John 1:12 - The Right To Become God's Children

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name. -- John 1:12.

The above scripture is sometimes presented to prove that the Logos is God, evidently because he gave those who received him the right to become God's children. We have not found a clear explanation of how his verse is thought to be proof of the triune God philosophy. We surmise that the thought is that the Almighty could not give to his Son this authority, except that the Son of God is God Himself. They, then, would claim only God can give others the right to become God's children. If Jesus is not God Almighty, by what authority could he give others the right to become children of God?  In reality, all power and authority that Jesus has is that which has been given to him by the Source of All Power and Might, that is, his God and Father. 

Jesus, however, did not have to be God Most High in order to give others the right to be sons of God. As we have shown, Jesus' God has placed all authority and power in the hands of Jesus. The scriptures make clear that Jesus obtains his inheritance and dominion (power) from Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through the work of God's Holy Spirit. Jesus' God is only one person. Jesus' God gives to Jesus all power and authority, with the obvious exception of having the position of being the Most High himself — 1 Corinthians 15:27. Jesus is not the one who is the Source of this dominion, all authority, and power.  Rather, the scriptures show that it is Jehovah, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is the Source of all that Jesus has. The authors of the Bible never asserted that Jesus was the supreme “source” of his own strength. . — Psalm 2:6-8; 45:7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:2; 42:1; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5; Daniel 7:13,14; Matthew 12:28; 28:18; Luke 1:32; 4:14,18; 5:17; John 3:34; 5:19,27,30; 10:18,36-38; Acts 2:22; 10:38; Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:17-22; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,4,6,9; 1 Peter 3:22.

Jesus is Not Jehovah (Jehovah)

Jesus, having become flesh (John 1:14), a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9), while during the days of flesh (Hebrews 5:7), proved his full obedience to his God and Father, by which is the good news that he brought life and incorruption to light for mankind. (2 Timothy 1:10) In other words, Jesus was the first human being to prove that he was incorruptible. However, before Christ came, we do not find in general the thought of becoming God’s children; why not? Because Jesus had not yet come and brought life and incorruption to light. It was thus only prospective of Christ’s sacrifice (before Christ came) or retroactively (after Christ came) that justification, and/or sonship, can be applied to those of faith before Christ came.

 

Christ came unto his own people, the children of Israel, who were under the bondage of the Law Covenant. As a whole, however, they rejected him, while only a few received him. Jesus, however, gave to those who did receive the liberty to become sons of God through faith in him.

                                                                           

The purpose of sonship in this age is to because of the selection out of the world those who become Abraham’s seed. This seed does not consist only of Jesus, but also all who have become sons of God through faith in Jesus. (Galatians 3:16,26-28) The purpose of this selection of the seed of Abraham is that all these might participate with Jesus in blessing all the nations of the earth in the age to come. 

The scriptures tell us that “in that day,” pointing to the time when Jehovah's Anointed One will judge mankind, “the earth will be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.” Then it will be said: “Look, this is our God. We have waited for him, and he will save us . . . . We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” -- Isaiah 11:9,10; 25:6-9; 40:5; 52:10: Jeremiah 31:34; Habakkuk 2:14.

Many often assume the word judge means to give a sentence, usually a condemnation. However, forms of the word “judge” as used in the Scriptures do not mean merely to sentence, but may include instruction (Psalm 19:7-11; 25:8,9: 106:3; 119:108; Isaiah 33:5; 56:1; 59:4,8-15; Ezekiel 22:2; Matthew 12:18-20; 23:23; Colossians 2:16), testing (Psalm 26:1-3, compare 139:23,24; Jeremiah 11:20, compare 20:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5), chastisement for correction (Isaiah 26:9; 1 Corinthians 11:31,32 -- compare Luke 12:47,48; Hebrews 12:5-11; Revelation 3:19), and passing a sentence. -- Matthew 7:1,2; John 7:24; Deuteronomy 1:16; Psalm 17:2.

The scriptures show that Jesus “will judge (by these four processes) the living and the dead at (during) his appearing and his kingdom.” “He must reign [in his thousand-year reign] until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” -- 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Psalm 72:1-4; Isaiah 11:1-6; 32:1; Jeremiah 23:5,6; Hosea 13:14; Revelation 20:11-15.

However, Jesus does not do all this by himself. The scriptures show that the saints [consecrated ones] will rule with him over the earth in 1,000-year judgment day and assist in judging the world, offering to them “the water of life freely.” -- Daniel 7:22,27; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Obadiah 21; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29,30; Romans 8:16-21; 2 Timothy 2:11,12; Revelation 3:21; 5:9,10; 20:4,6; 22:17.

The scriptures show that according to Jehovah's oath-bound promise, Abraham's seed, that is, Christ and all the “sons of God”, will bless “all the families of the earth.” This blessing will come to the world during Jesus' 1,000-year reign with those who have received Jesus and have become sons of God through faith in him. -- Genesis 12:3; 22:16-18; Galatians 3:7-9,16,29; Hebrews 6:13-20; Acts 3:19-25.

That reign is not just to bless that living at that time, but also the dead, who are to awaken from the sleep of death. (Psalm 6:5; 146:4; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29 NASV; 11:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Peter 3:4) At that time all will be given an exact knowledge of the truth and a full opportunity to live eternally.

The result of that coming day of judgment is that  “God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither will there be any more pain; for the former things [things of Satan's reign, including the curse of sin and death] are passed away.” -- Revelation 21:1-4; 22:1-3; Isaiah 35:10; 65:17-25. -- See our Resource Page on The Day of Judgment.

There is, however, definitely nothing in John 1:12 that declares Jesus to be God Most High. Nor is there anything that presents the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being more than one person, or as being three persons, or that Jesus is a person of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. All such has to be added and/or read into what is actually stated.

Ronald R. Day, Sr.