05-11-2014, 02:31 AM
It's merely referring to him by the title he would later take. It's like saying, "In the days of President George Washington were the French and Indian Wars." George Washington was not yet president, but the statement is still not historically inaccurate. Read this quote from the writings of the Apostle Paul:
"And think ye so in yourselves, as Jesus the Messiah also thought; who, as he was in the likeness of God, deemed it no trespass to be the coequal of God; yet divested himself, and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man; and he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, also, God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [beings] in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus the Messiah is the Lord, to the glory of God his Father."- Philippians 2:5-11, Murdock's Translation of the Peshitta
Notice that Paul refers to Jesus as the Messiah before His incarnation. "Messiah" means "the Anointed", but before His incarnation, Jesus existed as the Miltha, the very manifestation and Word of Yahweh Himself. Prior to the incarnation, Jesus is only deity, so He cannot be anointed. Does this mean that Paul's statement is incorrect? No, this is the Person who became Christ Jesus when He became flesh. Abiathar can be referred to as the high priest even when referring to a time before he took office.
"And think ye so in yourselves, as Jesus the Messiah also thought; who, as he was in the likeness of God, deemed it no trespass to be the coequal of God; yet divested himself, and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man; and he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, also, God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [beings] in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus the Messiah is the Lord, to the glory of God his Father."- Philippians 2:5-11, Murdock's Translation of the Peshitta
Notice that Paul refers to Jesus as the Messiah before His incarnation. "Messiah" means "the Anointed", but before His incarnation, Jesus existed as the Miltha, the very manifestation and Word of Yahweh Himself. Prior to the incarnation, Jesus is only deity, so He cannot be anointed. Does this mean that Paul's statement is incorrect? No, this is the Person who became Christ Jesus when He became flesh. Abiathar can be referred to as the high priest even when referring to a time before he took office.