Is Jesus the Son of God?
One of the fundamental beliefs in Christianity is the literal sonship of Jesus Christ to God. This belief comes from the verse in John 3:16 "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 I John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." these verses clearly state that Jesus is the only begotten, and born Son of God.
Let us look at other verses from the Bible to find out whether Jesus was the only begotten son of God, or that there were more than one. Also let us investigate whether Jesus was the only one born of God. Finally, let us investigate whether the word begotten is to be taken literally.
Was Jesus the only begotten son of God?
In the book of Psalms 2:7 we find "I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." David, in this verse, is saying that God had told him he was the son of God and God has begotten him. Clearly Jesus is not the only begotten son of God.
Of course, one could say that although Jesus was not the only begotten son of God, he had no human father in contrast to David who had a human father. That is true! Since Jesus had no human father it makes the relationship between him and God a closer one. The question is what about Adam? Adam had no human father nor a human mother, and according to the Bible he too was the son of God. The Bible says, "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli." (Luke3:23) The Bible goes on to mention the supposed genealogy of Jesus Christ. At the end of this genealogy the Bible comes to Adam, and it says, "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." (Luke 3:38). So Adam is also the son of God. According to the assumption: "because Jesus had no human father then he is closer to God than David who had a human father," we can safely conclude that Adam is better than Jesus because he did not have a human father or mother.
The truth is Jesus and Adam do not differ in God''s sight. They were a mere creation of God. The Holy Quran says in clear terms, "Verily, similitude of Jesus with God is as the similitude of Adam; He created him out of dust then said He unto him BE, and he became." (Ch 3: Vr 59).
Was Jesus the only born son of God or the only son of God?
The verse in I John 5:1 says, "...Jesus is the Christ is born of God ..." This indicates that Jesus was born of God, but was Jesus the only born son of God? Let us look at what the Bible says:
God talking to Moses:
Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Exodus 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Also, God talking about David:
Psalms 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
In both Exodus 4:22-23 and Psalms 89:27 Israel and David, respectively, were regarded as the first born sons of God. This means that Jesus was not the only born son of God. This means that the word "born" does not mean conception. It''s just a form of expression God used to show the closeness of people to Him.
Finally, there were many other people mentioned in the bible as sons of God, and one of them was Solomon:
I Chronicles 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
I Chronicles 22:10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
Also, remember that some of these verses are taken from the Old Testament, and that this book was originally written in Hebrew. Had the word born or son meant born or son in a literal sense then the Jews would have been ahead of everyone else in claiming their literal sonship to God, or in claiming the literal sonship of Solomon to God. The Jews know their language, and they know what son means. They know that the word "son" should not be taken literally.
The Quran says in chapter 112 "In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful. Say: He, God, is ONE (alone). God, the Absolute, He begetteth not, nor is He Begotten, And there is none like unto Him.''" God does not beget, and does not need to beget. He is ONE and only ONE, and nothing is equal to Him.
What does begotten mean?
If Jesus is not the only begotten son of God and not the only born son of God, then what does begotten or born mean? Should the two words be taken literally? The only way we can justify these words is by looking at the Bible again. In I Peter 1:3 the Bible says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." The word begotten is also used here. God can beget us unto lively hope. Does the word "begotten" here mean conception? No. It is a form of expression. This word means "gave rise to" or "brought".
Also in Job 38:28 the Bible says, "Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?" Can the drops of dew be begotten? No. It''s just a form of expression. Rain does not have a father nor are drops of dew begotten in a literal sense.
If we cannot take the word begotten in literal sense with David, the drops of dew, or "us unto a lively hope" then why should we take Jesus as the literal begotten son of God?
Finally, in the book Revelation 1:5 says, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Why is it that when Jesus is mentioned as being begotten of God it is taken literally, and when he is mentioned that he is begotten from the dead it is not taken literally? The truth is because the word begotten here does not mean any one could be conceived of the dead; it is a form of expression. The same thing with God, He begets not, and this word "begotten" is only a form of expression.
Who was Jesus if not the literal son of God?
According to the Bible in Matthew 21:11 "And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." This was Jesus. He was a prophet of God. He was sent like other prophets to deliver the message of his ONE and only ONE God (glory be to Him). Also, in Luke 24:19 the Bible says "And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people."
Jesus was a true messenger of God Almighty. He was sent by Him to deliver His will. The Bible says in John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." These are the true characteristics of a prophet. They do as they are commanded. They are sent to deliver a message, and the only difference between them and other humans is their utmost righteousness, "mighty in deed and word" (Luke 24:19). They are the best of all the people of their time. They are the only ones who could bear and act upon the commandments of God completely and fully. They are loved by God because of that, and their nearness to God comes from that.
The same applies to all other prophets. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob, Jonah, Moses, Jesus, Jonas, Muhammad and all the other prophets shared the same qualities. The qualities of those who could withstand all forms of tribulations in God''s name. They all fully abided by what God has commanded them. The Quran says, "Say: (O'' Our Apostle Muhammad!) (unto the People) We believe in God, and what hath been sent down to us, and what hath been sent down to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between any of them, and we unto Him are muslims''" (CH 3: Vr 84). (Note that "what was given to Moses, and Jesus" is not the same as the current Bible written by Paul, John, Luke, Matthew, and so on. Rather they were the true books of Moses and Jesus. These are not to be found today.)
Oneness of God
One of the main doctrines in Christianity is the trinity. This idea comes from I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." This verse indicates that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one. These words are John's words and not Jesus' words nor God's, but according to the Christians John was inspired by God, and that is the reason for taking his words as the truth. Let us investigate the Bible to see if God is One and only One, or that He is, or they are three in one.
Are Jesus and God the same?
I have already talked about this topic in the second chapter, and showed the difference between God and Jesus. If you have not read that yet please do so.
Let us see what Jesus himself says.
One of the scribes asked Jesus, Mark 12:28 "Which is the first commandment of all?" Clearly from the question the man wanted to know the first of all commandments, and the most important one. Jesus replied to him in the following verse:
Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
1.Jesus was not talking to this man only, but he made sure to call the attention of all Israel "Hear, O Israel." This indicates the importance of this message.
2.Jesus says, "the Lord our God." This clearly indicates that God is not only the God of the people Jesus is talking to, but He is also Jesus' God ("our").
3.Jesus continues to say, "is one Lord." This clearly indicates the Oneness of God.
4.Finally, in Mark 12:30 Jesus reiterates that this is the first commandment "this is the first commandment ." A commandment before all others.
Jesus in these verses showed how important this message was by calling the attention of the Israelites, and when he talked about the Oneness of God he excluded himself from that "Oneness" when he said, "our God." He stated that this One God is his God as well as every one else's. Had he been one of the three mentioned in John (according to John) then he would not have said "the Lord our God," but he would have said "the Lord your God."
Then it continues in Mark after Jesus told the second commandment:
Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
When the scribe reiterated the message Jesus delivered, and said, "there is none other but he" (Mark 12:32), Jesus told him that he was not far from the kingdom of God. Certainly the scribe understood that there is only one God, and had his understanding been wrong, Jesus would have told him, or Jesus would have clarified to all who were listening that it is really three in one. This was supposed to be an important commandment. It was the commandment that came before all others.
According to my understanding the verse in I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one," is the only record of the idea that God is three in one rather than One and only One. The rest of the Bible is filled with verses indicating the absolute Oneness of God, and they carry no record of the idea of John in such way.
The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible
In many instances in the Bible, God and His prophets mention that God is only One, and not three in one. The following are some of the many verses from the Bible:
• Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." God is one and not three in one.
• Isaiah 43:10-11 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour." God wants us to "know," "believe," and "understand" that He is the LORD, and "beside" Him there is no other. Had there been any other "beside" Him then He would have said it.
• Ephesians 4:6 "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
• I Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
• James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." What makes the devil tremble is the belief that God is one, and not three.
• Deuteronomy 4:35 "Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him."
• I Samuel 2:2 "There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God."
• Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
• Isaiah 44:8 "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any."
• Isaiah 45:5 "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me."
• Isaiah 45:6 "That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else."
• Hosea 13:4 "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me."
Some of these verses testify that God is "one," others attest that there is nothing "beside" Him, one of them declares that nothing is "like" Him, and so on. None of the above verses include anything that describes that God is three in one. Jesus did not say that he was one of three, nor did God in His own words.
I am told that although God and Jesus never mentioned the idea of the trinity, yet John who was inspired by God clarified this idea for all of us, the idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one.
My argument is: God never said that He is three in one, never were any prophets of God ever instructed to say that God is three in one, not even Jesus was instructed to say that, yet John who was not a prophet of God (he was an apostle of Jesus, or a disciple) said that God is really three in one, and the whole world of Christians believe him! I am wondering, who has more authority? What is more powerful? That which was quoted from Jesus' mouth and God's words, or the interpretation of John?
Before I end this section, "The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible," I would like to raise some points about the idea of inspiration:
• If the idea that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired is to be believed, then we should disregard the book of Luke if we are willing to take Luke for his own words, when we read Luke 1:1-3 "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus." Luke tells us that he saw it good to write his book. It was his own choice, and not an inspiration.
• If we should believe that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired, then we should also believe in the book "The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ." The Author of this book, Joseph Smith, claims he too was inspired by God. Why should we stop at the Bible alone?
• There are hundreds of different denominations in Christianity, and many in almost all denominations claim to be inspired by God, yet they are all different in their beliefs and convictions. Who are we to believe? Who is right and who is wrong? Especially when some of these denominations differ with others on the most crucial points in Christianity. Also, why does God deliver different message to each denomination, is God the author of confusion? I Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
What about worshipping God through Jesus?
The worship of God should be aimed directly to God. God does not need a medium for prayers to come to Him. This is clear from the Bible. When God says in such a bold manner:
Exodus 20:1-5:
"And God spake all these words, saying,
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."
We should not make any images or likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth as something to worship. God is the only One that we should bow down to. God, the God of everything, is a Jealous God, and he does not like us to worship anything but Him, not even Jesus. God shows how jealous He is when people worship images in Exodus 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
Romans 1:21-32:
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
