Jesus, The Almighty God (The Eternal Word)
Overview​
In the Old Testament, God alone is described as existing before anything was created and it is through God alone that all created things were brought into existence and given life (Genesis 1:1, Job 9:8, Psalm 19:1-6, Isaiah 44:24, 48:12-13 & Nehemiah 9:5-6). Further to this, God is said to have created all things through the power of His Word (Genesis 1:2-31 & Psalm 33:6-9).
However, in the prologue to the Gospel of John, John states that both God the Father and Jesus Christ co-existed before anything was created, and that it is through Jesus Christ specifically that all created things were brought into existence and given life (John 1:1-4 & 1:9-10). More precisely, John refers to Jesus as God’s Eternal and Uncreated Word through which all things were made. Since all created things were created by Jesus, this necessarily means that Jesus is separate from creation and is uncreated and eternal. As the Uncreated Creator who has eternally existed, Jesus is therefore the Almighty God (in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit). This is confirmed later in the Gospel of John when Jesus expressed his longing to return to the Father and regain the former glory that he possessed with the Father before the beginning of the world and before creation. (John 17:5).
Bible Passages
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Genesis 1:1-31
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(1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
(3) And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (4) God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day.
(6) And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” (7) So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. (8) God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning - the second day.
(9) And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. (10) God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. (11) Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. (12) The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (13) And there was evening, and there was morning - the third day.
(14) And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, (15) and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. (16) God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. (17) God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, (18) to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. (19) And there was evening, and there was morning - the fourth day.
(20) And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” (21) So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (22) God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” (23) And there was evening, and there was morning - the fifth day.
(24) And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. (25) God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (26) Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (27) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (28) God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (29) Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. (30) And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. (31) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day.
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Job 9:8
(8) He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
Psalm 19:1-6
(1) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (2) Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. (3) They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. (4) Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. (5) It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. (6) It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
Psalm 33:6-9
(6) By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. (7) He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. (8) Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. (9) For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
Isaiah 44:24
(24) This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself.
Isaiah 48:12-13
(12) Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. (13) 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.
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Nehemiah 9:5-6
(5) And the Levites - Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah - said:
“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. (6) You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."
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John 1:1-4 & 1:9-10
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(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (4) In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
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(9) The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (10) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.
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John 17:5
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(5) And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
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