I don't usually get involved in these religious debates, but I can't let this one go without comment. There are several references to the deity of Christ outside of John's writings.
A couple to examples:
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:8-9 (KJV)
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, Phil 2:5-7 (NIV)
Thank you for your comments they are quite correct and very much welcome! :o)
Welcome to the thread.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Okay, what does this mean? Let us include the next verse for clarity:
9 For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity 4 bodily, 10 and you share in this fullness in him,who is the head of every principality and power. Does this mean that we are all Gods? Or that we have somewhat less of what He has in Him? So does that mean that Jesus is simply a super man? Or that we are mini Gods?
Let us examine your second Paulian example. I will use the NAB version (why did you switch Bibles in your two examples?) 5 Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, 2 6 Who, 3 though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. 4 7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; 5 and found human in appearance,
Paul does not explicitly say that Jesus was God, only that He was in the form of God. Genesis 1: 27 God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
Without John, these verses very easily could mean that the belief should be that Jesus is simply a super man; a super David. Look at the rest of the Synoptics. Jesus was sent. Jesus was praised by God the Father in front of others. Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus cried out to the Father as He was dying. "The Father is greater than I." "I am doing the will of the One Who sent Me." There are hints and there are possible references on a handful of verses that might be interpreted that way but the overwhelming evidence in the Synoptics and Paul is that Jesus is subordinate. It was only the Church, with the inclusion of John, that ensured the doctrine of the Trinity, and it took several hundred years to develop it to the point of doctrine. Origen, for instance, did not believe in the Trinity as we understand it.