Inerrant Lie #12

Another lie from "God's ineffable, inerrant word":

In Philippians 2:6, the apostle Paul writes of Jesus of Nazareth that he "thought it not robbery to be equal with God." This is a lie. Besides being a regurgitation of a deadly accusation laid on Jesus (by the Jews) during his alleged earthly ministry: it is also contrary to Paul's own testimony elsewhere.

In his gospel, John the Divine records, "the Jews sought the more to kill [Jesus], because he... said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God [John 5:18]." In verse 41 of John's eighth chapter, we find the significance of this little word "also" in the preceding citation: "Then said [the Jews] to him, we be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." Thus, it was the Jews who, by their own barometer, made themselves equal with God.

Later, when they finally 'believed in' Jesus, the disciples (Jews themselves) made Jesus of Nazareth equal with God. "And Thomas answered and said [of Jesus], My Lord and my God [John 20:28]."

It is again recorded in John's gospel specifically (as in all gospels generally) that Jesus certainly did not consider himself equal with God. In John 14:28, it is written Jesus said to his disciples, "If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." This indicates subjection; not equality.

If Jesus of Nazareth were– in his own esteem of himself– equal with God, his passion would have been (in his own esteem of it) a collaboration or cooperation with God; not obedience to God; and there would have been no reason for him to say, "...nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt [Matthew 26:39b et. al.]." Therefore, it is a lie to say (as Paul, in Philippians 2:6) that Jesus "thought it not robbery [for himself; much less anyone else] to be equal with God."

Paul himself makes Jesus of Nazareth out as delusional (in light of Philippians 2:6) when he writes, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, (15:27): “For [God] hath put all things under [Jesus’] feet. But when [David (Psalms 8:6)] saith, all things are put under [Jesus], it is manifest that [God] is excepted, which did put all things under [Jesus].” Furthermore, Paul goes on to say, “And when all things shall be subdued unto [God], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto [God] that put all things under him, that God may be all in all [1 Corinthians 15:28].” Clearly Paul doesn't esteem Jesus equal to God.

In the final chapter of the last book of the canon, Paul's 'equality fib' is even more clearly denounced for the fabrication it is. In Revelation, John the Divine writes: "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel [“I Jesus,” verse 16] which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God [Revelation 22:8 & 9]."

Notice how John says the entity speaking with him is an angel, in spite of the fact that the same entity identifies himself (in verse 16) not as an angel but as "I Jesus" (who John should be capable of identifying via facial recognition, being an “apostle” of Jesus’): as if John is conspiring, at least somewhat, with the other disciples in projecting a delusion of Jesus as God-- in direct contradiction of Jesus' own testimony– on us all. At any rate, here in the final word of 'the word of God', we have one last parting shot of Jesus warning us all: "See thou [worship me] not... worship God.": clearly delineating a difference in status between himself and God.

"Thou shalt have none other gods before me [Deuteronomy 5:7]": not even Jesus Christ, whether the “Man from Galilee’ is a real quantity or a figment of imagination.