Apologetics

Does the Bible really teach that Jesus is God?

 “while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior,
Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)
 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
(John 1:1)
 “Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is
God over all, forever praised! Amen.” (Romans 9:5)
 “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and
righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” (Hebrews 1:8)
 “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we
may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He
is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)
 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9)
 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:5-7)
 He has characteristics that can only be true if he’s God:
1. Self-existent (eternal, no beginning or end):
A. “He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:2)
B. “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’" (John
8:58)
 Jesus is using an Old Testament name for God, found in Exodus 3:14:
“God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the
Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”' "
C. “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before
the world began.” (John17:5)
D. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my
glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the
world.” (John17:24)
2. Omnipresent (present everywhere):
A. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
(Matthew 18:20)
B. “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
3. Omniscient (all knowing):
A. “When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be
betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be
raised to life.’ And the disciples were filled with grief. After Jesus and his disciples
arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and
asked, ‘Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?’ ‘Yes, he does,’ he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. ‘What do you think,
Simon?’ he asked. ‘From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—
from their own sons or from others?’ ‘From others,’ Peter answered. ‘Then the sons
are exempt,’ Jesus said to him. ‘But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake
and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will
find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.’"
(Matthew 17:22-27)

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B. “He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’ ‘I have no husband,’ she
replied Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact
is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What
you have just said is quite true.’" (John 4:16-18)
C. “‘Yet there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus had known from the
beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.” (John 6:64)
D. "Then Jesus' disciples said…‘Now we can see that you know all things and that you
do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you
came from God.’ ‘You believe at last!’ Jesus answered.” (John 16:29-31)
4. Omnipotent (all powerful):
A. “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked
the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and
asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’"
(Matthew 8:26-27)
B. “Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-
law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over
her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on
them. When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various
kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover,
demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he
rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the
Christ.” (Luke 4:38-41)
C. “Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said,
‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus
gave him back to his mother.” (Luke 7:14-15)
D. “The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we're going to drown!’
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all
was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they
asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and
they obey him.’" (Luke 8:24-25)
E. “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and
who is to come, the Almighty.’" (Revelation 1:8)
F. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me.’” (Matthew 28:18)
5. Possessing eternal life:
A. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have
life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
B. “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that
we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus
Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)
6. Immutability (unchanging):
A. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
7. Sinless:
A. “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46)

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B. “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is
no sin.” (1 John 3:5)
C. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22)
 He received honor and worship that only God should receive:
1. In Matthew 4:10 Jesus tells Satan “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” yet
Matthew 14:33; 28:9 shows Jesus being worshipped as God and accepting the worship.
A. “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of
God.’" (Matthew 14:33)
B. “Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet
and worshiped him.” (Matthew 28:9)
2. John 5:22-23, Hebrews 1:6 and Revelation 5:8-14 claim he is worthy of worship as God.
A. “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that
all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father, who sent him.” (John 5:22-23)
B. “And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God's
angels worship him.’" (Hebrews 1:6)
C. “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell
down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full
of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: ‘You are
worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your
blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and
nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they
will reign on the earth.’ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels,
numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They
encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they
sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in
heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them,
singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and
glory and power, for ever and ever!’ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the
elders fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation 5:8-14)
 Paul calls him God in Acts 20:28
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
 Peter calls him Messiah and Jesus commends him for it in Matthew 16:16-17.
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied,
‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my
Father in heaven.’”
 Martha and Nathanael call him Messiah and Son of God
1. “‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to
come into the world.’" (John 11:27)
2. “Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.’"
(John 1:49)
 Stephen in Acts 7:59
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’"

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 Thomas called Jesus his Lord. Jesus rebuked him for his unbelief, not for his worship (John
20:26-29)
“A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though
the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’
Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and
put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my
God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are
those who have not seen and yet have believed.’"
 In the Old Testament, the Messiah was described as being God
 “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.” (Isaiah 9:6)
 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of
you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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.” (Colossians
1:15-16)
1. Many cults (such as the Jehovah’s Witness) claim that these verses mean that Jesus was a
created being. They claim that the phrase “firstborn over all creation” means that God
created Jesus. Then Jesus created everything else.
2. In scripture, the term “firstborn” does not necessarily mean “born first.” Psalm 89:27
speaks of David as firstborn although he was not born first (see Samuel 16):
“I will also appoint him [David] my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27)
3. If the writer of Colossians meant to teach that Jesus was created first, he would have used
the Greek word protoktistos meaning “first-created.” Instead, the word used is
prototokos, which means an heir, a begotten one, the first in rank.
4. Firstborn is a term that refers to preeminence, to an exalted position, and in Jesus’ case,
refers to His position as the God-Man: God in the flesh who is Lord.
5. Genesis 1:1 and Isaiah 44:24 claim that God created everything.
A. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
B. "This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am
the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who
spread out the earth by myself” (Isaiah 44:24)

Information from:
1. More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
2. The Case for Christ (Student Edition) by Lee Strobel

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3. How do Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teachings about Christ compare with Scriptures? by Mark
Van Bebber. http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-r005.html