The Narrow Path Ministries

Considering the following:

Jeremiah 10:10 (New King James Version)

10. But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

Luke 4:8 (New King James Version)

8. And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

John 17:3 (New King James Version)

3. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

So if Jesus is not God, how could He allow Himself to be worshipped, and how can we worship Him?

So if Jesus is not God, how could He allow Himself to be worshipped, and how can we worship Him?

This question is not clear because of the ambiguity concerning the use of the word "God".

Jesus clearly is not the God. Only the Father is the God or the true God.

Notwithstanding, Jesus is "the exact image of the essence of the Father" Hebrews 1:3, or "the exact imprint of God’s very being" NRSV. That is why Jesus was able to say, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Jesus was begotten from the Father Himself at the beginning of time ("begotten" not "created" as even the early Trinitarians affirmed). Jesus was the only begotten Son of God.

Man begets man and the offspring is human. Dogs beget dogs and the offspring is canine. God begets God, and the offspring is divine.

So as Another divine Individual exactly like the Father, Jesus is worthy of our worship.

Some may say that this is a belief in two Gods, and it is, in the sense that there are two Individuals --- but not so in the sense that the Essence is one.

Paidion,

You wrote:

Jesus clearly is not the God. Only the Father is the God or the true God.

And Jesus clearly limited our worship to this God:

Luke 4:8 (New King James Version)

8. And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

So how could He allow people to worship Him? It seems to me that you view Jesus as a sort of "copy" of the Father, sort of a clone, perhaps. I do not get it. Jesus being begotten of the Spirit in the virgin Mary makes sense; He is thus the only begotten. How was there a prior "begetting"? Begetting implies male/female involvement.

The "worship" bit has been engaged elsewhere:

http://www.theos.org/forum/viewtopic.ph ... a&start=30

http://www.wvss.com/forumc/viewtopic.ph ... 1f2de3329e

(same thread, different locations)