That All Men Should Honour the Son: Does John 5:23 Teach That Jesus Is God? Introduction John 5:23 is frequently presented as evidence that Jesus must be God because Jesus declares that all men should honour the Son “even as” they honour the Father: John 5:22–23 “For the Father judgeth Read more…
Receive my Spirit Lord Jesus, Receive My Spirit — Does Acts 7:59 Prove That Jesus Is God? Introduction Acts 7:59 is frequently presented as evidence for the deity of Christ: Acts 7:59 — “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” The argument initially Read more…
Was Melchizedek Jesus? Introduction Few figures in the pages of Scripture have generated as much fascination as Melchizedek. Although he appears only briefly in the Old Testament, his name has become the subject of considerable theological debate. Some regard him as nothing more than an historical king and priest who Read more…
The angel of the LORD Exodus 23 Exodus 23:20–23 — The Angel of the LORD, Divine Agency, and Why Scripture’s Own Explanation Matters One of the most frequently cited arguments for the pre-incarnate deity of Christ is the identity of the Angel of the LORD. Because this angel often speaks Read more…
Melchizedek Scroll Does the Melchizedek Scroll (11Q13) Prove That Some Jews Believed the Messiah Was God? One of the Dead Sea Scrolls frequently cited in discussions of Christology is 11QMelchizedek (11Q13). Some have argued that this document demonstrates that certain Jews before the time of Christ expected a divine Messiah Read more…
Daniel 10:16 — Is This Really the Pre-Incarnate Christ? A Textual and Historical Examination Introduction One argument frequently encountered in Trinitarian apologetics is that the heavenly figure in Daniel 10 is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. While the passage itself never makes this identification, some interpreters argue that the figure should Read more…
Divine Illeism and the Trinity: Does Third-Person Divine Speech Demonstrate Multiple Divine Persons? Introduction Among the many arguments advanced in support of Trinitarian theology, one of the more recent and increasingly popular proposals concerns the phenomenon of divine illeism—the use of third-person self-reference by God. Particular attention has been given Read more…
Jesus and the predicated I am statements John’s Stated Purpose: Messianic, Not Metaphysical John explicitly tells us why he wrote his Gospel: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John Read more…
Jesus and the I am statements The “I Am” Statements of Jesus Do They Constitute a Claim to Be YHWH? One of the most frequently repeated assertions in Trinitarian apologetics is that when Jesus says “I am” (Greek: ἐγώ εἰμι, ego eimi), he is identifying himself as YHWH, the God Read more…
Plurality Is Not Trinity: Why Old Testament Appeals Beg the Question One of the most common assertions made by Trinitarians is that the Old Testament teaches the Trinity. This claim is usually supported by appeals to passages containing plural language—statements where God speaks in the plural, acts through agents, or Read more…