Monday: The Deity of Christ
The deity of the Father is scarcely, if ever, in dispute. Those who question the Trinity often challenge the deity of Christ. Were Christ anything but eternal and fully divine, the plan of salvation would be seriously compromised (see Thursday’s lesson). 1
How does Paul, once a rigid Pharisee, talk about the deity of Christ? Phil. 2:6.
For a Pharisee grounded in the Old Testament teaching of the Oneness of God, this is an astonishing statement, because it reveals Paul’s deep commitment to the deity of Christ.
The book of Hebrews—written to Jews who were strong monotheists, as was Paul—contains potent statements underscoring the deity of the Son of God. In Hebrews 1:8, 9, Christ’s divine nature is powerfully and explicitly expressed.
Most important in revealing the deity of Christ is Jesus’ own self-consciousness. He didn’t march through the streets of Jerusalem with a triumphal chorus proclaiming His deity. Yet, the four Gospels include many threads of evidence that reveal that this is how He understood Himself. Jesus repeatedly claimed to possess what properly belonged only to God: He spoke of the angels of God as His angels (Matt. 13:41); He claimed to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–10); and Jesus claimed the power to judge the world (Matt. 25:31–46).Who else but God could, rightfully, do that?
Review how Jesus accepted the worship of various people in the Gospel records. Matt. 14:33, 28:9, Luke 24:50–52, John 9:35–38. Compare His actions with Paul’s (Acts 14:8–18). What does Jesus’ acceptance of all this worship reveal about His deity?
At His trial, one accusation against Jesus was that He claimed to be the Son of God (John 19:7, Matt. 26:63–65). If Jesus did not regard Himself as God, this was a critical opportunity for Him to correct a mistaken impression. Yet, He did not. In fact, it was at His trial before Caiaphas that He affirmed His own deity under oath. Hence, we have powerful evidence from the Bible of the deity of Christ.
Take some time to dwell on the life of Jesus and, as you do, focus on the fact that He was God Himself, the Creator of the universe. What does this tell us about God’s love for the world? Why should you draw much comfort and hope from this amazing truth?
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The Jews seemed to understood what Jesus was saying about himself as well, "The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." (John 10:33 NKJV)
Besides, one of the most profound self proclaiming statements that Jesus made was, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58 NKJV). If this were an ordinary sentence then it would be bad English but Jesus was claiming divinity by applying the divine name to Himself (Reference the paragraph below). Besides He was answering a question concerning His age.
Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them,`The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me,`What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel,`I AM has sent me to you.'" (Ex 3:13-14 NKJV)
Is this true even most of the time?
"Those who question the Trinity often challenge the deity of Christ."
The lesson is premised on this being a problem...: what if Christ's deity is independent of the doctrine of the trinity?
But then suppose that there is a being in the universe that is so completely unlike us that the closest we can imagine is three beings whose relationship is so close that they appear to be as one being. In this case there really is no independence. They would be in complete harmony with each other with the same goals and thoughts. Even the best marriage I know of doesn’t come close to that where one of the partners can honestly say, “if you see me you have seen my spouse.” That kind of a concept is what we call a trinity because in the many texts in the Bible we can see this kind of a relationship between the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The nature and relationship of the Godhead is so far beyond our comprehension that it is in the realm of mystery -- unless we choose to claim that we actually know everything. Perhaps we should stop to consider that astronomers are beginning to believe that they really know almost nothing. And I think we should also humble ourselves in much the same way.
God job, Tyler. I liked that. 🙂
Remeber: in the Bible we see the Ancient of Days, the Son of man, and the Spirit separately revealed: three as one is no mystery, really. The Spirit of God searches the things of God (1 Cor 2:10). Thus, we were created in the image of God, holy at the first, not sinful as we are now, separate from and so unlike God. The Gospel restores us to that original image of God in which we were created. God isn't so different to us, even now.
"In this case there really is no independence." When I said, "What if Christ's deity is independent of the doctrine of the trinity," I was saying we need no formulated doctrine since the Bible says Jesus is God's Son and equal with God his Father.
I this Scripture we are promised that we shall partake of the divine nature.
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. " (2 Pet 1:1-4)
We are also granted "knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord" as the beginning of "life more abundant" in Jesus "through the knowledge of him". We are free to understand God as fully as he has revealed himself, that he is a sovereign God, the Father, with his Son independent individuals together, working through their Spirit to create man and recreate us who believe, "restoring man to his original perfection". (MS 56, 1899, SDABC, vol.6, p.1113)
God didn't just make us in his image, he restores us to partake of his nature by receiving his Holy Spirit within us, granting us a knowledge of himself and his Son which can make us mature believers, of the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Let's not be shy about it, as we yet defer to Christ.
I somehow agree with Colin. A major problem that occurs is that rejection of trinity is construed as rejection of the divinity of Jesus which should not necessarily be the case. We certainly all agree that Jesus is the Son of God but what may be contentious is "God the son". I should think that Phil 2:6 (KJV) - "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" - demonstrates that Christ, although being divine, did not even at some point in time want to be an equal to God but rather he demonstrated humility when "he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. " v.8-9. I think Paul is exemplifying the ultimate humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 9 - 10 now come in to demonstrate why Jesus should be worshipped by all - "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." I think if God, the Supreme Being, commands us to worship his Son, we his creation should not have qualms about it, after all, our worship is done to the glory of God the Father. In my opinion, this is again in line with what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 8:6 - "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him" - one God the FATHER and one Lord, Jesus Christ.
Bennett, I think I understand what you are saying. I only have one observation and comment to make concerning Phil 2:6. The word “robbery” can either be thought of as the act of seizing something or of holding on to something. In this verse Paul has already said that Christ was in the form of God which is the same as he said in Col 2:9, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9 NKJV) where the word Godhead really should be Deity as the New American Standard Version and the NIV states it.
The difference in interpretation means a lot. If Christ was something less than God then the text is a matter of Jesus not violating the command against stealing. If however Christ already had everything then the whole section in Philippians 2 speaks of much greater sacrifice and self renunciation. To me Jesus gave up everything to save His creation and that speaks volumes on the love of God.