Bible Studies

Jesus the shelia , the agent of God

by lee thriepland
08/16/18
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

Jesus the  sheliaḥ” , the agent of God

In this writing I will demonstrate how Jesus was not God himself but rather he represented God and as God’s representative in all essence was God without actually being God.

Jesus was the “Sheliah” of God. What is a Sheliah? Under the Jewish law of Agency a Sheliah is a legal representative or agent of a person who while representing and carrying out the authorised tasks of the principle or the person who charges the agent with carrying out those tasks the agent acts as and is considered to be the person that they represent.

“The Law of Agency deals with the status of a person (known as the agent) acting by direction of another (the principal), and thereby legally binding the principal in his connection with a third person. The person who binds a principal in this manner is his agent, known in Jewish law as sheluaḥ or sheliaḥ (one that is sent): the relation of the former to the latter is known as agency (sheliḥut). The general principle is enunciated thus: A man's agent is like himself (Ḳid. 41b).”

Agency is something that is supported by the Bible and can be seen many times in the scriptures

The Bible very clearly shows that the one with the authority behind a person is often credited to the “work” even if they themselves have not personally carried it out.

Pilot for example was accredited as scourging Jesus even though it wasn’t him personally that carried out the physical action of the scourging itself.

John 19-1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

Pilot was the one with the authority it was by his command that Jesus was scourged and so it was deemed as if pilot himself had carried this out even though he had only given the order to do so.

We see it again during the healing of the Roman soldiers servant, which is a passage that is often used to “prove” that the Bible has contradictions.

In the Gospel of Matthew we see that Matthew records that it was the Roman Centurion himself that came to Jesus to ask him to heal his servant.

Matthew 8- 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

However in the Gospel of Luke we see that it was NOT actually the Centurion who met Jesus but rather he had in fact sent to Jesus elders of the Jews. (It is this that is used to show the contradiction).

Luke 7-1 2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: 5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

But when we understand agency the meaning becomes obvious and the apparent contradiction simply disappears. It was not actually physically the Centurion himself that came to Jesus rather it was the Jewish elders he had sent on his behalf. As they were under his authority and had been sent by him, when they spoke on his behalf what they had been authorised to say, they spoke,  as if it was the Roman centurion speaking.

The “Centurion” even explains his authority over others.  

Matthew 8-  9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

And again in Luke the “centurion” speaks in the first person even though we know this is not actually the Centurion himself but the Jewish elders sent by the Centurion.

Luke 7- 8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

The Jewish elders were simply speaking on behalf of the Centurion having been given authority to do so.

The Roman centurion by way of the Jewish elders explains that HE himself felt not worthy of coming unto Jesus

Luke 7-  7Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed

What is also worth noting is the understanding of the authority that Jesus had.

The Centurion had given instruction that Jesus need NOT come unto his house. Not only did the Centurion feel unworthy of coming to Jesus personally or Jesus coming to him, the centurion understood that Jesus simply needed to authorise the healing and it would be so.

Matthew 8- 8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed

And of course we also see this with Jesus when it was stated he was  baptising people.

John 4-1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

It wasn’t Jesus that actually physically baptised anyone, but his disciples under his authority that carried out the baptising itself. Which the bible clearly tells us in the next verse.

John 4-2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

Throughout the Old Testament the angels, usually defined as the Angel of the Lord, spoke as if they were God. This was how God “spoke”.

For example

When God spoke to Moses in the burning bush we are told straight away that it was actually an angel that was speaking.

Exodus 3-2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

But that angel who spoke, spoke as if he was indeed God.

Exodus 3- 3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

We see that it was the angel speaking but we are told that God called to Moses.

The angel then said I am the God of thy father. The angel speaking as God in the first person.  

Exodus 3- 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

This is further confirmed in the book of acts

acts 7 -30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

and

acts 7-35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

When Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, an angel spoke to him but referred to himself as the LORD

Genesis 22-15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

The Giving of the laws. We know that God gave the laws, yet we are told numerous times that the law was given through angels. The angels were acting as God when they represented him.

Galatians 3-19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Acts 7-53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

We can also see this same thing with Moses.

Moses spoke for God to Pharaoh. God making Moses a god to Pharaoh. Moses spoke all that he was commanded by God to say.

Exodus 7-1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

Moses spoke as God in the first person in the book of Deuteronomy.

We have God commanding  Moses to speak to the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 29 - 1These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

And we see that Moses is speaking the words of the LORD as commanded. Moses talks about the miracles and signs that the LORD did that they saw.

Deuteronomy 29 -2And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; 3 The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: 4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. 5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

But then Moses changes and although it is Moses talking he speaks as God in the FIRST person.

Deuteronomy 29 -6Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

Before returning back to speaking as himself.

Deuteronomy 29- 7And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them: 8And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh. 9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.

Clearly showing that a person can even speak as God in the first person and yet not be referring to themselves as God or having been considered to be God.

The Bible plainly states that God in times past spoke through Angels and prophets but now speaks through his son.

Hebrews 1- 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

And when we look at the Bible and the words of Jesus and analyze what they actually say about Jesus, the “agency” of Jesus is really rather blatantly obvious. (please note the verses used in this next section  are only an example and are not a complete list of the supporting verses)

Jesus was SENT by God

The Bible as a whole and the very words of Jesus himself proclaim that Jesus was sent by God

John 3-17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 7-16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

John 8- 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

John 10-36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

John 14-24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Being sent from God is actually sometimes used by those who believe Jesus is God to show that Jesus was with God in order to be sent from him. Therefore supporting the notion that Jesus was literally physically with God before being sent by God.

However we also see that John the baptist was sent from God.  

John 1- 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This being sent from God obviously does not mean from physical locality.

Jesus did the will of God

Jesus came not to do his own will but the will of the one who sent him.

John 6-38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

John 26-39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

John 4-34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5-30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 8-16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

If Jesus has a will but he does not do his will but the will of the one who sent him then the logical conclusion would be that even though his will may be in unison with the one that sent him it would be possible for his own will to differ. If Jesus has a will but doesn't do his will but the will of the one who sent him then there are very clearly 2 wills in reference. If those two wills were the same will not just in agreement but the same will then doing OUR will would be a much more appropriate way to clarify this fact.

If the will of Jesus could be different even though it may not have been different,  then he could not have the same will as the one who sent him. Doing his own will may be in alignment with the one who sent him but clearly his will could be different seeing he doesn't do his will but the will of the one who sent him.

God put HIS spirit on Jesus and called Jesus his servant

So God put his spirit on Jesus and the Bible very clearly calls Jesus a servant of God. God refers to Jesus as “my” servant.

Matthew 12-18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 42-1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Matthew 12-18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Jesus did what the Father commanded him to do.

John 14-31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

John 10-18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Anointed by God (Its what Messiah/Christ means )

מָשִׁ֫יחַ mashiach means anointed
ΧριστόςChristos means anointed one

The Bible clearly states that Jesus was anointed by God, a man approved of by God and called God’s Christ

Jesus was anointed with power by GOD.

Acts 10-38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts 2-22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Acts 4-26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

The argument that Jesus is God but he is not the father fails here as  we see Jesus not simply being separated and distinguished between him and the father but also separated and distinguished from God. It is God who anointed him not simply the God the father.

Jesus spoke on behalf of God

Jesus spoke FOR God, as God. He spoke NOT his words but the words that God had given him.  Just like the Jewish elders did for the centurion.

Isaiah 51-16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

Deuteronomy 18-18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

John 3-34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

John 12-49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Again we see that Jesus not only distinguished from the father but also God. Clearly the words that Jesus spoke were not his, If he was God then the words would have been his.

The witness of the Bible is very clear. Jesus was the representative of God while on earth. He was sent by God. He was the servant of God. He did what God commanded him to do and he spoke for God the words that God gave him to speak.  

Jesus the Sheliah, the agent of God. Amen