Simon Brown.

Proverbs 8:34-36 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts. For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.” Psalm 84: 11 For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. 12 Yahweh of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you. 1 John 5:5 Now who is the one overcoming the world, except the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God?

Monday 11 December 2017

Did Thomas BELIEVE Jesus was GOD when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?


Did Thomas BELIEVE, Jesus is GOD, when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?


Part 1

Part 2

JOHN 20:28. “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas replied, “My Lord (and) my God!”

JOHN 20:28.

Trinitarians say - Thomas called Jesus God after His resurrection. Where did Jesus reject his claim?

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My Answer:

WHY would Jesus need to reject Thomas, when Thomas believed what Jesus taught, that GOD the Father was IN and WITH Jesus?

I believe that's why Thomas was addressing BOTH, My Lord Jesus, (AND) My GOD the Father.

Did you notice there, in the statement by Thomas, what Thomas DID SAY: My Lord Jesus, (AND) My GOD the Father?

Thomas said (MY), twice, as though He was addressing TWO persons, (My) Lord Jesus, AND (My) GOD the Father.

Did you notice in Thomas statement, what Thomas DID NOT SAY? 

Thomas DID NOT SAY: My Lord GOD, without adding in the (AND MY) God.

Did Jesus ever forget that GOD the Father was IN Him?

No, Jesus always gave His GOD and Father the glory and said many times GOD was WITH Him and IN Him.

The question is, WHY have Trinitarians forgot that the Father was IN and WITH Jesus, by DELETING the Father.


Trinitarians often say, Thomas called Jesus GOD. Therefore Jesus is GOD.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
My Lord and my God.--These words are preceded by "said unto him," and are followed by "because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed;" and the words "my Lord" can only be referred to Christ. (Comp. John 20:13.) The sentence cannot therefore, without violence to the context, be taken as an exclamation addressed to God, and is to be understood in the natural meaning of a confession by the Apostle that his Lord was also God.

As we read, the example above shows us how most Trinitarians believe the Thomas’s statement was a confession by the Apostle that his Lord was also God.

So could this be true, that Thomas believed Jesus to be GOD?

QUICK FACTS:


Could this be true, that Thomas believed, the Son of GOD Jesus, was in fact GOD Himself?


Let’s EXAMINE the Biblical FACTS.

Did Thomas BELIEVE, Jesus is GOD, when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?

The SIMPLE fact, is that the whole sentence by Thomas: “My Lord (and) my God!” is grammatically plural.

In this case the sentence by Thomas is NOT a (singular) sentence referring to one person alone.

If Thomas was only addressing Jesus as GOD, he would have simply said: (My Lord God) WITHOUT adding in the Greek word (καὶ), for AND.
The additional Greek word (καὶ, AND), makes Thomas's whole sentence a grammatically plural sentence.

In other word's Thomas's plural sentence, was addressing TWO persons.

How do we know Thomas's was addressing TWO persons, and not Jesus alone?

The answer is in John 14:8 – 12. “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 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’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Thomas finally BELIEVED and understood Jesus when Philip said to Jesus: The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. John 14:8 – 12.
Notice above how Jesus taught God was in Him, and that's where Thomas must have understood that GOD was WITH Jesus and IN Jesus.

Notice by Jesus own words: the Father who dwells in me does his works.
SIMPLY NOTICE Jesus is NOT ALONE, but has the father GOD with Him.

As GOD is WITH and IN His Son, this makes TWO PERSONS together and NOT ONE.

And this could be precisely WHY Thomas uses the grammatically plural sentence by saying: “My Lord (AND) my God!”

Why would Thomas forget GOD when Jesus never forgot His Father and always gave His Father the glory, and told the disciples countless times GOD was with Him and in Him? 

Thomas finally believed what Jesus taught that GOD the Father was in Jesus.

That’s why Thomas said BOTH, My Lord (Jesus), and My GOD, (Father).

I believe Thomas could well be addressing BOTH.

Peter and St Paul often used the SAME grammatical PHRASE, by referring to BOTH Jesus and GOD the Father. 

There are MANY identical examples in the Bible.

Example:
τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
The GOD (Father) of us, (AND) Savior, Jesus Christ (the SON). 2 Peter 1:1.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the KNOWLEDGE of GOD (AND) of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2.

NOTICE 2 Peter 1:1 is identical with 2 Peter 1:2 and is REFERRING to BOTH GOD AND THE SON, just like Thomas.

NOTICE in ALL the verses how there is always ONE person, who is called GOD, and ONE PERSON, who is called Jesus our Lord, (the SON).


St Paul a servant of God also said: (our great God (and) Savior Jesus Christ) in Titus 2:13.
However in the correct context, he was NOT calling Jesus GOD, but instead REFERRING (two persons), BOTH GOD the Father (and) Jesus Christ.

Was Thomas praising and addressing both The Lord Jesus ‘and’  GOD The Father through Jesus.

Notice in Colossians 3:17 below how St Paul teaches: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the (Lord) Jesus, giving thanks to (God) the Father (through) him.

That’s why I believe the men of GOD who used this same wording and similar phrases and same construction never excluded GOD the Father, but always referred to BOTH, and emphasised the TWO most important persons in the world, My Lord (Jesus) and my God (The Father). John 20:28.
our great God (The Father) and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.
our God (The Father) and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1.

Could this be the perfect reason why Thomas said: “My Lord (and) my God!” John 20:28.

The final proof is by St John Himself.

Notice also how St John already understood MANY would misunderstand Thomas, by thinking Thomas believed Jesus was GOD, (Like the Oneness Pentecostals and Trinity faith today) by the fact St John goes on to clear up the confusion in the next few verses by saying: but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31. There we see St John makes this very important point, and does NOT tell us Jesus is GOD Himself, but that: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31.

Now we know why Jesus did not need to correct Thomas for calling Jesus God, because Jesus knew Thomas remembered what Jesus taught, that His Father GOD was with Him and in Him, which is why Thomas said: My Lord and My God.

But, please hold on, because I am saving the best till last.

If we look in the Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest Bibles, we make a new discovery.


The Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest Bibles,

Notice in the oldest Bible of the Greek text how Thomas says: the God of me?

Who was Thomas referring to by saying: the God of me? GOD the Father? Or Jesus?

The answer is in 1 Corinthians 8:6.

St Paul tells us who is GOD, by saying: yet for us there is one God, the Father,  from whom are all things and for whom we exist.  
Notice how St Paul tells us, (God the Father), is the one and only GOD.

And then St Paul goes on to tell us who Jesus is, by saying: and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Notice there is no mention by St Paul of Jesus being GOD, but only His Father.

Just as GOD the Father Himself tells us that He is GOD ALONE by saying: remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9.

And just as Jesus Himself tells us that His Father is the only ONE TRUE GOD, by praying to His Father and saying: you, the only true God, John 17:3.

This is the final Biblical fact that Thomas was referring to GOD the Father, when he said: the God of me. Because (God the Father, is the one and only TRUE GOD.

Finally, if we put Thomas’s statement together, with St Paul’s, what do we read Thomas said: the Lord of me, (and) the God of me. 
St Paul said: there is one Lord Jesus Christ, and one GOD the Father. 
Notice how St Paul uses the SAME identical WORDS that was used by Thomas? Except even better, Paul makes it clear that: the Lord is (Jesus), and GOD is the (Father).

Notice in Psalm 86:10, just one of many teachings that teach GOD is GOD ALONE, and NOT THREE, called the TRINIY?
For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Psalm 86:10.


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Full Article:

Did Thomas BELIEVE, Jesus is GOD, when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?


It is quite odd that Trinitarians should use Thomas as one of their main proofs that Jesus is GOD, when in their other hand they keep quite with the crucial fact that Thomas was wrong about the most important part of Jesus ministry and the Christian faith, that Thomas did not believe Jesus would rise from the dead, even when the disciples told Thomas, Jesus body was gone from the grave.

All scriptures used are by English Standard Version, unless otherwise stated.

Thomas certainly had known about the many Bible prophecies of Jesus.
But was he that confused to believe Jesus was GOD, or the same GOD of Israel?

Thomas certainly understood that the Almighty GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had sent His Divine Son Jesus, as the lamb of GOD, for His GOD and GOD’S people, to act as the high priest and mediator between His GOD and man.

Did Thomas BELIEVE, Jesus is GOD, when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?


Thomas would have heard Jesus beforehand teaching about His betrayal, death and resurrection.


 Which would be one of the most important stages of Jesus ministry.
Did Thomas BELIEVE, Jesus is GOD, when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?

Even though Thomas may have got things wrong, he most certainly understood one important fact, that he was sure Jesus had died on the cross, just as Jesus said He would, and yet he did not believe Jesus would rise from the dead, even when the disciples had told him, forgetting it would be GOD’s love and Almighty power that would raise His Son from the dead.

Did Thomas BELIEVE, Jesus is GOD, when Thomas said “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?
The empty tomb.

Gentiles Hear the Good News
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:34 – 44.

Yes, Thomas like most of us, got things wrong.

But are we to believe Thomas got everything wrong?

Are we to believe the Trinitarian teaching that Thomas believed Jesus was GOD, and that He forgot the foundations of his own faith?

Did Thomas forget that his faith is a monotheistic religion?

Did Thomas forget about the famous Shema of the Hebrew Scriptures: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” [Deut 6:4]

Was Thomas not present when Jesus told the scribe the first and greatest commandment was to believe His Father GOD is ONE being? Mark 12:29.

OK, maybe with so much excitement from Thomas seeing His Lord Jesus alive again, Thomas for a moment, full of joy, forgot himself and called Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28?

Thomas meets Jesus after His death, and resurrection.

But did Thomas’s gladness and overwhelming joy cause him for a moment to believe there were TWO GODS?


At least Thomas’s confusion was short.

2000 years later the Trinitarian’s are still confused and believe Thomas was going against his own faith.


If Thomas believed Jesus was GOD, then why would He be so faithless and not believe GOD has the power to do anything including raise Himself from the dead, that is if Jesus was GOD.

If it is true that Thomas believed Jesus was GOD, did he believe GOD could die?

Jesus had already taught nothing was impossible with GOD. Could that be evidence Thomas did not actually mean Jesus was GOD, but instead God?

God or GOD?
Most do not understand the simple difference between ‘God' and THE GOD.
Most Trinitarians are terribly confused with what it means to be the only true GOD.
We know this because the Trinitarians tell us Jesus is the only true GOD, when Jesus never said He Himself was GOD, or that He is the true GOD, but instead said His Father is the only ONE true GOD, John 17:3. Mark 12:29.

Jesus is referred to as “God” a few times for sure, others are called God or gods, including, angels, and even glorified members of the Church, and even Satan is called the God of this world.

Jesus even put Himself in the same category as being a God, appointed by His GOD when the Jews accused Him of making Himself GOD by saying: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? John 10:34 - 37.

Now, we clearly see above, when the Jews accused Jesus of claiming to be GOD, Jesus did in fact ‘CORRECT’ the Jews.

Here is where Jesus CORRECTED the Jews.
“Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”  If he called them ‘gods,’  John 30:34.35.

Jesus was referring to (Psalm 82:6) which says -
I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;
Jesus was referring to (Gods) as in the sense of Magistrates and Prophets and judges, appointed by the word of GOD.

Jesus was NOT claiming He was like GOD THE FATHER, (who always existed) But as (a God) like Magistrates and Prophets and judges, appointed by His Father TRUE GOD.
But the Jews did not understand this, (As Trinitarians) and also some were not interested in the truth.


THE ONE TRUE GOD who is the Father is THE ALMIGHTY GOD.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. Genesis 17:1.
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Revelation 19:6.
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. Revelation 21:22.

But there is another important fact which most neglect.

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28.

As we read, Thomas addresses Jesus as saying (BOTH), “My Lord (AND) my God!”

Here is another very simple explanation to why Thomas addresses Jesus as saying: “My Lord (AND) my God!”

Thomas may not only be addressing Jesus, but BOTH, The Lord Jesus and The Father GOD.

Thomas finally understood Jesus when Philip said to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 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’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. John 14:8 – 12.
Notice above how Jesus taught God was in Him, and that's where Thomas must have understood that GOD was in Jesus.

Here's another interesting Biblical fact.
The first word in John 20:28 that Thomas used was (Lord). That makes sense because many times Jesus is most certainly referred to as (My Lord).
Notice St Paul's teaching in: 1 Corinthians 8:6?
And one (Lord), Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

The second phrase that Thomas used was (My God).
Again, Notice St Paul’s teaching in: 1 Corinthians 8:6?
Yet for us there is one (God), the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist.


1 Corinthians 8:6

Now lets put the two phrases together and we have: My Lord (and) My God.

That’s odd, we now have an identical phrase as Thomas said, which says: My Lord (and) My God.

And that could very well be another good explanation why Thomas said: My Lord and My God, meaning My Lord Jesus, and My GOD the Father.

Was Thomas praising and addressing both The Lord Jesus ‘and’  GOD The Father through Jesus.

Notice in Colossians 3:17 below how St Paul teaches:
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the (Lord) Jesus, giving thanks to (God) the Father (through) him.

Could this be the perfect reason why Thomas said: “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28

Notice also how St John already understood some would misunderstand Thomas, by thinking Thomas believed Jesus was GOD, (Like the Pentecostals and Trinity faith today) by the fact St John goes on to clear up the confusion in the next few verses by saying: but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31. There we see St John makes this very important point: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31.

I don’t know about you, but for me, I cannot see anything there said by St John confirming Thomas was teaching Jesus is the Lord GOD, but instead St John was clearly making a statement or situation less confused and more comprehensible, with a further explanation, illumination, and a clarification that: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31.
Notice this is yet again another one of many scriptures teaching we MUST believe Jesus is the Son of God, (TO BE SAVED). And nothing about believing Jesus is the same Father GOD as the Pentecostals believe, or that Jesus and GOD are THREE called a TRINITY as the TRINITY faith believe, who both believe what’s not taught anywhere in the Bible.

Conclusion.

The Final Biblical facts.
1.         There are NO teachings throughout the whole Bible teaching Jesus is the Lord GOD. Jesus is NEVER called: my Lord GOD.

2.         If we are to believe Thomas referred to Jesus as: The Lord GOD, then Thomas must have believed there are TWO Lord GODS.

3.         If there are TWO Lord GODS, then we have countless Bible CONTRADICTIONS throughout the Bible, instead of teaching what the Bible declares that GOD is GOD alone.
And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are THE God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 2 Kings 19:15.

4.        If Thomas believed Jesus was the Lord GOD, then he would be CONTRADICTING his own faith, because Christianity emerged from Judaism, and is a monotheistic religion.

5.       Thomas understood the first of the Ten Commandments: —“Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Deuteronomy 5:7. Therefore Thomas would not have worshiped Jesus as another Lord GOD.

6,       Thomas understood the Shema of the Hebrew Scriptures: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one." [Deut 6:4]

7.      Thomas understood the conversation between Jesus, and the Scribe in Mark 12:29, where Jesus clearly taught the greatest commandment, that His GOD is ONE being. See my article below: Deuteronomy 6:4. Mark 12:29. GOD is ONE.

8.      Thomas heard Jesus pray to His Father saying eternal life comes by believing His GOD is the only TRUE GOD, in John 17:3.

9.      Thomas would have understood Jesus when He told Satan who he should worship as the Lord God, as below.
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” Luke 4:8.

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:10

Notice above how Jesus did not say to Satan: You shall worship (ME) the Lord your God? But as we have seen, Jesus instead addressed the worship to the Lord GOD alone.

10.    There are countless teachings, teaching there is only ONE Lord GOD.
And this title: (The Lord God) is only ever given to GOD the Father, as we see below.
It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. Deuteronomy 6:13

You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. Exodus 23:25

For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. Leviticus 11:44

I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Exodus 6:7.

“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’” Exodus 16:12

You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. Exodus 23:25

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 18:2

“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2.


St Paul, a servant of God also said: (our great God and Savior Jesus Christ) in Titus 2:13.
However in the correct context, he was NOT calling Jesus GOD, but instead talking about two persons, BOTH GOD the Father (and) Jesus Christ.

In fact there are countless statements and very similar phrases and same word construction’s throughout the New Testament as we have again in 2 Peter 1:1.

English Standard Version. Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. 
Notice, (our God and Savior Jesus Christ). 2 Peter 1:1. 

And yet those who believe Jesus is GOD, say these same group of words and similar expression’s are ONLY addressing Jesus as GOD and not the father. When instead, these type of believers who believe Jesus is GOD, are in fact ELIMINATING GOD the Father, and act as if GOD the Father does not exist, when It is GOD the Father who is the creator of us, and who’s plan it was to send His begotten Son Jesus to become the Savior, and save us through His Son.

That’s why I believe the men of GOD, who used this same wording and similar phrases and same construction never excluded GOD the Father, but always referred to BOTH, and emphasised the TWO most important persons in the world, My Lord (Jesus) and my God (The Father). John 20:28.
our great God (The Father) and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13. 
our God (The Father) and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1. 

When we look at the oddest Greek text we have a perfect example which proves this case, where this can be seen, these same group of words is BOTH, GOD and His Son. Notice the oldest Bibles say in 2 Peter 1:1, (THE GOD OF US), meaning GOD the Father, addressing BOTH, Father and Son.
This is a perfect example of how Trinitarians take the scriptures out of context.



I am Simon Brown.
Thank you for reading my research.
Please pray for the Pentecostal and TRINITY faith that they will come to know the ONE TRUE Father GOD, who is the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And GOD's literal begotten Son Yeshua. Amen.

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31.


To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. Deuteronomy 4:35.
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Related Article!

Deuteronomy 6:4. Mark 12:29. GOD is ONE. The Most IMPORTANT commandment, ignored, forsaken and BROKEN by MOST Christians everyday.



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