Jesus is God

[darinhouston]

Not like Jesus there wasn't. No other "son" of God had been supernaturally implanted in the womb of a woman, and this implanting was the work of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Nor was any other "son" of God the promised Messiah, the Word, which was God, that had become flesh. No other "son" of God had the Father speak audibly from heaven to proclaim over Him, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." This was the ONLY begotten Son of God. No other "son" of God was born like Jesus was. No other "son" of God had the angel of the Lord proclaim over Him, "today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Messiah, the Lord." No other "son" of God was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecy. No other "son" of God was born of a virgin and born into the line of Judah and David. No other "son" of God saved His people from their sins, and even saved the world from our sins. No other "son" of God spoke the way Jesus spoke, nor did any other "son" of God explain the Father and the Holy Spirit to give us understanding, like Jesus did. No other "son" of God was called the power of God and the wisdom of God. No other "son" of God had the angels worship Him at the command of God the Father. No other "son" of God is called the Head of the church, His body. No other "son" of God was willing to shed His blood for the sins of mankind, nor could they. No other "son" of God was without sin.

Yes, Dwight, I fully agree with all these statements!

Yet none of this proves that this "ONLY begotten Son of God" was God Himself!

Ditto

[commonsense]

Commonsense,

Once again you are lowering Jesus and elevating man. This is typical of a cult, which if you are not part of one, then apparently you are starting your own.

Dwight, You've said this to me before, and my response is the same. I'm not the one elevating man. It's GOD who raises up man by the power of his Holy Spirit and His word. He raised up Abraham. He raised up Moses. He raised up David. He raised up the prophets. He raised up Jesus. And he raises us up as well. Aren't we supposed to be raised up out of sin and darkness to become a light unto the world? A kingdom of priests and holy people unto God? To produce the fruit of the Spirit? etc.etc.?

[dwight92070]

Commonsense,

Once again you are lowering Jesus and elevating man. This is typical of a cult, which if you are not part of one, then apparently you are starting your own.

Dwight, You've said this to me before, and my response is the same. I'm not the one elevating man. It's GOD who raises up man by the power of his Holy Spirit and His word. He raised up Abraham. He raised up Moses. He raised up David. He raised up the prophets. He raised up Jesus. And he raises us up as well. Aren't we supposed to be raised up out of sin and darkness to become a light unto the world? A kingdom of priests and holy people unto God? To produce the fruit of the Spirit? etc.etc.?

Dwight - No, the focus is not on US! It should be on JESUS! He said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." You're putting Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets and us on the same level as Jesus. We are NOT on His level, nor will we ever be. When you do that, you LOWER Him from His rightful position and ELEVATE yourself to a position which is not rightfully yours.

[commonsense]

Dwight - No, the focus is not on US! It should be on JESUS! He said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." You're putting Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets and us on the same level as Jesus. We are NOT on His level, nor will we ever be. When you do that, you LOWER Him from His rightful position and ELEVATE yourself to a position which is not rightfully yours.

Dwight, I'm not lowering Jesus from His rightful position. Jesus was raising us up to OUR rightful positions as sons of God in obedience to His word.

Romans 8:17 And if we are children then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."
Rev. 1:6 And you have made us kings and priest unto God."
Rev. 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign upon the earth."

Genesis 1:28 " Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
Genesis 1:28 happens when we are in the image of God, born of the Spirit and obedient to His commands.

God doesn't lower His standards so that we pass the grade. On the contrary, we must rise up to meet His standards.

[dwight92070]

Dwight - No, the focus is not on US! It should be on JESUS! He said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." You're putting Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets and us on the same level as Jesus. We are NOT on His level, nor will we ever be. When you do that, you LOWER Him from His rightful position and ELEVATE yourself to a position which is not rightfully yours.

Dwight, I'm not lowering Jesus from His rightful position. Jesus was raising us up to OUR rightful positions as sons of God in obedience to His word.

Dwight - Our rightful position as children of God is on our faces at the feet of Jesus.

Romans 8:17 And if we are children then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."
Rev. 1:6 And you have made us kings and priest unto God."

Dwight - That is a BAD translation! It ACTUALLY says that we are a KINGDOM, priests to our God. NOWHERE does it say that we are kings in the Bible. We are a kingdom, but Jesus is OUR KING! Our "exaltation" comes in the next life, NOT now. NOW we are told to HUMBLE OURSELVES and to live in the fear of the Lord, as the prodigal son humbled himself when he came back to his father. He said that he was not worthy to be called his father's son. Jesus, by telling this parable, praised his humble attitude.

Dwight - Again, in Luke 17:10 Jesus said, "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are UNWORTHY SLAVES; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"

Rev. 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign upon the earth."

Dwight - The reigning ON EARTH happens after Christ's return, NOT NOW. THAT'S THE CONTEXT OF REVELATION 5.

Genesis 1:28 " Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
Genesis 1:28 happens when we are in the image of God, born of the Spirit and obedient to His commands.

Dwight - That was said BEFORE the fall. The fall changed everything. We will have dominion with Him over the NEW earth. We certainly do not have dominion over the earth now. We can multiply physically, but through pain and hard work. Also, we are to endeavor now to multiply spiritually, by bringing others to Him.

God doesn't lower His standards so that we pass the grade. On the contrary, we must rise up to meet His standards.

Dwight - Jesus was the ONLY one who could meet God's standard. Only IN HIM can we do anything.

Dwight - So I guess John the Baptist got it all wrong when he said, "He must increase, I must decrease."

Dwight - Even after the Lord's return, when we are reigning with Christ, we will be forever humble before Him. Revelation 5:8-10 We are reigning with Him SPIRITUALLY right NOW OVER SIN AND THE FLESH. But there will come a day - the Last Day - when we will reign with Him splritually AND PHYSICALLY over the NEW earth.

[Paidion]

So many times Paul wrote of "God the Father" AND "the Lord Jesus Christ".
Not once, did he ever write of "God the Son" or indicate in any way that Jesus is God,

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
Eph 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 6:23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Php 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
1Th 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from beloved son:
2Ti 1:2 To Timothy, a mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Tit 1:4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

(Underlining mine)

[Homer]

Paidion,

You wrote:

Not once, did he ever write of "God the Son" or indicate in any way that Jesus is God,

There you go again:

Colossians 2:8-10
New Revised Standard Version
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity (theotetos) dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

Theotetos:
The Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich and Danker lexicon renders the word “deity,divinity, used as an abstract noun for theos.”2 Thayer’s lexicon says, “deity, i.e. the state of being God, Godhead: Colossians 2:9.” Thayer is here giving us Grimm’s words. However, he then goes on to provide some important information on his own, ”[SYN. theotes, theiotes: theot. deity differs from theiot. divinity, as essence differs from quality or attribute;”]3 This bit of information is vital. The word under consideration here, theotes, is not the same word as is found at Romans 1:20, theiotes. This difference is striking and purposeful. One cannot translate theotes as a simple quality or attribute – it refers instead to the actual essence of deity, not simply to its attributes. The most extensive passage on this important idea is found in Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament:

Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament:

…yet they (theiotes and theotes) must not be regarded as identical in meaning, nor even as two different forms of the same word, which in process of time have separated off from one another, and acquired different shades of significance. On the contrary, there is a real distinction between them, and one which grounds itself on their different derivations; theotes being from theos, and theiotes, not from to theion, which is nearly though not quite equivalent to theos, but from the adjective theios…But in the second passage (Colossians 2:9) St. Paul is declaring that in the Son there dwells all the fullness of absolute Godhead; they were no mere rays of divine glory which gilded Him, lighting up his person for a season and with a splendour not his own; but He was, and is, absolute and perfect God; and the Apostle “uses theotes to express this essential and personal Godhead of the Son;…

If Jesus is simply another who is deity you have two who are God.

[darinhouston]

Colossians 2:8-10
New Revised Standard Version
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity (theotetos) dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

I'm curious how you see passages like 2 Peter 1:4 and Ephesians 3:19 in the context of this Colossians passage.

Through these things[q] he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised[r] you may become partakers of the divine nature

19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to[a] all the fullness of God.

What about 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 ?

27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[a] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

[commonsense]

Dwight - Our rightful position as children of God is on our faces at the feet of Jesus.

Our rightful position is to be obedient to God's commands in which case we then become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

NOWHERE does it say that we are kings in the Bible.

Rev. 1:6 And has MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS TO HIS GOD AND FATHER."

Genesis 1:28 " Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
Genesis 1:28 happens when we are in the image of God, born of the Spirit and obedient to His commands.

Dwight - That was said BEFORE the fall.

It was said afterwards as well, to Noah ,Abraham, Jacob, the people who came out of Egypt etc.

Our "exaltation" comes in the next life, NOT now.

God raises us up NOW IN THIS LIFE, just as He has always been raising people up.

Dwight - Jesus was the ONLY one who could meet God's standard. Only IN HIM can we do anything.

God expects us to meet His standards, and Jesus was living proof that we are capable of it, so we are without excuse.

Romans 12:1 Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God."

"And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Ephesians 4:22-24 "Put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Put on the new man which was created after the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness.

I think we're straying from the topic, so I'll say no more.

[Paidion]

Paidion,

You wrote:

Not once, did he ever write of "God the Son" or indicate in any way that Jesus is God,

There you go again:

Yes, when I "go again" to affirm this truth, thus go I!

I notice you were unable to provide a quote from Paul, in which he used the expression "God the Son".
Nothing you wrote shows that Paul believed that Jesus is God.
There is an immense difference between stating that Jesus is the unique divine son of God and stating that he is God Himself.