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Jesus Christ: Truly and Properly God
by Cadet Dawn Marie Paulson

 

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’  So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’  He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’” (The Nelson Study Bible NKJV, Matt. 16:13-17).  Over the centuries there has been great debate about who Jesus really was—even while He was on earth there was confusion!  C.S. Lewis popularized the debate in the last century with his famous ‘Lord, Liar, Lunatic’ argument.  So who really is this Jesus of history—was He Lord as He claimed, was He a liar who only claimed to be Lord, or was He a lunatic who mistakenly thought He was Lord?  The Salvation Army, along with many other Christian denominations, believes that “in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man” (The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine XV).  Although we adamantly affirm the humanity of Christ, the focus of this paper will be on the deity of Christ — that Jesus Himself  and Scripture assert that He is ‘truly and properly God’ and that this belief is essential to Christian doctrine.   

 

During His earthly ministry, Jesus made claims to His deity a myriad of times, though it was not always understood by His listeners.  Jesus commended Peter’s confession that He was the Christ, acknowledging that it was God who had revealed this and meanwhile acknowledging that this truth was hidden from most.  When Jesus spoke, He taught with the authority of God: “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29).  Many times throughout His ministry, Scripture records Jesus saying, “You have heard said…but I say to you…”  In saying this, He is claiming his authority as God — not merely as a scribe or a Pharisee who would have had to always recognize the authority of the Law and the prophets—but as God Himself.  This was very significant, and as Scripture records, this authority that Jesus spoke with astonished His listeners.  Jesus’ continual reference to God as His Father also points to His claims to deity.  On more than one occasion He claimed that He and the Father were One — a claim which ultimately led to His death, since the Jews charged Him with blasphemy.  Furthermore, John’s gospel records the seven “I am” statements of Jesus: “I am the bread of life” (Jn. 6:35), “I am the light of the world” (Jn. 8:12), “I am the door of the sheep” (Jn. 10:7), “I am the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11), “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn. 11:25), “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6), and “I am the vine” (Jn. 15:1).  These statements would have been alarming to Jesus’ listeners because to them, Him saying “I am” would have been a direct reference to God’s revelation of Himself to Moses in the burning bush — “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex. 3:14).  Therefore, for each of His “I am” statements, the Jews would have interpreted that as Jesus claiming to be God.  Even more so, this would have been a direct claim to YHWH, the sacred name of God that was not even spoken aloud by the Jews, so for Jesus to use this name for Himself would have been preposterous.  Yet, Jesus knew who He was and He claimed this identity at certain times, depending on the circumstance.  When others were given revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, He accepted their worship, which also supports the belief that Jesus claimed to be God.  For instance, after Jesus walked on water to meet the disciples in the boat and then calmed the storm, “those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God’” (Matt. 14:33).  Jesus accepted this worship and accepted their proclamation of His deity.  In His life and ministry, Jesus proclaimed that He was truly and properly God — speaking with God’s authority, using God’s sacred name as His own, demonstrating the close connection He had with the Father, and receiving worship.

 

The Biblical writers also validate Jesus’ claims to deity.  Typological and prophetic writings of the Old Testament point to Jesus, while New Testament writers confess the Jesus they knew and experienced while He was on earth.  For the focus and scope of this paper, four New Testament writers will be briefly assessed on their confirmation that Jesus was truly and properly God — John, Paul, Peter, and the author of Hebrews.  John’s affirmation of Jesus’ deity has already been mentioned to some extent, yet John’s reason for writing his gospel is important to mention as support of Jesus’ deity.  John writes, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:30-31).  Paul has within his letters numerous affirmations of Christ’s deity, Philippians 2:5-11 being a well-known and famous passage dealing with both the deity and humanity of Christ — known as the hypostatic union.  Paul’s letter to the Colossians is rich with Christology.  In it he writes, “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation…All things were created through Him and for Him…For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:15; 17; 19-20).  Further in this same letter, Paul writes, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9).  The author of Hebrews also affirms the deity of Christ, writing, “[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:2-3).  It is clear that the New Testament writers understood the deity of Jesus and affirmed in their writings that He truly was God, from the beginning of time, while He was on earth, and after He ascended to the Father.           

 

A belief in the deity of Christ is absolutely essential to Christian doctrine.  Jesus openly claimed to be God and the Biblical writers wholeheartedly supported this claim, particularly those in the New Testament.  Thus, if Christians believe that Scripture is true, they must also believe that Jesus is fully God, even while He was a man.  Jesus’ deity has everything to do with Christians’ knowledge of God since He was the ‘image of the invisible God.’  Furthermore, Christ had to be God in order to be a worthy sacrifice for the sin of mankind.  And finally, His deity should affect the worship and obedience of His followers.

 

The person of Jesus Christ has been debated — and continues to be debated—inside and outside religious circles.  Christian doctrine and those who call themselves Christians, however, must adamantly affirm His deity — believing that He is truly and properly God, just as He and the Biblical writers asserted.  This belief is essential for Christ to have been God’s revelation and the Redeemer of mankind.  Thus, the deity of Christ should inform one’s way of life — a life lived in worship and obedience to the One who is truly and properly God.

  

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Marney, Carlyle. The Carpenter’s Son. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1967. Print.

 

The Nelson Study Bible. Earl D. Radmacher, gen.ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997. Print.

 

Rawlinson, A. E. J. The New Testament Doctrine of the Christ. New York: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd., 1926. Print.

 

The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine. London: Salvation Books, 2010. Print.

 

Thoennes, Erik. The Doctrine of Jesus. Class lecture notes, 2003. Print.

 

Walvoord, John F. Jesus Christ our Lord. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969. Print.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

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