05. Chapter 1 GOD

Chapter 1GOD The word theology was first used by Plato. It means a discourse or study about God. Hence, from the Christian standpoint, it has come to signify in the narrower sense the doctrine of God. In the broader sense it means the whole range of Christian doctrine. Since the doctrine of God is, from many standpoints, the most important Christian belief, its name, theology, has come to be taken as the name for all of the doctrines of the Christian Church. Now, when Christians speak of theology, they include beliefs about man, Christ, the Holy Spirit in action, the Bible, and the future, as well as God. It is with theology in this broader sense that our discussion here is concerned, and it begins properly with the doctrine of God. The Existence of God The Bible makes no attempt to prove that God exists. However, Christian thinkers have developed certain arguments for the existence of God. As Christians we should know something about these proofs and thus be able to give a reason for the faith which lies within us. These proofs are all of the same general nature -- they argue from effect to cause. This type of reasoning may be illustrated as follows: If you should ask how a sapling in the front yard had been broken off, you would probably be satisfied if you were told that a ten-year-old boy had done it. You would reason that the cause which had been mentioned, a ten-year-old boy, was sufficient for the effect-broken off sapling. On the other hand, if you should inquire as to how a large tree had been suddenly laid low, you would not accept the explanation that a ten-year-old boy had pushed it over. The cause in this case would not be adequate for the effect. But it would be very different if you learned that a tornado had swept that way the night before and had blown the large tree over. This explanation would not be doubted by you, because you would recognize at once that the cause was powerful enough to produce the effect.

What is the effect involved in the situation before us? Nonliving creation or the physical universe, and living creation or plants, animals, and man. No one can deny the fact of these existences. They are here and could not have just happened. They are effects of something.

Take the physical universe, for instance. Its existence must be accounted for. A sufficient cause must be assumed. Man could not cause any physical thing to come into being. Nothing that is found in an automobile or in any other product of man’s ingenuity is a creation, it is only an assemblage or compound. Therefore, something or someone greater than man must have caused the existence of the physical universe. Not only must the existence of the universe be explained, but also its vastness. And from what the astronomers tell us, the extent of the universe staggers the human imagination. Just one illustration is enough. Our galaxy, that group of heavenly bodies to which our solar system belongs, may have as many as 100 billion stars in it. Some of these stars are much smaller than our sun and some much larger. But this is not all of the story. They tell us that there are at least one billion galaxies similar to our own. We must provide a cause sufficient, not only for the existence, but also for the incomprehensible area of this universe of which we are a part. If man is not able to create even the least bit of the physical universe, how much greater, then, than man must be the creator or cause of this immeasurable effect.

Another factor which we find in the universe is order. The sun and moon and stars have definite orbits and they move in these orbits always at the same rate of speed. A train may not be on time, but the heavenly bodies are never late. A comet’s return can be exactly predicted many years before its arrival. The creator of the physical universe must be an adequate cause not only for the existence and vastness of the universe, but also for its wonderful order and precision. The physical universe manifests still another marvelous characteristic and that is purpose or fitness. We see this fact in evidence on every hand. There are fish with fins for swimming, and there is water in which they can swim. There are eyes to see, and there is plenty that is worth while which one can see. There are ears to hear, and there is music to be heard. There are feet to walk, and an earth upon which they may exercise themselves. The cause of this existent, vast, and orderly universe has also introduced purpose into it. He could not have done this if He had not been capable of purposive action and therefore a person. More than this, He must be endowed with superhuman intelligence and power. Otherwise, He would not be a cause sufficient for the effect. So far, we have accounted for only the physical universe. This is but a part of that which exists and, from the viewpoint of the other part, is insignificant. We refer to the living universe of which man is the climax. As the highest form of the living universe, he embodies in himself all of the features which are common to the creatures beneath him, as well as the features which are peculiar to him. Because of this, we shall seek for a cause which is sufficient for him, and in so doing will of course have a cause which is adequate for all other living existences.

If man cannot create the nonliving, he surely could not bring into existence the living. A greater than man would have to create man. There must be a sufficient cause for the existence and complexity of man’s physical organism. The same must be true as to the order and purposiveness or fitness which is found in his physiological constitution. Then as we ascend the scale, we find that he is a creature with sensitivity and intelligence. A sufficient explanation for these must be found. Add to these characteristics, the supreme endowments of his personality -- his morality and his religion, and we have included all of his personal attributes. The cause of man must be adequate for these unique and kingly qualities. The only rational conclusion, then, is that the origin of man must lie in a person who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good. Only such a person could create man with his wonderful physical mechanism, his mental capacities, and his moral and religious possibilities. The Nature of God

(1) God is a personal spirit. God is a person. He is neither a thing nor an animal. Human beings are persons and not things or animals. God is like human beings in this respect, except that He is a much greater person than any human being. God is an infinite person, while human beings are only finite or limited persons. A person is a creature who can deliberately make resolutions or formulate ideals and consciously choose in the direction of the same. In other words, he can work toward ends or objectives and know when he is doing it that what he is doing is intended. A young man is called to preach the gospel. In view of this fact, he plans a course of study in a Christian college in preparation for this work. He can deliberately set this goal and move toward its achievement. Those who have chosen other professions or one of the trades are constantly following a like course of action. In this they are godlike, and to this extent God is akin to them, that is, a person.

There are many passages in the Bible which substantiate the fact that God is a person. These are those which ascribe to God personal characteristics, such as love, holiness, wisdom, and power. It is not necessary to give specific scriptures in this connection, for plenty of these will be cited as we discuss the particular qualities which constitute the personality of God.

God is unlike man in that He is pure spirit. God does not have a body. Man’s spirit expresses itself through a body, at least at present. This is man’s regular way of life now. With God it is not so. God’s regular life is wholly spiritual. God may temporarily express himself through a body or through some other physical form, but this is not His usual manner of living. When the Bible speaks of God as having eyes or an arm or some other part of the human body, it is using figurative and not literal language. God has nothing about Him in His normal state which can be seen by the natural eye or touched by the natural finger. "God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

(2) God is one. That God is one is specifically stated or implied in many places in the Bible. "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me" (Isaiah 45:5). A few of the other passages which may be referred to in this connection are as follows: Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 4:39; Deuteronomy 6:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5. The fact that God is one means that there are ultimately not many gods. It also indicates that God is the source of everything else, either directly or indirectly. Nothing else has existed from all eternity with Him. The question naturally arises as to the origin of sin. This will be discussed later. All that can be stated now is that sin is not eternal. The oneness of God is important because it guarantees the absoluteness or supremeness of God. If we destroy His Unity by making Him many or by holding that someone or something else has existed along with Him from al eternity, we thereby destroy the fact that He is ultimately supreme in the universe.

(3) God is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good. We speak of men as having certain characteristics, such as, perseverance, energy, intellectuality, morality, and cheerfulness. God also has characteristics or attributes which describes His nature. He is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good. From a rational standpoint, it seems essential that a God whom men would be willing to worship should have at least these characteristics. If God were limited in power or knowledge or defective in goodness, He would be too much like human persons to inspire worship.

What does it mean for God to be all-powerful? It means that He can do anything which is not contrary to His Nature or His purpose. Since God is all-wise as well as all-powerful, He could not on the basis of His all-powerfulness do that which manifest ignorance or short-sightedness rather than wisdom. The same is true as to His all-goodness. God’s all-powerfulness does not mean that He can do wrong, for such action would conflict with the fact that He is all-good. God’s purpose resulted in the creation of free moral agents, such as angels and men. Thus, He limited Himself by bringing into existence those who could choose in opposition to Him and His plans. These limitations of God are internal and not external. They are a part of Him and could not in any sense be said to have been thrust upon Him.

God is all-wise. This means that god knows Himself fully, both as to His nature and as to that which may grow out of His will. Added to this, He has a complete knowledge of the world, both as to its past and its future; for all time is present with Him. Finally, it carries with it the thought that He knows free creatures fully, including what they will do before they act. This last point is where the greatest difficulty arises. How can God know beforehand what free moral agents will do? If He does have foreknowledge of free acts, does not this mean that those acts will have to be? If this is the case, then there is no such a thing as a free act. The Bible certainly holds that man is free and at the same time it surely teaches that God has foresight of events which undoubtedly depend upon the free acts of men. There are not many who are inclined to deny the former today, and he who denies the latter eliminates from both the Old and New Testaments certain cases of prophecy in which there is distinct prediction. The difficulty in harmonizing God’s foreknowledge with man’s free will may be lessened somewhat if we remember that God’s knowledge is very different from ours. He does not get His knowledge by reasoning or inference. He does not have to follow such a roundabout method. He arrives at His knowledge immediately or directly.

God is all-good. This is His most important characteristic. Above all else, men want the God whom they worship to be good. They could tolerate a limitation on His power and His knowledge more than they could permit His goodness to be imperfect. The character of God must be unquestioned. For God to be all-good means that His motives or inner life are what they should be, as well as His deeds. From another standpoint, it means that God never desires anything for finite beings except that which will be for their highest good in the long run. In accordance with this, He never does anything to or for them except that which, if received as it could and should be, would promote what is truly best for them. This all goodness also includes in itself the thought that all of the factors of goodness are in God to the highest degree and that they are perfectly balanced in relation to each other. One phase of His goodness never expresses itself at the expense of the other. If we may express it in a somewhat piece-meal and easily misunderstood manner, we may assert that whereas a mother’s love may outrun her sense of justice, divine love never does. Is there Bible ground for believing that God is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good? There is plenty of such evidence. The following statements substantiate the fact that He is all-powerful: "I am the Almighty God" (Genesis 17:1); He can do as He pleases or can accomplish His pleasure, (Psalms 115:3 and Isaiah 46:10); there is nothing too hard for Him, (Jeremiah 32:17); and all things are possible with Him, (Matthew 19:26). Add to these a most significant passage in Daniel 4:35 : "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" The Bible also clearly teaches that God is all-wise. The psalmist declares that the Lord knows him completely -- his thoughts, his words, and his ways (Psalms 139:1-6). The same writer states that God’s understanding is infinite (Psalms 147:5). The author of Hebrews asserts that all creatures and all things are manifest to God (Hebrews 4:13). Add to these references the many passages which teach God’s foreknowledge, and it is difficult to deny that God is all-wise. (See Isaiah 48:3; Job 14:5; John 6:64; Acts 15:18; and Romans 8:29). The Bible often speaks of God as being holy and righteous. From such statements we can infer that God is all-good. The God of the Bible is "a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4). In Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory, the seraphims cried one to another, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:3). A similar note of praise is found in Revelation 4:8. Christ in His great prayer addresses the Father as holy and righteous (John 17:11; John 17:25). Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, and yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

(4) God as Father. Jesus gives us the highest truth about God. He teaches us that the Christian should think of God as Father. In several places in the Sermon on the Mount, as well as elsewhere, Jesus speaks of "our Father," "thy Father," and when addressing His disciples, "your Father" (Matthew 5:44-45; Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:32; Matthew 23:9; Mark 11:25-26). This new truth which Jesus brought inaugurates a new era in God’s dealings with men. In the Old Testament, God is not usually thought of as Father. There the followers of God were His subjects and He was their king or ruler. In the New Testament, the disciples of Christ are the children of God. Each child may think of God as his Father. This brings the follower of God into a new world. Under the old system, only a few could come directly into the presence of God, and that only occasionally. This is the case with kings and rulers today. The masses do not have direct access to them. This is also in harmony with the ceremonial scheme, which is found in the Old Testament. In accordance with it, only the high priest was permitted to go into the holy of holies where God’s very presence was; and that privilege was granted to him only once a year. Under the new system which Jesus established, God’s followers are His children; and as His children they can come into His immediate presence at any time. Prayer -- communion with their heavenly Father -becomes the very life of His children. This Fatherhood of God means that God values us as an earthly father values his children and is as ready to help us. Yea, it means much more than this. He is an infinite Father, and thus can love and assist us far more fully and ably than an earthly father. The closing section of the sixth chapter of Matthew gives us a beautiful description of God’s care for His children (Matthew 6:24-34). The child of God need not be anxious, for the God who feeds the birds and clothes the lilies will not pass by His own children.

(5) God is triune. God is one, as we have already seen, but He is also triune. He is three in one, a complex substance or being. Bible readers are accustomed to the three dispensations -- the dispensation of God the Father, that of the Son, and that of the Holy Spirit. These dispensations are historical or temporal. It must be remembered, however, that they do not give us the whole truth as to the Trinity.

These successive manifestations represent distinctions which are eternal in the Godhead. God was not first God the Father, then God the Son, and then God the Holy Spirit. These are only successive expressions of what God always has been and always will be. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit always have been and always will be. The decision of one of the early church councils refused to divide the divine substance or confuse the divine persons. The Son is eternally generated by the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son from all eternity. Thus, we have from all eternity one substance and three persons.

Certain passages in the New Testament point clearly to the fact of the Trinity. Matthew’s form of the great commission speaks of baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) Paul in his benediction clearly differentiates between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). In Romans 8:1-39 the distinction is brought out several times. The eleventh verse reads thus: "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Here we have the Spirit, the Christ, and Him (God the Father) who raised up Jesus from the dead. The greatest center for the teaching as to the Trinity, however, is found in John, chapters 14, 15, and 16. In these chapters the Holy Spirit, Christ, and God the Father are all given prominent places as distinct persons. The climax is reached in John 14:15-17. In this passage of three verses, Jesus promises that for those who love Him and keep His commandments, He will pray the Father and He will give them another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth. Surely Jesus, in this case, differentiates between Himself and the Father and also between Himself and the Holy Spirit, as well as between the Father and the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the two great mysteries of the Christian religion. How can three persons be so united as to constitute only one substance? This question cannot be fully answered by finite minds. However, there are certain considerations which should help us at this point. In the first place, we should remember that we are in a world where oneness is often more than one. The universe is one, and yet it is many. The human body is one, and yet it is many. Man is one, and yet he is body and soul or body and soul and spirit The human mind manifests itself as feeling, will, and intellect. Of course these illustrations are but intimations of the oneness that is three in the case of the Trinity, but perhaps they will help us in this connection. In the second place, the divine organism in all of its infinite richness or wealth of consciousness demands self-awareness as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in order to adequately express itself. Does this seem more beyond reason than that finite man should demand feeling, willing, and intellect in order to function adequately? In the third place, we should not reject the doctrine of the Trinity merely because it cannot be fully comprehended; for consistency would force us to do likewise with everything which we cannot fully understand. Such a principle would soon rule out all action, as well as all belief, because we are beset by mystery on every hand. We can describe the behavior of electricity, but who can tell us what it is in its innermost essence? William Jennings Bryan was right when he declared that we are too prone to permit mystery to disturb us in the church, whereas we ignore it in the kitchen. The Deity of Jesus Christ The deity of Jesus Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit come naturally under the study of the Trinity. Every proof for these two truths is a proof for the fact of the Trinity. In our study of the deity of Jesus Christ, we begin with Christian experience. The Christian believer’s life has been transformed by Christ, and this result is so significant that it cannot be attributed to anyone who is less than God. The redeeming activity of Christ is an effect which only a Divine One could have caused. Here lies the real cause of man’s belief in His deity, from New Testament times until the present. Whenever and wherever men are saved by Christ, then and there they will acclaim that He is very God. There is a sense in which this is the proof of all proofs; for, in the last analysis, men cannot be argued into believing the fact that Christ is God. They must experience the fact that Christ is God, if they would get their feet down on the one and sure foundation.

Another evidence of Christ’s deity is the Christian movement It is with us and it involves millions of people and many millions of dollars. An authority in the field of the history of civilization has declared that Christianity, through the Apostle Paul, became the most tremendous power in history. St. Paul, according to his own testimony, secured his power and inspiration from Christ. How, then, are we to explain the rise and unprecedented development of the Christian movement? Canon Liddon answered this question some years ago. According to him, the explanation is not to be found in the reasons for the success of other or false religions. They have had many adherents, but their vision has never been world-wide and they have never touched so many different peoples and continents as Christianity. He also rules out Gibbon’s five famous causes for the success of Christianity. They are as follows: The zeal of the early Christians, the doctrine of the future life, the miraculous powers ascribed to the primitive church, the pure and austere morals of the first Christians, and the union and discipline of the Christian republic. Liddon rightly adds: "But surely each of these causes points at once and irresistibility to a cause beyond itself." [1]

These characteristics and beliefs of the early Christians must be explained, and they cannot be explained by any natural means. The hypothesis of a favorable crisis, like Gibbon’s cause, is excluded. The success of the Christian movement cannot be explained on the basis that it appeared at a critical time in the history of the world. Such an explanation ignores the hostility of both Judaism and Paganism -- two strongly entrenched religions of that day. This leaves us but one answer. The success of the Christian movement is to be explained by the deity of its Founder. "The truth which really and only accounts for the establishment in this our human world of such a religion as Christianity, and of such an institution as the Church, is the truth that Jesus Christ was believed to be more than man, the truth that Jesus Christ is what men believed Him to be, the truth that Jesus Christ is God." [2]

Let us mention several other important proofs for the deity of Jesus Christ, to which we can give only passing notice. They are His miracles -- His power over nature, all manner of disease, and life itself; His teaching -- never man spake like He did; His character with its sinlessness and its positive righteousness. We thank God for these evidences. They point undeniably to One who was very God of God.

Christ’s unique attitude toward men is another proof of His deity. His favorite title for Himself was "Son of Man." He undoubtedly loved this name because it emphasized His humanity and thus brought Him near to men. He loved men and wanted them to feel that He was one with them. Further, this title signified the fact that He was the Race-Man, the Son of Humanity, the second Adam, and as such stood in a relation to man that had never been paralleled before. This is in harmony with His teaching that He was to die for men, and on the basis of this death forgive their sins and thus bring rest to the weary and heavy laden (John 10:11; Mark 10:45; Matthew 26:28; Mark 2:1-11). In fact, He taught that He alone was able to supply all of man’s spiritual needs (John 4:13; John 10:10; John 14:6). He called on men not only to obey Him, but also to love Him above everything and everybody else (Luke 6:46; John 21:22; Matthew 10:37). Moreover, He did not hesitate to imply or teach that His authority was final for men (Matthew 7:29). This unusual and all but inconceivable attitude toward men was climaxed by His statement that He was to be their final judge (John 5:22; Matthew 25:31-46). A mere man could not make these claims as to men or take such attitudes toward them.

Another significant proof for the deity of Jesus Christ is His unique relation to the Father. He clearly teaches in the Synoptic Gospels, that He stands in a relation to God the Father which is not shared by anyone else. "He never addresses God as ’our Father.’ He frequently says ’my Father,’ (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 10:32; Matthew 12:50). He never refers to Himself as ’a son of God,’ but he often refers to Himself as ’the Son.’ The most notable passage is that in Matthew 11:27 : ’All things are delivered unto me of my Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.’ This passage is the most remarkable found anywhere in the Synoptic Gospels on this subject. It declares that Jesus sustains to the Father an extraordinary relation; possesses unparalleled knowledge of the Father; and performs a unique function in revealing the Father. He correlates His own knowledge of God with God’s knowledge of Him. He claims to possess ’all things’ from the Father. His own consciousness dwells completely in the divine consciousness. The center of His own will coincides with the center of God’s will. Doctor Denney remarks on the passage: ’The sentence as a whole tells us plainly that Jesus is both to God and man what no other can be.’" This position is also amply verified by the teaching of Jesus in John’s Gospel. Here Jesus declares that He and the Father are one (John 10:30), that no one come unto the Father but by Him (John 14:9), that he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father, and that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him (John 14:9-10). This unity of the Son with the Father is more than a oneness of purpose and life. It is a unity of nature or essence as well. In fact, it is difficult to understand how the former could be possible without the latter. The last proof which we shall offer for the deity of Jesus is His pre-existence. More than once He refers to His having come down from heaven (John 3:13; John 6:33; John 6:44-51).

Another significant proof for the deity of Jesus Christ is His unique relation to the Father. He clearly teaches in the Synoptic Gospels, That He stands in a relation to God the Father which is not shared by anyone else. "He never addresses God as ’our Father.’ He frequently says ’my Father,’ (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 10:32; Matthew 12:50). He never refers to Himself as ’a son of God,’ but he often refers to Himself as ’the Son.’ The most notable passage is that in Matthew 11:27 : "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; . . . neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.’ This passage is the most remarkable found anywhere in the Synoptic Gospels on this subject. It declares that Jesus sustains to the Father an extraordinary relation; possesses unparalleled knowledge of the Father; and performs a unique function in revealing the Father. He correlates His own knowledge of God with God’s knowledge of Him. He claims to possess ’all things’ from the Father. His own consciousness dwells completely in the divine consciousness. The center of His own will coincides with the center of God’s will. Doctor Denney remarks on the passage: ’The sentence as a whole tells us plainly that Jesus is both to God and man what no other can be.’ This position is also amply verified by the teaching of Jesus in John’s Gospel. Here Jesus declares that He and the Father are one (John 10:30), that no one come unto the Father but by Him (John 14:9), that he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father, and that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him (John 14:9-10). This unity of the Son with the Father is more than a oneness of purpose and life. It is a unity of nature or essence as well. In fact, it is difficult to understand how the former could be possible without the latter. The last proof which we shall offer for the deity of Jesus is His pre-existence. More than once He refers to His having come down from heaven (John 3:13; John 6:33; John 6:44-51). These, as well as many other similar passages, imply His pre-existence. Let us connect with these, five great passages which directly teach the pre-existence of Jesus -- two in the Gospel of John, two in Paul’s epistles, and one in Hebrews. In John 1:1-3 we have these words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." The term "Word" in this passage refers to Jesus Christ. Anyone who reads the remainder of the chapter cannot deny this. This "Word" was God and was in the beginning with God. He has existed forever in fellowship with God the Father. In John 17:1-26, Jesus, on the eve of His crucifixion, utters His great prayer to the Father. In the fifth verse he says: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." Here again He definitely speaks of His pre-existence, the fact that He existed before the world was. The whole prayer cannot be understood without assuming that Jesus was pre-existent.

Paul, in that sublime passage in Php 2:5-11, covers the whole circuit of Christ’s existence. He begins in the sixth verse with Jesus’ re-existence -- "who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Then in the next two verses, he describes the humiliation of Jesus, the fact that He became man and suffered death on the cross -- "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." He concludes with His present state, His exaltation -- "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." This passage from Philippians just as surely teaches the pre-existence of Jesus as it does His humiliation on earth and His present exaltation in heaven. A passage in Colossians 1:15-17, sets before us Christ in relation to the universe. It is declared that Christ existed before all things and that all things were created by Him and for Him. Besides, it is asserted that all things consist by or in Him. Such a Christ would certainly have to be pre-existent. In Hebrews 1:1-2, a similar teaching is given. The worlds are made by Christ and all things are upheld by the word of His power. When the truth of the pre-existence of Christ is combined with Christ’s own teaching as to His and the Father’s oneness, it becomes still more conclusive as an argument for His deity. With this we rest the case for His deity. The arguments which we have offered are as follows: Christian experience; the Christian movement; Christ’s miracles, teaching, and character; His unique attitude toward men; His unique relation to the Father; and finally, His pre-existence.

Back in the fourth century the Christian church faced the greatest crisis in its history. "Now Arianism offered to these redeemed men, worshipping Christ -- what? A creature-a being who actually had commenced to live; a being made by a swift, potent volition of Almighty God; a being that could be duplicated -- yes, duplicated as often as God might wish to will it -- duplicated as easily as archangels or men or planets can be duplicated -- Arianism offered to these redeemed men worshipping Christ that creature! Surely they had to reject the offer. Their rejection of all creaturehood in Christ was not only a redemptional consistency, but also a redemptional necessity. It was not so much their theology which was in danger as their Christian experience itself. Indeed, I myself believe that had Arianism been triumphant the Christian faith would have been swept entirely away." [3] This brings out the importance of the deity of Christ. If the Christian church in the fourth century had made Christ less than God, that is, if the view of Anus had finally triumphed, this discussion of Christian doctrine would not now be in the process of being written. There would be no Christian church today. But, thank God, Athanasius stood against Anus. He and his view finally gained the ascendancy and the following epoch -- making words were written into the Creed as to the nature of Christ: "Very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father." This was the Declaration of Independence of the Christian Church and Curtis was right when he wrote thus: "Every Christian man should be trained to understand the conflict with Arianism just as every citizen of the republic should be trained to understand the Declaration of Independence." [4] The Personality of the Holy Spirit The doctrines of the personality of the Holy Spirit and the deity of Jesus Christ are closely bound up with that of the Trinity. A person cannot deny either of these and still believe in the Trinity. Neither can he reject the doctrine of the Trinity and continue to retain a belief in the deity of Jesus Christ or the personality of the Holy Spirit.

You will notice that we speak of the deity of Jesus Christ and the personality of the Holy Spirit. We do this because the personality of the former and the deity of the latter have seldom been questioned. Most people, even when they have denied the deity of Jesus, have been ready to accept the belief that He was a person who lived and walked on this earth. On the other hand, most of those who have faith in the Holy Spirit as a person have been ready to declare Him divine. He is usually thought of as a divine person or else as a mere influence. Thus the real battle has always been over the deity of Jesus and the personality of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason we confined our previous discussion to the deity of Jesus and now limit this section to a consideration of the personality of the Holy Spirit. For proofs of the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person, we turn at once to the Bible. There is teaching in the Old Testament as to the Holy Spirit, but we shall confine our study to the New Testament. The passages which teach this truth may be divided into two groups: Those which teach that the Holy Spirit reacts to us only as a person would and those which indicate that we may react to Him only as we would to a person. Let us notice the former type first. These reactions are certainly only such activities in relation to men as could not be ascribed to things or animals. The Spirit is described as the sovereign distributor of the spiritual gifts. He divides them to every man severally as He will (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). In Romans, the Spirit is set forth as the source of Christ’s and the Christian’s resurrection, sons of God are led by the Spirit, "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God," the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; and He "maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:11; Romans 8:14; Romans 8:16; Romans 8:26). In the Gospel of John, chapters 14, 15, and 16, Jesus gives us the most definite teaching that there is for the personality of the Holy Spirit. Here the Spirit’s work in behalf of man is outlined as undoubtedly personal. Jesus speaks of the Spirit as "another Comforter," a comforter or helper such as He had been, who would be given by the Father after Jesus had departed. This Comforter is the Spirit of truth or revelation who will teach them, testify to them of Christ, guide them into all truth, and show them things to come. This Comforter will also convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Not only does the Holy Spirit react to us as only a person would but we also react to Him only as we would to a person. We can grieve (Ephesians 4:30), resist (Acts 7:51), lie to (Acts 5:3), and blaspheme (Luke 12:10) Him. Further, the Holy Spirit is placed in the same class with persons -- God the Father and God the Son -- by Paul, in the great benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14). Jesus does likewise in the baptismal formula, where the Holy Spirit is included along with Jesus Himself and God the Father (Matthew 28:19).

Christ is divine and the Holy Spirit is a person who is divine. With God the Father they make up the Trinity. Thus the discussion of the doctrine of God is brought to a close. We may add, however, three significant definitions of God. These will, in a sense, summarize all that has gone before. The definitions are as follows: "God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth" (Westminster Confession). Strong’s definition reads as follows: "God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support, and end." [5] Finally, Curtis defines God thus: "The God of the Christian faith is one Spirit, personal, moral, absolute, and triune." [6] This last definition is the best. It is short and simple and comprehensive. There is only one word in it which anyone is likely to stumble over, and that is the term absolute. However, we can escape its difficulty if we remember that it means self-dependent, independent, or without necessary relation.

Footnotes 1 Liddon, H. P., The Divinity of Our Lord, Rivingtons, 1882, p.137.

2 Ibid, p.148.

3 Curtis, O. A., The Christian Faith, Eaton and Mains, 1905, pp. 225, 226. Used by permission of Abingdon-Cokesbury Press.

4 Ibid, p.225.

5 Strong, A. H., Systematic Theology, Griffith and Rowland, 1907. Vol. I, p.52.

6 Curtis, op. cit., p.475.