THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST

THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
 

INTRODUCTION

Meaning of "Deity" in these articles. Mark you, I do not speak of the "Divinity" of Christ. The Unitarian, the Christian Scientist, the Modernist, and even the educated Pagan, all speak of the Divinity of Jesus. But they likewise speak of the divinity of Mohammed, Confucius, and even of John Smith! They are not so ready to confess that Mohammed, Confucius, and John Smith are deities. Hence we speak of the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, which means that we recognize Him as God, with none higher, and only two as high-the Father and the Holy Spirit. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14). "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. And Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us" (Matt. 1:18-23).

There is the record. We cannot reason it out. "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness." What we believe here is a matter of gravest import; for, "Except ye believe that I am He, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24).

The doctrine of Christ's Deity is not based on a few proof texts as we shall see in the following articles.