Divinity of the Son of God

inheritance “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

It is important before we start to study a subject that we look at the primary word or words of the subject we are studying. In this case the words will be “divine” or “divinity.” While the English word “divinity” is not in the King James version of the Scriptures, we do see the word “divine” several times. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3, 4)

It is important for us to know that we ourselves can be partakers of the Father’s divine nature, or “divinity,” through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ; the divine nature being “His eternal power and Godhead.” (Romans 1:20) “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (Acts 17:29) The words “Godhead” and “divinity” come from the very same Greek word (QeioV—2304 in the Strong’s Concordance).

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20) The Power that made the worlds can also create a new heart in us. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Jesus said that it was life eternal that we might know His Father as the only true God. What this means is that ultimately everything comes from the one supreme God!“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

The Father and the Son worked together in the creation of every created thing. All power originated from the Father and yet the divine Son of God is referred to as the master builder (Proverbs 8:30 definition for brought up). “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 3:9) “God … hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

God the Father and His Son were further developing their relationship with each other during the creation of the universe. “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4)

The Wisdom of God

Before looking at the next verses having to do with the creation, we need to look at Christ in the word “wisdom.” “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1:30) “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8)

Whom did God ordain before the world “unto our glory?” “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)

Christ is the “wisdom of God” who was ordained “before the world was.” As we read the next verses we will better understand the divinity of Christ in relation to creation. Listen as “Wisdom” (the Son of God) speaks, “When he [the Father] prepared the heavens, I [His Son] was there: when he [the Father] set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I [the Son] was by him, as one brought up [master builder] with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.”(Proverbs 8:27-30)

The Hebrew word for “brought up” means master builder, architect or one highly involved with the building of something. The word also comes from the Hebrew root that means to believe or to be nourished. (Gesenius) This means that as Christ was co-creator with the Father, He also believed highly in Him; He was the Father’s delight, always rejoicing before Him. Can you begin to notice a real Father and Son relationship? What a picture!

This explains one of the Son’s works of deity, but why is the Son of God deity? In the days of eternity, Christ experienced divine origin. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [origin] have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) We all recognize Christ’s birth at Bethlehem, but what about His goings forth (origin) that have been “from everlasting” or “in the days of eternity” (marginal reference). The word “origin” also means beginning, and without a beginning could Christ really be a Son?

Christ is deity because He is the Son of God before Bethlehem. “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” (Proverbs 8:22-23)

In the very beginning of God the Father’s “way” He possessed Christ (Wisdom). The Apostle Paul writes, “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” (1 Corinthians 3:23) In another place we read, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3) Not only now (in time) but also in eternity, the Father possessed His Son.

From everlasting the Son of God was “set up.” The Hebrew word translated “set up” means “anointed.” This is where the English word “Christ” comes from. Christ means “the anointed one.” “Thou art the Christ [anointed one] the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Terms like “the Anointed One,” “Prince,” “Messiah,” “the Angel of the Lord,” and “the Son of God” could never refer to God the Father.

“When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.” (Proverbs 8:24) Before there were any depths the Son received His rightful title when He was brought forth. The Hebrew word rendered “brought forth,” means to be born. The very depths of the gospel can only be understood when we can see the true meaning of this verse. Understanding whom God gave means everything to the believer!

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:8-9) How could God the Father send a Son into the world unless He had a Son to send? “Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.” (Proverbs 8:25) Before the mountains and hills existed, the Son was brought forth.

nature“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” (Colossians 1:12-15) “Firstborn of every creature” in Greek means “to come into being before any created thing.” (Thayer’s lexicon) It could not in any way mean that He is a created being because the next verse states that He created all things.

Doesn’t the Bible call Jesus “God?” Yes, it rightly does, for He would have to be God if He were God’s Son. We are human beings created in the image of God. If we were to bring forth children, would they not be human beings? The same would hold true in all of God’s creation: like begets like. Christ is never referred to as the most high God, the Ancient of Days, or the supreme God. He receives all things from the Father. “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5:26)

Please notice some of the times Christ is referred to as God. “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Hebrews 1:8-9) The Father calls His Son “God” and then clearly states that He is the God of His Son.

Jesus agrees when speaking to Mary after the resurrection: “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17) In the Revelation we read, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (Revelation 3:12)

One of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible is this text, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) The Word (Christ) “was God,” yet this does not mean that He is the supreme God or the most high God. We have clearly shown that He was deity and that He was with the most high God. Do these texts say any more than that?

In the very context of this passage the Word who was God was with God. Also, a little later in the chapter we read that that same Word was made flesh. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) No, the Word did not come and live inside a human body. The Word became a human being, “for the suffering of death.” (Hebrews 2:9) Although Christ became a man, he retained his divine identity and character.

God the Father could not die! And yet somehow His Son had to! “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation [emptied himself], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

As was brought out earlier, Christ was brought forth in eternity. This being true, He could have been in no other form than the form of God. Now this is a beautiful story! He who was in the form of God by right, who created the universe along with His Father, emptied Himself and became a man for the purpose of dying for each and every one of us. This is the value of the gift: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Could it possibly be any other way than that? Would it be the same if God sent someone to be a Son that really did not have the full capacity of dying? “And if Christ be not raised [from the dead], your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Jesus said, “For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out 1831 [exercomai “to come forth from physically, arise from, to be born of,” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon] from God. I came forth 1831 from the Father, and am come 2064 [ercomai “to come from one place to another,” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon]into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” (John 16:27, 28)

“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:37)

The deity of Christ is not based on man’s thoughts or opinions. We must stand on the sure word of the Most High. Christ is the Son of God from eternity and in that fact is His full right to deity! May the Lord bless you in your studies.