Page 183 - Bible Writers Theology Original
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brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness/ it sustained him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate/ and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing/ and was clad with zeal as a cloak." The arm of God which is Christ (Isaiah 53:1)/ was the Word of God that became saving flesh and blood/ which was the promised
seed of God to Abraham and his generation.
Jesus was begotten of the Father/ thuS/ He was both Spirit and flesh (God- Man). The "eysh" meaning a mighty man in Hebrew refers to Elohim (Exodus 15:3; Isaiah 42:13; Hosea 2:16). To the Bible writers there is only one God/ manifested in the flesh/ in one person. Jesus Christ as the flesh of God is the Son of God in a way that none else is. His sonship is different in kind/
for "the word of God has become flesh." Thus He does not merely resemble God in some limited way but "he is equal" to God in every way (Philippians 2:6). Indeed/ "the Son"/ the "word of life that became flesh/" is the "image of the invisible God," "the brightness of His glory and the express imageof His person/" for he is the Father incarnate and not God the Son incarnate as the Trinitarian doctrine proposes (Hebrews 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15; II
Corinthians 4:4).
Jesus Christ (God the Father manifested in the flesh) exhibited the unlim ited power/ authority love, wisdom, hoIinesS/ and glory that characterize God alone. He displayed divine power over nature/ over the devil/ over death/ sin/ and sickness. God's fullness dwells in him (Colossians 2:9).One theologian said : "There is nobody like Jesus. Jesus is the only one/ of the
only kind."
As the unique Son of God/ Jesus bears the perfect/ exact nature/ character and likeness of God in flesh. Since no one can be God's equal and yet be dif ferent from God/ this statement actuallylmeahs that Jesus is God Himself manifested in the eternal word of God that became flesh. This is in fact how the Jewish religious leaders interpreted Jesus' claim to be the unique Son of
God. InJohn5:18/theysoughttokillhimbecausehesaidthatGodwashis Father/ making himself equal with God. They did not think he claimed to be the second person/ or second God of a trinity but to be God the Father him self. On a later occasion/ they explained/ "For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou being a man/ makest thyself
God" Gohn 10:33).
They correctly perceived that He was claiming deity but they erred in rejectingHisclaim. HewasnotamantryingtomakeHimselfGod. Hewas God who had prepared a body for Himself/ and as the Son of God/ was a man. ThewholepassagethenshowsusGodtheFathermanifestedinflesh as Immanuel/ or God-Man (Isaiah 7:13-14; 9:6). Since God-Man's nature is now spirit/ blood and flesh/ the blood and flesh ofJesus cannot live outside
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