Examine the Verse
Acts 13:23
This verse is claimed to
provide the basis of the Iglesia ni Cristo belief
that
Jesus is not an
ordinary man but a very special Man,
who was sanctified; made Lord, Christ, Savior, Mediator and Judge by God.
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It
was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God
made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had
promised.
(Acts 13:23, Good News Translation) |
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Iglesia ni Cristo belief in God and
Jesus Christ:
Iglesia
ni Cristo believes in the absolute oneness
of God, that "the
Only True God is the Father" in heaven; The Father is the Lord God Almighty, the
Creator of all things. God is Spirit, eternal, immortal and invisible; He is the
God and Father of Jesus Christ and His Apostles; and that of
Moses,
Abraham and the ancient Israelites.
Iglesia ni
Cristo believes that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God. As the Son
of God,
Jesus is a
Man.
However, Jesus is not an ordinary man but a "very special Man",
who was sanctified; made
Lord, Christ, Savior, Mediator and Judge by God. |
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Apostle's admonition, warning and
unique way of teaching:
1.
No prophecy of scripture is a matter of personal
interpretation. (II Pt. 1:20, NAB)
2. Do not go beyond what
is written. (I
Cor. 4:6, NIV)
3.
We do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to
us by the Spirit,
using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. (1
Cor. 2:13, NLT) |
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Points to Consider: |
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1.
The above verse clearly say that "God made Jesus the Savior
of the people of Israel, as He had promised". Thus,
Jesus became Savior because God made Him so.
2. Please note that
many
people are unwittingly led to believe that Jesus is God
because Jesus is also called
Savior in
the Bible. It is true that God the Father is Savior (Isa.
45:21-22) and that Jesus Christ is also Savior (John 4:42;
Eph. 5:23). However, to assume that Jesus is also God
because He is Savior is to ignore the teachings of the Holy
Scriptures on how and why Jesus became Savior. In Acts 5:31,
this is explained: "God
exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he
might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (NRSV)
Now, if Trinitarians insist that Jesus is God because He is
a Savior, then comes the absurd conclusion that Jesus became
God because He was made as such by another God.
3. THEREFORE, Jesus is a very
special Man (Acts
2:22), who was made Savior by God (Acts
13:23) whom He (Jesus') recognize as His is His
Father and His God (John
20:17). |
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Acts 13:23 in other versions of
the Bible: |
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Of this man's seed hath God
according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour,
Jesus:
(King James
Version)
From this man’s
seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a
Savior—Jesus (New New KIng James Version)
“As he promised, God has brought one of David’s descendants
to Israel to be their Savior. That descendant is Jesus.
(Easy to
Read Version)
So God has brought Jesus, one of
David's descendants, to Israel to be its Savior, as he
promised.
(New International Version)
You may use other version or translation of the Holy Bible.
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___________________
Examine
- consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover
essential features or meaning; Source:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/examine
Bible Study
Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free
to visit the
Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or
an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question
you have in mind.
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