Paul’s Christology Anchored in Scripture, Not Innovation
- Edward D. Andrews
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
The Messiah Jesus is God’s eternal Son, incarnate for redemption, exalted for dominion
Paul’s Christology is not a speculative system imposed upon the person of Jesus after the fact, nor is it derived from Greco-Roman religious syncretism or philosophical abstraction. Rather, it is a theology of the Messiah entirely rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, revealed through divine inspiration, and expressed with precision in historical terms. For Paul, the identity, mission, and exaltation of Jesus are all unfoldings of God's eternal redemptive purpose, not innovations or reinterpretations born from personal creativity or religious novelty.
Throughout his letters, Paul presents Jesus as:
The promised Messiah, descended from David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3),
The eternal Son, who existed in the form of God (μορφὴ θεοῦ) before the incarnation (Philippians 2:6),
The one sent by God, born under the law to redeem those under the law (Galatians 4:4–5),
The suffering servant, obedient unto death and therefore vindicated and exalted (Philippians 2:8–9),
The redeemer and atoning sacrifice, offering his life as a ransom for sins (Romans 3:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3),
The firstborn from the dead, inaugurating the new creation through resurrection (Colossians 1:18),
The exalted Lord, reigning over all powers and possessing all authority (Ephesians 1:20–23; Romans 10:12),
The one in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily, yet who remains distinct from the Father (Colossians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
Paul consistently grounds this understanding of Christ in the canonical Scriptures:
The Messiah’s kingship is traced through Davidic promises (2 Samuel 7:12–14; Romans 1:2–4),
His sufferings and atoning death reflect the servant songs of Isaiah (Isaiah 53; Romans 15:3),
His resurrection is in accordance with the Scriptures (Psalm 16; Hosea 6:2; 1 Corinthians 15:4),
His universal reign fulfills the promise that all nations will bow before Jehovah (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10–11).
The theological coherence across the covenants is deliberate: Jesus fulfills—not replaces—God’s prior dealings with Israel. Paul does not develop a Christology detached from Jehovah, Israel, or the covenants. Instead, he presents Jesus as the telos (τέλος)—the divinely appointed goal—of the law (Romans 10:4), and the heir of the promises given to Abraham (Galatians 3:16). The consistency in Paul’s writings lies not in philosophical consistency but in covenantal faithfulness—the belief that the same God who spoke through Moses and the prophets has now spoken fully in the person of his Son (cf. Hebrews 1:1–3).
This Christology:
Affirms strict monotheism, integrating Jesus into the divine identity while maintaining distinction from the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6),
Refutes both modalism and subordinationism, presenting Jesus as fully divine yet functionally submissive to the Father in redemptive history (Philippians 2:6–11; 1 Corinthians 15:28),
Rejects mysticism and mythology, focusing instead on historical incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation,
Insists on moral and redemptive purpose, tying Jesus’ obedience to the believer’s justification and transformation (Romans 5:19; Galatians 2:20).
Paul never presents Jesus as a mere exalted man, nor as an abstract divine principle. Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, whose humanity is real and whose deity is essential. His redemptive mission is not an afterthought or reaction but part of God’s preordained plan (Acts 2:23; Ephesians 1:4–5), in which the Son voluntarily entered into creation to redeem those under the curse of sin and death.
Therefore, Paul’s Christology stands as:
Scriptural in origin – grounded in the Hebrew canon, not external speculation.
Redemptive in purpose – focused on Jesus’ saving work, not metaphysical curiosity.
Eschatological in trajectory – Jesus’ resurrection and reign initiate the age to come.
Covenantal in structure – Jesus is the fulfillment, not the cancellation, of prior covenants.
In conclusion, Paul’s presentation of Jesus is that of God’s eternal Son, the anointed Messiah who entered human history, suffered and died for sins, rose from the dead, and now reigns with all authority until every enemy is subdued (1 Corinthians 15:24–28). He is not an addendum to God's plan, but its center. His exaltation is not the beginning of something new, but the climax of what was always promised.
About the Author
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
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