The God of the Bible – CL Jan – Sept 1970

THE GOD of the BIBLE

In the Athanasian Creed we Christians confess the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, that there are 3 persons in one God: “There is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.” The Triune God is revealed in the Old Testament where God refers to Himself by means of a plural word in the Hebrew language, Elohim [ אֱלֹהִ֑ים ]. In the very first chapter of the Bible, we see God the Father as the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1); we see the Word which was in the beginning with God, by whom all things are made, and who is the eternal Son of God (John 1:1-3); we see the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, moving upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2 b). Later we see the 3 persons in consultation with themselves, saying: “Let US make man!” (Genesis 1:26) Three persons are implied in the blessing which God commanded Aaron and his descendants to pronounce upon the children of Israel and which our pastors pronounce upon us at the close of our divine services (Numbers 6:22-26). In the song of the angels which is recorded by the prophet Isaiah, we read: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts!” (Isaiah 6:3)

In the New Testament the Triune God has revealed Himself to us very plainly. At the baptism of Jesus, we read that John saw the Spirit of God descending in the form of a dove and lighting upon the Savior and that a voice from heaven declared: “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” The 3 persons are named in the great commission (Matthew 28:19) in whose name all Christians are to be baptized. Again and again in the various Apostolic Benedictions, we read of the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost.” (II Corinthians 13:14)

The 3 separate persons in God are also evidenced by the way in which the Bible speaks of their relationship one to another: The Father loves the Son (John 3:35), speaks to Him, speaks of Him (Psalm 2:7; Matthew 17:5), and receives Him into glory (Acts 2:32-33); the Son loves the Father (John 14:31), speaks to Him (John 17:1), speaks of Him (John 17:26), obeys Him (John 14:31); John 17:7-8), receives His commission (John 8:29-30) , and returns to Him (John 20:17); the Holy Ghost is sent by the Father and by the Son (Galatians 4:6; John 14:15-17; John 15:26), acts for them (John 14:26), speaks for them (John 15:26), distributes their grace to mankind (I Corinthians 12:3; Acts 2:38-39)).

And with just as much clearness the Bible teaches that each one of the 3 persons is God. We confess: “The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God” and that “we are compelled by the Christian Truth to acknowledge every person by Himself to be God and Lord.” Yet, we also confess: “There are not 3 Gods, but one God!” Although 3 separate persons are mentioned and each person is God whole and entire, yet. the 3 are the one great Jehovah, the one true and living God. This is the true God of the Bible who says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” (Exodus 20:3).