The verse “I am the Alpha and the Omega” is often used to claim that Jesus declared himself divine. However, a closer look shows this is problematic for several reasons:
1. *Unreliable Source:*
Revelation was rejected by many early Christian leaders, including Caius, Dionysius of Alexandria, Gregory of Nazianzus, and even Martin Luther, who doubted its value and divine inspiration.
2.*Textual Corruption*:
In Revelation 1:11, the phrase “I am Alpha and Omega” appears in the King James Version but is *absent from the oldest Greek manuscripts*. Modern Bible translations like the NIV, ESV, and NRSV omit it, proving it was a later added, not original Scripture.
3. *Misattribution to Jesus*:
In Revelation 1:8, the speaker is clearly *God the Father*, not Jesus. Even in Revelation 22:13, the passage is delivered through *an angel,* Verse 16 later shows Jesus beginning to speak in the first person, which proofs a change in speaker.
Jesus never said the phrase “Alpha and Omega” during his life, and it’s not found in the four Gospels.
Rather it’s a dream or vision that John saw long after Jesus was gone.
4. *Contradiction in Language*:
Revelation 22:16 says: *“I am the root and the offspring of David.”* This is a *logical contradiction,* Jesus cannot be both David’s ancestor (the root) and descendant (offspring) at the same time. This reflects fabrication, not divine revelation.
5.*What Does "Alpha and Omega" Mean?*
*Alpha* and *Omega* are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
* The phrase means "from beginning to end", representing everything from start to finish.
* There is no historical evidence that it was originally a special title for God.
And even if the phrase was later used to refer to God, it still refers to God the Father, not Jesus, as shown in Isaiah 44:6, where God clearly says: *“I am the first and the last.”*
*Conclusion*:
The phrase “I am the Alpha and the Omega” is *not reliable proof of Jesus’ divinity*.
It suffers from textual additions, misinterpretation, and contradiction, and comes from a book whose authenticity was widely disputed even by early Christians.