The Doctrine of the Trinity — the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

In the two previous posts, we defined and articulated the Doctrine of the Trinity, and reviewed some of the Biblical data which shows the plurality within the Godhead and the triune nature of God from various texts of the Old and New Testaments. In today’s post, we will be going over some of the Biblical proofs for the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, proving that He is indeed Jehovah God.

At the outset it is wholly appropriate to begin our treatment of the deity of Christ with an ak acknowledgment of his true and proper sonship. By “true and proper” sonship, I mean that Jesus is not merely the “Son” of God in a figurative sense, as if He were only a mere creature, whom God showed special favor to, and was therefore called God’s “son” on this account. Rather, to confess that the Son is the only-begotten from the Father, is to say that He is truly and really generated from the Father.

This is the basis upon which believers have always argued for the deity of Christ. The Bible is explicit that we must believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It is therefore necessary that we know what “son of God” means. Heretics have come along since the early centuries with different definitions of “son of God”. The early Modalists, as the modern ones, said that the Son became the Son when He was begotten in the womb of the virgin Mary, and the Father incarnated as the Son. The early adoptionists maintained that Jesus became God’s son metaphorically, either at His baptism or His resurrection. Likewise the Arians, as do modern-day Jehovah’s [false] Witnesses, maintained that Jesus was God’s only-begotten Son on account of having been the first thing created directly by God out of nothing. All of these errors suffer from the same problem — the proponents of these theories simply deny that the Son is truly and actually begotten from God the Father. If they were to admit that He was begotten by the Father, then it would logically follow that the Son is eternal God just as the Father is, or “true God from true God”, as the Nicene Creed states. Because the Son is truly begotten, or generated, from the essence of the Father, the Son is begotten, not created out of nothing.

There are several testimonies from Holy Scripture where may be adduced to show the eternal sonship of Christ.

The first passage is found in John 1:1–4:

John 1:1–4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Like other passages of Scripture which abundantly testify to the supreme divinity of our Lord, John’s prologue has been subject to multiple bad interpretations by unstable men who wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction (cf. 2 Peter 3:16). The Jehovah’s Witness [sic] corrupt translation, the New World Translation, says in John 1:1 that the word was “a god”, rather than “God”. This interpretation it clearly ruled out, however, by the following considerations:

1. You will notice that the John begins his prologue by stating that the Word was already present with God the Father “in the beginning”, the text does not say that the Word “was made” or “came to be” in the beginning, but that He already was in the beginning.
2. Furthermore, the author goes on in verse 3 to state that it was by the Word that all things were made, and that nothing which has been made was made without Him; thus the Word is clearly distinguished from everything which has come into existence.
3. This is confirmed by the fact that verse 4 says that life was in the Word, meaning He is the giver of life, since all things which have come into existence, came to be by Him.

Thus, it makes absolutely not sense to suggest that the Word was merely “a god” who was created by the Father, such a notion is clearly refuted by simply examining the surrounding text. The Word was already present in the beginning, before anything that came to exist, came to exist. He was “with God” the Father; this doesn’t simply mean that He happened to be in the same location as God the Father, but that the Word was in intimate and special communion and relationship with the Father, as is alluded to in verse 18 of this chapter. The Word, who was with God the Father, was Himself God, as to His nature. In verse 14, we find that this Word, who was God, became flesh:

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word is also identified as the only-begotten of the Father in verse 18:

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The Word, who was with the Father in the beginning, and was God, as to His nature, by whom all things were made that have been made, was Himself made flesh, and we beheld His glory, which is fitting and proper for the only-begotten Son of the Father — through His works, words, teaches, the claims which He made for himself. This undoubtedly shows that the Son did not “become” the Son at His incarnation, but that He was already the true and proper Son of God. This is further demonstrated in John 3:16, where we read that the Father “gave His only-begotten Son”, and verse 17 which shows that He “sent” His Son into the world. Thus the eternal sonship and deity of Christ is sufficiently established from John’s prologue.

We may likewise cite another very important passagebfrom the first chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 1:1–3 GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

This text is quite intruiging, as is the entirety of the passage. Paul declares to us that God the Father, who formerly had spoken through the prophets, has now “in these last days” spoken by means of His Son, “by whom also he made the worlds”. This means that the Son preceded the creation of the “worlds”, since He is the one who created them. The “worlds” here refer to the heavenly and earthly realms, and all of the created order — space, time, and matter. This clearly implies, therefore, that the Son is eternal, having preceded the creation of all these things. Moreover, verse 3 tells us that He is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of His person, who upholds all creation by His powerful word. A mere creature cannot possibly sustain and uphold the enirety of creation. It is only in God that we live, and move, and have our being (cf. Acts 17:28). This is confirmed beyond all doubt when we continue reading to verses 8–12:

Hebrews 1:8–12 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (9) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (10) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

In this passage, the Son is identified as God, and is credited with the creation of heaven and earth, hearkening back to verse 3, as well as to John 1:1–4. Thus, Hebrews chapter 1 refutes two principle Christological errors — Modalism and Arianism. It refutes the former by showing that the Son was present with the Father prior to the creation of the worlds, and hence outside of time itself. The Father did not merely “become” the Son at the time of the virginal conception. It likewise refutes the latter heretical view by identifying the Son as eternal God, Jehovah, maker of heaven and earth. If the Son is the Creator and sustainer of all things, and the Father made all things by His Son, then the Son is eternal, and did not become the Son at a point in time.

But this eternal Sonship of Christ is also taught in the Old Testament, as witnessed by Micah chapter 5:

Micah 5:2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This prophecy foretells the temporal birth of the Messiah, while also mentioning His eternal birth, His “goings forth”, which have been “from everlasting”. The Messiah was brought forth in eternity.

Psalm 2:7 is another text which has been unanimously recognized by the early Church as a witness to the eternal generation of the Son:

Psalms 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Psalm chapter 2 is a prophecy about the crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus Christ. Psalm 2:2–3 is expressly applied to the rulers who crucified Him in Acts 4:26. At first glance, once might wonder how it is that verse 7 can be said to teach the eternal begetting of the Son, since it says “this day have I begotten thee”. Moreover, the New Testament seems, according to some corrupt opinions, to teach that Jesus Christ became the Son of God at His resurrection:

Acts 13:30–34 But God raised him from the dead: (31) And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. (32) And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, (33) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (34) And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Apostle Paul, however, is the best interpreter of his own words, and he tells use exactly what he means in Romans 1:3–4:

Romans 1:3–4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; (4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

This text is a clear witness to the true and proper sonship of the Lord Jesus. He is the seed of David, and therefore the son of David, “according to the flesh”, but the Son of God “according to the spirit of holiness”. The spirit of holiness is not a reference to the third person of the Trinity, but to the divine nature of Christ. This is evident by the fact that “according to the flesh” is juxtaposed to “according to the spirit of holiness”, two natures are here being contrasted. According to Paul the Apostle, therefore, the resurrection of the dead was the testimony and vindication of Christ’s identity as the true and proper Son of God. It must also be understood that there are other times recorded for us in Scripture where our Lord was declared to be God’s son, which shows that the resurrection cannot possibly mark the time of Him becoming God’s son. Consider the angel’s declaration to Mary:

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Our Lord did not become the Son of God by His virginal conception and birth. Rather, His unique birth was a testimony and declaration of His divine sonship.

Mark 1:9–11 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. (10) And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: (11) And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Nor did our Lord become the Son of God at His baptism. Rather, the Father was making the declaration of the truth of our Lord’s divine sonship. The same is true with the transfiguration:

Mark 9:2–7 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. (3) And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. (4) And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. (5) And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. (6) For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. (7) And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

If we were to understand the “day” in Psalm 2:7 as referring to a specific point in time wherein the Messiah was officially “begotten” of the Father, then we would have to say that He was begotten at His virgin birth, as well as His baptism, His transfiguration, and His resurrection. Such a supposition is obviously absurd. Moreover, the New Testament gives us further citations of this important Psalm.

We have already discussed verses 2–3 of this text, however it is worth noting what Paul says in verse 5. We have already established that, according to verses 1–3, the Son existed as the Son prior to creation, and is therefore eternal. Paul then goes on to contrast the risen Savior with the angels. The reason why our Lord has obtained and inherited a more excellent name than they, through the incarnation and resurrection, is because He is God’s only-begotten Son, and no angel is God’s only-begotten Son. It is true that the author also applies 2 Samuel 7:14 to the Messiah here, but we must keep in mind that Solomon was but a type of Christ in this regard, and the antitype is always greater than the type. Although God was only like a father to Solomon, and Solomon only like a son to God, Jesus Christ is actually, truly, and properly speaking, God’s Son, and so too is God His Father.

Moreover, the Apostle cites this text once again in Hebrews chapter 5:

Hebrews 5:5–10 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. (6) As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (7) Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (8) Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (10) Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

This text clearly indicates that the Father had spoken “Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee” prior to the “days of his flesh”. Though Christ was God’s Son, yet in the incarnation, when He was made in all things like unto His brethren, sin excepted, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. The author here, in accordance with what he says in chapter 1, assumes that Jesus was already God’s Son, prior to the incarnation and resurrection.

Given all this, it is best to take “this day” in Psalm 2:7 poetically, or metaphorically. God is here expressing His eternal love to His only-begotten Son, declaring that He is so, and rewarding Him with His inheritance by setting Him upon His holy hill, and subjecting the nations unto Him. The text is not necessarily pointing to a specific 24-hour period in which the Father begat the Son, but rather this text may be applied to any event at which the Son is openly declared and shown to be God’s only-begotten, whether it be at His birth, or His baptism, transfiguration, or resurrection. Given that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, implying His existence above time (cf. 2 Peter 3:8), the “day” mentioned here may very well be a poetic reference to eternity. Given that we cannot find a single place in Scripture where one specific literal day designates the begetting of the Son, this certainly seems like a more fitting and reasonable interpretation.

The deity of our Lord is clearly taught in several passages of Scripture. We have limited ourselves to but a few in this study. If anyone is interested, they can read another article I published some time ago examining the texts which identify Jesus explicitly as ‘God’, and refuting Unitarian interpertations of the same. Lord willing, I will be doing more studies on passages proving the deity of Christ, and interacting with Unitarian arguments more thoroughly.

In our next study, we will be discussing the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit.