Why do many Christians believe Jesus IS God?

Question

It is well known that Christians believe Jesus is God's only son. I understand why they think this...but reading some of the answers on this site, it seems that many (not all) Christians believe that Jesus and God are the SAME entity.

What is going on with this? What are Christian churches teaching its members nowadays?

I grew up Christian...but with age, research, and thorough questioning/analyzing of my faith, I ran as fast as I could away from the church. I still respect and validate the importance it plays in so many lives, though...even if it is not for me.

I can't understand, however, how anyone could use the term God and Jesus interchangably. Please clarify for me. Thank you in advance for your responses.

Answerers, please spare me the bible quotes....I want YOUR words and thoughts.

Because, tur b, an educated or otherwise passionate person can articulate their thoughts and opinions using their own words. Copying and pasting bible quotes(which are subject to interpretation, THUS, why I ask for you to think for yourself and write your own words) will not answer my question.

Answer 1

OK! Here's my thinking on it. No scriptures,as you requested.
We know that God created Jesus as his very first creation.
They then went about creating everything else using God's powerful Holy spirit.
Angels etc......
Jesus was transferred by the same power he used in creation, to Mary's body where he developed as a natural child.
At his death as a reward God made him an independent God as a reward for his sacrifice.

Here's the reasoning for the Independence.
All the rest of us including the Angels, are plugged into God's life force to exist. But Jesus earned the right to exist without being plugged in. (A God in his own rite)

Again, my thinking....this is not part of my religion. Just seems reasonable to me.

Answer 2

Because a Group of men got together and decided that the son, Jesus, is the same as God at the Council of Nicea. This was not a teaching of the apostles, and The New Catholic Encyclopedia states:
"The formulation 'one God in three Persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of fath, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective."

First Church Council was the Council of Nicea (or Nicaea) which was called by the Emperor Constantine in 325. It is mainly known for deciding the nature of Jesus. Its participants decisively ruled that Jesus was both human and divine, and that he was equivalent to (literally, "of the same substance as") God the Father. This had the result of making Arianism a heresy. The Nicene Creed encapsulated this theological doctrine (to read the Nicene Creed, click here).

As is evident, this teaching was not embraced by the early Christian congregations, and the apostles neither taught nor believed that Jesus is God.

If Jesus is referred to as the "only begotten son," he was begot by someone. Where did he come from? Someone created Jesus -- God, the Father. Why would God send his son to give his life if he was God? It just doesn't make sense. Why at John 1:18 does it say that no man could see God and live, yet, Jesus walked the Earth and was seen by millions of people, I'm sure, in his life. Who did Jesus pray to in his time of need when he was about to give his life, when he was at the Mount of Olives? No, Jesus is the only Begotten Son and God is the Creator, or Jehovah, as he's referred to at Psalm 83:18.

Answer 3

Level 1 - The Christian is taught what Christianity is and they believe what they are told.

Level 2- The Christian knows the basic theology of Christianity and does a bit of research. This usually includes a bit of reading in the Gospels. The Christian then equates "I and my Father are one" as being an admission of Deity, along with "Before Abraham was, I am".

Level 3 - The Christian does some research into the Epistles and the Gospels, which leads them to these verses:
Hebrews 1
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire." 8 But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy."
Which leads them to level 4.

Level 4 - The Christian begins an in deeper study of the Old Testament. Since Hebrews 1 is quoting many times the Old Testament, Psalm 45, Isaiah 61, Isaiah 52 & 53 become main scriptural references to tell of the coming of the Messiah. Add in Daniel 7, and you have God approaching Himself; The Ancient of Days as the Father, and the Most High being Jesus. By this time the Christian is totally convinced that Jesus is God that there is no question as to the validity of the belief.

There are other Levels, but I do not want to go into them now.

Answer 4

not all sects of Christianity have faith that Jesus and God are the comparable or united beings. This became into settled on the 1st Council of Nicaea. The Arian Christians (to not be puzzled with Hitler's Aryans) felt that Jesus became into not begotten of God the daddy, what the Council decreed. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. Protestants are maximum folk branch of Christianity interior the US, outnumbering Catholics. Baptists are considered a sect of Protestantism, as is Lutheranism, Presbyterian, Methodists, Episcopalians, and so forth. Is there a majority of Christians working the rustic? Your question is somewhat imprecise. maximum folk of our flesh pressers (interior sight, state, and federal point) become attentive to as Christians, yet that doesn't recommend that Christianity runs the rustic provided that we've a mundane government. Catholics are a minority at many state ranges of government and extremely the federal government.

Answer 5

Edit: Answerers, please spare me the bible quotes....I want YOUR words and thoughts.

My thoughts are that as a mere human being I would have no way of knowing whether or not Jesus was God or if my next door neighbor was God like in one of the movies. My thoughts are that the Bible is inspired by God and we have to trust what the Scriptures teach, not what people think or feel about the subject. That is how scientists and historians come to conclusions. They examine the evidence and let it guide them to the truth.

I go by what Jesus said and what the Bible teaches.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 10:30 I and the Father are one."

John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me....9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Psalms 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? 9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

Matthew 8:24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Job 9:2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? ... 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Matthew 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

Answer 6

sounds crazy and make them look silly but,they say it all the time

they are 2 different people

1. God CANNOT die. Jesus died. Therefore, Jesus is NOT God.
2. God knows EVERYTHING. Jesus admits he doesn't know everything, only the Father (Matthew 24:36) Therefore, Jesus is NOT God.
3. God is not subject to anyone. The bible says that Jesus is subject to the Father (1 Corinthians 7:3). Therefore, Jesus is NOT God.
4. God was NOT created. Jesus was created (Colossians 1:15, Proverbs 8:22-31). Therefore, Jesus is NOT God.
These four things are undeniable, straightforward, and sound evidence that Jesus is NOT God. To try to create a "workaround" is to deny the truth

Answer 7

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

Phillipians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Answer 8

You might want to read up on the history of theology. Christians have been affirming that Jesus IS God since the inception of the religion. The only sect known to have rejected the idea that Jesus was God is the Ebionites, who are only known through the writings of Irenaeus of Lyon. It has only been in the last few centuries that any Christian sects have questioned the Deity of Jesus.

Answer 9

strange isn't? I have talked with Christians for years about this and most tell me that g-d and Jesus are two separate beings father and son.never made any sense to me.G-d is a spirit and has no physical form that man can see and understand. were as Jesus was supposed to be human in all respects.

Answer 10

The New Testament says over and over that Jesus is God. Calling Jesus "God's Son" is the same as calling Jesus God. Even the Pharisees understood that (read John 1 and John 10).