The Godhead Understood

Critics of the doctrine of a Triune God often – and, perhaps, to their credit – point out that the word “Trinity” does not appear in Scripture. Advocates of the doctrine, however, rebut with, “Yes, that is true, but the concept does.”

Perhaps, both are addressing the subject from the wrong perspective. All knowledge is based on a given that we are privileged to analyze under ideal conditions, and speculate upon those that are less than ideal. So, let us begin with the given:

1.      Peter’s declaration, “My Lord and My God”

2.      Jesus’ self affirmation, “I Am . . .

3.      He that has seen me, has seen the Father . . .

4.      In Him dwells the fullness of the (Deity) Godhead bodily

5.      For it pleased the Father that in Him should all the fullness dwell

6.      His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the everlasting Father . . .

Therefore, it seems to me, to accept Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and Savior, as anything less than God is the spirit of the antichrist. The Scripture boldly declares:

Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist — he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:20-23)

So, in the clear words of Scripture we are presented with a solemn fact, Jesus is God! Now, what we do with that statement, or how we deal with the fact is left to us. And, as with all truth, words are only at best descriptive approximates or testimonies to a truth.

For example, if I say, “I know Jim Brown. Jim Brown is five foot nine and a half inches tall, and weighs 175 pounds. His skin is black, and he is a human being.”

Now, what do you really know about Jim Brown?  Well, you know that he is a human being, and not an alien. That’s for sure. You also know a little bit about his physical characteristics compared to other human beings. But, not much else. So, no matter how much I repeat the words ‘Jim Brown is a human being’ it does not clearly define who Jim Brown is, nor does it produce Jim Brown, nor are the words actually Jim Brown, himself.

These same principles apply to Jesus of Nazareth, a human being, who is also God, according to Scripture.

Now, to accept this as a fact is really no harder than to accept the fact that Jim brown is a human being with certain characteristics. Jesus, also, has certain characteristics. He is human and he is Devine – in other words, He is God, who became a man, as the Only Begotten Son of God. Did He exist in or with God prior to His earthly appearance? Yes, Scripture openly declares, God, the Father, speaking, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten you.”

So, he was declared a son before he was begotten as one. Therefore, he in his very essence is God, not simply a part of God. Had he been declared a son only after his conception, then he would not have been of the essence of God the father – he would have simply been a godlike man, or a manlike God, but surely not God. This is where the simple minded fail in their apprehension of God the Father, Son, and as we shall shortly see, and Holy Spirit.   

See Theological Musings on the Trinity blog posted 5.30.13