“For the devil, seeing that they are weak in reasoning, draws them on by the misuse of the Scriptures; and so these men, like the devil, quote the Scriptures, but not according to their meaning, and thus mislead themselves and others.”
-St. Athanasius, Four Discourses Against the Arians 3.28
19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
The Objection: How can Jesus be God when it says, "God is not man"?
Reply: Here the common focus, as well as cut-off is "God is not a man". The immediate context obliterates such a deceitful objection by showing that God himself is "not a man", in that he does not lie or is not dishonest. Ironically this shows the dishonesty of the objector using such a proof text.
17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
The Objection: Ah see! Jesus clearly denies He is good because He says, "only God is good".
Reply: This is a rhetorical answer given by Christ. Therefore He must claim likewise to be God in such a case. Since he is both asked, about "what is good" and "who is good". This is an implication of lack of evil or sin, which the Scriptures attest to that Christ is without.
Example: Someone comes up to Michael Jordan not knowing who he is while he practices on his local court. A small child comes watching him practice says to him, "Wow you may be the best, basketball player i've seen." Michael Jordan turns around and says, "That's impossible only Michael Jordan could be the best basketball player." Then he smiles hands him the ball and returns home.
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
The Objection: How can Jesus be God if He doesn't know the time or the hour, only the Father?
Reply: This is directly attested to in Scripture. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philip 2:5-7. This shows us,
“Form of God” – This indicates Christ’s pre-existent divine nature.
“Did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” – He did not cling to or exploit His divine privileges.
“Emptied himself” (ekenōsen) – Literally means He voluntarily set aside the use of divine prerogatives, taking the form of a servant/human.
Purpose – To humble Himself, become fully human, and fulfill God’s redemptive plan.
Thus, during His earthly ministry, Christ voluntarily refrained from using some divine privileges, including full knowledge of the end times. Later, after His resurrection and glorification, He restored His divine prerogatives:
Jhn 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed.”
Matt 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
In this way, Christ is fully God, yet during the incarnation, He voluntarily limited certain divine attributes for the sake of humanity and the redemptive mission.
37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.
The Objection: If Jesus is God how could he die?
Reply: Scripture helps us understand that death does not mean ceasing to exist, but rather refers to the separation of body and life according to human nature. In Christ, death occurred according to the flesh (His human nature truly died), but His divine nature remained alive and unbroken. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Pet 3:18
Example: Picture a ship floating on the sea. The lower deck floods — this represents Christ’s human death. The upper deck remains dry, symbolizing His divine nature, which is unbroken and fully alive. The ship as a whole remains afloat, just as Jesus remained fully God while His humanity experienced death.
Later, in His resurrection, His human nature is glorified. Imagine the flooded lower deck being replaced with new, restored planks, while the upper deck remains unchanged. This shows that Christ’s humanity was truly restored and glorified, fully united with His divine nature, just as Scripture teaches.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
The Objection: If Jesus is God how can He be "granted life"?
Reply: This is simply understood by the incarnation and the hypostatic union. Since the Father must "grant life" to Humans he must therefore "grant life to Christ who is both human and divine. Grant does not imply inferiority of Christ's divinity, but the relation of human and divine nature. Jhn 6:57 affirms such a case, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me will live because of me.”
49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
The Objection: How can Jesus be God if he doesn't speak on his own authority?
Reply: This demonstrates the reality of the hypostatic union and the incarnation. Philip 2 speaks of Christ’s humility and His voluntary setting aside of divine privileges. In His human nature, Jesus was fully dependent on the Father and perfectly obedient to Him. This does not diminish His divinity; rather, it shows the depth of His humility and His perfect union of human and divine natures.
Since the Father is from heaven, Christ likewise must be from heaven. Isa 48:14–19 emphasizes this divine sending:“Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The Lord loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way. Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there. And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never have been cut off or destroyed from before me.”. Similarly, Jhn 3:31 confirms Christ’s heavenly origin: He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
The Objection: How can Jesus be God if He calls the Father the "only true God"?
Reply: This is a simple answer. Since Jesus is truly human in his incarnation he must necessarily have the Father as his God. As Scripture itself states, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” Jer 32:27. Since Christ assumed flesh in His incarnation He is right in calling YHWH, or the Father, "the only true God"
Note: You may also not the passage clearly indicates Christ shares in the glory, authority, and giving of eternal life, properties only attributed to God Himself. And that eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son, both.
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
The Objection: Here Jesus shows the Father is the Only God! And How can Jesus if God have a God?
Reply: Once again you may refer to the previous response. Christ rightly claims the Father as his God since He is truly flesh. Jer 32:27. Further, this is fleshed out by Scripture as Saint John says, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” Jhn 3:13, and also confirmed by Proverbs, “Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!” Prov 30:4
3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
The Objection: See, Christ is clearly not God, but subordinate to him as his God.
Reply: This in no way shows diminishing of Christ deity. For this shows only the economic roles of the Trinity. Since also He is the Son, likewise he must be directed by the Father. And because of His great Humility, he intercedes for us as our head to the Father his God and our God. 1 Tim 3:4, Rom 8:34, Heb ( 7:25, 9:24 ). Thus, Christ’s subordination in this passage refers to His role in the divine plan of Salvation, not a limitation of His divine nature.
20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
The Objection: How can Jesus be God if, "God is one"?
Reply: This Oneness is affirmed by Christians. For God is of one Substance. And the Son of one Substance with the Father. This is why Christians may claim to monotheism since the divine substance is possessed by all persons of the Trinity fully. if this where not the case, they would either be less divine or polytheistic in nature.
Note: This verse also shows that for there to be a true mediator, he must be of divine origin and fully God. Christ fulfills this requirement: He is God incarnate, mediating on behalf of humanity through the hypostatic union. His mediation is not a sign of inferiority, but a reflection of His divine and human natures working together to reconcile humanity to the one true God.
17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Objection: How can Jesus be God if He is "immortal" (and Jesus died) and Invisible (Christ was visible)?
Reply: This objections once again attacks a strawman of the hypostatic union. For, the flesh was put to death and is invisible and not the divine, which Christ also possessed, which are both such things. Likewise, we may say Christ is also immortal and his flesh glorified with Him as He says, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Rev 1:17-18
7 For there are three that testify:
The Objection: This is not in all the manuscripts. This proves the trinitarian innovation.
Reply: This is again grasping at the wind. Although this is only in some manuscripts and likely added by a scribe, this does not in anyway shake the foundation of trinitarian proofs provided. Since it does not effect, if taken away, any theology, it only serves as a zealous scribes attempt at a cherry on top commentary. Patristic and Scriptural Orthodoxy are not unraveled so easily by a feather argument only added to if such things are used.
“But you, attempting to explain away the Scriptures by your interpretations, say that it is not so. You have not understood what has been spoken, but you explain it as it pleases you, and you contradict yourselves in what you say.”
-St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 38