A “deity” refers to a divine entity revered by humans. These entities possess control or sway over certain facets of the universe. The gods and goddesses of Greek mythology serve as instances of such beings. In the context of the Bible, the term “deity” signifies the singular divine being whose sacrifice delivered us from sin—Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Jesus Christ existed prior to the creation of the universe, planets, light, and matter. He was with God—and He was God—coeternal, coequal, and coexisting with the Holy Spirit and the Father. According to John 1:1–2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
Jesus, who is God, stepped out of heaven. He came into our reality, experienced human nature, took our breath, felt our suffering, and stood in our place. In these scenarios, the deity of Christ is declared in the Bible, but what does the word “deity” mean? What verses in the Bible prove that Jesus Christ is indeed God? On top of that, how is the deity of Christ observed?
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What Does Deity Mean In The Bible?
The word “deity,” which defines “divine nature,” is derived from the Old French deite and the Latin deitas. Deity derives from deus, the Latin word for “god.” Furthermore, the definition of the word “deity” refers to a supernatural being; however, it is not specific to a particular ideology, culture, or religion. Merriam-Webster describes a god or goddess in a polytheistic or monotheistic faith.
In Christianity, the word “deity” refers to a single God (as opposed to the other religions and other cultures, such as Hinduism and Buddhism in the Indian region), described in the Bible as the sustainer of all things (Psalm 55:22) and the creator of life and the universe—things in heaven, on the world, and on earth (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16).
What Is The Deity Of Jesus Christ According To The Bible?
The divine nature of Christ relates to the lessons in the Old and New Testaments that imply that he is God. Deity represents the divinity of Jesus Christ[1] as shown in his persona, words, deeds, and the disciples’ views of him.
The verses (John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; and 1 John 5:20) explicitly declare that Jesus is a divine God in all the fullness of His glory. And these verses (John 13:3, 17:5, Colossians 1:15–19, 1 Timothy 3:16, and Hebrews 1:3) are sufficient proof for the church to accept and enlighten people about the life of Christ as a deity.
What Are The Attributes Of Christ’s Deity?
The Scriptures emphasize that Jesus embodies the qualities of a supreme deity. The Bible ascribes to Jesus Christ the divine attributes of deity—eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and immutable.
- Eternal: Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1-3; 8:56-59; 17:5; Colossians 1:16-17; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 1:2, 10-12; 7:3
- Omnipresent: Matthew 8:5-13; 18:20; 28:20; Mark 7:24-30; Luke 7:1-10; John 1:47-49; 3:13; Ephesians 4:10-11
- Omniscient: Matthew 9:4; 12:25; Mark 2:6-8; Luke 6:8; 21:20-24; John 2:24, 25; 4:16-18; 11:11-15; 13:10-11, 21-29, 36-38; 16:30-31; 21:17; Acts 1:24; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Revelation 2:23
- Omnipotent: Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 1:8; cf. John 5:17; 2:19-22; 10:17-18; 1 Corinthians 12:19; Ephesians 1:19-21; Colossians 2:10; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 28:18
- Immutable: Hebrews 1:10–12; 13:8; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20
In Christianity, the Holy Spirit has the same attributes that the Scripture ascribes to God, in line with the deity of Christ. Besides, the Holy Spirit and the Son are directly called God in a number of passages. Along with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the members of the Godhead or the Trinity.
How Is The Deity Of Jesus Christ Observed?
In the Bible’s teachings and passages, we observe who Jesus was, what He said, what He did, and the observations His followers made. These verses clearly state that He is God.
Jesus Frequently Bears The Names Of The Mighty God
In Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 7:14, and Matthew 1:22-23, Jesus Christ is regarded as “the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,” and “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.” In other passages, Jesus exists as “the Son of God” and “the Lord (Jehovah) our Righteousness” (3 Jeremiah 23:6; Isaiah 40:3; Hebrews 1:8; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 10:36).
In the Old Testament, titles exclusive to YHWH (the official name of the one true God) refer to Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, Jesus is regarded as the Old Testament title “redeemer” (Psalm 130:7). Also, the name of Jesus is mentioned alongside the great God and Holy Spirit: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2) and “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
The Bible Claims That He Possesses Divinity Qualities
Christ, in the Christian faith, is considered the incarnation of God. The New Testament agrees that Jesus Christ attains the characteristics of a deity. He contains qualities that only a supreme deity can possess. He is deemed eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and immutable.
Jesus Does Things Only God Can Do
Jesus accomplished deeds that only a deity is capable of. He is the sustainer of all things (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; cf. Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 17:2; Ephesians 1:22), called the creator (John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2, 10), the savior, and the forgiver of sins (Matthew 9:2–7).
As proof of His supremacy, Jesus performed numerous miracles. Some of Jesus’ miracles are walking on water (Matthew 14:25), turning water into wine (John 2:7), multiplying physical items (John 6:11), curing the sick (Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:40–42), mending the blind (John 9:7), the lame (Mark 2:3), and the sick (John 9:7), and reviving the dead (John 11:43–44; Luke 7:11–15). Moreover, Jesus himself arose from the dead.
Jesus Claims To Be God
Jesus proclaimed his essential nature. He instructed His disciples to pray in His name (John 16:23, 24), claiming to be the Son of God and that He and the Father were one (John 10:30, 36; 14:9; 17:11).
In the Bible verses, Jesus stated that believing Him was believing in God, honoring Him was honoring God, and hating Him was hating God (Mark 9:37; John 5:23; John 8:18; 14:7; John 12:45; 14:9).
Disciples Worshipped Jesus Christ As God
Aside from Jesus’ particular claims on Himself, He was also held in high esteem by His followers. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas called to Jesus (John 20:28). “Great God and Savior” is how Paul describes and states his faith in Him (Titus 2:13).
Numerous passages of Scripture affirm the essential nature of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4; Revelation 1:17, 2:8, 22:13; 1 Peter 2:6-8; Psalm 18:2, 95:1; Hebrews 13:20); yet, only one of these is sufficient to show that Jesus’ disciples believed He was God.
Conclusion
Only God is capable of being called the Creator (John 1:3; Col 1:16), only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:5–10; Colossians 3:13), only God can judge the world (Acts 10:42; 17:31), only God can possess divinity, and only God can do miracles (John 2:7; Matthew 14:25; John 9:7; Mark 2:3; Matthew 9:35). These verses support and establish the deity of Christ.
The Lord called Jesus, God. Moreover, Jesus himself claimed to be YHWH and to be God; His disciples accepted this claim and referred to Him as the Holy God. As the divinity of Jesus is mentioned in each of these passages, He must be God.
