The tension: Isaiah 48:12 — and 41:4, 44:6 — has YHWH declaring 'I am the first and the last.' Revelation 1:17 and 22:13 have Jesus saying the same thing.
The tension: Acts 2:30, Acts 13:23, Romans 1:3, 2 Timothy 2:8, Hebrews 2:16, and Revelation 22:16 all describe Jesus as physically descended from David 'according to the fl…
The tension: John 1:1, 1:14 identifies the Word (Logos) as God and says the Word became flesh — the classic textual foundation for the deity of Christ.
The tension: Matthew 5:9 blesses peacemakers; Luke 2:14 has the angels announce 'on earth peace'; John 14:27 and 16:33 have Jesus give peace to his disciples; Acts 10:36 sa…
The tension: Isaiah 64:6 says all human righteousness is *kĕbeged ʿiddîm* — 'as filthy rags' — and the Pauline literature builds an entire doctrine of universal depravity o…
The tension: Matthew 6:10 has Jesus teach disciples to pray *genēthētō to thelēma sou, hōs en ouranō kai epi gēs* — 'your will be done, as in heaven so on earth' — taking t…
The tension: John 16:30 and 21:17 affirm that Jesus knows all things (*panta oidas*), and Colossians 2:2-3 says all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ.
The tension: Matthew 8:12 has Jesus say that *hoi huioi tēs basileias ekblēthēsontai eis to skotos to exōteron* — 'the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer d…
The tension: The Synoptic Jesus identifies one sin that will never be forgiven "neither in this world, neither in the world to come" — blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Ma…
The tension: In Matthew 11:14 Jesus says of John the Baptist: "this is Elijah, which was for to come," and Matthew 17:12-13 makes the identification explicit — the disciple…
The tension: Matt 20:23 has Jesus admit that assigning the right- and left-hand seats in his kingdom 'is not mine to give' — that prerogative belongs to the Father.
The tension: First John lays down the test plainly: anyone who confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is born of God and indwelt by God (1 John 4:2, 4:15, 5:1).
The tension: Luke 1:6 calls Zacharias and Elisabeth righteous specifically because they walked in all the Lord's commandments blameless, and Romans 2:13 states that doers o…
The tension: Luke 23:43 has Jesus promise the criminal on the cross, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." John 20:17 has the resurrected Jesus tell Mary Magdalene, "…
The tension: Luke 23:43 has Jesus promise the repentant criminal that they will be together in paradise that very day, implying Jesus went to paradise.
