I’m sorry. Based on the Bible, I reject that belief as gross error. Jesus is now, and always has been infinite and eternal God Almighty. He has never been anything less than that - even when he walked the earth.
Lucifer is a finite, created being. He is not the "brother" of Jesus - spiritual or otherwise.
I have always enjoyed your posts (that I remember, I would appreciate your response to a section on my page about this specific question. I do not wish to debate your beliefs with you (I don't attack, just explain), just to see if you find my response logical or not.
Here is a link:
Do Mormons Believe Jesus and Satan are brothers?
If you do not feel comfortable about this, please feel free not to respond.
Also please note that I do not work for the Church, I can ony represent myself and My beliefs "Officially".
"I have always enjoyed your posts (that I remember, I would appreciate your response to a section on my page about this specific question. I do not wish to debate your beliefs with you (I don't attack, just explain), just to see if you find my response logical or not."
Thank you. I would be glad to discuss these topics with you.
I think you've pretty well nailed down the core issue of substance - i.e., to put is bluntly, is Jesus made of "God-stuff" or "Creature-stuff".
But let me ask you a question. As a Mormon, isn't this really a rather moot point with you? Being that the God of Mormon theology, if I understand things correctly, was once made of "creature-stuff" also?
So, in essence, the questions becomes a much larger one. It's not just a matter of whether or not Jesus is uniquely Divine in nature, but also where God Almighty is uniquely Divine in nature - or whether He is just a part of the whole, vast creation that "became" Divine.
The Christian and Jewish conception of God is that He, (Christians would define as the three distinct Persons of the Trinity - God, Son and Spirit,) has neither beginning, nor end. And that He is eternally unchangeable in His nature - eternally Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent. And that He uniquely and eternally set apart from and
different than creation - that He is, in the final analysis, completely
alien in nature from all created things or beings.
Is this what the Scriptures teach about God? In my mind, yes, unquestionably and without a doubt. I would be glad to point you to some passages if you are interested.
" This oneness shared by God and Jesus was described by Jesus Christ himself and recorded in one of the most beautiful chapters"
I think this is a problem with your argument. The concept of the relationship (i.e. oneness) between God and Christ is partially described in that passage - but not totally defined. For that you must look at many other passages in both Testaments. For example, in the passage from John, the Christian is called to participate in the life of God via regeneration ("
that they may be one, even as we are one") but they are never described as being present with God and taking an active and ubiquitous role in creation as Jesus does in
John 1.
"I could go on with many problems with God and Christ being of the same substance, but I will merely describe a few, and link to the Scriptures for brevity..."
The passages cited, as far as I can tell, do not present a problem to Christians. We believe in one God, three distinct Persons. I.e., the Father, Son and Spirit are one - but the Son is not the Father and the Spirit is not the Son.
"I will not argue that there is no basis for believing that God the father and Christ have the same substance, for I am not trying to dissuade anyone from their beliefs. However, anyone who says that our position has no basis in the scriptures is ignorant of what is in them, or is hoping that you are."
I'm sorry - I don't follow you here. How would you say the above verses provide a Scriptural basis for Mormon beliefs?
And, as an aside, how do you believe John 9 shows preexistence - as you reference in your last paragraph?
Than you again, and I look forward to your comments. (And please forgive my overly long post.)