The God of the Bible

The various religious groups in the world today have invented and worshiped a large number of “gods” with differing characteristics. Some are mythical in nature. Others are carved from wood or stone or found in outer space. Still others are living creatures, such as the cow, here on earth that man has come to believe possess godly powers or are to be worshiped.

The Bible introduces us to another God with totally different attributes than those introduced by man. However, many of those using the Bible as their source to learn of Him, have still produced different teachings about His nature.

The apostle Paul wrote concerning the second coming of the God of the Bible that He will return “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who DO NOT KNOW GOD, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” 2 Thessalonians 1:8. There are many religious groups appealing to the Bible for their instruction, yet they teach different doctrines concerning the nature of God. Can we unite our minds and see the Lord and His nature and all draw the same conclusions from the scriptures concerning the characteristics of Deity? Deity is a word to express the divinity or personal Being of God.
One unique characteristic of the Bible is that it interprets itself. Therefore, it will not contradict itself on any subject within its pages. Preconceived ideas introduced by man have lead to new concepts that will often produce a whole new teaching about God.

For example, one church teaches that Jesus did not pre-exist in any form before the virgin birth. They produced a tract that taught the Father was the sole person in heaven prior to Jesus’ virgin birth. In the tract they said in reference to Isaiah 44:24, “Many say that Jesus helped to create the earth or that He was the Creator, but here the speaker said, “I stretched forth the heavens alone and spread abroad the earth by myself.”‘ If one has little knowledge of the Scriptures, he could easily accept this conclusion without knowing the full implications of the Hebrew writings. In this pamphlet, this scripture will be analyzed. God has limited the reader to what can be known about Him Deuteronomy 29:29. However, much can be learned about His nature. The unity between the Old and New Testament teachings on God are a verification of its inspiration.

It is possible to understand God by searching the Scriptures for His nature. One needs to look for certain characteristics that identify the persons of Deity. We do this in the human realm. In other words, we identify an individual personality by looking for an expression of intellect, emotion, and will. Unlike the animal kingdom that operates strictly on instinct, humans have the ability to reason and make decisions. The same is true concerning God.

What Do Some Say God is Like?

Today there are churches teaching there is only one person in the Godhead. In other words, they claim He displays one, rather than two or three distinct personalities. One group teaches that the Father is the only person in the Godhead. Another church teaches that Jesus is that one person. The word Godhead is another expression of the Deity or Divinity found in Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, and Colossians 2:9. Another church teaches that there are two in the Godhead, the Father and the Son. They teach that the Holy Spirit is only an impersonal force. This group goes on to declare that when Jesus died, He went out of existence. Therefore, there was, for a three day period, only one individual in the Godhead. Another group teaches that there are three Gods. A very popular worldwide group teaches that Jesus was a created archangel named Michael, and claim He should be referred to as “a god.” Several groups teach that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force but He should not be considered a separate person of the Godhead. However, the Scriptures certainly do not teach these conflicting doctrines about God. Therefore, what does God say about Himself in His word?

The Personality of God

The Father in heaven certainly demonstrates that He is a personage and has intellect. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” says the Lord.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9. Verse 11 tells how He speaks these thoughts. He also expresses emotion in John 3:16 where it tells us that God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son on the cross. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the WILL of My Father in heaven” Matthew 7:21. The Scriptures teach that the Father clearly portrays intellect, emotion, and will but what about the Son?

Is the Son a Separate Person?

Jesus also expresses intellect, emotion, and will as Deity. This confirms that He is a separate person of the Godhead. Paul writes, ‘ ‘Let this MIND be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the FORM OF GOD, did not consider it robbery to be EQUAL WITH GOD,” Philippians 2:5-6. Like the Father, the Son also has a mind and He made the decision to submit to the Father’s will by submitting to the cross, verses 7, 8. Jesus expressed emotion when He looked over Jerusalem and lamented the words of Matthew 23:37. He certainly expressed His will in John 6:38. Here He states, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do MY OWN WILL, but the WILL OF HIM who sent me.” The Father is the sender and the Son is the one sent; Jesus came to do the will of the Father. We learn from the Scriptures that Jesus, then known as the Word, John 1:1, planned with the Father from the foundation of the world that He would die for the sins of men, 1 Peter 1:18-20. One might ask, “How long has Jesus existed?” The inspired writer said, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a SON is given; And the government will be on His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6. Here the Son is described as Mighty God and Father of Eternity. In Psalms 45:6-7, God the Father calls the Son God. Before His birth, Jesus was a Spirit Being as the Father, John 4:24, but in His birth He became flesh, 1 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 2:9. Jesus said, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” John 17:5. Here it is obvious that the two were together before creation.

The HOLY SPIRIT- Person or Force?

If the Holy Spirit is a personage of the Godhead, He will possess intellect, emotion, and will. Like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit would have to demonstrate the ability to think and act upon His thoughts. Paul writes, “Likewise the Spirit also helps our weaknesses. For we do not know what we would pray for as we ought, but the SPIRIT HIMSELF MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the MIND OF THE SPIRIT is, because HE MAKES INTERCESSION for the saints ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD,” Romans 8:26-27. Here the Scriptures use the pronoun “He.” The Holy Spirit is not an it. He possesses a MIND, and performs intercession by the WILL of God. Notice how the Holy Spirit speaks in Acts 13:2, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I HAVE CALLED THEM.” Even here the Holy Spirit is expressing His own will by using the personal pronoun “I.” In Ephesians 4:30, Christians are told not to “GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT” by deliberately sinning. Again, the Holy Spirit was the individual who moved the prophets to write by inspiration as expressed in II Peter 1:20-21.

It is certainly clear in the Scriptures that all three in Deity demonstrate intellect, emotion, and will. Thus, there are certainly three individual persons in the Godhead. Even though the word “Trinity” is not a Bible word, three distinct personalities are identified in the Scriptures. See John 16:7-15 where the individuality of all three is clearly manifested. This is confirmed in the listing of the three together in several Scriptures such as Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, and Luke 1:35. When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove and the Father, from his throne in heaven, praised the Son, Matthew 3:16-17. All three are eternal, Psalm 90:2, John 8:58, Hebrews 9:14.

One God or Three Gods?

Doesn’t the Bible say there is ONE GOD? The answer is YES. In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is ONE.” How can there be three and yet be one? Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Hebrew word for God in this scripture is in the plural form, “ELOHIM.” Later in the text, the singular form “EL” would also be found. The word “create” is a singular verb. The combination of a plural proper noun with a singular verb is called unplural and is only used in reference to the Godhead. The Holy Spirit is mentioned in verse 2 and the plural word “US” in verse 26 confirms that the Creator consisted of more than one person. Note the following concerning the word “Lord” which is also found in the plural and singular: “The Lord (plural Hebrew word ADONAI) said to my Lord (singular – ADON), sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool,” Psalm 110:1. The Father and the Holy Spirit tell the Son to sit at the right hand. This confirms the authority given to the Son by the Father after Jesus’ resurrection. (See Acts 2:34 for this fulfillment of David’s prophecy.)

When the word ELOHIM (God) is used with a plural verb, it refers to the pagan gods in the nations surrounding Israel. But what about the statement in Isaiah 44:24 where the Lord said, “I am the Lord … who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.” Again, the word Lord is found in the plural and Isaiah is contrasting the work of the Godhead with the acclaimed work of pagan gods and the statements of the diviners.

The Deity of Christ Confirmed

The Scriptures have declared the Son to be eternal, Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2.The Scriptures go on to state that He could not be created. “You are My witnesses, says the Lord (ADONAT), and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. BEFORE ME THERE WAS NO GOD (ELOHIM) formed, NOR SHALL THERE BE AFTER ME. I, even I am the Lord (ADONAI), and beside Me there is no Savior” Isaiah 43:10-11. The word Savior is a reference made to both the Father, Luke 1:47, and the Son, Luke 2:11. Jesus received worship, Matthew 28:9 and Matthew 28:17, and the Father commanded the angels to worship Him, Hebrews 1:5-9. The warning that tells us not to worship the created and but to worship the Creator confirms Jesus’ Deity in Roman 1:25. He was the only one in the Godhead to put on flesh, Colossians 2:9. Even though Jesus is God, He is subject to the Father, 1 Corinthians 11:3. The Holy Spirit is subject to the Father and the Son, John 16:7-15. Some contend that God the Son went out of existence at His death. However, note the following statement of Jesus in John 2:19-21: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I WILL RAISE IT UP… But He was speaking of the temple of HIS BODY.” Jesus raised Himself!

LORD, JEHOVAH, or YAHWEH?

There are some who contend that the word Yahweh, or Jehovah, must be pronounced when speaking of God. One group calls it the “Sacred Name,” and another calls it the “Divine Name.” What does God teach?

The Hebrew manuscripts have only the consonants indicating the words because the Hebrew alphabet had no characters for vowels. When read orally, the vowels were added to make pronunciation possible. The Jewish scribes began to add markings to the text which became the accepted pronunciation. All ancient manuscripts available to scholars today contain the letters YHWH only. NO ONE knows the original pronunciation of the word YHWH. In fact, the Jews from earliest times refused to attempt to pronounce it lest they mispronounce it. They would substitute the Hebrew word Adonah (English – Lord) for it. The New Testament quotations of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (called the Septuagint) used the word “KURIOS” in all places where YHWH was found. The writers of the New Testament were told by the Holy Spirit to write the word KURIOS rather than YHWH. It is interesting that the word Jehovah was not even under consideration because it would be a hybrid word appearing much later. Since God chose KURIOS, man has no right to force on others a Hebrew derivative of the word YHWH.

It is obvious that Hebrew is NOT God’s divine language. Hebrew scholars confirm that the Hebrew language evolved from Canaan, (Bruce, F.F. The Books and the Parchments,1963). Jesus said that the gospel was to be taken to all nations. This would necessitate that translations be made to meet the needs of those in various countries. YHWH has not been carried over into these translations. Some even contend that the New Testament was first written in Hebrew. An analysis of Revelation 1:8 will dispel this theory as the words Alpha and Omega are strictly Greek words. In Matthew 24:37 Jesus Himself quoted the word “Noah,” not from the Hebrew Scriptures, but rather “Noe” from the Septuagint. Thus it is certainly clear that using the word Lord and God in reference to the Godhead is acceptable.

A Powerful God that Cares
 
When one notes the immensity of the universe, the Father’s power to create it astounds the mind of the reader. His power to speak into existence is seen in Psalm 148:1-5. His ability to know us and His power to be everywhere is clearly portrayed in Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 23:24. The most outstanding attribute is His concern for His creation, 1 Timothy 2:4. He demonstrated this by offering His Son on the cross for the sins of the whole world, I John 2:1-2. Jesus arose victorious from the grave to demonstrate His power over death. By His resurrection He guaranteed the future resurrection of all humanity, John 5:28-29. His death, burial, and resurrection is the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. When one believes the gospel, God asks him to obey it and states that He will take vengeance on those WHO DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.

In Acts 2:22-36, Peter tells the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The people responded by asking what they must do, Acts 2:37. He replied, “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” verse 38. Repentance is a change of mind and life from sin and false teachings to righteousness and truth. When one is taught wrong concerning God, he must turn and accept what the Scriptures declare concerning Him. Once he has obeyed the gospel (baptism by immersion,) he is then forgiven and added to the church, Acts 2:41-47.

The church of Christ in your area will be happy to help you to better understand God. Members of this church will help you become a son or daughter of the Creator, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18.

The God who created the universe loves His creation. His message of concern was brought out on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:25-33. See also Matthew 10:29-33. He says seek first the kingdom of God.

Bob Danklefsen
Copyright 1988
Rev. 3-22-90