This episode begins a series of discussions on what the Bible says about Jesus being Jehovah. A number of religious organizations deny that Jesus is Jehovah. There are many passages that attribute the same activities of Jehovah to Jesus. We will begin by looking at passages that discuss the Creator. One in the Old Testament and two in the New Testament. We next note four passages that mention the Savior. In this case, two by Isaiah and two by Paul. Samuel says that Jehovah raises the dead. We discuss what John says about Jesus in this regard. We close out this episode by discussing judgment and what the Bible says about Jehovah and Jesus executing it. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we say. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode for your convenience.
This episode begins a series of discussions on what the Bible says about Jesus being Jehovah. A number of religious organizations deny that Jesus is Jehovah. There are many passages that attribute the same activities of Jehovah to Jesus. We will begin by looking at passages that discuss the Creator. One in the Old Testament and two in the New Testament. We next note four passages that mention the Savior. In this case, two by Isaiah and two by Paul. Samuel says that Jehovah raises the dead. We discuss what John says about Jesus in this regard. We close out this episode by discussing judgment and what the Bible says about Jehovah and Jesus executing it. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we say. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thierty am on Sunday, and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net Or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com.
Arnie:Good afternoon, this is Arnie Granke. And Fred Gosnell, this is what does the Bible say, brought to you by the church of Christ at Woodland, in Sumter, South Carolina.0 We hope if you happen to be in the Sumter area that you'll drop in and visit with us on the Lord's day for Bible class, and and worship, and if it happens to be on a Wednesday, still drop in with us in the in the evening for a Bible class. Fred, you know, there there are, there's a lot of confusion about some things that we see in the, in the Bible. There are some religions that think that Jesus is not the same as the Father, he's not identical to the Father. He's a different individual, obviously. But they don't think that He's necessarily divine. And, and I suppose that that applies to the Holy Spirit as as well, that only only the Father, only Jehovah is, is divine. So that that's maybe something that we that we want to address. In the, in the King James version of the Old Testament, and some other translations as as well, that the Hebrew word YeHoVaH, which is number 3068. In Strong's numbering system, denotes self existent or eternal and that's, of course, the term that's used for Jehovah for the Lord, in in Hebrew. In English, though, the King James Version and some other versions as well, usually put the word LORD in that place. And all in capital letters. A lot of people don't know what that means. They just think maybe there's some emphasis on LORD there. And so sometimes when they'll read it, they'll, they'll say, LORD, just really kind of belt it out a little bit there. But that's not what the capital letters represent. And actually, the the, the Hebrew word for Yehovah appears in the Old Testament texts 6,828 times, believe it, believe it or not. Jews typically say, in the synagogue, or if they're in a class or something, when when they read one of those passages that, that have that word, in it, instead of reading, reading it as Jehovah, they will, they'll put Adonai, which is another word for Lord. And the reason for that is because of the prohibition against taking the Lord's name in vain, and they're, they're concerned that they might, they might be guilty of doing that if they actually say that name. So they, they try to avoid that. And, and Adonai, of course, means the Lord. And so that's, that's a confusing issue along with whether or not the Son and the Holy Spirit are equally divine as the as the Father. Jesus, of course, is also spoken of in in the Bible as being the same as the Father in many in many respects. And one of the easiest ways it's not an easy way, but the the best way to resolve that issue in your mind is to see some things that the Father, that are characteristic of the Father, things that he does, things that that are a part of his his being, and and then go into the New Testament and see that the exact same things are said about the Son that could only be true if he and the Father are of the same substance. So what do you say we talk about that a little bit?
Fred Gosnell:Sounds good to me. Why don't we start with with the Creator?
Arnie:Oh, that's a good beginning.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah. So, so So our question is, is Jesus, i Jesus Jehovah? And so, of course, this is the name of this program is what does the Bible say? And we'll look at passages that identify Jehovah in the Old Testament. And then we'll look at passages that identify Jesus in the New Testament, and see whether those passages say that Jesus does the same thing as Jehovah does. And then, of course, that will tell us whether Jesus is divine or whether Jesus is God, basically.
Arnie:That's a good point.
Fred Gosnell:So So, of course, you know, the name Jehovah. Moses is the one that wrote the name in the first five books. So and we find Moses speaking to Jehovah, and saying his name. Wasn't any problem to Moses, and it wasn't any problem to others in the Old Testament either. So it shouldn't be any problem to people today either. So let's look at Isaiah 40, verse 28. Notice, notice what Isaiah says here. And he says, Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, and then in the King James that would be capitalized, so that would be Jehovah, The creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. Okay, we, so we see that Jehovah is the creator of the ends of the of the earth, and he also is named the everlasting God. So notice what John says in John chapter one, one through four, John's begins his his gospel there, he says, In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And of course, if you go to verse 14, in John one, and in verse 14, it says that, The word was, was made flesh and dwelt among us. And so, so the word is Jesus. So, the word Jesus in the beginning, was God was with God. And the Word was God. So Jesus is God, according to John. Then it says, All things were made by Him, without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was light of men. But then Isaiah in Isaiah, God said, Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD or Jehovah, the Creator. So Jesus and Jehovah are both listed as the creator. So Jesus is Jehovah in those two verses. That's what the Bible says,
Arnie:Sometimes people will look at that. And they say, well, wait a minute. Verse one ends with the, with the word God. And then verse three says, All things were made by Him. So maybe that passage is saying that it was made by by God. Well, it's true, it was made by, things were made by by deity. But but we have to, we have to recognize, we have to use the nearest antecedent. And the nearest antecedent here when we're talking about the Word and the quality of that Word is that it's divine. It's God. That's a that's a description of him, not an identity of him. And and then we see, All things were made by Him. So it that's not telling us all things were made by God. It's telling us all things were made by by the Word. You're exactly right there. This isn't words like words on the page or spoken words. It's just another name for for Christ. He has a number of terms by which he's known and one of them happens to be the Word
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And Paul in Colossians, chapter 1, 12 through 18. Paul, Paul deals with with this as well. And notice what he says in beginning in verse 12, of Colossians one, Paul says, Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath to deliver delivered us from the power of darkness,0 and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born, of every creature, For by Him are all things created, that are in heaven that are upon earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things and by Him all things consist. He is the head of the body, the church who is beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may have the preeminence. So, it he identifies, God, he identifies the Father in the very beginning of that passage at verse 12. And then he says, that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the Father that had been referred to. And then he says, By him, were all things created. So again, Jesus is different from the Father, but he's God, the Father is God, Jesus is God, and Jesus is the Creator. So we just need to follow what the Bible says and accept that as the truth and not try to manipulate it to say something it does not say, which is what a lot of, a number of religious bodies do.
Arnie:Well, and and the same, the same construction occurs here in this passage, you know. Somebody says, Well, wait a minute, it was the son that, that, or rather, it was Him, it was God in verse 15. That that would be the in the antecedent of him, For by Him all, were all things created. No, this isn't talking about, talking about God. It's identifying the Son in verse 13, as as being the image of of God, and then continues telling about Him; For by Him. And the nearest antecedent again, is, is the Son. We've got, we've got the, we can't make up our own rules of understanding, as we as we go along to accommodate what it, we, maybe whatever we've already decided in advance before reading what the Bible says, That verse, Isaiah 45, you started out there in Isaiah 40. Isaiah 45, also identifies someone as being the Savior. Let's see who that is in, in verse 21, Tell ye and bring them near. Yes, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD. And again, that would be Yahway. And there is no God beside me. A just God and Savior, there is none besides me, look to me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God, and there is none else. So if somebody would say, well, that's telling you that there's no one that's exactly like the Father. That, well, that's not what it's saying. It's saying that there's no one who's like God. The question would be, is there another personality, in in the family, if you will, were they the Godhead? That is that is similar to him. Isaiah 43, verse 11, says, I, even I am the LORD. And again, that's all caps, so that would be Jehovah. And beside me, there is no savior. But in a second Timothy one, Paul writes in and he said, beginning in verse, verse eight, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus, therefore, before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Well, if the Savior is is Jesus Christ, and he has manifested, God to us made it obvious, the character of God and, and who God is and so forth, then this passage must be saying that Jesus is divine. He's He's, Yawah.,
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And Paul, again, when he writes to Titus, he says, basically the same thing. And in Titus chapter 2, 11, through 14, we begin in verse 11, Paul writes, he says, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and piously in this present world, looking for that blessing, hope, and the glorious appearing of, notice, The great God and our Savior, Jesus
Arnie:Christ is divine in exactly the same way, that that Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of God, who we speak of as the Father is, and that's, that's good works. So he notice he says, The glorious appearing and of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is not applicable too, to the Holy Spirit. There are three members talking about two different people, this is talking about the great God who is our Savior, his name is Jesus Christ. So, of the Godhead. Each one of them has different duties, I guess so, again, our Savior is, according to Isaiah, Jehovah, but our Savior is Jesus Christ, and our Savior is the great God. you'd say that they that they do, but they're all of the same So, Jehovah, the great God, our Savior, Jesus Christ, that's substance. As Fred and I, and you, as the listener, are all of what the Bible says, the same substance, we're all human beings, and none of us are dogs, or cats, or, or something else other than that. We're all human beings. And and we have similar characteristics. And the same is true with regard to Christ. He and and the Father and the Holy Spirit, are all of the same substance.
Fred Gosnell:But you know, we use the word substance when we talk about God. sometimes, Of course, God is not substance, actually. He's a spirit. So so. But But what we're saying is that God the Father, and God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, they're all God. Well, Arnie and I are sitting here, both Arnie and I are human beings. We are both a member of humanity. But each one in humanity is different. Arnie is different from Fred as far as he's Arnie. But we are both the same in humanity. Well, in the same way, God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit, they are all God. But they are different individuals, if you will, different personalities, or however you want to describe them. They're all God, the same as all human beings are human. But we are separate in our personalities. And so I guess that's one way to understand it.
Arnie:Well, I think that's a good that's a good explanation of that, Fred. Let's, let's go to another, another topic. We've talked about, about Christ being the Creator, the son being a Creator. He's the savior, as as well. Let's talk about him raising the dead. And of course, we know that there were some some instances in the New Testament, when that's exactly happened. What one that just quickly comes to mind is when when he was approaching the city at Nain, and there was a funeral procession coming out that the main gate and Jesus stopped it and, and raised the the son of the widow that was a part of that procession. Raised him from the from the dead. So let's think about Jesus raising or Jehovah raising the dead and, and that being a characteristic as well of Christ. In First Samuel chapter two and and verse six, Samuel says The Lord killeth and maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up, you know. He can make us alive just as easily as he can take our life from us and and vice vice versa. Well, when you come to John chapter, chapter five, Jesus is speaking. And in verse 21, he said For as the Father raiseth up the dead; Alright, we know the Father does that, And quickest quickeneth them. Even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. So he can do exactly the same thing as, as the Father. This isn't the characteristic only have of the Father in heaven, Christ raised the dead as well.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And John talks about that also again in John six, verse 40, and then several other verses 44 to 53 and 54. Let's begin in John six, verse 40. John says, And this is the will of him that sent me. That everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Then we go to verse 44, No man can come to me, to Jesus, except the Father, which hath I won't take the time, the time right now to to read from Second sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye shall have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and Thessalonians chapter chapter two, but just commend it to you, drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. So the point is that Jesus has the power of resurrecting people from from the dead. When he's talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Later on, I the fact that Jesus is going to raise up all of the dead when think it's verse 63. He says, The word that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. So what he's talking about there, he's not talking about literally eating his flesh or drinking his blood, he's talking about the Word of God, which is, he, when he comes again, and the verses that are that are he identifies as spirit and life. The Word of God is our spiritual food, if you will. And that's what we have to survive on to be alive spiritually. But but again, Jehovah raises the applicable, here would be Second Thessalonians chapter two, dead. And Jesus raises the dead. Well, Jesus is Jehovah. He's not the Father, he's Jesus. But he is identified as Jehovah, he does the same things that the Father does. beginning in verse, verse seven, read at least down to verse 12. And, and you'll see that being explained for you. And Jesus is, Jehovah is also said to be the judge, and Joel states that in Joe chapter three, verse 12. He says, Let the heathen be wakened, awakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there will I sit to judge all the heathen around about. Notice, There, there is what the Lord's going to do. But then in John 5, 26, to 31. John again he writes, For as the Father has life in Himself, So hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is a son of man. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation, I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me. If I bear witness of myself my witness is not true. So Jehovah is the judge but then Jesus is the judge, but Jehovah the Father has given Jehovah the Son authority to do the judging. Of course, he does that because in that we live under the New Testament. And so he's the one that will provide judgment and will call everybody into account based on whether or not they listened to him and whether they obeyed what he had to say. But Jesus is Jehovah, In this case.
Arnie:Matthew 25 is an illustration that Jesus uses of the resurrection. And since we talked about that in just a moment ago, in Matthew 25, beginning in let me see here, make sure that I'm reading the right, the right verse here. You read, which one did you read?
Fred Gosnell:You're starting on verse 31 To 46.
Arnie:Okay. Okay. That's, that's where I thought, that's where I thought we were, but I wasn't sure. Okay. So in Matthew 25, Jesus gives three illustrations really, about things that will happen at the at the end of time. And the third one of those is beginning in in verse 31. And he said, When the son of man shall come in his glory, all the holy angels with him, then shall He sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd, divideth the sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them, on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you took Me in, naked, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall He say unto them, on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, For I was a hungred, and you gave Me no meat, I was thirsty, you gave me no drink, I was a stranger, and you took me not in, naked and you clothed me not, sick and in prison, you visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred or athirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee? Then shall He answer them saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. So, so very, very clear. And it's a it's a beautiful illustration, helping us to understand exactly what we should be expecting, in in the judgment. And that certainly goes along with the Father is not the only judge Christ is the judge as well.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And Jehovah has also said to be the light. Isaiah says that Isaiah 60, 19 and 20. He says, The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for right brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light and the days of the mourning shall, shall be ended. So Jehovah would be the light there, but then John says in John chapter one, but you know, Arnie, why don't we save this the rest of this next time? Let's let our listeners wait for this one. And we're about out of time.
Arnie:Yeah, I noticed that we're out of time. And and so for our listeners, I'll say, let's, let's begin at Isaiah 60. Again, we'll reread that there because they will have lost track of that by that point. And, and then we've got several other passages that show that exactly what's said about the Father is true of the Son as well. We hope that this kind of a study is useful to you. We think that it probably will be helpful for many people, and we look forward to being with you again next Lord's day. Have a good week.