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The Deity of Christ

3 Verses


There are three verses which are frequently brought up by those who believe the King James Bible has mistranslated references to the deity of Jesus Christ. They are Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, and 2 Peter 1:1. We will examine each of the three, and show that the first two verses are not only correct but more accurate, and the third is just as valid as other versions.


#1 - Romans 9:5 says regarding the Jews: “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever.”


Those who criticize the KJB say the rendering here does not declare the deity of Christ, but only says He is over all, and that God is blessed forever. I and many others believe they are correct in their understanding of the verse as it stands in the KJB. However, if you understand this particular verse as teaching the deity of Christ, even as it stands in the King James Bible, I would have no problem with that view. I fully believe that Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh; He is JEHOVAH God of the Old Testament.


But, as I understand this particular verse, it is not expounding that truth here. The phrase “who is over all, God blessed for ever” in the Greek reads: “ ho on epi panton, theos eulogetos eis tous aionas.” This is what the KJB correctly says. Christ is over all, and it is God the Father Who placed Him there, after He finished His work of redemption.


Ephesians 1:20 -22 tells us of the mighty power of God “which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” This is what God the Father has done in Christ, and God is to be blessed and praised for ever for having done this.


Other versions that read exactly as does the KJB are the Revised Version of 1881, the ASV of 1901, the New American Standard Bible 1963 - 1995, Young's 1898, Darby 1890, the Jerusalem Bible 1969, the 21st Century KJB 1994, the RSV 1954, NRSV 1989, Douay-Rheims, the Douay 1950, the Third Millenium Bible 1998, Webster’s Bible 1833, World English Bible, Hebrew Names Bible, the 1998 Complete Jewish Bible, Weymouth's N.T. 1912, Goodspeed's N.T. 1943, the 1969 Berkeley Version, the New American Bible St. Joseph 1970, and the 1989 Revised English Bible .


Other versions that read in a similar way, as saying that Christ is over all, and that God is to be blessed or praised for ever for this victory are the New English Bible 1970, New Life Version, Contemporary English Version, the Twentieth Century new testament, Wesley’s N.T. 1790, Williams translation and J.B. Phillips. So the King James Bible is hardly alone in its rendering of this verse.


French Louis Segond 1902 , and the 1999 La Bible du Semeur both equal the King James Bible meaning with:  - “et les promesses, et les patriarches, et de qui est issu, selon la chair, le Christ, qui est au-dessus de toutes choses, Dieu béni éternellement. Amen!”



Spanish La Biblia de las Américas 1997 - de quienes son los patriarcas, y de quienes, según la carne, procede el Cristo, el cual está sobre todas las cosas, Dios bendito por los siglos. Amén.



The Portuguese Ferreira de Almeida equals the KJB - “de quem são os patriarcas; e de quem descende o Cristo segundo a carne, o qual é sobre todas as coisas, Deus bendito eternamente. Amém.”

    

To accuse the KJB of not showing the deity of Christ in a verse which does not teach this truth is hardly a fair argument. The two versions which are usually cited in this attack on the KJB are the New KJV and the NIV. Neither of these two versions follow the Greek, but have altered it to teach the deity of Christ, and then blame the KJB for not doing the same. The NKJV says: “of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, [the] eternally blessed God.”


The NKJV has added the word “the” to the text. It changes the meaning and there is no justification for adding the word "the". The phrase “for ever” has wrongly been altered in the NKJV to read “eternally”. It is rather the NKJV which has added to God’s word and changed the meaning of this verse.


Likewise the NIV has an almost complete paraphrase of the whole verse and has altered its meaning. The NIV says: “Theirs are the partriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.”


The NIV has changed the order of the Greek words to come up with a different meaning than what I believe the Holy Ghost who inspired this text intended. In fact, the NIV has a footnote here that recognizes the KJB and NASB rendering. It says: ‘or, “Christ, who is over all. God be forever praised.”


Christ is not “ God over all” because this would exalt Christ above the Father. Christ was, is, and shall always be the second Person of the triune God, in submission to the Father. John 5:30 “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”


1 Corinthians 11:3 “the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”


1Cor. 15:28 “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”


We see that all three of the popular modern versions, the NKJV, NIV and NASB, all give a different rendering from each other. Only the NASB agrees with the KJB.


#2 Titus 2:13


The second verse is found in Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR Jesus Christ;” Here the critics say the KJB rendering does not fully bring out the deity of Jesus Christ. I don’t really understand what they are talking about, because when I read this passage, it clearly declares that Jesus Christ is the great God as well as our Saviour.


The NKJV, NIV and NASB all join here in rendering this verse as “the appearing of OUR great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” They apparently think this brings out his deity more clearly. However, it is necessary to point out two very important things in this verse. Number one is that the Greek reads exactly as it stands in the KJB, and not as it is in the NKJV, NIV and NASB.


The Greek in all texts reads “the great God and OUR Saviour.” The second thing to point out is the difference in meaning. You see, when Christ appears again in glory, He is the God of everybody - every man, woman and child, believer or unbeliever - but He is OUR Saviour. He is the Saviour of only those who are true Christians, but He is the God and creator of all, and He will be the judge of those who have not believed on Him.


So the KJB is actually more accurate here than the NIV, NKJV and NASB. Other versions that read as does the KJB are the ASV of 1901, Webster’s Bible 1833, J.B. Phillips, Tyndale 1525, Wycliffe’s 1380, Cranmer’s Bible 1539, Rheims 1582, Coverdale 1535, Bishop's 1568, Geneva Bible 1599, Lamsa of 1933, the Spanish Reina Valera of 1909 , the Italian Diodati, the Russian Zhuromsky New Testament, and the Third Millenium Bible 1998.


The Spanish Reina Valera of 1909 reads exactly like the King James Bible with: “la manifestación gloriosa del gran Dios y Salvador nuestro Jesucristo.” As does the Italian Diodati - “l’apparizione della gloria del grande Iddio, e Salvator nostro, Gesù Cristo.”


The French Martin 1744 and the French Louis Segond 1910 also read like the KJB - “En attendant la bienheureuse espérance, et l'apparition de la gloire DU GRAND DIEW, ET NOTRE SAUVEUR, JESUS-CHRIST.”


Martin Luther’s German translation of 1545 also reads just like the King James Bible with: “großen Gottes und unsers Heilandes Jesu Christi”.


The King James Bible is right, as always.


#3 - The third verse that critics cite against the KJB is 2 Peter 1:1. Here we read “To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”


Again they say the verse, as it stands in the KJB, does not clearly show the deity of Jesus Christ. The NKJV, NIV and NASB read: “through the righteousness of OUR God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”


First, it needs to be pointed out that there are several textual differences in the Greek of verses one and two. One of the “oldest and best” manuscripts called Sinaiticus reads “Lord” or kurios instead of God. But the NASB and NIV didn’t follow this, but rather the majority reading of "God".


In the next verse we read: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge OF GOD AND OF JESUS OUR LORD."


Here several texts omit "of God and of Jesus" - The Expositor's Greek Testament does this. Other texts omit "of God", and Sinaiticus adds the word CHRIST to Jesus, and others substitute the word "Saviour" instead of "Lord". So there is a wide variety of different readings for these first two verses.


Secondly, in the texts followed by the KJB, Beza’s of 1589 and 1598, as well as Elzevirs, there is an additional “our” found before Jesus Christ. Regardless of these textual differences, the verse in question can either serve as a proof text for Christ’s deity or not, depending on how you choose to read it.


The reading as it stands in the KJB “the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” can easily be seen as stating that He is both God and our Saviour. Compare other verses with similar wording. In Isaiah 44:6, 24 we are told “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, AND his redeemer the LORD of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God...Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, AND he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things...” Even though there is the word “and” in between the two nouns, we know there is only one person who is being referred to - God.


The same thing is found in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 “Now God himself AND our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you.”; Galatians 1:4 “according to the will of God AND our Father.” The “and” is not implying another person, but is bringing out another aspect of the same one. He is both God and our Father.


So too, in 2 Peter the “God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” can be seen as showing another aspect of the same divine Person, just as 2 Peter 1:11 “kingdom of our Lord AND Saviour Jesus Christ.”


Even the reading of the NKJV, NIV and NASB could be looked upon as describing two distinct persons; it all depends on how one reads it.


“Righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ”, can be compared to statements like “our Mom and Dad won’t let us go to the party” or “our boss and manager will be at the meeting”.


In Scripture we have “ye are our glory and joy” 1 Thessalonians 2:20, and Acts 15:25 “our beloved Barnabas and Paul”. Both Barnabas and Paul were beloved but they obviously were two different people. You see, if you wish to see a declaration of Christ’s deity in this verse, it is there. Likewise, it can be explained away by those who do not wish to see it in either rendering. The Jehovah Witness New World Translation reads much the same way as the NKJV, NIV, NASB, and yet they manage to explain away the full deity of our Saviour Jesus Christ.


The King James Bible is in no way inferior to the other versions. Other Bible versions that read just like the King James Bible in 2 Peter 1:1 are the Italian Diodati (dell' Iddio e Salvator nostro, Gesu Cristo), written before the KJB of 1611, Webster’s 1833 Bible translation, the 21st Century KJB, Green's Modern King James Version, and the Third Millenium Bible. Other versions like J. P. Green's 1998 Modern KJV, Moffat's translation and the 1602 Geneva bible read: "through the righteousness of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ"


Dr. Thomas Holland has written a very good article refuting James White's groundless criticism of the King James Bible, and these three verses. He addresses Titus 2:13 and the others about two-thirds down in his article here: http://www.purewords.org/kjb1611/html/lesson12.htm


I hope this has been of some help to those who believe that we have all of God’s inspired, pure words today, and that they are found in the King James Holy Bible.


Will Kinney



== External Link ==

* [http://brandplucked.webs.com/deityofchrist3verses.htm Deity of Christ Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1] by [[Will Kinney]]