Skilled in the word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13) Part 21

SKILLED IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrews 5:13)

Part 21

Written by Yeow Chin Kiong

After it has been ascertained that the New Testament is a reliable (i.e. trustworthy) record of eyewitness testimony and reactions to that testimony, we need to determine what it is,- especially the four gospels and Acts of the Apostles,- says about the person of Jesus Christ, the focus of its contents. Most importantly, we must determine whether the New Testament records that Jesus was Divine, being Deity or God. Only if He was God would we be able to accept as true what He said about the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,- that they were God’s word communicated to mankind and thus authoritative for us. After all, only God Himself would know whether any writing were His inspired word.

To ascertain whether the New Testament was to be understood as reliable historical record, we began by determining whether the New Testament itself claims to be a reliable record of historical reality and truth. From John 21:24; Luke 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-4 we have such claims. We then went on to prove beyond reasonable doubt that such claims were true, using approaches and methods of proving the authenticity and truthfulness of any historical documents. If the CLAIMS were not there, it would not be necessary to prove anything. The same applies for ascertaining whether Jesus is God; He must first claim to be God.

It is true that nowhere in the New Testament do we find Jesus Himself claiming explicitly that He was God (i.e. in exact Hebrew or Aramaic, translated later into English, as “I am God”). However, there are recorded many instances when Jesus implicitly affirmed or accepted His Divinity. Interestingly, the Jewish religious authorities who confronted Him in response to his words and works readily understood Jesus to be making an indirect but obvious claim to be God,- and therefore accused Him of blasphemy,- the wrongdoing of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverance for God (is Jesus’ case, by claiming to be equal to God though,- in the view of the Jews,- only a mere human.) Three examples of such instances are Mark 14:61-63; John 8:53-59 and John 10:22-39.

In Mark 14, after Jesus was detained at the garden of Gathsemane and brought before the high priest, chief priests, elders and scribes, after much differing accusatory testimony against Him, the record tells us that the Jewisn authorities condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy after He answered the high priest’s question, “…Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mark 14:61) with the words, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62). Jesus’ answer clearly reminded the Jewish leaders of the “Son of Man” prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14, who was given “everlasting dominion” over “all peoples, nations and languages” and clearly referred to God. Not believing the incarnation of Deity in Mary’s womb, the Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy.

In John 8, after Jesus disposed of the case of the woman caught in the act of adultery by declaring what only God could, “… Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11), a contention arose between Jesus and the Jews. That heated exchange of words ended with the Jews taking up stones to throw at Jesus right after He said to them. “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58). The Jews correctly inferred that Jesus was claiming to be God who identified Himself as the “I Am” in Exodus 3:14,- indicating His eternal, uncreated Being. They sought therefore to stone Jesus as Moses’ Law required (Leviticus 24:16).

In John 10, during a feast at the Jerusalem temple, the Jews asked Jesus, “… How long do You keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24). Jesus replied, “… I told you, and you do no believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of me … I and My Father are one.” (John 10:25, 30). Jesus concluded by reasoning, “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’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in Him.” (John 10:36-38). During this incident, Jesus clearly affirmed His Deity and even provided the means to test His affirmation,- His miraculous works which the Jews saw or knew about. Jesus also taught that calling Him “Son of God” meant accepting His Deity.