His left except to those for whom it had been prepared by God (Matt. xx. 23; Mark x. 40)?
C. Probably for the same reason1. All this is explained by such passages as
"The Word became flesh" (John i. 14), and "He humbled Himself" (Phil. ii. 8)2.
In the verses you quote, Christ speaks of God as His Father, thereby asserting His own Divine
Sonship.
111. M. Many of the passages which you quote to prove the deity of Jesus do not prove it
at all. For instance, He said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John viii. 58). Now that does
not prove His deity, for we can all say the same (since Muslims believe in the pre-existence of
souls).
C. None of us can truthfully say the same. For, on the supposition of the pre-existence of
souls (a doctrine which you have derived from heathen philosophers, and which is not taught by the
prophets and apostles), if Christ had meant to say merely "Before Abraham was born, I
existed," the phrase would have been meaningless, since (on that theory) Abraham also existed
before his birth. Whether the theory be true or false, Christ clearly stated that He existed before
Abraham and other creatures came into existence at all. This shows