Who Raised Jesus From the Dead?

Jesus was raised from the dead.  All Christians can agree with this statement. But a disagreement quickly ensues when you ask, "Who raised Jesus from the dead?"  Some confidently declare that Jesus raised himself from the dead and offer it as proof that he is God.  Others contend that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead, while others insist it was the Trinity.  But what does Scripture say?  Let's examine the evidence to determine who raised Jesus from the dead and learn why it…

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What Does “Christ” and “Messiah” Mean?

What Does "Christ" and "Messiah" Mean? Ask any Christian and they will tell you who Jesus Christ is.  Ask them what "Christ" means and you're likely to get a wrong answer. Some assume Christ is Jesus' last name.  However, Scripture tells us his surname, if you will, is "son of Joseph."[1]  Others believe "Christ" is a designation for deity, but as we shall soon see, that is incorrect as well.  What then does "Christ" mean? The word "christ" is a transliteration of the Greek christos,[2]…

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Jesus Has a God

Jesus has a God.  It's not something you're likely to hear your pastor or Sunday School teacher say, but Scripture says it plenty of times. Over twenty times, in fact[1].  Church tradition has so obscured our view of Scripture that when we read the truth, we can't "see" it. Matthew 27:46 (NASB) About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" (emphasis added) Jesus has a God…

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Jesus Came Into the World

The Importance of Understanding Jewish Idioms In order to properly understand a foreign language it is important to understand the idioms that are common to that culture.  You can imagine how someone who isn't from America might react if they were told they needed to "butter someone up" in order to gain their favor, or that dinner at an expensive restaurant was going to cost them an "arm and a leg." Without knowing the true meaning of such phrases, the uninitiated is left to take…

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Son of God: Proof of Jesus’ Deity?

Scripture reveals Jesus to be a man of many titles.  For example, one of the most frequent titles used in relation to Jesus is Son of God.  But what does this designation mean?  Can it be used synonymously with the title God the Son as is so often the case in Churches today?  Indeed, under the instruction of Trinitarian pastors, teachers and leaders, we have become accustomed to treating these two titles as equivalent. This tradition is so pervasive that often when we read the…

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