= Jesus the Mediator
A fundamental doctrine of Christanity is that Jesus is a mediator and therefore Christianity is idolatry.

== 1. Establishment of the Christian Doctrine as Central
This is a core and fundamental doctrine

<blockquote>
5 For there is one God, **and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus,** 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.<cite>1 Timothy 2:5-7 (ESV)</cite></blockquote>

Timothy is clear here, that not only is Jesus a mediator, but the function of his mediation is to have given himself as a ransom.

== 2. Mediation in the Hebrew
We begin with Job 33. The contention for a mediator is found in v. 13 and defined in the following passages:

* 13 Why do you contend against him, saying, ‘He will answer none of man's[a] words’?[b]

This vehicle is defined as mediator for the purpose of atonement, salvation, or forgiveness:

* 23 If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,
* 24 and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;
* 25 let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
* 26 then man[d] prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.
* 27 He sings before men and says: "I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me.
* 28 He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light."

Some people may look at this and insert Jesus into the passage, but verse 29-33 prevents this as a misinterpretation:

* 29 “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man,
* 30 to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.
* 31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
* 32 If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.
* 33 If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
    
Therefore, the statement of mediation in the Hebrew is consistant with the Christian concept of mediation in terms of atonement -- even though it is not a form of //vicarious// atonement -- the purpose of God's mediation here is to remove people's sins. This is thus defined as within the realm of God's standard relationship with people in a pre-Christian world.

== 3. Mediation as Atonement, Forgiveness, Salvation in the Hebrew
Given the above that the fundamental purpose of the mediator is atonement, forgiveness, salvation -- and the vehicle by which is the ability to communicate with God (ex. Job 33:13) we may now examine verses which discuss the nature (the vehicle and process by which) atonement, or salvation, or forgiveness from sin is achieved in the Hebrew.

* I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no saviour. (Hosea 14:4)
* For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. (Isaiah 43:3)
* I and I alone am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:11)

<blockquote>6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.[a] Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.

8 Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."<cite>Isaiah 44:6-8 (ESV)</cite></blockquote>

God's word is very clear that there is no other being than himself with the function of a "mediator" in the sense of sin and atonement. It is specified there is no "rock", no "other" by which the function of mediator is fulfilled. In fact the idea here is not that God fulfills a role of mediator, but that there //is no such role// (no rock) by which it is achieved -- God himself is the savior.

=== In the commandments:
Exodus 20:3 states "lō yih·yeh- lə·ḵā ’ĕ·lō·hîm ’ă·ḥê·rîm ‘al- pā·nā·ya,":
* lō yih·yeh- lə·ḵā -- **You shall not have**
* ’ĕ·lō·hîm -- **Any "elohim"**
* ’ă·ḥê·rîm ‘al- pā·nā·ya, **before my face.**

This is a deep reading of the commandment proper as it was taught to the Israelites, in Hebrew, by God. The term elohim here means any such god, gods, or even God -- before //his face// -- and the standard reading here is that since God is omnipresent, even in one's mind, one may not even entertain the concept that any such power may exist in the universe, which is capable of challenging God.

Thus the concept that there is some personage, or being, or object, or anything other than simply stated, God the Father -- who is responsible for sin and atonement, is a heresy. Especially such a concept by which one must direct prayer or worship for any reason, not limited to being merely for the purpose of transmitting the prayer to God.

The standard example here is the story of the Golden Calf; Exodus 32:1 is received as, "Since the people feared that Moses would not come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together against Aaron and said to him, 'Quickly, make us gods who shall go before us to replace Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt; for we do not know what has become of him.'"