Is Jesus God?
Published:Saturday | September 17, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Recently on the popular 'Religious Hardtalk' programme, hosted by Ian Boyne, the religious faith of most Jamaicans came under bold attack. It was being boldly proclaimed by an author that "Jesus Christ is not God".
As a scholar of biblical literature myself, I would like to weigh in on the debate and ask the following troublesome questions:
1. If God the Father Himself, the one true God (John 17:3) is "God" or divine in nature, how could his one TRUE Son be a fish, or any lesser type being in nature? See Hebrews 1:2, 3 and see the words "exact" and "copy" in any dictionary.
How come the Father Himself, in Hebrews 1:6-13, ordered angels to worship Jesus, and described His TRUE Son as "O God", even while calling Him "Lord", and describing Him as Creator just like Himself? Isn't His word final?
2. How come Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sins in Mark 2:5-12, and as the Jews correctly questioned, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
3. How come Thomas said to "HIM", Jesus, "MY LORD AND MY GOD" (not to "them", or to another, but to "HIM") while he was on earth?
4. How come Stephen prayed to Jesus directly in Acts 7:59, 60? And isn't it only one who is truly divine in nature that prayer should be directed to? And if Jesus is the "one Lord" identified in 1 Corinthians 8:6, how could Acts 7:59, 60 be possibly identifying any other being, when Stephen plainly prayed, on his knees, and cried, "Lord JESUS", or "Lord", etc, etc.?
It seems to me that the traditional Christian faith of most Jamaicans does have some proof in the Bible after all!
DERRICK GILLESPIE
St Elizabeth