The Godhead

[Netchaplain]

Concerning the spirituality of Christianity, it’s always best to seek that which is the most important; and wisdom teaches one to regularly seek from God that which has the most spiritual growth at the present time. One can be sure that one of the most important of all issues at all times is bestowing to the Father honor and praise. Equally important is bestowing honor and praise to the Lord Jesus for His part in expiating the sins of all reborn; and blessed be the Holy Spirit in the highest sense and respect, for being used to do all that They do.

Every blessing man receives proceeds from the Father, for all is to glorify Him through the Son (Jhn 5:19; 12:49; 15:15). Thus, it is imperative to contribute all to the Father, through the Son, by Their Holy Spirit.
It seems all begins with the Father and ends with Him. He sent the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus sent the Spirit—from the Father (Jhn 15:26).

To whom will every tongue eventually confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord? “To the glory of the Father” (Phl 2:11). Hence, I have no difficulty in understanding that the Father is the “Godhead.” In all three usages when Scripture refers to the “Godhead” it’s always in reference to God, who is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus (Jhn 20:17).

In Acts 17:29 we see that Christians “are the offspring of God,” and that we are “not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.”

Romans 1:19, 20 writes, “that which may be known of God is manifest in them (the unsaved world, which believes God exists but do not believe in His Word), because God hath shewed it unto them” (proved in their conscience He is real, no such thing as a genuine atheist). For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (nobody will be able to claim ignorance).

Colossians 2:9 is the primary adherence to all that pertains to God, in that all that God is, the Son is, concerning essence and power; of course this does not include the fact that the Father, or God, is in the highest authority of the Trinity (Jhn 14:28). This passage declares that the “fullness of the Godhead” (all that the Father is) resides or “dwells” within Christ, the Lord Jesus. There is Son of God, Spirit of God, but no Father of God—because God is the Father; and all other references to Christ and the Spirit being God are only in the sense of representing God the Father in the complete capacity of all that God the Father is in essence and power; as if its God Himself.
NC

 

[Hobie]

What can be said on this?

 

[Brakelite]

So I have been reading through Ephesians when I came to this...
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

I have always cherished those scriptures, having believed that with all of God's recommendations and commandments, comes the power to accomplish them, and I thank my heavenly Father for the love of my life, and for granting whatever was necessary to ensure our relationship grew despite the many ups and downs, ebbs and flows, of what is now 46 years of marriage.. But then I came across the following little gem, and am seeing this in a new light.
The 'trinity' has for some time been for me a focus of study and attention. The several inconsistencies and contradictions between scripture and the creeds and 'fundamental beliefs' of the various churches which teach one or another form of trinitarian doctrine are often rooted in the rejection of a real literal Father/Son relationship between Jesus and God BEFORE the incarnation at Bethlehem. The lack of harmony between the presumed co-equalty of the 3 persons of the godhead and a literal Father/Son relationship, results in a metaphorical skewing of scripture that ultimately translates as a God who did not give His Son, but someone else. A co-partner, share-holder or whatever. So after reading the following, might I now suggest that here is empirical proof from Paul that the Father indeed did give His literal only begotten Son? That the Son left the Father's side in order to 'leave His eternal home' to become one with His bride, the church? "For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones....that they two may become one flesh". Did not Christ, the literal only begotten Son, truly leave His Father's side in order to become one flesh with humanity?

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

 

[Zao is life]

John 4
24 God (is) a Spirit: and they that worship (him) must worship (him) in spirit and in truth.

The words in brackets are added for clarity in our translations but are not in the original text:.
​

"God Spirit and they that worship must worship in spirit and truth".

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-6).

-- There is to us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we by Him. -- 1 Corinthians 8:6.

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

Here comes the part of the statement that is extremely important but is overlooked, and the word eternal is implied in the statement:

In Him was (eternal) life, and the (eternal) life was the light of men.

Only God has (eternal) life in Himself.

-- "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has given to the Son to have life within Himself" -- John 5:26.

-- He (Christ) alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light,

whom no human has ever seen

or is able to see.

To him be honor and eternal power! Amen. --- 1 Timothy 6:15-16, NETfree version.

-- "I am the First and the Last, and the Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, Amen. And I have the keys of hades and of death." -- Revelation 1:17-18.

"I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord,

who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

IMO we try to comprehend the Godhead too much, and this is how the church came up with a word called "Trinity", but the doctrine itself is not false, IMO.

The following "Early Church Fathers" all taught the Trinity (not necessarily using the word) from way before the first Council of Nicea in 325 A.D:

1. Ignatius a.d. 30–107.
2. Justin Martyr a.d. 110–165
3. Ireneaus a.d. 120–202
4. Clement of Alexandria a.d. 153–217
5. Tertullian a.d. 145–220
6. Origen a.d. 185–254
7. Cyprian a.d. 200–258
8. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria a.d. 200–265
9. Novatian a.d. 210–280
10. Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria a.d. 273–326

Quotes from the 'Early Church Fathers' on the Trinity

Quotes from the 'Early Church Fathers' on Christ begotten from eternity​

Many today think they "know better" than the above people did, but we all speak from lack of ability to fully comprehend the Godhead, IMO. All we need to know is that "God Spirit and they that worship must worship in spirit and truth".