Since Jesus says his Father is greater than he and that I will do greater works than him, how can he be God?

Question

John 14:12: "the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father". 1 John 4:12: "No one has ever seen God at any time." John 14:28: "I am going to the Father, for My Father is greater than I." John 20: 17: "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and Your God." Isn't it obvious that the Father is God and is greater than the Son and that the Son is not God?

Answer 1

This question is getting so old. Its been answered a thousand times. "Greater" is not "Better". Different words in the Greek.

In the last 33 years I have talked to hundreds of JW"S. I finally started giving them a challenge. I told them that if they bothered to learn the greek language, I would guarantee that they would LEAVE the Watchtower. In 33 years i've only had 4 witnesses take me up on the offer seriously, and follow through. Within 3 years, ALL four left the Watchtower.

Two became Christian Pastors. The other two, last I heard were serving as Elders in good bible believing churches.

Now will some of you JW's and Non-Trinatarians PLEASE learn the Greek Language. And I dont just mean, "running to a dictionary or a concordance", just to look up individual words. In order to understand the language properly you have to be able to look up all of the different contexts and various places where words are USED and get a "feel" for the language.
You simply do NOT know what you are talking about.
"Thinking themselves wise, they became fools instead".

If you dont think that you CAN learn it, you would be surprised.
I will tell you one thing, YOU WOULD NOT hold the views you do, if you knew anything about it. There is a reason why 99% of ALL reputable Biblical Greek Scholars reject the NWT and the views of the Watchtower. The GREEK simply DOES NOT support your doctrines. Period.

If anyone wants some advise on how to get started, even if you are short of time and money, there are excellent ways. Please feel free to email me.

theBerean

Answer 2

The verse, however, doesn't say that the Father is greater than Jesus in all respects. Just because there's a difference in function does not indicate an inferiority in nature. For example, my boss is "greater" than me in that he makes the key decisions for the store where I work. That does not mean, however, that he's ontologically greater than I am, just that he has a greater degree of function. Likewise, the three persons of the Trinity each perform a different function. "The Father chose to be the fount and source of [redemption]; the Son chose to be the Redeemer and to enter into human flesh as one subject to the Father; and the Spirit chose to be the Sanctifier of the church, the indwelling Testifier of Jesus Christ". James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity, p. 66.
These verses are nowhere near as troublesome for trinitarians as Thomas' proclamation of Jesus as God, the Gospel of John's prologue, Jesus' various "I AM" statements, and the various attributes that are possessed by God alone that are also applied to Jesus are for non-trinitarians.

Answer 3

First Context
John 14:12 is refering to believers, not God.
"12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He (not God but believers) will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father"
In this verse Jesus is saying that when he goes into heaven we will do greater works than he did on earth.

As for 1 John 4:12 I would say that no one has seen God (all three at once in full glory) at anytime. Jesus came down in human form, but that was not his real form.

Jesus is sumbissive to the Father, but not unequal. God does not need to be full power guns blazing the whole tome in order to be God. The Son sumbits to the Father in love and total equality.

If your read the whole chapter you would that Jesus also says
"7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." John 14:7
More John 14
10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;"
God often calls him self my God for instance God call Jesus in Hebrews 1, "8But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom."
Hebrews 1:10 "He also says,
"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands."

Here God is calling Jesus God .

Answer 4

John 14:12: "the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father".

What "works" are is Christ speaking of here? Christ is speaking of the spreading of the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Think about it, very few were converted while Christ was among humanity upon the earth. At his resurrection, even most of His disciples fled in fear. It was after His resurrection and ascention to the Father that the Holy Spirit was able to come. The apostles were able to go out unto the word and spread the gospel. Thouands converted. Now lets tranlate that verse to the present day. With radio, television, and, of course, the internet, the gospel can reach almost every part of the world. Even places that are strictly controlled by governments or other religions that outlaw christianity still have access to the gospel by the internet. Look at verse 12 again, "the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these will he do, because I go to my Father." What was Christ's specific purpose on earth? To save mankind, to provide a saviour, to pronounce that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. What kindom? The kingdom was Christ Jesus (King of Kings, and Lord of Lords). The apostles continued this work by spreading the gospel and they touched thousands. Today, millions upon millions are being reached (greater works).

1 John 4:12: "No one has ever seen God at any time."
No man has ever seen the Father, only the Son. Even someone such as Moses never looked upon God. Remember, Christ has been with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1). When He came to this earth, He was God manifested in human form. John 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;. Christ is not the Father, they are separate, but He is God because He is of God and been with God from the beginning.


John 14:28: "I am going to the Father, for My Father is greater than I."

Again, Christ's mission on earth was to pay the debt of sin for all mankind, past, present, and future. That work was finished at the cross and with the ressurection. This is a clear statement that the Father is greater than the Son, but they are still one, together, as Father and Son. Also look at Matthew Chapter 28: 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Again, this is after the resurrection and Christ states: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." When Christ returns, He will not return as a Saviour (for this has already been accomplished) He will return as Judge.

John 20: 17: "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and Your God." Isn't it obvious that the Father is God and is greater than the Son and that the Son is not God?

Yes and no. You have three distinct entities represented in the bible. You have God the creator (Father), you have the Son (Christ, Saviour) and you have the Holy Spirit (Comforter, Advisor). They are separate and distinct. But the Son is clearly apart of God. I'll quote John 1:1 again:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word is Christ Jesus and as you can see from this verse, they have been together from the beginning.


The relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is difficult to put into words and I have tried my best to do so here. I honestly believe that we will not fully understand this relationship until we are at home in heaven.

Hope this helps and God bless you.

www.thruthebible.org

Answer 5

Because He is a part of God also, and that also makes Him God. It's like, you are a sum of all your parts (your body, mind, thoughts and feelings) . Well, God is a sum of His parts : the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each separate and yet joined to be GOD. Hope this answer helps answer your question.

Answer 6

Jesus is not God. He never claimed to be God. At John 17:3, he called his Father the only true God. How then could he also be the only true God? At John 10:36, Jesus called himself God's Son, not God himself.

At John 20:17, Jesus told Mary that he was ascending to "my God and your God." That shows that he and Mary worshipped the same person--God.

If Jesus is God, why does 1 Cor. 8:6 say: "there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and we through him"?

If Jesus is God, why was he called God's servant at Acts 3:26 and 4:27, 30?

If Jesus is God, who is the God and Father of Jesus? Col. 1:3

At Eph. 5:23, Jesus is called the head of the congregation.
But at 1 Cor. 11:3, God is said to be the head of the Christ. How then could Christ be God?

1 Tim. 2:5 says: ": “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus." If Jesus is the mediator between God and men, how could he be God too?

Answer 7

Jesus can not be God.

After Jesus died, he was in the tomb for three days. If he were God then Habakkuk 1:12 is wrong when it says: "O my God, my Holy One, you do not die." But the Bible says that Jesus did die and was unconscious in the tomb.

If he was really dead, he couldn't have resurrected himself. On the other hand, if he was not really dead, his pretended death wouldn't have paid the ransom price for Adam's sin.

Additionaly comes that Jesus ability to perform miracles (f. e. resurrecting people) does not indicate either that he was God. Even the apostles and prophets like Elijah and Elisha had extraordinary power but that did not make them more than men or part of a Trinity or sth. like that.

Therefore you are right, stating that the Son is not God.

Answer 8

Could be? Who knows for sure? But...no matter, God is still God, Jesus is still Jesus, you are still you. And I am still a Christian.

The Ol' Hippie Jesus Freak
Grace and Peace
Peg

Answer 9

um....this might not answer your question, but I've always thought of it has the Father, Son, Holy Spirit which could be
water, ice, steam......all three are the same but different form?

Answer 10

Stay away from Theology until you're sure Christ gave the answers you quote.