Proposition # 6: Jesus demonstrated attributes that only God can possess.
Response: God has the right, the authority, and the ability to endow anyone whom He chooses with those attributes that He wants one to have. One such attribute is that Christ forgave sins. At John 12:49 Jesus said, “For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has Himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak.” So when Christ forgave sins, was it really he doing the forgiving, or was it actually God? [1] That the Jews who did not oppose Jesus did not conclude he was literally God by his ability to forgive sins is proven in the account at Matthew 9:2-8 which closes with the comment, “they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” Again, if it is within the purposes of God to give this authority to Jesus, who are we to question or challenge His way of doing things? We simply cannot!
The same is true when Jesus performed miracles. Peter resurrected Dorcas, was able to read Ananias’ heart, and healed a lame man. (Acts 9:36-41; 5:1-5; 3:2, 6, 7) We automatically understand that Peter could not do these things under his own ability. At John 5:19 Jesus is quoted as saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever He does, that the Son does likewise.” As Peter explained to Cornelius and those assembled with him, Jesus was able to do the things he did because
“God was with him.” Nothing was said about Jesus’ being God . – Acts 10:38
[1] Also John 5:30 where Jesus says, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.” [Prop # 6]