The Two Adams

CHAPTER IV - Divinity of Jesus

The Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus Christ, the second Adam, possesses the Divine attributes of his Father in that degree which renders him an object of divine worship. TTA 15.4

“All men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.” (John 5:23.) TTA 16.1

Are we to honor the Son, even as we honor the Father? So we are taught. If we honor not the Son, we dishonor the Father which sent him. TTA 16.2

“When he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” (Hebrews 1:6.) TTA 16.3

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11.) TTA 16.4

Let every tongue, then, confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, (Kurios,) to the glory of God, (Theos,) the Father. Jesus, “being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8.) TTA 16.5

Jesus allowed the apostles and others to worship him. Luke 24:52; John 9:38. TTA 16.6

Prayer was also made to him. Acts 7:59. TTA 16.7

If it is idolatry, to worship any other than a Divine Being; then, it follows that Jesus, the second Adam, was Divine, or the angels of God and the saints, were guilty of idolatry! for they worshipped him! He “is God with us;” (Matthew 1:23,) for he was God manifest in the flesh; or as the margin reads,-manifested. Before Jesus was born, the self-existent, or eternal God, was only manifested to men by his word. TTA 16.8

“In the beginning was the Word,” etc. (John 1:1-3.) i. e. In the beginning was the logos, not Theos, God, the Deity; but logos, “a word; a saying; speech; talk.”-Lexicon. TTA 16.9

The word logos, and its different terminations, occurs in the Greek New Testament more than 300 times; and it never begins with a capital L, except in 1 John 5:7. It is translated word or words, about 225 times; speech, 9; utterance, 4; and it is also translated, communication, preaching talk, tidings, etc., etc. TTA 16.10

A. Barnes, in his notes on John 1:1-3, says:- TTA 17.1

“The opinion which seems most plausible may be expressed as follows: 1st. A word, or that which is spoken, is that by which we communicate our will, by which we convey our thoughts, or by which we issue commands; the medium of communication with others. 2nd. The Son of God may be called “the word,” because he is the medium by which God promulgates his will, and issues his commandments. See Hebrews 1:1-3. 3rd. This term was in use before the time of John. (1.) It was used in the Chaldee translation of the Old Testament; as, e. g., Isaiah 45:12: “I have made the earth, and created man upon it.” In the Chaldee it is, “I, by my word, have made,” etc. Isaiah 48:13: “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth.” In the Chaldee, “By my word I have founded the earth.” And so in many other places (2.) This term was used by the Jews as applicable to the Messiah. In their writings he was commonly known by the term “Mimra”-i. e., “word;” and no small part of the interpositions of God in defence of the Jewish nation was declared to be by “the word of God.” Thus, in their Targum on Deuteronomy 26:17, 18, it is said, “Ye have appointed the word of God a king over you this day, that he may be your God.” (3.) This term was used by the Jews who were scattered among the Gentiles, and especially those who were conversant with the Greek philosophy. (4.) The term was used by the followers of Plato among the Greeks, to denote the second person of the Trinity. The term nous or mind, was commonly given to this second person; but it was said that this nous was the word, or reason of the first person. The term was therefore extensively in use among the Jews and Gentiles before John wrote his Gospel; and it was certain that it would be applied to the second person of the Trinity by Christians, whether converted from Judaism or Paganism.” TTA 17.2

A. Clarke says,-“Logos” ... “signifies a word spoken, speech, eloquence, doctrine, reason, or the faculty of reasoning.” TTA 17.3

What, then, is the conclusion of this whole matter? viz: this: The Bible, Lexicon, Barnes, Clarke, and others, all agree that logos means a word, a saying, a speech. etc., and, therefore, as in the foregoing extracts from A. Barnes, “I by my word have made the earth,” etc.; “By my word I have founded the earth;” all show that it was not a creature, or a being, by which God made the earth; but by his word, or command:-“For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6-9. TTA 17.4

So we see that, when this word logos is stripped of its present “theological” meaning, it proves simply this: Before the “word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”; (John 1:14,) God was known unto men by his words or commands; but “hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”-Hebrews 1:2. The word here translated worlds, is not kosmos-habitable globe; but aionas, pertaining to ages, or dispensations. It does not say that God made “all things” by his Son! but it says he hath appointed him “heir of all things!” If the theology of the present day be correct, it would appear that, after the Son of God, had created all things, his Father took them all away from him! and then appointed him heir of all that he had made! But this would destroy the idea of his being an heir! See Galatians 4:1, 2. TTA 18.1

Said Jesus,-“All things that the Father hath are mine;” “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Although Jesus, the second Adam is a Divine Being, yet he is not co-eternal with his Father; for Jesus, the Son of God, had a beginning-he was made-made of a woman! But when once made, he will never have an end. “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (hades) and of death.”-(Revelation 1:18.) TTA 18.2

Because it is said of Christ that he and his Father are one; it does not mean that Jesus was his own Father! And because they are one in attributes or power; they are not one, numerically! for there are three that bear record in heaven, and these three are one-these three agree in one! 1 John 5:7, 8. TTA 18.3

Although the Father and the Son are one, it is equally true that Jesus spoke understandingly when he said, “My Father is greater than I!” TTA 18.4

Why is the Father greater than the Son? Because the Father “made” the Son; and yet Jesus said,-“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” TTA 18.5

All the power, therefore, that the Son possesses, was given him by his Father. TTA 19.1

How shall we understand that the Israelites drank of that “spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ!” (1 Corinthians 10:4.) The same as we understand that “Abraham rejoiced to see” Christ’s “day; and he saw it, and was glad!” Christ was then the chief corner stone, on which the apostles and prophets built: and hence the prophets and patriarchs looked forward to the time when Jesus should appear in the world the Saviour of lost men; and the apostles and all true believers since that day, look back to the same:-therefore, “other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Saints of every age have drank of that spiritual Rock and that Rock is Christ. TTA 19.2

The pre-existence of Christ is supposed to be proved by Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man,” etc. But just notice the next verse, and we shall see that “Us,” did not make man, for we read,-“So God created man,” etc. TTA 19.3

This view is in harmony with what advocated by Mac Whorter, in his late critical work entitled, “Yahveh Christ,” etc. Says Mac W.: TTA 19.4

“And Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” TTA 19.5

“Yahveh, or Yahveh Elohim, is a name of relation. It is a name, as we have shown, growing out of the expectation of humanity, in view of a Divine Promise.” ... “This name, originating in human want and need, having a human History and growth, and yet representing a Divine Promise, was fitly chosen as foreshadowing the incarnation of the Divine person who assumed it to Himself, and proclaimed it as His Memorial Name. Yahveh Elohim also assumes all the attributes of Elohim,” (pp. 136, 137.) TTA 19.6

“We have seen the foundation for a distinction of personalities, laid in the very beginning of the Old Testament, gradually becoming more and more developed, till in the New Testament it is made prominent in the relation of ‘Father’ and ‘Son.’” TTA 19.7

“Throughout the Epistles the distinction is in a great measure preserved by the terms ‘Theos,’ God, and ‘Kurios,’ Lord, as applied to ‘Father’ and ‘Son’: ‘Theos,’ however, often standing for the plural Personality. Kurios is also sometimes interchanged with Theos. Almost uniformly, however, throughout the New Testament it is a term applied to Christ.” pp. 142, 143. TTA 19.8

“The idea prevailing among commentators, that the proposition, ‘Who is and who was, and who is to come,’ is to be metaphysically interpreted as expressing ‘Eternity of Being,’ is founded solely upon the supposition that it is the Apocalyptic expansion of the ‘I am’ interpretation of the name ‘Jehovah,’ or Yahveh in Exodus 3:15. But this rendering of the name Yahveh has been shown to be without foundation either in Exegesis or History.” (pp. 145, 146.) TTA 19.9

“A return, then, to Christ, to a personal, historic Christ, as the centre, head, and source of all Theology, would give to the age a vital element of progress in spirituality and true Christianity.” p. 173 TTA 20.1

“Until, however, the discovery of the true derivation of ‘Jehovah,’ or Yahveh, gave the clue to its meaning as a name, no motive existed for calling attention to the subject. Now the ancient Hebrew Scriptures, falling into the hands of philosophers rather than faithful their speculations; giving us not the Historical Yahveh, or ‘Jehovah,’ God of the Scriptures, but the philosophical ‘Theos,’ or ‘God’ of Plato, and the school of Alexandria. This philosophical conception, beginning with the Septuagint, and endorsed by the Latin Vulgate, although departed from by Luther in his translation, has yet hitherto controlled the Theology of the World.”-p. 95. TTA 20.2

But the question arises, How could God, the Elohim, say let us make man, if the Son of God did not then exist for the Father to speak to? We answer, God often spoke of “things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17. Examples,-“Unto us a child is born,” etc. Isaiah 9:6. This was said of Jesus more than 700 years before he was born! and yet spoken of as though it had already taken place. In Isaiah 53: we have not only other examples of Christ being spoken of in the present tense, although more than 700 years before he was born; but he is there spoken of in past tense, e. g., “He was oppressed,” “He was taken from prison,” “He hath poured out his soul unto death, etc. In 2 Timothy 1:9, we find a clear illustration of this example of speaking of things as though in the past, which are yet in the future! The apostle says that God “hath saved us,” ... “according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began!” This proves that the saints pre-existed-not in fact-but in the mind or plan of God: so also of Christ. If in speaking of Christ as though he was with the Father in creating man, proves that he really pre-existed “before the world began;” why does it not prove that the saints also pre-existed, because it is said that salvation “was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began!” All these examples, and others which might be given, prove clearly that Christ was spoken of as already in being, because he was associated with his Father in the plan of redemption before the world began. TTA 20.3

Jesus is spoken of as being the “son of David, the son of Abraham,” Matthew 1:1; and this shows how Christ was “the fruit of” David’s “loins according to the flesh.” Hence, it is plain how Christ’s human nature was in the loins of David and Abraham, the same as Levi “paid tithes in Abraham;” “for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.” Hebrews 7:10. And if Christ (human nature) could be said to be in Abraham, almost 2000 years before he was born; why should there be any mystery in the idea of Jesus’ (divine nature) being with his Father “before the world was;” and thus having “glory” with the Father “before the world was.” John 17:5. This would explain why Jesus could say,-“Before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58. TTA 21.1

We have already shown that our Lord Jesus Christ, is equal with his Father; and an object of Divine worship: although not co-eval, or co-eternal with his Father. TTA 21.2

That the Word was in the beginning with God, and the Word was God; we do not doubt: but we also believe that the “Word was made flesh, and dwelt among men,” and that this Word, thus made flesh;-not made, and then put into flesh! but was made flesh,-was, and is, the Son of God: and will no more have an end, after being once made, than the Father himself wilt have an end! TTA 21.3

But, is the Son of God, the same personal identity or sameness of being with the Father! The apostle says: “I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3.) God, then, is the head of Christ, his Son; as the man is the head of the woman. Hence, the apostle again says: “But to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6.) Mark this! “One God the Father” and “One Lord Jesus Christ.” “There are three that bear Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” John says:-“And I saw, and bear record that this is the Son of God.” The devils said:-“Thou art Christ the Son of God.” Shall we call him anything else? TTA 21.4

And now may “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” Amen. TTA 22.1

In concluding, we will sum up the matter in a few words, and as nearly in scriptural language as our limits will admit. TTA 22.2

By the earthly man, came death; by the heavenly man, will come also the resurrection of the dead. “And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we, saints, shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” Says Christ,-“Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Although “it doth yet appear what we shall be: yet we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him.” Therefore, let us “look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” Blessed promise-Glorious hope! Therefore, having “these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” TTA 22.3

Thus we “pray God, that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen. TTA 22.4