References 004 - part three
We are nearing the title number of 999 biblical contradictions. Because I am forced to limit the amount of data, I will start this third part of the list with a 'compressed' reference of contradiction numbers 636 to 971. Although I have already found way more than the titular 999 contradictions, I will keep this third part significantly shorter than the two previous... for now. To be continued soon none the less...
636 – 971 Is Jesus god? 01-336 Most of the New Testament claims that Jesus is god are expressed in the “gospel according to John”. It is striking however, that the strongest counter-statements are from this very same gospel. It is almost as if this gospel was divinely inspired by two different spirits. None the less, contradictory statements are also found in the synoptic gospels and the letters of the New Testament. I will not cite every single contradiction I have encountered regarding this question – it would make the list so much more tedious than it already is at points. I only wrote out 28 negatives against the positive answer given by the opening of John (John 1: 1, 14) as cited below. There are however, as far as I have gotten, at least 12 more clear statements on the positive side to the question. Set against the negatives, this gives 336 contradictions besides the ones I cited below. The positive answers can be found in:
John 8: 58
John 10: 30
John 10: 38-39
John 14: 9
John 14: 10
John 14:11
John 20: 28-29
Acts 20: 28
Colossians 1: 15-20
1 Timothy 3: 16
Titus 2: 13
Revelation 1: 17
972. Is Jesus god? 337 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […]And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1: 13), but Jesus was tempted by evil: “He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.” (Mark 1: 13)
973. Is Jesus god? 338 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […]And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1: 13), but Jesus was tempted by evil: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.” (Matthew 4: 1)
974. Is Jesus god? 339 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […]And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1: 13), but Jesus was tempted by evil: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil.” (Luke 4: 1-2)
975. Is Jesus god? 340 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1: 13), but Jesus was tempted by evil: “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4: 14-15)
976. Is Jesus god? 341 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: Jesus outright denied being god. “Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” (Mark 10: 18)
977. Is Jesus god? 342 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: Jesus outright denied being god. “And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good.” (Matthew 19: 17)
978. Is Jesus god? 343 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: Jesus outright denied being god. “Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” (Luke 18: 19)
979. Is Jesus god? 344 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He made it perfectly clear that he was not god’s equal. “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.” (John 14: 28)
980. Is Jesus god? 345 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […]And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He made it perfectly clear that he was not god’s equal and did not know all god knows. “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13: 30-32)
981. Is Jesus god? 346 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He made it perfectly clear that he was not god’s equal and did not know all god knows. “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24: 34-36)
982. Is Jesus god? 347 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He made it perfectly clear that he was not god’s equal and did not know all god knows. “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” (Acts 1: 6-7)
983. Is Jesus god? 348 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not possess all god’s knowledge, but was mere messenger and agent on god’s behalf. “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17: 30-31)
984. Is Jesus god? 349 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not even get to decide who would sit on his right and left hand side: “Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to appoint, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”” (Mark 10: 39-40)
985. Is Jesus god? 350 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not even get to decide who would sit on his right and left hand side: “He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”” (Matthew 20: 23)
986. Is Jesus god? 351 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not possess all god’s knowledge, but was mere messenger and agent on god’s behalf: “…but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” (John 8: 40)
987. Is Jesus god? 352 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not possess all god’s knowledge, but was mere messenger and agent on god’s behalf: “Consequently, he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7: 25) [By definition: interceding for someone to someone, in casu a god, does not make the intercessor equal to god. Remember that many Christians pray to Mary for intercession but the same will vehemently deny that they are praying to a goddess.]
988. Is Jesus god? 353 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not possess all god’s knowledge, but was mere messenger and agent on god’s behalf: “…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant…” (Hebrews 9: 14-15) [The same remark as above can be made for the term mediator: a mediator between person A and person B (or god B) is not the same person as person A or person/god B.]
989. Is Jesus god? 354 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not possess all god’s knowledge, but was mere messenger and agent on god’s behalf: “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2: 5-6)
990. Is Jesus god? 355 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: He did not possess all god’s knowledge, but was mere messenger and agent on god’s behalf: “…and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant…” (Hebrews 12: 23-24)
991. Is Jesus god? 356 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: That his Father’s knowledge and authority superseded his own is shown several more times… “And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.” (Mark 14: 35)
992. Is Jesus god? 357 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: …as in the very next verse: “He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me, yet not what I want but what you want.” (Mark 14: 36)
993. Is Jesus god? 358 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: …again in Matthew: “And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what you want.” (Matthew 26: 39)
994. Is Jesus god? 359 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: …once more in Matthew: “Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”” (Matthew 26: 42)
995. Is Jesus god? 360 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: …Luke follows suit: “Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.”” (Luke 22: 41-42)
996. Is Jesus god? 361 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: In “the gospel according to Mark”, Jesus has seemingly forgotten his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (and every earlier reference to his own death that he knew needed to take place). In any case, if he really was god, then his last desperate question makes absolutely no sense. “…Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”” (Mark 15: 34) [The contradictions regarding Jesus’ last words are listed earlier, numbers 573 to 578]
997. Is Jesus god? 362 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: In “the gospel according to Matthew”, Jesus also seems to have forgotten his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (and every earlier reference to his own death that he knew needed to take place). In any case, if he really was god, then his last desperate question makes absolutely no sense. “And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27: 46) [The contradictions regarding Jesus’ last words are listed earlier, numbers 573 to 578]
998. Is Jesus god? 363 Yes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14) No: “Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” (John 20: 17) If Jesus is indeed Jehovah, then which god is it that Jesus-Jehovah is ascending to? In other words, who is the god of god? The same question applies to our final contradiction (for now at least):
999. Is Jesus god? 364
Yes:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. […] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,…” (John 1: 1, 14)
No:
“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.” (1 Corinthians 15: 28)
Darryl P. Arnaiz, May-July 2023