The Godhead, a Closer Look – audio

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Continued from “The Godhead”

I. DIFFERENCES.

A. Authority.

1. All authority belongs to the Father.

a) Wait a second… Didn’t Jesus say that all authority belonged to Him. Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

(1) Note carefully, that Jesus said that all authority had been GIVEN to Him.

(2) Who did the giving?

(3) The answer is: the Father. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

(4) This passage teaches that the One who put all things under Jesus’ feet (The Father) is not, Himself, under Jesus’ feet (Or authority).

(5) Or, in other words, the one who bestows authority on another is not Himself under that authority.

b) Before His incarnation, Jesus was on an equal footing in terms of authority with the Father.

(1) Philippians 2:5-6. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God

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

(3) Nowhere in the Old Testament do we see any hint of Jesus being in subjection to the Father.

c) However, that all changed when Jesus put on flesh. Philippians 2:7-8. But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

(1) Notice that it was a voluntary submission to the Father.

(2) Jesus willingly gave up equality with the Father to become a man.

d) Hence, the statement by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:3. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

(1) Man being the head of woman does not imply that…

(a) The woman is not human.

(b) The woman is inferior to the man.

(2) In the same way, the Father being the Head of Christ does not imply that…

(a) Jesus is not God.

(b) Jesus is inferior to the Father in any way.

e) This relationship is further illustrated by Jesus’ position at the Father’s right hand.

(1) Acts 7:55-56. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

(2) Hebrews 1:3. 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high

(3) Philippians 2:9-11. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

f) In saying that Jesus is subject to the Father, we are not degrading Him in any way.

(1) Indeed, we are really glorifying Him as He deserves to be glorified.

(2) What an amazing thing He did when He took on flesh!

(3) What a sacrifice He made for us.

(4) 2 Corinthians 8:9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

(5) 2 Corinthians 9:15. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. (With the exception noted above.)

a) All of the physical creation is under His authority. Colossians 1:15-18. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

b) The angels are under Jesus’ authority.

(1) Hebrews 1:6-7. But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”

(2) Hebrews 1:13. But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

3. The Holy Spirit is under the authority of both the Father and the Son.

a) While the Scriptures do not come right out and say it, several passages in the New Testament imply this fact.

b) If all authority in HEAVEN and earth was given to Jesus, and only the Father is excepted, then the Holy Spirit is under the authority of Jesus.

c) Notice the following passages:

(1) 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 things that I said to you.

(2) John 15:26. “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

(3) John 16:13-15. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

B. Roles played in the past.

1. In creation. Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

a) God created the heavens and the earth.

b) But is this God, the Father, God, the Son, or God the Holy Spirit.

c) As a matter of fact, it was all three of Them.

(1) The Father made all things through Jesus. Ephesians 3:9. And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ (Also see Colossians 1:15-18)

(2) The Holy Spirit was there as well. Genesis 1:2. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

d) It has been said that, in regard to their roles: The Father wills it; the Son accomplishes it; and the Holy Spirit creates order.

2. In the scheme of redemption. 1 Peter 1:2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

a) The Father wills it. 1 Timothy 2:3-4. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(1) It was the Father who sent Jesus. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

(2) It was the Father who sent the Holy Spirit. 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 things that I said to you.

b) The Son brings it into being. Hebrews 1:3. 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high

c) The Holy Spirit created order.

(1) 2 Peter 1:19-21. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

(2) 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.