Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

General discussions about Christianity including salvation, heaven and hell, Christian history and so on.
Post Reply
PetriFB
Familiar Member
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:33 am
Christian: No
Location: Finland

Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by PetriFB »

In modern times, among believers, there is an ever increasing number of arguments and teachings, according to which believers would be capable of doing qualitatively greater works than the Lord Jesus did. When we study this in regard to what the Bible in full says and witnesses about this topic, we can see that the disciples of the Lord Jesus are not capable of doing greater works, i.e. greater in power (the Holy Spirit) than what Jesus did. Instead, the word "greater" refers to powerful works that are done through the Holy Spirit and that are greater in number and done by a bigger number of people. Spend time in prayer and compare the present text to what the Bible teaches us.

More info: http://www.kotipetripaavola.com/canbeli ... usdid.html
Mallz
Advanced Senior Member
Posts: 809
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 8:34 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by Mallz »

Would be interested in all differing views on this subject, even if you have already talked to others about it ad nauseam. Everything and everyone please give your opinion. I've been testing this at work with my patients. I've seen many things, and from what I can gather (which I believe is incomplete) a broken body can not only produce a saved spirit, but save the spirits of those around them...
abelcainsbrother
Ultimate Member
Posts: 5016
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2014 4:31 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Gap Theory

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by abelcainsbrother »

OK I'll take this on.I think that first off we need to take our denomination biased glasses off and to the best of our abilities go by God's word.There are Christians who believe that only the apostles had the anointing to do the works they did but that it only applied to the apostles and does not apply to us today. Then there are other Christians who believe Christians even today can have the very same annoiting that the apostles had and they try to show it off the problem I believe with the latter is abuse of the annointing and gifts,so much so that it has given it a bad name and so this has caused some to just avoid it all together.So I think first off you need to decide whether or not Christians even today can or cannot have the same annointing the apostles had and this will mostly determine how you come down on this issue.

I'm not dogmatic about this but I am going to try to make a case for why Christians can do greater works than Jesus did. I already know that many will not agree with me,but hear me out anyway and pray about it.

From the link :
Greater Works

John 14:12 ¶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater (meidzon) works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

The Greek original text has the word meidzon which means "greater", "more extensive" and "greater in number". Jesus said that after He has gone to His Father, those believing into Him will do more extensive works than what He did. When we look at what the Bible in full says about this subject, we can understand that this is the case because when the Lord Jesus died and ascended to Heaven at the right hand of God, God would do a greater number of works than Jesus did, and the works are more extensive because they are done through thousands and thousands of believers.
It seems to me that the author is denying what greater means,but it means greater,more extensive and greater in number. So according to this we should be able to do greater,more extensive and greater in number of works and this means greater works than Jesus did. The problem which is something the article points out is that since Jesus no Christian's so far have done greater works than Jesus did,including the apostles even. It has not happened yet,but could it? I tend to think so.

As long as the Christian does not abuse the gifts God gave him/her it would not make them greater than their Lord,only if they abused them would it apply.It could very well apply to last days Christians that we have not seen yet. Imagine an earthquake happens and the Christian says In the name of Jesus I want you to put that back exactly like it was and it happened. Could you imagine the people that would be reached by you preaching the gospel of Jesus,inviting people to be saved?

It could also be that it does not apply to us Christians but the two witnesses the book of Revelation talks about that go out preaching the gospel and cannot be killed until their work is done.
Hebrews 12:2-3 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,despising the shame,and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2nd Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,lest the light of this glorious gospel of Christ,who is the image of God,should shine unto them.
User avatar
Philip
Site Owner
Posts: 9405
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:45 pm
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Day-Age
Location: Betwixt the Sea and the Mountains

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by Philip »

Christians of TODAY clearly do not have some of the powerful sign gifts that the apostles did!
User avatar
RickD
Make me a Sammich Member
Posts: 22063
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:59 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Day-Age
Location: Kitchen

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by RickD »

Philip wrote:Christians of TODAY clearly do not have some of the powerful sign gifts that the apostles did!
Philip,

I'm guessing you haven't met the Super Apostles yet.

Image
John 5:24
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.


“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
-Edward R Murrow




St. Richard the Sarcastic--The Patron Saint of Irony
User avatar
Philip
Site Owner
Posts: 9405
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:45 pm
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Day-Age
Location: Betwixt the Sea and the Mountains

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by Philip »

Philip wrote:Christians of TODAY clearly do not have some of the powerful sign gifts that the apostles did!
Philip,

I'm guessing you haven't met the Super Apostles yet.

Image

:esurprised: :shock: :esurprised: :shock: :esurprised: :shock:

Ooh, that date: 10-10-10 - that just "happens" to be THE very day I turned 52. And you know what 5+2 is - yeah, a Biblical number symbolizing an important completed sequence of significance. And 5x2=10 - and I was born 10-10. Wow, maybe the Super Apostles are speaking to me - so weird. Maybe I was wrong about them? Or just maybe, I've become exceptionally gullible and easily fooled into looking for signs were there are absolutely NONE! y:-? :pound: I bet the only miracles that happened at that conference are that a lot of peoples' cash disappeared! :roll:
User avatar
RickD
Make me a Sammich Member
Posts: 22063
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:59 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male
Creation Position: Day-Age
Location: Kitchen

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by RickD »

Philip wrote:
Philip wrote:Christians of TODAY clearly do not have some of the powerful sign gifts that the apostles did!
Philip,

I'm guessing you haven't met the Super Apostles yet.

Image

:esurprised: :shock: :esurprised: :shock: :esurprised: :shock:

Ooh, that date: 10-10-10 - that just "happens" to be THE very day I turned 52. And you know what 5+2 is - yeah, a Biblical number symbolizing an important completed sequence of significance. And 5x2=10 - and I was born 10-10. Wow, maybe the Super Apostles are speaking to me - so weird. Maybe I was wrong about them? Or just maybe, I've become exceptionally gullible and easily fooled into looking for signs were there are absolutely NONE! y:-? :pound: I bet the only miracles that happened at that conference are that a lot of peoples' cash disappeared! :roll:
Psalms 105:15

Thou really should not touch the lord's anointed. Brother Benny may place a curse on you.
John 5:24
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.


“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
-Edward R Murrow




St. Richard the Sarcastic--The Patron Saint of Irony
jpbg33
Senior Member
Posts: 608
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:04 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by jpbg33 »

people can not do greater works then Jesus, but God can work through people to do greater works than Jesus did while He was on earth.
User avatar
melanie
Esteemed Senior Member
Posts: 1417
Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 3:18 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Female

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by melanie »

I think it's a totally humananstic trait to gauge goodness as greater than....
That in itself answers the question.
No
Did Jesus prance around trying to do better than?
He wasn't trying to one up anyone for brownie points
There was no need to prove His greatness,
Jesus' most prolific moments were shown in humility and sacrifice
Our redemption was on the back literally of His greatness shown through a beaten man, with a crown of thorns as He was nailed to a cross.
The reality of understanding what God could have done and perhaps should have done in that moment but instead He bleed to death.
None of us could even fathom in all our arrogance what it required to be our sacrificial Lamb. To endure the most painful and humilating deaths that we might LIVE.
We could never come close to emulating that;
All we can do is honour and praise a Saviour that deemed us worthy.
jpbg33
Senior Member
Posts: 608
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:04 am
Christian: Yes
Sex: Male

Re: Can believers do greater works than Jesus did?

Post by jpbg33 »

I am not saying that people are greater then Jesus, but Christians will do the same works as Jesus, and not only the same but greater works through the power of God not of our selves.

Joh_14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Post Reply