Throughout the Old and New
Testament scripture there’s a clear distinction between Yahweh’s Supreme Deity
and Jesus’ humanity. Yahweh (God’s
Hebrew name) Elohim (God’s Hebrew title) reveals Himself in various modes, such
as speaking thru His prophets, or by manifesting His power thru the angel of
Yahweh, neither prophets nor angels are considered to be, “God,” in ther sense
of Deity.
Western culture mistakes
the cultural use of the term ‘god’ in the east, even today. For example, in India, the local gurus are
called by those that seek their occult help as, ‘god-man.’ It is true some gurus are perceived as
living gods, and this is not underestimated, but even so, the Indian culture
limits the powers of such gods to specific areas of religion. The god of one river, or one animal cannot
be the god of another river of animal.
Shiva, the god of destruction cannot be equal with Krishna, god of peace
and love, and so on. That is, sadly,
why they have so many ‘gods’ in India and other parts of the east that follow
similar traditions.
The concept of limited
gods is very different from that of the Semitic peoples of the ancient
Scripture, who held faith in one Supreme Deity the Creator of all things, who
alone has all-power. The Hebrews were
somewhat unique in that they would not worship or serve any other God but One,
and the Hebrew title ‘el, which is translated, “God,” in the Old Testament was
a term borrowed and used by pagan nations that were polytheistic and/or
idolaters.
Church doctrine over the
course of the last two millenniums has distorted and blurred the distinction
between God the Father and His son, the man Christ Jesus. To a great majority of born-again Christians
“Jesus” and “God” refer to one and the same, in spite of the huge
contradictions created by this view.
Many believers no longer buy into this Christological error and they now
see Jesus as a man and not as “God.”
“Do we pray to and worship
Jesus if he is a man?” is a question I hear asked online from time and time
again at the Bible Answer Stand
Ministry web site. By changing
their doctrinal view of Jesus and identifying him as a man, Christians today
also have to change how they relate to him and how they relate to God. This might sound basic to those who have
always seen Jesus as a man and the Father alone as Deity, but the chasm for
many is wide and needs to be bridged using scripture as final authority.
It is only in the last 12
years I myself came to understand Jesus is not God, so answering other
believer’s questions is often difficult because I’m on the same learning curve
as them. Contrasting the difference
between God the Father (as Deity) and Jesus Christ the Son of God (as a man,
strictly human) is so rudimentary it should hardly be worth mentioning. Nevertheless, it has to be mentioned and
given thorough hermeneutical application for those who are not scholars, but
hold to the truth when they see it in writing.
To begin this study, God
the Father is Yahweh Elohim and He alone is the Creator and Jesus is His son, a
man, albeit an exalted, glorified and worthy of honor-type-of ‘man’. The position held by Jesus encompasses many
roles and functions. At this present
time (June of 2005) he is Lord and Master to servants on the earth (i.e. – the
church); these are servants that willingly obey him. He is not master of the wicked or
the unbelieving at this present time or in this present age (eon). However, that will change in the future,
which will be discussed later.
In the spiritual realm
known as, “heaven,” to most, Jesus as a man is also a King with the Majesty
(glory) bestowed upon him from God and his servants on high that have passed
into this eternal realm. His kingdom at
this present time or in this present age (eon) is a spiritual kingdom
and his present rule does not extend to all mankind because that day and hour,
which God the Father has fixed, is unknown to Jesus and unknown to his church;
that day will come, and when it does, Jesus the King will reign the
entire earth to fulfill the promise of God made to King David.
Hebrews 1:8-9 However, concerning the time for which the Son has
been, as it were, appointed, (i. e. during which it will last)[1] He {God} says, “Your throne, exalted King
(Jesus the Magistrate), will be completely established {as you move} into the
age of majesty and ages that follow.
And in your kingdom, moral integrity is the royal baton, free of
hypocrisy, without delay {it will be} setting {things} straight (with a just
attitude). You have delight in being
and living a life that is pure, innocent, upright, and just and {you} detest
contempt for {God’s} law; for this reason God (the Supreme Deity), your God,
has consecrated you to the Messianic office by anointing you with the oil of
extreme joy to share with your fellow-partakers.” (TAT)
At this time, Jesus will
ascend to the throne of David ON EARTH and will bring everlasting righteousness
with him, and will immediately straighten all wrongdoing, and will rule
together with overcomers using a rod of iron to mete out justice, as it is
required all over the earth. The religious
hypocrisy so widespread today will no longer be tolerated, but justice, truth,
love, and peace will assuredly prevail.
God the Father
conceived Jesus in the womb of a virgin whereas God the Father has no
beginning and has always existed (Genesis 1:1 with Matthew 1:18-25; Luke
1-3). Jesus was born of a woman,
made under the Law, whereas God is never born and He is the
One and only Lawgiver (Galatians 4:4; James 4:12).
Jesus is a Jew
whereas God has no genetic identity (Numbers 23:19; John 4:9, 22;
18:35-36). Jesus had an earthly
mother and father (Joseph) to whom he remained in subjection to
whereas God is the Father of all humanity and He has no parents and
is never in subjection to anyone (Luke 2:40-43, 48, 51). God calls us His children, whereas
Jesus calls us brothers, sisters, and mothers (Matthew 12:47-50; Mark
3:34-35). Jesus is called the ‘son
of man’ and the ‘son of God’ whereas God is never called the son of
anyone (Numbers 23:19; Matthew chapters 8-13 & 16).
Jesus was tempted by the
devil forty days and nights in the wilderness whereas God can never be
tempted by the devil (Matthew chapter 4; James 1:13). Thru obedience in the things he suffered
Jesus was made perfect whereas God IS perfect with no need to be
tried or tested (Hebrews 5:8-10; Hebrews 7:28). Jesus is a man who prays TO God whereas God is God and He
listens to and answers prayer (e.g. - John 17, Matthew 26).
Jesus shares in human
flesh and blood whereas God the Father is spirit without a body of flesh
and bones (Hebrews 2:14; 5:7; 9:13-14; 10:20; 1 Peter 3:18; John 4:22-26;
John 20:27). Jesus is the Christ, or
Anointed One whereas God the Father is the Spirit that anoints him
(Luke 4:16-18; Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6).
Jesus worships God the Father in spirit and in truth whereas God
the Father worships no one (John 4:24-25).
God is supreme in His
power that knows no limits whereas Jesus can do nothing of himself
(John 5:30; 8:28, 42; 10:18; 12:49; 14:10; 16:13). Jesus says he is a servant in the kingdom of God whereas
God is servant to no one (Matthew 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43; Mark 1:15;
4:11, 26, 30; 9:1, 47; 10:14-15, 23-25; 12:34; 14:25; 15:43; Luke 4:43 6:20;
7:28; 8:1,10; 9:2, 11, 27, 60, 62; 10:9, 11; 11:20; 13:18, 20, 28-29; 14:15;
16:16; 17:20-21; 18:16-17, 24-25, 29; 19:11; 21:31; 22:16, 18; John 3:3, 5).
God forgives sin with
sovereign authority whereas Jesus as the ‘son of man’ (his messianic
capacity) was given delegated authority from God while on earth to forgive
men’s sins (Matthew 9:6). God receives
and accepts sacrifice for sin whereas Jesus IS the Lamb sacrifice for sin (John
1:29, 36).
Jesus died whereas
God cannot die; Jesus is mortal whereas God is immortal; Jesus was
resurrected from the dead, whereas God is the One Who raised him (Mark 15:37,
39; Luke 23:46; John 20:22; 1 Peter 3:18).
Jesus is exalted to sit at God’s right hand of authority and
share in his Father’s throne, whereas God is sole Owner of His own throne
and Ruler of all (Matthew 22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; 14:62; 16:19; Luke
20:42; 22:69). There is only ONE God
(the Father) and only ONE mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ
Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)
Jesus acknowledges that
God is greater whereas God acknowledges He alone is Sovereign (John
5:30; 8:28, 42; 10:18; 12:49; 14:10; 16:13).
Jesus was sent by God to testify of Him to mankind whereas no
one sends God anywhere (John 5:29-30).
Jesus speaks the words of God as the Father reveals them to him
whereas God speaks His own words… however, whenever, wherever and
whatever He pleases (John 6:37-38).
Jesus does not know the day and hour of his return but he
acknowledges God the Father alone knows it (Matthew 24:36; Mark
13:32).
Jesus did not allow the
rich, young ruler to call him, “Good master,” but instead told him, “There is none
good BUT GOD,” (Matthew 19:16-17;
Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23). God gives
commandments to Jesus and Jesus obeys them, whereas nobody
commands God to obey (John 4:34-35; 14:31; Matthew 7:21; 12:50). God knows all things whereas Jesus
knows only what the Father reveals to him (John 5:36-37). God IS
Light whereas Jesus reveals God’s light to men (John 3:16-20 with 1
John 1:5).
On earth Jesus repeatedly
refers to the Supreme Deity as, “My God,” yet God the Father refers to Jesus on
earth in the gospels as, “My beloved son,” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; John
20:17). Jesus says he now dwells in the
heavenly city and heavenly temple of, “MY God,” whereas God owns them both
(Revelation 3:12). Jesus said his
Father has granted him a kingdom, whereas God rules every kingdom. (Luke 22:29)
In order for born again
Christians to honor Jesus for who he is (as a man) without improperly deifying
him, as has been done for centuries throughout Christendom, it is imperative to
familiarize you with his role as Jewish Messiah. To do this requires utilization of Bible study reference tools
that decipher the original languages in which the Scriptures were written (i.e.
- Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek).
Because our modern Bible
translations are not always sufficient to educate the serious student of
scripture, I will begin by helping you understand Jesus’ position of authority
and his role as, “highest Magistrate.”
The NT Greek word for God is theós and theós is the origin of English
words like theócracy, theólogy, theólogian, etc.
Dualism, also known as,
“the dual nature of Christ,” teaches that Jesus exists simultaneously as
‘fully’ God and ‘fully’ man. To say
Jesus is ‘fully’ God and ‘fully’ man at the same time means the nature of God
is changeable. It can easily be
demonstrated from the New Testament gospel accounts that Jesus the human has a
beginning point of origin. God on the
other hand has no beginning point of origin, as Genesis account clearly
states. Logic tells any rational
Christian this dualistic view of Jesus makes him appear to be schizophrenic,
because sometimes he is being ‘God’ and at other times he is being a, ‘man.’
The Greek word for “God”
is theós, and this word is usually rendered as, “God,” for the Supreme Deity,
or, “god,” for lesser, false gods.
However, theós also has the meaning of a, “magistrate,” or a,
“king.” In ancient times, the term
magistrate referred to a local prefect or ruler, also known as a king.
The word magistrate comes
from the Latin root, “magis,” and this is the same root as the word,
“majesty.” Recall how the Magi came
from the east to bow at the feet of the newborn king. These Magi were among the early “magistrates,” or rulers from the
east. In essence, the words,
“magistrate,” and, “majesty,” mean the same thing. When the Jews were awaiting the coming of their Messiah, it was
primarily based upon the promise Yahweh made to king David, that one from his
descendents would eventually ascend to the throne of Israel, and rule in
righteousness and justice forever.
When applied to Jesus
Christ in the New Testament the correct application of the Greek word theós it
should always be translated as one of the equal possibilities, “magistrate,
majesty, or king.” There is another
word archon that also means magistrate, ruler or king in the New
Testament. The Greek word archon means
first in rank or power, and in the KJV is translated as chief (ruler),
magistrate, prince, ruler. The reference
number in the New Testament provided in Strong’s Concordance for theós (God) is
NT: 2316. Strong’s Dictionary
definition of theós is below.
“God” = NT: 2316 theós
(theh'-os); of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with NT: 3588) the
supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate by
Hebraism, very. (Biblesoft's
New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators,
Inc.)
There are three possible
definitions provided above:
1. A deity (a god, goddess, idol, etc)
2. The supreme Divinity (The one true God, Yahweh Elohim
of the OT)
3. Figuratively, a magistrate or by Hebraism a prominent
(‘very’) magistrate.
The application for theós
as, ‘figuratively, a magistrate by Hebraism, very.’ A Hebraism simply refers to a style of speech common to the
Semitic people, just like Spanish, Italian or any other language nuance. For “very magistrate,” to be readable and at
the same time make sense in our vernacular today, word modifications that
correspond to modern English are needed.
The easiest and quickest
solution is to find English synonyms to “very” and “magistrate” that won’t
destroy the original intended meaning.
Whenever you make modifications in scripture word studies be careful not
to change the meaning of the words inherent to the language. In this case, the goal is to find out what
the words ‘very magistrate’ mean to the Hebrews at the time of Christ.
To begin we start by using
Strong’s Concordance, a Bible study resource that was compiled by Dr. James
Strong over the course of 35 years from 1855-1890. He published the first edition in 1890; this is quite a feat
considering there were no computers.
Dr. Strong devoted his life to making this irreplaceable tool for use by
Bible students. He was a professor of
exegetical theology at Drew University, and he saw the need to have a numerical
system by which each word of the Bible could be categorized and subsequently defined
from the original languages.
Unfortunately, today much
of his work represents the English language as it was used in the 1800’s (i.e.
– the 19th century). The
intrinsic nature of any language changes over the course of time because of
developments in use and the way any given culture and society progress. The word ‘magistrate’ is hardly in use today
in 21st century America and even the dictionary definitions for this
word have been dramatically altered based on changes in the political structure
of the country.
For example, below are two
different dictionary word definitions for ‘magistrate.’ The first is Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
definition and the second is the Microsoft Encarta Dictionary definition of the
same word.
#1 Magistrate (plural
magistrates) noun [14th century. From Latin magistratus, formed in turn from
magister “master” (source of English mister and master).]
1.
Lower court judge: a
judge in a lower court whose jurisdiction is limited to the trial of
misdemeanors and the conduct of preliminary hearings on more serious charges
2.
Local law officer: a
minor law officer or member of a local judiciary with extremely limited powers,
for example, a justice of the peace who deals with moving vehicular violations[2]
#2 MAGISTRATE, noun
[Latin magistratus, from magister, master; magis, major, and ster, Teutonic
steora, a director; steoran, to steer; the principal director.]
1.
A public civil officer,
invested with the executive government of some branch of it. In this sense, a
king is the highest or first magistrate, as is the President of the United
States.
2.
But the word is more
particularly applied to subordinate officers, as governors, intendants,
prefects, mayors, justices of the peace, and the like (e.g. The magistrate must
have his reverence; the laws their authority).[3]
The difference between the
definitions of magistrate in #1 Microsoft Encarta and #2 Webster’s 1828
Dictionary is as radical as it gets!
Encarta identifies a magistrate simply as, “a judge in a lower court
whose jurisdiction is limited to the trial of misdemeanors,” or as, “a minor
law officer or member of a local judiciary with extremely limited powers.” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines magistrate
as, “invested with the executive government of some branch… In this sense, a
king is the highest or first magistrate, as is the President of the United
States.”
The 21st
century dictionary version of magistrate views this public civil office no
higher than a judge in the lowest courts who passes judgment only on
misdemeanors, and gives an example of, “a justice of the peace who deals with
moving vehicular violations.” Compare
this example to Webster’s 19th century use of the word magistrate
as, “…a king is the highest or first magistrate, as is the President of the
United States.”
Recall now the Greek word
for ‘God’ in the New Testament is ‘theós’ and then apply it as a Hebraism,
‘highest or first magistrate.’ I don’t
think James Strong had in mind a lower court judge ruling on traffic ticket
violations when he used ‘very magistrate’ to define theós! A magistrate in 21st century
English carries a vastly different meaning than Strong’s 19th
century use. Dr. Strong used the words,
‘very magistrate’ in 1855 when he began translating and compiling his Greek New
Testament dictionary and he used Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary definition of
‘magistrate’ because it was established as the standard dictionary of the
day.
One common thread between
the modern Encarta and 1828 Webster’s Dictionary is what both say concerning
the Latin origin of the word magistrate.
Microsoft Encarta Dictionary says this is a 14th century word from the
Latin magistratus, formed in turn from magister, the Latin for our English,
“master,” and, “mister.” Webster’s 1828
dictionary agrees the Latin magistratus is from magister, meaning, “master.” It continues saying master is from the
Latin, “magis” meaning, “major,” and “ster,” from the Germanic root (i.e. –
Teutonic) “steora,” meaning, “a director.”
Webster’s takes the
etiology one step further saying steora is from, “steoran,” meaning, “to
steer,” or, “the principal director.”
Putting all this together, the modern equivalent of James Strong’s,
“very magistrate,” is properly rendered today as, “the master,” or as, “the
principal director.” The principal
director is vested with executive authority, such as a king or the President of
the United States. Because the
Hebraism, “very,” is used as an adjective to describe the degree of authority,
it is useful to examine the 1828 Webster’s profile of this word as it applies
to a magistrate, king, master, etc.
Very = adverb; As an
adverb, or modifier of adjectives and adverbs, very denotes in a great degree,
an eminent or high degree, but not generally the highest.
While magistrate is not a
word we see used much in the Bible, it means, “master,” or “king,” and these
words ARE in the scriptures and they are frequently used to describe the role
of the man Jesus. Jesus is an eminent
king, but not higher in degree than God the Father. His exalted position at God’s right hand is the highest degree
any human can acquire. There is yet
another English word that comes from the exact same Latin origin as magistrate
and master; this word is “majesty” and consulting once again with Webster’s
1828 Dictionary the definition opens us to great insight from scripture
concerning Jesus.
MAJESTY, a noun from
the Latin majestas, from the root of magis,
major, more, greater.
1.
Greatness of appearance;
dignity; grandeur; dignity of aspect or manner; the quality or state of a
person or thing which inspires awe or reverence in the beholder; applied with
peculiar propriety to God and his works.
2.
Dignity; elevation of
manner.
3.
A title of emperors,
kings, and queens; as most royal majesty; may it please your majesty. In this sense, it admits of the plural; as,
their majesties attended the concert.
This simple word search
yielded many revelations and gives believers ways they can and should relate to
Jesus as a glorified man, who is majestic.
MAJESTIC, a. [from
majesty.] August; noble; gracious;
righteous; blameless; having dignity of person or appearance; grand; princely
the prince was majestic in person and appearance; e.g. - In his face sat
meekness, heightened with majestic grace.
1. Splendid; grand; e.g. - Get the start of
this majestic world.
2. Elevated; lofty; e.g. - The least portions
must be of the epic kind; all must be grave, majestic and sublime.
3. Stately; becoming majesty; as a majestic air
or walk.
The most common Old
Testament word for God is 'elohiym, and when using Strong’s Dictionary of Old Testament
words, the meaning of 'elohiym was nearly identical to the meaning of theós
(i.e. – as magistrate).
OT:430 'elohiym
(el-o-heem'); plural of OT:433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates;
and sometimes as a superlative. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers
and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994,
Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The concept of a
magistrate is much different than the concept of a God. The magistrate or ruler is also carried over
into the New Testament scriptures. For
example, in Luke 12:58 Jesus told his disciples, “For while you are going with
your opponent to appear before the magistrate…”
(New American Standard Bible). Here he
uses the word archon for magistrate instead of theós.
In Revelation 1:5 Jesus
Christ is called the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the
dead, first to be brought back to life, and the
Prince (or Ruler) of the kings of the earth.” The Greek word for, “prince Ruler,” is,
“archon,” and conveys similar meaning as theós when speaking of Jesus as a man.
When Pilate had Jesus crucified because the Jewish leaders incited
his death, the sign put above his head read, “King of the Jews.” Again, this shows that Jesus as a man was
considered to be a spiritual Ruler and Magistrate.
In the Old Testament, only
Yahweh, the covenant name for God, is to be honored as the Almighty and only
Supreme Deity. Just the same, Jesus is
the Ruler of God’s kingdom by appointment, and He is the Mediator/Advocate
between God and man. When we come to
worship God, it should always be done in the name of Jesus, honoring Go the
Father (Yahweh) thru him (Jesus).
When doubting Thomas saw
the Lord Jesus resurrected in the flesh, in John 20:28 he said, “My Lord and my
God.” This typical mistranslation
should read, “My Lord and my King.”
Otherwise, John 20:17 makes no sense whatsoever; because Jesus said he
had not yet ascended to his own God.
John 20:16-18 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew,
"Rabboni!” (This means,
Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her,
"Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to
my brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My
Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the
disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things
to her. New American Standard Bible - Updated Edition
Once you realize the Greek
word theós is properly translated as magistrate or king, it reconciles many New
Testament scripture verses formerly attributing deity to Jesus. One classic example is John 1:18, which in
the best Greek manuscripts reads, “only begotten theós.” The New American Standard translates this
verse as, “only begotten God.”
John 1:18 No man has seen God (Theón) at any time; the only
begotten God (ho theós), who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained
Him. NAS (insertions mine)
God cannot be, “begotten,”
because to be born contradicts God’s nature; Numbers 23:19 says clearly, “God
is not a man, nor the son of man…”
However, if rendered according to the proper use of theos, John 1:18 reads
as follows:
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only begotten (hoos
monogenoús) Magistrate, Ruler, and King (Theos) who IS (presently) in the bosom
of the Father, he unfolds (reveals) Him.
The Appropriate Translation
This makes so much sense
and simplifies our concepts of Jesus throughout the Old Testament and New
Testament. The Old Testament has a
counterpart to theos in its use of the Hebrew word elohym. The Hebrew word elohym is the most widely
used word for “God” in the Old Testament but it also applies to magistrates or
rulers, such as we see in John 10 and Psalms 82. This famous psalm is that which Jesus refers when rebuking the
Pharisees, whom God intended as rulers, but they failed as miserably as did the
judges or magistrates of old in Israel.
John 10:30-36 Jesus said, I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone
Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed
you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning
me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a
good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy; and because you, being a man,
make yourself out to be God.” (God = Theón –
anarthrous noun).” 34 Jesus
answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, “I said, ‘you are gods (theoí)’?” 35 "If He (Yahweh) called them gods (theoús), to whom the word of God came (and the
Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of him, whom the Father sanctified
and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son
of God?’ New American Standard Bible -
Updated Edition
Note carefully in verse 33
above that “God” is Theón, the Greek noun, anarthrous in construction;
anarthrous means there is no definite article used, and at the very best,
should be rendered, ‘a god.’ However,
it is more accurately rendered as, “a ruler, or a magistrate.” The Jews were not accusing Jesus of being
God Almighty, for Jesus only said he was the ‘son of God.’ However, in calling himself the son of God,
this meant Jesus claimed to be a ruler, or a magistrate from God and as
such, a ruler over the Jewish leaders.
This really pissed them off!
In John 10:34-36 Jesus
answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, “I said, ‘you are gods (theoús)’?”
This is a reference to Psalms 82, a familiar passage known by all Jewish
leaders of that era. In this psalm,
Yahweh called the ancient judges and rulers of Israel, “gods,” which is
elohiym, the Old Testament counterpart for New Testament theoús, and theoús
is used by Jesus. In fact, the
Septuagint uses theoús in Psalms 82.
Psalms 82:1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty; he judges among the gods (elohiym).
This phrase means God
stands in the congregation of the mighty.
The mighty in the ancient assembly of the rulers (magistrates) and
judges of Israel. The Book of Judges
records many events among those magistrates of most exalted rank and
station. Yahweh observe the rulers or
magistrates to give them law, to direct their decisions, and also to judge them
as they judge their brethren. He is
supreme over them; and He holds them responsible to Himself.
The word rendered
“congregation” is that which is commonly applied to the assembly of the people
of Israel, considered as an organized body, or as a body politic. However, here it refers to magistrates
considered as a body or class of people; as those who have assemblages or
meetings, with special reference to their duties as magistrates.
The word rendered
"mighty" is 'eel and is in the singular number, and is one of the
names which are given to God; hence, the literal rendering is, "God stands
in the assembly of magistrates."
The Septuagint renders it, “In the synagogue of the gods.” So also the Latin Vulgate.” The reference, however, is undoubtedly to
magistrates, and the idea is, that they were to be regarded as representatives
of God; as acting in his name; and as those, therefore, to whom, in a
subordinate sense, the name gods might be given.
Compare Psalms 82:6. In
Exodus 21:6; 22:8-9,28, also, the same word elohym is applied to magistrates,
and is properly translated judges in our common version. The idea is that they
were the representatives of the divine sovereignty in the administration of
justice. Compare Romans 13:1-2,6. They were, in a sense, gods to other people;
but they were not to forget that God stood among them as their God; that if
they were exalted to a high rank in respect to their fellowmen, they were,
nevertheless, subject to One to whom the name of God belonged in the highest
sense.
“He judges among the
gods,” means as they to whom the name ‘gods’ (elohym), or more accurately,
“magistrates,” is thus given as they are the representatives of the divine
sovereignty, who judged among people; so also, God would judge among them. If they were, in some sense (in consequence
of their representing the divine majesty, and deriving their power and
appointment from God), independent of people, they were in no sense independent
of God himself.
Psalms 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the
persons of the wicked? Selah.
How long will ye “judge
unjustly,” is literally, “judge evil.”
This is designed, evidently, to denote the prevailing character of the
magistrates at the time when the psalm was written.
Psalms 82:6 “I have said, ‘Ye are gods,’ and all of you are
children of the most High.’”
“I have said, ‘Ye are
gods,’” means I Yahweh have given magistrates this title; He has bestowed on
them a title magistrate, which indicates a greater nearness to God than any
other which is bestowed on men. This is
a title that implies they are God's representatives on earth, and that their
decision is, in an important sense, to be regarded as His. The phrase, “And all of you are children of
the Most High,” means sons of God. That
is, these magistrates occupy a rank which makes it proper they should be
regarded as Yahweh’s sons.[4]
There is further proof
from John’s gospel that the Jewish leaders in Jesus era were also considered to
be magistrates, and they tried to get Jesus to have the woman caught in
adultery stoned using this authority.
John 8:10-11 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but
the woman, he said unto her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no
man condemned thee?” 11 She said, “No
man, Lord.” And Jesus said unto her,
“Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
Jesus’ words, “Neither do
I condemn thee,” are evidently to be taken in the sense of judicial
condemnation, or of passing sentence as a Roman magistrate, for this was what
they had arraigned her for. It was not
to obtain his opinion about adultery, but to obtain the condemnation of the
woman. As he claimed no civil
authority, he said that he did not exercise it, and should not condemn her to
die. In this sense, the word is used in
the previous verse, and this is the only sense which the passage demands. Besides, what follows shows that this was
his meaning, “Go, and sin no more,” in effect means: You have sinned. You have been detected and accused. The sin is great. But I do not claim power to condemn you to die, and, as your
accusers have left you, my direction to you is that you sin no more. This passage therefore teaches us:
1. That Jesus claimed no civil authority.
2. That he regarded the action of which they accused her
as sin.
3. That he knew the hearts and lives of men.
4. That men are often very zealous in accusing others of
that of which they themselves are guilty.
And,
5. That Jesus was endowed with wonderful wisdom in
meeting the devices of his enemies, and eluding their deep-laid plans to involve
him in ruin.[5]
One need not necessarily
consult the Greek to figure out the Pharisees were not accusing him of being,
“God.” At his trial, they never
mentioned him as being God, but rather, accused him of teaching he was a king.
Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this fellow
perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying
that he himself is Christ a King.”
The word “fellow” is not
in the original. It conveys a notion of
contempt, which no doubt, they felt, but which is not expressed in the Greek
and which should not be expressed in the translation. It might be translated, “We found this man perverting the
nation,” that is, exciting them to sedition and tumults. This was a mere wanton accusation, but it
was plausible before a Roman magistrate, for:
1. The Galileans, as Josephus testifies, were prone to
seditions and tumults.
2. Jesus drew multitudes after him, and they thought it
was easy to show that this was itself promoting tumults and seditions.
The words used, such as,
“Forbidding,” illustrate in their charges they were very cautious and
cunning. They did not say that he,
“taught,” that people should not give tribute-that would have been too gross a
charge, and would have been easily refuted; but it was an inference, which they
drew. They said it, “followed,” from
his doctrine. He professed to be a
king. They inferred therefore if he
was, “a king,” that he must hold that it was not right to acknowledge
allegiance to any foreign prince; and if they support this allegation, they
supposed that Pilate, “must,” condemn him of course.[6]
Matthew 27:29 And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on
His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and
mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” New American Standard
This final section is
dedicated to God the Father, on behalf of my King and Lord, Jesus the
Christ. I love Jesus so much, and
though God will always be higher than and over him, Jesus is the One I feel
closest to. I have no logic for this;
it is just what my spirit feels. Maybe
I am too new in crying, “Abba Father.”
I know I feel as Jesus felt about the merchandising of the gospel by
preachers and teachers in the prosperity message that are greedy, materialistic
wolves.
John 2:13-17 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up
to Jerusalem. And he found in the
temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers
seated at their tables. And having
made a lash of cords into a whip, he drove them all out of the temple
enclosure--both the sheep and the oxen--spilling and scattering the brokers'
money and upsetting and tossing around their stands. Then to those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things out
of here! Make
not my Father's house a house of merchandise, a marketplace, or a
sales shop!” His disciples remembered
that it was written, "Zeal for Your house
will consume me." (John 2:13-14, 17 NASU; John 2:15-16 AMP)
John 8:54 Jesus answered, “If I were to glorify, magnify,
praise, and honor myself, I would have no real glory, for my glory would be
nothing and worthless. My honor must come to me from my Father. It is my Father
Who glorifies me, of Whom you say that, ‘He is your God.’” AMP
John 9:1-5 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from
birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he should be born blind?”
Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be
displayed in him. We must work the
works of Him who sent me, as long as it is day; night is
coming, when no man can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the
world.” NAS
John 17:3 He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, ”And this
is eternal life: it means to know, to perceive, recognize, become acquainted
with, and understand You, the only true and real
God, and likewise to know him, Jesus
as the Christ, the Anointed one, whom You have sent.” AMP
John 21:24-25 It is this same disciple who is bearing witness to
these things and who has recorded (written) them; and we [well] know that his
testimony is true. And there are also
many other things, which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one
in detail, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room
for) the books that would be written.
Amplified Bible
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man
is the head of a woman, and God is the head of
Christ. NAS
Romans 15:5-9 Now may the God who gives perseverance and
encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to
Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify THE God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant
to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God
to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is
written, “Therefore I will give praise to You
among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Your name.” New American Standard Bible - Updated
Edition
1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands
have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life
appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal
life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We
proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have
fellowship with us. And our fellowship
is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We
write this to make our joy complete.
(NIV)
The MAN Christ Jesus is:
Empowered with the executive government
Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be
born to us, a son will be given to us; and
the government will rest on His shoulders; 7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there
shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the
latter time forth, even forevermore.
AMP
The MAN Christ Jesus is: A
king appointed by God
1 Corinthians 15:25-28 For Christ must be
King and reign until He has put all his enemies under his feet. 26
The last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death. 27 For He (the Father) has put all things in subjection under his
(Christ's) feet. But when it says, ‘All
things are put in subjection under him (Christ),’ it is evident that He Himself
(God the Father) is excepted Who does the subjecting of all things to Him
(Christ). 28 However, when everything is subjected to Him (Christ), then the
Son Himself will also subject Himself to (the Father) Who put all things under
Him (Christ), so that God may be all in all (be everything to everyone,
supreme, the indwelling and controlling factor of life). AMP
The MAN Christ Jesus is:
The highest in rank in God’s kingdom.
Philippians 2:8-11 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and
bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth,
and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NAS
The MAN Christ Jesus is:
The man thru whom God will judge the world
Acts 17:30-31 "Therefore having overlooked the times of
ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, 31
because He has fixed a day in which He will
judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men
by raising Him from the dead." NAS
The MAN Christ Jesus is: The Shepherd and Overseer of Your Souls.
1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of
your souls. NKJV
The MAN Christ Jesus is: Leader
Isaiah 55:4 Behold, I have appointed him (Him) David, as a representative of the Messiah, to be a
witness one who shall testify of salvation to the nations, a Prince and Commander to the peoples. AMP
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to
the poor. He
has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of
sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the
favorable year of the Lord. NAS
It is my prayer that these
scriptures and words of teaching portray Jesus in the way he desires, and give
you better knowledge about your relationship with him, and his relationship
with the Father God. To God be the
glory, thru His son Jesus Christ.
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[1] Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft
[2] Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2002. © 1993-2001
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
[3] Webster’s 1828 Dictionary (c) 1995
Christian Technologies Inc.
[4] Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved
[5] ibid
[6] Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved