The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Understanding the GodHead.

[reddogs]

Adventist believe there is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension and is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by all of creation. When a Christian takes his baptismal vow, Divine help is pledged to him. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit stand ready to work in his behalf.

So how can we understand the incomprehensible that is God, how can our minds grasp what is beyond human thinking. In our human existence, the concept that God is One God, yet exists as three distinct persons, is foreign to us. However, the doctrine of the Godhead is without questions laid out in God's word.

The biblical term "Godhead" is used three times in Scripture: Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9.

Acts 17:29
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Romans 1:20
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

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

The scripture gives us that the Godhead, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, consists of three distinct Persons, yet these three are One. There are many arguments put forward against the GodHead, but the first and foremost is how can God be One God and at the same time be three Persons?

But this question is based in ignorance and lack of understanding of what God has said about Himself. The Bible plainly lays out the plurality of God and that God is One God. We see the Father and Son at Creation:

Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

And the Spirit:
Genesis 1:1-2
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

We see from the words of Christ that He confirms the GodHead as He gave His disciples the Great Commission, stating that they were to teach and baptize in the names of the Godhead:

Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

And we see from Colossians that in Christ is the fullness of the GodHead bodily:

Colossians 2:6-9
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

And the Holy Spirit is declare as part of the GodHead by scripture showing a clear understanding and by Christ Himself in :

John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

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

Mark 1:10
And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

So the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are clearly declared in scripture, the GodHead is taught throughout the Bible, it may not be fully comprehended but it cannot be denied.

 

[reddogs]

We also see the scripture clearly shows us the Father and Christ Himself declares Him:

Matthew 5:45
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6:1
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

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

Matthew 7:11
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

And many more verses in which Christ declares the Father....

Notice Christ is on earth at this time and Christ states the Father is in heaven, distinct and separate and yet:

John 10:30
I and my Father are one.

Here is SOP on the Godhead:

'There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers 'the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit' those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ. Evangelism, 615.

The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. Counsels on Health, 222.

Those who proclaim the third angels message must put on the whole armor of God, that they may stand boldly at their post, in the face of detraction and falsehood, fighting the good fight of faith, resisting the enemy with the word, 'It is written.' Keep yourselves where the three great powers of heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, can be your efficiency. These powers work with the one who gives himself unreservedly to God. The strength of heaven is at the command of Gods believing ones. The man who takes God as his trust is barricaded by an impregnable wall. The Southern Watchman, February 23, 1904, p. 122.

Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfilment of the covenant that God has made with those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with Him, with His Son, and with His Spirit in holy fellowship. Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then co-operate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf. Doing this you will reveal to the world the principles of righteousness. The Signs of the Times, June 19, 1901.

The eternal heavenly dignitaries 'God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit' arming them [the disciples] with more than mortal energy, ... would advance with them to the work and convince the world of sin. Evangelism, 616.

We are to co-operate with the three highest powers in heaven, 'the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,' and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God. Evangelism, 617.

Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have forsaken the service of Satan and have become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King.' Testimonies for the Church 6:91.

 

[reddogs]

Here is a great presentation on the GodHead which I have tried to outline, looks like Southern...

Matthew 12:31-32
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

All manner of blasphemy is forgiven if against Jesus, but not the Holy Spirit. You can chose not to believe in Christ but you will have a problem if you do it against the Holy Ghost. Two beings.

Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me and He has anointed Me... Jesus could not anoint Himself, a priest could not anoint himself. Moses used oil which represents the Holy Spirit to anoint Aaron, here the Spirit anoints Christ. Two beings.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Here is says God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost. So we have God the Father and is says anointed Jesus by the Holy Ghost.

Hebrews 5:1
For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

Every High Priest taken from a man is ordained for man, not by himself. No man taketh this manner of himself
but he that is chosen by God, Christ (who came as fully man/fully God) did not make Himself High Priest ordained for men, the Holy Spirit is the anointing power .

John 13:16
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

Here we see and declaration where Christ says a servant is not greater(authority) than the master (lord), but then says neither He that is sent(clearly a reference to Himself) greater (authority) than He(God the Father) that sent Him.

John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

And this is life eternal, to know the only true God(Father) and Jesus Christ(Son) who thou(Father) has sent. Life eternal is knowing God and Jesus Christ, they are equated in what can only be the same standing.

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

The Comforter(Holy Ghost), who the Father(God) will send in My(Jesus) name, it is representing Christ sent by the Father. Now we begin to understand what Christ was saying when He declares one is not greater than the one who sent him.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

But the Spirit of Truth which Jesus sends (He is God)..

1 Corinthians 2:9
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Eye has not seen or ear heard as God has revealed through the Spirit which searches all the deep things of God, (which we see was sent by God), and knows all the deep things of God has to be at the same level. (He who can only search and/or know the deep things of God, is only God)

Matthew 11:27
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

All things have been delivered to Jesus (He is saying I know the Father and the Father knows me, so He knows everything. They have different responsibility in the GodHead. The Holy Ghost does not have the same responsibility as the God the Father or the Son.)

Luke 3:22
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Jesus is coming out of being baptized by john in the water, and we see the Holy Ghost as a dove and a voice from heaven, (God the Father) claims Him as 'beloved Son'. Three separate personalities but One substance.

John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

I (Jesus) will pray to the Father and He will send another Comforter (The Holy Ghost). Three separate personalities and different responsibilities in the GodHead, but yet one.

Here is the actual presentation...