Today you will find many spiritually gullible and naïve people. We are shocked when we hear reports of religious groups creating pacts toward mass suicide. Someone has called them “Killer Cults.”
Reverend Jim Jones & the People's Temple (900+died)
Jim Jones, the son of a Klansman, considered himself the reincarnation of both Jesus and Lenin.
On November 18, 1978, Jim Jones ordered his followers to drink from a tub of grape-flavored Fla-Vor-Aid laced with potassium cyanide and tranquilizers. 900+ died. Children died first; babies were killed by poison squirted into their mouths with a syringe. Then the adults. Most were poisoned, some forcibly. Some were shot by security guards. As the ritual suicide progressed, it is unclear whether Jim put a bullet through his brain, or someone did it for him.
David Koresh & ATF (90 died)
He was born Vernon Wayne Howell in Houston, Texas, to a 15-year-old single mother. Koresh allegedly believed himself to be a modern-day Cyrus the Great, who had permitted the Jews to return to Judea upon liberating them from Babylonian rule.
Moving from one church to another he attracted a followership and began to give the message of his own "Christhood," proclaiming that he was "the Son of God, the Lamb who could open the Seven Seals."
On February 28, 1993, the ATF tried to enter the Branch Davidian compound where hundreds of Koresh’s followers, wives and concubines lived in the outskirts of Waco, Texas. The raid resulted in the deaths of four agents and six Davidians. The ATF raid resulted in a standoff that lasted for fifty-one days.
The 51-day siege of the Mount Carmel compound ended on April 19, 1993 when U.S Attorney General Janet Reno approved recommendations of veteran FBI officials to proceed with a final assault in which the Branch Davidians were to be removed from their building by force. In the course of the assault, the church building caught fire. Reports claim FBI sharpshooters killed members of the Branch Davidian cult that attempted to flee the flames. Other reports made the claim that David Koresh had his followers shot.
Heaven's Gate (40 died)
Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Heaven's Gate members believed that the planet Earth was about to be recycled (wiped clean, refurbished and rejuvenated), and that the only chance to survive was to leave it immediately. The group believed in several paths for a person to leave the Earth and survive before the "recycling", one of which was hating this world and their bodies strongly enough.
Applewhite came to believe that he and his nurse, Bonnie Nettles, were "the Two", that is, the two witnesses spoken of in Book of Revelation 11:3 in the Holy Bible. After a brief and unsuccessful attempt to run an inspirational bookstore, they began traveling around the country giving talks about their belief system. As with other New Age faiths they combined Christian doctrine (particularly the ideas of salvation and apocalypse) with the concept of evolutionary advancement and travel to other worlds and dimensions.
On March 26, 1997, 39 members of "Heaven's Gate" decided to hate their bodies enough to "shed their containers" and get on a spacecraft hiding in the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet. The resulting mass suicide of 21 women and 18 men, ages 26 to 72, all sporting buzzcuts, dressed alike in trendy black pants, oversized shirts, and brand new black Nikes, was unlike any other mass suicide.
I must admit that the religious groups that we have just cited may be considered by some as the extreme—only because they resulted in mass suicides and killings of men, women and children. But according to the writer of the New Testament book we are studying, there are other groups that are even more dangerous; not because they result in the taking of lives but in the destroying of souls—effectively sealing a person’s spiritual state for eternity.
In chapter five of our LIFE Group study booklet, John MacArthur let us know that in chapter four of 1st John, the author focuses once more on the doctrinal test and emphasizes the need to obey sound teaching. Ever since the temptation of Eve, Satan has sought to distort and deny God’s Word. He is the ultimate demonic source behind all false teachers and false doctrine.
In Genesis chapter three Satan attempts to get Eve to doubt God’s Word: Satan said to Eve, "Hath God said?" (Gen. 3:1), planting doubt in her mind. (3:1)
After this Satan leads Eve into a distortion of God’s Word: Eve replied that God had said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it" (Gen. 3:3). But God didn't say anything about not touching the tree.
In verse 4 Satan outright denies the Word of God: Satan told Eve, "Ye shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:4), a direct contradiction of what God said previously (Gen. 2:17).
And then today, Satan busily deceives people when it comes to God’s truth. His demons wage a persistent and endless counter-campaign to keep men ignorant of divinely revealed truth and salvation.
So John starts out in chapter four warning his readers not to believe every spirit but to test them:
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
The word “test” is a technical term that means to “test or try; examine or interpret.” It is used by those whose job it is to determine the purity and value of metals. Thus Christians are to test any and all teaching with the objective of approving or disapproving it.
How is this to be done? By comparing the teaching with Scripture. In other words, believers are to be discerning—believers are to examine what they are being taught and it doesn’t matter who is teaching it.
You need to examine the teaching of your pastor, the TV evangelist and the guest speaker at your church.
If what they are teaching lines up with the revealed Word of God then it is to be wholeheartedly embraced. If it does not, it is to be judged false and rejected.
Notice that in verse one John does not say “test the teaching;” he says, “test the spirits.” John has just told his audience that in 3:24 that the Holy Spirit abides in those who keep God’s commandments.
But in chapter four he lets his readers know that there are other spirits that influence, even possess those who are called prophets—in other words, there are demonic forces that are the motivation behind the false teaching that false prophets spew.
This is why you and I cannot passively receive all that enters our ear gates under the label of “teaching.” We must test it; we must examine it.
1 Th 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
1 Th 5:22 abstain from every form of evil.
We must be like the Berean Christians who were commended in Acts chapter 17 for examining the teaching of Paul and Silas:
Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.
John says at the end of 4:1, “There are many false prophets that have gone out into the world.”
At the time of John penning of this letter there were many false prophets that had begun to make inroads into the church. One such example was in the church that was located in the city of Ephesus.
In Acts chapter 20, Paul was on his way to Jerusalem—he was trying to get there in time for Pentecost so rather than stopping in Ephesus and being delayed, he stopped in Miletus and called for the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him there.
There was a chance that Paul wouldn’t see these men again as there was a contract out on him in Jerusalem for preaching the Gospel. Listen to what Paul says to these church leaders in verse 28:
Acts 20:18 And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,
Acts 20:19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;
Acts 20:20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
Acts 20:21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:22 "And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
Acts 20:23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.
Acts 20:24 "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:25 "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more.
Acts 20:26 "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
Acts 20:27 "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
Acts 20:28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Acts 20:29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
Acts 20:30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Acts 20:31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
Paul was warning the pastors of the church at Ephesus that false teachers (he called them “savage wolves) would come in and not spare the flock—in other words, they would come in and destroy the church.
Not only would false teachers come from outside the church and infiltrate into the church, men already belonging to the fellowship of believers would rise up from within and speak perverse things. The NIV says they would “distort the truth” in order to draw the disciples away after them.
Sadly, this is exactly what would happen in the church at Ephesus. Within five to seven years Paul would have to write to Timothy instructing him to deal with the false teachers that had crept in the church:
1 Tim 1:3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
1 Tim 1:4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
1 Tim 1:5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
1 Tim 1:6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
1 Tim 1:7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
Back in 1 John 4, we learn that there are demonic spirits that influence, even possess those who are called prophets—there are demonic forces that are behind the false teaching that false prophets deliver.
How does one tell the difference between a true prophet and a false-prophet? By the way, the New Testament prophet is not a foreteller.
He doesn’t predict the future; he preaches the Word.
He doesn’t offer new revelation; he teaches what has already been stored up in the Scripture.
He doesn’t teach anything new; He teaches the old, old, story of Jesus and His love.
The New Testament prophet is not a foreteller; He is a forth-teller. He brings forth the revealed Word of God. He preaches what has already been written in Scripture.
But John says, “There are many false prophets that have gone out into the world.” There are self-appointed prophets who will tell you that they know the future.
There are those that will tell you that they “have a word from the Lord just for you”—like the Gnostics John was refuting. These men and women will tell you that they have a special hotline with God Himself that no one else has.
The Apostle Peter writes about these kinds of men and women:
2 Pet 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Pet 2:2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
2 Pet 2:3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2 Pet 2:18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,
2 Pet 2:19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
If there are these kinds of people out in the world, how is one to tell the difference between a God-called prophet and a false-prophet? In 1 John 4:2-3, John gives us one way to test their teaching:
One of the safest ways to test the teachings of a church or religious group is to find out what they believe about Jesus Christ.
Too many people make decisions about the legitimacy of a religious organization on the basis of their morality—“Are they nice people?” “Do they have decent family values?” “Are they against the war in Iraq or any kind of war?” Are they against homosexuality and abortion?
This kind of assessment is fine but does not address the core values of the organization.
Many people make decisions about the legitimacy of a religious organization on the basis of their ministry—“Do they do perform a service in the community?” “Do they have a nice choir?” “Will I be accepted there?”
John tells us that if you want to know whether a church, ministry or religion is legit, find out what it believes about Jesus Christ:
1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
John is telling us that if the preacher or teacher does not confess—if he or she does not agree with God when He says in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh than the spirit that energizes that preacher’s teaching is of the antichrist—and not from God.
There are religious groups all across the Baltimore area that do good deeds. There are churches, mosques and synagogues across the state that stress allegiance to a moral code –even the moral code of the Bible called the Ten Commandments—worship God first, don’t worship idols, don’t use the God’s name in vain, remember the Sabbath, honor your parents, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t bear false witness, don’t covet.
They have teachings on morality but when it comes to Jesus they separate from the teaching that was passed down to the church by God’s holy apostles—the teaching that declares that Jesus is God. For example…
Islam – Followers of Islam teach that Jesus was a prophet, he performed miracles and was born of a virgin. They teach that he is the Messiah, the Word of God, and will come again at the end of the world, to wreak judgment and to rule in peace. But they also teach that Jesus is not the Son of God (because God cannot have a son), and according to some Muslim teaching he was not crucified, because God would not let that happen to his prophet.
The Nation of Islam - Christ was only a mortal man and a prophet, not God. He did not rise from the grave.
Hinduism – Hindus recognize Jesus as a holy man, as they do the leaders of other religions. He may even be an incarnation of a Hindu deity in human form but to the Hindu he is not the one and only incarnation of God.
Buddhism – Buddhist thinkers generally respect Jesus as a holy teacher, but consider his teachings to be significantly at odds with Buddhism at some points.
Judaism – Jesus has no great place of honor in the Jewish faith. He is traditionally seen as a heretic who broke away from the Jewish faith and law. Jews have been persecuted for some 2,000 years by those who have called themselves Christians because these people blame the Jews for killing the Son of God.
But there are Jewish teachers today who are generous enough to look past the centuries of abuse in Jesus’ name, and to give great respect to his ethical teachings.
Mormons – Mormons view Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God. God put forth His plan of salvation for the world, and Satan proposed his own plan. Jesus accepted the Father's plan and offered to implement it as the Savior. Mormons believe the Father chose Jesus, and the spirit of Jesus was given a body through the Virgin Mary. He was crucified on a Roman cross, and rose from the dead three days later to establish His deity. The character and life of Jesus can be attained by anyone who seeks to conduct themselves at a high level of righteousness.
These religions use many of the same terms that orthodox Christianity does but define them differently. Someone has said, “They use the same vocabulary but have a different dictionary.”
The main thing that you and I need to be concerned with is what they believe concerning Jesus.
1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
You ask the Jehovah’s Witness, “Is Jesus the Son of God?” and they will answer, “Yes!” Ask them, “Is Jesus God the Son? Is He the Jehovah God of the Old Testament?” and they will tell you “No!”
They do not believe that Jesus is God the Son come in the flesh. They do not believe that Jesus is Lord.
The most fundamental and basic confession of the Christian faith is a three-word statement, Jesus is Lord
In one of his sermons Dr. John MacArthur recounted how he was in dialogue with the leaders of the Mormon Church who flew down to his church from Brigham Young University. The Mormons were talking about how they loved Christ and they honored Christ and Christ was their Savior and they appreciate the books MacArthur wrote that exalted Christ and so forth and so on.
And as they talked about that for hours and they wanted him to come and speak at BYU and address the faculty and address the students because there's a common love for Christ. And they wanted him to know that they were Christians just like he was and so forth and so on.
And they got through all of that and at the end John MacArthur said, "Who is Jesus Christ?" To which they replied, "Jesus is a created being, is a spirit brother of Lucifer and Adam."
Groups like the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses falsely teach that Jesus is a god but not the Almighty God because they have been deceived by demonic spirits. This is why Paul writes in 1 Timothy chapter four:
1 Tim 4:1 - But the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…
Does the Bible teach that Jesus is God? Is He the LORD (Jehovah)? Before we answer that question, let's look at verse four of our text in 1st John 4. This is where we find one of those verses that a lot of people quote. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
You are from God little children – John is reminding his readers that they belong to God—they are God’s born ones, His offspring.
and have overcome them – the word “overcome” is the Greek word nikao, nik-ah'-o which comes from the Greek word nike, nee'-kay. nikao means to conquer, to overcome, to prevail, to get the victory.
and have overcome them – John is referring to the demons who enable the false teacher
Believers have overcome, prevailed and are victorious over the demons and their doctrines and their pawns, the false teachers.
greater is He – The “He” is the Holy Spirit - who is in you – The Holy Spirit indwells the believer
than he who is in the world – The “he” John is referring to here is Satan—he is the one who goes to and fro throughout the world seeking whom he can devour. (1 Pet 5:8)
The Holy Spirit who indwells the believer is greater than Satan and his demons that are in the world.
If you are a child of God, you have God’s Spirit living in you giving you everything you need to discern and overcome the false doctrines that are in the world.
1 John 4:2 says, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God…” The great Puritan, theologian and pastor Jonathan Edwards who lived in the 1700’s lets us know how to tell when a ministry is of the Spirit of God:
When a ministry raises people’s esteem of the one true Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin and was crucified — if it confirms and establishes their minds in the truth that He is the Son of God and the Savior of men — then it is a sure sign that it is from the Spirit of God.
If the spirit at work among a people convinces them of Christ and leads them to Him; if it confirms their minds in the belief of the history of Christ as He appeared in the flesh; if it teaches them that He is the Son of God to save sinners; if it reveals that He is the only Savior, and that they stand in great need of Him; and if it begets in them higher and more honorable thoughts of Christ than they used to have; if it inclines their affections more to Him — that is a sure sign that it is the true and right Spirit.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is God. He is the LORD (Jehovah). As we close, let me briefly share with you a systematic, twelve-point, Biblical defense of the Deity of Jesus Christ.
First: Numerous verses in the Bible explicitly call Jesus God or ascribe Deity to Him:
Isa 7:14; 9:6; Jer 23:5; Matt 1:22f; John l:l; 5:18; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 8:9; 9:5; Phil 2:6f; Col 2:9; 1Tim 3:16; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2Peter 1:1.
Second: Jesus acted as possessing the attributes of Deity.
He forgave sin which only God can do (Mark 2:5-12; Luke 7:47-50).
He placed His own words on par with the words of God (Matt 5:27f; 31f).
He spoke as being omniscient (Matt 17:27; Mark 2:8; Luke 9:46f; 11:17; John 1:48; 4:16-18).
He foretold the future (Matt 16:21; 24:25; 26:21-25; 31-25; John 21:18f).
Jesus controlled the weather which is the prerogative of God (Mark 4:39-41, compare Job 38:25-38).
He even promised direction and comfort to His followers based on His omnipresence (Matt 18:20; 28:20 cp. Heb 13:5 see also John 1:48; 3:13).
Third: Attributes of God are ascribed to Jesus by others: Jesus is declared to be:
Omniscient (John 2:23-25; 16:30; 21:17)
Omnipresent (Eph 1:23; 4:10)
Omnipotent (Phil 3:21).
Eternally pre-existent (Isa 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1; Col 1:17)
Immutable (not able to change--Heb 1:8-12; 13:8).
Fourth: Acts of God are attributed to Jesus:
Jesus is said to be the Agent of creation (John 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2); yet, the LORD declares that He creates by Himself (see Isa 44:24). The LORD God breathed the breath of life into humans (Gen 2:7). But Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Prince (or Originator) of life (Acts 3:14 see also John 1:4). Jesus is also the sustainer of the universe (Col 1:17; Heb 1:3).
In the Old Testament, the LORD is the only One who can save people from their sins (Isa 43:25; 44:21; 63:16). As the New Testament opens, an angel declares to Joseph, ". . . you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matt 1:21 see also Eph 1:7).
Furthermore, Peter quotes the prophet Joel as saying, ". . . whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). Later, Peter claims that only the name of Jesus can save (Acts 4:12).
Fifth: Jesus is treated like He is God:
He is worshipped by humans and angels (Matt 14:33; 28:9; John 9:38; Heb 1:6; Rev 5:8-14; cf. Acts 12:20-23; Rev 19:10).
He receives the kind of "service" that is only allowed to God (Rev 22:3f Greek--latreuo; cf. Matt 4:10).
People even pray to Jesus (Acts 7:59f; 2Cor 12:8; 1John 5:13-15).
Sixth: The Old Testament theophanies (appearances of God) are actually pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. This fact can be established because Jesus tells us, "No one has seen the Father . . ." (John 6:46).
A comparison of John 12:41 with Isa 6:1-5 will confirm it was the Son, not the Father, who appeared to Isaiah. Yet, Isaiah specifically exclaims, ". . . my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (Isa 6:5 see also Gen 18; Exod 33:11, 20, etc.).
Seventh: The Angel of the LORD is an interesting Person in the Old Testament. Sometimes the Angel of the LORD and the LORD are presented as being two distinct Persons (2Sam 24:16f; 1Chron 21:15f, 27). More often, though, the names seem to belong to the same Person (Exod 3:2,4; 13:21; 14:19; Judges 6:12-15; 13:21f) letting us know that the Angel of the Lord is the preincarnate Christ, this is God the Son before His incarnation, often designated the Angel of the Lord.
Eighth: A similar situation is seen in the book of the Revelation in the relationship of God and the Lamb—we see equality. God sits on the throne; but, the Lamb "is in the midst of the throne" (Rev 7:10, 17). Later, the throne is said to belong to BOTH God and the Lamb (Rev 22:1, 3).
Further, there is no temple in the New Jerusalem ". . . for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Rev 21:22 cp. 1Kings 8:10-13). In addition, the glory of God and of the Lamb illumines the city (Rev 21:23 see Isa 60:19f).
Ninth: Titles of Deity are held by both God and Jesus; yet, these titles are such that only One can possess them.
"The Alpha and the Omega; the First and the Last" (Isa 44:5; Rev 1:8, 11, 17f; 2:8; 21:66; 22:12-17).
"The King of kings and the Lord of lords" (1Tim 6:16; Rev 17:14; 19:16).
In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Jesus is said to be the "Rock" who sustained the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings. However, according to Deuteronomy chapter 32, Israel at the time believed the LORD their God was their "Rock" (Deut 32:3f; 8:2-5).
In the Pastoral epistles, Paul calls both God and Jesus "our Savior" (1Tim 1:1; 2:3; 2Tim 1:10; Titus 1:3f; 2:10, 13f; 3:4, 6). But the LORD says in the Old Testament, ". . . there is no Savior besides Me" (Hos 13:4 see also Isa 43:11).
Tenth: Passages in the Old Testament that refer to the LORD are quoted or alluded to in the New Testament in reference to Jesus. Compare the following sets of verses:
In Psalm 102:25, the bible says of God, "Of old Thou didst found the earth; And the heavens are the work of Thy hands.” In the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter one, verse ten, the Bible says speaking of Jesus, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands…”
In Isaiah 43:10, the LORD declares to His people, “You are My witnesses.” In Acts 1:8 Jesus says to His people, “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Deut 10:14; Acts 10:36
Ps 34:8; 1Peter 2:3
Isa 26:19; 60:1; Eph 5:14
Isa 45:23; Phil 2:10
Jer 9:24; 2Cor 10:17; Phil 3:3
Jer 17:10; Rev 2:23
Joel 2:32; Rom 10:13
Zech 11:12f; Matt 26:14f
Zech 12:10; John 19:37
Mal 3:1; Mark 1:2.
Eleventh: In Genesis 1:26 we find the use of plural, first person pronouns--"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness". From the earliest times, the Church has interpreted this phrase as the Father speaking to the Son (see The Epistle of Barnabas 5:5, written about 100 AD; see also Gen 11:7).
In the Bible we find movement from the singular to the plural when God says --"Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" (Isa 6:8).
Twelfth: And finally, three verses in the Old Testament indicate there are two Persons with the name "the LORD" (Gen 19:24; Zech 2:10f; 3:1) and one passage hints there are two Persons called "God." Psalm 45:7 and Heb 1:8 says, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows.”
Given this wealth of information, the only logical conclusion is, Jesus is God! He is the LORD. The Biblical writers portray Him as One who possesses essential Deity.
In John 8:24, Jesus proclaimed, "… if you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins" (compare Exodus 3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 43:10).
The vital question Jesus poses to every person is "But who do YOU say that I am?" (Matt 16:15, emphasis added).
Jesus is concerned about what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about Him
He is not concerned about what the Mormons or the followers of Islam believe about Him.
He is not concerned about what the public opinion is of Him.
The question Jesus asks each and every person is, "But who do YOU say that I am?"
C. S. Lewis, who was a professor at Cambridge University and once an agnostic, writes: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.'” Lewis goes on to say, “That is the one thing we must not say.”
Lewis says, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse.”
Then Lewis adds:
"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
