New Testament Outline to the Deity of Christ

The following is taken from noted New Testament scholar Murray J. Harris’s Jesus as God –The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus published by Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, first paperback edition, 1992, Appendix II: The New Testament Testimony to the Deity of Christ, pp. 315-317:

The outline does not purport to be in any sense an exhaustive analysis of the NT witness to Christ’s deity. Rather it is a sketch of one approach–a rather traditional approach–to this theme. Other complementary or supplementary approaches abound, such as the creative treatment of Jesus’ implicit claim to deity in his parables by P. B. Payne or R. T. France’s documentation from the Synoptic Gospels of Jesus’ assumption of the role of Yahweh (Jesus 150–59). For a brief discussion of the NT verses that seem, at first sight, to call Jesus’ divinity into question, see R. E. Brown, Reflections &-10 ( =”Jesus” 548-51).

A. Implicit Christology

1. Divine functions performed by Jesus

a. In relation to the universe

(1) Creator (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2)

(2) Sustainer (1 Cor. 8:6; Co11:17; Heb. 1:3)

(3) Author of life (John 1:4; Acts 3:15)

(4) Ruler (Matt. 28:18; Rom. 14:9; Rev. 1:5)

b. In relation to human beings

(1) Healing the sick (Mark 1:32-34; Acts 3:6; 10:38)

(2) Teaching authoritatively (Mark 1:21-22; 13:31)

(3) Forgiving sins (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 24:47; Acts 5:31; Col. 3:13)

(4) Granting salvation or imparting eternal life (Acts 4: 12; Rom. 10:12-14)

(5) Dispensing the Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Acts 2:17, 33)

(6) Raising the dead (Luke 7:11-17; John 5:21; 6:40)

(7) Exercising judgment (Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:19-29; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor. 4:4-5)

2. Divine status claimed by or accorded to Jesus

a. In relation to his Father

(1) Possessor of divine attributes (John 1:4; 10:30; 21:17; Eph. 4:10; Col. 1:19; 2:9)

(2) Eternally existent (John 1:1; 8:58; 12:41; 17:5; 1 Cor. 10:4; Phil. 2:6; Heb. 11:26; 13:8; Jude 5)

(3) Equal in dignity (Matt. 28:19; John 5:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 22:13; cf. 21:6)

(4) Perfect revealer (John 1:18; 14:9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:1-3)

(5) Embodiment of truth (John 1:9, 14; 6:32; 14:6; Rev. 3:7, 14)

(6) Joint possessor of the kingdom (Eph. 5:5; Rev. 11:15), churches (Rom. 16:16), Spirit (Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:19), temple (Rev. 21:22), divine name (Matt 28:19; cf. Rev. 14:1), and throne (Rev. 22:1, 3)

b. In relation to human beings

(1) Recipient of praise (Matt. 21:15-16; Eph. 5:19; 1 Tim. 1:12; Rev. 5:S-14)

(2) Recipient of prayer (Acts 1:24; 7:59-60; 9:10-17, 21; 22:16, 19; 1 Cor. 1:2; 16:22; 2 Cor. 12:8)

(3) Object of saving faith (John 14:1; Acts 10:43; 16:31; Rom. 10:8-13)

(4) Object of worship (Matt. 14:33; 28:9, 17; John 5:23; 20:28; Phil. 2:10-11; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:8-12)

(5) Joint source of blessing (1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; 1 Thess. 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:16)

(6) Object of doxologies (2 Tim. 4:18; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 1:5b-6; 5:13)

B. Explicit Christology

1. Old Testament passages referring to Yahweh applied to Jesus

a. Character of Yahweh (Exod. 3:14 and !sa 43:11 alluded to in John 8:58; Ps. 101:27-28 LXX [MT 102:28-29] quoted in Heb. 1:11-12; Isa. 44:6 alluded to in Rev. 1:17)

b. Holiness of Yahweh (lsa 8:12-13 [cf. 29:23] quoted in 1 Pet. 3:14-15)

c. Descriptions of Yahweh (Ezek. 43:2 and Dan. 10:5-6 alluded to in Rev. 1:13-16)

d. Worship of Yahweh (Isa. 45:23 alluded to in Phil. 2:10-11; Deut. 32:43 LXX and Ps. 96:7 LXX [MT 97:7] quoted in Heb. 1:6)

e. Work of Yahweh in creation (Ps. 101:26 LXX [MT 102:27) quoted in Heb. 1: 10)

f. Salvation of Yahweh (Joel2:32 [MT 3:5] quoted in Rom. 10:13; cf. Acts 2:21; Isa 40:3 quoted in Matt. 3:3)

g. Trustworthiness of Yahweh (Isa 28:16 quoted in Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:6)

h. Judgment of Yahweh (Isa. 6:10 alluded to in John 12:41; Isa 8:14 quoted in Rom. 9:33 and 1 Pet. 2:8)

i. Triumph of Yahweh (Ps. 68:18 [MT v. 19] quoted in Eph. 4:8)

2. Divine titles claimed by or applied to Jesus

a. Son of Man (Matt. 16:28; 24:30; Mark 8:38; 14:62-64; Acts 7:56)

b. Son of God (Matt. 11:27; Mark 15:39i John 1:18; Rom.1:4; Gal. 4:4; Heb.1:2)

c. Messiah (Matt. 16:16; Mark 14:61; John 20:31)

d Lord (Mark 12:35-37; John 20:28; Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; 12:3; 16:22; Phil. 2:11; 1 Pet. 2:3; 3:15)

e. Alpha and Omega (Rev. 22: 13; cf. 1:8; 21:6, of the Lord God)

f. God (John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2: 13; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1: 1)