Dake Bible Discussion Board ⇒ Grok? Does Jesus have a God?

[Spiritblade Disciple]

A question and answer session with Grok:

Question 1: According to the King James Bible, Does Jesus have a God?

Answer:
In the King James Bible, there are verses where Jesus refers to God as His Father, and some passages suggest a distinction where Jesus acknowledges God as His God. For example, in John 20:17, Jesus says, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." This indicates that Jesus refers to God as His God, particularly in His human nature or role as the mediator between God and humanity.

Additionally, in Revelation 3:12, Jesus (speaking as the glorified Son) says, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: 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 further shows Jesus referring to God as "my God."

However, traditional Christian theology, based on the King James Bible and other translations, interprets these statements in light of the doctrine of the Trinity, where Jesus is understood to be fully God (the Son) and fully man. In His human nature, Jesus submits to and acknowledges the Father as His God, while still being one in essence with the Father in His divine nature. Passages like John 10:30 ("I and my Father are one") and Colossians 2:9 ("For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily") affirm His divinity.

So, according to the King James Bible, Jesus does refer to God as His God in certain contexts, particularly in His role as the incarnate Son, but this does not negate His divine nature as understood in Christian doctrine.


Question 2: From the King James Bible, Prove that Jesus is God.

Answer:
The King James Bible contains several passages that affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ, indicating that He is God. Below, I’ll provide key verses from the King James Bible with brief explanations to demonstrate this belief, focusing on explicit statements, divine attributes, and actions attributed to Jesus that align with God’s nature.

1. Explicit Declarations of Jesus’ Divinity

• John 1:1-3, 14:
  "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; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
  The "Word" (Logos) is explicitly identified as God and is later revealed to be Jesus when the Word "was made flesh." This passage establishes that Jesus is not only with God but is God Himself, possessing the divine nature and involved in creation.
• John 10:30-33:
  "I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."
  Jesus declares unity with the Father ("I and my Father are one"), which the Jews understood as a claim to deity, prompting them to accuse Him of blasphemy. This shows that Jesus’ contemporaries recognized His claim to be God.
• John 20:28:
  "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God."
  Thomas directly addresses Jesus as "my God" after seeing the resurrected Christ. Jesus accepts this worship without correction, affirming His divine identity.

2. Divine Attributes Ascribed to Jesus

• Eternal Existence:
  John 8:58:
  "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
  Jesus uses the divine name "I am" (echoing Exodus 3:14, where God identifies Himself as "I AM THAT I AM"). This claim to eternal existence, existing before Abraham, points to His divine nature.
• Creator of All Things:
  Colossians 1:16-17:
  "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be 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."
  Jesus is described as the Creator of all things, a role attributed to God alone in the Old Testament (e.g., Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 44:24). His preexistence and sustaining power further affirm His deity.
• Fullness of the Godhead:
  Colossians 2:9:
  "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
  This verse explicitly states that Jesus embodies the complete nature of God in bodily form, underscoring His divinity.

3. Divine Actions and Authority

• Forgiveness of Sins:
  Mark 2:5-7:
  "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?"
  The scribes recognize that only God can forgive sins. Jesus’ act of forgiving sins is a direct claim to divine authority, which He validates by healing the paralytic.
• Authority Over Life and Judgment:
  John 5:21-22:
  "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."
  Jesus claims the divine prerogative to give life and judge all humanity, roles reserved for God in the Old Testament (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:39).
• Worship Accepted:
  Matthew 28:9:
  "And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him."
  Jesus accepts worship, which is reserved for God alone (Exodus 20:3-5). This is consistent with Philippians 2:10-11, where every knee will bow to Jesus, echoing Isaiah 45:23, where such worship is due to God.

4. Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus

• Isaiah 9:6:
  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
  This messianic prophecy refers to the coming Messiah (fulfilled in Jesus) as "The mighty God" and "The everlasting Father," directly attributing divine titles to Him.
• Micah 5:2:
  "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
  The Messiah, born in Bethlehem (fulfilled in Jesus, Matthew 2:1), is described as having an eternal origin, a characteristic of God.

5. Jesus’ Own Claims to Divine Identity

• Revelation 1:8, 17-18:
  "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. ... And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
  Jesus identifies Himself as the "Alpha and Omega" and "the Almighty," titles that denote God’s eternal and sovereign nature. His reference to being dead and alive forevermore confirms this is Jesus, the resurrected Christ.

Addressing Potential Counterarguments
Some may point to verses where Jesus refers to the Father as "my God" (e.g., John 20:17, Revelation 3:12) to argue He is subordinate and not God. However, these statements are understood in Christian theology as reflecting Jesus’ human nature or His role as the mediator in the incarnation. The dual nature of Christ (fully God, fully man) allows Him to submit to the Father while remaining one in essence with Him, as affirmed in John 10:30 and Colossians 2:9. The King James Bible consistently presents Jesus as possessing divine attributes, authority, and titles alongside His human role.

Conclusion
The King James Bible provides substantial evidence for Jesus’ divinity through explicit declarations (John 1:1, John 20:28), divine attributes (eternal existence, creation, Colossians 1:16-17), divine actions (forgiving sins, raising the dead), acceptance of worship, and fulfillment of messianic prophecies (Isaiah 9:6). These passages collectively affirm that Jesus is God, consistent with the doctrine of the Trinity, where He is the second Person of the Godhead, equal in essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit.