In his excellent book, Without a Doubt, Ken Samples provides a brief list of Scripture texts which attest to the deity of Jesus Christ. This list, as Ken notes, is incomplete, but it is a good start. Here are some texts you may want to study for the next time you encounter a proponent of one of the modern-day cults (i.e. Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, etc.) or a theological liberal (i.e. someone who denies the deity of Christ).

Divine titles proclaimed by or attributed to Jesus Christ: 1) God (John 1:1, 18; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8), 2) Lord (Mark 12:35-37; John 20:28; Rom. 10:9-13; 1 Cor. 8:5-6), 3) Messiah (Matt. 16:16; Mark 14:61; John 20:31), 4) Son of God (Matt. 11:27; Mark 15:39; John 1:18; Rom 1:4; Gal 4:4), 5) Son of Man (Matt. 16:28; Mark 8:38; 14:62-64; Acts 7:56).

Prerogatives or actions of God in the Old Testament proclaimed by or attributed to Jesus Christ: 1) Worship of God (Is. 45:23/Phil. 2:10-11), 2) Salvation of God (Joel 2:32/Rom. 10:13), 3) Judgment of God (Is. 6:10/John 12:41), 4) Nature of God (Ex. 3:14/John 8:58), 5) Triumph of God (Ps. 68:18/Eph. 4:8).

Divine names, actions, or roles proclaimed by or attributed to Jesus Christ: 1) Creator (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10-12), 2) Sustainer (1 Cor. 8:6; Col 1:17; Heb. 1:3), 3) Universal Ruler (Matt. 28:18; Rom 14:9; Rev. 1:5), 4) Forgiver of sins (Mark 2:5-7; Luke 24:47; Acts 5:31; Col. 3:13), 5) Raiser of the dead (Luke 7:11-17; John 5:23; 6:40), 6) Object of prayer (John 14:14; Acts 1:24; 7:59-60; 1 Cor. 1:2), 7) Object of worship (Matt. 28:16-17; John 5:23; 20:28; Phil. 2:10-11; Heb. 1:6), 8) Object of saving faith (John 14:1; Acts 10:43; 16:31; Rom. 10:8-13), 9) Image and representation of God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).

Divine attributes or qualities proclaimed by or attributed to Jesus Christ: 1) Eternal existence (John 1:1; 8:58; 1 Cor. 10:4; Col. 1:17; Heb. 13:8), 2) Self-existence (John 1:3; 5:26; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), 3) Immutability (Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8); 4) Omnipresence (Matt. 18:20; 28:20; Eph. 1:23; 4:10), 5) Omniscience (Mark 2:8; Luke 9:47; John 2:25; Col. 2:3), 6) Omnipotence (John 1:3; 2:19; Col 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2), 7) Sovereignty (Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Pet. 3:22; Rev. 19:16), 8) Authority (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:22), 9) Life in himself (John 1:4; 5:26; Acts 3:15).

Again, this list is incomplete (and, for the sake of space, I left out a few citations that Samples gave), but it is a good start. Indeed, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, is the eternal Son of God who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The above list in its entirety can be found on pages 125-6 of Ken Samples, Without a Doubt.

Shane Lems is pastor of the United Reformed Church in Sunnyvale, Washington (in the Yakima Valley). He is a graduate of Westminster Seminary California. He blogs, along with fellow classmate Andrew Compton, at Reformed Reader where this article first appeared: it is used with permission.