Q1. Fully God

[debramcguire]

I love how John right away places Jesus as in the beginning of creation, that makes Jesus eternal just as the Father is eternal. Also everything in life is created by Him and we would not be here if we had not been created of God. God is the God of yesterday, today, and all of our tomorrows. The plan in the beginning after the fall was to send Jesus so that we could have eternal life. Jesus is fully God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are right there is verse 1. I am thankful in verse 2 that our God and Lord never changes, He is the same today as He was at the time of creation. Always loving us and drawing us toward Him. I love to say the great " I AM ", these two words say it all.

[haroon.alfred]

Yes! Jesus is fully God. I mean there is no space for anyone'e second opinion or thought to comment on the very part of this question. As we can read in the Bible where David says in Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord. And Second in Mathew 26:63-64 where the High Priest ask Jesus If He is the Messaih the Son of God and Jesus replied him, You said So.

 

Second part of the Question says what does it mean that Jesus is the Word of God.
It's a common belief that that When someone belonging to a very High Rank (lets say The President of a Country) wants to convey his message to another country's President, he send his Messanger or Embassodor to that respective country. Similarly We Born Again Christians believe in Trinity i.e The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The Father we all know is the Supreme Leader of this entire universe and He enjoys full authority over every human being and living being in this entire universe. So in order to convey His message He has to choose someone who is worthy enough to His word. He did so from the very beginning of the world, but His early messangers were not perfect to carry out His Word with Perfection, He needed someone who is Purely Worthy Enough. And He found His only begotten Son, Whom he presented as His Son, The Savior and The Word. for Whom The Father Himself says "You are my beloved Son, with Whom I am Pleased". 

 

Thirdly, Jesus said no more no less about Him and His Ministry in the sme very answer He gave to the High Priest at the time of His trial, in Mathew 26:64 "But I say to all of you: from now you will the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." This is Jesus Christ as God Himself, The Word of God Himself and presenting a True path to Life in His ministry.
 

[linda bass]

According to John, Jesus is fully God.

What it means that Jesus is the "Word" is, that He is an independent personified expression of God.

What this says about Jesus and His ministry is He has the power and authority to forgive sins.

[deaconcarl]

Jesus is God, and was with God from the beginning, he is the great "I AM!"  I am a deacon in the Episcopal Church, and welcome the opportunity to increase my knowledge about the LOGOS - the word - and as others have said we will in this life not know all there is about God, but I plan to keep learning until I join with Him in the heavenly home.  

[karynjg]

John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the "Word"? What does this say about him and his ministry?

John states that Jesus was fully God and that He was the Word, always with God from the beginning of creation.  It means that He is as sovereign as God and His ministry on earth, everything He accomplished here, was in complete authority from God, our Creator.

[DeiFriend]

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the "Word"? What does this say about him and his ministry?

 

The closest that I am coming to summarizing my understanding of Jesus as God is the analogy of our word or testimony in court situations.  When in court we are told to verbalize our witness to what we know; silence has little weight in the court system and is sometimes viewed as guilt even without substantiating proof.  Our word testifies to our view, it testifies to who we are.  No one else can go to court and give our testimony.  Our word is who we are.  When our word is written in print form and designated with our name, whenever that testimony is read by others they are compelled to visualize who we are according to what they read.  Jesus is God's verbalization, His testimony, His Word.  No one else but God can accurately denote who He is or represent Him.

(This is as much as I have perceived thus far.  I'm having glimpses and I know that as I give myself more fully to Him, I will understand more clearly albeit through dark glass.)

[JoanG]

Jesus is the second person in the Trinity. He is the Son of God. However, Jesus is also the Word. He is the fulfillment of all the promises in the Old Testament. He is the word made perfect. One can say that the whole bible was written about Him. A look at Isaiah 55:11 is a statement telling us that God will send Jesus to us and He will not return to the Father till all is accomplished.

 

His ministry was designed before His birth. It was as if God knew the hearts of the men at the time and knew we would not be able to do it on our own. He wanted to give us the best chance of salvation. He knew when the time was going to be right to send His Son to teach us again what it was to live life to the fullest with grace and love.

[John6:68-69]

Yes Jesus is God. Stating that Jesus is the word, I think is another way of telling us that Jesus is God. What this says about him & his ministry, WOW, Jesus is God in human flesh. his ministry gives us an example to live by. His ministry is visual proof that God exist, the extent of his love, faithfulness. I truly do not even have the vocabulary necessary to even explain the extent of the gift that was given to us through his ministry. 

[launahowell]

Hello, I am a new member to this forum. I believe that according to the Bible, Jesus is God. I, also, believe that He is the Son of God. For many years, I had a hard time understanding and then one day I realized that since I believe the Bible is God's Word, it is therefore true. How, profound that God's Word the Bible is the Bible and Jesus is God's Word also. Anyway, why can't we just believe that God can be who He says He is. After all he is God, right? This is so fantastic to think about.

 

[Joe_Applegarth]

Yes, Jesus is fully God … When John states that Jesus IS the Word he’s saying that Jesus in the flesh is the very Expression of God Himself, and that Jesus IS God himself … The other Gospels begin with the birth of Jesus; John begins with “In the beginning…”  John’s ministry states very clearly that all things were made by Him and through Him, created things exist simply because He wills it to be so.  Man is the highest form of creation and John defines the relationship of man to the Word which has been with us from the beginning of time.

[glory]

To help you internalize and apply what you’re learning from John’s Gospel, I’ve included several Discussion Questions in each lesson. These are designed to help you think about and ponder the most important points. Don’t skip this. It’s best to write them out. You can post your answers – and read what others have written – by going to the online forum by clicking on the URL below each question. (Before you can post your answer the first time, you’ll need to register. You can find instructions at http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/instructions.htm

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the “Word”? What does this say about him and his ministry?

Yes, Jesus is fully God. He is the Word, since the Word is a Person ,and He became flesh and dwelt among us. He was there before time began, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, the Triune Godhead.  All things came into being through Him, He created all things .

[glory]

Yes , Jesus is fully God.

[Storybell]

Since there is no indefinite article in the Greek text or suggested by Greek grammar, how do you know whether or not one belongs there?

 

Yes Jesus is fully God, just as we are fully human.  

 

Jesus is in His Father and the Father is in Him. Jesus is in us and we are in Him.  That does not make Jesus the Father or even equal to the Father just as we are not Jesus or equal with Jesus.

 

Jesus asked God for powers to do miracles, God the Father GAVE Jesus authority in heaven and earth. If Jesus was already the Almighty God or equal with God the Father, why did the He have to be GIVEN the authority from God the Father (God Almighty)?  

 

There is much more.

 

You can't take just a one or two verses and make them what you want them to be.  

 

We are all Family with God.  Jesus is the Son of God as he stated over and over again in the Bible.  Jesus worshiped God.  God did not worship Jesus, though HE was very pleased with Jesus.

 

The doctrine of the trinity was developed in the 4th century by a faction of the Roman Catholic Church.  Jesus nor the Apostles taught it.

 

I believe in God, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  I do not believe in the Trinity - that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all equal.

[van]

Jesus is He is the Word (God) sins. The Trinity or Godhead is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and they are all God, there only one God Almighty and He same down the flesh to save mankind so we can go to heaven. God loves us that much to come down in the flesh of His Son to endure all the pain that and suffering then died for us. To bring grace unforgiving. I try to get all the knowledge of God word everyday. And I am so graceful that He died for me. The main reason I like researching and studying the Trinity because God lead me to get my PH.D in Divinity. You got to make your entire life to Him and He will give you Ll knowledge about the Godhead.

[Storybell]

Let the Bible interpret the Bible. I, too, have a personal relationship with God and Jesus. My entire life is to them. God has given me knowledge of Himself and Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus made Himself known to me be before my mother passed away. I knew she was gone before I was told by my father.

I understand the doctrine of the Trinity very well. I also researched it through men's words because the concept is not in the Bible. I let the Bible interpret itself. If I have a question about something I read in the Bible, I go through the Bible to find the answer. It is always there. The Book of John repeatedly tells us that Jesus said, He does nothing without the Father doing it first; Jesus speaks words of His Father and they are given to Him; Jesus asks God for things through prayer (ex. not to go through the crucifixcion); the Father gave Jesus authority in heaven and earth; etc. Again, if Jesus is God Himself, why did He need His Father to give Him His Words, answers to questions, authority, abilities, etc.

Jesus is the expression of God. Jesus is the Word because God speaks through Him. God created everything through Jesus and for Jesus. God's love run deeply through and for Jesus. Jesus is the heir of all things. Jesus said He would not abandon us, and He didn't. Jesus told us that God's gift to us is the Holy Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit of Truth is our teacher and guide through this age.

I deeply love God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It's wonderful you have a PH.D in Divinity. However, it does not make one all knowing.

The Bible does not say you have to believe in the Trinity Doctrine to enter the Kingdom of God. Though it doesn't matter in the end, please don't think that I and others who believe as I do are not Christians. We are all God's children, I believe Jesus is the Son of the living God and that God sacrificed His only begotten Son to absorb the sins of the world for those who love Him and they died when He died. Jesus did lay down His life for His friends. I pray to be like Jesus and that when I die, it will be for Him. I have been baptized and born again.

My faith is nondenominational and the Bible contains my only Doctrine. We, here, are all Christians or we wouldn't be here.

[kiwidenis]

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the “Word”? What does this say about him and his ministry?

 

I love the opening verse of John's Gospel.  As Pastor Ralph says; 'In the Beginning' is a direct link with Genesis 1:1  Jesus was there in the beginning.  'In the beginning was the Word.'  The word;  'was'  is in the present continuous meaning something that has been and continues to be.  Isn't that beautiful. Our Lord Jesus was there the and continues to be with us NOW.  Praise His name.

 

What does this say about him and his ministry?

Jesus Christ was God walking amongst us on earth, he limited himself and took on the form of a man (Colossians 2) He was God's full revelation to us and final sacrifice for the sins of all humanity... For those who turn to him for salvation.  His ministry demonstrated the presence and power of God through his wisdom and his miracles.  Thomas got it right. "My Lord and my God."  I stood on a hill in India where Thomas was martyred for this faith.

I like new newbies comment - I can't understand the Trinity.  I agree, I don't think any of us can fully understand the Trinity – it's a mystery revealed in God's word but is difficult for us to fathom with our limited minds.  For that matter none of us can really understand God either.  To fully understand God we would have to be God ... And that's plainly impossible.  We can only understand God as much as He has revealed himself to us for he is way outside our comprehension. 

Just look at the cosmos that He put together .  I'm thinking the whole universe was created just to make a place for a little planet called Earth ... andl this to make a place for his chosen people to live...  Blows my mind.  some have said: To try and understand the Trinity think of water exists in 3 different forms: liquid, ice, and steam ... So God has revealed his fullness in three dimensions of His being.  However I'm thinking, any analogy falls far short of the glorious reality of God because he is so far beyond our comprehension.. 

 

Although the term Trinity is not used in the Bible there is evidence of the Trinity of God throughout the Bible (the threefold nature of God) Father, Son and Holy Spirit, right from the beginning. In Genesis Ch1.: the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.  God said let us make man in OUR (plural)  image.  ...  Blessings on you all. --  kiwidenis
 

[kiwidenis]

To help you internalize and apply what you’re learning from John’s Gospel, I’ve included several Discussion Questions in each lesson. These are designed to help you think about and ponder the most important points. Don’t skip this. It’s best to write them out. You can post your answers – and read what others have written – by going to the online forum by clicking on the URL below each question. (Before you can post your answer the first time, you’ll need to register. You can find instructions at http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/instructions.htm

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the “Word”? What does this say about him and his ministry?

[Crankypants]

I like Storybell's reply in total.  

 

Romans 8:34 it says Jesus sits on the right hand of God.  As Storybell says " Jesus is the expression of God...." " Jesus told us that God's gift to us is the Holy Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit of Truth is our teacher and guide through this age."

 

Can't be much simpler than that. God, Jesus , Holy Spirit.  

 

So many learned commentators in the present and from the past have used he words "it is believed" or "we think" or some other set of words that mean they really do not know.  So the answer to the question "is Jesus fully God" is there is no answer because we don't know.

 

As Kiwidenis put it ' I don't think any of us can fully understand the Trinity – it's a mystery revealed in God's word but is difficult for us to fathom with our limited minds.  For that matter none of us can really understand God either. "

[jmlhopeful]

According to John, Jesus was fully human and is fully God. Although Jesus took on humanity and became flesh, He never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed.  The WORD was used by theologians and philosophers, both Jews and Greeks. In Hebrew thought, the WORD was another expression for God. In Greek philosophy, the Word was the principle of reason that governed the world.  What Jesus taught and what He did are tied in separately to who He is.

[sister_t]

Jesus is fully God. From eternity past to eternity future. There is only one God and manifested as threebpersons. Jesus as the Word - Logos - is the total expression of God to man. Word defined: expression of a thought. God is love. Jesus embodied and was this total expression for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Jesus ministry was to show us God, his love, power. He came to save this dying world. To restore us to God and the plans God has for us now on earth, and for the eternity with him. That we are Children of the most High King and that our mission here on earth is to witness to others so that Gods other children could be saved.

[dejordan]

Yes, Jesus is fully God clothed in human flesh. 

[dejordan]

Q1:What does it mean that Jesus is the “Word”? What does this say about him and his ministry?

Jesus was personified as the Word of God for the execution of God’s will. 

[trishrambin]

Yes Jesus is fully God, in human form. Jesus was God walking on earth teaching His ways. Jesus was obedient to his Father..

[dtredo]

According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God?

 

Yes, Jesus is fully God. In fact, all three persons of the Trinity are each fully God. And yet there is only one God. In the end, this is a mystery - no one can fully comprehend the Trinity, but I have no problem accepting it by faith.

 

What does it mean that Jesus is the "Word"?

 

     I've always thought of John 1:1 as describing Jesus to be the complete 'expression' of God. God 'expresses' himself to us through Jesus, not too much different than how we express ourselves using words. No wonder Jesus is called 'the Word'! Jesus came to live among us so we can know God better. Everything God wants us to know in this lifetime about himself is expressed in Jesus. So we are encouraged 'to know Him'. I believe we are living in fantastic times because we can actually know Jesus. The Israelite's back in the old days didn't have that privilege because of the times in which they lived. They could not possibly know God the way we can know him through Christ (even though they witnessed all those incredible miracles and had the Law). If we could fully grasp this privilege, we might cherish God more and be grateful.

 

What does this say about him and his ministry?

 

Since Jesus is the Word of God, his ministry's purpose was to express Gods desire for 'the elect' to be saved. It seems God is actually patiently waiting (tarrying) until the fullness of His people come to a saving knowledge of Christ. We don't know how many people that is (or who they are) - but God does. This ministry is one that Jesus started, and now through us he carries on with it!

[norman brander]

yes i agree Jesus is Fully God One with the Father,He existed before creation.This makes His ministry so Powerfull yet He express Himself in human form.