Jesus Christ Is God

If one were to ask a panel of religious experts of differing faiths what God is like and how God has revealed Himself, one could expect as many different opinions as there were panel members. The answers of some of them would contradict the answers of others. If we make the assumption that truth is not relative, they could not all be right. For example, if one says that God is personal and another that God is impersonal, then obviously one of them is wrong. 

Who can say for sure what God is like? The only One who can say for sure is God Himself. 

So then, what if one of the panel members stood up and said, "To clear up all the confusion about God, I announce to you that I AM GOD! I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life! ? 

This gets into the verifiable. Either this man is psychotic, with delusions of grandeur, or a deceiver out to pull off the greatest hoax of all time – or he is God. 

That is the type of claim Jesus made for Himself. 

To say that Jesus was "just "  a good moral man or a good teacher is out of the question. Good moral men don't make a practice of lying, either intentionally or unintentionally, especially about being God Almighty. They don't set themselves up as the object of faith and worship, and have countless thousands die for belief in their name. With these l thoughts in mind, let us look at some ways we can determine the truth about God. 

 God Is Revealed

 The present authors believe God has revealed Himself in various ways, but each of them can be objectively tested by His two supreme revelations,  the Bible and the person of Jesus. 

First, concerning the Bible. Unlike many other sacred writings the Bible claims unequivocally to be the Word of God. Most people concerned with the issue of Christ's divinity accept the Bible as inspired.  So, for the purposes of this book, we are going to assume that the Bible is historically reliable, God's Word to us, and the one true guide for determining whether or not Christ is God incarnate. 

Let us be very candid on why we feel this particular point is so important. The vast majority of religious groups which deny the deity of Christ, while giving lip service to the Bible, usually elevate other  "sacred" writings, teachings or revelations to a position above the Bible. In doing so, they often deny or contradict the very thing they claim to uphold, the main historical source of all Jesus' teachings, the New Testament. (Why claim to be "Christian," or sympathetic to Christianity, unless one is willing to give credence to what Jesus really taught?) 

Some say the Bible has gotten watered down through the centuries making the need for new revelations necessary, but that is not a tenable position either. There are over 24,600 partial or complete manuscripts of the New Testament. (The second-best documented manuscript of ancient history is the Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer. It has only 643 manuscripts.) Even if all of the New Testament manuscripts were destroyed, we could still reconstruct all of the New Testament, with the exception of about eleven verses, from the writings of the early church fathers, all done before the year A.D.  325. Even non-Christian historians have to admit that by all scientific and historical standards applied to any ancient document, the New Testament is over ninety-nine percent accurate. Anyone can dispute its message, not so its historicity.' 

The Bible claims to be the final authority for determining matters of doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16,17). For Christians, any book or writing or teaching that would change the content of the Bible is to be rejected.  Scripture is emphatic on this point. Jude wrote, 

I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"  (Jude 3). Scripture makes no allowance for further teachings that would alter or add to the Bible. Paul said, "... even though we,  or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed"  (Galatians 1:8, compare Revelation 22.19; Deuteronomy 4 2). 

If other sources are to make claims of divine inspiration, as the Bible does, then they must be measured in light of the Bible. God cannot contradict Himself. Thus, whatever these later speakers or writers claim must not contradict the Bible, which we already know to be true. If they do, it becomes clear that they are not speaking by God's inspiration either verbally or in written form. 

In considering the deity of Christ, the issue is not whether the deity of Christ is easy to believe or even to understand, but whether it is taught in God's Word.  If at first the idea appears incompatible with human reason or understanding, that does not automatically rule out the possibility of its being true. Our universe is full of things (like gravity, the nature of light, quasars) that are beyond human understanding at this time, but nonetheless true. The Bible teaches that God is incomprehensible to human minds (Job 11:7;  42:2-6; Psalm 145:3; Isaiah 40:13; 55:8, 9; Romans u:33). Therefore, God must be allowed to have the final word on Himself, whether we can fully understand it or not. 

Concerning God's revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus, Scripture says, 

 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1: 1-3) . 

 Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. He reveals the Father. When one of his followers said, "Show us the Father" (John 14:8), Jesus answered "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me...? He who has seen Me has seen the Father   (v.9). The apostle Paul called Jesus the "image of the invisible God"  (Colossians 1:15). Thus,  as will be discussed in this book, to look at Jesus and listen to Him is the same as looking at and listening to God. 

 What Are the Issues?

 If Christ was God in the form of a man, then He,  as no other human being in history, is to be listened to, revered, and even worshiped. It would mean that the God who created the galaxies, nebuli, and quasars, who cast billions of suns into the heavens,  that God became a man lived and walked on this earth and died in submission to His own creation.  His death would mean infinitely more than the death of a good man. It would be the supreme sacrifice of all time, a manifestation of unfathomable love. To

treat Jesus as a mere man (or even a god) under such circumstances would be blasphemy To fail to adjust one's life to His teaching would be to miss life itself. 

On the other hand, if Jesus were not God but a lower created being, one might feel gratitude for His life, death, and teachings. But to worship Him as God would be a tremendous mistake; He would be no more than an idol occupying the place of God. The

Bible is clear about idolatry. God says that He will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8; 48:u), that there are no other gods (or Gods) beside Himself (Isaiah 45:5, 21, 22; Jeremiah iO:6, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6), and that we are to worship God alone (Deuteronomy 6:13,  14; Matthew 4:10). So, either Jesus is God or He is not.  To believe in Him wrongly is a form of either blasphemy or idolatry. 

This discussion can get complicated, depending on what a person has been taught. Arguments can  be made both for and against the deity of Christ. For  example, if one has been taught that God is one person and that Jesus is a created being, then on first reading, Bible verses can be found to support that view On the other hand, if one has been taught that God is one supreme being comprised of Father, Son,  and Holy Spirit, and that the Son gave up His position of equality within the godhead to become a man in  the person of Jesus, then Scripture passages can be found to support that view So, the question is not whether either position has an apparent case to make, but rather, which has the best evidence?  Which one does Scripture actually teach? 

In considering the two sides, we believe that we are able to give more than adequate responses to all verses used to argue that Jesus is not God. We will show that Scripture ascribes to Jesus every major name, attribute, and title of God: We will show from

Scripture that Jesus received worship and prayer and we will give answers to all major counter-arguments.  We will document from church history (prior to the Nicene Council in A.D. 325 at which time this became the official position of the church) that belief in Jesus'  divinity has always been the orthodox view

Obviously both views cannot be right. It would be much easier if it were only a matter of sincerity, but it is not. It is a matter of which is true (Romans 10:2). 

 Definition of Terms

 Adequate definitions of the nature of God, the nature of the Trinity, and the person and nature of Jesus Christ are prerequisite to understanding the many Scriptures concerning the deity of Christ. 

1. God: The Scriptures teach that God is personal,  intelligent, loving, just, faithful, eternal, creative, and in dynamic interaction with His creation. The attributes of God can be summarized into two groups:  general attributes and moral attributes. Robert Passantino states, "God (according to His general attributes) is unique, eternal, immutable, omnipotent,  omniscient, omnipresent, triune, spirit, and personal."3 He continues, "The moral attributes of God include his holiness, righteousness, love and truth"4  Christianity teaches that God sustains and sovereignly rules the universe in the present, and,  as we will try to show became incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. 

2. Trinity: Out of all reality or existence, only God is tripersonal or triune. When we say that God is triune, we are labeling the view of God derived from a panorama of Scripture passages that describe the personal nature of God. By triune, from which the word Trinity comes, we mean that God is consistently revealed as subsisting eternally as three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). These three persons make up the Godhead, yet there is only one

God. 

We do not mean: 

(1) There is one God and three gods. 

(2) There is one God and one person with three names

or modes or manifestations. 

(3) There is one God and one person who became

three separate and successive persons. 

(4) There are three gods who are in one "family. 

(5) The one God is schizophrenic. 

 The biblical doctrine of the Trinity can be summarized as follows. 

The one true God, as already established (Isaiah 43:10; Deuteronomy 6:4), is made up of Father, Son,  and Holy Spirit. Each member of the godhead is called "God in the Bible. The Father bears the name God (Galatians 1:1, Titus 1:4; etc.). The Son, or Word (logos), is repeatedly called God in verses like John 1:1, 14; Acts 20:28; John 20:28; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8, etc. The Holy Spirit is identified as God in various Scriptures (Acts 5:3-c; l John 4:2, 3; Hebrews 10:15,  16). The concept of the unity within the Trinity is seen in a verse such as Matthew 28:19, where the Father,  Son, and Holy Spirit comprise one "name" (singular in Greek). 

For the purposes of this book we are not attempting to defend the doctrine of the Trinity. Once a person comes to believe in the divinity of Christ, belief in God's existence as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is usually not a problem For the person wanting to research what the Bible says on the Trinity, many verses can be studied (Matthew 3:16, 17; Mark 1:9-11;  Luke 1:35; 3:21, 22; John 3:34-36; 14:26; 16:13-15; Acts 2:32, 33; 38, 39; Romans 15:16, 30; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6; 13:l4; Ephesians 1:3-14;  2:18-22; 3:14-17; 4:4-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, l4; 1 Timothy 3:15, 16' Hebrews 9:14; 10:7; 10-15; 1PCtCf 1:2;  to name a few). 

3. Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is both a name and a title. The name Jesus is derived from the Greek form of the name Jeshua or Joshua meaning "Jehovah-Savior" or "the Lord saves." The title Christ is derived from the Greek word for Messiah (or the Hebrew Mashiach – Daniel 9:26) and means "anointed one." Two offices, king and priest, are involved in the use of the title Christ. That title points to Jesus as the promised priest and king of Old Testament prophecies. 

Beyond that, we believe that Jesus possesses two natures, the human and the divine; thus we hold the view that Jesus is fully God (in nature) and yet fully human – God revealed in human form. 

The Bible describes Jesus' dual nature as both God and man like this: 

 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God (His divine nature), did not regard equality with God [the Father) a thing to be grasped [held on to), but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant (form number two, his human nature), and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God [the Father) highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow (worship), of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [God the Son), to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). 

 With these working definitions of God, the Trinity,  and Jesus, we will try to answer one more question before we begin looking at the scriptural evidence for the deity of Christ. 

 Why Would God Become a Man?

 How can finite human beings such as ourselves understand an infinite God? It would be hard for any of us to comprehend abstractions like truth,  goodness, or beauty apart from visible examples of them We come to know beauty as it is seen in a beautiful object, goodness as it is focused in a good person, and so forth. But what about God? How could anyone grasp what God is like? 

We could to some extent if somehow God focused Himself in a form that human beings could understand – by being another human. Although that man in his lifetime would not express the eternalness and omnipresence of God (there would be neither time nor space for that), that man could visibly express the nature of God. 

That is the message of the New Testament. Paul said that in Christ "all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Jesus became human so that human beings could have some understanding of the infinite God. 

A second reason God chose to become a man was to bridge the gulf between God and humankind.  If Jesus had been "only" a man or a created being,  then the hugeness of the gulf between God and humanity – the infinite and the finite, the Creator and the created, the Holy and the unholy – would have remained. For us to be able to know God, God had to step down to us. No created being could have bridged the gigantic gap between God and human beings, any more than a piece of clay could aspire to understand and reach the level of the sculptor. Out of love, God took that step down to us. He wanted to open a way that all might come to know Him