Did Paul teach that Jesus was God?

  • Clarifying the question

    Paul was a devout Torah-cenetered Jew, believing in one all-powerful God. (His devotion is partly why Paul persecuted Christians.) When Paul finally converted to Christianity, did he come to believe that Jesus was God, incarnated as a human? Did he attribute to Jesus God's divinity in some sense?

Yes Reasons affirming the proposition Did Paul teach that Jesus was God?
  • Paul’s letters explicitly say Jesus is God

    In his letters, Paul writes rather blatantly that Jesus is God in some sense.

    After all, he says so in…

    • Romans 9:5 — “Christ, who is God”
    • Philippians 2 — “in the form of God”
    • 2 Peter 1:1 — “Our God and savior, Jesus”
    • Titus 2:13 — “Our God and savior, Jesus”
  • Paul's churches believed Jesus was God

    The various Greek churches that Paul planted and/or pastored believed that Jesus was Good.

    • Paul’s letters assume they believe it.
    • The authorities behind Paul's churches taught it.
  • The Jerusalem church believed Jesus was God

    The church lead by the apostles in Jerusalem publicly maintained that Jesus was God.

    • …they designated Jesus as κύριος in the YHWH-sense.
    • …they taught prayer to Jesus.
    • …Peter did
  • Paul believed Jesus was God

    Paul genuinely believed that Jesus was God incarnate (YHWH).

    This page discusses this evidence:

    This helps answer our question because, if Paul believed Jesus was God then he almost certainly taught it.