The Divinity of Jesus Christ:
The Recipient of Prayer
​Question: Does the New Testament identify Jesus as God?
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Overview
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The divinity of Jesus is established in the New Testament by Jesus claiming divine attributes and divine authority. In addition to this, the New Testament authors apply to Jesus the exclusive titles and descriptions of God from the Old Testament. It should be noted that although Jesus is God, Jesus is not the Father and Jesus is not the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Second Person of the Triune God: Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit.
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The following is an example of Jesus being identified as God in the New Testament.
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The Recipient of Prayer
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The Old Testament describes calling on the name of the LORD as an act of prayerful worship directed exclusively to God. It entailed using or invoking God's name while speaking to God (Genesis 12:8, 21:33, Psalm 99:6-7, 116:1-4, 116:13, 116:17 & Joel 2:32), and nowhere in the Old Testament are God's people allowed to call on anyone other than the God of Israel.
The New Testament says that Christians call on the name of Jesus in prayer and worship (Acts 9:1-22, Romans 10:9-13 & 1 Corinthians 1:1-3). That to ‘call on the name of Jesus' involves speaking directly to Jesus is seen from how the phrase ‘call on the name of the LORD’ is used in the Old Testament as a synonym for prayer addressed to God. The phrase possesses the same meaning when applied to Jesus and shows that prayer can be directed to Jesus because Jesus is God. The practice of calling on the name of Jesus was established by the instruction that Jesus gave to the Apostles shortly before his departure (John 14:13-14). See other examples of the Apostolic Church speaking to Jesus in prayer (Acts 1:15-26, 7:54-60, 1 Corinthians 16:22-23 & 2 Corinthians 12:6-10).
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Bible Passages
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Genesis 12:8
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(8) From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Genesis 21:33
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(33) Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
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Psalm 99:6-7
(6) Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. (7) He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
Psalm 116:1-4, 116:13 & 116:1
(1) I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. (2) Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. (3) The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. (4) Then I called on the name of the LORD: “LORD, save me!”
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(13) I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
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(17) I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.​
Joel 2:32
(32) And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
John 14:13-14
(13) And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Acts 1:15-26
(15) In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) (16) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. (17) He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
(18) (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. (19) Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
(20) “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his place of leadership.’​
(21) Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, (22) beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
(23) So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. (24) Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen (25) to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” (26) Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
See Luke 6:12-16
(12) One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (13) When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: (14) Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, (15) Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, (16) Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
See Acts 1:1-14
(1) In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach (2) until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. (3) After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (4) On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (5) For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
(6) Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
(7) He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. (8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(9) After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (10) They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. (11) “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
(12) Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. (13) When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. (14) They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 7:54-60
(54) When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. (55) But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (56) “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
(57) At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, (58) dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
(59) While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (60) Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
See Psalm 31:5
(5) Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.
See Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
(6) Remember him - before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, (7) and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Acts 9:1-22
(1) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest (2) and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (3) As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. (4) He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
(5) “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. (6) “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
(7) The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. (8) Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. (9) For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
(10) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
(11) The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. (12) In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
(13) “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. (14) And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
(15) But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. (16) I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
(17) Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (18) Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, (19) and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. (20) At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (21) All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” (22) Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
Romans 10:9-13
(9) If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (11) As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (12) For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, (13) for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
(1) Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, (2) to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours: (3) Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:22
(22) If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord! (23) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
2 Corinthians 12:6-10
(6) Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, (7) or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. (9) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (10) That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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