Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:06 pm
I know this wasn't directed at me, but I have some thoughts why I find them unconvincing. I want you to know I have gone back through this thread and looked things over again, as I didn't do that well enough first. I wasn't trying to make you go back over the same arguments, and while I was glancing through this thread I said to myself perhaps it would be helpful to gather the scripture into one place by itself. Again sorry, and your right I will try and interact more with what you say, but am not sorry for gathering the pertinent scriptures into posts by themselves.fortigurn wrote: I specifically asked why my arguments regarding the textual, linguistic, and historical issues didn't convince you. I'm still waiting for an answer.
I find your arguments unconvincing because, although it appears you have studied, those persons that actually lived at the time of Jesus, that actually spoke the language that Jesus spoke, seemed to clearly understand that he was calling himself God, that he was claiming equality with God.
This argument should in itself convinve you that those Jews that saw Jesus with their own eyes beleived he was claiming to be more than a mere man like you and me.
John 10:30-33 “I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
John 5:17-18 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
John 8:56-59 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57The Jews therefore said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." 59Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple."
Why were the Jews trying to, and why did the Jews kill Jesus if the language actually meant something different than His actual claims of divinity. I feel that this argument should be capable of persuading you to the divinity of Christ by itself. IT clearly convinced those poeple around him that actually fluently spoke that language.