Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Bible Prophecy Masterclass. In this prolonged series of studies, we will be examining the most critical aspect of any and all Bible prophecy namely, the man Jesus Christ, son of the living God. The text for this study will be titled The Mystery, Christ Jesus, Quantum Physics and the Morphing of God. The book is written by Alvin Mitchell. I am Erica, and I along with my colleague Carol and a number of others, will be your host throughout.
As always, it is our sincere prayer that you will find this series to be helpful, spiritually stimulating and informative. Forward, in the New Testament, N.T., God is careful to introduce and highlight Jesus, His only begotten son, as, a unique and unusual son, one having, a prior, existence, one born or birthed, but not conceived, in the, usual, way. That is, this son, in a wardrobe of 100% flesh, blood and bones, has, roots, traceable to God, the creator of everything. John chapter 1 verse 3.
Colossians chapter 1 verses 14 to 17. Ephesians chapter 3 verses 8, 9. Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 to 3. This means, then, that he as such, being the Christ of the N.T., is nothing, if not also the God of the Old Testament, O.T. Hereupon hangs a truth that gives birth to and a never-ending enigma, as it prompts a series of nagging questions. It is these questions which, in a measure, are the focus of this book. Was he then as a man, trolling the roads of Galilee, God, at the same time?
Understanding as we do that, he is alive now, two thousand years after his death, was he the same then as he is now? In light of the controversy surrounding this issue, one must most certainly agree that requisite to any satisfactory resolution, is a careful defining of terms. Hence, what is, God? What characterizes divinity or, God? What qualities quantify a, God, persona?
If God defined is, in a nutshell, all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present, is that the way Jesus Christ the Nazarene is defined in the Bible? Does God make any effort to portray him, Jesus, as literally, functionally, God, throughout or at any point in his earthly walk? That is, one who was equal, in every way, except the obvious, to the Father?
The biggest names in evangelical fundamentalism argue vehemently, based squarely upon what they think, and his reaction to the words of the Pharisees, that he was born, lived, died, arose again, having existed as man, who was simultaneously, God? That is, he gave up nothing when he was born, having every attribute, all the power, and all the authority he ever had throughout his earthly walk?
Realizing that most of these haven't a clue, as they cannot find and explain the one place in four gospels where he talks repeatedly about his limitations and handicaps, is that what he taught about himself? Did Jesus himself ever show aspirations such that he wished to be received or viewed as God, during his earthly sojourn? There, in the OT, God is often referred to by various names, all of which signify the character and quality of his involvement in the lives of his people, the Jews.
This being the case, one of these names by which this Jesus of Nazareth, as God of the Old Testament, is lovingly invoked is Jehovah-Jireh, God who is my Provider. In light of the aforementioned designation of God as, Provider, knowing its significance, it might be argued quite definitively that wherever there is a skeptic of any substance, there is one who, furthermore, has greater cause to sing the praises of, Jehovah-Jireh, than any Christian.
Confession of and denial of the biblical record, in any of its different aspects, is nothing new. Skeptics and their arguments never get any better, more certain, more accurate or more convincing. There is simply no historical or scientific evidence to add plausibility to any modern biblical skepticism. It is always the same in any era. Just ill-grounded, ill-conceived trampling underfoot of the claims of El Shaddai, God the Almighty One, Christ of the NT.
Therefore, by way of reiteration, when the band strikes up, and the praises start, the skeptic of any genre should be first to chime in and sing loudest given that, as evidenced by the weight of greater than two thousand years of his relentless, fruitless scrutiny and criticism, his presence looms as large and as strong as if he were here, showing no real sign of degeneration, thus providing, for certain, select ones among them, a very fine living.
It is said by the so-called scholars of the new book Jesus, then and now, that many books are, have been and doubtless will be written, many conferences convened, all against some aspect or the other of the book of books and yet there is no good reason to expect that the writers and attendees of these will ever do more in their effort to tarnish its record by their incessant objections than prosper, financially. All this then, begs another volley of questions and observations.
In the ceaseless quest to establish the, who, of Jesus Christ, and in the obvious absence of any other reliable record of substance, who then, is best qualified to define Jesus, men or, God? Why is it that, in this unending quest for the historical Jesus, none seems resigned to submit to the one historical record, which has weathered both time and criticism?
Observe that there appears to be no, nor, it seems, has there ever been any real, lasting consensus among the multitudes of voices which clamour for recognition and opposition to God and His Christ. In fact, whatever the quantity of dissenters, it might well be argued that the strength of any of their criticisms rests chiefly in the solidarity and reliability of the biblical record. Were this not true, would they then, not be, unemployed?
Observe that there were many key criticisms levied against the Word of God, based upon which all, higher critics, swore that God was a myth, at a time when no theologian or biblical apologist could ever possibly have mounted a successful challenge, only to have the nineteenth century give way to the twentieth as it ushered in a flood of evidences from archaeology, history and science, physics that prove the Bible to be utterly reliable and sound.
This is a topic that will be dealt with in the books Prelude to the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, and the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ. Its footing thus being established, exposed as having been firmly laid, what furthermore can we have in the Book of Books then, if not an unshakable foundation upholding the mystery of God's Christ?
Consider who among sceptics, doubters and scoffers, groping arrogantly, in the dark of their own blindness, like blind men out to assess the, whatness, of an elephant, having never seen, actually object through understanding, having mastered the biblical narrative, and therefore they disbelieve. Should such a one not rather be considered a fool? Would it even matter if sceptics were thoroughly grounded in the Word of God? Does it matter to God, what or how one sees Jesus Christ the Nazarene?
As we have said, rejection and denial are nothing new. It matters very much to God how His only born Son is perceived. It matters because the Christian's eternal destiny hangs upon his perception. That perception is shaped by, as well as an evidence of, the amount of time actually devoted to walking with God, sitting at His feet, learning all that God has to offer relative to the nature of His Son.
The longer one lives, the more one is expected to grow in his knowledge and understanding, as this is to serve as the substance, the heart of the message the mature saint delivers to unbelievers and new converts. To do less or otherwise is to teach presumptuously. This teaching is tantamount to lying. Teaching falsehoods about the man from Galilee is on a par with idolatry. God cannot stomach, nor will He tolerate idolatrous worship.
It is my sincere prayer and hope then, that multitudes will after reading and studying prayerfully the pages of this book, come to see the real Jesus, as God portrays Him in His Word. Preface. Although studied widely, written about profusely, debated richly amongst critics, scoffers, ideologians, and skeptics but never debunked, as the myths some wish Him to be, history per se has no knowledge of Him.
It is as if God sought and or procured exclusive rights to the reporting and proclamation of His life and times. Josephus, notwithstanding. Literarily, He does not exist apart from the biblical narrative. Yet, for all of this, what single, historical figure, past or present, can boast a name greater, more widely circulated and recognizable? i.e., who has greater name recognition? What name has greater worth where the good and benefit to all humanity is concerned?
More bizarre still, amid all the discussion surrounding Him, who actually knows Him? Does anyone? His churches do not. Oh, woe be gone! Although they brandish His name weekly, even daily via the media, in all its various forms. They are absolutely clueless, in spite of opportunity and a relatively easy access to the source book of all knowledge concerning Him that is relatively unparalleled, in any past generation. The plight of the unbeliever is understandable.
The grand ignorance of the Christian is utterly inexcusable. Gentle though it is, take my yoke upon you, and, learn of me, is not a suggestion to the saints, it is a command. Adding to, no, the Savior, as He monitors and knows intimately each and every Christian, is not an option, as much as it is a duty, a Christian responsibility. As the only reliable source of information regarding His person and being, the Bible has much to say about Him.
But, what does the Bible actually teach, and how do the insights it gives square with the many and varied beliefs, thoughts and ideas of the many and varied churches, denominations which espouse them? Was He a man? Was He God? Was He God and man, at the same time? What was His view, or what did He have to say about Himself, in terms of His humanity, deity, and relationship to God?
Moreover, in the midst of unavoidable conflict, whose word prevails, His, or the beliefs and normally ill-grounded opinions of His many different churches and denominations. If He were a man, could He as such sin like all other men? Seeing as we do that all cannot possibly be right, which church or denomination of churches has dibs on Him?
Many have come to our website at www.biblestudyour.net looking for and seeking knowledge about this, for some, enigmatic but no less most fascinating of all historical figures. It was their queries and concerns which lay the foundation for the topics and other issues of significance, relative to the man from Galilee, which will be discussed in the pages of this booklet. Note, the aforementioned site no longer exists.
Whereas the contents of this work can only be troubling to some, one can only pray that it will be a source of comfort, strength, and encouragement to the few who truly wish to know and see Jesus as God portrays Him in the pages of His Word, the Bible, as opposed to the way He is portrayed in the media, by the churches, and the evangelical world view.
A synopsis of the arguments and concerns entertained by the aforementioned teacher, along with a few more insights, can be found in Appendix B, which was originally intended to be a proposal or pitch to some major publisher. These, in the main form the basis and the impetus for this work. While much has been added, the platform, one might say, for the body of the book is a letter written shortly after the broadcasts of the topics at hand.
I have chosen to leave it in the style of the original letter, although the parts have been reshuffled, and I had begun to remove the name of the broadcast or the name of its host, but in the end elected to leave whatever remains, in. The first names, however, of the callers will be left in. Another, bone of contention, also delivered by that same teacher, earlier this year, on January 8th, has to do with the topic of the unpardonable sin. What is it? Who can commit it?
Again, his understanding was biblically unsound, yet I am confident that by God's grace all issues and concerns surrounding this, sin, canon will be resolved satisfactorily and biblically within the pages of this book.
I pray now that the Almighty, all-wise God of all the heavens and of the earth will bless mightily, the pinning and reading of this book, to the saving of many souls that are unsaved and to the enlightenment, strengthening, and stability of many who are saved but not secure in their understanding of these, and other, issues of concern and importance. In accordance with the will and mind of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Introduction.
God is justly pleased and thrilled with the whole of His creation. Everything He has done was, in its original state, good in every sense of the word. There are those aspects of the created order, however, which stand out as pinnacles, head and shoulders above the rest, even in His holy mind. It was not intended that everything should be either the same or on the same level. Strangely, in a universe that virtually, smells, and smacks of a certain, sameness, our God does in fact savor diversity.
Hence, we see the protective cherub of Ezekiel, now the rebel Satan, created originally the capstone of all the angelic spirit beings and others of the, heavenly host. Then came man. Although on a rung in the chain of command slightly lower than that of the angels, he was, being fashioned in the image, of his Maker, no less marvelous and, therefore, the capstone of all God's earthbound, physical creatures.
Then, there came that juncture, where God merged eternity and time so as to present, for all to behold, a capstone which was to be, and remains, as it will ever remain, pinnacle to all capstones. Human, fully, yet through procreation not birthed, converted, or, morphed, transformed, he was not created. The mystery of all ages was guided to fruition, as God, became man. But, does anyone really understand this?
Does anybody out there know, perceive, and appreciate this, capstone, the way God presents him in His written Word? The scriptures show this to be a matter uppermost, paramount in the mind of God. While many write, preach, teach and or speak on the subjects of God or the Holy Spirit, when it comes to the Christ, most, if not all, even among those who justifiably might be considered the best and brightest, seem to have missed the point.
Anyone grappling with the subject of Jesus and His humanity, tend to do so in general from the point of view of someone else, the so-called, evangelical world-view, for instance, who himself or themselves ultimately may well have been clueless, or he is just plain wrong, regardless of how he draws his conclusions, thereby indicating that perhaps his walk with the Lord must, at best, have been, from some distance.
In terms of the whole, far too many of today's preachers and teachers operate on a plateau not much higher than that of, in some cases, celebrated and distinguished, problems in God's solution. They are like the proverbial flies, in His ointment. The mystery of all the ages is to them just that, a mystery. Few are truly prepared, or concerned, to lead their congregations in circles indicative of everything God wishes His people to know on the subject.
Their respective denominations have set themselves up and are looked to as authorities for the people within them, but, for the most part, all indicators suggest they too are altogether careless and clueless. Short-sighted Bible studies and or Sunday school programs leave new converts virtually as blind and backwards, theologically, as before their professions of faith.
The chief stumbling block for most folks seems to be a willingness, or, a determination, to see the Christ, during His earthly days, as a mix, i.e., a God, man. They simply cannot, or will not, envision Him as all man.
This fact really came home, to Roost, earlier this year, while listening to a well-known, popular author and host of a widely circulated, Christian talk show, as he tackled a question having to do in general with the humanity of the Messiah, as presented to him by a caller from New Jersey. The most appalling thing about the teacher's approach to, the Jesus, question lay in how he spoke freely and eloquently, without giving the slightest deference to the Word of God in support of his conclusions.
He showed no grasp, not even a simple awareness that the Bible, n.t., is replete with scriptures, which speak quite well to the issue of Jesus and His humanity from at least three points of view. 1. Man's. What people in general and the apostles saw when they looked and considered Him. 2. God's. How God defined the big picture, and. 3. Christ's own view. What He knew, in spite of how He presented Himself and wished to be perceived by men.
4. A bonus view, one might say, is that of the demonic world. For the first thirty years of his life, no one recognized Him, not even the demons. From the time he was indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God the Father, his humanity never seemed to hide the fact of his roots in deity, from the demons, wherever and whenever he encountered them, they immediately knew Him. The presence of the Holy Spirit within him was their beacon.
As his desire was to remain anonymous, he always demanded that the demons keep quiet, in light of what they saw, so as to not make Him known. Neither of the above views is negligible. All are necessary to fully understand and appreciate Him and His mission. At no time should, nor can any good teacher under any circumstance afford to attempt to do justice to a discussion of the subject of our Lord's humanity without giving full consideration to these views and the scriptures surrounding them.
Nonetheless, this well-respected teacher, whose ministry I have supported, did just that. So then, just what is one to make of this Jesus of Nazareth? Who was He? What was He? Part man, part God? All man? Perfect? Is it possible for a man, since the fall of Adam, to be flawless and thereby live a sinless existence? Did not his failure prove that the human design was defective?
Was this Nazarene a Christ having, actively, as it were, if the evangelical, fundamentalist, world-view, holds water, a sort of dual or, split personality, a kind of, Clark Kent, by day, a cosmic Superman, by night? Was he a kind of divine, Dr. Jekyll, one minute, and a benign, Mr. Hyde, the next? These and related issues this study proposes to tackle and settle once and for all, the Lord willing.
It is my solemn conviction that, given the fact that so many, often well-meaning, have fallen so far short of the mark in the treatment of the subject of Jesus and His humanity, God has therefore chosen to drop the mantle upon my lowly, humble shoulders, so that now, it is my turn and task to go the distance. Let us pray, then, that God will bless this undertaking to the edification and enlightenment of all who will read and hear. Amen.