IS JESUS CHRIST GOD
Today, we will go on to see more scriptures employed to teach the dogma of Jesus being God. As said before, these verses are either wrongly quoted or wrongly explained.
Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Here (in the KJV and some other versions), we read that God purchased the church with his own blood. Those who teach that Jesus is God sometimes use this verse to back up their claim that Jesus is God who came as flesh. However, some of them are honest enough to know and admit that the above scripture is only misunderstood, and doesn’t support that claim.
God doesn’t have blood (or flesh). As a Spirit, he doesn’t need these. Flesh and blood belongs to humanity or the living creatures created by God. Flesh or blood can not be used to describe God, a Spirit (Jn. 4:24).
Matthew 16:17
And Jesus answering, said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! For flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in the heavens.
So, from the above scripture, Jesus makes it clear that his father isn’t flesh and blood.
Acts 20:28 is only a clear case of wrong rendering in translation. Instead of “with his own blood,” it rightly reads – “with the blood of his own (referring to his own son, Jesus).” It’s only a case of wrong translation into english (although some versions render this verse correctly).
Evidence from early manuscripts supports the reading ‘tou haimatios tou idiou,’ meaning literally, “the blood of His own (Son),” and not ‘idiou haimatios,’ “his own blood.”
So, Acts 20:28 expresses the truth that God purchased us with the blood of his own (Jesus Christ is God’s own; his dear Son), not that God did it by his personal blood (as we saw earlier, God is a Spirit and as such has no blood to bleed).
Although the KJV renders Acts 20:28 wrongly, let’s see some versions with the right rendition.
Acts 20:28
NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION (NET).
Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.
LEXHAM ENGLISH BIBLE (LEB).
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he obtained through the blood of his own Son.
NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION (NRSV).
Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.
Even some versions that read “with his own blood” still attach footnotes/translator’s notes to explain further. The Berean Study Bible (BSB) and the New International Version (NIV) are some examples.
The NIV’s translator’s note reads – “Or with the blood of his own Son.” The BSB’s translator’s note reads exactly the same.
Acts 20:28 talks about the saving power of the blood of Jesus, who is the Messiah and God’s Son. It doesn’t by any means suggest that there exists such a thing as ‘God’s blood.’
For today, we end at this juncture. We deeply appreciate your patience in following this series.
Light shines.
© SonsHub Media | Written By Fredrick Agaga
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Agaga Fredrick Abangji is a writer, reporter, content writer, believer in Jesus Christ, and a creator of religious literature. A student of Bingham university – Nasarawa state, studying mass communication.
