Why Jesus Isn T God

52 percent of Americans say Jesus isn’t God but was a great teacher, survey says

A slim majority of individuals in the United States believe Jesus was a brilliant teacher and nothing more during his lifetime, which numerous Christian leaders believe is proof that today’s believers are “drifting away” from conventional evangelical doctrines, according to the poll. A 2020 survey conducted by Reform Church nonprofit Ligonier Ministries found that 52 percent of adults in the United States believe Jesus Christ is not God, contrary to traditional teachings from the Bible and the Christian church, which claim that Christ was both man and God.

According to the study, nearly one-third of evangelicals believe that Jesus is not God, compared to 65 percent who believe that Jesus is “the first and greatest being created by God.” 3,000 Americans took part in the poll, which included 630 self-described evangelicals, and the results have spurred a plea for greater in-depth modern study of the Holy Scriptures.

Professional evangelicals are sadly drifting away from God’s absolute standard in Scripture as the culture around us increasingly abandons its moral compass, according to a new study “The statement came from Stephen Nichols, who serves as the chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries as well as the president of Reformation Bible College.

In this season, Christians should study Scripture with diligence, engage in our culture with confidence, and bear witness fearlessly to the identity and saving work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel, according to the Bible “Nichols went on to say something else, this time issuing a warning to today’s evangelical leaders.

Christianity argues that God is one God, but that three coeternal figures — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — are all manifestations of the same divine spirit, according to the belief.

Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar and author, has drawn attention to the historical component of how Christians’ perspective of Jesus influences the faith as a whole: When it comes to Christianity, Ehrman writes, “If Jesus’ followers hadn’t declared him God, they would have remained just another sect within Judaism — a little Jewish sect.” Ehrman is the author of the book How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee.

However, Ligonier Ministries, which collaborated with LifeWay Research to conduct the poll, has a different point of view: As the organization pointed out in a statement last week, “If Jesus’ claim to be God is untrue,” “He was either insane or deceitful, but He could not have been a wonderful teacher.” Ligonier Ministries responded to Newsweek’s request for comment on the survey on Sunday afternoon, providing further information.

A majority of Americans believe that Jesus was only a great teacher during his lifetime, which numerous Christian leaders believe is proof that today’s believers are “drifting away” from traditional evangelical teachings, according to a recent poll.

Photograph by PATRIC ROBERT – CORBIS/Contributor for Getty Images

Jesus Is Not God – Bible Verses

Bible Verses Show That Jesus Is Not God Kermit Zarley2019-10-21T13:22:14-05:00Kermit Zarley is an author and researcher who professes to be a Christian. “The Gospel,” for example, is one of his published works. “The Gospels Interwoven,” “Palestine is Coming,” and “The Third Day Bible Code” are some of the titles on the list. Zarley grew concerned about the Doctrine of the Trinity and the notion that Jesus is God a number of years ago, primarily because those doctrines are absent from the Bible at the time.

Following that, Kermit immersed himself in the subject’s texts for an extended period of time.

After years of searching, he finally released “The Restitution of Jesus Christ,” a seminal work that changed the course of history.

For additional information about Kermit Zarley, please visit – To acquire “The Restitution of Jesus Christ,” please visit – “Does the Bible Identify Jesus as God?” is a presentation by Kermit Zarley that you may watch online.

Is Jesus God? Why should I believe that Jesus is God?

QuestionAnswer One argument used by those who reject that Jesus is God is the assertion that Jesus never said that He was God. It is accurate that the Bible does not include any instances of Jesus uttering the exact words, “I am God.” This does not rule out the possibility that Jesus made a claim to be God at some point. Is Jesus the Son of God? — Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Consider the words of Jesus in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one,” as an illustration of unity. We simply have to look at the reaction of the Jews to His remark to see that He was claiming to be God at the time.

  • The Jews were well aware of what Jesus was asserting: that he was the Son of God.
  • Another example is seen in John 8:58.
  • I am the one who existed before Abraham was born!” Jesus proclaimed.
  • When the Jews heard this speech, they reacted by picking up stones to stone Him to death for blasphemy, as prescribed by the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 24:16).
  • — His disciples proclaimed Him to be the Son of God.
  • These lines make it very obvious that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh.
  • Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.

As a result, Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus doesn’t correct him in any way.

Hebrews 1:8 states of Jesus, “But concerning the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, will remain forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom,'” according to the Father.

In the book of Revelation, an angel instructs the apostle John to worship only God (Revelation 19:10).

He never chastises anybody for bowing down to Him in worship.

There are several additional passages of Scripture that support Jesus’ claim to be God in addition to these.

— There’s a good reason why Jesus had to be God.

It is impossible for a created being, which is what Jesus would have been if He had not been God, to pay the infinite punishment needed for sin against an infinite God.

As the only one who was able to take on the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21), die, and be raised from the dead, God demonstrated His victory over sin and death.

Yes.

His disciples took Him to be the Son of God.

In the Bible, Jesus is identified as God incarnate, the everlasting Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8; 22:13), as well as God the Savior (2 Peter 1:1). Back to the Crucial Questions page. Is Jesus the Son of God? What gives me reason to think that Jesus is God?

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Jesus is not God – Bible Verses and Proofs

God is incapable of death. God does not pray to himself in the traditional sense. God does not engage in debate with himself. God did not anoint himself with oil. God is present in Jesus, but Jesus is not the same as God. The following Bible verses will demonstrate that Jesus is not the Son of the Living God. Everything in the Bible must be interpreted in the context in which it is written. It is not possible to interpret something in whatever way you choose and say that it is the truth. It is not necessary to understand the word of God in the Bible!

Whatever I instruct you to do, you must do it exactly as I command you to do it: neither add to it nor subtract from it.

God and Jesus are one, because God lives in Jesus

The Bible verses that are most frequently used in support of the assertion that Jesus is God are those that demonstrate that God resides inside Jesus. God is spirit, and as such, He resides in the hearts of his offspring. Do you not understand that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words that I speak unto you are not said on my behalf; rather, the Father who dwelleth in me is the one who does the deeds. (See also John 14:10) The fact that God is present in Jesus does not imply that Jesus is God.

  • And Jesus demonstrated to us that we, too, may become one with God!
  • Without a doubt, this is not the case!
  • And I have given them the glory that thou hast given me, in order that they may be one, as we are one.
  • Is this, however, evidence that they are one and the same person?
  • Despite the fact that they are one, they continue to be two people.
  • Without a doubt, this is not the case.

The resurrection of the dead comes by man

This Bible verse is so unambiguous that there isn’t much more that can be said to explain it. It asserts that, just as death was brought about by man (Adam and Eve), so too will the resurrection of the dead be brought about by man. That implies that Jesus had to be a human being in order for the resurrection of the dead to have occurred through him. Take a look at the following for yourself: For, just as death was brought about by man, so too was the resurrection of the dead brought about by man.

Then there are the firstfruits, which are Christ; after that there are those who are Christ’s at his coming.

It is necessary for him to continue to reign until he has subdued all of his adversaries. (See 1 Corinthians 15:21-25 for further information.)

God puts everything under Jesus feet

What is the point of God putting everything beneath his own feet if everything is already his property? He has created everything, and as a result, He is the rightful owner of everything. In order for this verse to make sense, it must be assumed that Jesus is not God himself, but rather another person: For he hath laid all things beneath his feet. However, when he claims that all things have been placed beneath him, it is clear that he is the exception, as it was he who placed all things under him.

Jesus can’t do anything of his own

If he claims that he is unable to do miracles on his own, how did he manage to perform such incredible feats? Because God accomplished all of these things THROUGH him: “I can do nothing of my own accord; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just; for I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.” “I can do nothing of my own accord; as I hear, I judge.” (John 5:30 a.m.) Due to the fact that there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for everyone, and who will be testified to in due course (1 Thessalonians 2:5–6)

Jesus is not God, but Jesus has a God

As a result, after hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you and remembering you in my prayers, in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. (See also Ephesians 1:15-17.) To Mary, Jesus says, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.” Instead, go to my brethren and tell them, “I climb unto my Father, as well as your Father; as well as my God, as well as your God.” (See also John 20:17.)

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Jesus has only one God

In his teachings, Jesus asserted that there is only one God. Why didn’t he just state that he is God, as if he were God himself? Wouldn’t that make things a whole lot simpler for everyone? And Jesus responded, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” The second commandment is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. (Matthew 12:29)

Jesus is not God, because God is not a human

Because I am God, and not a human being; I am the Holy One who dwells in the midst of thee. In Hosea 11:9, the Bible says, God is not a man, and he is not the son of man either. (Numbers 23:19) (Numbers 23:19) Because he is not a guy. (15:29; 1 Samuel 15:29) Hear this, O Israel: There is only one Lord, the Lord our God. (4:4) (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Jesus died, but God can’t die

God does not die since He is the source of all life. As a result, it became essential for Him to abandon Jesus on the cross. And it is for this reason that Jesus cried out, “God, why have you deserted me?” (God, why have you forsaken me) (Matthew 15:34) Moreover, when the sixth hour arrived, there was complete darkness across the whole country until the ninth hour.

After nine hours, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabbthani?” (Eloi, Eloi, lama sabbthani? In other words, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” is being understood. (Matthew 15:33-34; Luke 15:33-34)

Jesus is not God, because Jesus doesn’t know what God knows

I swear to you that this generation will not pass away until all of these things have been accomplished. Despite the fact that heaven and earth will pass away, my words will not be forgotten. But no one, not even the angels of heaven, is aware of that day and hour, save for my Father, who knows all. (Matthew 24:34-36; Mark 10:34-36; Luke 10:34-36)

Jesus has a different will than God. Jesus is not God!

Afterwards, after walking a little distance, Jesus fell on his knees and prayed: “O my Father, if it is possible, please take this cup away from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39; Mark 12:39)

Jesus thanks God for hearing him

After that, they removed the stone from the spot where the deceased had been lain. And Jesus raised his eyes to the heavens and murmured, “Father, I thank you that you have heard my prayer.” And I knew that thou heardest me at all times; but, I spoke it because of the people who were standing nearby, so that they would believe that thou hadst sent me. (John 11:41-42) (John 11:41-42)

Jesus says that only God is good

And a particular king approached him and said, “Good Master, what do I need to do in order to obtain eternal life?” And Jesus responded by saying, “Why do you call me good?” There is only one nice person in the world, and that is God. (See Luke 18:18-19 for further information.)

Jesus own words

And this is everlasting life: that they may come to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent, as the only real God. (John17:3)

Jesus is not God, but the son of God

Then he asks them, “But who do you think I am?” he says. And Simon Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and he continued. “Blessed are thou, Simon Barjona,” Jesus said, referring to the fact that “flesh and blood has not revealed anything to thee, but my Father who is in heaven has.” (Matthew 16:15-17; Mark 10:15-17)

Jesus did not anoint himself, but was anointed by God

And no one, save those who have been called by God, such as Aaron, can claim this honor for themselves. In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself by being elevated to the position of high priest, but rather the one who declared to him, “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee.” (Hebrews 5:4; Hebrews 5:5)

God and Jesus still remain two entities

However, since he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he continued to stare up into heaven, where he saw the glory of God, as well as Jesus standing at God’s right hand. It was then that the Son of Man appeared to him and said, “Behold, the heavens have been opened, and the Son of Man is standing at the right side of God.” (See Acts 7:55–56.)

We only have one God, the Father

For though there may be many gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there may be many gods and lords), to us there is only one God, the Father, from whom all things are derived, and we are derived from him; and there is only one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things are derived, and we are derived from him. (See 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 for further information).

And we also praise only one God, the Father of Jesus Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual benefits in heavenly realms through our relationship with him in Christ.

The apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:3) More information on this issue may be found in this article: Is the Trinity a Biblical doctrine? Visit the Stay Biblical Facebook Page for more information.

Is Jesus God? – Common Questions

Some people believe that Jesus Christ was simply a man, or that he was a great teacher. However, He was and continues to be much more than that. According to the Bible, Jesus is one-of-a-kind in both His person and His purpose. During His time on earth, He was more than simply a spiritual being; He was also God’s Son (John 3:16) and God Himself—God manifested in human form (John 1:14). (1 Timothy 3:16). His humanity was unquestionably complete, but His divinity was unquestionably complete as well (Colossians 2:9).

  • It is understandable that this may be true, but it is crucial to remember that God is far greater and more powerful than we are capable of understanding or comprehending.
  • According to him, He and His Father are one (John 10:30), and that He is on an equal footing with the Father (John 17:5).
  • Not only did he assert that he was God, but he also asserted that he possessed divine authority.
  • He asserts the power to resurrect people from the dead (John 5:25-29) and to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), which are things that only God has the authority to perform (1 Samuel 2:6; Isaiah 43:25).
  • (Matthew 28:20).
  • Claiming to be anything, as Jesus claimed to be God, does not imply that one is in fact in that position.
  • Jesus’ identity is not only determined by what He says, but rather by what He does.

These pieces of evidence include prophecies that were fulfilled and miracles that were documented in which Jesus overturned the rules of nature.

But it was His resurrection from the dead after His death on the cross that provided the most definitive proof of His deity and immortality.

Is it true that Jesus ever said, “I am God”?

Many individuals who believe in only one God would consider the individual to be blaspheming.

Hedid, on the other hand, provide us with grounds to accept such a claim without uttering these terms.

For example, Jesus declares in Revelation 1:17 and 22:13 that He is “the beginning and the last,” which corresponds to God the Father’s statement in Isaiah 44:6.

If we believe that Jesus could only claim to be God by speaking just one statement, we would wonder where He says things like, “I am a brilliant teacher, but I am not God,” or “I am simply a prophet; don’t worship me,” among other things.

There is good news in that Jesus revealed to us that He is God in a number of distinct ways!

Except for God, who else could lay claim to these things?

Just because you believe in Jesus as God does not imply that there are numerous gods.

“God has shown Himself to us in three ways—as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit,” as Billy Graham eloquently put it.

Have you ever considered some of the objects we see around us that are both three—and yet also one—dimensional at the same time?

Patrick taught the Irish about this hundreds of years ago using a clover leaf, which has three leaves yet is still considered to be only one leaf.

Regardless matter whether a quart of water is made up of ice, water, or steam, it is still the same quart of water.” Heaven is real, and there is only one way to go there—the one way to be free from your sin and to have a personal connection with God—and that is via Jesus Christ.

If Jesus is God’s Son, how can He be both God and God’s Son?

God has never had a wife, according to the Bible.

In contrast to us, Jesus was not conceived by two earthly parents; rather, He was born of a virgin as a result of a miracle performed by God.

Having a child born of a virgin may seem impossible; even Jesus’ mother, Mary, wondered aloud, “How will this be?” But God is all-powerful, and he prepared a way for the holy Jesus to come into the world as a human being (Luke 1:34).

Jesus was entirely God and totally human at the same time.

The fact that Luke was aware of the impossibility of a virgin birth did not prevent him from concluding that it was true after much inquiry.

That He was born miraculously is even further proof of His divinity.

Heaven is real, and there is only one way to go there—the one way to be free from your sin and to have a personal connection with God—and that is via Jesus.

“Salvation can be found in no one else, because there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved,” according to Acts 4:12.

The reason behind this is as follows: We are all sinners, which means that we all fall short of God’s flawless ideal.

That entails an eternity of estrangement from the Creator.

In the presence of God, we can have eternal life since He vanquished death by rising again, and this is possible only if we place our confidence in Him.

DISCOVER MORE Following His death and resurrection, hundreds of individuals witnessed and believed in the resurrected Christ; over the course of 2,000 years, countless others have realized that no one else can satisfy human hearts’ most profound desires and wants.

“All the riches of wisdom and understanding are hidden in Jesus Christ alone,” according to the Bible (Colossians 2:3).

The Bible informs us that Jesus Christ is God, and there are several reasons why we may put our faith in this book of scripture.

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” in the Common Questions section.) Apart from the fact that we have several grounds to trust that the Bible’s content is accurate, many people will discover that reading the Bible allows God to communicate to them—perhaps not audibly, but via His words.

Different translations of the Bible are available in an attempt to make the Bible comprehensible to a variety of audiences; yet, the primary doctrines—as well as the person of Jesus Christ—remain the same throughout all translations.

If you’re interested in learning more about Jesus and what the Bible has to say about Him, read the book of John in your Bible. It’s a fantastic location to get started.

Related Articles

Is it true that a guy named Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth? The debate over whether or not the figure known as the “Historical Jesus” genuinely existed is mostly a reflection of opinions among atheists about the nature of the figure. Individuals who adhere to an unrealistic and more readily rejected “Christ of Faith” (the heavenly Jesus who walked on water) should refrain from participating in the controversy. According to biblical scholar J.D. Crossan, several secular scholars have put out their own interpretations of what is known as the “Historical Jesus.” However, most of these interpretations are seen to be “an intellectual disgrace.” From John Dominic Crossan’s portrayal of Jesus as a wise sage to Robert Eisenman’s portrayal of Jesus as a revolutionary to Bart Ehrman’s portrayal of Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet, the only thing New Testament academics appear to agree on is that Jesus existed historically.

  1. But can’t even that be called into question?
  2. The first is a scarcity of early sources.
  3. They are all written by Christian authors who are keen to promote Christianity, which gives us cause to doubt the veracity of these early sources, which were assembled decades after the supposed occurrences.
  4. The Gospels, which are replete with legendary and non-historical content and have been substantially modified over time, are unlikely to persuade skeptical readers to believe even the most banal assertions contained in them.
  5. The criteria of embarrassment states that if a portion would cause the author humiliation, it is more likely to be a genuine piece.
  6. The criteria of Aramaic context is also useless in this situation.
  7. Moreover, considering that the sources are plainly not impartial, the criteria of multiple independent testimony would have a difficult time being applied appropriately here.
  8. Paul avoids mentioning Jesus’ earthly experiences and teachings, even when the latter may have used to support his own assertions.
  9. In fact, Paul explicitly excludes the possibility of human origins (see Galatians 1:11-12).
  10. There are no eyewitness or contemporaneous reports of Jesus that have survived.
  11. There is little that can be learned from the limited non-Biblical and non-Christian sources available, with only the Roman scholar Josephus and the historian Tacitus claiming to have written about Jesus within 100 years of his death, respectively.

Independent historian Richard Carrier’s recent defense of another theory — namely, that the belief in Jesus began as a belief in a purely celestial being (who was killed by demons in an upper realm), and that the belief in Jesus evolved into a belief in a historical figure over time — lends support to this viewpoint.

  • Nevertheless, the Pauline Epistles are largely in favor of a “celestial Jesus” viewpoint, notably in the verse showing that demons killed Jesus and would not have done so if they had known who he was (see: 1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
  • So, what do mainstream (as well as non-Christian) academics have to say about all of this, exactly?
  • To date, only Bart Ehrman and Maurice Casey have made a comprehensive effort to establish the historical existence of Jesus Christ.
  • Because of the imaginary (i.e.
  • Who was responsible for the creation of these fictitious sources?
  • What did they have to say?
  • The stories were written with the intent of being accurate historical depictions, edifying allegories, or amusing fiction.
  • Given the poor status of the surviving materials, as well as the heinous tactics employed by conventional Biblical historians, it seems probable that the issue will never be answered completely.

In conclusion, there are compelling arguments for doubting the historical reality of Jesus – if not dismissing it as completely implausible. PostEverything has more to say:

Did Jesus claim to be God? A response to Bart Ehrman — Risen Church Brisbane

If Jesus never claimed to be God, how did he come to be considered one? Exactly this is the question that Bart Ehrman explores in his book, How Jesus Became God. In it, he asserts that Jesus never referred to himself as God. So, how did he come to be one of them? I haven’t had the opportunity to read the book. Instead, I sat through a lengthy interview with him about his new book. I’ve included a link to the interview at the end of this post. This is extremely important to Ehrman because, if the claim about Jesus’ divinity had not been made and accepted, the history of the entire world would have been drastically different, according to him.

Ehrman’s Claims

Here are a handful of his assertions from early in the conversation that I found interesting. ‘That the first Christians believed that Jesus had been lifted up to heaven and transformed into a divine entity, and that he would return.’ (2:43) So far, everything is going well. In contrast, ‘During his lifetime, Jesus neither called himself nor considered himself to be God, and nobody of his followers had any clue at all that he was God,’ according to the Bible. (from 3:04 to 3:12 p.m.) Except, as Ehrman concedes, in the case of John’s Gospel.

  1. For example, the ‘I am’ declarations that are reminiscent of Yahweh’s ‘I am’ pronouncements in the Old Testament are examples of this.
  2. Alternatively, Jesus’ assertion of divine power and judgment (John 5v19-22) The author of John’s Gospel is so convinced that Jesus is God that he begins with this dramatic proclamation.
  3. He was there with God at the beginning of time.
  4. There was life in him, and that life was the source of illumination for all of mankind.
  5. (1:14) Ehrman, on the other hand, claims that John islater.
  6. Given that Jesus was declaring himself to be God, I believe it is entirely impossible that the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke would fail to note that he was calling himself God.
  7. (See, for example, this recent blog post investigating Jesus’ I am statements in John’s Gospel, which is towards the conclusion of the article unrelated to this one.)

Is Bart Ehrman right? No

Is Bart Ehrman correct in his assessment? Is it true that Jesus never claimed to be God (save in the Gospel of John)? Was Jesus’ purported claim to be God something that was imposed on him and that he never claimed for himself, as some have speculated? And it’s all in the sake of helping the small group expand, right? The answer to all of these questions is no. I’m baffled as to how Bart Ehrman arrives to the conclusion that Jesus never claimed to be God when it is so obviously not the case.

Allow me to explain why I’m so certain of my position. (Again, the interview with Ehrman is at the bottom of the page so that you can hear a summary of his argument.) Let’s take a look at three items:

  1. Paul and Peter make unambiguous assertions
  2. Identification of Jesus with the activities or character of God on a direct level
  3. In the Gospels, Jesus asserts that he is God.

1Direct Statements by Paul and Peter that Jesus was God

Now, you’re absolutely correct. The apostles Paul and Peter have made statements that are not the words of Jesus. However, in an unexpected twist, they turn out to be the first written recordings of people’s opinions on Jesus. We’ll have a look at these in order to rebut Ehrman’s assertion that the claim that Jesus was God was first made centuries ago. Start with a straight statement from Paul in his letter to Titus: “We are looking forward to the good hope, the manifestation of God’s glorious presence in the face of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) And what about the rest of them?

  1. God, on the other hand, was delighted to have all of his fullness dwell in Jesus.
  2. Colossians 1:19-10 and 2:9 are two passages to consider.
  3. Ehrman appears to have received four strikes as a result of this.
  4. Simeon To those who, through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, have gained faith on an equal footing with ours, I, Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, address my greetings.
  5. It appears to be the case.

2 Direct Identification of Jesus with THE actions or character of God

Bart Ehrman, for some reason, seems to be missing the point that the New Testament writers are trying to express. According to him, he is only interested in assertions such as ‘Jesus is the Son of God’ or ‘I am the Son of God.’ However, the writers are more complex than that. These individuals see a straight line of distinction between Jesus Christ and Yahweh (God’s personal name) of the Old Testament. This is a more fundamental relationship than merely asserting a link. Let us examine this development in the writings of Paul, which, once again, are written far earlier than those of John.

  1. The Son (Jesus) is the visible representation of the invisible God, and he is the firstborn of all creation.
  2. He is the beginning and the end of all things, and in him all things are held together.
  3. Jesus is the creator who is the source of all things.
  4. This is quite obvious, but it gets much more obvious when you examine the very first passage of the Bible: The heavens and the earth were created by God in the beginning of time.
  5. God is the one who created everything.
  6. But let’s take another look at this.

So God exalted him to the highest position and bestowed upon him the name that is above all names, so that at the mention of Jesus’ name, every knee should bow, in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of his Father in heaven.

  1. Consider this verse from the Old Testament, which was penned some 800 years ago by the prophet Isaiah.
  2. “Turn to me and be saved, all you peoples on the face of the globe; for I am God, and there is no one else.” … Every knee will kneel before me, and every mouth will swear in my presence.
  3. There is only one God, and there are no other gods.
  4. Despite this, Paul applies it to Jesus in order to bring glory to the Father.
  5. According to what he says right before this, which is also mentioned above: Christ Jesus, who, despite the fact that he existed in the form of God, Philippians 2:5–6 (KJV).

However, as we previously stated, Bart goes even farther and says that the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not include any assertions by Jesus that he was God or that he thought himself to be God. Jesus was exclusively concerned with his messianic rule at the time.

3 Jesus claims to be God in the Gospels

The fact that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah cannot be disputed. In the end, however, what we will discover is that Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah is associated with his identify as God the Son of God. Let us take a short look at some passages from the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and Matthew. The Gospel of Mark Here are some of Jesus’ remarks from the middle of the book of Mark. As Jesus said, “Whoever in this adulterous and sinful age is embarrassed of me and of my teachings, he will be humiliated before the Son of Man when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 8:38 (Matthew 8:38) At first glance, it does not appear to be a claim to deity.

  • The passage below comes from Daniel, right in the midst of the book.
  • Thrones refers to a group of people.
  • This vision continues a few words later.
  • ” He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted into the presence of the God of the Sun.
  • His dominion is an immortal dominion that will never be destroyed, and his kingdom is a kingdom that will never be destroyed too.
  • In this regard, it is appropriate for him to be revered by everybody.
  • Every Jew was well aware that God was the one object of devotion.
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It is asserting once more that the Son of Man is God, following the pattern of identification.

As a result, towards the conclusion of Mark’s Gospel, when Jesus is questioned who he is and whether he is the Messiah, he responds affirmatively.

“And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, descending on the clouds of heaven,” says the prophet.

(Matthew 14:62-63.) The high priest saw Jesus’ remark as a claim to be the Son of Man, and so to be the ruler of the universe!

The phrase ‘I am’ is the identical one that Ehrman recognizes in John’s Gospel as a claim to be God, according to Ehrman.

However, look at Mark 2, 45 to see what I mean.

In the Old Testament, the bridegroom is always God, regardless of the setting.

A clear connection may be drawn between the words or deeds of Jesus and God himself, according to what has been revealed in the Old Testament in each one of them.

Let’s look at the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

First and foremost, a claim about Jesus.

Matthew 1:23 is a passage from the Bible that says, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is written, “It is You are absolutely correct.

In the case of Jesus, however, it’s difficult to reconcile this claim with Ehrman’s contention that the disciples did not believe Jesus was God, given that Matthew is almost certainly one of Jesus’ disciples.

It is my Father who has turned everything up to me; there is no one who knows my Son save the Father, and no one who knows my Father except the Son and anyonet o whom the Son chooses to expose him.

According to God’s words in the Old Testament, ‘I am the one Saviour, and there is none else.’ Jesus, on the other hand, says, “Come to me, and I will give you peace.” Any Jesus was attempting to take God’s position or he was claiming to be God, but in either case, he believed he was accomplishing something that only God could accomplish!

  • Jesus claims that he is the only one who knows the Father.
  • No one, not even God, is privy to God’s innermost thoughts in the Old Testament.
  • You can’t help but think that when you read it with certain lines from the book of Isaiah in mind, that Jesus is making an assertion that he is God.
  • I will not give up my honor or praise to anybody else, including idols.
  • Jesus declares that he now has all of the honor and glory since all things have been given to him.
  • This is the reason why Jesus was willing to accept the adoration of his disciples (Matthew 14v25-32).
  • In addition, he has the authority to instruct others in what he has learned.

As previously stated, I have omitted passages in which Jesus seems to do acts of God, such as feeding the 5000 in the wilderness, as God did, and then walking on water, as God did when he parted the Red Sea.

Allow me to provide just one example from a long list.

(2) (Luke 2:11).

According to Isaiah chapter 9, the Messiah who would sit on David’s throne will be referred to as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” among other titles.

God is designated as the Messiah in the Scriptures.

The claim of Jesus to be the Christ (in the Greek language) or the Messiah (in the Hebrew language) should be interpreted as an implied claim to divinity throughout the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and throughout the New Testament.

Ehrman recognizes without reservation that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. As a result, according to Ehrman’s own assertions, Jesus was definitely claiming to be God. Just not by proclaiming, ‘I am God,’ of course.

Conclusion

Jesus accepts the Old Testament’s claim to be the God of that time period. As a result, how did Bart Ehrman arrive at his conclusion? He claims to be able to tell the difference between writings from the New Testament that were written earlier and writings from the New Testament that were written later. And which sections of which ones were earlier and which parts were later, as well as when they were created. Accordingly, those sections of the text depicting the belief that Jesus was God (God the Son) are disregarded as later additions to the text rather than reflecting its original position.

  • He has no way of knowing if they are still there later on.
  • You can see where the problem is coming from.
  • Because it is usually believed that Paul’s writings are the first known sources of information.
  • However, even if we accept that later writers, posing as Paul or changing Paul, introduced this thought into the text, his argument breaks apart completely.
  • And this addition occurred through a number of different writers, and it was accepted by the early Christian community.
  • So, how did the notion of Jesus’ divinity come to be?
  • This insight did not emerge out of thin air on its own.
  • They deduced from these writings that Jesus was God, God in the flesh, God the Son.

For the most part, even while Jesus does not claim to be God in the sense we might expect, by declaring ‘I am God’ (with the exception of the Gospel of John, in which he uses the word ‘I am’ frequently), he aligns himself with the power, love, activity, and designs of God in unmistakable ways.

This is why praising Jesus is synonymous with praising the Father. Jesus is God, God the Son, who died for us and is deserving of our reverence and adoration.

Why Didn’t Jesus Ever Say, “I Am God”?

Believing that Jesus is God is a significant undertaking. We as Christians place our hope in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, and this is at the heart of our faith! If Jesus is not God, then there is no hope for sinners since no mere human being could fully fulfill God’s rule and endure God’s endless wrath against sin on their behalf. Christian education and comfort have been supplied by the Heidelberg Catechism for hundreds of years. It addresses the need for a mediator and deliverer who is not only a man but God himself in the form of God the Son.

  • (Heidelberg Catechism Q A 17).
  • Here are three passages from the Gospel of John in which Jesus explicitly declares himself to be God: 1.
  • In the third chapter of John, Nicodemus, a religious authority of the Jews, approaches Jesus and inquires about his teaching.
  • (See also John 3:13) Nicodemus is right to question him about heavenly matters since he himself has descended from heaven, and he is correct in this.
  • According to the Old Testament, this Son of Man is a celestial figure who reigns eternally over a kingdom that will never be destroyed by any means (Dan.
  • Throughout the Gospels, there is a strong emphasis on the incarnation–God becoming human.
  • It is because Jesus is God manifested that his death may bring about the restoration of life for those who place their faith in him.

Jesus asserts that he is one with God the Father.

“If you are the Christ, please tell us in no uncertain terms” (John 10:24).

7:14, Isa.

5:2).

(John 10:1—18) Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who gives his life for the sake of his flock.

His sheep, on the other hand, are given eternal life by him because they hear his voice and follow him (John 10:25—29).

3.

The Pharisees were not Jesus’ first encounter, and this was not the first time that he was targeted for murder because he claimed to be God himself.

He assures those who follow and obey him that they will live.

Due to the fact that Abraham died, they view this to be an arrogant claim to be superior than the Jewish patriarch Abraham.

He was relieved when he noticed it” (John 8:56).

They were shocked when Jesus told them that he was “the one who existed before Abraham was” (really, genuinely).

When the Lord God of Israel revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush, he used the name “Lord God of Israel” to identify himself.

“God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.'” The one who said to Moses, “I AM,” revealed himself to Moses in yet another way: “God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God This will be my name for all time, and as a result, I will be remembered across all generations” (Exod.

3:15).

As far as the Jews were concerned, it was enough: “So they gathered stones to throw at him, but Jesus concealed himself and fled out of the temple” (John 8:59).

In ways that are life-giving.

 There are several passages in Scripture that we might refer to in order to examine Christ’s divinity.

7:14, Isa.

5:2).

9:5, Titus 2:13, Heb.

Christ is endowed with divine characteristics (John 5:22, Acts 17:31, Heb.

1:17).

1:2, Phil.

A more detailed examination of why Jesus chooses this term for himself may be found in Leon Morris’ The Gospel According to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm.

Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), pp.

Jesus’ claim to be the Good Shepherd in John 10:1—18 brings the promise of Ezekiel 34 to fruition, as God himself will govern as a good shepherd over his own people in his own time.

By claiming to be the good shepherd, Jesus claimed to be the celestial monarch who had been prophesied. Q A 17 of the Heidelberg Catechism

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