Did the Early Church Really Believe Jesus was God?

Many today, when presented with the concept of Jesus as equal to and one with God in both person and power, quickly reject the idea of Jesus as God. One of the most popular arguments against Jesus as God is that even the early church did not view Jesus as God. But is that really the case, or is this a matter of misinterpretation and slander?

The early church struggled to answer the question "how do we rationalize calling Jesus Lord when all that we have believed up to this point has told us very plainly that there is but one God?" Most of these believers had come from the Jewish belief in Yahweh, who admonished them against ever worshiping any God but him (Deuteronomy 5:6-24), and had already punished them for the worshiping of the various idols of the nations around them. Israel had gone through much in their long and sordid history that was a direct consequence of their worship of other gods, and would not want to make that mistake again.

However, we see very soon after Jesus' resurrection that Thomas, who doubted the resurrection to the point of telling those who had seen Jesus that he wouldn't believe until he placed his finger in the wounds of Jesus, breaks down right away to call Jesus "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28) Jesus himself embraces this exclamation, which tells us either that he was delusional with a God complex, heretical with a God blasphemy, or graceful with God's truth.

That instance aside, what did others say about Jesus after his death and subsequent resurrection? Within the text of the Bible, Paul ascribes deity to Jesus in Philippians 2:5-11.

"...Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped...God highly exalted him, and bestowed on his the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those who are in heaven and on the earth...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father."

This kind of doxology is only ever ascribed to God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, and would be viewed as blasphemy to be written about anyone besides God himself. Paul writes these kind of doxological statements throughout his writings to the early church, and does so unashamedly.

The Apostle John also claimed Jesus' deity in his gospel, saying in his first chapter that Jesus was with God in the beginning, that he was fully God at that time, and that the world and everything in it was created through him (John 1:1-2). In fact John, who was a part of Jesus' inner circle, claims throughout his gospel that Jesus is the incarnate God, and that he deserves to be worshiped.

The Jewish culture would have to work to great lengths to rationalize this with their heritage. How could they accept this easily when all that they have been taught vehemently opposes this kind of thinking?

The answer: it was not easy, and it was based on eyewitness accounts and factual evidence. Only given this kind of proof would those of the Jewish faith come to accept the idea that Jesus was God. The power of the church in Acts, the strength of evidence supporting the words of the Apostles, and the spreading word about what had happened during Jesus' life and after his unjust death served to create a strong case for Jesus to be the God that he claimed to be.

It seems only appropriate to conclude here with the text of one of the earliest hymns to Jesus that the church produced, called the Phos Hilaron, which means "O Radiant Light."

Phos Hilaron (O Radiant Light)
Third Century Greek Hymn

O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine
Of God the Father's deathless face
Image of the Light Sublime
That fills the heavenly dwelling lace.

Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
As shine the lights of eventide,
We praise the Father with the Son,
The Spirit blest with them One.

Oh Son of God, the Source of Life,
Praise is Your due by night and day;
Unsullied lips must raise the strain
Of Your proclaimed and splendid Name.

Sources:
Biblical references come from the New English Translation of the Bible

Phos Hilaron.: http://baritonejeff.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c22523211f604a00c225241ac58e1d.html