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Oldest Christian inscription naming JESUS as GOD

2:7

he emptied himself: The Greek word rendered “emptied” literally means to remove the content of something. Here Paul uses the word figuratively with reference to Jesus, who gave up his spirit nature in order to live and suffer as a human on earth. Unlike angels who at times clothed themselves with fleshly bodies in order to appear to humans, Jesus completely relinquished his spirit body along with the glory and privileges associated with it. No human has ever sacrificed anything that comes close to what Jesus gave up in order to please God.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1001070776?q=(philippians+2:7)&p=sen
 
The followers of JESUS and JESUS HIMSELF celebrated ALL the holy days and Hanukkah. John 10:22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem (HANUKKAH). It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
 
LittleNipper said:
I was taught that there is only one GOD and that the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT are that GOD. So, tell me ---- who did Abraham speak to in Genesis 18?
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Are you assuming the three men (messengers, angels) were your trinity of gods??? Talk about "reading things" into scripture, wow. That is not how to read/study scripture.

One = One, not One = 3.......Jesus and the Father are "one", precisely as we are "one" with them, not that they're part of a plural God. We must keep His commandments, pretending to keep the Commandment of having One God by saying three persons are one being is a deception.
 
No, The text clearly refers to the other two as angels. However, one was indeed a pre-incarnate appearance of CHRIST and Abraham did indeed consider this one GOD. Believers are not deity and never shall be. Believers are adopted and are created beings who can NEVER possess all the attributes of CHRIST/GOD. CHRIST ALONE fulfilled all the Commandments. We now follow those expressed buy the SAVIOR.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5)
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12).
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17).
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23–24).
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:28–30).
“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” (Matthew 5:37).
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Matthew 5:38–42).

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“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?” (Matthew 5:44–46).
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:46–48).
“. . . When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. . . . When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. . . . When thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:1–18).
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19–21).
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Matthew 7:1–3).
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6).
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8).
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:15–16).
“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37–38).

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“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28)

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“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

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“For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matthew 15:4).

​

“Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).

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“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” (Luke 9:23–25).

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“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

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“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:15–17).

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“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

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“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4–6).

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“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21–22).

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“. . . Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28).
“It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:13).

​

“Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:21–22).

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“Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:12–14).

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“Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:19–21).
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38).
“And the second [commandment] is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:39–40).

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42–44).
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26–28).

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:5–7).

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

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“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–16).

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
 
Daisy said:
A deception only to self...Jehovah sees it loud and clear...
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Treating GOD as totally comprehensible, and not being willing to realize that there are attributes of GOD which we (as mere created beings) will never be capable of understand, is beyond self-deception...
 
It's a nonsense rationalisation of the impossible. Magic.
 
Shall I remind you of your false accusation?

LittleNipper said:
Sure looks like the Witnesses never talk about this verse among others!
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"The pre-incarnate Christ"???.......it's nowhere in the text and you are reading false doctrine "into" the scriptures. Angels, prophets, messengers, and the Christ of God come speaking the Word of God to others through the entirety of scripture.....they speak 'for' God.

(Gen 18:1) And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;


"LORD" in this verse:


H3068
יְהֹוָה
yehôvâh
yeh-ho-vaw'
From H1961; (the) self Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: - Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050, H3069.
Total KJV occurrences: 6521


(Gen 18:3) And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:


"Lord" in this verse:


H136
אֲדֹנָי
'ădônây
ad-o-noy'
An emphatic form of H113; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only): - (my) Lord.
Total KJV occurrences: 438

H113
אָדֹן אָדוֹן
'âdôn 'âdôn
aw-done', aw-done'
From an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, that is, controller (human or divine): - lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with “Adoni-”.
Total KJV occurrences: 335


Scripture says they were three men......no pre-incarnate Christ mentioned.
 
LittleNipper said:
Treating GOD as totally comprehensible, and not being willing to realize that there are attributes of GOD which we (as mere created beings) will never be capable of understand, is beyond self-deception...
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Wrong...we can come to significantly understand Jehovah God through His Son Jesus Christ...

"For “who has come to know the mind of Jehovah, so that he may instruct him?” But we do have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16

1 Corinthians 2:16​

  • who has come to know the mind of Jehovah . . . ?: The answer to this rhetorical question is: “No one, of course.” (Compare Ro 11:33, 34, where Paul quotes from the same scripture, Isa 40:13.) Paul then says: “But we do have the mind of Christ.” Humans can never fully understand all of Jehovah’s thoughts. Christians can, however, come to know God better by studying “the mind of Christ” and cultivating his way of thinking because Christ is “the image of the invisible God.” (Col 1:15; see study note on we do have the mind of Christ in this verse.) In fact, the better a Christian understands Christ’s mind, the better he will understand God’s mind.
  • https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/b/r1/lp-e/nwtsty/46/2#s=16&study=discover&v=46:2:16
 

The 'go-to' verse trinitarians love to abuse, lol. Your assumptions are false.


(Php 2:11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


Christ is Lord:


G2962
κύριος
kurios
koo'-ree-os
From κῦρος kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller; by implication Mr. (as a respectful title): - God, Lord, master, Sir.
Total KJV occurrences: 748


To the glory of God the Father:


G2316
θεός
theos
theh'-os
Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward].
Total KJV occurrences: 1343


Follow the humbleness of the human being Jesus, who is the Christ, our Lord for it gives glory to God our Father, who alone is God.
 
LittleNipper said:
You like to let others think for you unless it concerns the Bible?
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No - you do. You like to let the MEN who wrote the bible several thousand years ago think for you. The very backward, very primitive, very superstitious, and very uneducated MEN of the iron age.
LittleNipper said:
There are Creation scientists working in all the fields that you mention above.
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There's no such thing as a "Creation scientist". That's an oxymoron. There are scientists - or not scientists. Alas, there are trained scientists who are looking to fit the "science" into their existing creation beliefs, but most scientists aren't, which is why the overwhelming preponderance of scientists who are believers simply live with whatever amount of cognitive dissonance they are comfortable with to keep their beliefs from conflicting with their work. They compartmentalize the two. Many are non-believers to begin with, or believers of an entirely different faith that is not biblically based, but the vast majority of them simply don't believe in the cosmology of Genesis, nor the literal inerrancy of the bible. They have enough education to reject the idea that their belief in god requires deliberate ignorance on their part.

We also know this because those trained scientists whose ideas don't originate from a background of Abrahamic religions do not suddenly conclude anything resembling the Genesis cosmology, just from pursuing their own scientific discipline. The pure science itself never leads anyone to biblical conclusions - only their beliefs lead them there.

Educated physicists don't wake up one day and conclude that the speed of light changed, once upon a time. It just never happens. Nor did the laws of refraction, reflection and dispersion of light. Those laws of physics don't change for the convenience of fables either.

Meteorologist don't study the weather and conclude that, once upon a time, conditions existed that made it possible to rain for 40 days and 40 nights, and flood the whole earth. It just never happened that way because it can't, so no student of that science would ever somehow conclude that it might have happened before - unless they wanted it to be so!

Scientific geological research never suddenly concludes on its own that, once upon a time, minerals changed the rate they can erode under the flow of water, or any changes in their mechanical properties. The laws of the physical sciences are reproducible over time under laboratory conditions, no matter when or where they are performed. Scientific laws are not capricious. Creationist beliefs are, because the god of the bible is.

Nobody who is engaged in the academic study of human biology suddenly arrived at a "EUREKA!" moment when they surmised that women were derived from a man's ribs, once upon a time. That simply never happened because, in biology, the event itself cannot happen. In fact, even Genesis offers conflicting accounts of this event - and "believers" have no problem with the obvious contradiction. But scientists would.

I could go on and on, but if you don't get it yet, I suspect you never will. Your beliefs are too fragile to expand into the truth without shattering. For scientists, belief in god does not require denial of observable reality, perhaps because no god who is worthy of being worshiped would ever require that. Only mankind would.
Last time I checked, "Thou shalt make a complete fool of oneself." is not among the Ten Commandments.

LittleNipper said:
However, remove the cap stone of abiogenesis the entire arch of naturalism totally collapses.
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meh .... like I said, Darwin is the least of your problems. Your beliefs can't even get past forensic climatology, let alone science as contemporary and sophisticated as genetic genealogy. And therein lies the real problem. Because if pulling any of a dozen threads in the first book of the bible results in a complete unraveling of that tapestry, and it does, then why would any thinking person believe a single word of it?

Perhaps nobody should.


"Pshaw! - Things don't exist simply because you believe in them. Thus Sayeth the Almighty Creature in the Sky!" ~ Professor Banjo
 
Only if JESUS is GOD; otherwise, JESUS is merely one of us. And we were already created in GOD's image...
 
LittleNipper said:
Only if JESUS is GOD; otherwise, JESUS is merely one of us. And we were already created in GOD's image...
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Only if Jesus is Jehovah God's only begotten Son...like Father, like Son...
 
Do you worship JESUS CHRIST as your personal SAVIOR?
 
LittleNipper said:
Do you worship JESUS CHRIST as your personal SAVIOR?
Click to expand...

(Php 1:2) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Rom 1:7) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Rom 5:1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(Rom 6:4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

(Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1Co 1:3) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.


Scores of scripture state the same. Please learn the meanings of "theos" and "kurios" from the Greek language. I worship Jesus the Christ as my Lord deemed and authored by my God and Father. God did not become a man. God never had blood or was capable of death. God's only begotten Son did, being miraculously conceived in the womb of Mary, born a human being as us. His blood covers my sin......this human being has been raised, glorified and given all power and authority from God, His Father. I do not mix them, I do not make them equal and neither does the Christ.

The obedience and faith of Jesus, a real human being, who's blood saved me is obtainable for I too am a human being. We can walk in those steps.....Jesus would never want his followers to think he is equal to his God and Father, but to give all the glory to his Father and God. There's no such thing as a one of a kind hybrid Godman, mixture of man and God.....the raising of human to God is incorrect and deep error.
 
Daisy said:
Shall I remind you of your false accusation?
Click to expand...
Witnesses never bring up about CHRIST emptying HIMSELF. I've never heard that come from the mouth of any Witness. They always promote that JESUS called the FATHER GOD, but not why that could be the case.
Witnesses never bring up about how the angels worshiped CHRIST at HIS incarnation. They constantly say only JEHOVAH is to be worshiped and that no one should worship JESUS (just politely bow).
The Witnesses distort the fact that the magi brought gifts to celebrate the birth of JESUS. They constantly say celebrations of any sort are evil and that birthdays are wrong. And they disregard the magi as purely pagan.

Tell me that I'm wrong. The Witnesses promote select verses and provide no honest appraisal of contrary verses. However, Christians understand that JESUS was acting as a human and behaved as a perfect human should ---- yet HE also did what only GOD can do.
 
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