What does the Bible say about Jesus? Was he a good man, a good teacher, a good philosopher, or someone else? Some skeptics or critics of Christianity claim that the Bible - or the New Testament specifically - never claims Jesus is God. Therefore, they argue, modern Christians are wrong to claim Jesus is God.
But the Bible in the New Testament, does claim Jesus to be God, right? Let's consider this question. A review of several key passages reveals a positive answer: Jesus is God. Perhaps the most interesting passage is the Gospel of John chapter 1.

John begins his Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4, NIV). John begins to build the case regarding an entity identified as "The Word". Notice some key elements about "The Word".

1. The Word was in the beginning.

2. The Word was with God.

3. The Word was God.

4. The Word was with God in the beginning.

5. All things were made "Through Him."

6. Nothing was made "without Him."

It's important to notice the claims about the Word. Not only does John say the Word was with God or even that the Word "was God" but John claims the Word had an active part in the creation of all things. If the passage ended here, there would be ambiguity as to whether "the Word" referred to Jesus and his deity. But John continues.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (John 1:14-18, NIV). John now begins to make the identity of "the Word" more concrete. Having already made claims about the creative work and deity of "The Word" John moves toward showing who is "the Word." Notice the claims:

1. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." The Word took on skin

2. "We have seen his glory." John claims to be an eyewitness of the Word in the flesh

 

 

3. John the Baptist (not John the author) made an identifying statement of "The Word": "This was he of whom I said 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me."

4. The Word was both God, but distinct in some way from God the Father, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side." (v. 18)

John repeats the claims that the Word was God, but with God. For the first time we see the notion of "God...the Father" in the Gospel of John. But, in these verses it is clear that "The Word" who was God, became flesh. Now notice verse 29.

"29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (John 1:29-34, NIV). Here John identifies Jesus as The Word by the phrase John the Baptist used to identify "The Word".

"John saw Jesus...This is the one I mean when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me." In this way, Jesus is shown to be the Word. If Jesus is the Word who became flesh, then Jesus is the Word who was with God and was God. Just as important, John the Baptist also claimed that he knew Jesus was the Word because God revealed it to him by the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus. John concluded "this is the Son of God." We have in this passage God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit together. John's point in writing this introduction to his Gospel is to show that Jesus is God as identified by witnesses to God the Father's affirmation of Jesus as God. John points to eyewitnesses of Jesus' life "We have seen his glory" rather than merely making a claim.

But is this all the New Testament has to say of Jesus' deity? Compare for instance other passages which share not only the claim of his deity but also of the creative work of Jesus. This points to a consistent theme of Jesus as God and Creator.


The Apostle Paul affirms Jesus' deity and creative work in his letter to the church at Colossae. He identifies God the Father: "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you...," (Colossians 1:3, NIV). He then speaks of the relationship of the Father and the Son with Paul's audience, "...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:12-14, NIV).
Having identified Jesus, the Son, he writes: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20, NIV). Here are similar claims to those made by John.
1. "He is the image of the invisible God"
2. By Jesus "all things were created."
The term "firstborn" is translated from the Greek word "prototokos" and is a rare word hardly found outside the Bible. The emphasis of the word is not on the process of birth, but on the special relationship of God and his Son (in this use) and pointing to his supremacy or priority (Schmidt, Ludwig "prototokos" Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (10 volumes) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972). Jesus is unique as God because he is both creator of life and the resurrection. Let there be no doubt Paul perceived Jesus as God, for he writes a little later in his letter: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...," (Colossians 2:9, NIV).

Consider also the author's of the Letter to the Hebrews words. "...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:2-3, NIV). The passage confirms that Jesus was there at the beginning and was active in the creation. We again see the notion of the Son as being the glory, bodily form, and "radiance" of God.

Some skeptics wonder if Jesus is God, why did Jesus never publicly make the claim? Yet, Jesus did make the claim in ways which would resonate with his audience. The Jewish leaders recognized Jesus words in this way. John records, "Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5:17-18, NIV).

A little later, when some of the Jewish leadership opposed Jesus. Jesus argues that Abraham rejoiced at seeing Jesus' day to which the leaders scoffed. He responded, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds." (John 8:58b-59, NIV). The leaders sought to stone Jesus to death because he not only claimed to be God in his quality as an eternal being "before Abraham was born, I am" but also because the phrase "I AM" was the term God used to identify himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14). The leaders recognized that Jesus was claiming to be God.

Finally, it is important to notice the Old Testament references to the notion of a plural quality of God. For instance, one is in the first chapter of the Bible, Genesis 1. We read this interesting exchange in the creation. "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him...;" (Genesis 1:26-27, NIV). Do you notice "God said, "Let us...our..."

How could God say "Let us...our"? Some argue, perhaps God is speaking to angels or spiritual beings, yet verse 27 articulates "God created man in his own image, in the image of God..." Clearly he refers to some plural aspect of himself. John opens his Gospel with the premise "In the beginning was the Word...the Word was with God...the Word was God...all things came into being by him." John is consistent with the premise of the very first chapter and event of the Bible.

The notion is consistent with Deuteronomy 6:4 which reads in English "Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one." (NIV). What we miss is the nuance of the original language in which "Lord" (Yahweh) is singular but "God" (Elohiym) is plural. There is a consistency throughout scripture that points to this plural essence of God. This notion is not new and unique to the New Testament or modern Christianity. In fact, the great Messianic passage of Isaiah 9:6 reads, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (NIV)

The original question was "does the Bible in the New Testament claim Jesus is God?". The answer is "yes" it does. The Bible consistently teaches on the topic and theme of the Son. He is eternal. He is the Creator; He is the sustainer. Jesus is God.
Christianity works because scripture is consistent. God had a plan from the very beginning. He would make a people in his image. He allows them to live, make choices, and fall down. But he would pick them up, give them forgiveness by giving a very unique and special part of himself. He would describe this unique arrangement in the closest relational terms of a father and son. God suffered himself so that we might all live in his home as sons.

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