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The Deity of Christ: Another Approach

For centuries, as affirmed at the Council of Nicea, Christians have used a wonderful list of Bible verses to demonstrate from God’s Word the deity of Jesus Christ. Here is another avenue, similar to the “Big Picture View” approach in ‘The Plot: An Overview of the Bible.’

For centuries, as affirmed at the Council of Nicea, Christians have used a wonderful list of Bible verses to demonstrate from God’s Word the deity of Jesus Christ. Here is another avenue, similar to the “Big Picture View” approach in The Plot: An Overview of the Bible.

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Thus Saith the Lord: If we count how many times the Old Testament prophets said, “Thus says the Lord” we find them using that phrase, in the New King James Version of the Bible, about 420 times. The New Testament on the other hand, never once records that phrase. Jesus Christ, with all the red ink devoted to recording His words, never once used that ubiquitous phrase, “Thus saith the Lord.” Rather, Jesus proclaims, “I say to you,” in the Gospels! Not a single “Thus says the Lord,” but rather, “I say to you,” 135 times. The following chart demonstrates biblically that these two phrases, Thus saith the Lord, and I say unto you, indicate the same thing, that God is speaking. For Jesus Christ made it clear that He Himself was at the heart of His teaching. Unlike the righteous priests and kings, prophets and the apostles, the Lord focused His message on Himself:

Christ’s Self-focus

 

  • “Follow Me” 19x Mt. 4:19; 8:22; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; Mk. 1:17; 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Lk. 5:27; 9:59; 18:22; Jn. 1:43; 8:12; 10:27; 12:26; 13:36; 21:19, 22
  • Pray and act “in My name” 18x Mt. 7:22; 18:5; 18:20; [24:5]; Mk. 9:37, 39, 41; [13:6]; Lk. 9:48; [21:8]; 24:47; Jn. 14:13?14; 15:16; 16:23?24, 26; Acts 9:15
  • “the Holy Spirit” comes “in My name” Jn. 14:26
  • “for My name’s sake” leave family and property Mt. 19:29; or even be killed 5x Mt. 24:9; [Lk. 21:12, 17;] Jn. 15:21; Acts 9:16
  • Believe in the “name of the… Son” and “in the Son” 3x Jn.  3:18, 36; 9:35 and “in Him [Jesus]” 4x Jn. 3:18; 6:29, 40; 8:31
  • “believe in Me” 14x Mt. 18:6; Mk. 9:42; Jn. 3:15?16, 18; 6:35, 47; 7:38; 11:25, 26; 12:44, 46; 14:1, 12; 16:8; 17:20
  • You “are sanctified by faith in Me” Acts 26:18
  • Live “in Me” Jn. 11:26
  • “come after Me” Mk. 8:34; Lk. 14:27
  • Abide “in Me” Jn. 15:2, 4:5, 7 “abide in Me” or else Jn. 15:6 “abide in My love” Jn. 15:9?10
  • “where two or three are gathered,” Jesus is “there in the midst of them” Mt. 18:20 [projected presence]
  • So too: “I [Jesus, will abide] in you” Jn. 15:4?5
  • “know that I am He” Jn. 8:28 or “if you do not believe that I am He you will die in your sins” Jn. 8:24
  • Do things “for My sake” Mt. 10:22, 39; even lose your life “for My sake” 4x Mt. 16:25; Mk. 8:35; 10:29; Lk. 6:22
  • “I never knew you, depart from Me” Mt. 7:23
  • “I am willing; be cleansed” Mt. 8:3; Mk.. 1:41
  • ”confess Me” Mt. 10:32; Lk. 12:8
  • Do not deny “Me” 7x Mt. 10:33; 26:34; Mk. 14:30, 72; Lk. 12:9; 22:34; Jn. 13:38
  • Do not be “ashamed of Me” Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:26 nor “My words”
  • “love Me” 5x Jn. 14:15, 21, 23?24, 28
  • Do not reject “Me” Lk. 10:16; Jn. 12:48
  • “He who is not with Me is against Me” Lk. 11:23
  • Love Me “more than” your family members Mt. 10:37; [Lk. 14:26]
  • “I… have loved you” Jn. 15:9, 12
  • Be “worthy of Me” Mt. 10:37?38
  • “Come to Me” 5x Mt. 11:28; Lk. 6:47; Jn. 5:40; 6:35; 7:37
  • “I will give you rest” Mt. 11:28
  • “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Mt. 11:30
  • I am “greater than the temple” “than Jonah” “than Solomon” Mt. 12:6, 41?42
  • I am “Lord even of the Sabbath” Mt. 12:8; Mk. 2:28; Lk. 6:5 [Lord of God’s Ten Commandments]
  • Thus He says keep “My commandments” 4x Jn. 14:15, 21; 15:10, 12
  • “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” Jn. 15:14
  • “keep My word” Jn. 14:23?24
  • “He who is not with Me is against Me” Mt. 12:30
  • The angels are “His angels” Mt. 13:41; 16:27 and He commands “His angels” Mt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27
  • The kingdom is “His kingdom” Mt. 13:41 and He calls it “My kingdom” Lk. 22:30
  • Jesus called it “My church” Mt. 16:18 and believers are “My sheep” Jn. 10:14, 27 and they are “His elect” Mt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27
  • Paul is a “vessel of Mine to bear My name” Acts 9:15
  • “all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine” Jn. 17:10
  • “My peace I give” Jn. 14:27 ”in Me you may have peace” Jn. 16:33
  • “My joy” should fill you Jn. 15:11
  • “Who do men say that I am?” Mt. 16:13; Mk. 8:27 “who do you say that I am?” Mt. 16:15
  • Receive “Me” Mt. 18:5; Mk. 9:37; Lk. 9:48
  • “My words” will never pass away Mt. 24:35; Mk. 13:31; Lk. 21:33
  • Tell others about Jesus Mk. 5:19
  • “you belong to Christ” Mk. 9:41
  • Hear “My sayings” and do them Lk. 6:47
  • Jesus has “His own glory” Lk. 9:26; [Jn. 2:11; 16:14] The Son is “glorified” 8x Jn. 11:4; 12:23; 13:31?32; [17:1, 5, 10 24]
  • “He who hears you hears Me” Lk. 10:16
  • Jesus expects praise, from stones if necessary 1x Lk. 19:37?40
  • Return “to Me” Lk. 22:32
  • Be “My disciple” Lk. 14:27; Jn. 8:31; 15:8 Forsake all to “be My disciple” Lk. 14:33 ”you are My disciples” Jn. 13:35
  • “I shall send… the [Holy] Spirit” Jn. 15:26; 16:7
  • The Holy Spirit “will testify of Me” Jn. 15:26
  • We read in John 5 and Luke 24 that “the Scriptures… testify of Me” Jn. 5:39; [Lk. 24:44]
  • “You [Apostles] also will bear witness [of Me] because you have been with Me” Jn. 15:27
  • Paul gives “testimony concerning Me” Acts 22:18; 23:11
  • “the Son gives life to whom He will” Jn. 5:21
  • “seek Me” Jn. 6:26
  • Serve “Me” Jn. 12:26
  • “all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father” Jn. 5:23
  • “I am the bread of life,” “of heaven,” “of God” Jn. 6: 32-33, 35, 41, [48,] 51
  • Just seeing Christ is reason enough to believe [Jn. 6:36] him” Jn. 6:56
  • Drink “My blood” and eat “My flesh” Jn. 6:53?54, 56
  • “I will raise him up at the last day” Jn. 6:40 for He is the resurrection
  • “The world… hates Me” Jn. 7:7
  • “I am the light of the world” Jn. 8:12; 9:5; 12:46
  • “I bear witness of Myself” 1x Jn. 8:13-14, 18
  • “know… Jesus Christ” for “eternal life” Jn. 17:3; [8:19; 10:10, 14]
  • “the Son makes you free” Jn. 8:36
  • “Abraham rejoiced to see My day” Jn. 8:56; “Before Abraham was, I AM” Jn. 8:58
  • Of believers, Christ said, “I know them” Jn. 10:27
  • “I give them eternal life” Jn. 10:28
  • “I am the resurrection and the life” Jn. 11:25
  • I “will draw all peoples to Myself” Jn. 12:32
  • “I will… receive you to Myself” Jn. 14:3
  • Be “Mine” Jn. 14:24
  • “I am the vine” Jn. 15:5
  • “without Me you can do nothing” Jn. 15:5
  • “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you” Jn. 15:16
  • Those who oppress Christians are “persecuting Me” Acts 9:4?5; 22:7?8; 26:14?15
    “because they have not known… Me” Jn. 16:3
  • The Spirit “will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it” Jn. 16:14
  • “All things that the Father has are Mine” Jn. 16:15
  • “the Father… loves you, because you have loved Me” Jn. 16:27
  • “If I will that he remain” Jn. 21:22
  • “I have overcome the world” Jn. 16:33
  • “I am the way” Jn. 14:6
  • “I am… the truth” Jn. 14:6
  • “I am… the life” Jn. 14:6
  • “I will… manifest Myself” Jn. 14:21

Bob Enyart presents this material on a BEL radio program and in his Gospel of John Bible Study which is downloadable or available on MP3 CD.

The Forest for the Trees: A simple overview of Christ’s message shows overwhelmingly that He is the Message. Thus, He is either a blasphemer, or God Himself. Very strong individual verses also show the Deity of Christ. The traditional deity proof texts are powerful, but should not be used, as is often done, to exclusion of the big picture of the ministry and message of Jesus Christ. Those traditional passages include John 1:1, 14; 9:38; 20:28; Mat. 2:11; Rom. 9:5; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 1:3, 6, 8; Isa. 45:5, 18, 21 with John 1:3 and Titus 2:13; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:16-17; Rev. 1:8, 18; 5:11-6:1. Further, the doctrine of eternal separation from God in @#!*% and the deity of Christ are inextricably linked. Many of those who deny the deity of Christ also deny an eternal @#!*% . Why? God put eternity in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11) and so only a payment of infinite worth, something greater than the eternal futures of billions of human beings, could suffice to pay for their combined sin. When false teachers dismiss eternal punishment in Hades, they no longer need a Sacrifice of infinite worth.

Christ’s Deity: The dramatic contrast in the above chart shows Christ’s self-presentation compared to the angels and prophets who present God to the world. These other messengers elevated not themselves, but God. They focused attention, not on themselves but on Him. Godly priests, kings, and apostles focused held God to be their motivating message, of course not themselves. Jesus, on the other hand, came speaking about Himself. He submits Himself to the father, willingly, not as a sign of a lesser God, but of His greatness, for as He lowers Himself, He is exalted to the central truth of Creation! (See the above chart.) Thus His I say unto you is the Scripture’s Thus Saith the Lord!

For more fun Bible Study, please see The Plot and also the Bible Study Department at our KGOV store or call us at 1-800-8Enyart (836-9278) to tell Bob or our BEL staff which topics of study you are most interested in, and we’ll figure out which of our resources, if any, address your area of concern!