Tag: trinity

Is Jesus Really God? A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Summary

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Defending the Faith, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

Does the Bible present Jesus as God in the flesh? Is the Son of God really God? Or did the doctrine of Christ’s deity evolve over the centuries? Christianity rises and falls upon this doctrine just as much as any other. It is not an overstatement to say that salvation hangs in the balance. So, what’s the answer?

Dan Brown writes in his enormously popular book The Da Vinci Code that Jesus’ deity was a doctrine proposed and voted on at the Council of Nicaea in 325. He writes that the Roman emperor at the time, Constantine, “turned Jesus into a deity who existed beyond the scope of the human world, an entity whose power was unchallengeable.”[1] However, The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction, and so is this claim. Fiction.

Not only is this claim historically inaccurate (the deity of Christ was not proposed/voted on at the council of Nicaea), it is biblically and theologically inaccurate. The Scriptures clearly present Jesus as God and our theology of salvation requires it. Yet countless cults and critics have bought into Brown’s claims or those like it, believing that the deity of Jesus is a historical development rather than biblical truth.

Biblical Evidence

I would like to pose three arguments that demonstrate that the Bible clearly expects us to believe that Jesus is God: 1. Jesus bears the names and titles of God. 2. Jesus does the works of God. 3. Jesus receives the worship of God.

1. Jesus bears the titles of God.

    Consider the following verses:

    “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

    “Thomas answered him [Jesus], ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28)

    Titus writes that we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). This verse features the Granville Sharpe Rule in Greek, where God and Savior refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. It is similar to how we might say “our father and friend David.” We would understand David to be both the father and friend referenced.

    There’s another one of these in 2 Peter 1:1- “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”Peter clearly refers to Jesus as God and Savior.

    Paul writes, “To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 9:5)

    And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 21:6). Compare this to what Yahweh says about himself in Isaiah 44:6, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

    The New Testament authors clearly identify Jesus as God by using these titles in reference to him.

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    Delighting In The Trinity (Book Review)

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Book Reviews2 Comments

    The triunity of God is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. And yet, the Trinity is one of the most neglected and least understood tenets of our faith. I’m afraid I have contributed to this myself. I have been guilty of speaking of the Trinity as if it was something too difficult to understand or too risky to talk about for fear of stepping into heresy.

    The problem with such neglect is the misinformed notions we develop about God as a result. Instead of understanding God to be Father, Son, and Spirit, who dwells in eternal unity and love, we fashion a singular god in our own image who often turns out to be cold, distant, and ultimately unknowable. Even if we don’t consciously believe God to be singular and distant, we often live as if he is, expecting his disapproval, ambivalence, and relative absence to characterize our lives rather than warm, enjoyable, loving fellowship with him. The antidote to this, Michael Reeves argues, is to know God as Trinity.

    To know the Trinity is “to know God, an eternal and personal God of infinite beauty, interest, and fascination. The Trinity is a God we can know, and forever grow to know better.”[1] The strength of Reeves’ book is that he writes about the Trinity from a relational perspective rather than an ontological one.[2] His goal is not to mine all the nuanced gems of the Trinity’s nature, but to show how God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Spirit, and how he relates to us as such.

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    The Triune God: The Ultimate Christmas Gift

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Theology1 Comment

    Christmas is here! And all that comes with it: lights, decorations, gatherings, and…gifts. What does that last word do for you- gifts? Does it create excitement, perhaps over the gift you might receive or give? Or does it create a sense of burden over the gifts you need to purchase? Whichever it may be, how would you feel if I told you that our practice of gift-giving could (and should) deepen our appreciation of the Triune God?

    Why do we give gifts at Christmas, anyways? We may say, “because God has given us the gift of salvation.” And while that may be true, the gift God has given us is much more than that. The ultimate Christmas gift is a Trinitarian gift. It’s a gift prepared, given, and protected by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a gift that redeems the world and restores all that mankind lost in the Garden of Eden, chiefly, an intimate relationship with the Triune God.

    When God gives us the gift of salvation, He gives us Himself and the ability to know Him. That’s what we lost in Eden. Everything else is merely a symptom of that broken relationship. So God prepares, purchases, and extends this gift to us. But He does so through each member of the Trinity giving themselves so that we may know God in all of His fullness. Let me explain.

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    An Encouraging Day as a Discipleship Pastor

    On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Ministry2 Comments

    In every profession, there are good days and bad days. Days that are more difficult and days that are easier. Too often, I’m afraid, we remember the bad days more than the good. We remember the slumps of the tough days more than the joys of the fruitful days. I’ve had many difficult days in ministry. But I’ve also had many exciting, fruitful days. Yesterday was one of those exciting days, and I want to revel in it for just a bit.

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