New Testament Christology

The Deity of Christ

All of the material for this lesson has been taken from J. Ed Komoszewski and Robert M. Bowmans
Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2007).

H.A.N.D.S.
Honors: Jesus shares the honors due to God.
Attributes: Jesus shares the attributes of God.
Names: Jesus shares the names of God.
Deeds: Jesus shares in the deeds that God does.
Seat: Jesus shares the seat of Gods throne.

Honors

Honor In Jewish culture, to honor God meant to confess and live in the light of his exclusive
status as the maker, sustainer, and sovereign King of all creation. To honor any creature, no matter
how wonderful, as a deity was to detract from the honor due to God. (PJIHP, 31)

God (Exod. 20:2-3, cf. Deut. 5:6-7; Exod. 34:14)

Jesus (John 5:23; Heb. 3:3-4)

Doxologies Stylized prayers of praise to God, acknowledging the glory and honor that God
deserves. (PJIHP, 32)

God (1Chron. 29:10-11; Ps. 72:18-19; Rom. 11:36; Phil. 4:20; Rev. 4:11)
God through Jesus (Rom. 16:27; 1Pet. 4:11; Jude 25)
Jesus (Rom. 9:5; Heb. 13:20-21; 2Pet. 3:18)
Jesus alongside God (Rev. 5:12-13)

Worship Acknowledging the deity of Christ is not merely a matter of referring to him as God
but more importantly is a matter of responding to him in worship. (PJIHP, 37)

God (Deut. 6:13; cf. Matt. 4:910; Ps. 97:7; Isa. 45:23; cf. Rev. 19:10; 22:89)
Jesus (Respect: Matt. 2:2, 11; 8:2; 9:18; 20:20; Worship: Matt. 14:33; 15:25; 28:9, 17; Heb.
1:6; Phil. 2:1011; Rev. 1:17; 5:14)

Prayer Prayer is essentially an appeal to ones deity for rescue, deliverance, or salvation in some
situation of need or danger. Only the transcendent, omniscient, omnipotent God can hear the
prayers of all people and respond to them as he chooses. God may choose to answer prayers
through creatures acting as his agents, but that is for him to decide. God is the Savior; God is the one
who answers prayer. He is therefore the only one to whom we should turn in prayer. (PJIHP, 47)
 God (Gen. 4:26; 1 Chron. 16:8; Ps. 65:2; Isa. 44:17; 45:2022; Joel 2:32)
Jesus (John 14:14; Acts 1:2425; 7:5960; 9:14; 22:16; Rom. 10:1213; 1 Cor. 1:2; 16:22; 2
Cor. 12:89; Rev. 22:2021)

Song For Jews steeped in the faith of the Old Testament, to sing to the Lord meant to sing to
Yahweh, the Lord God (PJIHP, 55)

God (Exod. 15:21; Judg. 5:3; 1 Chron. 16:23; Pss. 7:17; 9:11; 92:1; 95:1; 96:2; 104:33; Isa.
42:10)
Jesus (Eph. 5:19; Rev. 5:910; cf. Phil. 2:611)

Faith In the Old Testament, the Lord God is the primary object of faith. []In the New Testament,
God is still the primary object of faith. []Yet throughout the New Testament, Jesus is repeatedly
presented as the object of faith in a way that treats him as far more than a spokesman for God
(PJIHP, 61-62)

God (Gen. 15:6; Isa. 28:16; 43:10; cf. Mark 11:22; Heb. 6:1; 11:6; cf. Exod. 14:31 with Num.
20:8 13; 27:1214)
Jesus (Matt. 9:28; John 1:12; 3:1518, 36; 6:35, 40; 7:3739; 8:24; 11:2526; 14:1; 20:31;
Acts 3:16; 10:43; 16:31; 20:21; 22:19; 24:24; 26:18; Rom. 9:33; 10:11; Gal. 3:26; 1 Peter 2:6;
1 John 3:23; 5:1, 10, 13)

Fear It is basic to biblical religion that there is only one deity whom human beings should fear or
reverence. []In the New Testament, the apostles enjoin followers of Jesus to fear him as their
divine Lord, in language that clearly treats him as God. (PJIHP, 63-64)

God (Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Prov. 1:7; 2:5; 9:10; etc.; Isa. 8:1213)
Jesus (2 Cor. 5:1011; Eph. 5:21; 6:78; Col. 3:2225; 1 Peter 3:1416)

Serve The Greek word translated serve is latreu, a synonym for worship that the Bible uses to
refer to performing religious rites or rituals. (PJIHP, 66)

God (Deut. 6:13; cf. Matt. 4:10)

Jesus (Matt. 26:2, 18, 2629; Mark 14:1216, 2225; Luke 22:820; Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48;
19:5; 1 Cor. 10:1622; 11:20, 27; and see Dan. 7:14; cf. 3:12, 14, 17, 18, 28; 4:23, 35; 6:16,
20, 26; see also Rev. 22:3)

Love Although God expects us to love people as wellour family, other believers, our neighbors,
and even our enemies (Matt. 5:4348)only God deserves our absolute devotion. That is what
love usually means in the Bible. It is not just a feeling, though feelings are often involved. Rather,
love is commitment to the good of another; it is synonymous with loyalty. (PJIHP, 69)

God (Exod. 20:6; Deut. 5:10; 6:45; 11:1, 13, 22; 13:611; 19:9; 30:68, 16, 20; 33:9; Josh.
22:5; Neh. 1:5; Dan. 9:4; Matt. 22:37)
Jesus (Matt. 10:37; Luke 14:26; John 14:15, 21; 15:10; Eph. 6:24)