| Author |
Message |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 301
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 9:32 am: |     |
Chris, I haven't chimmed in yet, but want to say that I really appreciate all the time you're putting into this study. I've been printing the posts off and taking them home to read at a slower pace with my husband. It's been marvelous to see things laid out this way. It's the first time in my life where the "trinity" concept has made sense. Where I haven't had to grapple with the conflicting views and texts...seeing them laid out so that all points are true. Thank you very much! |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1171
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 10:40 am: | |
Great! I'm so glad it's helpful Esther. I'm really benefitting from pulling the study together as well. It just blows me away how strongly each of the truths that comprise the doctrine of the Trinity are taught throughout scripture. Just the volume of scripture teaching these truths is overwhelming.
Every once in a while you'll hear someone on some forum say something like, "Well, you know the Trinity isn't taught anywhere in the Bible." After doing this study I think I have a new answer for them, "You're right, it would be much more correct to say the Trinity is taught everywhere in the Bible."
Chris |
Dennis
Registered user
Username: Dennis
Post Number: 636
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 7:40 pm: | |
Chris,
Thank you for your efforts in showing us how the Trinity is taught "everywhere" in the Bible. A wonderful study indeed!
Dennis Fischer
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Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1173
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 7:48 pm: | |
Thank you for the encouragement Dennis. It is amazing that God has condescended to reveal so much about Himself to us, his creatures. We are truly blessed by the wealth of scripture we have been given.
Chris |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1175
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 9:38 am: | |
The Biblical Basis of the Trinity Part X
So far in our study we have seen that the Bible clearly teaches that
1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God and the Son is God.
Today I would like to present scriptures that teach that the Holy Spirit is God.
The following scriptures demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is equated with God:
quote:Acts 5:3-4 (NASB)
3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
4 "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NASB)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
The following passages teach that the Holy Spirit has all the incommunicable attributes of God. These are the attributes that cannot be given to any created being, but are only possessed by the one true God.
The Holy Spirit is Eternal:
quote:Hebrews 9:14 (NASB)
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The Holy Spirit is omnipresent (everywhere):
quote:Psalms 139:7 (NASB)
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
The Holy Spirit is omniscient (knows everything):
quote:1 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NASB)
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
The following scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is involved in all of the works of God.
The Holy Spirit was involved in creation:
quote:Genesis 1:2 (NASB)
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Psalms 104:30 (NASB)
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground.
The Holy Spirit was involved in the incarnation:
quote:Matthew 1:18 (NASB)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:20 (NASB)
20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35 (NASB)
35 The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
The Holy Spirit was involved in the resurrection:
quote:Romans 1:4 (NASB)
4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Romans 8:11 (NASB)
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The Holy Spirit is involved in salvation:
quote:Romans 8:1-27 (NASB)
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the fleshó
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Bible also demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is a person, not just an impersonal force.
First, we should note that the Holy Spirit has a name. Although it is possible that a name might be given to something other than a person, here we see the Father and Son named as well so it is clear that the passage is talking about the names of three persons:
quote:Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Secondly, we see that not only are personal pronouns used of the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit is described in ways that could only be applied to a person.
The Holy Spirit is a Helper:
quote:John 14:16 (NASB)
16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
The Holy Spirit is a Teacher:
quote:John 14:26 (NASB)
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
The Holy Spirit is a Witness:
quote:John 15:26-27 (NASB)
26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit is a Guide. The Holy Spirit speaks truth on behalf of Christ. The Holy Spirit discloses what is to come. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ.
quote:John 16:7-14 (NASB)
7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God and we readily identify with him as the God-man. It is sometimes more challenging for us as finite humans to identify with the Holy Spirit in a personal sense and yet it is difficult to escape the scriptural teaching that He is a person. The Holy Spirit is sent to be our Helper, our Teacher, our Guide, and a Witness to the Truth of Jesus. As we are transformed by the Spirit and grow in the Spirit, we will become ever more aware of the scriptural reality that He is a person who is in personal relationship with every believer in the most intimate of ways.
Based on scripture we can now expand the list of Biblical truths that we have learned about God.
1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
Next time we will see from scripture that while the Father, Son, and Spirit are one in being, they are personally distinct.
Chris
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Brix
Registered user
Username: Brix
Post Number: 26
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 11:10 am: | |
Chris, another good teaching.
I think, Chris, that in some verses like in the book of Acts, where the Spirit said to Peter go to this place, that this is Jesus in the act of building the church, for he is the Head of the church. In other places in Acts, like the prophecy spoken to Paul about bring bound, is obveisly the Holy Spirit. The point im trying to make is, yes there is the divine oneness, that the Spirit of Jesus is the builder of the church, the roll of the Holy Spirit is to help lead us into truth and manifests the gifts and services of these gifts, 1 Cor 12. The contex of each verse identifies their desegnated role, but in some verses, like 2 Cor 2v10-11, I see an all inclusiveness there, and for me I just see it as God..... What you think? |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1179
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 1:11 pm: | |
Brix, interesting question. I'm not able to give a full response without examining the specific texts you're thinking of (I think you have a typo above as 2 Cor. 2:10-11 does not appear to deal with the subject at hand).
Let me give a more general response for now. Although I believe there are differences in roles between the persons of the Trinity, there is also a sense in which no one person of the Trinity is ever acting alone or sepeartely because the Father, Son, and Spirit are one God, one Being. There are places in scripture where we can see each of the three persons of the Trinity involved in an action or event (like at the baptism of Jesus). There are places in scripture that clearly identify a specific person of the Trinity as performing a certain role or act. There are other places where it is more ambiguous and all we can say for certain is that the one God did or said something and it is not clear if one person of the Trinity was in some way more directly performing that role.
In general, I think when the Bible says "the Spirit", "the Spirit of God", "the Spirit of the Lord", or other similar phrases it is referring specifically to the person of the Holy Spirit. It was normative in Bible times when God spoke to someone, commanded someone, or inspired someone for the Holy Spirit to be the person of the Trinity who fulfilled that role. Today, the Holy Spirit still speaks to us by illuminating the scriptures, convicting us of right and wrong, impressing things upon our minds, and renewing our minds.
Those are just my thoughts in a general sense. In general I don't see any reason to interpret "the Spirit" in a way other than referring to the person of the Holy Spirit. Let me know what text you were actually referring to and I'll be happy to look at it more specifically.
Chris |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1180
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 1:30 pm: | |
The Biblical Basis of the Trinity Part XI
So far in our study we have seen that the Bible clearly teaches that
1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
The first Biblical truth rules out the heresy of polytheism (many gods) and tritheism (three gods). The Bible is quite clear that there is only one God (one Being) and there are no others.
The second Biblical truth rules out such heresies as Arianism (the belief that Jesus is a lesser being that is not fully God in the same sense as the Father). It also rules out other related heresies such as the idea that the Holy Spirit is only and impersonal force or perhaps some sort of lesser being that acts as an agent. The Bible is quite clear that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and as we have already said they are ONE God (one Being).
However, if we simply stopped there we might fall into a third heresy, known as modalism. Modalism teaches that God goes into different modes at different times. According to modalism, God is sometimes the Father, at other times the Son, and at still other times the Spirit. In the modern form of the modalism heresy, known as "Oneness Pentecostalism", God was the Father prior the incarnation, the Son during the incarnation, and the Holy Spirit after the ascension. However, this teaching runs directly counter to the teaching of scripture as we shall see today. Because this ancient heresy seems to again be gaining a foothold, including with at least one popular television evangelist, I would like to spend quite a bit of time on this. I will break this part of the study up into two parts. The Biblical truth that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons may seem obvious to many, but sooner or later you will likely encounter someone who will dispute it.
According to the Bible, the one God has always existed in relationship to Himself. This means He is perfect and complete in Himself. He has never been lonely, He has never been without love, He has never been without communication, He has never had a need for anyone or anything. God creates as an act of grace, not need. God shares his love and grace and the gift of life with His creation. Anything we know about love, relationship, and communication comes from the fact that we were created with the imago dei (the image of God). We reflect, however incompletely, the communicable attributes of God such as love, relationship, communication, etc. These attributes are eternal and essential to the Being of God because He has eternally existed as the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Today I would like to begin presenting scriptures that teach that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons.
Let's look first at some scriptures that show that the Father and Son are two persons.
First will examine some salutations from New Testament epistles that indicate that there is a personal distinction between the Father and Son.
quote:Romans 1:7 (NASB)
7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 (NASB)
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2 (NASB)
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3 (NASB)
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 1:2 (NASB)
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2 (NASB)
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 (NASB)
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-2 (NASB)
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:1-2 (NASB)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:2 (NASB)
2 To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4 (NASB)
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Philemon 1:3 (NASB)
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
James 1:1 (NASB)
1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
2 Peter 1:2 (NASB)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
2 John 1:3 (NASB)
3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Next we can see that the Father and Son are two distinct witnesses. The in the following passages, Jesus is appealing to the Old Testament mandate that there be two or three witnesses in order to make a testimony valid. If there is no personal distinction between the Father and Son, then Jesus' argument falls apart. I will list the Old Testament passages Jesus is appealing to first, followed by the reasoned argument that Jesus makes showing that the Father and Son are two distinct witnesses.
quote:Numbers 35:30 (NASB)
30 'If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.
Deuteronomy 17:6 (NASB)
6 "On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
Deuteronomy 19:15 (NASB)
15 "A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.
John 5:31-32 (NASB)
31 "If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.
32 "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.
John 8:16-18 (NASB)
16 "But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.
17 "Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.
18 "I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me."
The following scriptures teach us that the Father sent the Son:
quote:John 3:17 (NASB)
17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Galatians 4:4 (NASB)
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
1 John 4:10 (NASB)
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
John 17:18 (NASB)
18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
John 20:21 (NASB)
21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
We also see a real relationship between the Father and the Son. The Father and the Son love each other:
quote:John 3:35 (NASB)
35 "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
John 14:31 (NASB)
31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
John 17:23-26 (NASB)
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
In addition to loving each other, the Father speaks to the Son and the Son speaks to the Father.
quote:John 11:41-42 (NASB)
41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."
John 12:28 (NASB)
28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
John 17:1-26 (NASB)
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7 "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
9 "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;
10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.
11 "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
12 "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 "But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
Next time we will continue with scripture that teaches that the Son existed before His incarnation, Jesus is not the Holy Spirit, and the Father is not the Holy Spirit.
Chris
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Brix
Registered user
Username: Brix
Post Number: 27
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 6:52 pm: | |
Chris,
You are right, its a typo, should have been 1 Cor. 2v10. I wasn't really poseing a question, as to shareing my reasoning on some verses that appear to give a specific identity compared to verses that use The Spirit. Perhaps I would have been clearer in my post if I would have used 2 Cor. 3v17...Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. I see here that "Lord", to me refers to Jesus, but also could refer to the Holy Spirit.
I agree with your reasoning in general, I believe we are on the same page. Again, I'm not posing a question, just kicking around some thoughts.
I just read your teaching, good work. You have taken a comparative teaching much deeper then I'v seen in most teachers.........BRIX |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1182
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 11:50 am: | |
quote:1 Corinthians 2:10 (NASB)
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NASB)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Brix, I donít feel a need to be over dogmatic here, but I would consider all the references to ìthe Spiritî above to be references to the person of the Holy Spirit. God reveals wisdom, mysteries, and the thoughts of God to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (the context of 1 Cor. 2).
2 Cor. 3 is perhaps a little more ambiguous because the closest antecedent to ìthe Lordî in verse 16 is ìChristî in verse 14. However, I think it is probable that Paul is using ìLordî (kurios) in verse 17 in the same way the Jewish translators of the Septuagint did. In the Septuagint (the Bible that Jesus and the apostles used), Lord (kurios) is used to represent the Hebrew Tetragrammaton YHWH, the proper name of the one true God. This passage seems Trinitarian in nature to me because it appears to me that Paul is using Lord to refer to both Jesus and the Spirit and is thereby showing that Jesus is YHWH and the Spirit is YHWH. Paul also seems to be referring to the Father in versus 4 and 5. So I think weíre seeing all three persons of the Trinity being referred to as God. My final reason for thinking that ìthe Spiritî in verse 17 refers to the person of the Holy Spirit is because that would seem to be the most straight forward understanding of the very next verse.
quote:2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Again, I feel no need to be overly dogmatic about this because in any case weíre talking about the only true God, YHWH, but I donít see any reason to interpret ìthe Spiritî as meaning anything other than the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
Chris
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Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1184
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 1:03 pm: | |
The Biblical Basis of the Trinity Part XII
So far in our study we have seen that the Bible clearly teaches that
1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
Last time we began examining scripture that teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinct. We started by showing that the Father and Son are two persons. Today I would like to continue by present scripture that shows that the Father is not the Holy Spirit and Jesus is not the Holy Spirit. Finally, I will debunk the "Oneness Pentacostal" heresy by showing from scripture that the Son existed before His incarnation and even before creation.
Jesus is not the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is "another Comforter":
quote:John 14:16 (NASB)
16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit:
quote:John 15:26 (NASB)
26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
John 16:7 (NASB)
7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus:
quote:John 16:13-14 (NASB)
13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
The Son and the Holy Spirit are distinguished as two persons:
quote:Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus:
quote:Luke 3:21-22 (NASB)
21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
The Father is not the Holy Spirit
The Father also sent the Holy Spirit:
quote:John 14:26 (NASB)
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 15:26 (NASB)
26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
The Holy Spirit intercedes with the Father for us:
quote:Romans 8:26-27 (NASB)
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Father and the Holy Spirit are distinguished as two persons:
quote:Matthew 28:19 (NASB)
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
As I mentioned last time, the heresy of modalism is making a modern day come back in the form of "Oneness Pentacostalism". Oneness Pentacostals teach that God was the Father before the incarnation, the Son during the incarnation, and the Spirit after the incarnation. In other words they teach that there is no personal distinction between the Father, Son, and Spirit, but these are just different "modes" that God has been in during different time periods. However, if it can be demonstrated from scripture alone that the Son existed before His incarnation and even before creation, then the Oneness construct falls apart and is disproven.
The following is an Old Testament text that makes reference to the Son:
quote:Proverbs 30:4 (NASB)
4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you know!
We are also taught in scripture that the Son created all things:
quote:1:3 (NASB)
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
8:6 (NASB)
6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
1:16-17 (NASB)
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesóall things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Hebrews 1:2 (NASB)
2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
Revelation 3:14 (NASB)
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning [I.e. Origin of Source] of the creation of God, says this:
Romans 11:36 (NASB)
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Hebrews 2:10 (NASB)
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
Acts 17:28 (NASB)
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'
Jesus was with God the Father before creation:
quote:John 1:1 (NASB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 17:5 (NASB)
5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
It seems clear from the passages presented today and in part XI that the Father, Son, and Spirit are personally distinct so we can now add the final Biblical truth to the truths that compose the Biblical basis of the Trinity:
1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
3. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinct.
Next time I will try to wrap this study up with a few closing comments.
Chris
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Brix
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Post Number: 28
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| | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 8:08 pm: | |
Chris, thanks for your responce and keep up the good teaching!....BRIX |
Chris
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Post Number: 1185
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 7:19 pm: | |
The Biblical Basis of the Trinity Part XIII
Over the past twelve parts of this study we have learned directly from scripture the following truths that God has revealed about Himself:
1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
3. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinct.
We have seen that there is a very large wealth of scripture that teaches these truths. This raises the question, "Why do some deny one or more of these truths that are so clearly taught in the Bible?" I believe it is related to the age old human inclination to make gods in our own image or in the likeness of things we understand. The three truths listed above, as taught by the Bible, present an infinite God that is far beyond the comprehension of His finite creatures. It is a natural human impulse to try to redefine the infinite God in finite ways that we can grasp. However, to do this, one is forced to deny one or more of the truths God has revealed about Himself. Let's take a brief overview of the most common heresies and how they each deny one of these Biblical truths.
Polytheism and Tritheism: Polytheism is the belief that there is more than one god. Tritheism is the belief that there are three gods. In other words, Tritheist believe that the Father, Son, and Spirit are separate beings that are each individually god. Polytheist (such as Mormons) and Tritheist (as can be found in some SDA circles) usually believe the second and third truths listed above. That is, they believe that the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and the Father, Son, and Spirit are personally distinct. However, because they have trouble comprehending those truths in light of the first truth, there is only one God and there are no others, they simply choose to reject the first truth. This is simply not an option for the Bible believing Christian. The Bible is abundantly clear that there is only one God, there are no others. That's the bottom line, there is only one being that is God.
Arianism: Arianism is the belief that Jesus is not fully God in the same sense as the Father. Although there are variations on the theme, Jesus is usually seen as an exalted created being (as in Jehovah's Witnesses and early SDAs). Arians usually believe the first truth and the third truth, but reject the second truth. That is, they believe there is only one God and that the Father, Son, and Spirit are personally distinct (although many would object to calling the Spirit a person and would instead call him a "force"). However, since they are unable to fully comprehend these truths in light of the second truth that the Father, Son, and Spirit are God, they simply choose to reject the second truth. Arians will normally accept that the Father is God, but they will refuse to accept Jesus as God or the Holy Spirit as God despite the clear Biblical teaching on this matter.
Modalism: Modalist accept the first and second truth. That is, they believe that there is only one God and that the Father, Son, and Spirit are God. However, since they are unable to fully comprehend this in light of the third truth that the Father, Son, and Spirit are personally distinct, they simply choose to reject the third truth. Modalist believe that the Father, Son, and Spirit are simply different modes that God switches into at different times. In the modern version of this heresy God is said to have been the Father before the incarnation, the Son during the incarnation, and the Spirit after the ascension. This flies directly in the face of much scripture that teaches there are real personal relationships of love and communication between the Father, Son, and Spirit.
So what do all these heresies have in common? They all make God an understandable finite god, by blatantly denying one of the truths He has condescended to reveal about Himself. All of these heresies make God small enough for us to wrap our finite minds around. Unfortunately, they all present a god that is a different god from the one revealed in scripture.
As Christians we are called to bend the knee before our infinite God even though we cannot fully comprehend Him. We are called to accept what He has plainly revealed in dozens and dozens of passages all through the pages of scripture. When it comes right down to it, who would you rather worship, a god that is small enough to be grasped by his creatures, or one who is so big that He is beyond comprehension. The Bible presents the latter throughout its pages.
This brings up another problem. Everytime we want to refer to what the God of the Bible has revealed about Himself we can't practically launch into a thirteen part series, nor can we begin to list pages and pages of texts. We need some way of simply summing up all that we have gleaned from scripture. Here is one of the best most concise summaries I have read that captures all three of the truths we have been studying in scripture:
quote:"Within the one Being that is God, there exist eternally three coequal and coeternal Persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." - James R. White (Christian Apologist - No relation to the person of the same name we are most familiar with.)
This is an excellent and concise statement of what scripture teaches, but even this sentence can be a mouth full when referring to the God of the Bible. Becasue this is true of many subjects that are taught throughout scripture, Christians have developed words that serve as a sort of short hand to sum up concepts taught in the Bible. In this case, I know of no other single word that is more helpful in summing up the concepts we have studied other than "Trinity". While this word is not a word that is used in the Bible, it perfectly captures the essence of something that is most certainly taught in scripture. We should not be afraid to use short hand words if they accurately represent plain Biblical truths.
So the next time you hear someone say, "You know, the Trinity isn't anywhere in the Bible," you can reply with, "It's actually EVERYWHERE in the Bible! Let me show you the three things God has revealed about Himself in the pages of scripture."
"1. There is only one God, there are no others.
2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
3. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinct."
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank everyone who has participated in this thread, read this thread, and provided encouragement to continue this thread.
I would also like to acknowledge my indebtedness to several sources. I am afraid this list may not be complete, but it hopefully covers the main references in relative order of importance:
- The Christian Research Institute (I am most deeply indebted to a position paper on the Trinity that provided both an outline and the scripture that have defined this study. It could rightly be said that this study is merely an expansion of CRI's position statement.) I am also indebted to an article called ìLoving the trinityî by James R. White as well as a few other assorted CRI resources.
- Portions of this study related to Jesus as YHWH were drawn from a comparison chart available through Reasons to Believe.
- The NIV study Bible notes
- The Christian Apologetic & Research Ministry (multiple articles)
- Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
- Systematic Theology by Norman Geisler
- Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by RC Sproul
- The complete Word Study Dictionary by Zodhiates
- Early Christian Doctrines by JND Kelly
- NASB Greek-Hebrew Dictionary
- Strongís Greek-Hebrew Dictionary
- Vineís Expository Dictionary
- Multiple commentaries including: Wesley, Matthew Henry, JFB, McGee, Barnes, Barclay, and Adam Clarke
- Probably other resources that I canít remember now.
I would like to thank those of you who prayed for me during this study. Most importantly I would like to thank Jesus Christ our Lord, God, and Savior who condescended to reveal Himself to us.
Chris
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Riverfonz
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Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 1461
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 8:34 pm: | |
Chris,
You deserve a standing ovation--even in cyberspace for this outstanding study! Thanks for the great summation at the end regarding the heresies that result from trying to make a god in our own image, which amounts to idolatry.
Evangelicalism through its main journal, Christianity Today, even ridicules those who would not accept a modalist, who is one of the top two most influential "evangelicals" (Joel Osteen, and TD Jakes--Jakes being the modalist) as being a good brother in Christ. Your study shows that you cannot believe in the true Jesus of the Bible and deny the Trinity. I also heard this on MacArthur's program this AM where he said the same thing. Where is evangelicalism headed with even Christianity Today embracing people who teach this kind of heresy? They have created a "god" in their own image.
Adventism's history is one of confusion on this topic. Arianism still exists today, and is geting stronger in Adventism. Jeremy pointed out on another thread that Ellen White was clearly quoted as late as 1895 in an official SDA paper that Jesus was made.
Again, Chris, you have done a splendid job. There should be no more confusion here regarding this topic!(smiley)
Stan |
Insearchof
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Username: Insearchof
Post Number: 54
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 9:02 pm: | |
Jeremy,
Can you reference that quote from EGW regarding the fact that Jesus was 'made'? It is almost unbeleivable to consider....
I am starting to compose my exit letter in my head and if that can be documented, I will be sure to include it in my 'did you know this' section....
Thanks Chris for a great job on the Trinity! I have been sure to copy them all off and have begun to go through all the evidence. After reading so many foolish posts on R/S regarding the doctrine of the Trinity, its about time to hear what the Bible has to say.
InSearchOf |
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 3637
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 9:17 pm: | |
Chris, thank you so much! What an awesome study.
Colleen |
Jeremy
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Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1148
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 9:53 pm: | |
I have not been able to read most of this thread yet, but I look forward to doing so when I get the chance. Thanks Chris, for the time and effort you put into this.
Stan, and don't forget, as I showed on the Andrews University thread, that the current teaching of the SDA church is Tritheism, and is still not Trinitarianism.
InSearchOf,
Here is the quote:
quote:"The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind." (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 07-09-1895, paragraph 14.)
I had to defend my understanding of this quote today on another forum (SDA), showing that it means what it looks like it's saying. Maybe I'll post my exposition of it on here later.
Jeremy |
Riverfonz
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Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 1463
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 11:02 pm: | |
Jeremy,
Maybe those folks tried to pull a Bill Clinton parsing of the words trick. Remember the famous quote Bill Clinton gave when testifying about Monica "It depends on what the meaning of is is"
Those folks on that forum probably found some way to question the meaning of the word MADE, so "it depends on what the meaning of made is". So I can see how they might have said that Christ was made or formed in the womb of Mary and sent to earth in that way. I would be interested in your defense of their arguments.
Stan |
Dd
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Username: Dd
Post Number: 655
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 8:33 am: | |
Chris,
I have printed off every part of your study and have a nice "book". God has used you mightily.
Denise |
Jeremy
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Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1149
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 1:29 pm: | |
Stan,
The person is basically trying to say that EGW is saying Christ was "made" human, and this person has even been changing EGW's words.
Here is part of my first response:
quote:Your argument does not hold up to the facts. Look at the the quote again. First of all, she does not say "made into" she says "made in"! Also, it does not say "expressed image"--it says "express image." That part of the sentence ("the express image of his person") is a quote from Hebrews 1:3 KJV which says that Jesus is "the express image of his person"! Hebrews 1:1-3a KJV says: "God...Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,..."
When it talks of Christ "being" (eternally) "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," etc., it is speaking of His divinity, not His humanity! Therefore it is blasphemous for Ellen White to say that Jesus was "made in" the express image of his person! No, He has always been the express image of his person!
Also, she says that Christ was "made" before the Father sent Him down to earth. It is clear that she is not talking about Him being made human.
And Jesus IS the exact image of God, not a human who was made in the likeness of God.
Also, the Jamieson, Fausett & Brown commentary, commenting on Hebrews 1:3, says: "of his person--Greek, 'of His substantial essence'; 'hypostasis.'"
So it is referring to Christ being the same substance, or being, as God. So Hebrews 1:3 is talking about His divinity, and not His humanity.
Jeremy
(Message edited by Jeremy on March 28, 2006) |
Riverfonz
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Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 1465
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 4:12 pm: | |
Thanks Jeremy for that. I am curious though about one thing from all your research. Can you find any unequivocal statements where Ellen did affirm the eternal Deity of Christ? Say, after that 1895 statement, is there anything that would say that she was orthodox in her belief about who Christ was? There are some staements where she seems to affirm this, and others contradictory--maybe depending on who she was copying.
Stan |
Jeremy
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Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1150
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 6:17 pm: | |
Stan,
Yes, there are statements which sound orthodox from after 1895 and probably from before that. But there are also contrary statements from both before and after. In other words, I don't know that there was ever a point in her life where she, from then on, fully taught Christ's eternal Deity without making statements to the contrary.
There are statements such as the following ones (the first being the famous quote from The Desire of Ages) which sound orthodox (although historic Adventists try to explain away even her orthodox-sounding statements):
quote:"In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived." (The Desire of Ages, page 530, paragraph 3.)
"His name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us.' 'The light of the knowledge of the glory of God' is seen 'in the face of Jesus Christ.' From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was 'the image of God,' the image of His greatness and majesty, 'the outshining of His glory.' It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God's love,--to be 'God with us.' Therefore it was prophesied of Him, 'His name shall be called Immanuel.'" (The Desire of Ages, page 19, paragraph 1.)
"Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, 'whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.' Micah 5:2,
margin." (The Desire of Ages, page 469, paragraph 5.)
"These are wonderfully solemn and significant statements. It was the Source of all mercy and pardon, peace and grace, the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable One, who visited His exiled servant on the isle that is called Patmos (MS 81, 1900)." S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 7, page 955, paragraph 11.)
"The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father." (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 04-05-1906, paragraph 7.)
"No one of the angels could become a substitute and surety for the human race, for their life is God's; they could not surrender it. On Christ alone the human family depended for their existence. He is the eternal, self-existent Son, on whom no yoke had come. When God asked, 'whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Christ alone of the angelic host could reply, 'Here am I; send Me.' He alone had covenanted before the foundation of the world to become a surety for man. He could say that which not the highest angel could say--'I have power over My own life. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again' [see John 10:18]." (Manuscript Releases, Volume Twelve, page 395, paragraph 3.)
Notice that even in that last quote, despite her other comments in that same paragraph, she still says that Jesus is part of the "angelic host"!
What I still have not found is any quote where she definitely teaches that Jesus is not seperate in being from the Father or Trinitarianism (she never used the word Trinity or Triune or anything like that). It seems that she either taught bitheism or tritheism in her writings.
Jeremy
(Message edited by Jeremy on March 28, 2006) |
Xsra
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Username: Xsra
Post Number: 28
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 8:18 pm: | |
Chris,
What are your thoughts on the following scriptures with regards to the nature of Christ.
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, <B>the beginning of the creation of Godb</B>." Rev.3:14
"Who is the image of the invisible God, the <B>firstborn of every creature</B>" Col.1:15
Rob
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Xsra
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Username: Xsra
Post Number: 29
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 8:21 pm: | |
Chris,
What are your thoughts on the following scriptures with regards to the nature of Christ.
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." Rev.3:14
"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature" Col.1:15
Rob
|
Chris
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Username: Chris
Post Number: 1203
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 9:16 pm: | |
quote:Revelation 3:14 (HCSB)
14 ìTo the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ìThe Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of Godís creation says:
Revelation 3:14 (NIV)
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
Revelation 3:14 (NRSV)
14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation:
Revelation 3:14 (NLT)
14 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amenóthe faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation:
Christ identifies himself for Laodicea as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. As with the letter to Philadelphia, the characteristic of the Lord is taken from outside the opening vision of Christ. In the Old Testament God is literally, "the God of the Amen" ("the God of truth," Isa. 65:16), who is completely trustworthy and truthful. Now this designation is applied to Christ and contrasts vividly with the untrustworthy Laodiceans. As early as Revelation 1:5, John called Jesus "the faithful witness." The Greek word (arche) translated "ruler" can mean either first in time (beginning) or first in rank (ruler). This designation is similar to Paul's teaching in Colossians 1:15,18. (Paul had directed that the letter to the Colossians be read by the Christians in Laodicea, Col. 4:16. The risen Lord may now be appealing to the Laodiceans' knowledge of the Epistle to the Colossians.) Christ as supreme Creator and Ruler of the universe has every right to critique his wayward church.óHolman New Testament Commentary
quote:Colossians 1:15-17 (HCSB)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation;
16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesó all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17 (NRSV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers--all things have been created through him and for him.
17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT)
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.
16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't seeókings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him.
17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
He existed before Creation (v. 15). The term firstborn does not refer to time, but to place or status. Jesus Christ was not the first being created, since He Himself is the Creator of all things. Firstborn simply means "of first importance, of first rank." Solomon was certainly not born first of all of David's sons, yet he was named the firstborn (Ps. 89:27). Firstborn of all Creation means "prior to all Creation." Jesus Christ is not a created being; He is eternal God.
Paul used the word image to make this fact clear. It means "an exact representation and revelation." The writer to the Hebrews affirms that Jesus Christ is "the express image of His Person" (Heb. 1:3). Jesus was able to say, "He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). In His essence, God is invisible; but Jesus Christ has revealed Him to us (John 1:18). Nature reveals the existence, power, and wisdom of God; but nature cannot reveal the very essence of God to us. It is only in Jesus Christ that the invisible God is revealed perfectly. Since no mere creature can perfectly reveal God, Jesus Christ must be God.
He created all things (v. 16a). Since Christ created all things, He Himself is uncreated. The word for that introduces this verse could be translated "because." Jesus Christ is the Firstborn of all because He created all things. It is no wonder that the winds and waves obeyed Him, and diseases and death fled from Him, for He is Master over all. "All things were made by Him" (John 1:3). This includes all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible. All things are under His command.
All things exist for Him (v. 16b). Everything exists in Him, for Him, and through Him. Jesus Christ is the Sphere in which they exist, the Agent through which they came into being, and the One for whom they were made.
Paul's use of three different prepositions is one way of refuting the philosophy of the false teachers. For centuries, the Greek philosophers had taught that everything needed a primary cause, an instrumental cause, and a final cause. The primary cause is the plan, the instrumental cause the power, and the final cause the purpose. When it comes to Creation, Jesus Christ is the primary cause (He planned it), the instrumental cause (He produced it), and the final cause (He did it for His own pleasure).
If everything in creation exists for Him, then nothing can be evil of itself (except for Satan and fallen angels, even those God uses to accomplish His will). Gnostic regulations about using God's creation are all foolish (Col. 2:20-23). It also means that God's creation, even though under bondage to sin (Rom. 8:22), can be used for God's glory and enjoyed by God's people (1 Tim. 6:17).
He holds all things together (v. 17). "In Him all things hold together" (NIV). A guide took a group of people through an atomic laboratory and explained how all matter was composed of rapidly moving electric particles. The tourists studied models of molecules and were amazed to learn that matter is made up primarily of space. During the question period, one visitor asked, "If this is the way matter works, what holds it all together?" For that, the guide had no answer.
But the Christian has an answer: Jesus Christ! Because "He is before all things," He can hold all things together. Again, this is another affirmation that Jesus Christ is God. Only God exists before all of Creation, and only God can make Creation cohere. To make Jesus Christ less than God is to dethrone Him.
It used to bother me to sing the familiar song, "This Is My Father's World." I thought Satan and sin were in control of this world. I have since changed my mind, and now I sing the song with joy and victory. Jesus Christ made all things, He controls all things, and by Him all things hold together. Indeed, this is my Father's world!
óBible Exposition Commentary - New Testament
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