The Apostle Paul espouses different, yet quite complementary, christologies in his New Testament (NT) letters. Yet none of them identify Jesus as God, and some of them indicate that Jesus cannot be God.
First, Paul writes of “Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4), adding that “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). Some Christians have thought that Jesus being “the image of God” indicates that he is God. On the contrary, “God created man in His own image,” (Genesis 1:27), but that did not make Adam and Eve Gods. Geza Vermes rightly states, “Paul described Christ as the ‘likeness,’ or icon, of God ... it cannot be taken as being anywhere close to inferring divinity.” Logically, Jesus cannot be both the image of God and God Himself, who is invisible to mortals.
Second, Paul is unique in the NT by contrasting Jesus with Adam (Romans 5:14-19; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47; cf. Philippians 2:6). Scholars call this an “Adam Christology.” Paul characterizes Jesus as the ideal, archetypal man and Adam as the fallen man who brought ruination to the earth and all of humankind. What Adam lost through his fall, Jesus more than gained by means of his obedient, righteous life, suffering, and atoning death for us.
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Author: Kermit Zarley
Keywords: equal to God, Jesus equal to God, Trinity, Triunity, Trinitarianism, Trinitarian, Arianism, Arian, Three in one, Three gods, Triune, Three persons in one God, homoiousios, Homoousios, Homoiousian, Christology, Paul's Christology
Bible reference(s): Romans 1:7, Rom 3:29-30, Romans 9:5, Romans 15:6, Rom 16:27, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 8:6, 1 Corinthians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:24, 1 Cor 15:28, 1 Cor. 11:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2-3, 2 Cor 4:4, 2 Corinthians 5:19, 2Co 11:31, Galatians 3:20, Ephesians 1:2-3, Philippians 1:2, Eph 1:17, Eph 4:5-6, Ephesians 4:32, Col 1:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 1:12, Philemon 1:3, 1Ti 1:17, 1 Timothy 6:15, Titus 2:13
Source: “What Was Paul’s Christology?”, “Does Paul Call Jesus God?” The Restitution of Jesus Christ, 2008.
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