The Trinity (IIIex)

The NT Witness: Other data relative to the deity of Jesus


Updated: November 9/2003


In this section I want to raise a few final issues and considerations about the NT witness to Christ, prior to summarization and 'pushback' sections. The evidence and arguments herein are more reflective issues, rather than exegetical; more synthetic than analytical.

Summary:

We have looked at a number of tangential trajectories in this section, and asked the basic question "What state of affairs makes the most sense of this data?" The data about Jesus' being condemned for blasphemy points to His actions/words as 'bespeaking' deity. The practice of the early church to treat His name as divine (e.g. nomina sacra and use of "the Name" textual substitute) is best explained by an early conviction on their part of His divinity. The data that humans and angels refused worship, but Jesus accepted/welcomed/applauded it is best explained by the position that He was worthy of worship (i.e. He was God). That the Scripture consistently assigns the same titles, actions, attributes, commitments to Jesus as it did to the OT YHWH--WITHOUT once warning us to avoid treating Jesus other than as a creature--is best explained by the position that Jesus really was God. And the theme in the life and teachings of both Jesus and his disciples--to model the ultimate condescension of Christ--makes precious little sense if Jesus were not God. All roads lead to the same conclusion--Jesus and his followers understood that Jesus was the "God [who] appeared in a body", and that this belief originated with Jesus himself.


The Christian ThinkTank... [https://www.Christian-thinktank.com] (Reference Abbreviations)