The Divinity of Jesus Christ, In Scripture and in his own words.

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 11/5/2013 | Msgr Charles Pope

[markomalley]

I have mentioned before that many years ago in seminary I was quite surprised to listen to some of my professors declare what I considered to be heretical things about Jesus Christ. They often said, he did not claim to be God, or he did not know he was God.

When I might meekly suggest a certain biblical text that more than suggested he darn well knew he was divine they seemed unimpressed and invoked dubious theories that denied the biblical text was a credible source.

Thankfully I had some other professors who were able to reassure me that the Divinity of Christ was not in question and that the Scriptures accurately what reported what Jesus himself actually said and did. It still shocked me that teachers who denied or questioned the divinity of Christ could openly teach in a Catholic seminary and am happy to report that those problems have long since been cleared up at the seminary I attended.

Yet, I must say, I am still bothered to hear that some college students still have to endure this sort of heresy, it is especially grievous to me that some of this still goes on at Catholic Colleges.

Never one to simply collapse under pressure or discouragement I took up the challenge to assemble the Biblical evidence as to Jesus’ Divinity. It is remarkably rich and consistent throughout all the New Testament Books as you shall see. In this article I give the scripture citations for the most part but cannot include most of the texts in the article since they are so numerous that they would eclipse the article itself. Perhaps at some point in the future I will publish a version with all the citations spelled out. For now, let these suffice to show forth a glorious scriptural affirmation of the Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

1. Clearly this is a dogma of the Faith (de Fide). The divinity and divine sonship of Jesus is expressed in all the creeds. This is perhaps most clearly stated in the Athanasian Creed (Quicumque):”…we believe and confess that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is God and man. He is God begotten of the substance of the Father before all ages and man born in time of the substance of His Mother. He is Perfect God and perfect man.”

2. There are many passages in the Old Testament that express the qualities of the coming Messiah, among them are some very exalted titles:

• a prophet – (Dt. 18:15,18)
• a priest – (Psalm 109:4)
• a shepherd – (Ez 34:23ff)
• King and Lord – (Ps 2; Ps 44; Ps 109; Zach 9:9)
• a suffering servant – (Is. 53)
• the Son of God – (Ps 2:7; 109:3)
• God with us (Emmanuel) – (Is 7:14; Is 8:8)
• Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of the world to come, Prince of Peace – (Is 9:6)
• Eternal King – (Dan 7:14)

3. In the New Testament the Father attests to the Divine Sonship of Jesus – (Mt 3:17; 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 3:22; 9:35; Jn 1:34; II Pt 1:17)

4. In the Gospels the Lord Jesus gives Testimony to His own divinity and self knowledge. He is of noble stature and knows of his own dignity and power expressing it often in the following ways

• Jesus indicates that he transcends the prophets and Kings of the Old Covenant
  • Jonah and Solomon – (Mt 12:41ff; Lk 11:31ff)
  • Moses and Elijah – Matt 17:3; Mk 9:4; Lk 9:30
  • King David – (Mt 22:43ff Mk 12:36; Lk 20:42ff)
  • He says that the least born into His Kingdom will be greater than John the Baptist who, till that time was considered the greatest man born of woman – (Mt 11:11; Lk 7:28)
• Jesus teaches that he is superior to the angels:
  • That they are his servants who minister to Him – (Mt 4:11 Mk 1:13; Lk 4:13)
  • That they are his army – (Mt 26:53)
  • That they will accompany him at his second coming and do his will -Mt 16:27; 25:31; Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26)
• Jesus appropriates Divine actions unto himself and thus sets forth an assimilation unto the Lord God:
  • He declares it was He who sent the prophets and doctors of the Law (Mt 23:34; Lk 11:49)
  • He gives the promise of his assistance and Grace (Lk 21:15)
  • He forgives sins which power belongs to God alone (eg Mt 9:2)
  • He, by His own authority completes and changes some precepts of the Law. (Mt 5:21ff)
  • He declares Himself to be Lord of the Sabbath (Mt 12:8; Mk 2:28; Lk 6:5; Jn 5:17)
  • Like the Heavenly Father he makes a Covenant with His followers (Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20)
• Jesus makes Divine demands upon his followers
  • He rebukes some for lack of faith in (Mt 8:10-12; 15:28)
  • He rewards faith in him (Mt 8:13; 9:2; 22:29; 15:28; Mk 10:52; Lk 7:50; 17:19)
  • He demands faith in his own person (Jn 14:1; 5:24; 6:40,47; 8:51; 11:25ff)
  • He teaches that rejection of him and his teachings will be the standard of final judgement (Lk 9:26; Mt 11:6)
  • Jesus demands supreme Love for him which surpasses all earthly loves (Mt 10:37,39; Lk 17:33).
  • He accepts religious veneration by allowing the veneration of falling to the feet: this is due to God alone (Mt 15:25; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 28:9,17)
• Jesus is well conscious of His own power – Mt 28:18
  • His many miracles which he works in his own Name.
  • He transfers this power to his disciples
• Jesus knows and teaches that his own death will be an adequate atonement for the forgiveness of the sins of the whole human race. (Mt 20:28; 26:28)
• Jesus appropriates to himself the office of Judge of the world which according to the OT (eg Ps 49:1-6) God would exercise (eg Mt 16:27) . And His judgement extends to every idle word (Mt 12:36), will be final and executed immediately – (Mt 25:46)
• Jesus is Conscious of being the Son of God.
  • Jesus clearly distinguishes his claim in this regard from his disciples relationship to the Father. When he speaks of his own relationship he says, “My Father” To the disciples he calls God, “Your Father” but, He never unites himself with them in the formula “Our Father” Thus a distinction is maintained. (Jn 20:17)
  • Jesus revealed himself to be Son of God first in the temple when he remarked to Mary and Joseph that He must be about his Father’s business (Lk 2:49)
  • Jesus claims to be both messiah and Son of God in the presence of the Sanhedrin (Mk 14:62). The Sanhedrin perceive this as a blasphemy.
  • Jesus tells a story of himself in the Parable of the Evil Husbandmen thus confessing himself to be the only Son of God.
  • He is aware of being one with the Father (“The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30,38) They Jews respond by accusing Him of blasphemy
• Jesus indicates in John’s Gospel that
  • He is eternal “Before Abraham was I am” (Jn 8:58)
  • That He has full knowledge of the Father (Jn 7:29; 8:55;10:14ff)
  • He has equal power and efficacy with the Father (Jn 5:17)
  • He can forgive sins (Jn 8:11 et sicut supra)
  • He is Judge of the World (Jn 5:22,27 & sicut supra)
  • He is rightly to be adored (Jn 5:23)
  • He is the light of the world (Jn 8:12)
  • He is the way, the truth and the light (Jn 14:6)
  • His disciples may and ought to pray to the Father in His name, additionally they may to Him (Jesus) (Jn 14:13ff 16:23ff)
  • The solemn confession of the Apostle Thomas “My Lord and my God.” is acceptable and in fact, an act of Faith (Jn 20:28)
• Other Scripture Passages on the Divinity of Christ
  • I John 5:20 – “And we know that the Son of God is Come and has given us Understanding that we may know the true God and may be in His True Son; this is the True God and Life Eternal.”
  • John 1:1-14 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…..”
  • Phil 2:5-11 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…and every tongue must confess to the Glory of God the Father that Jesus Chirst is Lord.
  • Rom 9:5 – “to them, (the Israelites) belong the patriarchs and of their race, according to the flesh is the Christ, who is God over all blessed for ever.”
  • Titus 2:13 “Looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
  • Heb 1:8 – “But to the Son (God says): Your Throne, O God is for ever and ever.”
• In addition Scripture attributes Divine qualities to Jesus
  • Omnipotence manifest in the creation and the conservation of the World – Col 1:15-17; I Cor 8:6; Heb 1:2ff
  • Omniscience – Col 2:3 – In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge….
  • Eternity – Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together
  • Immutability – Heb 1:12; 13:8
  • Adorability – Phil 2:10; Heb 1:6

Well I hope you get the point. Those who claim that Jesus didn’t know he was God or never made divine claims just haven’t read the Scriptures. He is Lord. He is God. All things came to be through him and he holds all creation together in himself. Those who have denied his divinity will one day fall to their faces before his glory (Rev. 1:17).

[markomalley]

Msgr Pope ping

[NYer]

Catholic ping!

[ladyL]

Deuteronomy 6:4
SHEMA ISRAEL ADONAI ELOHEYNU ADONAI ECHAD

HEAR O ISRAEL THE LORD OUR GOD THE LORD IS ONE!

This is said by observant Jews many times during the day and on their death bed. It proves the Trinity.
Echad=composite ONE Yachid=indivisible ONE

[Robert Burkholder]

And the relevant question to all who profess to be christian (and perhaps others as well) is What will we do with this man Jesus?

[Alex Murphy]

Those who claim that Jesus didn’t know he was God or never made divine claims just haven’t read the Scriptures. He is Lord. He is God. All things came to be through him and he holds all creation together in himself. Those who have denied his divinity will one day fall to their faces before his glory (Rev. 1:17).

Quite possibly the best Catholic thread that I have seen on the subject. Thanks for posting it.

[SIRTRIS]

You will either receive Christ or you will reject Christ.

[Salvation]

**The divinity and divine sonship of Jesus is expressed in all the creeds. This is perhaps most clearly stated in the Athanasian Creed (Quicumque):”…we believe and confess that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is God and man. He is God begotten of the substance of the Father before all ages and man born in time of the substance of His Mother. He is Perfect God and perfect man.”**

True God and true man.

[johngrace]

Absolutely!!

I have personally challenged a spellcaster/tarot card reader who declared she was Christian. I was under an unction of the Holy Spirit. I asked her to say the Creeds or that Christ was Divinity became man. She could not do it. When it comes to born of a virgin she stuttered blurted out from an entity/demon that "there are many gods." It was not her speaking but forced by a spirit.

The Creeds verify 1 John 4. Test the Spirit. You can not claim Christ as your Savior and Lord in the personal pronoun if you have a fallen spirit from occultic/new age activities. This has held up since the apostle John wrote it. It will stands till the end of time and beyond. The creeds are Holy Spirit inspired.

1 John 4

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Praise Jesus who came in the Flesh!!!

Amen!! Amen!!! Amen!!!!

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Those who have denied his divinity will one day fall to their faces before his glory (Rev. 1:17)"

Very excellent.

I just dedicated my All Souls Plenary Indulgence to Christopher Hitchens. If Christ dragged him into Salvation via inspiring a last-minute plea of "O My God! Help Me!" I figure he's going to need a Plenary. I'm not taking any chances.

I really, really want to get into heaven and see Mother Teresa and Christopher Hitchens lovin' each other in the presence of our dear Lord.

All shall be well...

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

How so?