None good but God

[Wootah]

Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Question: If there are none good but God how can a not good being pay for my sins?

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 9 by brianbbs67]

So was Christ good or not? Be clear for me please.

[Eloi]

[PinSeeker]

...he is not as good as Jehovah is in the sense that he is more a person of justice.

Absolutely not. He's not differentiating between Himself as God the Son and Jehovah as God the Father at all. God the Son satisfied God the Father's perfect justice. This was His purpose of coming to earth the first time, and He will execute this justice at the Judgment. As God Himself, He could/can/will do no other; He and the Father are one.

As I said to Tam (and I'm sure you will disagree), He is calling the young ruler out for is calling Him "good" and not understanding what "good" really is and not believing/understanding that He is God in the flesh. This is why it's relevant to us, too. The young man obviously only thinks of Jesus as a learned teacher. How many times have we heard people today say, "Well, Jesus said and taught a lot of great things, but He was not who He said He was..." They do the same thing the rich young ruler did. So Jesus asks, then, in effect, "How can you speak of me in a term which can really be predicated of no child of man?" Thus, Christ answers the young man's address (and that of unbelievers even today) before He answers His question, reproving him for using a form of words without realizing its full import. Again, this is all plain enough; it's the very point Jesus (Jaheshua), God's Christ, the Messiah, was/is making.

Grace and peace to you.

[Eloi]

[Replying to PinSeeker]

Maybe you are missing some important biblical points about Jesus career:

Heb. 2:10 For it was fitting for the one for whose sake all things are and through whom all things are, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Chief Agent of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

... 5:8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered; 9 and after he had been made perfect he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, 10 because he has been specifically called by God a high priest according to the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.

... 7:28 for the Law appoints men high priests having weakness, but the word of the sworn oath that came after the Law appoints a Son, who is perfected forever.

As you (and others) can see, Jesus didn't come as a man ONLY to die paying a ransom ... That imaginary idea of a God the Son (idea totally alien to the Bible), causes many not to realize the reality behind the Son of God

A true Christian does not follow capricious arbitrary interpretations that are not directly deduced from logical reasoning based on the Scriptures, and which clearly do not sound natural but forced. That is why some people do prefer think that there are "errors" in the Bible, so they can deprecate what is said in a text every time they think that text contradicts their own personal interpretation of another passage.

[PinSeeker]

Maybe you are missing some important biblical points about Jesus career:

His "career." Chuckles... No, I'm not missing anything...

Heb. 2:10 For it was fitting for the one for whose sake all things are and through whom all things are, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Chief Agent of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

... 5:8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered; 9 and after he had been made perfect he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, 10 because he has been specifically called by God a high priest according to the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.

... 7:28 for the Law appoints men high priests having weakness, but the word of the sworn oath that came after the Law appoints a Son, who is perfected forever.

Nope. Not "missing" anything, thanks. These passages speak only to Jesus's qualities as a man. One of the main points of the writer of Hebrews is to make clear Christ's qualification as the mediator between God and man, namely, the fact that He is both God and man.

As you (and others) can see, Jesus didn't come as a man ONLY to die paying a ransom...

Of course not, but that was the main thing.

A true Christian does not follow capricious arbitrary interpretations that are not directly deduced from logical reasoning based on the Scriptures, and which clearly do not sound natural but forced.

Oh, I don't agree with this at all, really. Even true Christians can be mistaken about this our that in God's Word. Now, if a person is not mistaken about this or that and still denies it and calls it a lie, then that's certainly a problem.

That is why some people do prefer think that there are "errors" in the Bible, so they can deprecate what is said in a text every time they think that text contradicts their own personal interpretation of another passage.

Well... these are folks with preconceived agendas. They've already decided they're going to dispute or deny at least parts of the Bible. But even they are not beyond hope. God can change hearts, and the mind will inevitably (though not necessarily immediately) follow.

But the very clear and simple Biblical fact is, God saves sinners:

* God the Father wills and calls
* God the Son redeems through His work on the cross
* God the Holy Spirit works saving faith in those who God the Father has given to God the Son, thereby making Jesus's work on the cross effectual for those whom the Father has called.

Grace and peace to you.

[Eloi]

[Replying to PinSeeker]

I'll tell you what is funny That someone read in the Bible that God is one and His name is Jehovah and still is saying that is a God-trinity ... or that someone read Jesus questioning someone who called him "good" and saying WHY ME, ONLY GOD IS GOOD and still says that somehow what Jesus is saying is that he is himself some kind of God Son ... or that the expression God the Son is totally contrary to the biblical expression the Son of God and still people continue using it with such passion ...

Those things are funny, and still funnier is that people saying these funny things are trying to teach you how God touches people's hearts to help them rectify the wrong ideas.

This forum is fun.

[Menotu]

[Replying to post 12 by Eloi]

To understand what Jesus meant...

I've always found this thinking to be dangerous and not something that promotes logical thinking. When we try to figure out what someone 'means' opens us up to personal bias and projecting, not of true understanding.
And when someone says 'Well, what I mean is....' they're not being direct. Which is also dangerous particularly when it comes to a belief system.
If someone wants others to do something, they need to say do this or that. If they can't be clear and concise - especially when they're said to be of a deity - they can't be trusted as any decent, perfect source material IMO.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 17 by Menotu]

Jesus was pretty clear when he delineated between himself and God (Jehovah). He obviously wanted to make evident the difference between himself and God. God Almighty has always been the supreme Being, the Source of all power and love. He brought Jesus into being, the first thing that God made. Thereafter the Son created using God's power. When Jesus stated "there is none good but God," he was placing Jehovah his Father on the highest pedestal, saying that He was far more righteous than any of His creations, including himself. That is merely a statement of immense respect and love. Jesus was without sin and always did what his Father wanted, but how can the Source of life be equal in goodness to His creations?

It is twisting and stretching to say that Jesus was trying to say in a roundabout way that he was God! That is not even possible if we are to take his words at John 20:17 seriously.

"I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God."


He said God, the Father, was HIS God. No way could Jesus be God when he HAS a God.

[Menotu]

[Replying to post 18 by onewithhim]

Jesus was pretty clear when he delineated between himself and God (Jehovah).

Was he? Aren't there people who proclaim the truth that can't agree to this? Seems that I've heard of them before but can't recall their name. Maybe I'm thinking of someone else?
I know of people who say he is God, but not God - the same but different. It might not be clear to everyone I guess

[Eloi]