Nature of God

Most of the denominations that we have studied thus far agree with the Bible concerning the nature of God (The Godhead, The trinity). However, there are three religious bodies that teach differently on this subject.

The Mormons teach that God has a material body; that He is flesh and bones, Ether 3:6-9. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also, but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones but is a personage of Spirit..." (Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 130:22)

NOTE: "All flesh is of dust" (Jacob 2:21). Thus God and Christ are created beings.

Read: John 4:24; Luke 24:39; I Corinthians 15:50.

The Mormons also teach that there are many Gods, and God was once a man who became a God. They teach that we can become gods in the same way: "Remember that God our heavenly Father was perhaps once a child, and mortal like we are, and rose step by step in the scale of progress, in the school of advancement; has moved forward and overcame until he has arrived at the point where he now is" (Journal of Discourses Vol. 1; pg. 123)

They teach that understanding God is really confusing. They believe that God is really the Father, or the Son, or Adam, or Michael the Archangel. "Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, saints and sinner; when our Father, Adam, came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is Michael the archangel, the ancient of days about whom holy men have written and spoken. He is our father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do" (Journal of Discourses" Vol. 1; pg. 50).

"Behold I am he who has prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son."

"Many of the sisters grieve because they are not blessed with offspring. You will see the time when you will have millions of children around you. If you are faithful to your covenants, you will be mothers of nations. You will become Eves to earths like this; and when you have assisted in peopling one earth, there are millions of earths still in the course of creation" (Journal of Discourses V.8; pg. 208).

Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-10; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; I John 4:12; Ephesians 4:6

As you can see, the Mormon's concept of God is that He is a created being and that we too will be like God some day.

ACCORDING TO THE JEHOVAH WITNESSES THERE IS NO TRINITY: "There was, therefore, a time when Jehovah was all alone in universal space. All life and energy and thought were contained in Him alone...Then the time came when Jehovah began to create" (Let God Be True, p.25).

Though the word "trinity" is not found in the Bible, but it's concept is found in Matthew 28:18-20. It expresses the idea of the scriptural revelation of deity to man. This deity describes the 3-fold unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; or the tri-unity or "trinity". All these are of the same essence or substance. The Bible does not teach the existence of 3 Gods, but the plural or 3 personal distinctions of the Godhead, or the one God. The Godhead are the same in nature and essence, but are distinct personalities.

Consider Genesis 1:26-27.

v. 26 1. And God (Elohim, pl.) said

2. Let us (pl.) make man

3. In our (pl.) image

4. after our (pl.) likeness

v. 27 1. And God (Elohim, pl.) created man

2. In His own image

3. In the image of God (Elohim, pl.)

4. created He him.

Here we have man created in the image of "God", "His own image". Man was created in the image of God, while Christ was the image of God while upon the earth (Hebrews l:3; Colossians l:l5). "I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God" (Isaiah 45:5). The words "Jehovah" and "God" are from the plural words YHWH and ELOHIM, so there is plurality within the one God.

Jehovah Witnesses teach that Christ is not God but is a created being. "This one was not Jehovah God, but was "existing in God's form." How so? He was a spirit person, just as "God is a Spirit"; he was a mighty one, although not almighty as Jehovah God is; also he was before all others of God's creatures, for he was the first son that Jehovah God brought forth. Hence he is called "the only begotten Son" of God, for God had no partner in bringing forth his first-begotten Son. He was the first of Jehovah God's creatures" (Let God Be True, pg. 32).

To attempt to prove this claim, two passages in the New Testament are referenced to exalt Jehovah alone and to minimize the divinity of Christ. They cite Colossians 1:15-17, quoting the text from their New World Translation, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation..." The term firstborn does not mean first created. Christ is called "firstborn" in 3 very distinct senses: (1) First, in the sense of His rank or position of preeminence in relation to all things, Col. 1:15) (2) In the sense of His incarnation being miraculously conceived of the Holy Spirit and born into the world of a virgin, Luke 1:35; John 1:14. He became "the Son of God" or the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (3) Thirdly, He is also called "the firstborn from the dead" or "first begotten of the dead" Col 1:18; Rev. 1:5. He was the first one to rise in a glorified body (I John 3:2).

The second scripture used by the Jehovah Witnesses to assert that Christ is the "beginning of the creation of God" is Revelation 3:l4. The Greek word "Arche" (beginning) means source or origin. Jesus is the source of all things created. This is substantiated by Colossians l:l6-l8 and Hebrews 1:1-3.

When the Jehovah Witnesses present this kind of nonsense, do not argue Greek grammar with them. There are only a few Jehovah Witnesses who know and understand Greek. Use the example in the book Jehovah's Witnesses Errors Exposed by William J. Schnell.

You ask them, "Do you believe in one God?"

J.W. "Yes," they will reply.

YOU: "All right now let us see how you understand John 1:1. You say, 'In the beginning was the word, and the word was with the God"

J.W. "Yes", they will reply.

YOU: "Who is the God?" you ask.

J.W. They will reply, "He is Jehovah."

YOU: "Is He almighty or mighty?"

J.W. "He is almighty," they will reply.

YOU: "All Right, and who is a god?"

J.W. "He is Jesus" they will reply

YOU: "Is He almighty?"

J.W. "Oh no, He is the mighty one."

YOU: "Where did He come from?"

J.W. "He was created by Jehovah."

YOU: "Now you believe that Jehovah is almighty, and that Jesus is a mighty god. You believe in a big God and a little God, and the big God created the little God. Please turn and read Isaiah 43:10 (from their New World Translation). Especially ask them to read the last clause: "Before me there was no God formed , neither shall there be after me." Then ask, "Doesn't this conclusively show that Jehovah never created another God? Where then did the word a god or little god, come from?" Then ask them to read Deuteronomy 32:32 (from their New World Translation). You have made your point by showing the absurdity of their "Watch Tower Society Inspired Translation." It contradicts itself.

Try to get them to read Exodus 34:14 (in their translation). It is clear that we are to worship no one but Jehovah. Again read Matthew 4:10. Yet, in Hebrews 1:6, the angels worshipped Christ. By man he was worshipped (Matthew 14:33). Christ Himself said that worship is due to God alone (Matthew 4:10) and yet He accepted worship. It is obvious from the scriptures that Jesus is deity.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

It is very difficult to understand their concept of God. Mrs. Eddy in attempting to define God, often simply piles up a series of words without defining any one of them. In short, she believes God is: (1) all in all (2) good (3) good mind, spirit, healthy body, love, truth (Science and Health pgs. 115-330). Her concept is narrowed down to the idea that God is a good healthy mind, and that He does not exist separate and apart from man.

Read: Acts 17:24-25; Psalms 50:7-14

The concept of God is difficult, yet the Bible is plain in that God consists of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father. These 3 make up the Godhead. The reason it is a difficult subject is because we are finite creatures limited in knowledge and time, and God is not. We are created creatures; God is self-existing. The fact still remains - there are three distinct beings in the Godhead.

QUESTIONS

1. What do the Mormons teach concerning the nature of God?
2. How does John 4:24 and Luke 24:39 teach otherwise?
3. Are we going to be gods someday? What do the Mormons teach on this subject?
4. What does the word trinity have reference to?
5. What do the Jehovah Witnesses teach on the nature of God?
6. What is their concept of Jesus?
7. YHWH and ELOHIM are 2 Hebrew words. What do they mean? Also state whether they are in the singular or plural form.
8. What does the word firstborn have reference to?
9. Explain Revelation 3:14.
10. Did God the father create Jesus? Explain your answer