This is a continuation of the deity of Christ (see the other articles on this topic)
In our discussion of Christ's divine attributes, we have seen that he is described in general terms as having the nature of God. Indeed, Scripture states that he is exactly like God (or the Father) and that the "fullness" of what it means to be God dwells in him (John 14:9-10; Col. 1:15,19; 2:9; Heb. 1:3). We also have seen that these statements do not refer to Jesus merely as a man through whom we learn what God "is really like"; rather they refer to someone who existed as a heavenly, divine being before coming to earth as a human being. We saw that Christ, in fact, has always existed, even “before” creation (Matt. 20:28; 23:34, 37; John 1:1-3; 8:56-59; 12:39-41; 16:28; 17:5; Rom. 8:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; 10:4, 9; Gal. 4:4-6; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2, 10-12; Jude 5). Next, I will show that the Son of God possesses a wide array of specific attributes of God the Father.
Perhaps the most fundamental specific attribute of God that separates him from everything that is not God is that he is uncreated. If this attribute is true of Christ, and he is a real, existent being, then he is by definition God. On the other hand, if Christ were by nature a created being, then it would not make much sense to speak of him as God. The very fact that Christ has always existed implies, of course, that he is uncreated. His being uncreated has even more direct support from Scripture. In the previous chapter we drew attention to various biblical statements affirming that creation came into existence in and through the Son (John 1:3, 10; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10-12). Some of these statements emphasize in the strongest terms that not just part, but the totality of creation owes its existence to him. "For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things have been created through him and for him" (Col. 1:16,). Here, the apostle Paul states explicitly that the totality of all created things, including both heavenly, invisible beings and earthly, visible beings, was created through the Son.
It should be added here that it is a rational absurdity to exist before he existed. If Jesus created himself, he would have to exist before he created himself in order to create himself.
Speaking of the preexistent Son under the designation of the Word (Logos), the apostle John asserts, "All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being" (John 1:3). The second clause states explicitly and emphatically that there is no exception to the universal statement of the first clause: not so much as one thing came into being except through Christ, the Word. No more sweeping, explicit statements can be imagined. Absolutely everything that was created, that "came into being," did so in and through Christ. If every created thing owes its existence to the Son, then the Son himself cannot be a created being.
Although the Arian interpretation of "the firstborn of all creation" has some surface plausibility if one takes it out of context, the evidence of the context is decisively against it. First, as we have already pointed out, verse 16 asserts in the strongest and most explicit terms possible that all created things were created in, through, and for the Son. If verse 15 were to mean that the Son was the first thing created, Paul would be flatly contradicting himself from one sentence to the next. He would be saying, "The Son is the first thing created, because everything was created in, through, and for him."
Jesus is omnipresent
His promise to be present in their midst implies his omnipresence, since only an omnipresent spirit could be in the midst of every gathering of believers. "The tiniest possible assembly, united in prayer, gains divine ratification of their decisions because they gather in the divine presence of the Son."' That Jesus is claiming divine omnipresence is clear when we consider a rabbinical saying preserved in the Mishnah (a collection of rabbinical material that later formed the nucleus of the Talmud). The Mishnah quotes a rabbi named Hananiah as saying, "Two that sit together without words of Torah are a session of scorners, for it is said, `Nor sits in the seat of the scornful' [Ps. 1:1]; but two that sit together and are occupied in words of Torah have the Shekinah among them"' The Shekinah is the manifest presence of God-his special, glorious presence to guide, bless, and (if necessary) judge. The rabbi's point was that God would be especially, graciously present wherever even two persons sat together to study the Torah, God's Law. In his similar saying, Jesus was claiming that he would be especially present whenever two or more gather in his name. "Here Jesus himself fills the role of the Shekinah, God's presence, in the traditional Jewish saying."' Such a claim implies that Jesus is omnipresent and amounts to a strong claim to deity.
Jesus also displayed knowledge of past events of which he could not (humanly speaking) have any knowledge, as well as knowledge of future actions of human beings. He knew that the woman at the well in Samaria, whom he had not previously met (physically), had been married to five different men and that the man she was with at the time was not her husband (John 4:16-18). He knew that Lazarus had died before they received any word of his passing (John 11:11-15). He knew that Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, would betray him, even before Judas tipped his hand-probably even before Judas knew it (Matt. 26:20-25; Mark 14:17-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 6:70-71; 13:10-11, 21-29). He warned Peter that he would betray him three times, and despite protesting his loyalty, Peter did exactly that (Matt. 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38). Jesus knew that when he went to Jerusalem he would be arrested, tortured, and killed, and he also knew that he would rise from the dead on the third day (Matt. 16:21; 17:9-12, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:1-2; Mark 8:31-32; etc.).
He knew that the Romans were going to destroy the temple before a generation had passed (Matt. 23:36-39; 24:2, 34; Mark 13:1-2, 30; Luke 21:20-24, 32). No more than forty years later, Jesus' warning proved true, as the Romans destroyed the temple in A.D. 70. Jesus also foretold that his disciples would proclaim the gospel and make new disciples from people of all nations (Matt. 24:14; 28:19), an audacious claim in the early first century, considering how parochial and insignificant Judaism (let alone Jesus' small following) seemed at the time.
Following his resurrection and ascension, in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.... For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”
In our discussion of Christ's divine attributes, we have seen that he is described in general terms as having the nature of God. Indeed, Scripture states that he is exactly like God (or the Father) and that the "fullness" of what it means to be God dwells in him (John 14:9-10; Col. 1:15,19; 2:9; Heb. 1:3). We also have seen that these statements do not refer to Jesus merely as a man through whom we learn what God "is really like"; rather they refer to someone who existed as a heavenly, divine being before coming to earth as a human being. We saw that Christ, in fact, has always existed, even “before” creation (Matt. 20:28; 23:34, 37; John 1:1-3; 8:56-59; 12:39-41; 16:28; 17:5; Rom. 8:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; 10:4, 9; Gal. 4:4-6; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2, 10-12; Jude 5). Next, I will show that the Son of God possesses a wide array of specific attributes of God the Father.
Perhaps the most fundamental specific attribute of God that separates him from everything that is not God is that he is uncreated. If this attribute is true of Christ, and he is a real, existent being, then he is by definition God. On the other hand, if Christ were by nature a created being, then it would not make much sense to speak of him as God. The very fact that Christ has always existed implies, of course, that he is uncreated. His being uncreated has even more direct support from Scripture. In the previous chapter we drew attention to various biblical statements affirming that creation came into existence in and through the Son (John 1:3, 10; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10-12). Some of these statements emphasize in the strongest terms that not just part, but the totality of creation owes its existence to him. "For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things have been created through him and for him" (Col. 1:16,). Here, the apostle Paul states explicitly that the totality of all created things, including both heavenly, invisible beings and earthly, visible beings, was created through the Son.
It should be added here that it is a rational absurdity to exist before he existed. If Jesus created himself, he would have to exist before he created himself in order to create himself.
Speaking of the preexistent Son under the designation of the Word (Logos), the apostle John asserts, "All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being" (John 1:3). The second clause states explicitly and emphatically that there is no exception to the universal statement of the first clause: not so much as one thing came into being except through Christ, the Word. No more sweeping, explicit statements can be imagined. Absolutely everything that was created, that "came into being," did so in and through Christ. If every created thing owes its existence to the Son, then the Son himself cannot be a created being.
Although the Arian interpretation of "the firstborn of all creation" has some surface plausibility if one takes it out of context, the evidence of the context is decisively against it. First, as we have already pointed out, verse 16 asserts in the strongest and most explicit terms possible that all created things were created in, through, and for the Son. If verse 15 were to mean that the Son was the first thing created, Paul would be flatly contradicting himself from one sentence to the next. He would be saying, "The Son is the first thing created, because everything was created in, through, and for him."
Jesus is omnipresent
His promise to be present in their midst implies his omnipresence, since only an omnipresent spirit could be in the midst of every gathering of believers. "The tiniest possible assembly, united in prayer, gains divine ratification of their decisions because they gather in the divine presence of the Son."' That Jesus is claiming divine omnipresence is clear when we consider a rabbinical saying preserved in the Mishnah (a collection of rabbinical material that later formed the nucleus of the Talmud). The Mishnah quotes a rabbi named Hananiah as saying, "Two that sit together without words of Torah are a session of scorners, for it is said, `Nor sits in the seat of the scornful' [Ps. 1:1]; but two that sit together and are occupied in words of Torah have the Shekinah among them"' The Shekinah is the manifest presence of God-his special, glorious presence to guide, bless, and (if necessary) judge. The rabbi's point was that God would be especially, graciously present wherever even two persons sat together to study the Torah, God's Law. In his similar saying, Jesus was claiming that he would be especially present whenever two or more gather in his name. "Here Jesus himself fills the role of the Shekinah, God's presence, in the traditional Jewish saying."' Such a claim implies that Jesus is omnipresent and amounts to a strong claim to deity.
Jesus also displayed knowledge of past events of which he could not (humanly speaking) have any knowledge, as well as knowledge of future actions of human beings. He knew that the woman at the well in Samaria, whom he had not previously met (physically), had been married to five different men and that the man she was with at the time was not her husband (John 4:16-18). He knew that Lazarus had died before they received any word of his passing (John 11:11-15). He knew that Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, would betray him, even before Judas tipped his hand-probably even before Judas knew it (Matt. 26:20-25; Mark 14:17-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 6:70-71; 13:10-11, 21-29). He warned Peter that he would betray him three times, and despite protesting his loyalty, Peter did exactly that (Matt. 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38). Jesus knew that when he went to Jerusalem he would be arrested, tortured, and killed, and he also knew that he would rise from the dead on the third day (Matt. 16:21; 17:9-12, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:1-2; Mark 8:31-32; etc.).
He knew that the Romans were going to destroy the temple before a generation had passed (Matt. 23:36-39; 24:2, 34; Mark 13:1-2, 30; Luke 21:20-24, 32). No more than forty years later, Jesus' warning proved true, as the Romans destroyed the temple in A.D. 70. Jesus also foretold that his disciples would proclaim the gospel and make new disciples from people of all nations (Matt. 24:14; 28:19), an audacious claim in the early first century, considering how parochial and insignificant Judaism (let alone Jesus' small following) seemed at the time.
Following his resurrection and ascension, in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.... For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”
