God

The Issues That Are Relevant To God:

First: does He exist and if so, what is the evidence to support this premise.
Second: Who is God? Can we know His character and nature?
Third: What does He require of human being?

The existence of God is said to be proven by the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, who is documented by the narrative of the four Gospels and the New Testament in whole.

  1. If God exits, there would be proof for His existence.
  2. It is not possible for any earthbound creature to understand a Transcendent, eternal, and infinite Being.
  3. Unless God reveals who He is, we cannot know Him.
  4. The qualities for who God is are the qualifying factors that must be used in evaluating any Being who claims to be God.
  5. As creator, this Being must possess an eternal existence. If He came into being at any time, He could not be God. In order to be Creator of all that exists and therefore God, He must be first, preeminent, transcendent, and before all other things.
  6. As God, He must be perfect in every regard. If He has any moral, intellectual, or the defect, He is not God. The defining principle of God is that He is perfect. If God must learn anything or does not know anything in all time and eternity, He is not God.
  7. Because of the prerequisite of perfection, God must be absolutely good and loving. If He was not good or capable of any unlawful or unrighteous action, He would not be God.

Evidence That Jesus Claimed To Be God

If Jesus is, in fact, God; He must meet all of the requirements give above.

See The Page: Evidence For God

When we examine the historical record of the New Testament, secured for us by honest witness who actually saw and heard Jesus, or received first hand information about Jesus from eye witnesses, we find that Jesus meets every test for God.

This Page reveals detailed information about God, as well as the nature and character of Jesus Christ.

What The Record Proves About Jesus:

According to multiple places in the Hebrew scriptures, the Messiah will not only be a man, He will also be; fully God.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.  ~Psalms 45:6

New Testament Fulfillment:

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.  ~Hebrews 1:8

It is clear that Paul believed that Psalm 45:6 was written for the Messiah and specifically, Jesus Christ. Paul’s quotation of Psalms 45:6, in context with Hebrews 1:8, defines for us accurately; who Jesus is:

  1. The “Son” is Jesus Christ.
  2. The Son is “God.”
  3. Psalms 45:6 was a prophecy written for Jesus Christ.
  4. Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised by the Old Testament.

Paul received his training in the scriptures from Gamaliel

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.  ~Acts 22:3

The term at the feet of Gamaliel was a common phrase of that day in referring to a long tradition of those who were carefully trained in the scriptures. These students sat on chairs that were close to the ground, while the Rabbis who taught them, sat on higher chairs, signifying their authority in the scriptures.

Rabban Gamaliel was a Pharisee and expert in the scriptures. During this period of history, these teachers of the scriptures were referred to as “Doctors of the Law.” Today we would say that he had a Doctorate in Law. Gamaliel was referred to as the “Thirty-Fifth receiver of the traditions.” Gamaliel, having received the “Cabala”[1] (Kabbalah) that came from Moses at Mount Sinai, he is described as dying, 18 years before Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D.

It is clear from the instruction that Paul received from Gamaliel, that he was also an expert scholar in the Old Testament scriptures. Paul was perhaps more familiar with the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah than any other person who was alive at that time. Paul was convinced that Jesus was the fulfillment of these many Messianic Prophecies, including Psalms, 45:6. When Paul penned the words to Hebrews Chapter 1:8, But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom, he was pointing to the fact that not only was Jesus the Messiah, but that Jesus was and is, the Living God.

Not only do we learn from Psalms 45:6 that God intended, from the foundation of the world, that the Messiah would be God; but also that Jesus was the person to whom this prophecy was written.

David continues this proof-text for the identity of Jesus; as God, with his writing of Psalm 90:2

David declares that the Messiah will be the eternal God, who made all things.

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.  ~Psalms 90:2

The New Testament confirms that Jesus is God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  ~John 1:1-3

For by Jesus all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  ~Colossians 1:16

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…  ~Hebrews 1:1-2

That God Would Become a Man

The great mystery of the universe is that God, who spoke the universe into existence, also died on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago for the sins of all people.

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. ~1 Timothy 3:16 NIV)

Why would the One who created all things, make Himself—subject to the creation He made? It is beyond comprehension why the eternal God would be willing to die for sinful man. When the angels disobeyed God, there was no plan of salvation offered to them. We are unique amongst all the creation of God. Only the descendants of Adam have been presented with the life of the Son of God—in payment for their sins. This is a gift of unparalleled worth that every person on the earth should eagerly seek with all of their heart.

This prophecy from Psalms 90:2, predicts that when the Messiah arrives, He will be the eternal God who “formed the earth and the world.” The term from everlasting to everlasting is a reference to God’s eternality. He has no beginning and He will have no end. No other God created our God, nor did he require a first cause. He is eternal, self-existent, and has no need of anything outside of Himself.

We would not know that Psalm 90:2 was prophetic, except for the words of the New Testament in which Jesus is described as the One—through whom, the universe was created. Colossians 1:16-17 describes Jesus as the Creator of all things. If Jesus created all things, then He must be before all other things and could not Himself be created.

For by Jesus all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.   ~Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)

Because Psalms 90:2 describes the one who made all things as God—this verse matched with Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:1, and Hebrews 1:1-2 (above), describing Jesus as the agent of all creation and revealed to us as the Messiah—we understand that Psalms 90:2 is prophetic. This verse of scripture defines the Messiah who died for us, as the agent of creation.

How is it that God, who made all things, would be willing to die for the creatures He made? This is the great mystery revealed to us by these many prophecies of the Old Testament scriptures. God’s love is so vividly displayed in the person of Jesus Christ, that we are able to see Him clearly and understand who He is, by the things He has done for us.

We know and understand who God is—by His Son. We live and move and have our being by Him and through Him, and because of Him (Acts 17:28). All that has been, and all that will be, are determined and ordered by our great God and His Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Bible Identifies Jesus As Jehovah-God

NOTES:
[1] Kabbalah: A very short introduction, Joseph Dan, Oxford University Press, Chapter 1 “The term and its uses”