When you say (as John Chapter 1 says according to some Christians) that God became a man... what do you mean?
Do you mean that God was God, but then He became a man and now He's not God anymore...
Or do you mean God became a man, but He was still God?
If the second explanation is true, then what does that mean? The reason I ask is because God and man are two seperate things... For example God is immortal. No one can kill God. But man is immortal. Thats why he's a man. So if God became man, which was He? Mortal or immortal?
Really I am not trying to be tongue in cheek. Im just trying to discover what you mean when you say God became a man. Does that mean that God became man so He wasn't God anymore, or does that mean that god became a man and was still God and so when He cut off His fingernails He was cutting off little pieces of God? Because neither option makes sense or even seems to be possible... so is there a third option I'm not thinking about?
Looking forward to your answers...
I suspect you have been on the forum long enough to have seen these questions asked and answered many, many times. But the answers never seem to get through. I wish I had the links to all the other answers, because one more attempt may be just a futile, but here goes....
First, you have to understand the Trinity---ONE God, Three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It was the SON who, though equally GOD with the Father and Spirit, took UPON Himself flesh (John 1:1,14). The Father did not take upon HIMSELF flesh; the Spirit did not take upon HIMSELF flesh. ONLY the SON took upon Himself flesh. The FATHER sent the SON to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). The WAY the Son was the Savior of the world was by dying for the sins of the world. In order to do that HE had to take upon Himself mortal flesh capable of dying. His FLESH died, not His Deity. He was always GOD (clothed in the mortal, fleshly body), and yet He was also MAN because of that flesh.
Phil. 2 explains it this way:
5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6. who,
being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be
equal with God,
7. but made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8. And being found in appearance as a
man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The above is the
New King James Version. The
New American Standard Version renders the Greek this way:
5. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6. who, although
He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7. but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8. And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,
11. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus, though wrapped in flesh in order to die for our sins, never ceased to be God (i.e., possessing Deity as to His substance, nature, or essence, which never died and never will die). And in that flesh, He showed total submission and obedience to the Father, as an example and model for us (the opposite of what Adam and Eve did).
So let's review, as we answer your specific questions:
Do you mean that God was God, but then He became a man and now He's not God anymore...
Jesus was/is God and always will be, whether in the original "form of God" (pure spirit, no flesh), or as He was when He walked this earth before going to the Cross (Deity with mortal flesh), or as He is now (Deity in a glorified, immortal resurrection body).
Or do you mean God became a man, but He was still God?
Yes.
If the second explanation is true, then what does that mean? The reason I ask is because God and man are two seperate things... For example God is immortal. No one can kill God. But man is immortal. Thats why he's a man. So if God became man, which was He? Mortal or immortal?
God in the Person of Jesus Christ became mortal in order to die for our sins.
Really I am not trying to be tongue in cheek. Im just trying to discover what you mean when you say God became a man. Does that mean that God became man so He wasn't God anymore, or does that mean that god became a man and was still God and so when He cut off His fingernails He was cutting off little pieces of God? Because neither option makes sense or even seems to be possible... so is there a third option I'm not thinking about?
When He cut off His fingernails, He was cutting off little pieces of His flesh, not little pieces of God. His fingernails were not His Deity; they were part of His mortal flesh that was the outer "form of a servant" or "likeness of men" (see Phil 2:7, quoted above).
Peace
