I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into

1
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth And in Jesus Christ his only
Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried
he descended into hell the third day he rose
again from the dead he ascended into heaven, and
sitteth on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the
quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost
the holy catholic church the communion of
saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection
of the body and the life everlasting. Amen
The Creed
I BELIEVE in JESUS CHRIST
2
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth And in Jesus Christ his only
Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried
he descended into hell the third day he rose
again from the dead he ascended into heaven, and
sitteth on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the
quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost
the holy catholic church the communion of
saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection
of the body and the life everlasting. Amen
3
Key Question Who is Jesus Christ?
Did He Really Exist? Was He the Messiah? Is He
God?
I ask myself a question a lot of people have
asked Who is the Jesus? Was he who he said he
was, or was he just a religious nut? Thats the
question. - Bono
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
4
He was the meekest and lowest of all the sons of
men, yet he spoke as coming on the clouds of
heaven with the glory of God. He was so austere
that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror
at his coming, yet he was so genial and winsome
and approachable that the children loved to play
with him and the little ones nestled in his arms.
No one was half so kind or compassionate to
sinners, yet no one ever spoke such red hot
scorching words about sin. A bruised reed he
would not break. His whole life was love, yet on
one occasion he demanded of the Pharisees how
they ever expected to escape the damnation of
hell. He was a dreamer of dreams and a seer of
visions, yet for sheer stock realism he has all
of our self-styled realist soundly beaten. He was
the servant of all, washing the disciples feet,
yet masterfully he strolled into the temple and
the hucksters and money changers fell over one
another in their mad rush to get away from the
fire they saw blazing in his eyes. He saved
others, but at the last himself he did not save.
There is nothing in history like the union of
contrast which confronts us in the gospels, the
mystery of Jesus is the mystery of divine
personality. - James Stewart, Scottish preacher
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
5
Did Jesus Really Exist?
Why should we consider the stories of Osiris,
Dionysus, Adonis, Attis, Mithras, and the other
pagan mystery saviors as fables, yet come across
essentially the same story told in a Jewish
context and believe it to be the biography of a
carpenter from Bethlehem? Timothy Freke/
Peter Gandy
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
6
Did Jesus Really Exist?
The reality is, Jesus was the Solar Deity of the
Gnostic Christian sect and like all other Pagan
gods, he was a mythical figure. It was the
political establishment that sought to historize
the Jesus figure for social control. By 325 a.d.
in Rome, emperor Constantine convened the Council
of Nicea. It was during this meeting that the
politically motivated Christian Doctrines were
established and thus began a long history of
Christian bloodshed and spiritual fraud.
- Zeitgeist
Transcript
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
7
Did Jesus Really Exist?
Today no competent scholar denies the
historicity of Jesus. - Bruce Metzger, PhD
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
8
Extra-Biblical Writings of Jesus
At this time there was a wise man who was called
Jesus. And his conduct was good and was known to
be virtuous. Many people among the Jews and other
nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned
him to be crucified and to die. And those who had
become his disciples did not abandon his
discipleship. They reported that he had appeared
to them three days after his crucifixion and that
he was alive accordingly, he was perhaps the
messiah concerning whom the prophets have
recounted wonders. Antiquities 18.3.3
(undisputed rendering)
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
9
Extra-Biblical Writings of Jesus
Nero substituted as culprits and punished with
the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men
loathed for their vices whom the crowd styled
Christians. Christus, from whom they got their
name, had been executed by sentence of the
procurator Pontius Pilate when Tiberius was
emperor. Tacitus (Roman historian), Annals,
Book 15. They were in the habit of meeting on a
certain fixed day before it was light, when they
sang an anthem to Christ as God, and bound
themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any
wicked deed Pliny the Younger, Letters,
series 10. On the eve of Passover Yeshua was
hanged since nothing was brought forward in his
favour he was hanged on the eve of the
Passover! Jewish Talmud, Sanhedrin
43a. Jesus is referenced by more historians of
antiquity than the Roman emperor at the time
(Jesus 43 vs. Tiberius 10).
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
10
Is Jesus the Messiah / Christ?

• The last three decades have erased the Messiah
  from the Old Testament
• J. G. Eichorn, father of higher Criticism
• Everything Christians claim for Jesus as the
  Jewish Messiah is false
• Rabbi Pinchas Stolper
• One might say the death of the Messiah his
  torture, his crucifixion is predicted in the
  Old Testament. Well, in fact, its not.
• - Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt Divinity School

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
11
What Does Christ Mean?
Christos Messiah Anointed One

• To call Jesus the Christ, therefore, is to make
  a theological claim that He is the Messiah long
  expected by the Jews
• Stephen Prothero
• Chair, Boston University Religion Department

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
12
Symbolism of Christ in Scripture
The acacia wood Christ's humanity
The gold overlay His deity
The mercy seat the work of Jesus on the Cross
covers the Law of God with His mercy.
Law inside the Ark Jesus with the Law of God
in His heart
Aaron's rod that budded the resurrection
Two angels over Ark two angels seated at head
and foot of Christs lying place the perfect
mercy seat
The pot of manna Jesus as the Bread of Life
Just as the Ark was designed to be a symbol of
the presence of God in the midst of His people,
Jesus is the ultimate expression of God's love
and care and presence. He is our Ark. He is our
Law. He is our Manna. He is our Budded Rod. And,
thank God, He is our Mercy Seat.
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
13
Prophecies Concerning the Messiah
108 distinct prophecies that concern the
Messiahs first coming All fulfilled in the life
of Jesus of Nazareth 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000
(one hundred quadrillion) 1017 Those are the
odds Peter Stoner determined in his book Science
Speaks of just eight prophecies being accidently
fulfilled in the life of one man. Statisticians
say anything past 1 to 1050 power is no chance.
This is exceeded once 20 fulfilled prophecies is
considered (and Jesus fulfilled 108).
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
14
Kingly Predictions about the Messiah
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the
rulers staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh
comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the
peoples. - Genesis 4910 " Then a shoot will
spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from
his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord
will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and
understanding, The spirit of counsel and
strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of
the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the
Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear But
with righteousness He will judge the poor, And
decide with fairness for the afflicted of the
earth And He will strike the earth with the rod
of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He
will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be
the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the
belt about His waist. - Isaiah 111-5 "Behold,
the days are coming, declares the Lord, When I
will raise up for David a righteous Branch And
He will reign as king and act wisely And do
justice and righteousness in the land. -
Jeremiah 235
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
15
Predictions on the Servanthood the Messiah
Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold My chosen one
in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit
upon Him He will bring forth justice to the
nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street. A
bruised reed He will not break And a dimly
burning wick He will not extinguish He will
faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be
disheartened or crushed Until He has established
justice in the earth And the coastlands will
wait expectantly for His law. - Isaiah
421-4 He says, It is too small a thing that
You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes
of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of
Israel I will also make You a light of the
nations So that My salvation may reach to the end
of the earth. - Isaiah 496
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
16
Predictions on the Servanthood the Messiah
" Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be
high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as
many were astonished at you, My people, So His
appearance was marred more than any man And His
form more than the sons of men. Thus He will
sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their
mouths on account of Him For what had not been
told them they will see, And what they had not
heard they will understand. - Isaiah 5213-15
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
17
Prophecies on Messiahs Miracles Betrayal
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And
the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the
lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the
mute will shout for joy. Isaiah 355-6, 500
B.C. 'Are You the Expected One, or shall we
look for someone else? Jesus answered and said
to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and
see the blind receive sight and the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the
dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel
preached to them. Matthew 113-5. Even my
close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 419,
900 B.C. Then the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to
the potter, that magnificent price at which I was
valued by them.' So I took the thirty shekels of
silver and threw them to the potter in the house
of the Lord. Zechariah 1113, 500 B.C. Then
one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to
the chief priests and said, What are you willing
to give me to betray Him to you? And they
weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.
Matthew 2714-15
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
18
Prophecies Concerning Messiahs Death
They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count
all my bones. They look, they stare at me They
divide my garments among them, And for my
clothing they cast lots. Psalm 2216, 900
B.C. they will look on Me whom they have
pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one
mourns for an only son Zechariah 1210, 500
B.C. And when they had crucified Him, they
divided up His garments among themselves by
casting lots. Matthew 2735
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
19
More Prophecies Concerning Messiah

• The Messiah would come through the line of
  Abraham, Judah, and David (Genesis 122, Genesis
  4910, 2 Samuel 712-16)
• The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger
  (Malachi 31).
• The Messiah would come to his people mounted on a
  donkey (Zechariah 99).
• The Messiah would remain silent/suffer at the
  hands of men (Isaiah 53).
• The Messiah would be disfigured at the hands of
  men (Isaiah 52).
• The Messiah would have no bone broken (Psalm
  3420).
• The Messiah would be buried with the rich (Isaiah
  539).
• The Messiah would ascend to Heaven (Psalm 6818
  Luke 2450-53)

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
20
One Chronology of the Messiah
But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and
My commandments which I have set before you, and
go and serve other gods and worship them, then I
will uproot you from My land which I have given
you, and this house which I have consecrated for
My name I will cast out of My sight and I will
make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
As for this house, which was exalted, everyone
who passes by it will be astonished and say, Why
has the Lord done thus to this land and to this
house?"(2 Chronicles 719-21) Seventy weeks
have been decreed for your people and your holy
city, to finish the transgression, to make an end
of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring
in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision
and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place
Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will
be cut off and have nothing, and the people of
the prince who is to come will destroy the city
and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a
flood even to the end there will be war
desolations are determined."(Daniel 924,26)
"I will shake all the nations and they will
come with the wealth of all nations, and I will
fill this house with glory, says the Lord of
hosts The latter glory of this house will be
greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts,
and in this place I will give peace, declares
the Lord of hosts."(Haggai 27,9) Behold, I
am going to send My messenger, and he will clear
the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to His temple and the
messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight,
behold, He is coming, says the Lord of
hosts."(Malachi 31)
21
Daniels Detailed Chronology

• So you are to know and discern that from the
  issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild
  Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be
  seven weeks and sixty-two weeks it will be built
  again, with plaza and moat, even in times of
  distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the
  Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the
  people of the prince who is to come will destroy
  the city and the sanctuary.
• Daniel 925-26, 500 B.C.
• Clock began in 445 B.C. with Artaxerxes allowing
  Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem.

Sabbatical Years
449
442
435
428
14
21
28
35
70
1
2
3
67
68
69
BC
AD
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
22
Questions About the Messiah
The second temple was destroyed in A. D.
70 Atonement for sin had to be made before then
God had to personally visit the second temple
before it was destroyed Daniels chronology
had to be fulfilled by Messiah Who else but
Jesus appears on the scene of human history to
fulfill all of this?
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
23
Is Jesus God?
 O followers of the Book! do not exceed the
limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies)
against Allah, but (speak) the truth the
Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of
Allah and His Word which He communicated to
Marium and a spirit from Him believe therefore
in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three.
Desist, it is better for you Allah is only one
God far be It from His glory that He should have
a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is
in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for
a Protector. - The Koran, Sura 4171 Jesus
certainly never believed himself to be God.
Should You Believe in the Trinity?
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
24
Prophecies of the Messiah Being God
But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little
to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will
go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings
forth are from long ago, From the days of
eternity olam. - Micah 52, 700 B.C.
Before the mountains were born or You gave
birth to the earth and the world, Even from
everlasting olam to everlasting olam, You are
God. - Psalm 902 Joseph also went up to
Bethlehem While they were there, the days were
completed for her to give birth. - Luke 24-6
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
25
Prophecies of the Messiah Being God
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign
Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a
son, and she will call His name Immanuel. -
Isaiah 714, 600-700 B.C. For a child will be
born to us, a son will be given to us And the
government will rest on His shoulders And His
name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah
96, 600-700 B.C. Now the birth of Jesus
Christ was as follows when His mother Mary had
been betrothed to Joseph, before they came
together she was found to be with child by the
Holy Spirit. Matthew 118
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
26
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their
conquests and of the enthusiasm which they
enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers but
can you conceive of a dead man making conquests,
with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his
memory? My armies have forgotten me even while
living, as the Carthaginian army forgot
Hannibal. Such is our power. I know men and I
tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between
him and every other person in the world there is
no possible term of comparison. Alexander,
Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded
empires. But on what did we rest the creations of
our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his
empire upon love and at this hour, millions
would die for him. I search in vain history to
find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which
can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor
humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything
with which I am able to compare it or to explain
it. - Napoleon
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
27
Did Jesus Compare Himself to God?
God in the Old Testament Jesus Comparison to Himself
I AM (Exodus 314-15 Isaiah 4812) I AM (John 858 John 818, 24)
The Shepherd (Psalm 231) The Shepherd (John 1011)
The Light (Psalm 271) The Light (John 812)
Ruler of all (Isaiah 96) Ruler of all (Matthew 2818)
Judge of all nations (Joel 312) Judge of all (John 512)
The Bridegroom (Isaiah 625 Hosea 216) The Bridegroom (Matthew 251)
Gods Word never pass away (Isaiah 408) Jesus words never pass away (Mk. 1331)
First and the Last (Isaiah 4812) First and the Last (Revelation 117-18)
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
28
Did Jesus Compare Himself to God?
In 20 of Jesus 52 parables, He identifies
Himself as God. Some examples
God in the Old Testament Jesus Comparison to Himself
The Sower (Jeremiah 3127 Ezra 349) The Sower (Matthew 133-9)
The Shepherd (Gen 4924 Psalm 231) The Shepherd (John 1011)
The Rock (Psalm 182) The Rock (Matthew 724)
The Bridegroom (Isaiah 545, Hosea 216) The Bridegroom (Matthew 251)
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
29
Statements Made by Jesus

• Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was
  born, I am.(John 858)
• Therefore I said to you that you will die in
  your sins for unless you believe that I am He,
  you will die in your sins.(John 824)
• Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father,
  John 149
• I and the Father are one, John 1030
• Father glorify Me in Your presence with the
  glory I had with You before the world began,
  John 175. I am the Lord that is My name! I
  will not give My glory to another, Isaiah 428
• My Father is always at His work to this very
  day, and I too, am working., John 517

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
30
Statements Made by Jesus
And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the
right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the
clouds of Heaven - Mark 1461 I kept looking
in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds
of heaven (Ex 1420, 345, Num 1034, Psalm
1043, Isaiah 191) One like a Son of Man was
coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And
was presented before Him. Daniel 713 The
Lord says to my Lord, Sit at my right hand
Psalm 1101
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
31
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the
really foolish thing that people often say about
Him 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral
teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.'
That is the one thing we must not say. A man who
was merely a man and said the sort of things
Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He
would either be a lunatic - on the level with the
man who says he is a poached egg - or else he
would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your
choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of
God or else a madman or something worse. You can
shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and
kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet
and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come
with any patronizing nonsense about His being a
great human teacher. He has not left that open to
us. He did not intend to. - C. S. Lewis
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
32
Did Jesus Act like God?
When He had come back to Capernaum several days
afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And
many were gathered together, so that there was no
longer room, not even near the door and He was
speaking the word to them. And they came,
bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.
Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd,
they removed the roof above Him and when they
had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on
which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing
their faith said to the paralytic, Son, your
sins are forgiven. But some of the scribes were
sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why
does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming
who can forgive sins but God alone? Immediately
Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were
reasoning that way within themselves, said to
them, Why are you reasoning about these things
in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the
paralytic, Your sins are forgiven or to say,
Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk? But
so that you may know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sinsHe said to
the paralytic, I say to you, get up, pick up
your pallet and go home. And he got up and
immediately picked up the pallet and went out in
the sight of everyone, so that they were all
amazed and were glorifying God, saying, We have
never seen anything like this. (Mark 21-12)
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
33
Did Jesus Act like God?

• Jesus accepted worship nine times in the gospels.
• Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2).
• Jesus said to pray in His name (John 1623-24).
• Jesus never said Thus says the Lord, but rather
  I say.
• Jesus said to baptize in His name (Matthew 28).

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
34
Testimony of the New Testament Writers
Witness Verse Statement
John John 11-3,14 God became flesh
Thomas John 2028 My Lord and my God!
Paul Romans 95 Jesus is God over all
Paul Philippians 25-8 Jesus set aside His right as God
Paul Colossians 116-19, 29-10 Created all things including angels all fullness of Deity dwells
Paul 1 Timothy 615, Deut 1017 King of kings, Lord of Lords
Peter 2 Peter 11 Jesus our God and Savior
Writer of Hebrews Hebrews 18, 138 Has everlasting throne and is immutable
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
35
Testimony of the New Testament Writers
" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things came into being
through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into
being that has come into beingAnd the Word
became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His
glory, glory as of the only begotten from the
Father, full of grace and truth."(John 11-3,14)
s???? Yahwehs tabernacle " Then the cloud
covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the
Lord filled the tabernacle. - Exodus 4034
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
36
Testimony of the New Testament Writers
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved for with
the heart a person believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses,
resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says,
WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE
DISAPPOINTED. For there is no distinction
between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord
of all, abounding in riches for all who call on
Him for WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE
LORD (YAHWEH) WILL BE SAVED. Joel 23
Romans 109-13. Same Greek word Kyrios is
used.
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
37
Testimony of the New Testament Writers

• "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also
  in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the
  form of God, did not regard equality with God a
  thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking
  the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
  likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a
  man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to
  the point of death, even death on a cross. For
  this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and
  bestowed on Him the name which is above every
  name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee
  will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth
  and under the earth, and that every tongue will
  confess that Jesus Christ is ??Lord, to the glory
  of God the Father.
• Philippians 25-10
• By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in
  all integrity a word that will not be revoked
  Before Me every knee will bow by Me every tongue
  will swear.
• - Isaiah 4523

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
38
Testimony of the New Testament Writers

• "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,
  and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved
  Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
  of sins. He is the image of the invisible God,
  the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all
  things were created, both in the heavens and on
  earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
  dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things
  have been created through Him and for Him. He is
  before all things, and in Him all things hold
  together. He is also head of the body, the
  church and He is the beginning, the firstborn
  from the dead, so that He Himself will come to
  have first place in everything. For it was the
  Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to
  dwell in Him
• - Colossians 113-19
• "And He is the radiance of His glory and the
  exact representation of His nature, and upholds
  all things by the word of His power. ..But of the
  Son He says, Your throne, O God, is forever and
  ever
• - Hebrews 13,8

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
39
Jesus in the Book of Revelation

• The First and the Last, who was dead and am now
  is alive (117, 28). God says He is the First
  and Last in Isaiah 414
• The Alpha and Omega (2213). God is called the
  Alpha and Omega in Revelation 18 and 216.
• The King of kings and the Lord of lords (1714,
  1916).

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
40
External References to Jesus as God

• I conjure you by the God of the Hebrews, Jesus
  who appears in fire, who is in the midst of land,
  snow, and fog (lines 3007-3041)
• Exorcism formula from the Greek Magical Papyrus
• They were in the habit of meeting on a certain
  fixed day before it was light, when they sang an
  anthem to Christ as God, and bound themselves by
  a solemn oath not to commit any wicked deed
• Pliny the Younger, Letters, series 10
• Now if the Christians worshipped only one God
  they might have reason on their side But as a
  matter of fact they worship a man who appeared
  only recently. And their worship of this Jesus is
  the more outrageous because they refuse to listen
  to any talk about God, the father of all, unless
  it includes some reference to Jesus And when
  they call him Son of God, they are not really
  paying homage to God, rather, they are attempting
  to exalt Jesus to the heights. Celsus, 2nd
  century Christian critic

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
41
Ancient Archaeological Evidence
The earliest church building (currently) found is
in Megiddo and dated to the early third century.
The prayer hall contains various mosaics and
inscriptions with the one above reading
Akeptous (a woman), the God-loving, offered this
table for (the) God Jesus Christ, as a
remembrance.
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
42
Primary Objections to Jesus as God

1. Colossians 115 says Jesus is the firstborn of
   all creation and Revelation 314 says the Jesus
   is the Beginning of the creation of God.
2. John 1428 has Jesus saying, The Father is
   greater than I.
3. Luke 1819 states Jesus as saying, Why do you
   call me good? No one is good but God alone.
4. Matthew 2436 says, But of that day and hour no
   one knows, not even the Son, but the Father alone.

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
43
Primary Objections to Jesus as God

• Colossians 115 says Jesus is the firstborn of
  all creation and Revelation 314 says the Jesus
  is the Beginning of the creation of God.
• firstborn signifies preeminence. For example,
  David is called the firstborn of Jesse (Psalm
  8927) even though he was not the first born in
  the family.
• Beginning comes from the Greek word arche,
  which is where the word architect comes from.
  Jesus is the ruler/architect of all creation.

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
44
Primary Objections to Jesus as God

• John 1428 has Jesus saying, The Father is
  greater than I.
• Christ is of the same essence and nature as God,
  but holds a different office/role in the Trinity.
  Philippians 27 describes how Jesus laid aside
  His godly form and chose to become a man during
  His incarnation. Ontological equality and
  functional hierarchy are two different things.
  Jesus holds a lesser office than the Father, but
  is equal to Him in nature.

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
45
Primary Objections to Jesus as God

• Luke 1819 states Jesus as saying, Why do you
  call me good? No one is good but God alone.
• Jesus is in essence asking the young rich ruler
  to examine his words. Either Jesus is good, and
  therefore God, or not good and not God. Jesus
  Himself said that He was good when he stated in
  John 1011, I am the good shepherd. Christ is
  asking the man to think about what he is asking
  in other words, Are you calling me God?

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
46
Primary Objections to Jesus as God

• Matthew 2436 says, But of that day and hour no
  one knows, not even the Son, but the Father
  alone.
• Paul makes it clear in Philippians 2 that Christ
  voluntarily laid aside part of His deity to
  become a man on earth. For example, did Christ
  ever get tired? As God no, as man yes. Hungry?
  As God no, as man yes.
• Jesus said in John 1515 that what He heard from
  the Father, He made known. In His incarnation,
  Jesus would do nothing on My own initiative

The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
47
Jesus Supplies All
The Jews sought Light The Greeks sought
Knowledge The Romans sought Glory For God,
who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is
the One who has shone in our hearts to give the
Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Christ. (2 Cor. 46)
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
48
Final Questions Answers
Did Jesus of Nazareth exist? Yes! Did Jesus
fulfill Messianic prophecies? Yes! Did anyone
else appear in history like Jesus? No! Did
Jesus claim to be God? Yes! Did Jesus prove His
claim via resurrection? Yes! Did others testify
that Jesus was God? Yes! Conclusion Jesus is
the Christ and the Son of God
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
49
Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure
village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He
grew up in another village where He worked as a
carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three
years He became an itinerant preacher. This man
never went to college or seminary. He never wrote
a book. He never held a public office. He never
had a family nor owned a home. He never put His
foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200
miles from His birthplace. And though He never
did any of the things that usually accompany
greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had
no credentials but Himself. While He was still
young, the tide of public opinion turned against
Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over
to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross
between two thieves. While He was dying, His
executioners gambled for the only piece of
property He had on earth the simple coat He had
worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave
provided by a compassionate friend. But three
days later this Man arose from the dead living
proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior
whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today
the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure
of the human race. On our calendars His birth
divides history into two eras. One day of every
week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our
two most important holidays celebrate His birth
and resurrection. On church steeples around the
world, His cross has become the symbol of victory
over sin and death. This one Mans life has
furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems
and paintings than any other person or event in
history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals,
orphanages and other institutions have been
founded in honor of this One who gave His life
for us. All the armies that ever marched, all the
navies that ever sailed, all the governments that
ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have
not changed the course of history as much as this
One Solitary Life. - One Solitary Life
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
50
Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous
about meeting a lion. That you will, dearie,
and no mistake, said Mr.s Beaver, if theres
anyone who can appear before Aslan without their
knees knocking, theyre either braver than most
or else just silly. Then he isnt safe? said
Lucy. Safe? said Mr. Beaver. Dont you hear
what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything
about safe? Course he isnt safe. But hes good.
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ
51
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth And in Jesus Christ his only
Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried
he descended into hell the third day he rose
again from the dead he ascended into heaven, and
sitteth on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the
quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost
the holy catholic church the communion of
saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection
of the body and the life everlasting. Amen
The Creed
I BELIEVE in JESUS CHRIST
52
Jesus Traverses the Past, Present, and Future
The Traditionalist looks to the Past The
Existentialist looks to the Present The Utopians
look to the Future This is My body, which is
for you do this in remembrance of Me. In the
same way He took the cup also after supper,
saying, This cup is the new covenant in My
blood do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this
bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords
death until He comes. - 1 Corinthians
1124-26
The Creed I Believe in Jesus Christ