Deity of Christ
Muslims believe that Jesus cannot be Yahweh because Yahweh is one and cannot have partners.
Quick answer
The Christian response is that Paul explicitly identifies Jesus as Lord, equating Him with Yahweh in the context of the New Testament. This indicates a belief in the divinity of Christ as part of the one God, which is consistent with the Christian understanding of the Trinity.
Full argument
In the New Testament, particularly in Paul's letters, Jesus is referred to as 'Lord' or 'Kyrios,' a title that signifies divinity and authority. Paul takes the Shema, a central declaration of Jewish monotheism, and expands it to include Jesus, indicating that both the Father and the Son share in the divine identity. This is evident in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, where Paul states that there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created. This duality does not contradict the oneness of God but rather enriches the understanding of God's nature as being relational and multi-personal. Furthermore, the act of calling on the name of the Lord, which is a characteristic of worship directed to Yahweh, is also attributed to Jesus in the New Testament, reinforcing His divine status and role in salvation.
Key verses
1 Corinthians 8:6bible
For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
John 1:1bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joel 2:32bible
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved...
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