By:           Bro. Joel Uto

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The teaching on Godhead is one lesson that has been so controversial to the minds of many Christians. It is not well appreciated a lesson because of contrary view and teaching by some groups of religious sets. Consequently, there are misconception and misunderstanding of the Godhead with many Christians. What He reveals of Himself to us is our understanding of Him. 

WHO IS GOD?

God is superior and supreme to any being and thing. He is over all. The word God belongs rightfully to one being only, who deserves all honour from mankind. This honour and worship is so well expressed by Apostle Paul to Timothy – 1 Timothy 1:17 ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The truth about God is long ago shown by Moses – Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And in the light of who God is, Jesus declared the resolve that should be in the heart of everyone – Matthew 4:10b ¹⁰ …For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

In simple term, God is not physically seen, He is Spirit – John 4:24 ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

We see Him by faith and we know Him by faith and we walk with Him by faith. The true God is one, yet exists in three: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

THE ETERNAL AND EQUALITY OF THE GODHEAD

The three persons or members of the Godhead are equal with each other and each is eternal. Each possess a distinct personality involving or showing supernatural (beyond human understanding) intelligence, emotions and will. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have one essence, nature and purpose. The concept or the lesson of God as one yet three persons is called the Godhead, the Divine Family, or Trinity – Acts 17:29 ²⁹ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.  Romans 1:29 ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers. Colossians 2:9 ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

The Godhead is a great truth implicitly explained in the word of God. The idea that God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is a solemn great truth for mankind (our) belief. Though this is beyond human understanding, we accept it by faith because of the Scripture taught us.

In the Old Testament, the Godhead includes the Divine Name itself which in the Hebrew word Elohim. Elohim is plural in form, which uses plural pronoun with reference to God. God in Genesis 1:1 is revealed further to be Us in verse 26 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

TRINITY

The Greek word translated Godhead appear only one time each in the Scriptures – Acts 17:29, Romans 1:29 and Colossians 2:9. Divine Family and Trinity are terms of explanations.

Trinity is originated from the Latin word Trinus which ordinarily mean threefold. The ancient French Trinitas and old English Trine developed to Trinity in the Middle-Aged English.

The Christian teaching of the trinity holds that God is One but Three, Coeternal, Con-substantial (united to be one by agreement) Person or Hyposlases – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as One God in Three Persons. The Three Persons are distinct yet are One Substance, Essence or Nature – Wikipedia. 

THE GODHEAD IDENTITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the New Testament, we read about the Three Persons or Members of the Godhead. In each case, the Three come together for a purpose – The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, such was a design and purpose of the Godhead. 

CONSIDERATIONS

1. The baptism of Jesus Christ – The Holy Spirit came upon Christ in the shape of a dove (not necessarily a bird), while the voice of the Father declared …“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17.
2. The promise to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples – Christ made reference to the Three – The Spirit, God and Himself – John 15:26 ²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
3. The redemptive plan of fallen man – This involves the Three members of the Godhead – 1 Peter 1:2 ² elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
4. The Godhead is also seen in approach to God in prayers – Through Jesus all have …access by one Spirit to the Father – Ephesians 2:18.
5. The great commission and resultant baptism pictures the presence of the Godhead …baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19-20
6. The grace of God, the Great Trinity is clearly observed – 2 Corinthians 13:14 ¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 

All over the Bible, God the Father is always referred to with personal pronoun in the male gender (HE or HIM). This also applies to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. However, God the Father is the Creator, the Almighty and the Lord God. He stands first among the Three members of the Godhead.

In God, all creatures, including human beings live, move and exist – Acts 17:28 ²⁸ for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

God should be worshipped by all people, all nations and all tribes as the only true God in specified way – John 4:24 ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God can be approached only through Jesus Christ and not through any created being or thing. The real Mediator between God and man is Christ – 1 Timothy 2:5 ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

The only way available for man to come to the Father is Jesus Christ – John 14:6 ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The second member of the Godhead is the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, God the Father created the heavens, earth and man – Colossians 1:16 ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

In His relationship to man, Jesus is called the Son of Man since He took to the form of man – John 1:14 ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Philippians 2:6-8 ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

In His revelation to God, Christ is called the Son of God because He was God from the beginning – John 1:1-3 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Christ is the only member of the Godhead who has taken on human body and lived physically on earth, died, resurrected and ascended into heaven. He is the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind. He is to be worshipped and adored by people. He is the means by which the whole human race should come to the Father in worship – Philippians 2:9-11 ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The third person or member of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit. He has the same nature and make up as God the Father and God the Son (Christ). The Holy Spirit is referred to always in the male gender (HE or HIM). In lying to the Holy Spirit,  Ananias and Sapphira were told that they lied to God – Acts 5:3-4 ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

The Holy Spirit is always mentioned as the third when spoken of in the Bible in connection with God the Father and God the Son (Christ) in the Godhead. Man is guided and instructed through HIM. He is our Helper through the Scriptures. He inspired the writing of the Old and New Testaments –  2 Timothy 3:16-17 ¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Sword of the Spirit refers to the Scriptures and tool used to do His work – Ephesians 6:17 ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

HE lives (indwells) in true Christians  – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 

CONCLUSION

The Godhead is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They existed together eternally. Before creation, we know nothing about them. However, each One exists and that the Three of them make up the All Glorious Trinity. They are united and existed as one. They are eternal, distinct and different from all created things and they are one in will and purpose.

God the Father remains in Heaven to work God the Son (Christ) came to earth to redeem man and God the Holy Spirit came to earth to reveal the truth and guide man. The God (at Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth) is a Godhead of Three Persons in one who unfold Themselves with time.

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