The Godhead

The term Godhead is a term taken from the Bible that basically means “the nature of God.” In this study, I present an idea to be found within the scripture following. This is the reverse of my process in my study on Spirit Baptism. However, you are still encouraged to get out your Bible and read the entire section I quote to see for yourself that my ideas are in line with the scripture’s context.

One God

Israel’s whole religion was based upon the idea that there is but one God. It was the defining thing that made their faith different than anyone else’s on the earth. It is something that God underscored with every law He made that caused Israel to be “different” or “separate” from their polytheistic neighbors.

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.”

Jesus Himself reiterated the point that this was the greatest idea in the Hebrew faith.

Mark 12:29-30, “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.”

Paul pointed out the difference between “little gods” and the God.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6, “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.”

Admittedly, the last sentence can lead to confusion, being as it seems to indicate two “people,” God and Jesus, when my point is that there is but one God. This, in fact, is the very thing that confuses people about the issue. Rest assured, I will resolve this seeming discrepancy later. The apostle James ties it up.

James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

If God were actually three people that discuss and agree, why does the bible refer to Him in the singular case? A committee would be referred to as “they” and God would then take a plural form of verb.

A Mixture of References

There are many times that the Bible refers to God in terms normally thought to apply to the Son, and many other places where the opposite occurs. For instance, “God the Savior:”

Hosea 13:4, “Yet I [am] the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for [there is] no saviour beside me.”

Old Testament reference, you say? Makes this inapplicable? Read on…

Titus 1:3, “But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;”

Titus 3:4a, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”

1 Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

Whose blood? God’s.

Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Whose church? Jesus’.

Zechariah 12:10, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.”

Who is the speaker? God. So who is the “me” that is “pierced?” God. But surely this would actually mean Jesus, wouldn’t it?

Now take Jesus as the creator.

Colossians 1:13-18, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.”

How about Jesus as God Himself?

Hebrews 1:8, “But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Exodus 3:14, “And God’said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

But who is the I AM? God.

John 8:56-58, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw [it], and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Now who is the I AM? Jesus. That means they must be one in the same.

Isaiah 9:6, “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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Who is this talking about? We know this is talking about Jesus; passages in the Gospels clearly proclaim that this was speaking of the Christ. So who is the Father? Who is God? Just what does Emanuel mean, anyway? (Matthew 1:23) It means – literally – God with us.

Galatians 3:20, “Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one, but God is one.”

1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

If the bible had meant that they “agreed together” to act as “one god,” it certainly could have said so. (See verse 8.)

Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Explanation

What does it mean to be “the Son of God?” The people to whom the New Testament was written expressly understood that to be someone’s “son” was to be heir and owner of everything his father had (if he was the only son). Jesus, being God’s only son, was implying that he had access to all the power of God, making himself the same as God. The Jews certainly understood. Jesus, by saying He was God’s son, made himself to be the One True God of Israel. That’s the important point to understand.

Revelation 22:1-5, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

In Heaven there will be one throne, one face, one name, and one people worship one God. If the Son and the Holy Ghost are separate people, where are they going to sit? With all the talk that trinitarians like to make about how “sitting at the right hand of God” is a literal expression, when we finally get a glimpse into Heaven, we certainly don’t see what we should expect to see if this were true, proving that that phrase is purely symbolic. It’s important to understand that “the right hand of God” is not a literal location, it’s a reference to authority and power in relation to God. It’s a Jewish idiom. That’s just what it meant to them.

This is the historical record, and the central point of Jesus’ life and death: The Jews nailed Him to the cross for saying He was the Son of God. Either Jesus lied, or He was right. Which will you believe?

John 5:18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

John 10:30-33, “I and [my] Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

John 20:28, “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”

Thomas finally sees. Blessed are they that do which have not.

So how does this thing work?

1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

God Himself was manifest in the flesh, which is exactly what “Emanuel” literally means.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

1 Timothy 2:3-6, “For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Now for the clarification for such scriptures as referenced above in “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.” When you read scriptures as in the beginning of Paul’s letters, you see that he greets people in the same fashion, from God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. What does this mean? Christ means anointed; it’s Greek for the Hebrew word Messiah, a title, which refers to the flesh and blood of Jesus, as distinct from His Spirit. (Acts 2:36) If these kinds of scriptures were meant to point out the “triune nature” of the Godhead, why don’t they refer in some fashion to the Holy Ghost? Rather, it means that Paul is stating His frame of reference to the churches, that he is fully behind the idea that Jesus was the Savior, the Anointed, the Christ, sent from God to redeem lost man. Now to further explore the dual nature of this man, Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:3-4, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”

Hebrews 2:14-18, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.”

He was fully God and fully man. He suffered everything that we suffer. Every limitation. Yet was still able to call on His own power. He willingly laid it aside to go through all the things we go through and die for us. (Hebrews 4:15)

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

God is an omnipresent spirit. If He were light, it would fill everything, but it would still come from a particular source, a “bulb,” the man: Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Hebrews 1:3, “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;”

Thus the glorified flesh of Jesus, the image of God, is what we saw as the Lamb in Revelation, sitting on the throne of God and the Lamb.

Acts 9:5, “And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

Who is speaking to Paul, the one-god believing Jew? Who is Jesus? What then is God’s name?

Acts 4:10-12, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Philippians 2:9-10, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;”

Is there a name above God’s? What then is God’s name?

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

Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Either the apostles were wrong on their doctrine of baptism (Acts 19:3-5; 10:48) and everything they wrote in the bible must then be suspect, or Jesus is the name (note the singularity) of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

God didn’t send someone else to do His job. He came and redeemed His own creation. It is only a misunderstanding of the terminology used back then that prevents us from seeing this today. Once this is understood, the true beauty of the plan of redemption becomes clear.