How do we arrive at the divinity of Christ?  Is it some formation of texts?  It is dogma and church doctrine? I pose these questions in search of truth.  How can we prove that Christ is divine?  Trinitarians believe that Christ is divine.  Most non-trinitarians that fully believe in Begotten-son Christology also believe that Christ is divine; although a lie from the trinitarian camp will say otherwise.  Unitarians on the other hand don’t fully believe this because they do not believe in a pre-existent Christ prior to the incarnation in Bethlehem.

 

Is Christ’s divinity because of his identity?  Who did he claim to be?  What did others that had direct contact with him claim him to be?  This is the framework for which we can build a base on believing in the divinity of Christ.  Not on Scripture that we have to add assumptions to, but on Scripture that bares a direct witness from Christ and others.  We will start off with a statement from John who knew Jesus very well:

 

1 John 2:22 — “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”

 

Earlier in this book, we saw exactly what the Godhead is.  It is the divine nature and eternal power which is the Father’s.  Further stated on that topic is the following verse from Colossians:

 

Colossians 2:9 — “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead (divinity) bodily." (emphasis added for clarity, refer to Acts 17:29 and Romans 1:20). 

 

These attributes were given to the Son of God from His Father.  Why?  Because of his Son-ship; being truly begotten of the Father.  When? Sometime in eternity before creation.  God didn’t have a beginning.  Christ had a beginning.  In the trinity doctrine, you have multiple co-equal, co-eternal beings.  If it is two, then you have twins.  If it is three, then you have triplets.  But the biggest issue is, it removes the personality of the Father and Son.  Meaning, you cannot have a true Father who gave up His Son, and you don’t have a real Son that paid the price for humanity.  In some circles of the trinity belief they might say that it was a committee and one chose one position, another chose another, and the third ended up with the short straw.  Did a trinity die for your sins?  Did the one who drew the short straw end up dying for your sins?

 

Listen to these words from the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 30:4 — Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

 

The above text details the true Creator.  The Father is the Creator.  The Father who has a real Son, not a metaphor.  Here is the description of creation being done right in front of Christ as he is witnessing it, not doing it but witnessing it.  In many circles today they lay claim that Christ is either the creator or a co-creator. But that comes from Catholic doctrine.

 

Proverbs 8:22-30 — The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.  v23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.  v24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.  v25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:  v26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.  v27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:  v28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:  v29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:  v30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. v31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

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Here it is from another Bible version, the Revised English Bible:

v22 Yahweh created me at the beginning of his work, prior to his deeds of long ago.  v23 From antiquity I was established, from the start, from before the earth.  v24 I was born when there were no deep oceans, when there were no springs abounding with waters.  v25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills were formed I was born; v26 when he had not yet made the earth and the fields, or the initial dust of the world; v27 when he prepared the heavens, I was there, when he inscribed the horizon above the face of the deep; v28 when he fixed the clouds above, when he strengthened the springs of the deep; v29 when he set for the sea its limit so the waters would not disobey his command; when he marked out the foundations of the earth; v30 then I was beside him growing up, and I was his great delight daily, playing in his presence at every moment; v31 playing in the world—his earth, and full of delight with humankind.

 

I will  note  here that  while  the  above says “Yahweh  created  me  at the beginning,” It is  actually implying “begotten.” The angels were created beings that came from nothing.  There was no preexisting matter that the angels were formed from.  Christ was begotten from His Father, God begets god for lack of a better explanation.  It is because of his real Son-ship, coming out of his Father that he has “God nature” or divine nature.  This is how he got his divinity.  How this happened exactly is not for us to know for the Bible does not give it in detail.

 

And as we say in a previous chapter, the point is clear that whether it is “begotten” or “beget” or “begat,” it means to bring forth, or to come out of. There is an original source.  Something comes out of an original source. And when this does happen, the Bible refers to man (primarily) instead of woman in reference to these words.  Begotten, beget or begat does not mean to make something out of nothing.  A created being or object does not need an original source, it just appears.  There is no material or substance connection.  The angels were created beings.  They came from nothing, not an original source.  God would have said or proclaimed and they would have just appeared.

 

Daniel the prophet saw and wrote about Christ in Daniel 7:13-14:

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. v14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Jesus is the son of man here.  His Father is the Ancient of days.)

 

Mark in the New Testament bears witness about Jesus standing before the Sanhedrin.  They couldn’t wait to get rid of Jesus as they were looking for a way to put him to death.  Jesus is standing before the high priest, all of the chief priests, the scribes, and the Jewish council.  A false witness stood up in the book of Mark 14 and made an accusation against Jesus.  The high priest stood up and asked Jesus directly if this was true of what the accuser said.  Jesus held his peace and didn’t respond.  Then the high priest asked Jesus again.  Here we see Jesus bearing witness about himself directly which connects to the vision that Daniel wrote about in chapter 7 of the book of Daniel.

 

Mark 14:61-63 — “But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? v62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. v63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? v64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.”

 

Who did Jesus claim to be?

John 10:36 — Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

 

Here we have Jesus answering back to the Jewish leaders making false claims against him that he made himself God (John 10:33).  For this they accused him of blasphemy.  People today make the very same claim about him.   Yet Jesus  answered and said that he is “the Son of God.”  It would be this very statement that the Jewish leaders would use against him then to convince Pilate to put Jesus up for crucifixion in John 19:7.

 

John 19:7 — The Jews answered him, We have a law and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

 

Jesus said and referred to himself as:

Matthew 16:20 — Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

 

What kind of Son is Christ? (God giving His only begotten Son indicates that God must have had a Son before the incarnation in Bethlehem to give.)

1 John 4:9 — In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

 

John 3:16-18  — For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth  not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

Did Jesus teach that He came forth from the Father?

John 6:38 — For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

 

John 8:42 — Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

 

John 16:27 — For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

 

Is it important for us to believe that Jesus is the real and literal Son of God?

1 John 2:22, 23 — Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

 

1 John 5:10, 11 — He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. v11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.    

                                               

John 3:36 — He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 

John 20:31 — But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

 

So Christ is born of the Father, begotten.  The Father is the begetter, Christ is begotten of Him. This theme is what we find summarized in John's gospel, in the above text of 20:31.

 

Who did the disciples understand Jesus to be?

John 1:41 — He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

 

Matthew 14:33 — Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

 

Jesus asked and Peter answered: 

Matthew 16:13-17 — When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?  v14  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.  v15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  v16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  v17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

 

Mark 8:27-29 — And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?  v28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.  v29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

 

Luke 9:18-20 — And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?  v19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. v20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

 

Peter said:

John 6:69 — “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”

 

Acts 3:25-26 — Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.  v26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

 

Paul wrote and said: 

1 Corinthians 8:6 — But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

 

After Paul received his sight back in Acts 9:20 — And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

 

Mark’s account of the gospel begins with: 

Mark 1:1 — The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

 

The woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well: 

John 4:25-26 — The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. v26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

 

The Samaritan: 

John 4:42 — And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

 

Martha said: 

John 11:27 — She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

 

Unclean spirit(s) - Who did the fallen angels believe Jesus to be?:

Matthew 8:28 — And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. v29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

 

Mark 5:7 — And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with  thee,  Jesus, thou Son of the most high God?  I adjure thee  by God, that thou torment me not.

 

Luke 8:28 — When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 

 

Here, Jesus was casting out a devil out of a demon-possessed person.  The fallen angel addressed Jesus as “the Son of the Most High God.” We see an example here of God being addressed as the “Most High God,” as Jesus is addressed as the “Son of the Most High God.”  These fallen angels were once the inhabitants of the heavens.  They know who God is.  And they know who Jesus is.  There is a clear distinction of the two.

 

Luke 4:3 — And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

 

High priest asked and Jesus answered: 

Mark 14:61-62 — But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? v62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 

 

Chief priests, elders, scribes, council asked and Jesus answered:

Luke 22:66-70 — And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, v67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:  v68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.  v69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.  v70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.

 

What did God the Father say regarding the identity of Jesus?

Matthew 3:16, 17 — And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Matthew 17:5 — While he yet spake (Jesus), behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

Luke 3:22 — And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

 

Luke 9:35 — And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

 

What did God the Father say regarding the identity of Jesus?  Twice in Matthew (3:17 and 17:5) we have the witness that God gave of his Son when he said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  And this was recorded by Luke as well.  There is no greater record than that of God the Father about His Son. The same Spirit and power that God used to create Genesis is the same Spirit and power that God anointed Jesus with at his baptism. 

 

Some would say that Jesus being the Son of God is figurative speech. The same when it states that he “came from God” or that he “was brought forth.”  When you see the bold statements about the Father and Son and what it means to not truly believe on the Son of God, this writer will be in the camp of literal speech, not figurative speech.  There are sons by creation as the angels.  There are sons by adoption as man is.  But there is only one unique Begotten Son of God. 

 

I think we can clearly see from the Scripture shown in its totality, that Jesus is the Son of God. What is missing here is any statement that he made or any others that he is called “god the son.”  It simply doesn’t exist.  In a previously chapter, we saw the witness of Jesus being the only begotten Son of God.  It is because of this, that he “came out from God” in a unique unknown way, that he has a Son-ship that no one else has.  It is because of this Son-ship that he is divine.  A God being that has given life to another being from his own substance would bear another God in a sense.  That would generate Christ’s nature which would be divine.  But since there is only one true God even as Jesus has stated (John 17:3), Jesus is known as the Son of God, not “god the son.”  If you have a monarchy with a King of a land or country, if he had a son, the son would be born of that royalty (like nature), a Kingly royalty.  But there can only be one King.  So the son would be referred to as the “son of the king.”  It wouldn’t be until the King’s death or upon his deathbed that he would declare his son, the King.  I hope this comparison unravels any confusion and brings clarity to the reader.

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