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NASB | John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 1:1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Gen 1:1; Is 9:6] |
Bible Question:
Brothersalas, Was your question dealt with beyond the one reply attached to it? The reply I saw seemed to be along unorthodox lines with no further reply. Maybe it was handled elsewhere, but I don't want to let it pass without comment, for this is a central issue. There is only one God, but He exists in 3 persons who are in relationship with one another. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have relationship; they are not merely separate manifestations of one person. In Genesis 1:26-27, God talks to himself relationally in the plural, and yet One God creates. John 1 goes in depth about the concurrent permanent nature of the Word as God (Jesus) and God (the Father). Throughout his earthly ministry, the Son prays interactively with the Father and is confirmed through the physical descent of the Spirit ( ex. Jn 1:33) in every Gospel account of Jesus's baptism. God is One in essence, yet there is relationship WITHIN the Godhead. Members of the 3 persons consistently appear concurrently and interactively. Regardless of the terminology used, this is the essence of the Trinity concept; I suggest a study of the Gospels specifically asking the question throughout, "How does the Son interact with the Father and the Spirit?" This will bring out the concept of the Trinity. Although this inner relationship in the One God works is not fully understandable, it is clearly portrayed over and over in the Gospels. God was NOT first the Father, THEN the Son on earth, THEN the Spirit in believers after his resurrection. This is heretical. Every Gospel shows concurrent appearance, interaction and relationship among the Members of the One Godhead. |
Bible Answer: "Historical Development of the Doctrine of the Trinity The term trinity is not found in the Bible but is a theological word which expresses the clear teaching of Holy Scripture, especially the New Testament. The first theologian of the church to use the term was Theophilus who spoke of God as trias. The great Latin church father Tertullian first developed the concept of trinitas, one God in three persons. Though the fathers of the church in the second and third centuries spoke of the three persons of the Godhead while recognizing that there is but one God, the councils of Nicea (A.D. 325) and Constantinople (A.D. 381) gave the fullest expression to the Biblical doctrine. The Bible Explicitly Teaches That There is Only One God THE TEACHING OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Belief in one God in the ancient Mediterranean world was unique to the nation of Israel. The faith of Israel is given in the famous Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4). Repeatedly the teaching of the Law and the pronouncements of God’s prophets confirm this absolute truth. THE TEACHING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The church continued the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is only one God (see 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). This it did in contrast to the rampant polytheism that permeated the Greco-Roman world with its multitude of gods, including worship of the emperor as a god during the latter half of the first century. As the apostles and later the church began to articulate this monotheism against pagan religion, it was necessary to explain how this belief in one God was consistent with the concurrent belief that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God and yet still only one God. Scripture Teaches That Three Persons Are One God GLIMPSES OF THE TRINITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Use of the Word Elohim with Singular Verbs The usual word for God in the Hebrew is Elohim. This noun is in the plural, whereas in several places the term for God is a singular, such as El or Eloah. In spite of the plural term for God, the true Jewish faith was strongly monotheistic. When Elohim is used regarding the God of Israel, it is used with singular verbs, indicating that the God of Israel is a single being. The plural allows for a plurality of expression for God, as later revealed in the New Testament, but Hebrew grammar may also simply be using a plural of plenitude. Use of Plural Personal Pronouns On three occasions the Old Testament uses plural personal pronouns when speaking of God. The first occurrence refers to the creation of humanity: “Let Us make man in Our image” (Gen. 1:26). The second pertains to God deciding to confuse human languages at the tower of Babel: “Let Us go down” (Gen. 11:6–9). The last reference is to the call to mission: “Who will go for Us?” (Isa. 6:1–8). The Angel of the Lord Several times in the Hebrew Scriptures, reference is made to “the Angel of the LORD” (Yahweh). It is evident from the contexts that these references do not speak simply of a created messenger of God but of God Himself. In certain contexts the Angel of the LORD is identified as God Himself (Gen. 16:7–13; 18:1–22), but in others He is distinguished from God (Gen. 19:1–28, especially v. 24; Zech. 1:12, 13; see also Mal. 3:1). Such appearances most likely are of the preincarnate Christ, who is the revelation of the Father (John 1:18; Heb. 1:1–3). After the incarnation such appearances of the Angel of the LORD end, for now the revelation of God is present as a human in the person of Jesus Christ (compare Ex. 14:19 with Ex. 23:20; 1 Cor. 10:4). THE EXPLICIT TEACHING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The Teaching of Jesus Christ on His Relationship to the Father and the Holy Spirit Jesus is the Son of the Father. Jesus calls Himself the Son of God, and He also calls God His Father in a way that implies a profoundly unique association. Moreover, Jesus claims a relationship with God the Father as a partner from all eternity. At other times Jesus makes statements and does deeds that cause others to recognize His claim to equality with God. The specific charge of blasphemy made against Christ was His admission to being the Son of God (Luke 22:70). These texts identify the person Jesus, preexistent to the world, as being God and yet distinct from God the Father. The Teaching of the Apostles on the Trinity God is called the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ as well as of Christians (Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; 2 John 3). The apostle John specifically calls Jesus God (John 1:1, 18; 8:58). In several places Paul identifies Jesus as God (Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Titus 2:13), as does Peter (2 Pet. 1:1). The Holy Spirit is declared to be God by Peter (Acts 5:4) and is listed alongside the Father and the Son (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)." Taken from the Nelson NKJV Study Bible |