The Foundation Series – DOCTRINE - Lesson 6

There are three things that define the true Church:
1. Apostolic Doctrine
2. Pentecostal Experience
3. Christian Lifestyle

This is the last lesson on this particular Doctrine Series. I hope you've enjoyed reading the lessons, but more importantly I hope it has reinforced what you already knew or opened your eyes to the revelation of the Might God IN Christ!

We'll close out this series by breaking down three familiar roles of God:

“Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”

In this final lesson of our series on Apostolic Doctrine, we are going to explore the relationships and distinctions among the three terms of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We’ll look at whether these terms identify three different persons or personalities in the Godhead, or whether they indicate three different roles, modes, functions, or offices through which the one God operates and reveals Himself.


“Father”

The term “God the Father” is biblical and refers to God Himself. (Galatians 1:1-4/ KJV) says, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”

God is our Father; He is NOT merely Father of the Son, but the Father of all creation. He is also our Father by reason of the new birth according to (Romans 8:14-16/ KJV) where it says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

The title Father indicates a relationship between God and man, particularly between God and His Son and between God and regenerated man.

The Bible plainly states that there is only one Father in (Ephesians 4:4-6/ KJV) where it says, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” It also clearly teaches that Jesus is the one Father in scriptures like:

(Isaiah 9:6/ KJV) – “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.”

(John 10:30/KJV) – “I and my Father are one.”

The Spirit that dwelt in the Son of God was none other than the Father! It is also important to note that the NAME of the Father is Jesus, for this NAME fully reveals and expresses the Father. We see this revealed in (John 5:43/KJV) where it says, “I (Jesus speaking) am come in my Father's name.” So according to scripture, the Son inherited the Father’s name, therefore, we understand why Jesus said that He manifested and declared the Father’s name in (John 17).

Let’s take a look at (John 17: 3, 6, 8, 10-12, 14, 20-23, 25-26/ KJV). Jesus is praying to the Father and he says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

6 I (Jesus) have manifested thy name (the Father’s name) unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I (Jesus) have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

In what name did the Son come? What name did He obtain from His Father by inheritance? What name did the Son manifest? The answer is obvious. The only name HE used was the name of JESUS, His Father’s name.


“Son”

Basically, the term “Son of God” refers to God as manifested in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind. The name of the Son is JESUS: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS” (Matthew 1:21/ KJV). Since Father refers to deity alone, while “Son of God” refers to deity as incarnated in humanity, we do NOT believe that the Father is the Son. But we do believe that the Father is IN the Son. (John 14:8-10/ KJV) says,
“Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

Jesus claimed that the Father was IN Him, therefore, to see just Him was to see the Father. Since Jesus is the name of the Son of God, both as to His deity as Father and as to His humanity as Son, it is the NAME of both the Father and the Son!


“Holy Ghost”

The terms “Holy Ghost” and “Holy Spirit” are interchangeable, meaning identically the same thing. The “Holy Ghost/ Holy Spirit” is simply God. God is Holy (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16) and God is also a Spirit (John 4:24), and there is only one Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:4). Therefore, the “Holy Ghost/ Holy Spirit” is another term for the one God.

We can compare of couple of Scriptures that will reveal that the Holy Ghost and God are the same:

(Acts 5:3-4/ KJV) says, “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”

(1 Corinthians 3:16/ KJV) says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

So, if the Holy Ghost is simply God, why is there a need for this term? The reason is that it emphasizes a particular aspect of God. It emphasizes that He who is a holy, omnipresent, and invisible Spirit works among all men everywhere and can fill the hearts of men. When we speak of the Holy Ghost, we are reminding ourselves of God’s invisible work among men and of His ability to anoint, baptize, fill, and indwell human lives. The term speaks of God in activity!

It refers to God moving among mankind to regenerate man’s fallen nature and enable him to do the supernatural will of God in the world. The Holy Ghost is revealed and received through the name JESUS! He is NOT a separate person with a separate identity who comes in another name. Jesus said in (John 14:26/KJV), “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name…” So the Holy Ghost comes in the name of Jesus!


“Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”

It is clear that the terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost cannot imply three separate persons, personalities, wills, or beings. They can only denote different aspects or roles of one Spirit-being—the one God. They describe God’s relationships to man, not persons in a Godhead! We use Father to emphasize God’s roles as Creator, Father of spirits, Father of the humanity of Jesus Christ, and Father of born again believers. We use Son to mean both the humanity of Jesus Christ and God as He manifested Himself in the flesh for the purpose of man’s salvation. We use Holy Ghost to emphasize God’s active power in the world and among men, particularly His work in regeneration.

But we should note that these titles are NOT the only ones God has! Many other titles or names for God are very significant and appear throughout the Bible (refer back to Lesson 3). The oneness view does NOT deny Father, Son, or Holy Ghost, but it does refute the view that these terms designate persons in the Godhead. God has many titles, but He is one being. He is indivisible as to His existence, but His revelation of Himself to mankind has been expressed through many channels, including His revelation as the Father, in the Son, and as the Holy Ghost!

(Ephesians 3:14-17/ KJV) says, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom (Jesus Christ) the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.”

In other words, this scripture identifies the Spirit in a Believer’s heart as the Father’s Spirit and also as Christ. The Father, Christ, and the Spirit all refer to the one INDIVISIBLE God!


“Matthew 28:19”

(Matthew 28:19/ KJV) says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

In this verse, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” However, this verse of Scripture does NOT teach that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate persons. Rather, it teaches the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost identify ONE NAME and therefore one being. The verse plainly says “in the name,” NOT “in the names.”

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all describe the one God, so the phrase in (Matthew 28:19) simply describes the one NAME of the one God. The Old Testament promised that there would come a time when Jehovah would have one name and that this one name would be made known (Zechariah 14:9; Isaiah 52:6). We know that the one name of (Matthew 28:19) is Jesus, for Jesus is the name of the Father (John 5:43), the Son (Matthew 1:21), and the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). The New Testament church understood this to be so, for they baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; 1 Corinthians 1:13). Matthew himself endorsed this interpretation by standing with Peter and the other apostles during the sermon in which Peter commanded the people to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:14-38).

So, the same Matthew who wrote (Matthew 28:19) was in the upper room according to (Acts 1:13), received the Holy Ghost in (Acts 2:1-4) and was standing with Peter in (Acts 2:14-38) when Peter preached the first Apostolic message including the Plan of Salvation which required: Repentance, water Baptism in the NAME of JESUS CHRIST, and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost!

(Acts 22:16/ KJV) says, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

If that’s NOT enough, read (James 2:7/ KJV) where it says, “Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?” Now read it in the Amplified Bible: “Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]?” This verse of Scripture indicates the name Jesus was orally invoked at Baptism!

The Lord did NOT leave us without a baptismal formula; the church correctly carried out the instructions Jesus gave in (Matthew 28:19) when the apostles used the name of Jesus in water Baptism.

This interpretation of the one name in (Matthew 28:19) as Jesus finds further support in (verse 18) where it says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” In other words, Jesus said, “I have all power, so baptize in my name!” It NEVER infers that Jesus has all power, so baptize in the names of three different persons. In the other accounts of the Great Commission found in (Mark 16:17 and Luke 24:47) they all refer to the name of Jesus!

(Matthew 28:19) does NOT teach three persons in one God, but rather it gives three titles of God, all of which properly apply to Jesus Christ. These titles sum up different roles of God or modes of His revelation; by its singular reference to “name,” it focuses upon the one name of God revealed in the New Testament. That name is JESUS!



“1 John 5:7”

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

This scripture reveals that God has recorded Himself in three modes of activity or has revealed Himself in three ways. He has at least three heavenly roles: Father, Word (not Son), and Holy Ghost. Furthermore, these three roles describe one God!


“IS God Limited to Three Manifestations”

While Father, Son, and Holy Ghost represent three important roles, titles, manifestations of God, God is NOT limited to these three, nor does the number three have a special significance with respect to God.

A popular explanation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is that there is one God who has revealed Himself as Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Ghost in regeneration! The recognition of these three manifestations does NOT imply that God is limited to three manifestations or that a threeness (Trinity) exists in the nature of God.

We cannot confine God to three or any other number of specific roles and titles. Neither can we divide Him because He is one! Even His titles and roles overlap. He may manifest Himself in many ways, but He is one and only one being.

When we use the name of Jesus, we encompass everything that God IS! Jesus is Father, Son, and Spirit. Jesus summarized all the compound names of Jehovah. Jesus is EVERYTHING that God is. Whatever roles and manifestations God has, they are all in Jesus (Colossians 2:9)!

God is NOT limited to these three manifestations; however, in the glorious revelation of the one God, the New Testament does not deviate from the strict monotheism of the Old Testament. Rather, the Bible presents Jesus as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Foundation Series – DOCTRINE - Lesson 5

There are three things that define the true Church:
1. Apostolic Doctrine
2. Pentecostal Experience
3. Christian Lifestyle



“The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ”

(Matthew 1:18-25/ KJV) says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS .”

(Galatians 4:4-5/ KJV) says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”


Lesson 4 affirmed that Jesus IS God! In this lesson we’ll discuss the other side of Christ’s dual nature—His humanity. The scriptures we just read describe what we call the Incarnation, which is the act of God in coming among men as a man, manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. Before Jesus was born with His human nature He was the invisible God. At His incarnation God took upon Himself the likeness of men. He assumed human nature at His incarnation but did not cease to be God.

This explains the Jesus of the Bible fully and comprehensively. All we have to do when we read our Bibles is to keep in mind this simple thought: Is Jesus acting as a man now or is He acting as God? Is Jesus speaking as a man here or is He speaking as God?—because He was both God and man. In Him deity and humanity were fused but NOT confused! He could speak from two separate standpoints. He could talk as Almighty God or he could talk as human. He could act as Almighty God or He could act as a human. We refer to this as “The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ.”

From the Bible we see that Jesus Christ had two distinct natures in a way that no other human being has ever had. One nature is human or fleshly; the other is divine or Spirit. Jesus was both fully man and fully God. The key to an understanding of the Godhead teaching is “The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Christ is both God and man! He is the one God incarnate. Jesus Christ is the image of Invisible God, God manifested in flesh, our God and Savior, and the express image of God’s own person.


“Son of God”

What is the significance of the title “Son of God?” It emphasized the divine nature of Jesus and the fact of His virgin birth. He is the Son of God because He was conceived by the Spirit of God, making God literally His father.

(Luke 1:35/ KJV) says, “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

In other words, the title “Son of God” recognizes the humanity while calling attention to the deity of Jesus. It means God has manifested Himself in flesh!

Jesus is the Son of God in the sense that no other being is or can be, for Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). He is the only One ever conceived or begotten by the Spirit of God. Therefore, His unique Sonship attests to His deity. He was called a “son” because He was God’s offspring. He was NOT an eternal son, or a created son, but a “begotten” son.

Jesus was not just a man who was anointed by God, but possessed a dual nature, enabling Him to live, function, and speak as a man, but also to act and speak as God. Since he was God manifested in the flesh, He could truthfully say things like, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30) or that “the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me” (John 14:10-11).

Jesus Himself said He was the Son of God (Matthew 27:43; John 3:18; John 10:36), the devils recognized Him as the Son of God (Matthew 8:29, Mark 3:11), His disciples referred to Him as the Son of God (Matthew 14:33), the Romans called Him the Son of God (Matthew 27:54), and the apostles preached Him as the Son of God (Acts 9:20; Romans 1:4; 2 Corinthians 1:19).



“Son of Man”

The term “Son of man” draws attention primarily to the humanity of Jesus; it alludes that He is the offspring of mankind. Jesus applied the term “Son of man” to Himself many times. In most instances, He used it as a synonym for “I” or as a title emphasizing His humanity. The title “Son” serves to remind us that Jesus really was a man.

Belief in Christ’s humanity is essential to salvation. (1 John 4:2-3, 9-15/ KJV) says, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world…

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”

If God did not truly come in the flesh, then there is no blood for remission of sin, no sacrifice of atonement. The very purpose of the Incarnation was to provide a holy man to mediate between holy God and sinful mankind.


Closing

It is necessary to distinguish clearly between the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ. While Jesus was both God and man at the same time, sometimes He acted from the human viewpoint and sometimes from the divine viewpoint. As Father, He sometimes spoke from His divine nature; as Son He sometimes spoke from His human nature. Only as a man could Jesus be born, grow, be tempted by the devil, hunger, thirst, become weary, sleep, pray, be beaten, die, not know all things, not have all power, be inferior to God, and be a servant. Only as God could He exist from eternity, be unchanging, cast out devils by His own authority, be the bread of life, give living water, give spiritual rest, calm the storm, answer prayer, heal the sick, raise His body from death, forgive sin, know all things, have all power, be identified as God, and be King of kings.

“The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ” is the only thing that explains how he could sleep in the midst of the storm as a result of His humanity, yet calm the storm with three simple word as a result of His deity! His “dual nature” is the only explanation for how he could weep, being a man at the reality that his friend Lazarus had died, while as God, He could stand outside the tomb where Lazarus was buried and raise him back to life!

Although we must distinguish between the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, it is IMPOSSIBLE to separate the two in Jesus Christ. The Father united with humanity to form one being—Jesus Christ, the Godhead incarnate. While on earth Jesus was fully God, not merely an anointed man. At the same time, He was fully man, not just an appearance of man. He possessed the unlimited power, authority, and character of God.

We can identify four major themes in the biblical description of the Incarnation:
1. the absolute and complete deity of Jesus Christ
2. the perfect, sinless humanity of Jesus Christ
3. the clear distinction between the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ
4. the inseparable union of deity and humanity in Jesus Christ