The doctrine of the deity of Christ is a central tenet of Christian theology, affirming that Jesus Christ is fully God and, as such, is entitled to equal honor with God the Father. This belief is rooted in numerous scriptural passages that highlight the divine nature of Christ and His equality with the Father.

Scriptural Basis

1. John 1:1-3: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made." This passage identifies Jesus, the Word, as God, affirming His eternal existence and role in creation, attributes that belong solely to God.

2. John 5:23: "that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." Here, Jesus explicitly states that He is to be honored equally with the Father, indicating His divine status and the unity of purpose and essence between the Father and the Son.

3. Philippians 2:5-7: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness." This passage underscores the pre-existence of Christ in the form of God and His voluntary humility in the incarnation, without relinquishing His divine nature.

4. Colossians 1:15-19: "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him." This passage affirms the fullness of deity dwelling in Christ, His role in creation, and His preeminence over all things.

5. Hebrews 1:3: "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." This verse highlights the divine nature of Christ as the exact representation of God’s being, further affirming His equality with the Father.

Theological Implications

The recognition of Christ as God and His entitlement to equal honor with the Father has profound implications for Christian worship, doctrine, and practice. It affirms the Trinitarian understanding of God as one Being in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each fully and equally God. This understanding shapes the Christian approach to worship, emphasizing the adoration of Christ alongside the Father and the Spirit.

The equal honor due to Christ also underscores the significance of His redemptive work. As God incarnate, Christ's sacrifice on the cross holds infinite value, providing the basis for salvation and reconciliation with God. The acknowledgment of Christ's deity and His equal honor with the Father is foundational to the Christian faith, shaping the believer's relationship with God and understanding of His divine nature.John 5:23
That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Thou Shalt Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.
... who govern and guide us by the Word of God; as St. ... 1 Cor.4, 15, where he says: In
Christ Jesus I ... Now, since they are fathers they are entitled to their honor ...
/.../luther/the large catechism/thou shalt honor thy father.htm

John v. 23, 24
... "Why then," saith some one, "doth Christ so speak?" That ... Because one who is entitled
to utter great words ... a reason sufficient, and becoming to God, namely, His ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxxix john v 23.htm

Palm Sunday
... Although a sermon on this same text went forth in my name a few years ago, entitled
"The Twofold ... 15. Unquestionably, then, Paul proclaims Christ true God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/palm sunday.htm

The Lord Our Righteousness
... shall you be condemned; and you, being out of Christ, shall find God, to your ... Stoddard
or Northampton in New England, has therefore well entitled a book ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the lord our righteousness.htm

Authenticity and Credibility of the Gospel Narratives.
... all men"an office which plainly implies omniscience"nor be entitled to the ... that ye
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter iv authenticity and credibility.htm

The Papacy not the Antichrist
... Testament point to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... taken from a very ancient
document, entitled "The Teaching ... the world-deceiver as Son of God, who shall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/the papacy not the antichrist.htm

Second Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to Brotherly Love.
... Abel, well represents the obscure little brotherhood, the Church of Christ. ... God,
of being the recipient of every gift of God, of being entitled to all honor ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/second sunday after trinity exhortation.htm

The Christ of the Gospels.
... Is man, in this matter, entitled to the use of different ... we prove the pure gold of
the character of Jesus Christ. ... No one but a God can make us thus at once ...
/.../the christ of the gospels 2.htm

Some Hymns of Great Witnesses.
... A tune entitled "Excelsius," written a hundred years later by John Henry ... as to Channing
and Martineau and Edmund Sears, Christ was "all we know of God.". ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/chapter ii some hymns of.htm

Sailors' Hymns.
... wave their hands; Hear the harps of God resounding From ... in the standard English Church
collection entitled Hymns Ancient ... varies in the appeal to Christ, who". ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/chapter x sailors hymns.htm

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Questions about Jesus Christ (All) | GotQuestions.org

Christ: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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