Daniel P Warner

Debate over Jesus’s Divinity

Many religions deny the divinity of Jesus, claiming that he did not always exist. They may say that as the Son of God, he was created, and then assisted in the rest of creation. They may claim that he was an enlightened prophet. Atheists, of course, do not believe that Jesus was anything more than a good man who taught peace and love. And there are other views.

Often these arguments will state that Jesus was not regarded as divine by even his earliest apostles, but that this claim was added to biblical texts later, and not fully adopted until the First Council of Nicaea in 325AD. In fact, the Nicaean Creed didn’t even reach its final form until the Council of Constantinople in 381AD.

So what’s the truth? Did the first Christians worship Jesus as God?

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed describes Jesus as “God from God, Light from Light.” It clearly claims that Jesus Christ is divine. Why did they bother writing this creed?

The council was established to combat a heresy of the day called Arianism, which took the position that Jesus was created as opposed to the creator. Arians believed there was a time when Jesus did not exist and was just another of God’s creations. The council rejected that view, stating that Jesus is equal to the Father and has always existed as the eternal Son of God.

So the claim of Jesus’s divinity can be tracked back to 325AD, at least. But did they make up the idea then?

Archaeological Evidence – The Megiddo Mosaic

The answer to the previous question is a resounding no. In 2005 in Northern Israel, an incredible find was uncovered inside the grounds of an Israeli prison. The Megiddo Mosaic decorated the floor of one of the earliest Christian prayer halls ever found, dating to around 230AD, over 100 years before the council of Nicaea. What’s notable about this mosaic are its claims of the divinity of Christ. Prominent in the mosaic are two large fish, an ancient symbol of Christianity.

Dedication to “God Jesus Christ”

In the center of the mosaic sat a table that was used to observe Eucharist. The mosaic’s dedication inscription reads: The God-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.

Roman Influence – Gaianus, the Centurion

Interestingly, the find was near the remains of a Roman legionary base at the foot of Tel Megiddo. And one of the inscriptions mentions a Roman centurion funding the project of the mosaic. Christianity must have had infiltrated the Roman military in this particular outpost, if this centurion felt bold enough to have his name inscribed. The inscription reads:

Gaianus, also called Porphyrius, centurion, our brother, has made the mosaic at his own expense as an act of generosity.

Geographic Importance

So where is Megiddo, anyway? Remember that Israel forms a land bridge between Egypt to the south and Turkey/Mesopotamia to the north. Megiddo is located on the edge of the Jezreel Valley, at an important Roman crossroads in northern Israel.

A huge Tel (a giant mound burying ancient civilizations) is located here, named Tel Megiddo. Several important battles were fought in the Jezreel Valley. Many Christians believe this valley to be the future sight of the bloodiest of all battles, Armageddon.

Summary

Does this prove that Jesus was always regarded as divine by early Christians? Not completely, but it sure provides strong evidence to the claim. At a minimum, it pushes back the timeline for this assertion to the 2nd Century.

Does it prove that Jesus actually was divine? Of course not. But it is one more brick in the wall of evidence.