MY RESPONSE TO DERRICK GILLESPIES REVIEW OF MY BOOK BOOK: JESUS CHRIST IS NOT GOD AUTHOR: JOY PENROSE-DAVIS In June of 2011,

I released a book entitled Jesus Christ is not God. Upon the release of this book, I received many opinions and viewpoints as to its contents ranging from very strong agreement and support to passionate disapproval. This of course came as no surprise to me as I was well aware that this book by its very nature would be highly controversial. As such, I made myself quite open to the natural discourse that such a publication would create and was ready and willing to engage in any discussion that would allow me to clarify, edify and defend the points which I had put forward. One such discussion was initiated by Derrick Gillespie. Mr. Gillespie was strongly against most of the points presented in the book and communicated his disapproval of it to me personally. Our discussion on the matter, however, did not lessen his condemnation of the contents therein and he took to airing his disagreement of it in a more public forum as well as penning a review. For those of you who read Mr. Gillespies review, I must first apologize on his behalf for misleading you into believing that the book to which he refers is mine. With the myriad distortions and misrepresentations, I know he must have made a gross error and could not possibly be referring to my work. However, since he insists that it is I have no recourse but to address it. In the truest sense of the word, what Mr. Gillespie describes as his review of my book bears little resemblance to what I consider a proper review. His so-called review is nothing more than the biased opinion and the ranting and ravings of a closed, deceived, indoctrinated mind, parading in the garb of centuries of theological error. This indoctrinated mind forcefully holds others in deception and relentlessly maligns those who dare to challenge it. In summary, my book asserts that Jesus Christ is not God and aims to prove this by use of the Holy Scriptures:This is what God the Father says: Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me (Isa. 43:10). Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any (Isa. 44:8). I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me (Isa. 46:9). This is what Jesus Christ says: Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God (Mark 10:18). The Father is the only true God (John 17:1-3). My God is also my disciples God (John 20:17).

This is what the Apostle Paul says: To us there is but one God, the Father (1 Cor. 8: 6). One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Eph. 4:6). The Father is the only wise God (Rom.16:27; 1 Tim.1:17). The fundamental truth that it is the Father alone Who is God is here proclaimed by God the Father Himself, by Jesus Christ, the Son and Servant of the Father and by Paul, an Apostle ordained by God. The scriptures teach that every matter should be established on the testimonies of (at least) two or three witnesses (Deut.19:15; 2 Cor.13:1). In the above passages, not only are we presented with the testimonies of three witnesses, all in agreement that it is the Father alone Who is God, but individually they make three-fold statements, thus, in the highest degree they reinforce this all-important truth. Moreover, these witnesses are the most credible of all. In response to this explicitly declared fundamental truth, that it is the Father alone Who is God, this is what someone with a closed, deceived, indoctrinated mind says: This cannot be true because it is not what my church teaches. Such teaching is of the devil. This is from the pit of hell. It is theologically and philosophically unsound. This is nonsense! Rubbish! Garbage! These ideas are dangerous and offensive. They must be relentlessly demolished. It is absurd to think that there is only one God because that is not what the Bible teaches. This teaching is false. It is nothing but heresy. This is blasphemy in its highest form. These are the teachings of a false prophet. This is the spirit of antichrist. This is erroneous teaching. The Father alone cannot be God. That is not how I know it. Jesus Christ is God too. So many people cannot be wrong. This is not proper exegesis. It is all taken out of context. I do not care what that says. I am not going to change my belief. Jesus Christ is God!

The person with an open mind, however, takes a different approach. He does not readily accept or reject the information which is presented, but conducts further investigation in order to arrive at the truth, as we are exhorted by the scriptures to Prove all things (1 Thess. 5:21). I will now rebut excerpts from Mr. Gillespies review of my book. One of the arguments he presents is that Jesus Christ must be God because he is all that God the Father is by nature or in nature.

Mr. Gillespies statement: the author seems to have not been able to strike the necessary balance between accepting the Supreme Headship or superiority of status of the Father of Jesus in the whole universe, a Being that has no equal in terms of ultimate Headship in the whole universe, and the simple truth that Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son is all that he is by nature; i.e. He himself was divine as wellThus Jesus is truly God in nature; not the Supreme Being of the Father in status or individuality or personhood. Is this the teaching of scriptures? Does such a doctrine have Biblical support? Let us take a little time and investigate the Word of God. Before we proceed, however, we need to examine the meaning of the word nature. The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary gives the definition of nature as the inherent qualities of anything; the essential qualities which constitute it. We will also look at the definition of inherent which is naturally pertaining to; inborn; innate. Based on these definitions, the question we need to explore in order to ascertain if Jesus Christ is ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature is this: Does Jesus possess ALL the attributes or qualities of the Father and if he does are these inherent? For this exercise, we will examine three attributes of God the Father, namely, Selfexistence, Omniscience and Omnipotence. It must be understood that in order for Jesus to be ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature, he must of necessity possess these attributes. If the scriptures teach otherwise, not only would it be misleading, but it would be deception in its highest degree to perpetuate such a teaching. (1) Is Jesus Christ Self-existent? Did Jesus, like God the Father, come into existence by himself? Is life inherent in Jesus? The answer to these questions is NO. We know that Jesus Christ is not self-existent because it is clearly taught by the scriptures that it was God the Father Who brought him into being. Like all of us, Jesus Christ is Gods creation (John 5:26; Col.1:15; Rev.3:14). Life is not inherent in him. It is the Father Who gave him life (John 5:26). Neither is Jesus inherently immortal. It is only God the Father Who possesses inherent immortality (1 Tim. 1:17; 6:16 NIV). Jesus immortality was given to him by his Father. It is impossible for Jesus to be ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature if life is not inherent in him, and according to the scriptures, it is not. It is evident that without the Father giving him life, Jesus could not have come into existence and without the Father sustaining him, Jesus would cease to exist (John 6:57; 2 Cor. 13:4). The Father, however, exists by His own power and is not dependent on anyone for His continued existence. On what basis then can one insist that Jesus Christ is ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature when the scriptures are clear that life is not inherent in him and that like all of us, he does not even possess the ability to keep himself alive? Jesus Christ at this very moment in heaven, just like the angels, lives by the power of God the Father (2 Cor. 13:4). 3

(2) Is Jesus Christ Omniscient? Does Jesus know all things? The answer to this question is NO. From the scriptures, we learn that Jesus does not know everything and that all he knows has been taught to him by his Father (John 5:19-20; 8:28, 38). If Jesus were God, there would have been no need for him to be taught. He would know all things naturally. His knowledge would be inherent. Unlike Jesus, however, God the Father knows all things and He was not taught by anyone. Gods knowledge is inherent. While Jesus was on earth, there are many things of which he had no knowledge. For example, he did not know that the fig tree had no figs (Mark 11:12-14). Neither had he any knowledge that the Father would have forsaken him on the cross (Mark 15:34). Jesus also does not know the date of his return. Only the Father does (Mark 13:32). We note also, that after his ascension to heaven, the Father revealed to Jesus things of which he had no prior knowledge (Rev.1:1). On what basis then can one insist that Jesus Christ is ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature, when the scriptures make it clear that he does not know all things and that knowledge is not inherent in him? (3) Is Jesus Christ Omnipotent? Is Jesus Christ all-powerful? Is he the All-mighty? Can he do all things? The answer to all these questions again is NO. Jesus cannot do all things, and everything he can do he has learned from his Father (John 5:19-20). It is to God the Father alone that all power belongs. Gods power is inherent (Ps. 62:11; Matt. 6:13; 22:29; 26:64; Acts 1:7). Jesus has no power of his own. It is God the Father Who bestows power on Jesus (Matt. 28:18; John 10:18; 17:2; Acts 10:38; 1 Cor.15:24). While Jesus was on earth, it was God the Father Who performed miracles through him (John 14:10). Jesus did not have that power within himself and neither did he have the power to raise himself from the dead (Acts 2:24; 27; 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:38-41; Gal.1:1). If the Father had not resurrected him, like all other men, Jesus would still be in the grave (Acts 2:27). Presently in heaven, Jesus does not even possess the power to subdue his enemies (Mark 12:36; Heb.1:13). We know also that Jesus is not omnipotent because like all of us, he lacks the power to keep himself alive (2 Cor.13:4). On what basis then can one insist that Jesus Christ is ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature when the scriptures are clear that he is not omnipotent and that power is not inherent in him? From the plain teachings of the scriptures, it is glaringly evident that Jesus Christ is not ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature. It is obvious that Mr. Gillespies criteria for determining Jesus nature is not Biblical, but is derived from his own imagination or an erroneous teaching. Mr. Gillespies argument, therefore, that Jesus Christ is God because he is ALL that the Father is by nature or in nature has been debunked because such a doctrine has no scriptural authority. It could be, however, that his argument is based on the fact that he does not know the meaning of the term nature. 4

Mr. Gillespie also contends that Jesus Christ must be God and of the same specie of the Father, because he is an exact copy of the Fathers very being. Mr. Gillespies statement: Obviously, if Jesus is Gods only begotten Son among other type of sons (i.e. created and adopted ones), and is the only TRUE Son who is the exact copy of his very being (Heb. 1:2, 3), then, in terms of original specie or by TRUE reproduction, Jesus could not be a fish, or an angel, or a lesser specie of person than who the Father Himself is. Is that really so? That may be so according to Gillespies Version but certainly not according to the Word of God. God the Father made the following definitive statements: To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? (Isa. 46:5). I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me (Isa. 46:9). There is absolutely no ambiguity in these statements. They are very simply stated and could only be misinterpreted by someone with a closed, deceived, indoctrinated mind. Have you noticed that these pronouncements are made in a singular voice? God the Father clearly states, To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? (Isa. 46:5). I am Godand there is none like me. Please note carefully that God does not say, We or Us but I and Me. This means that the statements are made by one Person only (not two or more) and are made in reference to only one Person (not two or more). It indicates that not only is God a single Being, but that He is One-of-a-kind. He is the Incomparable One. He is in a class all by Himself. There is no other Being like Him in heaven or on earth. He has no equal. This is confirmed by Jesus teaching that it is the Father Who is the only true God and that it is the Father alone Who is good (John 17:3; Mark 10:18). Jesus also taught that not only is the Father greater than he is, but that the Father is greater than all (John 10:29; 14:28). How could this be, if Jesus is an exact copy of the very being of the Father? We also know that it is impossible for Jesus to be the same specie or an exact copy of the very being of the Father because the scriptures are clear that he does not possess ALL the Fathers attributes or qualities. We have just learned that Jesus is not omniscient or omnipotent and neither does he possess the ability to keep himself alive. Jesus is Gods creation just as angels and mankind are. The only difference is that Jesus is the highest of Gods creation. Did God make one of His creations exactly like Himself? Absolutely not! Thats unthinkable! That would be a stupid thing to do! In Isa. 42:8 the Father states that He will never share His glory with another. Has He changed His mind? We are certain that He has not because He declares that He does not change and will never alter that which He has spoken (Ps. 89:34; Mal. 3:6). Since God is ALL, He does not need to duplicate Himself. Moreover, God does not make beings in duplicates. Though we are all humans having many similar features, yet, 5

everyone one of us is different from the other. None of us is an exact copy of the other; not even identical twins. If God, therefore, does not make beings in duplicates, why would He duplicate Himself? We will now examine what Mr. Gillespie describes as the major problems of my book. Mr. Gillespies Critique (#1): The book is riddled with very many instances throughout, of the author contradicting her own self in key matters The book shows very many instances of Scripture being plainly denied or contradicted. My Response: This critique is not at all surprising, but is rather understandable because as you will soon discover, Mr. Gillespie is unable to identify a contradictory statement. The following are two contradictory statements made by him, both of which he strongly believes to be true. (1) The Father of Jesus is the Supreme Headshipa Being that has no equal in terms of ultimate Headship in the whole universe. Although Mr. Gillespie declares the foregoing to be true, he also insists that Jesus is the Fathers co-equal, that is, Jesus shares equality with God the Father in ALL things. (2) Mr. Gillespie also states that although the Father is the only true God (John 17:3), Jesus Christ is also truly God. How does he explain this? I really do not know because in my understanding if there is only one true God then there cannot be another. Any other god must be a false god. If Jesus, therefore, is not the only true God, then what kind of God is he? Is it any wonder that in Mr. Gillespies review of a book, which in his word is riddled with contradictions, he has failed to produce even one instance of those contradictions? It is obvious that this is no review just Mr. Gillespies ranting and ravings. Please ask him to compile a list of these contradictions. As soon as he does, do not hesitate to bring it to my attention. I anxiously wait! Mr. Gillespies Critique (#2): The author uses a lot of Greek originated philosophy when speaking about Jesus as the personal Logos or Word (Wisdom) of God My Response: Can someone please inform Mr. Gillespie that the original language of the New Testament is Greek and that I did not write any portion of it. If he has a problem with the New Testament being written in Greek, he is leveling blame at the wrong person. In John 1:1-2, we read that the Word existed in the beginning. The term Word in this text is translated from the Greek word Logos. In my explanation, I pointed out that Logos does not only refer to the Spoken Word but also refers to the Word Unspoken, that is, the word still in the mind (the thought). This is Mr. Gillespies idea of the author using a lot of Greek originated philosophy which clearly indicates that he is using terms he does not understand or is confusing my book with another. Mr. Gillespies Critique (#3): As said before, the book totally confuses the concepts of equality of nature, as opposed to superiority of status, when speaking of the Father and 6

Son before and after Jesus became man. In addition, the book uses flawed equality tests between the Father and the Son WHILE he was on earth, and thus arrives at certain unfortunate conclusions. My Response: I have already proven that God the Father is far superior to Jesus Christ. In both nature and status, the Father has no equal. Jesus is the Fathers subordinate. The evidence is overwhelming that Jesus is not ALL that God the Father is by nature or in nature as postulated by Mr. Gillespie. Contrary to his assertion, it is he who totally confuses the concepts of equality of nature, as opposed to superiority of status, when speaking of the Father and Son. I am not the one confused at all! As is evident, my arguments are fully supported by the scriptures while his are not. Mr. Gillespie also argues that my equality tests between the Father and the Son are flawed because they only portray Jesus life while he was on earth. The following Equality Test shows the similarities between Jesus while he was on earth in his humanity and his present life in heaven. You will observe that nothing has changed in terms of the Fathers superiority over him. Jesus is still at this very moment inferior to the Father. God the Father still exercises rule over him. This Equality Test shows also that Jesus Christ is not equal to God the Father in status.

EQUALITY TEST
Jesus on earth The Father is greater than Jesus The Father is the Head of Jesus Jesus is the Supreme Being Jesus is the God of the Disciples Jesus is Lord of Heaven and Earth Jesus is the Decision-maker Jesus is Omniscient Jesus is Omnipotent Jesus lives by his own power Jesus worships the Father as his God Jesus is subject to the Father Jesus is the servant of the Father Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Jesus in heaven Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes

Texts

John 14:28;17:2; Rev:1:1; Eph.4:6 John 15:10; Heb.5:8; 1 Cor.11:3 John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Rev. 3:12; 7:10 John 20:17; 1 Cor.8:6; 1 Pet.3:18; 4:11 Luke 10:21; Acts 17:24 Matt.20:23; Acts 1:6-7; Rev.1:1 Mark 11:13;13:32; Rev.1:1 John 5:19-20;14:10; 2 Cor.13:4 John 6:57; 2 Cor.13:4 John 20:17; Rev.3:12 John 15:10; 1 Cor.15:28 Isa. 42:1; Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27-30 (NKJV)

As you can see, Mr. Gillespies critique that the Equality Test is flawed is not really a critique of my book, but a critique of the scriptures. See Comparative Chart on my Website www.joypenrosedavis.com entitled Is Jesus Christ Really God? This chart shows in detail the vast inequality between the Father and the Son. 7

Mr. Gillespies Critique (#4): The book totally misses the point of why the Father needed to exalt or promote Jesus (in light of his genuine humanity) above even the angels, even as he remains a man today in heaven with glorified human form. My Response: What is the point that the book totally misses? I really do not know because Mr. Gillespie in his review has failed to explain. Phil. 2:5-11, however, clearly explains why the Father exalted or promoted Jesus. This text informs us that Jesus Christ was greatly exalted by the Father for his decision to give up his glorious heavenly form, become human and redeem mankind. We understand, therefore, that the Fathers reason for promoting Jesus was His way of rewarding His Son for his (Jesus) pivotal role in mans salvation. There is, however, a very important question which we need to address: If Jesus were already God, why would the Father need to exalt or promote him? As God, wouldnt Jesus have already been in the highest position? Can God be promoted to a higher position than He already holds? Please note very carefully also, that although the Father has highly exalted Jesus, he is still inferior to the Father in every way. Jesus is still not the Supreme Being. He is still not God. Jesus is presently the Fathers servant and will forever and ever continue to be His subordinate (Isa. 42:1; Acts 4:27-30 NKJV; 1 Cor.15:24-28). Mr. Gillespies Critique (#5): The book did not accurately present the correct view of Trinitarianism as believed by most of Christendom, due mainly to a failure to look at and use the writings of the scholars who properly define traditional Trinitarianism; not just what the common man in the pews of Churches say. Clearly too she failed to indicate in the book that there are indeed varieties of ways that Christians look at the Trinity, and so one size fits all critique from her would not suffice. My Response: Mr. Gillespie is lamenting the fact that he views my definition of the Trinity as woefully inadequate, yet he has failed to provide us with an accurate definition, hence, we are still left in the dark. Not that it really matters, because irrespective of the definition given, Trinitarianism is nowhere taught in the scriptures. This doctrine to which most Christians subscribe is a mere human construct. It is no more than the figment of someones imagination, and whoever this person is, he has failed to properly explain it. This failure, however, to give a proper definition is understandable because such an idea has no existence in reality. This explains the confusion regarding this doctrine, to the extent that even after sifting through all the so-called definitions, Mr. Gillespie could not even find one to include in his review. The Doctrine of the Trinity is one of the major false teachings of Christianity masquerading as truth. It is so confusing that its adherents cannot even decide whether there is one God or three Gods. Trinitarians insist that there is only one God (which is indeed true), but in explaining the Godhead, they present three separate and distinct Beings or Persons God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (Please note that the scriptures on numerous occasions speak of God the Father but never of God the Son or God the Holy Spirit). Trinitarians also teach that God the Father is the First Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. These titles are not found in the scriptures and are merely man-made terms used to support a false doctrine. 8

Mr. Gillespie and others like himself relentlessly fight to ensure that people keep believing that Jesus Christ is God, because if it is discovered that Jesus Christ is not God then the Doctrine of the Trinity will crash and crumble into a million little pieces. Mr. Gillespie, the truth is, Jesus Christ is not God, so the Doctrine of the Trinity, to which you so passionately adhere, has already crashed and crumbled. It is just that most Christians have not yet come to this knowledge, but very soon they will. Like Humpty Dumpty, it will never be able to be put together again! Mr. Gillespies Critique (#6): The author needed to have spent more time carefully defining all key words that are crucial to the book, and while some were defined, not all were either defined, or objectively and accurately defined, and those defined were sometimes not accurate, and hence the reason for the miscommunication of and misunderstanding of many of the real truths in the Bible. My Response: To this I say, please read the sample chapters of my book on my Website www.joypenrosedavis.com. One of the hallmarks of my book is the simple language in which it is written. A frequent comment about this work is that unlike many religious books which are difficult to read and understand, this book, though very revelatory and illuminating, is a very easy read. It is both easy to read and easy to understand. Mr. Gillespies other major problems with the book relate to my interpretation of the scriptures. In order for me to properly address these so-called major problems, it would require me writing another book. Since that is not practical, I will appeal to a book more credible than I could ever write. It is called the Holy Bible. I will remain silent and allow the Word of God to defend my work. Please answer the following questions and ask Mr. Gillespie to do likewise. They represent the content of my book. 1. How many Beings are declared by the scriptures to be God? (Isa. 43:10; 44:8; Mal. 2:10; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). 2. Jesus taught that it is the Father Who is the only true God (John 17:1-3). If there is only one true God, doesnt that make all other gods false? If Jesus is God, and it is not he who is the true God, what kind of God is he? 3. If Jesus Christ is God, why is he not the Source of life? Why did life not originate with him? (John 5:26). 4. If Jesus Christ is God, why is he not self-existent as God the Father is? Why like mankind is he a created being? (John 5:26; Col. 1:15; Rev. 3:14). (One either has to be self-existent or be created. There is no in-between). 5. How can Jesus be an exact copy of God the Father when the Father declares that He has no equal and that there is no other Being like Him? (Isa. 40:25; 46:5, 9). 6. How can Jesus be all that God the Father is by nature or in nature and yet does not possess all the Fathers attributes such as Self-existence, Omniscience and Omnipotence? (Mark 13:32; John 5:19-20; 1 Cor. 15:24; 2 Cor. 13:4; Rev. 1:1).

7. How can Jesus be all that God the Father is in nature or be an exact copy of His very being and yet, like mankind, does not possess the ability to keep himself alive? (John 6:57; 2 Cor. 13:4). 8. If Jesus is the Fathers co-equal, why is the Father Jesus God, yet Jesus is not the Fathers God? (John 20:17; Rev. 3:12). Jesus worships a God but the Father does not. How do you explain that? 9. If Jesus is the Fathers co-equal, why is the Father the Head of Jesus? (1 Cor. 11:3). Why is Jesus subject to the Father? (Dan.7:13-14; 1 Cor. 15:28; Rev. 1:1) Why is Jesus the Fathers Servant? (Isa. 42:1; Acts 4:27-30 NKJV). 10. If Jesus is God, why is he not acknowledged or worshipped as God in heaven? (Rev. 1:5-6; 5:1-14; 7:9-15). (The Lamb in these passages is a reference to Jesus Christ. John 1:29, 36). CONCLUSION Here is a question for you to ponder: If Jesus Christ is not God and we worship him as God, could that be considered idolatry? My appeal to Mr. Gillespie: Stop stifling and searing your conscience. Acknowledge your error. Accept the truth. Stop leading others into deception. Joy Penrose-Davis 2012 Website: www.joypenrosedavis.com Facebook: Joy Penrose Davis, Author

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