The Deity of Christ

by Christopher W. Morgan (Editor), Robert A. Peterson (Editor), Gerald Bray (Contribution by), Alan W. Gomes (Contribution by), J. Nelson Jennings (Contribution by)

Overview

The biblical teaching about the deity of Christ is a precious truth and foundational to the Christian faith. It has been called "the most distinctively Christian doctrine of all"—one that must be taught and preserved.

With this in mind, Robert Peterson, Christopher Morgan, Andreas Köstenberger, Steve Wellum, Gerald Bray, Alan Gomes, Ray Ortlund Jr., Stephen Nichols, and J. Nelson Jennings have collaborated to develop a theology of Christ's divinity across multiple disciplines. Combining first-rate evangelical scholarship with rich application, their work examines this central doctrine from contemporary, historical, biblical, systematic, apologetic, and missional perspectives. 

This accessible volume—the third in the noted Theology in Community series—guides readers to the significance of Christ's deity across the Old and New Testaments, in Johannine literature, in popular culture and church history, and among cults and world religions. With its keen theological insight and straightforward application, this volume will give pastors, students, and educated readers a clear and useful treatment of the deity of Christ.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433531187
Publisher:	Crossway
Publication date:	05/16/2011
Series:	Theology in Community , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Christopher W. Morgan (PhD, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) is a professor of theology and the dean of the School of Christian Ministries at California Baptist University. He is the author or editor of over twenty books, including several volumes in the Theology in Community series.

Christopher W. Morgan (PhD, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) is a professor of theology and the dean of the School of Christian Ministries at California Baptist University. He is the author or editor of over twenty books, including several volumes in the Theology in Community series.

Robert A. Peterson (PhD, Drew University) is a writer and theologian. He taught for many years at various theological seminaries and has written or edited over thirty books.

Gerald Bray (DLitt, University of Paris-Sorbonne) is research professor at Beeson Divinity School and director of research for the Latimer Trust. He is a prolific writer and has authored or edited numerous books, including The Doctrine of God;  Biblical Interpretation;  God Is Love;  and God Has Spoken.

Andreas J. Köstenberger (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the theologian in residence at Fellowship Raleigh, a cofounder of Biblical Foundations, and the author, editor, or translator of over sixty books. He and his wife, Marny, have four grown children and live in North Carolina. 

Stephen J. Nichols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as the president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. He has written over twenty books and is an editor of the Theologians on the Christian Life series. He also hosts the weekly podcast 5 Minutes in Church History.

  Ray Ortlund is the president of Renewal Ministries, the pastor to pastors at Immanuel Nashville Church, and a canon theologian with the Anglican Church in North America. He is the author of several books, including Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel; The Death of Porn; and the Preaching the Word commentaries on Isaiah and Proverbs. He is also a contributor to the ESV Study Bible. Ray and his wife, Jani, have been married for fifty years. 

Stephen J. Wellum (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and editor of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. Stephen and his wife, Karen, have five adult children.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations 11

Series Preface 13

Acknowledgments 15

Contributors 17

Introduction 19

1 The Deity of Christ Today Stephen J. Nichols 25

2 The Deity of Christ and the Old Testament Raymond C. Ortlund 39

3 The Deity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels Stephen J. Wellum 61

4 The Deity of Christ in John's Gospel Andreas J. Köstenberger 91

5 The Deity of Christ in the Apostolic Witness Stephen J. Wellum 115

6 The Deity of Christ in John's Letters and the Book of Revelation Andreas J. Köstenberger 151

7 The Deity of Christ in Church History Gerald Bray 169

8 Toward a Systematic Theology of the Deity of Christ Robert A. Peterson 193

9 The Deity of Christ and the Cults Alan W. Gomes 229

10 The Deity of Christ for Missions, World Religions, and Pluralism J. Nelson Jennings 253

Selected Bibliography 283

Author Index 289

Subject Index 293

Scripture Index 301

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This is a well-crafted, faithfully biblical, meticulously worked out study of the deity of Christ that brings us from the Old Testament through the New Testament, and into the modern world. This is a superb study.”
—David F. Wells, Senior Distinguished Research Professor of Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“Eight outstanding scholars make a compelling case biblically, theologically and historically for the deity of Jesus. If he is God incarnate then Christianity is true. If he is not, then the Christian faith is false. Powerful arguments are marshaled and convincing evidence is set forth in the volume that demonstrates that Jesus is indeed the God-man. Read this book for your mind as well as your soul. Both will be blessed.”
—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Morgan and Peterson are to be commended for putting together another outstanding volume for Crossway's Theology in Community series. The editors have assembled a first-rate group of authors to produce this highly commendable volume. The subject of the deity of Christ is carefully explored and clearly expounded from the perspectives of biblical, historical, and systematic theology. Important and timely applications for apologetics and missiology are also appropriately included. The deity of Christ is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith and The Deity of Christ should be essential reading for faithful followers of Jesus Christ.”
—David S. Dockery, Distinguished Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Nothing should be more important and more interesting to a Christian than Jesus. And nothing is more important or more interesting about Jesus than the fact that he is God. His deity is at the heart of the gospel’s wonder for the believer, and it is the blunt force of the traumatic offense of the gospel to those who disbelieve. I cannot imagine a more important truth to unpack. Morgan and Peterson have organized an indispensable resource for this fundamental doctrine. The Deity of Christ achieves the rare balance between scholarly credibility and accessible practicality. Reading its pages generated waves of worship from each chapter. This volume will inform your mind and feed your soul with the undeniable, undiminished deity of Jesus.”
—Rick Holland, Senior Pastor, Mission Road Bible Church, Prairie Village, Kansas

“In the introduction to this volume, the editors invite you on a journey to discover the biblical, historical, theological, practical, and missional aspects of the deity of Jesus. The book more than delivers on that promise, framing key issues and underlining pertinent points in confronting current movements undermining this crucial doctrine. More than merely a collection of academic essays, this book pulsates with the life of Jesus—evident in the passion of the writers and the life change he has produced in each of them. Affirming the deity of Jesus is not, ultimately, about winning arguments with detractors or proving points to the academy. It is about encountering Jesus! Reading these essays will challenge you intellectually and enrich you spiritually, deepening both your understanding of Jesus and submission to him as Lord. When you fully comprehend the magnificence of our Lord Jesus Christ, no other response will do.”
—Jeff Iorg, President, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary

“As you read this volume your spirit will breathe a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the editors and writers. They write of the deity of Christ—this north star of Christian doctrines—with fresh perspective and historical foundation, theological depth and personal challenge. The strength of biblical evidence for the deity of Jesus expressed in these pages is wonderfully overwhelming!”
—Tom Holladay, Teaching Pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California; author, Putting It Together Again and The Relationship Principles of Jesus