I found that the Bible consistently presents Jesus as God the Son; in
some places Jesus is directly called God, but in many other places He
is described by titles or actions which belong exclusively to God.
The philosophical understanding of the deity of Christ is difficult.
But there is no reason for us to assume that the nature of God would
be completely understandable by finite and limited human minds. When
The Bible presents God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we should bear
in mind that the father-son relationship is probably only an
approximate human picture of the relationship between God the Father
and God the Son, just as other Biblical passages describe God in human
terms.
Note that the individual persons of the Godhead may have separate
roles while still being of equal worth and being equally God. This is
no more contradictory than the idea of male headship in a marriage or
the submission of a US citizen to his president, since, in both
examples, the persons involved may be equals in every way except that
one agrees to submit to the leadership of the other. Philippians
2:5-11 exhorts us to emulate Christ's humility, since even though He
is God, He submitted to the Father and gave up His divine rights for a
time, in order to die on a cross to reconcile us to Himself (see also
Titus 2:14). Another N.T. example of Christ as servant is Luke 22:27,
where He washes the disciples' feet. Clearly, taking the role of a
servant here does not make Jesus inferior to the disciples!
The following are verses which I've looked up, gathered from my own
word studies of the Bible and from other sources. I've used the NAS
Bible throughout this study; any typos or other errors are mine.
I've chosen to render the divine name YHWH (which most English
translations render "LORD" in capital letters) as Yahweh.
--David J. Finton,
March 11, 1995
1. Names of Jesus
3. Jesus is worshipped
God will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11),
but He does give it to Christ (John 17:5)
4. Jesus/God everlasting
Note that any created being must have been created at some time;
that is, there was a time when it did not exist. Therefore, to
exist from eternity past is a mark of divinity.
Jesus:
His goings forth from the days of eternity -- Micah 5:2
Called "everlasting Father" -- Isaiah 9:6
The Alpha and the Omega -- Rev 1:8, 22:13
The first and the last -- Rev 1:17, 22:13
The beginning and the end" -- Rev 22:13
Yahweh:
"I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He."
-- Isaiah 41:4
"I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me"
-- Isaiah 44:6
"I am He, I am the first, I am also the last." -- Isaiah 48:12
God enthroned: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and
the end" -- Rev 21:5-7
Note: Although Jesus is from all eternity, His earthly body is not
-- Hebrews 10:5-10
God:
Jesus:
All things that were created were created through Christ -- John 1:3
The world was made through Him -- John 1:10
All things created by Him and for Him -- Colossians 1:15-17
-- including everything in the heavens and earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
The heavens and earth are the work of His hands -- Heb 1:10-12
Note: This passage describes the Son in the words of Psalm 102:25-27,
which refer to Yahweh.
God:
"For God will bring every act to judgment" -- Ecclesiastes 12:14
The day of judgment is called the day of Yahweh -- Joel 2:31-3:2
(See also Isaiah 2:12, 13:9-13, Jeremiah 46:10, 2 Peter 3:7-10)
God judges: 2 Peter 2:4-11
Jesus:
God:
Jesus:
God:
Jesus:
God:
Christ raised from the dead by the glory of the Father -- Romans 6:4
God the Father raised Jesus from the dead -- Galations 1:1
Jesus:
"Destroy this temple [His body, verse 2:21], and in three days
I will raise it up." -- John 2:19
"I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it
away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have
authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.
This commandment I received from My Father." -- John 10:17-18
12. Whose witnesses?
Yahweh:
"You are My witnesses" -- Isaiah 43:10, 44:8
Jesus:
"you shall be My witnesses" -- Acts 1:8
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And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the
throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them
was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and
under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard
saying,
And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders
fell down and worshipped.
--Revelation 5:11-14