Gospel of Q Confirms: Jesus is God!
Table of Contents
The Q Gospel is a hypothetical sayings Gospel, which scholars have reconstructed from the material found in Matthew and Luke. These scholars theorize that since Matthew and Luke include some of the same sayings of Jesus not found in Mark, they must have used a common source. The scholars have labeled this nonexistent hypothetical reconstruction Quelle (“Q”), a German word meaning “Source.”
Since this alleged Gospel predates the composition of Matthew and Luke, this would mean that it was written before 60-70 AD, with scholars typically dating it between 40-50 AD. This in turn implies that these sayings were circulating within less than 20 years of Jesus’ resurrection, and were being passed on by the very first generation of believers and eyewitnesses. Such a dating, therefore, insures the reliability and authenticity of these Jesus’ sayings.
With that said, I will be quoting from Q to show places wherein Jesus explicitly claims to be God. The version of Q I will be using is taken from Gregory Riley: NRSV Translation of Q according to Funk/Miller. All emphasis will be mine.
First Saying
3:16-17 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
The Baptist describes Christ doing what the Hebrew Bible ascribes to YHWH alone.
For instance, the Hebrew prophets taught that it is YHWH who pours out and fills people with his Holy Spirit, and that he is the One who sifts the righteous and the wicked with his winnowing fork:
“But now hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus says Yahweh who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour out water on the thirsty ground And streams on the dry land; I will pour out My Spirit on your seed And My blessing on your offspring;” Isaiah 44:1-3
“And I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will make My people perish; They did not repent of their ways.” Jeremiah 15:7
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to do My judgments.” Ezekiel 36:25-27
“‘And I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ declares Lord Yahweh.” Ezekiel 39:29
“Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am Yahweh your God, And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. And it will be afterwards That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; Your old men will dream dreams; Your young men will see visions. Even on the male slaves and female slaves I will in those days pour out My Spirit.” Joel 2:27-29
Second Saying
6:46-49 "Why do you call me `Lord, Lord (kyrie, kyrie),' and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."
The phrase Jesus employs, which Q renders as kyrie kyrie (“Lord, Lord”), appears in the Greek versions of the Hebrew Bible (Septuagint [LXX]) as a description for YHWH himself. This Greek expression is used to translate the Hebrew phrase Adonay YHWH/YHWH Adonay.
I include either the translation of the Greek phrase or the entire English rendering from the LXX so the readers can see this for themselves:
“O Lord Yahweh (kyrie kyrie), You have begun to show Your slave Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?” Deuteronomy 3:24
“And I prayed to Yahweh and said, ‘O Lord Yahweh (kyrie kyrie), do not destroy Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a strong hand.’” Deuteronomy 9:26
“Then I said, ‘Ah Lord Yahweh (kyrie kyrie)! They are saying of me, “Is he not just speaking parables?”’” Ezekiel 20:49
“And it happened when it had completed eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, ‘Lord Yahweh (kyrie kyrie), please pardon! How can Jacob rise up, For he is small?’” Amos 7:2
“And the prayer was after this manner; O Lord, Lord (kyrie kyrie) God, Creator of all things, who art fearful and strong, and righteous, and merciful, and the only and gracious King, The only giver of all things, the only just, almighty, and everlasting, thou that deliverest Israel from all trouble, and didst choose the fathers, and sanctify them:” 2 Maccabees 1:24-25
“May those who hope for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord Yahweh of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,” Psalm 69:6
“Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord of hosts (kyrie kyrie ton dynameon), be ashamed on my account: let not them that seek thee, be ashamed on my account, O God of Israel.” Psalm 68:7 LXX
“But as for You, O Yahweh, O Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;” Psalm 109:21
“But thou, O Lord, Lord (kyrie kyrie), deal mercifully with me, for thy name’s sake: for thy mercy is good.” Psalm 108:21 LXX
“O Yahweh, O Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” Psalm 140:7
“O Lord God (kyrie kyrie), the strength of my salvation; thou hast screened my head in the day of battle.” Psalm 139:8 LXX
“For my eyes are toward You, O Yahweh, O Lord; In You I take refuge; do not pour out my soul to death.” Psalm 141:8
“For mine eyes are to thee, O Lord God (kyrie kyrie): I have hoped in thee; take not away my life.” Psalm 140:8 LXX
Q, therefore, has Jesus identifying himself as the Lord YHWH!
Third Saying
7:18-20, 22-23 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 20 When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, `Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'" 22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
We again see Jesus doing exactly what the Hebrew Bible says YHWH will come to do:
“The wilderness and the desert will be delighted, And the Arabah will rejoice and flourish; Like the crocus It will flourish profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of Yahweh, The majesty of our God. Strengthen limp hands, and give courage to the knees of the stumbling. Say to those with an anxious heart, ‘Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.” Isaiah 35:1-6
Fourth Saying
7:24-28 When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written, `See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 28 I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Christ identifies the Baptist as the Messenger whom the prophet Malachi said would be sent ahead of God to prepare for his coming:
“‘Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord (ha adon), whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says Yahweh of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
The phrase ha adon is only used of YHWH in all of its other occurrences:
“Therefore the Lord (ha adon), Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, ‘Ah, I will be comforted concerning My adversaries, And I will avenge Myself on My enemies.’” Isaiah 1:24
“For behold, the Lord (ha adon), Yahweh of hosts, is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water,” Isaiah 3:1
Moreover, the Hebrew Bible is emphatic that the Temple belongs to YHWH God alone:
“Then King David said to the entire assembly, ‘My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for Yahweh God.’” 1 Chronicles 29:1
These examples conclusively prove that the figure whose appearance John came to prepare for is that of YHWH God Almighty. Yet Jesus and the Baptist are clear that the latter was actually sent to prepare for the coming of Christ.
This means that Jesus is that YHWH God whom the prophet Malachi announced was going to show up in his temple!
Fifth Saying
10:21-22 At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
10:23-24 Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
Jesus’s statements are truly remarkable for a couple of reasons. First, he claims to be the One that the prophets and kings of old desired to see and hear. Secondly, and even more astonishingly, Jesus portrays himself as an omniscient, incomprehensible Being. This can be inferred from the fact that only a Being who is incomprehensible could say that the Father alone truly knows him since this presupposes that only an omniscient mind is able to comprehend the Son.
Moreover, only an omniscient Being could further assert that he alone knows the Father in the same way that the Father knows him. This is because God by his very nature is beyond the comprehension of finite creatures, which is why they can never know him fully and completely:
“Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; Who does great things, unsearchable, And wondrous works, innumerable.” Job 9:8-10
“Can you find the depths of God? Can you find the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. If He sweeps by or shuts up, Or calls an assembly, who can turn Him around?” Job 11:7-10
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.” Job 36:26
“Where Can I Go from Your Spirit? For the choir director. Of David. O Yahweh, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Yahweh, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And You have put Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” Psalm 139:1-6
“Gimel Great is Yahweh, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares Yahweh. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Romans 11:33
Since the Father is God, and therefore beyond understanding, this means that Jesus must be omniscient in order for him to fully know the Father to the same extent that he is fully known by him.
Sixth Saying
17:22-24, 26-30, 34-35, 37 Then he said to the disciples, The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will say to you, `Look there!' or `Look here!' Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30 – it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left." 37Then they asked him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."
In this saying, Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man whom the prophet Daniel saw:
“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And came near before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory, and a kingdom, That ALL the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue Might serve (yipelachun) Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not be taken away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
As the readers can see, this human like figure is truly divine since he rides the clouds like God does,
“Bless Yahweh, O my soul! O Yahweh my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, Wrapping Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out the heavens like a tent curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He sets up the clouds to be His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind;” Psalm 104:1-3
“The oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, Yahweh is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will shake at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.” Isaiah 19:1
“Yahweh is slow to anger and great in power, And Yahweh will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. Beth In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.” Nahum 1:3
Rules forever like God does,
“I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom, men are to fear and be in dread before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be unto the end.” Daniel 6:26
“Mem Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures from generation to every generation.” Psalm 145:13
“You, O Yahweh, sit enthroned forever; Your throne is from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5:19
And receives the exact same worship that God alone is supposed to receive:
“Then the reign, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve (yipelachun) and obey Him.” Daniel 7:27
“Then the king said the word, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king answered and said to Daniel, ‘Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself save you.’” Read full chapter Daniel 6:16
“When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king answered and said to Daniel, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to save you from the lions?’” Daniel 6:20
Therefore, Jesus is again claiming to be God when associating himself with the figure that Daniel saw.
Seventh and Eighth Sayings
19:12-26 So he said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, `Do business with these until I come back.' 14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, `We do not want this man to rule over us.' 15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, `Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.' 17 He said to him, `Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.' 18 Then the second came, saying, `Lord, your pound has made five pounds.' 19 He said to him, `And you, rule over five cities.' 20 Then the other came, saying, `Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, `I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' 24 He said to the bystanders, `Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.' 25 (And they said to him, `Lord, he has ten pounds!') 26 `I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
22:28-30 "You are those who have stood by me in my trials; 29 and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
In these sayings, Jesus is again portraying himself as the King who comes to reward his servants and punish his enemies with destruction.
In making himself out to be the eschatological Judge who comes on the Last Day to repay each person for what they have earned, Jesus is once again describing himself as God:
“Vav But Yahweh abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, Vav And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will render justice for the peoples with equity.” Psalm 9:7-8
“And that to You, O Lord, belongs lovingkindness, For You repay a man according to his work.” Psalm 62:12
“Before Yahweh, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.” Psalm 96:13
Scriptural citations taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
Further Reading
The Gospel Q and the Identity of Jesus
YHWH: One like the Son of Man Has Come!
Answering Islam – Sam Shamoun Theology Newsletter
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