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Proof that Jesus never said he was the Son of God

He only said he was the Son of Man


© 2013 by Dylan Stephens

Introduction (Son of Man; Son of God)

Ask most Christians and they will say that Jesus called himself the 'Son of God'. But, you may be amazed to find that this is not true. There is not a single place, where a quote of Jesus is shown, that he says that he is the 'Son of God'. What he does call himself is the 'Son of Man'.

It is others in the Gospels that call him the 'Son of God', but also others call him the 'Son of David'. Mary Magdalene, after he is "risen from the dead" and therefore supposedly in Spirit, calls him merely 'Teacher'.

Interestingly, Magdalene’s original confusion of his being the 'Gardener' points to a good interpretation of 'Son of Man' where we can assign 'Man' to Adam, the first man, (of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; Adam, the first gardener); thus 'Son of Man' would mean merely a descendant of Adam. In other words, Jesus seems to be saying that he is a just a human, though perhaps an implied perfect one, although Adam was a Jewish uncircumcised man!

The question arises as to whether Jesus was just being modest, but Jesus does not appear to be afraid of proclaiming his greatness, as seen in his Trial:
'Caiaphas says to Jesus, "I adjure you, by the living God, that you may say to us, if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus replies, "You have said that, not me; nevertheless I say to you, you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming upon the clouds, of the heaven.' (Matt 26:63,64)

Although John 10:30 "I and my Father are one" and John 14:09 "he who has seen me has seen the Father" have been used to justify that Jesus said he was God, it is important to note that Father ("πατὴρ" - "pater") is different from God ("θεός"- "theos"). "Pater" is a title, like its usage in the Catholic church, and for Jesus it meant his superior i.e. Jonathan Annas. In John 10:31 there is outrage because Jesus was declaring himself as an equal to Jonathan Annas who, as a Sadducee priest, was his direct superior. The evidence of John 14:09 is on shaky ground because this section on Promising a Paraclete appears suspiciously to be written in style like a Gnostic addition. Even if is an original text, Jesus is merely saying that he can speak for his superior Jonathan Annas, his Father, not God. In fact at the start of this section in John 14:02 Jesus used the expression "in the house of my Father" which shows that he accepts the "Father" as his superior.

If Jesus never said he was the 'Son of God', but merely the 'Son of Man', then it makes it possible to accept other religions, such as:

  • Buddha, an enlightened teacher (Samyutta Nikaya iii, 120 - "who sees Dharma, sees me; who sees me sees Dharma")
  • Mohammed, a prophet (Quran 3:144 - "And Muhammad is no more than a messenger like the messengers that have already passed away before him;")
  • Moses, a prophet proclaiming the first of the Ten Commandments: ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me.")

A brief synopsis of what Jesus meant by "Son of Man"
was that he merely is saying that he is Third in position in the Church hierarchy

(See Pesher of Christ web site)

The hierarchy of the Essene Qumran Community of the Dead Sea Scrolls
(Community Rule with one person standing for each group: IQS II 20-21: Priests first, then Levites, then Israelites):

      1. Pope Michael (Revelation 12:7) or High Priest (not the emperor appointed one) acting for God
      2. Gabriel (called an angel -- see the Annunciation at Luke 01:26 --as God's voice to Man, 'Man' for short)
      3. Son of Man: King, Holy Spirit (Jesus' father Joseph in Matt 1:20 "for that which is conceived in her (Mary) is of the Holy Spirit)

Before the Crucifixion these positions were filled as follows:

      1. Pope: Simon Magus
      • Simon the magician in Acts 8:9-11
      • called Jesus' disciple Simon the Zealot/Canaanite
      • Zebedee whose consort was Helena in Clementines who was:
        • Menstruous woman in Mark 5:25
        • mother of Mary Magdalene in Mark 5:42
        • sister-nun of Mother Mary in John 19:25
        • Salome in Mark 15:40, 16:1
        • Martha in John 11:1, 12:2 and in Luke 10:38
        • Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:4-42
        • SyroPhonecian woman in Mark 7:26 and in Clementines
        • Joanna in Luke 24:10
        • Sapphira in Acts 5:1
        • adoptive mother of James and John in Matthew 20:20, the illegitimate twins of the Roman emperor in Clementines
      • Lazarus raised by Jesus in John 12:1-53
      • Simon the leper in Matthew 26:6 and in Mark 14:3
      • the naked youth at the Judas betrayal at Gethsemane in Mark 14,51,52
      • Simon of Cyrene carrying his own cross behind Jesus Mark 15:21
      • Ananias, mentioned with Sapphira, excommunicated by Peter in Acts 5:1-6
      • called '666' in Revelation 13:18
      2. Gabriel: Jonathan Annas
      • second son of the Annas who was the High Priest before Caiaphas and influential with Caiaphas by the marriage of his daughter to him
      • called Jesus' disciple James of Alphaeus (Alphaeus meaning son of the High Priest Annas)
      • Nathanael (same as above) in John 1:45
      • called 'Father' by Jesus in Gethsemane - title akin to Jesuit Fathers
      3. Son of Man: Jesus
      • son of Joseph and Mary
      • descendant of King David by his son Nathan
      • the Christ in the Talmud

Later, the Church apostles, under the direction of Jesus, (he having survived the Crucifixion) ascribed all three positions of the hierarchy into one, namely Jesus Christ.
Then the Church in the 4th century made up the concept of Trinity.

It is interesting to note the Pilate purposefully messed up the hierarchy on the three crosses by calling Jesus "The King of the Jews" and therefore placed him in the center cross, however, the ranking, by Essene hierarchy, should have been Simon Magus in the center, Judas his left, and Jesus on his right. This was extremely valuable later in the schism of the Churches when the group, called Christians by Peter, achieved ascendancy by aligning with son of Herod Agrippa.

With Jonathan Annas (Stephen the metaphoric martyr) being removed as High Priest and later assassinated by the procurator Felix and Simon Magus being excommunicated by Peter and later dieing during a magic flying act in Rome, being always the magician and trying to best Peter in front of Nero (Acts of Peter), then having only Herod Agrippa II as the high priest (acting for God), St.Paul could ascribe Jesus' position as Son of God. This, of course, lead to the error in the Nicean Creed.


All the occurrences of "Son of Man"

The Catholic Encyclopedia states The employment of the expression "Son of Man" in the Gospels is very remarkable. It is used to designate Jesus Christ no fewer than eighty-one times — thirty times in St. Matthew, fourteen times in St. Mark, twenty-five times in St. Luke, and twelve times in St. John.

But the most remarkable thing connected with "the Son of Man" is that it is found only in the mouth of Christ. It is never employed by the disciples or Evangelists, nor by the early Christian writers. It is found once only in Acts, where St. Stephen exclaims: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55). The whole incident proves that it was a well-known expression of Christ's.

Matthew

Matt 08:20 and Jesus saith to him, `The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may lay the head.'
Matt 09:06 `But, that you may know that the Son of Man hath power upon the earth to forgive sins -- (then saith he to the paralytic) -- having risen, take up thy couch, and go to thy house.'
Matt 10:23 `And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, you may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come.
Matt 11:19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners, and wisdom was justified of her children.'
Matt 12:8 for the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.'
Matt 12:32 And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming.
Matt 12:40 for, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
Matt 13:37 And he answering said to them, `He who is sowing the good seed is the Son of Man,
Matt 13:41 the Son of Man shall send forth his messengers, and they shall gather up out of his kingdom all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing the unlawlessness,
Matt 16:13 And Jesus, having come to the parts of Caesarea Philippi, was asking his disciples, saying, `Who do men say me to be -- the Son of Man?'
Matt 16:27 `For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work.
Matt 16:28 Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.'
Matt 17:09 And as they are coming down from the mount, Jesus charged them, saying, `Say to no one the vision, till the Son of Man out of the dead may rise.'
Matt 17:12 and I say to you -- Elijah did already come, and they did not know him, but did with him whatever they would, so also the Son of Man is about to suffer by them.'
Matt 17:22 And while they are living in Galilee, Jesus said to them, `The Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men,
Matt 18:11 for the Son of Man did come to save the lost.
Matt 19:28 And Jesus said to them, `Verily I say to you, that you who did follow me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man may sit upon a throne of his glory, shall sit -- you also -- upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;
Matt 20:18 `Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes,
Matt 20:28 even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'
Matt 24:27 for as the lightning doth come forth from the east, and doth appear unto the west, so shall be also the presence of the Son of Man;
Matt 24:30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth smite the breast, and they shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heaven, with power and much glory;
Matt 24:37 and as the days of Noah -- so shall be also the presence of the Son of Man;
Matt 24:39 and they did not know till the flood came and took all away; so shall be also the presence of the Son of Man.
Matt 24:44 because of this also ye, become you ready, because in what hour you do not think, the Son of Man doth come.
Matt 25:13 `Watch therefore, for you have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.
Matt 25:31 `And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory;
Matt 26:02 `You have known that after two days the passover cometh, and the Son of Man is delivered up to be crucified.'
Matt 26:24 the Son of Man doth indeed go, as it hath been written concerning him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is delivered up! good it were for him if that man had not been born.'
Matt 26:45 then cometh he unto his disciples, and saith to them, `Sleep on henceforth, and rest! lo, the hour hath come nigh, and the Son of Man is delivered up to the hands of sinners.
Matt 26:64 Jesus saith to him, `Thou hast said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming upon the clouds, of the heaven.'
Mark

Mark 02:10 `And, that you may know that the Son of Man hath authority on the earth to forgive sins -- (he saith to the paralytic) --
Mark 02:28 so that the Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.'
Mark 08:31 and began to teach them, that it behoveth the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise again;
Mark 08:38 for whoever may be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also shall be ashamed of him, when he may come in the glory of his Father, with the holy messengers.'
Mark 09:09 And as they are coming down from the mount, he charged them that they may declare to no one the things that they saw, except when the Son of Man may rise out of the dead;
Mark 09:12 And he answering said to them, `Elijah indeed, having come first, doth restore all things; and how hath it been written concerning the Son of Man, that many things he may suffer, and be set at nought?
Mark 09:31 for he was teaching his disciples, and he said to them, `The Son of Man is being delivered to the hands of men, and they shall kill him, and having been killed the third day he shall rise,'
Mark 10:33 -- `Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests, and to the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the nations,
Mark 10:45 for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'
Mark 13:26 `And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds with much power and glory,
Mark 14:21 the Son of Man doth indeed go, as it hath been written concerning him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is delivered up; good were it to him if that man had not been born.'
Mark 14:41 And he cometh the third time, and saith to them, `Sleep on henceforth, and rest -- it is over; the hour did come; lo, the Son of Man is delivered up to the hands of the sinful;
Mark 14:62 and Jesus said, `I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming with the clouds, of the heaven.'
Luke

Luke 05:24 `And that you may know that the Son of Man hath authority upon the earth to forgive sins -- (he said to the one struck with palsy) -- I say to thee, Arise, and having taken up thy little couch, be going on to thy house.'
Luke 06:5 and he said to them, -- `The Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.'
Luke 07:34 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners;
Luke 09:22 saying -- `It behoveth the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and the third day to be raised.'
Luke 09:26 `For whoever may be ashamed of me, and of my words, of this one shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he may come in his glory, and the Father's, and the holy messengers';
Luke 09:44 `Lay you to your ears these words, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men.'
Luke 09:56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save;' and they went on to another village.
Luke 09:58 and Jesus said to him, `The foxes have holes, and the fowls of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may recline the head.'
Luke 11:30 for as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of Man be to this generation.
Luke 12:08 `And I say to you, Every one -- whoever may confess with me before men, the Son of Man also shall confess with him before the messengers of God,
Luke 12:10 and every one whoever shall say a word to the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven to him, but to him who to the Holy Spirit did speak evil, it shall not be forgiven.
Luke 12:40 and ye, then, become you ready, because at the hour you think not, the Son of Man doth come.'
Luke 17:22 And he said unto his disciples, `Days will come, when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not behold [it];
Luke 17:24 for as the lightning that is lightening out of the one [part] under heaven, to the other part under heaven doth shine, so shall be also the Son of Man in his day;
Luke 17:26 `And, as it came to pass in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man;
Luke 17:30 `According to these things it shall be, in the day the Son of Man is revealed;
Luke 18:08 I say to you, that He will execute the justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, shall he find the faith upon the earth?'
Luke 18:31 And having taken the twelve aside, he said unto them, `Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be completed -- that have been written through the prophets -- to the Son of Man,
Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'
Luke 21:27 `And then they shall see the Son of Man, coming in a cloud, with power and much glory;
Luke 21:36 watch ye, then, in every season, praying that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are about to come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.'
Luke 22:22 and indeed the Son of Man doth go according to what hath been determined; but woe to that man through whom he is being delivered up.'
Luke 22:48 and Jesus said to him, `Judas, with a kiss the Son of Man dost thou deliver up?'
Luke 22:69 henceforth, there shall be the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God.'
Luke 24:07 saying -- It behoveth the Son of Man to be delivered up to the hands of sinful men, and to be crucified, and the third day to rise again.'
John

John 01:51 and he saith to him, `Verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth you shall see the heaven opened, and the messengers of God going up and coming down upon the Son of Man.'
John 03:13 and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down -- the Son of Man who is in the heaven.
John 03:14 `And as Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up,
John 05:27 and authority He gave him also to do judgment, because he is Son of Man.
John 06:27 work not for the food that is perishing, but for the food that is remaining to life age-during, which the Son of Man will give to you, for him did the Father seal -- [even] God.'
John 06:53 Jesus, therefore, said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, If you may not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and may not drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves;
John 06:62 if then you may behold the Son of Man going up where he was before?
John 08:28 Jesus, therefore, said to them, `When you may lift up the Son of Man then you will know that I am [he]; and of myself I do nothing, but according as my Father did teach me, these things I speak;
John 12:23 And Jesus responded to them, saying, `The hour hath come that the Son of Man may be glorified;
John 12:34 the multitude answered him, `We heard out of the law that the Christ doth remain -- to the age; and how dost thou say, That it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up? who is this -- the Son of Man?'
John 13:31 When, therefore, he went forth, Jesus saith, `Now was the Son of Man glorified, and God was glorified in him;

References to "Son of God"

Matthew

Matt 08:29 and lo, they cried out, saying, `What -- to us and to thee, Jesus, Son of God? didst thou come hither, before the time, to afflict us?'
Matt 26:63 and Jesus was silent. And the chief priest answering said to him, `I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou mayest say to us, if thou art the Christ -- the Son of God.'
Matt 27:43 he hath trusted on God, let Him now deliver him, if He wish him, because he said -- Son of God I am;'
Mark

Mark 01:01 A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
Mark 3:11 and the unclean spirits, when they were seeing him, were falling down before him, and were crying, saying -- `Thou art the Son of God;'
Mark 05:07 and having called with a loud voice, he said, `What -- to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of God the Most High? I adjure thee by God, mayest thou not afflict me!'
Mark 15:39 and the centurion who was standing over-against him, having seen that, having so cried out, he yielded the spirit, said, `Truly this man was Son of God.'
Luke

Luke 01:35 And the messenger answering said to her, `The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called Son of God;
Luke 04:41 And demons also were coming forth from many, crying out and saying -- `Thou art the Christ, the Son of God;' and rebuking, he did not suffer them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ.
Luke 08:28 and having seen Jesus, and having cried out, he fell before him, and with a loud voice, said, `What -- to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of God Most High? I beseech thee, mayest thou not afflict me!'
Luke 22:70 And they all said, `Thou, then, art the Son of God?' and he said unto them, `You say that I am;'
John

John 01:34 and I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.'
John 01:49 Nathanael answered and saith to him, `Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel.'
John 03:18 he who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 05:25 `Verily, verily, I say to you -- There cometh an hour, and it now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those having heard shall live;
John 09:35 Jesus heard that they cast him forth without, and having found him, he said to him, `Dost thou believe in the Son of God?'
John 10:36 of him whom the Father did sanctify, and send to the world, do you say -- Thou speakest evil, because I said, Son of God I am?
John 11:04 and Jesus having heard, said, `This ailment is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'
John 11:27 believest thou this?' she saith to him, `Yes, sir, I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming to the world.'
John 19:07 the Jews answered him, `We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, for he made himself Son of God.'
John 20:31 and these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.'

References to "Son of David"

Matthew

Matt 01:01 A roll of the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of David, son of Abraham.
Matt 01:20 And on his thinking of these things, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appeared to him, saying, `Joseph, Son of David, thou mayest not fear to receive Mary thy wife, for that which in her was begotten [is] of the Holy Spirit,
Matt 09:27 And Jesus passing on thence, two blind men followed him, calling and saying, `Deal kindly with us, Son of David.'
Matt 12:23 And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, `Is this the Son of David?'
Matt 15:22 and lo, a woman, a Canaanite, from those borders having come forth, did call to him, saying, `Deal kindly with me, Sir -- Son of David; my daughter is miserably demonized.'
Matt 20:30 and lo, two blind men sitting by the way, having heard that Jesus doth pass by, cried, saying, `Deal kindly with us, sir -- Son of David.'
Matt 20:31 And the multitude charged them that they might be silent, and they cried out the more, saying, `Deal kindly with us sir -- Son of David.'
Matt 21:09 and the multitudes who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.'
Matt 21:15 and the chief priests and the scribes having seen the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David,' were much displeased;
Matt 22:42 "What do you think concerning the Christ? Of whom is he son?" They say to him, "Of David."
Mark

Mark 10:47 and having heard that it is Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and to say, `The Son of David -- Jesus! deal kindly with me;'
Mark 10:48 and many were rebuking him, that he might keep silent, but the more abundantly he cried out, `Son of David, deal kindly with me.'
Mark 12:35 And Jesus answering said, teaching in the temple, `How say the scribes that the Christ is Son of David?
Luke

Luke 03:32 the [son] of David, the [son] of Jesse, the [son] of Obed, the [son] of Booz, the [son] of Salmon, the [son] of Nahshon,
Luke 18:38 and he cried out, saying, `Jesus, Son of David, deal kindly with me;'
Luke 18:39 and those going before were rebuking him, that he might be silent, but he was much more crying out, `Son of David, deal kindly with me.'
Luke 20:41 And he said unto them, `How do they say the Christ to be Son of David,
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