Addressing arguments against the Deity of Jesus

Addressing Counter-Arguments Against the Deity of Jesus

Naturally, with every argument for something, there is a counter. When it comes to the Deity of Jesus, this is no exception. Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and others oppose such for reasons, some of which are similar, some are distinctly different.

These objections range from Jesus being just a created being. Maybe he is just Prophet, a human being or an angel like the Jehovah's Witnesses claim. Some claim his attributes are really just metaphorical. When addressing these we must respond to such thoughtfully and with clear accurate biblical understanding.

The Arian Argument and the Created Being Challenge

One of the most common arguments has come from those who we may broadly call, Arians. They argue that Jesus, though unlike any other, is nonetheless a created being subordinate to the Father.

In this view, Jesus is seen as above all else in God’s creation yet not equal in essence to God Himself.

Those who say this often point to passages like Colossians 1:15 (NIV: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”). They argue that Jesus is above creation as the first of creation, rather than being of God himself and uncreated.

This position however collapses when we understand Jesus’ role as Creator. Colossians 1:16 (NIV) explicitly states that “in him all things were created,” which means that Jesus is not part of the created order but is rather the agent of creation itself. The term 'first born' is also not a reference to being created but rather his pre-eminence over all creation. This is seen elsewhere as in the case of David who, though being 7th born literally ( 1 Chron 2:13 - 14) is pronounced as 'first born' over all other Kings (Psalm 89:20 ,27)

As the creator of all things, Jesus must exist beyond and before creation. He is not part of it.

This understanding is further illustrated in the resurrection, which shows us that Jesus’ power over death could only be possible for one who is truly God.

Jesus is not part of the created order, and thus without writing a full thesis, is part of the uncreated order where God alone is.

The claim that Jesus is a created being is not only theologically ignorant but logically inconsistent.

The Docetics

Another commonly proposed objection comes from those who says that Jesus was not fully divine but merely 'appeared' to be so. This view usually called doceticism.

In the Docetist view, Jesus was not really man. He appeared to be so but only to communicate with us. The New Testament however consistently shows us Jesus’ full true humanity alongside His divinity.

Jesus experienced hunger (Matthew 4:2 NIV), tiredness, and ultimately, real physical death (Matthew 27:50 NIV).

Jesus was not a divine apparition pretending to be human, he truly was.

In being “true man and true God” (a phrase echoed by the Church Fathers) Jesus bridged the chasm between God and humanity, making salvation possible for all. Modalists

The modalist position, argues that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply different modes or manifestations of one God. Many Christians actually fall into this mistakenly, they will argue "I am a father, a son and a brother". This is not Trinitarian, this is modalist. The modalist position fails when weighed against the biblical evidence of distinct persons within the Godhead.

Passages such as John 17 portray a dynamic, personal relationship between the Father and the Son, one that goes beyond a mere switching of roles.

Jesus prays to the Father, the relationship is real, dynamic showing that each person in the Trinity has a unique role.

The Argument from Translation difference

Some, particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses, have attempted to undermine the scriptural basis for Jesus’ divinity by trying to argue for translation differences, most commonly John 1:1.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,”  John 1:1 The Jehovah's Witnesses try to translate this as "a god" however this approach is not consistent with the Greek nor it's context. A.T. Robertson (Greek scholar) says in his work A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, explains that in Greek, the lack of the article before theos in John 1:1 does not suggest indefiniteness. Instead, it highlights the nature of the Logos as fully divine. He writes, "The absence of the article before theos does not imply that the Word was less than God. The Greek construction here is a well-established idiom, expressing identity rather than a lesser status" (A.T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament).

John 1:3, additionally reinforces the uncreated nature of Jesus by stating, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” 

The clarity of this verse emphasises the reality that the New Testament presents a clear picture.

Jesus is the eternal and uncreated Creator.

Addressing the “Jesus is Not Yahweh” Argument

In more recent times, some have argued that Jesus is “not Yahweh”. They do so in that His role is distinct from that of the Father, emphasising His submission rather than equality.

Scripture does show us that Jesus is distinct in personhood from the Father, but one in being. This does not contradict His identification with Yahweh.

In John 10:30 (NIV), Jesus states, “I and the Father are one.”  Jesus, understood in light of the whole of Scripture, is seen in essential unity and equality of Jesus with God.

This distinction between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit does not imply inequality or a lack of divinity. It underscores the beautiful mystery of the Trinity, one God in three persons. For more on this specifically, I would encourage you read "Why do we bend our knee?