Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 10, 1999 at 16:14:03 {AAJB0ph6mYf9UnUPxURUslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: TRUE GOD OR FALSE GOD posted by Amazing on November 10, 1999 at 14:47:47:
Based upon the strict definition in this limited scripture that defines only Jehovah as a "TRUE" God, the correct structuring of the question is not, "Is Jesus a true God or a false god" or "Is Jesus the One True God?" And the answer is no.
So the question is incompetent and improperly extrapolated from from the context of this verse.
How do we know this? Because just because Jesus is not the ONLY TRUE GOD, that doesn't mean he is a FALSE PAGAN GOD. It's just not the ONE TRUE GOD.
So it's a fake Greek rhetorical question.
Another way to restate this question properly is:
If Jehovah is the only true God. Then Is Jesus the only true god? No. Is he a false god? No.
Some gods who are not the only true god are not false gods either.
Here's an example of why you can't always simply extra simple comparisons.
Josephus in four different places claims that the Jews were in exile for 70 years, including in one place in his "Against Apion". But also in "Against Apion" he states the Jews were in exile for fifty years.
Is that a contradiction? No. Why? Because fifty years is less than seventy years. That is, Judea was desolate for fifty years. That's a true statement. But it is misleading when stated that way.
Or you may have ten kids and someone may ask you if you have three kids? You answer YES. You do have three kids. Anybody with ten kids has three kids.
So context is everything. You can also turn this around. Because Jehovah is also a LORD. But the scripture says there is just One TRUE LORD, Jesus Christ. So is Jehovah a false Lord?
At any rate, there is no Biblical contradiction here. I think everyone understands what is MEANT by this scripture.
Cheers,
Bibleman