Scripture already affirms that Christ is God in the flesh, but you have gone to your own personal interpretation. (Jehovah's Witnesses) The Apostles, those that Christ handpicked, those that Christ breathed the Spirit of Truth on which would be with them forever and lead them into all Truth and teach them everything about Christ, affirmed Christ was GOD.
Ignatius is the first Church Father to be listened to. Ignatius was a disciple of the apostle John and bishop of Antioch (Moyer, p. 203).In 117 AD, he was led ".. . from Antioch to Rome, having been condemned to death and expecting to be thrown to the wild beasts in the amphitheater on his arrival."
Along the way, he wrote seven epistles. Six of the letters were addressed to various churches and the seventh to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (Lightfoot, p. 97). What follows is short excerpts from four of these letters, as they are too long to post.
To the Ephesians: Ignatius opens his first epistle by telling the Ephesian church it is ".. . united and elect in a true passion, by the will of the Father and of Jesus Christ our GOD" (introduction). He commends them for ".. . having your hearts kindled in THE BLOOD OF GOD" (1:1 compare Acts 20:28).
(((Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with HIS OWN BLOOD.)))
In a paragraph discussing Jesus, Ignatius exhorts, "Let us therefore do all things as knowing that He dwelleth in us, to the end that we may be His temples and He Himself may be in us as our GOD" (15:3).
The conception of Jesus is next discussed. "For our GOD, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary according to a dispensation, of the seed of David but also of the Holy Ghost" (18:2).
Near the end of the letter, Ignatius explains the effect of the birth and death of Jesus. "From that time forward every sorcery and every spell was dissolved, the ignorance of wickedness vanished away, the ancient kingdom pulled down, when GOD appeared in the likeness of man unto the newness of everlasting life" (19:3).
To the Romans: Ignatius opens this letter, ".. .to the church that is beloved and enlightened through the will of Him who willed all things that are, by faith and love toward Jesus Christ our GOD. .. . abundant greetings in Jesus Christ our GOD in blamelessness" (introduction).
In the epistle, he writes, "Permit me to be an imitator of the passion of my GOD" (6:3). Note: Passion means, "The sufferings of Christ in the period following the Last Supper and including the Crucifixion" (American, p. 907). Remember, Ignatius is on his way to Rome to be executed.
To the Smyrnaeans: Ignatius begins this epistle by exclaiming, "I give glory to Jesus Christ the GOD who bestowed such wisdom upon you" (1:1).
To Polycarp: Ignatius tells Polycarp, "Await Him that is above every season, the Eternal, the Invisible, who became visible for our sake, the Impalpable, the Impassible, who suffered for our sake, who endured in all ways for our sake" (3:2). Note: Impalpable means, "Not perceptible to the touch: intangible. Not easily perceived or grasped by the mind" (American, p. 644; All quotations of Ignatius are from Lightfoot, pp. 137-162).
This man was a disciple of the Apostle JOHN, John instructed and ordained him. Why should I believe a cult, when those who had seen the Lord and lived with him and were hand picked by him, declared that he was the ONE GOD in the flesh of man. Scripture affirms it.
Around 155 AD, Polycarp of Smyrna, ".. . was burned at the stake, dying a heroic martyr for his faith" (Moyer, p. 331). Thus, both Polycarp and Ignatius were executed for their Christian faith. Both were disciples of the apostle John and both called Jesus GOD.
There is too much to post, but here are a few other church fathers.
Justin Martyr: "For Christ is our King and Priest and GOD and Lord"
Irenaeus: "So GOD became man and the Lord Himself saved us"
Tertullian: "In His birth GOD AND MAN united"
The Little Labyrinth: "sing of Christ as the word of God and address Him as GOD"
What member of your cult was a disciple of the Apostle John and learned from him? Oh, none of you.
Added (1). TheWordoooooooo… Hello… Trinity DOCTRINE and the Church fathers believing Christ to be God, are not synonymous. Did you see the dates of their declarations??? Of course the understanding of the Trinity came later, how the three were One, the theology. What DID NOT COME MUCH LATER were the church fathers believing Christ to be God, as they were instructed by an APOSTLE.
>>> Disciples of the Apostles and those who had seen the Lord, call Christ, GOD?