Alaska Bird Observatory

Birds and birding in Alaska. Research projects and reports, training opportunities, events, FAQ, bird quiz, programs, newsletters, merchandise, and birding around Fairbanks.

Alaska Bird Observatory

Birds and birding in Alaska. Research projects and reports, training opportunities, events, FAQ, bird quiz, programs, newsletters, merchandise, and birding around Fairbanks.

Alaska Bird Observatory

Birds and birding in Alaska. Research projects and reports, training opportunities, events, FAQ, bird quiz, programs, newsletters, merchandise, and birding around Fairbanks.

Alaska Bird Observatory

Birds and birding in Alaska. Research projects and reports, training opportunities, events, FAQ, bird quiz, programs, newsletters, merchandise, and birding around Fairbanks.

Alaska Conservation Foundation

Community foundation for the environment that receives and awards grants to protect the integrity of Alaska's ecosystems and promote sustainable livelihoods for Alaska communities and people.

Alaska Conservation Foundation

Community foundation for the environment that receives and awards grants to protect the integrity of Alaska's ecosystems and promote sustainable livelihoods for Alaska communities and people.

Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility

An organization dedicated to holding industry and government accountable to the laws designed to protect Alaska's environment.

Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility

Organization dedicated to holding industry and government accountable for environmental compliance. Issues include the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and advice for prospective whistleblowers.

Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility

An organization dedicated to holding industry and government accountable to the laws designed to protect Alaska's environment.

Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility

Organization dedicated to holding industry and government accountable for environmental compliance. Issues include the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and advice for prospective whistleblowers.

Rufus wrote:
> "Other translators" - that's a laugh. We know of whom you speak and such a
> reference holds zero credibility with Christians.

Why? Translating it 'the Word was God' does not hold "zero"
credibility with the Christian Congragation of Jehovah's Witnesses. It
actually can be translated either way. There is no scholar that
Christians dismiss as having "zero" credibility; that is a paranoid,
bigoted approach that does not come from Christian reasonableness. The
English word "god" does not define elohim/theos, it is the other way
around.

> Wiggle out of this one: If you insist that the presence or absence of a
> preposition, in this case when applied to the Godhood of Christ, is
> significant, consider that Thomas, in the very same book, calls Christ "ho
> theos."

Jn 1:1 is a unique verse, for nowhere else does 'theos' appear twice in
the same sentence, once with, and once without, the definite article.

And the Word was WITH the God. If I'm with you, am I you?

>
> John 20:28 - Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" - "ho kurios mou kai
> ho theos mou."
>
> There it is, Christ is called "ho theos." You will of course, attempt to
> claim that Thomas was just exclaiming to God the Father. Unfortunately,
> that would nullify the statement that he said it * TO* Christ. It would
> also make Thomas a blasphemer because he would have been taking the name of
> the Lord in vain. It would have been the ancient equivalent of someone
> today seeing something really interesting and going "Jesus Christ, that's
> amazing!".

Exclamations of praise do not constitute blasphemy. Especially since
Thomas WAS actually seeing the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, the only
Mediator between God and men. Something most definitely more than just
"really interesting", yes?

>
> So, which is it - is Christ "*The* God" or is Thomas a blasphemer?

Based on how elohim/theos is used in the rest of the Bible, as well as
the rest of John, the answer is: "none of the above."

Since Thomas had repeatedly seen Jesus pray (proseuchomai)to the same
God Thomas did (Jehovah, there could be no other), even calling Him
'the *only* true God' it is quite *unlikely* Thomas was actually
addressing Jesus as Almighty God.

In fact, if mere men like King David could be addressed as 'ho theos'
in the LXX(1 Sam. 20:12), the Scriptures used by first-century
Christians, then it would be rather odd if the Risen Son of God would
not be addressed as such, since Christ is the *perfect* image of his
Father, Jehovah!

If you were trying to teach someone that two (or more) persons were
equal, what family relationship would you use to illustrate?

Peace to y