Product Description

A technical study of sixteen biblical passages demonstrating that the New Testament clearly refers to Jesus as God.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1198217 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-01
• Released on: 1998-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

CLASSIC TREATMENT OF THE SUBJECT
Murray Harris has produced a classic, scholarly, objective treatment of this topic. He provides a wealth of information, but primarily focuses on the 16 verses which could seriously be considered to refer to Jesus as God; with a thorough examination of the 9 main verses, examining each in terms of the 1) context, 2) syntax, 3) punctuation, and 4) possible variant reading(s).

Three excellent features, among so many others, include: 1) In many cases, he cites numerous authors of various alternative positions, and offers their arguments and their resulting "translations" of the passage. 2) The book is full of statistical studies (e.g., how many times the articular and anartharus use of theos is used by various biblical authors). 3) He frequently reveals the "characteristic manner" in which a particular biblical author refers to Jesus and God.

Though Harris is extremely fair and objective, I did find his treatment deficient in two basic respects: 1) He concludes that the use of theos to refer to Jesus proves his deity, since it is a term that is primarily ontological in character, and, therefore, is an explicit and unequivocal affirmation that he is God. Yet, Harris has already shown that theos was used, even by the Jews and/or biblical writers themselves, to refer to other humans, angels, exalted patriarchs, etc.! Since the term, when used of these others, never meant they were God, the equivocation of Jesus with God needs demonstration. 2) At one point, Harris frankly acknowledges several texts that seem to drive an ontological wedge between Jesus and God (e.g., those which distinguish Jesus from the one who is God and Father). It should be pointed out, however, that Harris is generally far more careful in his arguments, and the conclusions he draws, than many scholars. This book is a gold mine, and will be a definite classic in its field.

A Technical and Very Scholarly Piece of Work
Despite the review below, Dr. Harris' book is very convincing. He discusses several verses which include the Greek 'theos' in reference to Jesus and describes why these verses point to Jesus as God. Dr. Harris is well aware of the context in which these references are used and this comes through quite clear in this text. Moreover, Dr. Harris delineates the semantical and syntactical issues of the texts with which he is dealing. He is very concise in his translations and has used an enormous amount of research material to come to his conclusions (i.e. strong footnote references and bibliography). This is a very careful, detailed, and comprehensive account of the 'theos' references to Jesus' being God. Furthermore, Dr. Harris spends time giving clear distinctions between certain words that are cognates and similar to 'theos' and describes why these words are used in their particular contexts. He compares and contrasts other verses that have similar usages, or slight nuanced differences and describes what is similar and different about each of these uses and why that is important to the text. This book is a serious thorn in the side of the Jehovah's Witnesses who have spent the last 60 or more years distorted the texts of Scripture to fit their own heretical view (Arian heresy). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about researching the issues of Jesus being God. This is the definitive work in that area in the last several decades.

Jesus as God
Murray Harris took his Ph.D. from the University of Manchester and was professor emeritus of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His book Jesus as God was possibly one of the most comprehensive, in-depth and scholarly treatment of the New Testament passages attributing deity to Jesus in print.

There are a total of sixteen passages in the New Testament have been interpreted at one time or other to attribute deity to Jesus Christ. Harris examined each one in detail. Textual, linguistic, grammatical, contextual, historical, and theological issues were all taken into consideration. Various translations and conjectural emendations were discussed. Even the Hebrew text and Greek Septuagint were analyzed for those passages which alluded to or quoted from the Old Testament. Pro's and con's were listed for each view and Harris? conclusions were given in degrees of probability.

Harris' conclusions were that it is certain that John 1:1 and John 20:28 applied the title God to Jesus Christ. Harris believed that it was very probable that Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8 and 2 Peter 1:1 applied the title God to Jesus and that it was probable that that John 1:18 did as well. Harris believed that it was possible, but not likely that that Acts 20:28, Hebrews 1:9 and 1 John 5:20 called Jesus God. Harris concluded that it was not at all likely that Matthew 1:23, John 17:3, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 2:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:12 and 1 Timothy 3:16 applied the title God to Jesus (Harris, 1992 171)

Jesus as God scholarly, well written, and very through in its analysis.