An Outline of the New Testament Testimony to the Deity of Christ

 
An Outline of the New Testament
Testimony to the Deity of Christ

This outline does not purport to be in any sense an exhaustive 
analysis of the NT witness to Christ's deity. Rather it is a 
sketch of one approach - a rather traditional approach - 
to this theme. Other complementary or supplementary approaches 
abound, such as the creative treatment of Jesus' implicit claim 
to deity in his parables by P. B. Payne or R. T. France's 
documentation from the Synoptic Gospels of Jesus' assumption of 
the role of Yahweh (Jesus and the Old Testament p.150-59). 
For a brief discussion of the NT verses that seem, at first sight, 
to call Jesus' divinity into question, see R. E. Brown, 
"Does the New Testament Call Jesus God?" (Reflections 6-10).

A. Implicit Christology

 1. Divine functions performed by Jesus

  a. In relation to the universe

   (1) Creator (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2)
   (2) Sustainer (1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3)
   (3) Author of life (John 1:4; Acts 3:15)
   (4) Ruler (Matt. 28:18; Rom. 14:9; Rev. 1:6)

  b. In relation to human beings

   (1) Healing the sick (Mark 1:32-34; Acts 3:6; 10:38)
   (2) Teaching authoritatively (Mark 1:21-22; 13:31)
   (3) Forgiving sins (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 24:47; Acts 6:31; 
       Col. 3:13)
   (4) Granting salvation or imparting eternal life (Acts 4: 12; 
       Rom. 10:12-14)
   (5) Dispensing the Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Acts 2:17, 33)
   (6) Raising the dead (Luke 7:11-17; John 5:21; 6:40)
   (7) Exercising judgment (Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:19-29; 
       Acts 10:42; 1 Cor. 4:4-6)

 2. Divine status claimed by or accorded to Jesus

  a. In relation to his Father

   (1) Possessor of divine attributes (John 1:4; 10:30; 21:17; 
       Eph. 4:10; Col. 1:19; 2:9)
   (2) Eternally existent (John 1:1; 8:58; 12:41; 17:5; 
       1 Cor. 10:4; Phil. 2:6; Heb. 11:26; 13:8; Jude 5)
   (3) Equal in dignity (Matt. 28:19; John 5:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; 
       Rev. 22:13; cf. 21:6)
   (4) Perfect revealer (John 1:18; 14:9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:1-3)
   (5) Embodiment of truth (John 1:9, 14; 6:32; 14:6; Rev. 3:7,14)
   (6) Joint possessor of the kingdom (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 11:15),
       churches (Rom. 16:16), Spirit (Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:19), 
       temple (Rev. 21:Z), divine name (Matt 28:19; cf. Rev. 14:1), 
       and throne (Rev. 22:1, 3)

  b. In relation to human beings

   (1) Recipient of praise (Mat 21:16-16; Eph. 6:19; 1 Tim. 1:12;
       Rev. 5:8-14)
   (2) Recipient of prayer (Acts 1:24; 7:59-60; 9:10-17,21; 
       22:16,19; 1 Cor. 1:2; 16:22; 2 Cor. 12:8)
   (3) Object of saving faith (John 14:1; Acts 10:43; 16:31; 
       Rom. 10:8-13)
   (4) Object of worship (Matt 14:33; 28:9,17; John 5:23; 20:28;
       Phil 2:10-11; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:8-12)
   (5) Joint source of blessing (1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3;
       1 Thess. 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:16)
   (6) Object of doxologies (2 Tim 4:18; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 1:5b-6;
       5:13)

B. Explicit Christology
  
 1. Old Testament passages refering to Yahweh applied to Jesus

  a. Character of Yahweh (Exod. 3:14 and Isa 43:11 alluded to in
     John 8:68; Ps. 101:27-28 LXX 1MT 102:28-291 quoted in 
     Heb. 1:11-12; Isa 44:6 aSuded to in Rev. 1:17)
  b. Holiness of Yahweh (Isa 8:12-13 [cf. 29:23] quoted in 
     1 Pet.3:14-15)
  c. Descriptions of Yahweh (Ezek. 43:2 and Dan. 10:6-6 alluded to
     in Rev. 1:13-16)
  d. Worship of Yahweh (Isa 45:23 alluded to in Phil. 2:10-11; 
     Deut. 32:43 LXX and Ps. 96:7 LXX [MT 97:7] quoted in Heb. 1:6)
  e. Work of Yahweh in creation (Ps. 101:26 LXX [MT 102:27] quoted
     in Heb. 1:10)
  f. Salvation of Yahweh (Joel 2:32 [MT 3:5] quoted in Rom. 10:13; 
     cf. Acts 2:21; Isa 40:3 quoted in Matt. 3:3)
  g. Trustworthiness of Yawheh (Isa 28:16 quoted in Rom. 9:33;
     10:11; 1 Pet. 2:6)
  h. Judgment of Yahweh (Isa 6:10 alluded to in John 12:41; Isa 8:14
     quoted in Rom. 9:33 and 1 Pet. 2:8)
  i. Triumph of Yahweh (Ps. 68:18 [MT v. 19] quoted in Eph. 4:8)

2. Divine titles claimed by or applied to Jesus

  a. Son of Man (Matt. 16:28; 24:30; Mark 8:38; 14:62-64; Acts 7:56)
  b. Son of God (Matt.11:27; Mark 15:39; John 1:18; Rom. 1:4; 
     Gal.4:4; Heb. 1:2)
  c. Messiah (Matt. 16:16; Mark 14:61; John 20:31)
  d. Lord (Mark 12:36-37; John 20:28; Rom. 10:9, 1 Cor. 8:6-6; 12:3;
     16:22; Phil. 2:11; 1 Pet. 2:3; 3:15)
  e. Alpha and Omega (Rev. 22:13; cf. 1:8; 21:6, of the Lord God)
  f. God (John 1:1,18; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 
     2 Pet. 1:1)

Taken from 
Murray J. Harris, Jesus as God, Baker Book House, 1992, ISBN 0-8010-4370-0
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