Romans 9:5 and the Deity of Christ

 

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From: The “Proper Deity of the Word” 1834 (Page 22) by John Scott Porter

Let us now consider...Romans 9:5,-“Of whom, as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.” I have no reluctance, whatever, to let this verse stand as it is, without the slightest alteration or amendment of the common translation, although the words will readily admit of a different rendering; and, still, I maintain, that it does not carry out the proof of our Lord's Proper Deity.

[The Rev. Mr. Bagot, in the printed Abstract of his Sermons, has favoured his readers with five different methods of eluding the force of this passage, proposed by anti-Trinitarians. This was very kind in him; and, of course, the Unitarians are most grateful. At the same time, his kindness was thrown away, as the force which he ascribes to the passages, can be eluded, with equal ease, even if we admit the common reading. If Dr. DRUMMOND chose to suggest a transposition and alteration of the original text, Dr. DRUMMOND is, alone, responsible. The Unitarian body are no more accountable for Dr. DRUMMOND's criticisms, than the Episcopalians of Ireland are for Mr. Bagot's.]

We have, already, seen with what latitude the epithet “God," is used in Scripture. We have seen it applied both to men and angels. Our Saviour, himself, assures us, that the title was bestowed upon all “to whom the Word of God came.” How very applicable, therefore, would it be to Him to whom “the Father bath given the Heathen for an inheritance, and the uttermost bounds of the earth for a possession?” How very applicable would the title be to Him, “who must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet:” till Death himself be destroyed: till, having no more enemies to curb, he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; and “himself be subject unto Him, who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” And here, too, as on every other disputed point, we are anxious, that the quotation may not be read separately from the context; for the verses preceding it abundantly prove, that the Apostle had no idea, whatever, of ascribing Proper Deity to the person whose doctrine he was recommending to the Jews. The context will not justify us in awarding the title God, to our Saviour, in any other sense than as subordinate to the Father.

But, it was not necessary, for our argument, to have shown the insufficiency of this alleged proof. The Rev. Gentleman, at the commencement of his discourse, discarded the term Christ as an improper phrase; because, as he asserted, Christ was the name of a complex Being, and expressive of Proper Manhood, not less than of Deity. But, here, the Apostle uses no other name than Christ. He even traces his descent from the Father's, according to the Flesh. And, it is with reference to the FLESH, that he calls him “God over all, blessed for ever.” The Rev. Gentleman was, therefore, bound by his own rules not to have advanced this text: but even if it had established his point, it would have proven, not the Proper Deity of the WORD, but the Proper Deity of the Man.
Let him, however, avail himself of it, if he will, and apply it to our Lord; and he cannot, by any power of argument, deduce from it unequivocal proof of his Proper Deity.

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See also On the Construction of Romans 9:5 by Ezra Abbot 1881
"...Christ, who is God over all, forever praised. Amen." New International Version

Now compare:

"God who is over all be forever praised." NIV footnote
"...God, who is over all, [be] blessed forever. Amen." NWT
"May God, supreme above all, be blessed for ever! Amen" New English Bible
"God, who is over all be blessed for ever." Revised Standard Version
"Blessed for evermore be the God who is over all!" Moffatt
"May God, who rules over all, be praised forever!" Good News Bible/TEV
"God who is over all be blessed forever." Smith&Goodspeed's An American Translation
"May God, supreme above all, be blessed for ever! Amen" Revised English Bible
"I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised forever!" Contemporary English Version
"He who is over all, God, blessed unto the ages." Rotherham's Emphasized Bible
"God is over everyone, Praise Him forever." Simple English Bible
"God be blessed who is above all things forever." Unvarnished NT/Andy Gaus
"God who is over all be blessed forever." New American Bible*
"God is over everyone, Praise Him forever." International English Bible
"May God, who reigns over all, be blessed through the ages." Pre-Nicene New Testament
"God be exalted throughout the Eons." Eonian Life Bible New Testament
"May God who is over all, be blessed forever." Wilton Translation New Testament

"Does Paul speak of Jesus as 'God/god'? The debate here revolves round one text in particular - Rom. 9.5...the juxtaposition of 'the Messiah' and 'he who is over all, God' would most obviously suggest different referents, rather than the same person in different status...to infer that Paul intended Rom. 9.5 as a benediction to Christ as 'God' would imply that he had abandoned the reserve which is such a mark of his talk of the exalted Christ elsewhere. And this would be no insignificant matter. For it would not allow any of the qualification outlined above in terms of God sharing his sovereignty with the exalted Christ. For 'he who is over all, God' can hardly be other than the one God, the Creator, elsewhere described by Paul (in his benedictions!) as 'the God and Father of'our Lord Jesus Christ.'" The Theology of Paul the Apostle by James D. G. Dunn

"Paul’s clear statements elsewhere, such as 1 Corinthians 8.6 and Ephesians 4.5-6, on the same subject should indicate his intent in Romans 9.5b. Plus, his constant practices of affirming strict monotheism, distinguishing Christ and God, subordinating Christ to God, and identifying only the Father as God indicate he could not have intended to call Christ “God” in Romans 9.5b." Kermit Zarley

"Rom. 9.5 is disputed. After Paul has expounded the position of Israel in salvation history and has emphasized as an especial advantage the fact that Christ according to the flesh, stems from this people, he adds a relative clause, which runs lit. “who is over all God blessed for ever. Amen.” Even so, Christ would not be equated absolutely with God, but only described as a being of divine nature, for the word theos has no article. But this ascription of majesty does not occur anywhere else in Paul. The much more probable explanation is that the statement is a doxology directed to God, stemming from Jewish tradition and adopted by Paul. Overwhelmed by God’s dealings with Israel, Paul concludes with an ascription of praise to God. The translation would then read, 'The one who is God over all be blessed for ever. Amen.” or alternatively, “God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.'" J. Schneider, “God” in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol. 2, ed. Colin Brown, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), p. 80.