Episode Details

In this presentation you'll learn about the core creed of the bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, the Shema, and how that relates to the smattering of texts in which Jesus may be called "God."  If Yahweh alone is God then how can Jesus be God too?  Are there two Gods or is something else going on?  The answer is the principle of agency.  Jesus can be called God because he represents God.

It is much  more likely that Jesus is called God because he represents God, just like Moses did to Pharaoh, the judges did to Israel, and the king did as God’s anointed one.  Jesus is the ultimate proxy, God’s agent through whom God’s word became a human being and spoke to his people.  Jesus was utterly transparent, always doing his father’s works, pursuing his God’s will, and speaking Yahweh’s words and thus can rightly be called God.  He’s not a separate God, but God’s human representative.  To meet Jesus is to meet God, not because he is God in himself, but because God was so at work within him.

—— Links ——

• For a written version of this talk, see my article, “Explanations to Verses Commonly Used to Teach that Jesus Is God”
• Intro music: Jazzy Frenchy by bensound.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.