: Sorry! Not at all Ed.
I need to go back through the thread here and see if my last post ended up in the thread I intended it for. It wouldn't be the first time I have had to delete a statement because I was nursing more than one thread that the same time. I quite embarrassed myself once with multiple tabs opened.
UPDATE:
Nope. That statement was supposed to go in this thread. Thank you for your patience.
End UPDATE
Frankly and in sincerity Ed, I find more to agree with you on. The points I see that we disagree on are such that I feel no need to draw attention to them.
For one thing, I am absolutely convinced that Jesus was God in person, not merely a man God used for a special purpose, or a specifically created person whose unique purpose was the redemption of the Nation of Israel. No. He was God in the flesh, dwelling among us for a short period of time.
That is something I have not deduced form any study of the scriptures I have undertaken at any time in the past. It is something that became part of me through some other means. It is such an intrinsic part of me that it cannot be taken away from me.
The idea that Jesus was someting other that God in the Flesh, and that His Deification was a fabrication of the disciples has been around since the very early days after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. It sprang from the Gnostic sects in an attempt to delude the weak amongst the Body of Christ, and has been disproven time and time again, by people such as Paul, James, John, Origen, Clement and Iraneus. This thread proves that the heresy hasn't died yet. It is still being debated.
HOWSOMEEVER: If a person has a struggle with The Son of God being God Himself, I am not going to throw stones and call them names. On the other hand, my hackles get straight up at the mention of the idea that Jesus was just a man that God used to atone for sin; or that He was a separate creation made solely for that purpose.
There is a fine line of difference here, but on one side of the line there are the earnest and sincere seekers of Truth, and on the other are the scoffers and mockers whose only end is their own destruction. Jude spoke quite plainly on this subject.
I apologize to any who has taken any unnecessary offense at my words. That goes the same for you as well Ed.