Was Jesus a separate god?

The concept of "Trinity in Unity," where the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are a mysterious 3-in-1 composite being, is not Biblical and has no actual justification anywhere in scripture. Aside from the introduction to John, look at the baptism of Jesus, where Jesus is shown to be in the water, the Father in Heaven, and the Holy Ghost descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove, as three separate and distinct entities. See also the Crucifixion, where Jesus cries out in anguish at the Father "forsaking" him, leaving him to suffer alone.

The notion of the Trinity comes from Greek philosophy, which was greatly in vogue in the Roman empire during the early Christian period. The Holy Trinity as "Trinity in Unity" bears a much closer resemblance to some of Plato's notions about Deity than it does to anything in the Bible.

A good way to think of the Trinity is three persons sharing one infinite nature. That is, the way in which God is one is not the same as the way in which he is three; not that he is somehow three of one thing and at the same time one of that same thing, but that he is three of one thing and one of a completely different thing.

As humans, we're used to being one person and having one nature unique from other persons so it's hard, but not impossible, for us to conceive of a single nature shared by three people.

A great treatise on the Trinity can be found in the first part of Frank Sheed's "Theology and Sanity".

Joh 1:1

εν......A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state)

αρχη....1) beginning, origin 2) the person or thing that commences

ην......the first person singular present indicative; to be, to exist

ο.......the definite article, “the”

λογος...a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea

........reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating

και.....And, used simply joining single words and clauses

ο.......the definite article, “the”

Λογος....a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea

.........reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating

ην.......the first person singular present indicative; to be, to exist

προς.....1) to the advantage of 2) at, near, by 3) to, towards, with, with regard to

Τον......the definite article, “the”

Θεον......God

και......and

Θεος......God

ην........the first person singular present indicative; to be, to exist

ο.........the definite article, “the”

λογος......a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea

...........reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating

εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς

In beginning was the word and the word was to the advantage (with)

τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος

the God and God was the word

It is not that hard look at the meaning and translate the words.

Also remember that even Satan is referred to as a god. We don't worship Satan, but he is referred to in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as "The god of this system of things". God simply means having more power than what a human does or superhuman. Jesus was a god, but when the bible talks about YHWH it magnifies his god-ship with almighty and so on.

Another example of this is 1 Corinthians 11:3. It shows the hierarchy of Jehovah's arrangement. The woman submits to the man, the man submits to the Christ, and the Christ submits to god.

John 1:14 shows the relationship between Jesus and god. It says he is the "only begotten son from a father". That is Jehovah is the father of Jesus.

So to directly answer your question yes Jesus was a separate god from Jehovah or YHWH. We don't worship Jesus, but we do recognize and respect his sacrifice to save us.

If you do some research on triad gods you see that they existed even before the bible was finished being written. The largest example being Babylon. Some quick places to look at. jw.org--- Trinities before Abraham---Hard to read long history lesson

No. Jesus isn't a separate god.

Majority of English Translations does not read 'a god' in John 1:1c.

John 1:1

New International Version In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

New Living Translation In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

English Standard Version In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

New American Standard Bible In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

King James Bible In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

International Standard Version In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

NET Bible In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English In the origin The Word had been existing and That Word had been existing with God and That Word was himself God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The translation "the Word was a god" makes us ask in what way is Jesus divine?

The Bible only speaks of three categories of divinities:

1) True God - God by nature [Trinity: Mt. 28:18;Jn. 17:3;Col 2:9; 1 Jn. 5:20-21).

2) God by function ( Shaliach Principle) - not god by nature [angels: Ex 15:11; humans: Ex 7:1, Ps 82:6-7].

3) False gods - not gods by nature [idols/demons/Satan: 1 Cor. 8:5; Gal. 4:8, 1 Cor. 4:4].

So, where does Christ belong?

Christ cannot belong either to the gods by function or to the false gods because he is , fully and completely, God by nature ( Col. 2:9;Jn 10:28-30).He can only belong to the Trinity -- three ontologically equal and functionally subordinate persons ( Mt. 28:19).

Angels are called 'gods' in Exodus 15:11 but these angels are not , by nature, gods. Rather, they are created by God (Psalm 33:6, Colossians 1:16).

Who is like unto thee, O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11 (ESV)

Humans are also called 'gods.'

I said, "You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High."Nevertheless you will die like men And fall like any one of the princes." Psalm. 82:6-7 (NIV)

But these humans were not ,by nature, gods. Rather, they were merely such by title never by nature.

Satan himself is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4).Yet we know that Satan is not, by nature, a god.

Paul said that the Galatian Christians were formerly slaves to false deities:

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. Galatian 4:8 (NASB)

These deities are false simply because they are not gods by nature.

On the other hand, Jesus Christ is, fully and completely, God in nature ( Colossians 2:9). He is of same nature with the Father (John 10:28-30;Hebrews 1:3).

In Him dwells all the completeness of the Godhead bodily"( Colossians 2:9 NLT).

28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30 (NIV)

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

NOTE

The Nature of God

A "nature" is something inherently belongs to someone.

The Divine Nature, in the context of the true God, is the nature of God himself.

Nature means "set of attributes."

In the Holy Scriptures, the word for this is many and they are the following:

THEOS in qualitative sense ( as in John 1:1).

THEIAS - divine nature ( God-like nature when used to creatures). 2 Peter 1:3, 4

THEIOS -divine nature ( Acts 17:29).

THEIOTES -divine nature ( Romans 1:20).

THEOTETOS - (dual meaning) divine nature plus divine identity. Colossians 2:9 [9]

The following are God's attributes:

God is eternal ( without beginning or ending of life) and hence, his attributes are all eternal.

Psalm 90:2, Romans 1:20

God is ( eternally) love:

1 John 4:8

God is (eternally) wise:

Romans 16:27

God is (eternally) good:

Mark 10:18

God is (eternally) omnipotent

Revelation 1:8

God is (eternally) omnipresent

Psalm 46:1, Psam 139:11-12

God is (eternally) omniscient

1 John 3:20

God is (eternally) immutable

Malachi 3:6, James 1:17

God's nature is eternally one ( Exodus 3:14, Romans 1:20) and it only exists in the three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit ( Matthew 28:19).Humans and angels, the Pantheon of the Greeks, are all "not gods by nature"( Galatians 4:8).

This question does a good job at explaining part of your question, especially the answer with a lot of references: What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?

Some verses shed some light on Christ as a/the God:

• Hebrews 1:2-4- Christ help make the world (universe in NIV), sat on right hand of God, and was made 'better than the angels' (KJV) (compare to Genesis 1)
• Isaiah 9:6- Generally accepted as a prophecy of Christ, it mentions calling Christ these names: "The Mighty God", "The Everlasting Father", among other holy names
• Acts 4:12- no salvation by any name other than Christ's (compare with Hosea 13:4, "no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me", KJV)
  • Either this suggests Christ and the God of the Old Testament were the same being OR
  • Christ has the same "name" (or status, title) as God the Father

There are plenty others, but these seem to me to be the most clear in support of a Jesus is God stance.

The Bible does not, however, seem to teach God and Christ as sharing the same physical body. Here is some basic evidence to refute that assumption:

• John 17:21- In the intercessory prayer, Jesus explains the meaning of "one-ness"
• Baptism of Jesus (voice of God heard)
• Vision of Stephen (Acts 7:55-56, as mentioned in the other question)

You're reading from the Jehovah Witnesses' version of the bible. The Witnesses preach that Jesus is a separate God.

Jesus IS GOD. There's a thousand verses that back this up, but the Witnesses deny Jesus of His deity. They actually try and teach that Jesus is a created angel, which the Bible states the exact opposite. Jesus IS GOD.

John 5:16-18 Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Colossians 1:16 For by him [Jesus] were all things created.

Colossians 2:9 For in him [Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

1 Timothy 3:16 God was made manifest in the flesh.

According to this article, the New World Translation translated this incorrectly. http://carm.org/religious-movements/jehovahs-witnesses/john-11-word-was-god

The New World translation is incorrect in its translation of this verse for several reasons. First of all, the Bible teaches a strict monotheism. To say that Jesus is "a god" is to suggest that there is another god besides YHWH, which is contrary to scripture (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8, etc.). Of course, the Jehovah's Witnesses will respond that Jesus is not the Almighty God, but a "lesser" kind of God.

I believe this was actually translated in this way to support their beliefs, rather than basing their beliefs on accurate translations.