Every knee will bow and every tongue confess.
The Trinitarian Claim
Trinitarians claim that Philippians 2:9-11 and Romans 14:11 indicate that Jesus is YAHWEH.
The Claim vs. The Facts
The Scriptural facts show us that bowing down before God the Father's Anointed One is to bow down before God the Father Himself because His Anointed One executes the authority of His throne.
The Problem with the Claim
1. Isaiah 45:23
"[YAHWEH]: I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
Trinitarians claim that Jesus must necessarily be identified as YAHWEH at Philippians 2:9-11 and Romans 14:11 because Isaiah 45:23 is being quoted in both of these verses and YAHWEH is speaker at Isaiah 45:23.
For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:9-12).
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The problem here is a complete failure to recognize that bowing down before God's delegated authority is bowing down before God Himself.
2. The Name Above Every Name
Some attempt to claim the name which God bestowed upon Jesus is "Jesus." However, it should be obvious to anyone that it is absurd to suggest the name bestowed upon Jesus is "Jesus." He already had that name:
She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name "Jesus," for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21).
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. (Luke 1:31).
At Acts 2:36, we read that God made Jesus "Lord" when He raised him from the dead. He had inherited a better name than the angels (Hebrews 1:4). The name above every name which God gave to Jesus is "Lord" which is a reference to the authority God gave to Jesus to execute, the authority of God's throne.
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knew will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3. To the glory of the Father
Carefully regard what the words actually say at Philippians 2:11, "to the glory of the Father." Does it say, "to the glory of Jesus?" No, it says "to the glory of the Father." Why? Because it is the Father who raised up Jesus and it is the Father who appointed the man Jesus through whom He, the Father, will judge the world. It is God the Father who makes all these things happen to his glory.
4. God will Judge through a Man
On judgment day, God the Father will be judging all men. The Bible tells us that the way he will go about doing it is by means of a man, Jesus, whom he has appointed to do His judging on His behalf.
God 6 who will render to every soul according to his works on the day when, according to my Gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Romans 2:5-16.
And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Acts 10:42.
Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which HE will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31).
Carefully notice who is doing the judging. God the Father is doing the judging. But how is God the Father doing the judging? He is judging by means of a man he has appointed. This man, Jesus, is executing God the Father's authority and judging in the name of the Father.
For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the son also to have life in himself; and He gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:26-28.
Analysis of the Facts
1. Psalm 110:1 - When God made him Lord
At Romans 14:9-11 and Philippians 2:9-11, let the read observe how all will bow before Jesus because he is Lord. In Acts 2:36, Peter explains clearly what is meant by the term "Lord" with respect to Jesus. He does this by quoting Psalm 110:1 and then explains that this Psalm was fulfilled when God raised Jesus from the dead.
Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.
Jesus is the second Lord in the Psalm, "The Lord said to my Lord." In the original Hebrew text it actually says, "YHWH said to my Lord." However the Jews would not utter the divine name and would say rather, "Adonai said to adoni." When you see the word "Lord" written in caps as the "LORD" it indicates that the original Hebrew text said YAHWEH rather than "LORD" or "Lord." However, the second "Lord" is adoni and not "YAHWEH."
At Acts 2, Peter illustrates that Jesus is the second "Lord" of Psalm 110:1. The first "Lord" is YAHWEH. It is YAHWEH who made Jesus "Lord." And since the original Hebrew text at Psalm 110:1 does not indicate the second Lord is YAHWEH, we clearly see that it is a prophetic Psalm, just as Peter indicates, which was fulfilled only when God raised Jesus from the dead and made him "Lord", that is, "Adoni." This shows us plainly that we are not to understand that Jesus is YAHWEH himself but the one YAHWEH made "Lord" to rule and judge in his place having been seated on his throne.
2. God's Anointed One
God gets things done by means of His Anointed One, His Christ. For example, the Bible shows us that God ruled and judged Israel through His Anointed, King David (see 2 Samuel 23:1, lit. "Christ of God."). David was the Lord (Kyrios) of Israel. So we see, for example, that Yahweh was the Lord of Israel and David was the Lord of Israel (1 Kings 1:36). The authority structure with God and Jesus is exactly the same. God made David the Lord of Israel and now God has made David's son Jesus the Lord of all the world. We would not assume that David is Yahweh because God had made him Lord.
For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, " As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:9-11.
3. God's Authority Structure
Pharaoh made Joseph the Lord of all Egypt (Ps 105:21) and all were to bow down to him (Genesis 41:40-43). Only in the throne was Pharaoh great than Joseph. This means Joseph was given the right to execute Pharaoh's authority, not his own authority. His authority was the authority signified by the throne of Pharaoh. To bow down before Joseph was to bow down before Pharaoh, not because Joseph is Pharaoh, but because Joseph executed Pharaoh's authority, the authority of Pharaoh's throne.
In the same way, God anointed David to sit on the throne of God (1 Chronicles 29:23) over the Kingdom of God (1 Chronicles 28:5). He was given the right to execute God's authority; this is what it means when it says he sat on the throne of Yahweh. Because David was God's representative authority, David was HOW God ruled over Israel. God had made him Lord of Israel (1 Kings 1:11, 36, 43, 47). For that reason, all the people of Israel bowed down before Yahweh and King David (1 Chronicles 29:20). To bow down before David was to bow down before Yahweh God because David was how Yahweh God ruled over them. God anointed David to be King for that purpose.
In the exact same way, God rules over all creation, through his anointed one Jesus. God had made David Lord of Israel and now God has made David's son Jesus Lord of all creation (Acts 2:33-36; see Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:4; 1 Peter 3:22). David's son, Jesus, even became superior to the angels (Hebrews 1:4; 1 Peter 3:22; cf. Col 1:16,18) because God subject everything to this human being (1 Cor 15:24-28; Hebrews 2:5-9). So to bow down before Jesus, is to bow down before God the Father because he executes God the Father's authority. As David was Lord of Israel, but not the same Lord as God, so also is Jesus made Lord and he is not the same Lord as God. Indeed, the Lord Jesus has a Lord and God (Matthew 11:25; Col 1:3; Eph 1:3, 17) but the Lord God, our Father, does not have a Lord or God. As David was one Lord and Yahweh was another, so also Jesus is one Lord, and God the Father is another. The Head of every man is Christ; the Head of Christ is God.
Conclusion
Because God the Father rules and judges by means of His Anointed One, to bow down before his Anointed One is to bow down before God the Father since His Anointed One, Jesus, was given the right to execute the Father's authority when God raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand making him Lord. God the Father is doing the judging and the way He will go about doing it is by means of a man He has appointed just as Pharaoh ruled Egypt by means of a man he appointed and Yahweh ruled Israel by means of a man He anointed to rule and judge His people.
Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which HE will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31).
Related Links:
Romans 10:13
Acts 2:21
Last Revision/Update: March 16, 2016
