53) Part 2, Making himself Equal with God, John 5:17-18

In this episode (Part 2 of a 2 part episode) we continue to examine and comment on John 5, where Jesus healed a lame man at the Pools of Bethesda in Jerusalem.  

In Part 1 (One God Report Podcast episode #52) we discussed the meaning of what it means biblically to be sent by God, and how a sent agent of God is given by God a defined equality to God, and represents God.

We gave two reasons why the traditional "deity of Christ" interpretation of Jesus' calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God, is wrong. Jesus was not claiming to have an equal divine nature to God (the Father).  Jesus was not making a metaphysical statement.

In this podcast we continue to show that all of John 5 is to be understood in the context of agency: Jesus is the sent human Son of God, and as God's agent has an equality of God.

We show that the phrase "equal with God" is best understood in the biblical, Hebraic concept of "agency", an equality between the one sent and his sender.  "The one sent is equal to his sender".  The equality of the Messiah Jesus to God is as God's sent agent, not an equality of divine essence or nature.  

The Christology of the Gospel of John is not "incarnation" (God taking on flesh, or becoming human) but "agency", God being represented and granting His authority to His appointed human Messiah Jesus.  

For full written text of this episode and episode 2, see here:

https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2021/09/john-518-but-he-was-also-calling-god.html


Other resources mentioned in this podcast:
Restitutio podcast "Theology 4 – Challenging Conditional Immortality"
https://restitutio.org/2019/02/21/165-theology-4-challenging-conditional-immortality/