THE DEITY OF CHRIST #1
By David J. Riggs
(Note: I am indebted to Bill Walton for much of the following
material).
Intro.
A. 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 3-4
1. If we are to accept Jude's challenge to "contend earnestly
for the faith," we must vigorously oppose those who attempt
to undermine the very cornerstone of the faith.
B. Jehovah's Witnesses are busy at work in this community and
throughout he world spreading their propaganda that eats like
gangrene at the very heart of the religion of Christ.
1. One such example is their flat denial of the Deity of
Christ.
C. Please notice the following from their own books:
1. "At the time of his beginning of life he was created by the
everlasting God, Jehovah, without the aid of instrumentality
of any mother. In other words, he was the first and direct
creation of Jehovah God." (The Kingdom is at Hand, p.
46).
2. "As chief of the angels and next to the Father, he (Christ)
was known as the Archangel (highest angel or messenger),
whose name, Michael, signifies, 'Who as God' or God's
Representative." (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. V, p. 84).
3. "...The true Scriptures speak of God's Son, the Word, as 'a
god'. He is a 'mighty God', but not 'the Almighty God, who
is Jehovah' - Isaiah 9:6." (The Truth Shall Make You
Free, p. 47).
4. "...He was the first of Jehovah God's creations." (Let God
Be True, p. 32).
D. With these bold assertions they deny the deity of Christ,
demoting Him to an angel.
1. In so doing, they manifest the Spirit of the anti-Christ and
show themselves to be false-witnesses.
2. What Peter and Jude said is true of them, "...Even denying
the Lord who bought them." (2 Peter 2:1).
E. The inspired Word of God irrefutably affirms the deity of Jesus
Christ--that He is co-existent, co-eternal, and of one nature
with the Father.
I. THE SCRIPTURES ASCRIBE TO JESUS THE PROPER NAMES OF DEITY.
A. "O God" is used in reference to Jesus by the Father Himself in
Heb. 1:8
1. The Father is addressed by the same identical term in Psalm
83:1
B. "Mighty God" is used in reference to Jesus in Messianic
prophecy recorded in Isa. 9:6.
1. This same term is used in reference to the Father in such
passages as Jer. 32:18; Isa. 10:21; Gen. 49:24; Psalm 50:1.
C. "The Great God and Savior" is descriptive of Jesus Christ.
1. According to Granville Sharp's rule of Greek grammar:
"When a Greek KAI (and) connects two nouns of the same
case, if the article precedes the first noun and is not
repeated before the second noun, the latter noun always
refers to the same person that is expressed or described by
the first noun."
a. For example, "and some pastors and teachers" refers to
the same office.
2. Jesus is addressed in this fashion. Titus 2:13-14 and 2 Pet.
1:1.
a. Since there is only one true God, Jesus is of the same
nature with the Father. Isa. 43:10-11
D. "Jehovah" is used of Jesus.
1. Jehovah is the name claimed by God and is not transferable.
Psalm 83:17-18; Isa. 42:8.
2. It is proof of the deity of Christ because He is often
included in the name.
a. Isa. 40:3 - quoted in Mark 1:2-3 and applied to John
preparing the way for Jesus.
b. Jer. 23:5-6 - In this Messianic prophecy it is foretold
that the Christ's name would be "Jehovah, our
Righteousness."
c. Rev. 22:6 - In verse 6 the Lord God sent His angel.
Verse 16 identifies Jesus as being the one who sent the
angel. Therefore, Jesus is the Lord God.
(1) Jehovah's Witnesses say they did the world a
great service by restoring the word "Jehovah" in
their New World Translation.
(2) They didn't restore the word "Jehovah." They
only put it in where they wanted it. Please notice
Phil. 2:9-10. It is obvious why didn't they restore
the word "Jehovah" in verse 11.
II. THE SCRIPTURES AFFIRM THE ETERNAL EXISTENCE OF CHRIST.
A. Micah 5:2
1. The Jehovah's Witnesses translate "everlasting" as "time
indefinite."
2. However, the same Hebrew word (olam) is used to affirm
the eternal existence of the Father in many passages. Gen.
21:33; Psalm 41:13; 90:2; 103:17; Isa. 40:28
3. What this proves for the Father, also proves for the Son and
what it fails to prove for the Son, also fails to prove for
the Father.
B. John 8:58
1. The language that Jesus uses in this passage is absolute
nonsense unless it affirms His eternal existence.
a. "I am" in the Greek is "ego eimi" and it cannot be
correctly rendered as anything except "I am."
2. Jesus was not saying, "Before Abraham was, "I have been"
as in the New World Translation.
a. They translate "ego eimi" as "I am" in other verses in
the same chapter as well as a host of other passages in
the N.T. John 8:24,28
3. Jesus used the same terminology that the Father used to
describe Himself in Exodus 3:14 (Septuagint Version) - "ego
eimi" - "I am."
a. The Jews understood His use of "ego eimi" to be the
same as when used by the Father, as evidenced by the
fact that they sought to kill him when He said it.
C. Rev. 1:17; 22:13
1. The Father is described in the same terms in Isa. 41:4;
44:6; 48:12. Do they declare the Father's eternal existence?
If so, they do also of Jesus.
III. THE SCRIPTURES AFFIRM THAT JESUS IS THE TRUE GOD.
A. John 1:1-3, 14
1. No statement could more clearly affirm the deity of Jesus.
The Word was God, was deity.
2. Of the things made, nothing came into existence without
Him. Did He create Himself?
B. 1 John 5:20
1. Whoever is the true God is also eternal life.
2. Therefore, if we identify the one who is eternal life, we
also identify the true God.
a. Who, then, is eternal life? Let John answer. 1 John 1:1-2
3. Matt. 1:23
IV. JESUS ACCEPTED THE REFERENCE TO HIMSELF AS GOD.
A. John 20:27-29
1. If Jesus is not God, Thomas erred in accepting Him as His
Lord and God, for "thou shalt have no other gods before
me." Ex. 20:3
a. Had he erred, Jesus would have been compelled to
correct him.
V. JESUS ACCEPTED THE WORSHIP DUE ONLY TO GOD.
A. God is the only proper object of worship. Matt. 4:10; Deut.
6:13-15
1. Nevertheless, this honor is given to the Son as well as to
the Father.
B. There are numerous examples of Jesus accepting worship from
men. Matt. 8:2; 9:18; 28:9; John 9:34-38
1. Certainly Jesus accepted the worship of men.
2. The Father even commanded the angels to worship Him.
Heb. 1:6
C. In Acts 10:25-26, we read of Cornelius falling down to worship
Peter, but Peter would not accept it.
1. Why the difference? "The Word was God," but Peter was
only a man.
D. If Jesus were Michael the Archangel, as Witnesses claim, it
would be sinful to worship Him. Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9
Concl.
A. In face of such evidence as we have examined from the inspired
testimony, we must conclude that Jesus Christ is co-existent,
co-eternal, and of the same nature as the Father.
1. Jesus could truly say, "He who has seen Me has seen the
Father." John 14:9
2. And, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), because "in
Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9)
"who being the brightness of His glory and the express image
of His person" (Heb. 1:3)
B. Shall we believe a lie and be damned, or shall we exclaim with
Thomas, "My Lord and my God"?
Chart:
THE DEITY OF CHRIST
1. THE SCRIPTURES ASCRIBE TO JESUS THE PROPER NAMES OF DEITY.
2. THE SCRIPTURES AFFIRM THE ETERNAL EXISTENCE OF CHRIST.
3. THE SCRIPTURES AFFIRM THAT JESUS IS THE TRUE GOD.
4. JESUS ACCEPTED THE REFERENCE TO HIMSELF AS GOD.
5. JESUS ACCEPTED THE WORSHIP DUE ONLY TO GOD.