Studies In Scripture » Doctrine of God

The Father Manifested

Randy A. Brown — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 01:45:32 +0000

1 John 3:1-6 is an interesting passage. It reveals that the Father was manifested as our Savior.

1Jo 3:1-6 KJV Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ² Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. ³ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. ⁵ And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. ⁶ Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

This passage consistently refers to the Father as ‘He’ and ‘Him’ with no subject change. There is no change of antecedent. Each pronoun is referring to the Father.

In verse 1 the Father bestowed love upon us, and because of that we are called the sons of God. The world does not know us because it did not know the Father. There is no subject change. Verse 1 starts talking about the Father and continues talking about the Father.

1Jo 3:1 KJV Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

‘Him’ refers to the Father. Notice there is no other antecedent. Jesus is the one that came into the world and the world did not know him.

Joh 1:10-11 KJV ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

The next verse continues with the same antecedent.

1Jo 3:2 KJV Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The subject continues with no subject change. ‘Him’ refers to the Father. Again, there is no other antecedent- no other possible pronoun for ‘Him’ to refer to. We know that Jesus is the one that will appear.

Rev 1:7 KJV Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The passage continues with no change of antecedent.

1Jo 3:3 KJV And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

The next verse continues with the same anticendent.

1Jo 3:5 KJV And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

‘He’ still refers to the Father, but we know that Jesus is the one that was manifest to take away our sins.

Joh 1:29 KJV The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1Jo 3:6 KJV Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

When was the Father manifested? In Jesus. Jesus is God the Father manifest in flesh to save us from our sins.

One Throne in Heaven

Randy A. Brown — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:40:09 +0000

Whom will we see in heaven? Will we see one, or three? Will we see one throne, or three? If we say there in one throne, then who is sitting on the throne? Is Jesus sitting on the right hand of God? If we say there are three thrones, would that be a tritheistic view of God?. How many thrones are there and who is sitting on the throne? Many do not have a clear understanding of how we will see God in heaven. What do the Scriptures say?

In the book of Revelation John shows us the scene of one throne and one sitting on the throne.

Revelation 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

The book of Revelation tells us that Jesus is the Alpha, Omega, beginning, ending, Almighty, etc.

Revelation 1:7-8 ⁷ Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. ⁸ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 1:17-18 ¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: ¹⁸ I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

In Revelation 21, the one sitting on the throne is called Alpha, Omega, beginning, ending, and God.

Revelation 21:5-7 ⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. ⁶ And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

We see in the first chapter of Revelation that Jesus is the Alpha, Omega, beginning, ending, one which was, which is, and which is to come, Almighty, the first, and the last. The one sitting on the one throne in heave is making these same claims, using the same descriptive terms. The one sitting on the one throne is Jesus.

How can Jesus be sitting on the throne if he is the lamb standing before the throne? The lamb slain standing before the throne is a popular argument that is often used to show that Jesus is not the one sitting on the throne.

Revelation 5:6-7 ⁶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. ⁷ And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

If this verse is to be taken literally, then Jesus is separate from God, and he is an actual slain lamb in heaven. This verse is actually symbolic of the atonement, showing that Jesus was slain for our sins. Jesus was only slain in his humanity. It doesn’t mean that Jesus wasn’t God, or that he was separate from the one of the throne. Verse 6 shows that the lamb actually came from the midst of the throne.

We see this again in Revelation 7:17:

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The one sitting on the throne is the lamb. Our Father became our redeemer.

Isaiah 63:16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

The throne is called the throne of God and of the lamb.

Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Notice the singular pronouns. This continues in the next verse.

Revelation 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

These verses refer to God and the lamb as ‘he’. Jesus is God manifest in flesh.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Jesus is God and the lamb.

In heaven, we will see one sitting on the throne- Jesus. In Jesus we will see all the fullness of the Godhead.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

When we see Jesus we will see the Father.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Isn’t Jesus sitting on the right hand of God? If we look at the right hand of God as literal we run into several problems in scripture.

Some verses say that Jesus is sitting, while others say that he is standing.

Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Acts 7:55-56 ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

This interpretation would make Jesus separate from God, making two beings, and making Jesus not God.

If we take these verses literal, then we have Jesus literally sitting or standing ON God’s right hand. If we take these verses literal, then we must take other verses literal that speak of Jesus and God, which means that Jesus is IN the bosom of the Father.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Looking at the books of Psalms, we see David with God AT his right hand.

Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

It is clear from their contexts that all of these verses are figurative.

To show three thrones in heaven is tritheism- the belief in three gods. The idea of three thrones contradicts Scripture, as Revelation 4:2 is clear there is one throne. Also, to say that there is one throne begs the question, who is sitting on the throne?

We see from Scripture that Jesus, our Father and Redeemer, is the one God sitting on the one throne in heaven. There is one throne, and one sitting on the throne- Jesus, the Alpha, Omega, beginning, ending, first, last, who was, is, and is to come, the Almighty.

The Prayers of Jesus Christ

Randy A. Brown — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:56:41 +0000

Many see the prayers of Jesus as proof of a distinction of persons within the Godhead. This leads to many questions. Do the prayers of Jesus prove that there are multiple ‘persons’ within the Godhead? When Jesus prayed, did he pray as God or as man? Did he pray from his Deity or his humanity? How did Jesus Pray?

In order to understand how Jesus prayed it is important to understand that Jesus had two natures- he was both God and man.

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

When Jesus prayed, he did not pray as God; he prayed as the Son of God. In other words, he prayed as a man. As a man, Jesus prayed to the Father just like everyone else.

Jesus could not pray as God. If he was praying as God, then we have one God praying to another, which is polytheism (the belief in many gods). Jesus could not have prayed as God because there is only one God and He doesn’t need to pray. There is only one God and He has no one He can pray to.

To say Jesus prayed as the second member of the Godhead doesn’t follow logic. If Jesus was praying as the second ‘person’ within the Godhead then he was subordinate to the Father in his Deity, which shows a separation between the Father and Son, making two Gods. This means that the ‘persons’ within the Godhead are not co-equal. Also, Jesus never prayed to the Holy Ghost, which means he had respect to one ‘person’ over another.

Jesus prayed from his human nature to God. Jesus only needed to pray from his humanity. From his Deity he had no one to pray to, because there is none beside him.

Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 45:5-6 ⁵ I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: ⁶ That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

There is only one God.

Galatians 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Jesus was the one God manifest in flesh.

John 14:8-9 ⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

As a man Jesus submitted his will to the will of God.

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Jesus only needed to pray in the days of his flesh.

Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

As a human Jesus was obedient to God.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Even though Jesus was man and Jesus was God, this doesn’t mean that Jesus prayed to himself. The Son of God did not pray to the Son of God. God did not pray to God. Jesus prayed as the Son of God to the only God in heaven. Jesus had two natures- humanity and Deity. This means that Jesus was both God and man- two complete natures. To say that Jesus prayed to himself implies that he only had one nature and that he prayed from that nature to that nature, and this is clearly against scripture. Jesus prayed from his human nature to God just like we do. Since he was God manifest in flesh, Jesus prayed from his human nature to his Divine nature. This does not mean that Jesus prayed to himself. Jesus did not pray from his humanity to his humanity or from his Deity to his Deity. To say that Jesus prayed from his Deity makes more than one Deity. It also makes his Deity subordinate to the Father, destroying co-equality and contradicting scripture that says there is one God. He could not pray from his humanity to his humanity because it is wrong to pray to anyone but God.

To say Jesus prayed to ‘himself’ implies the ‘same self’. Jesus had two natures fused together. He was not two ‘persons’. There is a distinction between the Father and the Son. The distinction is between humanity and Divinity, not between ‘persons’ within the Godhead. The human nature of Jesus is distinct from his Divine nature.

Jesus had to pray from his humanity. Jesus praying from his humanity does not require the Godhead to be made up of ‘persons’. It just requires Jesus to have a human nature, which we see in scripture.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

From his human nature Jesus was born, grew, was anointed as a priest, ate, slept, prayed, wept, and died on the cross.

Multiple ‘persons’ within the Godhead are not necessary to explain the prayers of Jesus. There is nothing difficult about Jesus praying as a man to God. To say that Jesus prayed to himself is a logical fallacy. Jesus had a dual nature- he was both God and man. Jesus prayed from his humanity to Deity. Jesus prayed as a man to God.

Ancient of Days

Randy A. Brown — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:39:10 +0000

The book of Daniel shows us a scene in heaven with God sitting on the throne. Daniel sees God in a vision and gives a very specific description: a garment as white as snow, hair like pure wool, a throne like fire, and wheels burning like fire. Daniel also sees one like the son of man coming to the Ancient of Days. Who is this sitting on the throne in heaven and who is the one like the son of man?

The key verses in the passage of Daniel 7:9-28 are 9, 13, and 22.

Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Daniel 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

The Ancient of Days has a very familiar description. This description can be seen again in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:12-18 ¹² And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; ¹³ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. ¹⁴ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; ¹⁵ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. ¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: ¹⁸ I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

In the book of Revelation Jesus is given the very same description as the Ancient of Days in the book of Daniel.

In Daniel, the Ancient of Days is described as the judge. In the New Testament, Jesus is the judge.

Matthew 25:31-32 ³¹ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

John 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

In Revelation, Jesus is the one seen sitting on the throne.

Compare with Revelation 1:8, 17, 18.

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Daniel shows that the antichrist makes war until the arrival of the Ancient of Days.

Daniel 7:21-22 ²¹ I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; ²² Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

In Revelation we see that it is Jesus that arrives to fight the antichrist.

Revelation 19:11-21 ¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹² His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; ¹⁸ That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. ¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ²⁰ And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

It is clear from these comparisons that Jesus is the Ancient of Days in the book of Daniel.

If Jesus is the Ancient of Days, then who is the son of man?

The Son of Man, the human manifestation of Jesus, didn’t exist until he was born in Bethlehem. Furthermore, Daniel does not say ‘the Son of Man”.

Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

This verse describes ‘one like the son of man’. The NIV says ‘a son of man’.

Daniel 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. NIV

There is nothing in this passage that suggests this is anything other than a human representative of mankind. In the Old Testament the phrase ‘son of man’ was used to refer to either an individual or mankind in general.

Ezekiel 2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 80:17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

Isaiah 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

The phrase ‘son of man’ in Daniel 7 could be referring to the church. If this passage is referring to Jesus, then it is referring to Jesus prophetically in his redeeming role as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, just as we see in Revelation.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The phrase ‘son of man’ in Daniel 7 could refer to the church, or prophetically to the redeeming role of Jesus as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Regardless of the interpretation of the ‘son of man’, Jesus is the Ancient of Days. We see clearly from comparing the descriptions of the Ancient of Days in Daniel and Jesus in Revelation that they are one in the same. Jesus is the Ancient of Days, the one on the throne, our judge, our redeemer.

All the Fullness

Randy A. Brown — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:42:58 +0000

Colossians 2:9 teaches that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus bodily. Does this mean that all of God is in Jesus? What about God’s omnipresence? Does this mean that God did not live in heaven when Jesus was on Earth? Ephesians 3:19 says that Christians are filled with all the fullness of God. Is this the same as all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Jesus bodily? What is ‘all the fullness’ of the Godhead?

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

The fullness of God referes to His attributes, power, and character (Bernard, 2001, p. 216). The term ‘all the fullness of the Godhead’ doesn’t refer to all of God. For example, it doesn’t refer to the omnipresence of God. It would be impossible for the omnipresence of God to dwell in one place. The omnipresence of God still filled the universe while God was manifest in flesh. All the fullness of the Godhead refers to the diety of Jesus. Anything we can find in scripture about the diety of Jesus is included in the fullness of the Godhead since all the fullness of the Godhead is in Jesus bodily.

Jesus is the Word made flesh.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word, Logos in Greek, is God’s thoughts, plan, mind, reasoning, center of concousness, central point that God works from, talk from, and sits on the throne. The Word is all the fullness of the Godhead. Jesus is the Word made flesh- all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus is all that we need.

Colossians 2:10 tells us that we are complete in Jesus.

Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Jesus is all that we need. We are complete in Jesus because He is all the fullness of God. This means that all of the attributes of God, His power, strength, character, etc, are all in Jesus. Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and Word are all in Jesus. Not as ‘persons’, because God is not made up of persons, but as attributes of the one God. Jesus is not God the Son manifest in flesh. Jesus is God manifest in flesh.

Colosians 2:9 and 1 Timothy 3:16 explain Colosians 2:2.

Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

The mystery of God is that God was manifest in flesh. Colosians 2:9 explains the deity of Jesus, that he is the fullness of God manifest in flesh. God was made incarnate. In other words, Jesus is the incarnation of God. Not a second person within the Godhead. If Jesus was the second person within the Godhead he could not have been all the fullness of God and all the fullness of the Godhead could not dwell in Jesus because this would mean that Jesus is three ‘persons’ manifest in flesh.

Colosians 1:19 tells us that the Father was pleased that all the fullness of the Godhead dwelled in Jesus.

Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

If all the fullness refers to ‘persons’ then the other two persons should have also been pleased.

These verses are clearly talking about the deity of Jesus, but this doesn’t mean that the omnipresence of God was placed into the body of Jesus. The omnipresence of God will always be omnipresent, but the attributes of God’s character was in Jesus because Jesus is God manifest in flesh.

Ephesians 3:19 is a little different in that it does not refer to the fullness of the Godhead.

Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

We have the fullness of God in us because we have Christ in us because he is the fullness of God (Bernard, 2001, p. 219). This does not make us God manifest in flesh. The Spirit of God does dwell in us, but we are not God. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He was God. We have God in us. We cannot claim that when you have seen us you have seen the Father. Jesus could say this because he was the Father manifest in flesh.

Jesus is all the fullness of the Godhead incarnate. He is all that we need. He’s our Creator, our Savior, our Father. Jesus is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

References

Bernard, David K. (2001). Oneness of God, The

Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

A Child is Born

Randy A. Brown — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:15:01 +0000

It was prophesied in scripture that God would come in the form of a man.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

What child is this that he would be called the mighty God and the Everlasting Father? This verse is one of the most powerful statements of the Deity of Jesus. This verse describes Jesus as the Father.

We know from scripture that there is only one Father.

Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?

Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

If there is only one Father, and Jesus is called the Father, then Jesus must be the Father. Jesus himself taught that he was the Father.

John 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

The Father is also our Redeemer.

Isaiah 63:16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

This child that was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago was more than a man. He was our great God and Savior; our Creator; our Redeemer.

Isaiah 9:6 is one of the many verses that show the Son had a beginning. Jesus was God, but he was not the Son in eternity. Jesus was the Father in his Deity; he was the Son in his humanity- his incarnation. God became our sacrifice- our savior. Isaiah 9:6 shows us perfectly the dual-nature of Jesus- God and man, Father and Son. Immanuel, God with us.

In Jesus is everything we need. We are complete in Him.

Colossians 2:9-10 ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Jesus is the son given for our salvation. Isaiah 9:6 sums it up nicely:

Jesus is Wonderful.

Wonderful 6382 pele’ {peh’-leh} Meaning: 1) wonder, marvel 1a) wonder (extraordinary, hard to understand thing) 1b) wonder (of God’s acts of judgment and redemption)

Jesus is our Counsellor.

Counsellor 3289 ya`ats {yaw-ats’} Meaning: 1) to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to advise, counsel, give counsel, consult 1a2) counsellor (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to consult together, exchange counsel, deliberate, counsel together 1c) (Hithpael) to conspire

Jesus is the Mighty God.

Mighty 1368 gibbowr {ghib-bore’} or (shortened) gibbor {ghib-bore’} Meaning: adj 1) strong, mighty n m 2) strong man, brave man, mighty man

God 0410 ‘el {ale} Meaning: 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power

Jesus is the Everlasting Father.

Everlasting 5703 `ad {ad} Meaning: 1) perpetuity, for ever, continuing future 1a) ancient (of past time) 1b) for ever (of future time) 1b1) of continuous existence 1c) for ever (of God’s existence)

Father 0001 ‘ab {awb} Meaning: 1) father of an individual 2) of God as father of his people 3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan 4) ancestor 4a) grandfather, forefathers — of person 4b) of people 5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art 6) of producer, generator (fig.) 7) of benevolence and protection (fig.) 8) term of respect and honour 9) ruler or chief (spec.)

Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Prince 8269 sar {sar} Meaning: 1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain 1a) chieftain, leader 1b) vassal, noble, official (under king) 1c) captain, general, commander (military) 1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes) 1e) heads, princes (of religious office) 1f) elders (of representative leaders of people) 1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity) 1h) patron-angel 1i) Ruler of rulers (of God) 1j) warden

Peace 7965 shalowm {shaw-lome’} or shalom {shaw-lome’} Meaning: 1) completeness, soundness, welfare, peace 1a) completeness (in number) 1b) safety, soundness (in body) 1c) welfare, health, prosperity 1d) peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment 1e) peace, friendship 1e1) of human relationships 1e2) with God especially in covenant relationship 1f) peace (from war) 1g) peace (as adjective)

Never has there been a child born like this one. God came in the form of a man to provide salvation as a free gift to those that would obey Him. God could not die, so He became a man. God and man were fused together at the miraculous conception of Jesus. Jesus was fully God and fully man. As a man he died upon the cross to provide salvation. As God He resurrected that body. He offered His blood as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He provides salvation by His grace, but it is up to us to accept and obey the gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection. We obey this gospel when we repent of our sins, are baptized in Jesus name, and are filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. We see in the book of Acts how to be saved.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Repent of your sins, be baptized in the name of Jesus, and be filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Accept the salvation that Jesus, our mighty God and Everlasting Father, bought with His own blood.

Immanuel God With Us

Randy A. Brown — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:31:23 +0000

The scriptures tell us that God would come in the form of a man. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah tells us His name would be called Immanuel. Matthew writes that His name would be called Emmanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:22-23 ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accused of being born out of wedlock. In reality, He was not born of fornication, but born of a virgin. He was conceived by the Spirit of God. God was His father. Jesus is Immanuel, but what does Immanuel mean?

Let’s look at the names Immanuel and Emanuel in their original languages.

Immanuel is Hebrew.

0410 {ale} Meaning: 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power

Immanuel literally means Jehovah, the one true God.

Emmanuel is Greek.

1694 Emmanouel {em-man-oo-ale’} Meaning: Emmanuel = “God with us” 1) the title applied to the Messiah, born of the virgin, Mt 1:23, Is. 7:14, because Jesus was God united with man, and showed that God was dwelling with man

Emmanuel literally means the one God united with man.

Jesus is God with us- not God the Son with us. The scriptures tell us there is only one God.

Galatians 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Jesus is the one God, Jehovah, manifest in flesh.

God came in the form of a man to become our sacrifice. We all need salvation, but only the shed blood of an innocent man could pay the price for our sins. Only a sinless man could be our redeemer. No one could be the sacrifice for our sins that is born into sin. Since we are all born into sin, God Himself was manifest in flesh to become our sacrifice. As a man Jesus was not born into sin because He did not have a sinful father. His Father was THE Father. In His Deity, He was THE Father manifest in flesh because the scriptures tell us that Jesus is our God, Jehovah, the one true God, Immanuel, Emmanuel, the only God there is.

Jesus bought salvation for us and He freely gives it to us. All we have to do is believe it and obey it. The gospel of Jesus Christ that He bought with His own blood is His death, burial, and resurrection. By His grace, He gives us salvation through birth of the water and Spirit.

John 3:3-5 ³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? ⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

This is fulfilled in the New Covenant that we see in the book of Acts.

Acts 2:38-39 ³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

We obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, the death, burial, and resurrection, by repenting of our sins, being baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sins, and being filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Jesus bought this gospel, this salvation, with His own blood. This is why God was manifest in flesh. This is why Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

In the Name of Jesus

Randy A. Brown — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:57:28 +0000

When God chose to manifest Himself in flesh as our savior He chose a name that would signify the essence of who He is. The name He chose would not only reveal who He was, but also what His mission on Earth was. The name Jesus means Jehovah-Savior, meaning that Jehovah is our Savior.

We are told in scripture that God would dwell with us.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Matthew 1:21-23 ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Jesus died on the cross to provide salvation for those that will accept it. The gospel (His death, burial, and resurrection) is the new birth experience that includes being born of the water and of the Spirit.

The new birth is given to us in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the name given to us for salvation.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus is the name that is above every name.

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

We are to do everything in the name of Jesus.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

This includes water baptism. We are to be baptized in the name of Jesus.

There are five baptismal accounts in the book of Acts. In each account, the name of Jesus is the name used for the baptismal formula.

The first account is Peter’s sermon to those that had heard the disciples of Jesus speaking of other tongues as they received the Holy Ghost. This is the account of the Jews receiving the gospel.

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:36-39 ³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? ³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

The Jews recognized that Jesus was their savior – God manifest in the flesh to become their sacrifice. They accepted that baptism was in Jesus name and 3000 were baptized that day.

Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The second account is the Samaritans receiving the gospel.

Acts 8:12-17 ¹² But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. ¹⁴ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: ¹⁵ Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: ¹⁶ (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁷ Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

The first thing Phillip did was preach Christ unto them.

Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

When they had accepted Christ as their savior, they were baptized in His name.

The third account is the Gentiles receiving the gospel.

Acts 10:43-48 ⁴³ To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. ⁴⁴ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. ⁴⁵ And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, ⁴⁷ Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

The oldest Greek manuscripts say ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ (Bernard, p. 45). We know that the Lord is Jesus.

Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Peter recognized that God had opened the door for the Gentiles to receive salvation. This includes baptism in Jesus name, as we see from his command to them to be baptized.

The fourth account is the disciples of John.

Acts 19:1-6 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, ² He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. ³ And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. ⁴ Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. ⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

The disciples of John had been baptized unto repentance. It was necessary for them to be rebaptized in the name of Jesus. If the name of Jesus wasn’t important at baptism, Paul would not have rebaptized the disciples of John.

The fifth account is Paul.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Calling on the name of the Lord means to invoke (Bernard, p. 48). This literally means to say the name of Jesus at baptism. Paul knew what this name was because he met the Lord on the road to Damascus.

Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest

Paul knew that the name of the Lord was Jesus. It was only natural for Paul to understand that baptism was in the name of Jesus.

It is clear these passages that baptism is in the name of Jesus. This means that we should orally invoke the name of Jesus at baptism (Bernard, p. 75).

Some say that the phrase ‘in the name of Jesus’ means ‘by the authority of’, and that we should be baptized in titles according to Matthew 28:19. We see the same phrase in Matthew 28:19- ‘in the name of’. If the phrase means ‘by the authority of’ in one verse then the same phrase will have the same meaning in another verse. The phrase ‘in the name of’ literally means ‘in the name of’. The key to understanding Matthew 28:19 is to understand that the one name is Jesus (Bernard, p. 61).

Using the name of Jesus is exercising power and authority (Bernard, p. 72). This includes using His power and authority in baptism. The proper way to use the power and authority of God is to use His name. We use His name when we invoke the name Jesus.

We should use the name of Jesus because he died for our sins.

1 Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Paul was demonstrating that we should be baptized in the name of the person that died for our sins.

The formula for New Testament baptism has always been in the name of Jesus (Bernard, p. 74). All through history, Jesus was the name used because that’s how the Apostles baptized. Even Martin Luther knew of baptism in Jesus name (Bernard, p. 74).

The natural reading of the phrase ‘baptized in the name of Jesus Christ’ would not allow us to baptize any other way than in the name of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:19 states that baptism is in one single name.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

All we need to do is look at how the Apostles obeyed this command. We’ve already seen in the baptismal accounts in the book of Acts that the Apostles baptized in Jesus name.

We also find baptism in the name of Jesus alluded to in the Epistles.

Romans 6:3-4 ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1 Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

The indication from these verses is that baptism includes the name of Jesus. We see this again in the book of Acts.

Acts 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

How is Jesus’ name called over us? The name of Jesus is called over us when we are baptized in Jesus name.

We see the name being called again in James 2:7.

James 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

Both of these verses, Acts 15:17 and James 2:7, point to a specific account where the name was orally invoked over each believer (Bernard, p. 76).

Some of these verses say Lord while others say Christ. The significance is the name of Jesus. Jesus is both Lord and Christ.

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

It is a privilege to be identified with the name of Jesus. We get that identification through baptism in Jesus name. Romans tells us to call on the name of the Lord Jesus for salvation.

Romans 10:9-13 ⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ¹² For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. ¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We call on the name of the Lord Jesus by repenting in the name of Jesus, being baptized in the name of Jesus, and being filled with the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We then walk with Jesus, living clean, holy lives that are set apart for His glory. Everything we do, we do in the name of Jesus.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

If we are to truly recognize Jesus as our savior and make Him the Lord of our lives, we must follow the new birth experience of being born of the water and of the Spirit. This includes being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

References

Bernard, David K. (1992). In the name of Jesus

Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

David K. Bernard In the Name of Jesus

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost

Randy A. Brown — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:34:05 +0000

Jesus gave us a command in the Great Commission to spread His gospel and to baptize. Most have misunderstood His command. Let’s examine the command of baptism in the Great Commission and compare scripture for a clearer understanding.

The command is to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 28:18-20 ¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen

Most have understood this verse to mean ‘baptize in these titles”. Looking at the text, we see the command of Jesus is to baptize “in the name”. This is one singular name. Many Trinitarian scholars have recognized that Matthew 28:19 is referring to one name (Segraves, 2009, para. 10). It’s easy to figure out what this name is. All it takes is one question- what is the name of the Son? The name of the Son is Jesus.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Since Jesus is the name of the Son, and this command includes the name of the Son, the name of Jesus should be used in baptism.

Matthew was there on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached his sermon.

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Matthew certainly didn’t correct Peter if he felt that Peter had misunderstood Jesus’ command.

One argument is that the phrase ‘in the name of’ in Acts 2:38 means ‘by the authority of’. This is the same phrase in Matthew 28:19. If the phrase ‘in the name of’ means ‘by the authority of’ in Acts 2:38, then it must also mean ‘by the authority of’ in Matthew 28:19 – and we then would have no baptismal formula. Fortunately, we find many verses in scripture that do give us a baptismal formula. All we have to do is see how the Apostles obeyed this command, but some would say the Apostles didn’t follow Jesus’ command.

I’ve heard some say that they would rather obey the words of Jesus than the words of Peter. After all, Peter denied Jesus, right? This logic has many flaws.

First, the whole Bible is the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Second, although Peter denied Jesus, he did repent and Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom.

Matthew 16:18-19 ¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Third, there is no contradiction between Matthew 28:19 and the baptismal passages in Acts. Matthew 28:19 tells us to be baptized ‘in the name’.

Is this three names or one?

The word ‘name’ in Matthew 28:19 is singular, signifying just one single name (Segraves, 2009, para. 15). What is the one name of Matthew 28:19? What name does God say He will be known by?

God said that He would be known by His ‘name’.

Isaiah 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

God speaks of a singular name. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not proper names, but titles (Bernard, p. 61). Even if they were names, this verse is talking about one name- not three names. What is the one name?

We’ve already seen that the name of the Son is Jesus.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Jesus said that he came in his Father’s name.

John 5:43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Jesus also said that he manifested the name of the Father to us.

John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Jesus received his name by inheritance.

Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The Old Testament tells us that the Messiah would declare God’s name.

Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

The name that Jesus received, came in, manifested, and declared was Jesus (Bernard, p. 62). The name of the Father is Jesus.

Jesus also tells us about the Holy Ghost, the ‘Comforter’.

John 14:16-18 ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Holy Ghost is given in the name of Jesus.

Another question we should ask is “how did the apostles interpret this command”?

We see in the book of Acts that the Apostles understood Jesus’ command as ‘in the name of Jesus’.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

They recognized that the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is Jesus. In every case in scripture that mentions a name being used in baptism it is always in the name of Jesus.

How is the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost Jesus?

The scriptures tell us there is one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Galatians 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

The Titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost refer to roles.

The title Father refers to God in a parental relationship to humanity (Bernard, p. 62).

Deuteronomy 32:6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

The title Son refers to the Incarnation- God manifest in flesh (Bernard, p. 63). As a man, Jesus is the Son of God.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

The title Son always refers to God as revealed in humanity. It never refers to Deity (Bernard, p. 63). The Deity in Jesus is the Father.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 14:8-11 ⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? ¹⁰ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

The title of Holy Ghost refers to the Spirit of God in action and relation to humanity (Bernard, p. 63).

Genesis 1:2 And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Jesus was claiming that He is the Comforter, the Holy Ghost that the Apostles would soon receive.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Father.

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Romans 8:15-16 ¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Compare this verse to Jude 1.

Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

We are sanctified of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Father.

Matthew 28:19 is not the only place that the Great Commission is recorded. It is very general, with its contents to come from other scriptures (Reeves, p. 35). For example, we also see the Great Commission is Luke 24:47.

Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

In this record of the great commission, Jesus tells that remission of sins, which is through water baptism (see Acts 2:38), should be preached in his name. This shows us that remission of sins is through baptism in Jesus name.

It is clear that the Apostles understood Jesus’ commission with a wider source of information and a clearer view (Reeves, p. 35). Peter and Paul baptized in Jesus name.

The three titles, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost do not refer to three persons within the Godhead. Instead, as can be seen when compared in scripture, they describe roles of God. God was manifest in flesh to provide salvation through the blood of His sinless Son, Jesus. Jesus is both God and man, Father and Son; Creator and Savior. He is the Father to us through creation and His relationship to us. As the Son he is our sacrifice. He is the Holy Ghost in transforming and regenerating us with His Spirit baptism. Jesus is the one name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Jesus is the name given to us for salvation.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Simply repeating the command that Jesus gives us isn’t obeying the command. Jesus is the name that God revealed to us for our salvation. We are commanded to be baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sins.

References

Bernard, David K. (1994). Oneness view of Jesus Christ, The

Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

Reeves, Kenneth, V. (1966). Great Commission, The 4^th Printing

Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

Segraves, Daniel. (2009). Matthew 28:19 and Granville Sharp’s sixth rule.

Retrieved November 22, 2009 from,

http://danielsegraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/matthew-2819-and-granville-sharps-sixth_27.html

David K. Bernard The Oneness View of Jesus Christ

Logos

Randy A. Brown — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:03:20 +0000

The New Testament describes an aspect of God known as the Word, or in Greek the Logos. Some would say that the Logos is a person within the Godhead. Others would describe the Logos as the words of God- His speech. Others, such as those in Greek thought, would describe the Logos as a creative force. Who is the Logos? What do the scriptures say?

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In English, Logos is translated Word. Because of this, many Bible readers see this definition of Logos, Word, as the main aspect of Logos. Writers have described the Logos as the words of God, or His speech (Bernard, p. 60). The Logos is also described as the plan of God. The Logos is described as a play in the mind of a playwright (Bernard, p. 60). I’ve heard the description “My word’s with me”. This makes the Logos a philosophical idea. My words are not me. My plans are not me. My thoughts are not me. They come from me. I formulate them based on my own ideas and understandings, but no one can say they’ve met me just by reading my writings. I do believe these descriptions are partially describing the Logos, but as we’ll see from scripture, the Logos is much more than this.

The scriptures say that the Logos was Theos; the Word was God- not just a plan in the mind of God.

The Greek word Logos means thought, plan, mind, reasoning, word, center of consciousness, speech. Strong’s’ entry for Logos from the New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words is:

3056. Logos, log’-os; from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):- account, cause, communication, x concerning, doctrine, fame, x have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, x speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.

Spiros Zodhiates describes the Logos as speech, intelligence, reasoning, etc (HGKWSB, entry 3056).

The Logos is all of these: the thought of God, plan of God, mind of God, reasoning of God, word of God, and center of consciousness of God. The Logos is the fullness of God. The Logos is all the fullness of God. The Logos is God. Not part of God; not a person within God; but completely, fully God.

How is the Logos God? God has two aspects of presence: specific presence and omnipresence. His omnipresence did not sit on the throne in heaven. God did not place his omnipresence in a theophany (an appearing of God such as the pillar of fire or the burning bush). When God was in a theophany, the universe was not emptied of the presence of God. When God spoke, He spoke from a specific place. God’s specific presence was what appeared to Moses. His specific presence went with Moses in the desert.

Exodus 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

This presence that we see in theophanies was not another person. This specific presence was the Logos, the Word, all the fullness of the Godhead. This specific presence was with the omnipresence of God, but wasn’t another God or person- it was God. Not two Spirits, not two persons. It was God thinking and acting from a specific place and still filling the universe at the same time. The Word was the specific point that God was speaking to Moses from the burning bush while the Spirit of God filled the universe. It was how God told Noah to come into the ark. The omnipresence of God was not confined to the ark. The specific presence of God was in the ark. The specific presence of God was in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. It is how God walked in the Garden of Eden. This specific presence was the image that Moses saw.

Exodus 33:17-23 ¹⁷ And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. ¹⁸ And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. ¹⁹ And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. ²⁰ And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. ²¹ And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: ²² And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: ²³ And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

A common teaching for this verse is that Moses saw a theophany. I’d like to point out a few problems with this teaching. First, Moses was speaking to a theophany face-to-face when he asked to see God’s Glory. God responded that no man could look upon His face and live. The next event is Moses seeing the hinder parts of God. Then, God comes out of a cloud and stands on the rock face-to-face with Moses again. It would be illogical for God to tell Moses that he couldn’t look upon the face of a theophany while Moses was looking upon the face of a theophany. Also, what would be the point of God placing His hand over Moses’ face and then reveal the hinder parts just to stand on the rock with him a moment later if all Moses saw was another theophany? This could not have been a theophany. It had to be the spiritual image of God.

Kenneth V. Reeves describes the Logos as the image of God, which he calls the Word-image (The Supreme Godhead, p.53). Reeves points out that God has an image, shape, or form (The Supreme Godhead, p.53).

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Moses saw the image of God.

Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Some will argue that a spirit doesn’t have an image. The argument is that even angels do not have a spiritual shape and they did not see an image of God because spirits are invisible. I would say a spirit has a spiritual image that spirit beings can see. There are many examples in scripture of spirit beings being seen when God allows it.

Numbers 22:22-23 ²² And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. ²³ And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

2 Kings 6:15-17 ¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? ¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

The scriptures also describe Lucifer before his fall.

Ezekiel 28:13-14 ¹³ Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. ¹⁴ Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

We were made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

These verses are describing spiritual shapes and images, showing that God and the angels had a spiritual image.

Another argument is that God could not have an image because it would make two. God in omnipresence and specific presence doesn’t make two anymore than God in a theophany while His omnipresence fills the universe makes two. Two aspects of God’s presence, with the specific presence being His spiritual image, don’t make two anymore than God in Christ makes two.

Reeves describes the Word as God revealed in time and creation (The Godhead, p.20). The Logos is the aspect of God by which He created all things.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Logos was made flesh.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the Word, the Logos, made flesh. Anything we can say about the Word, we are saying about the deity of Jesus. Jesus is the thought of God, plan of God, mind of God, reasoning of God, Word of God, center of consciousness of God, image of God, and the specific presence of God. The deity of Jesus is all the fullness of the Godhead.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Since the Deity of Jesus is all the fullness of the Godhead, the Logos must be all the fullness of the Godhead.

Jesus is the image of God.

Colossians 1:15-17 ¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

This passage describes the Logos perfectly. The Logos is the image of God, the Creator, and He is before all things as the great and mighty God Himself.

Jesus was a two-fold being: he was deity and he was humanity. He was 100% God, and he was 100% man. Jesus was not a second person in the Godhead. As God, he was the only God there is, manifest in flesh to become the sacrifice for our sins.

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

As a man, Jesus was the Son of God. God could not die, so He was manifest in flesh to offer Himself as our sacrifice for sins. The term ‘Son’ refers to the humanity or the humanity and deity of Jesus, but it never refers to deity alone (Bernard, p. 82).

The Logos is not the only aspect that God operates from. God is more complex than that. We see God operating from His omnipresence. This is how God spoke from Heaven at Jesus’ baptism and how the Holy Ghost is imparted to believers. The Logos is not the only aspect of God, but it is fully God. If we allow the scriptures to explain to us mysteries such as the Logos, we will not come up with ideas such as the Word being a person within the Godhead. Instead, the scriptures will show us that the Word is simply God reveling Himself to us. What does this mean? The scriptures are showing us that Jesus is the one God manifest in flesh. Jesus is not a part of God or a person within God. Jesus is all the fullness of God. The Deity of Jesus, the Logos, is the one and only God that created all things; the only God there is.

References

Bernard, David K. (1983) Oneness of God, The.

Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

Reeves, Kenneth V., (1971). Godhead, The

Granite City: Kenneth V. Reeves

Reeves, Kenneth V., (1984). Supreme Godhead, The

Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

Strong, James (1996). New Strong’s complete dictionary of Biblical words, The

Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Zodhiates, Spiros (2008). Hebrew-Greek key word study Bible.

Chattanooga: AMG Publishers

David K. Bernard The Oneness of God

Kenneth V. Reeves The Godhead, The Supreme Godhead