Source: Crispin Fletcher-Louis, Jesus Monotheism: Christological Origins: The Emerging Consensus and Beyond, vol. 1 (Eugene, OR: Whymanity Publishing, 2019), 3–30.
3. NT_Christology__The_Debate.mp4
3. Incarnation_Versus_Exaltation_Why_Worship_Jesus.m4a
This extensive analysis critiques the prevailing scholarly consensus—represented primarily by Larry Hurtado and Richard Bauckham—regarding the shape and origins of earliest Christian devotion to Jesus. The author argues that this emerging view, which emphasizes Christ's exaltation and a “binitarian” monotheism rooted in post-Easter experiences, significantly minimizes the role of the Incarnation and the distinct humanity of Jesus as a core component of early Christology. Specifically, the text contends that the preexistence and earthly life of Jesus, particularly as reflected in early Christian hymns and rites like baptism, were central to his worship and not merely secondary theological developments. Furthermore, the critique extends to the consensus's dismissal of the "Son of Man" expression in the Gospels as a meaningful, titular reference to a divine, preexistent figure described in apocalyptic tradition, arguing that this title, rooted in Daniel 7, actually provides a crucial link between the Jesus of history and the worship of the exalted Christ. The ultimate purpose of the author is to lay the groundwork for a new model where the Incarnation is positioned at the "front and center" of Christological origins and the unique, distinct personal identity of the Son, alongside the Father, is fully respected.
Most of us assume that the core beliefs of the first Christians are settled history, neatly recorded in the New Testament. Behind the scenes, however, scholars are engaged in intense debates that challenge some of our most foundational assumptions about what those early followers of Jesus actually believed. These aren't just minor disagreements; they reshape our understanding of the entire New Testament narrative.
This article explores three surprising arguments from the scholar Crispin Fletcher-Louis, who pushes back against an "emerging consensus" on how the first Christians viewed Jesus. These points are not isolated critiques; together, they reveal a picture of early faith that is more complex, more deeply rooted in Jewish thought, and more intensely focused on the historical life of Jesus than we might imagine. They revolve around the very basis for worship, the identity of Jesus in relation to God the Father, and the explosive meaning of Jesus's most-used self-designation.
For decades, a leading scholarly view, championed by Larry Hurtado, has argued that Christian worship of Jesus as a divine figure began after Easter. Think of it as a divine promotion: the human Jesus completed his mission, and God rewarded him with an exalted heavenly status that commanded worship. In this model, the resurrection was the event that triggered devotion, a logical and compelling picture that may nevertheless be incomplete.
Fletcher-Louis counters this by digging into the church's oldest artifacts: its hymns. Ancient songs embedded in the New Testament (like Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20, and John 1:1-18) suggest that worship was profoundly based on the Incarnation—the belief that a pre-existent divine being chose to become human. It was Jesus’s own choices and actions during his earthly life that formed the basis for worship, not just his subsequent glorification. Praise was directed at the one who, "being in the form of God," chose to empty himself and live a life of service.
This incarnational focus is confirmed by the earliest Christian practices. The Lord's Supper, with its intense focus on Jesus's "body and his blood," and baptism into his death and resurrection, grounded devotion in the tangible, historical events of his human life. The vision in Revelation 5 reinforces this, showing the Lamb being worshipped precisely because he "was slain" and ransomed people by his blood. His actions in his earthly life are the very reason for his heavenly praise. This evidence directly challenges the post-resurrection promotion model.
In view of all this evidence, it is surprising that Hurtado can say quite so categorically that “ ‘preexistence’ and ‘incarnation’ are nowhere portrayed in the NT as the basis for worshipping Jesus.”