Studies
on Yahweh and the Trinity
God is Spirit
Trinity - Father is God
Son
is God
Holy
Spirit is God
Therefore... Father is Spirit
Son
is Spirit
H.
S. is Spirit
2 Corinthians 3:17 "The Lord is the Spirit, for where
the Lord's Spirit - liberty!"
Does Jesus ever say, "I am God or I am Spirit"?
Such statements would seem ludicrous and self-contradictory. Yet Jesus Christ
reveals God. He is the promised Messiah. He is the Son of God. The Son of God,
however, is Spirit and must be spiritually discerned. When Peter states that
Jesus is the "Christ, the Son of the living God" this is noted as
discerned through revelation from God. It may sound like splitting hairs but
there is an important truth contained in it.
The
basic question is "What is meant by Spirit?"
The answer to this question is not so easily isolated in
Biblical statements.
The difficulty is one of comprehension. Reality is
quantifiable from a human standpoint. Some "things" that are accepted
as real but defy quantification - such as love, goodness, fear, peace, hatred,
etc. - are understood as emotional responses. Other things may be quantifiable
but not seen (e.g. energy, atomic particles, wind, etc.). But these things
should never be confused with Spirit.
I don't believe that it is possible to adequately define
"Spirit" in human terms. This necessitates rather the condition of faith.
In Genesis 1:27 the Hebrew text
states that man was created "betselem Elohim" (i.e. in the image of
God). Theologians have wrestled with this truth for millennia. But from a
modern Christian perspective what could this mean? God is spirit. This has
already been clearly stated. Therefore for man to be created in the image of
God then this must refer to a spiritual nature. Only human beings were created
with a spiritual nature like God. Man was created in the beginning with a
spiritual nature like that of God. Does this mean, as some assume, that man is
"an embryonic god"? It means no such thing. It means only that man,
unlike other creatures, was created with a spiritual nature like that of God.
But what does it mean to have a spiritual nature like that of God?
I don't believe that we can fully
know this answer - at least in this existence. If we knew this answer
absolutely then we would fully understand God. However, it is not necessary for
us to know this absolutely. It is enough to recognize it as a spiritual truth.
Do men by nature know God since there exists this kinship of spirit? Obviously
they do not. As a result of the fall this image (i.e. spiritual likeness) has
been obscured. The spiritual nature exists in all men but it is essentially
dead. It awaits rebirth. Rebirth can only come with "the inborn
Logos".
This
strange term is actually a literal translation of a phrase in James 1:21. In
the KJV it is translated "the engrafted word". When one truly
believes on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he or she is born of God (i.e.
regenerated in spirit). The faith-filled heart "receives with
meekness" the "inborn Logos". This Logos, though it is
translated as "word", refers to the purpose of God. The once dead
spirit, which was created in the image of God, is revived in the purpose of
Yahweh our God. Once more the breath of God breathes life into the human
spirit. He breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul.
In regeneration he breathes into (i.e. touches) the faith-filled heart and
fallen man is born again of God in his spirit.
What does
it mean to be "born again of God in his spirit"? There is tremendous
misunderstanding among believers in this regard. Let me state two things
without qualification regarding regeneration (i.e. being born again). First, it
is "by grace through faith". All that is required for spiritual
regeneration is the grace of God and personal faith in Jesus, the Messiah of
Israel. Baptism is an outward sign of this faith but it is not a requirement
for regeneration. The second thing that I want to say about regeneration is
that is of the spirit. Notice that this word "spirit" is not
capitalized. The Holy Spirit is of course involved in the regeneration but the
regeneration is of the human spirit. That which was "dead in trespasses
and sins" is now born of God through faith. Our bodies are not born again,
our minds are not born again but it is a work in our spirit.
The term
"saved" is often used to complicate what in truth is a rather simple
idea. Many people refer to regeneration as "being saved". There is an
element of truth in that statement but teaching on salvation can sometimes
obscure the simple truth of regeneration. For instance, regeneration has a
great deal to do with the image of God but very little to do with being saved.
Salvation is a vitally important doctrine of the Christian faith but it must
not be confused with a doctrine of rebirth.
In rebirth
(i.e. regeneration) the spirit is reborn. The image of God, which was obscured
and made useless as the result of sin, is revived or regenerated within man. By
faith his spirit is enlivened through the presence of God in being reconciled.
This is what it means to be born again. John 3:5, 6 and 8 are often read as
though they say the Holy Spirit. However, that is an interpretation - one that
I believe is misleading. Jesus says, "Except a man be born from out of
water and of spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is
born from out of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born from out of the
spirit is spirit... The wind blows where it desires, and you hear the sound of
it but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going; so is everyone
that is born from out of the spirit." Rebirth is "from out of the
spirit". This does not say that rebirth is from out of the Holy Spirit.
This is a misleading interpretation of these passages. It is an interpretation
that has really complicated the doctrine of the Holy Spirit's presence.
Is it
possible to be "born of God" and not receive the gift of His Holy
Spirit? This question was recently brought to my attention. At one time I would
have quickly answered "No, because we are born again through His Holy
Spirit." However, I realize now that this was only an interpretation - one
that I was taught as a fact. Rebirth has to do with the human spirit being
reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the efficacy of
His redemption. The presence of the Holy Spirit is an essential aspect of this
regeneration but it is not the same thing as receiving the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit breathes life into a once dead human spirit. It is
possible that one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit at this time of rebirth
as well but this is not always the case. This, however, is an issue that must
be addressed in another place.
The bottom
line is that the image of God (i.e. the spiritual nature of God) is revived
within the human spirit when one is "born of God". This is an
immensely important doctrine of the Christian faith. The body and mind is in
turn transformed through the influence of this re-born human spirit through the
power of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the connection between the rebirth and
the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the gift of the Holy Spirit one receives the
power that makes this transformation possible. The body does not transform the
spirit but vice versa. The body is transformed into a sanctuary suited to the
Holy Spirit that abides in it. The mind, in the same way, does not transform
the spirit but rather the mind is transformed through the power of the Holy
Spirit that abides in the human heart. Clearly without the power of the Holy
Spirit this transformation is impossible.
How can we develop a workable
understanding of the term, "Holy Spirit" as used in the Bible? The
quick answer is to use a theological term such as "the third person of the
Trinity". However, I find that to be a very meaningless expression. It
certainly is not very helpful in understanding the nature of the Holy Spirit.
For this to have any real meaning the word "person" would have to
carry more weight than is possible when speaking of God. The dictionary
definition of this word only has one possibility that could be used regarding a
discussion on God. That is that "person" refers to "personality,
self". So, God has a personality. That does not help much. Traditionally
the Trinity consists of three distinct persons though they remain inextricably
united as one God. As three distinct persons I would have to understand this to
mean that they are three distinct personalities. However, one would have to
stretch it to make the Bible teach that the Spirit of God has a different
personality from that of the Father. It is also a tremendous stretch to make
three distinct personalities inextricably united as one God. Frankly, I find
such talk tedious. The entire issue is much ado about nothing.
Is Jesus, the Messiah of Israel,
God? If so, then in what way is He God? He is the Son of God. Fine, but what
does that mean? I believe that the first thing that needs to be done is to
admit that we cannot explain in a logical fashion all the questions that might
arise regarding such a doctrine. It is easy to content one's self with a few
heady statements that sound like they settle the issue - even though they only
complicate the matter. Jesus is God. In what way is He God? The designation
"Son of God" does not help answer the question. Jesus Himself stated,
"God is spirit". Yet Jesus was in human flesh. Can God be both spirit
and in human flesh? The designation "Son of God" is of little help in
this issue but there are two designations that are appropriate. The first one
is Emmanuel. It means "God with us". At least this confirms the notion
that Jesus is God. We have to then re-form the question. In what way can Jesus
be "God with us"? Since God is spirit then the answer to this must be
found in what is called the Holy Spirit. Was the body of Jesus unique? I
believe that it was but it is not here that we find the application of the name
"Emmanuel". "God with us" refers to the presence and power
of God - who is spirit - within this unique body. The second helpful term is
"incarnation". This term means, "in-fleshed". The Logos was
made flesh and dwelled (i.e. pitched his tent) among us. John insists,
"the Logos was God" If the Logos was God and God is spirit then the
Logos is also spirit. The incarnation, therefore, must refer to the incarnation
of God as the person Jesus of Nazareth.
This leads to other questions. Is the personality of the
Logos/God distinct from the personality of Jesus of Nazareth? I believe that at
some point we must answer "God only knows". All this is said to point
out that such doctrinal notions confuse rather than clarify. There are ways to
consider these things without waxing theological. Jesus of Nazareth, the
Messiah of Israel, is God incarnate. This is certainly taught in the New
Testament teaching and does not in any way deny the teaching of the Old
Testament. This works for me. Yet I believe that we must clarify one point. Who
is God? Is it possible that Jesus the Messiah could be the incarnation of any
deity other than Yahweh the God of Israel? I don't believe that it is. Jesus is
Yahweh incarnate. He is the promised Messiah of Israel.
Let us look at the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. He taught
in accordance with the one that sent Him (i.e. His Father). So who is His
Father? It would be incredible to think that anyone in Israel would have given
Him any attention if they thought that He came in the name of anyone other than
Yahweh the God of Israel. It is safe to say, then, that the Father is Yahweh.
It is clear then that the Jesus of Nazareth of the Gospels is Yahweh incarnate
and that the Father that sent Him is Yahweh. Now when Jesus is recognized as
the incarnation of God (i.e. Yahweh) what is it that is incarnated? It is
Yahweh but we must clarify this a little further. It is the Holy Spirit of God
that is incarnate in the unique flesh of Jesus. Is the Holy Spirit distinct
from God? Obviously it cannot be. The Holy Spirit is of God (i.e. Yahweh). If
we must formulate a Trinity then it would have to look like this. The Father is
Yahweh. The Son - Jesus of Nazareth the incarnation of God - is Yahweh. And, the
Holy Spirit is Yahweh. Personality distinctions would only get in the way of
understanding. This is the only way that I can understand the Trinity and still
maintain the monotheistic faith of the Bible. "Hear, O Israel, Yahweh is
our God - Yahweh is one."
The
Unity and Trinity of Yahweh
Presuppositions:
1. The original text of the Bible is a written
authority in such matters.
2. Yahweh is God to those under both the Old
and the New Covenant.
3. Yahweh is a specific name of God.
4. The idea of a generic God is foreign to the
Bible.
Rightly dividing the word in this context:
How does this conception of God
affect the way we understand the teaching of scripture? One good illustration
is the statement from Joel 2:32 that is quoted by both Peter and Paul.
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
[Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13] Since these are both quotes then the original
source must be considered in order to understand the message. Joel writes,
"It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD
shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as
the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." Three
times in this verse the name of Yahweh is used. Joel states, "Whoever will
call on the name of Yahweh will be delivered. For in Mount Zion and in
Jerusalem will be deliverance... and in the remnant whom Yahweh will
call." (Cf. Acts 2:39) Is Peter saying to the Jews assembled on the day of
Pentecost, "Whoever will call on the name of Yahweh will be
delivered"? Is Paul saying this to the believers at Rome? If they are
quoting Joel they are. So what does this mean in a Christian sense? It means
that we need not be confused about the name of God. Many preachers interpret
Romans 10:13 in this way, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ will be saved." Although there is certainly a strong element of
truth in the statement this is not what Paul is saying. What happens when we
are allowed to ignore the name of God - as in this case - or replace it with a
generic God? Obviously there is confusion and spiritual ignorance. In Peter's
instance he is speaking to Jews only. They knew that Joel's prophecy spoke of
Yahweh their God. The message in that case, therefore, must be connected with
the rest of Peter's sermon. The statement cannot be taken out of context. The
words that immediately follow the quote must be linked to it in explanation. "Jesus
of Nazareth... God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord
and Christ." Peter plainly teaches these Jews that Jesus of Nazareth is
both the Lord and the Messiah (i.e. the Anointed One) of Yahweh.
Another instance may be found in John
17:6, 11, 12 and 26. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou
gavest me out of the world... Holy Father, keep through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me... I kept them in thy name, those that thou hast given
me... And I have declared unto them thy name, and I will declare it" Four
specific uses of the name of the Father are given in relation to the mission of
our Lord Jesus Christ. What is the name of the Father? Obviously it is the name
of their God, Yahweh. Jesus revealed this name to His disciples. He prayed that
the Father would keep them in this name just as He has kept them in this name.
Jesus has declared this name to them and will declare it. This is an awesome
passage that hinges on the name of the Father. The question comes up,
"Does the Father have a different name from that of the Son or a different
name from that of Yahweh?" The answer is a definite "No". The
term "Father" is one of relationship just as that of Son. This leads
to the trinity of Yahweh: Yahweh is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
because "Yahweh is our God - Yahweh is one". It is proper for us to
call on the Father for that is the relationship we have with Yahweh through
Jesus Christ. However, we must be careful not to separate the Son, Jesus
Christ, from Yahweh our God. The Father and the Son are one. Jesus certainly
did not teach His disciples the erroneous doctrine of a generic God. The name
that He taught them was Yahweh the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was not
Allah or any other false god.
When He entered into Jerusalem on
the donkey as their King He came "in the name of Yahweh"
("Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." - an OT quote).
When He returns he will come to the remnant of Israel "in name of Yahweh".
Also whenever God's people under the New Covenant come to the world they are to
declare the name of our God, Yahweh. Rightly dividing the word must include
this understanding of the specific and personal name of God. The interjection
of the foreign notion of a generic God - such as we are witnessing today -
destroys the continuity of the Old and New Covenants. We cannot conflate the
Allah of Islam with the name of our God.
I would like to consider now a
common phrase used in the NT epistles, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ". Who is "the God and Father" of Jesus Christ? Can it be
anyone other than "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (i.e.
Yahweh)? In 1 Peter 1:3 this could be shortened - in our understanding - to
"Yahweh is blessed." The Father and Jesus Christ are separated in the
epistle for the sake of clarity but the unity in Yahweh our God must never be
ignored. In verse 2 of this passage in Peter's epistle the trinity of Yahweh is
clearly stated. "Foreknowledge"
is ascribed to "Father"; sanctification to "Spirit", and
"into obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (i.e.
the Son). The work of redemption is ascribed therefore to Yahweh - Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. The Father, in other words, knows all about it. The Spirit
sets man apart as the redeemed of God (i.e. sanctification) and "the blood
of Jesus Christ" - God's blessed Son - is the prescribed way. Obviously we
cannot subordinate either of these. The three are seen as Yahweh our God. The relationship of Father and Son is
highlighted in Peter's opening statements but the reality of Yahweh our God is
understood. This relationship must not
cloud our vision of the spiritual reality.
In this same passage consider verse
5. Believers are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time." It is in statements like this that
we are tempted toward a doctrine of a generic God. Who is God in this and other statements like it? Should we
understand it in the sense that we might when we read "In God We Trust"
on an American coin? Clearly the statement on the coin speaks of a generic God.
No mint would ever write on an American coin, "In Yahweh We Trust" or
"In the Lord Jesus Christ We Trust". No, God in this sense is always
generic. But there is no such concept found in the Bible. Peter certainly means
that we are kept by the power of Yahweh through faith until we are delivered in
the eschaton (i.e. when Jesus Christ comes to receive us).
This may all be clear regarding the
relationship of the Father and the Son but what of the Holy Spirit? In John
14:26 Jesus tells His disciples, "The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name." The procession of the Holy Spirit is clearly from the
Father in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, therefore,
proceeds from the unity of Yahweh. It is His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the
Spirit of Yahweh, the Spirit of the Anointed One, the Spirit of God. These
terms should be understood as pertaining to the unity of Yahweh. The Holy
Spirit that indwells God's people under the New Covenant is the Spirit of
Yahweh. The Spirit that anointed and indwelled the Lord Jesus was the Spirit of
Yahweh. The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ.
Let us consider another passage from
Acts. In Acts 10:38 we read, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." We may quickly insert God's
name instead of the word "God" but we should not stop there. Considering
both the unity and trinity of Yahweh let us look at this first part.
"Yahweh anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power."
Who is Jesus of Nazareth? He did not become the Son when He was anointed - He
was and is the Son. Therefore we may understand - "Yahweh anointed the Son
with the Holy Spirit and power." The purpose of anointing was to set Jesus
of Nazareth apart as Israel's Messiah/Prophet/King. Another question comes to mind. Why is Holy Spirit linked with
power in this statement? Isn't the Holy Spirit power? Truly the Holy Spirit may
be seen as power but it would certainly be misleading to stop there. The Holy
Spirit is the very presence of Yahweh. This is seen not only in power but also
in love, joy, peace, righteousness, etc. Power is a very important aspect of
the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. His acts of power, whether seen in the moral
strength evident in the life of Jesus or in the manifold miracles worked during
His ministry, outwardly revealed the presence of Yahweh and established Him as
the Anointed in the eyes of the people. For this reason, the Holy Spirit and
power are linked together in the anointing of Jesus of Nazareth. Though the
Father is not specifically cited in this passage it may be inferred. Clearly
the trinity of Yahweh is seen. The
closing statement speaks of the Incarnation, "for God was with him."
Jesus of Nazareth is Immanuel. Yahweh was with Him - Yahweh was with His
people. Doing good, healing and setting those that were oppressed of the devil
free were all mighty works of the anointed Jesus. These things all revealed
that Yahweh was with Him.
Are God's people under the New
Covenant anointed with the Holy Spirit and power? According to scripture they
are. Is God with them? If not, then the NT epistles are meaningless. Yes, God is with His people! Can we say that
Yahweh anointed His people under the New Covenant with the Holy Spirit and
power? We must! Yahweh is with us as His anointed people. We must not make this
a human-centered statement however. Yahweh
is with us - not to follow us around like some fabled genie granting wishes and
keeping us out of trouble - but rather He is with us because we are in
Christ. This must be our constant
prayer, "Let your Kingdom come, let your will be done - as it is in heaven
so may it be on earth."
Let us look at one more passage. 1
John 3:1 jubilantly declares, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not." The relationship of Father and
Son was obviously dear to the apostle John. He speaks to believers from that
perspective. The Father has given us
the privilege of being called the "sons of God". Can we not
understand this as "the sons of Yahweh". The Greek word, "tekna" refers to "that which is
born of" (i.e. children or offspring). We are "the ones born of
Yahweh", "the children of Yahweh". John would have us appreciate
"the love that drew salvation's plan - the grace that brought it down to
man." Notice John's point in this verse. "The world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not." Now in the world we hear much talk about how we
are all children of God. But here is that generic God concept again. What does
it mean to simply say I am one of God's children? Frankly it does not mean a
thing because the generic God in reference here has no specific identity. On
the other hand, the term "children of Yahweh" is very specific. As
the apostle notes this understanding rests on one's relationship with Jesus
Christ. The world cannot understand such a term because it does not know the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel or Good News is that Almighty God (i.e.
Yahweh) has made it possible for all persons to be reconciled to Him through
Jesus Christ. They only way that the Gentiles can ever rightly call on the name
of Yahweh is through Jesus Christ - Yahweh's Anointed. This gives even more
reason to turn away from the generic God of the world and call upon the name of
the Lord.