The title "True God" as applied to Jesus Christ affirms His full divinity and equality with God the Father. This designation underscores the foundational Christian belief in the Trinity, where Jesus is recognized as fully God, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The acknowledgment of Christ as "True God" is essential for understanding His nature, His work of redemption, and His authority over all creation.

Scriptural Basis

The New Testament provides several passages that affirm Jesus Christ as "True God." In the Gospel of John, Jesus' divine nature is explicitly stated: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse establishes the pre-existence and divinity of Christ, identifying Him as the Word who is God.

Further, in John 20:28, Thomas the Apostle directly addresses Jesus as "My Lord and my God!" , a declaration that Jesus does not refute, thereby accepting the title of God. This acknowledgment by Thomas is a profound testament to the early Christian understanding of Jesus' divine identity.

The Apostle Paul also affirms the deity of Christ in his epistles. In Colossians 2:9, Paul writes, "For in Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form" . This passage emphasizes that Jesus embodies the complete nature of God, not merely a portion or aspect of it.

In Titus 2:13, Paul refers to Jesus as "our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" , further solidifying His identity as God. This verse is a clear and direct attribution of divine status to Jesus, linking His role as Savior with His divine nature.

Theological Significance

The recognition of Jesus as "True God" is crucial for the doctrine of the Incarnation, which holds that God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. This belief is central to the Christian faith, as it asserts that only God could accomplish the work of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The title "True God" also affirms the authority of Christ in His teachings and miracles. As God incarnate, Jesus possesses the authority to forgive sins, command nature, and offer eternal life to believers. His divine nature ensures that His promises are trustworthy and His power is limitless.

Historical Affirmation

Throughout church history, the divinity of Christ has been a cornerstone of orthodox Christian belief. The Nicene Creed, formulated in AD 325, explicitly states that Jesus Christ is "true God from true God," affirming His divine nature against various heresies that sought to diminish His deity.

The early church fathers, such as Athanasius and Augustine, vigorously defended the doctrine of Christ's divinity, emphasizing that the salvation of humanity depends on the true and full divinity of Jesus. Their writings and teachings have been instrumental in shaping the church's understanding of Christ as "True God."

Conclusion

The title "True God" ascribed to Jesus Christ is a profound declaration of His divine nature and essential role in the Christian faith. It is a testament to His eternal existence, His authority, and His power to save. The acknowledgment of Jesus as "True God" is foundational to the Christian understanding of the nature of God and the work of redemption accomplished through Christ.1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Names and Titles of Christ. From Several Scriptures.
... 6,6,6,6,8,8 The names and titles of Christ. From several scriptures. ... What gentle
characters,. What titles he assumes! ... Nor will he bear those names in vain. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/hymn 148 the names and.htm

Names and Titles of the Antichrist
... It is only as we make a careful study of the various and numerous names and titles
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are in a position to appreciate ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/names and titles of the.htm

That Worthy Name.
... Only Christ can give joy and comfort, peace and rest to ... think of some of the familiar
titles and names of that ... How these titles of our blessed Lord, what He is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/that worthy name.htm

The Title "Word" is to be Interpreted by the Same Method as the ...
... term employed, but to enquire in what sense Christ is to ... is the Word, we must begin
with those names of which ... as to the concepts for which the titles are used ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/23 the title word is.htm

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect. For all his Ways are ...
... Jehovah holds forth more to angels than all the inculcated names and titles of God
to ... It is Christ's name, "I am the truth," the substantial truth, in whom ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon iii he is the.htm

The Fourth Theological Oration, which is the Second Concerning the ...
... They are the titles of the Son. ... all and above all keep to this, and thou shalt never
err, either in the loftier or the lowlier names; Jesus Christ is the ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xxx the fourth theological.htm

More Particularly, in what Respect Christ is Called the Truth.
... He is the Truth in this regard, that he fully answers all the titles and names which
he ... 3. There is no salvation by any thing mixed in with Christ, as the ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xi more particularly in.htm

Of the Wonders Effected by the Power of the Cross, and of Demons.
... to divinity, they took to themselves the names of powerful kings, under whose titles
they might ... After these things let them call up Christ; He will ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxvii of the wonders effected.htm

Verbal Inspiration
... Such titles are the Most High, the Almighty, the God of ... same is true in connection
with the names of our ... some passages He is referred to as Christ, in others ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter thirteen verbal inspiration .htm

The Antichrist
... Names And Titles of the Antichrist 1. The Antichrist. ... At first he will pose
as the true Christ, masquerading in the livery of religion. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/1 the antichrist.htm

What are the names of Satan? | GotQuestions.org

What is a spiritual father? | GotQuestions.org

Is God male or female? | GotQuestions.org

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