I think it's probably normal for a person to get confused by all of the different descriptions of Jesus, and I think it could be an ongoing discovery in a followers life. Anyone growing up in the mainstream church has heard plenty of sermons about Jesus being the son of God, only begotten son or being "God in the flesh", but the meanings of those scriptures can become confusing. The phrase "son of God" is used many times in the New Testament, too many to account for. But lets look at this definition of the phrase "son of God" from the Strong's Concordance with Greek/Hebrew Lexicon website.
Result of search for "son of god":
5206. huiothesia hwee-oth-es-ee'-ah from a presumed compound of 5207 and a derivative of 5087; the placing as a son, i.e. adoption (figuratively, Christian sonship in respect to God):--adoption (of children, of sons).
Strong's Concordance
Its interesting to note that the definition specifies 'adoption' into being a son of God. All of the New Testament Gospel appearances of this phrase use the same Greek word, shown above. However, the last Gospel, The Gospel of John (written some 30+ years after the death of Jesus), introduces a new term into the phrase. Reading the Gospel of John in The Bible, you encounter this word "begotten" several times, at least six. Let's examine the specific Greek definition for this word.
Result of search for "begotten":
3439. monogenes mon-og-en-ace' from 3441 and 1096; only-born, i.e. sole:--only (begotten, child).
Strongs/BlueLetterBible.org
Now The Gospel of John states specifically that Jesus is the only son of God, something that had not been so specifically stated before. The Gospel of John does not include the holy birth of Jesus Christ, which would seem to be important in establishing the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only-born son (Mark does not either, which pre-dates Matthew and Luke). Does this mean that the point in which Jesus became the son of God could have been later than his birth? It is not clear since the birth was skipped in this book. The Gospel of John does however, like the other Gospels, make a distinct separation between Jesus as the son of God, and believers that become sons of God through their belief in him, although using the same word to describe both.
John 1:12 KJV
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 3:16 KJV
16 For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Also in the Gospel of John, there is a story in which Jesus said "Ye are gods". Jesus had been surrounded by the Jews. They attempt to provoke him into confessing to them all that he is the son of God. Instead of escalating their anger by stating in front of all of them that he is the Christ, he tells them that he has done the works to prove that he is already, but they still did not believe in him. The Jews picked up rocks to stone him, but he stops them and asks them if they are stoning him for doing good works. The Jews say to him that they are stoning him for blasphemy by making himself a god. Jesus then cites their own scriptures, in which it states that "ye are gods." So his point was that if he was to say he was the son of God, would it be blasphemy if the scriptures stated that "ye are Gods"?
John 10:23-36 KJV
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
Verse 34 refers to this verse in Psalms. Inserted are the Hebrew word definitions from Strong's/ Blue Letter Bible.org
Psalm 82:3-8 KJV
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.6 I have said, Ye are gods (plural usage-rulers, judges, divine ones, angels, gods); and all of you are children of the most High (name of God).7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes (chieftain, leader).
8 Arise, O God (plural intensive singular meaning-God) , judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
Because of the plural usage in the phrase 'ye are gods', the definition also includes rulers and judges. However, because of Jesus' usage of the word, and that the author continues to call those he was speaking to 'children of the most High', I don't believe that 'rulers' is the intended definition for use in this passage. So, in a sense, Jesus was stating that the scripture tells us that we are gods (divine ones, angels), because we are children of the most High.
Now lets look at this scripture from Romans and the usage of the phrase 'children of God'.
Romans 8:16-17 KJV
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
It would seem that this scripture shrinks the gap considerably between the experience of becoming a child of God, and the experience of Jesus being the son of God, since we are joint-heirs with Christ! Jesus also, in the Gospel of John, states that we that believe in him will do greater works than he did.
12 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go
unto my Father.
There is not, of course, any scriptural evidence that would put any other human being as high as Jesus Christ. I am sure that there are different variations of Jesus' birth, and the timeline in which he became anointed to do these works. But, I do believe that what Jesus is saying is that where he was in a spiritual sense at that time here on earth, that that level may be surpassed by those who believe in him! One thing that is clear throughout The Bible is that believers are the children of God; and, as children of the most high, we should "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy"(Psalms 82:3). A believer must surely be at least a child of God to be able to accomplish these things. This could be the one of the most important messages from Jesus, that those who believe in him are the sons of God; and, because of that, are capable of performing works even greater than Jesus Christ did while he was alive on this earth.
I have always thought that one major difference between the rest of humankind and Jesus was that Jesus had the knowledge of where he came to this earth from, as we do not. The understanding of oneself as a child of God is a very powerful insight, and could, in some sense, be an explanation for the ability of Jesus to perform miracles. The distance we feel from God as human beings can be somewhat overcome by the simple knowledge that God has taken us as his own children, and that we are joint-heirs of God with Christ! People are often motivated by the scripture saying "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Phil 4:13). But paired with the scriptural reaffirmation that we are truly children of God, it seems that the ability of a follower to be of such a high spiritual understanding is always within reach; and that our efforts to defend the poor and do justice to the needy should be unstoppable.
Please visit this amazing website... Blue Letter Bible.org
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
It would seem that this scripture shrinks the gap considerably between the experience of becoming a child of God, and the experience of Jesus being the son of God, since we are joint-heirs with Christ! Jesus also, in the Gospel of John, states that we that believe in him will do greater works than he did.
John 14:12-14 KJV
There is not, of course, any scriptural evidence that would put any other human being as high as Jesus Christ. I am sure that there are different variations of Jesus' birth, and the timeline in which he became anointed to do these works. But, I do believe that what Jesus is saying is that where he was in a spiritual sense at that time here on earth, that that level may be surpassed by those who believe in him! One thing that is clear throughout The Bible is that believers are the children of God; and, as children of the most high, we should "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy"(Psalms 82:3). A believer must surely be at least a child of God to be able to accomplish these things. This could be the one of the most important messages from Jesus, that those who believe in him are the sons of God; and, because of that, are capable of performing works even greater than Jesus Christ did while he was alive on this earth.
I have always thought that one major difference between the rest of humankind and Jesus was that Jesus had the knowledge of where he came to this earth from, as we do not. The understanding of oneself as a child of God is a very powerful insight, and could, in some sense, be an explanation for the ability of Jesus to perform miracles. The distance we feel from God as human beings can be somewhat overcome by the simple knowledge that God has taken us as his own children, and that we are joint-heirs of God with Christ! People are often motivated by the scripture saying "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Phil 4:13). But paired with the scriptural reaffirmation that we are truly children of God, it seems that the ability of a follower to be of such a high spiritual understanding is always within reach; and that our efforts to defend the poor and do justice to the needy should be unstoppable.
Please visit this amazing website... Blue Letter Bible.org
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