Does Colossians Teach Jesus Is God? An Examination

Introduction

The Epistle to the Colossians is often regarded as one of the strongest New Testament witnesses for the supposed deity of Christ. Trinitarian interpreters frequently appeal to Paul’s language concerning Christ’s supremacy, His relationship to creation, and His heavenly lordship as evidence that Jesus must share the divine identity of the God of Israel. Yet these conclusions often rest on theological assumptions brought to the text rather than conclusions drawn from it.

One of the main points of focus of Trinitarian argumentation is Paul’s use of the title “Lord” (κύριος) for Jesus. Because the Old Testament applies this title to YHWH, and because Paul regularly calls Jesus “Lord,” many Trinitarians interpret this as direct proof that Paul viewed Jesus as God. However, this approach overlooks several important considerations:

Most Unitarians do not dispute that Paul calls Jesus “Lord.” The title is openly affirmed and embraced.Jesus is referred to as Lord by Paul.
The real question is not whether Jesus is Lord, but in what sense Paul applies this title to Him.
Both the Old and New Testaments use “Lord” in a range of meanings—from ordinary human authority to divine sovereignty—context determines which meaning is in view.
Paul’s writings contain important distinctions between God and the Lord Jesus Christ, which complicate the assumption that “Lord” must signify deity.
Trinitarian interpreters frequently assert that when Paul refers to “God,” he is referring specifically to “God the Father,” understood as one person within a triune deity. This is a theological presupposition that is read back into the text. Paul identifies God as the Father, not the Father as one part of God. Reading Trinitarian categories back into Paul’s language risks imposing later doctrinal developments onto first‑century Jewish monotheism. God and the Lord Jesus Christ, which complicate the assumption that “Lord” must signify deity.

Thus, while Trinitarians often focus heavily on the mere presence of the title “Lord” as applied to Jesus, a careful reading of Colossians requires us to examine:

whether Paul uses “Lord” exclusively for Jesus,
whether “Lord” functions as a divine title in each context,
whether Jesus’ lordship is ontological or conferred,
and whether Paul maintains the Jewish monotheism inherited from Scripture.

This study seeks to approach these questions without theological presuppositions, allowing Paul’s own categories—his monotheism, his distinction between God and Christ, and his Jewish scriptural framework—to guide our interpretation of the text. The Epistle to the Colossians is often considered one of the strongest New Testament witnesses for the deity of Christ.

1. Paul’s Salutation (Col 1:1–3): Establishing Who “God” Is in Paul’s Framework

A foundational issue in interpreting Colossians is how Paul uses the term “God.” Trinitarian interpreters typically assume that whenever Paul writes “God,” he is referring specifically to “God the Father,” understood as one distinct person within a triune being. This assumption is often carried into Colossians without first demonstrating that Paul uses the term in this way.

1.1 The Assumption: “God” = “God the Father,” One Person of the Trinity

In Trinitarian theology, the term “God” frequently serves as shorthand for the first person of the Trinity. Thus, when Paul writes of “God” and “the Lord Jesus Christ,” it is assumed that Paul is distinguishing two persons within a triune God, rather than distinguishing God in His fullness from the Messiah whom God sent.

However, this is not a conclusion drawn from the text of Colossians. Rather, it is a theological presupposition shaped by later doctrinal developments and read backward into Paul’s letters.

1.2 Paul’s Actual Usage: God Is the Father

In the salutation of Colossians, Paul writes:

1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Here Paul:

distinguishes God from Jesus Christ, and
identifies this God as “our Father.”

The Greek phrasing is significant:

ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν — “from God, the Father of us.”

The noun is God (Theos). Father (patēr) functions as a descriptive identifier of who God is. Paul is not saying:

“from the Father (who is God),” as though “the Father” were a singular person within God.

Rather, he is saying:

“from God, who is our Father.”

This aligns precisely with Paul’s consistent usage elsewhere: God = the Father (1 Cor 8:6; Eph 4:6; Rom 15:6).

1.3 This Usage Aligns with Old Testament Monotheism

Paul’s identification of God as the Father is not new. It reflects the Old Testament understanding of God as:

the Father of Israel (Deut 32:6; Isa 63:16; Mal 2:10),
the Father in the sense of Creator, Protector, and Sovereign.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, “Father” refers to the one God Himself, not to a person within a triune essence. Paul inherits and continues this Jewish monotheistic usage.

1.4 Implication for Reading Colossians

Thus, in the salutation:

Paul is not presenting a triune God with one person distinguished from another.
He is presenting the one God, who is the Father.
Jesus Christ is then named alongside God not as another person within God, but as the Messiah, the Lord, and the one through whom believers relate to God.

This framework is essential for understanding everything that follows in the epistle. When Paul later speaks of Christ’s supremacy, His lordship, or His role in creation and reconciliation, these statements must be read within the monotheistic structure Paul establishes at the very outset of the letter: God is the Father, and Jesus is distinct from that God. Jesus is not being contrasted with one person of God.

2. Paul’s Use of the Title “Lord” for Jesus: Ontology or Authority?

A major component of Trinitarian argumentation in Colossians is the assumption that Paul’s use of the title “Lord” (κύριος) for Jesus must reflect an ontological identity with God — that Paul believed Jesus is YHWH. Before examining Colossians directly, we must understand how Paul himself actually came to use the title “Lord” for Jesus.

Unitarians and Trinitarians agree that Paul calls Jesus “Lord.”
The disagreement concerns what Paul means by the title:

Trinitarians read “Lord” as a divine name or title.
Unitarians read “Lord” as a title of exalted, conferred authority.

Paul’s own writings — and even more importantly, his own conversion experience — strongly support the latter.

2.1 The Trinitarian Argument: “Lord” as a Divine Title Rooted in the Shema

Trinitarians argue that:

YHWH in the Old Testament is often translated kyrios in the LXX,
the Shema declares God to be the “one Lord,”
Paul regularly calls Jesus Lord,
therefore Jesus must share God’s divine identity.

This argument is rooted not in Paul’s explicit explanation but in a theological assumption imported into Paul’s letters.

2.2 The Problem: The Argument Depends on Presupposition, Not Exegesis

The argument that Paul uses “Lord” ontologically assumes:

that Paul’s monotheism contains a multipersonal unity,
that calling Jesus kyrios implies calling Him YHWH.

But these assumptions must first be proven — and the texts Paul actually writes contradict them. Paul repeatedly:

distinguishes God (the Father) from the Lord Jesus Christ,
subordinates Christ to God,
describes Christ’s lordship as granted and conferred, not intrinsic.

This becomes even clearer when we look at how Paul first came to use the title “Lord” at all.

2.3 Paul Applies “Lord” to Jesus in Contexts of Conferred Authority

Paul explicitly teaches that Jesus’ lordship is bestowed by God, not inherent

Philippians 2:9–11 — God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him the name above all names.
1 Corinthians 15:27–28 — God puts all things under Christ, yet Christ remains subordinate to God and will one day hand the kingdom back to God.

These passages establish a clear framework:
Jesus is Lord because God exalted Him, not because He shares God’s essence.

This same framework governs Paul’s initial understanding of Jesus as Lord — an event recorded three separate times in Acts.

2.3.1 Paul’s Damascus-Road Encounter and His First Use of “Lord” (in terms of his own personal usage)

Paul’s first use of the word “Lord” sets the foundation for understanding his later usage. The Damascus-road narrative demonstrates that Paul never began with an ontological understanding of Jesus as YHWH.

1. Paul Did Not Know the Figure Was Jesus When He First Said “Lord”

Before his conversion, Paul rejected Jesus as Messiah. rather he was persecuting though that did.
When the heavenly light appears:

“he saw no man” (Acts 9:7).

His instinctive response to the supernatural vision is:

“Who art thou, Lord?” (Acts 9:5).

At this point:

Paul is not addressing Jesus,
he does not know who is speaking,
“Lord” expresses reverence toward a heavenly authority, not Jesus as deity.

This first use of “Lord” cannot be an ontological refrence to Jesus.

2. Only After Paul Says “Lord” Does Jesus Reveal Himself

Jesus answers:

“I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”

Paul’s first application of “Lord” thus occurs:

before he knows the speaker is Jesus,
before he believes Jesus is Messiah,
before any Christian theological reflection.

3. Paul Continues to Use “Lord” for Jesus Because God Made Him Lord

Once Jesus is identified, Paul continues addressing Him as “Lord.”
But this usage now reflects:

recognition of Christ’s heavenly authority,
acceptance of the apostolic proclamation that God made Jesus Lord (Acts 2:36),
not a conclusion that Jesus is YHWH.

Paul’s own later theology matches this perfectly: he believes God raised Jesus, exalted Him, and appointed Him ruler.

4. The Damascus Event Confirms Conferred — Not Intrinsic — Lordship

Everything about the event reinforces:

Jesus is exalted by God,
Jesus acts as God’s agent and messenger,
God reveals His Son, not Himself (Gal 1:15–16).

Nothing in the narrative suggests Jesus is God; everything suggests Jesus is the one whom God has exalted.

5. This Event Sets the Trajectory for Paul’s Entire Christology

Paul’s very first use of “Lord” towards Jesus:

was not ontological,
was not a recognition of YHWH,
was simply a response to supernatural authority.

Thus, across all of Paul’s letters — including Colossians — “Lord” must be understood in that same framework unless a text explicitly says otherwise.

2.4 The Broader New Testament Usage of “Lord”

The Greek term κύριος (kyrios) is a flexible word with a wide semantic range, used throughout the New Testament in non-divine ways. Recognizing this prevents the mistaken assumption that whenever Jesus is called “Lord,” the title must be divine.

Below are clear biblical examples for each major category.

**1. Kyrios Used for Kings**

The term is used for human rulers and monarchs:

Acts 25:26

Festus refers to King Agrippa:

“I have no certain thing to write unto my lord.”

**2. Kyrios Used for Masters (Owners of Servants or Slaves)**

This is one of the most common usages.

Matthew 18:25–34

The parable of the unforgiving servant uses kyrios repeatedly for the human master:

“The lord of that servant…” (vv. 27, 31, 32)

Ephesians 6:5

Paul refers to human masters directly:

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters (kyriois) according to the flesh.”

**3. Kyrios Used for Prophets or Spiritual Authorities**

2 Kings 2:19 (LXX)

The sons of the prophets call Elisha “lord.”

This pattern appears in the NT in similar roles:

John 4:19

The Samaritan woman addresses Jesus as:

“Sir (kyrios), I perceive that thou art a prophet.”

Here kyrios clearly means “sir” or “respected teacher,” applied before she knows who Jesus is.

**4. Kyrios Used for Respected Superiors**

Used as a title of honor toward those socially above you.

Matthew 13:27

The servants call the landowner:

“Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field?”

John 12:21

Greeks who want to meet Jesus say:

“Sir (kyrios), we would see Jesus.”

This is polite address, not deity.

**5. Kyrios Used for Earthly Owners**

Used for someone who owns property or has legal control.

Luke 19:33

When the disciples take the colt:

“The owners thereof said unto them…”

The Greek is οἱ κύριοι — literally “the lords (owners)” of the colt.

**6. Kyrios Used for Polite Address (“Sir”)**

Used frequently in ordinary conversation, with no sense of divinity.

John 20:15

Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus, thinking He is the gardener:

“Sir (kyrios), if thou have borne him hence…”

Clearly not addressing Him as God.

John 4:11, 15, 19

The Samaritan woman repeatedly calls Jesus kyrios meaning “sir,” before knowing who He is.

**7. Kyrios Used for Heavenly Beings (Non-Divine)**

Acts 10:4

Cornelius addresses the angel:

“What is it, Lord (kyrie)?”

Cornelius is not calling the angel God. He is expressing reverence toward a supernatural messenger.

This parallels Paul on the Damascus road:

He sees a heavenly being,
Does not know who it is,
Says: “Who art thou, Lord?” (Acts 9:5)

This demonstrates beyond dispute that kyrios can be used for a non-divine heavenly being.

Because kyrios has such a broad semantic range, its application to Jesus must be defined contextually. And in Paul’s context — including his first encounter — it denotes authority bestowed by God, not the divine name YHWH.

2.5 Incorporating the Shema Correctly

Some Trinitarians claim that Paul “splits” the Shema (Deut 6:4) between the Father and Jesus. Yet:

Paul maintains one God, the Father (1 Cor 8:6),
Jesus is the one Lord, the Messiah whom God has exalted,
Paul never collapses the Father and Jesus into a single divine being.

Paul’s “one God” and “one Lord” reflect roles, not ontology.

(I have a separate writing on this verse)

Conclusion of Section 2

When we read Paul within:

the Old Testament monotheistic framework,
the early apostolic proclamation,
and Paul’s own conversion experience,

it becomes clear that:

Paul calls Jesus “Lord” in the sense of conferred, exalted ruler,
God remains above Jesus as the one who exalts and empowers Him,
“Lord” does not function as the divine name YHWH in Paul’s letters.

This sets the stage for properly interpreting the grand Christological statements in Colossians 1:15–20, where Paul expands Jesus’ exalted role — but never collapses Him into God Himself.

2.4 The Context of Colossians 3–4: Earthly Masters vs. the Exalted Christ

A crucial internal confirmation of Paul’s non-ontological use of “Lord” within Colossians itself is found in Colossians 3:22–4:1. Here Paul employs the same term kyrios (“lord,” “master”) in two very different but clearly related ways:

kyrios for earthly masters, and
kyrios for Christ in heaven.

This contrast shows unmistakably that Paul is using the term “Lord” in the realm of authority, not ontology.

Paul writes:

“Servants, obey in all things your masters (kyriois) according to the flesh…”
— Colossians 3:22

And just two verses later:

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men…
For ye serve the Lord Christ.”
— Colossians 3:23–24

Here Paul sets up a parallel:

Earthly lords (human masters, “lords according to the flesh”)

vs.

The Lord Christ (the exalted master in heaven)

Paul’s point is about authority, not essence.

1. The Contrast Is Between Types of Lordship, Not Between Creator and Creature

Paul does not contrast:

“created human lords”
with
“uncreated divine Lord (YHWH).”

Instead, he contrasts:

masters “according to the flesh” (earthly, temporal authority)
with
the heavenly Master (Christ), who exercises authority given by God (Col 1:13; Phil 2:9; Acts 2:36).

This Lordship is positional, not ontological.

Paul is explaining:

your earthly master has authority over your body,
but Christ, as the exalted Messiah, has authority over your eternal destiny.

The gulf is in scope, not essence.

This is further illustrated by Paul in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Christ is the head over all, but God is head over Christ.

2. The Flow of Paul’s Logic Demonstrates Functional Lordship

Paul’s argument is:

“Do not serve merely to please men (your earthly lords).”
“Instead, do everything as though you were serving the Lord Christ.”
“For Christ is your true Master, the one over all human masters.”

This logic only works if “Lord” is being used in degrees of authority, not degrees of deity.

If “Lord Christ” meant “Christ is YHWH,” then Paul’s argument would collapse:

because human masters are not being contrasted with YHWH,
but with the exalted Messiah whom God appointed.

Paul’s rhetorical structure requires the meaning of “Lord” to be hierarchical, not ontological.

3. This Mirrors Paul’s Teaching Elsewhere

The same contrast appears consistently in Paul’s letters:

1 Corinthians 8:5–6

“There be gods many and lords many,
but to us there is… one God the Father… and one Lord Jesus Christ.”

Here too:

“lords many” = earthly/political authority
“one Lord Jesus” = the exalted Master of believers

Again, difference in rank, not essence.

Romans 14:9

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord…”

Christ becomes Lord through:

resurrection
exaltation
divine appointment

not through sharing God’s ontological identity.

Ephesians 6:5–9

A nearly identical contrast appears:

servants obey “lords according to the flesh” (6:5),
knowing they also have “a Lord in heaven” (6:9).

This confirms the pattern is Pauline, not situational:

“Lords according to the flesh”
vs.
“the Lord in heaven.”

4. Biblical Theology Supports This: Christ Is “Lord” Because God Made Him Lord

The wider apostolic proclamation repeatedly affirms:

Jesus was made Lord (Acts 2:36).
God exalted Him to His right hand (Acts 5:31).
God put all things under His feet (1 Cor 15:27).
God gave Him the name above all names (Phil 2:9).

Nowhere does Paul say:

Jesus is Lord because He is God.
Jesus is Lord as YHWH Himself.
Jesus is Lord ontologically.

Instead, Paul says Jesus is Lord because God exalted Him.

This fits the Colossians 3–4 contrast perfectly:

Earthly lords (masters)
<
Christ the heavenly Lord
<
God who exalted Christ.

5. Christ Is Above All Earthly Masters Because God Placed Him There

The climax of Paul’s argument:

“Ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Col 3:24)

Christ is:

the true Master of believers,
the highest Lord in heaven and earth,
because
God has placed Him over all.

Paul does not say:

Christ is Lord because He is the God who placed Him there.

Rather:

Christ is Lord because God placed Him there.

This distinction is foundational to Paul’s theology everywhere — and Colossians itself confirms it.

Paul clearly affirms that while Christ is above all, this does not include God, who is the head of Christ. The Christ belongs to God.

Conclusion of Section 2.4

The use of “Lord” in Colossians 3–4 provides internal textual evidence that Paul’s Christology is driven by authority, exaltation, and appointment, not by a redefinition of God’s identity.

The entire contrast depends on:

human lords (earthly authority)
vs.
Christ the exalted Lord (heavenly authority)

not on divine ontology.

This internal usage within Colossians strengthens and confirms the larger argument:
Paul’s application of “Lord” to Jesus is functional, relational, and conferred — not ontological or identity-equating with YHWH.

2.5 Colossians 3:17 – Agency, Not Ontology

Colossians 3:17 is another internal indicator that Paul does not use the title “Lord” for Jesus in an ontological, YHWH-identifying sense, but in the consistent Pauline sense of appointed mediator and exalted agent of God:

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
— Colossians 3:17, KJV

This verse, often overlooked in Trinitarian readings, actually reinforces three essential Pauline themes:

Christ’s authority is conferred, not intrinsic.
Christ is the mediator, not the ultimate object of worship.
God is the Father, not “one person of God.”

Let us examine each element closely.

1. “Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” – The Name Given, Not the Name of YHWH

Paul teaches elsewhere that Jesus was given a name:

Philippians 2:9 – God “gave him a name which is above every name.”
Acts 2:36 – “God made him both Lord and Christ.”
Ephesians 1:20–22 – God “set him at his own right hand,” placing all things under him.

Jesus’ name bears authority because God bestowed it.

Thus, “in the name of the Lord Jesus” does not suggest:

Jesus shares God’s divine ontology,
Jesus possesses the Tetragrammaton,
Jesus is being equated with YHWH.

Rather, it reflects the New Testament pattern:

God has empowered Jesus
Jesus mediates God’s authority to us
We respond to God through Jesus

This is not Trinitarian ontology; it is Jewish agency theology.

**2. “Giving thanks to God and the Father by him” – Christ as Mediator**

This line is devastating to the Trinitarian claim that Paul identifies Jesus as God.

Paul clearly distinguishes:

the recipients of thanks (“God and the Father”),
from
the means by which thanks is offered (“by him,” i.e., Jesus).

This echoes Paul’s consistent theology across his letters:

1 Timothy 2:5

“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:18

“Through him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

Romans 1:8

“I thank my God through Jesus Christ.”

In all these passages:

God is the final object.
Jesus is the appointed mediator.
Jesus is not the one being thanked as God.
Worship flows through Jesus, not to Jesus as God.

This demolishes any claim that Colossians presents Jesus as part of God’s identity.

4. The Structure of Colossians 3:17 Confirms Functional Lordship

Let’s break down the flow:

A. “Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”

→ Acknowledgment of Jesus’ authority as Lord.

B. “Giving thanks to God”

→ Worship directed ultimately to God.

C. “Through Him / by Him”

→ Jesus as mediator, not the final object.

This is the exact structure of Paul’s theology in 1 Corinthians 8:6:

One God, the Father…
and one Lord Jesus Christ…

A hierarchy is present:

God = the ultimate source
Jesus = the mediating agent

This is the opposite of Trinitarian co-equality.

5. The Context of Colossians 3 Confirms This Interpretation

Colossians 3 consistently portrays:

God as the final judge (3:25; 4:1),
Christ as the exalted Lord and mediator (3:17, 24),
not as co-equal deity.

Paul is urging believers:

obey earthly masters,
as servants of Christ the heavenly master,
giving thanks to God,
through Christ.

This maintains strict Jewish monotheism, with Christ as the exalted agent.

Conclusion of Section 2.5

Colossians 3:17 does not elevate Jesus into the identity of God; it reinforces Paul’s consistent distinction:

God is the Father,
Christ is the Lord because God made Him Lord,
Christ functions as mediator,
all worship ultimately returns to God,
through the one whom God has exalted.

In Paul’s theology, “Lord” is a title of authority, not ontology.
Colossians 3 reinforces this at every turn.

Conclusion

The Trinitarian appeal to the title “Lord” within Colossians is built largely upon assumptions imported from later theological frameworks. A contextual, literary, and canonical analysis shows that Paul consistently:

distinguishes between God (the Father) and Jesus Christ,
portrays Jesus as exalted by God, not as God Himself,
grounds Jesus’ lordship in divine appointment rather than ontological identity,
and maintains the classical Jewish monotheism he inherited.

This foundation is crucial as we move deeper into the Christological heart of the epistle, especially Colossians 1:15–20, where these categories will become even more important.

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Does Colossians teach Jesus is God

Published by ljthriepland on November 25, 2025