Headcovering

Friday, October 29, 2010

http://freetocover.blogspot.com/ 

When something is covered, it is done so because it is a holy thing. I'm thinking of the coverings that are draped over the Holy Gifts when they are brought out during the Great Entrance...I'm thinking of the Holy of Holies, in the Old Testament. I'm ALWAYS thinking of the Theotokos (that's Mary, the Mother of God, for any readers who may not be familiar with the Greek word. It literally means God-bearer.) when I think of head coverings, for some reason. And I'm thinking of the angels. St. Paul writes that women are to veil "because of the angels." I'm not all the way sure what that means, fully, but we do know that when we enter the Divine Liturgy, we are joining the heavenly hosts in their continuous worship. Interesting side note: In Orthodox Iconography, women saints are ALWAYS depicted with a veil on their head. Angels have what might be misinterpreted by some as a "woman's hairstyle" with what looks like a head band. But angels are NEVER depicted in a feminine way, but rather as warriors.)

In a world that treats women pornographically, it is quite a bold statement to put on a prayer veil. It is a radical thing to cover up that which is uncovered and reduced to a sex object by the world. Covering is giving a woman honor, when the uncovering of women is all around us. (Seen any billboards or commercials lately? I rest my case.) It is precisely because women are sexualized by the world that they are veiled in Church. It is a radical thing, and an elevating thing to take a woman and say: "She should be veiled." Especially in the context of a religion that veils it's holy mysteries.

Now, I'm not saying that this means that women are somehow better than men, or above men. Not at all. St. Paul balances it out: Woman is for the man, man comes out of woman...it's a balance. And because of the Incarnation of Christ, and Mary's "Yes" to God we can boldly say that God also came out of a woman when He took on human flesh to save us from sin and death. We women are icons, in a way. Icons in the midst of the Church composed of male and female persons of what it means to be the Bride of Christ, who is Himself the Church's bridegroom. In our veiling, we have something spiritual to show.

Why I Wear a Headcovering

Why I Wear a Headcovering

You say that wearing a headcovering is a form of bondage?

I say it is an expression of my freedom in Christ.

You say that it oppresses women.

I say that it reminds me of the stole draped over my head when receiving the prayer of absolution after making confession.

You say that it is only "cultural" and does not apply to today.

I say, neither does turning the other cheek make sense in our culture. Neither does "blessed are the poor in spirit". Neither does "blessed are the meek".

You say your head is your own.

I say that I gave my head to Christ.

You say your hair is your glory and your covering.

I say that I can neither make my hair, make it grow, or keep it from falling out. Only my creator can do that.

The only things I can do with my hair are let it grow, cut it off, color it, or cover it. I have done all these things. But now I cover it.

What does this all mean? A question I have asked myself many times as the years have gone by. What does it mean that the husband is the head of the wife? Kephale in the Greek. Source. Submission. Harmony. And husbands love your wife as Christ loved the Church. Perhaps it is more than a "headship" covering. Perhaps it is a revolutionary statement. For more than just myself.

What does it mean, "on account of the angels"? Oh, to serve God with the purity of an angel!

For whatever reason, this will not leave me alone.

I do not belong to myself.

"Let it be done unto me according to Thy will."

Mary said that. She is covered.

I want to be like her.

I do not belong to myself. I belong to God.

So I cover. 

http://freetocover.blogspot.com/

Memoir

I came up with a title for my memoir a couple of months back--Out of the Ashes. My inspiration for the name came in the form of a song, Beauty Will Rise by Steven Curtis Chapman.

Below is the starting of the intro I have been writing. 

Introduction

In a search for myself, I decided to write this book. I originally named it “memoir” on my computer but soon found that name to be inadequate. It needed more substance. I thought extensively about a new name, and a song by Steven Curtis Chapman came to mind—Beauty Will Rise. One little line in it says “Out of these ashes, beauty will rise.” Although Steven’s reasons for writing that song are different than the ones I have for connecting to the song, I feel like the words of the song and even the meaning behind them are the reasons why I connect to it. Suffering of any kind, whether it is losing a child like in Steven’s case or losing a parent to suicide such as in my case, leaves ashes, but with God beauty can come out of it.

I found that although I have done things that have hurt others, there have been people in my life who have stuck by my side in spite of that. I hope my story is a blessing to you as you read it, and that you use it to bless others. There is much to be said about the power of sharing and its effects on others.

 Beauty Will Rise

Steven Curtis Chapman

It was the day the world went wrong
I screamed ‘til my voice was gone
And watched through the tears as everything
came crashing down
Slowly panic turns to pain
As we awake to what remains
and sift through the ashes that are left behind
But buried deep beneath all our broken dreams
we have this hope:

Out of these ashes... beauty will rise
and we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of these ashes... beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning...
in the morning, beauty will rise

So take another breath for now,
and let the tears come washing down,

and if you can't believe I will believe for you.
Cuz I have seen the signs of spring!
Just watch and see:

Out of these ashes... beauty will rise
and we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of these ashes... beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning...
in the morning…

I can hear it in the distance and it's not too far away.
It's the music and the laughter of a wedding and a feast.
I can almost feel the hand of God reaching for my face
to wipe the tears away, and say,
"It's time to make everything new. Make it all new"

This is our hope.
This is the promise.
This is our hope.
This is the promise.
That it would take our breath away
to see the beauty that's been made
out of the ashes...
out of the ashes...

It would take our breath away
to see the beauty that's been made
out of the ashes...

out of the ashes...

Out of these ashes... beauty will rise
and we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes
Out of this darkness... new life will shine
and we'll know the joy that’s coming in the morning...
in the morning...beauty will rise!

Oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, Beauty will rise

Headcovering

Are You Shy About Wearing the Chapel Veil?

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Since first posting on the subject of the chapel veil, 'The Catholic Knight' has received many emails from modest women who have expressed their desire to keep the Biblical custom, but simultaneously feel apprehension, embarrassment, or worry about the potentially negative reaction they may get from fellow parishioners. The common thread in all of these emails seems to center around not wanting to draw attention to one's self.

This is very commendable, because by not wanting to draw attention to one's self, the woman who veils demonstrates that she fully understands the purpose of what the veil is all about. A more recent email inspired me to post on this topic directly.

First and foremost, if you're a woman who fits the description above, know that you're not alone. Your desire to "not cause a scene" is commendable and demonstrates that you fully understand the purpose of the veil to begin with. That means of all people, you are probably the most ready to keep the custom.

Second, we often tend to associate the chapel veil with the pretty lace mantillas made popular in recent times by Traditional Catholics in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Many of the beautiful veils are white, or some other stunning color, which do grab attention, especially if nobody else is veiled. Certainly there is nothing wrong with wearing such a lovely prayer cloth, but at the same time, it is not necessary either.

Third, to properly veil, women must understand the reason behind the chapel veil, and this can be found in 1st Corinthians 11. To review let me just outline some highlights of this custom...

• The chapel veil (head covering for women) is a Christian custom that comes to us from the Scriptures (1st Corinthians 11).  Saint Paul outlined a deep theological purpose for keeping the custom that transcends all local and cultural reasons.  Therefore all Christian women are Scripturally encouraged, by Saint Paul himself, to keep the custom. 
• The chapel veil was part of the code of canon law for centuries within the Catholic Church.  Under this canon, women were compelled to wear a head covering whether they wanted to or not.  The Church eventually decided that this custom had no place in canon law, and so it simply deleted that particular canon.  The Church DID NOT remove or reverse the custom itself.  It simply deleted the canon.  This made it so women could not be disciplined for refusing to wear the veil.  There is much debate as to whether this canon should have ever been part of the code to begin with.  As the Biblical instruction should be enough.
• The chapel veil is a voluntary custom, but that doesn't mean it's optional.  By this I mean Christian women cannot ever be compelled to keep the custom against their will, but at the same time this does not mean it's okay for women (or anyone for that matter) to "pick and choose" which apostolic customs to keep and which to ignore.  The word "Catholic" means universal, complete and whole.  To be Catholic is to accept ALL of the customs of Christianity, not picking and choosing customs, as if Christianity where a salad bar.  The term "Cafeteria Catholic" is an oxymoron.  If one approaches Christianity with a "cafeteria" (pick and choose) mentality, one cannot be "Catholic" by the very definition of the word.  Catholic women should keep this in mind.  Refusing to wear a veil (head covering) in no way harms one's status in the Church, because women can no longer be disciplined for refusing to veil, now that the code of canon law no longer requires it.  However, it does reflect a mentality which "might" become potentially harmful to one's Catholic faith eventually. If one chooses to "pick and choose" on such a little thing as the chapel veil, it's not a far step from "picking and choosing" on other more important issues, such as artificial birth control, modest dress, gossip, complaining, mass attendance, regular confession, etc. etc. etc...  Please don't misunderstand, the chapel veil in no way "protects" women from these other issues, it's just that refusing to keep one apostolic custom, "could perhaps" lead to ignoring other more important customs.  Both men and women should consider this carefully.
• The exact same Biblical regulation that commands women to cover their heads during prayer, is equally compelling upon men as well.  Don't think for one second that men are getting out of anything.  The same Scripture that commands the chapel veil for women also commands that men keep their heads uncovered during prayer.  That can sometimes be a burden to some men accustomed to wearing ball caps and hats all of the time.  The custom remains in place for men, even when prayer is done outdoors in the hot sun.  Men must remove their hats for prayer, even when the sun beats down on them, and even if their self conscience about their hair -- or lack thereof.  The clergy teach us by example.  A bishop always removes his mitre during various points of prayer in the mass.  A priest always removes his biretta before mass, (if he has one), and always puts it back on at the end of mass, just before leaving.
• Christian veiling (head covering) is not the same as Muslim veiling (head covering) by any stretch of the imagination.  Those who make such accusations are ignorant of both faiths.  In Islam women are commanded to veil in the presence of men.  In Christianity women are only commanded to veil in the presence of the Lord.  Nowhere in the Bible can any command be found instructing women to veil in the presence of men.  It's just not in there.  Nor is there anything in the 2,000 years of Christian history and tradition in which women are instructed to veil in the presence of men.  That's because the presence of men has absolutely NOTHING to do with a Christian woman's veil.  The whole thing centers around God and God alone.  Men have nothing to do with it.  So Christian veiling and Muslim veiling have virtually nothing in common.
• Nothing about the Biblical instruction to veil commands women to call attention to themselves either.  In today's western world, especially in English-speaking countries, the practice of the chapel veil has virtually disappeared from everyday Catholic life.  Only in the traditionalist communities does one still see the practice alive and well.  However, it doesn't have to be that way, and it shouldn't.  Many modest women, who want to keep the custom, are self conscious about what might happen if they attempt it.  This is truly a sad situation, but understandable.

There is more than one way to veil.  Keeping the custom doesn't have to mean drawing attention to one's self, and there are so many ways a woman can do it inconspicuously. Here are some suggestions...

Sit in the back of the Church, instead of the middle or front. Almost nobody will notice you there, and the only way you can draw attention is if people actually turn around to look at you. That is not likely to happen. So the back of the church is a good place to start.

The most simple way to keep the custom is with a hat.  Below we have an example of a simple beret.  It's cute and fashionable, but at the same time doesn't stand out much.  In this case below, the beret actually matches this woman's outfit quite nicely.  Many people would probably be unaware she is even keeping the apostolic custom of 1st Corinthians 11....


Another way to keep this custom is with a simple scarf or shawl. It doesn't have to be brightly colored or ornate.  In fact, it's probably better if it's not.  This can be worn around the neck or over the shoulders when entering the church, inconspicuously, as you seat yourself in the back of the church quietly, outside of most people's view.  This young woman below gives us an example with a warm shawl she wore on a cold day.  Thin light weight shawls could similarly be used on warm days...


Then, when upon kneeling for prayer, or when mass begins, the scarf or shawl can simply be lifted up over the head without anyone noticing...


After mass is over, while the priest is recessing back down the isle, the scarf or shawl can be dropped back down over the shoulders before everybody leaves. Thus the woman who does it this way can exit the chapel the same way she came in, with most people being completely unaware of her keeping the Biblical custom.

There is only one time when there would be an exception, and that is during communion. When for a brief time you would be at the front of the church instead of the back. However, when this happens, everyone's eyes are supposed to be downcast and contemplating the real presence of the Lord. If there are people in the pew staring at you, than SHAME ON THEM, not you. You didn't do anything to attract their attention, they are supposed to be contemplating the Lord. The only person who is supposed to look at you is the priest, or the Eucharistic minister, and those people are supposed to be knowledgeable of the veiling custom and not judgemental about it.  Again, you've done nothing to attract attention to yourself.

In almost every case where woman have actually kept the custom, they report to me that they were surprised how little reaction they got all together. They were expecting more, either positive or negative, and what they got was nothing -- literally nothing. It's as if the vast majority of people there didn't care, and most of them didn't even notice. If you're shy, or self conscious about keeping the Biblical custom of veiling, you may want to keep this in mind. Chances are you're far more conscious of it than those around you.

There have been rare cases (very rare) when veiled women have been confronted by other women who disapprove of this practice. If by rare happenstance this happens to you, know that you've done absolutely nothing wrong, and the woman confronting you is acting in an uncharitable, and dare I say unchristian, sort of way. There are people like this. They're called feminists, and they've embraced a philosophy and mindset that opposes the church on so many levels. Often these very same women advocate artificial birth control, believe women should become priests, and think of the male Catholic hierarchy in a negative way. They'll sight all sorts of erroneous reasons why women should no longer veil. If you should find yourself in this rare and unlikely circumstance, here is the proper response...

1. Smile
2. Then say: "You know, I would never try to force my own personal views on another parishioner."
3. Then tell her: "And it's really none of your business how I choose to reverence the Lord."
4. End with; "God bless you."
5. Then walk away.

If you handle it this way, you can be assured that your reward in heaven will be great.  You've just received a bit of persecution for reverencing the Lord, and you handled it with charity and civility.  Meanwhile, the feminist woman who harassed you will be looking very foolish at this point.

If on the EXTREMELY RARE chance that a man actually confronts you over wearing the veil, and I've never heard of this happening, the way to deal with it is virtually identical....

1. Smile.
2. Tell him: "You know, I would never try to force you to wear a hat during mass."
3. Then say: "And it's really none of your business how I choose to reverence the Lord."
4. End with: "God bless you."
5. Then walk away.

I only outline these responses to be thorough. In all reality you will probably never be confronted with ANY of these situations. Of course there are always those who might have honest and sincere questions about the chapel veil, simply because they don't know anything about it.  You are far more likely to run across someone like this. If anyone asks you for a reason why you wear the chapel veil, simply cite 1st Corinthians 11 and leave it at that.  If someone sincerely wants more details, direct them to this website.

 

 

http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/search?q=headcovering

1 Corinthians 11

1 Corinthians 11 (New International Version)

 ¹Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Propriety in Worship

 ²I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings,^[a] just as I passed them on to you.  ³Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ⁴Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. ⁶If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. ⁷A man ought not to cover his head,^[b] since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; ⁹neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

 ¹¹In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. ¹³Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

The Lord's Supper

 ¹⁷In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. ²⁰When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, ²¹for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. ²²Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!  ²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

 ²⁷Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

 ³³So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. ³⁴If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
      And when I come I will give further directions.

Footnotes:
1 Corinthians 11:2 Or traditions
1 Corinthians 11:7 Or ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. ⁵ And every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering (of hair) on her head dishonors her head—she is just like one of the "shorn women." ⁶ If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair, but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. ⁷ A man ought not to have long hair 

In my own convictions in reading this passage as well as reading other sources, I have chosen to take up the practice of head covering as an everyday practice. I feel that it is in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that I can do so in a way that does not bring too much attention to myself, for that is not my goal of wearing a head covering. For me it is a sign of obedience to Him. 

Maybe it will be an opportunity for me to be an example to my brothers and sisters, as well as to non-Christians. 

For the one thing that women should agree on with regards to veiling is the reason behind it.
A woman with a veil is not, as is commonly thought, veiling herself in submission to men.
She is also not veiling herself out of shame, or subjugation. (Unless you count that she is submissive to Christ the Lord and shameful of her sins which crucified Him.)
A woman who chooses to veil herself does so for this reason:
because she is sacred. Remember what happened at the death of Jesus? The veil which hid the sacred Temple was rent in two. Sacred things are veiled. Always have been.
Women's heads are veiled for the same reason the chalice is veiled. Both a woman and a chalice are things which God touches. A chalice contains God physically. A woman, when touched by the skilled hand of God, becomes co-creator with Him, and a new life is made.
Women are touched by God in a way that men never can be. God uses a woman's body to bring forth new life. He has an intimate connection with her physical body.
So, choose to wear a veil or don't.
But if do, and you understand why you're veiled, it will be much easier to explain when people ask.

Youth group

Yesterday I went to a church event for the first time in a long time. Several things were said that helped me come to the conclusion I just need to tell Mark about how I feel about him.
Then this morning, on KLove, the DJ totally was telling listeners to get out of their comfort zones, whether it be to give to KLove or in something else in our lives.
Me being so stubborn, it takes a lot to get through to me; that I am totally a weanie when it comes to telling people, especially a guy I like, how I feel.
But with all that people have said directly to me, I know that I need to just simply trust and dive in without hesitation. I need to just say what I need to say without worrying about what the other person will say.
God is amazing; I find I just might have the courage and strength to do what I have been called to do for He has supplied it for me. I love that about our heavenly father-- He knows what we need and supplies it for us.

The Love Dilemma

I often wonder if I am supposed to marry. I've never had a relationship past friendship with anyone, and sometimes I'm not so sure if I want to.
What is so ironic about this whole thing is the fact I like a guy I know at Job Corps, Mark. My friend Simon, who I consider a brother, thinks that it would be a good thing for me to get to know Mark. I don't know where things will go, or if I even want to go further than friendship but we'll see.

Integrity and Respect

integrity n
1.  possession of firm principles: the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards 
2.  completeness: the state of being complete or undivided (formal)
the territorial integrity of the nation
 3.  wholeness: the state of being sound or undamaged (formal)
public confidence in the integrity of the voting process

[15th century. Via French < Latin integritas < integer "whole"]
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.



re·spect n 
1.  esteem: a feeling or attitude of admiration and deference toward somebody or something
He has no respect for authority.
2.  state of being admired: the state of being admired deferentially 
3.  thoughtfulness: consideration or thoughtfulness 
4.  characteristic: an individual characteristic or point
satisfactory in every respect

respects, npl
 regards: polite greetings offered to somebody 
vt (past and past participle re·spect·ed, present participle re·spect·ing, 3rd person present singular re·spects)
1.  esteem somebody or something: to feel or show admiration and deference toward somebody or something 
2.  not go against or violate something: to pay due attention to and refrain from violating something
respect the law
respect another's privacy
 3.  be considerate toward somebody or something: to show consideration or thoughtfulness in relation to somebody or something 
[14th century. Via French < Latin respectus , past participle of respicere "regard, look back at" < specere "look at"]
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Derek Webb: What Matters More

Memoirs

A while back I started writing my testimony, and recently a friend suggested that I write my story for myself and others, so I started a couple of days ago. It's awesome writing some of the stuff down that I haven't shared with anyone. I hope that I will discover some stuff about myself and God.

Prayer and Healing

Yesterday, while my friend Nikki and I were on the bus, there was a man on the bus as well who was rambling about different conspiracies that you would probably hear from someone in the CIA or FBI. Nikki asked me to pray for the Holy Spirit to come to the bus. Both of us prayed quietly for the Holy Spirit to come to where we were and calm the atmosphere. We both also prayed that that particular man's mind, spirit, and body were calmed and healed, and given peace. In front of us, this man quieted and calmed down. God started working in front of us. Even before God started His work, I thanked Him for everything He has done, is doing, and will do. It was amazing and such a blessing to see God's work happen before my eyes.

The Deity of Jesus Christ

The Deity of Jesus Christ
A Biblical Study of Jesus' Divinity
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

 

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

“It is by the name of Jesus Christ.... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10, 12).

Our very salvation is inseparably linked to faith in Jesus Christ. So it becomes an issue of great importance to determine biblically precisely who Jesus Christ is. Is Jesus God, Deity in the flesh? Or was He just a man?
My intent in this study is not specifically to address the historic doctrine of the Holy Trinity (to which I do fully subscribe). Rather, my purpose is to focus on Jesus Christ and to demonstrate from the Bible His full divinity — that is, to prove the deity of Christ, that He is fully God, coequal and coeternal with the God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As the ancient creeds correctly state, Jesus is true God and true Man.

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John 5:17-18 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 10:30-33 “I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Philippians 2:5-6 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.

Jesus did not hesitate to claim equality with God the Father. The Greek word for equal in John 5:18 is isos, as in an isosceles, or equal-sided, triangle. Jesus was and is “in very nature God,” and therefore was not blaspheming by claiming to be God. The disbelieving Jews had correctly heard Jesus to be making this claim to full deity, even though they rejected His claim. Is Jesus God? The apostle Paul clearly identified Jesus as "being in very nature God".

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Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another...

Isaiah 48:11c I will not yield my glory to another.

John 17:5 [Jesus prayed] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

In Isaiah, God says that He will not give away His glory to another. Yet Jesus, in John 17, is expecting to receive again the divine glory He shared with the Father before the world began. If Jesus were not deity, this would be a contradiction.

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Micah 5:2, King James Version But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Vs. 2b, New American Standard Bible His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.

Jesus, whose earthly birth is prophesied here, is said to be “from of old, from everlasting,” or “from the days of eternity.” He is not a created being. Rather, He has existed from all eternity.

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Revelation 1:8, 17-18 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” ... [17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Revelation 22:12-13, 16 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.... [16] “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Note the glorious titles of “the Alpha and the Omega,” “the Beginning and the End,” “the First and the Last,” “the Almighty,” “the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come.” Read all these titles of Deity, and note that every one in the context can be applied specifically to Jesus. This book is the revelation of Jesus the Divine Son!

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Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

Isaiah gave us this glorious prophecy of Jesus’ virgin birth. Matthew amplifies the prophecy by identifying this promised Son as “Immanuel — which means ‘God with us.’ ” Jesus is “GOD with us”! “A son”, yes. But also “God”! This is a clear, straightforward affirmation of Jesus' divinity.

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Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus, the prophesied son, “will be called...Mighty God.”

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John 20:27-28 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

The apostle Thomas correctly addressed Jesus as “My Lord and my God.” Is Jesus God? That is precisely how the apostle Thomas described Him, with no contradiction offered by Jesus.

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Psalms 45:6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Hebrews 1:8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.

“Your throne, O God” — The Old Testament Hebrew word used here is Elohim, used for “God” well over a thousand times in the Bible. This exact scripture from the Psalm is quoted in Hebrews and is applied to Jesus the Son. Jesus is God! Not just “a god,” as some would have us believe. The New Testament Greek word for “God” that is specifically applied to Jesus in Hebrews 1:8 is Theos, used for “God” over 1,300 times in the New Testament. So is Jesus "God"? That's precisely what God the Father called Him!

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John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is called “the Word”, the Logos, of God. As the Logos, He is the manifestation or expression of God to us, “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being” (Hebrews 1:3). He “came from the Father.” As the Logos, Jesus “the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God.”

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Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Hebrews 1:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

In Exodus God commands that He alone be worshiped. Jesus reiterated the commandment to worship God only. Yet God the Father’s command in Hebrews 1:6 that His angels worship the Son indicates that the Son too is God. If Jesus were not Deity, this would be idolatry.

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1 Timothy 3:16, King James Version And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

“GOD was manifest in the flesh,” clearly in context referring to Jesus.

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Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Hebrews 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

Colossians 1:15-16 He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

John 1:1-3, 10 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.... [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

The Bible speaks of both God the Father and Jesus being Creator of all. Jesus is divine, the Co-Creator!

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John 5:22-23 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

Jesus is to be given equal honor with the Father.

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Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

In His Great Commission baptismal command, Jesus said to baptize in the name (not “names”) of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is a strong implication of coequality among Father, Son and Holy Spirit in this verse.

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Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Ezekiel 34:31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.

John 10:14 I [Jesus] am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

Hebrews 13:20 ...our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep...

Often in the Old Testament God is referred to as the Shepherd of His flock, His people. Jesus said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd.”

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Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

“...God...His own blood”! The blood of Jesus Christ, shed for our redemption, is called God’s own blood. The blood of Deity, nothing less!

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Isaiah 8:13-14a The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he [the Lord Almighty] will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.

1 Peter 2:4, 7-8a As you come to him [Jesus], the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — ...[7] Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

It is evident that the “stone that causes men to stumble and [the] rock that makes them fall” of Isaiah and Peter are one and the same. The wording in the Old and New Testaments is identical. Peter knows Him as Jesus Christ; Isaiah calls Him “The Lord Almighty”! The name “the Lord Almighty” is used in the Bible, then, to identify both Jesus the Son and God the Father.

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Exodus 3:13-14 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

John 8:58-59 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

God identified Himself to Moses by the name “I AM”. Jesus identified Himself to the Jews as that very same “I AM”. The Jews knew exactly what He was claiming and sought to stone Him for such apparent blasphemy — that is, His (true!) claim to be the “I AM” who spoke to Moses.

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Isaiah 11:1-2 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.

Jesus Christ is the Lord’s Branch from the line of David. Jeremiah prophesied that the name of this Branch would be “The Lord our Righteousness” — in Hebrew, JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The divine name JEHOVAH (some translate it Yahweh) is applied to Jesus Christ.

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Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.

Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” — “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Isaiah speaks of a messenger preparing the way for “our God”. Mark shows that Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of John the Baptist’s preparing for the coming of JESUS! Truly He is “our God”. It is small wonder that Thomas, beholding the resurrected Son, could cry, “My Lord and my God!”

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Hebrews 3:3-4 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

In verse 3 Jesus is the builder. In verse 4 God is the builder of all.

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Isaiah 48:12-13, 17 “Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.... [17] This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God....”

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Jesus, the resurrected, ever-living Son of God, calls Himself “the First and the Last”, a divine title ascribed to “the Lord your God” in Isaiah.

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Titus 1:3-4 And at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior. To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Note: “God our Savior” (vs. 3) and “Christ Jesus our Savior” (vs. 4). Jesus Christ is God; Jesus Christ is the Savior.

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A disclaimer seems to be in order here. I am not saying that Jesus Christ IS the Father (He is not). I am asserting that Jesus is God AND that the Father is God. To pursue that line of thought any farther necessitates a study of the doctrine of the Trinity — a classic and valid truth of orthodox Christianity, but not the subject of this study. In this undertaking my mission is to affirm biblically the full deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Again, I am not saying that Jesus is the Father (He is not), but that Jesus is fully God (“true man and true God,” as the early Christians declared) and thereby coequal and coeternal with God the Father.

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Mark 2:5, 7 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ... [7] “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus possessed personally the authority to forgive sins, an authority that belongs uniquely to God.

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Isaiah 43:12b, 14-15 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.... [14] This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”

Hosea 11:9b For I am God, and not man — the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.

Mark 1:24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”

Acts 3:14-15 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

“The Holy One”, a title applied often to Jehovah (or Yahweh) God, is specifically applied in the New Testament to Jesus Christ.

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Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome...

1 Timothy 6:15 ...which God will bring about in his own time — God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 17:14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Jesus is called “Lord of lords” and “King of kings” — titles ascribed elsewhere in Scripture to God.

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Isaiah 45:22-23 Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.

Philippians 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In the act of bowing the knee to and confessing Jesus, we are worshiping God, for He has said, “Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”

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Deuteronomy 32:3-4 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

1 Corinthians 10:1, 4 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea ... [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

“Our God...the Rock”, of whom Moses wrote, is said by the apostle Paul to be Jesus. A related truth clearly reinforced by Paul’s statement is the preexistence of Christ prior to His earthly incarnation.

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John 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

Jesus the Son possesses the same life-giving power that God the Father has. The power to bring life from death is uniquely a prerogative of divinity.

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Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls

Acts 4:10-12 Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.... [12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Joel exhorts us to call upon the divine name — the Lord (Hebrew = Jehovah, or Yahweh) — for salvation. Peter quotes this exact verse (Acts 2:21) and tells us (Acts 4:12) that salvation is found in the name of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul similarly urges that “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11).

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Luke 8:38-39 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”

Jesus identified His ministry to the formerly demon-possessed man as “what God [had] done for [him]”.

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Hebrews 7:1, 3 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him.... [3] Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.

Melchizedek, who appeared to Abraham in Genesis 14, is a “Christophany,” an appearance of a being representing Christ. The writer to the Hebrews in chapter seven makes this same association. And of this remarkable being who is “like the Son of God,” the author declares that He is “without beginning of days or end of life.” This is another powerful declaration of the eternal preexistence of Jesus Christ — a trait only applicable to a fully Divine Being. None short of Deity can claim eternal existence both past and future.

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1 John 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true — even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

“...Jesus Christ. He is the true God.” As unmistakable a declaration of Jesus’ divinity as one could desire!

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Titus 2:13 ...while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul recognized Jesus as “our great God and Savior”! This is a forthright assertion of Christ's deity.

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2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

The apostle Peter, too, an earthly companion and disciple of the Son of God, fully understood the identity of “our God and Savior Jesus Christ”.

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Romans 9:5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

“Christ, who IS GOD over all”!

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My sincere prayer is that the readers of this study will find great encouragement in your faith in the Son of God, as well as a fuller understanding of and appreciation for the identity of Jesus our Savior as Deity, coequal and coeternal with God the Father.
May your faith in Him sustain and bless you “...while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).