The Trinity

[Hupomone10]

Still around, haven't been to the site lately. seeing as how this was getting to be a bit argumentative and how I was trying to disprove every point that was made I felt it best to just leave things alone and do more studying. I am far from a book scholar actually I'm a high school drop out. I will be straight forward. I was brought up in a free will baptist church in V.A.beach I went to there school until 8th grade. church Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday nights and many other church events throughout the year. It was as extreme as Ive personally seen any church to be. people were Dedicated into putting the FEAR OF GOD in the congregation and the children. Then in 8th grade we moved to MA and I went to a public school and we started going to a non denominational church. this church had rock bands rap groups had parties and really had good times. there was very little emphasis on FEARING GOD. they were very easy going dress how you want just a fun comfortable atmosphere. nothing like the free will baptist were men couldn't have long hair or wear shorts and women couldn't have short hair or wear pants, and everything had to cover below the knee, and any form of music other than what they sang was evil. Then at 16 I moved again to NC and went to a few different church's. one I went to people were shaking and yelling falling on the floor. I said whoa what is going on here, then I started talking to people who were telling me about the pastor laying hands on other people to heal or help them. then this other church people are speaking in tongues. So by 17 I am totally confused and SCARED TO DEATH of dying and going to hell. all these church's preached basically the same theory of God the father Jesus the Son and the Holy Ghost, the trinity, and that Jesus came and died for our sins. but they all went about things in a different manner. at 17 I pretty much quit going to church's and got into doing the worldly things that I was now surrounded with partying, girls, alcohol etc.etc. and just said to myself I have been baptized I'm born again I believe Jesus died for my sins, so Hopefully when I die I will go to heaven. Then 3 yrs ago when I was 31 my Dad who was a firm Christian very spiritual man in my opinion. was diagnosed with liver cancer, A God fearing man who didn't drink, smoke, do drugs, or anything of that nature for as long as I was alive was now given less than 6 months to live. for 3 months I was with him day in and day out and I watched him go crazy over his spirituality and had God forgiven him. it was such torture the way his mind was thinking and what he would talk to me about. he felt that God was punishing him and just didn't understand why this was happening to him at 52 yrs of age. I spent many nights questioning God myself, then I just said you know what, God is Good the Devil is Evil and there is no way God could have anything to do with what is happening to my Dad. I told my Dad how I felt and explained that the bible says God allows these things to happen, but i don't think he does these things to us as punishment. I told him what is happening to him is because of the evil in the world and our surroundings, thats why there are all these disease and terrible things surrounding us. after many hours of these talks my Dad seem to be at peace. Honestly I was just telling him what I felt in my heart I didn't have anything in scripture to back up anything I was saying except that God is Good and he allows us free will. on the 3rd month after being diagnosed I held my Dads head in my hands while he gasped and fought for his last breath and he died. Last thing I said was Dad are you positive your going to heaven? he couldn't even speak but he looked me straight in my eyes and slightly motioned yes. I told him I love Him and he laid his head over and died.

after this I was pretty angry with God and life in general. then I had a talk with a cousin who said you know religion is man made. the only important thing is your relationship with God, that is it. and that statement changed my life. I lost all the anger in my heart and said to myself anything that is man made has error nothing done by mans hands is perfect. so religion is bogus just believe in God and have faith in him. I was done with religion. I always spread the word that God loves us and people always would say "you should be a minister or something" I found that funny because I was done with religion and just Believe in and Love God.

Then I came across a video one day that was disproving Christianity, Jesus, or anything the Bible says. this video really open my eyes to the possibility that we all have been had. about the same time I came across some other videos by a man named Ahmed Deedat, a Muslim. This man is a Muslim scholar of the Bible, and seems to know the Bible better than any pastor I had ever come across. he has debates with some of the most well known Christian pastors in the world. No one seem to be able to dis credit Mr. Deedat or what he was saying. so this put more doubt in my mind about some things but brought assurance to others. so being from a baptist background I found this site and thought id ask some of the same questions he posed to the Christians here and see what kind of replies I would get. and see if maybe I could get a clearer picture of Christianity/Religion

I'm no saint no angel I still live what one might consider a worldly lifestyle but I do believe in God and Jesus I'm not sure I know the truth about the history of Jesus but I do know I don't want to go to hells fire!!!! as if life isn't hellish enough.

So I basically quit replying because I don't want to seem like an atheist, or like I'm trying to change anyone else opinions or teach or anything I honestly was just looking for answers..

Rather long, but this did catch my eye on a cursory look:

Then I came across a video one day that was disproving Christianity, Jesus, or anything the Bible says. this video really open my eyes to the possibility that we all have been had. about the same time I came across some other videos by a man named Ahmed Deedat, a Muslim. This man is a Muslim scholar of the Bible, and seems to know the Bible better than any pastor I had ever come across.

Are you familiar with Ravi Zacharias? I would be interested in how this muslim fellow would do with Ravi. Anyway, check him out if some Christian writings haven't been to your liking.

Then I came across a video one day that was disproving Christianity, Jesus, or anything the Bible says. this video really open my eyes

I would like to suggest another alternative to think about rather than a video opening your eyes: maybe the tempter has tempted you and your running (attempts at living the Christian life up until now) has been in vain. IOW, do you think it's possible that you've been had by what this video presented?

Here's one by Ravi
Ravi Zacharias Explains Why the Bible and not the Quran? | Is the Quran the Word of God? Is the Quran the Word of God?

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

Well I will have to take your word that is why you quit but the fact remains the Bible is clear that the Lord Jesus Christ is God the son. Bear in mind my freind that all Muslim's, especially Muslim's apologists will only understand the concept of Monothiesm as it is declared to them in the Quor'an - they preconception demands that we are tri-thiests and the simply cannot understand the doctrine of the trinity, did you know that Islam holy book actually identifies Mary as the third person of the trinity (I think it is Surah 5 off teh top of my head.)

As for Ahmed Deedat, please bear in mind that he cannot read Greek so that pretty much discredits him as a scholar of the NT. For example in one of his talks he speaks about the term "hotheos" in the first clause of John 1:1, a Greek student who has leant nothing more then th greek alphabet would see that this is incorrect! The term in Ton Theon (accusative masculine singluar) - this entirely discredits his arguement and proves Deedat to be a less then honest in his arguements - either he doesn't understand greek, or he does and he is changing what the bible actually says.

Deedat has actually been thoroughly refuted! As for religion being of man, yes it will always fail for that reason, but Christainity is a religion - it is a faith in the finished work of another as a means of salvation. So I would urge to go back and consider my arguements, please show me how when he bible says that Jesus Christ is both God and saviour, how that can possibly mean he isn't God?

 

[LoneRanger1]

2 Cor 13:14 perhaps? The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.(2Co 13:14 NKJ) definitions of the trinity are usually better explained by using undisputed texts of the bible, rather then ones who inclusion is easily questioned!

Matthew 28:19 is a better answer of where we get Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This passage says, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. . ."

 

[LoneRanger1]

Again we see a catagory, if you mean did he ever claim to be the father, then of course you are right, because he is not the father. But he did claim to be God. John 10:30! Notice that the jews respond that thye are trying to stone him because he was claiming to be God. John 10:33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."(Joh 10:33 NKJ)

Nor was this the first time he claimed to be God either. In Is 6 we see Isaiah speaking to one who he calls Yahweh, and yet this one does not correct Isaiah, then John tells us John 12:37-41 that this is the preincarnate son, not the father whom Isaiah is speaking to.

The scriptures bear adequate testimony to the deity of Christ Jesus from Gen to Rev

Jesus is the Father. In John 14, Jesus' disciples could not understand that truth either. In verse 7, Jesus says, "If ye had known Me, ye would have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him." This statement from Jesus prompted Philip to say: "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus replied, "Have I been so long a 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, 'Show us the Father'?"

Isaiah 9:6 states that the Messiah would be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

 

[Johnnz]

The limits of our humanity mean we cannot fully comprehend the Trinity. But there is sufficient in the Scriptures for that doctrine to be sustained.

John
NZ

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

Jesus is the Father.

That would make you unitarian?

In John 14, Jesus' disciples could not understand that truth either. In verse 7, Jesus says, "If ye had known Me, ye would have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him." This statement from Jesus prompted Philip to say: "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus replied, "Have I been so long a 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, 'Show us the Father'?"

But this assesment ignores so much of what scriptures says, and arbitarily imposes a meaning on a text that simply isn't there. He doesn't say he IS the father, he says, if you have me you have seen the fathr. The writer to Hebrews explains this in Heb 1:3 where the Son is discribed as "the express image." The beginning of John's gosple is also very clear, that the logos was "with" the father (the use of the word ἦν could possibly be construed as to make them one person!). Then there is John 1:18 as well. This verse makes no sense at all if the son is the father!

Isaiah 9:6 states that the Messiah would be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

How many of the 900 times we find father in the OT does it refer to God the father? Are all those references to other fathers suggesting that they are God the father as well?

 

[Johnnz]

It's the usage of terms and names of God for Christ as well that has led to them doctrine of tmhe Trinity. Any good book on the Trinity will go through those and other scriptures,

John
NZ

 

[Searching For Truth]

Matthew 19:16-17

King James Version (KJV)

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him(Jesus), Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he(Jesus) said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.


James 1:13

King James Version (KJV)

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (We all know that Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights)


Mark 11:12-13

King James Version (KJV)

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he(Jesus) was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he(Jesus) came, if haply he(Jesus) might find any thing thereon: and when he(Jesus) came to it, he(Jesus) found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. (If Jesus is God he is all knowing, here we see Jesus DID NOT KNOW that the fig tree was NOT in season)


Mark 13:32

King James Version (KJV)

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (how can the father and son be one and not know the same things?)


Luke 1:33

King James Version (KJV)

33 And he(Jesus) shall reign over the house of Jacob(The Jews) for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Is this a limitation to Gods kingdom?)


How can these verses be explained??? It would appear from these verses that Jesus is NOT God and there is no Trinity...???

 

[Johnnz]

We must recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and also as the Son of Man. Jesus was addressing the Jewish people in his incarnation as the Son of Man, as our representative, the last Adam.

John
NZ

 

[LoneRanger1]

How can these verses be explained??? It would appear from these verses that Jesus is NOT God and there is no Trinity...???

Ever since the incarnation, Jesus has been 100% God and 100% man. The passages that you mentioned are referring to His humanity.

 

[Searching For Truth]

Ever since the incarnation, Jesus has been 100% God and 100% man. The passages that you mentioned are referring to His humanity.

I dont understand what your trying to say??? "ever since the incarnation(transformation of God into Human) Jesus Has been 100% God and 100% man. So if he is 100% God why does he say don't call him good? God is Good true? and how is he limited to his knowledge? God is all knowing true? etc. etc.

Are you saying when he incarnated into Jesus he was no longer God? I don't get what your trying to say???

Remember the trinity says they are all one in the same...

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

Matthew 19:16-17

King James Version (KJV)

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him(Jesus), Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he(Jesus) said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.


James 1:13

King James Version (KJV)

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (We all know that Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights)


Mark 11:12-13

King James Version (KJV)

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he(Jesus) was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he(Jesus) came, if haply he(Jesus) might find any thing thereon: and when he(Jesus) came to it, he(Jesus) found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. (If Jesus is God he is all knowing, here we see Jesus DID NOT KNOW that the fig tree was NOT in season)


Mark 13:32

King James Version (KJV)

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (how can the father and son be one and not know the same things?)


Luke 1:33

King James Version (KJV)

33 And he(Jesus) shall reign over the house of Jacob(The Jews) for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Is this a limitation to Gods kingdom?)


How can these verses be explained??? It would appear from these verses that Jesus is NOT God and there is no Trinity...???

Tell me one thing, why should I explain these verse to you when you refuse to interact with anything I have to say in response to you. Your fundemnetal flaw in reasoning is that you think you can simply set scripture against scripture. The truth is scripture needs to be reconsiled with scripture. It only takes on verse to say Jesus Christ is God, and that is enough - then we have to try make the puzzle fit together. The verses you quote are all verses referring to the Son of God in his incarnation, and Phil 2:6-8 explain them very clearly.

 

[savedfromdistruction]

He does, you just need eyes to see it. The jews he lived amongst certainly heard him claim divinity! They tried to stone him for that, they convicted him on that charge in the end!

He claimed to be the Son of God NEVER God himself.

Yes He actually did claim to be God. He said before Abraham was, "I am." That is the OT name that God told Moses of Who He is and Jesus is saying He is God.

 

[savedfromdistruction]

God the Father, God the Son(Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit but they are all one.

God is the alpha and omega, He has no beginning no end no mother no father omnipotent and omnipresent. (We all agree on this I'm sure)

So when Jesus(God) was on earth was he still omnipresent?

The Bible also gives Jesus a genealogy 2 different account these to account only have 1 name in common(confusion on the genealogy) but never the less does this indicate that God has a genealogy? Jesus is God correct? How could this be? God has no beginning and no end!! so how is this explained?

So When Jesus(God) was crucified and died for our sins That means God died and had an end, Then resurrected Giving him a new beginning. but he never had an old beginning because he is the beginning. Again how is this explained?

Why doesn't Jesus ever claim to be God? Why doesn't Jesus ever say to worship him?

I will offer you a suggestion. You say you are seeking truth and if so that is good. I notice that when you ask a question you ask several all at the same time. Just ask one question at a time with no sub questions. That way it will be easier to respond and get a correct answer.

 

[Searching For Truth]

Tell me one thing, why should I explain these verse to you when you refuse to interact with anything I have to say in response to you. Your fundemnetal flaw in reasoning is that you think you can simply set scripture against scripture. The truth is scripture needs to be reconsiled with scripture. It only takes on verse to say Jesus Christ is God, and that is enough - then we have to try make the puzzle fit together. The verses you quote are all verses referring to the Son of God in his incarnation, and Phil 2:6-8 explain them very clearly.

I am not in any way trying to be contradicting or confrontational, I honestly am trying to get a better understanding of the scripture and what it is truly telling us. If you don't want to explain any verses that I posted will you explain what you mean in the verses you mentioned to me??? I will tell you what I take from them and you tell me what you take from them and maybe i will see your stand point maybe not. either way there is no harm done I am not here to teach or convert I am only here to learn and explore what the bible really says and not just take for granted what I've been told.

Philippians 2:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God(Here I see in the form of, BUT, not God himself), thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:(here I read God exalts him and gives him a name as to say God created Jesus, Just as he created Adam and Eve)

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(And it end that every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord, {which I accept} To the glory of God the Father. And here again the glory is given to God)



I am still having a hard time understanding how they can be the Same Divinity?

 

[Hupomone10]

Philippians 2:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

6 Who, being in the form of God(Here I see in the form of, BUT, not God himself),
I am still having a hard time understanding how they can be the Same Divinity?

You may not find anything direct in the Bible, for it isn't a straightforward book of theology. It requires some faith and discernment to discover truth. In this way, the natural mind of man can't discover all the truth. It's a pearls before swine sort of thing.

With that in mind,

There are angels, there are people, there are animals, there are plants, and there are minerals. Are any of these in the form of God?

There is such a vast separation between God and that which is not God that nothing and no one can be said to be in the form of God, except that which is God. My thoughts.

 

[Johnnz]

Have you ever bothered to read a good book on the Trinity? Good material is essential for proper understanding of any issue.

John
NZ

 

[IisJustMe]

God the Father, God the Son(Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit but they are all one.

God is the alpha and omega, He has no beginning no end no mother no father omnipotent and omnipresent. (We all agree on this I'm sure)

Jesus also said He was the Alpha and the Omega.

So when Jesus(God) was on earth was he still omnipresent?

When He physically met Nathaniel, He spoke of having seen him under the fig tree where Philip found him before taking him to Jesus. Obviously Jesus was omnipresent while in human form, but so were God the Father and the Holy Spirit, the other two aspects of the Trinity.

The Bible also gives Jesus a genealogy 2 different account these to account only have 1 name in common(confusion on the genealogy) ...

You might want to check your reading of those genealogies again because there are far more than just one in common. What you apparently haven't been taught is that the Matthew genealogy is Joseph's line, and the Luke genealogy is Mary's. The kingly line was cut off at Jeconiah because of his sin and the sins of his fathers, but Nathan, David's fourth son, provided the right to the throne for Jesus that otherwise would have been denied due to the direct line being disinherited.

... but never the less does this indicate that God has a genealogy? Jesus is God correct? How could this be? God has no beginning and no end!! so how is this explained?

Note also that Luke stated that Jesus was "thought to be" the son of Joseph, but of course He was not.

So When Jesus(God) was crucified and died for our sins That means God died and had an end, Then resurrected Giving him a new beginning. but he never had an old beginning because he is the beginning. Again how is this explained?

You must separate His spiritual existence as God from His physical existence as man. He is both, fully and simultaneously.

Why doesn't Jesus ever claim to be God? Why doesn't Jesus ever say to worship him?

He does claim to be God. Why haven't you ever been taught that? His disciples worshiped him in the boat in Matthew 14:33 and He did not forbid it. Why have you never noticed that?

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

I am not in any way trying to be contradicting or confrontational, I honestly am trying to get a better understanding of the scripture and what it is truly telling us. If you don't want to explain any verses that I posted will you explain what you mean in the verses you mentioned to me???

Let me set the record straight!

1) I am not refusing to interact with the verses you gave! Indeed I provided a explanation for them; I clearly stated that these relate to the role that God the son took on in his incarnation. So that suggestion that I am not interacting with your refernces in incorrect.

2) My comments of your setting scripture against scriptures are based on your refusal to address the texts I provided on posts 16 and 17 on this very threads. Post that you refused to answer, and excused themself from addressing.

I will tell you what I take from them and you tell me what you take from them and maybe i will see your stand point maybe not. either way there is no harm done I am not here to teach or convert I am only here to learn and explore what the bible really says and not just take for granted what I've been told.

So you keep saying, but yet you have not even accepted the explanation of the trinity as I posted it in the first thread as being what Christains actually believe. Notice I did not say you accepted it as truth, but simply that you accepte it as our definition of our own monothiesm - instead you continue to think that the only concept of monothiesm that is at all possible is the one held by Islam.

Philippians 2:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God(Here I see in the form of, BUT, not God himself), thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

What does the word "form" mean in your mind? Do you read Greek? The word is "morphe" it has the sense of 'express image' it is more then simply is like God, or made in the image of God. It means 'just like' so the verse is actually saying that the son is just like the father, ie he is the same as the father.

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:(here I read God exalts him and gives him a name as to say God created Jesus, Just as he created Adam and Eve)

What, that is a totally unsupportable jump in logic my freind. Nowhere does the text say Jesus was created, this again proves that you are not taking things in context, what does John 1:1 says, it says, in the beginning was the word, ie whatever beginning you can thinking of, the son alreday was, he is the beginning and the end Rev 22:13. So it simple cannot mean what you put on the text, but again you must insist upon it meaing that because you simply are not prepared to accept waht it is actually saying.

Trace thr progression of events through.

One who is like the father humbles himself, and submits to the father for the sake of our redemption, as a result of achieving that goal, the father gives him back the glory he once held.

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(And it end that every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord, {which I accept} To the glory of God the Father. And here again the glory is given to God)

Here again we see your error exposed, you refuse to think of God in the context of Father, Son and Spirit, the reference is to the father clearly.

I am still having a hard time understanding how they can be the Same Divinity?

Why is that? Where does that problem come from? it all stems from a fundemental failure to appreciate what Christains have always taught, that God is one being, and that there are three persons who are that one being. Now can we fully rationalise that, no we cannot! If we could fully comnprehend God then he would be less then us, and therefore not God at all - that is part of the error of Islam, that make God so very small in the demands to rationalise monothiesm. They fall in to catagory error, which is exactly what you fall into as well. Being and Person are different catagories of existence - they are not interchnageable terms, though sadly many do not use language as craefully as perhaps they should today. I explained all this many days ago to you and again I am saddened that you failed to repsond to that post.

My freind, I have worked through so much that you have said, at a great cost of time, now will you address the texts I have presented to you in posts 16 and 17 of this very thread, or are we done here?

 

[savedfromdistruction]

I am still having a hard time understanding how they can be the Same Divinity?

It is not something you or anyone understands. It is accepted by faith because that is what the bibe teaches.

In John 1:1 it reads;

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In verse 14 it reads;
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word was with God, The word was God, the Word was made flesh. Jesus was that flesh and that means Jesus is God.