The Deity of Jesus Christ

Willmington's Guide to the Bible

 

A. Shown by the Old Testament.

1. The witness of David.

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Ps. 45:6, 7).

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool" (Ps. 110:1).

2. The witness of Isaiah.

"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" (Isa. 9:6).

3. The witness of Daniel.

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:13, 14).

B. Shown by the Gospels.

1. He is omnipotent (Mt. 28:18).

a. over disease (Mt. 8:1-4; Lk. 4:39)

b. demons (Mt. 8:16, 17, 28-32; Lk. 4:35)

c. over men (Mt. 9:9; Jn. 17:2)

d. over nature (Mt. 8:26)

e. over sin (Mt. 9:1-8)

f. over traditions (Mt. 9:10-17)

g. over death (Lk. 7:14, 15; 8:54, 56; Jn. 1:14)

2. He is omniscient (Jn. 2:24; 16:30).

a. H knew the whereabouts of Nathanael (Jn. 1:48).

b. He knew the plot of Judas (Jn. 6:70; 13:11).

c. He knew the hearts of the Pharisees (Mt. 12:25; Lk. 5:22; 6:8; 7:39, 40).

d. He knew the thoughts of the scribes (Mt. 9:3, 4).

e. He knew the sincerity of one scribe (Mk. 12:34).

f. He knew the history of the Samaritan woman (Jn. 4:29).

g. He knew the problems of his disciples (Lk. 9:46, 47). If rightly understood, there is no contradiction here between his omniscience and his being limited in knowledge (as we have already discussed). He retained every whit of his deity while on earth (thus his omniscience) but voluntarily abstained from using it, that he might be totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit (thus his limited knowledge in certain areas).

3. He is omnipresent (Mt. 18:20; 28:20; Jn. 3:13; 14:20).

4. He is worshiped as God (cf. Mt. 4:9, 10).

a. by the angels (Heb. 1:6).

b. by the shepherds (Lk. 2:15)

c. by the wise men (Mt. 2:2, 11)

d. by a leper (Mt. 8:2)

e. by a ruler (Mt. 9:18)

f. by a Syro-Phoenician woman (Mt. 15:25)

g. by a mother (Mt. 20:20)

h. by a maniac (Mk. 5:6)

i. by a man born blind (Jn. 9:38)

j. by Thomas (Jn. 20:28)

k. by some Greeks (Jn. 12:20, 21)

l. by his apostles (Mt. 14:33; 28:9)

5. He forgives sins (Mk. 2:5, 10, 11).

6. He judges.

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (Jn. 5:22).

7. He saves (Mt. 18:11; Jn. 10:28).

C. Shown by the Acts.

1. The testimony of Stephen.

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59).

2. The testimony of a eunuch.

"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37).

D. Shown by the epistles.

1. In the writings of Paul. Note the language of just a few of these great Pauline verses on the deity of Christ.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:15-17).

"For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9).

"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 Tim. 3:16).

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

2. In the writings of Peter. Consider also a sampling of Peter’s testimony concerning Christ’s deity.

"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him" (1 Pet. 3:22).

"For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Pet. 1:17).

3. In the writings of Jude.

"To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 1:25).

4. In the writings of James.

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons" (Jas. 2:1).

5. In the writings of John.

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 Jn. 5:20).

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:18).

"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16).

Dr. John Walvoord quotes the following from Charles Hodge:

"All divine names and rifles 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 (i.e., all creatures between man and God) 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 man should honour Him as they honoured 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." (Jesus Christ, Our Lord, p. 31)

 

Taken from: Willmington's Guide to the Bible  © 1981, 1984 by H. L. Willmington.