The Divine Nature of Jesus
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). For centuries Johns words have been the primary defense for the idea that Jesus is truly God. The very idea that Jesus is truly God and truly man has been challenged throughout the centuries, and as Christians, we are called to the defense of this truth against those who would try to threaten this very fundamental truth. Men such as Arius arise time and again to declare that Jesus is a created being. If Jesus is a created being then he longer shares the attributes of God and, therefore, is no longer God. The truth is, if Jesus isn’t truly God then He could not have qualified to be the final and perfect propitiation for our sins.
The verse that comes under the most scrutiny in the challenge to the view that Jesus is a created being and therefore not God is Col. 1:15 which says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” The word ‘firstborn’ comes from the Greek word ‘prototokos’ and simply means firstborn[i]. However, in this sense ‘firstborn’ could be read as a legal term rather than a literal term. Firstborn in this sense is denoting preeminence and dominion. In the same way that Esau was the literal first born and yet Jacob was called firstborn because he would assume the role as leader of the family, and by divine inspiration Moses called Israel God’s firstborn, even though Esau was the true first born.
The Jehovah’s Witness see this passage and believes almost exactly as Arius did, that Jesus was the first of God’s creation and that Jesus further should not be worshiped as God[ii]. Multiple times Jesus was worshiped and never did Jesus correct His followers. One famous time is told to us in the Gospel of John 20:26-29. In this story Thomas didn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until Jesus presented Himself to him along with the other disciples. Upon seeing the risen Christ Thomas fell on his knees and declared “my Lord, and my God!” Jesus did not correct Thomas, but instead told him that blessed are those who believe without seeing.
The Mormons view also has some distinct Arian overtones. While they don’t use the term created, they believe Jesus to be the literal firstborn of God[iii]. To understand this, they say God the Father has a flesh and bone body and God conceived Jesus with his heavenly wife. In this way, Jesus is s God, but he isn’t the God. According to LDS theology, Jesus had to come to this earth to not only obtain a flesh and blood body but also to earn the right to be God. The issue with this verse is again John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
Jesus is from the very beginning, not as a created being but as the creator. This truth is paramount to our faith in that Jesus is God. As being both truly man and truly God Jesus was the only one who could atone for our sins by being cursed on a tree. If Jesus is any less then God then His atonement would not have been a perfect sacrifice, for God is the only One who is good (Luke 18:19). Without the doctrine that Jesus Christ is truly God then there could be no atonement and we would still be lost. (Lutzer 1998)
References
Lutzer, Erwin W. The Doctrines that Divide. Grand Rapids MI: Kregal Publications, 1998.
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