Loki,
No, I am not a Jehovah's Witness (but do appreciate their pacifistic approach and their beliefs against pledging allegiance to a kingdom of this world except for that of Jesus).
As far as the scripture that you quoted from the Gospel of John, I just don't give the proclamations of this gospel a lot of weight since it has so many variations from the synoptic gospels. (Just one example: Jesus always tells people not to go around telling everybody when he performs a miracle in the Synoptics, in the Gospel of John it is the opposite.) As I already outlined in a very recent response to TS Joshua (which, if you don't mind, I would rather not restate), there are some additional reasons that I don't strongly consider Jesus' claims to equality with God from this gospel.
Looking at other scriptures mentioned:
Matthew 12:28 "But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."
He has the power to drive out demons just as many Christians say they can, and I think I believe they do, today. Where is that equality with God?
Matthew 13:41 I read it then read down to 13:43 "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
Why not say the "shine like the sun in the kingdom of the "Son of Man" or even "Son of God"? (The latter showing his divine mission vs. his earthly mission)
Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
An outright statement of his equality with God? A suggestion of earthly authority is not tantamount to equality with God.
Jesus claimed to forgive sin. In Mark 2:5 Jesus said, " My son, your sins are forgiven." The reaction to these words by the scribes give us a clue as to what Jesus was really saying. Jesus claiming to forgive sin was a claim to be God. Look at the Jews reaction. "It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
To be sure, this is the best argument you have. But try to remember the backdrop. The Jews of this generation's sins are loathe to treat the poor in their communities with any decency. They believed that, by virtue of their poverty and illness, they were obviously deep in sin. Jesus came to rock this boat.
Also, consider this from a Catholic website about the role of confession and MAN'S ability to play a role in helping to carry out the forgiveness of sin on earth:
"The Catholic Church traces the practice of confession to Christ, who after his resurrection told his disciples: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven" (John 20:22-23). It's from this verse that the Catholic Church derives the authority of a priest to hear the confession of another person.
But hearing is different from forgiving. "No Catholic believes a priest simply as an individual man, however pious or learned, has power to forgive sins," writes Edward Hanna in The Catholic Encyclopedia. "This power belongs to God alone; but he can and does exercise it through the ministration of men."
...and so Jesus was doing no more than establishing (the Catholics would say) a model for the forgiveness of sins. It was so key to Jesus' message that people be willing to forgive each other, for it is through this forgiveness that people find release and joy again.
One thing I did Loki, after reading your last post is I decided to take another look through the Synoptic Gospels to see what my overall impression was. While there were a few spots that gave me pause about my position, there were really three times as many that made me say (to you in absence) "See, he is a mediator, a go between."
I know you have already responded to Muslims on these scriptures that I am bringing up. But he says things like (bear with me, I can't find either Bible in the house so I am working from memory) "don't call me good, only God is". Time and time again, his power is "given" to him.
Again and again, when he is addressing his disciples he makes a double link. Through the disciples, the people would come to know Jesus, which in turn, would know the Father. Though it sounds like it makes your point, the way it is phrased makes it sound as if the important part of it is always God, not him.
Okay, I found one from my computer program:
"Mr 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me,
receiveth not me, but
him that sent me."
There is another:
"Mr 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."
And there are others. But again, my overall impression was one of divine mediator, not someone equal with God.
God Bless,
Peace to God's People