The Man Christ Jesus

Seeing how the situations were in the Early Church, let's consider why the apostles said the following words:

Jn 1:1-14 『In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.』

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word [God] came into this earth in the flesh and used the name Jesus; He preached the things of heaven to all men and testified to the truth by which they could be forgiven and saved, so that people with a sincere faith believed that Jesus was the very God and followed Him.

Php 2:5-6 『Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, …』

Paul, who is acknowledged as the apostle of apostles, believed firmly that Jesus is God. Likewise, the Apostle John testified that Jesus is God the Word of the beginning. Paul and John the Apostles viewed Jesus in a spiritual eye, and they realized and believed that Jesus was in the very nature of God. They are representatives of the Early Church as examples of faith for us; they are now respected by all Christians. How were they in their times? They followed Jesus who was not esteemed at all in those days. Now almost all the people consider Jesus as God; but at that time, people regarded Him merely as a carpenter's son. However, those two apostles were different from the people in their faith.The Apostle Paul testified that Jesus is God who created all things, in his letters to the saints at Colosse.

Col 1:15-16 『He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.』

While people were mocking and saying, "How could God come as a man?" the Apostle Paul believed Jesus to be God the Creator and followed Him. Through all ages, there are always followers of the truth and its opposers as well. When people blasphemed Jesus Christ and the truth, afflicting and persecuting its followers, the apostles like Paul and John constantly testified that He is the very God.

(contiuation)