Unveiling the Identity of the Only True God Pt. 2

“And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’ This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, JUST AS they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him… Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself… Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear HIS [the Son’s] VOICE and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. ‘” John 5:16-23, 25-26, 28-29

“The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.’” John 19:7

“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” John 17:5

“for you shall worship no other god, for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God, ” Exodus 34:14

“Yahweh made a covenant with them and commanded them, ‘Do not fear other gods; do not bow down to them; do not serve them; do not sacrifice to them. But Yahweh, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the One you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.’” 2 Kings 17:35-36(1)

“For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” Isaiah 48:11

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and you shall serve him only.”’” Matthew 4:10 – cf. Luke 4:8

"… As elsewhere in John, the title ho huios tou theou, which is in apposition to ho Christos in John 20:31, denotes more than simply the Davidic Messiah. The Gospel was written to produce belief that Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah and that the Messiah was none other than the ‘one and only’ Son of God who had come from the Father (John 11:42; 17:8), who shared his nature (John 1:1, 18; 10:30) and fellowship (John 1:18; 14:11), and who therefore might be appropriately be addressed and worshiped as ho theos mou. Unique sonship implies deity (John 5:18; cf. 19:7)… As used by a monotheistic Jew in reference to a person who was demonstrably human, theos will denote oneness with the Father in being (cf. John 10:30),⁹⁴ not merely in purpose and action. In other words, Thomas’s cry expresses the substantial divinity of Jesus. Thomas has penetrated beyond the semeion–the appearance of the risen Jesus–to its implication, viz., the deity of Christ. While not couched as an ontological affirmation (su ei ho theos mou), the apostle’s exclamatory address has inescapable ontological implications. Even as it is expressed, the confession embodies less functional than ontological truth: Jesus was worshiped by Thomas as a sharer in the divine nature, not simply as a mediator of divine blessing… That Thomas’s cry was not an extravagant acclamation, spoken in a moment of spiritual exaltation when his exuberance exceeded his theological sense, is apparent from two facts. First, the evangelist records no rebuke of Jesus to Thomas for his worship. Jesus’ silence is tantamount to consent, for as monotheist Jews considered the human acceptance of worship as blasphemous. Thomas was not guilty of worshiping the creature over the Creator (cf. Rom. 1:25). Indeed, Jesus’ word to Thomas–pepisteukas (John 20:29a; cf. ginou… pistos in v. 27)–implies the acceptance of his confession, which is then indirectly commended to others (v. 29b). Second, John has endorsed Thomas’s confession as his own by making it his final and climactic christological affirmation before his statement of purpose, verse 31. The author found in Thomas’s cry a convenient means by which he might bring into sharp focus at the end of his Gospel, as at the beginning (John 1:1, 18), the ultimate implications of his portrait of Jesus.” (Harris, Jesus as God –The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus [Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI: first paperback edition, 1992], Chapter IV: My Lord and my God! (John 20:28), c. The Meaning of theos, pp. 124-127; bold emphasis ours)

94. Given John 1:1 and 1:18, it is quite admissible to discern in ego eimi ho pater hen esmen (John 10:30; cf. 17:11, 22-23; 1 Cor. 3:8) more than unity of will or purpose but less than identity of person. Equality of divine power (10:28-29) points to unity of essence (10:30; hen esmen). Surjansky finds in hen esmen a unity of nature and existence (84-87). On the exegesis of John 10:30 in early Trinitarian controversies, see Pollard, “Exegesis.” (Ibid, p. 125; bold emphasis ours)

“And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” Matthew 14:33

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.” John 9:35-38

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

“And again, when he brings his Firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all of the angels of God worship him.’” Hebrews 1:6

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

“Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” Colossians 3:22-24

“do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-21

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ And I heard EVERY CREATURE in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne AND TO THE LAMB be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” Revelation 5:8-14