This page will avoid any definitions of God that do not appear in biblical scripture.
What does the Bible teach about God?
(The) Spirit: "God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (the teaching of Jesus, the Son of God, John 4:24).
(The) Father: "There is to us only one God: The Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him." (1 Corinthians 8:6a) - the faith and teaching of the apostle Paul.
"In Him (God) we live | are alive [zao], and move, and have our being; For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28) - the faith and teaching of the apostle Paul.
(The) Word: The one God who exists, exists from eternity to eternity. The life [zoe] that is in Him is eternal life [aionios zoe]; and this eternal life is in the Word:
"In Him (the Word of God) was life [zoe], and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4).
Nothing would exist if God did not exist.
* The One God who exists is the source of all existence.
* The One God who has life [zoe] in Himself is the source of all life.
* The One God who is alive [zao] is the God of those who are alive [zao].
Only God possesses life in Himself.
This means that the power of God is also in the Word, because we are also told that:
"By the word of The LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (Hebrew: ruach, i.e Spirit) of His mouth." (Psalm 33:6);
and
"In the beginning was the Word, and THE WORD WAS WITH The LORD (with "THE God", or Yhwh), and THE WORD WAS GOD (The Greek text reads, "God was the Word").
The same (the Word) was in the beginning with the LORD (with Yhwh).
All things came into being through Him (through the Word of the LORD), and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
In Him (the Word of the LORD) was life [zoe], and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1-4).
Christ's apostle Paul wrote:
Colossians 1:16-17
"For all things were created by Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the 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 by Him all things consist.".
So all created things - all of creation - exists in the Word, and in the Father:
"In Him (God) we live | are alive [zao], and move, and have our being; For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28) - the apostle Paul
- but Paul also teaches us that there aren't two Gods or three Gods, but one God: The Father:
"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).
The Lord Jesus Christ is referring to the Man, Jesus Christ - the Word of God who became flesh (John 1:14: "And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.")
He (the Lord Jesus Christ) said:
"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." (Jesus, John 14:10).
Paul taught that when Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world,
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:19).
Bear in mind that the Word of God is the Word of God the Father, Who said:
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens,
and does not return there, but waters the earth,
and makes it bring out and bud,
and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
so shall My word be, which goes out of My mouth;
it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,
and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do." (Isaiah 55:10-11).
This also tells us that the will of the Word of God is the same as the will of God the Father.
THE SON OF GOD
When a virgin woman (Mary) conceived a child in her womb, it was the Word of God becoming flesh:
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) *
* The Son of God = the Word of God, who became a human being (John 1:14) = Jesus Christ the Son, the Messiah.
* The Word of God who became flesh is the one and only (only begotten) Son of God: Jesus, the Messiah (Christ).
In 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 Paul teaches that God the Father has put all things under the feet of His Son, but qualifies that statement by saying that when God says that all things have been put under the Son's feet, it is plain that it excepts Him who has put all things under Him;
and in verse 24 of the same chapter, Paul teaches that the time is coming when the Son of God will deliver the kingdom to God the Father; when He makes to cease all rule and all authority and power;
and in verse 28 Paul states that when when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subject to Him who has subjected things to Him, so that God may be all things in all.
TO THE SON OF GOD IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF
- John 1:4 teaches us that life [zoe] is in the Word of God the Father.
- Jesus said that "(Just) as God the Father has life [zoe] in Himself; so he has given to the Son to have life [zoe] in himself." (John 5:26).
All other human beings who believe the Word of God, and receive it, and cling to Christ, are given eternal life [zoe] in the Son (1 John 5:11-12)
- in the Son, to Whom it has been given by God the Father to have life in Himself (John 5:26).
So to put the above all together, the Bible is telling us:
(a) that the only source of the life [zoe] of any human being, is God the Father who has life [zoe] in Himself; and
(b) the life - which God the Father alone possesses in Himself - is in the Word of the Father (John 1:4), who became flesh and was tabernacled among us (John 1:14):
"The Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth."
The book of Hebrews informs its readers that "God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the word of His power, having made purification of our sins, sat down on the right of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:1-3).
LOGOS OF GOD (THE WORD OF GOD)
The Greek word Logos (Strong's Greek Dictionary # G03056) means:
(a) something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse); and
(b) reasoning (the mental faculty); and
(c) motive; by extension a computation and
(d) specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is Christ):
THE WISDOM OF GOD IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE LOGOS
Proverbs 8:22-36 speaks of the wisdom of God in poetic form, where God's wisdom is personified:
"The LORD possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was anointed from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth ever was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no springs heavy with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I travailed; before He had made the earth, or the fields or the highest part of the dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a circle upon the face of the deep; when He set the clouds above; when He made the strong fountains of the deep; when He gave to the sea its limit that the waters should not pass His command; when He appointed the foundations of the earth;
and I was a workman at His side; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; rejoicing in the world, His earth; and My delight was with the sons of men.
And now listen to Me, O sons; for blessed are those who keep My ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not refuse it. Blessed is the man who hears Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.
For whoever finds Me finds life, and shall obtain favour from the LORD. But he who sins against Me wrongs his own soul; all who hate Me love death."
MONOGENES
God (the Father) bore witness of Jesus, that He is HaMaschiach (Jesus, the Messiah / the Christ), calling Him "My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5).
The Greek word monogenes [Strong's Greek Dictionary G3439], translated as "begotten" in the King James Bible, is made up of different Greek words:
G3441 mono:. sole. The only one. One of its kind.
G1080 gennao: to conceive, to be conceived, to be born, to procreate.
G1096 ginomai: to become (come into being), to come to pass.
Because He is the Word of God clothed in a human body, the Son of God is the quintessential human, the "second man" and "the last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45 & 47),
but He is also uniquely the only Son of God, "begotten" [G3439 monogenes] of God the Father:
He was not begotten of a human father like all other humans ever since Adam’s first son have been:
John 1:14 tells us that "the Word became [givnomai] flesh (translated as "was made flesh" in the KJV) and was tabernacled among us:
G1096 γίνομαι givnomai (became flesh) means to come into being or be brought to pass, or to come to pass.
Paul wrote that “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9).
Hebrews 2:14-16 teaches us that:
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham."
His body was not created in the womb of Mary, but having no human father, He is "begotten" (G3439 monogenes) of God: He took the seed of Abraham on Himself.
Through His mother, Jesus is the seed of (the) promise in Abraham. He partook of flesh and blood, taking on Himself flesh and blood - the DNA of which had already been created by God through Him, who is the Creator of all things.
Paul wrote,
(Jesus was "revealed in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory").
John wrote,
"In the bosom of the Father": Jesus alone dwells in the light which is unapproachable to created human beings - the light whom no man has seen, nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16).
The apostle Paul asks,
"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? or who has first given to him, and it shall be rendered to him? For of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:34-36).
Peter wrote that before the world was created, He (Jesus the Messiah) was foreknown and foreordained (1 Peter 1:20) to become the Saviour of all mankind.
HISTORICAL APPEARANCES OF THE WORD OF GOD
In human form:
In the book of Genesis we read of how the Word of God appeared to Abraham as he sat by his tent door in the plains of Mamre. It is written that three men stood by Abraham. Two angels appeared with Him, who left and journeyed to Sodom, while Abraham remained speaking with the LORD.
In the form of fire:
The Word of God appeared to Moses in the midst of a burning bush, and spoke with Moses.
Conception of Jesus
When the Word of God was conceived in the womb of a virgin, an angel told her betrothed husband:
"Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit." -- Matthew 1:20.
GOD OUR SAVIOR
In Isaiah 45:21-25, God declares:
"Who has declared this of old? Who has told it from then? Is it not I, YHVH? And there is no other God besides Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
He says, Only in YHVH do I have righteousness and strength; even to Him he comes. And they are ashamed, all who are angry with Him.
In YHVH shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."
When the angel told Joseph that what was conceived in her womb was of the Holy Spirit of God, he added,
"And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." -- Matthew 1:21;
and in the verses below,
* Paul calls God Savior.
* Paul calls Jesus Savior:
Titus 1:1-4
"Paul, a servant of God (Greek: θεός theós) and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, in the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godliness on hope of eternal life, which God. who cannot lie, promised before the eternal times, but revealed in its own times in a proclamation of His word,
with which I was entrusted by the command of God (Greek: θεός theós) our Savior,
to Titus, a true child according to our common faith. Grace mercy and peace from God (Greek: θεός theós) the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior."
In 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul teaches that:
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.";
and in Philippians 2:5-11 Paul tells us:
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (compare Isaiah 45:23):
"I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
and in 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul exclaims:
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: He was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
The Bible tells us that:
- The life that God the Father possesses in Himself is in the Word of God.
- The creative power of God the Father is in the Word of God, by whom all created things were created.
- The salvation (of created human beings from sin and death) is of God the Father and by the Word of God who became flesh - Jesus our Savior.
Jesus bore (our) sin for us:
1 Peter 2:24
"He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed"
HOW GREAT IS THIS MERCY
1 Corinthians 5:19-21
“Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as God exhorting through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
THE ONE AND ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
1 Timothy 2:5
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"
1 Corinthians 10:2-4
And all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Jesus said,
John 3:5-8
"Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.
The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Cultists say that the Holy Spirit is a 'force', which is extremely denigrating, besides the fact that:
- No created human being can be spiritually born [gennao] of a 'force' and receive eternal life [zoe] from a 'force'. A created human being can be born of the Spirit of the living [zao] God who has eternal life [zoe] in Himself and be given eternal life [zoe], which is in Christ.
- A 'force' cannot be grieved: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30).
- A 'force' cannot comfort those who believe in and follow Jesus, and teach them all things and bring all things to their remembrance, whatever He said to them: "Jesus said, "But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you." (John 14:26).
- A 'force' cannot bear testimony of anyone to the heart and mind of anyone, or make the one who rejects its witness guilty of calling God Himself a liar: "And when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He (the Spirit of truth) shall testify of Me." (John 15:26). "He who believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself. He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he does not believe the record that God gave of His Son." (1 John 5:10).
"There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all." (Ephesians 4:4-6).
- the Word of God existed with God the Father from everlasting, from before all (created) things; and
- all things were created through Him; and
- the Word of God became flesh. He is the Son of God; and
- no man comes to the Father except by Him; and
- the Word of God has always done, and always does the will of the Father and His will is the same as the will of the Father; and
- the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, testifies to the Father and the Son, and does the will of the Father and the Son:
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- The creation bears witness to the word of God which created it.
- The word of God bears witness to God (the Father).
- The Comforter, the Holy Spirit bears witness to God (the Father) and the Word of God. (1 John 5:10).
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"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).
"All things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; whereas God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and putting the word of reconciliation in us." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
So to recap, in verse 27 of 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, Paul teaches that God the Father has put all things under the feet of His Son, but qualifies that statement by saying that when God says that all things have been put under the Son's feet, it is plain that it excepts Him who has put all things under Him;
and in verse 24 of the same chapter, Paul teaches that the time is coming when the Son of God will deliver the kingdom to God the Father; when He makes to cease all rule and all authority and power;
and in verse 28 Paul states that when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subject to Him who has subjected things to Him, so that "God may be all things in all",
but "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).
- The one God who exists, exists from eternity to eternity. The life [zoe] that is in Him is eternal life [aionios zoe], and is in the Word (John 1:4).
Jesus is the Word of God through "whom" all things that are created were created, who existed with YHVH before all things, who also became a human being, being born of a virgin, was crucified for the sins of the world, died and was buried; rose again from the dead on the third day; ascended into heaven from whence He had come down (ascending on the 40th day following His burial), and sat down (signifying that His work that He came to do was completed) at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty - and He said,
"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." (John 3:16).
"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).
"God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (Jesus, the Son of God, John 4:24).
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