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The Mystery of the Godhead
About the nature of God, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). Man’s thoughts are limited by time and space, but God’s thoughts reach eternity. Therefore, finite humans will never be able to fully grasp the nature of the Godhead (1 Timothy 3:16).
The One God
The Old Testament declares that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6, 8). And the New Testament affirms that same truth (Mark 12:29; John 17:3;1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:4-6).
But the One God (Godhead) consists of the – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19; Revelation 1:4–6). In the Old Testament, it states that “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew word there for God is Elohim. It is a Plural noun that is used more than 2,700 times in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament, the three persons of the Godhead appear in the Scriptures (Matthew 3:16,17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:14; Revelation 1:4–6).
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The Father – (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:18; Exodus 33:20; Matthew 11:25; John 8:26-27). No man hath seen the Father. Sinners cannot see Him face to face and live (Exodus 33:20; Deuteronomy 4:12). Some have witnessed a glimpse of His divine presence (John 1:14), but, except in vision, none have seen the divine Person (Isaiah 6:5).
The Father, in infinite mercy offered His Son to redeem humanity. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The Son – He is the Word of God (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1; Hebrews 11: 3; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 19: 13), who came to reveal the character of the Father to the world (John 14:7–11). In order to save humans, He had to lay aside the full dimension of His divinity when He came to earth (Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:5-8; John 17:5; John 14:28).
Jesus Christ is also called the Son of God (Isaiah 9:6; Psalms 80:15; 2 Peter 1:17; 1 Corinthians 15:28; John 1:1–4; 14:6; John 20:26–29; Revelation 1:8; 1 John 5:11, 12, 20; Colossians 1:16; John 10:18; John 11:25). The Son is equal with the Father (Philippians 2:6; John 1:1-3; John 10:30; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 11:27; 1 John 2:23; John 5:16-23). Therefore, whoever denies the Son denies the Father (1 John 2:22).
The Holy Spirit – He is called the spirit of God (Romans 8:11; Psalms 104:30; Genesis 1:2; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 John 4:13), the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20; Psalms 51:11; Matthew 12:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:8), the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), and the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20).
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit speaks (Acts 8:29), convicts (John 16:8), teaches (2 Peter 1:21), guides (John 16:13), witnesses (Hebrews 10:15), comforts (John 14:16), helps (John 16:7, 8), and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30).
The Roles of the Persons of the Godhead
Although the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One, yet they have distinct roles in the Godhead. The apostle Paul confirmed this truth in his epistles: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). And he also said, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).
The Bible teaches that humans may approach the Father in the name of the Son (John 16:23; Colossians 3:17; John 14:6) by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18). Jesus prayed to the Father that His disciples would be one as He and the Father are one (John 17:22, 23).
Who Outranks Whom?
Although the three Persons of the Godhead are the same in properties and attributes, and equal in power and glory, it appears that the Father is recognized as the ultimate authority. “The head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3 also 1 Corinthians 3:23). Yet, just because the Father seems to have supreme authority, it does not in any way diminish from the divinity of Jesus and the Spirit.
The Son constantly receives His glory, power, throne from the Father (John 3:35; John 5:22). The Son lives to glorify the Father, and the Spirit lives to glorify the Father and Son (John 17:1, 5; John 16:14; John 13:31, 32). The Father, Son, and Spirit always seem to be trying to out give and glorify each other (John 17:1, 5; John 16:14; John 13:31, 32).
Conclusion
The Godhead can be resembled to one rope with three united strands (2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; Titus 2:13; Matthew 12:32…etc.). The three are one (Ephesians 4:6) in nature, character, and purpose. And they are the same in properties, attributes and equal in power and glory (1 John 5:7).
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In His service,
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