22/01/2026
The arguments presented against the divinity of Jesus Christ, often associated with the teachings of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), rely on a series of selective Bible verses taken out of context, combined with logical fallacies.
As Catholics, we affirm the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus Christ based on Scripture, Tradition, and the consistent teaching of the Church since the apostles.
This is the doctrine of the Incarnation (God the Son becoming truly man without ceasing to be God) and the Trinity (one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
Let’s address the main points raised, exposing the illogical assumptions and fallacies (especially the false dilemma, proof-texting without context, and equivocation on terms like "man" or "change").
1. The Claim: Jesus is not God because He is called "a man" (e.g., John 8:40, "a man who has told you the truth...")
This is a classic false dilemma (either fully man OR fully God, but not both). The Bible teaches both natures in Christ without contradiction.
Catholics fully agree Jesus is truly man (true humanity, flesh and blood). But Scripture also explicitly calls Him God:
John 1:1, 14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
John 20:28: Thomas declares to the risen Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus accepts this without correction.
Colossians 2:9: "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
Hebrews 1:8: The Father says of the Son, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever."
The INC argument ignores the hypostatic union (one Person with two natures: divine and human).
Jesus speaks and acts from His human nature when saying He is "a man," but He is eternally God.
2. The Claim: God cannot become man because "God is not a man" (Hosea 11:9, Numbers 23:19, Ezekiel 28:2, etc.)
This commits equivocation on "man" and ignores context.
Hosea 11:9: "I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst..."
This contrasts God's unchanging holiness, mercy, and faithfulness with fickle, sinful human behavior (in context, God refuses to destroy Israel like a wrathful human would). It does not say "God cannot become man" or "God cannot take on human nature."
Numbers 23:19: God does not lie or change His mind like humans do. Again, about God's reliable character, not prohibiting the Incarnation.
These verses condemn humans falsely claiming to be God (e.g., the prince of Tyre in Ezekiel) or pagan ideas of gods changing whimsically. They do not rule out the eternal Son voluntarily assuming human nature without altering His divine essence.
The Incarnation is God adding humanity to His divine Person (Philippians 2:6-8), not God changing into a man or ceasing to be God.
God remains immutable (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).
3. The Claim: God is spirit without flesh and bones (John 4:24; Luke 24:39), so God cannot have a body.
Another false dilemma.
The divine nature is spirit (immaterial), but in the Incarnation, the Son assumes a human nature (with body, soul, flesh, and bones) while retaining His divine nature unchanged.
Luke 24:39: Jesus shows His resurrected body has flesh and bones to prove He is not a mere spirit/ghost.
This affirms His true humanity post-resurrection, but does not deny His divinity.
The Son "emptied Himself" (kenosis, Philippians 2:7) by taking the form of a servant—not by losing divinity, but by voluntarily limiting the exercise of divine privileges (e.g., submitting to human limitations in His mission).
4. The Claim: Jesus had a beginning / came from the Father (John 8:42), is not eternal / without origin (Isaiah 63:16; Psalm 90:2).
This confuses the eternal generation of the Son with a created beginning.
The Son is eternally begotten from the Father (not created), sharing the same divine essence eternally (John 1:1-2: "In the beginning was the Word... He was in the beginning with God").
John 8:42: Jesus speaks from His human mission ("I came forth and have come" as sent by the Father), not denying eternal existence.
Jesus claims pre-existence: "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58), using God's name from Exodus 3:14.
5. The Claim: Jesus did not know the day/hour of judgment (Matthew 24:36), so He cannot be God (who knows all things, 1 John 3:20).
This is explained by Christ's two natures (a key Catholic/Christian teaching).
In His divine nature, Jesus knows all things (as God).
In His human nature, He experiences genuine human limitations during His earthly mission (e.g., growth in wisdom, Luke 2:52; fatigue, John 4:6).
Matthew 24:36 refers to knowledge in His human nature or in His role as revealer (He was not sent to disclose that detail publicly).
The Church Fathers (e.g., Athanasius, Gregory) explain this as human ignorance assumed for our sake, not a defect in divinity.
This does not mean the Son lacks omniscience eternally—only that in the Incarnation, He submits to human limits.
6. The Claim: Pagan parallels (Acts 14:11) prove the Catholic belief in God incarnate is pagan.
This is guilt by association fallacy.
Pagans wrongly thought mere humans (Paul/Barnabas) were gods descending.
The Incarnation is unique: the eternal Son becomes man once for salvation, not multiple gods appearing temporarily. The Bible condemns paganism while revealing the true Incarnation (John 1:14).
7. The Claim: God does not tire/die (Isaiah 40:28; 1 Timothy 1:17), but Jesus tired/died.
Again, two natures: The divine nature is impassible (cannot suffer/die), but in the Incarnation, the Son assumes a passible human nature. The Person who dies is divine, but He dies in His humanity (the "communication of idioms": what is true of one nature is attributed to the Person).
Summary: The Core Fallacy
The entire argument rests on Unitarian presuppositions (God is one person only, no distinctions within God) and rejects the possibility of the Incarnation. It cherry-picks verses emphasizing Jesus' humanity while ignoring or twisting those affirming His divinity.
This echoes ancient heresies like Arianism (Jesus as created/subordinate) condemned by the early Church.
The Bible presents a fuller picture: Jesus is true God (eternal, omniscient in divinity, creator) and true man (born, grows, suffers, dies).
This mystery is central to salvation—only God can save, and only man can represent humanity in atonement.
Catholics invite honest reading of all Scripture, guided by the Church Christ founded (Matthew 16:18-19; 1 Timothy 3:15). The Trinity and Incarnation are not inventions but the revealed truth about who Jesus is: Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).
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