About this course

This course is free because of the generosity of our Vision Partners.

Many modern Christians question and some have rejected the orthodox notion that Jesus the Messiah was divine. Based on popular authors, many of these reckon that the deity of Christ is a doctrine that was created centuries after Jesus lived and died. In this course we’ll demonstrate that Paul, the earliest writing Christian theologian, wrote his letters explicitly claiming Christ’s deity just decades after Jesus’ crucifixion. He did so chiefly, though not exclusively, by the ways in which he reread his Bible, the Old Testament. This conviction was not exclusive to Paul; it was also shared with other early Christian authors. Thus, we’ll also consider how Matthew used the Old Testament with a view to Christ’s divinity.
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Course objectives

After completing this course, you'll be able to explain:

  • The significance of the Divine Name at the time of Paul and how the apostle signaled Jesus’ significance by applying the Name to him.

  • The various views scholars have regarding how "kyrios" (Lord) became a Christological title.

  • The contexts in which Paul typically referred to Jesus as “Lord” and his exegetical techniques as he reads the Old Testament.

  • The forces and factors that led early Christians, including Paul and Matthew, to conclude that Jesus was more than human.

Course outline

    1. About this course

    2. What you'll learn

    3. What you need

    4. Instructor

    1. Objectives 01

    2. Pre-work 01

    3. Session 01

    4. Quiz 01

    1. Objectives 02

    2. Pre-work 02

    3. Session 02

    4. Quiz 02

    1. Objectives 03

    2. Pre-work 03

    3. Session 03

    4. Quiz 03

    5. Discussion 03

    1. Objectives 04

    2. Pre-work 04

    3. Session 04

    4. Quiz 04

    5. Discussion 04

    1. Objectives 05

    2. Pre-work 05

    3. Session 05

    4. Quiz 05

The Divine Christ

  • Free
  • 4 hours of video content
  • 8 Modules

Additional course details:

  • Difficulty level: 4

    The learning difficulty for this course is 4 out of 5. It is recommended for advanced students and above.

  • Unlimited access

    You receive unlimited access to the course once you enroll.

  • Certificate of completion

    You automatically receive a certificate of completion once you finish the course.

Instructor

Dr. David B. Capes

Dr. David B. Capes is the Director of the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, TX. Prior to that, he served academic posts as professor, department chair, and dean at Wheaton College, Houston Baptist University, and Houston Graduate School of Theology. He has authored, co-authored, edited, and co-edited thirteen books including Rediscovering Paul (InterVarsity Academic), Rediscovering Jesus (InterVarsity Academic), The Divine Christ (Baker Academic), Israel’s God and Rebecca’s Children (Baylor Univ. Press). He recently finished a book Matthew through Old Testament Eyes (Kregel Academic, forthcoming). He serves as the New Testament editor for the Word Biblical Commentary (Zondervan) and edits a series with Mike Bird and Scott Harrowed entitled “Studies in Early Christology.” He is married to Cathy and is the father of three boys.

Certificate program

Earn credit towards the Certificate of Biblical Doctrine when you complete this course.

View certificate program

What our students are saying

5 star rating

Joe Forest

I think Dr. Capes did a very good job of presenting the information. The most important issues were on the early commitment to LORDship theology. Dr. Capes makes a good case without being dogmatic. He lets the text do the hard part and then he ...

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I think Dr. Capes did a very good job of presenting the information. The most important issues were on the early commitment to LORDship theology. Dr. Capes makes a good case without being dogmatic. He lets the text do the hard part and then he makes an excellent judgment based on what the text actually is saying. I appreciate his scholarship and style. I like the fact he doesn't get snarky when he doesn't agree with another scholar. I would like to take further courses from Dr. Capes. The other scholars AWKNG has used are excellent too, but Dr. Capes is a class act.

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4 star rating

Good Info

Dawn Husnick

Really unique deep dive into the term Lord!

Really unique deep dive into the term Lord!

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5 star rating

The Divine Christ..wow

Daniel Bobie-Ansah Mainoo

Very important for every believer to get this course teachings as it delivers answers to questions on the deity of Christ. God bless you all

Very important for every believer to get this course teachings as it delivers answers to questions on the deity of Christ. God bless you all

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