Monday, April 25, 2011
Understanding the Trinity, Three Persons vs Three Manifestations: Jesus Christ is the One Lord, God Almighty (Deut. ...
Understanding the Trinity, Three Persons vs Three Manifestations: Jesus Christ is the One Lord, God Almighty (Deut. ...: "In Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for Christ,” A journalist’s personal Investigation of the evidence for Jesus,' there is convincing evidence..."
Jesus Christ is the One Lord, God Almighty (Deut. 6:4, Luke 2:11, Isaiah 9:6)
In Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for Christ,” A journalist’s personal Investigation of the evidence for Jesus," there is convincing evidence that Jesus Christ is the one Lord God Almighty. In this book, Lee Strobel interviewed a number of theologians, philosophers and scholars to find a Case for the historical Christ. The following are excerpts from his discovery.
According to an interview with Dr. Craig L. Blomberg, Professor of the New Testament, Denver Seminary, pages 21-36, Mr. Blomberg relays to Mr. Strobel, the premise that Jesus Christ is God himself and this fact is verified in the book of John. Mr. Blomberg asserts that, “Final judgment is based on one’s reaction to Jesus as God.”
Dr. Gary R. Collins from the University of Toronto said, “In an analogous way, Jesus didn’t just claim to be God – he backed it up with amazing feats of healing, with astounding demonstrations of power over nature, with transcendent and unprecedented teaching, with divine insights into people, and ultimately with his own resurrection from the dead, which absolutely nobody else has been able to duplicate. So when Jesus claimed to be God, it wasn’t crazy. It was the truth.” Pg. 148.
Third Interview: Edwin M. Yamauchi, PH.D., Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, said of Jesus, ….“all kinds of people from the cities and countryside – men and women, slave and free- worshiped him as God. pgs. 75, 87.
Lee Strobel said, ….“The fact that Paul, who came from monotheistic Jewish background, worshiped Jesus as God is extremely significant, isn’t it?” pg. 88.
Dr. Yamauchi, Yes,…. “Even Paul at this very early date was worshiping Jesus as God. pg. 89.
Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan has pointed out that “the oldest Christian sermon, the oldest account of a Christian martyr, the oldest pagan report of the church, and the oldest liturgical prayer (1 Cor. 16:22) all refer to Jesus as Lord and God. Pelikan said, “Clearly, it was the message of what the church believed and taught that “God” was an appropriate name for Jesus Christ.” Pg. 139.
Theologian Royce Gordon Gruenler concurred, The evidence for concluding that Jesus intended to stand in the very place of God is “absolutely convincing.” Pg. 142.
The Sixth Interview: Dr. Ben Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, offered convincing evidence that even the earliest material about Jesus showed he was claiming to be God incarnate.” Pg. 132, 145.
Mr. Strobel writes, “The empty tomb, as an enduring symbol of the Resurrection, is the ultimate representation of Jesus’ claim to being God.” Pg. 205.
Thirteenth Interview. Dr. J. P. Moreland, Professor at the Talbot School of Theology, said, …..“While Christians teach a form of monotheism, they say that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God. This is radically different from what the Jews believed. They would have considered it the height of heresy to say someone could be God and man at the same time. Yet Jews begin to worship Jesus as God within the first decade of the Christian religion.” Pg.245, 246, 251.
Dr. Moreland answers Mr. Strobel’s question concerning baptism, “What about baptism?” ….“In the New Testament, people were baptized in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – which meant they had elevated Jesus to the full status of God. Pg. 253.
Dr. C. S. Lewis, Cambridge University professor said this about Jesus. “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say.” Pg. 271.
Finally, Mr. Strobel says, “if my conclusion in the case for Christ is correct, your future and eternity hinge on how you respond to Christ. As Jesus declared. “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Pg. 271.
Based on Mr. Strobel’s investigation, we find that not only is Jesus Christ God, there is also a case wherein we can prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Strobel, Lee, The Case For Christ, A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 USA. Copyright 1998.
This is an edited excerpt from my book,"Understanding the Trinity, Three Persons vs Three Manifestations. To Order 1-888-280-7715
According to an interview with Dr. Craig L. Blomberg, Professor of the New Testament, Denver Seminary, pages 21-36, Mr. Blomberg relays to Mr. Strobel, the premise that Jesus Christ is God himself and this fact is verified in the book of John. Mr. Blomberg asserts that, “Final judgment is based on one’s reaction to Jesus as God.”
Dr. Gary R. Collins from the University of Toronto said, “In an analogous way, Jesus didn’t just claim to be God – he backed it up with amazing feats of healing, with astounding demonstrations of power over nature, with transcendent and unprecedented teaching, with divine insights into people, and ultimately with his own resurrection from the dead, which absolutely nobody else has been able to duplicate. So when Jesus claimed to be God, it wasn’t crazy. It was the truth.” Pg. 148.
Third Interview: Edwin M. Yamauchi, PH.D., Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, said of Jesus, ….“all kinds of people from the cities and countryside – men and women, slave and free- worshiped him as God. pgs. 75, 87.
Lee Strobel said, ….“The fact that Paul, who came from monotheistic Jewish background, worshiped Jesus as God is extremely significant, isn’t it?” pg. 88.
Dr. Yamauchi, Yes,…. “Even Paul at this very early date was worshiping Jesus as God. pg. 89.
Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan has pointed out that “the oldest Christian sermon, the oldest account of a Christian martyr, the oldest pagan report of the church, and the oldest liturgical prayer (1 Cor. 16:22) all refer to Jesus as Lord and God. Pelikan said, “Clearly, it was the message of what the church believed and taught that “God” was an appropriate name for Jesus Christ.” Pg. 139.
Theologian Royce Gordon Gruenler concurred, The evidence for concluding that Jesus intended to stand in the very place of God is “absolutely convincing.” Pg. 142.
The Sixth Interview: Dr. Ben Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, offered convincing evidence that even the earliest material about Jesus showed he was claiming to be God incarnate.” Pg. 132, 145.
Mr. Strobel writes, “The empty tomb, as an enduring symbol of the Resurrection, is the ultimate representation of Jesus’ claim to being God.” Pg. 205.
Thirteenth Interview. Dr. J. P. Moreland, Professor at the Talbot School of Theology, said, …..“While Christians teach a form of monotheism, they say that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God. This is radically different from what the Jews believed. They would have considered it the height of heresy to say someone could be God and man at the same time. Yet Jews begin to worship Jesus as God within the first decade of the Christian religion.” Pg.245, 246, 251.
Dr. Moreland answers Mr. Strobel’s question concerning baptism, “What about baptism?” ….“In the New Testament, people were baptized in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – which meant they had elevated Jesus to the full status of God. Pg. 253.
Dr. C. S. Lewis, Cambridge University professor said this about Jesus. “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say.” Pg. 271.
Finally, Mr. Strobel says, “if my conclusion in the case for Christ is correct, your future and eternity hinge on how you respond to Christ. As Jesus declared. “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Pg. 271.
Based on Mr. Strobel’s investigation, we find that not only is Jesus Christ God, there is also a case wherein we can prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Strobel, Lee, The Case For Christ, A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 USA. Copyright 1998.
This is an edited excerpt from my book,"Understanding the Trinity, Three Persons vs Three Manifestations. To Order 1-888-280-7715
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