There are some fellowships of local churches who have been preaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh and this group of churches have been termed “deceivers and Antichrists”…
There are a lot of questions raised today of the nature and person of God. To some, the existence of God is a fallacy. A lot of scholars have written with a perspective against the truth about the eternal nature of God and His only Son Jesus, who came to the world in a human form to save the whole world. Some say Jesus is just another prophet, while some are so convinced that Jesus is a popular celebrity with such a belief that is weird. In the Journal written by anonymous (1962:328), the anonymous writer mentioned, “Was Jesus the Son of God?” He felt that no one can stand on the fence over this matter; you must belong to one side. He goes further to explain that “the belief in the Deity of Christ is fundamental”. This is at the centre of our faith and without this, there is no life in whatever remains. In fact, having a notion that the deity of Jesus Christ is questionable is a gross dishonour to the Creator, God. The writer then addresses Christians and charged that we must all stand and display our loyalty to the one who is the author of life and sustains the whole world.
Likewise, in his journal Doriani (1994:333)argued that “the self-consciousness of Jesus has become a sort of ‘no go area’ for New Testament theology. It has been sealed off as a mine field which none but fools would dare to enter”. He is of the view that no there is no amount of data that can disproof the truth of the identity of Christ as the Most High God.
Jesus is LORD and no argument is able to dethrone Jesus as deity. He said Scholars might defend their views and perspectives about who the person of Jesus is, but the fundamental truth remains that Jesus is pre-eminent and he is eternal.
In the journal written by Witmer (1968:147), he presented a couple of arguments and perspectives of some Jewish educational leaders on the deity of Jesus Christ. One of them argued that Jesus was just a wondering rabbi who sought to put right the excesses of his time and age. He further argued that if it’s not because Jesus’ followers are already worshipping him, he would have been classified as one of the greatest teachers of his time, the days of Hillel. This great Jewish educational leader also opined that Jesus did not even claim to be God or the Messiah, as Christians call him. Witmer (1968) in his journal then argued that this belief has been strongly taken on by a few other scholars and a large number of contemporary liberals within the protestant circle. The truth then remains that Jesus is Lord. He came in form of man to reconcile us back to God, fully God, fully man.
Wuest (1962:216) wrote in his journal that in his findings, there are some fellowships of local churches who have been preaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh and this group of churches have been termed “deceivers and antichrists”.The truth is that Jesus came in flesh and when he was on earth, he was hungry, thirsty and tired like a normal human being, but he was still God. Though he lived like man but he is fully God and fully man.
The Pre-incarnate Person of Jesus Christ
With the analysis given by Walvoord (1960:99) “The person of Christ incarnate is best understood in comparison to the person of Christ before he became incarnate”. Walvoord’s perspective in this matter is that since God came to the world in human form through his Son, Jesus, it is best to look beyond the Jesus that we have read about in the New Testament, and flashed back into what transpired within the Godhead and then we can see the vividly the identity of Jesus. As the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 13:8; “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”. It is therefore clear that Jesus lived even before creation. In this journal, it is also mentioned that God has sent Jesus to redeem man from the curse which has been placed upon man.
It is then very crucial to mention here that we mention the Christ is highly exalted because he is supreme and sovereign. The writer of Hebrews mentioned in chapter 1:3-5;
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”
Another question about the deity of Christ that was addressed in this journal is “does the humiliation of Jesus reduce him in any way from being the second Person of the trinity?” The answer is no. The fact that Jesus came into the world in form of a man does not remove the capacity of him being deity and this can be seen in several places on in the New Testament writings. “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”. (John 1:13-14). Jesus us fully God and fully man and this speaks of his divine nature which could never be diminished by any standard.
