The Son as God: The New Testament writers repeatedly refer to Jesus Christ as the Son of God. But what does this title mean? Jehovah's Witnesses take this expression to mean that He was a son of God, much like angels and other human beings. They believe that Jesus was the archangel Michael in human form.
The New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ is the "only", the unique Son of God Joh 1:14 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. Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.Joh 3:16 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. Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 1Jo 4:9 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. God shares His love with angels and mortals. But with Christ the Son, He shares His glory. We have strong evidence that Matthew, Mark and Luke were written before AD 70. And although the Gospel of John was not produced until around AD 90 the evidence strongly shows it belongs to the apostle John, who was actually with Jesus throughtout his earthly ministry.
Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. He said that to a group of hostile religious leaders and notice he didnt say Before Abraham was, I was born. Abraham was born within the framework of time. Jesus declared that His own existence transcends time. He has always existed. He had no beginning. While this declaration that He never had a beginning is enough to establish Christ's deity, some Bible students see something more in this statement. They claim that Jesus Christ declared Himself to be the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14. While this point can be debated, the very fact that Jesus Christ said He never had a beginning is enough to establish the claim of deity. The second statement in which Christ calls himself God is Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one. The religious leaders knew he was claiming deity when he said this and started to stone him Joh 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. He was saying that He and the Father are one in essence. The Jews knew that Jesus had claimed deity for Himself.
The apostles all knew who he was look at Thomas upon seeing him after the resurection Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. The Apostle John who was there that day opens his gospel with Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The expression in verse 1, "And the Word was God," is so clear that almost all Bible students see it as a declaration that Jesus Christ is God. Jehovah's Witnesses, however, do not agree. They argue that the last phrase in John 1:1 should read, "And the word was a god." They point out that the word God does not have the definite article. It does not read, "And the Word was the God." Robertson, Wescott, Morris, and other reputable scholars tell us that John had good reason for omitting the article here. If he had written, "And the Word was the God," he would have denied the distinction between the Father and the Son--an error made by a man named Sabellius and rejected by the church fathers. If John had meant to say that Jesus was a lesser form of deity, he would have used the Greek word theios instead of theos. We find clearer statements in the writings of Paul to the same effect. He declared that we as Christians are "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). Notice, it is "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ"not "our great God and the Savior Jesus Christ." The apostle Peter used a similar Greek construction when he addressed his readers as "those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:1) In Hebrews 1:8,10, we find the writer quoting several Old Testament verses that clearly refer to God and applying them to Jesus Christ. But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever' [a quote from Ps. 45:6] . . . . You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands' [a quotation from Ps. 102:25-27]. The writer of this epistle, thoroughly schooled in the Old Testament Scriptures and therefore a strict monotheist, was not one bit reluctant to declare the absolute deity of Jesus Christ. He identified Jesus Christ as "God" and "LORD."
Even the Old Testament Scriptures declared the deity of the coming Messiah with crystal clarity. One of the remarkable prophecies that does so is Isaiah 9:6. Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The Holy Spirit as God: Some who claim to be Bible students do not believe that the Holy Spirit is God. In so doing, however, they contradict Jesus Christ. He clearly perceived of the Holy Spirit as a Person. Speaking to the apostles on the evening before His crucifixion, Jesus said: Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Paul spoke of the "love of the Spirit" Rom 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; Paul also told us not to grieve Eph 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Only a personal being can love and be grieved. In addition, the Holy Spirit leads and guides (Rom. 8:14), teaches (John 14:26), and calls and commissions (Acts 20:28).
Peter expressed the diety Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Act 5:4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Who is the Holy Spirit?According to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is a Person who rightly shares with the Father and the Son the title and the glory of the Most High God.
One God in three Persons! He is the God Christians worship and serve. In this God we have a heavenly Father who loves us with parental love and at great cost sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for our salvation. In this God we have Jesus Christ, a brother who became one of us to take the punishment we deserved, who understands our pain, and who isn't ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters even though we continue to be weak and imperfect. In this God we have the Person of the Holy Spirit as our Helper--a divine Comforter who lives in us to strengthen us and give us victory over sin.
