Amen, Thank you God. You preserved me from the errors of the cults
Data on John 1:1
- Thread starter Peterlag
- Start date
Johann
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Peterlag
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It seems it would have been clearly stated in the Bible and in the earliest Christian creeds if the doctrine of the Trinity was genuine and central to Christian belief and especially if belief in it was necessary for salvation as many Trinitarians teach. God gave the Scriptures to the Jewish people, and the Jewish religion and worship that comes from that revelation does not contain any reference to or teachings about a triune God. Surely the Jewish people were qualified to read and understand it, but they never saw the doctrine of the Trinity, but rather just the opposite as all throughout their history they fiercely defended the fact that there was only one God. Jesus himself tied the greatest commandment in the Law together with there being only one God when an expert in Old Testament law asked him which of the commandments was the most important. Jesus said to him “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God….” (Mark 12:29-30).
Johann
Well-known member
As I’ve said, my goal isn’t to push you to believe exactly as I do; as long as the Deity of the Messiah is upheld, that’s what matters, and I have no doubts about your salvation.
What I appreciate about this doctrine is how it encourages us to be like the Bereans-examining Scripture carefully, digging deeply, and staying actively engaged with God’s Word.
Other than that, all good.
J.
I tried creating a thread for people who believed Jesus to be divine while rejecting the Trinitarian concept. There were no takers. I think Peterlag had said that Jesus was upgraded in status after dying on the cross and being resurrected. So Peterlag does not hold to Jesus as being incarnate. He holds to some alternative concept of the spirit in Christian's lives. He also rejects most (or all?) aspects of church gatherings as being works-oriented.
I'm okay with the idea that people recognize the deity of Christ in the Godhead even if they might be confused about the Trinitarian doctrine or just unfamiliar with it. And it is not an issue if someone has not been aware of the deity of Christ. But some of these deniers of Christ's divinity may be too far away from knowing Christ.
Johann
Well-known member
oops. I created the thread months ago to see if any of these people accepted the deity of Christ. None of these guys like Peterlag or runningman joined. It has become clear that they even reject the eternal divinity of Christ. the thread just followed the discussions we see in the many threads accepting or denying the Trinitarian nature of God. Here's is the link anyhow: #link deity-of-christ-but-not-trinitarian
Johann
Well-known member
Peterlag
Well-known member
I'm not interesting in pushing either. I'm not one of those many Christians who feel the need to convince. I do however, take joy in helping if and when I can.
Thanks. I've been learning much more about the evidence of the Triune God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This is early
He is Lord of all the world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, “Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness.” Barnabas (c. 70–130, E), 1.139.
Let us reverence the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us. Clement of Rome (c. 96, W), 1.11.
God Himself was manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life. Ignatius (c. 105, E), 1.58.
Continue in intimate union with Jesus Christ, our God. Ignatius (c. 105, E), 1.68.
I pray for your happiness forever in our God, Jesus Christ. Ignatius (c. 105, E), 1.96.
The Christians trace the beginning of their religion to Jesus the Messiah. He is called the Son of the Most High God. It is said that God came down from heaven. He assumed flesh and clothed Himself with it from a Hebrew virgin. And the Son of God lived in a daughter of man. Aristides (c. 125, E), 9.265.
Truly God Himself, who is Almighty, the Creator of all things, and invisible, has sent from heaven, and placed among men, the One who is the truth, and the holy and incomprehensible Word.… God did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, angel, or ruler.… Rather, He sent the very Creator and Fashioner of all things—by whom He made the heavens.… As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so God sent Him. He sent Him as God. Letter to Diognetus (c. 125–200), 1.27.
Brethren, it is fitting that you should think of Jesus Christ as of God—as the Judge of the living and the dead. Second Clement (c. 150), 7.517.
We reasonably worship Him, having learned that He is the Son of the true God Himself, and holding Him in the second place. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.166.
The Word, … He is Divine. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.166.
The Father of the universe has a Son. And He, being the First-Begotten Word of God, is even God. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.184.
Next to God, we worship and love the Word who is from the unbeggoten and ineffable God. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.193.
For Christ is King, Priest, God, Lord, Angel, and Man. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.211.
[TRYPHO, A JEW:] You utter many blasphemies, in that you seek to persuade us that this crucified man was with Moses and Aaron, and spoke to them in the pillar of the cloud. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.213.
Moses … declares that He who appeared to Abraham under the oak in Mamre is God. He was sent with the two angels in His company to judge Sodom by another One, who remains ever in the supercelestial places, invisible to all men, holding personal contact with no one. We believe this other One to be the Maker and Father of all things.… Yet, there is said to be another God and Lord subject to the Maker of all things. And He is also called an Angel, because he announces to men whatsoever the Maker of all things—above whom there is no other God—wishes to announce to them. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.223.
He deserves to be worshipped as God and as Christ. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.229.
David predicted that He would be born from the womb before the sun and moon, according to the Father’s will. He made Him known, being Christ, as God, strong and to be worshipped. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.237.
The Son ministered to the will of the Father. Yet, nevertheless, He is God, in that He is the First-Begotten of all creatures. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.262.
If you had understood what has been written by the prophets, you would not have denied that He was God, Son of the Only, Unbegotten, Unutterable God. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.263.
“Rejoice, O you heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship Him” [Deut. 32:43]. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.264.
He is forever the first in power. For Christ, being the First-Born of every creature, became again the chief of another race regenerated by Himself through water, faith, and wood. Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.268.
Then did the whole creation see clearly that for man’s sake the Judge was condemned, and the Invisible was seen, and the Illimitable was circumscribed, and the Impassible suffered, and the Immortal died, and the Celestial was laid in the grave. Melito (c. 170, E), 8.756.
God was put to death, the King of Israel slain! Melito (c. 170, E), 8.758.
There is the one God and the Logos proceeding from Him, the Son. We understand that the Son is inseparable from Him. Athenagoras (c. 175, E), 2.137.
God by His own Word and Wisdom made all things. Theophilus (c. 180, E), 2.91.
“Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Your kingdom is a right scepter. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore, God, Your God, has anointed You.” For the Spirit designates by the name of God—both Him who is anointed as Son, and He who anoints, that is, the Father. And again, “God stood in the congregation of the gods; He judges among the gods.” Here he refers to the Father and the Son, and those who have received the adoption. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.419.
For He fulfills the bountiful and comprehensive will of His Father, inasmuch as He is Himself the Savior of those who are saved, and the Lord of those who are under authority, and the God of all those things that have been formed, the Only-Begotten of the Father. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.443.
I have shown from the Scriptures that none of the sons of Adam are, absolutely and as to everything, called God, or named Lord. But Jesus is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, Lord, King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word.… He is the Holy Lord, the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Beautiful in appearance, and the Mighty God. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.449.
Thus He indicates in clear terms that He is God, and that His advent was in Bethlehem.… God, then, was made man, and the Lord did Himself save us. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.451.
He is God, for the name Emmanuel indicates this. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.452.
Christ Himself, therefore, together with the Father, is the God of the living, who spoke to Moses, and who was also manifested to the fathers. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.467.
Now the father of the human race is the Word of God. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.505.
How can they be saved unless it was God who worked out their salvation upon earth? Or how shall man pass into God, unless God has first passed into man? Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.507.
It is plain that He was Himself the Word of God, who was made the son of man. He received from the Father the power of remission of sins. He was man, and He was God. This was so that since as man He suffered for us, so as God He might have compassion on us. Irenaeus (c. 180, E/W), 1.545.
He is God in the form of man, stainless, the minister of His Father’s will, the Word who is God, who is in the Father, who is at the Father’s right hand. And with the form of God, He is God. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.210.
There is a suggestion of the divinity of the Lord in [Isaac’s] not being slain. Jesus rose again after His burial, having suffered no harm—just like Isaac was released from being sacrificed. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.215.
O the great God! O the perfect child! The Son in the Father and the Father in the Son.… God the Word, who became man for our sakes. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.215.
The Father of all is alone perfect, for the Son is in Him and the Father is in the Son. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.222.
Our Instructor is the holy God Jesus, the Word. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.223.
Nothing, then, is hated by God, nor yet by the Word. For both are one—that is, God. For He has said, “In the beginning the Word was in God, and the Word was God.” Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.225.
He who has the Almighty God, the Word, is in want of nothing. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.281.
Pointing to the First-Begotten Son, Peter writes, accurately comprehending the statement, “In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.” And He is called Wisdom by all the prophets. This is He who is the Teacher of all created beings. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.493.
The best thing on earth is the most pious man. The best thing in heaven, the nearer in place and purer, is an angel, the partaker of the eternal and blessed life. But the nature of the Son, which is nearest to Him who is alone the Almighty One, is the most perfect, most holy, most potent, most princely, most kingly, and most beneficent. This is the highest excellence, who orders all things in accordance with the Father’s will and holds the helm of the universe in the best way.… The Son of God is never displaced … being always everywhere and being contained nowhere. He is complete mind, complete paternal light. He is all eyes, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things.… All the host of angels and gods are placed in subjection to Him. He, the paternal Word, exhibits the holy administration for Him who put [all things] in subjection to Him. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.524.
The Son is the cause of all good things, by the will of the Almighty Father. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.525.
He is the true Only-Begotten, the express image of the glory of the universal King and Almighty Father, who impresses on the man of God the seal of the perfect contemplation, according to His own image. So that there is now a third divine image, made as far as possible like the Second Cause, the Essential Life. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.527.
Nor do we differ from the Jews concerning God. We must make, therefore, a remark or two as to Christ’s divinity. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.34.
Search, then, and see if the divinity of Christ is true. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.36.
To all He is equal, to all King, to all Judge, to all God and Lord. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.158.
Christ’s name is extending everywhere, believed everywhere, worshipped by all the above-enumerated nations, reigning everywhere. Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.158.
This opens the ears of Christ our God. Tertullian (c. 200, W), 3.715.
We who believe that God really lived on earth, and took upon Him the low estate of human form, for the purpose of man’s salvation, are very far from thinking as those do who refuse to believe that God cares for anything.… Fortunately, however, it is a part of the creed of Christians even to believe that God did die, and yet that He is alive forevermore. Tertullian (c. 207, W), 3.309.
Christ is received in the person of Christ, because even in this manner is He our God. Tertullian (c. 207, W), 3.319.
He is not on this account to be regarded as an angel—as a Gabriel or a Michael.… Since He is the Spirit of God and the Power of the Highest, can He be regarded as lower than the angels? He who is truly God and the Son of God? Tertullian (c. 210, W), 3.534.
For so did the Father previously say to the Son: “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” Tertullian (c. 210, W), 3.549.
If God had willed not to be born, He would not have presented Himself in the likeness of man. Tertullian (c. 210, W), 3.522.
Christ never used that familiar phrase of all the prophets, “Thus saith the Lord.” For He was Himself the Lord, who openly spoke by His own authority, prefacing his words with the phrase, “Truly, truly, I say unto you.” Tertullian (c. 210, W), 3.534.
“Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord,” that is to say, the Son in the Father’s name. And as for the Father’s names—God Almighty, the Most High, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Israel, the One Who Is—the Scriptures teach us and we say that they belonged suitably to the Son also. We say that the Son came under these designations and has always acted in them and has thus manifested them in Himself to men. He says, “All things that the Father has are mine.” Then, why not His names also? Tertullian (c. 213, W), 3.613.
How is it that the Son suffered, yet the Father did not suffer with Him? [The answer is that] the Father is separate from the Son, though not separated from Him as God. For example, a river flows from a fountain identical in nature with it, and it is not separated from the fountain. Nevertheless, if the river is soiled with mire and mud, the injury that affects the stream does not reach to the fountain. To be sure, it is the water of the fountain that suffers downstream. Nevertheless, since it is not affected at the fountain (but only at the river) the fountain suffers nothing. Tertullian (c. 213, W), 3.626.
Although He endured the cross, yet as God He returned to life, having trampled upon death. For His God and Father addresses Him, and says, “Sit at my right hand.” Hippolytus (c. 205, W), 5.166, 167.
By the Ancient of Days, he means none other than the Lord, God, and Ruler of all—even of Christ Himself, who makes the days old and yet does not become old Himself by times and days. “His dominion is an everlasting dominion.” The Father, having put all things in subjection to His own Son—both things in heaven and things on earth—presented Him as the First-Begotten of God. He did this in order that, along with the Father, He might be approved before angels as the Son of God and be manifested as also the Lord of angels. Hippolytus (c. 205, W), 5.189.
Christ’s body lay in the tomb, not emptied of divinity. Rather, while in Hades, He was in essential being with His Father. Yet, He was also in the body and in Hades. For the Son is not contained in space, just as the Father is not. And he comprehends all things in Himself. Hippolytus (c. 205, W), 5.194.
Who, then, was in heaven but the Word unincarnate—who was sent to show that He was upon earth and was also in heaven? Hippolytus (c. 205, W), 5.225.
Having been made man, He is still God forever. For to this effect, John also has said, “Who is, and who was, and who is to come—the Almighty.” And he has appropriately called Christ “the Almighty.” For in this, he has said only what Christ testifies of Himself. For Christ gave this testimony and said, “All things are delivered unto me by my Father.” Hippolytus (c. 205, W), 5.225.
Besides, there are writings of certain brethren older than the times of Victor, which they wrote against the pagans in defense of the truth and against the heresies of their day.… For who is ignorant of the books of Irenaeus and Melito, and the rest, which declare Christ to be God and man? All the psalms, too, and hymns of brethren—which have been written from the beginning by the faithful—celebrate Christ the Word of God, ascribing divinity to Him. Eusebius, quoting Caius (c. 215, W), 5.601.
No one should be offended that the Savior is also God, seeing God is the Father. Likewise, since the Father is called Omnipotent, no one should be offended that the Son of God is also called Omnipotent. For in this way, the words will be true that He says to the Father: “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.” Now, if all things that are the Father’s are also Christ’s, certainly one of those things is the omnipotence of the Father. Origen (c. 225, E), 4.250.
“The works that the Father does, these the Son does likewise.” And again He says that the Son cannot do anything of Himself, but only what He sees the Father do. For the Son in no way differs from the Father in the power of His works. The work of the Son is not a different thing from that of the Father. Rather, it is one and the same movement.… He therefore called Him a stainless mirror, that by such an expression it might be understood that there is no dissimilarity whatever between the Son and the Father. Origen (c. 225, E), 4.251.
Jesus Christ Himself is the Lord and Creator of the soul. Origen (c. 225, E), 4.271.
He Himself is everywhere and passes swiftly through all things. For we are no longer to understand Him as existing in those narrow limits in which He was once confined for our sakes. He is not in that circumscribed body that He occupied on earth, when dwelling among men—according to which He might be considered as enclosed in one particular place. Origen (c. 225, E), 4.299.
Every beginning of those families that have a relation to God as to the Father of all, took its beginning lower down with Christ, who is next to the God and Father of all, being thus the Father of every soul, as Adam is the father of all men. Origen (c. 225, E), 4.370, 371.
No one will logically think this Son of God, in respect of the Word being God, is to be contained in any place.… For it is absurd to say that Christ was in Peter and in Paul, but not in Michael the archangel, nor in Gabriel. And from this, it is distinctly shown that the divinity of the Son of God was not shut up in some place. Origen (c. 225, E), 4.377.
We might say of Christ, that by nature His first principle [Gr. archē] is deity. However, in relation to us, who cannot comprehend the whole truth about Him because of its very greatness, His first principle is His manhood. Origen (c. 228, E), 9.307.
If it is permitted to say this, I consider that the beginning of real existence was the Son of God, who says, “I am the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” … Now, God is altogether one and simple. But, for many reasons, our Savior is made many things—since God set Him forth as a propitiation and a first fruits of the whole creation.… The whole creation, so far as it is capable of redemption, stands in need of Him. Origen (c. 228, E), 9.308.
Should anyone inquire whether all that the Father knows … is known to our Savior also, and should he—imagining that he will thereby glorify the Father—show that some things known to the Father are unknown to the Son … we must remind him that it is from His being the truth that He is Savior. Accordingly, if He is the complete truth, then there is nothing true that He does not know. Truth must not limp for the want of the things that—according to these persons—are known to the Father only. Origen (c. 228, E), 9.313.
One cannot be in the Father or with the Father except by ascending upwards from below and first coming to the divinity of the Son—through which one may be led by the hand and brought to the blessedness of the Father himself. Origen (c. 228, E), 9.313.
The arrangement of the sentences seem to indicate an order. First we have, “In the beginning was the Word.” Next, “And the Word was with God.” And thirdly, “And the Word was God.” It was arranged this way so that it might be seen that it is the Word’s being with God that makes Him God. Origen (c. 228, E), 9.323.
David W. Bercot, ed., “Christ, Divinity Of,” A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 93–98.
Mark 12:29 one lord - heis kurios
1 Corinthians 8:6 (LEB) — 6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we are for him, and there is one Lord, (heis kurios) Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we are through him.
is Jesus christ
Peterlag
Well-known member
God was the Lord until He made Jesus both Lord and Christ when He raised him out from among the dead. Thus, there's 2 different Lord's and not that they are the same.
Peterlag
Well-known member
Scripture is what I'm looking for and not the Catholic opinions of people.
It's not Catholic
and you deny scripture
John 1:1; John 20:28; Titus 2:13; 2Peter 1:1; Isa 9:6 etc
You ignored the verse
Mark 12:29 one lord - heis kurios
1 Corinthians 8:6 (LEB) — 6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we are for him, and there is one Lord, (heis kurios) Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we are through him.
As God in his pre-human state
John 1:1 (LEB) — 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He certainly was lord
Johann
Well-known member
Johann
Well-known member
This is error.
Your statement “God was the Lord until He made Jesus both Lord and Christ when He raised him out from among the dead. Thus, there's 2 different Lord's and not that they are the same" misunderstands the New Testament usage of "Lord" and ignores essential Greek syntax and the monotheistic context of Scripture.
Acts 2:36 clarifies, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord (κύριος, kyrios) and Christ (χριστός, Christos)." In Greek syntax, “Lord” here does not suggest a change in the essence of divinity. Rather, the phrase means that God the Father declared and revealed Jesus as the Lord, aligning with His divine authority and mission.
Lexham Syntax highlights that “Lord” (κύριος) was already a title for Jesus (e.g., Philippians 2:11), denoting His divine role within the Godhead. This declaration reflects a functional title granted upon His resurrection and not a new separate entity or role apart from God’s unified nature.
1 Corinthians 8:6 expresses monotheism, stating, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” Greek morphology and syntax clarify that both Father and Son share the divine title of “Lord” without division.
In sum, the phrase "God made Jesus Lord" does not denote a new or secondary Lord but affirms Jesus’ divine authority, manifested through His resurrection as part of the unified Godhead, as consistent with New Testament language and the syntax in Acts 2:36.
J.
Hi Johann,
Good to see you back, my friend.
Could you do me a favor? Could you list out the Hebrew names of God and what Greek word they were translated to in the Septuagint (LXX)? I'm particularly interested in YHWH, Elohim, Adonai, and the names God assigned to himself in Ex 3:14-16.
Johann
Well-known member
Hi @synergy, glad to be back.
YHWH (יהוה) - The Divine Name
Meaning in Hebrew: YHWH is considered the personal, covenantal name of God in Hebrew, often translated as "the LORD" in English translations to honor Jewish tradition, which avoids pronouncing it directly.
LXX Translation: Κύριος (Kyrios), meaning "Lord" or "Master." This translation reflects the Jewish practice of substituting "Adonai" (meaning "Lord") in place of YHWH out of reverence. "Kyrios" thus became a central term in Greek to signify YHWH’s uniqueness and authority over Israel.
Implications: This term appears frequently in the New Testament, especially in reference to Jesus (e.g., Philippians 2:11, "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [Kyrios]"). Early Christians' use of "Kyrios" for Jesus linked Him to the divine identity of YHWH, a profound statement of His divinity within the context of monotheistic Judaism.
2. Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) - God in Majesty
Meaning in Hebrew: Elohim is a plural form of "El," a general Semitic term for "god" or "deity," but it is used with singular verbs and pronouns when referring to the God of Israel, indicating a "plurality of majesty" rather than a literal plural.
LXX Translation: Θεός (Theos), simply meaning "God." This translation is straightforward and functional, and it conveys the monotheistic belief of Jewish tradition while still distinguishing Israel’s God from pagan gods.
Implications: "Theos" in Greek was a familiar term, yet the singular usage without qualifiers (e.g., "the God of Israel") emphasized Israel’s monotheism. In the New Testament, Jesus is often called "Theos" (e.g., John 1:1), another affirmation of His divine nature.
3. Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) - The Lord, My Master
Meaning in Hebrew: Adonai translates to "my Lord" or "my Master." In the Hebrew Bible, it is often used as a respectful substitute for YHWH, particularly in liturgical settings. "Adonai" emphasizes God's sovereign authority.
LXX Translation: Κύριος (Kyrios), identical to the translation of YHWH. The overlap of YHWH and Adonai both being rendered as "Kyrios" in the LXX means that the Greek text doesn’t distinguish between them. However, the context usually clarifies whether "Kyrios" is being used in the sense of the covenantal name YHWH or as a title meaning "Lord."
Implications: When Jesus is referred to as "Kyrios" in the New Testament, it evokes both senses: that of YHWH (covenantal name) and Adonai (lordship). This dual meaning consolidates the early Christian belief in Jesus’ divine authority and identity with YHWH, as seen in verses like Romans 10:9, "Jesus is Lord."
4. Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) - "I Am Who I Am" (Exodus 3:14)
Meaning in Hebrew: This phrase, spoken by God to Moses, is commonly translated as "I Am Who I Am" or "I Will Be Who I Will Be." It expresses God’s self-existence, eternity, and unchanging nature.
LXX Translation: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Ego eimi ho ōn), meaning "I am the One Who Is" or "I am the Being." This phrase in the LXX attempts to capture the eternal, self-sufficient nature of God.
Implications: The Greek "ego eimi" (I am) became an important phrase in the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John, where Jesus uses it to reveal His divine nature. For example, in John 8:58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am" (ἐγώ εἰμι), echoing the LXX wording of Exodus 3:14, directly aligning Himself with God’s self-identification.
5. Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה) - "I Am"
Meaning in Hebrew: This singular form of "I Am" reaffirms God’s self-identification, focusing on His present reality and constancy.
LXX Translation: ἐγώ εἰμι (Ego eimi), "I am." In contexts like Exodus 3:14, where God states "I Am," the LXX translation "ego eimi" reflects the immediacy and personal nature of God's presence with His people.
Implications: This term’s significance in the New Testament, especially in John’s Gospel, is profound. Jesus’ repeated use of "ego eimi" as a self-identifier (e.g., John 6:35, 8:12, 10:11) echoes God’s self-revelation, portraying Jesus as sharing in the same divine, self-existent identity.
6. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב) - Covenant Identity
Meaning in Hebrew: This phrase reflects God’s covenantal relationship with the patriarchs, anchoring God’s identity within the history and promises made to Israel.
LXX Translation: Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ (Theos Abraam kai Theos Isaak kai Theos Iakōb), "God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob."
Implications: The continuity of God’s identity from the patriarchs to the New Testament era reinforces the claim of Jesus’ unity with the God of Israel. In passages like Matthew 22:32, Jesus refers to this title, emphasizing that God is "not the God of the dead, but of the living," a profound statement of both the covenantal identity of God and the divine authority Jesus shares.
Septuagint Translations: Greek Old Testament texts available from sources like the Lexham English Septuagint and Brenton’s Septuagint translation.
Interlinear Bibles and Lexicons: Hebrew and Greek language tools, such as the Lexham Hebrew-English Interlinear Bible, the Lexham Greek-English Interlinear Septuagint, and Strong's Concordance, which offer the original language text and translation aids.
Academic Texts on Biblical Theology: Scholarly works such as “Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax” by Russell T. Fuller and “Septuagint and Old Testament Studies” provide background on the translation choices made in the LXX, particularly around names of God.
Early Christian Writings and Lexicons: Early church writings, along with lexicons like BDAG (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature), contribute insights on how Greek terms were used in the context of Jesus' divinity.
Hope this is helpful.
J.
