October 6, 2005 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

The fact that Jesus Christ is fully God is proven by the following Bible passages:

1. EVERYTHING SAID ABOUT GOD IN THE O.T. IS ALSO SAID ABOUT JESUS IN THE N.T.

Title	Jehovah God	Jesus Christ
King of kings	Ps. 95:3	1 Ti. 6:14-15
Lord of lords	Ps. 136:3	Re. 19:16
Stone of stumbling	Is. 8:13-15	1 Pe. 2:6-8
Judge	Is. 24:20-21	He. 12:23 Col. 1:17; Jn. 5:22
Reigning	Is. 24:23	Mt. 25:31
Good Shepherd	Is. 40:10-11	Jn. 10:11
Only glory	Is. 42:8	2 Pet. 3:18
Only Savior	Is. 43:11	2 Ti. 1:10
Alpha and Omega	Is. 44:6	Re. 1:7-18
Creator	Is. 44:24	Col. 1:16
Every knee bow	Is. 45:23	Ph. 2:10-11

2. THE O.T. PROPHETS FORETOLD THE MESSIAH WOULD BE GOD (compare Is. 7:14 and Mt. 1:23; Is. 9:6; Jer. 23:5-6).

3. CHRIST WAS PROCLAIMED TO BE GOD AT HIS BIRTH (Mt. 1:23; Lk. 1:17, 32, 76; 2:11).

4. JESUS CLAIMED TO BE GOD 

a. He made plain statements and the Jews understood that He was claiming to be God (Jn. 5:17-18, 23; 8:56-59; 10:30-33).

b. The “I Am” professions are professions of deity. Jehovah’s name is “I Am” (Ex. 3:14; Deut. 32:39; Is. 43:13). First compare Jn. 8:58-59; then see Jn. 6:35; 8:12, 249:5; 10:7, 11; 10:36; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1; 18:8.

c. Christ’s statements of His relationship with the Father are bold claims of equality with God the Father. While He claimed submission to God the Father (Jn. 6:38; 8:29, 42), He also claimed equality with the Father (Jn. 5:21-23; 10:15, 30, 38; 14:9). 

5. JESUS WAS WORSHIPPED AND HE ACCEPTED WORSHIP. If Jesus were not God He could not receive worship. The Bible teaches that it is idolatry and wickedness to worship any one or any thing other than the one True and Living God (Ex. 20:3-5; 34:14; Is. 42:8; Matt. 4:10). Therefore, 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 those who worshipped Him or that he refused worship.

a. He was worshipped in His earthly ministry (Mt. 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17; Mk. 5:6; Lk. 24:52; Jn. 9:38). 

b. He will be worshipped in the future by every man and angel (Ph. 2:9-11; He. 1:8-9).

6. THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS SAID JESUS CHRIST IS GOD (Jn. 1:1; Ac. 20:28; 10:36; Ph. 2:6; Col. 1:15; 2:9; 1 Ti. 1:15-17; 3:16; 6:14-16; He. 1:3; Tit. 2:13; 1 Jn. 3:16).

7. JESUS FORGIVES SINS, WHICH ONLY GOD CAN DO (Mt. 9:2-3; Lk. 7:48-49).

8. JESUS KNOWS MAN’S THOUGHTS (Mt. 9:4; Lk. 9:47), which is the prerogative of God (1 Sa. 16:7; 1 Ki. 8:39; 1 Ch. 28:9; Ps. 7:9; 139:2; Pr. 17:3; Jer. 17:10).

9. JESUS IS CALLED “LORD” 663 TIMES IN THE N.T. “The Greek word kurios is the equivalent of the Hebrew adoni 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 N.T. 663 times. That the intent is to identify Jesus Christ with the O.T. Deity is evident from Mt. 3:3; 12:8; 21:9 (Ps. 118:26); 22:43-45; Lk. 1:43; Jn. 8:58; 14:8-10; 20:28; Ac. 9:5; 13:33 (Ps. 2)” (Scofield).

WHO SAYS JESUS CHRIST IS GOD?

David called Him God (Matt. 22:43-45).

Isaiah called Him God (Is. 7:14; 9:6).

Jeremiah called Him God (Jer. 23:5-6).

Matthew called Him God (Matt. 1:23).

Christ called Himself God (Jn. 5:17-18; 8:58-59; 10:30-33; Rev. 1:8).

The angels called Him God (Lk. 2:11).

Elizabeth called Him God (Lk. 1:42-43).

John called Him God (Jn. 1:1; 1 John 3:16; 5:20).

The blind man called Him God (Jn. 9:35-38).

Thomas called Him God (Jn. 20:28).

Peter called Him God (Acts 10:34-36).

Paul called Him God (Acts 20:28; Phil. 2:5-6; 1 Tim. 3:16; Titus 2:13).

God the Father called Him God (Heb. 1:8-9; Ps. 45:6-7).

Hebrews 1:8-9 is quoted from Psalm 45, and in Psalm 45 it is obvious that God the Father, Jehovah God, is speaking about the Son. God the Father calls the Son God, and God the Son calls the Father God. This is the mystery of the Trinity. Though we do not fully understand it, we believe it because it is the teaching of the Scriptures.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD?

1. It means that He is able to sustain (Jn. 6:35).

2. It means that He is able to enlighten (Jn. 8:12).

3. It means that He is able to save (Jn. 10:9).

4. It means that He is able to care for and guide (Jn. 10:11).

5. It means that He is able to raise from the dead (Jn. 11:25).

6. It means that He is the one and only way, truth and life (Jn. 14:6).

7. It means that He is able to give spiritual growth (Jn. 15:1).

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. Christ might have been referring 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 (ei 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 “kenosis” spoken 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” (Strongs). “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, O 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).

Modernists have used Philippians 2 in support of their view that Christ is not God. But 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.

“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 Matt. 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).