The Deity of Christ
Since the Deity of Christ is such a fundamental and foundational doctrine of Biblical Christianity and essential to our salvation, I felt it was very important to include this study on Earnestly Contending.
It all boils down to one of two options: Either Jesus Christ is God or He is not.
Consider the following:
If He is not God manifest in the flesh (as the Bible clearly teaches), then the Bible is a lie.
If He is not God manifest in the flesh, and we worship Him as the Bible says to do, then not only is the Bible a lie, but we are committing idolatry.
If He is God and we do not worship Him as God Almighty, as the Bible commands us, then we cannot be saved the Biblical way, for Christ said “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I Am He, ye shall die in your sins. John 8:24
If we don’t accept the Bible as absolute truth and our sole authority, then we have no final authority at all, and how can we be sure of anything?
If the Bible is our final authority, then we must accept what it says in all matters, including the Deity of Christ. We must learn to apply 2 Timothy 2:15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
This study is not meant by any means to be a complete exposition on the fact that Jesus Christ was God come in the flesh , but I hope that it will be a help to all who seek to understand this truth, or to get a better grasp on this important doctrine.
Index
1. Old Testament And New Testament Comparisons
Old Testament Titles For God Applied To Jesus Christ
2. The Old Testament Prophets Foretold The Messiah Would Be God
3. Christ Was Proclaimed To Be God At His Birth
4. Jesus Claimed To Be God, And He Accepted Worship From Men
5. The New Testament Writers Said Jesus Christ Is God
6. Every Man And Angel Will Worship Jesus Christ
7. He Is Called LORD663 Times In The New Testament
Who Says Jesus Christ Is God?
They Worshipped Jesus
Jesus Christ Accepted Worship
What About Verses Which Seem To Say That Jesus Is Less Than The Father?
Excerpted from Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity,
David W. Cloud Way Of Life Literature
The fact that Jesus Christ is fully God
is proven by the following Bible passages:
1. Everything Said About God In The Old Testament
Is Also Said About Jesus Christ In The New Testament:
Old Testament Titles For God Applied To Jesus Christ:
Title:
1. Stone of Stumbling
2. Creator
3. Only Savior
4. King of Kings
5. Alpha and Omega
6. Good Shepherd
7. Every knee bow
8. Judge
9. Reigning
Jehovah God:
1. Isaiah 8:13-15
2. Isaiah 44:24
3. Isaiah 43:11
4. Psalm 95:3
5. Isaiah 44:6
6. Isaiah 40:10-11
7. Isaiah 45:23
8. Isaiah 24:20-21
9. Isaiah 24:23
Jesus Christ:
1. 1 Peter 2:6-8
2. Colossians 1:16
3. 2 Timothy 1:10
4. 1 Timothy 6:14-15
5. Revelation 1:7-18
6. John 10:11
7. Philippians 2:10-11
8. Colossians 1:17
9. Matthew 25:31
2. The Old Testament Prophets Foretold
The Messiah Would Be God:
Compare:
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
3. Christ Was Proclaimed
To Be God At His Birth:
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Luke 1:17 And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David:
Luke 1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways;
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
4. Jesus Claimed To Be God,
And He Accepted Worship From Men:
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.
Matthew 9:18 While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.
Matthew 15:25 Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.
Matthew 20:20 Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him.
Matthew 28:17 And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted.
Mark 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him,
Luke 24:52 And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
John 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him.
John 10:30-33 I and My Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me? The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.
John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto Him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am. Then took they up stones to cast at Him: but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.
5. The New Testament Writers Said
Jesus Christ Is God:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.
Acts 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all:)
Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Colossians 2:9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
1 Timothy 1:15-17 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
1 Timothy 6:14-16 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
6. Every Man And Angel
Will Worship Jesus Christ:
Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Hebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.
If Jesus were not God He could not receive worship:
Exodus 20:3-5 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me;
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
7. He Is Called LORD663 Times
In The New Testament:
The Greek word kurios is the equivalent of the Hebrew adonai and is so used by Jesus in Mt. 22:43-45. The great use of kurios is as the divine title of Jesus, the Christ. In this sense it occurs in the New Testament 663 times. That the intent is to identify Jesus Christ with the Old Testament. Deity is evident from:
Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.
Matthew 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Matthew 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Psalm 118:26 Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
Matthew 22:43-45 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto My Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool? If David then call Him Lord, how is He His son?
Luke 1:4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am.
John 14:8-10 Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.
Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee.
Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee.
All divine names and titles are applied to Him. He is called God, the mighty God, the great God, God over all; Jehovah; Lord; the Lord of lords and King of kings. All divine attributes are ascribed to Him. He is declared to be omnipresent, omniscient, almighty, and immutable, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is set forth as the creator and upholder and ruler of the universe. All things were created by Him and for Him; and by Him all things consist. He is the object of worship to all intelligent creatures, even the highest; all the angels are commanded to prostrate themselves before Him. He is the object of all the religious sentiments; of reverence, love, faith, and devotion. To Him men and angels are responsible for their character and conduct. He required that men should honor Him as they honored the Father; that they should exercise the same faith in Him that they do in God. He declares that He and the Father are one, that those who had seen Him had seen the Father also. He calls all men unto him; promises to forgive their sins; to send them the Holy Spirit; to give them rest and peace; to raise them up at the last day; and to give them eternal life. God is not more, and cannot promise more, or do more than Christ is said to be, to promise, and to do. He has, therefore, been the Christian’s God from the beginning, in all ages and in all places(Charles Hodge, quoted by John Walvoord, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, p. 31).
Who Says Jesus Christ Is God?
David called Him God (Matthew 22:43-45).
Isaiah called Him God (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6).
Jeremiah called Him God (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
Matthew called Him God (Matthew 1:23).
Christ called Himself God (John 5:17-18; 8:58-59; 10:30-33; Revelation 1:8).
The angels called Him God (Luke 2:11).
John called Him God (John 1:1; 1 John 3:16; 5:20).
The blind man called Him God (John 9:35-38).
Thomas called Him God (John 20:28).
Peter called Him God (Acts 10:34-36).
Paul called Him God (Acts 20:28; Philemon 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13).
God the Father called Him God (Hebrews 1:8-10).
They Worshipped Jesus:
The Bible teaches that it is idolatry and wickedness to worship any one or any thing other than the one True and Living God.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the Lord: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.
The Fact That Jesus Christ Accepted Worship Is Indisputable Evidence That He Is Almighty God:
The elect angels refuse to accept worship (Rev. 19:10).
The Apostles also refused worship (Acts 14:11-15).
The Lord Jesus Christ, though, was repeatedly worshipped by those who approached Him, and not once does the Bible record that He corrected or refused worship. He accepted the worship, because He is Almighty God, the Creator of all things, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.
Matthew 9:18 While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
Matthew14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.
Matthew15:25 Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.
Matthew 20:20 Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him.
Matthew 28:17 And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him : but some doubted.
Mark. 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him,
Luke 24:52 And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
John 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him.
Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father .
Hebrews 1:6-8 And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.
What About Verses Which Seem To Say That Jesus Is Less Than The Father?
Mark 13:32 is a key example of this: But of that day and that hour knoweth no man no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
1) The Lord Jesus Christ did not necessarily say that He did not know the hour of His coming. He might have been referring, rather, to the completeness of His union with and submission to the Father. Our Saviour does not deny that the knowledge of that day and hour dwells in fullest measure with the Son, but He mysteriously intimates (in conformity with what is found to have been His practice on many other occasions), that the Son Himself does but know because of His oneness with the Father, the Fountain-head of all knowledge and of all being, who had reserved that secret from the holy angels themselves. He knows because the Father knows. He would not know, if not (ie me) the Father knew (John William Burgon, cited by Edward Goulburn, John William Burgon: Late Dean of Chichester, 1892, II, pp. 171,72).
2) This verse is connected with the Lord’s kenosisspoken of in Philippians 2:7. In the incarnation, the Lord Jesus Christ made Himself of no reputation (Phil. 2:7). The Greek word is kenoo,meaning also to empty, to abase, to make of none effect(Strong’s). Kenosis is the Greek word which Paul used in describing the act of Christ in ˜emptying Himself of His infinite powers and heavenly glory out of place or too great to be used in the finite limitations and local form of the human life into which He came. In His kenosis, the Eternal Son dropped for the time being THE EXERCISE OF certain powers and attributes, but He remained Himself. He who lays these aside, is not Himself laid aside. He was still God the Son in holy will, divine desire, righteous purpose, and immaculate love. The infinity of powers not needed or suited within the narrow scope of a human life, He laid aside. Jesus himself taught this doctrine before Paul did. He referred more than once to His personal preexistence. Concerning His kenosis He said: ˜And now, 0 Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was’ (John 17:5). And again, ˜What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?’ (John 6:62)(John Champion, The Virgin’s Son, 1924, pp. 88,89). Modernists have misused the Philippians passage to claim it in support of their view that Jesus Christ is not God. We would again emphasize that the Lord Jesus Christ in no sense gave up His Deity in His incarnation. Philippians 2:5-8 says He was in the form of God and took the form of a servant. It was merely the form that He changed, not His Deity.
3) This verse is also connected with the Son’s submission to the Father. The Bible reveals the one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All are God and are co-equal, but there is an order within the Godhead, so that the Son submits to the Father. This is what we see in Mark 13:32. See the comments on 1 Corinthians 15:28. The reference is perfectly clear when one bears in mind the purpose of Mark’s Gospel – to portray Jesus as the faithful Servant of Jehovah. Christ says in John 15:15, ˜The servant knoweth not what his lord doeth.’ How significant that Mark, who presents Jesus as the perfect Servant, should record this statement about the hour of His return as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Matthew also makes a similar statement in Matthew 24:36; likewise, Luke, in Acts 1:7). In the aspect of His ministry as a Servant, our Lord made a voluntary surrender of certain knowledge, in order that He might walk the walk of faith, and thus be an object lesson to all believers. While He ever remained the eternal Son of God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father; yet as a Servant, He chose a limitation of His knowledge, bounded by the Father’s will(Louis Talbot, Bible Questions Explained, p. 38)
Christian Universities Anthem!
“If only the originals were inspired and without error what was the purpose of God giving us a perfect Bible and then losing it?”
When asked this question by a King James Bible believer (as a critique of the other’s position), a modern version proponent answered in this way. This is an actual post at one of the Bible clubs the writer (of the anthem) belongs to: His answer was this: “It was not lost. God simply did not preserve it in the way that you demand that He should have. Why do you question the will of God? It is preserved in 5000+ mss, 12000+ ancient versions, and 12000+ ancient witnesses.” In other words, God didn’t preserve His Word in a particular text or version, but in all extant manuscripts. To which the KJB believer posted this great little song:
Christian Universities Anthem!
Tune: from “An American Tale”
Somewhere out there, the Word of God exists;
Somewhere in those manuscripts all the words consist.
Somewhere out there in parchments worn and rare,
Lies a text that could be the next That would prove beyond compare!
Somewhere out there, the Word of God is true;
Somewhere in those pyramids it waits for me and you.
Somewhere out there beneath the sands of time,
There’s a scroll that could yet unroll And reveal God’s Word sublime!
Somewhere out there, the Word of God is sure;
Somewhere in old languages it rests so very pure.
Somewhere out there in variants so vast,
There’s a reading that we’re still a needing,
So we have God’s Word at last!
Refrain:
Oh just imagine what a wonder it would surely be
If we could have the Word of God completely error free!
If we believe our dreams can really come right shining through
hen we shall ever have our wish — the Word of God come true!
Somewhere out there the Word of God is found;
Somewhere in those autographs all the words are sound.
Somewhere out there if only where we knew,
We could cope with a ray of hope Out there — where dreams come true!
Song Written by Timothy D. Fellows, Jr.
Dedicated to my alma mater,
Bob Jones University,
which inspired its writing.
(Used With Permission)
By the way, we do have the complete inspired, inerrant, infallible, preserved Word of God for us in English – the King James Bible! Why settle for a dream, when you can have the reality in your hands – the living Word of God! Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
Isaiah 59:21 As for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.