The Theology of Russell Earl Kelly, PHD
Baptist, Conservative, Dispensational
July 12, 2008
4. DEITY OF JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
JESUS IS GOD: [INCUDE
TRINITY TEXTS]
Jesus Christ is as much
God as is God the Father and God the Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Creator God and the God who appeared to Abraham and Moses
and gave Israel the Law.
Although the terms "Father,
Son and Spirit" confuse mortal man, they are God's way of trying to relate to his creation with a far inferior intellect. Calling God "Father" does not demand that there be a "Mother" God. Calling
Jesus the "Son" of God is a relational term to help us know the character of God. If God related to mankind in five persons
(instead of three) like a basketball team, He would chose to relate to us as two forwards, one center and two guards --all
with the same abilities and characteristics.
Isa 7:14 Therefore
the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
[GOD WITH US]
Isa 9:6 For unto
us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
THIS REMARKABLE O. T.
HEBREW TEXT DSECIBES GOD AS A CHILD, SON, GOD AND FATHER AT THE SAME TIME.
Mic 5:2 But thou,
Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is
to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
THIS REMARKABLE O. T.
HEBREW TEXT DESCRIBES THE MESSIAH AS A MAN AND AS ETERNAL AT THE SAME TIME.
Matt 1:23 Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted
is, God with us.
Matt 4:10 Then saith
Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
BOTH ANGELS AND MEN
WORSHIPPED JESUS.
Mark 2:7 Why doth
this man thus speak Blasphemies? who can forgive
sins but God only?
JESUS EXHIBITED THE EXCLUSIVE ATTRIBUTE OF GOD
WHEN HE FORGAVE SINS AGAINST GOD.
Mark 4:41 And they
feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
ONLY GOD CAN COMMAND
NATURE AND HAVE IT OBEY.
John 1:1 In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jn 1:2 The same was
in the beginning with God.
Jn 1:3 All things
were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jn 1:4 In him was
life; and the life was the light of men.
THE GREEK "TO BE" VERB
DOES NOT REQUIRE A DEFINITE ARTICLE ON BOTH SIDES OF IT IN ORDER TO BE EQUAL (AS JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CLAIM. THE FACT THAT
THE TEXTS ALSO STATE THAT JESUS CREATED AND HAS LIFE INHERENT ALSO MAKE HIM EQUAL TO GOD.
John 8:58 Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
JESUS EQUATED HIMSELF
WITH GOD WHO APPEARED TO ABRAHAM AND MOSES. THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES RECOGNIZED THIS AND ATTEMPTED TO STONE HIM.
John 14:6 Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jn 14:7 If ye had
known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Jn 14:8 Philip saith
unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Jn 14:9 Jesus saith
unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
JESUS SUPERSEDED
THE ENTIRE REVELATION OF GOD WITH HIMSELF AND MADE HIMSELF GREATER THAN THE LAW AND OLD TESTAMENT. HE ALSO EQUATED HIMSELF
WITH THE FATHER.
John 20:28 And Thomas
answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
JESUS RECEIVED
WORSHIP AS GOD AND DID NOT TRY TO STOP THOMAS FROM CALLING HIM GOD.
Phil 2:6 Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phil 2:7 But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
PAUL RECOGNIZED THAT
JESUS WAS GOD. THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESS TRANSLATION OF THESE VERSES HAS BEEN CHANGED TO REFLECT THEIR OWN FALSE DOCTRINE.
Col 1:15 Who is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by
him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he
is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he
is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence.
"THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE
GOD" IS CLEAR. FIRSTBORN MEANS PREEMINENT HERE
AND DOES NOT MEAN THAT JESUS WAS CREATED. THE JEHOVAH WITNESS BIBLE ERRONEOUSLY ADDS "ALMOST" TO TEACH THEIR OWN FALSE DOCTRINE.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
...
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.
"ALL THE FULNESS" MEANS
THAT JESUS IS AS GOD AS GOD CAN BE. THE JEHOVAH WITNESS BIBLE HAS THESE TEXTS CORRECT WHICH CONTRADICT THEIR ADDITION
OF "OTHER" TO COLOSSIANS 1:16-17.
Heb 1:3 Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word
of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
THE KJV, NKJ, NAS
AND NIV ARE CORRECT WITH "BRIGHTNESS, RADIANCE" WHILE THE RSV IS JW TRANSLATION ARE WRONG WITH "REFLECTS/REFLECTION." JESUS
DOES NOT MERELY "REFLECT" THE GLORY OF GOD ---HE IS THE RADIATED GLORY OF GOD. "EXPRESS IMAGE" IS FROM THE GREEK "CHARACTER."
AND "PERSON" IF FROM THE GREEK "HYPO-STASIS" WHICH MEANS "SUB-STRUCTURE" OR "FOUNDATION". THE TEXT IS OVERLY EMPHATIC: JESUS
IS AMOST MORE GOD THAT GOD IS!
Heb 1:8 But unto
the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
THE KJV, NKJ, NAS, NIV
AND RSV ALL HAVE IT CORRECT WITH "YOUR THRONE, O GOD.: THE JW ERRS BY TRANSLATING IS A S "GOD IS YOUR THRONE." JESUS
IS CALLED GOD AGAIN.
Rev 22:1 And he shewed
me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. [ONLY ONE THRONE]
Rev 22:3 And there shall
be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: [ONLY ONE THRONE]
……………………….
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD:
INCLUDE TRINITY TEXTS.
The Holy Spirit, like
Jesus Christ, is a much God as is the Father. One God manifested in Three Persons. The baptismal formula combines all
three into one "name," or authority.
The Greek
grammar in John deliberately violats the rules which force both sides of an equatin to have the same gender ending.
While "Spirit" is a neuter word, the Greek prounoun for "he" or "this one" is in the masculine (ekeinos) with
the -os ending. Unlilke an impersonal "it," or "wind" the Holy Spirit makes mental decisions, can be grieved
and lied to. This is because the Holy Spirit is God with attributes of a Person.
Gen 1:2 And the
earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters. [SPIRIT HOVERED OR BROODED]
John 14:26 But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. [HE IS
MASCULINE]
John 16:7 Nevertheless
I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Jn 16:8 And coming,
he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:13 Howbeit
when he is come, the Spirit of truth, (he) will guide you into all truth: for (he) shall not speak
of himself; but whatsoever (he) shall hear, that shall he speak: and (he) will shew you things to come.
[Note: The Greek grammar
rule is deliberately broken to emphasize the masculine personhood of the Holy Spirit.! The first “he” is ekeinos in the masculine. The word “Spirit” is neuter. The other “he” words follow the
first to move the verb.]
Acts 5:3 But Peter
said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Acts 5:4 Whiles
it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing
in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. [CAN BE LIED TO]
1 Cor 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as he will.
