Paradise Cafe Discussions - A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

Good Day All:)

Could I ask what it means at Matthew 28v18 when our King Jesus says that all authority has been given to him in heaven and earth?

Thank You
Agape Love
IMB

Jesus is king and is almighty.

Psalm 110:2 says that Jesus would rule in the midst of his enemies.    

Jesus is the rightful ruler over the entire earth - the earthly kings just haven't realized that.  :)

Hi IMB,

Warm welcome to the Forum!

I don´t know yet where you are coming from, but I would just take Jesus´s words at face value, i.e.; Jesus had been handed all authority by his Father by virtue of his triumph over evil, shortly after his resurrection. I see no reason to think otherwise. At least not scriptural.

Paul confirmed Jesus´s words in his letter to the Philipians; "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."Phil.2:9-11

If you read Pauls letter from verse 5 onward, you will see the sequence of events he layed out, namely Jesus´s humbling himself in appearing as a human on earth and his obedience to death, being the reasons for the Father to exalt him in a superior position and give him all authority.

As you can deduce from the tense the above statements were spoken, during Jesus´s command to his disciples at Matthew 28:18-20 and while Paul was writing his letter to the Phillipians, the handing over of authority has already taken place.

Now, if you hold to the teaching that Jesus is until the present day idly sitting at the right hand of his Father waiting for his Father to make his enemies a footstool to his feet, you may need to revise that teaching.

On the otherhand, the fact that Jesus had been given all authority shortly after his resurrection means his enemies had already been made a footstool right after his resurrection. That could well imply that the war in heaven between Michael and the Dragon has already taken place too, and the devil was thrown down to earth some 19 centuries ago. But I think that is another topic.

Affection,

AR

Dear Anthony:)

Thank You for the reply.

From my first post I wasn't clear.
What I really want to ask is if Jesus our King has authority over the heaven and earth, what part does YHWH now have and how does that if at all alter the relationship with YHWH or rather how do I interact with my God and with my King they being separate individuals...

I hope the above makes sense.

Agape Love
IMB

It's kind of hard to find the right words to express our feelings at times. I'll do my best.

"Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:5-7

Sin disconnected humanity from the Father.  It is only through Jesus that we can come to the Father. He bridges the gap.    

Eventually through Jesus the entire Universe will be reconciled back to God.

"Then comes the end,when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be eliminated is death. For he has put everything in subjection under his feet.   But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him.  And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all." - 1 Cor 15:24-28

After that Jesus will subject himself and all in him back to the Father.

And they lived happily ever after. :read:

Dear AR and Anthony:)

Thank You both for the replies. Lots for me to think on and look into.

Thank You AR for the welcome.

It is hard for me to sometimes put into words what I am asking as I am still at the basic level of trying to get how YHWH and Jesus's relationship work and how I am to work within that relationship. I have just started the Gospels so I hope as I read to the end of the bible it will give me the understanding I need in regards our God YHWH and his Son Jesus our King. But it is also nice to draw on wisdom form you ladies and gents on the forum.

Agape Love
IMB

Hi IMB. Greetings

Re: "I am still at the basic level of trying to get how YHWH and Jesus's relationship work and how I am to work within that relationship."

We have much in common. Most here, it seems, are continuing to seek and ask etc. in which ways we may worship in spirit and truth.

Anthony has mentioned "Jesus is king and is almighty."

The word almighty is interesting, as when used as a title; only YHWH is the Almighty. (imo).

(Job 5:17..."Look! Happy is the man whom God reproves;
And the discipline of the Almighty do not you reject!")



Christian love and greetings,

gogh

Like I said sometimes it is difficult to find the precise words when dealing with such big things as God and Christ.     I think they are much too big for any word we could try to pin to them.   As for my use of "almighty" this might be a good discussion but I don't want to sidetrack from what IMB is asking.  So let's just put it on the backburner for now.

Let me say that I really don't want to get into a Trinty argument. I am one of the few Bornagain Christians on this board, and I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

I would say that Jesus is the incarnation of God as a man. While as the Son of God before the incarnation Jesus possesed "Äll Power". When the Word of God became man, he became finite, and limited, in His manhood. After Jesus died, and was resurrected Jesus was exalted in his manhood to the position of " all power and authourity".

As I said I don't want a ""trinity argument" but I thought some here might enjoy examining a different perspective.

One of just a few, huh? :D

Words ... can't live with them ... can't live without them.

To quote the Bard,
"We few, we happy few".:friends:

In a congregation of 120 JW's I think you'll generally get 120 people that profess to be "not bornagain". At least it was that way the last time I checked.
Since this board is made up of current JW's and those who have doubts, and those who have left but still have the same mindset, I thought my statement was a fair one.....you excluded.

Be assured of my affection and fondness for you.:)

Grace and Peace to you in Jesus Christ our LORD,
iknowhim

Good Morning All:)

Thank You GOGH and iknowhim for your thoughts.

At this stage of my reading of the bible which is currently at Matthew my belief based on what I have read is still a belief that our God YHWH is one and his son Jesus is one. As I am coming across scriptures as Matthew verse 28v18 I feel I need help and you ladies and gents provide me with things to think about and to look into...you help me in my searching for understanding....I try never to close my mind off to others even though I do not believe what they believe...

If it is one thing I have gotten from you ladies and gents from this board and from being on the e-watchman board previously...that GOD, JESUS,the HUMAN RACE and LOVE are the most important...Living with them and Loving them all.

Agape Love
IMB

iknowhim,

There are now over 200 members on this board. What basis do you have to say to Anthony; "Since this board is made up of current JW's and those who have doubts, and those who have left but still have the same mindset, I thought my statement was a fair one.....you excluded."?
I think to claim to konw who all the 200 members are and to say only you and Anthony are bornagain on this board is going a bit too far.

Affection,

AR

Hey AR, I wasn't excluding anyone.:friends: I was just making the observation that MOST of the folks here would not claim to be bornagain.  If I'm wrong about that I would be happy as a clam. If someone made the suggestion to me, when I was a JW, that I should be born again, I would have thrown up on the spot.

JW''s believe that being "bornagain" is for the 144000. So the vast majority of JW's believe that they are not bornagin. Even ex JW's for the most part do not believe that they are bornagain. I say this after 10 years of internet experience, and speaking with many exJW's. If you are "bornagain", I think that is the most wonderful thing that can happen to any human being, and I rejoice in that for you!:clap:

The only reason I said that is so that the poster would know where I was coming from, not to exclude anyone.

If I offended you please forgive me.

I knew by your posts that you were BTW.;)

Hello to all,

In relation to ' a belief that our God YHWH is one and his son Jesus is one' I would like to ask all to always remember what Paul says at
1COR 11:3 "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
and to always remember that he said it after Jesus was back with YHWH.

1COR 3:23 "And ye are Christ's; and Christ [is] God's."


God bless,
PPCM