Christians claim that Jesus acknowledged that he and God were one in the sense of nature when he says in John 10:30 "I and my father are one". Later on in John 17:21-23, Jesus refers to his followers and himself and God as one in five places. So why did they give the previous "one" a different meaning from the other five "ones?
2007-12-01 03:22:55 · 22 answers · asked by islamwaytoparadise 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
what about one here?
2007-12-01 03:27:54 · update #1
Most Christians do not worship them, they just recognize them for having a significant role in the founding of Christianity. We don't worship them though. =)
2007-12-01 03:27:08 · answer #1 · answered by mAdDi 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was trying to say that the unity that Jesus and God currently had at that exact time is what the Disciples (and eventually all man kind that believe in what Jesus was going to do on the cross) can have with Jesus after His crucifixion and the giving of the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit is God and Jesus all rolled into one in unity with the heart of the true believer. The Disciples were given the Holy Spirit in great measure that they had much more clarity of scripture for they were carried along by the Holy Spirit and did not prophesy scripture on their own understanding as the bible states.
2007-12-01 11:37:14 · answer #2 · answered by Dennis James 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We are instructed to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and being. Nowhere should we worship any apostle, saint or any but the Lord. We recognise that apostles and saints were very blessed and the Lord had great purpose for them. But they were just people and the Lord's commandments are to serve and worship only Him. The slightly complex part comes to those who do not know that God is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Hope this gives you a clearer picture.
Cheers
Lisa
2007-12-01 11:29:37 · answer #3 · answered by Lisa 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
No, Christians don't worship apostles or any other saints, although some do pray to them in the sense of asking them to intercede with God (since they're in His presence). When Jesus said that he and the Father and the apostles were all one, he probably meant the apostles in the sense that all Christians are or strive to be at one with God.
2007-12-01 11:30:00 · answer #4 · answered by aida 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
True Christians worship only the GOD whose name is "Jehovah". Their entire outlook on life is deeply influenced by the fact that they are followers of Jesus Christ; so they take to heart the things that he and his apostles taught and did.
The One mentioned in John 10:30 represents the oneness in cooperation. The likeness of the qualities that Jesus reflects and the direction of the work that he does is no other than his Father's instruction, represents the oneness in this verse.
Refer John 10:38 "But if I am doing them, even though YOU do not believe me, believe the works, in order that YOU may come to know and may continue knowing that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father.”
And the oneness that Jesus expected from his Apostles is the like mindedness that they should adopt to execute the will of God under his direction.
Refer 1 Corinthians 1:10 " Now I exhort YOU, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that YOU should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among YOU, but that YOU may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought."
This is the verse spoken by Apostle Paul.
Hence the "One" word represents the Oneness, Like Mindedness and the Cooperation and the togetherness.
2007-12-01 11:35:40 · answer #5 · answered by Squeekie 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
I've never seen any scripture where Jesus refers to his followers and Himself as God, dear one. I believe you're taking it out of context.
As for Christians worshiping apostles, that's hog wash.
God bless!
2007-12-01 11:33:56 · answer #6 · answered by Devoted1 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I worship Jesus Christ! And through his Holy Spirit it reaches God almighty. I believe the the three are one. No I cannot explain it. Sorry but my brain doesn't have the capacity to understand some things of God. That is one reason I worship him and him alone.
2007-12-01 11:31:08 · answer #7 · answered by 2telldatruth 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Because the One is greater than the ones. The apostles themselves never intended they should be worshiped...as no true saint would set themselves up to be worshiped.
"Saint" in its original meaning applies to all Christians. We are made holy, "sanctified" by the Spirit of Christ. Therefore we are all "saints" or holy ones.
The idea of worshiping a person instead of Christ Jesus is not part of real, basic Christianity.
2007-12-01 11:28:26 · answer #8 · answered by anna 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The word "one" obviously can be used in many different ways. When Jesus uses it, it is in the context of God, both Father and Son, preserving believers. The unbelieving Jews listening to Jesus understood this as a claim of deity, because they immediately took up stones with the intent to kill Jesus for blasphemy. Such statements must also fit into the broader context of the Gospel (Injil), such as when Jesus claims the divine name as his own, the name God called Himself in the burning bush incident with Moses. See John 8:58. The context of applying the word “one” to the apostles is varied (you haven’t provided specific texts), but generally had to do with their unity in love, not in nature, both as among themselves, and as between them and the Father. Many words in the Greek had multiple purposes. This is not surprising. That's precisely why you must look at context and history to properly develop the meaning of a text. All languages work like that. It is unfair to hold Scripture to a semantic standard that cannot be applied to ordinary language.
Furthermore, it is obvious that no practice of worshipping apostles can be found in the New Testament, nor in the practices of the early church. Therefore, it is clear they did not understood the word “one” as conferring deity upon them. Indeed, consider this story from Paul, which occurred on one of his missionary journeys:
Act 14:8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them. Act 14:8-18
So you see, given the chance to be worshipped as gods, the apostles specifically rejected the idea, further proving they understood there was only one God, and only He may be worshipped, as all true Christians also believe.
2007-12-01 11:57:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
NO! We worship only God. When Jesus refers to others as one in God, it means that we are in the same fellowship / same mindset ....
You know how married couples are considered as one? It's the same thing. We (the church) are the bride of Christ. We are considered as One but we, nor the apostles are God.
2007-12-01 11:28:18 · answer #10 · answered by ....... 5 · 7⤊ 0⤋