Was Jesus Just A Small Case 'g' god ?
A couple of years ago Doctrine Matters ran a series of eight or ten articles, each one using a separate Bible text to prove Jesus is God (deity). One response to our proof texts is that Jesus is just a small case ‘g’ god in the same sense as the divinely appointed judges in John 10:34-35. Is that argument sound?First let’s supply a comment from W.E. Vine which helps us to understood why these men in John 10 were called “gods” – “The word is used of divinely appointed judges in Israel, as representing God in His authority … which indicates that God Himself sits in judgment on those whom He has appointed.”Second, let me ask the question - were these judges “God” in the following senses that Jesus was?:· Jesus has existed from the beginning of time (he was not created) - Rev 22:13, John 8:58, etc. Were the judges of John 10 like that?· Jesus created all things - Colossians 1:16, Heb 1:2, John 1:3. Surely no one believes the judges of John 10 helped create the worlds.· Jesus accepted worship - Matt 8:2,9:18,14:33,15:25,28:9,17, Heb 1:6, but just men are not supposed to do that - Matt 4:10, Acts 10:25-26.Jesus is said to be God in the same sense the Father is said to be God in John 1:1. Jesus was not just a great man. The Bible teaches he is God Acts 20:28, John 20:28, Isaiah 9:6.