Jesus, who is God, came down to earth to do the work of the Father God. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh to redeem sinful fleshly man. After Jesus finished His work for the Father, He prayed to be restored back to His position with the Father before the world was created. John 17:4-5 KJV,
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
I agree.
Jesus no longer exist in the flesh. His flesh was put to death on the cross for our benefit, as He gave His body as a sacrifice for sin, 1 Peter 2:24 KJV. Jesus was raised in a glorified body. He is no longer a human being. And we will not be human as we will receive a body like Christ, Philippians 3:21 KJV, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
I disagree.
Jesus said,
“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see;
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” (Luke 24:39) (KJB).
The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:
1 Corinthians 15:39-40 (KJB)
39 “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men,
another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of
the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. “
Paul defines how there are different kinds of flesh, and he does not say there is a celestial flesh. Flesh is identified as men, and animals which differ from one another. These are terrestrial (or earthly) beings. Celestial bodies (like angels) have one glory and the terrestrial (earthly inhabitants) is another kind of glory. They are not said that they can be mixed.
A glorified body is not taught in the Scriptures. Philippians 3:21 is not saying we will be changed to have a glorified body because Jesus has a glorified body. There is no such thing. The verse simply says Jesus has a glorious body. One can say that a professional model who works out and who is super toned up has a glorious body. That does not mean they have a glorified body. Jesus still had the nail prints in his hands for Thomas to see and feel. To make Jesus out to have a glorified body is to make the body of Jesus into being similar to the Nephilim (Which would be the result of having a body that is hybrid both flesh and spirit).
Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 7:25 (KJB) says,
”…he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Jesus says,
”I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold,
I am alive for evermore,” (Revelation 1:18) (KJB).
How else will the valley of dry bones be resurrected again?
It will be by the power of the resurrection of Christ and they will have the same flesh that Jesus does.
”Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24).
Side Note:
There are two different types of resurrections that should not be confused.
The resurrection which takes place in the “Caught Up Together” event (Rapture) is a spiritual body resurrection where the saints will be like that of angels. But this is temporary. After the 1,000 year reign of Christ, New Jerusalem will come down out of Heaven on the New Earth, and the raptured saints will receive their flesh and blood bodies in the likeness of Jesus. It is the same glorious body that He had before the cross during His earthly ministry (with the exception that there will be the nail prints, etcetera).
While there are other clues in Scripture, the two resurrections are alluded to by His words here:
”
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:30-32).
The words in blue mentioned above in Matthew 22 is in reference to the Rapture of the saints out of Abraham’s bosom and those who are still alive on the Earth. They will have the body like that of angels. The words in red in Matthew 22 is in reference to the physical flesh and blood resurrection that all saints will eventually have in time upon the New Earth.
When Christ rose from the dead, He was restored back to the glory he had with the Father and His glory is described in Isaiah. Isaiah 9:6 KJV, foretells the birth of Jesus and tells us all of the names He is called by. “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.”
I believe Jesus only suppressed His divine attribute of "
having all knowledge" or His "
Omniscience" (Which took place sometime before the world came into being). This is what I believe the "
glory" that Jesus spoke of that He wished to share in again with the Father before the world existed in
John 17:5. For
Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For the earth shall be filled with
the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." Also see
2 Corinthians 4:6.
The NLT is heretically wrong for saying that Jesus gave up His divine privileges In Philippians 2:7.
I believe the KJB that says, “
But made himself of no reputation” is the true accurate rendering here.
Jesus had power as God during His earthly ministry:
1. Jesus said He has power to raise the dead to life just as the Father had power to raise the dead (
John 5:21).
2.
Hebrews 1:3 talks about how Christ held all things together by the word of His power when He purged us of our sins.
3. Jesus said, He would raise up this Temple (His body) three days later (
John 2:19).
5 Jesus had power to take away the sins of the entire world (
John 1:29).
6. Jesus Christ said wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them (
Matthew 18:20). This was said to the people he was around and not to just us today.
As for the Father and Spirit doing miracles through Jesus:
We know the Father did works (miracles) through Jesus (
John 14:8-12). We know Jesus cast out devils and healed others by the working of the Spirit (
Matthew 12:22-32). But this is not in conflict with Jesus having His own power as God as I have demonstrated by the verses above.
Revelation 1:8 KJV, tells us that Jesus is the beginning and the ending…the Almighty, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
I agree. Jesus is God. The Word (that was made flesh) is eternal and has always existed. The Word is the second person of the glorious and beautiful Godhead (Trinity).
