The Genuine Heavenly Trio
(1) FATHER: God, the FATHER, OF Whom are all things; the Divine Source of all being, the Most High God.
(2) SON: God's only begotten SON (divine (God) + human (man)), BY Whom are all things; our Lord and Savior, the Divine Channel of all blessings.
(3) HOLY SPIRIT: the one Spirit of God and of Christ, the Omnipresent, the Comforter, the Spirit of Life, the Eternal Spirit, the Breath of God, Energizing Presence and Divine Influence, the third person (representative omnipresence) of the Godhead (divinity, divine nature, deity; Father and Son).
Read this statement in context at EGWWritings.org
Welcome to ... TRUTH or Trinity? Heavenly Trio or 3-in-1 God?
Friend, where do you stand on various doctrinal issues? The Bible or Tradition? A plain "thus saith the LORD" or a "thus saith the church?"
Do you love BIBLE TRUTH above all else or do you lean to the teachings of your denomination no matter what? Do you stand squarely upon the Word of God, as it reads, according to the most obvious textual meaning, or do you trust the myriad of contradicting interpretations and philosophies of mere fallible men and the doctrines of devils?
These are important questions to carefully and prayerfully consider.
Is it possible that you have knowingly or unknowingly accepted the subtle deceptive theories, philosophies, traditions and suppositions of mere men, as to whom God is in reality? or do you choose to stand solidly upon God's holy inspired Word alone, no matter the consequences?
These are the real questions we each must answer when it comes to such a controversial and important subject as the true identity of God, God's only begotten Son and the divine Holy Spirit. Sadly, there are way too many different voices in our world leading us far from the simple truths of God's Word into subtle, deceptive paths that, in the end, lead to sorrow and everlasting death.
Proverbs 14:12 • “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
As Christians, we should know of a certainty whom it is that we actually worship. We are each one individually responsible to God the Father and we are accountable to Him if we lead others astray from eternal life, which is found only in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
In the pages of the Bible, as it reads, according to its most obvious meaning, is GOD portrayed as ...
(1) a trinity god (3 co-equal, co-eternal, divine persons who are mysteriously 1 divine god being),
(2) a trio of independent divine beings/persons, who all have always existed on their own (a unity of co-equal, co-eternal, gods; this is called polytheism, many gods),
OR ...
(3) one God, the Father, of whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things (1 Corinthians 8:5-6) (God is the Source of all life and being and His only begotten Son is the divine Channel of all of God's blessings)?
Is the Seventh-day Adventist "heavenly trio" teaching the same thing as, or eqivalent with, the trinity doctrine?
The honest answer is No! They are not the same at all, when each teaching is rightly understood, when carefully and prayerfully compared with Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White.
Are the terms Godhead and Trinity interchangable?
Again, the honest answer is No! They are not the same at all, when each teaching is rightly understood, when carefully and prayerfully compared with Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White.
Think carefully, Does the Bible promote that we worship ...
(1) one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (trinity doctrine, three divine persons, yet one god being)
(2) a trio of co-eternal individual deities (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) (tritheism-three gods, three ultimate sources of life)
OR ...
(3) as is plainly shown in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 and John 17:3: as Christians, we worship [1] one God, the Father, of whom are all things, the ultimate Source of all being; and [2] one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, by whom are all things, the one divine Channel of God's life and blessings; and are filled with and guided by [3] one Spirit—the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of God and of Christ, called the Omnipresent, which is the representative, divine, spiritual Presence that proceeds from God the Father and dwells in and flows through His divine+human Son, coming to us, in the name of the Son, as the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. The Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ, Christ in you, a spiritual manifestation, the Spirit of God's Son in you, crying Abba, Father. See Psalms 51:11, 139:7; John 15:26; Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17; and Galatians 4:6.
The Holy Spirit is basically the living, energizing life and omnipresence of God the Father. This is the spiritual, immortal life that God the Father gave to His Son to have in Himself (John 5:26) by divine inheritance, which is also known as "the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace." In Desire of Ages, p. 21 we read about this LIFE, this abiding SPIRIT: "But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. “I do nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father.” “I seek not Mine own glory,” but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life. (DA 21.2)" The Holy Spirit is the divine personification, the representative presence, of God in Christ and Christ in us. Be sure to visit God's Divine Spirit to learn more about the Holy Spirit.
Do you actually know and understand the difference between these various views or teachings?
This website was established to show plainly from Scripture and from the writings of Mrs. Ellen G. White and the early Seventh-Day Advent pioneers that God's revealed truth regarding Himself, His Son, and His Spirit is at odds with the widely popular traditional and philosophical trinity doctrine and with tritheism (polytheism, many gods).
When you dig deep into the gold mine of God's revealed Word you will discover the fact that biblical truth and the trinity doctrine are not one and the same thing. It is a well established reality that God's Word nowhere mentions or teaches a trinity doctrine of three co-eternal, co-equal divine persons in one divine god being (trinitarianism) or three co-eternal, co-equal divine beings, each an independent source of life (tritheism).
The trinity doctrine creed was established over many years, during various universal church counsels, the first of which began in 325AD at the counsel of Nicea and another at Constantinople in 381AD. While there are various versions of the trinity doctrine taught today, throughout the majority of the professed Christian Churches and denominations on earth today, it yet remains true that there are certain fundamental trinitarian concepts that most professed Christian churches teach in common today.
The trinity is often called a mystery, and rightly so, since there are no scripture references that directly state, or plainly teach, this philosophical concept of God. The real mystery is ... Why do so many professed Christians accept and teach this, so-called, "Bible" doctrine at all, when this teaching is actually found nowhere in the Bible. This teaching is also not found in the the vast teachings and writings of Mrs. Ellen G. White, even though many try to find it there by misapplying her writings in the same way as they misapply and distort the Scriptures.
While some aspects of the trinity doctrine may seem to be based upon Bible truth, there are too many deceptive deviations in the philosophical teaching that will lead you away from the solid platform of inspired Bible truth. The reality is that the teaching of the trinity and of tritheism are both unbiblical doctrines that originate from the spirit of antichrist. They both destroy the reality of the true, literal Father and Son relationship and other major aspects of the true biblical gospel message.
“The mystery of the trinity is the central doctrine of the Catholic faith. Upon it are based all the other teachings of the church.” – Handbook for Today’s Catholic, p.19
We are to demand a plain "Thus saith the LORD" for any doctrine we teach. And, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should teach only that which Jesus taught in word and deed. The TRUTH will set you free if you are willing to embrace every word that proceeds from the mouth of God ... with all of your heart and mind.
[Friends, please be cautious of the theheavenlytrio.com and godheadtruth.org websites, and so many others, where solid Bible truth is lost in a sea of subtle deceptions, human philosophy and unbiblical claims and sophistries. The true Heavenly Trio is not being portrayed on those trinitarian websites. Be sure to visit GodheadFacts.org to discover solid bible truth.]
FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO CLEAR UP SOME MAJOR MISUNDERSTANDINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE REGARDING VARIOUS BIBLE TERMS AND CONCEPTS THAT ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO THIS MOST IMPORTANT TOPIC.
(1) One big mistake most people are making is not taking the Word of God "as it reads" and "as it is written," unless an obvious figure or symbol is employed.
(2) People also fail to dig deep and compare Scripture with Scripture to get a fair and balanced understanding of each topic being studied according to time, place and surrounding context. Scripture interprets Scripture and there should be no private interpretation.
(3) Another issue is that many fail to make use of a good concordance to look up the original Hebrew and Greek words for passages under consideration, so as to rightly understand their true context and meaning. Bible translations don't always get things exactly right and word meanings can change over time, so we need to verify everything for ourselves, especially when one translated verse seems to contradict or conflict with another.
(4) Scripture should never be studied without sincere heartfelt prayer for God to guide and direct our study by imparting to us His Spirit that we might have true wisdom and spiritual discernment.
BIBLE TERMS:
Let us now look at some very often misunderstood Bible terms that lead people to come to completely wrong conclusions on many different Bible topics. These terms, related to God and His Son, are the following: eternity, eternal, everlasting, forever, and related terms. Sadly, most people and denominations want to apply only one possible meaning to these terms: "without beginning or ending."
The Hebrew words we need to look at are: owlam, qedem, ad, etc..
I found this info at https://kingjamesbibleonline.org (KJV Bible Online) by hovering over words in the verses and seeing their original meanings. I also use Logos Bible Software as needed to dig deeper into the various word usages and meanings.
HEBREW: "AD" — The Hebrew word for “eternity” in the old testament is “ad,” which simply means “a terminus” and a terminus means “a final point in space or time; an end or extremity” or “boundary.” Ellen G. White also wrote that Christ is “from the beginning” and the Bible says in John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word…”
HEBREW "OWLAM" — The Hebrew word for “everlasting” is “owlam” which means: concealed, i.e. The vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity.
HEBREW "QEDEM" — The Hebrew word for “from of old” in Micah 5:2 is “qedem” which means: Qedem (קֶ֫דֶם) is a Hebrew term meaning "front," "east," or "ancient times". It signifies both spatial orientation (the East or forward direction) and temporal precedence (antiquity, "of old," or beginning).
GREEK "ARCHE" — The Greek word for “in the beginning” in John 1:1 is “arche” which means: beginning, origin, a commencement.
Therefore by understanding the original meanings of the words that in english are often misunderstood we find the truth regarding the origin of the Son of God. The whole story is found in Micah 5:2 where we see that Christ “whose goings forth” (motsaah, a family descent) “have been from of old” (qedem: antiquity, of old, anciently) “from everlasting” (yowm: day, birth).
In other words, Christ’s goings forth or family descent, is from of old or ancient times, from the beginning, a terminus point, origin, birth-day. He is from all eternity (ad: terminus point, a final point in space or time; an end or extremity. The only begotten Son, God’s only divine born Son is from of old, from the beginning, from all eternity, from ancient times, from antiquity, from beyond the vanishing point, from time out of mind. John 1:1-4 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word ..." Ellen White states that His pre-existence is beyond human figures or computation, from dateless ages. He is before all creation and is from the beginning of God’s way (Proverbs 8:22-30).
Hebrews 1:5 — “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”
this day = semeron = this day, now.
Our understanding of these phrases and terms need to be brought up to date to match with their original meanings, not our current human reasonings, which cause contradictions and mysteries in the Word of God.
Did you notice the meaning for “everlasting” (owlam) is nearly the same as that given by E. J. Waggoner in 1888-1889 which is *“practically without beginning.” His statement is in harmony with the concordance’s meaning for the word everlasting (owlam).
"The Scriptures declare that Christ is “the only begotten Son of God.” He is begotten, not created. As to when He was begotten, it is not for us to inquire, nor could our minds grasp it if we were told. The prophet Micah tells us all we can know about it, in these words: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. There was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God, from the bosom of the Father (John 8:42; 1:18), but that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is *practically without beginning.” PTUK January 9, 1896, page 18.7 - E. J. Waggoner
Thus, when we fully qualify, through careful study and much prayer, our own understanding of various Bible terms, according to their actual original meaning, we can then have a basis for building harmony and unity of understanding regarding various controversial Bible teachings on these important and vital spiritual subjects. When terms are properly understood we can then realize that Father literally means Father; Son literally means Son; only begotten literally means only born or begotten; from all eternity actually means from beyond the terminus or beyond the beginning point for all creation. God always has been and His only begotten Son is from the beginning, from of old, from ancient times, from beyond the vanishing point, beyond the boundary of space and time, from time out of mind, practically eternity, a point beyond human calculations or figures, a point concealed from our understanding, in the beginning of God's way.
Thus, the Son of God is truly and literally God's beloved Son, a Son begotten in the express image of His Father's person, who is the outshining of the Father's glory, a Son truly begotten, not created. Satan hates this truth and has ever sought to obscure it from the beginning of his rebellion in heaven. Visit Warfare Over the Matter to learn more about this particular subject.
Thus, we have no need of non-biblical language such as trinity, triune, 3-in-1, co-eternal, etc.. God the Father is truly the God and Father of Christ. God always has been, He being the Source of all being, the Sovereign of the Universe. The divine, only begotten Son of God is truly "from all eternity," meaning He is from beyond the extreme boundary of all time and space, He existed before all creation, He is from the beginning of God's way, for all intents and purposes He is practically without beginning, yet most importantly He is the only begotten Son, not a created Son. Christ is only a created Son in His humanity, His human body and mind were created by God, "A body hast thou prepared me." Hebrews 10:5.
Thus, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Omnipresent; and the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. The Holy Spirit is the very life and abiding spiritual presence of God and Christ, an invisible divine spiritual manifestation. The Holy Spirit is a peron, a divine person, a divine personality: The Lord is that Spirit. — 2 Corinthians 3:17. God is the Great Husbandman that planted a Vine, the Son of God and man, and the Sap in the Vine that gives life to the vine and produces rich fruits is the Holy Spirit, the soul of Christ's life, the very life of God Himself.
There is but one ultimate Source of divine "always has been" immortal life in the entire universe and that Source is Jehovah God Himself. God the Father is truly without beginning or ending, for Jehovah our God "always has been." In the beginning of His way, prior to the creation of space, time, angels and the innumerable inhabited worlds in the vast universe, Jehovah our God brought forth, of His own immortal divine substance, from a part of Himself, His only begotten Son; and to His Son, by divine inheritance, God gave to Him to have this life in Himself: original, unborrowed, underived life. This is the divine nature, the Holy Spirit, the very life and presence of God Himself. When we receive Christ's Spirit we are partakers of the divine nature and we are changed from sinner to saint, from death to life, from hopeless to hopeful, from lost to saved. See Romans, Chapter 8.
Romans 8:10
“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
Galatians 2:20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 4:6
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
1 John 5:12
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
John 14:18
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
The following videos will help in giving you a better understanding of the Bible truth regarding God the Father, God's only begotten Son (the Son OF GOD), and the Holy Spirit (the Spirit OF GOD) that proceeds from God the Father and His divine Son. May God guide you by His Spirit as you study!
"I am instructed to say, The sentiments of those who are searching for advanced scientific ideas are not to be trusted. Such representations as the following are made: “The Father is as the light invisible; the Son is as the light embodied; the Spirit is the light shed abroad.” “The Father is like the dew, invisible vapor; the Son is like the dew gathered in beauteous form; the Spirit is like the dew fallen to the seat of life.” Another representation: “The Father is like the invisible vapor; the Son is like the leaden cloud; the Spirit is rain fallen and working in refreshing power.” ¶ All these spiritualistic representations are simply nothingness. They are imperfect, untrue. They weaken and diminish the Majesty which no earthly likeness can be compared to. God can not be compared with the things His hands have made. These are mere earthly things, suffering under the curse of God because of the sins of man. The Father can not be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. ¶ The Son is all the fulness of the Godhead manifested. The Word of God declares Him to be “the express image of His person.” “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Here is shown the personality of the Father. ¶ The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ. ..."
NOTE: A trio is three persons, personalities or beings, not a "three in one" being as defined by the trinity doctrine. All the "three in one" spiritualistic representations mentioned in the quote were false teachings regarding God. The early SDA Pioneers consistently fought against the doctrine of a "three in one" God being. Ellen White clearly taught the individual personality of the Father and the Son. She also taught that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son, as the Omnipresent, a spiritual manifestation. The Holy Spirit is the representative presence of God and His only begotten Son. It is by the omnipresent manifestation of the Holy Spirit that the Father and the Son dwell with us and in us. God in Christ and Christ in us by the indwelling presence of the divine Spirit.
"They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—is to bring unity into their ranks."
"The Lord is soon to come. We want that complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give. It is not safe to catch the spirit from another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ."
"Christ is to live in his human agents, and work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities. Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his Spirit, that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them."
"The Spirit of God has unconfined range of the heavenly universe; and it is not in the province of finite human minds to limit its power or prescribe its operations."
QUESTION: Did Ellen G. White change her faith after writing the book, The Desire of Ages?
ANSWER: Absolutely not.
In 1906 she stated plainly ...
"I should be an unfaithful watchman, were I to hold my peace, when I see the very foundations of our faith being torn away by those who have departed from the faith, and who are now adrift, without an anchor. In this time, when false doctrines are being taught, we are to teach the same truth that we have taught for the past half century. I have not changed my faith one jot or one tittle, ..."
"To sacrifice one jot or one tittle of our faith to meet the world will separate our souls from God."
"Now it is very important that we should search the Scriptures ourselves, for we are enjoined to give a reason of the hope that is within us with meekness and fear. What saith the Scriptures? for they are our chart and guide to heaven. It is not safe for us to follow any man unless his word is in harmony with the Scriptures."
"There are glorious truths to come before the people of God. Privileges and duties which they do not even suspect to be in the Bible will be laid open before the followers of Christ. As they follow on in the path of humble obedience, doing God’s will, they will know more and more of the oracles of God and be established in right doctrines."
According to Scripture there is "one God ... of whom are all things" and "one Lord ... by whom are all things." (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). While God the Father and His divine only begotten Son are little short of being identical, yet they are two persons, two divine beings, two individual personalities—Father and Son—and they are truly one in nature, character and purpose. God is the Father of Christ and Christ is the only begotten Son of God. God is the head of Christ. The Son of God does always those things that please His Father.
"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."
"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
"And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."
"The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each."
"Wonderful statement! [John 17:20-23] The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and Christ are one."
"While Christ stood forth as the Son of man, in His own personality, He was at the same time one with the Deity. He stood within the light surrounding the throne of God, and His words were spoken with power and authority. “The Father is in Me, and I in Him,” He declared. [John 10:38.] “No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” [Matthew 11:27.] “Whatsoever the Father doeth, that also doeth the Son likewise.” [John 5:19.] “I and My Father are one.” [John 10:30.] “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” [John 14:9.] Christ and God are one, and yet they are distinct personalities. Christ spoke with conscious authority, as one possessing in Himself power that would enable Him to perform His work."
"Christ Himself is the pearl of great price. In Him is gathered all the glory of the Father, the fullness of the Godhead. He is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. The glory of the attributes of God is expressed in His character."
"Christ the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,—one in nature, in character, and in purpose,—the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ, the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings."
"From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character."
"The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind."
"As Jehovah, the supreme Ruler, God could not personally communicate with sinful men, but He so loved the world that He sent Jesus to our world as a revelation of Himself. 'I and My Father are one,' Christ declared. [John 10:30.] 'No man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.' [Matthew 11:27.]"
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
"Here Christ shows them that, altho they might reckon His life to be less than fifty years, yet His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures."
"Christ alone was able to represent the Deity. He who had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, He who was the express image of the invisible God, was alone sufficient to accomplish this work."
"Though sin had produced a gulf between man and his God, divine benevolence provided a plan to bridge that gulf. And what material did He use? A part of Himself. The brightness of the Father’s glory came to a world all seared and marred with the curse, and in His own divine character, in His own divine body, bridged the gulf and opened a channel of communication between God and man."
"Jesus was free from all sin and error; there was not a trace of imperfection in His life or character. He maintained spotless purity under circumstances the most trying. True, He declared, “There is none good but one, that is, God;” but again, He said, “I and my Father are one.” [Matthew 19:17; John 3:16.] Jesus speaks of Himself, as well as the Father, as God and claims for Himself perfect righteousness. ¶ In Christ dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
"Christ does not war against God. 'I and My Father are one.' He says. He was the express image of his Father, and as Christ represented the character of His Father, we are to express to the world the character of Christ."
The only begotten Son of God is Himself OF GOD, He was literally born or brought forth as a part of God Himself, and therefore He is the only divine Channel of God's creative power and glory, the One by whom are all things. The Son of God is clothed with God's own glory and presence. His presence is as the presence of the Father. He is filled with all the fulness of God's own divine Life or Spirit. The Father dwells in the Son and the Son in the Father for they are one in Spirit. The Son lives by the Father and has no existence separate from the Father.
We must remember that God the Father is the Great Source of all being, the Sovereign of the Universe, and all of creation was created by and for God's beloved, only begotten Son. The Son of God is the first-born of heaven. He by inheritance has a more excellent name. God's Son is a real, preincarnate divine Son, not a mere metaphorical Son or role-playing Son, before His incarnation and birth in Bethlehem. He is indeed God's only begotten Son, His only born Son, One who is a part of God Himself, One begotten of God's own, always has been, divine substance. The Son was not made or formed from created material. The Son of God is truly and completely divine in nature. When the Son came to earth He clothed Himself with the personality of humanity. Thus, He is both the divine only begotten Son of God and the created Son of man, a human being. His human body and mind were created by God. "... a body hast Thou prepared Me." See Hebrews 10:5.
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 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; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
"The world's Redeemer was equal with God. His authority was as the authority of God. He declared that he had no existence separate from the Father. The authority by which he spoke, and wrought miracles, was expressly his own, yet he assures us that he and the Father are one."
"With what firmness and power he uttered these words. The Jews had never before heard such words from human lips, and a convicting influence attended them; for it seemed that divinity flashed through humanity as Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” The words of Christ were full of deep meaning as he put forth the claim that he and the Father were of one substance, possessing the same attributes."
"God saw that a clearer revelation than nature was needed to portray both His personality and His character. He sent His Son into the world to manifest, so far as could be endured by human sight, the nature and the attributes of the invisible God."
"The Father and the Son each have a personality. Christ declared: 'I and My Father are one.' Yet it was the Son of God who came to the world in human form."
"Jesus Christ was a divine being, but He clothed His divinity with humanity and became a man of flesh and blood."
"Said Christ, 'All things that the Father hath are mine.' [John 16:15.] 'I and My Father are one. I appoint unto you a kingdom.' [John 10:30; Luke 22:29.] The Lord Jesus lays His hand upon the eternal throne of God with all the ease and assurance of one who rules and reigns, putting on His head the crown of Deity. He sits at the right hand of God and receives supreme honor as God, the glory He had before the world was. He distributes His gifts to all who by faith shall claim them."
"All glory is of God and belongs to God. Yet in Christ also there is all power. In him divine power is combined with humanity."
So, we understand from Scripture the profound truth that in all the universe there is but one God of whom are all things, one Great Source of all that exists, one ultimate Source of Life. This one divine being, of whom are all things, is God the Father. The Father is called the only true God because He alone is the original divine Being, the Source of divinity, who alone hath immortality, who alone is the ultimate Source of immortal life. The Father has given to His Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26). The Son of God, who is truly God in infinity, but not in personality; is fully divine in nature and has inherited all things from His Father, including His name—Jehovah. The name Je'sus (Ye'shua) means Jehovah (Yehovah) 'Saves or Delivers.' The Son comes bearing His Father's name, literally. When we are baptized into the name of Jesus (Yeshua), we are baptized into the name and authority of the Father (Yehovah God), the Son (Ye'shua - Yehovah Saves), and the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Yehovah)—Jehovah who saves. Jehovah is the name given to Christ.
"I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."
"Jehovah is the name given to Christ."
"But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. “I do nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father.” “I seek not Mine own glory,” but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life."
"But although Christ's divine glory was for a time veiled and eclipsed by His assuming humanity, yet He did not cease to be God when He became man. The human did not take the place of the divine, nor the divine of the human. This is the mystery of godliness. The two expressions human and divine were, in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a distinct individuality. Though Christ humbled Himself to become man, the Godhead was still His own. His Deity could not be lost while He stood faithful and true to His loyalty."
God the Father is the God of the Bible and is called the only true God, so does this mean that Jesus is not truly God, not truly divine in nature? Not at all, the Lord Jesus Christ is truly God in infinity, but not in personality. Jesus is truly and fully divine in nature, in His very being, but in personality He is identified as the divine Son who is of God, the only begotten Son of God. Jesus is OF GOD, because He was begotten, born, brought forth, from God Himself; in His divine person He is not a created being. God basically duplicated Himself, made an express image of Himself, and so through this divine person/being, called the Son, God created all things. God is the ultimate Source of all things and the Son is the divine Channel by which and for whom God created all things. Thus the Father and the Son are together the Creator of all things. The Son of God has no existence separate from His Father. God gave to His divine only begotten Son to have life in Himself; life original, unborrowed, underived. Thus, the Father's life dwells in and flows through His Son.
God's Spirit, His eternal life, dwells fully in His Son and through His Son this spiritual life goes out to all the universe, even to us here on fallen planet earth, and it is received by all who believe and obey God and His Son. Two holy divine Beings rule the universe together. God is all the fulness of the Godhead BODILY and the Son is all the fulness of the Godhead MANIFESTED. God the Father and His divine only begotten Son are everywhere present through the omnipresent spiritual manifestation of their representative divine Spirit—the Holy Spirit—which is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. God in heaven has a physical divine form and He sits upon the throne of the universe and the man Christ Jesus (fully divine and fully human) in His glorified physical human form sits beside His Father on His throne. The Father and Son are co-equal because the Son has been exalted to be equal with the Father. Nowhere in the Scriptures or the writings of Ellen White is the term co-eternal ever used. While God the Father "always has been," the Son of God is from everlasting, from of old, from the beginning. The Son's divinity, the divine substance of which He was formed (begotten, brought forth; not created), which is a part of God Himself, always has been, yet Christ's divine personality, His individual identity as the Son of God, is from the beginning, from the point when He was brought forth from His Father. This is a simple, yet profound, truth. When Christ came to earth and clothed His divinity with humanity He was the Son of God "in a new sense." He was then the Son of God clothed with the personality of humanity—the man Christ Jesus. "A divine Spirit," "the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ," who "dwelt in a temple of flesh."
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
"The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, but not in personality."
"It was to save the transgressor from ruin that he who was co-equal with God, offered up his life on Calvary. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
"God, in counsel with his Son, formed the plan of creating man in his own image."
"God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son."
"A complete offering has been made; for 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,'—not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father's person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
"The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind."
"'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.' Christ came to the world to reveal the character of the Father, and to redeem the fallen race. The world's Redeemer was equal with God. His authority was as the authority of God. He declared that he had no existence separate from the Father. The authority by which he spoke, and wrought miracles, was expressly his own, yet he assures us that he and the Father are one."
"He [Christ] united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united himself with the temple. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” because by so doing he could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam."
"Jesus said, 'I and my Father are one.' He speaks of Himself as well as the Father when He speaks of omnipotent power, and claims for Himself perfect righteousness. In Christ dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
"'I and my Father are one.' What height, and depth, and breadth of meaning in the Saviour's words! They are clothed with a mysterious power that can only be spiritually discerned."
The Son of God indeed has no existence separate from God the Father, because He is OF GOD and God gave to His Son to have life in Himself. In Christ dwells the very life of the Father (original, unborrowed, underived life) in all its fulness, thus the divine Son is filled with all the fulness of His Father's own omnipresent Spirit or Life, He is the outshining of His Father's glory and majesty. In all the universe, while there are many created sons of God, including Lucifer himself, there is only one Son of God who was actually begotten, made, born, brought forth of God's own divine substance, God's eternal "always has been" divine substance. Thus, the Eternal Son of God is truly God in infinity, one with God in divine nature; He being fully divine—one in nature, character and purpose—with His Father. He is the express or exact image of His Father's person. The Son is truly and literally a part of God Himself. The Son of God is the divine Channel by whom and for whom God the Father, the only true God, creates all things.
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, not a created or adopted son. He was begotten (born, brought forth) of genuine, always has been, divine substance, eternal divine substance, not created material. He is in reality a part of God Himself and He is clothed with all the fulness of God's own abiding presence, the Spirit (life) of God. Christ is filled with all the fulness of the Godhead (divinity) bodily. God Himself, by His Spirit, dwells fully in His Son. Jesus is the express image of God and the outshining of His divine glory and greatness. God the Father created all things by and for His only begotten Son. These divine truths even a child can comprehend.
"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 answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 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."
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
"To human eyes, Christ was only a man, yet he was a perfect man. In his humanity he was the impersonation of the divine character. God embodied his own attributes in his Son,—his power, his wisdom, his goodness, his purity, his truthfulness, his spirituality, and his benevolence. In him, though human, all perfection of character, all divine excellence, dwelt. And to the request of his disciple, 'Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us,' he could reply, '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, Show us the Father?' 'I and my Father are one.'"
"It was Christ who spoke the law from Mount Sinai. The authority by which He spoke was expressly His own; yet it was the authority of the Father also. The Son of God cannot be separated from His Father. The law of God is the express character of the Father and the Son. He placed Himself on a line with the eternal throne, so that its glory was shed in clear rays directly upon Him and was by Him reflected back, mingled with the luster of His own greatness. While He stood forth distinctly in His own personality and spoke in His own name, He was one with the Father."
The amazing fact is that the warfare in heaven, with Lucifer, began over the issue of the begotten Sonship of God's Son in heaven. Lucifer wanted to be like God, but He could not have this position in heaven, so he endeavored to take the place of God's only begotten Son and he made the claim to the angels that Christ was no different than himself, a created son, and that he, Lucifer, should have the same rights as did Christ and therefore He should be allowed to enter into all the counsels and purposes of God the Father—the Great Father of all, the Source of all being. Thus began the great war in heaven. That war eventually came to our world and caused the fall of Adam and Eve. For more info regarding this matter please listen to or read Patriarchs and Prophets, Chapter 1.
"This fact the [fallen] angels would obscure, that Christ was the only begotten Son of God, and they came to consider that they were not to consult Christ. One angel began the controversy and carried it on until there was rebellion in the heavenly courts among the angels."
"Satan rebelled in heaven. He was one of the honored angels there, but he was jealous of the Son of God."
"Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing great intelligence. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. But when God said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image,” Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God."
"Satan was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge his supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, Satan bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to his plans, while Satan was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of Heaven, his power and authority to be the same as that of God himself."
The Holy Spirit is called in Scripture by many different terms: the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Omnipresent, the Comforter, etc.. The Holy Spirit is represented in Scripture by breath, wind, water, fire, oil, light, glory, dove, etc..
In simple terms the Holy Spirit is OF GOD and OF CHRIST. God and His Son are one in spirit, heart and character; one in nature character and purpose. The Holy Spirit is divine spiritual life, the breath of life, the light and glory of the Father and God has filled His Son with this immortal Life, this Holy Spirit; all the fulness of the Godhead (divinity) bodily. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and comes to us in Christ's name, personating or personifying Christ, representing the man Christ Jesus. It is by the Spirit, a spiritual manifestation, that God the Father and His only begotten Son fellowship with us and dwell in us, within our hearts. Ellen White says that the term Holy Spirit refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. The Lord is that Spirit.
"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."
"I [Jesus] will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
"Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?"
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
"While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth. His parting promise is fulfilled, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. His energizing presence is still with His church."
"The Lord is soon to come. We want that complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give. It is not safe to catch the spirit from another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ."
"This [John 14:26] refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter."
"That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation."
"Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church."
"You are to be a partaker of the divine nature. There is nothing else that can save us. Christ comes in His divine nature ..."
NOTE: The phrase "Third Person of the Godhead" basically refers to "the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter." Jesus Christ has a dual nature, divine and human. He is the Son of man and the Son of God. As the Son of God He is fully divine and therefore exercises the divine attribute of being omnipresent by His Spirit—the Spirit of Christ. As a man, Christ can only be physically in one place at a time. As the Son of God, as a divine Being, He can, by the spiritual manifestation of His divine omnipresent Spirit, be everywhere present. Jesus is our Advocate (parakletos) in heaven and our Comforter (parakletos) on earth. The word "parakletos" literally translates to "one called to one's side" or "one called to help."
In 1 John 2:1, it is written: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (parakletos) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ..."
advocate 3875. παράκλητος parakletos, par-ak´-lay-tos; an intercessor, consoler: — advocate, comforter.
"In giving His commission to His followers, Christ did not tell them they would be left alone. He assured them that He would be near them. He spoke of His Omnipresence in a special way. Go to all nations, He said. Go, to the farthest portion of the habitable globe, but know that My presence will be there. Labor in faith and confidence, for the time will never come when I shall forsake you. ¶ The assurance of His abiding presence was the richest legacy Christ could give His disciples."
"Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself, divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent."
"The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest in every man's experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force which, unaided, he cannot resist. To withstand this force, to attain that ideal which in his inmost soul he accepts as alone worthy, he can find help in but one power. That power is Christ."
"There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness."
"Christ is to be known by the blessed name of Comforter. 'The Comforter,' said Christ to His disciples, 'which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.' [John 14:26-27.]"
"The sufficiency of the apostle was not in himself, but in the gracious influence of the Spirit of Christ, which filled his soul and brought every thought into subjection to the obedience of Christ."
"You can trust Him who has given His only begotten Son, in order that we may be partakers of His divine nature, and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust."
"There are a few who live the Word of God, because they eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God. They are partakers of His divine nature, and are lights, shining amid the moral darkness of this degenerate age."
"Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament. Our Saviour, the outshining of the Father's glory, is both the Old and the New."
For further study, regarding this very important subject, please visit the websites listed below.
1God1Lord1Spirit.org
WarfareOvertheMatter.org
TheTrailoftheSerpent.org
TrinityAnswers.com
TrinityDoctrine.org
GodheadTruth.com
QUESTION TO AI:
Does the Bible support the idea of a trinity, a three in one being?
Venice Uncensored 1.1 - AI Response
• The concept of the Trinity—God as one being in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is a central doctrine in mainstream Christianity, but it is not explicitly defined in those exact terms in the Bible. The development of the Trinity doctrine was a process that took place over centuries, largely through theological debate and the formulation of creeds.
Biblical References: There are several passages in the New Testament that are often interpreted as supporting the Trinity:
- Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
- John 1:1,14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
- 2 Corinthians 13:14: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Theological Development: The formal doctrine of the Trinity was developed at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and further refined at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. These councils were convened to address heresies and to establish a unified understanding of the nature of God.
Early Christian Writings: Early Church Fathers, such as Tertullian and Augustine, played significant roles in articulating the doctrine of the Trinity. They sought to reconcile the biblical teachings about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit into a coherent theological framework.
Interpretations: Different Christian denominations may interpret the Trinity doctrine slightly differently. For example, Eastern Orthodox Christianity emphasizes the unity of the three persons in one essence, while Western Christianity (Catholic and Protestant) often focuses on the three distinct persons.
Criticisms and Alternative Views: Some critics argue that the Trinity is a later theological construct not fully supported by the biblical text. Others, like Jehovah's Witnesses and some Unitarian groups, reject the Trinity in favor of a view that sees Jesus as a separate entity from God the Father.
In summary, while the Bible contains passages that are interpreted as supporting the Trinity, the formal doctrine as understood in mainstream Christianity was developed through theological debate and ecclesiastical councils.
