The Divinity of Jesus Christ

[justynaPL]

I am having a debate with a Muslim man. I quoted to him the verses from the beginning of the Gospel of John to prove the Divinity of Jesus. However, he claims that the Greek word translated into English as God used with reference to the Word was “hothios” meaning only “a godly person”. When St. John referred to the Father, he used another word „tonthios” meaning the actual God.
In all Greek texts of the Gospel I have found online, the word used for God, referring to both the Father and the Word is “theos”.
Anyone knows if some ancient Greek manuscripts contain the words: “hothios” and “tonthios”? I didn’t find any answers to this question online, so any help here will be much appreciated.
Sorry for my English, as I am a non-native speaker of your language.
Thanks!

 

[Ron_Conte]

I am having a debate with a Muslim man. I quoted to him the verses from the beginning of the Gospel of John to prove the Divinity of Jesus. However, he claims that the Greek word translated into English as God used with reference to the Word was “hothios” meaning only “a godly person”. When St. John referred to the Father, he used another word „tonthios” meaning the actual God.
In all Greek texts of the Gospel I have found online, the word used for God, referring to both the Father and the Word is “theos”.
Anyone knows if some ancient Greek manuscripts contain the words: “hothios” and “tonthios”? I didn’t find any answers to this question online, so any help here will be much appreciated.
Sorry for my English, as I am a non-native speaker of your language.
Thanks!

OK, so you or the other person has put together two words. What you are calling “hothios” is actually “ho theos”, and “tonthios” is actually “ton theos”. The articles “ho” and “ton” both mean “the”. And “thios” is the same as “theos” meaning God. Now the Greek text does use “ho” before “Logos”, meaning “the Word”, and it uses “ton” before “Theos” meaning “the God” (but in English we don’t use “the” before “God” so that Greek word does not get translated).

The claim that “ton” is only used before God is false. The same passage uses “ton” before “anthropon” (at the end of verse 4), meaning “men”.

Also, “ho” is sometimes used before God, as in John 15:1 where it is used before Father – “the Father” “ho Pater”.

So the claims made about “ho” and “ton” are not true. The use of a different article before Logos as opposed to Theos does not indicate that Jesus the Word cannot be God.

 

[justynaPL]

OK, so you or the other person has put together two words. What you are calling “hothios” is actually “ho theos”, and “tonthios” is actually “ton theos”. The articles “ho” and “ton” both mean “the”. And “thios” is the same as “theos” meaning God. Now the Greek text does use “ho” before “Logos”, meaning “the Word”, and it uses “ton” before “Theos” meaning “the God” (but in English we don’t use “the” before “God” so that Greek word does not get translated).

The claim that “ton” is only used before God is false. The same passage uses “ton” before “anthropon” (at the end of verse 4), meaning “men”.

Also, “ho” is sometimes used before God, as in John 15:1 where it is used before Father – “the Father” “ho Pater”.

So the claims made about “ho” and “ton” are not true. The use of a different article before Logos as opposed to Theos does not indicate that Jesus the Word cannot be God.

This is exactly how the Muslim man wrote those words to me.
Thanks a lot for your answer,
God bless you

 

[vames]

Ho = O = definite article in Greek when a masculine noun is in nominative (like in “God is praised”)
Ton = definite article when a masculine noun is in accusative (like in “I praise God”)
So the variation between “ho” and “ton” has to do only with simple grammar. “Theos” is the same noun.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Justy,

The Muslims are frantic about anything that might point to the divinity of Christ or about Christ claiming to be God. If Jesus is God then he is above Mohammed and Mohammed is a fraud. On the other hand, if Christ is lying about his divinity, then he is not a holy prophet, and the Koran is wrong to call him a prophet.

Another angle they take is to reject our scriptures altogether, because they have been corrupted by translation and other factors.

Dont’t strain your brain trying to convince him. We are witnesses to Christ’s resurrection and this is all we need to know.

Verbum