Matthew, one of Jesus’ disciples, tells us that . . .

Matthew 16:13–17
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

As you can see, there were a variety of opinions in Jesus’ day as to who He was. But Peter knew who He really was: the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of the living God. But people on the fringes who didn’t know Jesus well thought He might be the reappearance of John the Baptist, Elijah, or some other prophet. Well, two thousand years later, not much has changed. People outside Christian circles still have a variety of opinions regarding who Jesus was.

A VARIETY OF VIEWS AS TO WHO JESUS IS

•  Muslims
believe Jesus was one of Islam’s many prophets, a good and holy man, but certainly not the Son of God.

•  Mormons believe God created Jesus through a relationship with one of His celestial wives. According to the Mormon publication Pearl of Great Price and the LDS website, even Satan was a son of God and a brother of Jesus, equal with Jesus in nature. [Book of Moses, Chapter 4, Verses 1–4]

•  Jehovah’s Witnesses
believe Jesus was and is merely an angel who is just one of many “gods” they say exist. To underscore their belief that Jesus is not Almighty God, they give Jesus the title “god” but with a small “g” in their self-published New World Translation of the Bible (John 1:1).

•  New Age Adherents
believe Jesus was a great enlightened teacher who realized He was God, just like we all can realize we are God.

•  Hindus
believe Jesus was one of many great and holy men. Many Hindus believe Jesus was a good teacher and perhaps one of their 330 million incarnations of Brahman (Hinduism’s impersonal, pantheistic deity).

•  Buddhists
believe Jesus was an enlightened man. God in the flesh? No. 

So, there are a wide variety of opinions as to who Jesus was and is.

WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

If you believe what Christians down through the centuries have believed, you have a higher view of Jesus. Christians believe Jesus was and is God Almighty, absolutely equal in nature with the Father and the Holy Spirit (the other two persons in the Trinity). Why do we believe that? Plain and simple, that’s what God has revealed to us in the Bible, and we believe there are good reasons to trust the Bible. 

WHERE DOES THE BIBLE INDICATE THAT JESUS IS GOD?

Lots of places. Here are a few quick examples:

•  PAUL called Jesus “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13)

•  JOHN called Jesus “God” in the very first verse of his Gospel when he said that “the Word was God” (John 1:1).

•  JESUS took the name of God revealed to Moses in the burning bush at Exodus 3:14 (“I AM”) and applied it to Himself in John 8:58. In John 5:18, Jesus claimed to be “equal with God.” In John 10:33, He made Himself “out to be God.”

•  THOMAS, one of the twelve disciples, called Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

•  ISAIAH, the Old Testament prophet, said that the coming Messiah would be God. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a Child [a reference to His humanity] is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God [a reference to His deity], Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

•  GOD the Father called Jesus “God.” Hebrews 1:8 says, “But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.’” [Quoting Psalm 45:6–7]

[In addition to a wealth of Scripture references that affirm the deity of Christ, the early church fathers––Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and other Christian leaders in the second century––referred to Jesus as God. Click here for more on this.]

So this is what the Bible teaches. And as I mentioned a moment ago, we believe there are very good reasons to trust the Bible. But rather than continue to build a case for Jesus’ deity by looking at verses that clearly reveal His deity, I’d like to do something different in this article. I’d like for us to consider the verses that people use to try to disprove the deity of Christ.

For you see, not only do some people deny that Jesus is God, they attempt to support their view by quoting the Bible. And whether they are Jehovah Witnesses, Muslims, Mormons, or New Agers, they can be pretty persuasive, especially with non-Christians and younger believers who haven’t studied the Bible very long. Those are the verses I’d like for us to consider in this article.

THE VERSES THE CULTS USE TO DISPROVE JESUS’ DEITY
 

COLOSSIANS 1:15 ~ JESUS, THE FIRSTBORN

Notice what Paul writes about Jesus . . .

Colossians 1:15
“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

The firstborn! Ahh, so the Jehovah’s Witness on your porch will typically say something like:

Jehovah Witness: “Look at that. Paul says Jesus is the “firstborn” of all “creation.” Paul is saying that Jesus was the very first of all of God’s creations. He was brought into being some-time in eternity past (before the creation of the world). So, because that is the case, obviously, Jesus can’t be the eternal, Almighty God.”

Well, that might sound pretty persuasive to people who haven’t studied this. So, how might we respond to that? Is that what this verse is teaching? (That Jesus was the first being God created?) No.

That word “firstborn” in Colossians 1:15 is the Greek word “prototokos.” It does not mean “first created” as the cults say. There’s another Greek word for ‘first created’ (protoktistos) and Paul did not use that word.

Greek language experts agree that the word Paul uses here in Colossians 1:15 (prototokos) means:

•  Superior
•  Preeminent in rank
•  Above

That’s what Paul was saying about Jesus (that He is superior to creation, preeminent in rank when compared to creation, that He is above all creation).

Why is Jesus superior over all creation? Well, Paul answers that question in the very next verse. Notice the flow. Paul says . . .

Colossians 1:16–17
16 “For by Him [Jesus] all things [How many things? ALL THINGS] were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

That’s why Jesus is superior to everything. He is the One who made everything! The context makes that clear. And that’s why it’s so important to examine the context and allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.

To deal with the implications of these two verses (Col. 1:16–17) the Jehovah Witnesses added four words into their Bible translation that are not in the original Greek to give people the impression that Jesus only made some things—not ALL things.

Well, this is a deplorable way to handle the Scriptures. We’re not to tamper with them to conform them to our theology. We’re to form our theology (our beliefs) around what the Bible says! And this passage (Col. 1:16–17) clearly portrays Jesus as the Creator of all things. It even tells us in v. 17 that He existed before all things came into existence.

Brothers and sisters, He is the eternal God!

So, if a Jehovah’s Witness or someone else tries to tell you the term “firstborn” means Jesus was the first being God created, gently tell them that they’re mistaken and that the passage is actually teaching that Jesus is superior or above creation.

 

All right, let’s look at another verse the cults like to bring up found in John chapter 3.

JOHN 3:16 ~ DOES “BEGOTTEN” MEAN CREATED? NO.

Speaking to a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus, Jesus said:

John 3:16
“For God [speaking of the Father] so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Jehovah Witness: “Ahh! Look at that! Jesus says he was begotten! So, even if the word “firstborn” (Col. 1:15) doesn’t mean “first created,” this verse surely indicates that he was created and therefore not the eternal God.”

Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, and others have been led to believe that this phrase “only begotten” (monogenes in the Greek) means “created.” I say “sadly” because the Greek word doesn’t mean that. The Greek word monogenes comes from two Greek terms: monos meaning “one” and the noun genes which means “kind” or “type.” So, you put these two words together and you have monogenes which means: “unique,” “only,” or “one of its kind.”

That’s what Jesus is talking about in John 3:16. He is not saying that God the Father created Him. He’s saying that He is God’s only, unique, one-of-a-kind Savior! This is why Peter could boldly pronounce to the Sanhedrin in . . .

Acts 4:12
“ . . . there is salvation  in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the “monogenes,” the only, one-of-a-kind Savior! There is salvation in no one else. That’s what Jesus was indicating to Nicodemus in John 3:16.

 

All right, let’s consider another verse the cults like to cite to disprove Jesus’ deity . . .

REVELATION 3:14 ~ JESUS, THE “BEGINNING” OF CREATION?

Here in Revelation 3:14, Jesus refers to Himself with a few different titles, but there’s one that some people focus on. Let’s read what Jesus said . . .

Revelation 3:14
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, “These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God . . . ”

Jehovah Witness: “Well, here we have another reference to the fact that Jesus had a beginning. Jesus calls himself the “Beginning of the creation of God.” Notice that! He says very plainly here that he is part of the creation of God. If Jesus had a beginning or if he is any part of the creation of God, he surely can’t be Almighty God.”

Well, how might we respond to this interpretation? Was Jesus saying He had a beginning, confirming He was a created creature? No.

The Greek word here for “Beginning” (Rev. 3:14) is the word “arche.” It’s the word from which we get our English word architect. It doesn’t imply in the slightest that Jesus had a beginning, as people in the cults will tell you.

Greek language experts say that this word (“arche”) can also be properly interpreted as:

•  Origin
•  Source
•  Designer
•  Supervisor
•  First Cause
•  Ruler

This is why God the Father can also refer to Himself with the very same word in Revelation 21:6! In fact, Revelation 21:6 is a great cross-reference to write in the margin of your Bible at Revelation 3:14. Notice what Revelation 21:6 says. I’ll start in v. 5 for context:

Revelation 21:5–6
5 “Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning [arche] and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

So, notice that, God the Father refers to Himself with the very same title, the arche, the Beginning.

So, back to the verse in question (Rev. 3:14); Jesus is not saying that He had a beginning or that He is the first thing that God made. He’s saying that He is the One who began all of creation, that He is the designer, origin, the first cause, or ruler of all creation!

Does this interpretation harmonize with what other Scriptures reveal about Jesus? Yes.For example, in John 1:3 . . .

John 1:3
“All things came into being [How?] through Him.”

Through Jesus. He’s the designer. He’s the architect.

Speaking of all things coming into being through Jesus, a good question to ask Jehovah’s Witnesses is this: Is Jesus the creator?

Jehovah Witness: “Well, we believe Jesus is a creator in a sense. After God created Jesus, Jesus helped God create the other things.”

When a Jehovah’s Witness tells you this, you might them to Isaiah 44:24. Notice what it says:

Isaiah 44:24
“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the LORD [YHWH], am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens [How? With someone else’s help? No.] by Myself, and spreading out the earth [with help? No.] all alone.”

This verse can have a powerful impact on a Jehovah’s Witness. I have seen Jehovah’s Witnesses completely baffled, utterly stunned, after reading this verse. Here’s why: If God created everything “all alone” as this passage (Isaiah 44:24) says and Jesus created “all things” (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–17) you have to conclude that Jesus must be that God, the God of the Old Testament—Yahweh!

JOHN 5:25 ~ JESUS, THE SON OF GOD

Jehovah Witness: “All right Charlie, but what about all the verses in the Bible where Jesus is called the “son of God”? If he’s the son of God, surely, he can’t be the eternal Almighty God.”

This is another common objection people bring up. They believe Jesus’ title (“Son of God”) somehow means Jesus is inferior to God. Well, they’re mistaken. Let’s turn over to John 5:25.

Jesus is speaking here to some of His critics. He says:

John 5:25
“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”

As you can see here in v. 25, Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God. This is one of many places in the Gospels where Jesus is referred to with this title.

What did Jesus mean when He said He was “the Son of God”? Was this a way of saying that He was less than God, as Jehovah’s Witnesses contend? Not at all. In fact, it was actually a claim to deity (equality with God the Father).

Let’s examine the context by backing up a few verses and looking at verse 18. We’ll see that Jesus’ original listeners knew exactly what Jesus was saying. In John 5:18, John writes:

John 5:18
“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, [Why?] because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father [implying that He was the Son of God], making Himself [What?] equal with God.”

Referring to God as His Father and Himself as the Son of God, as He did here in John 5:25 and elsewhere (e.g., John 3:16), was the equivalent of making Himself “equal with God” John says.

Those listening to Jesus understood that a son is of the same nature, the same species, the same essence as his father. And so they immediately understood what Jesus meant by referring to Himself as the Son of God. ‘He’s claiming to be equal with God!’

So this title “Son of God” actually helps to verify Jesus’ deity rather than undermine it.

JOHN 14:28 ~ JESUS SAYS THE FATHER IS “GREATER”

Jesus here is speaking to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion . . .

John 14:28
“You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”

Jehovah Witness: “Look at that, Charlie! Jesus says right here that his Father is “greater” than him (Jn. 14:28). You keep saying Jesus is equal in nature with the Father; but that contradicts what Jesus himself said!”

Well, once again we need to look a bit more closely at the word in question in the original Greek. The Greek word for “greater” in John 14:28 is the word meizon. This word is a quantitative term, not a qualitative term. Let me explain.

– A quantitative term describes quantities, levels, positions, etc.
– A qualitative term describes qualities, character, nature.

When I say, “The amount of water in this glass is greater than the water in that glass,” I’m speaking quantitatively. I’m not saying that the water in this glass is better than the water in that glass.

When Jesus spoke of His Father being “greater” than Him (John 14:28), He was speaking quantitatively (as the word meizon implies). Jesus was referring to His Father’s position, not His nature. He was not saying His Father was better than Him or more worthy of worship. That would contradict what the Bible says elsewhere.

For instance, notice what Hebrews 1:3 says. Speaking of Jesus, it says:

Hebrews 1:3
“He [Jesus] is the radiance of His glory [God the Father’s] and the exact representation of His nature.”

Jesus is absolutely equal in nature to God the Father. But in John 14:28, while Jesus was here on the Earth having “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” (Phil. 2:7), having been made for “a little while lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:9), it was completely appropriate to speak of His Father being greater than Him (positionally). He was not saying that the Father was better than Him in character or in nature.

Here’s an analogy that might help. A president or governor is greater than us in position of authority. But in nature they’re equal with us, aren’t they? They’re humans like us. Children are equal in nature with their parents (100% human). But children can rightly speak of their parents holding a higher office. The fact that the parents are greater in their position of authority does nothing to negate the fact that their children are perfectly equal to them in nature.

And the same is true with Jesus’ statement there in John 14:28. When it comes to Jesus and the Father’s nature, Jesus said . . .

John 10:30
“I and the Father are one.”

They are so identical in nature, Jesus told Philip in John 14:9 . . .

John 14:9
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

MATTHEW 19:16–17 ~ JESUS IS NOT GOOD?

Matthew 19:16–17
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Jehovah Witness: “So look at that Charlie. Jesus says that no one is good but God! In effect, he was saying: ‘Whoa! Watch who you call good. Don’t call me good!’ Jesus was clearly denying equality with God.”

Well, hold on a second here. Was that what Jesus was saying to this man? Not at all. I like to ask people two questions when they bring up this verse thinking it disproves the deity of Christ.

Two Key Questions:

1. Is it true, according to the Scriptures, that God alone truly is good?

Now, brothers and sisters, what do you think the answer is to that question? Is it true, according to the Scriptures, that God alone truly is good? The answer is Yes.

The Bible makes it clear that the hearts of men are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), all of mankind like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6), and that there is “none righteous; no not one” (Romans 3:10).

And Jesus Himself just said, “No one is good but One, that is, God,” here in the verse we’re examining (Matt. 19:17). So, ask the person who cites Matthew 19:17 this question: Is it true that God alone is good?

They should have no qualms about answering YES. Then ask the second question . . .

2. Was Jesus good?

What’s the answer to this one? YES. Uh-oh. The person who thinks Matthew 19:17 disproves the deity of Christ is stuck! Why?

If God alone is good (as Jesus Himself said in Matthew 19:17)  and Jesus is good, that means: JESUS IS GOD.

But, rather than concede that their beliefs about Jesus are in conflict with the Bible, some people say something like . . .

Jehovah Witness: “Well then, maybe Jesus wasn’t good!!”

If they say something like this, you’ll want to have two verse references handy. I encourage you to write these down in the margin of your Bible sometime right there at Matthew 19:17 . . . 

• Hebrews 7:26
• John 10:11

Notice Hebrews 7:26, speaking of Jesus, it says, “For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.”

Jesus was holy? Innocent? Undefiled? That’s pretty good! That’s better than good. Jesus was perfect! And next, notice this in John 10:11, Jesus even calls Himself good:

John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

So again, if God alone is good and Jesus is good, that means: Jesus is God. See how that works?

But why would Jesus challenge this man (in Matthew 19:17) with the question: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”

I and several Bible commentators believe it was because Jesus wanted the man to examine the implications of what he said when he called Jesus “good.” Jesus was, in effect, asking him, “Do you realize who you are saying I am when you call Me good? Are you saying I’m God?”

So, Matthew 19:17 in no way diminishes Jesus’ goodness or His deity. It actually affirms those attributes.

JOHN 17 ~ WAS JESUS PRAYING TO HIMSELF?

Here in this passage Jesus prays to the Father. Let’s read the first couple of verses to get a sense of what happens here . . .

John 17:1–2
1  Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2  as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.”

. . . and Jesus continues.

The cults and other critics of the deity of Christ point to this passage (Jesus’ prayer) and say . . .

Jehovah Witness: “How can you say Jesus is Almighty God? Why would he pray if he was God? Was he talking to himself?”

Well, the answer of course is No, He was not talking to Himself. Once again, critics of Jesus’ deity fail to understand God’s revelation of Himself in the Bible.

The Bible teaches that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4), who coexists in three eternal, coequal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the doctrine of the Trinity. And because God has made this known to us, there’s no dilemma for us here in John 17. Jesus wasn’t talking to Himself; He was talking to God the Father in Heaven.

Jehovah Witness: “But if Jesus was God he wouldn’t have had to pray! God doesn’t need to pray!”

He’s right. God doesn’t have to pray. But apparently Jesus wanted to pray. Having a relationship with God is not about “HAVING to pray.” It’s a joy to talk to God. We love God. And we want to talk to Him. Amen?

And the same was true with Jesus. So, He talked to the Father. They had fellowship. We have no problem with that. We’re blessed by this because here in John 17, Jesus was praying for us (John 17:20)!

Jehovah Witness: “All right, Charlie, I hear what you’re saying, but this whole doctrine of the Trinity, this idea that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God, is just confusing. And the Bible says “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33). So, I still have a hard time believing this is really what the Bible teaches!”

People in the cults often quote this verse whenever the Trinity comes up. They think the doctrine of the Trinity is confusing. So, they cite this verse and think it proves that the doctrine must not be Biblical. Well, in response, it’s important to point out that this verse (1 Corinthians 14:33) is not encouraging Christians to abandon a teaching of Scripture if it sounds confusing or is hard to understand.

If you examine the context of 1 Corinthians 14, Paul was talking about the confusion and disarray that was occurring in the church at Corinth. The people were exercising spiritual gifts in a confusing, disorderly way. Paul was saying, ‘God’s not the author of that kind of behavior.’ The Bible teaches that there are things in the Scriptures that are hard to understand. Peter said that Paul wrote about . . .

2 Peter 3:16
“ . . . some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction . . . ”

In Isaiah 55, verses 8 and 9, God says . . .

Isaiah 55:8–9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Our three-and-a-half pound brains are incapable of fully understanding everything about God and His ways. This leads Paul to declare . . .

Romans 11:33
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

Certain things about God are “past [our] finding out,” Paul says here. So, it would be unwise to abandon what the Bible reveals about God just because we find something about it difficult to understand.

Peter says that those who take those “hard to understand” things and twist them, do so to their own destruction!

2 Peter 3:16
“ . . . some things hard  to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

That, unfortunately, is what people do who mishandle God’s word. They twist the Scriptures and create man-made doctrines and religions that are leading people to destruction.

MARK 13:31–32 ~ JESUS DOESN’T KNOW THE DAY OR HOUR?

In this passage, Jesus is speaking on the Mount of Olives about end-time events and His Second Coming to the Earth, and He says:

Mark 13:31–32
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Jehovah Witness: “Well, look at that Charlie! Do you believe Almighty God knows all things? [Yes.] Well, then Jesus certainly cannot be God, for he plainly stated here (Mark 13:32) that there are certain things he doesn’t know!”

Hmm, what might be said to that? Well, although Jesus was God and is God, at the incarnation Jesus took on a human nature. So, He had and still has two natures: God and man.

As a man, Jesus cooperated with the limitations of being a man; He often chose to experience the normal limitations of human knowledge (Mark 13:32); He experienced hunger (Luke 4:2), weariness (John 4:6), and the need for sleep (Luke 8:23).

So, we have no problem here in Mark 13 with Jesus speaking from the vantage point of His humanity, saying that He didn’t know the day of His Second Coming. His statement in Mark 13:32 is not a denial of Him being God, but a confirmation of Him being man.

Jehovah Witness: “All right, Charlie, I have one more question about Proverbs 8. We’ve been told by the Watchtower that this is about Jesus, and it clearly seems to indicate that He was created.”

All right. Let’s look at it.

PROVERBS 8:22–30 ~ JESUS WAS BROUGHT FORTH?

Proverbs 8:22–30

22 “The LORD possessed me [Jehovah Witness: Jesus] at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an Earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth [JW: Created!], when there were no fountains abounding with water.

[Skip down to v.29]

29 “When He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30   then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” NKJV

Jehovah Witness: “So Charlie, here in Proverbs 8 we have an Old Testament text wherein the Messiah who was to come (Jesus) tells us that He was brought forth (v. 24) or created by God.”

Sadly, the Watchtower Society has taught its members that Jesus is the one speaking here in Proverbs 8.

Well, there’s a huge problem with that. Let’s back up and look at verse 12. (It’s always good to examine the context!) Solomon, the author of this Proverb, tells us here who’s speaking:

Proverbs 8:12
“I, [Jesus? No. Messiah? No.] wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.” NKJV

Solomon was using a common literary device called personification. To personify means to give human-like characteristics to an inanimate object. In this passage (Prov. 8), Solomon was not personifying Jesus; he was personifying the inanimate virtue of “wisdom” (v. 1).

Solomon was making wisdom to come alive, as if it were a person, and address the reader about how wise God is.

To further verify that Solomon was not talking about Jesus (the Messiah who would come), notice with me in verses 1–3 that the word “wisdom” is personified as being a female! This is hardly applicable to a male Messiah!

Proverbs 8:1–3
1 “Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? 2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet. 3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:” NKJV

So, you can be absolutely confident that this is not about Jesus as the Watchtower Society would like us to believe.

CONCLUSION

Brothers and sisters, every attempt to use the Bible to deny the deity of Christ crashes to the ground with a careful examination of the passage. And, as we carefully consider these verses, we see more clearly why Christians for 2,000 years have arrived at the same conclusion we have, that . . .

JESUS IS GOD.

And this is one of the reasons it’s so important to heed what He had to say. His words were not the speculation of some philosopher or the musings of a “good teacher” or guru. His words are the very words of your Creator. This also means that God did not send one of the angels or some other created creature to die on that cruel wooden cross for your sins (as Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons teach).

GOD HIMSELF CAME.

Ponder that. God Himself, Jesus, Your maker, left the comfort and glory of Heaven so you could be saved and enjoy everlasting life with Him.

It was God who endured the arrests, scourging, the mocking, the spitting, the punches, the lies, the trials, and the agonies of the Roman crucifixion. He endured all that for you! Romans 5:8 says . . .

Romans 5:8
“God [not an angel or mere man] demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Because of His great love for you, Jesus died on the cross, taking the judgment you deserve for your sins, so that you could be forgiven, rescued from eternity in Hell, and be reconciled back to God.He rose from the grave three days later and today He’s offering all humanity the free gift of everlasting life and the forgiveness of sins to all who will place their faith in Him.

What awesome love God has shown you and me! How could you possibly not want to love Him back? How could you not want to know Him better? How could you not want to serve Him?

Oh my friends, I exhort you to love the Lord! Get to know Him better. Live for Jesus. Serve Him! Worship Him! He is so worthy! Amen?

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CHARLIE H. CAMPBELL
is an itinerant Christian apologist, the founder of ABR, and the author of several books and videos, some of which include:

•  Archaeological Evidence for the Bible
•  One-Minute Answers to Skeptics
•  Dakota Knox & the Archaeology Thief + Dakota Knox: London, Love, & Terror + Dakota Knox: Nightmare at the Museum
•  The Bible’s Scientific Accuracy and Foresight
•  Scrolls & Stones: Compelling Evidence the Bible Can Be Trusted
•  Evidence for God
•  The Case for Christianity
•  Answering Atheists
•  The Case for the Resurrection
•  If God is Loving, Why is there Evil and Suffering?
•  Homosexuality and the Bible: Answering Objections to the Biblical View
•  Teaching and Preaching God’s Word
•  Apologetics Quotes

WOULD YOU LIKE CHARLIE CAMPBELL TO SPEAK AT YOUR CHURCH?

Charlie Campbell speaks at churches and conferences throughout the year. If you are a pastor and would like to have him speak at your church or event, please contact ABR here and let us know.

•  Endorsements/Feedback
•  Available topics
•  Sample teachings (audio)