From: emery@tc.fluke.COM (John Emery)
Subject: Re: Did Jesus Claim to be God (Finally?)
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 23:57:11 GMT


I have enjoyed discussing this thread.  Now I would like to show who Paul
thought Jesus was according his epistles in the Bible.  I have used the
letters of Paul that were written either before or at the same time as
the gospels out of respect for Tim O'neill.  I hope this testimony is
of great encouragement:

* Jesus is Creator and we are created for Him (Colossians 1:16, 2 Cor 5:15).

* Jesus is omni-present (Colossians 3:11, Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:9-10).

* Jesus is present within all believers (Colossians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 6:15,
  Galatians 2:20, Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:10).
  [God promised to live within His people (Ezekiel 36:27).]

* All believers are spiritually united to Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:17).

* Jesus in omnipotent and will create the believers new resurrected body
  (Colossians 1:17, Philippians 3:20-21).

* Jesus is our life (Colossians 3:3-4 Philippians 1:21).

* Believers are to live in Him, rooted and built up in him (Colossians 2:6-7).

* Jesus was the fullness of Deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).

* Jesus is the judge of all men (2 Corinthians 5:10).

* Jesus was the spiritual rock which accompanied the Israelites out of Egypt
  (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).
  [Moses refered to God as the rock (Deuteronomy 32:3-4).]

* Jesus is referred to as the husband of God's people (2 Corinthians 11:2).
  [YHWH is the husband of God's people in the OT (Jeremiah 3:14).]

* Jesus is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).

* Jesus has sumpremecy in all things, and is the head over every power and
  authority and has the name above every name (Colossians 1:18, 2:10, and 
  Ephesians 1:22, Philippians 2:9).

* Jesus is sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21).

* Jesus is strength to the believer (2 Cor 12:9, 1 Cor 1:8, Phil 4:13, 
  Col 1:29).

* Jesus is the one Lord through whom all things came and through whom we
  live (1 Corinthians 8:6).

* We are called to be the possession of Jesus (Romans 1:6, 7:4, and 14:8).

* Nothing can compare to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:7-8).

* Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).

* Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus (Romans 8:35) and His
  love surpasses knowledge and is the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19).

* Jesus is the deliverer from the power of sin (Romans 7:24-25).


In summary, we could ask ourselves who this would describe:

The one who is Creator and for whom we were created; the one who is omni-
present; the one who is present within God's people, the one who is 
omnipotent; the one who will create our resurrected bodies; the one who
is our life; the one in who we live; the one who is the fullness of
Deity; the one who is the judge of all men; the spiritual rock; the one
husband of God's people; the one who is our righteousnes, our holiness,
our redemption, our peace; the one who has supremecy in all things; the
one who is head over all creation; the one whose name is above every
name; the one who is perfect and without sin; the one who is our strength;
the one who is Lord; the one to whom we belong; the one to whom nothing
can compare knowing; the one from whose love we can not be separated;
the one whose love is so great it passes knowledge; the one who is our
deliverer and Savior from sin.

It would be quite fair to say this describes God.  And this is the 
description of Jesus that the earliest New Testament writings testify
of.

Praise and honor be unto Him!

God bless,

-- 
John Emery		"You say we've risen to a new age of light.
emery@tc.fluke.COM       You're telling me what used to be wrong
			 is now right."