And the patriarchs, having envied Joseph, sold him into Egypt. But God was with him. Acts 7:9
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him. Acts 10:38
Does the phrase mean the same thing... is God with Joseph any different to being with Jesus?
The short answer is no. It means the same thing. In other words God is with "him/us" by dealing with us as a people and individually.
Even when God is not with "us" He is still involved with us. Case and point is at Exodus 33:3, "Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will NOT go up in your midst, because (or why?) you are an obstinate people, lest I destroy you on the way."
In regards to Acts 7:9 Stephen made a strong contrast the way Joseph's brothers treated him and the way God treated him. God delivered Joseph out of all his afflictions and distressing circumstances.
What about Acts 10:38? Peter stated that this Jesus went about doing good/kind deeds and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. God not only sent Jesus, He continued to be with Him in all His ministry so His miracles showed the goodness and kindness of God as well as God's power in every realm, thus giving proof that God was with Him.
This "God with Him" proves and gives credibility to the Son of God's mission as the appointed Christ/Messiah. Also, Jesus Christ was truly "God with us" as stated at Matthew 1:23.
The well regarded answer (3 votes for 36 views) says that God was with Jesus just as He was with Joseph etc. Yet presents a paradox saying, that ‘Jesus was truly God’.
Was God with Himself?
The apparent paradox is often deflected by saying, ‘it is a mystery’.
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
Ok, so God is anointing God too I imagine. With the holy spirit no less. How can God, aka Jesus, have need of the holy spirit?
And with power!
I imagine that Jesus (God) must have emptied himself of being God, and needed some power back again.
Based on there being not a solitary verse that says Jesus was/is God, we should take the scripture as delivered. We all must discern God's word from all the other teachings.
Jesus, the one sent by God, depending on God for everything, actually needed God’s provisions to do what he was sent (by God) to do. Just as Joseph had a job to do, a role to fill, he was commissioned, equipped and blessed to do the role so appointed.
The ‘well regarded’ answer did say they were the same - no difference. Jesus and Joseph both had 'God with them'. Joseph wasn’t God anymore than Jesus was. Jesus as the second Adam wasn’t God anymore than the first Adam.
The second Adam had a mission to finish the first Adam failed at - obeying God. Does Jesus as God obey himself? This sounds absurd, so someone invented two natures for Jesus so he could be man and God at the same time and operate out of one nature only when it suited him.
There is no mystery.
For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him. John 3:2
Acts 2:22 Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. Acts 2:22
I am not alone, because the Father is with me. John 16:32
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me Matt 28:18
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works John 14:10
Joseph, a type of Jesus who led God’s people into the promised land, was also a man and God was with him. According to the scriptures, Jesus was also a man who had God with him. No mystery at all.
