"Therefore
the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."
John 5:18It is important to note who it is that was making this claim. It was NOT JESUS! It was those who
opposed him, it was
the Jews.
In this verse they claim three things of Him.
1. That he "had broken the sabbath."
2. That he said "that God was his Father."
3. That he was "making himself equal with God."
Let us examine each one in turn.
1. That he "had broken the sabbath."
If Jesus had indeed broken the sabbath what would be the problem? – It would be an enourmous problem indeed! It would have meant that He violated the Fourth of the Ten Commandments given by God to Israel.
"And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in
one point, is become
guilty of all."
James 2:10 (DRB - Douay-Rheims Bible, A.K.A. The Catholic Bible)
"Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matt. 5:17 (DRB)
According to the Apostles John and Paul this would mean that Jesus had sinned and could therefore not therefore redeem us from our sins because he himself would have come under the death sentence.
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for
sin is the transgression of the law."
1 John 3:4
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23
The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead proves that He remained without sin. Therefore He did NOT "break the sabbath." – Thus their first argument is incorrect.
Consider what the Scriptures say.
1 John 4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time."
This scripture, written decades after Jesus' death, would be false if this trinitarian view is accepted. Many people saw Jesus! If he was God then many people saw God, in direct opposition to what the Apostle John says in this verse.
Notice how this lines up with Satan's approach. He usually does not tell a complete falsehood but rather mixes the lie in with some truth. For example, consider the first lie ever told:
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [False. God said they would die. Satan said they would not. A direct lie - one that most in the churches still believe today.] [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. [True. Their eyes of understanding were indeed opened. They became as God in this sense: they now had knowledge of both good and evil. Before they did not have this knowledge. All they knew was good.]" Gen. 3:4,5.
John 17:11,22 = Jesus One with God
John 14:9-11 (?)
Matt. 1:23
John 10:38
Mark 2:5-7
Genesis 1:26
John 1:1,3,10,14
Second Coming and Rapture of the Church
Matt 25:36-42
Rev. 1:7-8
Mark of the Beast
Rev. 13:16-18
Rev. 14:9-10
Eternal Torment in the Lake of Fire
Rev. 20:14-15
Rev. 20:4-5 - First Resurrection
Rev. 7 is for the Jews
Rev. 7:9
The Holy Spirit
Is the Holy Spirit God's active force?