Continued Study of 2 Corinthians 11: 1-4 (Another Jesus)

In order to identify an imposter, or charlatan, or a counterfeit it is essential that we are able to recognize the authentic. The burden of proof must always be substantiated through the possession of the facts and tangible evidence - never by emotional or passionate persuasion. Acts 1:3a states "To whom also He shewed Himself alive after his passion by "many infallible proofs"..." The entire Bible, if you will, is an argument based on facts. Do we get emotional studying these precious words? Of course, but first the facts. Our emotions are based upon reality, not the other way around.

That being said, let's study to recognize the authentic so that we will also recognize the counterfeit.

A. The Creator God - John 1: 1-3; Colossians 1:15-19

1. Sent from the Father: John 16: 27-28 He came "out of" the Father in the sense of going forth or proceeding from the source - almost as of a thought or a word proceeded from one's heart. Metaphorically as Luke 6:19 - "...for there went forth virtue out of Him, and healed them all."
2. He declared the Godhead: John 1:18 (Theos - God). The absence of the definate article here "the" refers to the Triune God in His Majesty, Infinity, Eternity, Totality, and Perfection. No man has seen the Triune God in this soverign unity.

• as the Word or Divine Essence -John 1:1; John 1:14
• as the Voice or Declarer of God - Gen. 3:8; John 1:18
• as the Friend of Abraham - Gen 18: 3
• as the Great I Am - Exodus 3: 13-14 - Christ Jesus equated Himself with the Great I AM "ego emini" at least 12 times in the book of John - 4:26; 6:35; 8:12: 8:14; 10:7; 8:58; 10:11; 11:25; 13:13; 14:6; 15:1; 18:8 and especially 8:24 "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM (He): ye shall die in your sins."
• The brightness of (the) Glory and express image of His person Hebrews 1:3 - This verse speaks to the exact representative of the very nature of God.
• The "Form of God" - Philippians 2:6 - This verse speaks to the subsistance of His being (being to begin with) , which points out to His being the "visible" manifestation of that in God that is "invisible" - the Declarer of the Godhead which no man has seen - See John 14: 7-11; John 10:30; Col 1:19; Col 12:9
• As the very Body of God - Hebrews 10:5-10; Psalm 40 6-9; the two passages are not word for word exact. The latter passage (Hebrews 10:5-10) is found to give deeper meaning to the former passage thereby identifying the personage to whom the Old Testament passage is referring.

These points are certainly not exhaustive but only some highlights of His personage. i would like to briefly go back to Col 1:15 and speak to the word "firstborn." ( Gk prototokos) ( Strong's 4416). The term is used five times in the N.T. referring to Christ - Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 1:18; Heb 1:6; and Rev 1:5 - Each have a slightly different meaning. In Col 1:15, Christ is "firstborn" because of His supremacy over creation. He cannot be both creator and creature. Verse 16 states that He created and is therefore not a part of Creation. Christ is objectively the first effect; subjectively He is the first cause or source. he then being the object of Creation because of (subjectively) Himself, is therefore preeminant over it, unceasingly sustaining it. Hebrews 1:3.