The deity of Christ
‘As a matter of methodology it is a great mistake to confine our response to [an] attack on the deity of Christ to those parts of the New Testament which specifically describe Christ as God. There is no doubt, as we shall see, that the New Testament does very often describe Christ as God. But the proof of His deity is much wider than that. We simply must not allow Jehovah’s Witnesses to limit the debate to the narrow question, Does the Bible call Jesus God? The deity of Christ pervades the entire New Testament. Let me catalogue the arguments briefly.
First of all, there are those New Testament passages which ascribe divine titles to Christ. Among such passages are those that speak of Jesus as God. But there are also others which speak of Him as Lord; yet others that call Him Son of God; and still others that call Him Son of Man. This last is particularly interesting. Son of Man in the Bible is not a designation of the Lord’s human nature. It is a divine title, applied in Daniel 7, for example, to the pre-existent Messiah who exercises universal and eternal dominion. When Christ used the title He was saying, ‘I am that Son of Man.’
Secondly, there are the New Testament passages which ascribe to Christ divine functions. They describe Him as Creator; as the Lord of Providence, upholding all things by the word of His power; and as Judge. All of these are divine functions. Jesus creates. Jesus preserves and governs. Jesus judges the world.
Thirdly, there are passages which ascribe to Christ divine attributes: for example, eternity and omnipotence. ‘Before Abraham was, I am’ (John 8:58). ‘1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty’ (Revelation 1:8). No mere creature can possess such qualities. They are uniquely and untransferably divine.
Fourthly, there are passages which ascribe to Christ divine prerogatives, especially the prerogative of worship: ‘I fell at his feet as dead’ (Revelation 1:17). The church consists of those who call on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). We make melody in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). The New Testament, in the most explicit fashion, portrays Christ as the object of divine worship. …Jesus is given every possible divine designation. Jesus performs every divine function. Jesus possesses every divine attribute. Jesus enjoys every divine prerogative.
These are the lines of evidence along which we have a right to argue for the deity of Christ. And note, too, that the evidence is to be found in every single layer of the New Testament. It is found not only in the Gospel of John and the Epistle to the Hebrews, the traditional quarries of anti-Arian arguments. It is found also in the Pauline epistles, in the synoptic gospels and in the book of Acts. We can even look behind our gospels and assert that the deity of Christ is found not only in the gospels themselves but in every identifiable source used by the evangelists. There is no level or segment or phase or form or source of New Testament teaching that does not portray a divine Christ.’ (McLeod, A Faith To Live By)