The term "Son of God"

Elijah John · Post by **Elijah John** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 8:54 am

What did the term "Son of God" mean in a Jewish context?

Is it reasonable to surmise that the earliest Christians (who were Jews) meant the term the way Jews mean the term, or did they really mean "God the Son", as Trinitarians would say that Jesus is "God the Son"?

Red Wolf · Post by **Red Wolf** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:29 am

The credit due to the testimony of witnesses depends upon, in part, the coincidence of their testimony with collateral circumstances"
In other words, we can judge the accuracy and reliability of claims that Jesus is God, by comparing similar claims of Divinity found in the Bible

In New Testament times people were very ignorant and superstitious.

In reading through my Bible, I have noted that the people of New Testament times, believed that human beings were Gods,
Let me show you what I discovered..........

Acts 12:21-22 (King James Version)
21And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

Acts 14:11-13 (King James Version)
11And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
12And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

13Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

Acts 28:3-6 (King James Version)
3And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

4And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

5And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

6Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

See how easy it was for the ignorant and superstitious people of New Testament times to believe that a person was a God on very meager evidence?
It certainly cheapens any claims that the man Jesus was a god.

Elijah John · Post by **Elijah John** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:29 pm

Red Wolf wrote: The credit due to the testimony of witnesses depends upon, in part, the coincidence of their testimony with collateral circumstances"
In other words, we can judge the accuracy and reliability of claims that Jesus is God, by comparing similar claims of Divinity found in the Bible

(bold added)

For comparison:

Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 100:3

By contrast, nowhere is it said verbatim "Jesus, he is God". No one says that about Jesus, none of his contemporaries.

And then there's this:

"I am Jehovah thy God, who...

Jehovah (re)introduces himself as God. Does Jesus ever do this? "I am God" in a similar fashion?

Red Wolf wrote: See how easy it was for the ignorant and superstitious people of New Testament times to believe that a person was a God on very meager evidence?
It certainly cheapens any claims that the man Jesus was a god.

Good point. Especially in the Greco-Roman context which shaped what we know as Christianity today. The book of Acts certainly reflects that context.

And welcome to the site, Red Wolf. Good to have you aboard.

Avoice · Post by **Avoice** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:24 pm

No jew then nor a jew today would think God was the son of himself or any other human definition.

Red Wolf · Post by **Red Wolf** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:32 pm

Elijah John wrote:
Red Wolf wrote: The credit due to the testimony of witnesses depends upon, in part, the coincidence of their testimony with collateral circumstances"
In other words, we can judge the accuracy and reliability of claims that Jesus is God, by comparing similar claims of Divinity found in the Bible

(bold added)

For comparison:

Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3

By contrast, nowhere is it said verbatim "Jesus, he is God". No one says that about Jesus, none of his contemporaries.

And then there's this:
"I am Jehovah thy God, who...
Jehovah (re)introduces himself as God. Does Jesus ever do this? "I am God" in a similar fashion?

Red Wolf wrote: See how easy it was for the ignorant and superstitious people of New Testament times to believe that a person was a God on very meager evidence?
It certainly cheapens any claims that the man Jesus was a god.
Good point. Especially in the Greco-Roman context which shaped what we know as Christianity today. The book of Acts certainly reflects that context.

And welcome to the site, Red Wolf. Good to have you aboard.

Thanks...I think we agree...Jesus is NOT God.

Checkpoint · Post by **Checkpoint** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:20 pm

Elijah John wrote:
Red Wolf wrote: The credit due to the testimony of witnesses depends upon, in part, the coincidence of their testimony with collateral circumstances"
In other words, we can judge the accuracy and reliability of claims that Jesus is God, by comparing similar claims of Divinity found in the Bible

(bold added)

For comparison:

Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3

By contrast, nowhere is it said verbatim "Jesus, he is God". No one says that about Jesus, none of his contemporaries.

And then there's this:
"I am Jehovah thy God, who...
Jehovah (re)introduces himself as God. Does Jesus ever do this? "I am God" in a similar fashion?

Red Wolf wrote: See how easy it was for the ignorant and superstitious people of New Testament times to believe that a person was a God on very meager evidence?
It certainly cheapens any claims that the man Jesus was a god.
Good point. Especially in the Greco-Roman context which shaped what we know as Christianity today. The book of Acts certainly reflects that context.

And welcome to the site, Red Wolf. Good to have you aboard.

Yes indeed.

Welcome, Red Wolf, to this sub-forum. You are going well, keep it up.

Jesus is not God the Son. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is Lord.

1 Corinthians 8:6

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.