A true follower of Jesus should prioritize his actual teachings rather than later church doctrines developed through councils and theological debates. Jesus himself provided the clearest explanation of his nature when he referenced Psalm 82:6, saying, "Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?" (John 10:34). This statement suggests that Jesus understood his divinity in a way that was consistent with human potential—having divine authority, mission, and favor from God, but not being God Himself. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently distinguished himself from God, emphasizing that the Father was greater than him and that he was sent by God rather than being God in essence. Early Jewish-Christian groups, such as the Ebionites, also viewed Jesus as a fully human Messiah chosen and empowered by God, rather than as an eternal divine being. It was only in later centuries, particularly through councils like Nicaea (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD), that the idea of Jesus as fully God became dominant within mainstream Christianity. However, if one seeks to follow Jesus' original message rather than theological traditions that emerged long after his time, they would recognize that his divinity was the kind that a man could possess without it being blasphemous—rooted in divine election and authority rather than in being identical with God. This understanding calls for a return to a more original view of Jesus, based on his own words rather than post-biblical interpretations.
Stephen D Green with ChatGPT, March 2025
