![\"Jesus](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1458\/2025\/01\/Photo-3-300x300.jpg\")
It is a rare occasion indeed when Christians and atheists agree. However, that is precisely the case when it comes to those Christians who deny that Jesus is God.<\/span><\/p>\n However, for Catholics, the statement of faith that Jesus is God is foundational to the Christian faith. If Jesus is who He says, we all must do everything in our power to follow Him. If He is not, our faith is in vain, and our sins remain. In this paper, I will review the arguments denying the divinity of Christ and why God deemed it necessary to become a human being. Finally, I will argue that the evidence supporting the divinity of Christ is undeniable.<\/span><\/p>\n With the very rare exception, most scholars, historians, theologians, and even atheists agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure. The question \u2013 the one that Catholicism hinges upon \u2013 is whether Jesus of Nazareth is God.<\/span><\/p>\n One would think that the divinity of Christ would be unquestioned among Christians. However, that is not necessarily the case. To illustrate this point, I will briefly examine two sects \u2013 one ancient and the other modern \u2013 that claim that Jesus is not God.<\/span><\/p>\n In the fourth century, a priest named Arius taught that Jesus is not God. The Arian heresy was predicated on the premise that the immutability and uniqueness of God cannot be communicated to another being. Essentially, Arians thought it impossible for God to take for Himself a human nature. Consequently, Arianism reduced Jesus to a creature \u2013 albeit a holy one \u2013 who is worthy of worship even though He is not God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As pointed out by Saint Athanasius, Arianism reduces Jesus to a type of demigod that introduces polytheism into Catholic theology. Perhaps even more damaging, Arianism undermines the redemptive work of Jesus since only God can reconcile God and man.<\/span><\/p>\n A modern position that argues against the divinity of Christ is nontrinitarianism. As the name suggests, nontrinitarianism rejects the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This theological position takes various forms; however, broadly defined, nontrinitarianism accepts the belief in God the Father but denies that either Jesus or the Holy Spirit are of the same substance or nature as God.<\/span><\/p>\n Examples include adoptionism, which argues that Jesus is the adopted Son of God but does not share the divine essence with the Father. Modalism asserts that God is an indivisible being who manifests Himself as one of three Persons at various times. Finally, subordinationism claims that the Son and Holy Spirit are subordinate to the Father in nature and being.<\/span><\/p>\n It can be asserted that at least part of the confusion surrounding the divinity of Jesus comes from the fact that Jesus does not explicitly state, \u201cI am God.\u201d Or, at least, the Scriptures do not record such an event.<\/span><\/p>\n All of this leads to the question: what evidence supports the belief that Jesus is God?<\/span><\/p>\n Before examining the evidence supporting the divinity of Jesus, it is beneficial to briefly delineate what Catholics mean by God and why God became a human being (without ceasing to be God).<\/span><\/p>\n In principle, it is impossible to define that which is infinite. However, for the purpose of this paper, God can be defined as the one absolutely and infinitely perfect spirit who is the Creator of all. (Hardon, John. <\/span>Catholic Dictionary<\/span><\/i>. 2013).<\/span><\/p>\n The need for God to become man is predicated on the existence of original sin. Because of original sin, the communal relationship between God and human beings was destroyed. To bring about reconciliation, Catholicism asserts that God became a human being in the form of Jesus of Nazareth.<\/span><\/p>\n One does not find Jesus explicitly stating \u201cI am God\u201d anywhere in the Bible. Nevertheless, the Bible does provide ample evidence that Jesus is indeed God.<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps the closest Jesus comes to admitting He is God is when He says, \u201cThe Father and I are one.\u201d (<\/span>John 10:30<\/span><\/a>). The \u201cFather\u201d Jesus refers to is, of course, God. This claim was not lost on Jesus\u2019 audience. When His Jewish listeners heard this, they sought to stone Jesus for blasphemy. \u201cYou, a man, are making yourself [equivalent to] God.\u201d (See<\/span> John 10:33<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Neither does Jesus seek to correct others when they refer to Him as God. After His Resurrection, Jesus appears to the apostles. Upon seeing Jesus, Thomas exclaims, \u201cMy Lord and my God!\u201d Jesus confirms Thomas\u2019s statement. \u201cHave you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.\u201d (See<\/span> John 20:28-29<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n In Matthew\u2019s Gospel, Jesus asks His apostles, \u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d Peter answers, \u201cYou are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.\u201d Not only does Jesus not rebuke Peter, but rather He blesses him instead. \u201cBlessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.\u201d (See<\/span> Matthew 16:13-20<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n A reasonable objection may be brought up here. Is the Son of God equal to God? Indeed, the trinitarian language developed by the Church asserts that the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal to the Father in terms of the divine nature. Nor were Jesus\u2019 listeners confused. In<\/span> John 5:18<\/span><\/a>, we read, \u201cFor this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, Jesus acts in the person of God. First and foremost, Jesus forgave sins. Since sin is an act against an infinite God, only God can forgive sin. The forgiving of sins was not only at the individual level (see<\/span> Matthew 9:2<\/span><\/a>). The Crucifixion of Jesus made the forgiveness of sins possible for all who follow Him (see<\/span> John 1:29<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n I would like to conclude this paper by providing a logical formulation of C.S. Lewis\u2019s trilemma, \u201cLord, Liar, or Lunatic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jesus claimed to be God. If it is true, He is God. If the claim is false, then either Jesus knew it was false, in which case He is a liar, or He said it not knowing it was false, in which case He was a lunatic. Therefore, we are left with three logical options: Jesus is either God, a liar, or a lunatic.<\/span><\/p>\n It seems highly improbable that Jesus allowed Himself to be tortured and murdered for a lie He could have admitted to. It is equally improbable that Jesus was insane. His display of reason and His moral teachings militate against such a conclusion. This is to say nothing of the many miracles He performed.<\/span><\/p>\n One is left with only one possibility: Jesus of Nazareth is God.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is a rare occasion indeed when Christians and atheists agree. However, that is precisely the case when it comes to those Christians who deny that Jesus is God. However, for Catholics, the statement of faith that Jesus is God is foundational to the Christian faith. If Jesus is who He says, we all must […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4619,"featured_media":2606,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,561],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-god","category-jesus-christ"],"yoast_head":"\nDenying The Divinity Of Christ<\/h2>\n
The God\/Man<\/h2>\n
Jesus Is God<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n