Before I go into the Scriptures supporting the Deity of Christ, we must cover why this is important. Those who deny Christ's Deity defy the Character of God for two reasons: (1) They make God out to be not God and (2) they attack the Gospel. Only the death of a God-man would be valuable enough to pay for the sins of the world.
The Deity of Christ:
"I AM" Statements:
About the "I AM" Statements:
These "I AM" statements are important in defending the Deity of Christ. This proves that Christ is the "I AM" ("YHWH") of the Old Testament. The Greek used in the New Testament is "ego eimi". This is more than simply saying "I am" in any normal sense. For instance, when Jesus said, "I am in the Father, and the Father in me" in John 14:11 He used only the word "ego".
The Greek (along with many other languages) is different from English. You could simply say "I in the Father" rather than "I am in the Father". So John 14:11 is not an "I AM" statement. However, since the verses above use "ego eimi" they do declare "I AM". Christ saying "ego eimi" makes no sense in the Greek if He were merely using. He could have just said, "Before Abraham was, I was," but He said, "I AM," thus insisting that He is God.
The Deity of Christ:
- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 2, 14)
- "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." (John 20:28)
- "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:9)
"I AM" Statements:
- "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24)
- "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58)
- "Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he." (John 13:19)
About the "I AM" Statements:
These "I AM" statements are important in defending the Deity of Christ. This proves that Christ is the "I AM" ("YHWH") of the Old Testament. The Greek used in the New Testament is "ego eimi". This is more than simply saying "I am" in any normal sense. For instance, when Jesus said, "I am in the Father, and the Father in me" in John 14:11 He used only the word "ego".
The Greek (along with many other languages) is different from English. You could simply say "I in the Father" rather than "I am in the Father". So John 14:11 is not an "I AM" statement. However, since the verses above use "ego eimi" they do declare "I AM". Christ saying "ego eimi" makes no sense in the Greek if He were merely using. He could have just said, "Before Abraham was, I was," but He said, "I AM," thus insisting that He is God.
