Did Jesus Claim to Be God? - Why the Evidence Says No (Alex O'Connor)

Did Jesus Actually Claim to Be God?

Alex O'Connor lays out why mainstream biblical scholarship holds that Jesus did not historically claim to be God, examines every major "proof text" Christians use, and shows how Jesus himself undermined each one by extending the same authority to his disciples.

The Scholarly Landscape

In biblical scholarship for the past few hundred years, it has been mainstream to say that Jesus did not historically claim to be God. This is not a fringe view. Key works:

• Maurice Casey ("Jewish Prophet to Gentile God"): a non-Christian scholar who traced the trajectory
• Bart Ehrman ("How Jesus Became God"): the most popular biblical scholar currently, accessible treatment of how divine claims developed after Jesus
• Brandt Pitre ("Jesus and Divine Christology," published recently): attempts to reclaim the idea that Jesus DID make divine claims. Even he opens by admitting most scholars think Jesus didn't claim to be God. His argument: if he didn't claim it, why did followers believe it so immediately?

The Pattern: Everything Jesus Does, He Gives to the Disciples

The Proof Texts Examined

1. "Only God Can Forgive Sins" (Mark 2)

Jesus forgives sins, and the religious leaders object. Christians say this proves he's claiming to be God.

Problem: In John 20, Jesus gives the authority to forgive sins to his disciples: "As the Father has sent me, now I'm sending you. If you forgive people's sins, they're forgiven." If the disciples can only do it because Jesus gave them authority, then Jesus can only do it because God gave him authority. It's the same chain.

2. "Walking on Water" (Matthew 14 / Job 9)

Job 9 says "God alone treads upon the waves of the sea." Jesus walks on water. Christians say this means Jesus is God.

Problem: Peter then gets out of the boat and walks on water too. He starts sinking because he lacks faith. Jesus says if Peter had enough faith, he would have stayed on the water. This means you don't have to be Yahweh incarnate to walk on water. God can give that power to anyone.

3. "I and the Father Are One" (John 10:30)

Jewish opponents pick up stones to kill Jesus for "claiming to be God."

Jesus's own response: "Haven't you read your scripture? Other people in the Old Testament are called gods. Why do you accuse me of blasphemy for claiming to be the son of God?" He explicitly clarifies he's NOT claiming to be God in the way they think.

4. "Anyone Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father" (John 14)

Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus says: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

His own explanation: "I am in the Father and the Father is in me." This is a relational statement, not an identity claim.

Translation Matters: John 12:44

A striking example of how translation shapes theology:

NIV (most popular): "Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me."

ESV (more literal): "Whoever believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me."

The word "only" does NOT appear in the Greek. But the NIV translators, already assuming Jesus claimed to be God, added it to smooth the meaning. Without "only," Jesus is separating himself from God. With "only," he's connecting himself to God. One word changes the entire theological reading.

O'Connor's advice: whenever a verse seems important, confusing, or is being used in a theological argument, always check Bible Hub's Greek interlinear to see what the original actually says.

John 1:1 and the Definite Article

The famous opening: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

In Greek:

• "The Word was with ton theon" (ton = the definite article, "THE God")
• "And the Word was theos" (NO definite article, just "god/divine")

The difference between "the Word was with THE God" and "the Word was god/divine" is significant. Some scholars argue the second usage means "divine" rather than identifying Jesus as identical to God. The Jehovah's Witnesses translate it as "the word was a god." Others suggest "the word was divine." At minimum, the distinction between ton theon and theos is invisible in English translations but present in the Greek.

What Was Jesus Doing Then?

O'Connor's view: Jesus was providing an idyllic example of what a perfectly faithful person could be. Walking on water illustrates this. Jesus does it perfectly. Peter does it partially because his faith wavers. The message: this power comes from faith in God, not from being God. Jesus is the model of perfect faith, not the object of worship.

Why This Complexity Exists

The early church faced this exact mess. They gathered at councils, debated, and settled on doctrines. Catholics argue the Holy Spirit guided those decisions. But if you start reading the texts yourself and question whether the councils got it right, you've regained spiritual freedom but now face the enormous task of working through everything yourself.

As O'Connor puts it: "Every layer leads to ten more layers, and it's exponential." The church's simplified version ("Jesus said he was God, died for your sins, join this community") is effective precisely because people don't have time to read Greek interlinears. But the complexity is real and the questions are legitimate.

Sources

Alex O'Connor (Cosmic Skeptic) conversation. References: Bart Ehrman "How Jesus Became God," Brandt Pitre "Jesus and Divine Christology," Maurice Casey "Jewish Prophet to Gentile God."