BIBLE DOCTRINE 2

BIBLE DOCTRINE 2         

                                           The Godhead

God’s Word teaches:

That the Godhead consists of three separate, distinct, and recognizable personalities and qualities, perfectly united in one. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are different Persons in the Godhead, not merely three names for one Person - Matthew 3:16, 17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19,20.

     The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  The Bible clearly teaches that each member of the Godhead is God; separate, distinct and recognizable personalities and qualities perfectly united in one.  The Father is called God (I Corinthians 8:6; Psalm 89:26; I Chronicles 29:10; Matthew 6:9), the Son, Jesus Christ, is called God (Isaiah 9:6,7; John 20:28), and the Holy Ghost is called God (Acts 5:3,4; I Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19,20; Hebrews 3:7-9; 10:15,16).  From the foregoing scripture references, it is clear that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct Persons, co-eternal, co-existent and co-equal in power and divine attributes. The word “GOD” in Genesis 1:1 means Elohim and in Hebrew language this is the plural of El (The Strong One).  “Elohim” (The Strong Ones) appear more than 2,700 times in the Old Testament and this plurality is seen in: “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness”; “The LORD said ... let US go down, and there confound their language” (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:6,7).  The Godhead (Romans 1:20) is also referred to as the Holy Trinity.

     The unity of the Godhead is scripturally evidenced in the execution of all divine plans and purposes. At creation, a significant fact about the Godhead emerged with the use of the plural noun “us”, by God Himself (Genesis 1:26).  Elementarily, this implies the involvement of more than one personality in the creation of man.  The same word continued to recur first, after the fall of man (Genesis 3:22), and on the threshold of God’s perfect desire to curb the foolish excesses of man, by wisely confounding him with diverse languages (Genesis 11:7).

     The testimony of scriptures on the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the perfect unity of the Godhead.  It was God’s anointing and the power of the Holy Ghost that enabled Jesus to fulfill His ministry (Acts 10:38).

     The divine-human relationship also confirms God in three persons perfecting the relationship of man with the Triune God (Ephesians 2:18).  The complementary functions of the Trinity are referred to in almost all books of the New Testament (Matthew 3:16,17; 28:19; Mark 1:10; John 16:7-15; 6:37,44; Romans 8:16;

 I Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 5:25; I Peter 1:2; Acts 10:38).

     The three personalities in the Godhead acted together in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father did not just make His Son available to assume the garb of human flesh preparatory for His vicarious mission (John 3:16). This was a supernatural work made possible by the power of the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35).

     Further proof of the truth about the Godhead became clear at the baptism of Jesus Christ, when the Father sent the Holy Ghost in bodily form as a dove upon Christ, and God Almighty Himself made a public proclamation of Jesus as His beloved Son (Matthew 3:16,17). Even at the outset of His ministry, Jesus affirmed the companionship of God the Father and the Holy Ghost with Him. It was only by their combined workings that He was to fulfill His multi-pronged ministry of preaching the gospel, healing the sick, delivering the captives, etc. (Luke 4:18).

     Truly, the work of redemption which Jesus Christ completed by submitting Himself to die on the cross, was a joint venture with the Father and the Holy Ghost (Hebrews 9:14), as was the second work of grace, sanctification or holiness, by which man is cleansed from his in-bred depravity, the fallen nature he inherited from Adam (Romans 15:16). Also, the Godhead is at work in empowering believers through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, to discharge the duties handed them by God (John 15:26; 16:7-15; Luke 11:13).

     Christ’s command as He handed down the Great Commission to His disciples was to baptize all that repent and believe the gospel, in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).

     Even today, our prayer involves the three personalities in the Godhead. We direct our prayers to God the Father (Luke 11:2; 22:42; 23:34,46; John 17:1,5,24-26; James 1:5) through Jesus Christ, the Son (John 14:13,14; 15:16); and of course, without the help of the Holy Spirit all our prayers will be in vain (Romans 8:26).

     The Godhead is the universal testimony of the scriptures, for “there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Son) and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (I John 5:7). It is only the perfect work of the Godhead that has continued to sustain us on a day-to-day basis as believers (2 Corinthians 13:14).

          The Godhead is a great mystery which is clearly beyond the finite mind of the unsaved natural man (I Corinthians 2:14) The believer accepts the gospel truth of the Trinity by faith, recognizing that God remains the eternal repository of all mysteries (Deuteronomy 29:29); that with respect to His being or essence, God is one; with respect to His personality, God is three; and the essence must neither be divided nor the persons confused.  In spite of the great mystery surrounding it, the doctrine of the Godhead has always proved to be eminently rich in spiritual and practical values.  And for all those willing, the Lord Jesus Christ promises the advent of a blissful reign by the Godhead (John 14:23).