Did Jesus Say He Was God?
Did the historical Jesus say he was God? While most people who read the Bible find it easy to agree that he did, the historicity of Jesus’ claim to be divine has been challenged in the public square. Scholars who reject Christianity have argued that the claims made by the Jesus of history were very different from the claims made by the Christ of faith. But what about this?
In this episode of the Table Podcast, I guest host the show, interviewing my mentor Darrell Bock and Justin Bass on the ancient evidence for the historical Jesus’ claim to deity. Did the historical Jesus really say he was God? How do we know if the historical Jesus claimed to be divine? What do our earliest sources show?
Key points of our conversation on the historical Jesus include:
- How can skeptical people investigate the claims of Jesus?
- How early were Christians referring to Jesus as divine?
- What constitutes a claim to be divine in a first century Jewish context?
- Were Jesus’ claims more explicit or implicit?
- Comparing Jesus’ claims in the Gospels
- Jesus’ unity and distinction from God
- Jesus’ claim to possess divine authority and be the Son of Man
Darrell Bock is the Senior Research Professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary. Justin Bass is an adjunct New Testament professor at DTS and he recently debated agnostic New Testament Scholar Bart Ehrman on this question of Jesus’ claim to diety. Our conversation happened shortly after their debate in Frisco, TX.
I conclude by asking, “Why does it matter if Jesus ever said he was God or claimed to be divine?” Watch the video, download the audio or PDF transcript below.
Justin Bass - March 22, 2016
Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus
In this episode, Mikel Del Rosario, Darrell Bock and Justin Bass discuss challenges to the historicity of the resurrection, focusing on ancient sources and the earliest data surrounding the event.
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Debate – Did the Historical Jesus Say He Was God?
Watch the Ehrman-Bass debate on the historical Jesus and get each presenter’s perspective here:
- Video: Ehrman-Bass Debate – Did the Historical Jesus Claim to Be Divine?
- Ehrman: Pre-Debate Thoughts
- Bass: Who Is This Son of Man? A Review of My Debate with Dr. Bart Ehrman (Part 1)
- Bass: Who Is This Son of Man? A Review of My Debate with Dr. Bart Ehrman (Part 2)
- Bushey: Bart Ehrman Vs Justin Bass Debate Review
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Note: This Table Podcast episode first appeared on the Dallas Theological Seminary Web page: Did the Historical Jesus Claim to be Divine? Mikel is the Cultural Engagement assistant at the Hendricks Center.