Tuesday, June 19, 2007

And now for the mystery…we have scratched the surface but it doesn’t take much digging to discover our first two layers of foundation. First…there is only one true and good God revealed in Scripture. Monotheism is the key factor in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity…it is the glue that holds the doctrine together. Remove monotheism and you’ll either end up with Mormon theology or Jehovah’s Witness theology…neither group denies the word “God” is used to describe Christ…they simply insert the notion of henotheism as a way to sidestep the logical doctrinal conclusions of the Bible. As we wrote previously…the Bible clearly does not present a henotheistic worldview. Second, we have shown that the Bible discusses the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in unique and distinct language. The Son would pray to the Father…the Father is “well pleased” with the Son…the Spirit was sent by the Father…and so on. The Bible certainly reveals each of the three to be distinct persons.

Again…here is where the mystery comes in. The Bible describes the Father as “God”, the Son as “God” and the Holy Spirit as “God”. Seeing all the pieces of this puzzle is one thing…understanding how this puzzle fits together is not possible I do not believe. Here is the equation:

-There is only one true and good God.
-The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are described as totally unique persons.
-The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all described as true “God”.

Three distinct persons are all called “God” yet there is only one “God”…not three equal gods (something not even possible)…three unique persons…in one God.

This is baffling to say the least. Let’s be honest…isn’t this sounding like a flat contradiction? Three persons…each God…but still only one God and not three Gods. I’m not sure that adds up…or does it?

We would certainly have a dilemma on our hands if we said “three persons and one person” or “three gods and one god”. The latter is what is “heard” by Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons when they discuss this topic with you on your porch or living room. I’m sure amongst themselves the question has been repeatedly asked “how can sane people believe such nonsense?” I assume the response to such a question must usually sound something like “they’re blinded…”

And if we believed and taught such a thing blindness would certainly be the prime suspect. Stating that we believe in three distinct, co-equal and co-eternal Gods and in the next breath say we only believe in one, unified and simple God is silliness and nonsense.

If my Jehovah’s Witness friend(s) are reading this let me speak directly to them…we do not believe that. I do not believe that. That is nonsense. (by the way…give me a call! We need to catch up!) And just like you want your idea’s represented fairly…so do we in Christendom…and we do not teach that there are three god in one god…I guess I would ask to be evaluated by what our teachers have taught…not by misrepresentations.

We teach that three distinct persons fully share in the same essence…the same being…the same position…full, unified…Divinity. God does not have multiple personality disorder…”mpd” happens when one personality (one person) becomes fragmented into alternate personalities. God is not one person…God is three persons…He therefore does not have “mpd”. To say God is one person with three personalities would be to describe Divine “mpd”…we are not saying that at all. God is three persons…not one person with three personalities.

Ok…back on track now…

We see the Father referred to as God:

“No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” John 16:27-28 niv

The Holy Spirit is referred to as God:

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” Acts 5:3-4 niv

And finally we see Christ…referred to in the clearest of language as God Almighty. And let me present as clear of a picture as I can…and I pray my Jehovah’s Witness friend(s) will read and consider this point…one I have yet to make in our studies.

First…

Revelation 1:8… “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

This is clearly and without doubt Yahweh God…the Almighty…and there is only one Almighty.

Second…

Revelation 21:6… “He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.”

Read Revelation 21 to verify…this is clearly Yahweh speaking.

Third…

Revelation 22:12-16… “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

The speaker in all three passages is identified as “the Alpha and Omega”. In two of these three passages “the Beginning and the End” is additionally used to describe the speaker. There is only and can only be one who logically fits these descriptions…the Almighty. Almighty God, we read, uses this language to describe Himself...so what are we to conclude?

Read all three passages again…who is speaking in each of them? Just be honest…who is the Alpha and Omega?

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