The Absolute Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
As taught in the Pentecostal / Charismatic tradition
Affirming that Jesus is fully God, co-eternal with the Father.
Within the Pentecostal tradition, the question of the identity of Jesus Christ is not merely a matter of abstract systematic theology; it is the fundamental pivot upon which the entire "Full Gospel" experience turns. The question this subtopic answers is: "By what authority does Jesus save, heal, baptize in the Holy Spirit, and return as King?" If Jesus is anything less than the eternal, absolute God, then the Pentecostal claim to a direct, supernatural encounter with the living Christ in the power of the Spirit loses its ontological foundation. For the Pentecostal believer, the deity of Christ is the guarantee that when we pray in the "Name of Jesus," we are not invoking a historical memory or a semi-divine mediator, but the very Creator of the universe who has tabernacled among us.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the primary Scripture anchors that establish the pre-existence and eternal deity of Jesus Christ within the Pentecostal framework.
- **Distinguish** between the orthodox Trinitarian view of Christ’s deity and the "Oneness" or "Jesus Only" interpretation that emerged in early Pentecostal history.
- **Explain** the significance of the *Kenosis* (Philippians 2:6-7) in relation to Christ’s continued possession of divine attributes while in human form.
- **Articulate** the relationship between the deity of Christ and His roles in the "Fourfold Gospel" (Saviour, Healer, Baptiser in the Holy Spirit, and Coming King).
- **Trace** the historical development of Article 3 of the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths as a defense against both modernism and modalism.
- **Defend** the doctrine of Christ’s deity using the *Logos* Christology of John 1 and the "image of God" theology of Hebrews 1.
- **Apply** the doctrine of the deity of Christ to contemporary Pentecostal worship and the practice of praying in the "Name of Jesus."
- **Compare** the Pentecostal emphasis on the "exalted Lord" with traditional Reformed or Catholic Christologies, noting the specific focus on the present-day activity of the God-man.
Scripture
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