Topical Bible: Christ is God: Invoked As Jehovah

Bible > Topical > Christ is God

◄ Christ is God: Invoked As Jehovah ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The doctrine that Christ is God and is invoked as Jehovah is a central tenet of Christian theology, affirming the divinity of Jesus Christ and His identity with the God of the Old Testament. This belief is rooted in various scriptural passages that equate Jesus with Jehovah, the covenant name of God revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Old Testament Foundations

The name Jehovah, or Yahweh, is the personal name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14-15, where God declares, "I AM WHO I AM." This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature. Throughout the Old Testament, Jehovah is depicted as the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all things.

New Testament Revelation

In the New Testament, Jesus is identified with Jehovah through various titles, actions, and attributes that are ascribed to Him, demonstrating His divine nature.

1. The "I AM" Statements: In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several "I AM" statements that echo the divine name revealed to Moses. For instance, in John 8:58, Jesus declares, "Truly, truly, I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!" . This statement not only asserts His pre-existence but also His identity with the eternal "I AM."

2. Creator and Sustainer: Colossians 1:16-17 affirms Christ's role in creation, stating, "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" . This passage attributes to Christ the creative and sustaining power that the Old Testament ascribes to Jehovah.

3. Worship and Invocation: Jesus is worshiped and invoked in a manner reserved for Jehovah. In Philippians 2:10-11, it is written, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" . This passage echoes Isaiah 45:23, where Jehovah declares that every knee will bow to Him.

4. The Alpha and Omega: In Revelation 1:8, Jesus is referred to as "the Alpha and the Omega," a title that signifies eternal existence and is used for Jehovah in Isaiah 44:6. Revelation 22:13 further confirms this title for Christ, stating, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" .

5. The Good Shepherd: In John 10:11, Jesus identifies Himself as "the good shepherd," a role attributed to Jehovah in Psalm 23:1, "The LORD is my shepherd." This identification underscores His divine care and guidance for His people.

Theological Implications

The invocation of Christ as Jehovah underscores the Christian belief in the Trinity, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons yet one in essence. This understanding affirms that Jesus, as the Son, shares in the divine nature and is worthy of the same honor, worship, and reverence as Jehovah. The recognition of Christ as Jehovah is foundational to the Christian faith, shaping the understanding of His work in salvation, His authority over creation, and His eternal reign.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Sympathy of God
... his being 'redeemed from all evil' to 'the Angel,' and invoked his blessing ... The crowning
revelation both of the heart of God and of His ... (a) Jesus Christ is the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the sympathy of god.htm

On Idolatry
... on account of which they say she ought to be invoked. As a Female Advocate, because,
since Christ is not only a man and an advocate, but likewise God and a ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 23 on idolatry.htm

Pleading
... Baal's priests invoked the heavenly flame in vain. ... Now sinner, I pray God thou mayest
be helped to say this morning to the blessed Christ of God, "Thou art ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/pleading.htm

On the First Command in the Decalogue
... divine worship to him whom he knows not to be God. ... And since Christ must be honoured
as the Father is, because ... him, and since he is to be invoked as Mediator ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation lxxiv on the first.htm

The Work of Grace a Unit.
... quickening, whom the Church has always invoked, saying: "Veni ... and withered hearts
are joined to Christ, the Source ... Our knowledge of God is not complete except ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/ii the work of grace.htm

Swedenborgians, Or, the New Jerusalem Church.
... after this time, those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be ... of ruling over
all, and, at length, wishes to be invoked and worshipped as a god. ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/swedenborgians or the new jerusalem.htm

Corinthians. Calling on the Name
... to whom He was not the Lord to be invoked and adored ... spiritual rock that will follow
us, and that Rock is Christ. ... and every place will be a house of God, and a ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/i corinthians calling on the.htm

The Poor Man's Friend
... turned to Jehovah, and he has been invoked to interpose ... say that it is an act which
greatly glorifies God. Christ is honoured when any soul trusts in him; it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 53 1907/the poor mans friend.htm

The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in ...
... But the name of Christ is invoked for salvation, and ... which he taught, was the knowledge
of Christ (1:Cor ... the Son alone is preached to us, though God command us ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 13 the unity of.htm

Christianity
... a religio illicita, Christianity challenged governmental law and invoked, logically,
the ... aloud that victory cometh in the end; that Christ is God as well as ...
/.../haldeman/christ christianity and the bible/christianity.htm