Divinity By Decree: Part Two
Did Jesus receive his divinity by a vote at the Council of Nicaea? In part one of this discussion, we looked at Jewish monotheism and saw that there was some flexibility within that monotheism that could conceive of a divine figure beside the Heavenly Father. But just because there was potential within Judaism, does not mean that the earliest Christians understood Jesus as being divine. Let us look at the biblical evidence.
There are many places that we could look for biblical evidence of Jesus’ divinity. There are hints of it in the synoptic Gospels, including Jesus’ forgiveness of people’s sins. But the natural place for us to begin is the Gospel of John. The most famous text is that of John 1:1-3.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
This seems pretty clear. I recently read a booklet by the Jehovah’s Witnesses that warned us that we must interpret these verses by the rest of the Gospel of John. I completely agree. In addition to the verses that they mention which speak of a distinctiveness between the Father and Jesus, there are other relevent passages.
“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:56-58)
F.F. Bruce comments on this verse: “How can a man who is ‘not yet fifty years old’ speak like that? Only if he speaks as the Word that had been with God in the beginning and was now incarnate on earth.” (F.F. Bruce, Gospel of John, p. 205) We must also consider these verses:
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28)
It seems obvious that John sees Jesus not just as a human teacher but as the divine Son of God. This has led some scholars to suggest that John must be very late, even into the second century, for it to have such a high Christology. Archaeological evidence suggests that John is a first century text, but our basis of Jesus’ divinity is not based solely on John.
Long before John sat down to write his Gospel, Paul was writing epistles to various churches. In fact, Paul’s letters are the earliest Christian documents that we have. Did Paul see Jesus as only human, or was there a divine nature? Let us take a look.
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:5-7)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17)
What is interesting about these passages is that many scholars believe that Paul is not just making this up but that he is quoting earlier Christian hymns of faith. So we have an already early Paul, quoting even earlier material about the divine Jesus.
Another interesting passage is from 1 Corinthians:
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
In the New Testament, ‘Lord’ is normally used of Jesus and ‘God’ is normally used of the Father. In this passage, we have Spirit, Lord and God used in parallel. Thus, what we find is proto-trinitarian language.
In addition we have the powerful testimony of the book of Hebrews written by an unknown author (I believe it was Apollos).
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3)
There is much more that we could look at. We could look at how Old Testament passages that speak of the LORD (YHWH) are applied to the Lord (Jesus). But even what I have presented show that both earlier and later texts of the New Testament testify to a divine nature to Jesus hundreds of years before Nicaea.
