“Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus’ question in Matthew 16:15 isn’t just for the disciples; it’s the question that defines every generation.
One of the earliest heresies in Christian history continues to shape how millions of people think about Jesus today. It’s rarely called by its ancient name, but the idea survives, disguised in documentaries, cult teachings, and cultural trends.
You’ll hear it when someone says Jesus was “a man who became divine,” or when He’s described as an enlightened teacher who earned godhood. The early church faced this very distortion nearly two thousand years ago. It was called Adoptionism, the claim that Jesus was born human and became divine, adopted by God after proving Himself worthy.
Every time someone says, “Jesus was just a man” or “He became God later,” they repeat the same old error.
1. What Is Adoptionism?
Adoptionism (also called Dynamic Monarchianism) claimed that Jesus earned His title as the Son of God through obedience. Its followers taught that He lived a sinless life, passed God’s test, and at His baptism was granted divine power and status. In short, Jesus was a man who became God.
That idea sounds appealing in a culture obsessed with self-improvement and achievement. It suggests divinity can be earned, that if we live good enough lives, we too can ascend.
But that belief shatters the foundation of the Gospel. It denies Jesus’ eternal deity and undermines the truth of salvation by grace.
2. It Was an Early Heresy
Adoptionism appeared in the second century, not long after the apostles. Influenced by Gnostic ideas that treated the physical world as evil, some claimed Jesus began as a mere man and was later infused with divinity, making the incarnation more “acceptable.”
The church quickly rejected it. If Jesus were not fully God, His death could not save.
In the second century, it was spread by Theodotus of Byzantium, and in the third century by Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch. It resurfaced again in eighth-century Spain through Elipandus of Toledo and Felix of Urgell, who taught that Jesus was adopted after proving faithful.
3. It Relied on Scripture (Kinda)
Adoptionists used certain Bible verses to defend their position, especially 2 Samuel 7:13–14, where God promises David:
“He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.”
They argued this meant God became the Father of the Messiah only after the Messiah’s obedience.
But when you read Scripture as a whole, the interpretation falls apart.
They also pointed to the Gospel of Mark, since it lacks a birth narrative, to argue Jesus wasn’t divine until His baptism. Yet Mark’s “silence” doesn’t equal denial; it complements the other Gospels and begins by calling Jesus “the Lord”, a title for Yahweh Himself.
4. It Contradicts Scripture (Mostly)
The Bible tells a very different story: Jesus didn’t work His way up to God; God came down to us.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14
Jesus didn’t become God after His baptism; He was already divine before creation itself.
Adoptionism fails theologically in three ways:
- It denies Christ’s equality with the Father.
Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He didn’t grow into divinity; He is divine. - It denies His pre-existence.
If Jesus only became divine later, He would be a created being. But Colossians 1:16–17 says all things were created by Him and through Him. He cannot be both Creator and creature. - It destroys salvation by grace.
If Jesus were only human, even sinless, His death couldn’t carry the infinite weight of sin for all mankind. Only a divine Savior could do that.
The Gospel doesn’t begin with humanity reaching up, it begins with God reaching down.
Jesus obeyed perfectly because He is divine. The eternal Son took on human flesh so that we could be adopted by grace into God’s family.
We are adopted children of God through Him, not because we earned it, but because He earned it for us.
5. Adoptionism Still Exists
You might think this is ancient history, but as Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “There’s nothing new under the sun.”
The same old heresy keeps resurfacing, just dressed in modern clothes. Here are five examples:
- Jehovah’s Witnesses:
Teach that Jesus was once Michael the Archangel, created and later exalted, a recycled denial of Christ’s eternal deity. - Mormonism:
Claims Jesus is a spirit-child of God and a heavenly mother, who became a god among gods through obedience. - Islam:
Honors Jesus as a prophet but denies His divinity, treating Him as a man elevated by God, not God in the flesh. - Liberal Theology:
Portrays Jesus as a moral teacher who achieved “God-consciousness” rather than being God incarnate. - Pop Culture & “Historical Jesus” Theories:
Depict Jesus as a human teacher later mythologized into divinity by the church, a modern form of Adoptionism.
Each of these distorts the same truth: turning Jesus into an example instead of a Savior.
Final Thoughts
Christianity stands or falls on this truth:
Jesus doesn’t become the Son of God, He is the Son of God.
He didn’t climb to heaven; He came down from it.
“Father, glorify Me with the glory I had with You before the world existed.” John 17:5
If He is not fully God, He cannot save us.
If He is not fully human, He cannot represent us.
The Gospel requires both, fully God and fully man, united in one person.
Heresy changes form, but truth never does.
Jesus was never adopted by God, through Him, we are adopted by grace.
That’s the good news every generation must remember… and defend.