The Witness of the Early Church: Who is Jesus?

Before presenting my biblical case concerning Jesus, I think it is important to begin with history. For many Christians, the belief that Jesus is God is not experienced merely as one interpretation of Scripture; it is closely connected with Christian orthodoxy itself and with nearly seventeen centuries of creedal tradition. That history deserves to be taken seriously. At the same time, the historical record is more complicated than the impression that Christians simply possessed the fully developed later doctrine of Christ from the beginning. Early Christians spoke about Jesus in a variety of ways, and Christian explanations of his relationship to God developed through centuries of interpretation, controversy, councils, and debate. That does not prove that my understanding of Jesus is correct, nor do I claim that the earliest Christians all believed exactly what I believe. History cannot settle the biblical question for us. But it can show that later orthodoxy should not be treated as though it makes renewed examination of Scripture unnecessary. I therefore begin with the Christian witness so that readers—especially those who have been taught that questioning Jesus’ deity automatically means abandoning historic Christianity—can first see how the doctrine developed and then return with me to the New Testament itself. These articles also appear in my Christian History section, where I examine the broader development of Christian doctrine: 10. The Witness of the Early Church: Who Is Jesus? Part 1 and 11. The Witness of the Early Church: Who Is Jesus? Part 2