Jesus Is God Because Only God Is Our Savior

I, even I, am Yahweh, And there is no savior besides Me. — Isaiah 43:11 LSB (Legacy Standard Bible)

Declare and draw near with your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has made this heard from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. — Isaiah 45:21 LSB (Legacy Standard Bible)

Yet I have been Yahweh your God Since the land of Egypt; And you were not to know any god except Me, And there is no savior besides Me. — Hosea 13:4 LSB (Legacy Standard Bible)

Formal Equivalence (Word-For-Word)

  • Received Text (Textus Receptus)

    11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

    20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

    13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

    6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

    1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

    20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

    18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 KJV (48.83% / 66.58%)

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    11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

    20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

    13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

    6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

    1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have [a]obtained like[b] precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

    20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

    18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 NKJV (60.32% / 65.21%)

  • Majority Text

    11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

    20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

    13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

    6 whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior;

    1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

    20 For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

    18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 WEB (World English Bible)

  • Critical Text

    11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

    20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

    13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

    6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

    1 Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who have received the same kind of faith as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

    20 For if they are overcome, having both escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and having again been entangled in them, then the last state has become worse for them than the first.

    but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 LSB (NASB ‘95 61.65% / 67.99%)

    –

    11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

    20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

    13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

    6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

    1 Simeon[a] Peter, a servant[b] and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

    20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

    18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 ESV (62.36% / 68.74%)

Dynamic Equivalence (Thought-For-Thought)

  • Critical Text

    11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

    20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

    13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

    6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.

    1 This letter is from Simon[a] Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness[b] of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

    And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.

    18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 NLT (70.08% / 39.90%)

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    11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

    20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

    13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

    6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

    1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

    20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

    18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 NIV (67.20% / 53.10%)

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    11 Today[a] your Savior is born in the city[b] of David.[c] He is Christ[d] the Lord.

    20 But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

    13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing[a] of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.[b]

    6 whom he poured out on us in full measure[a] through Jesus Christ our Savior.

    1 From Simeon[a] Peter,[b] a slave[c] and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God[d] and Savior,[e] Jesus Christ, have been granted[f] a faith just as precious[g] as ours.

    20 For if after they have escaped the filthy things[a] of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,[b] they[c] again get entangled in them and succumb to them,[d] their last state has become worse for them than their first.

    18 But grow in the grace and knowledge[a] of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the honor both now and on[b] that eternal day.[c]

    — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 NET (66.28% / 53.94%)

  • NET Bible Translator Notes

    b. Titus 2:13 NET tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on Sharp’s rule see ExSyn 270-78, esp. 276. See also 2 Pet 1:1 and Jude 4.

    d. 2 Peter 1:1 NET tc A few witnesses (א Ψ 442 vgmss syph sa) read κυρίου (kuriou, “Lord”) for θεοῦ (theou, “God”) in v. 1, perhaps due to confusion of letters (since both words were nomina sacra), or perhaps because “our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” is an unusual expression (though hardly because of theological objections to θεοῦ).

    e. 2 Peter 1:1 NET tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. In fact, the construction occurs elsewhere in 2 Peter, strongly suggesting that the author’s idiom was the same as the rest of the NT authors’ (cf., e.g., 1:11 [“the Lord and Savior”], 2:20 [“the Lord and Savior”]). The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on the application of Sharp’s rule to 2 Pet 1:1, see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290. See also Titus 2:13 and Jude 4.

    b. 2 Peter 2:20 NET sn Through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The implication is not that these people necessarily knew the Lord (in the sense of being saved), but that they were in the circle of those who had embraced Christ as Lord and Savior.

Messianic Bible translations

  • Critical Text

    11 A Savior is born to you today in the city of David, who is Messiah the Lord.

    For our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

    13 We wait for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.

    6 whom He abundantly poured out on us through Messiah Yeshua our Savior,

    1 Simon Peter, a slave and emissary of Messiah Yeshua, To those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua:

    20 For if—after escaping the world’s pollutions through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah—they again become entangled in these things and are overcome, the end for them has become worse than the beginning.

    18 Instead, keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity! Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 TLV (Tree of Life Version, Formal Equivalent)

    –

    11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord.

    20 But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

    13 while continuing to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, which is the appearing of the Sh’khinah of our great God and the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah.

    6 whom he poured out on us generously through Yeshua the Messiah, our Deliverer.

    1 From: Shim‘on Kefa, a slave and emissary of Yeshua the Messiah To: Those who, through the righteousness of our God and of our Deliverer Yeshua the Messiah, have been given the same kind of trust as ours:

    20 Indeed, if they have once escaped the pollutions of the world through knowing our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah, and then have again become entangled and defeated by them, their latter condition has become worse than their former.

    18 And keep growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory, both now and forever! Amen. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 CJB (Complete Jewish Bible, Dynamic Equivalent)

Highly Idiomatic Translation / Paraphrase

  • Critical Text

    8-12 There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

    20-21 But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

    11-14 God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

    3-8 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

    1-2 I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.

    20-22 If they’ve escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they’re worse than if they had never left. Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. They prove the point of the proverbs, “A dog goes back to its own vomit” and “A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud.”

    17-18 But you, friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. — Lk 2:11; Phil 3:20; Tit 2:13, 3:6; 2Pet 1:1, 2:20, 3:18 MSG (The Message)

Conclusion

Only Yahweh God is our Savior Isa 43:11, 45:21, Hos 13:4, and therefore since Jesus is our saviour he is our God!