and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt.11:28-30).  The apostle Paul, himself a zealous Jew from the tribe of Benjamin (Acts 22:3; Rom.11:1), testified: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).  Paul did not tell people that Jesus was their new God—he knew better.

God appointed a man through whom he would judge the world.  This man was Jesus.  He did not appoint or send a “God” to earth to stand in his place before men.

 

Q & A

 

Letters to the Editor

 

William F. Dankenbring

Triumph Prophetic Ministries, P.O. Box 842, Omak, WA 98841      11/29/05

Dear Mr. Dankenbring,

Thank you for your letter of 11/21/05 and for sending the materials.   As I am interested in the subject of the nature of God and Jesus, and the “Godhead,” I will read your material carefully.  Yes, I have engaged in some public debates on this subject, and have written some for The Journal, as well as publishing material in our free quarterly newsletter, The Fellowship Commentator. As you have discovered, the debate format is not the best one in which to sift evidence for issues at hand.  But, it is, I am afraid, one of the few models available to writers within publications like The Journal, so in this sense the debate format is not so bad.  Since personalities and charisma are not necessarily evident in publications, all is not lost when one side or the other is presented—then readers are able to sift the evidence.  In The Journal, any view can easily be presented without bitterness, rancor, or dispute, though such is not always the case.

For your information, as a result of considerable study, my position respecting the nature of God and Jesus becomes a rather simple one: I am not convinced that Jesus was or is a Divine God, in the sense of a supernatural spiritual Deity, and I am not convinced that Jesus preexisted himself in any form, yet Jesus was not a “mere” man as some might say—he was unique in the world.  Jesus himself testifies emphatically in John 17:3 that his Father is “the only true God.”  He does not qualify his testimony, but others do.  You must admit that it sounds a bit mythological for someone to suggest that Jesus was an eternal (infinite) God that changed into a non-eternal (finite) human, and then changed back into an eternal (infinite) God again, as some teach.  Or that an immortal created spirit God came to earth bodily and in person, ceased being an immortal spirit God, took on the form of a man (flesh) by squeezing himself into Mary’s womb, lived for some thirty-odd years, supposedly a man, supposedly died, and returned to heaven, still an immortal spirit God.  Are we to accept this on “blind” faith?

I am under the impression that an infinite and immortal God cannot die (whether he wanted to or not) and if he could die, obviously that God was not infinite or immortal to start with—nor was he Deity.  And I often ask those who support multiple Gods or God-beings, why they should not be accused of practicing Polytheism; defined as the worship and support of more than one god—certainly they do not practice Monotheism.

To me, the NT writings indicate that a miraculous virginal conception took place and the man Jesus was born. Years later, this Jesus became the acceptable sacrificial Lamb of God (the final blood sacrifice) and upon his death and his resurrection by God, he was highly exalted and now sits immortal at the right hand of God.  He is worthy to be highly honored as the only begotten Son of God —and yes, you may bow down to him in great respect and high esteem.

I am convinced that the abstract term “Godhead” (2304, 2305, 2320 found in 3 places in the KJV; Acts 17:29, Rom.1:20, and Col.2:9) has nothing to do with a group of beings or that it is an umbrella-like term that includes various God personages.  The very word itself is clear and it demonstrates that thecommunity or family idea is wrong—it merely means divinity or godlike. 

I am convinced that the New Testament can be interpreted a number of different ways respecting the nature of God and his Christ.  I am convinced that liberties were taken with the NT writings by scribes back in the formative years of the church. That makes it all the more imperative that those who interpret biblical writings should analyze them professionally and as objectively as possible.  I am also convinced that a number of professing Christians, have installed blinders around their eyes so that they cannot—they will not—see beyond their own adopted belief system. Their minds are made up and that is that.

Bill, in reading the first few pages of your writing, —“The Preexistence of Christ, Fact? Or Superstition?” this evening, I noticed on page 3 that you wrote: “John testifies that Christ is greater than Moses (Jn.1: 17), and plainly writes, ‘No one has ever seen God [the Father], but GOD THE ONE AND ONLY, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known’ (Jn.1:18).”  I agree that Jesus is greater than Moses.