Jesus claims to be the Son of God

Jesus is identified as the "Son of God" in the Gospels, for example:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. -- Mark 1:1 (ESV)

And I have seen and have borne witness that this (Jesus) is the Son of God. -- John 1:39 (ESV)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. -- John 20:30

Pagan understanding

Some would argue the fact that Jesus is called "the Son of God", means he had to be divine like God. The reasoning is that the pagan cultures in Jesus life-time believed that their gods' children were also gods. Therefore, if someone would refer to Jesus as "the son of God", the audience would understand that he is divine. The Greeks were used to demi-gods who looked like humans, but who were actually supposed to be gods. The Roman empire even believed that the Caesar was a god and that each son of the previous caesar-god was the next god.

However, the author of the book of Hebrews who had supposedly written to the non-pagan Hebrew nation, also used the phrase "the son of God" (Hebrews 4:14, 6:6, 7:3, 10:29) multiple times. To the Hebrew believer, the term "son of God" does not mean yet leader claiming to be divine.

Same essence

Some people incorrectly assume that a person can only be called a "son of God" if he is made of the same essence as God.

The title "son of God" has nothing to do with a person's essence, but with his relationship with his Father who is God. Therefore, God has many "sons of God".

For example if a white European family adopts a black African child, they do not have to change his essence (DNA, ethnicity or skin colour) to be able to adopt him as a "son" in their family.

The term "son of God" is also applied people other than Jesus (Matthew 5:9; Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:14,16-17; Ephesians 1:5; Corinthians 6:18) which never refers to their essence, but instead highlights their relationship with their Father God.

Jesus was not the first "son" who called God "my Father":

“I said, 'How I would set/ you among My sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations.'

And I thought you would call Me, 'My Father', and would not turn from following Me.

Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to Me, O house of Israel", declares the LORD (YHVH).

-- Jeremiah 3:19-20 (ESV)

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? -- Malachi 2:10 (ESV)

The Son of God and Man

And we have many scriptures that refers to Jesus as the "son of man" (Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8, 40; 13:41; 16:13,27,28; 17:9,12,22; 18:11; 19:28; 20:18; 20:28; 24:27,30,37,29,44; 25:13,31; 26:2,2445,64; Mark 2:10,28; 8:31,38; 9:9,12,31; 10:33,45; 13:26; 14:21,41,62; Luke 5:24; 6:5; 7:34; 9:22,26,44,56,58; 11:30; 12:8,10,40; 17:22,24,30; 18:8,31; 19:10; 21:27,36; 22:22,48,69; 24:7; John 1:51; 3:13,14; 5:27; 6:27,53,62; 8:28; 12:23,34; 13:31; Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13; 14:14)

The Trinitarians are quick to point out that this proof that Jesus was 100% God and 100% human.

However, this conclusion cannot be made unless one understand the meaning of the two concepts: "The Son of God" and "the son of man".

Old Testament

In the Hebrew Old Testament:

  • "The Son of God" is never mentioned, except by a bad translations of Daniel 3:25 of certain bible translations.
  • "The son of man" is not used as a title for anyone. This phrase is used to describe humans and is usually used in the context of highlighting that God is not a human for example: Numbers 23:19; Job 25:6; 35:8; Psalm 8:4; 80:17; 144:3; 146:3; Isaiah 56:2; Jeremiah 49:18,33; 50:40; Ezekiel 2:1,3,6,8; 3:1,3,4,10,25; Daniel 8:17; etc.

New Testament

However, in the Greek New Testament:

Therefore, Jesus does not have to be divine to be both "the Son of God" (a child of God) and "the son of man" (the prophesied Christ).