List of scriptures proving the Deity of Christ

The trinity doctrine is nothing but a summary of what the Bible teaches about the being of God. It describes one God existing in three divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct persons sharing one homoousion (essence).

One major hangup those who don’t believe in the trinity doctrine have is the issue about the deity of Christ, that Jesus is fully divine, just as God the Father is fully divine. So here is a list of scriptures proving the deity of Christ.

Where Jesus is directly called God

Note, anti-trinitarians have many excuses for these scriptures, even going so far as to change the Bible to hide them or misdirect people. But all of their tactics fail under scrutiny. The fact that these scriptures even exist and that anti-trinitarians need to work so hard and often be so dishonest shows that they are a big problem for the anti-trinitarian side.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word, later shown to be Jesus, already existed at the beginning (is eternal), was alongside the person of God the Father, and himself was of the substance of God.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Here it calls Jesus God, and also explains that God has two attributes. On the one hand God is invisible, on the other hand God makes God known, through Jesus.

Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is our God and Savior. The NWT translators adds the word “of” to trick the reader into thinking Paul talks about two persons: “the great God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ”. But the word is not there in the original text.

2 Peter 1:1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Exact same grammatic pattern. God and Savior refers to one person, Jesus Christ.

John 10:30-33 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

Jesus is one with God the Father in substance. The Jews are upset, they think Jesus is blaspheming because he is calling himself God.

Hebrews 1:8  But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

God calls Jesus God.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Jesus wasn’t literally named Immanuel. Matthew means that this name applies to Jesus because Jesus is “God with us”.

John 5:18  This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus didn’t make a mistake. What he said was deliberately meant to make people believe he is equal in substance with God, in other words that he is God.

John 20:27-29 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

What a perfect time for Jesus to correct Thomas if Thomas was wrong in calling him God. But Jesus didn’t correct him. Instead he was relieved that finally Thomas believed that Jesus is God.

Philippians 2:5-7 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Jesus has the form of God, being fully of the same substance as God the Father. He did not have the same status position as the Father and didn’t grasp for that, but he emptied himself of the status that he did have to take on the lowliest status, that of a slave. He did this by taking on the substance of a human along with his divine substance, and to live a lift of service.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. God the Father, the invisible God, still needs a way to interact with humans. So Jesus is the image, or physical, visible manifestation, of the invisible God. Fully God, just the visible representation that we humans can understand.

Colossians 2:9  For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

In Jesus, the whole fullness of deity dwells. The fullness of deity means “everything that makes God God”. So in Jesus dwells everything that makes God God. Whoever has everything that makes God God, is by definition God. Jesus is fully God.

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature. Whatever God is, Jesus is. In the vein of Colossians 1:15 this explains that Jesus is God manifested in a way humans can understand. As the Radiance of the Glory. Glory is not Glory without it’s radiance. The radiance is the Glory. God is not God without Jesus, Jesus is God. Jesus upholds the entire universe by his power, showing he is almighty, omnipotent.

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Jesus bought the flock with his own blood. Paul says it was the blood of God because Jesus is God. (This is one of the many scriptures the Watchtower changes).

Jesus is Jehovah of the Old Testament

Jesus has a number of attributes that only belong to Jehovah in the Old Testament. This is because Jesus is Jehovah, the manifested Jehovah that interacted with Old Testament people. This is also why the name Jehovah is nowhere in the New Testament. The name Jesus contains the name Jehovah, meaning Jehovah Saves. Jesus is Jehovah in the role of savior of mankind. These are some attributes only Jehovah has, but that Jesus is said to have, proving they’re one and the same:

The one who sees the heart and thoughts

Jeremiah 17:10  I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

Only Jehovah has the ability to search the mind and heart.

Revelation 2:23 and I [Jesus] will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

Jesus searches the mind and heart, and gives according to our works, because Jesus is Jehovah.

The cloud rider

In the Old Testament, Jehovah is described as coming on the clouds. For example:

Exodus 19:9 And Jehovah said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to Jehovah,

Deuteronomy 33:26 “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.

Psalms 68:32-33 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, 33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.

Psalms 104:3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;

Isaiah 19:1 An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, Jehovah is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

Jehovah is the cloud rider. But in one place in the old testament there happens something interesting:

Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

Suddenly someone comes riding the clouds, and he looks like a human. But since only Jehovah rides the clouds, this human figure must also be Jehovah. He is divine. Ancient jews knew about this divine human who would ride on the clouds from earth to heaven.

Matthew 24:30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Mark 13:26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Luke 21:27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Jesus is constantly described as coming on the clouds. This is a reference to the divine human figure in Daniel 7:13. This also happened at the ascension:

Acts 1:9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

He rode away on a cloud into heaven. Jesus is the cloud rider. Jehovah is the cloud rider. Jesus is Jehovah. But don’t take my word for it. Ask the experts on the jewish faith how they interpreted this. The Sanhedrin, the foremost experts on the jewish Bible, when interrogating Jesus asked him who he is. This is what Jesus said!

Mark 14:62-64 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Why the strong reaction to these weird but seemingly harmless words? Why was Jesus condemned to be executed? The verdict was blasphemy. How did he blaspheme? By telling them that he is that “son of man” figure in Daniel 7:1, who rides on the clouds up to the Ancient of Days, and is seated on his right hand side. By claiming to be that figure, Jesus claimed to be the cloud rider, which means he claimed to be Jehovah God. This was blasphemy in their ears. The reason why Jesus was executed is because he identified himself as Jehovah God.

The one who walks on water

The Old Testament describes Jehovah as the only one with the ability to walk on the sea.

Job 9:8 who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

Walking on the sea is a sign that you are Jehovah.

Matthew 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

Mark 6:48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,

John 6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.

Jesus can walk on the sea because Jesus is Jehovah.

The one who laid the foundations of the earth.

Speaking of Jehovah, Psalm 102 says:

Psalm 102:25-27 Of old you [Jehovah] laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Paul then applies this to Jesus:

Hebrews 1:8, 10-12 But of the Son he says,… 10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Jehovah of Psalm 102 is Jesus in Hebrews 1. Jesus is the one who laid the foundation of the earth, because Jesus is Jehovah.

The one with the highest name

Psalm 83:18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is Jehovah, are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of Jehovah, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

Psalm 138:2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Nehemiah 9:5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Jehovah has the highest name.

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Jesus has the highest name. Jehovah has the highest name. Jesus is Jehovah.

The one to whom every knee shall bow

Isaiah 45:23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Every knee shall bow before Jehovah, and every tongue swear allegiance.

Romans 14:11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Every knee will bow before God and every tongue confess him as Lord.

Philippians 2:10-11 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every knee will bow before Jesus and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord. Jesus is Jehovah.

The one from whose hand nothing can be snatched

Isaiah 43:13 — Also, I am always the same One; And no one can snatch anything out of my hand. When I act, who can prevent it?”

No one can snatch anything out of the hand of Jehovah.

John 10:27-30 — My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is something greater than all other things, and no one can snatch them out of the hand of the Father. 30 I and the Father are one.”

No one can snatch out of the hand of the Son nor the Father. The Son and the Father are one. Jesus is Jehovah.

The fountain of living water

Jeremiah 2:13 …they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,…

Jeremiah 17:13 …for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.

Jehovah is the fountain of living water.

John 4:10,13,14 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” … Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus is the fountain of living water.

Jesus is called the almighty

In Revelation 1, Jesus appears to John.

Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last”

Jesus is called the first and the last. Using the definite article “the” shows there can be only one who is the first and the last. To a first century Jew like John, it was obvious what Jesus referred to. John immediately thought of Isaiah 44:6 where “the first and the last” is also the title of Jehovah, the only God. And now Jesus says that he is the first and the last.

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD [Jehovah], the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

Jesus is also the king of Israel and the redeemer, so the connection is clear. But there’s more. In the end of Revelation we find this gem:

Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Here we see that the one who is “the first and the last”, Jesus, is also “the beginning and the end”, as well as “the Alpha and the Omega”. These are all synonymous descriptions of the eternal God. So this scripture tells us Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. Who is the Alpha and Omega?

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Here we see that the Alpha and Omega, that is Jesus, is also the Lord God, and also the Almighty. Jesus is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord God, the King of Israel, the Redeemer and the Almighty.

Jesus is omnipresent

Omnipresence is the attribute of being everywhere at the same time. Only God can be omnipresent.

Jeremiah 23:23-24  “Am I a God at hand, declares Jehovah, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares Jehovah. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares Jehovah.

Jehovah is omnipresent, filling heaven and earth, is near and fat, and in every secret place.

Matthew 18:20  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus is also omnipresent. No matter where his followers are, Jesus is with them and among them. Hence Jesus is God.

Jesus is all-knowing, omniscient

Omniscience, having the ability to know anything, is an attribute of God. Even while temporarily limited by his human nature on earth, Jesus knew thing only God could know.

Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Jesus is the creator

John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, 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.

All things were created by Jesus. By him, through him, for him. Nothing created came to be without him. Since Jesus created all created things, it goes without saying that Jesus himself can not be created. Jesus is therefore eternal. Only God is eternal.

Jesus receives prayer

Calling on Jesus

All through the Bible, the phrase “calling on the name of…” is always used for the worship of a god. For example Genesis 4:26; 13:4; 26:25; 2 Kings 5:11; Psalm 116:4,13, 17; Joel 2:32 and Zephaniah 3:9 uses it to mean worshipping or praying to the Lord Jehovah. 1 Kings 18:24 shows it is used for Baal too. So “calling on the name of” someone is an idiom for worshipping or praying to them. Very early on by the time Paul converted, which was within 3 years of Jesus’ death, we find these verses in Acts describing what happened. Jesus visits Ananias and tells him to go to Paul. Ananias responds:

Acts 9:14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

Paul later recalls how Ananias came to him, and told him:

Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

The result of Paul’s conversion was so amazing and soead through the Christian population. This is their reaction:

Acts 9:21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”

Paul later wrote to the Corinthian congregation:

1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

The earliest Christians were well known everywhere as “those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ”, in other words, those who prayed to and worshipped Jesus Christ.

Paul prayed to Jesus

Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh” and says:

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Who is the Lord Paul prayed to? The Lord told him “my power is made perfect in weakness”. The power of the Lord helped Paul cope. Paul says that this power was the power of Christ. Hence Jesus Christ is the Lord that Paul prayed to three times about his thorn.

Jesus told us to pray to him

In John 14:14 the greek text contains a “me” that some translations leave out. The greek says “ἐάν τι αἰτήσητέ με ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐγὼ ποιήσω”. But here are a few that conveys the correct meaning:

John 14:14 (NASB20) “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

John 14:14 (ESV) If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:14 (NIV) You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:14 (CSB) “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:14 (NLT) Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

Yes, it is a direct admonition from Jesus to pray straight to him!

Jesus forgives sins

The Bible is clear only God can forgive sins:

Daniel 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him

See also Psalm 130:4 and Isaiah 43:25. Yet this happened:

Mark 2:5-12 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the paralytic– 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

When the scribes get upset and accuse Jesus of blasphemy, you should pay attention, because Jesus is doing something only God can do. In this case forgive sins. This shows the deity of Jesus.

Jesus has the glory of God

Isaiah says Jehovah does not give his glory to anyone else!

Isaiah 42:8 I am Jehovah; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Isaiah 48:11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

However Jesus completely shares the glory of his Father:

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.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

2 Peter 1:17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

God gives his glory to no one, but Jesus has the glory of God because Jesus is God.

Image courtesy of Jeff Jacobs