There are no scriptures that state that Jesus is God. There are only scriptures which are interpreted as saying Jesus is God. The scriptures teach that “to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” 1 Corinthians 8:6. 

God is the embodiment of love, wisdom, justice and power. He is the architect of a glorious plan for all creation. Jesus carries out His Father’s plans; thus God’s designs are executed by the Son. Our Lord Christ Jesus was the first and only direct creation of God, “the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). He was highly exalted for his faithfulness in becoming the world’s Savior.  

Equating Jesus with God does critical damage to the concept of the ransom, a foundational doctrine in the Bible. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:8). A ransom is a payment for the release of the one held captive. Adam (and the entire human family within him) had the penalty of death pronounced on him for his disobedience in the garden (Genesis 3:19). He and his children have been held captive in death as a result. What would justice require for the release of Adam from death?

The Law given to Israel explains God’s justice. Exodus 21:23-25, “If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”

Justice requires that a man’s life should be forfeited if he has taken another man’s life. Life for life is an exact equivalent. Using this principal, Jesus had to be an exact equivalent for Adam or God’s law of justice would have been violated. A perfect human life for a perfect human life. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive,” 1 Corinthians 15:22. Jesus was completely human, not God in the flesh.

The term “god” is used throughout the Bible in more ways than in reference only to Jehovah. Satan is called the “god” of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4). In Psalm 8:6 and John 10:34, our Lord Jesus quoting David referenced the judges of Israel as “gods.”  The Hebrew word elohim translated into English as “god” or “gods” means “a might one.”

Additional Resources:

Download PDF: The Lord Our God is One Lord

Christian Questions Podcast “Who is God?” A 3-part series
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CQ Rewind Show Notes for Part I