What does the word Godhead mean, and what is the nature of the Godhead? What does “the nature of the Godhead” even mean? Webster defines nature in part as “essential properties of a thing, essential characteristics and qualities, an individual’s fundamental character or disposition, the natural or real aspect of a person”. The word Godhead can be defined as “sum total of deity”. It appears in 3 verses in the KJV - Acts 17:29, Rom 1:20, and Col 2:9. Thayer’s Lexicon says it is “the state of being God”, and also says “deity differs from divinity as essence differs from quality or attribute”. Therefore, the nature of the Godhead is what God has revealed about His fundamental existence and essence to man, specifically through the Bible.
The Bible is not a secret code book. We do not need a cipher to discover its hidden meaning. While it is true that even the foundational understanding of the identity of Jesus is a revelation from God that we do not just figure out with the carnal mind (Mt 16:15-18), the Bible is generally meant to be understood as written. We need to read what is actually there and not read into it what is not actually there. Let us look at the language used in the Bible to describe God. The word one appears 111 times in the KJV. The word only appears 32 times. The word himself appears 114 times. The word myself appears 33 times. These 4 words appear 290 times. The words I, me, my, mine, he, him, and his could not be counted using Strong’s Concordance because they appear too often to be listed. The words us and our each appear once in the same verse - Gen. 1:26, which even some trinitarians admit cannot be interpreted to mean 3 persons. The word us also appears in Gen 11:7. The word three appears twice in the same verse - 1Jn 5:7, the end of which states “and these three are one”. The words ours, ourselves, they, them, and themselves never appear. The words we and our appear in John 14:23 but are in reference to believers receiving the Holy Ghost, not to persons in the Godhead. The words trinity and persons also never appear. The phrase God the Son does not appear. The word manifest (-ed, -ation) appears 18 times in relation to God. The language of scripture is clearly in favor of an understanding of the nature of the Godhead as absolutely one, and not more than one. A reading of Isaiah chapters 40-50 will find voluminous and very clear language that the Godhead is absolutely one to the exclusion of all other concepts of Him.
The most basic thing we can say about God and how He exists is that He is a Spirit (Jn 4:24). He is only one Spirit (Eph 4:4). As such, He is not only not 3 persons. He is not even one person. Webster’s Dictionary says the definition of a person is:
1. origin: actor’s character mask (one actor playing several roles would use masks)
2. human being, one of 3 modes of the Godhead, the unitary personality of Christ that
unites both the divine and human natures, bodily appearance, the body of a human being,
bodily presence
This definition goes very well with what the Bible says about God and its use of the word person in relation to Him. The Bible uses the word about people 53 times in the singular and 56 times in the plural. It only uses it 4 times about the Lord:
1. Job 13:8 – will ye accept his paniym (face or presence)
2. Mt 27:24 – the blood of this just person – no word in Greek (“just person” is one word)
3. 2Cor 2:10 – forgave I it in the prosopon (front, countenance, presence)
4. Heb 1:3 – the express image of his hupostasis (essence, substance)
Jesus said a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Lk 24:39). How do we imagine God? The Bible often uses terms we can relate to in describing God such as eyes, arm, hand, feet, etc.; but these are what are called anthropomorphic terms and not literal, especially in the Old Testament before Christ was born. When Jesus was miraculously conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary and was born in Bethlehem, he was (and is) God manifested in the flesh (Jn 1:1-14, Jn 14:7-11, 2Cor 5:19, Col 2:9, 1Tim 3:16).
God’s Spirit is unique in several ways. He is eternal going backwards. He did not come into existence (Ex 3:13-14, Heb 9:14). He is omnipresent or everywhere at the same time (1Ki 8:27, Ps 139:7-10, Is 66:1). These are because He created time and space and is not bound by them (Gen 1:1-19, Is 57:15). Jesus is God manifested in time and space. God is omnipotent or all powerful. He is called the Almighty 57 times. He is omniscient or knows all things (Prov 13:3, Jn 2:25, Rom 11:33-36, Heb 4:13, 1Jn 3:20). He is holy within Himself (Jn 14:26). The Bible calls Him holy 69 times. There are other spirits such as angels (Heb 1:7), demons (Mk 5:2 & 9), men (1Cor 2:11), and animals (Ecc 3:21).
The Spirit of God is the Holy Ghost. God is one Spirit (Eph 4:4). When Jesus was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary, how did this occur? The Holy Ghost caused it (Mt 1:18-20, Lk 1:35). That makes the Holy Ghost the Father of Jesus. At what is called the last supper, Jesus told the disciples that they knew the Father and had seen Him (Jn 14:7). Philip responded, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us”. Jesus answered with a question of His own. “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” He continued, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”
1. Jn 1:18 – no man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son…he hath declared him
2. 2Cor 4:4 – Christ, who is the image of God
3. Col 1:15 – the image of the invisible God
4. Heb 1:3 – the express image of his person
Jesus is the visible part of the invisible God. He is the eternal God manifested in time. He is the infinite God manifested in space. He created time and space (Gen 1, Jn 1:3 & 10, Col 1:16). He created by Himself (Neh 9:6, Is 44:24, Is 45:18, Zech 12:1). God had no permanent visible manifestation in the Old Testament. He would momentarily show Himself visibly in what are called theophanies. One example is on Mt. Sinai . Moses referred back to it and said “ye saw no similitude” (Deut 4:12-24). That is the Hebrew word temuwnah - form, image, likeness (make no
image, similitude, likeness). Jesus then continued, “the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (vs 10)”. What deity/divinity was in the Son?
In verse 16, He said the Father would give another Comforter. The Greek word another here is
allos, not etepos. It is in the accusative case which means it refers to a direct object or another of the same substance. It is singular in number denoting one person. The word Comforter is the Greek word parakletos, which means helper, defense counselor, or advocate. This word appears in Jn 14:16 & 26, Jn 15:26, Jn 16:7, and 1Jn 2:1 which is speaking of Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 has the word Counselor which the Hebrew word yaats: counselor, advisor. It is a synonym to parakletos. Also, in 2Cor 1:3-4 the Father is the parakletos.
In John 14:17, Jesus calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of truth, but in verse 3, He says He is the truth. That would make the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Jesus. He continued that he dwelleth with you (Jesus), and shall be in you (Holy Ghost). I will not leave you comfortless (orphanos – fatherless), I will come to you (vs 18), and I in you (vs 20). Who raised Jesus from the dead (Gal 1:1, Jn 2:19-21, Rom 8:11)? Who would speak through the apostles when they were brought before the councils: Mt 10:20 (Spirit of your Father), Mk 13:11 (Holy Ghost), Lk 21:15 (I)? Jesus is the Holy Ghost:
1. Jn 14:16-26 (see above)
2. Rom 8:9-10 – the Spirit of Christ…if Christ be in you
3. 2Cor 3:17 – the Lord is that Spirit
4. Phil 1:19 – the Spirit of Jesus Christ
5. Col 1:27 – Christ in you
We are complete in him. One is more than enough.
1. 1Cor 12:6 – the same God which worketh all in all
2. 1Cor 15:28 – that God may be all in all
3. Eph 1:23 – him that filleth all in all
4. Col 2:9-10 – in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in
him, which is the head of all principality and power
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