LESSON 33
THE GODHEAD
The subject of the Godhead is one that is shrouded in mystery [1 Timothy 3:16] yet sufficient information is given us in the Word of God so that we can understand certain basic truths about our God which will provide the knowledge we need to know Him as the Creator, a personal spiritual Being, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient and Infinite in wisdom and love.
The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but these three are One. We pray to God the Father in the Name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. This seems simple enough, although Christendom seems to make it so difficult and confusing. God created the world by Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s mouthpiece to mankind and the Holy Spirit is God’s power to make things happen. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit which empowers us to pray in the name of Jesus. Outside of the name of Jesus we are not accepted before the Lord, that is why we must do all things in the name of Jesus.
THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST
The first aspect of this study will be scriptures that prove that Jesus Christ existed before His incarnation, that is, His coming into the world as a baby and becoming our Saviour.
A. John 1: 1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God”.
B. John 1:14 “The Word was made flesh”
C. 1 John 1:1-3 “That which was from the beginning…..which was with the Father.
D. John 8:58 “Before Abraham was I am”.
E. Exodus 3:14 “I Am that I Am”.
F. Daniel 3:23 “..the fourth is like the Son of God”.
G. Acts 7:37, 38 “…He was in the church in the wilderness.
H. Philippians 2:6 “…Being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
CHRIST THE CREATOR
A Hebrews 1:2 “…His Son by whom also be made the worlds.
B. Colossians 1:16 “By him were all things created”
C. Ephesians 3:9 “Who created all things by Jesus Christ”
D. 1 Corinthians 8:6 “…By whom are all things”.
E. John 1:3 “…all things were made by Him”.
JEHOVAH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
IS JESUS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Jehovah Jesus
Psalms 102:22-28 Hebrews 1:8-12
Habakkuk 2:2, 3 Hebrews 10:37
Haggai 2:6 Hebrews 12:26
Psalms 45: 6,7 Hebrews 1, 8, 9
The above quoted scriptures indicate that Jesus Christ existed before His incarnation; that He was “with the Father” from the beginning; that he was “equal with God”; that he was Creator, for “by Him were all things made that are in heaven and that are in earth”, and that in many instances the “God” in the Old Testament was in reality Jesus of the New Testament.
THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST
The WORD which existed “with God” and which brought into being ALL things was “made flesh” [John 1:1-3, 14]. Paul declares that “God was manifest in the flesh [1 Timothy 3:16]. In Philippians 2:6-11 we read of the humiliation of Christ when He was “made in the likeness of men”. Isaiah 7:14 along with Matthew 1:23 declare that when Jesus was born His name was “IMMANUEL”, meaning “God with us”. In Hebrews 10:5 we read, “a body hast thou prepared me”.
SON OF GOD BECOMES SON OF MAN
Through the incarnation, the majesty and glory of the Eternal Word, the Creator and Lord of the universe [John 1:1-3] was veiled and the Son of God became Son of Man coming in the “likeness of sinful flesh” [Romans 8:3]. He “became sin for us” [2 Corinthians 5:21]. The mystery of the incarnation of Christ is unfathomable – He was Son of God [Matthew 27:41-43; John 5:23; 9:35-37; 10:36; 17:1; Matthew 16:15-17; John 1:32-34; Matthew 3:16, 17; John 20:30, 31; Romans 2:1-4]; and Son of Man: [Luke 19:10; Matthew 9:1-8; Matthew 17:22; 26:2; Mark 9:9; John 6:62; Acts 7:56; Matthew 24:30].
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST
The scriptures plainly bear out the fact that Christ possessed divinity, that is, “God was in Christ” [2 Corinthians 5:19]. “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily [Colossians 2:8-10]. He was the “express image of His person” [Hebrews 1:3]. Jesus Himself said, “He that hath seem Me hath seen the Father, for the Father dwelleth in Me [John 14:9, 10]. See also Hebrews 1:6; 1 Timothy 6:15, 16; Revelation 17:14; 19:11-16; Matthew 28:18; Tutus 2:13, 14; John 20:28; Jude 25; Mark 2:5-12.
ONENESS
A number of scriptures speak of “One God, One Lord”, etc. [Isaiah 45:18; 43:10, 11; 44:6; Deuteronomy 6:4]. Oneness in the Godhead is explained in John 17:20-22; 14:10; John 10:30, 38.
The Father and the Son are persons having a “form” – Genesis 1:26; 5:1; 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; 15:49; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3; Daniel 3:25; Philippians 2: 6, 7; Exodus 33:17-23; Deuteronomy 4:12-18. [John 4:24 is explained by 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29; Exodus 3:4-6].
