Who is Jesus?

God created all things; through Jesus.

God created all things: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1; cf.
Isaiah 44:24; cf. 42:5; 45:18; Mt 19:4-6). But God created all things through Jesus:

God spoke to Jesus, in His pre-human existence, saying “Let usmake man in our image,
after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

“In the beginning was the Word … All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him
nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:1-3; cf. Col. 1:16-17 and Heb. 1:2).
“The Word” is Jesus (see John 1:14).

Paul concluded as follows of the different roles of God and Jesus in creation: “There is but one
God, the Father, from whom are all things … and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things”
(1 Cor. 8:6).

God is the Source of all creative power and wisdom, but He creates all things through “His Son.”
He also sustains all things through His Son (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). For a further discussion,
see God created all things through His Son.

Jesus Himself is not a created being.

Jesus is “the first-born of all creation” (Col. 1:15-16). Revelation 3:14 similarly describes Him as
“the Beginning of the creation of God.” For some this is evidence that Jesus is a created being;
God’s first creation.

First in importance
The phrase “first-born,” in the Jewish system, came to mean “the most important.” David, for
example, the youngest son of Jesse, was named “firstborn” (Psalm 89:20–27). This
interpretation is supported by Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5, where Jesus is also the
“firstborn from the dead.” He was not the first person to be raised from death, but He was the
most important person ever to be resurrected from death. It is therefore often proposed that
Jesus is “the first-born of all creation” because He is the most important being in the universe.
First in time
Colossians reads, “He is … the firstborn of all creation, for by Him all things were created” (Col.
1:15-16). The word “for” implies that Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” because by Him God
created all things. Verse 17 concludes that, “He is before all things.” It is therefore proposed
here that, in Colossians 1, “firstborn” is a reference to time; not to importance. In other words,
“firstborn of all creation” has the same meaning as “He is before all things.” What the writer
meant, is that Jesus was the first to exist.

But this does not mean that He is a created being:

Firstly, since God created “all things” through Him (Col. 1:16-17).

Secondly, He is not the first created, but is the “firstborn.” Since He was “begotten,” He was not
created. “Born” here is symbolic language. What it means for Jesus to have been born of God
we should not speculate. But certainly it should not be literally interpreted. As stated above,
the Fathers of the Christian church proposed that He was eternally generated by God the
Father; that He came forth from the being of God; begotten, not made.

Thirdly, “every created thing” give glory “to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev.
5:13).

Conclusion: God created all things through Jesus, but Jesus Himself was not created.

Jesus always existed.

He was before John the Baptist, “before Abraham,” “before the world was” and “before all
things.” He is “from the days of eternity;” from “the beginning.” (John 1:1, 29; 8:58; 17:5; Col.
1:17; Micah 5:2) Since God created all things through Jesus, and because time is integral to this
universe, Jesus even created time itself. In other words, there never was a time when the Son
did not exist. For a further discussion, see Jesus always existed.

Jesus appears in the form of God.

Before He became a human being, Jesus existed in “the form of God” (Phil 2:5-6). In Where do
we find Jesus in the Old Testament? it is argued that all visible, bodily appearances of God,
recorded in the Old Testament, were appearances of Jesus. This would, for instance, include the
appearance of YHVH in human form to Abraham (Gen. 18:1). It might also include Isaiah’s
vision: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the
temple” (Is 6:1).
God identified Himself as, “I AM has sent me to you … This is My Name for ever” (Ex. 3:15-18).
Jesus claimed this name. He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:24, 58). When the
soldiers came to capture Him, Jesus said to them, “I am,” and the soldiers “drew back and fell to
the ground” (John 18:6 – “He” was added by the translators.

Both “the LORD” (YHVH) and Jesus are “the first and … the last,” “the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End” (Isaiah 44:6; 48:12; Rev. 1:8, 17-18; 21:6 22:13).

Both the One “whom no man has seen or can see” and Jesus are called “King of kings and Lord
of lords” (1 Tim. 6:14-16; Rev. 17:14 & 19:16).

Conclusion: Jesus appeared as God to the Old Testament people.

Jesus is equal to God.

The Father shows the Son all things: “The Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that
He Himself is doing” (John 5:19-20).

The equality of Jesus to God is also seen in the fact that God and Jesus are always together:

Together in the beginning: “In the beginning was the Word … was with God” (John 1:1).

Together in believers: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Ourabode with him” (John 14:23).

Created together: God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Gen.
1:26; John 1:3).

Own all things together: “All things that the Father has are Mine” (John 16:15; cf. 17:10).

Glorified together: Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory
which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5).

Work together: Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John
5:17).

Judge together: “My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent
Me” (John.8:16).
Protect believers together: “My sheep hear My voice … and no one will snatch them out of My
hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

The equality of Jesus to God is lastly evidenced by the fact that Jesus has God’s attributes:

Wisdom and knowledge: Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). In
Jesus Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Jesus became a human being.

God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son. Jesus came forth from the Father.
He “descended from heaven,” “from God;” “from the Father.” (John 3:13; 6:33-38, 62;
8:23;16:28). He “emptied Himself” of the “form of God” and of “equality with God.” He took on
“the form of a bond-servant … being made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6-7). He descended
from heaven and became a mere human baby, without any knowledge or wisdom.

Jesus is distinct from God.

So far it has been argued:

That God created all things through Jesus,

That Jesus Himself was not created,
That the never was a time when Jesus did not exist,
That Jesus appears in the form of God, and
That Jesus is equal to God.

But the New Testament also consistently and clearly distinguishes between God and Jesus. For
instance:

Paul introduced His letters with statements such as, “Peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ” (Philemon 1:3; Eph. 1:2).

In both the Old and New Testament we find statements that there is but one God, for instance,
“there is no God besides Me” (Is 44:6). But then we read categorical statements that Jesus is
distinct from that one true God, for instance, “there is one God and one mediator between God
and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).

The book of Revelation several times distinguishes between Christ and God. For example,
“these have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Rev. 14:4).
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1).

God is invisible, for instance, “no one has seen God at any time” (1 John 4:12). But Jesus is
visible, and therefore distinct from God.

Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

In Gethsemane Jesus “fell on His face and prayed, saying, ’My Father, if it is possible, let this cup
pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will’” (Mt. 26:39). This indicates that the Father and
the Son have separate and distinct wills.

As stated above, Jesus has “equality with God” and was in “the form of God” before He became
a human being. This also means that He is distinct from God.

Conclusion: These are only a few of many statement in the New Testament that make a
distinction between God and Jesus. For a further discussion, see Jesus is distinct from God.

Jesus is subordinate to God.

As stated, In the view of many, Jesus always was co-equal with the Father. But the mere fact
that He is the Son already implies that He is subordinate to the Father. Other such indications of
this include the following:

Jesus said, “the Father is greater than I.”

Jesus refers to God as “My God,” for instance “I ascend to My Father and to your Father, to My
God and to your God” (John 20:17). And He prayed to God, for instance, “He offered up both
prayers … to the One able to save Him from death” (Heb. 5:7; cf. Mt. 26:39).

God sent the Son into the world (e.g. John 3:16).

Jesus did not know all things (Mt. 24:36).

Everything which His Son has, He received from His Father. The Holy Spirit, the ability to raise
the dead, the authority to judge, “what to say and what to speak,” His works and disciples, “all
authority in heaven and on earth” and even the fullness of Deity He received from the Father.
(Mt. 28:18; Luke 10:22; John 1:32-34; 5:22, 36, 26-29; John 6:44;12:49; 17:1-2; Col. 1:19; 2:9).

That Jesus is subordinate to God emphasizes the fact that Jesus is distinct from God. In others
words, the New Testament reserves the title “God” for the Father exclusively.

Jesus is always subordinate to God.

Defenders of Christ’s deity often argue that He was subordinate to God only when He became a
human being, when He emptied Himself of the form of God and of equality with God. However,
the following indicates that He was subordinate to God before He became a human being:

God sent His only begotten Son into this world (John 3:18) and gave Him what to say and what
to do (John 12:49).

The following indicates that Jesus is also still subordinate to God after His ascension

He is seated today “at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Jesus “was received up
into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19). This is the position of power
over the entire universe, subject only to God, but confirms that Jesus is still both distinct from
God and subordinate to God.

According to the Bible there is only one God; “Hear, O Israel, God is One.” Paul, writing after
Jesus’ ascension, defined Jesus as distinct from the “one God”:

“There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim.
2:5).

“There is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things … and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by
whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6).

Paul categorically stated that “God is the head of Christ.”

The general understanding in the Church, that Jesus is co-equal to the Father, therefore cannot
be correct. For a further discussion, see Jesus is subordinate to God.

“God” is used for the Father exclusively.

Since the New Testament makes a distinction between God and Jesus, we conclude that “God”
is used for the Father exclusively.

The angel Gabriel said to Mary:

“You will conceive … and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He … will be called the Son
of the Most High … The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:30-
35)

Gabriel therefore referred to Jesus both as “the Son of God” and “the Son of the Most High.”
Gabriel therefore identified the “Most High” as “God.” When the Bible makes statements such
as that God is invisible (Col. 1:15), or that Jesus sits at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19),
or “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim.
2:5) then the Bible uses the title “God” exclusively for the Most High.

Since Jesus is “the Son of the Most High,” Jesus often referred to the Most High as “Father.” The
“Father” is therefore called “God.” This is confirmed by the following:

Jesus said: “I ascend to My Father and to your Father, to My Godand to your God” (John 20:17).

Jesus said that He has come “from God” (John 8:42), but at another time He said that He has
come “from the Father” (John 16:28).

Paul similarly wrote “Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the
Father” (Col 3:17). Or, “there is but one God, the Father … and one Lord, Jesus Christ” (1 Cor.
8:6; cf. 1 Cor. 15:24).

Worship Jesus.
Only God may be worshiped. For instance, Jesus quoted the Ten Commandments, “you shall
worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Luke 4:8). And when John worshiped the
angel, the angel prevented him from doing so, instructing him to “worship God” (Rev. 19:10).
Defenders of Christ’s deity then point out that Jesus is worshiped in the New Testament.

In the King James translation of the New Testament there are 13 verses in which Jesus is
worshiped. The Greek word translated “worship” in the New Testament is proskuneó. But
“worship” is not always a good translation for proskuneó: “Worship” implies that God or a god is
worshiped, while proskuneó often simply means to show respect to another created being:
This can be seen in how proskuneó is used in the New Testament. For instance, “Then came to
him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain
thing of him” (Mt. 20:20; KJV).

This is also confirmed by the dictionary definitions of the Greek word proskuneó, for instance,
“to kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior.”

Therefore, the fact that people and angels proskuneó Jesus does not prove that He is God. But
there is real proof in the New Testament that Jesus is worshiped. A good example is Revelation
5. Another example is, “all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not
honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23). Jesus must be worshiped.
Jesus has equality with God in our esteem and affections.

But Jesus is not worshiped because He is God, but because:

(1) It was God who gave Jesus “the name which is above every name, so that at the name of
Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW” (Phil. 2:9-11).
It was God who instructed the angels to worship Jesus (Heb. 1:6).

(2) To worship Jesus is to worship God: “at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW … to the
glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). See Jesus in Philippians for an explanation of this text.

Jesus is therefore not worshiped independent of or co-equal to God. When we worship Jesus,
we worship “to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). Our worship flows through Jesus to
God.

This is an important principle, namely that God always work with the creation through Jesus.
God creates through Jesus, God redeems through Jesus, and God is worshiped through Jesus.
For a further discussion, see Jesus is worshiped. Does that mean that He is God?

Only Begotten Son.

Another argument used by defenders of Christ’s deity is that Jesus is God’s Only Begotten Son
(John 1:14; 1:18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9), and just like the son of a human father is also a human,
the Son of God must also be God.
It is true that Jesus, as God’s Only Begotten Son, is God’s true family. “Only begotten” translates
the Greek word monogenēs. Monogenēscombines two words, namely monos (alone)
and génos (family, offspring). “Only begotten” is symbolic language, but it means that He is
God’s true family. Believers are adopted as sons of God, but Jesus is God’s real family.

However, “Only Begotten Son” is symbolic language. It reflects in human language something
which is beyond human comprehension. It must not be understood literally, as if Jesus is of the
same substance as God. We cannot use this symbolic phrase to counter the clear and
consistent evidence of the New Testament that Jesus is distinct from God. For a further
discussion, see Only Begotten Son of God.

Jesus is called God.

The Question – It was shown above that Jesus has always existed, that God created all things
through Jesus, that Jesus has equality with God, that Jesus is God’s only true family and that we
must worship Jesus to the glory of God. But it was also found that “God” is a name for the
Father exclusively. Then Jesus is not God. But in the New Testament Jesus is called God. Does
that mean that Jesus is God?

Old Testament – In the Hebrew Old Testament, the God of Israel has a unique name that is not
used for any other being. That name is YHVH, pronounced as Jehovah or Yahweh. “God”
(elohim), in contrast, is used both for the true God and for false gods. Therefore, the Old
Testament uses various techniques to be specific when the true God is intended. Often the title
“God” is combined with YHVH, for instance, “the LORD God” or “the LORD his God.” In other
instances, YHVH is used in the immediately context. In other words, the term “God” is not a
unique identifier or a name for the God of the Bible.

New Testament – The Hebrew name YHVH is found all over the Old Testament, but does not
appear at all in the New Testament. Instead, the NT uses the term “God” (theos) as a name for
the One True God, with no further identification. However, theos is a common noun that is also
applied to false gods and to some created beings. The term “God” is therefore used in

two ways. In most instances it is a name for the true God. But occasionally it is used as a
common noun for false gods and even people.

Jesus is called God – The New Testament uses theos (God) more than 1000 times. In seven
instances theos refers explicitly to Jesus. This does not prove that Jesus is the same as or equal
to the Only True and invisible God, because in the vast majority of instances the NT makes a
distinction between God and Jesus. Stated differently, the New Testament reserves “God” as a
name for the Father exclusively. Furthermore, “god” is also used for false gods and for exalted
created beings.

John 1:1 – This principle may be illustrated by means of John 1:1:

This verse starts by saying, “the Word was with God.” “God” in this phrase is used as a name for
the Father, similar to the name YHVH, to uniquely identify the Father. This implies that Jesus is
distinct from God and therefore not God.

The verse continues to say “and the Word was God.” Here John uses to the common meaning
of the word “god” to describe Jesus as our God. Other people have other gods, but Jesus is our
God.

This does not mean that Jesus is God, for the title “God” is reserved for the Father, “who alone
possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see”
(1 Tim. 6:16).

Jesus is our God because He was in the beginning with God and God created all things through
Him. Everything may perish, but Jesus will always remain the same. He is “over all” and He is
our “Savior” who “gave Himself for us to redeem us.”

Bad Question – Since the word theos is used in two ways the question, whether Jesus is God, is
a bad question. The New Testament uses “God” as a name for the uncaused Cause of all things,
who cannot be seen. Then Jesus is not God. But theos is also used for the one that a person
worships and obey. Then Jesus is the Christian God. “All will honor the Son even as they honor
the Father.”