Tag: Jesus is worshiped

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Does Hebrews 1:8 prove that Jesus is God?

Purpose

8 But of the Son He says,
“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER
IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.
9 “YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;
THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU …”

“GOD” in verse 8 refers to Jesus. “GOD” in verse 9 refers to the Father: Since Hebrews 1:8 refers to Jesus as “God,” the question in this article is whether this proves that He is God. 

This does not prove that Jesus is God.

For the following reasons, Hebrews 1:8-9 does not mean that Jesus is God in the modern sense of the word:

Evidence from Hebrews 1:8-9

Theos can be translated as ‘god’ or ‘God’.

The word “God” in Hebrews 1:8 is translated from the Greek word theos. As discussed in the article on theos, there is no word in the ancient Greek that is exactly equivalent to the modern word “God:”

God – The modern word “God” identifies one specific Being; the Almighty; the One who exists without cause and who caused all other things to exist. This word functions as a proper name for the Supreme Being.

Theos – In contrast, the word theos has a much wider range of meanings. It does not identify one specific being, but a category of beings. In the ancient Greek language, it was used for the Greek gods, such as Zeus. When Greek became the common language in Europe during the centuries before Jesus was born, the Jews used this same word also for YHVH (Yahweh – the God of the Old Testament). But theos retained its original much broader meaning. The New Testament, therefore, also uses theos for the gods of the nations (e.g., 1 Cor 8:5) and even for Satan, who is called ‘the theos of this world’ (2 Cor. 4:4).

Theos, therefore, can be translated either as ‘god’ or as ‘God’. When the translator thinks that a specific instance refers to the Almighty, it is translated as “God.” In other instances, it is translated as “god.” 

In Hebrews 1:8-9, “GOD” is in all caps because it is a quote from the Old Testament. However, in other instances where theos refers to Jesus (e.g., John 20:28), it is translated as “God,” implying that Jesus is God Almighty. But that translation is based on the assumption that Jesus is God Almighty. It is an application of the Trinity doctrine; not proof of it.

If one understands Jesus as the Son of God, through Whom God created all things, and Who still upholds all things by the word of God’s power (Heb 1:2-3), but Who received His existence from His Father, then references to Jesus as theos should not be translated as “God.”

In a Christian context, the term “god” refers to false gods. For that reason, we do not want to refer to Jesus as “god.” But the important point is that the fact that the Bible refers to Jesus as theos does not mean that He is God Almighty.

For a further discussion, see – The Meanings of the Word THEOS.

The Father is Jesus’ God.

Although Hebrews 1:8 refers to Jesus as theos, the very next verse (Heb 1:9) refers to His Father as His God. Jesus has a God over Him. God is also Jesus’ God. We find this principle in many other places in the Bible (John 20:17; Heb 1:9; 2 Cor 11:31; Eph 1:3, 17; 1 Peter 1:3; Rev 1:6; 3:2, 12). If the Father is Jesus’ God, then Christ is subordinate to the Father, which is contrary to the Trinity doctrine, in which they are co-equal. 

Hebrews 1:8-9 is similar to John 20. That chapter also refers to Jesus as “God” (John 20:17) but in that same chapter Jesus refers to God as His God:

“I ascend to My Father and your Father,
and My God and your God” (John 20:17).

For a further discussion, see – Did Thomas call Jesus “my God” in John 20:28?

Jesus is theos because Israel’s king is theos.

Hebrews 1:8-9 is a quote from Psalm 45:6-7, which refers to Israel’s king as Elohim, translated as ‘god’. The mention of the king’s wives (Psm 45:9) confirms that “God” in verse 6 refers to the king of Israel.

Elohim, therefore, is similar to theos: Both are used for both the only true God and for certain superior human beings. Another example is in Exodus 7:1, where “The LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made you a god [elohim] to Pharaoh.” The NASB translates Elohim about 250 times with “god” or “gods.” For more information, see the article on Elohim. Literally, it is a plural word (gods). Strong’s defines elohim as “God” with a capital “G,” or “god.”

Hebrews 1:8, therefore, refers to Jesus as theos because the author of that letter interpreted the king of Psalm 45 as a type of Christ and because that psalm refers to the king as Elohim/Theos. In other words, the author of Hebrews did not understand Him to be the Most High.

Evidence from the rest of the letter

Hebrews explains the superiority of Christ.

One main purpose of the letter to the Hebrews is to exalt Jesus. The letter, for example, begins (Heb 1:2-4) by saying that:

    • God appointed His Son as “heir of all things,”
    • God “made the world” through the Son,
    • The Son “is … the exact representation of God’s nature,”
    • The Son “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” and
    • Christ became “much better than the angels.”

If the writer of Hebrews thought that the Son is the Almighty God, why would the writer try so hard to show that Jesus is “better than the angels?” Why not simply state that Jesus is God?

Jesus is distinct from God.

Hebrews explicitly distinguishes between Jesus and God. For example, it says that “God … has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb 1:1) and “Jesus … has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). If Jesus is distinct from God, then He is not God.

Jesus is subordinate to God

In several ways, Hebrews describes the Son as subordinate to God. For example:

    • The Son “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3),
    • God “appointed” His Son as the heir of all things (1:2),
    • God made the world “through” the Son (1:2), and
    • The Son is the radiance of God’s glory (1:3).

If the Son is subordinate to the Father, then the Son is not God Almighty.

Evidence used to prove that the Son is God

Begotten does not mean equal.

Hebrews 1:5 quotes from Psalm 2, saying of Jesus, “you are my son, today I have begotten you.” This is sometimes interpreted to mean that Jesus is equal to the Father, in the way that a human son eventually becomes equal with the human father.

However, this is symbolic language. He is called the Begotten Son of God to show that He has a very unique relationship with God. To describe Jesus as the “only begotten Son” explains something in human language that human minds cannot comprehend. He was not begotten as humans are. We should not interpret this symbolic language literally.

Conclusion

To translate theos, when it refers to Jesus, as “God” is an implementation of the Trinity doctrine; not proof of it.

Summary

Hebrews 1:8 refers to Jesus as “GOD.” For the following reasons, does not mean that Jesus is God in the modern sense of that term:

1. The word “God” in Hebrews 1:8 is translated from the Greek word theos, which can be translated either as ‘God’ or as ‘god’. To translate theos, when referring to Jesus, as ‘God’ is based on the assumption that Jesus is the Most High God. It is an application of the Trinity doctrine; not proof thereof.

2. Although Hebrews 1:8 refers to Jesus as theos, the very next verse (Heb 1:9) refers to His Father as His God. That the Father is His God is stated often in the Bible (e.g., John 20:17; Eph 1:3, 17; Rev 1:6; 3:2, 12).

3. Jesus is called theos in Hebrews 1:8, not because the author understood Him to be the Most High, but because this verse quotes Psalm 45:6-7, where Israel’s king is called Elohim (theos in Greek), and because that king is a type of the Messiah.

4. Hebrews explains the superiority of Christ in many ways, for example, by saying that Christ became “much better than the angels.” (Heb 1:4) If the purpose is to exalt the Son, why does Hebrews not just say that He is God?

5. Hebrews explicitly distinguishes between Jesus and God. For example, “Jesus … has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). If Jesus is distinct from God, then He is not God.

6. In several ways, Hebrews describes the Son as subordinate to God. For example, He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3).

7. That the Son is Begotten does not mean that He is equal with His Father. “Begotten” is symbolic language and must not be interpreted as if He has the same substance as the Father.

8. God commanded all angels to worship the Son (Heb 1:6,). This is sometimes taken as evidence that Jesus is God Almighty. But if Jesus was the Almighty God, there would not have been any need for the Father to command angels to worship Him. The Greek word that is translated “worship” (proskuneó) simply means to give honor.

Other Articles

      • The Truth about the Origin of the Trinity Doctrine 1The decision to adopt the Trinity doctrine was not taken by the church but by Roman emperors. They made Trinitarian Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire = the Roman Church.
      • Arius 2Who was he and what did he believe? Why is the Arian Controversy named after him?
      • The Nicene Creed 3Who created it, what was the role of emperor Constantine and what does the Creed say?
      • Homoousios 4Does it mean ‘one substance’ or ‘same substance’? Why was the term not mentioned, even by Athanasius, for about three decades after Nicaea?
      • Fourth-Century ‘Arianism’ 5Their theology, the Homoians, and the Homoi-ousians
      • The Pro-Nicenes 6Were Alexander and Athanasius Sabellians? In 343 at Serdica, the Western Church issued a blatantly Sabellian statement. Basil of Caesarea taught three substances.
      • Is Jesus the Most High God? 7The conclusion that Jesus is ‘God’ forms the basis of the Trinity Doctrine.
      • Trinity Doctrine – General 8Including Modalism, Eastern Orthodoxy view of the Trinity, Elohim, and Eternal Generation
      • All articles on this website

FOOTNOTES

  • 1
    The decision to adopt the Trinity doctrine was not taken by the church but by Roman emperors. They made Trinitarian Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire = the Roman Church.
  • 2
    Who was he and what did he believe? Why is the Arian Controversy named after him?
  • 3
    Who created it, what was the role of emperor Constantine and what does the Creed say?
  • 4
    Does it mean ‘one substance’ or ‘same substance’? Why was the term not mentioned, even by Athanasius, for about three decades after Nicaea?
  • 5
    Their theology, the Homoians, and the Homoi-ousians
  • 6
    Were Alexander and Athanasius Sabellians? In 343 at Serdica, the Western Church issued a blatantly Sabellian statement. Basil of Caesarea taught three substances.
  • 7
    The conclusion that Jesus is ‘God’ forms the basis of the Trinity Doctrine.
  • 8
    Including Modalism, Eastern Orthodoxy view of the Trinity, Elohim, and Eternal Generation
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Jesus is worshiped. Does that mean that He is God?

The Trinity Doctrine was developed over several centuries. The Nicene Creed of the year 325 was not yet Trinitarian. The Trinity doctrine was for the first time clearly stated when Emperor Theodosius, in AD 380, made the Trinitarian version of Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. The practice within the church to worship the Son was one of the key drivers in the development of the Trinity Doctrine.

OVERVIEW

Only God may be worshiped.

The Bible teaches that only God may be worshiped (Exo 34:14; Deut 8:19; Matt 4:10; Luke 4:8; Rev 14:7). Similarly, in Revelation, John twice fell down to worship an angel, and both times the angel prevented him, saying:

“Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren … worship God” (Rev 19:10; cf. 22:9).

But the Son is worshiped.

In Revelation 5, which describes the Son’s enthronement after His ascension, the creatures in God’s throne room praise “the Lamb” (Jesus) together with “Him who sits on the throne” (the Father). For example:

“The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb” (Rev 5:8).

“Every created thing” praises both “Him who sits on the throne, AND … the Lamb” (Rev 5:13).

Then “the elders fell down and worshiped” (Rev 5:14).

Does this mean that He is God?

To respond to this question, this article discusses the following:

1. Whether Revelation presents Jesus as the Almighty God – Is Jesus the One who exists without a cause; the Ultimate Reality?

2. The difference between the English word “worship” and the word that is sometimes translated as “worship” (proskuneó)

3. Philippians 2 describes the same event as Revelation 5, namely, what happens in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension. That chapter helps to explain the worship in Revelation 5.

4. Whether the worship of Jesus means that He is God.

The end-time crisis will be about worship.

The question of worship is important. Revelation 13 and 14, describing the end-time crisis, emphasize worship:

The word “worship” appears several times. People worship the dragon (Rev 13:4) and the beast (Rev 13:4, 8, 12; 20:4) as well as the image of the beast (Rev 13:15; 16:2; 19:20).

In the context of that end-time persecution, the only direct command God gives to His people is to “worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters” (Rev 14:7).

The proposal is that the end-time crisis will be about WHO we worship.

IS JESUS GOD?

Revelation does not present Jesus as God.

For example, the book begins with the following words:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave Him” (Rev 1:1).

Firstly, this phrase MAKES A DISTINCTION between Jesus and God, implying that Jesus is not God. If we read on, we will see that the book of Revelation NEVER refers to Jesus as God but ALWAYS maintains a clear distinction between Jesus and God (e.g., Rev 1:2, 9; 5:9-10; 7:10, 17; 12:5; 12:10, 17; 14:4, 12; 20:4-5; 21:22; 22:1, 3). It reserves the title “God” for the Father ONLY. For further discussion, see – Does the book of Revelation present Jesus as God Almighty?

He is eternal and divine but also subordinate.

Secondly, since Jesus received this revelation from God, it implies that He is SUBORDINATE to God. Revelation does refer to Christ as “the first and the last,” “the beginning and the end” and “the Alpha and the Omega” (Rev 1:17; 22:12-13), implying that He has always existed. It also describes Him as “He who searches the minds and hearts” (Rev 2:23). He has, therefore, received some of the Father’s divine attributes. Nevertheless, Revelation presents Christ as subordinate to His Father. For example:

Revelation refers to the Father as Jesus’ God (Rev 1:6; 3:2, 12).

One of the frequent titles for the Father in Revelation is “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 3:21; 4:2; 5:7; 5:13-14; 7:10; 12:5; 19:4). The Father, therefore, is the ultimate Ruler.

He is also ontologically subordinate.

In defense against indications in the Bible that the Son is subordinate to the Father, some people propose a distinction between different types of subordination:

They say that Jesus is functionally (in terms of His role) subordinate to the Father but

ontologically (in terms of His substance or being) equal to God. In other words, they say that Jesus is also the Almighty; the One who exists without a cause; the Ultimate Reality.

In contrast, Revelation presents the Son as ontologically subordinate to the Father:

The Father alone is Almighty.

Firstly, Revelation (and the entire New Testament) NEVER refers to Jesus as the Almighty but maintains an explicit distinction between Jesus and the Almighty. For example:

“The Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22; cf. Rev 19:15).

Revelation identifies “God” as the “Almighty” (Rev 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6), and “God” refers to the Father ONLY. For further discussion, see – Is Jesus the Almighty?

The Father alone is Immortal.

Secondly, Jesus is “alive forevermore” (Rev 1:18) and “will reign forever” (Rev 11:15), but Revelation identifies the Father as “Him who lives forever and ever” (Rev 4:9-10; 15:7). This means that not even the Son “lives forever and ever.” As Paul stated, the Father “alone possesses immortality” (1 Tim 6:16). As the only begotten Son of God, Jesus RECEIVED His eternal existence and divine nature from the Father. But, the Father, as the Unbegotten Source of all things, alone exists without cause and has inherent (essential) immortality.

If the Father ALONE is the Almighty and ALONE has inherent immortality, then the Son is also ontologically subordinate to the Father. The Son, therefore, is not God (understood as the Ultimate Reality – the One who exits without cause), nor equal with God.

WORSHIP

The question remains, if Jesus is not God, but subordinate to God, why is He worshiped? To explain this, consider the word “worship:”

The meaning of the word.

No word in ancient Greek is fully equivalent to the modern English word “worship.” The word translated as “worship” in Revelation 5:14 is proskuneó and means “to do reverence to.” While the word “worship” generally implies that the one worshiped is a god, proskuneó is also used when people “do reverence to” an exalted person such as a king (Matt 18:26; Rev 3:7-9; Acts 10:25). For example, in Revelation 3:9, Jesus promises that those who “say that they are Jews and are not” will proskuneó before God’s overcomes. Proskuneó merely means to show extreme respect to another being, typically, by bowing down.

When somebody proskuneó before God or an idol, “worship” is an appropriate translation. But when somebody proskuneó other beings, “bow down” or “do reverence” would be more appropriate translations. For example, Revelation 3:9 is translated as Jesus saying, “I will make them come and bow down at your feet.” “Bow down,” here, translates proskuneó.

In the New Testament, people proskuneó Jesus 13 times. In all instances, the KJV translates this as “worship” but in six instances, where it is clear from the context that Jesus was not worshiped, the NASB translates this as “bow down.” For example:

“A leper came to Him and bowed down before Him” (Matt 8:2).

“A synagogue official came and bowed down before Him” (Matt 9:18; cf. (Matt 15:25; 20:20; Mark 5:6; 5:9; 15:19).

For further discussion, see – If Jesus is not God, why must we worship Him?

In conclusion, the word translated as “worship” (proskuneó) simply means to show extreme respect to an exalted being, such as a king. That beings proskuneó Jesus does not mean that He is God.

Therefore, when our Bibles translate proskuneó as “worship” when Jesus receives proskuneó, it is not because of anything in the word itself; in such instances, the translators have assumed the Trinity Doctrine in which Jesus is God Almighty; it does not prove that Jesus is God or that He is equal to His Father.

Jesus is not worshiped in Rev 5:14.

Revelation 5:14 says that the elders worship but it does not say WHO they worship. Another article analyses the worship passages in Revelation and concludes that the elders in 5:14 only worship God, the Father.

PHILIPPIANS 2

The same event as Revelation 5

Revelation 5 describes what happens in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension. In particular, it describes His enthronement at His Father’s right hand. Philippians 2:6-11 describes that very same event and EXPLAINS WHY the Son is worshiped in Revelation 5. In that passage:

1) Worship Jesus because God exalted Him.

Jesus is worshiped by the entire creation (“every knee will bow”) BECAUSE God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Phil 2:9-11). This makes a distinction between God and Jesus. It also means that we worship Jesus because God wants us to (cf. Heb 1:6).

2) Worship Him to the glory of God.

Furthermore, He is worshiped “to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:11); not independent from or co-equal with God. This relationship between the worship of the Father and the Son is also indicated by the statement:

“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23).

In other words, by honoring the Son, we honor the Father.

3) Confess Jesus as Lord; not God.

“Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord;” i.e., they do NOT confess Him as God.

This explains what we see in Revelation 5:13-14 where the entire universe praises “the Lamb” together with “Him who sits on the throne.” For a discussion, see the article on Philippians 2.

WE MUST WORSHIP JESUS.

We must only worship God – the Ultimate Reality – and Jesus is not God but subordinate to Him. Nevertheless, for reasons such as the following, I propose that we must “worship” Jesus:

We can never experience God. Created beings simply cannot see God (1 Tim 1:17) because He exists outside the physical universe. In Christ, we experience God. “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). In Christ “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:9), because “it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (Col 1:19).

God created all things through His Son (John 1:3; Col 1:16-17; Heb 1:2-3; 1 Cor 8:6). That makes the Son our Creator.

“Just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). This seems to say that only two beings have “life in Himself.”

His unique Son has received “all authority” from God (Matt 28:18). The Father is the Judge but He “has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22, 27).

“God highly exalted Him … so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow” (Phil 2:9-10). “All will honor the Son even as they honor the Father” (John 5:23).

The point is that God is the uncaused Cause of all things, but His Son is the Intermediary between God and the universe. The Son represents God. For that reason, to worship the Son, is to worship God.

For further discussion, also see the articles on:

OTHER ARTICLES

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