pretradition, you did very well and I love the tone that you used to share. Thank you for that. When someone asks me what I believe, I more than love to share.


You stated:
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__It's a common misconception that John 1 states that Jesus was in the beginning. The text doesn't actually say this. It says, without adding to it, that the Word was in the beginning. Eventually the Word became Flesh. Jesus is the Word, but that doesn't mean the Word was Jesus. The Word is literally the Word of God. It is God's command, an expression of His mind. All things were made by God's word. God speaks and it is so._

_Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it_
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John Ch. 1 Doesn't just say that the word was with God, it says that the word WAS God. 

_*John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.*_
_*John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.*_
_*John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.*_
_*John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.*_

_*Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?_*

_*John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.*_

Considering the two above verses, Let's look again at John 1. 

*_John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not._*

To bring more clarity and show whom it is referring to, watch what John the Baptist says in the same chapter.

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John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
**John 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.**
**John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.**

John said of himself that he was the one crying in the wilderness saying:

John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. (Tied to Isaiah 40:3)


The only light that lights the understanding of any man, is Christ. John testified of this. I believe this is the same light that lit the understanding of all of the prophets and apostles throughout the scriptures.

I'm going to leave that there for now.

I want to take a look at what you said about worshipping Jesus being idolatry.

If this is the case then the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus at His birth were idolators. If it's true that worshipping Jesus is idolatry, the disciples were idolators.

Here's why.

**Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and **worshipped him:** and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.**

Gold, frankincense and myrrh are all tied to God in the OT. (But that's another discussion.)

Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Matthew 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and _**worshipped him,**_ saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.


**Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and **worshipped him.**
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There are more passages that describe Jesus being worshiped.

The disciples were Jewish and knew the commandments very well.

Yet they worshiped Jesus and others did as well. I haven't seen one account where Jesus scolded them for worshipping Him.

I agree with your point about worshipping God alone.



In Revelations, John the Revelator:

**Revelation 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Revelation 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.**

That was an angel in Rev 22, In the earliest books of Revelation, there are several mentions of Jesus being worshiped. "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world."

I'm going to be out for a while, but I'll be back home in a few hours.

Thank you for a pleasant conversation.

I've studied some of the history involving the Catholic church, and we don't agree on that either.