I am the Alpha and
the Omega,
the Beginning and the
End, says the Lord,
who is and who was
and who is to come,
the Almighty.
saying, “I am the
Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the
Last,” …..
Revelations 1:8,11a
I am the Alpha and
the Omega,
the Beginning and the
End,
the First and the
Last.
Revelation 22:13
When
studying the Bible it is context, context, context, that determines any
interpretation and translation. It is not just the context surrounding a
verse(s), or just the book, it is the Bible in the whole. This lack of using
context properly leads to a false and incorrect understanding and that can and
has led to heresy. Isaiah writing by the influence of the Holy Spirit writes: “Who
has performed it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, am
the first; and with the last I am He” (Isaiah 41:4). The Bible opens up
from the first verse that God created and throughout the Old Testament God is
given credit for creation and for being One, the great I AM. John tells us in
(John 1:3) that Jesus made all things, then we look at Revelation and Isaiah
and find that the Alpha and the Omega refer to both God, and the Son Jesus
Christ. Both created, called the same, and unless the Scriptures are twisted,
these Scriptures are admitting that Jesus is God. The Gnostics, the Platonists,
and the Neoplatonists had a philosophy and ideology that contradicts Scripture.
Yes, they made Jesus Christ divine, a god, but not the God. This battle has not
ended even with the decision at the council of Nicaea 325 A.D. This controversy
is not just a controversy of little importance and you believe one way or the
other as if it does not matter which side of the debate is correct. It does
matter for salvation and our understanding of salvation and whom we worship as
Savior is at stake. Do you, we, worship the true God, or do we worship Jesus as
a god, and not give to Him what Scripture so plainly gives: that He is God, and
is the Son of God, and is the Savior who not only saves but baptizes us with
the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to do this baptism of the Holy Spirit and I ask,
how can He do so if He is not God? Jesus did not baptize by giving the Holy
Spirit from Himself, because he was a god. If this was so, then there are more
Holy Spirits: one for God the Father and one for Him: “I did not know Him,
but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the
Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy
Spirit” (John 1:33). God certified to the world that Jesus was the Savior
and that the Holy Spirit resided upon Him as the Son of God, the incarnate
Messiah. And by His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven He can
baptize the children of God with the Holy Spirit, the One whom He would send to
all believers: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of
Me” (John 15:26).
During the
debate at the council of Nicaea 325 A.D. a scholar and church historian,
Eusebius of Caesarea tried to moderate the two views, one of Arius, and the
other of Athanasius by saying that Jesus Christ was created out of nothing, an
Arian view, and that He was begotten of the Father before time in eternity.
Some 200 or the 300 men at the council at first followed this compromise. This
compromise made Jesus to be (homoi) or similar in essence to the Father. A
creed was formulated, no the Nicene Creed of today as it differs in its
insistence upon the unity of the essence or substance of the Father and the
Son. Orthodoxy did gain a temporary victory at Nicaea by the assertion of the
eternity of Jesus Christ and the identity of His substance with that of the
Father. During the years, 325 and 361 A.D. under the rule of Constantine and
his sins orthodoxy faced a reaction that caused their defeat to Arianism.
Arianism not only defeated orthodoxy but also made significant inroads to the
Teutonic tribes. Between the years 361 to 381 Theodosius defined the faith of
true Christians by his formulation that held to the orthodox views from the
Nicaea council. Yet, we must notice that there was much contention and
bitterness between the years 325 to 381 A.D. It was at the Council of
Constantinople in 381 A.D. stated in Canon 1 of it decision that the faith of
the fathers at Nicaea, “Shall not be set aside but shall remain dominant.’
(Italics mine). This decision upheld at Chalcedon in 451 A.D. The creed
formulated at this time is the creed known today as the Nicene Creed. The task
now was to bring Christianity to the Teutonic tribes and winning them back from
Arianism to orthodox Christianity. This battle is still raging today, maybe not
as openly as in those days but still there is need to bring the truth of
Scripture that have fallen under the veil of false teaching that Jesus Chris is
not God, but rather a god, divine, but not God. We can be thankful that the
orthodox party was successful because Arian theology wrought havoc then and
even now, with Modernism and Unitarianism as both relate to unorthodox doctrine
that Jesus Christ is true deity. Our article of faith, so state, true facts, of
Scripture as related in the opening of this blog.
I, Jesus, have sent My angel
To testify
to you
These things in the churches.
I am the
Root and the
Offspring of David, the
Bright and
Morning Star.
Revelation 22:16: (cf. Numbers
24:17).
Jesus is coming: Be ready
Richard L. Crumb
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