one day receive. He is the one and only perfect hero in mankind’s history. He will one day be The Lord of Lords and The King of Kings. But, he is not God. To call him that is to add to the Bible. We should not take this lightly. God has often forbidden adding to His words. Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

My husband wrote this paper if anyone is interested in reading it. 275 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS A MAN (part A) Imagine this scenario. A controversial legal case goes to court. Side A spends several days presenting 275 pieces of evidence in support of their opinion. Side B takes an hour to present 10 pieces of evidence supporting their views. Soon, your TV announcer informs you that Side B has won the case. Might you not ask "Well how in the world did they explain away the 275 pieces of evidence held by Side A?" That would be a reasonable question. If you had a special interest in the case you might investigate a little deeper. My point is this: If taken to court, I believe that the evidence about Jesus Christ’s nature would overwhelmingly show him to be a man, and his identity would be clearly revealed in several ways, primarily as the Son of God and the Son of man. I further believe that any pieces of evidence indicating that he is God either in part or in whole would be few in number and could be shown to be based on flawed interpretations of the real facts. My goal is to prod you into searching the Bible for yourself. For that reason I would like to present 275 reasons why I believe that Jesus Christ is a man. I am using The King James Version of the Bible as the sole source of all evidence. Since I have so many reasons to list I will quote only portions of verses when possible. I also added in the underlining. I believe we will see two things, the nature and the identity of Jesus Christ. #1. The nature of Jesus Christ. In other words, if we ask the question “What is he?”, then the only correct answer would be “He is a man.” #2. The identity of Jesus Christ. A person’s identity can be described in various ways, either by showing familial relationships or by revealing some other aspect about that person. Suppose your friend pointed at me and said “Who is that?” You could accurately respond by saying any of the following: He is Ted, He’s the man who lives on Elmhurst Drive, He’s the window cleaner, He is the son of James, He is Ruby’s son, He’s Jean’s husband, He’s the Third Grade Spelling Bee Champ. Any or all of these responses would be truthful and accurate. Likewise, if we ask “Who is Jesus?” there are several accurate answers. Most notably the Bible’s response would be either “He is the Son of God” or “He is the Son of man.” These responses reveal family relationships. Other Biblical responses could include: He is the Christ, He is the Messiah, He is the mediator between God and men, or He is the future King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I believe that as the Bible clearly establishes a number of correct answers as to who Jesus is that it will also reveal itself to be void of information showing Jesus to be God. The “Doctrine of the Trinity” will appear nowhere, and many biblical concepts will contradict the possibility of its existence. In case you are unfamiliar with the concepts of the Trinity doctrine, here is part of how the Catholic Encyclopedia describes it: The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion-- the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." In this Trinity of Persons the Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father and the Son. Yet, notwithstanding this difference as to origin, the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent… PART ONE: WHAT IS JESUS? Reason #1) Mark 15:39 …the centurion…said, Truly this man was the Son of God. {This verse shows both what Jesus is, a man, and who he is, the Son of God, but we’ll get to that part about who he is later.} #2) John 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God. (He defines himself as a man and delineates himself from God all in one sentence.} #3) Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you…{This statement made by Peter calls Jesus a man. It also, by the laws of grammar, shows him to be separate and distinct from God. Suppose someone said “Joe Doe of Indianapolis, a man approved of the GE Corporation” no one would understand that to mean that Joe Doe is the GE Corporation. It is one entity approving of a different entity. Likewise the phrase “which the GE Corporation did by Joe Doe” indicates that Joe Doe took some kind of action as an agent for the GE Corporation. In the same manner, the “miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him” means that Jesus was acting on behalf of God, acting as an agent of God, when God did wonders and signs “by him.” This concept of agency was well understood in Bible times just as it is today.} #4) John 9:33 If this man (spoken of Jesus) were not of God, he could do nothing. #5) John 19:5 Then came Jesus… And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! #6) Romans 5:15 the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ… #7) Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; {It should be considered that even after Jesus had fulfilled his mission on Earth and was raised to heaven into God’s presence that his nature is not “God.” He sat down on the right hand of God as a man!} #8) Acts 17: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained… {Surely Jesus would be represented Biblically as “God” rather than “that man” when performing this incredible act of judgment if that was his true nature.} Reasons #9-55) In the interest of paper preservation the following are additional records of Jesus being called “the man” or “this man.” Matthew 9:3, 11:27, 13:54,56, 26:72,74, 27:47, Mark 2:7, 6:2, 14:71, Luke 7:39, 15:2, 23:4,6,14,18,41,47, John 6:52, 7:15, 27, 31, 46, 9:16, 24, 10:41, 11:37,47,50, 15:24, 18:14,17,29,31,40, 19:12, Acts 5:28, 1 Corinthians 15:47, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 3:3, 7:24, 8:3. I probably missed a few places, but certainly you will agree that with 55 declarations the Bible has adequately established that Jesus is a man. PART TWO: WHO IS JESUS? Reasons # 56-139) Jesus is called “Son of man” at least 84 times in the Bible. This Biblical response to the question “Who is Jesus?” shows his family ties through Mary. With such repetitive use we can be certain God is revealing to us this facet of Jesus’ identity. Matthew 16:13 …he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? {Jesus uses this title of himself very often.} Matthew 13:37…He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; Mark 9:12 …it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things… Mark 10:33 …the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests… John 12:23 …saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Luke 22:69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Acts 7:56…I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. John 1:51 And he saith … Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power…{The last five verses show that even when ascended into heaven next to God, or when coming in glory back to Earth the title “Son of man” still applies to Jesus. Notably missing are the titles of “God” and “God the Son!” What could be the possible reason for such absence of honor?} The other 74 occurrences of “Son of man” are in Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 10:23, 11:19, 12:8,32,40, 13:41, 16:28, 17:9,12,22, 18:11, 19:28, 20:18,28, 24:27,30,37,39,44, 25:13,31, 26:2,24,45,64, Mark 2:10,28, 8:31,38, 9:9,31, 10:45, 13:26,34, 14:21,41,62, Luke 5:24, 6:5,22, 7:34, 9:22,26,44,56,58, 11:30, 12:8,10,40, 17:22,24,26,30, 18:8,31, 19:10, 21:36, 22:22,48, 24:7, John 3:13,14, 5:27, 6:27,53,62, 8:28, 12:34, 13:31, Rev. 1:13, 14:14. Reasons #140-185) I found 46 occurrences in the Bible of Jesus being called “Son of God.” The significant number of uses of this title makes it very clear that we may also accurately respond “He is the Son of God” if queried as to his identity. Matthew 4:3…when the tempter (the devil)…said, If thou be the Son of God… {The devil knew who he was dealing with.} Matthew 14:33…they (Jesus' disciples) that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. {Surely the disciples knew his identity.} Matthew 26:63 the high priest answered…tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. {The controversial question for which the high priest demanded an answer was about Jesus’ identity. At question: Was he the Christ, the Son of God, not was he God the Son?} Matthew 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. {Wouldn’t these accusers have known if Jesus had actually been walking about claiming to be God?} Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; {Mark’s gospel begins by defining the subject. Shouldn’t he recognize Christ’s position as God at this point, if it were true?} Luke 1:35 And the angel …said…that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. {Was this angel derelict in his duties for not revealing that this Son of God was also God the Son, one third of the Trinity? Or, was he just incapable of expressing himself accurately? Or, did he say exactly what he meant? What do you think?} Luke 4:41 And devils also came out of many… saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God… for they knew that he was Christ. {Even the devils knew who he was.} John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. {This was John the Baptist speaking. Certainly the original Baptist could accurately define the identity of Jesus Christ!} John 5:25 …the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and…shall live. {In the future when Jesus brings people back to life he still will not be assigned the title of “God the Son.”} John 9:35 Jesus…said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? {Many scholars tell us that the Trinity is the cornerstone of all Christianity. Why would Jesus have quizzed this man on a lesser issue? As a matter of fact, why is it that Jesus never quizzed anyone on that “most important” of all issues? Was Jesus ignorant of the foundation of Christianity?} John 10:36…I said, I am the Son of God? {I challenge you to find any record in the Bible where Jesus says “I am God,” “I am God the Son,” or “I am the second part of the Trinity.”} John 19:7 The Jews answered…he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. I have been told I am not a Christian because I do not believe that Jesus is God the Son. If it is true, then those of you who truly understand how this grand truth about Jesus is taught throughout the Bible without ever once being specifically mentioned have an obligation to explain that to me with comprehensible words. Telling me that you just know it’s true and that you believe it with your every fiber isn’t going to cut it. Believe it or not, your fibers do not have the authority to declare what is truth any more than my fibers do. I would remind you of Proverbs 28:26: “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool…” I will never ask you to trust in my heart, or my fibers. I realized long ago they are no more reliable than yours. Acts 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. {This was the first recorded preaching by Saul (later called Paul.) Why did he not start with the “cornerstone of Christianity” in his preaching? Was he simply uninformed? If he was uninformed then he must have remained in that state of ignorant bliss because in the letters to the churches which he wrote many years later he retained a perfect track record of failure to mention the Trinity and Jesus’ status as God the Son.} Hebrews 4:14 … a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God ...{Even in this lofty position the Bible retains the same title used of him while on Earth.} 1 John 3:8 …the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. {If God Almighty destroyed the works of the devil, then he should be given the credit here. So called “Bible believing Christians” need to get a dab of honesty and just call themselves “Christians” if they’re going to keep insisting that “God” came to destroy the devil’s works.} 1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him... {Exactly who do you confess that Jesus is? Do you think this doesn’t matter?} 1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? {Exactly who do you believe that Jesus is? Is this also unimportant?} The rest of the 46 occurrences can be found in Matthew 4:6, 8:29, 27:40,54, Mark 3:11, 15:39, Luke 4:3.9, 8:28, 22:70, John 1:49, 3:18, 11:4,27, Acts 8:37, 2 Corinthians 1:19, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:13, Hebrews 6:6, 1 John 5:10,12,13,20, Revelation 2:18. Reasons #186-233) Then we have at least another 48 places where Jesus is referred to as his Son, my Beloved Son, the Son of the Highest, Son of the living God, or some similar term indicating his relationship to his Father, God. So we can confidently use this terminology to describe who Jesus is. Here are a dozen of those uses. Matthew 3:17…a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. {As Jesus was baptized, the voice publicly declared his identity. The voice was “well-pleased,” implying that Jesus must have possessed the freedom of will to have made choices that would not have been well-pleasing, the kind of poor choices that men often make, but never God. Does God have the option of sinning?} Matthew 16:15-16…Peter answered…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. {This blatantly contrasts God and His Son.} John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; {Now why would the Father give life to the Son if the Son had been existing with him from the very beginning? The answer is obvious unless you desire not to see it.} John 17:1 These words spake Jesus…Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: {Isn’t it obvious that we are talking about two distinct entities here? One is the Father and the other is the Son. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we endeavor to deceive. Those who brought the three-in-one gods idea from pagan religions into Christianity started a fantastic web of deceit that rivals all others.} Romans 5:10…we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son… {By the way, how can “co-eternal” God die? 1 Timothy 1:17 and Romans 1:23 teach that God is uncorruptible and immortal. How can Jesus have died if he was immortal? Are you absolutely certain it’s okay to ignore these inconsistencies?} Romans 8:3…God sending his own Son …{In what realm of language can someone’s son also be the someone? Answer: Only in a realm attacked viciously by the devil to confuse people into swallowing senseless gobbledy-gook. Note that it was not “the first member of the Godhead sending the second member of the Godhead.” A portion of God did not send a different portion of God. ALL that God is sent His Son. You need not make this difficult.} 1 Thessalonians 1:10…wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead… 1 John 2:22…He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. {Strong language! Why is there no warning about denying the Trinity?} 1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ… {The Bible never commands us to believe in that other “cornerstone of Christianity;” the one often expressed as being a marvelous mystery that we are to accept by faith even though we will never be able to fully understand it.} 1 John 5:11…God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. {Wouldn’t it be quite odd if we were to read in this verse “…and this life is in the co-equal eternally begotten second part of the blessed Triune Godhead?” You really need to believe that it is not God who is trying to muddle your brain. It is the devil.} 2 John 1:3…Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father…{Another verse like so many others that shows that God and Christ’s identities are not intermingled. You can find the rest of these uses in Matthew 2:15, 17:5, Mark 1:11, 5:7, 9:7, 13:32, Luke 1:32, 3:22, 9:35, 10:22, John 3:16-18, 6:40, 8:36, 14:13, Acts 3:13, Romans 1:9, 8:29,32, 1 John 5:9.} I realize that you are probably accusing me of having gone through the New Testament finding only those scriptures that referred to Jesus as a man, the Son of man, Son of God, his Son, etc. I confess that that is what I have done, so to re-establish credibility I will now also list every verse which mentions Jesus as “God the Son” or mentions him in any way as being a part of the Trinity. #1…. And that concludes the listing of verses mentioning Jesus as “God the Son” or as part of the Trinity. Yes, that’s right, your spiritual leader has been derelict in his duties if he instructed you that the Bible speaks of “God the Son” or the “Trinity.” If you find those words anywhere in your copy of the Bible you have a version that has intentionally been altered to promote those doctrines. These expressions never appeared in the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts that were translated into English. The word “trinity,” meaning tri-unity, or three things being one is 100% non-biblical, as well as is the phrase “God the Son.” There is nothing to study from the Bible about “the Trinity” or “God the Son.” It’s very easy to say, “It’s there, everywhere, all through the scriptures, can’t you see it?” The real question is “Why are so many Christians ‘seeing’ a topic that is never mentioned?” PART THREE: SOME OTHER GOOD REASONS Here are some more good reasons to believe that Jesus’ nature is man, and that his identity can be summed up as the Son of man and the Son of God. #234) 1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. {To be “subject unto” means to be subordinated unto or submitted unto. If the Son is God then he shouldn’t be subject to anyone. Obviously we must apply a little spin to this verse, for it simply can’t mean what it clearly says.} #235) 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; {As I said, it is a tangled web of deceit that the devil has woven for nearly two millennia to try to conceal the simple truth about Jesus. There is only ONE God, and Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between that God and men. Jesus is defined here in the Bible as what; a God, a third of a God, the second person of the Triune Godhead, a God-man, a part of the Blessed Trinity? Absolutely not. It says “the man Christ Jesus.” And again, this is the present tense. This is his position today, not prior to his crucifixion and resurrection. Today, seated at the right hand of God, in heaven, he serves as the only mediator between God and men. If it says he is the man Christ Jesus, why are so many insisting that he is God?} I will answer that question. It is because most men follow the crowd. They watch where others are going and they go the same way. Explain to me 1940s Germany otherwise. Did each of the millions of loyal Germans independently arrive at the concept of a need for world domination on their own, or were they persuaded by what they observed and heard from their neighbors, fellow workers, and relatives? You know the answer. You know that peer pressure alone brought the great majority of them into an acceptance of Hitler’s goals. The same is true of the millions of Christians in the world today who profess a belief in the Trinity. As mentioned above, the word trinity does not even exist in the Bible. Likewise, there is not one Bible passage that defines such a concept while omitting the word. No human can claim to have learned of these things through Biblical study. These are lies that have been passed down from one generation to the next, unquestioned by most. Yes, I know I am being very blunt. I am accusing you of having been taught by man rather than God if you are a believer in the Trinity. You never learned that information from the Bible. You have been taught to find verses that do not specifically dispute the Trinity and to profess that they are therefore teaching the Trinity, while overlooking dozens and dozens of scriptures that do specifically contradict the possibility of a Trinity. In common terms, you have been duped. #236) James 1:13…God cannot be tempted with evil…: #237) Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest (referring to Jesus) which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.{The second verse says that Jesus, the high priest, was tempted in all points, but the first verse says God cannot be tempted. Surely you recall Jesus’ temptations in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. The web of deceit has to keep growing. You may have heard the explanation “Oh, well, you see, it was Christ’s human side that was tempted, not his God side.” What? Check your Bible. The term “God side” is not there. “Oh, but that’s okay, that’s just how we express what we all know to be true, that Jesus is fully God and fully man. That’s taught throughout the scriptures. Why, it’s the foundation of all Christianity!...” This non-biblical “truth” is used to relentlessly assault the simplicity of the Bible.} #238) John 14: 28…If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. {If I said “the Father (referring to God) is greater than I” everyone would agree the meaning is simple, but if Jesus says it then simplicity goes out the door. Now it’s time to bring in the spin artists. It’s time for double talk; any illogical argument will suffice to prove that the Bible does not mean what the words would normally communicate. Millions, if not billions, of people have been discouraged from searching the Bible by these tactics of the devil to discredit its accuracy and precision. Oh, yes, I am saying that the devil is the originator of this lie about Jesus’ identity, and it is the devil’s influence that steers people into ignoring the words given by God in favor of those of men.} #239) Matthew 28:18 And Jesus…spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. {Who gave him the power? “God the Father” you say? But Jesus is supposedly co-eternal and omnipotent. He would have always had all power.} #240) 1 Corinthians 11:3 …the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. {This verse plainly shows Christ’s subordination to God, as well as their distinct identities. But again, we are Christians. We can ignore the plain meaning of words.} #241) John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. {Jesus shows that his relationship to God and the Father is the same relationship that the brethren have. Oh, not to worry, we can write this verse off with 50-50 reasoning. This was the “man side” talking. Voila, problem solved.} #242) John 5:30 I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. {Did Jesus actually have his own will? Wouldn’t his will have been identical to the Father’s will since they both are God?} #243) Mark 14:35-36 And he…prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. {A casual reading indicates that Jesus and the Father did have separate wills. Not surprisingly Jesus’ will was not to endure the coming crucifixion and other ordeals. But, his final decision was to do things God’s way. The explanation: “Well, you see, that was the human part of Jesus. You’ve got to understand, he was 50% human and 50% God.” But I never read that in the Bible. “Oh, well, you see, we all know that Jesus was...”} #244) Ephesians 1:17-20…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, {God raised Christ from the dead and took him to heavenly places. One was dead. The other restored the dead one to life. God did not die. It was Christ. “Oh, well you see, it was God the Son that died. God the Father brought him back to life.” But the words God the Son aren’t in the Bible anywhere! “Well, you see, that’s taught throughout the Bible. Those exact words may not be there, but it’s obvious. We all know...”} Why must we rely so much on words that aren’t in the Bible and reject the plain meaning of so many that are? In the words of Susan Pouter “Stop the insanity!” #245) Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. {Only the Father knows the exact date when this age will come to an end. 1 John 3:20 declares that God “knoweth all things.” If Jesus is “fully God” why doesn’t he know everything? There is a simple explanation. The other explanation is “Well, you see, Jesus’ God side was being silent at this point. This was the man side of Jesus speaking and of course the man side wouldn’t know that information.”} #246) Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent…{Yet Jesus is classified many times as a man and as the Son of man. “Oh, well, you see, this verse is talking about God the Father, not God the Son. The Son could be a man. We all know…” Yeah, we all know that when we see God face to face He will understand that it was perfectly acceptable of us to totally disregard what He had said because of what “we all knew.” Perhaps we’ll be big enough to sit down and explain to God how He should have worded these things differently.} The totally unsubstantiated claim of there being a God the Son who is fully human and fully God (or half and half) is used over and over again to prove its own existence! This is called circular reasoning, but that doesn’t matter if sticking to your church’s teachings is more important than learning the truth. #247-256) Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD…beside me there is no God. Isaiah 44: 8…Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved… for I am God, and there is none else. Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?... Mark 12:32-34 And the scribe said…for there is one God; and there is none other but he… And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: Romans 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify… Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all… 1 Timothy 2:5…there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well… {I don’t know how many times the Bible repeats the theme that there is only one God, but it is a large number. I only selected ten. The singularity of God is simply cast aside in the Trinity by a declaration that three things are actually one. There, that was simple. It does not matter that there is no scripture informing us that three can equal one, no scripture informing us that God exists in three different forms, no scripture informing us that we can bypass first grade math when we read the Bible. The verse from 1 Timothy bluntly excludes the possibility of Jesus Christ being within a “three part” God. All of that can be overlooked. Just apply a little Trinitarian mumbo-jumbo, or simply go with “Well, we all know…”} #257) 1 Corinthians 8:6..to us there is but one God, the Father,… and one Lord Jesus Christ…{This verse also shows us there is only one God, and look how it specifically identifies “the Father” as being that God. The Son is not included, in fact, he is specifically excluded. This is no isolated peculiar verse. This is the norm.} #258) John 8:17-18 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. {Jesus did not ignore first grade math. When counting himself and the Father Jesus came to a total of two. Here is the formula: 1+1=2. Many kindergarten children can calculate this. But on Sunday mornings the Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and many others wave the magic wand and the rules of math and grammar vanish as they enter the fantasy world invented by Satan, the great deceiver. The end result – exactly as Satan had hoped, the Bible’s authority is reduced to that of a stack of Hallmark cards full of flowery niceties.} #259-261) John 17:3…that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 2 John 3…from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father… 2 John 2:9… that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. {I hated grammar when I was in the fourth grade but I do recall that when the word “and” is used it connects two things together. These verses, like many others, bring that same first grade math problem to the forefront. Jesus is mentioned many times using the word “and” to connect him to “the Father” or to “God.” Grammatically then they are different “things.” However, once you have read some Trinitarian writings you will realize that Christian realities need not be restricted by linguistic or mathematical laws. Christians can speak utter gibberish and declare it to be rock solid holy doctrine direct from the lips of God.} #262) Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God…and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God…{This is Jesus speaking. Again, even when these future events occur Jesus will still be referring to the One to Whom he is subjected as “my God.” The Son of God has a God. God the Father does not. Why is that?} #263) Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… {Repeatedly the Bible establishes that “the Father” of Jesus and his “God” are the same entity. Jesus as “God the Son” should not have a God. He himself would be that God just as much as God the Father would be that God. We just don’t need this confusion ADDED to the Bible.} #264) Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit… {Why would God commend (to place, set, or entrust) His spirit with anybody else? Oh, never mind. I forgot, this was the human half of the God-man talking. By the way, when does his God half talk? And why didn’t he ever mention his split nature? It must be because he knew how plainly it would later be revealed between the lines in our Bibles. There seems to be so much written between the lines that nullifies that which is on the lines. Isn’t that so helpful for us when it’s time to justify our doctrines?} #265) I have heard it stated that there is no way a man could do what needed to be done to redeem mankind; it had to be God. The Bible flatly disagrees with this premise. Romans 5:12-19 …by one man sin entered into the world…through the offence of one many be dead…the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many…by one man's offence death reigned by one…For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. {This passage emphasizes that one man (Adam) brought sin and death into the world, making many men sinners. Likewise, by one MAN the solution was provided. To declare that only God could come and fix the problems of the world is to declare that the Bible is wrong. One man made the mess. Another man cleaned it up.} #266) 1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. {The context reveals that the “first man” is Adam and the “second man” is Jesus. The first man held the power to wreak havoc on the universe by disobedience to God. The second man held the power to restore it all by obedience to God. God’s logic and sense of justice is perfect.} #267) Colossians 1:13-15…his dear Son…Who is the image of the invisible God… #268) 2 Corinthians 4:4… Christ, who is the image of God…{Jesus Christ is the image of God. The image of a couch is NOT the couch. It is a drawing, painting, photograph, or some other type of representation that reveals at least in part characteristics of the couch. Folks, if we don’t allow the words of the Bible to mean what they say then we have nothing when we hold a Bible in our hands. Christ is not God. He is the IMAGE of God. If you saw my son you might say he is the image of me since there is a strong family resemblance, but if you insist that he is me they will eventually haul you away to the funny farm.} #269) John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. {Colossians 1:15 (see reason #267) said that God is invisible, and this verse says he is a Spirit. Do you really see no discrepancy between these descriptions of God and how Jesus is described in the Bible? If you honestly don’t see any discrepancy then you have read way too far into this paper. You are wasting your time.} #270) John 5:43-45 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not… How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father...{How utterly nonsensical the Bible becomes if we insist on inserting the Trinity doctrine into it! In its absence the passage makes perfect sense. With the doctrine thrown in we have to revise everything that Jesus said here. Now we have something like: “I, God the Son, am come in the name of God the Father, and ye receive me not…How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from all three essences of God contained in the Triune Godhead only? Do no think that I, the second part of the Godhead, will accuse you to the first part of the Godhead…” This revision work has to be performed countless hundreds of times.} #271) Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. {Jesus clearly establishes that there is a father-son relationship between him and God. This type of relationship is very easily grasped by the human mind. Is God telling us that this relationship is very simple, yet privately wondering if we are going to be smart enough to figure out that in truth it is really quite complicated?} #272) John 5:19 Then answered Jesus...The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do…these also doeth the Son likewise. {Trinitarian explanations declare that Jesus is omnipotent (all powerful) like God the Father. If you reject that this statement classifies Jesus as something far less than omnipotent then you simply reject language.} #273) In the Bible there are about 20,000 singular pronouns used in referencing God. I’ll only count this as one reason, instead of 20,000. Wouldn’t a loving God go ahead and clearly communicate to us that there are actually three forms of Him instead of consistently sticking with this “solo” representation of Himself? #274) The word “God” appears in the Bible over 3,800 times. I won’t list them all. Even though the singularity of God is not specifically spelled out in most of them, the fact that NOT ONE of them ever mentions God consisting of three parts, three essences, three forms, or three persons is strong evidence that there was no intention by the author (God) for the readers (humans) to infer that concept. PART FOUR: EQUAL TIME In the interest of “equal time” I will include a fuller explanation of the Trinity from The Catholic Encyclopedia. The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion-- the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." In this Trinity of Persons the Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father and the Son. Yet, notwithstanding this difference as to origin, the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent. This, the Church teaches, is the revelation regarding God’s nature which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came upon earth to deliver to the world: and which she proposes to man as the foundation of her whole dogmatic system. In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word trias (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180. He speaks of "the Trinity of God [the Father], His Word and His Wisdom… Did that clear things up? Here are some terms they used that are not in the Bible, nor are they in our common vernacular, nor do they have any intelligible meaning: 1) Trinity. 2) unity of the Godhead. 3) eternal generation. 4) eternal procession. 5) co-eternal. 6) Three Divine Persons. The second paragraph proclaims that in scripture “there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together.” Does that mean that one day we might open our Bibles and the word denoting the Trinity will be there? What kind of evil have Christians accused God of having done; of having expected us all to understand an intricate doctrine full of double talk that changes the otherwise simple and clear meaning of hundreds of Bible verses? And not only that, but of also failing to ever come out and simply have the doctrine recorded, leaving us with an obligation to discover it between the lines! This vile attack on God’s character could only originate from one source. John 8:44 says “the devil…was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” It is the devil who authored this lie. You are the target. See John 10:10.} Reason #275) In the continued interest of providing equal time let’s address a couple of verses often quoted as “proof” that Jesus is God or that there is a Trinity. I will count as only one “reason” the fact that most of these “proofs” can easily be shown to involve faulty interpretations of the scriptures, revealing the shallow studiousness of far too many Christians. For example: John 10:30 I and my Father are one. {This is one of the most popular “proofs.” I’m sure you will agree that the word “God” does not follow the word “one,” but that is what is supposedly being implied. But it requires little skill to flip seven chapters over and read :} John 17:11… Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: {Jesus prayed that his followers would “be one” in the same fashion as he and his Father were one. The meaning is once again obvious unless you have predetermined that you will not see it. The oneness has to mean a oneness of motivation, of purpose, or frame of mind. If Jesus meant “one God” in chapter 10, verse 30, then he was praying for his followers also to be “one God” in chapter 17. This would be madness. Should chapter 17 be ignored in order to maintain your traditional beliefs?} Another favorite “proof” is part of John 14:9. John 14:9 …he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…{Reading only that part of the verse does sound as if Jesus was claiming to be God, but this is a perfect example of failure to rightly divide the word of truth as is called for in 2 Timothy 2:15. The context shows that Jesus was speaking of understanding God, not of seeing him with the two eyes. Let’s review the context. John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you. Verse 3… I will come again, and receive you unto myself… Verse 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Verse 5 Thomas saith… we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Verse 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. {Jesus’ identity again revealed as different from the Father’s.} Verse 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. {The word “known” used 3 times here is translated from the Greek word ginosko which means to perceive or gain an insight into something, not just a shallow “knowing.” I “know” my mailman in the sense that I would recognize him at the grocery store, but that’s about it. I don’t know his name, his educational background, where he grew up, what his favorite activities are, etc. etc..To know him in the sense of the word ginosko I would have to spend some quality time with him and pay attention. Then I could perceive what he is actually all about. In this verse Jesus is reproving Thomas for not having figured out what he was all about. He says that Thomas would have gained an understanding of what God is all about if he had just gained that understanding about himself. Why would Jesus make that claim? Very simply because it was totally true. According to John 4:34 and 6:38 his purpose was to always do the will of the One that sent him. Anyone watching and listening to Jesus closely would have been provided with the perfect explanation as to all that God is.} Verse 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. {Obviously Philip was asking Jesus to explain to them the Father. The Greek word deiknuo, translated as “shew” in this verse can mean to lift the finger and point at something to show, or it can mean to explain with words to show. Certainly Philip was not requesting that Jesus point at a visible “Father” hiding behind a tree or standing in a crowd. He was asking Jesus to verbally explain the Father unto them.} Verse 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?... {The word “known” is once again translated from ginosko. First it was Thomas getting reproved. Now it’s Philip’s turn. Then Jesus continues.} …he that hath seen (orao) me hath seen (orao) the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? {The Greek word orao, translated twice as “seen” can mean either to see with the two eyes or to “see” in the mind, to perceive. Therefore this statement can have ONLY ONE MEANING. With the entire context revolving around the idea of learning all about God by paying attention to Jesus, he has to be saying “…he that hath perceived me hath perceived the Father.” Do you see what I mean? When I ask “Do you see what I mean” I am using the English word “see” in the same way as this Greek word orao is often used. If you still insist that Jesus did in fact intend to communicate seeing with the eyes in verse 9 then you are claiming that Jesus is actually God the Father. Please read the verse again. It does not say “…he that hath seen me hath seen God;” it says “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Jesus would have to be his own Father! This is utter nonsense. Oh, what a web this lie started!} There are other passages that are frequently quoted to support the doctrine of the Trinity. I am not going to address any more. I wrote this paper with the desire to prod you into “searching the scriptures” as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11 to see if they were being taught accurately. If you are willing to look more closely at what the Bible says about this subject there are excellent books that will help you work through this subject without compromising on logic, math, linguistics, or common sense. Here are a few of them. Who is Jesus by Anthony Buzzard. Call Atlanta Bible College at 1-800-347-4261 They Never Told me this in Church by Greg Deuble. Call 1-800-347-4261 One God and One Lord by Graeser, Lynn, and Schoenheit. Call 1-317-255-6189 The Doctrine of The Trinity – Christianity’s Self Inflicted Wound by Buzzard and Hunting. (This is a more scholarly work.) Call 1-800-347-4261 I remind you that if you met my son and me you would probably notice some strong similarities. However, similar things are NOT identical things. Jesus is similar to God in many ways but he is also different in a number of ways. As noted above Jesus has a God. God the Father does not. Jesus is subject to God the Father. God the Father is subject to no one. God knows everything. Jesus does not. God can not be tempted. Jesus was tempted in every point. God is spirit and is invisible. Jesus is a man. God is all-powerful. Jesus could do nothing of himself. Etc., etc... I have presented 275 reasons why I believe Jesus’ nature is man and his identity includes being the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, and other things. Neither his nature nor his identity is God. The Bible contradicts the mere possibility of Jesus being God in many ways. The body of evidence is overwhelming. While I only provided a “defense” to two pieces of evidence used to support the claim that Jesus is God I have recommended several excellent books that will defend many more in a logical, straightforward fashion using no double-talk. I did not address the additional claim of the Trinity doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit being God. That was not the intent of this paper. Jesus Christ was not, is not, and never will be God. He is as the Bible portrays him. He is the man who was brought into this world with no sin, remained sinless, accepted the sins of the whole world into himself, and experienced death as the consequence of those sins. No other man will love like the Lord Jesus Christ. He deserves all of the honor that the Bible says he will one day receive. He is the one and only perfect hero in mankind’s history. He will one day be The Lord of Lords and The King of Kings. But, he is not God. To call him that is to add to the Bible. We should not take this lightly. God has often forbidden adding to His words. Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. 275 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS A MAN Imagine this scenario. A controversial legal case goes to court. Side A spends several days presenting 275 pieces of evidence in support of their opinion. Side B takes an hour to present 10 pieces of evidence supporting their views. Soon, your TV announcer informs you that Side B has won the case. Might you not ask "Well how in the world did they explain away the 275 pieces of evidence held by Side A?" That would be a reasonable question. If you had a special interest in the case you might investigate a little deeper. My point is this: If taken to court, I believe that the evidence about Jesus Christ’s nature would overwhelmingly show him to be a man, and his identity would be clearly revealed in several ways, primarily as the Son of God and the Son of man. I further believe that any pieces of evidence indicating that he is God either in part or in whole would be few in number and could be shown to be based on flawed interpretations of the real facts. My goal is to prod you into searching the Bible for yourself. For that reason I would like to present 275 reasons why I believe that Jesus Christ is a man. I am using The King James Version of the Bible as the sole source of all evidence. Since I have so many reasons to list I will quote only portions of verses when possible. I also added in the underlining. I believe we will see two things, the nature and the identity of Jesus Christ. #1. The nature of Jesus Christ. In other words, if we ask the question “What is he?”, then the only correct answer would be “He is a man.” #2. The identity of Jesus Christ. A person’s identity can be described in various ways, either by showing familial relationships or by revealing some other aspect about that person. Suppose your friend pointed at me and said “Who is that?” You could accurately respond by saying any of the following: He is Ted, He’s the man who lives on Elmhurst Drive, He’s the window cleaner, He is the son of James, He is Ruby’s son, He’s Jean’s husband, He’s the Third Grade Spelling Bee Champ. Any or all of these responses would be truthful and accurate. Likewise, if we ask “Who is Jesus?” there are several accurate answers. Most notably the Bible’s response would be either “He is the Son of God” or “He is the Son of man.” These responses reveal family relationships. Other Biblical responses could include: He is the Christ, He is the Messiah, He is the mediator between God and men, or He is the future King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I believe that as the Bible clearly establishes a number of correct answers as to who Jesus is that it will also reveal itself to be void of information showing Jesus to be God. The “Doctrine of the Trinity” will appear nowhere, and many biblical concepts will contradict the possibility of its existence. In case you are unfamiliar with the concepts of the Trinity doctrine, here is part of how the Catholic Encyclopedia describes it: The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion-- the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." In this Trinity of Persons the Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father and the Son. Yet, notwithstanding this difference as to origin, the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent… PART ONE: WHAT IS JESUS? Reason #1) Mark 15:39 …the centurion…said, Truly this man was the Son of God. {This verse shows both what Jesus is, a man, and who he is, the Son of God, but we’ll get to that part about who he is later.} #2) John 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God. (He defines himself as a man and delineates himself from God all in one sentence.} #3) Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you…{This statement made by Peter calls Jesus a man. It also, by the laws of grammar, shows him to be separate and distinct from God. Suppose someone said “Joe Doe of Indianapolis, a man approved of the GE Corporation” no one would understand that to mean that Joe Doe is the GE Corporation. It is one entity approving of a different entity. Likewise the phrase “which the GE Corporation did by Joe Doe” indicates that Joe Doe took some kind of action as an agent for the GE Corporation. In the same manner, the “miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him” means that Jesus was acting on behalf of God, acting as an agent of God, when God did wonders and signs “by him.” This concept of agency was well understood in Bible times just as it is today.} #4) John 9:33 If this man (spoken of Jesus) were not of God, he could do nothing. #5) John 19:5 Then came Jesus… And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! #6) Romans 5:15 the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ… #7) Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; {It should be considered that even after Jesus had fulfilled his mission on Earth and was raised to heaven into God’s presence that his nature is not “God.” He sat down on the right hand of God as a man!} #8) Acts 17: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained… {Surely Jesus would be represented Biblically as “God” rather than “that man” when performing this incredible act of judgment if that was his true nature.} Reasons #9-55) In the interest of paper preservation the following are additional records of Jesus being called “the man” or “this man.” Matthew 9:3, 11:27, 13:54,56, 26:72,74, 27:47, Mark 2:7, 6:2, 14:71, Luke 7:39, 15:2, 23:4,6,14,18,41,47, John 6:52, 7:15, 27, 31, 46, 9:16, 24, 10:41, 11:37,47,50, 15:24, 18:14,17,29,31,40, 19:12, Acts 5:28, 1 Corinthians 15:47, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 3:3, 7:24, 8:3. I probably missed a few places, but certainly you will agree that with 55 declarations the Bible has adequately established that Jesus is a man. PART TWO: WHO IS JESUS? Reasons # 56-139) Jesus is called “Son of man” at least 84 times in the Bible. This Biblical response to the question “Who is Jesus?” shows his family ties through Mary. With such repetitive use we can be certain God is revealing to us this facet of Jesus’ identity. Matthew 16:13 …he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? {Jesus uses this title of himself very often.} Matthew 13:37…He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; Mark 9:12 …it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things… Mark 10:33 …the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests… John 12:23 …saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Luke 22:69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Acts 7:56…I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. John 1:51 And he saith … Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power…{The last five verses show that even when ascended into heaven next to God, or when coming in glory back to Earth the title “Son of man” still applies to Jesus. Notably missing are the titles of “God” and “God the Son!” What could be the possible reason for such absence of honor?} The other 74 occurrences of “Son of man” are in Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 10:23, 11:19, 12:8,32,40, 13:41, 16:28, 17:9,12,22, 18:11, 19:28, 20:18,28, 24:27,30,37,39,44, 25:13,31, 26:2,24,45,64, Mark 2:10,28, 8:31,38, 9:9,31, 10:45, 13:26,34, 14:21,41,62, Luke 5:24, 6:5,22, 7:34, 9:22,26,44,56,58, 11:30, 12:8,10,40, 17:22,24,26,30, 18:8,31, 19:10, 21:36, 22:22,48, 24:7, John 3:13,14, 5:27, 6:27,53,62, 8:28, 12:34, 13:31, Rev. 1:13, 14:14. Reasons #140-185) I found 46 occurrences in the Bible of Jesus being called “Son of God.” The significant number of uses of this title makes it very clear that we may also accurately respond “He is the Son of God” if queried as to his identity. Matthew 4:3…when the tempter (the devil)…said, If thou be the Son of God… {The devil knew who he was dealing with.} Matthew 14:33…they (Jesus' disciples) that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. {Surely the disciples knew his identity.} Matthew 26:63 the high priest answered…tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. {The controversial question for which the high priest demanded an answer was about Jesus’ identity. At question: Was he the Christ, the Son of God, not was he God the Son?} Matthew 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. {Wouldn’t these accusers have known if Jesus had actually been walking about claiming to be God?} Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; {Mark’s gospel begins by defining the subject. Shouldn’t he recognize Christ’s position as God at this point, if it were true?} Luke 1:35 And the angel …said…that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. {Was this angel derelict in his duties for not revealing that this Son of God was also God the Son, one third of the Trinity? Or, was he just incapable of expressing himself accurately? Or, did he say exactly what he meant? What do you think?} Luke 4:41 And devils also came out of many… saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God… for they knew that he was Christ. {Even the devils knew who he was.} John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. {This was John the Baptist speaking. Certainly the original Baptist could accurately define the identity of Jesus Christ!} John 5:25 …the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and…shall live. {In the future when Jesus brings people back to life he still will not be assigned the title of “God the Son.”} John 9:35 Jesus…said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? {Many scholars tell us that the Trinity is the cornerstone of all Christianity. Why would Jesus have quizzed this man on a lesser issue? As a matter of fact, why is it that Jesus never quizzed anyone on that “most important” of all issues? Was Jesus ignorant of the foundation of Christianity?} John 10:36…I said, I am the Son of God? {I challenge you to find any record in the Bible where Jesus says “I am God,” “I am God the Son,” or “I am the second part of the Trinity.”} John 19:7 The Jews answered…he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. I have been told I am not a Christian because I do not believe that Jesus is God the Son. If it is true, then those of you who truly understand how this grand truth about Jesus is taught throughout the Bible without ever once being specifically mentioned have an obligation to explain that to me with comprehensible words. Telling me that you just know it’s true and that you believe it with your every fiber isn’t going to cut it. Believe it or not, your fibers do not have the authority to declare what is truth any more than my fibers do. I would remind you of Proverbs 28:26: “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool…” I will never ask you to trust in my heart, or my fibers. I realized long ago they are no more reliable than yours. Acts 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. {This was the first recorded preaching by Saul (later called Paul.) Why did he not start with the “cornerstone of Christianity” in his preaching? Was he simply uninformed? If he was uninformed then he must have remained in that state of ignorant bliss because in the letters to the churches which he wrote many years later he retained a perfect track record of failure to mention the Trinity and Jesus’ status as God the Son.} Hebrews 4:14 … a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God ...{Even in this lofty position the Bible retains the same title used of him while on Earth.} 1 John 3:8 …the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. {If God Almighty destroyed the works of the devil, then he should be given the credit here. So called “Bible believing Christians” need to get a dab of honesty and just call themselves “Christians” if they’re going to keep insisting that “God” came to destroy the devil’s works.} 1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him... {Exactly who do you confess that Jesus is? Do you think this doesn’t matter?} 1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? {Exactly who do you believe that Jesus is? Is this also unimportant?} The rest of the 46 occurrences can be found in Matthew 4:6, 8:29, 27:40,54, Mark 3:11, 15:39, Luke 4:3.9, 8:28, 22:70, John 1:49, 3:18, 11:4,27, Acts 8:37, 2 Corinthians 1:19, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:13, Hebrews 6:6, 1 John 5:10,12,13,20, Revelation 2:18. Reasons #186-233) Then we have at least another 48 places where Jesus is referred to as his Son, my Beloved Son, the Son of the Highest, Son of the living God, or some similar term indicating his relationship to his Father, God. So we can confidently use this terminology to describe who Jesus is. Here are a dozen of those uses. Matthew 3:17…a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. {As Jesus was baptized, the voice publicly declared his identity. The voice was “well-pleased,” implying that Jesus must have possessed the freedom of will to have made choices that would not have been well-pleasing, the kind of poor choices that men often make, but never God. Does God have the option of sinning?} Matthew 16:15-16…Peter answered…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. {This blatantly contrasts God and His Son.} John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; {Now why would the Father give life to the Son if the Son had been existing with him from the very beginning? The answer is obvious unless you desire not to see it.} John 17:1 These words spake Jesus…Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: {Isn’t it obvious that we are talking about two distinct entities here? One is the Father and the other is the Son. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we endeavor to deceive. Those who brought the three-in-one gods idea from pagan religions into Christianity started a fantastic web of deceit that rivals all others.} Romans 5:10…we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son… {By the way, how can “co-eternal” God die? 1 Timothy 1:17 and Romans 1:23 teach that God is uncorruptible and immortal. How can Jesus have died if he was immortal? Are you absolutely certain it’s okay to ignore these inconsistencies?} Romans 8:3…God sending his own Son …{In what realm of language can someone’s son also be the someone? Answer: Only in a realm attacked viciously by the devil to confuse people into swallowing senseless gobbledy-gook. Note that it was not “the first member of the Godhead sending the second member of the Godhead.” A portion of God did not send a different portion of God. ALL that God is sent His Son. You need not make this difficult.} 1 Thessalonians 1:10…wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead… 1 John 2:22…He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. {Strong language! Why is there no warning about denying the Trinity?} 1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ… {The Bible never commands us to believe in that other “cornerstone of Christianity;” the one often expressed as being a marvelous mystery that we are to accept by faith even though we will never be able to fully understand it.} 1 John 5:11…God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. {Wouldn’t it be quite odd if we were to read in this verse “…and this life is in the co-equal eternally begotten second part of the blessed Triune Godhead?” You really need to believe that it is not God who is trying to muddle your brain. It is the devil.} 2 John 1:3…Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father…{Another verse like so many others that shows that God and Christ’s identities are not intermingled. You can find the rest of these uses in Matthew 2:15, 17:5, Mark 1:11, 5:7, 9:7, 13:32, Luke 1:32, 3:22, 9:35, 10:22, John 3:16-18, 6:40, 8:36, 14:13, Acts 3:13, Romans 1:9, 8:29,32, 1 John 5:9.} I realize that you are probably accusing me of having gone through the New Testament finding only those scriptures that referred to Jesus as a man, the Son of man, Son of God, his Son, etc. I confess that that is what I have done, so to re-establish credibility I will now also list every verse which mentions Jesus as “God the Son” or mentions him in any way as being a part of the Trinity. #1…. And that concludes the listing of verses mentioning Jesus as “God the Son” or as part of the Trinity. Yes, that’s right, your spiritual leader has been derelict in his duties if he instructed you that the Bible speaks of “God the Son” or the “Trinity.” If you find those words anywhere in your copy of the Bible you have a version that has intentionally been altered to promote those doctrines. These expressions never appeared in the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts that were translated into English. The word “trinity,” meaning tri-unity, or three things being one is 100% non-biblical, as well as is the phrase “God the Son.” There is nothing to study from the Bible about “the Trinity” or “God the Son.” It’s very easy to say, “It’s there, everywhere, all through the scriptures, can’t you see it?” The real question is “Why are so many Christians ‘seeing’ a topic that is never mentioned?”

Nicely put! Thanks for sharing Lone Wolf McQuade.