The Deity of Christ

Many theological debates and distortions arise from the human tendency to over-emphasize one side of the “coin” over the other.

The Christological discussions within the ancient church were a classic example of this. Many wondered, How can Christ be at the same time both God and man? How much was He divine, and how much was He human? Much confusion was brought into the discussion by Arius (AD 256–336), a priest in Alexandria, Egypt, who believed that Christ was more than human but less than divine.

He believed that, way back in eternity, God created the Son, who in turn created everything else. The Council of Nicaea was formally opened on May 20, 325, and dealt with the “Arian heresy.” After being in session for a month, the council promulgated the original Creed of Nicaea, affirming that Jesus Christ was “begotten, not made, cosubstancial with the Father”;33 and anathematizing those who suggested that “there once was when he was not.”34 In the Reformed tradition, the Westminster Confession of 1647 stated, “In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.”35 However, can we say that our Lord Jesus Christ is “eternally begotten of the Father”? In John 3:16, the original Greek word monogenēs has been inaccurately translated as “only begotten” (KJV) when its true meaning is “only” (RSV) or “one and only” (NIV).

Since He has and always has had life in Himself, Christ could refer to Himself as the source of life (John 14:6). For this reason, in Isaiah 9:6, He is called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father.” Paul says that “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). And Ellen White affirms that “in Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.”36 What a wonderful and mighty Savior we have! Being always God in the highest sense, He could reassume “all authority in heaven and on earth” and promise us, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18, 20).

We can fully trust the way He cares for us and leads us.