Heb 6:13 Who Is The 'Greater' In "Because He Could Swear By No Greater"
Hi R____,Hello Mr. Vinson and IWWB,I have spent a lot of time wandering in and out of understanding as to who and what manner of God we have. I was at one time under the belief of the Jehovah's Witness heresy that Christ was not divine, but simply a "little god". Then I was under the belief that Jesus was just a chosen man in the manner of Moses or Elijah. The difference was that God's full Spirit had come to rest on Christ.Now I know and understand that Christ is God, because He just recently allowed me to see and fully understand Phil 2:5-8 and what those verses are really saying. I now know that Jesus Christ is God Almighty and that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thank the Lord for that! A huge burden has been lifted and the path to fully knowing God and His Father or My Father's Father is opening for me. I only have one snag, and I am turning to a brother in Christ who is far more schooled in the deep things of God than I.Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,"God" is Christ Jesus in that verse..I don't know why this causes me such confusion, but in my mind it "appears" that Christ would not be able to swear by Himself on the grounds of "none greater to swear by" if His Father is greater than He. I have meditated on this for many days and many nights, and the only explanation that keeps coming back is that Christ was equal with His Father or "all power" is given to Him by His Father. That's all I can figure based on scripture that I know currently. These seem most plausible to me, but I can't cement it into my faith because it's not confirmed in me as so many other truths have been. I keep wanting to wander back to a "heirarchy" mentality. Perhaps this is a small lesson in patience, but I want to finish this segment of my study and move on to other subjects of God's Word.Perhaps, if this "theory" of mine is correct and confirmed by a brother I trust in the things of God, I can finally move on in my search for that most valuable of treasures. I know it seems silly..If I am wrong on any point, PLEASE correct me.With much gratitude,R_____
Thank you for your question about Christ's relationship with His Father. For a much more indepth treatment of this subject be sure to read The Head of Christ Is God on iswasandwillbe.com.
You are, of course, right about Christ being "The Almighty" of Revelation one:
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Christ is 'the Almighty' in the same sense that Joseph was 'almighty' in all the land of Egypt. Christ is 'Almighty in the sense given us in Philippians 2:
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We confess that Jesus is "the Almighty...to the glory of God the Father" because:
I hope this all helps you to clear this up for you.1 Cor 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
But Christ never thinks of Himself as separate from His Father. Here is how Christ thinks of His own relationship with His Father:
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Here is the verse that tells us that the 'God' who spoke with, and appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all of those to whom He appeared in the Old Testament, was none other than Christ Himself and was never ever God the Father:
John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
There were several people who both heard the voice and saw the form of Yahweh. But as we saw in Philippians 2, Christ was given a name that was above every name, so there was no way for Him to swear by a greater name than Himself.
Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,
Mike
