The Doctrine of the Deity of Christ

Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The TREE OF LIFE is a weekly teaching summary.

Tree of Life 06/07/98

The Doctrine of The Deity of Christ.

Tree of Life for 06-07-98

1PE 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"This command is given to the church age believer, it is not an option but a divine mandate. The question you need to ask yourself is, can I give a defense on behalf of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Are you able to prove in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ is Lord and God? If not you are living in sin. You should be more than willing to accurately defend the One who died on your behalf. Many deceivers will come in who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as God nor do they acknowledge Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh. Many are arrogantly deceived, but many are ignorantly deceived and your ability to bring them to passages in the Bible which prove the deity of Jesus Christ could win souls.

Our verse in PHI 2:6 which reads "who [Jesus Christ] although He preexisted in the essence of God", has brought us to a study of the doctrine of the deity of Christ. In eternity past Jesus Christ, as God, possessed all the characteristics and divine essence of God and exercised all the qualities of God. But due to His incarnation His deity is constantly questioned yet the deity of the Father and the Holy Spirit are accepted. Deity being the essential nature or condition of the being of God. Such deity was always present with Jesus Christ even when He came and dwelt among us in human form. Now, the O.T. speaks of the three Jehovahs which make up the Trinity. Though there is one God, He is manifested in three forms, i.e., the Trinity. ISA 48:16 speaks of the "Lord God" as being Jehovah Elohim (God the Father), "sent Me" being Jehovah (God the Son), and of course "His Spirit" being God the Holy Spirit. GEN 1:26 also speaks of the Trinity.

In the N.T. there are at least three passages which present the deity of Christ in syllogistic form. A syllogism being, a logical formula consisting of two premises and a conclusion. A syllogism consists of the first major premise and a second premise leading to the conclusion which is derived from deductive reasoning. The first syllogistic passage is 1PE 1:1-2 which notes the Trinity as being eternal, Christ as being a member of the Trinity and the conclusion is therefore that Christ is eternal. The second passage is2CO 13:14 and the third passage is MAT 28:19, both offering the same premises and conclusion as the first.

There is an immense amount of Scriptural documentation concerning the deity of Christ. The Bible verses which flat out state Jesus Christ is God are: LUK 7:12-16; JOH 1:1,14,18; JOH 5:18; JOH 10:30-33; 14:12-13; 14:8-9; 17:4-5; 20:26-28; 2CO 4:4; PHI 2:6; COL 2:9; 1TI 3:16; 1TI 6:13-15; HEB 1:1-9 cf PSA 83:1; TIT 2:13-14; 2PE 1:1; REV 19:16; ISA 43:10-11;1JO 5:20. Micah 5:2 informs us that Jesus Christ is the One to come forth from Bethlehem and who has existed from eternity, i.e., is God. The word used in reference to Jesus Christ in the term "eternity", is the same Hebrew word (olam) used to affirm the eternal existence of the Father in GEN 21:33; PSA 41:13; 90:2; 103:17; ISA 40:28. Our Lord Jesus Christ used the same terminology the Father used to describe Himself, we see this in the ten "I ams":
1) JOH 6:35, Jesus Christ said "I am the bread of life".
2) JOH 6:41, He said "I am the bread who came down out of heaven".
3) JOH 6:51, He said "I am the living bread".
4) JOH 8:12, "I am the light of the world".
5) JOH 8:18, "I am He who bears witness of Myself".
6) JOH 10:7, "I am the door of the sheep".
7) JOH 10:14, "I am the good shepherd".
8) JOH 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life".
9) JOH 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life".
10) JOH 15:1, "I am the true vine".

These ten "I ams" of Jesus Christ represent the number of completion in the divine order. In these verses Jesus Christ emphatically identified Himself as deity! Many say Jesus Christ did not claim to be God. But yes... He did claim to be God! All through the book of John Jesus Christ was teaching that the unity of God consisted of three manifestations and He was one of them!

In attempting to prove that Jesus Christ is God you would first take your listener to GEN 1:1 and cross reference it with COL 1:16 and then onto JOH 1:1,14. If you are dealing with a Jehovah's witness you can ask them who is the beginning and the end/ the Alpha and Omega? They will respond that Jehovah is according to ISA 44:6. You then take them to REV 1:17 in which Jesus Christ says He is the first and the last. And REV 1:8 where Jesus Christ says He is the Alpha and the Omega. How do we know it is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking here, because of verse 18 in which He states ..."the living One; and I was dead...". Deity cannot die but humanity can. The only member of the Trinity that was also humanity was the Son, Jesus Christ, cross reference this with REV 2:8.

Here are some questions you might ask the one whom you are feeding the truth concerning the deity of Christ to:
Q: Who is omnipotent?
A: 1CH 29:11, God is.
cf: PHI 3:21, J.C. is all powerful and all is subject to Him

Q: Who is omniscient?A: 1JO 3:20, God knows all things.cf: COL 2:3, JC has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

Q: Who is the Lord of the Sabbath?A: is2%3A3" target="_blank">GEN 2:3, God is.cf: MAT 12:8, the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath
(Either God has a problem with Jesus Christ and some type of rebellion, or there is unity between them.)

Q: Who is the great I am?A: EXO 3:14, God is.cf: JOH 8:58, Jesus Christ said before Abraham, I am

Q: Who is the only creator?A: ISA 44:24, the Lord (Jehovah) is maker of all things.cf: COL 1:16, by Him (JC) all things were created.

Q: Who is the only Savior?A: ISA 43:11, Jehovah says no Savior beside me.cf: ACT 4:12, no salvation in no one else but Jesus Christ

Q: Who will judge mankind?A: ISA 3:13, Jehovah.cf: 2CO 5:20, we must all appear before judgment seat of Christ

Q: Who will judge between the sheep and the goats? A: Eze 34;17, the Lord Godcf: MAT 25:31-34, TLJC will judge between the sheep and the goats (believers and unbelievers)

Q: Who sent the prophets?A: JER 7:25, the Lordcf: MAT 23:34, TLJC said He was sending prophets

Q: Who resurrected Jesus?A: ACT 4:10, Godcf: JOH 2:20-21, TLJC to raise the temple of His body in three days

Q: Who is coming in glory? A: ISA 40:5, the Lord cf: MAT 24:30, the Son of Man will come in the clouds with power and glory

Q: Who is our Father?A: ISA 63:16, Jehovahcf: ISA 9:6, a child will be born to us...and His name shall be wonderful... eternal Father.

Q: Who is the rock of salvation?A: 1SA 22:32, our God.cf: rock was Christ

Q: Who is the stone of stumbling?A: ISA 8:13-15, Jehovahcf: 1PE 2:8, Jesus Christ

Q: The one crying in the wilderness, he came to clear a way for whom?A: ISA 40:3, for Jehovahcf: MAT 3:3, Jesus Christ

Q: Who is eternal?A: GEN 21:33, the Lord, the eternal God.cf: Micah 5:2, Jesus Christ

Q: Who is the fountain of living waters?A: JER 17:13, Jehovahcf: JOH 4:14, Jesus Christ

Q: Who resurrects the dead?A: ACT 26:8, Godcf: JOH 6:40, Jesus Christ

Q: Who gives rewards to man?A: ISA 40:10, the Lord God.cf: MAT 16:27, Jesus Christ

Q: Who has all authority and power?A: 1CH 29:11, the Lordcf: MAT 28:18, Jesus Christ

Q: Who gives power and authority to man? A: PSA 68:35, God of Israel (Elohim)cf: LUK 9:1, Jesus Christ

Q: Who forgives sin?A: 2CH 7:14, Godcf: MAT 9:6, Jesus Christ

Q: Who sent the Holy Spirit?A: JOH 14:6, Godcf: JOH 16:7, Jesus Christ

Q: Who has the greatest name?A: NEH 9:5, the Lord Godcf: PHI 2:9, Jesus Christ

Q: Who are we to worship?A: EXO 34:14, the Lord your Godcf: REV 5:12-13, the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ

Q: Who is the good shepherd?A: GEN 48:15, Godcf: JOH 10:14, Jesus Christ

Q: Who searches for the lost sheep of Israel?A: EZE 34:11, Jehovah Elohimcf: MAT 15:24, Jesus Christ

Q: Who is the Lord of lords?A: DEU 10:17, the Lord your God (Jehovah Elohim)cf: REV 17:14, the Lamb, TLJC

Q: To whom shall every knee bow?A: ISA 45:22-23, Godcf: PHI 2:10, the name of Jesus

Q: Who is the righteous branch of David?A: JER 23:5-6, the Lord our righteous Godcf: JER 33:15, the Lord Jesus Christ

Q: Who alone is holy? A: 1SA 2:2, the Lord Jehovahcf: ACT 3:14, Jesus Christ

Q: Who's blood cleanses us?A: ACT 20:28, God's bloodcf: 1JO 1:7, blood of Jesus, His Son

Q: The world was created for whom?A: PRO 16:4, Lord Jehovahcf: COL 1:16, "Him" TLJC

Q: Who is above all?A: NEH 9:6, Lord Jehovahcf: ROM 9:5, Christ

Q: Who is forever the same?A: PSA 102:24-27, Godcf: HEB 1:8-12, Jesus Christ

Q: Who is the way or the path?A: PSA 16:11, Godcf: JOH 14:6, Jesus Christ

Q: Who is in charge of the angels?A: PSA 103:20, Godcf: 2TH 1:7, Jesus Christ

Q: Who gives us rest?A: EXO 33:14, Godcf: MAT 11:28, Jesus Christ

Q: Who gives eternal life?A: PRO 19:23, Godcf: JOH 3:36, Jesus Christ

Q: We are the bride to whom?A: ISA 54:5, Godcf: 2CO 11:2, Jesus Christ

Well, if this is not enough information to bring someone to the point of considering Christ, they will contine to refuse to believer based on their arrogant preconceptions founded on dead traditions, let them stand before God, you have done your part in defending your Lord's deity!