Jesus Is God

JESUS' CLAIMS OF DIVINITY:

1.  Jesus makes himself equal to God (John 10:30) and the reaction of the religious leaders makes this clear that is how he meant it (John 10:33).  They respond "being man, make yourself God" though the 'religious' leaders could not see his true identity and thus did not believe him.  The Morphological Greek text and Textus Receptus both use the word "theos".  In a monotheistic culture, that word can only mean THE God and not 'a god'.  Thus, they knew Jesus was claiming to be equal to The God. 

2. he made the claim of the title that only God can have (John 8:58).  "I AM".  This was known as "the name" of God (Ex 3:14).  So holy of a title and name that anyone who blasphemes it is killed (Lev 24:16).  Jesus goes right ahead and calls himself "the name", I AM (John 8:58).  The Mesoritic Text and The Septuagint both render Exodus 3:14 as: "I AM who I AM... You shall say to the sons of Israel I AM has sent you".  Following making that declaration, the Jews wanted to kill him because of the magnitude of that claim (John 8:59).  The argument that the Pharisees wanted to stone Jesus because he claimed to be Older in age than Abraham is attempted (John 8:57-58).  when he then claimed THE name of God, "I AM".  This claim, unless from God himself, is what requires a death penalty for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16). 

   1. Objection:  'some bible translations do not have "I AM" (John 8:58)'  We must look at what is contained in the biblical manuscript text types.  The Textus Receptus and Morphological text types both contain ἐγὼ εἰμί which translates "I am".  Which means 'to exist, to be' is the same word used in Exodus 3:14 in Hebrew הָיָה in the Masoretic Text and same exact word used in the Septuagint text.  Jesus is recorded using the exact same words and phrase that Moses recorded God stating in Exodus.  

3. Jesus claims to have God's authority and power.  Besides his authority and power to create (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17), He alone had the authority to forgive (Ps. 130:3-4) sin as though he was The righteous Judge (which he does claim in Matthew 25:31-33).  Even the teachers of the law found this offensive because only God has that divine authority; which is why they said it was blasphemy (Matthew 9:1-8).  Jesus has the divine authority to be the one who gives eternal life (John 10:28).  No one besides God has the absolute authority to declare these.  God the Father is able to give him absolute divine authority because after all he is God (Matthew 28:18).  Thus, God remains the absolute authority in all the universe. 

THE APOSTLES BELIEVED JESUS TO BE GOD:

1. The apostle John fully understood the identity of Jesus, He makes it perfectly clear who Jesus is and straight up says "the word was God" (John 1:1).  That God himself clothed himself in flesh, but was still God (John 1:14).  John 1:1 in a literal translation reads thus:  "In beginning was the word, and the word was with the God, and God was the word."  Notice that it says "God was the word." This is the actual word-for-word translation but for a fluid understanding in English, "the Word was God" is translated.  An "a" inserted into John 1:1 to render it "was a god" is not in any biblical manuscripts.  This is a added word in the failed New World translation.  The Alexandrian Text types and Byzantine Text Types both say θεός (theos) or "God".  There is no "a".

2. Luke expresses that God bought the church with his own blood, the blood of Jesus.  That makes Jesus God (Acts 20:28).  With whos blood?  God's "own blood".  The greek word, in both Alexandrian texts and majority texts,  ἴδιος idios literally means "His own".  Some add the word "son" to render the verse "His own son" but that is not in the text. The author knew the difference between God and his Son, yet, purposely did not include the distinction of the son and God different here; for the simple fact that even though the Son and Father are unique, they are still The Triune God. 

3. Thomas bluntly declared Jesus as "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28).  Jesus did not correct or rebuke Thomas' confession but instead embraced it.   In the Greek, in John 20:28, Thomas said to Jesus, "ho kurios mou, kai ho theos mou," - "The Lord of me, and the God of me." If Jesus was not God, or just "a" god, then should Jesus would have most defiantly have corrected Thomas.  But Jesus did not.  He embraced what Thomas explicitly said to him, about him. 

   1. Objection: The correct translation of this verse is important.  Some will argue that Thomas was just surprised and exclaimed "oh my gosh" kind of remark.  This is a failed western view that a religious Jew would not have said given that phrase was not in that culture.  Without adding to context that isn't there of John 20:28, there is no getting around the fact that Thomas called Jesus 2 things, Lord AND God. Separating the two is assuming what is not stated. The combination of the two is. 

4. Peter declares in 2 Peter 1:1 that we obtain righteousness from "our God and savior Jesus Christ".  The Alexandrian text types and Textus Receptus texts literally states: τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Which translates to: "of our God and Savior Jesus Christ".  Peter purposefully and literally connects God to Jesus. 

5. Only God deserves worship.  Throughout scripture we see instances of people worshiping Jesus and Jesus accepts their worship (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). 

   1. Objection: Some will argue that they mearly 'bowed down'.  The failed New World Translation attempts to re-translate the words in an attempt to erase the worship of Jesus.  But they did worship Jesus. Matthew 2:11 specifically states: "and fell down, and worshiped him" not only did they "bow down" but ALSO/AND "worshiped HIM". Matthew 14:33 specifically uses the literal word "worship" προσκυνέω proskyneō. Also the same specific word in Matthew 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38. The New World Translations attempts to render Matthew 2:11 as "and falling down, they did obeisance to him".  Sounds good right?  Welp, that is not what ANY of the biblical manuscripts say.  Yes they fell down, as stated, but then they bowed again after falling down?  The word obeisance is used because if "bowed down" was used, it would expose the absurdity of the translation.  The translation in and of itself does not make sense, "and falling down, they bowed down to him"?  Secondly, this word, is the same word used in Rev 7:11, 11:16; and occurs 65 times in the Textus Receptus New Testament for the same word describing worship of God.  The authors could have used different wording to describe their actions but chose that specific word of worship. These actions were rebuked by Peter when people worshiped Peter "As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him. 26 But Peter helped him up. “Stand up, he said, “I am only a man” myself. " The same word, with the same meaning and purpose is used. Jesus never rebuked anyone who did the same act of worship. Some people will probably argue that yes, he is worshiped as 'a god' but not THE God. That idea, again, is foreign in scripture. But Jesus says that only God is to be worshiped (John 4:24) and the same word to describe the action is used. 

6. The author of Hebrews 1:8 makes this connection.  First, he says "but of the Son [Jesus] He [God] says". Then goes into what God says about His Son:  "Your throne O God is Forever and ever".  God even declares that the Son is God.  So, rendered in plain english: But of the Son He Says your throne O God is forever and ever.  That they are one and the same.

7. Paul wrote in Titus 2:13 is much like other instances in scripture where Jesus is equated to God himself.  "the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus".  These two are purposefully put together.  Jesus Christ is both God and Savior according to Paul when writing to Titus.  In Colossians 2:9-10 Paul could not make it anymore clear to that church when he said "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form".  Another elegant way of saying "...the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14) without calling him by his name 'Immanuel'.  

8. Mark 10:17 states "“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone."  At first glance without thought (being told what to think) it is easy to assume that Jesus is denying that he is God.  Except, Jesus is actually challenging him to consider what he is saying.  First, notice Jesus did NOT say HE was NOT Good.  1 Peter 2:22 states that Jesus never sinned (also Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5) and 1 Peter 1:19 said he was without blemish.  Jesus calls himself The GOOD Shepard (John 10:11).  God's creation was 'good' before sin entered the world.  Thus, because Jesus was sinless, he IS good.  Jesus kept leading people to this cross road of his true identity (John 8:46).  Since Jesus IS good, and he said that only God is good than Jesus guides us to the conclusion that Jesus is God.  Jesus' statement is true and does NOT disprove his deity but instead leads to that very conclusion.

The Disciples of the Apostles Believed in Jesus' Divinity

1.  Ignatius of Antioch (105AD), a disciple of the Apostle John stated this: "God Himself was manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life" He later states "Continue in intimate union with Jesus Christ our God" and "I pray for your happiness forever in our God, Jesus Christ". 

2.  Justin Martyr (150AD) stated this: "The Father of the universe has a Son. And He, being the first-begotten Word of God, is even God". 

3. Irenaeus of Lyons (185AD) stated "He indicates in clear terms that He is God, and that His advent was in Bethlehem… God, then, was made man, and the Lord Himself save us". And "He is God for the name Emmanuel indicates this". 

4. Hippolytus (203AD) stated this: "The Logos alone of this One is from God Himself. For that reason also, He is God. Being of the substance of God. In contrast, the world was made from nothing. Therefore, it is not God". 

5. Tertullian (213AD) even declared "For the very church itself--properly and principally--the Spirit Himself, in whom is the Trinity [trinitas], of the One Divinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit".  

6. Origen (228AD) stated "Saving baptism was not complete except by the authority of the most excellent Trinity of them all. That is, it is made complete by naming the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this, we join the name of the Holy Spirit to the Unbegotten God (the Father) and to His Only-Begotten Son". 

PROPHECIES OF JESUS' DIVINITY

1. Isaiah understood that God himself was coming to earth in the form of a man.  Isa 9:6 states "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".  Some will ignorantly argue that "mighty god" and "Almighty God" are two different gods.  But when we look at other places in scritpure and given the context we see this is not the case here.  Isa 10:21 states "The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God".  The same word for God as 'mighty' is used. Same word is used in Jeremiah 32:18 describing God.  Both refer directly to God The Father; which is the same word referring to Jesus in Isa 9:6. 

2. Isaiah 7:14 gives an interesting name to the child who will be born from a virgin.  The name is Immanuel- which literally means "God with us" as defined in Matthew 1:23.  Jesus was then born from a virgin and called Immanuel.  The Magi understood what Isaiah said and the meaning of this name.  When they saw baby Jesus, they bowed down AND worshiped him (Matthew 2:11).  The word here used for their action of worship is the same word used when describing others worshiping God.

3. Jesus existed prior to the creation of ALL things.  John 1:1,3 explains that Jesus is the creator in that he existed before ALL THINGS were created.  If Jesus was a created thing, than ALL things could not exist since everything was created THROUGH him.   Therefore he is outside of creation and existing eternally since ALL created things came into existence through him already existing.  There is only ONE God who exists eternally; thus, Jesus must be God in order to exist prior to ALL things created.  Time is a created thing, for Jesus to have created time, he must exist outside of it;  Jesus is eternal. 

   1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Objection: The New World Translation, in Colossians 1:16-17, then adds the word "other" in the text to insinuate that Jesus was first created and then everything else was created.  First, this is not in agreement with John 1:3 and second the word "other" in Colossians is not in ANY biblical manuscript.  The Konie Greek word used in other places in the bible is ἄλλος.  This word is purposely NOT used in Colossians 1:16-17. 

NON-CHRISTIANS OF ANTIQUITY ACCOUNTS OF JESUS

1. Thallus wrote around 52AD (~17 years after Jesus); and he was around those who were healed, raised from the dead, and spoke to and heard Jesus himself talk were mostly still around and alive.  Thallus was not a believer in Christ but he recorded something very interesting.  In his writing which was quoted by Julius Africanus, around 221AD, states the following: 

“On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.” (Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18:1) 

Julius Africanus quoted this because the date of this event coincides with the crucifixion of Jesus.  The same darkness and earthquake that occurred when Jesus died on the cross as recorded by scripture. 

2. Mara Bar-Serapion  wrote around 70AD (~35 years after Jesus); He was a Syrian philosopher who was writing to his son.  He used real life examples of the persecution people have faced wrongly for their beliefs.  He uses Athenians against Socrates to death, the people of Samos against Pythagoras and then states:

"...Or the Jews by murdering their wise king?…After that their kingdom was abolished. God rightly avenged these men…The wise king…Lived on in the teachings he enacted.”

The Jews never murdered their kings of the past.  Jesus however was mockingly called "king of the Jews" on the cross.  It was an argument that even Jewish leadership used to get Rome to approve his crucifixion.  35 years after Jesus was murdered, Rome destroyed Jerusalem.  But "the wise King lived on in the teachings he enacted".  Thus Serapion was indirectly stating that Jesus was a real person of history, that his death was wrong, and that his teachings that he enacted are still taught and lived out. 

3. Flavius Josephus (37-101AD; wrote ~45 years after Jesus) was a Jewish Historian whom was captured by Romans in Jerusalem, taken to Rome, and was freed.  There he wrote his books.  In one of his books he talks about Jesus.  This is called the Testimonium.  Down through history though it is argued that Christians added to his writings and the Testimonium. Two researchers, Edwin Yamauchi and John P. Meier, have constructed a copy of the "Testimonium" with the probable Christian insertions removed. In parentheses are what is found in the Arabic manuscript.  The following paragraph is Yamauchi's:
   
   

“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man (And his conduct was good and he was kown to be virtiucous) For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. (They reported that he had appeared to them after his crucifixion and that he was alive). And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”

Keeping in mind, Jesus was respected as a person and as a teacher in Jewish history until Christianity grew.  It was not until later in history that Jewish Rabbis began slandering him and writing negative things about.  Removing all positive statements about Jesus and assuming they were imputations by Christians is anti-christian bias in itself.  Jews would have been positive about Jesus in Josephus' day.  They would however disagree on his actual resurrection but would not disagree that his apostles would claim he did.  The reconstructed Testimonium above is what a Jewish historian would have said without Christian bias in that day.  In another place we see another mention of Jesus and an important identifier:

"Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the Sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James,"

Jesus was a common name in that culture at that time.  To know which person was the subject, the author would attach a family name or in this case a notable related person.  Here Josephus attaches 'of Jesus' to the subject but because that was still a common name, he includes which Jesus, "who was called Christ".  This is not an affirmation of belief.  Josephus did not believe that Jesus was Christ but he records that Jesus "was called" Christ. Thus this is how his readers would know which James he was talking about.  In this record we see that Jesus was an actual person of history and was in fact crucified.  That his disciples fell away after he was crucified but then later reported Jesus appearing to them.  This account (minus any kind of imputation suspicion) validates the synoptic gospel accounts. 

4. Cornelius Tacitus (56-120AD); a very trusted Roman historian, senator, proconsul of Asia, and defiantly a non-christian who wrote around 116AD (~80 years after Jesus) an interesting statement about Christianity
   
   

“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.”

From this statement alone we can learn a lot about Christianity. There was a class of people called Christians who got their name from someone who was named Christus.  He suffered the extreme penalty during a specific and actual time of Pontius Pilatus.  Christians also had a very "mischievous superstition" about this Christus guy.  And that this class of people first started in Judea and spread to Rome.

Anyone who claims Jesus never existed or was not crucified must then disprove Tacitus. The problem is that Tacitus is proven reliable and is a major source for a majority our knowledge about ancient Rome. To question him is to question most of what we know about Roman history now. 

5. Pliny the Younger (61-113AD; ~65 years after Jesus) a Roman non-christian wrote a letter to emperor Trajan and mentioned some things about Christianity.  He states:

“They (the Christians) were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god"

Pliny can tell that these Christians have a 'fixed day' of the week in the morning where they meet up and sing "to Christ, as to a god".  Pliny unknowingly records that Christians worship Jesus Christ as God.  He also shows that Christians met up on a selected day (Sunday) in the mornings, "before it was light". 

6. Suetonius (69-140AD) a Roman historian records how Christians were treated in Roman society.  He mentioned a disturbance in Rome around 49AD (~14 years after Jesus) and then the fire of Rome in 64AD where Nero blamed the Christians.

“Because the Jews at Rome caused constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (Christ), he (Claudius) expelled them from the city (Rome).” (Life of Claudius, 25:4)

“Nero inflicted punishment on the Christians, a sect given to a new and mischievous religious belief.” (Lives of the Caesars, 26.2)

Suetonius even states that the Christian religion is "new".  Rome was a mecca of culture of that time.  He would be fully aware of Egyptian religions, Babylonian religions, and other eastern religions including Greek and Romes' own; yet, Christianity was "new".  The disturbance of 49AD was also recorded by Luke in Acts 18:2 

7. Lucian of Samosata (120-180AD; ~115 years after Jesus) was a satirist and Roman comedian who very negative and sarcastically critical of Christians. He wrote several books and in a negative since, affirms Christianity.  He states:
   
   

"The Christians. . . worship a man to this day - the distinguished personage who introduced this new cult, and was crucified on that account. . . . You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains their contempt for death and self devotion . . . their lawgiver [taught] they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take on faith"

Just from his derogatory account we still see that Christians worshiped Jesus as God.  That Jesus was in fact a real person of history and was crucified.  He also states that Christianity is "new" and not just a blend of past religions.  

8. The Jewish (Babylonian) Talmud was written around 375 to 427 AD. It records that Jesus was crucified in Sanhedrin 43 and that he had close disciples.
   
   

"On the eve of the Passover Yeshu (Jewish for Jesus) was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, 'He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostacy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.' But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover! 35 — Ulla retorted: 'Do you suppose that he was one for whom a defence"

"Our rabbis taught Jesus the Nazarene had five disciples, and these are they: Matthai, Naqqai, Netzer, Buni, and Todah:

In other places of Jewish texts we see more mentions of Jesus:

Shabboth 14:4/8 – "someone ... whispered to him in the name of Jesus son of Pandera"

Abodah Zarah 17a – "One of the disciples of Jesus the Nazarene found me"

Sanhedrin 103a – "that you will not have a son or disciple ... like Jesus the Nazarene"

Sanhedrin 107b – "The master said: Jesus the Nazarene practiced magic

We can almost see a negative expression of the gospel.  Jesus had disciples and went around doing unexplainable things (which Jews understood them to be sorcery and magic).  People were healed in his name and Jesus was later "hanged" on the eve of Passover.  This account supports the synoptic gospels accounts. 

9. Secular modern historians like EP Sanders, Michael Grant, and Maurice Casey, find the synoptic gospels to be historically reliable.