The Father is the only true God but it doesn't stop there

[maco]

John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

The word (God) is not a personal name for any one particular being. The word (God) is a title given to many beings.

1 Corinthians 8:5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth as there are many gods and many lords,

To have the title (God) means you have authority. We can also make people or things God in our lives by how we allow then to rule and govern our lives. This is why the first commandment tells us not to have any Gods before God, in other words, God should have rule over us, God should govern our lives.

Now, God can commission others with authority to speak and govern others on His behalf. In this case they too would have the tile (God).

John 10:34-35 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, `I said, "You are gods''? "If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

So yes, there is but one true God from which all authority flows.

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Even though God commissions others He is still the one true God and will always be the one true God. Listen to the following verse to grasp this principle.

1 Corinthians 8:6 Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

In times past God spoke through the prophets but in these last days He is speaking to us through His Son.

God has made a new creation in His Son Jesus. He has commissioned Jesus to be the King of this new creation with power and authority. Even with this power and authority given to Jesus He is still under the authority of His Father.

1 Corinthians 15:27 For the rule and authority over all things has been given to Christ by his Father; except, of course, Christ does not rule over the Father himself, who gave him this power to rule.

When we read verse in the NT that speak of God creating through Jesus, He is not referring to the Genesis creation, but rather, He is referring to the new creation which has to do with the world to come.

Let me give you an example.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

It says in the above verse that God made the worlds THROUGH Jesus. The word, worlds is not taking about the Genesis creation, but rather, the world or age to come.

Listen carefully how God confirms which world He is referring to in the following verse. Now keep in mind He speaks of worlds to come He is referring to the worlds in Hebrews 1:1-2.

Hebrews 2:5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

This world to come is referring to the new creation, the kingdom of God.

It's these kinds of verses that lead people to believe that Jesus is God in a co-eternal, co-equal sense. But as we have seen, Jesus can be called God and is called God but not in a co-eternal, co-equal sense, but rather, in a commissioned sense, in that, He speaks the words of God because the Father has commission Him to do so.

John 3:34 God sent Jesus. Jesus speaks the words of God, because God gave him the Spirit without limit.

Let us not throw the baby out with the bath water by saying Jesus is not God, but rather, let us help people understand the meaning of the word (God).

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

When we read verse in the NT that speak of God creating through Jesus, He is not referring to the Genesis creation, but rather, He is referring to the new creation which has to do with the world to come.

Not really, in fact the book of John asserts the opposite.

JN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. JN 1:2 He was with God in the beginning. JN 1:3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. JN 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

You say:

It says in the above verse that God made the worlds THROUGH Jesus. The word, worlds is not taking about the Genesis creation, but rather, the world or age to come.

That is not what the texts says or even what the original word conveys it is an interpretation which finds little support aside from presuppositions. The word "Universe" is used in the NIV Bible which gives us much the sense of first verses in John, the universe covers everything. The other interpretation is "the ages" but that likewise really includes everything that is encompassed in time. As the Expositor's Bible Commentary says:

The second truth about the Son is that it is "through" him that God "made the universe." The "through" (di') preserves the important truth that God is the Creator. But as elsewhere in the NT the thought is that he performed the work of creation through the Son (cf. John 1:3; 1Cor 8:6; Col 1:16). The term rendered "the universe" is literally "the ages" (tous aionas) and has a temporal sense. While the universe may well be in mind (it is the natural object of the verb "made"), it will be the universe as "the sum of the periods of time, including all that is manifested in them" (A-S, s.v.). Buchanan thinks that the word here (and in 11:3) means "ages," arguing that it was a Jewish idea that God created the ages (in loc.). This may be so. Yet it seems that in this context "the universe" makes better sense, though the word may be meant to hint at the temporal nature of all things material.

 

[maco]

Not really, in fact the book of John asserts the opposite.

You say:
That is not what the texts says or even what the original word conveys it is an interpretation which finds little support aside from presuppositions. The word "Universe" is used in the NIV Bible which gives us much the sense of first verses in John, the universe covers everything. The other interpretation is "the ages" but that likewise really includes everything that is encompassed in time. As the Expositor's Bible Commentary says:

Now why would you go and skip this part?

Listen carefully how God confirms which world He is referring to in the following verse. Now keep in mind when He speaks of worlds to come He is referring to the worlds in Hebrews 1:1-2.

Hebrews 2:5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

This world to come is referring to the new creation, the kingdom of God.

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

Now why would you go and skip this part?

Listen carefully how God confirms which world He is referring to in the following verse. Now keep in mind when He speaks of worlds to come He is referring to the worlds in Hebrews 1:1-2.

Hebrews 2:5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

This world to come is referring to the new creation, the kingdom of God.

Because the world to come is just another part of the universe.

 

[Dedication]

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Christ is the Word by which all things were spoken into existance.
Without Him NOTHING was made-- not a single thing was made without Him.


"all things" -- the greek word here has no article...it means all things in the absolute sense, the universe with all it contains. If the article were used it would mean all the things at present in this age, while the way the word is used covers all things in all ages present, past and future.

"And God said let US make..... in OUR image...." Gen. 1:26




Christ, who is God in the highest sense, one with the Father, became a man, to take the place of Adam at the head of the human race. Adam lost eternal life and the inheritance of this earth by sinning. Christ as the SON OF MAN won back that inheritance for mankind and through HIM the human race (all who believe in Christ and follow Him and are cleansed by His blood) will inherit the earth made new.

1 Cor. 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.