Introduction
One of the most important questions in Christianity is not whether Jesus was merely a prophet, teacher, or Messiah, but whether He is truly God incarnate.
Some critics—including certain Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) writers and other restorationist groups—argue that the Apostles never believed Jesus was Almighty God. According to this view, Jesus is only the divine Son of God but not fully equal with the Father.
However, this claim does not withstand careful examination of Scripture, apostolic teaching, and the historical witness of the earliest Christians.
The New Testament reveals a progressive understanding among the Apostles. During Jesus' earthly ministry, they often misunderstood His identity. Yet after His Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they unanimously proclaimed Jesus as sharing the divine identity of the one true God.
The Catholic Church did not invent Christ's divinity centuries later. Rather, she faithfully preserved what the Apostles themselves preached.
The Apostles Grew in Understanding
During Jesus' public ministry, even His closest followers struggled to understand Him.
They asked:
"Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
(Mark 4:41)
Even after numerous miracles, they had not yet grasped His full identity.
Following the Resurrection, however, everything changed.
Jesus opened their minds:
"Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."
(Luke 24:45)
The Holy Spirit then guided them into all truth (John 16:13).
Therefore, if someone quotes statements made before the Resurrection while ignoring the Apostles' later preaching, he presents only part of the biblical picture.
Thomas Made the Clearest Confession
After doubting the Resurrection, the Apostle Thomas encountered the risen Christ.
Instead of merely saying "My Teacher" or "My Master," Thomas declared:
"My Lord and my God!"
(John 20:28)
This is among the strongest Christological confessions in Scripture.
Significantly, Jesus never corrected Thomas.
Had Thomas committed blasphemy by calling a mere creature "God," Jesus would have rebuked him.
Instead, Christ answered:
"Because you have seen me, you have believed."
Jesus accepted Thomas' confession as true.
John Explicitly Calls Jesus God
John begins his Gospel with words echoing Genesis:
"In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God."
(John 1:1)
Fourteen verses later he identifies the Word:
"The Word became flesh."
(John 1:14)
There is no ambiguity.
The eternal Word who became flesh is God.
John concludes his First Epistle:
"He is the true God and eternal life."
(1 John 5:20)
This was written decades after Pentecost and reflects mature apostolic theology.
Peter Also Calls Jesus God
Peter opens his second letter:
"To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing... through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ."
(2 Peter 1:1)
The Greek grammar follows what scholars commonly call the Granville Sharp construction, in which "God" and "Savior" refer to the same person: Jesus Christ.
Thus Peter identifies Jesus as both God and Savior.
Paul Declares Jesus to Be God
Although not one of the Twelve, Paul was personally commissioned by the risen Christ.
His letters repeatedly affirm Jesus' deity.
Examples include:
- Titus 2:13
- Romans 9:5
- Colossians 2:9
- Philippians 2:6–11
Especially noteworthy:
"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."
(Colossians 2:9)
Paul does not describe Jesus as possessing partial divinity but the fullness of deity.
Jesus Receives Worship
Throughout the Old Testament, worship belongs exclusively to God (Deuteronomy 6:13; Isaiah 42:8).
Yet the Apostles worship Jesus.
Examples include:
- Matthew 14:33
- Matthew 28:9
- Matthew 28:17
- Luke 24:52
Jesus never rejects their worship.
By contrast, angels refuse worship (Revelation 22:8–9), and Peter refuses worship (Acts 10:25–26).
The difference is significant.
Jesus Performs Divine Works
The Apostles attribute to Jesus actions belonging to God alone.
These include:
- Creation (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)
- Forgiveness of sins (Mark 2:5–12)
- Judgment of humanity (John 5:22–23)
- Receiving prayer (Acts 7:59)
- Eternal existence (John 8:58)
No faithful Jew would attribute these divine prerogatives to a mere creature.
Common SDA Objections Answered
Objection 1:
"Jesus never directly said, 'I am God.'"
Response
Jesus repeatedly claimed divine authority using language His Jewish audience recognized.
Examples include:
- John 8:58 ("Before Abraham was, I AM.")
- John 10:30
- John 5:17–23
The Jewish leaders attempted to stone Him precisely because they understood these claims as making Himself equal with God.
Objection 2:
"Jesus called the Father 'the only true God' (John 17:3)."
Response
John 17:3 distinguishes the Father from false gods, not from the Son.
In the very same Gospel:
- John 1:1 calls Jesus God.
- John 20:28 calls Jesus God.
Furthermore, John 17:5 speaks of the glory Jesus shared with the Father before the world existed, something no created being possesses.
Objection 3:
"The Apostles only called Jesus the Son of God."
Response
The title "Son of God" in first-century Judaism often implied equality with God.
John explains:
"He was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."
(John 5:18)
Thus the Jewish audience understood the claim far more strongly than many modern readers do.
Objection 4:
"The doctrine of Christ's divinity was invented at the Council of Nicaea."
Response
The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) did not invent Christ's deity.
Rather, it defended apostolic teaching against the claims of Arius.
Long before Nicaea, Christians already worshiped Jesus as God.
What Did the Early Church Fathers Believe?
Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 107)
On his way to martyrdom, Ignatius repeatedly referred to:
"Jesus Christ our God."¹
This is only a few years after the death of the Apostle John.
Justin Martyr (A.D. 155)
Justin identified Christ as the divine Word who appeared throughout the Old Testament.²
Irenaeus of Lyons (A.D. 180)
A disciple of Polycarp—who himself had been taught by John—Irenaeus wrote:
"He is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, Lord, and King eternal."³
Tertullian (A.D. 213)
Tertullian defended the doctrine of one God in three Persons decades before Nicaea.⁴
Catholic Teaching
The Catholic Church teaches:
"Jesus Christ is true God and true man."⁵
The Church did not create this doctrine but faithfully handed on the Apostolic faith.
The Catechism teaches:
- Christ is eternally begotten of the Father.
- He is consubstantial with the Father.
- He became man without ceasing to be God.
Relevant paragraphs include:
- CCC 422–455
- CCC 464–469
- CCC 590–594
Did Any Apostle Deny Jesus Was God?
The answer is No.
Before the Resurrection, the Apostles frequently misunderstood Jesus.
After Pentecost:
- Thomas confessed Him as God.
- John proclaimed Him as God.
- Peter called Him God.
- Paul called Him God.
- All the Apostles worshiped Him.
- None ever retracted these beliefs.
The only Apostle who betrayed Jesus, Judas Iscariot, died before any later confession or denial of Christ's divinity is recorded. Scripture does not portray his betrayal as a theological rejection of Jesus' divine nature.
Conclusion
The New Testament presents a consistent and compelling witness.
The Apostles did not end their lives believing Jesus was merely a prophet or an exalted creature. They proclaimed Him as the eternal Word made flesh, worthy of worship, sharing the Father's divine identity.
The testimony of Scripture is reinforced by the earliest Christian writers, many of whom learned directly from the Apostles or their immediate disciples. Their writings show remarkable continuity with the faith later articulated by the Catholic Church.
Consequently, the assertion that the Apostles denied Christ's divinity—or that the Church invented this doctrine centuries later—is not supported by the biblical text or by the historical record.
Key Takeaways
- The Apostles' understanding of Jesus developed throughout His ministry but reached its fullness after the Resurrection and Pentecost.
- Thomas explicitly confessed Jesus as "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
- John, Peter, and Paul all describe Jesus in language identifying Him with the one true God.
- The earliest Church Fathers consistently affirmed Christ's full divinity long before the Council of Nicaea.
- The Catholic Church preserves and teaches the apostolic faith concerning Jesus Christ as true God and true man.
References (Chicago Style)
- Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 18.2; Letter to the Romans Preface.
- Justin Martyr, First Apology, chs. 63–64; Dialogue with Trypho, ch. 61.
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 3.19.2.
- Tertullian, Against Praxeas, chs. 2–3.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997), §§422–455, 464–469, 590–594.
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