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Re: "A History of the Jews" by Paul Johnson, 1987, pp.124-32 and 144-5
Very good explanation why Jesus' divinity was not accepted by Judaism!
(but Perplexity doesn't say much about this information)
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About the first revelation of Jesus' divinity ...
"... the greatest of all the revelations of his divinity, his resurrection ..." (UB, 182:3.5)
"He became a part of the personal experience of almost one thousand human beings before he finally took leave of Urantia." (182:2.9)
"Only one thing we are certain of, that is, when he does return, all the world will likely know about it, for he must come
as the supreme ruler of a universe and not as the obscure babe of Bethlehem." (176:4.5)
176:4.5 suggests that Jesus' ceremonial return will be delayed until most of the world knows of his divinity,
even as the once incarnated Son of God. If UB dissemination does not help promote this awareness, then what will
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Perplexity's viewpoint of Jesus' divinity ...
Re:
https://www.perplexity.ai/
Q: Who was the first human being to wholeheartedly believe in Jesus' divinity?
'The New Testament itself provides evidence that some of Jesus' earliest followers wholeheartedly believed in his divinity:
In John 20:28, Thomas declares to Jesus 'My Lord and my God!' after seeing his risen body. In Philippians 2:6, Paul states that Jesus 'being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.'
This affirms Jesus' divine nature.
The Gospel of John repeatedly has Jesus claiming divine titles and prerogatives, such as 'I am the bread of life' (6:35), 'I am the light of the world' (8:12), and the famous 'I am' statements linking him to the divine name revealed to Moses (8:58).
However, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who was the very first individual to believe in Jesus' divinity. The earliest Christians seemed to affirm both Jesus' humanity and divinity from the start, though their understanding deepened over time. The writings of the Apostolic Fathers in the late 1st/early 2nd century show an established belief in Christ's divinity:
Ignatius of Antioch repeatedly calls Jesus 'God' (e.g. To the Ephesians 7:2, 18:2). The Epistle of Barnabas refers to Jesus as 'the Son of God' and speaks of his pre-existence (5:5, 12:10).
So while the New Testament points to the earliest disciples like Peter, John, and Thomas as having this belief, the precise first individual is unclear. But the divinity of Christ was a core tenet of Christianity from its inception.' "
Q: What does the Urantia Book say about Simon Peter's belief in Jesus' divinity?
"The Urantia Book portrays Simon Peter as one of the first apostles to wholeheartedly believe in Jesus' divinity: In the account of Jesus' life, it states that after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Deliverer (the Christ), Jesus explains to the apostles that he is indeed the Son of God. This marks a turning point where the apostles, especially Peter, began to fully grasp Jesus' divine nature.
Later, after Jesus' resurrection, the book describes Peter's firm conviction of Jesus' divinity: 'Peter took the lead at the termination of the forty days of waiting and telegraphic watchcare. It was a difficult job for him to persuade his fellow apostles to quit talking so much about Jesus' advice concerning the forthcoming bestowal of the new teacher, and to begin their work of finding out what to believe and do directly themselves.'
The book portrays Peter as the first to fully embrace that Jesus was the incarnated Creator Son of their universe, and to dedicate himself to spreading that realization and Jesus' teachings. So while the earliest followers like John the Baptist and Nathaniel may have glimpsed Jesus' divinity, the Urantia Book depicts Simon Peter as the first to wholeheartedly and publicly profess belief that Jesus was the divine Son of God incarnate."
Rod
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