God directly calls Son God; Christ's deity clearly affirmed
WELS affirms that Hebrews 1:8 is a direct affirmation of Christ's full and true deity. God the Father addresses the Son as 'God' (Psalm 45:6), which is an unambiguous statement of the Son's divinity. WELS strict confessional theology grounds Christology in biblical texts such as this one. The passage is integrated into the doctrine that Christ is 'true God, begotten of the Father from eternity,' a central confession of the Apostles' Creed and the Small Catechism.
WELS recognizes Hebrews 1:8 as one of several New Testament affirmations of Christ's deity (cf. Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13) and understands it as fundamental to Christian faith and practice. The passage is cited in WELS theological resources as biblical evidence for the full equality of Christ with the Father.
Key Distinctions
- Christ divinity:
- clear and unambiguous affirmation of deity
- Psalm application:
- Worship status:
Scripture References
Sources
- Book of Concord, Small Catechism, Apostles' Creed (1529)
- WELS doctrinal position papers on Christology
- Luther's Large Catechism