The Apostles’ Creed mentions the divinity of Jesus in these words: “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.” Christians have always intended words like “Christ,” “Son of God,” and “Lord” to indicate Jesus’ divinity.

We will focus on just two of the terms the Apostles’ Creed uses to point to Jesus’ divinity. Let’s begin with the meaning of the term “Son of God” that Scripture applies to Jesus.

The first thing we should note about the language “Son of God” is that Scripture often uses it to talk about beings that are not divine in any way. For example, the angels are referred to as sons of God in passages like Job 1:6 and 2:1. In some modern versions of the Bible, these verses are translated to say “angels” rather than “sons of God.” But in the passages from Job, the Hebrew actually says benay haelohim, which literally means “sons of God.” And we find similar language in other passages.

Adam, the first human being, is called the son of God. The nation of Israel is also called God’s son. The human kings of Israel were also referred to as God’s sons, And as all Christians know, in many passages in Scripture, God’s faithful believers are called his sons. But if the title “son of God” does not in and of itself mean that Jesus is divine, why has the church made such a big deal about it?

When we look at how the New Testament talks about Jesus, it becomes clear that he is God’s son in a unique way. Jesus’ unique sonship is especially clear in the Gospel of John. For instance, in 1:1-18, we are told that Jesus is the eternal word of God, meaning that he is both God himself, and the only begotten of the Father. We also see it in John 8:18-23, where Jesus said that as the Father’s son, he had come from above, that he had not originated in this world. And we find it in John 10:30, where Jesus insisted that he and the Father are one.

One of the most emphatic things that we find in the New Testament is that Jesus is the unique Son of God. That he shares in the very essence of who God is. Or another way of putting that is that Jesus is “very God of very God.” And we are the children of God by relationship, by adoption, but not by essence. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He has always been the Son of God. [Dr. Tom Schreiner]

Now that we have looked at the significance of the term “Son of God,” we are ready to see how the title “Lord” points to Jesus’ divinity. When the New Testament calls Jesus “Lord,” it’s translating the Greek word kurios. Kurios was a rather common word meaning “ruler” or “master,” and it was even used as a polite form of address, like the English word “sir.” As such, kurios was frequently applied to mere human beings.

At the same time, the New Testament also uses the word kurios as a name for God. Given this range of meaning, why should we think that the use of the word kurios in the New Testament implies that Jesus is divine? Why shouldn’t we think that it simply refers to his earthly authority or honor?

One of the most amazing passages in the New Testament is where it talks about every knee will bow and every [tongue] will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, Philippians 2. And actually, Paul, at that moment is quoting from Isaiah, where it was a hymn of praise that everyone would confess that Yahweh was the Lord. Now, he’s deliberately taking that Old Testament passage and saying that, instead, Jesus Christ is the Lord. And at that moment it’s quite clear the New Testament is saying Jesus Christ is not just a master, he is to be identified with the Lord God of Israel. [Dr. Peter Walker]

Now, this is not to say that every time people in the New Testament called Jesus “Lord,” they recognized his divinity. Sometimes they simply intended to show him human respect. But when the church formally confesses that Jesus is Lord, as we do in the Apostles’ Creed, we’re affirming the biblical teaching that Jesus Christ is God, and that as God, he is a full member of the Trinity, with the same divine attributes as the Father and the Holy Spirit.