The Father and the Son
Dear Brethren of Maranatha Media. I have been asked by one of the Church ministers to publish for him an article on what I believe regarding God. The following article is what I have presented. Pray that the Father will turn the heart of this blessed minister who Loves our Lord that the message may reach those who are dying in a world full of confusion and misunderstanding. Alot of the literature that has been used is in this article from other articles that I have published and also in some of the thoughts of our brethren. We are all one in unity, through the testimony of our Lord Jesus, and My prayer is that this message will be carried, so all may come to know the Only true God and his only begotten Son, Christ our Lord (John 17:3).
Your Brother in Christ,
Bana
"Hear O Israel..."
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart” Deut 6: 4-6
The Above Text quoted from the book of Deuteronomy says “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one LORD…”
In the New Testament of Holy Writ, we see a scene where Jesus has just finished answering the elders regarding Heaven, marriage and the resurrection. After Jesus had Finished his answering, we read…
“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”
Mark 12:28-34
In the time of Christ’s Ministry, between 27-31 AD there were no manuscripts for the New Testament, The Scripture at that Time was the Old Testament. What we see here is that Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament. The book that the Lord is quoting from is the same quotation found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart” Deut 6: 4-6
What we find significant is the response that the scribe gave to Jesus regarding the first commandment of all…
“ And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:
History has it that the scribe was responsible for documenting information handed down from generation to generation. They had associations with lawyers, professors, physicians and Tax collectors. In regards to the scribe in ancient Israel, they were known to be acquainted with the Torah. They were acquainted with what was written in the Law. Their documentation was to be in line and accurate so that confusion would not spread through future generations.
What we see here is that the scribe in informing Jesus, had made his assessment of the responses that Jesus gave to the Elders. Testing to see if Jesus would be able to answer his request, Jesus replied to the scribe from the very manuscript in which the scribe was acquainted with. As the first and foremost command Jesus made reference that the LORD GOD is one LORD.
As the Scribe replied to Jesus answer, to his astonishment, he paraphrased what Jesus had quoted. Making it his first point of reference the scribe spoke and said…
“Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength…” Mark 12:
Here we see that there was no change in how Israel Understood God. Here we see that the scribe, who was acquainted with the Torah and was familiar with the written word of the Old Testament, knew that what Jesus was saying was true in regards to “…one GOD…”. Also in the Scribes response, he acknowledged that God was an individual personage, ascribing to God as “…he…” rather than “…they…”.
To place confirmation and acknowledgement to what the Scribe had publicly declared, “…Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”
Another Author's Understanding
Another Author we can turn to is the apostle Paul, whom from the tribe of Benjamin, whom had although knowledge of the torah and the Law. He was in association with the law of Moses and the customs that were practiced throughout Israel. After Consenting to the death of Stephen and being knocked off his horse at the point of a spear, this persecutor of the brethren turned his heart again unto the Lord and was willing to associate himself with the little company of People who received the good news of Christ Jesus.
In his Letter to Corinth, Paul made this known statement…
“But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)…
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” 1 Cor 8:3-6
Also in the book of Timothy we see thus:
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" 1Tim 2:5
What we have here is that Paul expresses that there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things. Paul makes a distinguished identification regarding the identity of both. The Lord himself when praying in preparation to calvary said regarding God, his Father…
“And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” John 17:3
The heart of Eternal Life, according to John 17:3, which is something that Jesus had been given from the Father, to give to as many that come unto him (John 17:2) is to “…know…” the only true God, which is “…thee…” or in context of the Chapter “The Father” and Jesus Christ, the Sent of God. It is only through Christ that we come to know the Father. It is only through our Lord that we get a complete and perfect Picture of our Heavenly Dad. Through Christ, the Channel of Blessing, the Life of the father flows forth, creating a circuit of irreplaceable love. And so through God’s only one born Son, our identities as sons and daughters are established, enriching us with a sense of value and belonging.
Returning back to the Author of 1 Corinthians, Let us take a further look into what the writer has to say in the book of Hebrews Regarding the Father and the Son:
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 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; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Heb 1: 1-4
Here we see that Christ, God’s Son, by whom he speaks, whom he appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the worlds, who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person has, by inheritance, has a more excellent name than any other, even than the angels. For God the Father addressed his Son as thus…
“Thy Throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of Righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And Thou, Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth: the heavens are the works of thine hands:” Heb 1:8-10
Here we see that The Father is addressing his Son…The Son’s name is also God and Lord. For we see this in the messianic prophesy of Isaiah…
“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, counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6
For by inheritance, The Son hath a more excellent name than the angels of God. His name was obtained, by in heritance for he is the only begotten Son of the Father (John 3:16, 2 John 3)
The Comforter, the Spirit of Turth, which is the Holy Ghost.
What about the Spirit of God? Who then is the Spirit of truth? Let us turn to John Chapter 14 and look into what Jesus said regarding the Comforter.
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
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. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:16-17
In regards to John 14 where Jesus says "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” We see that Jesus is introducing another comforter. If Jesus is mentioning another comforter, there must be an original comforter from whom the another comforter comes from. Who then is the original comforter? With this Chapter alone it does not specifically identify who the original comforter is, so then let us turn to another portion of Scripture to find who the original comforter.
In Paul’s second letter to Corinth, his introduction is stylised as thus:
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Cor 1:3-4
The above verse indicates that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble because God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, comforts us. Blessed hope and assurance that we are comforted by our heavenly Father, and through his own comfort we may be able to comfort those who are comfortless.
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…”
When we read the above text we can see that Jesus is asking God, even his Father, that he should give the disciples another comforter. If God the Father is the original comforter, the question then remains, who is that “another comforter”?
Firstly let us closely examine this text in John 14:16-17 through the eyes of the author, John the beloved. Throughout the book of John we see that the way John writes and how he heard his Master speak was in more than one way. Jesus would speak as we would know someone to speak individually, which is first person. He also would speak as if he is speaking of somebody else, third person. The following examples supplied show us how our Lord spoke in third person:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave hid only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Jesus could have easily used first person in this interview with Nicodemus, saying “For God so loved the world that he sent me…” but he didn’t. He spoke in third person as if he is speaking of somebody else. This was a common way in which our Lord spoke. See the following verses:
“And this is condemnation, that light is come into the world, an men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” John 3:19
“…If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” John 4:10
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise…” John 5:19
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” John 5: 25-26
“…If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8: 31-32 & 36
“…Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be children of the light…” John 12:35-36
Why then did Jesus speak this way or how come he used this language of expressing himself? Maybe we do not know the complete answer for it. One thing I choose to believe is that which is recorded in God’s Word…
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10: 27-28
With these things fresh in our understanding, lets us go back to John 14 and see who Jesus is talking of when he refers to that “…another comforter..”.
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
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. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:16-17
Firstly, Jesus prays to the Father, whom is the original comforter (2Cor 1: 3-4) for another comforter. That another comforter is a he, so then it is of masculine origin. He (The another comforter) abides with “…you for ever…” or in this context with the disciples forever. Jesus then calls him (another comforter) the Spirit of truth. As I understand in the same chapter, verse 6, Jesus called himself “…the truth…” which makes the Spirit of truth the Spirit of Christ. The world cannot receive the another comforter, which is the Spirit of truth or the Spirit of Christ…why?... because the world seeth him not neither do they know him.
Then Jesus moves on and says to his disciples that they do know him (the Spirit of truth) because he (the Spirit of truth) is dwelling/tabernacles with them and shall be in them. Jesus then breaks down the wall of confusion and says plainly to his disciples “…I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (v. 17)
To enlighten on this chapter may I turn to inspiration to give us a clearer insight to what John 14 is talking of. Under inspiration, this is what is written…
“Christ was the spirit of truth. The world would not listen to His pleadings. They would not accept Him as their guide. They could not discern unseen things; spiritual things were unknown to them. But Hs disciples see in him the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And they shall have his abiding presence.” The southern Review October 25, 1898.2 (Emphasis added)
If I joined John 14 and the above quote together, this is what it would look like…
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth ("...Christ was the spirit of truth...).; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him (...The world would not listen to His pleadings. They would not accept Him as their guide. They could not discern unseen things; spiritual things were unknown to them.): but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (But His disciples see in Him the Way, the Truth, and the Life.)."I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (And they shall have his abiding presence.)” The southern Review October 25, 1898.2 (Quotation blended with scripture-Emphasis added).
What these texts then tell me is that Jesus is the Spirit of Truth. He spoke of himself in third person, in which case the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead (The Divine Nature). God and his Christ have shared Spirit (Romans 8:9-10), so that where the presence of Christ is it is as the Presence of God the Father, they both come to us, unseen by the human eye (John 14:23). Just like the word that the Son speaks, it is to be readily obeyed as the word of the Father (John 14:10 & 12: 49-50). Everything that the Father hath also belongs to his Son ((John16:15), these things include his name (Hebrews 1:8-10, Isa. 9:6), his character, his word and also his Spirit.
The Spirit is the life of Christ manifested in the soul, and it is only that the Spirit of truth or the Christ life, that gives us the assurance of eternal life. The life that is hidden in Christ is the life of the Father, and it is this life that Christ is wanting to give to us. The heart of this life is here repeated in the Prayer of Christ saying:
“And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” John 17:3
If the reasoning presented here does not conform to the truth, I would like to quote another portion of scripture regarding the Spirit of God.
In the second letter to Corinth, Paul writes to the believers in mention of the Spirit of the living God, which is what the epistle of Christ has written. At the end of this chapter Paul identifies the Spirit as thus:
“Now the Lord is that (the) Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty…”2 Cor 3:17
If the Spirit is the Spirit of the Lord, which is the Holy Ghost, and The Lord is God and Christ, who then is the Spirit? ‘The Lord is that Spirit’. In lay-man’s terms it’s the Father and the Son with us, unseen by the human eye (see Ps 139: 7-8, John 14:23). Some say that it is just an influence, but the scripture doesn’t refer it to this alone. The Holy Spirit is their omnipresent Spirit with us, as God’s unseen agent. The question may be asked, how can the Spirit be both of them? We must remember that they both have a shared Spirit (Rom 8:9). Just like they both share the same name and have the same attributes, the same mind, the same character, the same life, the same heart and live for the same purpose.
Another way Jesus Identified himself as the Spirit was at the end of each letter to the churches in Asia Minor, depicted in Revelation chapter 2 & 3.
In Summary, who then is God? He is the Father of Christ. Does God have a Son? Yes, for his name is Jesus. Is the Holy Spirit a person? Yes. The Holy Spirit is the omnipresent Spirit of Christ, which is called the comforter. Is the Holy Spirit a separate individual personage as the Father and Son are and not the same? This I believe is where silence is golden. We do know who the Holy Spirit is, as Jesus made clear in the Fourteenth Chapter of John. The Holy Spirit is Christ here with us, unseen to the human eyes. May the following quotations from the Spirit of prophecy support this summary:
The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die, is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." {RH, August 26, 1890 par. 10}
“Christ was the spirit of truth. The world would not listen to His pleadings. They would not accept Him as their guide. They could not discern unseen things; spiritual things were unknown to them. But Hs disciples see in him the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And they shall have his abiding presence.” The southern Review October 25, 1898.2 (Emphasis added)
“Christ comes as a Comforter to all who believe. He invites your confidence. He says, "Abide in me." Surely we may trust in our loving Saviour. You can say, "Yes, my Saviour, in Thee I can and will trust. I will abide in Thee." Then how trustfully you can work in His presence. Your works will be but the fruit of Christ working in you. You may rest in what Christ can do for you. And the energies of your soul will be awakened to cooperate with Him. He will work in you to do His good pleasure. May the blessing of the Lord abide with you, is the prayer of your sister.--Letter 103, 1898, pp. 4, 5. (To Sister Peck (Sarah Peck's mother), November 21, 1898.) {8MR 58.1}
"Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth.” “The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.” (Ellen G. White, Manuscript No. 1084, February 18, 19th, 1895, page 21)
The Holy Spirit is also the life of Christ...
"The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.--The Desire of Ages, p. 805.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Christ is not here referring to his doctrine, but to his person, the divinity of his character.” {E. G. White, Review and Herald, April 5, 1906 par. 12}
“Finally, we know the Divine unity of the Father and the Son from the fact that both have the same Spirit. Paul, after saying that they that are in the flesh cannot please God, continues: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Rom. 8:9 . Here we find that the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.” (E. J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness, page 23, 1890)
"All professions of Christianity are but lifeless expressions of faith, until Jesus imbues the believer with His own Spiritual Life, which is the Holy Spirit . " S.P. Vol 3 p 242.
We also see that Christ is the only being/one/none but... that could enter into the counsel of peace...
The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate--a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father--one in nature, in character, in purpose--the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. Proverbs 8:22-30. {PP 34.1}
Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator's will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,--one in nature, in character, and in purpose,--the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. {GC 493.1}
The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father's throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God's plan, but would exalt the Father's glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love. {PP 36.2}
In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested upon the Sabbath after Their work of creation. When "the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them" (Genesis 2:1), the Creator and all heavenly beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene. {DA 769.2}
Adam and Eve were charmed with the beauties of their Eden home. They were delighted with the little songsters around them, wearing their bright yet graceful plumage, and warbling forth their happy, cheerful music. The holy pair united with them and raised their voices in harmonious songs of love, praise and adoration, to the Father and his dear Son, for the tokens of love which surrounded them. {1SP 26.3}
Who was God Talking to when he said “Let us make man in our Image…”?
After the earth was created, and the beasts upon it, the Father and Son carried out their purpose, which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in their own image. They had wrought together in the creation of the earth and every living thing upon it. And now God says to his Son, "Let us make man in our image." As Adam came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of noble height, and of beautiful symmetry. He was more than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and was well proportioned. His features were perfect and beautiful. His complexion was neither white, nor sallow, but ruddy, glowing with the rich tint of health. Eve was not quite as tall as Adam. Her head reached a little above his shoulders. She, too, was noble perfect in symmetry, and very beautiful. p. 24, Para. 2, 1 SOP. (Emphasis Applied)
“After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action. To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for "God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over . . . all the earth. . . . So God created man in His own image; . . . male and female created He them." Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that there is no occasion for erroneous conclusions. God created man in His own image. Here is no mystery. There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow degrees of development from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Such teaching lowers the great work of the Creator to the level of man's narrow, earthly conceptions. Men are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his origin. He who set the starry worlds on high and tinted with delicate skill the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens with the wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious work, to place one in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth, did not fail to create a being worthy of the hand that gave him life. The genealogy of our race, as given by inspiration, traces back its origin, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was "the son of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p 44-45 (Emphasis Applied)
“Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing great intelligence. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. But when God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image," Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God.” Early Writings, p 145 (emphasis applied)
God knew that his people would forget that He is the only true God, and there is none else, that is why he stated in time past “…Hear O Israel…”. May I end this transcript which was used in the beginning of this letter:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart” Deut 6: 4-6
