Did Jesus Actually Claim to be God?

Links Mentioned in this Episode: https://bartehrman.com/bsa - Join Bart's live Spotlight series this Sunday, June 29th. If you're not in the Biblical Studies Academy yet, you can join with a free 14-day trial. (Recording available if you're seeing this late) 👀 https://bartehrman.com/gospels - dive deep into the New Testament gospels and the stories that have defined a faith (use discount code MJPODCAST at checkout for a special offer) Episode Description: Was Jesus walking around first-century Palestine declaring himself to be God? Or did early Christian beliefs about his divinity emerge only after his death? In this thought-provoking episode of Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman, host Megan Lewis sits down with renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman to explore how Jesus’ own words and actions—especially as reported in the Gospels—fit within ancient concepts of divinity, humanity, and the growing Christian understanding of who Jesus really was. From the outset, this episode tackles one of Christianity’s foundational debates: Did Jesus claim to be God? Or is this an idea that developed after his death? Dr. Bart Ehrman brings his signature clarity and insight to bear, drawing on decades of study of the ancient world, biblical texts, and early Christian thought. Exploring the Ancient World’s Concept of Divinity The discussion opens with Megan and Bart reflecting on the slippery boundaries between gods and humans in antiquity. Bart explains how, in cultures like ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, figures such as pharaohs, emperors, and even select mortals were seen as divine—or at least semi-divine. Unlike today’s sharp split between the mortal and the divine, ancient religions largely saw this as a permeable spectrum: humans could become gods, gods could appear as humans, and some people were understood as part-divine. Bart clarifies, however, that in Judaism, the situation was more nuanced. While it was blasphemous for a Jew to claim to be the God (YHWH), there are still stories of exalted human figures—such as Enoch or Moses—who take on semi-divine status in Jewish tradition. Did Jesus Claim Divinity in the Gospels? The episode’s core is a careful analysis of what the Gospels actually say about Jesus’ self-understanding: In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Bart points out that Jesus never directly claims to be God. While some passages (like forgiving sins in Mark 2) are used today to argue for his divinity, Bart explains these reflect Jesus acting more as a priest or an exalted human rather than as God himself. Titles like “Son of Man” and “Son of God” are unpacked in their Jewish contexts—where “Son of God” referred to a human king, and “Son of Man” could have divine implications, but not in the way most modern readers expect. Contrastingly, the Gospel of John, written decades later, does depict Jesus making explicitly divine claims: “Before Abraham was, I am,” “I and the Father are one,” and “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Bart discusses how, by the time John’s Gospel emerged, Christian theology about Jesus’ divinity had “developed” dramatically, which is why such statements don’t appear in earlier sources. A Developmental View of Christian Belief Bart charts how the belief in Jesus’ divinity evolved: Early followers came to see Jesus as specially exalted after experiencing appearances of the resurrected Jesus. These experiences led to beliefs that Jesus was taken up to heaven—and thus, according to ancient understandings, made divine. Over time, this belief moved earlier and earlier in Jesus' story: from his resurrection, to his baptism, to his birth, and finally, in John’s theology, to his pre-existence with God before creation. Key Takeaways The idea that Jesus claimed to be God is not found in our earliest Gospel sources (Matthew, Mark, Luke); it is only in the later Gospel of John that Jesus speaks as a divine being. Ancient views of divinity allowed for a spectrum from mortal to divine, and early Christians navigated these ideas as they articulated who Jesus was. The claim that Jesus was fully God developed in stages among his followers after his death, not during his lifetime. Key Points Ancient cultures did not see a rigid division between humans and gods; divinity operated on a continuum. Jewish tradition allowed for exalted figures but drew a line at claiming to be the God, YHWH. Ancient readers would have understood “Son of God” and “Son of Man” very differently than many modern Christians. The Synoptic Gospels portray Jesus as an inspired prophet, perhaps the Messiah, but not as God himself. Incidents like forgiving sins (Mark 2) are about Jesus’ authority, not a direct claim to divinity. The Gospel of John, written later, elevates Jesus to a much higher divine status, even suggesting pre-existence.