If Jesus is God, then why did Jesus pray to Himself?

Sincerely,
Talking To Myself

Dear Talking To Myself,

We often speak of the fact that there is only one God, but if we are going to be technical (and this is a technical issue), God is one in purpose, but there are actually three Deity.  This is most noticeably seen at Jesus’ baptism.  Jesus comes out of the water (Matt 3:16), the Holy Spirit descended like a dove (Matt 3:16), and the Father spoke from heaven (Matt 3:17).  Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are of one mind and one purpose (Jhn 10:30), but they are distinctly unique beings.  So when Jesus prayed to the Father (Matt 26:39), it was not the same as praying to Himself.

Is Jesus Christ God?

Sincerely,
Searching For The Son

Dear Searching For The Son,

Yes, Jesus is God.  There are three parts to the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This is most easily seen in Matt 3:16-17.  When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.  Each of them is eternal (they were all at the creation – Gen. 1:1, Gen. 1:2, Col 1:15-17).  John 1:1 specifically says that Jesus is Deity.  Jesus is different than the Father, but He is part of the Godhead.  Jesus even said that He had always existed (Jhn 8:58).  The apostles worshipped Jesus as God (Jhn 20:28).

Jesus was also God’s son because He was given a physical body by God (Heb 10:5, Matt 1:18).  Jesus also obeyed the Father as a son would obey (Jhn 5:19).  Jesus was also the firstborn Son because He is the firstborn of the church – God’s children (Rom 8:29).  Jesus is completely deity, but He also has a unique role as the only member of the Godhead to have also lived in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16).

I have a friend who always wants to talk about religion but doesn't understand my beliefs. I am a Christian, and when I try to explain to her that the Bible is literally interpreted, she doesn't understand and replies with, "Well, that’s your and your church's interpretation of the Bible" and "The same literal verse can mean different things to different people."  What verses or explanation can I use as examples of how the Bible should be interpreted and why?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Literally Puzzled

Dear Literally Puzzled,

What you are trying to do is prove to your friend that the Bible is God’s literal word and that God intends for it to be understood in a definite fashion.  Here are a couple of different ways to try and get this concept across to your friend:

1. Peter said that the Bible is not a matter of our own private interpretation (2 Pet 1:20-21).  When God spoke, He didn’t mean for His Words to be interpreted how we wished.  In fact, the apostle Paul condemns our own interpretation as “perverting” God’s Word (Gal 1:6-7).  There is a right and a wrong way to read the Scriptures.
2. If there is more than one correct way to interpret the Scriptures, it would be impossible to have unity.  Unity can only happen if we agree on the same standards.  If people each have their own personal interpretation of the Scriptures, there is no common standard to build unity upon.  God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33).  God commands us to have unity, and that there is only one faith (Eph 4:3-6).  Show your friend Ephesians chapter four and explain that unity cannot happen without a single standard.
3. God purposely made sure that every word of the Bible was exactly as He intended it to be (Matt 5:18).  Everything that the prophets wrote was directly from the mind of God (1 Cor 2:12-13).  If God put that much effort into preserving the accuracy and detail of the Bible, we cannot disregard that.  We must be as accurate in our reading of the Bible as God was in writing it.
4. Jesus believed there was a right and a wrong way to read the Bible.  He accused the Pharisees of disregarding God’s teachings (Matt 21:42).  He also told the Sadducees that they didn’t understand the Scriptures (Matt 22:29).  If Jesus says there is a right and a wrong way to view the Scriptures, then we must make sure we are rightly discerning God’s Word.

There is no guarantee any of these things will work with your friend, but we wish you the very best as you try and share the Gospel.  Hopefully, she will be willing to listen with an open and honest heart.

I am taking a course at my local college entitled "Intro to the Bible as Literature".  In Genesis 1:26, I noted that the phrase had ‘us’ and ‘our’; who is ‘us’ and ‘our’?

Sincerely,
Plural Power

Dear Plural Power,

The reason that the pronouns ‘us’ and ‘our’ are used is because all three of the Godhead were there at the creation.  The Father was there (Isa 45:18).  Jesus was also there (Jhn 1:1-3).  The Holy Spirit was also there (Gen 1:2).  All three of them took part in the decision to create man in Their image.

(The following is a follow-up to “Could A Loving God Do That?”)

Thanks for your time. I am not trying to test you or dissuade you from your faith, but I need answers to my questions to help my faith. Thanks.

Are you suggesting that we send ourselves to eternal punishment and not God?  Matthew 25:46 says, "They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."  God created us and set a standard: worship Me or suffer eternally.  There is no in-between on His judgment.  You are either good or evil.  Your doctor analogy is not very accurate because the doctor did not create the patient.  God created us with no choice.  He made us and wants us to love Him, and if we don't – hell.  This is like the doctor saying, “Take the medicine, or I kill you.”

Sincerely,
That Fire Is Hot

Dear That Fire Is Hot,

Yes, we are suggesting that we make the choice to go to eternal punishment.  We make the decision to turn our backs on God and His offer of salvation.  God created us and designed us to function a certain way… no differently than a blacksmith designs a hammer or an architect designs a building.  God designed us with the freedom to choose between good and evil (Deu 30:15).  The standard isn’t merely about worshipping God; it is about right and wrong.  When we choose to sin, we reject God (1 Thess 4:8).  Consequently, when we reject God, we reject living eternally with Him.  The choice is ours.  Remember, the Garden of Eden was perfect until Adam & Eve broke it.  God gave them commandments for their safety, just like He gives us commands for our safety.

God doesn’t kill us; sin does (Rom 6:23).  We are tempted away from God by our own lusts (Jas 1:14).  God wants what is best for us.  It is the devil that wants to destroy us (1 Pet 5:8).  God sent His Son to heal us from self-inflicted wounds.  We sin and rebel against Him (which is appalling when you consider that He is the one that gave us life) – and despite that rebellion, God loves us.  He has given us all a second chance (Lk 17:4).  He is not only our Creator, He is our Savior (1 Jn 4:14).

God doesn’t send anyone to hell.  People choose to go to hell.  God will respect your decision.  If you don’t want to spend eternity with Him in heaven, He won’t make you.  However, all good things come from God (Jas 1:17); our choices have consequences.  If we choose to go to hell, we leave behind all the blessings God has provided – we have chosen to be away from Him.  We cannot have it both ways.  We either choose God, goodness, and the blessings of goodness, OR we choose selfishness, evil, and the curses of evil.  It is our choice to make, and it is the most important choice in our lives.