Does John 5-23 prove Jesus is God
John 5-23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Many trinitarians point to this verse as a biblical proof that Jesus is God. Jesus is to be honoured even as the father is honoured. If Jesus is to be honoured as the father is honoured then this must make Jesus God.
The Bible does not say that only God is to be honored. In fact it explicitly states otherwise. Such as we are to honor our Mother and Father
Exodus 20-12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
This is repeated in the New Testament also
Ephesians 6-2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
This uses the exact same word as that used in John 5-23
timaó τιμάω this simply means to put value on something, to revere or venerate.
It does NOT, as some trinitarians do claim, mean worship. The honor being referenced is not worship. Worship has its own Greek word and is not in reference in this verse. The honor given to the father and son has got absolutely nothing to do with worship whatsoever. This is a vital point to make.
Jesus states the same thing about honoring your father and mother again using the same Greek word timaó τιμάω
Matthew 15-4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
But the trinitarian will often then point to the words JUST AS, asserting that this means in the exact same way, Jesus is to be honoured as the father is honoured. An honour of absolute equality. So it is further asserted that just as the father is honoured as God so the son should be honoured as God.
At face value, if we simply take this verse alone and use the preconceived belief that the Father and son are indeed both God then the verse may say , or at least allude to, that the father and son are both to be honoured in the exact same way as God. BUT….yes the dreaded but…when properly examined, when we delve a little deeper into the verse and its context the verse actually states something very different. We will also see that the interpretation that trinitarians apply to this verse is also inconsistent with their interpretations and understandings in other verse.
Firstly, Let’s just get this clear, plain and simple. The verse does not say that the son is to be honoured as God like the father is honoured as God. This is simply reading the preconceived belief that the father and the son are both God into the text or adding the understanding to it. However the verse is actually stating as we honour the father we should also honour the son. Not that we should honour the son as God as the father is honoured as God.
The Greek translated into the English JUST AS or EVEN AS is Καθώς kathos which means just as, or according to.
This is the EXACT same word used in John 17-21 where Jesus prays that the disciples would be ONE….AS the father and son are one.
John 17-21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
It is disingenuous to claim that the use in John 5-23 MUST mean that we honour Jesus as God as the father is God and then not also say that Jesus prayed that the disciples be one with the father and the son in the exact same way the father and the son are, which would mean that Jesus prayed that the disciples would be God as it is the trinitarian claim that Jesus stated he and the father were one making them both God.
The trinitarians use John 10-30 to assert that Jesus claimed to be God.
John 10-30 I and my Father are one.
We see this EXACT same word also being used to liken Jesus to the serpent held up by Moses in the wilderness
John 3-14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
This is clearly a likening to, not a literal just as. Jesus will not be being held up exactly, just as, the serpent was held up in the wilderness by Moses or anyone else for that matter.
There are plenty more examples that could be cited where this word is used, just like 1 John 3-3
1 John 3-3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
We must remember that this verse, unlike what those making the trinitarian assertion actually do, is not isolated, it does not appear on its own. There is a context from which it is taken.
If we put the verse back into the context of the chapter we see that the Jews had just sought to kill Jesus because THEY said that Jesus had made himself equal with God by saying God was his father.
John 5- 18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
Notice that they also accused Jesus of breaking the sabbath. It is important to understand here that Jesus did not break the sabbath. I would hazard a guess that most trinitarians do not believe that Jesus actually did break the Sabbath or argue that the Jews were correct in their accusations against Jesus on this point. It is understood, mostly, that Jesus did not in fact break the sabbath but broke the Jewish oral traditions ADDED to the law regarding the sabbath by the pharisees and not by God.
Just as Jesus did not break the sabbath despite their accusation that he did, he also did not claim to be equal with God despite their accusations that he did.
In fact Jesus clearly rejected the claim that he had made himself equal with the father saying that he can do NOTHING of himself. He only does what he sees his father do.
John 5- 19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Jesus further explains that the father shows the son (Jesus ) what he does and that he will show Jesus even greater things to do.
John 5-20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
Jesus is in subjection to the father. He does not do his own will, he does what he see the father do. Jesus required his father in order to do the things that he was doing.
We must also look at the immediate context both before and after this verse. Jesus tells us why we must honor the son as we honour the father.
Jesus states that God the father has SENT Jesus and has committed all judgement unto him
John 5- 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
John 5-24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
God will judge BY Jesus Christ as stated by Paul in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 2- 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
The word by here is διά dia which means through or on account of
God has passed all judgement to Jesus so God will judge through Jesus.
This understanding is clearly stated in the book of Acts where it is stated that God will judge by that MAN he had ordained.
Acts 17- 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Which is why Jesus further states in verse 30 that as he HEARS he judges and that he does the will of the FATHER who SENT him.
John 5- 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
The second part of the verse of John 5-23 , which is hardly ever quoted, explains the first part of the verse. We are told that whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father WHO SENT HIM.
John 5-23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
We must honour the son as we honour the father because Jesus is the one sent by God he is the agent, the representation of God and so is God in authority.
Please see my writing on the Shelia.
To not honor the agent is to not honor the one who sent the agent as the agent is the one who sent him in authority and representation.
Jesus does not have the authority to judge by himself. Judgement is not intrinsic to Jesus. He has been given that authority by the father.
Jesus was given the words to say. He states in John 12 that he has not come to judge but to save the world. He also says that there is ONE that judges.
John 12- 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
So when we put this together it is quite simple.
Jesus was sent by God to speak God’s words. People either believe or disbelieve those words that God gave Jesus to speak. Those words of God that Jesus spoke will be by which a person is judged. Those that believe them will be judged by God righteous and those that do not believe them judged unrighteous. So God will judge THROUGH Jesus by the words that Jesus spoke.
Now when we put this together and go back to the honor given to Jesus we see that in context it is not that of being God but as of judge.
The Bible also states that those that have followed Jesus will sit upon twelve thrones Judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 19-28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Im sure no trinitarian will be arguing that this makes the followers of Jesus God or gods.
This verse when correctly understood in no way supports the belief that Jesus is God.
Jesus is, was and always will be the Messiah, the authorised agent of God who represents God in authority.