Understanding the One Person of the Godhead

I know that this subject with all it's intricate details and issues is probably one of the least understood topics. Most simply feeling that this should be one of those things we will just have to find out once we get to heaven, therefore resting the whole topic as a mystery of faith and accepting this excuse not to find out the truths revealed by Scripture. In my searches of Scripture I have found that study has made understanding the Godhead much simpler than "The Great Mystery" it has been made out to be. Here is what I have found:

First Point:

Note that it plainly states that God's eternal power and Godhead are CLEARLY seen and understood by His creatures. Why? Because God has shown these things to us leaving us with no excuse not to know him. Does this mean we should know absolutely every finite detail about God? I don't think so, but we should be able to know at least as much as the Bible tells us. And here it tells us that the Godhead should be no mystery, because saying it is a mystery is an excuse for ignorance. If the Word tells us that God has indeed shown us the things that pertain to His power and Godhead then it is our responsibility to search out the matter and come to conclusions that are doctrinally sound.

Second Point:

What does scripture have to say about the nature of God? If we look up the word God itself it simple says self existant one. In other words One who has life within himself, or even simpler the `Eternal one. We know scripture also tells us that God is omniscient, all knowing, and omnipresent, filling all space at the same time. Now two very important attributes to God's nature are the fact that he is a Spirit, and that Spirit is invisible.

Wait a minute here what about those places it says God appeared in the Old Testament? Ok, now this is where we need to pay special attention and use some of our noggin. Tell me exactly what would an invisible Spirit that fills all space have to do in order to become visible? Very simply God would have to put on a visible form. In the Old testament those appearances were called theophanies. Sometimes being called the Angel of the Lord, or One like the Son of man. But in short, and understandibly it is impossible to see all of God at once because He fills all space, but when He chooses he can put on a visible form. Now concerning that form. This is where Jesus comes in, because if you noticed in John 1:18 it says that Jesus ...hath declared him.

Also all these verses are speaking of Jesus:

Simply put the verses above are saying that when we are seeing Jesus we are seeing the body that God has chosen to reveal Himself through. Just to further understand this relationship consider this verse in Revelations:

Note the relationship: God is the source of the light, the Lamb is the portable lamp. God is the source, Jesus is the vessel. God is the invisible Spirit, Jesus is the body. The Lamb is not the Father, The Lamb is the vessel through which the Father, the invisible Spirit is revealed and made known.

Again:

At this point I need to bring up an issue I know will stir some somebodies pot. But I want to define some terminology.

Whenever the Bible speaks about either God or the Father it is speaking of that great Eternal Spirit that is invisible and fills all space. This is very important because knowing this truth will let you realize it is impossible to ever actually see God. How can we who are so small and finite ever see something that is bigger than all that exists in this universe? Besides this being invisible to begin with. Nevertheless God has a mind, will, personality, and attributes etc. that He wants His creation to understand and this is where Jesus comes in.

Whenever the Bible speaks about the Lamb, or Christ, or the Son of man, or the Son of God. It is speaking of the man that was born of the Virgin Mary and later died on calvary. These terms are speaking of the anointed chosen sinless body in whom the Eternal Spirit the Father resided and through which has made His will known to all creation.

That man was 100% human just like you or me only he was sinless. The man part of him was not God because an eternal God by definition cannot be born with beginning of days, nor can an eternal God with life within himself die as he did. It was the man that said "The Father is greater" It was the man that hungered, thirsted, and suffered all the things common to mankind. It was the man with his human spirit and human will that prayed in submission to the Greater Eternal Spirit the Father, not my human will be done, but thine. It was the man that suffered extreem cruelty in the hands of sinful men. It was the man that was hung on a cross and payed an extreem penalty so that you and I would not have to suffer eternity in hell. And it was the man that was buried. And that is where the man ceased to exist. Because after that point he who was sown in corruption was raised as LORD of all. It is our Glorified Lord that now sits on the throne of heaven with 100% of everything that the Eternal Spirit posseses. Every single title, attribute and credit ever associated with Yahweh of the Old Testament are now possessed by Jesus. Whose name literaly means: (Yahweh has become our Salvation)

Jesus now, after the resurrection is not in the Godhead, but everything that God is, is in Him. The Godhead is in Him!!!!

Everything that can be known and understood of God the eternal Spirit, is understood by knowing Jesus. Because Jesus has declared Him. All we will ever see in heaven is Jesus sitting on the throne. Jesus is not another person, He is THE person of God.

One God, (invisible Spirit) + One person (body) of God, Jesus Christ =

Father and Son = Spirit and Body = One living God = The Godhead = JESUS

That's the Godhead in a nutshell!! If you have grasped this truth then you are doing better than most. The rest of this study will dig a bit deeper into selected passages and show how this Oneness doctrine holds fast and true throughout the Bible.

Just to refresh our memory:

1) The terms God, and Father are interchangeable, and always refer to the Eternal invisible Spirit.

2) The terms Son, Son of man, Son of God, Lamb, Christ etc. are all interchangable, and always refer to the Man that was born, lived, suffered, died, and rose again.

So Jesus then, as mentioned, can always be thought of as the Body in whom the Eternal invisible Spirit made itself visible.

What also must be brought into account is that Man Christ Jesus, and this is important, the Man has his own separate human will that was always in submission to the Greater will and mind of the Eternal Spirit, God.

OK, with these things in mind we can put those passages that seem to indicate three persons and are often refered to under the microscope and examine if the definitions hold true.

Just to give a complete account here I want to also work out of the parallel passage in John 1:29-34

This is a critical point to remember but this entire account is John the Baptists record on giving a positive ID to the Messiah. Note John stating "I knew him not" then he goes on to say but God told me "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descend" he's the One! So the whole point of these passages is identifying the Messiah. OK, then let's go back to Matthew and see if the definitions above fit this passage.

So what we have is The Spirit of God speaking and in essence saying This is my son (my body) in whom I am well pleased. I see two wills being manifest, that of the Father, and that of the Man Christ Jesus, but only one person is present, and that is Jesus. The problem with the traditional understanding of the trinity is in the insistence of using the term three persons. There are two definitions for the word Person in scripture and they are as follows:

This word is used in scripture when it speaks about the person of people:

But we have a seperate and unique to Jesus word for person found in this passage:

So then God's "Person" (hupo/stasis) is an inferior agent, being a mortal man. Jesus confirming this by saying "My Father is Greater" He has been set up to represent God "All authority is given unto me in heaven and earth"

Even more insight is gained in the definition for the word Image:

Now then if we combine these definitions we come up with this: Jesus, the Man, the Son, is in a position under submission (Hupo) and stands (histemi) for the exact copy or representation (Charakter) of God the invisible eternal Spirit. (This is the Oneness position) Jesus the man in submission to the "Greater" Father, the eternal invisible Spirit, yet being the perfect and exact representation of all God is in power and character "the fullness of the Godhead"

Can you see how it becomes difficult if we use pure scripture, and scriptural definitions to say that there are three persons, or three exact copies, or three under submission. That would make all three inferior to each other. This is just plain irrational, and not "Clearly seen and understood" This is why the traditional ideas of the trinity doctrine are scripturally unprovable, and must be declared a mystery just as an excuse for ignorance. Just a honest examination of the evidence shows how Oneness is the truth of the Godhead.

Let's move on to the next passage and I will add just a bit just to clarify what Paul is saying.

 Translating this into plain Brooklynese comes out like this. God the eternal Spirit has ordained Jesus Christ to be Lord of Lords and King of Kings for the express purpose of destroying the chaos that Satan introduced. In that ordination God the Eternal Spirit has given Jesus All Authority in heaven and earth to accomplish this task. When in the end that task is finished something is going to happen (we see through a glass darkly) but at that point all that exists will be "God all in all" "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us...." (John 17:21) The mystery of marriage where two become one is something we cannot fully understand right now. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1 Cor 13:12) Note how the next passage holds a similar thought in that "Man" has been given dominion over the works of God's hands and then explains that "Man" specifically is Jesus.

Jesus was made, born of a virgin with beginning of days and mortal who has been given the position of LORD of all. (this puts a dilema on the co-eternal, co-equal elements of the trinity doctrine) So now we have the scriptural definition of who Jesus is:

((Jesus, the Man, the Son, is in a position under submission (Hupo) and stands (Histemi) for the exact copy or representation (Charakter) of God the invisible eternal Spirit. (This is the Oneness position) Jesus the man in submission to the "Greater" Father, the eternal invisible Spirit, yet being the perfect and exact representation of all God is in power and character "the fullness of the Godhead"))

We ask does this definition fit with what was said in the above passages? I would say that it very clearly does indeed!! As a matter of fact this definition can be held up to every other passage throughout the Bible and without fail prove itself true. We have two wills, that of the Man in submission to the greater will of the Father, but we have only One invisible Spirit God, and One exact copy in power and character Jesus, forming together the One person of the Godhead. Having said this let's go to Rev. 5 I'll just touch a few points. We have the throne of God in heaven, but notice very carefully the only "Form" mentioned is that of the Lamb Jesus, and here Jesus is receiving authority from God, this then is another parellel to Cor. 15:

Notice the task:

And the authority to complete the task being received:

I appreciate the consistency and faithfulness of the Word of God. Holding accurate theology makes it all the more beautiful. I like being able to read the Word and understand what I am reading and have confidence in the truths being revealed. Knowing Jesus is the One with all power and authority to save my soul makes knowing these verses all the more significant.

Finally, with the understanding of all that has been said I want us to look at Isaiah 9:6-7 and see the how the progressive fulfillment of that prophecy is being worked out in Jesus.

A careful examination of this passage reveals stages in the life, work, and identity of Jesus.

His beginning

1) "For unto us a child is born"

His Work

2) "Unto us a Son is given"

The Son was given as the Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world. His sacrifice paid for our salvation.

His Glorification

3) "And the government shall be upon his shoulder"

His Present Identity

"And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace"

 

God's one New Testament saving name is JESUS

Jesus is the Father

Jesus said: "I am the first" / "In the beginning God" / "In the beginning was the Word" meaning He is the Father

Jesus said: "I am the root" / "......who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God" meaning He is the Father

Jesus said: "I am the Last" / "That God may be all in all" meaning He is the Father

Jesus is the One saving name of God

My prayer for you:

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Num 6:24-27)

God Bless.

 

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