Is Jesus God? (revisited)

I've come a long way since the day I wrote my last installment in this
category.  I've learned a lot.. and have a lot more ammunition when it comes
to speaking into this doctrine.  So.. sit back.. ?  nope.. sit forward.. arms
ready to take notes.. and eyes forward.. cuz this stuff is downright
important!

First and foremost.. Jesus is identified.. not only in John 1:1.. but in the
last text of the Bible.. as The Word.. or.. The Word of God.  Naturally, one
would assume that God is greater than His Word.. worthy of more glory than His
Word.. and the progenitor *of* His Word.  Progenitor.. hmm.. sounds a lot like
"Father" to me. :)  Jesus is The Word, God is The Father, and the Holy Spirit
is God's Holy Spirit.. God being a Spirit, Himself.. The Holy Spirit being the
Spirit of God.. The Spirit of a Spirit. :)

I just explained the actual way the people denoted by many as "The Trinity"
truly relate.. at least.. in proper terms.  Jesus is not God..  nor "God the
Son".  You may have heard the terminology "God the Father, God the Son, and God
The Holy Spirit"... but.. God is bigger than His Spirit.. and bigger than His
Word.. and to use the terms above is to denote somehow that they are 3 beings
in one.  Not precisely.  Jesus is the Word of God.. a separate entity which is
one with God, but not the same *as* God.. He is that which comes forth from God
when He speaks. :)  There is no place in Scripture that uses the term "God the
Son" nor "God The Holy Spirit", because the term "God the Father" means not
"The part of God which is the Father".. but rather, "God, who is.. the
Father.".. as is most feasibly demonstrated in my previous letter from
1 Cor 8:6.

Now.. regarding the minds of God and Jesus.. if Jesus were God, He would've
known all things right?  For one.. if Jesus were God, how could He increase in
favor with God and man?  For two.. if Jesus were God.. why didn't He know when
His return was going to be.. and yet His Father, whom Jesus made it clear
multiple times in Scripture to be God, knew when it would be?  If Jesus were
God, He wouldn't have prayed.. He wouldn't have someone greater than Himself..
and He wouldn't not know something which His Father (which would have to be
Himself if He were God) happened to know.

Let's focus next on Psalm 2, where a definite difference between The LORD and
His Anointed or His Son.  God, Himself, is speaking in what is denoted verse
6.. and says, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion."  He is not
talking about setting Himself as king upon Zion, but someone else -- His Son..
who is also called begotten of God.. made into God's Son.  So many people
think God's Son is also God.. but let me assure you.. this statement by God
about setting His King upon Zion, as well as the one about talking *to* His
Son and offering Him, if He asks, the nations.. to dash in pieces like a
potter's vessel.  Now.. if Jesus were God, He would not need to ask Himself
for the nations.. He would already have them.. or have the ability to take
them.  But here, the statement by God which is offering the nations upon His
Son's askance, demonstrates a definite difference between God and His Son.. a
difference which is irrefutable.  

Now.. let's also look at the voice heard three times from an invisible
source.. with regards to Jesus' doings and sayings.  First off.. we have
Jesus' baptism where a voice shows up and says, "This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased."  Second.. at the "mount of transfiguration" as it's
called.. the same statement is made (according to Luke's Gospel) with "Hear
ye Him." following.  And then when Jesus spoke to the Father with the message
of "Glorify Thy Name", a voice came from nowhere, saying, "I have glorified
it, and will glorify it again!"  If Jesus is actually God, who is this person
who says He is well pleased in Jesus.. and who says He has glorified His Name,
and "will glorify it again!"?  The statements *MUST*, by evaluation of the
statements made, be someone other than Jesus -- and a natural conclusion would
be that it is His Father.  And who did Jesus claim was His Father?  God!
Hardly Himself, but God!  To say that Jesus is His own Father, God, is to say
that He is greater than Himself.. a total impossibility.. but Jesus says, as
denoted in John's Gospel.. addressed as chapter 14, verse 28.. "My Father is
greater than I."  So.. His Father, who He always says is God.. is greater than
Jesus by His own admission.. thus denoting that His Father cannot be Himself..
which would be a requirement if Jesus were God.

Now.. What about Isaiah.. denoted as chapter 53 where the prophet is quoted as
saying, "It pleased The LORD to bruise Him."  This statement is easily noted
as stating there is someone who is *doing* the bruising, and someone who is
being bruised.. and that they are two different people.  If it were God who
was being offered unto Himself.. He would've been noted as brusing Himself.
Why would this bring us atonement for our sins?  God did not have HIMSELF
sacrificed, but His Word.. as His only begotten Son!

Next.. let's look at John's Gospel.. designated as chapter 5, verses 22 and
23. "22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the
Son: 23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He
that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."
Herein, Jesus says that The Father has committed all judgment unto the Son..
and that the Father judgeth no man.  If this is the case, The Father is a
different person than the Son.  And what is honoring the Son?  Believing what
He has said.. and acting upon all of it faithfully.. not merely giving Jesus
praise and worship.  Anyone can simply sing praises to Jesus.  But giving Him
more honor than God is to honor someone greater than God who is less than God
by His own statement in this same Gospel.. chapter 14, verse 28.  And to
somehow honor Jesus as God is to give Jesus more glory than even He deserves.
It's simply a trick of the enemy to get us to believe that Jesus is His own
Father.. God.. for then we are not worshipping Jesus as the instrument of
creation.. as the Bible says He is in Ephesians.. but as the very Creator..
who His Father actually is.. Jesus being the Word of the Creator.

And notwithstanding, let us also look unto Ephesians, denoted chapter 5, where
Jesus is said to have given Himself for us an offering and sacrifice unto God
for a sweetsmelling savor.  Now.. if Jesus gave Himself as an offering and
sacrifice.. would we say that Jesus was offering Himself to Himself?  NO!!
Jesus was offering Himself unto someone else.. namely His Father.. God.  Yet
people who believe Jesus to be God would have to conclude that Jesus was
somehow offering Himself to Himself.. which makes no sense as far as being a
sacrifice and an offering.

Jesus is also identified as a priest.. "Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek."  And if Jesus is a priest.. there must be someone..
other than Jesus.. whom Jesus is a high priest unto!  Jesus is our high
priest..  higher than any other priest.. including Melchizedek.  And whom is He
a priest unto?  His Father, God!  And the idea that Jesus must somehow also be
God is also discounted by this same passage in Hebrews (denoted chapter 5)
because the writer says that no man taketh the honour of high priest unto
himself, but he that is called of God.. and that Christ did not glorify
Himself unto becoming high priest, taking this honour unto Himself (which He
would've had to do if He were God) but he that said unto Him, "Thou art my Son,
to day have I begotten thee.", also called Him unto the office of high priest,
"Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec."  Thus, somebody
else besides Jesus had to make Him a high priest.  Whom would that be?
Somebody other than Jesus who happens to be God.

And in James' epistle, denoted chapter 1, verse 27, "Pure religion before God
and the Father is this...."  James states right here that God *is* The Father.
Not that God is someone we need to have religion before as well *as* The
Father, but that God *is* The Father before which we need to have our
religion (for this is what is being said in the phrasing of the time).

As well, in I Peter chapter 2.. where it says Jesus "committed himself to him
that judgeth righteously".  If Jesus were God.. He would have no one to commit
Himself to.  Yet Jesus here in chapter 2 is said to have committed Himself to
someone else.. Him who judgeth righteously... again.. that Him having to be
someone other than Himself.. His Father, God.

Now.. does Jesus have a will that differs from the Father?  We know from
Scripture.. most specifically in John's Gospel.. denoted in chapter 5, verse
18.. that Jesus said God was His Father.  Now.. first and foremost.. did God
deny this?  God said on two occasions.. both at Jesus' Baptism, and on the
mountain where He was transfigured.. "This is My beloved Son".. and if you
listen to the words as you read them, you can tell this is a Father speaking
about His Son.. even in praise for His Son's well doing.. not someone merely
speaking about Himself.  Plus.. in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked for
His Father.. God.. to take His cup away.. "may this cup pass from Me".. "but
nevertheless.. not what I will.. but what Thou wilt".  Jesus demonstrates here
a difference in wills between Himself and the Father.. so.. that goes further
to demonstrating that they are unique people.. though united.. one.

What about being greater?  Jesus' being equal to God was not a total
equality.. It says in John.. that Jesus made Himself "equal with God" by
attributing to God His Fathership.  And in Philippians.. though it says "equal
with God" again.. this does not mean that Jesus is totally equal with God in
all respects.. because it says in 1 Corinthians.. in what's denoted chapter
15, verse 22-28: --> 
22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  23But
every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ’s at his coming.  24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule
and all authority and power.  25For he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet.  26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are
put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things
under him.  28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the
Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God
may be all in all.
Note verse 24.. it states right here.. that God.. *is*.. the Father.. end of
story.  And then the Son shall be subject unto God.. the one who put all
things *underneath* The Son / His Word.

What about the parables?  Let's look at the one Jesus made which talks about a
father having a wedding for his son.  Let's notice this.  The statement is one
which points out that a father (referring naturally to God) is having a
wedding for his son (referring naturally to Jesus, and not unto God,
Himself).  For although God does talk about the children of Israel being His
wife in the OT, this is not in the same manner as Jesus is sent to become one
with His bride, the church.  It's similar, but it's more figurative than the
marriage between Jesus and His body, the faithful believers and saints whom He
washes clean and whom live righteously, enduring in the faith unto the end of
their lives, or unto His return.. whichever comes first.

And in another case, Jesus makes a statement that He is the true vine, and
that His Father is the husbandman.  This makes, yet again, a distinction
between Himself and His Father.. God.. who takes away those in Jesus who do
not bear fruit.. and who "purges" those who are bearing fruit, so that they
might bear even more.  If Jesus is the vine and His Father is not the vine,
but rather Jesus' husbandman, taking care of His vine, then they -- God and
Jesus, must be different people.

Another location in the Bible that points out differentiation between Jesus
and God is in 2 Corinthians, denoted chapter 5, where we are told that "God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself."  And if God, as is said
here, was *IN* Christ, He most certainly was not the very person whom He was
said to be "in".  Therefore this passage demonstrates that God must be someone
other than Christ.

Okay.. if that's not enough.. what about Jesus' own words again?  Firstly.. in
John's Gospel.. denoted as chapter 14, verse 28.. Jesus states "My Father is
greater than I."  You cannot be totally equal to someone.. and have that
person be greater than you.. right?  Well.. here.. Jesus states that God is
greater than He.

Okay.. for those of you who think I skipped something in not mentioning "The
Word was God".. let me go back to John 1:1 right now.  In the beginning was
the Word.. and the Word was *with* God.  Let's focus on these statements one
at a time.. First.. The Word was in the beginning.  Just like "In the
beginning.. God."  But.. it says here in John 1:1.. "and the Word was *with*
God".  How could you ever say that you are with yourself?  It makes no sense..
unless you're trying to play a funny.  And here.. it says The Word was *with*
His Father.. God.  Now.. in light of that.. maybe you might be open to
realizing that the word 'God' at the end of this sentence is not the name
"God" but the word that refers to the form Jesus had at the beginning..
'G-o-d' or Theos in current Greek.. Not simply the name of God in Greek..
but.. the name used for His Form.  If you entertain that Jesus was *with*
God.. then you would naturally conclude that Jesus was *with* His Father.. not
that He *was* His Father.. and thus, you might easily conclude that the final
word 'God' in this sentence means something other than the person 'God'.  If
you follow the logic of the sentences... you get "The Word was God".. "And the
Word was made flesh."  "The same was in the beginning with God."  He was *with* 
God.. therefore He was not God, Himself.. if He was with God.  "All things
were made by Him...".. This does not mean He made all things, but that He was
the instrument by which all things that were made.. were indeed made!

What about statements like in Hebrews.. where Jesus is quoted as speaking
about children which God gave to Him?  If Jesus were God, He would not have
needed anyone to *give* Him those children.. and if Jesus were simply part of
God... and we could call Him "God".. then why wouldn't Jesus have used "The
Father" rather than "God"?  Plus.. Jesus is stated as singing praise unto God
in this same passage.  Or what about phrases like "Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"... stating unequivocably that Jesus has both
a God.. and Father.. and that they are one and the same.. not that Jesus is
somehow His own God and Father.  And going back to what I showed earlier from
John's Gospel 'chapter 14'.. if Jesus' Father is greater than He is.. then it
impossible for Jesus to *be* His own Father.. since it is totally logically
impossible for anyone to be greater than themselves.

Okay.. on to my favorite statement.. John 8:42 -- 42Jesus said unto them, If
God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from
God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.  Jesus says right here that He
proceeded forth and came *from* God.. and that God sent Him.  If Jesus were
God, He would've come *of* Himself.. He would've chosen to come of His own
accord.. and simply come.. not been sent.. as Jesus was.. And who was Jesus
sent by?  His Father.. God!

So what about what Thomas says.. about "My Lord and my God" to Jesus?
Simple.. Jesus is named in Isaiah 9 as being "Mighty God" or "Mighty `El".. or
"mighty strong one".. not "The only mighty God".  This word is what Thomas was
saying to refer to Jesus.. not that Jesus was the actual human form of YHVH..
but.. that.. Thomas was putting Jesus into the office in His life of being his
own 'El.  And what about 'Everlasting Father'..?  Jesus is our Father the same
way as Joseph was a father to pharoah.. He is our leader.. and the progenitor
of our faith.. He guides us forth into eternity... but.. at the head of all
power and might is God.. with God's Son and Word taking a subordinate role to
His Father.  

And just because (Sorry, Whit.. you're dead wrong) Jesus said "I am He" when
the mob of officers came to take Him.. means in no way He was claiming to be 
God.. though it does mean He was identifying His eternityhood as well as
stating that He is the one they were looking for... something we all need to
focus on... that Jesus.. the eternal.. is our way to the eternal God.

Oh, and for you searchers, find the passage that says, "The head of every
man is Christ.  And the head of the woman is the man.  And the head of Christ
is God."  If the head of Christ is God, as the head of the man is Christ, then
God takes a superior position to Christ as Christ's Head.  And as a superior,
He is more than Christ.. and is not Christ, but His superior.  And just like
how Jesus, as the man's head, is yet another person than a man, and man, as
the woman's head, is another person than the woman, God, as Christ's head, is
another person than Christ.

Another very short example, yet equally as powerful as some of the others, is
when Jesus multipled the loaves and fishes, as documented in John's Gospel,
designated as being in chapter 6.  Not only does this passage tell of Jesus
multiplying the food, but it says that He "gave thanks".  If Jesus were God,
He would have no need to give thanks, since He, as God, would be responsible
for the provision *of* that food.  Yet Jesus makes a simple statement in
giving thanks for the food.. that He, Himself, is not the source which the
food was ultimately provided by.. but that the God whom He naturally gave
thanks unto was someone other than Jesus, Himself.

Jesus claimed to be "The Way" to God... but how could God be the way unto
Himself?  He isn't.  Plus.. if Jesus were God.. then we would end up eating
God's Body and Blood.. which is ludicrous!!!  Jesus is the Word of God.. and
transubstantiation is bunch of junk.. Jesus' flesh is the substance of the
truth.. and His blood is the life in the Word.. which we partake of as we
sacrifice ourselves for His sake.. for God's glory.  When we take of the
Lord's Supper.. we commemorate what we should already be doing.. living out
the ingesting of Jesus' Body and Blood.. because of His sacrifice.. both to
live with us.. and to die.. so that our sins could be forgiven.

Another point... Let's look at the testimony of Stephen when he was being
martyred.  Stephen, when he was being stoned, is said in the book of Acts to
have seen the Heavens parted, and then seen Jesus standing at the right hand
of God.  Now.. if Jesus was at the *right hand* **OF** God, how could He *be* 
God?  Isn't this a simple selection of words that demonstrates a
differentiation between God and Jesus?

Yet another point.  In John's Gospel.. in what is called chapter 8, verses 17
and 18, there is a simple statement Jesus makes that demonstrates that Jesus
is a person who is different from the Father.  "17It is also written in your
law, that the testimony of two men is true.  18I am one that bear witness of
myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."  This statement
here which Jesus uses points to the two "men" having testimomy as being Jesus
*and* His Father.. and we well know that Jesus said that God was His Father
back in what is called chapter 5.. also in what is called verses 17 and 18.
And since Jesus is not a liar, we would well take His words that He is
claiming not to be His own Father right here.. so He is not God.

What did Jesus tell Mary Magdalene when she saw Him just after He had risen?
"Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren,
and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God,
and your God."  He says, here, Himself.. that He is ascending to God.. to the
disciples' God.. who is His own Father, and theirs.  If He is ascending to God
who is His Father, how could He be God?

And another point.  It says in Ephesians (chapter 3) that God created all
things by Jesus Christ.  If God, not just the Father, but God.. created all
things by Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ is someone *other* than God.. the
wording naturally giving mention to a static difference between the two.. a
differentiation as simple as Instrument and Instrument User.  Naturally
superimposing.. as Jesus is called both "The Word" and "The Word Of God", one
can easily see God using His Word to create.. as it says He did in Genesis..
speaking all things into existence.

And another.  Jesus, if He were God, would have to be His own Father, since He
claimed that God was His Father.  But here in John's Gospel.. (designated
chapter 14, and verse 23) Jesus uses the word 'We' to describe Himself and His
Father.. who will come unto those who keep Christ's words.. and make Their
abode with him.  And if Jesus and His Father, God, are a 'we'.. not an 'I'..
then they are two different people.. stating that Jesus, again, Himself, is
not God, His own Father, but rather solely God's only begotten Son.

And while we're at it, let's look, as well, at John's Gospel yet again.. in
what is designated as chapter 6, verse 11.  Here, when Jesus is about to
perform His first miracle of multiplying fish and loaves, He *GIVES THANKS*!
If Jesus were God, He would not be giving thanks, for He would be the sole
provider of that bread and fish.  But this is not the case.  Jesus makes sure
to give thanks unto God for the provision of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes.. He
was hardly thanking Himself.. therefore.. Jesus could not be the same person
who He gave thanks to... God.

And probaby one of the best proofs I have found demonstrating that Jesus is
not God is in Hebrews chapter 5.. where it talks about Jesus learning
obedience by the things that He suffered.  If Jesus were God.. of course He
would not have to learn obedience unto Himself.. He would naturally do what He
wants at all times.  Yet Jesus was made a little lower than the angels.. for
the suffering of death.. that through death, He might destroy him that had the
power of death.. satan.  Jesus is learning obedience unto whom?  God?  You
bet!  And if He is learning obedience unto God.. if He were God.. He would
have to learn obedience unto Himself.. something which would never be
necessary.  Jesus is one with God.. His Father.. but not totally equal with
God.. for as He says.. His Father is greater than He.  Thus.. someone other
than Jesus would have to be the person Jesus learned obedience unto.. proving
that Jesus is not God.  

Oh.. and a last thought while we're at it.  When Jesus was on the cross, and
prayed, "Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani!" (My God, My God, why have you forsaken
Me?), He was hardly praying to Himself, asking Himself why He forsook Himself,
right?  Well, if Jesus were God, that is precisely what He would be praying
with these words.  Jesus was praying to His Father, His God, and our God.. and
crying out in anguish because God forsook Him when our sins were upon Him.
God turned His head away from His Son.  Why?  Because it was part of the death
that Jesus needed to suffer in order to atone for the sins of mankind.  God
and Jesus, up until the cross, had a fellowship that we will never know..
since they'd been in fellowship for eternity before this.. Jesus as God's
beloved Word, God as Jesus' Sender and Speaker.  Plus, God had been in
fellowship with Jesus as a son of man ever since His conception.  How can we
dare assume that Jesus, God's Son, is also God?  It's actually tantamount to
falling victim to the same temptation satan gave Eve.. to become "like God" by
thinking Jesus is somehow God, making us, by His own Word, brothers and
sisters of God, rather than merely His children.

Another note.. from the letter of (Paul?) to the Hebrews.  In what is called
chapter 9 verse 24, we get a statement which clearly demonstrates that Jesus
is not God.. telling us that Christ, to complete the redemption offered unto
mankind, entered not into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true, but into Heaven, itself.. "NOW TO APPEAR IN THE PRESENCE
*OF* *GOD* FOR US."  How could Jesus.. being God.. appear in His own presence?
If this scripture said "in the presence of the Father".. then it could be
argued that Jesus could be part of God.. except for the knowledge from John's
Gospel that when The Word was with God, it naturally precludes that the person
who is *with* God is definitely *not* God.. since someone who is with someone
else cannot be the other person whom they are with.. therefore the last
statement in the first sentence of John's Gospel, saying, "The Word was God."
means something other than The Word was YHVH (or in English paraphrase.. the
Word was the person named God).  These statements being the case, it becomes a
totally unavoidable conclusion to believe that Jesus did not appear into His
own presence, but into someone's presence other than His own.. God's.

As a final and very simple claim upon truth, let us take, again from the
Bible, in Paul's first letter to Timothy.  We are told here that there is one
God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.  Now.. if
Jesus were God, then He could not be a mediator between Himself (as God) and
man, since He would, as such a mediator, already be relating directly, as God,
with mankind, and thus, would not even need a mediator.  To project this as a
possibility would mean that He, as God, would be relating directly with
Himself and man, somehow in between man and God, and yet still God.  Does this
make no sense to you?  It shouldn't.  How could God be between Himself and
man (for to have Jesus be a mediator between God and man and yet be God would
require Him to have no mediator but Himself, thus excusing the need for a
mediator in the first place, as well as the statement that Jesus *is* a
mediator between God and man).  Likewise, since a mediator is someone in
between God and man, it has to be someone who is somehow different from man
*and* somehow different from God, yet able to make intercession between the
two.  Jesus, the sinless example of how to live righteously, the only person
in Adam who ever lived a totally sinless life, stands apart from man, but also
is a man by birth.  Likewise, as the Word of God, He stands closer to God than
any other man could, but could not be God logically, since God is naturally
greater than His Word, just as Jesus claimed was the case comparing His own
Father to Himself... that of His Father being greater than He (John's Gospel,
denoted chapter 14, verse 28).  My simple question in refuting the idea that
Jesus could somehow be God from this passage is:  How can anyone be in between
themselves and someone else?  It's totally impossible.  Yet for Jesus to be
God, He would have to stand between Himself and man *as* both God and God's
own mediator.. which is impossible, for then He wouldn't be a mediator, but
simply relating directly with man without one.. unable to be in between
Himself and man.. since this is an impossibility.

You claim Jesus is God.  But throughout Scripture there are tons of examples
of relationship between God and Jesus that cannot be discounted by merely
saying they are still, somehow, the same person.  The only legitimate
conclusion is that Jesus is Who He always claimed to be.. God's Son..
and not God, Himself.  To adopt the idea that Jesus is God is to have
abandoned the faith -- leaving a professing Christian with only eternal
punishment as the reward for this life.  And to preach this idea unto *anyone*
is to partake in a sin which is worthy of death.. just as much worthy of death
as adultery.. and even more.  Do not be confused by the few places in a Bible
translation which use the English word 'G-o-d' to refer to Jesus.  For a long
time people haven't read their Bibles with a spiritual eye.. or with enough
note on the context to eradicate the idea that Jesus is not His own Father,
God.  But let's take it from experts on the identity of Jesus.. one whom the
Bible says "knew Him" -- demons.  In one place a demon adjures Jesus "by God"
to torment him not.  If Jesus were God, this adjurement would make no sense,
for the demon is naturally appealing unto the higher power and authority
*than* Jesus.. that of God, Himself, to adjure Jesus to not torment him.  The
demons in the Bible call Jesus "The Son of God", "The Holy One of God", and
"Son of the Most High God", but they never call Him God.  Why?  Because they
truly knew who He was.. being at least knowledged of how He was conceived, and
who His parents were.

The Bible never states that God became man.  It never calls Jesus YHVH, but
rather The Word of God.  And the simple fact that in Ephesians we are told
that God made all things by Jesus Christ demonstrates that Jesus is not God,
but someone by whom the *actual* and *one* *TRUE* God made all things.  To
accept some idea that Jesus is actually God is to run in the face of tons of
statements in the Bible which cannot be all false.  It could make sense if the
Bible actually told us in one, or maybe two places that Jesus was not God,
whereas the rest said He was.. so long as these two places were the ones in
error.  Yet there are so many statements throughout the Bible.. all speaking
of a differentiation which *must* be made between God and His Son, Jesus, not
the least of which is the core statement of the Bible.. and of the Gospel,
itself.. that of John's Gospel, verse 16 of chapter 3 -- "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son..." To beget someone is to send forth
procreatively a means from oneself to bring about the life of an offspring.
This is what Jesus is unto God -- His Offspring.. and not hardly Himself.

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is portrayed as saying that for those who confess
Him before men, He will confess them before His Father in Heaven.  Likewise,
those who deny Him before men, shall Jesus deny before His Father in Heaven.
This simple declaration demonstrates, yet again, that Jesus is someone
different from His Father.  If Jesus were God, and no one else was God with
Him, then He would not have a Father, other than Himself.. and would not need
to confess or deny anyone before Himself.  Yet, being God's own Word, and not
God, Himself, as well as God's only begotten Son, He has the mandate in Him to
only confess as faithful stewards of the Gospel, and worthy of God's love,
those who confess Him before men.. giving them over unto God's hand to bless
even more than Jesus, Himself, can.  And if such a person denies Jesus before
man, Jesus hands such a person over unto God for cursings beyond His own power
and authority.  If Jesus were God, He would naturally not need to do this.

And to cap things off (at least for now) let us look at a passage in David's
writings which points out without one shred of possibility otherwise that
Jesus and God are two different people.  If you read the Old Testament
writings of David, and come across the second psalm in the book of Psalms, you
will find there a totally undisprovable fact which demonstrates that Jesus
cannot be God.  Not only does this psalm by David include a number of simple
differentiations between God and His King and Son, but the simple fact that
God tells His Son to *ask* of Him, and He would give His Son the nations for
an inheritance.  If Jesus, whom we already know from countless references in
the NT writings to be God's "only begotten" Son, were God, why would God ever
ask Jesus to ask anything *of* Him, especially since if He were, then these
nations would already be in Jesus' hand, as He would be the person who had the
power to give Himself these nations.  The whole idea that this psalm includes
such dialogues *between* God and His King and only begotten Son demonstrates
very succinctly that Jesus and God (YHVH) are two different people, or such a
dialogue would never occur.  And the further demonstration which occurs in
God's telling His Son to *ask* something of Him only nails down the argument
beyond any possibility of questioning, apart from irreverent denial of the
facts right in front of one's eyes (or fingers if a person is reading a
Braille bible) Jesus and God are two different people.  

So when you go through the Bible, and see places which seem to corroborate
your theory that Jesus is God, realize that you have to argue down either
every single passage in the Bible which says otherwise, or your hypothesis,
itself, needs augmentation.  Jesus never claimed to be God.  It is only the
flesh's seeking to be on the same level as God that turns a person into the
stark-raving-near-lunatic which they become when they try to adhere themselves
to Jesus as being a brother, sister, or mother of God.  Only the truth can set
us free -- not ideas which have been passed down by false "experts" of the
Bible, or passed around by the likes of even Billy Graham.. so much so that
even Wikipedia on the web testifies that Jesus is believed by Christians to be
God.. when the Bible truly testifies contrary to this idea... it's just that
so few people have been willing to see Jesus for who He really is, as most
have preferred to have their faith dictated to them apart from the *actual*
meanings in the Bible.. that it's not only apropos to believe this lie, but
yelled at as a heretic if a person dares question the "Deity" of Jesus... even
if such a person holds to the actual truth that the Gospel reveals.. that He's
God's only begotten Son, and not God, Himself.  

Another, albeit tiny, yet very succinct proof of Jesus being someone other
than God comes in John's Gospel where Jesus says, "Ye believe in God.  Believe
also in Me."  The statement is very clear in its meaning, by use of the word
'also', that Jesus is someone *other than* God, as Jesus is advocating people
to believe in Himself *as well as* believing in God.  If Jesus were God, the
use of the term 'also' would be misleading.. telling the people He is speaking
to that there are *two* different people to believe in, when there would be
only one person to believe in.. God being Jesus.

"... all are yours.  And ye are Christ's.  And Christ is God's."
(not Christ is God).