Here’s a Bible quiz for you – When was Jesus deified?
When was the man Jesus exalted to deity?
It states in the Gospel of John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”
And in verse 14 it states, “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” The Word, who was God became a human – Yeshua Mashiach or Jesus Christ.
Some people insist that the man Jesus, has always been God. If Jesus was God from His birth to His death, what would be the purpose of His deification? We know from scripture God cannot be tempted, and God cannot die.
My goal here is to explain how the man Jesus, who was tempted in all things – who bled and died - had NOT yet been deified. And He needed to be deified before returning to heaven to be at the right-hand of the Father.
Prior to being deified, Jesus of Nazareth was simply God’s BELOVED Son in human flesh.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that as a child, Jesus grew and waxed strong in the Spirit, and was filled with wisdom and the grace of God (Luke 2:40).
At twelve years old, Jesus was in the temple conversing with the doctors of the law (Luke 2:46-47).
During his youth, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).
Then, at thirty years old, Jesus was baptized and entered his earthly ministry (Luke 3:23).
Up to that time, Jesus was called “Beloved” by His Heavenly Father. The term “beloved” demonstrated the loving relationship shared between Father and Son.
At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father spoke in Matthew 3:17 saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Then on the Mount of Transfiguration, Heavenly Father again confirmed His approval of Jesus by saying in Matthew 17:5 “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Both times, Jesus was referred to by God, as His “beloved Son.”
So what? You ask.
The question remains – When was the MAN Jesus deified?
Going back to the Old Testament, we find a passage that predicts there will be a specific time when Jesus of Nazareth will be called by a different term than “beloved.” It was promised in Psalm 2:7 “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” On a specific DAY, the MAN Jesus will go from “beloved” to “begotten.” Do you know when that happened? Do you know when that promise was fulfilled?
It is the apostle Paul who gives us a hint as to when God would call Jesus of Nazareth, His “Only Begotten.” Romans 1:1-4 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:” Did you get that?
Paul confirms here that it was by and through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead that God designated Jesus to be – The Son of God - His Only Begotten Son.
Paul then tells us how that prophecy in Psalm 2:7 was fulfilled. Acts 13:32-33 “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”
It was Jesus’s total human obedience, coming through extreme suffering even unto death, and by His resurrection that He was “made perfect” and “became the author of eternal salvation.” He was then qualified to be called by the Father – His Only Begotten Son.
This is validated by two verses from the Book of Hebrews. Hebrews 1:5 “For unto which the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” Also, Hebrews 5:5 “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee.”
Okay – Here is the dilemma facing Latter-day Saints: The Book of Mormon records that when Christ appeared to the Nephites and Lamanites in America FOLLOWING His resurrection and ascension, a voice from heaven in 3 Nephi 11:7 announced, “Behold my Begotten Son?” No, the voice said, “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name – hear him.”
Joseph Smith made a big mistake here in not understanding the Bible, when he wrote the Book of Mormon.
Then, approximately 1800 years later, Smith records his own account of going to the woods to pray. He claims he had a vision and explains: “When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other – This is My Begotten Son? Nope - This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JSH 1:16-17) Smith was wrong again!
We immediately recognize a problem in both the Book of Mormon and the First Vision account with God calling Jesus His “Beloved Son.” We learned here that post-resurrection, God now refers to Jesus as His “Begotten Son.” Smith did not understand the Bible well enough to make this story sound real or accurate. Proving once again, he did not truthfully have an encounter with God in 1820.
But we aren’t done. Smith makes another mistake when writing the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. In 1831, he completed his revision of the creation account wherein he claims to have received a vision from God about the Creation and the history of the earth from Adam to Moses. Here, 1500 years before the Resurrection, God tells Moses in chapter 1:6, “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior.” This too, is anachronistic, since this conversation between God and Moses - pre-resurrection - included the term “Begotten” instead of “Beloved.”
In every example, Joseph Smith contradicts and negates what is beautifully taught in the Bible. The misuse of the references about the Son of God being called “Beloved” and “Begotten,” should be enough to convince anyone that Joseph Smith was neither inspired nor a true prophet.
Something to consider. Please share this with family and friends. And go to Talking to Mormons. com for more information. Until next time - God Bless!