© john stevenson, 2012 the unity and plurality of god

© John Stevenson, 2012

The Unity and Plurality of God

• There is only one God.There is only one God.

• The Father, the Son and the Holy The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all God.Spirit are all God.

• The Father, the Son and the Holy The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each separate persons.Spirit are each separate persons.

• God is one.God is one.

Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4).the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4).

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5).


• God is unique.God is unique.

To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God;

there is no other besides Him (Deuteronomy 4:35).


• God is unique.God is unique.

“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe in Me, and understand that I am He. Before me there was no god formed, and there will be none after Me.” (Isaiah 43:10).

• The name Elohim.The name Elohim.

• The use of the Plural Pronoun for The use of the Plural Pronoun for God.God.

Then God said, “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness...” (Genesis 1:26).



Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of US, knowing good and evil...”(Genesis 3:22).



“Come, let US go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:6).


• The use of the Plural Pronoun for The use of the Plural Pronoun for GodGod

• The Deity of Jesus ChristThe Deity of Jesus Christ

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1).



• The Deity of Jesus Christ.The Deity of Jesus Christ.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).




• The Triune Baptismal Formula.The Triune Baptismal Formula.

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19).




• The Triune Baptismal Formula.The Triune Baptismal Formula.

• God deals with God.God deals with God.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. Your kingdom. 77 You have loved righteousness and hated You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You You With the oil of joy above Your fellows. With the oil of joy above Your fellows. (Psalm 45:6-7).(Psalm 45:6-7).

A Psalm of David. A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” (Psalm 110:1).Your feet.” (Psalm 110:1).

• He Creates all thingsHe Creates all things

All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:3).

• He Creates all thingsHe Creates all thingsIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

• He Creates all thingsHe Creates all thingsThus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all alone” (Isaiah 44:24).


• He forgives sinHe forgives sin“But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” -- He said to the paralytic-- 11 “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home” (Mark 2:10-11).


• He forgives sinHe forgives sin““I, even I, am the one who wipes out your I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” (not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25).Isaiah 43:25).


• He forgives sinHe forgives sin

• He is called GodHe is called GodFor a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).



• He is called GodHe is called God

...looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13).



• He is called GodHe is called GodBut of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:8).




• He is the Alpha and OmegaHe is the Alpha and Omega

““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)..




• He is the Alpha and OmegaHe is the Alpha and Omega“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18

and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18).





……the image of the invisible God, the first-the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation (Colossians 1:15)born of all creation (Colossians 1:15)





…in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).

• He speaksHe speaksAnd while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2)

• He speaksHe speaks

…but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11b).


• He teachesHe teachesAnd it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. (Luke 2:26).


• He teachesHe teaches

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He willteach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14:26).



• He warnsHe warns

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).




• He helpsHe helpsAnd I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever (John 14:16).




• He helpsHe helps

• He can be grievedHe can be grieved

And do not grieve And do not grieve the Holy Spirit ofthe Holy Spirit ofGod, by whom you God, by whom you were sealed for the were sealed for the day of redemptionday of redemption(Ephesians 4:30)(Ephesians 4:30)..

Matthew 3:16-17Matthew 3:16-17After being baptized, Jesus came

up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

John 14:26 John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

John 15:26-27 John 15:26-27 “When the Helper comes, whom I

will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

Acts 2:32-33 Acts 2:32-33 “This Jesus God raised up again,

to which we are all witnesses.

33 Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

Romans 8:16-17 Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our

spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

1 Peter 1:1-2 1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

• The Father planned

• The Son executed the plan

• The Spirit reveals the plan

Spirit

Son

Father

GOD

Son SpiritFather

GODGOD GODGODGODGOD

Spirit

GOD

Son

(Father)

Son Spirit

Father

“And now, glorify Thou Me with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with

Thee before the world was.” (John 17:5).

Son Spirit

Father

“...for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the

world.” (John 17:24b).

Is

Is n

ot Is not

Son Spirit

Father

GOD

Is not

Is

Is

Similar or Same?

• Homoiousia: Sees the Son as essentially similar but not identical substance with Father.

• Homoousia: Sees the Son as of same substance with Father.

The Nicene Creed accepted the descriptionof the Son as being Homoousia with the

Father – o`moosion tw Patri

• One God in three GodsOne God in three Gods

• Three persons in one Three persons in one personperson

• Three persons in three Three persons in three GodsGods

We must remind ourselves that We must remind ourselves that Christian theology does not Christian theology does not

believe God to be a person. It believe God to be a person. It believes Him to be such that in believes Him to be such that in

Him a trinity of persons is Him a trinity of persons is consistent with a unity of Deity. consistent with a unity of Deity. In that sense it believes Him to In that sense it believes Him to

be something very different be something very different from a person, just as a cube, from a person, just as a cube,

in which six squares are in which six squares are consistent with unity of the consistent with unity of the

body, is different from a square. body, is different from a square. — C.S. Lewis.— C.S. Lewis.

Flatlanders, attempting to Flatlanders, attempting to imagine a cube, would either imagine a cube, would either

imagine the six squares imagine the six squares coinciding, and thus destroy coinciding, and thus destroy

their distinctness, or else their distinctness, or else imagine them set out side by imagine them set out side by

side, and thus destroy the side, and thus destroy the unity. Our difficulties about unity. Our difficulties about the Trinity are of much the the Trinity are of much the same kind. — C.S. Lewis.same kind. — C.S. Lewis.

What are the practical What are the practical ramifications of the doctrine of ramifications of the doctrine of

the Trinity?the Trinity?

Does the doctrine of the Trinity Does the doctrine of the Trinity affect your prayer life?affect your prayer life?

© john stevenson, 2012 the unity and plurality of god

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