Having no equal

Published in Pasugo, Jul 2000


No equal in power and wisdom

"When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham and
said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless'." (Gen
17:1, New King James Version)

God has no equal in His power for He is Almighty. Apostle Paul explains how
God reveals His being Almighty or having no equal:

"Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it
to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." (Rom. 1:19-20, Ibid.)

God's power is inherent and eternal. It is revealed in the things He
created - the heavens and the earth and all the things therein:

"O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your
mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything
like Your works and Your mighty deeds?" (Dt. 3:24), Ibid.)

No one on earth or in heaven can imitate God's works. Thus,not only is the
power of God without equal, but His works are also beyond compare. It only
follows that He has no co-maker nor helper in accomplishing His work:

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: 'I
am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone,
who spreads abroad the earth by Myself'." (Is. 44:24, Ibid.)


Christ: the Creator?

The proponents of the Christ-is-God doctrine allege that Christ created all
things. They cite John 1:3 which states:

"All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that
was made." (Ibid.)

The verse does not say that Christ created all things. What is written is
"All things were made through Him." However, this doesn't imply that He is
the Almighty Creator since this would contradict what is written in Isaiah
44:24 that the Father alone is the Creator. Apostle Paul explains why all
things were made through Christ:

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Col. 1:16,
Ibid.)

All things were created by God for Christ. As to why all things were
created for Him, Apostle Paul explains:

"God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had
already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan, which God will
complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together,
everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head." (Ephesians 1:9-10,
Today's English Version)

God, who will bring all creation together, is different from Christ to whom
all things will be brought together. Christ cannot be the Creator for He is
also one of those whom God created - "He is the first-born Son, superior to
all created thing." (col. 1:15, Ibid.) Thus, the term "created through Him"
only means that all creation, specifically man, would necessitate a Mediator
and Savior - the Lord Christ (I Tim. 2:5; Acts 5:31). So, when God laid the
plan for salvation, He created the Lord Jesus Christ for, without Him as the
Savior, God wouldn't have made anything that was made. Thus, the true
Creator is God:

"For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen
and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and
authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him." (Col.
1:16, TEV)

Hence, those who say that Christ is the Creator of all things have
misunderstood the verse of the Bible.


Christ's limited power

The limitation of Christ's power would prove further that He is not God.
This would likewise affirm that the Father alone is God from whom Christ
obtains the power that He has:

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38, NKJV)

On the other hand, the true God has no equal in terms of wisdom. Nobody
taught or gave Him advice:

"Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught
Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him
knowledge, and showed Him the way or understanding?" (Is. 40:13-14, Ibid.)

God was with the Lord Jesus Christ as He performed miracles and wonders,
whereas God needs no helper when He performs His works. This truth is our
important guide in understanding the miracles manifested in Christ - that
the miracles were actually performed by God using Christ as the instrument:

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God
to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your
midst, as you yourselves also know." (Acts 2:22, Ibid.)

Thus, the power possessed by Christ is not inherent in Him, rather it was
only given to Him by God. This power was also revealed in some of Christ's
disciples like Stephen:

"And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among
the people." (Acts 6:8, Ibid.)

Also with the apostles:

"And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done
among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch."
(Acts 5:12, Ibid.)

If the power manifested in Christ were proof that He is God, it would
appear that even Christ's disciples and His apostles were also gods because
they were also filled with power that enable them to perform wonders, signs,
and miracles. In fact, God "can give them to anyone He chooses - even to the
least important of men" (Dan. 4:17, TEV).

We should not be surprised if Christ was mistaken for God because of the
wonders and miracles that was manifested in Him. Even in the early times,
the apostles were mistaken as gods because of the miracles they performed:

"And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a
cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul
speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be
healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!' And he
leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised
their voices, saying in Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us
in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes,
because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was in
front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to
sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard
this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out And
saying, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same
nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless
things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all
things that are in them'." (Acts 14:8-15, NKJV)

The Gentiles thought that Apostles Paul and Barnabas were gods because of
the wonders and signs that they performed before them. They mistook them for
Zeus and Hermes, the gods of the Greeks and the Romans. The apostles
corrected them of such mistake. Preachers today as well as their followers
who uphold that Christ is God because of the power revealed in Him are no
different from those pagans.


Christ's assertion

Christ never claimed that it was through His own power that He performed
miracles, signs, and wonders. He said, "I can of Myself do nothing" (Jn.
5:30, Ibid.).

He only receives authority from God:

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to
Me in heaven and on earth." (Mt. 28:18, Ibid.)

This seemingly encompassing authority given to Christ is misunderstood by
those who believe that He is God. They argue that this authority proves that
Christ is God. But who gave Christ His authority? Isn't it that the one who
gave the authority, no matter how great the authority is, is greater than
the one who merely received it? Christ could not have possessed power and
glory had not God given them unto Him:

"'You have put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in that He put
all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But
now we do not yet see all things put under him.

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the
suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of
God, might taste death for everyone." (Heb. 2:8-9, Ibid.)

What Christ did could not be done by any man - He died for us to live -
which is why God crowned Him with great glory and honor. Although is said
that there was nothing left that is not put under Him, it does not mean that
even God subjected Himself to Christ:

"For he 'has put everything under his feet'. Now when it says that
'everything' has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include
God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then
the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so
that God may be all in all." ( I Cor. 15:27-28, New International Version)

The distinction between Christ and God are clear. Despite the power, glory,
and honor given to Christ by God, He never introduced Himself as another God
nor did He exalt Himself equal to God as what those who believe in His deity
have done. The clear distinctions of God from Christ are solid proofs that
the only true God is the Father.