This is actually the first time I've heard someone suggest that those passages mean that Jesus Christ isn't God.
I guess when you read the Bible with an eye to find mistakes, you will convince yourself that you have found them. A Christian who is led by the Holy Spirit will remember all the other verses that have bearing on the attributes of Jesus Christ as the servant of the Father, and understand how Jesus could not know the hour of his coming, but still be God.
Here's a piece from GotQuestions that gets it right. Look up the references that are listed, and see for yourself what the Bible says.
Speaking of Jesus' Second Coming, Matthew 24:36 (and Mark 13:32) tells us, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
When Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, even He had no knowledge of the date and time of His return. Although Jesus was fully God (John 1:1, 14), when He became a man, He voluntarily restricted the use of certain divine attributes (Philippians 2:6–8). He did not manifest them unless directed by the Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He demonstrated His omniscience on several occasions (cf. John 2:25; 3:13), but He voluntarily restricted that omniscience to only those things God wanted Him to know during the days of His humanity (John 15:15). Such was the case regarding the knowledge of the date and time of His return. After He was resurrected, Jesus resumed His full divine knowledge (cf. Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:7).
Matthew 24:36 clearly states that the Father alone knows when Jesus' return will be. Verses such as John 5:30; 6:38; 8:28-29; 10:30; 12:49; 14:28, 31; and Matthew 26:39, 42 demonstrate Jesus' submission to the Father as well as their Oneness in the Godhead. Yes, they are both God. But some things Jesus had apparently chosen to "give up the rights" to be privy to during His earthly ministry (see Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus, now exalted in Heaven, surely knows all, including the timing of His Second Coming.
Don't play that one with me, i'm the opposite really I prefer to find things in the bible that make sense.
For me, an overall consistent truth means more.
So for example I can answer those inconstencies in your theology whilst keeping true to the book......and the only 'tweak' is that I understand God's Immanence in the Logos and how mystical truth is presented. I know because i've read this type of language elsewhere before.
For example a quote from St Augustine
God is the lover, the beloved and love.
This is a mystical truth pertaining to God's Immanence. This quote is also used by sufis, one specific sufi who's text contained this was from the punjab about 500-600 years ago and he was not even versed in christianity (i doubt he'd ever read the bible because he was very traditional) let alone St Augustine!!
What you are doing is forcing yourself to fit the bible into a specific doctrine.
A Christian who is led by the Holy Spirit will remember all the other verses that have bearing on the attributes of Jesus Christ as the servant of the Father, and understand how Jesus could not know the hour of his coming, but still be God.
it doesn't take the holy spirit to see that here, this kind of thing is only possible when we are open to God's Immanence...but again that goes back to the St Augustine quote.
In islam, the sufis experienced the logos, specifically unity with the logos and they then referred to it as Wahdat al Wujud 'unity of being'.
The theologians attacked this term because their truth was based on core theology, they called it a kufr statement which implies that a person is 'united with God'.
This is precisely what happened to Jesus. it is important to understand the mystical state and how people express themselves during/after the experience.
Back to your post.
Although Jesus was fully God (John 1:1, 14)
John 1:1
The Word was WITH GOD and the Word IS GOD.
the logical truth pertaining to God's Transcendence and the mystical truth pertaining to God's Immanence..
i tend to quote this more than you do and by only referring to one bit of it means you don't pay attention.
of certain divine attributes (Philippians 2:6–8)
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
which mindset was this?
Matthew 6
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
The 'eye' mentioned here is the mind's eye and this teaching really touches on our perception of God ie the mystical path.
To perceive God in all things, to be 'single minded' meaning to be one with God.
This is the mindset of Jesus.
verse 6 builds on from verse 5, it means with that 'mindset' (ie the mystical mindset, being perceptive of God's Immanence'.
did not consider equality with God
if he is God there is no 'equality with God', he simply is God. But this is what i mean by highlighting your inconsistencies. The Father is God and the Son/logos is the direct expression of the Father. In the mystical sense, it is God...yet there's clearly a heirarchy. The SON is nothing without the Father.
another major mistake you are making is in fogetting that when Jesus said he can do nothing by himself, he didnt refer to his 'flesh' aspect but his LOGOS aspect ie THE SON can do nothing by himself.
this fits perfectly with my view of the logos as God's expression and therefore empty in it's own nature and containing only God's light.
hence time and time we read that it's the FATHER acting THROUGH the Son/logos.
He did not manifest them unless directed by the Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38).
meaning he isn't co equal with God in the flesh at the very least.
He demonstrated His omniscience on several occasions (cf. John 2:25; 3:13)
no, this can be divinely revealed, if he was omniscience he would know when the last hour would be too.
but He voluntarily restricted that omniscience to only those things God wanted Him to know during the days of His humanity (John 15:15).
for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
This doesn't mean he knew everything, just that he new nothing without the Father and those things he did know, he shared.
Jesus resumed His full divine knowledge (cf. Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:7).
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
where does it mention 'knowledge'?
Acts 1:7
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
....................again, the Father has set.
The Father is the mvp here, the Son is the intermediatory.
Keep in mind the trinitarian creed also states that the Holy spirit is co-equal in Godhead with Jesus, yet in John 16 Jesus says
He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
the holy spirit is not God.
Lastly remember this, the Son sits at the right hand of God. In psalm 110, Jesus as 'adoni/lord' sits at the right hand of ADONAI.
time and time again we see the clear distinction between God and Jesus Christ/the logos.
Here is how Paul usually introduced his epistles
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
