Hebrews 1:8 says: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
Paul is quoting from Psalm 45:6 in the Septuagint. The translation of this verse from The Jewish Publication Society of theOld Testament reads:
“Thy throne given of God is for ever and ever; a sceptre of equity is the scepter of thy kingdom.”
This is entirely in keeping with a strict translation of the Greek. If this is correct, then there is no apparent conflict, but if the translation is correct as given in the King James Bible as well as in several other translations, how should we view this verse?
According to the King James Bible, it should be noted that the Father, the Supreme Sovereign of the universe, gave this title to Jesus, so obviously Jesus is not the Supreme Being.
Jesus was declared to be God by the Father because of who he, Jesus, is. Jesus is divine by the very nature of being theSon of God. In comparison to the angels, Jesus hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they because he is God’s own Son.
The Father exalted the Son to the same plateau as himself, thus making his Son worthy of worship. “And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him (Hebrews 1:6).”
Here we see that even the angels of God were instructed to worship the Son even as the Father is worshipped.
It is the Father who is ultimately responsible for all things, and he has given to Jesus the authority and position Jesus now holds.
Paul understood this well, for he wrote: For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:27, 28).
These verses clearly show that God the Father has put all things under Jesus’ feet, and that he, God, is not under Christ. When all things shall be given back to the Father, then shall Jesus be subject to the Father that God may be all in all.
Thus, when Jesus is given the title of “God,” it is in reference to his divine nature and in reference to his relationship to us, his children. However, he, is not the Father himself.
Ephesians 1:17 agrees with this for there the Father is called “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” While the Father is called the God of Christ, Jesus is never called the God of the Father.
So “the word was God” since Christ was “in the form of God” and was therefore fully God in respect to his attributes which he possessed by birth. That is WHAT he was, not WHO he was. The word was made flesh or in the form of man. Obviously that’s not referring to his identity.
Hebrews 1 refers to the pre-incarnate nature of Christ “Lower than angels”. It’s referring to WHAT he was, not WHO he was. Kind of like John speaking of the people whom the word was given to, Jesus said about his father that “he called them gods”(John 10:34). This isn’t referring to WHO we are. It’s referring to the divine nature that is given us as sons of the almighty one, the father.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Joh 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Joh 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
Joh 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou,being a man, makest thyself God.
Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Why was Christ considered a blasphemer? And how was he making himself God?
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
So I can truly say “Jesus was fully God” in respect to his divine nature which he was infinitely given, however he is not God in personality. There is one God in personality and that is his father, and my father, his God and my God. He is the son of God.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
This is his identity. This is WHO he is. And by divine right he is “God”. That’s WHAT he is.
He is “truly God in infinity, but not in personality.” (Ellen White UL 367 )
Jesus Christ not the Lord God almighty
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