Bishop Book | Hope Assembly

THE DEBATE

For years, I have heard heated debates between Trinitarians and Apostolic’s. Tempers would flare, as each side vehemently defended their position. The problem was that both sides were convinced that they were right before the argument started. In this emotional environment, no one listened, neither were they willing to sit down and reason together. The subject in dispute was never settled, and no one bothered to investigate the information presented as to its veracity. Truth cannot be determined by emotions; truth can only be determined by rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Facts and truth are two different things; truth will continue to elude us until the facts are put in their correct order. This is what Aquila and Priscilla did for Apollos when they showed him the way more perfectly.

I was given a piece of advice by Bishop James A. Johnson that I would like to share; He said to me,

on one occasion “Bishop Newman, when you study the Bible, do not tell the Bible anything, let the Bible tell you.”

For the past century we have debated over what we call the Godhead namely the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The discussion was centered around whether or not God exist in three persons or three manifestations. One group is known as the triune Trinitarians and the other group is referred to as oneness Apostolics. Both groups say they believe in one God. Although they start with the same basic belief, they have very different opinions as to the makeup of God. When the Apostolics say that Jesus is God, the Trinitarians said they have denied the Father. The argument that Jesus was God made it appear as though the positions of Father and Son were not two separate and distinct positions. The question Trinitarians asked, was Jesus His own Father? When the Trinitarians say God in three persons, the Apostolics said they believe in more than one God. This argument contends that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate but equal persons.

These three working together in union make one God. The Apostolic response was how can there be one God and you have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?

It is easy to see why these two arguments have never been reconciled. Apples and oranges, while Trinitarians argued three persons, Apostolics argued three manifestations. To argue that God is a Trinity of anything, whether persons or manifestations is still to debate in a Trinitarian format.

IN THE BEGINNING

As we begin this study let me begin by saying that there is no God and there is no Lord without the Spirit. The scripture says in John 4:24 God is a Spirit: In 2 Corinthians 3:17 it says Now the Lord is that Spirit: In Matthew 3:16 says And he saw the Spirit of God: In Mark 1:10 it says “And the Spirit”: In Luke 3:22 it says “And the Holy Ghost”: In John 1:32 it says “the Spirit”: Whenever the Bible speaks of the Spirit it is referring to that same Spirit that we are introduced to in Genesis 1:2. So, it doesn’t matter whether we say the Spirit, the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit, we are making reference to the Spirit that fills the office of God. Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. The Bible opens and creation is introduced to its Creator by the title God. The title God by definition is a word that means Creator. From the opening verse of the Bible, we are greeted by the nameless Creator. The Spirit simply introduces Himself by the title God without

giving us a name or explanation as to who He is, what He is or where He’s from. He tells us what He’s done without telling us who He is. He tells us what He’s done without telling us who He is because who He is cannot be known.

The Spirit is totally unknowable incomprehensible unfathomable and unimaginable. The office of God like the office of president is empty without someone to occupy it. The Spirit functioning in the office of God is the Creator of all things. The title God (Elohim) implies a plurality, but Elohim is not a description of the Spirit, it is a description of the title God. Elohim implies a plurality because there are 950 titles assigned to the office of God. However, the Bible never speaks of a plurality of Spirits, the Spirit is always described as one.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Ephesians 4:4 says, there is one Spirit. God is addressed as Spirit when addressing Him without any title. We call Him by what He is because who He is cannot be known. Before there was a name title or position, the Spirit existed by Himself. Before creation began, when there was no light darkness or firmament;

When there was no earth moon or stars; When there was no fish animals or man; the Spirit existed alone. The Spirit without creation is still omnipotence omniscient and omnipresent and possesses all the attributes and abilities necessary to fulfill all of the 950 names assigned to the title God.

Although we speak of God as a person the truth is the word God is only a title. Each title assigned to the title God is like an adapter. The titles are like an adapter because the Spirit limits Himself to the function of the office. While we don’t know the full potential in electricity, we have learned to adapt electrical power down to the amount of electricity required. Depending on the electrical requirements for a building the building is outfitted with 880 amp service or 440 amp service or 220 amp service.

While no appliance uses the full potential in electricity, some appliances require less than 120 volts. These appliances that use less than 120 volts require an adapter to reduce the electrical current down to their specifications. Like these adapted appliances none of the titles names or positions require the full essence of the power in the Spirit. Every title is self-explanatory; that is the name given

to the title defines the function of the position. No name title or position benefit God, all of the names titles and positions are for the benefit of man. They are all designed to facilitate the affairs of man and they are all operated by the Spirit that fills the office of God. The Spirit who needs and wants for nothing, is complete in Himself. Therefore no name title or position can add anything to Him. The Spirit is all God and no less God without any of the other 950 names titles or positions. We understand through scripture that God never changes, therefore the Spirit cannot become anything, He is everything without anything. Each title is a revelation of the attributes that already exist in God the Spirit. The Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters is God and Creator of all things. The God that stretched forth the heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by Himself is the Spirit.

INTRODUCTION OF GOD

God testifies of Himself in the following verses.

Isaiah 40:25: To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

Isaiah 43:10: Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 44:8: Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Isaiah 44:24: Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 45:5: I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

Before Me there was no God formed, means God has no parents, He is not the offspring of another God. There is no God formed after Me means, God has no children. There is no God beside Me means, He has no wife, nor any brothers or sisters. No God beside Him also means, there is no God next to or other than Him. God declares that He knows no other God means, there is no other God for God to know. None else means, no other God exists. To whom will you liken Me means, there is no other God to compare God to. Or shall I be equal means, God has no equal. That stretcheth forth the heavens alone means, He made everything by Himself. That spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself means, He did it without any help.

THE BIBLE TESTIFIES OF GOD

Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

John 4:24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Ephesians 4:4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

Ephesians 4:6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Malachi 2:10: Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

The scriptures have testified, the Bible has recorded, and both the Old and New Testaments agree from Genesis to Revelation; that there is but

one God, one Lord, one Spirit, and one Creator.

It is an undeniable indisputable undebatable fact that there is but one God. Like the number one is indivisible, the Spirit al-one is God!!!

Surely brethren we all believe that all of the 950 names assigned to the title God all belong to and are operated by the same Spirit. Surely, we all believe that the same Spirit that fills the office of God is the same Spirit that fills the office of Lord and all the offices of Jehovah. No matter which office of Jehovah we deal with we always deal with the same Spirit that fills the office of God.

ONE LORD ONE GOD

Next, we are introduced to the Spirit by the title Lord (Yahweh). The title Lord is a synonym to the title God. This is verified by the following verses. Isaiah 40:28 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding”.

This is also verified by Isaiah 42:5 “Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein”:

Isaiah 45:18 also verifies the same thing. Verse 18 “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else”.

The title God (Creator) and Lord (Ruler) covers the full spectrum of creation. Elohim is the God of justice while Yahweh is the God of mercy. All throughout the Old Testament the Bible is replete with personal pronouns indicating the oneness of God. There can only be one God because there is only one Spirit and there can only be one Lord for the same reason. Since the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament this fact is also verified in the New Testament. In Ephesians 4:4 & 6 says “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling”; and (vs6) “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

1 Corinthians 8:6 - But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

James 2:19 - Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

There is no place in scripture in either the Old or New Testament where it describes God as a Trinity of persons or manifestations. While we refer to the Godhead as the Father Son and Holy Spirit, there is no place in scripture where this is found. What we have done is taken the plurality of Elohim in Genesis 1:1 and the word US in Genesis 1:26 combined with Matthew 28:19 where the Father Son and Holy Spirit is introduced along with the 3 records in heaven found in 1 John 5:7 to say that this is evidence of the Trinity.

As we have stated before, Elohim is not a definition of the Spirit it is the definition of the title God. The Bible does not teach a plurality of Creators. The scriptures declare that there is but one God. For years I have wrestled with the US in Genesis 1:26. Verse 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

One day while meditating on this verse the Lord opened my understanding and allowed me to see who He was speaking to when He said let US make man. To this day, this was a thought that I had never considered imagined or heard. The statement was simply astounding, amazing and profound. He said to me the US in verse 26 is man. The revelation blew the scales from off my eyes like a hat in a windstorm. I felt like David when he said such knowledge is too wonderful for me. My eyes filled with tears, and I walked around trying to wrap my mind around the magnitude of the revelation. The instruction to multiply and replenish the earth, was given to man. God created man to make man, man (male and female) are the only creatures created with the ability to procreate men. When a child is conceived a soul is summoned from God out of heaven into the mother’s womb. According to the scripture God then forms the child in the womb.

Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Psalm 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

The US in Genesis 1:26 is God, man, and woman. Let’s examine the verse. God could not be speaking to another God because He knows no other God to speak to. If He is speaking to another God, this would nullify His testimony of not knowing another God.

Certainly, God would never bare false witness against His own testimony. God forbid!!! The Bible does not say that God won't lie, the Bible says that it is impossible for God to lie. God speaking to another God is biblically impossible. Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. The Bible poses some questions that will help give the answer to this dilemma.

Romans 11:34: For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

1 Corinthians 2:16: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Allow me to think out loud for a moment. The question that comes to mind is since the Spirit in the office of God is all-knowing, He is the source of all knowledge. All that is knowable is knowable because He knows it.

What assistance would the Omnipotent Omnipresent Omniscient God need from another God? Nothing! No other God has assisted Him. There is no other God in the US. What information could a counsellor share with Him by way of knowledge that He didn’t already know? Nothing! No other God has been His counsellor. There is no other God in the US. What hidden facts could an instructor reveal to Him that He wasn’t already aware of? Nothing! No other God has ever been His instructor. There is no other God in the US.

Let US cannot be an internal conversation between the members of what we call the Godhead.

It is not the Father requesting a consultation from the Son and Holy Spirit. If we believe that the Trinity is three separate but equal persons.

Consider this, either all members of the Godhead are all knowing, or each member only possesses partial knowledge. If each of the members only possess partial knowledge, then this limitation would create a circumstance for the Father to request assistance. It also means that without all three members of the Godhead there is no all-knowing God. However, if each member of the Godhead is all-knowing then they would never have a reason to consult with one another. That still does not answer the question of who is the US. So, the question becomes; if we believe in the triune God then the statement to let US make man is a statement made by the Trinity.

Proverbs the eighth chapter gives us a discourse on wisdom being with Him in the beginning and Psalms tells us, by His wisdom God created the heavens and the earth. Ephesians chapter one says that God worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. Since God possess wisdom, will and counsel within Himself, they cannot be the US.

It is obvious by the text that let US make man is a statement made to someone other than the speaker.

There is no place in scripture where God refers to himself as US. Surely the US is not another God. Who else could God be speaking to, certainly not the angels? The angels asked the question in Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Why would the angel’s need to ask this question if they assisted in making man?

God who declared that He created everything alone and by Himself was speaking to man. Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Although man was not, God was speaking to the man that was not as though he was. To this very day, the only way for a child (male or female) to be born on earth is through a man and a woman.

Notice in Genesis 1:26 we find the phrase, let US, and after OUR LIKENESS and after OUR IMAGE. In Genesis 1: 27 the US and OUR LIKENESS and in OUR IMAGE are eliminated. Instead we read that

God created man by HIMSELF (without the US and the OUR) and in His OWN IMAGE. Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Matthew 28:19 is an instruction for baptism, but makes no claim or suggestion that the Godhead is the Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Throughout the Old Testament we have no problem believing that there is one God. There was never a consideration for the Trinity in the Old Testament. It was not until we got to the New Testament where the Son of God is born and we have a living breathing walking and talking human being that we began to look for the Trinity in the Old Testament. The search for the Trinity in the Old Testament began with the introduction of the Father Son and Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

(Wile we say we believe in one God, here is why the Jews don’t accept Christianity. They say we believe in the Trinity whether persons or manifestations which

Deuteronomy 6:4 does not allow. (Vs4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD. It is a known fact that the word Trinity is not found in the Bible.)

When we discovered the plurality in Elohim in Genesis 1:1 and the US in Genesis 1:26 we thought we had found proof of the Trinity. Since the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament the one God in the Old Testament must be found in the New Testament also. The New Testament reveals that the Father and Son were established by the acts of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Our salvation is the purpose and mission of God. For which cause the positions of Father and Son are necessary. The Father to begat the Son and for the Son to sacrifice His life. Although the Holy Spirit is an intricate part of our salvation, it is not a title like Father and Son.

As the scripture has taught us, any time the Bible uses the word Spirit it is referring to the Spirit that existed alone before creation. Let’s begin our search for the one God in the New Testament by focusing our attention on the baptism of Jesus. Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened, and a voice spoke from heaven and said this is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. I hope we can all agree that this was the voice of the Father.

But let’s examine the scripture to determine who the Father is. Luke 1:35 says, And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Jesus is the Son of God because the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Highest overshadowed Mary.

What this means is that the Spirit operating in the office of God is also operating in the office of Father. The Spirit in the position of Father is the voice that declared, this is My beloved Son. Let’s verify it.

Matthew 1:18 & 20. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Verse 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and Fathered the only begotten Son.

Next the Bible records that the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and landed on Jesus. So, the Holy Spirit that fills the office of God is the same Holy Spirit that fills the office of Father and is the same Holy Spirit that descended from heaven like a dove. Now let’s discover who this Son is standing in the water. Jesus the Son of God as we have preached is the Spirit wrapped in human flesh.

He is the visible image of the invisible God. When the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary the Spirit placed Himself in Mary’s womb. Consider the following:

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, 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. John 14:10 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.

The same Spirit that occupies the title Father is the same Spirit that descended like a dove and is the same Spirit that occupies the office of Son. The body of Christ is the office of God the Spirit for the purpose of redemption.

Since God cannot become anything, after Mary’s conception it revealed the Father and Son that where hidden in the Spirit. We must give special attention to the fact that God had two sons. Adam is God’s created son and Jesus is His begotten Son.

Adam came from the creative genius of God’s mind; Jesus came from the bosom of the Father. Adam and Jesus are brothers, Jesus was born 4000 years after the creation of Adam. Jesus was born of a virgin because like Mary had not known a man, the earth was virgin to man because it had not known a man until the creation of Adam. Whether begotten or created they are both sons of the invisible Creator, the Spirit that fills the office of God.

Let’s verify that the Son is God in flesh standing in the water. Let’s consider Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Matthew Mark Luke and John all agree that Jesus is the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. So, according to the witness of the four gospel writers we do not receive the Holy Spirit from the Father nor do we receive the Spirit from the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. 1 John 4:12-13 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Acts 5:32 and 1 John 4:12-13 says that God is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the one standing in the water is God the Spirit in Christ.

UNDERSTANDING THE GODHEAD

As God defined Himself as Creator in creation, we must accept His definition of the Godhead. The Bible never calls the Father Son and Holy Spirit, the Godhead, THAT’S WHAT WE TRINITARIANS AND APOSTOLICS HAVE CALLED IT.

There are 3 verses of scripture where the word Godhead is found. Romans 1:20 tells us what the Godhead is. Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”:

Hidden in plain sight is the definition of the Godhead, where there is no mention of persons or manifestations.

The Jewish Bible says it on this wise Romans 1:20; For ever since the creation of the universe his

invisible qualities—both his eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made.

The Jews do not use the term Godhead, instead they describe God’s invisible qualities as His eternal power and his divine nature. There is nowhere in scripture where the Godhead is defined as, persons or manifestations. The Godhead, is defined as the invisible qualities of the Spirit.

Acts 17:29 Tells us what the Godhead is not. Acts 17:29 “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device”. Acts 17:29, tells us that the Godhead is not to be compared to corruptible things such as silver, gold, stone, or graven images made by man. God is the Creator and is not to be compared to anything in creation. There is nothing in Heaven or Earth to be compared to the invisible God. No man has seen His shape or form neither can any man see His face and live.

Colossians 2:9 tells us where the Godhead was.

Colossians 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. Colossians 2:9, tells us that

the fullness of the Godhead resided in the physical body of Christ. The Godhead (the divine nature and eternal power) was in Christ because the Holy Spirit was resident in Him. Jesus is the living Temple, the dwelling place of God. The same God that was in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and in the Temple is the same God that is in Christ. John 2:19, Jesus answered and said unto them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. John 2:21, But he spake of the temple of his body. 1 Timothy 3:16, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God 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.

2 Corinthians 5:19, To wit, 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.

Therefore, the Godhead is in Jesus, but the man Christ Jesus is not in the Godhead. The Godhead is defined as the invisible things of God; because the physical body of Christ is visible, the man Christ Jesus cannot be a part of the Godhead. There are 950 titles assigned to the title God all of which are

invisible. We understand that they exist but there is nothing physical for us to see. For the first time in biblical history, we have a physical body to look at. But we must keep in mind that the body of Christ was for the purpose of death. Our salvation does not reconcile us to the man Christ Jesus. But 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, we are reconciled to the God in Christ. It was the blood of the man Christ Jesus that reconciled us to the God in the man.

God is not a man and should not be viewed or limited to the confines and restrictions of humanity. When the children of Israel were at the Red Sea, they did not see the Fire God, the Cloud God, and the Wind God. They bore witness to one God doing all 3 things at the same time. When we view the offices of Father and Son as persons or individuals, we lose sight of the purpose and mission of God. God's plan of salvation was to defeat the Devil, take the sting out of Death, the victory from the Grave and pay for the sins of all mankind. The positions of Father and Son should not be viewed as individuals but they should be viewed in terms of their purpose and mission. The Spirit is at work in both positions for the purpose of salvation. The Father Son and Holy Spirit are all interconnected to achieve this goal.

Although a father exists before his child, at the moment of conception the man becomes a father, and the child conceived becomes his son. At the word begotten the Father and Son were revealed. The day that Mary conceived the fatherhood of God was revealed and the sonship of Christ was established. Again I say that the fatherhood of God was revealed because God has fathered two sons. First, He fathered Adam through creation and second, He begat Jesus through birth. We must pay special attention to the fact that when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary He did so without the title God. The title God without the Spirit is empty, and in and of itself had no ability to begat the Son. The Spirit had to overshadowed Mary because the title God by itself could not. This is where we see that the title God without the Spirit is empty. It is the Spirit that brings the office of God to life. Jesus is the Son of God because the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. This verse verifies that the positions of Father and Son were revealed at the same time.

Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

THE ETERNAL SON AND

THE EARTHLY SON

A son is the male equivalent of his father, with all the same attributes, powers, and abilities. If Jesus is the eternal Son then He possesses all of the same qualities of the Father and is an equal to God the Creator. As the scripture has previously taught us that there was no God formed after Him means that God never created an equivalent to Himself. At the level of God being invisible there can be no creature like Him, it is therefore biblically illegal for God to have an eternal Son. Again, we enlist the testimony of God. Is there a God formed after Him? No. Is there a God beside Him? No. Is there a God equal to Him? No.

Allow me to share with you the thoughts that are going through my mind. Ponder this, the term son implies an offspring. Since the Son is the offspring of the Father then there had to be a period when the Father existed without the Son. If Jesus is the eternal Son, then the question that must be

answered is, how and when did He come into existence? Was He begotten or created?

Whether the eternal Son is begotten or created, it is hard to overcome the fact that both of these terms create a point of origin. If the eternal Son is begotten in heaven, then we have another problem. If Jesus is begotten in heaven, that means there must be a female God in heaven to give birth? Impossible!!! God’s own testimony is that He knows no other God. According to scripture, God has no wife or next of kin. Was the son an act of creation?

No God formed after Him means God has no children. Our parents used to tease with us and say they wished that they could send us back. Meaning they wished that they hadn’t conceived us. But a child once born cannot be returned. Jesus, whether begotten or created cannot return to nonexistence.

If He is the eternal Son, how does He reverse the process. How does He get out of existence in Heaven to be born as a man on Earth? Is it possible for the eternal Son to sacrifice His life and die on Calvary?

1 Corinthians 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The Bible explains that spiritual order is hidden in natural order. My first question regarding the begotten Son is; Why is the Son begotten by the Holy Spirit and not by the Father? Next when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary did the Spirit act independent from the Father and the Son? If the Holy Spirit acted independent from the Father and the Son. That would mean that God the Father is the Father of Adam but not of Jesus. Adam was not begotten he was created. Jesus, the begotten Son according to scripture came from the bosom of the Father.

If the Holy Spirit is not operating in the office of the Father, then God the Father has no right to claim Jesus as His Son. Let’s look at John 1:14 “And the Word was made 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 calls Jesus the only begotten of the Father so, the Spirit has to be operating in the office of Father.

As stated before, the word Father is just a title and the title is powerless without the occupant. This is the reason the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary.

Now if what we call the Godhead (that is the Father Son and Holy Spirit) overshadowed Mary then Jesus is the child of the Trinity. That would make Jesus a child with three fathers, God the Father would be the Father of the Son, God the Son would be the Father of the Son, and God the Holy Spirit would be the Father of the Son. According to the laws of nature this is impossible. We know scientifically that a woman can only conceive by one man at a time. According to the laws of nature, Mary can only conceive by one man or one Spirit at a time. Since God created the science then He will not violate His own law.

Luke 1:35 says that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. Matthew 1:18 says that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and Matthew 1:20 says that she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

The scripture provides irrefutable evidence that Jesus is the Son of the Holy Spirit. Here is another thought I’m pondering.

For one to be called God, He must create an object and then speak that object into existence by the power of his word.

The Bible declares that there is only one God. If God, the Father is the Creator of all things then the Son and Holy Spirit did not participate in creation and therefore cannot share the title. The only one qualified [to use the title God is the Father.

These verses verify the fact that we have one Creator.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Isaiah 40:28. “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding”.

Isaiah 44:24 “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself”.

Malachi 2:10b “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us”?

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

The child born of Mary is the Man Christ Jesus the only begotten Son. John 1:14, And the Word was made 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.

When the Word was made flesh the only begotten Son appeared on Earth as a man. The fact that the scripture calls Him the only begotten Son eliminates the possibility of an eternal Son.

According to Galatians 4:4 the scripture says God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. Hebrews 2:9 says Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Hebrews 2:14 says Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through

death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; flesh and blood for the purpose of death.

THREE RECORDS IN HEAVEN

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

There are three records in Heaven of one Spirit. The record of the Father is the record of the Spirit, because it is from the position of Father that the Spirit provides for the whole of humanity. The record in heaven also records that the Spirit operating in the office of Father overshadowed Mary and begat the only begotten Son.

John 1:1 says” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. John declares that the Word is God so, the record of the Word is the record of the Spirit because it is through the Word that the Spirit made all things. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The record of the Holy Spirit is the record of God the Creator because the Spirit is the author and finisher of all things, from creation to salvation. That’s why the Bible declares that these 3 are 1.

Nowhere in the Bible does it describe God as the Father Son and Holy Spirit. If there are three separate but equal persons in the Godhead, then they are individually God first and then second they are God corporately. A union is formed when separate things are joined together.

Ephesians 4:4 says There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.

THE GODHOOD

I would now like to enter a discussion on a subject known as the Godhood. The word Godhood is a non-biblical term enlisted to demonstrate the difference between the Godhood and the Godhead. The Godhood is the umbrella under which all of the 950 names assigned to the title God are housed. It is comprised of all the names of God in the Old Testament and the Father and Son in the New Testament. Again, the Holy Spirit is not listed as one of the names in the Godhood, because it is not a title, it is a reference to the Spirit that occupies the office of God.

The Godhood is like creating a job description to determine what qualifications to search for in a potential employee. Since God the Spirit has assigned the salvation of man to Himself, He is the only one uniquely qualified to fulfill all the qualifications listed in the job description of the Godhood.

The Godhood is the place where we discuss the purpose and mission of the Godhead in conjunction with all of the offices of the Godhood. If we confuse the Godhead (His divine nature and His eternal power) with the Godhood (all of the titles names and positions) and make the titles of the Godhood persons or manifestations. Then the Godhead would not just consist of the Father Son and Holy Spirit but rather it would consist of all 950 titles assigned to the title God.

This would be true for the number of manifestations also. When Jesus was here on earth none of the titles of Jehovah in the Old Testament ceased to exist. God, who never changes, is always everything without anything. God is always Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Shalom and Jehovah Tsidkenu etc. and Jesus all at the same time.

We have access to all of the offices of Jehovah because they culminate in the name Jesus. All the titles are designed to handle the affairs of man and are given to man to solicit help from God. None of these titles name the Spirit but the Spirit names the positions. Each title reveals another dimension of the ability of the Spirit assigned to the title God.

If we eliminate one of the titles from the Godhood, like Jehovah Jireh and it does not change who God is, then the position has nothing to do with Him being God. If the Spirit is all God without one of the titles, then He is all God without any of the titles.

Again none of these titles benefit God, they are all for the benefit of man. No term such as Godhead, Godhood, Trinity, or Oneness adds anything to the Spirit. Without creation there is no need for the title God and with nothing to rule there is no need for the title Lord. Without sin there is no need for the titles Father and Son. There would be no need for the Father to begat the Son and no need for the Son to sacrifice His life. Before creation the Spirit existed alone without any name title or position. The title God is the position from which the Spirit created man.

The title Father is the position from which the Spirit provides for humanity. The title Son is the position from which the Spirit saved man. The Holy Spirit is the source of new life in the believer and it is the Spirit that operates in the church.

The difference between the Godhead and the Godhood is this: The Godhead (the divine nature and eternal power) is who God is, and the Godhood (all of the names titles and positions) is what God does. For years we have studied all the titles and positions of the Godhood. This study reveals the Spirit in 950 dimensions including the Father and Son. It is through these titles that the Spirit explains what He’s doing to facilitate the affairs of man. Each title is self-explanatory, that is the title describes the function of the office.

This is the purpose of the Godhood all the names titles and positions to reveal the divine nature and eternal power of the Godhead. The Godhood is the adaptation of the ever unfolding revelation of God the Spirit in increments that man can handle. The Godhood is a road map through the Bible to the salvation of man. If we study the mission of the Spirit, the purpose of all of the titles names and positions of the Godhood are revealed.

The mystery of godliness is the manifestation of the Spirit in all of the titles offices and positions. It is the Godhead that brings all of the titles in the Godhood to fruition.

Again God's plan of salvation was to defeat the Devil, take the sting out of Death, the victory from the Grave and pay for the sins of all mankind. The Bible is a book about the Spirit, His mission, His goals, and His accomplishments. The Spirit is the Beginning in the book of Genesis and He is the Ending in the book of Revelation. From creation to salvation the Bible is a book about the Spirit.

THE AUTHOR’S HOPE

It is my hope that the research presented in this book will help bring us to the same conclusion on this subject. The term Godhood was introduced to draw a clear distinction between it and the Godhead. We discovered that the description of the Godhead is the Invisible Qualities found in the Holy Spirit. Understanding the titles offices and positions of the Godhood will allow Trinitarians and Apostolics to discuss the titles offices and positions without confusing them with the divine nature and eternal power of the Godhead. Then we can discuss the divine nature and eternal power of the Godhead without confusing it with the titles offices and positions of the Godhood.

We can now discuss the Godhood as the process to salvation and the Godhead as the power that brought salvation to past. The historic debate was an argument over two different subjects. It was the mixture of these two subjects that created all the confusion.

The subject of the Godhood and the Godhead are two subjects that should never be mixed. The research presented on the eternal Sonship, the fact that God never created or begat an equal to Himself, we hope has given clarity to this subject. The discovery that the word begotten nullifies the possibility of an eternal Son.

The debate between Trinitarians and Apostolics has been the fuel for division. Polarized by our differences, divided by our denominations, and entrenched in our positions, we refused to totally embrace one another. The truth should allow us to lay down our weapons and animosity. It is time for us to live in the prayer of our Lord that we might be ONE.

If we can embrace the freedom found in truth, then we can embrace one another in LOVE. God is not pleased with division, the scripture says in Romans 12:9, let love be without dissimulation.

The Apostle Paul posed this question to the Church at Corinth when he asked in 1 Corinthians 1:13, is Christ divided? This was the hallmark of the early Church in John 13:35, By this shall all men know that you are My disciples that you have love one to another.

Christ broke down the middle wall of partition between the Jews and Gentiles making one new man.

My prayer is that the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit will tear down the wall that divides Trinitarians and Apostolics. Brethren, it is time for us to settle the argument that divided our forefathers.

I would rather know what's right than who's right. Who's right is of far less importance to me than what's right. I have always taught that one should hold to what they believe until someone can show them the way more perfectly. Like Aquila and Priscilla did for Apollos in Acts the 18th chapter. As people born of God and led by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will guide us into all truth. I only hope that we will demonstrate more spiritual maturity than the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s, who fought so long they forgot what they were fighting about.

It is understood that the peacemaker is viewed as an enemy in his own camp, because what he is willing to make peace over, his camp is still willing to fight about. Brethren, the truth once revealed will never allow us to be divided by the same ignorance that once blinded us.

There are more benefits in unity than division. Psalm 133:1, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Come let us walk into the Light of truth together.

My prayer is that we will endeavor to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace.

HOPE ASSEMBLY
The Happiest Church on Earth

SUNDAYS 11:00am (MST)

Dr. GreGory Wendell, Pastor
13680 W. Auto Drive - Goodyear, AZ 85338

HOPE ASSEMBLY The Happiest Church on Earth SUNDAYS 11:00am (MST)

Dr. GreGory Wendell, Pastor 13680 W. Auto Drive - Goodyear, AZ 85338

HOPE ASSEMBLY
The Happiest Church on Earth

SUNDAYS 11:00am (MST)

Dr. GreGory Wendell, Pastor
13680 W. Auto Drive - Goodyear, AZ 85338