One of the strongest proofs that the Bible is accurate and true is that in the Old Testament, prophecies were made giving details about the birth and life of Jesus, the Promised One. The prophecies were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born.
All of these predictions came true exactly as
they were written. The following chart lists where to find the prophecies
and in the right hand column it lists how to find where the prophecies
came true in the New Testament.
| # | OLD TESTAMENT | PAGE | DATE | CONTENT | NEW TESTAMENT |
| 1
2
6
19 |
Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah 7:14
Zech. 9:9
Isaiah 53:9
| 575
574
796
612 |
700 BC
700 BC
515 BC
700 BC |
descendant of King David
born of a virgin
rode on a donkey colt
|
Matt.1:1
Luke 1:32 Matt.1:25 Luke 2:4-7 Luke.2:32 Matt. 2:13-15 Matt. 2:19-20 Mark 11:1-10 Matt. 26:14-15 Mark 14:44-45 Mark 14:56-59 Mark 14:65 Mark 15:5 Mark 15:14 Mark 15:15 Mark 15:24 Mark 15:24 II Cor. 5:21 Mark 15:29-32 Mark 15:33-34 Mark 15:43, 46 |
GOD IS ONE AND THREE
"This is what the Lord says-Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." ISAIAH 44:6
The Old Testament constantly insists that there
is only one God, the self-revealed Creator, who must be worshiped and loved
exclusively (Deut. 6:4-5; Isa. 44:6- 45:25). The New Testament agrees (Mark
12:29-30; 1 Cor. 8:4; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5) but speaks of three personal
agents, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, working together in the manner of
a team to bring about salvation (Rom. 8; Eph. 1:3-14; 2
Thess. 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:2). The historic formulation
of the Trinity (derived from the Latin word trinitas, meaning "threeness")
seeks to circumscribe and safeguard this mystery (not explain it; that
is beyond us), and it confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought
that the human mind has ever been asked to handle. It is not easy; but
it is true.
The doctrine springs from the facts that the New Testament historians report, and from the revelatory teaching that, humanly speaking, grew out of these facts. Jesus, who prayed to his Father and taught his disciples to do the same, convinced them that he was personally divine, and belief in his divinity and in the rightness of offering him worship and prayer is basic to New Testament faith (John 20:28-31; cf. 1:18; Acts 7:59; Rom. 9:5, 10:9-13; 2 Cor. 12:7-9; Phil. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17; 2:9; Heb. 1:1-12; 1 Pet. 3:15). Jesus promised to send another Paraclete (he himself having been the first one), and Paraclete signifies a many-sided personal ministry as counselor, advocate, helper, comforter, ally, supporter (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). This other Paraclete, who came at Pentecost to fulfill this promised ministry, was the Holy Spirit, recognized from the start as a third divine person: to lie to him, said Peter not long after Pentecost, is to lie to God (Acts 5:3-4).
So Christ prescribed baptism "in the name (singular: one God, one name) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"-the three persons who are the one God to whom Christians commit themselves (Matt. 28:19). So we meet the three persons in the account of Jesus' own baptism: the Father acknowledged the Son, and the Spirit showed his presence in the Son's life and ministry (Mark 1:9-11). So we read the trinitarian blessing of 2 Corinthians 13:14, and the prayer for grace and peace from the Father, the Spirit, and Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:4-5 (would John have put the Spirit between the Father and the Son if he had not regarded the Spirit as divine in the same sense as they are ). These are some of the more striking examples of the trinitarian outlook and emphasis of the New Testament. Though the technical language of historic trinitarianism is not found there, trinitarian faith and thinking are present throughout its pages, and in that sense the Trinity must be acknowledged as a biblical doctrine: an eternal truth about God which, though never explicit in the Old Testament, is plain and clear in the New.
The basic assertion of this doctrine is that the unity of the one God is complex. The three personal "subsistences" (as they are called) are coequal and co-eternal centers of self-awareness, each being "I" in relation to two who are "you" and each partaking of the full divine essence (the "stuff" of deity, if we may dare to call it that) along with the other two. They are not three roles played by one person (that is modalism), nor are they three gods in a cluster (that is tritheism); the one God ("he") is also, and equally, "they," and "they" are always together and always cooperating, with the Father initiating, the Son complying, and the Spirit executing the will of both, which is his will also. This is the truth about God that was revealed through the words and works of Jesus, and that undergirds the reality of salvation as the New Testament sets it forth.
The practical importance of the doctrine of the Trinity is that it requires us to pay equal attention, and give equal honor, to all three persons in the unity of their gracious ministry to us. That ministry is the subject matter of the gospel, which, as Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus shows, cannot be stated without bringing in their distinct roles in God's plan of grace (John 3:1-15; note especially vv. 3, 5-8, 13-15, and John's expository comments, which NIV renders as part of the conversation itself, vv. 16-21). All non-Trinitarian formulations of the Christian message are by biblical standards inadequate and indeed fundamentally false, and will naturally tend to pull Christian lives out of shape.
Son of God - The plural, "sons of God," is used (Gen. 6:2, 4) to denote the pious descendants of Seth. In Job 1:6; 38:7 this name is applied to the angels. Hosea uses the phrase (1:10) to designate the gracious relation in which men stand to God.
In the New Testament this phrase frequently denotes the relation into which we are brought to God by adoption (Rom. 8:14, 19; 2 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 4:5, 6; Phil. 2:15; 1 John 3:1, 2). It occurs thirty-seven times in the New Testament as the distinctive title of our Saviour. He does not bear this title in consequence of his miraculous birth, nor of his incarnation, his resurrection, and exaltation to the Father's right hand. This is a title of nature and not of office. The sonship of Christ denotes his equality with the Father. To call Christ the Son of God is to assert his true and proper divinity. The second Person of the Trinity, because of his eternal relation to the first Person, is the Son of God. He is the Son of God as to his divine nature, while as to his human nature he is the Son of David (Rom. 1:3, 4. Comp. Gal. 4:4; John 1:1-14; 5:18-25; 10:30-38, which prove that Christ was the Son of God before his incarnation, and that his claim to this title is a claim of equality with God).
When used with reference to creatures, whether
men or angels, this word is always in the plural. In the singular it is
always used of the second Person of the Trinity, with the single exception
of Luke 3:38, where it is used of Adam.
During the early centuries of the church there were groups that denied the true humanity of Christ. But the reverse is the emphasis today. In the past two hundred years liberal theology has vigorously expressed a denial of Christ's deity. Yet C. S. Lewis was correct when he said that the only options available concerning the Person of Christ were: He was a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. Considering the enormous claims that Christ made, it would be impossible simply to designate Him a "good teacher." He claimed to be much more than a teacher.
To affirm that Christ is God is not simply to suggest He is "God-like." Christ is absolutely equal with the Father in His Person and His work. Christ is undiminished deity. In commenting on the phrase "(Christ) existed in the form of God" in Philippians 2:6, B. B. Warfield says, "He is declared, in the most express manner possible, to be all that God is, to possess the whole fullness of attributes which make God God."
IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST'S DEITY
An attack on the deity of Jesus Christ is an attack on the bedrock of Christianity. At the heart of orthodox belief is the recognition that Christ died a substitutionary death to provide salvation for a lost humanity. If Jesus were only a man He could not have died to save the world, but because of His deity, His death had infinite value whereby He could die for the entire world.
TEACHING OF CHRIST'S DEITY
The Scriptures are replete with the personal claims of Christ as well as the testimony of others concerning His deity. The gospel of John is particularly rich in its emphasis on Christ's deity.
His names.
(1) God. In Hebrews 1:8ff. the writer states the superiority of Christ to angels and ascribes Psalm 45:6-7 to Christ. The superscription to the quotation from Psalm 45:6-7 is, "But of the Son He says" ; then He quotes the psalm saying, "Thy throne, O God is forever" and "therefore God." Both designations "God" have reference to the Son (Heb. 1:8). Upon seeing the resurrected Christ with His wounds displayed, Thomas confessed, "My Lord and My God" (John 20:28). (Some who reject Christ's deity amazingly suggest that Thomas' statement was an outburst of profanity.) Titus 2:13 refers to Jesus as "our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." The Granville Sharpe rule of Greek grammar states that when two nouns are joined by kai (and) and the first noun has the article and the second does not, then the two nouns refer to the same thing. Hence, "great God" and "Savior" both refer to "Christ Jesus." John 1:18 declares that "the only begotten God" - a reference to Christ-has explained the Father.
(2) Lord. In Christ's debate with the Pharisees He demonstrated that Messiah was greater than simply a descendant of David. He reminded them that David himself called Messiah "my Lord" (Matt. 22:44). In Romans 10:9, 13 Paul refers to Jesus as Lord. In verse 9 he emphasizes that it is recognition of Jesus as Lord (deity) that results in salvation. In verse 13 Paul quotes from Joel 2:32, where the reference concerns the Lord; but Paul applies it to Jesus, affirming Christ's equality with Yahweh of the Old Testament. In Hebrews 1:10 the writer applies Psalm 102:25 to Christ, calling Him "Lord."
(3) Son of God. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God on a number of occasions (cf. John 5:25). This name for Christ is frequently misunderstood; some suggest it means the Son is inferior to the Father. The Jews, however, understood the claim Christ was making; but saying He was the Son of God the Jews said He was "making Himself equal with God" (John 5:19).
His attributes.
(1) Eternal. John 1:1 affirms the eternality of Christ. The verb "was" (Gk. imperfect hen) suggests His continuous existence in time past. In Hebrews 1:11-12 the writer applies Psalm 102:25-27, expressing the eternity of God, to Christ.
(2) Omnipresent. In Matthew 28:20 Christ promised the disciples, "I am with you always." Recognizing that Christ has a human nature as well as a divine nature, it should be stated that in His humanity He is localized in heaven, but in His deity He is omnipresent. Christ's indwelling of every believer demands that He is omnipresent (cf. John 14:23; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:27; Rev. 3:20).
(3) Omniscient. Jesus knew what was in the heart of man and therefore did not entrust Himself to man (John 2:25). He told the Samaritan woman her past history even though He had not met her previously (John 4:18). His disciples recognized His omniscience (John 16:30). His numerous predictions of His death demonstrate His omniscience (cf. Matt. 16:21; 17:22; 20:18-19; 26:1-2).
(4) Omnipotent. Jesus had all authority of heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). He had the power to forgive sins-something only God can do (cf. Mark 2:5,7,10; Isa. 43:25; 55:7).
(5) Immutable. Christ does not change; He is forever the same (Heb. 13:8). This is an attribute of deity (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17).
(6) Life. All creation-humanity, animals, plants-are alive because they have been infused with life. Christ is different. He has life in Himself; it is not a derived life, but He is life (John 1:4; 14:6; cf. Ps. 36:9; Jer. 2:13).
His works.
(1) Creator. John states that there is nothing that has come into being apart from Christ's creating it (John 1:3). Colossians 1:16 teaches that Christ created not only the earth but also the heavens and the angelic realm.
(2) Sustainer. Colossians 1:17 teaches that Christ is the cohesive force of the universe. Hebrews 1:3 suggests Christ "carries all things forward on their appointed course." This is the force of the Greek participle pheron.
(3) Forgiver of sin. Only God can forgive sin; the fact that Jesus forgave sin demonstrates His deity (cf. Mark 2:1-12; Isa. 43:25).
(4) Miracle worker. The miracles of Christ were an attestation of His deity. It is a valuable study to note the miracles of Christ and see the claim of deity underlying the miracle. For example, when Jesus gave sight to the blind man, the people would have been reminded of Psalm 146:8, "The Lord opens the eyes of the blind."
He receives worship. It is a fundamental truth
of Scripture that only God is to be worshiped (Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Matt.
4:10; Acts 10:25-26). The fact that Jesus receives the worship of people
is a strong attestation to His deity. In John 5:23 Jesus said that He was
to be accorded honor and reverence just as people honor the Father. If
Jesus were not God, this statement would be utterly blasphemous. In the
benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14, the blessing of the triune God is accorded
the believer. The manner of the benediction suggests the equality of the
persons. At the triumphal entry Jesus applied the chanting of the young
people to Himself by quoting Psalm 8:2, "Out of the mouth of infants and
nursing babes Thou hast prepared praise for Thyself" (Matt. 21:16). Psalm
8 is addressed to Yahweh and describes the worship rendered to Him; Jesus
applies that same worship to Himself. When the blind man who had been healed
by Jesus met Him and discovered who Jesus was, the healed man worshiped
Him (John 9:38). That Jesus did not reject the man's worship indicates
He is God. In 2 Timothy 4:18 Paul refers to Jesus as Lord and ascribes
glory to Him. Glory refers to the Shekinah of God and pertains only to
deity. In Philippians 2:10 Paul envisions a future day wherein all in earth
and heaven will worship Christ.