The Narrow Path Ministries

Paidon,

You say Jesus is not God but that He is deity. Given the definition of God it has always seemed to me your view is a form of polytheism:

God
/ɡäd/
noun

noun: God; noun: god; plural noun: gods; plural noun: the gods
1. (in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.

You acknowledge that Jesus created the world, and He has all authority. You say He is deity. Given that deity is recognized as a synonym for God, what is the difference in your mind? Is it the "job title" or something else?

From your viewpoint you say I am modalist and I say you are polytheistic and we both deny what seems apparent to the other.

Hi Homer,you wrote:You say Jesus is not God but that He is deity. Given the definition of God it has always seemed to me your view is a form of polytheism

I use the word "deity" with reference to the God-essence of both the Father and the Son. The early Trinitarians called this essence a "substance" or the Greek word transliterated —hypostasis. The main use of the word "God" refers to an Individual.

Throughout the New Testament, it always refers to the father when "theos" (God) has the article and there are no other modifiers.
I searched for "o θεος" (the God) used in the nominative case (the subject of a verb) in the New Testament. There were 244 occurrences of the phrase. I didn't have the patience examine every one of them in detail, but of the many dozen I did examine, every one of them referred the Father. Not one of them referred to the Son or the Holy Spirit. If God is a Trinity or a Binity, one would expect at least one instance to refer to such a compound God—but not one.

I also searched for "τον θεον" (the God) in the accusative case (the object of a verb). There were 111 occurrences of the phrase. Again, each of the dozens I examined referred to the Father. Not one referred to the Son, the Holy Spirit, or to a compound God. Is it any wonder that I am a unitarian, as was Jesus who called His Father "the only true God" in His prayer.

You acknowledge that Jesus created the world...

No I don't. I acknowledge that the Father created the world THROUGH the Son.

... and He has all authority.

Yes, all authority in heaven and on earth was GIVEN to Him by the Father. He did not possess it apart from that gift.

You say He is deity. Given that deity is recognized as a synonym for God, what is the difference in your mind?

Here is the difference:
Deity is a synonym for "God-essence" or "hypostasis". The Father and the Son are of the same divine essence. Therefore the Son can be called "God" or "Deity" in that sense.
But in the New Testament the word "God" is used nearly always in reference to the Father alone. The Son is NOT God in the sense of being the same divine Individual as the Father. Even Trinitarians and Binitarians recognize this (though Modalists do not. They believe the Father and the Son are the same Person).

Pretty clear in Scripture it's idolatry to call something deity that isn't God.

And pretty clear in all my posts in this thread, that the word "God" is used in two distinct ways. In one of these ways, Jesus is God; in the other, He isn't.

Both of these ways occurs in John 1:1. But the word is NEVER used in the Bible to denote a compound God—a trinity or a binity.

Paidon, thank you for stating your beliefs and your answers in various places on this thread. I find it extremely helpful and encouraging.
Grace and peace to you and all the brethren here.

21centpilgrim



May the enabling grace of God be with you, too!