Is Jesus God?
The word God is used in a few different ways in Scripture. First, the word “God” is used to refer to the Supreme Being of the universe who is the ultimate source of all things. Every time the Bible refers to the one true God, it is referring to this Supreme Being who is the one that was before all else and from whom all life ultimately came from. In this sense, no one else is God.
The second use and example of the word God is also used to refer to someone who possesses the attributes of divinity, or the characteristics of God. Also in this case it is used to denote lawful authority.
Many times the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the begotten Son of the one true God the Father, and being the Son, He possesses the same attributes and characteristics as His Father. It is an obvious fact that every son inherits the nature of his father. And since Christ came out of the Father, He is of the very substance of His Father and hence has the same God nature of His Father as He possesses by birth. He has all the attributes and characteristics of His Father. In fact Hebrews 1:3 says He is the “express image of His person.” A son also and always rightfully takes the name of the father and so Christ as the only begotten Son of God, has rightfully (and lawfully) the same name. Note that Hebrews 1:4 says that Jesus is an heir who has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the angels. And that name or title is God! So Jesus inherited His Father’s name, character and divine nature in the same way a human son inherits the human nature and name of his parents.
So Jesus is God because He is the Son of God. His identity is the Son of God, but His nature is divine (God). But He is not and cannot be “God the Father.” He is the “Son of God,” just as the Bible so plainly states more than one hundred times. He is God's literal Son. To say that Jesus is God the Father is to say that the “Son is the Father” which means the Son is not really a Son and the Father is not really a Father. Or to put it another way, to say that Jesus is the Father because He has the same God nature as His Father, is no different than to say that since my Father is Human and I am Human, therefore I must be my father! This is not reasonable logic, nor good theology and suddenly hundreds of Scriptures supposedly would no longer mean what they say at all. The truth is that Scripture means what it says and says what it means. God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God.
A third example of the usage of the word “God” is when it is used for one that has authority or to rule over something or someone. A parallel to this would be the usage of the word Lord or lord which was common among mankind. In the Old Testament we had judges and kings that were established with authority by God, so they could have been and were literally referred to as “Lords” or “lords” and even “gods.”
Did you know or realize that even Satan holds the title god because he is the ruler of this world?
2 Corinthians 4:4 — In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
John 12:31 — Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (English Standard Version - Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.)
There is a place in the Bible where God (Elohim) is used for a plurality. And when it does this, it can be dealing with FALSE gods. But this word is even used to call Moses a god (over Pharaoh). And also Pharaoh as a god as well as judges and rulers in the Bible. And when you apply the word Elohim to the one God of the Bible, it is reflecting His “divine majesty and power.” Just ask someone with a strict Hebrew faith background.
Let’s take a look at this from the Old Testament in what is mentioned in the above about Moses.
Exodus 7:1 — “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron they brother shall be thy prophet.”
The word used from Strong’s Hebrew Concordance is #430, elohim depending on usage in the highlighted texts in Exodus and 1 Kings. In the Hebrew language there is no UPPER and lower case letter involved, so it does not denote God from god in its common usage.
1 Kings 11:33 — “Because they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.”
Elohim, elohim: God, god
Original Word: אֱלהִים
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Definition: God, god
Transliteration: elohim Phonetic Spelling: (el-o-heem')
It is used to express variations of the true and living God along with false gods, as well as men on earth as gods, as you will notice from the following with usages in (brackets) 2,604 times. This includes foreign gods, gods of the nations, god or goddess which can include Dagon or Baal (pagan and false deities), godlike, sons of God or sons of gods = good and bad angels, rulers, judges, divine majesty and power, and of course the one true and living God who Created Heaven and earth.
God (2326), gods (204), god (45), God's (14), goddess (2), judges (3), great (2), mighty (2), rulers (1), godly (1), shrine* (1), divine (1), divine being (1), exceedingly (1).
Now let’s take a closer look at this in the New Testament. Strong’s Greek Concordance uses the same definition of #2316 to cover a number of variations for the word God. Besides the one true and living God who Created Heaven and earth, it is used for pagan gods, false gods, and when man was made a god over other men (Moses over Pharaoh). We will start off with the general listing of its meaning.
Strong's Concordance
theos: God, a god
Original Word: θεός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: theos Usage: (a) God, (b) a god, generally.
Phonetic Spelling: (theh'-os). Definition: God, a god
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
the supreme Divinity, God, godly.
Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with ho) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very -- X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).
HELPS Word-studies
2316 theós (of unknown origin) – properly, God, the Creator and owner of all things (Jn 1:3; Gen 1 - 3). [Long before the New Testament was written, 2316 (theós) referred to the supreme being who owns and sustains all things.
Strong's Greek 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.
Forms and Transliterations of #2316:
Θεε Θεέ Θεοι Θεοί θεοὶ θεοις θεοίς θεοῖς θεόις θεον θεόν θεὸν θεος θεός θεὸς θεου θεού θεοῦ θεόυ θεους θεούς θεοὺς ΘΕΩ θεώ θεῷ θεων θεών και κύριος κυρίου κυρίω οἴκῳ kuriou kyriou kyríou oiko oikō oíkoi oíkōi Thee Theé THEo THEŌ Theoi Theoí theoì theôi theō̂i theois theoîs theon theón theòn theos theós theòs theou theoû theous theoùs
Strong’s Greek usage of #2316 happens 1327 times
θεού (theou) – 698 occurrences θεός (theos) – 311 occurrences
θεώ (theō) – 160 occurrences θεόν (theon) – 148 occurrences
θεοὶ (Theoi) – 5 occurrences Θεέ (Thee) – 2 occurrences
θεούς (theous) – 2 occurrences θεοίς (theois) – 1 occurrence
Now, let us look at a few times where plurality is used. Plurality is never for the one true and living God who Created Heaven and earth.
Here is an example of Theous used in plural form:
Acts 7:40 — “Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” θεοὺς (theous) (speaking of idols)
Here is an example of Theoi used in plural form:
Acts 19:26 — “Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:” θεοὶ (theoi) (speaking of idols)
1 Corinthians 8:5 — “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be gods many, and lords many,” θεοὶ (theoi) (speaking of idols)
Here in the next example found in Galatians. The usage of Strongs #2316 is used in singular form for the one true and living God (Theon) who is the Creator of Heaven and earth, and also to give description to the usage of a plural form to point to a false deity or god (theois).
Galatians 4:8 — “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God (θεόν - Theon), ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods (θεοίς - theois).”
Some people lawfully have authority because it comes from God so they too can be called god.
John 10:34-36 — Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? v35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; v36 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?
Jesus was pointing out the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders because within their law, it was designated that with their "lawful authority" originally designed from the Almighty God that they were referred to as "gods" with no deity but rulership over the people. Jesus was equating himself with at least that same reference, that same authority, yet they were saying he was blaspheming God because he referred to God as His Father.
Some people have lawful authority while others hold the position of authority unlawfully, such as Satan. This is why Satan is cast out in the end.
When it comes to the role of “authority,” there are structures within the role of authority.
1 Corinthians 11:3 — But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
You can describe the levels of authority like this.
LORD = Father (of us all) Lord = Messiah lord - husband
There are different roles in authority but the Almighty God is head over all of it. This is why God tells us in Exodus 20:3 not to have any other gods before Him.
Exodus 20:3 — Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Prophesied by God in the Old Testament:.
Deuteronomy 18:18 — I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my
words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Proverbs 1:23 — Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Jesus holds the title God here in this context because he is the one mediator between the Almighty and His creation. This is besides his Son-ship and being begotten of the Father. We are sharing the various ways that Jesus can be properly viewed as God.
1 Timothy 2:5 — For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
This is an important to understand. The LORD used His Spirit to put His words in Jesus’ mouth. So when they heard the voice of Jesus, it contained the words of the Almighty with his power and authority. We can call His Son by the title God and worship him as such because the Almighty God has given the Son his position. When we honor him we are still obeying the Almighty as the one true God because he is the one who told us to do it. He is the one who made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
John 12:48-50 — He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. v49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. v50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Jesus speaks for the Almighty God because God gives Jesus His Spirit without limit.
John 3:34 — For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Jesus is speaking the words of the Almighty by His Spirit.
John 6:63 — It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Confessing Jesus is the Son of God is our only means to the Father and to deny this has eternal consequences.
Satan's plan is for us to deny the Father and Son. John called this antichrist. 1 John 2:22-23.
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. v23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
He does not care if our belief is Trinitarian, Unitarian or other. As long as it denies Jesus is the literal Son of God which also denies God is a Father. Confessing Jesus is the Son of God is our only means to the Father and to deny this has eternal consequences.
In conclusion, Jesus is not “a” God or “the” God but God by divine nature through inheritance of being the only Begotten Son of God. It is through His Son-ship. He is not called god the son, but the Son of God. Jesus is a Divine being but He is not the Supreme Being. The Father is the Supreme Being and the source of all things and the life of the Father flows through the Son and out to all. Jesus is the channel through which all things come and why the Father has given all things into His hands.
Only the Father is described as the one “OF whom are all things.” (1 Cor. 8:6) He is the great Source of all. Jesus is not another source “of whom are all things.” That would make Him another God. Rather Jesus is described as the one “BY whom are all things.”
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.”
The Father has given Christ authority to rule over all things but this does not include the Father Himself. The Father is greater in authority and always will be. God the Father is the source of all things including His Son. Thus all things proceed from the Father; including Christ Himself, but it has pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell (Colossians 1:19). So when we say “Jesus is God,” we have to be careful to state exactly what we mean because many are under the delusion that Christ is one-third of a trinity god, or a manifestation of the Father in one of three modes, or perhaps Christ has been chosen for a role as he is role playing. NO! Christ is a Divine being, but not “the” Supreme Being. When we speak of the Supreme Being, there is only one such person and it is not Jesus.
It’s important to see that even after Christ’s resurrection he was still subordinate to the only true God. The reason why it is important to see this is because some say that Jesus and the Almighty are the same person. They say he wasn’t the Almighty when he was a man but after his resurrection he became the Almighty again. Pay close attention to 1 Corinthians 15:23-27 because this is taking place after the resurrection and Jesus is still subordinate to his God.
1 Corinthians 15:23-27 — But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. v24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. v25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. v26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. v27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
We see the same thing in Revelation 3:11-12 where the Son is calling the Father his God.
Revelation 3:11-12 — Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. v12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
In the Trinitarian world, you would have to wrestle with a few issues in understanding if or how Jesus could be referred to as God. After all, how could Jesus be tempted if he was God? Because in Trinitarian world he is one part or one third or one of three persons of the trinity god.
Or how could the immortal God die on a cross? This is a big one. If Jesus was part of a trinity god, he could not die on the cross. So addendum stories are sometimes made up by clergy. But when you see the hierarchy and submission of Christ as the Son of God instead of “god the son,” it’s not an issue.
Why did Jesus pray, “Not my will, but thy will be done”? Or why does he teach that “the Father is greater than I am” while Christian tradition says they are equal? These two statements totally derail any argument for a trinity doctrine because Jesus would be doing his own will and his Father would not be greater than him if he was part of a one in three or three in one god.
Let's cover this in plain simple language since this is such a huge stumbling block for many. So easy to understand!
Are you human by nature? — Yes.
Are your children human by nature? — Yes.
Do your children inherit your human nature? — Yes.
Do your children inherit their father’s name? — Yes.
Is God the Father, God by nature? — Yes.
Is His Son God by nature? — Yes.
Did Jesus inherit His Father’s name? — Yes.
Did Jesus inherit His Fathers God nature? — Yes.
And so of course Jesus inherited His Father’s name and God nature. He is God’s Son! The same applies to people. Why would we expect anything else?
In Hebrews 1:2 we note that His Son was “appointed heir” of all things.
An “heir” of course is someone who receives an “inheritance” from someone. In this case Christ the Son received an “inheritance” from His Father. But what did He receive? His “NAME,” His authority and His power!
In other words, Jesus being the one and only begotten Son of the one living and true God received by virtue of His birth, all of the attributes that His Father possessed.
Verse 3 says, "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."
Verse 4 says, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by “INHERITANCE” obtained a more excellent “NAME” than they.”
Verse 8 says that this more excellent “NAME” is the name “God,” which was given by the Father to His Son. “Unto the Son He [God] saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” And so this name “He has by “INHERITANCE.” It is not a “NAME” that was bestowed but a “NAME” that was “INHERITED” from His Father.
And the above is further verified from a son of one of the original Adventist Pioneers.
“This name [God] was not given to Christ in consequence of some great achievement, but it is His by right of inheritance. Speaking of the power and greatness of Christ, the writer to the Hebrews says that He is made so much better than the angels, because “He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Heb. 1:4. A son always rightfully takes the name of the father; and Christ, as “the only begotten Son of God,” has rightfully the same name. A son, also, is, to a greater or less degree, a reproduction of the father; he has, to some extent, the features and personal characteristics of his father; not perfectly, because there is no perfect reproduction among mankind. But there is no imperfection in God, or in any of His works; and so Christ is the “express image” of the Father's person. Heb. 1:3. As the Son of the self-existent God, he has by nature all the attributes of Deity.
It is true that there are many sons of God; but Christ is the “only begotten Son of God,” and therefore the Son of God in a sense in which no other being ever was, or ever can be. The angels are sons of God, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), by creation; Christians are the sons of God by adoption (Rom. 8:14,15); but Christ is the Son of God by birth.The writer to the Hebrews further shows that the position of the Son of God is not one to which Christ has been elevated, but that it is one which He has by right.” — Ellet J. Waggoner, Christ and His righteousness, p. 11-12