Question: How Do You Come To The Conclusion That Christ Is God And God is Christ?
Donald Bohanon: It’s important to first understand that God has never been one being, but has always been a family comprised of two beings, and those two beings are the Word and God. These two have always existed together since the beginning of time even before the world existed. … Separate, but yet one at the same time, if you can understand that.
John 1-3
King James Version (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The Word eventually became flesh or man in the form of Jesus Christ to die for the sins of men.
John 1:14-17
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ
When Christ spoke to God in prayer about glorifying himself again as he once was with God, before the world was, he was speaking from a conscious understanding of who he was with God, as the Word, before he even became Jesus Christ.But only now anticipating his resurrection after death to once again be reunited with his father God in glory, before the world was and even before he became God’s son as Jesus Christ. Simply put Jesus Christ fully understood he was the Word who had existed with God before the world had ever existed, and before he ever became Jesus Christ in the flesh.
John 17:5
King James Version (KJV)
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Jesus Christ also when emphasizing that he and God are one, was speaking from the conscious understanding that he was one with God, and is God,as the Word,and is now the Word in the flesh/Jesus Christ.The fact that he became Jesus Christ does not diminish or change the fact that he is in fact the Word/God in the flesh. This is what he was emphasizing when mentioning that he and God are one. … John 1: 1-3
John 10:30
King James Version (KJV)
30. I and my Father are one.
John 14:9
King James Version (KJV)
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
God and Christ have always existed together as God and the Word, before the world had ever existed, and even before the Word became flesh as Jesus Christ.
John 1:14
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Christ now once again, after his death and resurrection is glorified with his father God, and now sits at the right hand of God,and in the throne of God, but only now as Jesus Christ,as opposed to the Word. Awaiting instruction from God to return to the earth to establish his government here on earth. I hope this adequately answers your question.
Mark 16:19
King James Version (KJV)
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Acts 7:55-56
King James Version (KJV)
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Revelation 3:21
King James Version (KJV)
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.