In The Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . One God . Amen .
Trinity and Oneness of God
+ Introduction : Believing in one God of 3 hypostases , is the main creed in the Christian faith , and the corner stone in all our lives . We say in the "Nicene Creed" what means "We believe in one God, the Father … His only begotten Son our Lord and God Jesus Christ , … and the Holy Spirit , the Spirit of God , … and these 3 are 1". All Christian denominations everywhere have this same belief . We also find it in the Old Testament but it was not as clear as it is in the New Testament. So, it is the most important creed that everyone must completely and clearly understand so that his faith remains unshakable. Some left their faith or their good relation with God because they did not understand this important creed, or because there was no one in their family, relatives or friends that could explain it to them, and, for sure, all of them lost and will lose a lot.
- Because of all this, I'll try in this booklet to simplify the concept or the idea of "The Trinity and Oneness of God" and to speak briefly about each point, only, as much as we can understand and perceive it, so that all may understand this main creed, men and women, wise and simple, children, youth and elders, because I love all and because "God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth "1Tim. 2: 4" .
- This booklet , with its main ideas , was written many years ago , but as the Holy Bible says "To everything there is a time Ecc 3: 1" , so I hope , this delay is not a mistake of mine , but is just for the good of all of us , so I pray to God that it bears many good fruits .
- We were taught by St. Paul , that "Faith does not come in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1Cor 2 : 4,5" , so it is important that we , before reading this book , pray to God, that He, glory be to Him, may give us the right understanding.
- We must also notice that in this booklet we shall not speak about incarnation or the nature of the incarnated Word or any other creed except "The Trinity and Oneness of the only true God of the whole universe, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
- May God grant us all , the knowledge of the truth and understanding of the right faith , and fill our hearts with love . Glory be to Him from now and forever and evermore. Amen.
Trinity in one
When we pray or do anything , we always start in the name of the one God of three hypostases saying "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit , the One God. Amen.", notice that at the end we say "One God". Simply we believe that the Father is the origin (source) of existence, the Son is begotten, naturally, from the Father before all ages, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and the 3 hypostases are the only One True God. These three hypostases are one in their divine attributes as of being eternal (no beginning and no end) , almighty , … etc. , but every hypostasis has His own hypostatic attribute.
Here, before we continue, if anyone finds expressions or sentences, that are difficult to understand, please, continue reading and everything will be clear and easy .
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God in the Old and New Testaments likened Himself to man and to light (light , fire and Sun), in "Gen.1: 26 God said, let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" , and again in "1: 27" the Holy Bible says "in the image of God He created him" , so man is created in God's image and likeness in many things , the most important of which is trinity and oneness . Also God likened Himself to the sun , light and fire , as in "Ps. 84: 11 for the Lord God is sun", "Jn.9: 5 I am the light of the world", "Ex. 13: 21 and the Lord went before them … by night in a pillar of fire" and many other verses. So, when we liken God to man or to light , it is simply because He chose so , He did say that He is like man and like light . But still we must know that whether man or light , they have never been as exactly the same as God, so these similarities will never make us perceive God completely (100 %) but just as He wanted us to know and understand about Him , for there is no creature that is exactly the same as God or as perfect as God.
So let us now understand the trinity and oneness of man and sun (light and fire) and how they are similar to the Holy Trinity, and then we can talk more directly about the Holy Trinity.
Trinity of man and the Similarity to the Holy Trinity
We know from the Holy Bible and from our knowledge to ourselves that every man (or woman) is one but 3 elements : body , soul and spirit , there are many verses that confirm or emphasize the existence of each of these 3 elements, like for instance "1Thes.5: 23 May your whole spirit , soul and body , be preserved blameless"
1) The body : It is well known to every one of us for it is the element which we see with our eyes and touch with our hands , the body is that element that walks , writes … etc.
2) The soul : It is that element which gives life to the body. As it does exist in man , it also exists in all other living creatures , for example , in "Lev.17: 11" God says that the soul of the living creatures is in the blood , and that is why if the blood of any animal or bird is shed , it dies , because the soul that gives it life has departed out of it . We also find some verses about the human soul like "Gen.2: 7 and man became a living soul", "Prov.10:3 He does not allow the righteous' soul to famish", "Gen.27: 19,25,31", "Lev.4:2", and what the Lord Jesus said "Mt. 26: 38 My soul is exceedingly sorrowful"
3) The spirit : It is the element which makes man in touch (in contact) with God . The verses about the human spirit are many "Num. 27:16 the God of the spirits of all flesh" "Rom.1: 9 God whom I serve with my spirit" and what our Lord Jesus said "Luke 23: 46 Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit".
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We notice that our Lord speaks about the human soul in "Mt. 26:38" and about the human spirit in "Lk.23: 46" , which proves more that they are two different elements , although they are one together with the body.
So now, after we have known some about the human spirit, soul and body, we can say that they are three , but still they are one man , that is to say three in one (3 in 1).
In every human being these 3 elements have same human attributes but still they differ in their attributes as different elements , and every element has its work , but still they work together in everything , for example , we know that it is the body which walks , writes , … etc. , but surely the Soul and the spirit , together , give it life to do everything and give it the will and the strength to do it in a good way . So they are all one , but still they are distinguished , For example :
1) Someone may have a beautiful face or a healthy body but still his spirit is not righteous or is far away from God, and vice versa, some are neither beautiful nor healthy, but spiritually they are perfect .
2) The soul may be sorrowful "Mt.26: 38" but the body is healthy , and vice versa.
3) Also, someone may be sorrowful, but spiritually he has great hope in God, and vice versa.
So it is clear now that the 3 elements are distinguished from each others , although , as we said , they all work together , for :
1) If the soul is sorrowful , the body will not be able to work with full strength and the spirit can be affected too.
2) Any disease , whether spiritual , psychological, or physical , can affect the three elements.
3) And , if spiritually unrighteous , surely , the body and the soul will be affected too.
+ Now as every one of us is of 3 elements , God also is one of three hypostases, and as every human element has its work but they are all partners because they are one , also every hypostasis of God has His work , but still , they are all partners in every work because they are one God .
1) We say God the Father is the Creator , but still everything was created by the Son "Jn.1: 3" and through the Holy Spirit "Ps.104: 30" , so surely the three hypostases created everything together , and that is, simply, because they are the only one God .
2) We also say that God the Son redeemed us , but still, God the Father sent His Son to redeem whoever believes in Him "Jn.3: 16", and the Holy Spirit came upon the Virgin Mary when Christ was conceived in her "Lk.1: 35" , so the three worked together in redeeming the human race , because they are one .
3) In the same way , we say , God the Holy Spirit works in His church and leads it , but still : a) The Father sends Him "Jn.14: 26" and also the Son sends Him "Jn.15:26" . b) The Son is still with us all the days "Mt.28: 20". c) And the Holy Spirit takes from what the Father and the Son have and declares to us .
It is now clear that every hypostasis has His work but still the 3 hypostases do every work together because they have never and will never separate from each others, they are infinite and unlimited, there is no place or time in which one hypostasis can be without the other two, for the three are one Eternal , Omnipresent , Omniscient God .
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+ Another point : We can say about each hypostasis that He is God . If we talk about someone named , for instance , Adam : 1) we can say "The body of Adam is Adam" , for if he does anything with his body we say "Adam did so and so", although He did it through his body.
2) We can also say "Adam's soul is Adam" for we say "Adam is Happy", although he is happy in his soul.
3) Also "Adam's spirit is Adam" for we say "Adam is righteous" , although he is righteous in his spirit .
- In the same way we can say about each hypostasis of God that He is God : 1) "The Holy Spirit is God" as in "Acts5:1" in the story of Ananias and Saphira , St. Peter said to Ananias "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit … you have not lied to men but to God" .
2) "The Word of God is God" "Jn.1: 1… and the Word was God" .
3) "The Father is God" as in the Nicene Creed we say "God the Father almighty" and as in "1Cor.8:6 we have one God , the Father …"
- Likewise, we can say about each hypostasis of God that He is the Lord : 1) "The Holy Spirit is the Lord" as in the Nicene Creed we say about Him "The Lord , the giver of life" and as in "Acts5:9" .
2) "The Son is the Lord" as in "2Pet.1: 11 our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ", and a lot of other verses in the Bible and also we say in the Nicene Creed "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ"
3) "The Father is the Lord" as in "Rev.11:15 our Lord and His Christ", "The Lord said to my Lord".
+ Another point that may clarify what is meant by the word "hypostasis" and how the three hypostases are distinguished , is that every hypostasis of God can speak by Himself : 1) The Father spoke as a hypostasis when Jesus Christ was baptized "Mt.3: 17" and when He was transfigured, the Father said "This is my beloved Son … Mt.17: 5" .
2) The Son also talked in the New Testament while He was in the flesh on earth and in the Old Testament when He appeared to some prophets and saints, and, we see in "Jn.17" that He as the Son talks to the Father
3) The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament , talked many times to the prophets and in the New Testament to the apostles, as in "Acts13: 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted , the Holy spirit said …" .
+ Now we can understand some verses as follows:
1) In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God and the Word was God Jn1: 1" , It is like when we say "Since Adam was , his soul was in him, and Adam's soul was Adam". But here we must notice the difference between Adam's three elements which were created by God and God's 3 hypostases who were not created and have no beginning .
2) "All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made Jn.1: 3". It is like when we say a man does everything on earth by his body and without his body he can do nothing
The Trinity of Sun (Light and Fire) and the Similarity to the Holy Trinity
As we know that any light , whatever its source is , whether sun , fire or even light from any lamp , consists of 3 elements : 1) The source of the light which is the sun as a star, the wire of the lamp or the fire itself . 2) The light itself . 3) And the heat that proceeds from that source and which is also carried together with the light by the beam (ray) of the source to every place.
Now , concerning the sun , we have , as we have just said : 1) The sun as a star. 2) Its light. 3) Its heat. Each of these 3 elements is distinguished from the others but still they are all one sun.
- We can say that each one is the sun : 1) for we say "The sun rises or the sun sets" and of course we mean the sun as a star. 2) we say "the sun enlightens every place" while we mean its light . 3) And we say "The sun warms us" while we mean its heat .
- In the same way, if we talk about each hypostasis of God: 1) we can say "God sent his Son" , while we mean God the Father . 2) "God became flesh" while we mean God the Son . 3) "God works in us" while we mean God the Holy Spirit .
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+ So now , about the Similarity of the Trinity of the Sun and the Trinity of God :
1) As the light and heat proceed from the sun naturally, the Son is begotten from the Father naturally and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father naturally .
2) From the very first moment the sun was , there was its light and its heat , or we can say that from the first moment we turn a lamp on , we see its light and its heat . The same way , the Son and the Holy Spirit have no beginning, exactly as the Father . And as we have never seen the sun without light or heat , there is no time or place where the Father was, is , or will be , without the Son and the Holy Spirit .
3) We notice that the heat and light of the sun reach the earth or come to us in a degree which we can bear and deal with , but , of course , there , at (and in) the sun they are equal to the sun and their glory is one , therefore the sun is not absolutely greater than its light and its heat , but just greater than them on earth . In the same way we can understand what our Lord Jesus Christ said in "Jn.14: 28 My Father is greater than I" , for He Himself is and was greater than what He seemed to be on earth , because when He became flesh, He dealt with us in humbleness , for "He made Himself of no reputation , taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of man Phil.2: 7", but in the heaven of heavens , where the bosom of the Father is "Jn.1:18" He is equal to the Father and consubstantial with the Father . So our Lord Jesus , the incarnated Word of God , or God the Son in flesh , lived on earth in humbleness and dealt with us in a degree which we can bear and perceive , but in His glory He is equal and one with the Father and the Holy Spirit .
4) As we can not see the sun except through its light (beam or ray), we can not see the Father except through His Son because the Son is the image of the invisible God "Col.1: 15" and He said about Himself "He who has seen Me , Has seen the Father Jn.14: 9"
5) Concerning that one hypostasis sends another "Jn.8:14 / Jn.14:26 / Jn15:26" , it is like when we read in stories or articles that the sun sends its beam, although they are one. So when one hypostasis sends another , it is not because they are two gods or God and a prophet or because one is not as perfect as the other or … , absolutely not , but simply it is because they are 3 distinguished hypostasis , but in one God .
6) We say that the sun is somewhere in a house or a building or in any country , but still it exists everywhere else , that is exactly as when we say that God the Son , the Word of God , became flesh , He was in flesh and at the same time He was everywhere else , for He is unlimited .
7) "All things were made through Him Jn.1: 3" , is like the sun that does everything by its beam , it illuminates , warms , … and gives life to all creatures , by its beam .
The One God and His Three Hypostases
Now , after we have understood what we said , we can speak plainly and without resembling about the 3 hypostasis of God , clarifying and explaining briefly verses related to each point .
- The Holy Trinity is not 3 members in one family consists of a father , a mother and a son , but He is trinity in one .
- We call Him "Holy" because He called Himself "Holy" many times, as in "Lev.11:44", and also each hypostasis is called "Holy": the Father "Jn.17:11" , the Son "Lk.1: 35" and the Holy Spirit "Lk.1: 35 .
+ To emphasize the existence of the 3 hypostases :
1) We have 2 stories : a) The Epiphany (the story of the baptism of Christ) in "Mt.3:16,17" where we see the Son in the water , the Holy Spirit descending upon Him as a dove , and the Father from heaven saying "This is My beloved Son" . b) After the ascension of Christ (the Son) : He sat at God's right hand , the Father sent His Holy Spirit to the church , and the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in the fiftieth day .
2) We have some verses : a) Mt.28:19 … in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" . b) "1Jn5:7 there are three who bear witness in heaven , the Father , the Word (the Son) and the Holy Spirit , and these three are one .
+ Now to emphasize the oneness of God :
1) The last 2 verses can emphasize the oneness of God as they emphasize the presence of His 3 hypostases , for in "Mt.28: 19" we notice that He said "name" not "names", and in "1Jn.5:7" It is said "these three are one" .
2) "There is one God Rom.3: 30".
3) "You believe that there is one God , you do well Jam..2:19" .
Questions About Trinity and Oneness of God
1) Do the words "The Father" or "God the Father" exist in the Bible ?
Yes , as in "Mt.28: 19 … in the name of the Father …", "Gal.1:1 …through Jesus Christ and God the Father " , see also "1Pet.1: 2" , "1Jn.5: 7"
2) Is there anything mentioned about God the Son in the Old Testament
Yes, in "Prov.30: 4 … What is His name and what is His Son's name ?" , here he was talking about God and His Son . And as we know the Son of God is also named "The Word of God" as in "Jn.1:1" , "The power of God and the wisdom of God 1Cor.1: 24" , so in the Old Testament we find in the book of Proverb, chapter 8 , that He , the Son , the wisdom of God, speaks about these attributes of His, saying: "I , wisdom, … 8:12" , "I have been established from everlasting …8:23" , "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom, I am understanding , I have strength 8:24" . Also His name as the Messiah is mentioned in the Old testament in "Dan.9:25"
3) Is there anything mentioned about "the Holy Spirit" or "the Spirit of God" in the Old testament ?
Yes , the Holy Spirit is mentioned many times in the Old testament with all His names in the New Testament , as in "Ps51: 11… do not take your Holy Spirit from me" , "Gen.1: 2 The Spirit of God was hovering over the face …", and many other verses.
4) How can 1 of the 3 hypostases talk to another?
Remember what we said , that every hypostasis speaks by Himself and talks to others, each hypostasis talked to men, and in "Jn.17" we read the conversation between the Father and the Son .
5) Why are they 3 hypostases , not 2 or 4 or less or more ?
It is not that we chose 3 , but God declared 3 to us, so, for sure they are not 2 or less because we already know 3 , and if anyone thinks there is a fourth hypostasis , he should prove what He says from the Holy Bible.
6) Jesus Christ arranged the 3 hypostases as follows , the Father then the Son then the Holy Spirit , so , does this means that the Father is the greatest then the Son then the Holy Spirit ?
We have been taught from the Bible that the 3 are one and consubstantial . So when our Lord Jesus arranged the 3 hypostases this way, it was because He had to arrange them in a certain order, or , how could He utter the 3 words in one word! so , there is a possibility that He arranged them in the order they dealt with us or were known to us , for God the Father was known from the old , then God the Son became flesh , then God the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the fiftieth day after resurrection .
Equality and Oneness of Each two Hypostases
Here , we are not going to mention everything but just what is enough to make it clear .
+ Equality and Oneness of the Father and the Holy Spirit
1) As the Father is the Creator "Gen.1:1" , the Holy Spirit also is the Creator "Ps 104: 30 You send forth Your Spirit , they are created" .
2) "the Holy Spirit is God" as we said before about the story of Ananias and Saphira in "Acts5:1-11" . And "God is Spirit" as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in "Jn.4: 24"
3) As the Father gives life "Jn.5:21,26 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them …", the Holy Spirit also gives life "Jn.6: 63 It is the Spirit who gives life"
+ Equality and oneness of the Father and the Son
1) As the Father gives life , the Son also gives life "Jn.5:21 for as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them , even so the Son gives life to whom He will" , see also "Jn.5:26"
2) the Father is the Creator and the Son is also the Creator "Rev.4: 11 … for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created" , "Col.1:16 for by Him all things were created", see also "Jn.1:1-4" "Prov.8:30
3) "I and My Father are one Jn.10:30" , "He who has seen Me has seen the Father Jn.14:9" , "the Father is in Me and I in Him Jn.10:38, 14:10, 17:21"
4) The Father is the "ancient of days Dan.7:13" and so is the Son "Until the ancient of days came … Dan.7: 22"
5) "In Him –in the Son- dwells all the fullness of the Godhead Col.2:9" .
+ Equality and Oneness of the Son and the Holy Spirit
1) The Son gives life "Jn.5:21,26" and so is the Holy Spirit "Jn.6: 63"
2) The Son makes us free "Jn.8:36" and so is the Holy Spirit "2Cor.3: 17"
3) The Son is the power and wisdom of God "1Cor.1:24" and so is the Holy Spirit "The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might , the Spirit of knowledge …Is.11:2"
4) The Holy Spirit leads and guides the church and is with us always as we see in the book of Acts . And so is the Son, as He said "I am with you always, even to the end of the age Mt.28:20" .
+++ My beloved , I have tried to make it all simple and clear , so I hope everyone now understands all points . I also hope that this book helps everyone "to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1Tim2:4" and that everything be for the glory of God , the Lord of glory. Amen .
Christian Creeds
Now , after we have understood the trinity and oneness of God , we can easily understand the other christian creeds
The Holy Spirit
First we should speak about the Holy Spirit , being God and being one of the three hypostases of God .
The Holy Spirit , glory be to Him , is not an angel , not a spirit created by God , nor just an attribute of God , but , He is God Himself , He is one and equal with the Father and the Son. This must be our belief . We must believe in Him , glorify Him and praise Him . This : 1) Will protect us from the false christs , who do not include the Holy Spirit in their faith . 2) And will be very useful to us because it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us , guides us , and gives us every good thing .
I hope that all churches glorify and praise the Holy Spirit as much as possible.
And now let us proof His divinity , and then speak about Him being one of the three hypostases of God .
The following is a booklet which Pope Shenouda wrote :
+++ His Divinity
1] He is one with the Father and the Son : 1) "Matthew 28:19 … make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" , notice that he said "name" in singular not "names" in plural , which means that the three are one. 2) "1John 5:7 there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.
2] He is God : "Acts 5:3-5 Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit … . You have not lied to men but to God."
3] He is eternal , "Hebrews 9:14 … the eternal Spirit"
4] He is Omnipresent [exists everywhere] , "Psalm 139:7-10"
5] He exists in every time and in all ages "John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever , the Spirit of truth, … , for He dwells with you and will be in you.
6] He is Omniscient [He knows everything] : "John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, … will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you".
7] He is the Creator : "Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, …" , "Psalm 104:30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created."
8] He gives life "Jn 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life …".
9] He inspires all saints "2 Peter 1:21 prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit".
10] He is the Spirit of God , the Spirit of the Lord , the Spirit of truth … etc. , He has all God's attributes: "Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding , the Spirit of counsel and might , the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" , see also "John 16:13 , 15:26 , 14:17" and "1John5:6"
+++ Being one of the Three Hypostases of the one Only True God:
+ Most of what is said about His divinity can be said here. And also :
1] He teaches every one : "John16:13 when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth"
2] He gives gifts and talents : "1Corinthians 12:11 one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
3] He leads ministry and ministries : "Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said… ." , see also all the book of acts like "16:6,7 / 8:29 / 8:39 / 10:19,20 / 20:28" . Also in Revelation chapters 2 & 3 He spoke to the 7 churches "what the Spirit says to the churches".
4] He leads and guides us , gives us what to say and what to do , and , strengthens us : "Matthew 10:20 "for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" , "Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you"
5] He intercedes for us : "Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us ".
- Again , the Holy Spirit is God , He is not an angel , He is not just the power of God or an attribute of God or … , but He is God and the Lord , He is one with the Father and the Son . He is God and the Spirit of God .
- We must not : 1] blaspheme against Him "Mt.12:31,32". 2] Nor lie to Him "Acts5:3". 3] Nor grieve Him "Eph4:30". 4] Nor resist Him "Acts7:51
Jesus Christ is God and the Son of God and …
+++ Verses about the Divinity of Christ :
- John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"
- John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him"
- John 10:30 I and My Father are one."
- John 14:1 you believe in God, believe also in Me"
- John 14:9 He who has seen Me has seen the Father"
- 1 Corinthians 1:24 Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God"
- Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God"
- Colossians 2:9 in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
- "This is My beloved Son …."
- "1Tim 3:16 Great is the mystery of godliness , God was manifested in the flesh"
+++ Some of the Names of Christ :
God / the Son of God / the Word of God / the power and wisdom of God / the image of the invisible God / Hebrews 1:3 the brightness of His (God's) glory and the express image of His person / the true Light "Jn.1:9" / John 6:35 … the bread of life / the light of the world "Jn.1" and the light of life "Jn.8:12" / the door [of salvation] "Jn.10:9" / the good shepherd "Jn10:14" / the true vine "Jn.15:1"/ the Holy "Acts3:14" / the prince of life "Acts3:15 / King of the saints "Rev.15:3" / the last Adam "1Cor.15:45" / the Word of life "1Jn.1:1" / the Lion of the tribe of Judah "Rev.5:5" /
+++ Jesus Christ is :
He is a complete and perfect man for He has complete and perfect human spirit , soul and body , and at the same time , He is one and equal with and in the Father and the Holy Spirit, i.e. , He is God in full for in Him dwells all the fullness of the godhead .
+ He is also :
[1] the Creator // [2] the Judge // [3] the Word of God //
[4] He forgives sins // [5] He is without a sin // [6] raises the dead //
[7] knows every thing hidden in all houses and everywhere [sees the invisible world] // [8] He spoke while He was a baby , which means that He had previous existence and previous experience and this is simply because He is the Word of God and the Wisdom of God //
[9] He was born in a miraculous way and His mother remained virgin even after she gave birth to him , and even more , his mother our lady the Virgin Mary conceived Him not only in a miraculous way but also by God , by His Spirit and by His Word . And also His Mother is full of grace and is the most preferable women among all women in all generations //
[10] All the Old and the New Testaments are about Him //
[11] He did innumerable signs , wonders and miracles of all kinds , and gave us the best teachings can ever be given. And even more , miracles can be done by His name exactly as by God's name , for He is God . And He and His saints still do miracles until now. And that is because He is alive //
[12] He had the authority to make lawful what had been unlawful .
-- And if we need to say every good thing about Jesus Christ , we may need the eternal life because they never end , but , whoever is interested , may go to any Christian library and buy books about Christ and about His divinity , His attributes , His miracles , His good deeds , His authority over all creatures , His authority in the eternal life , and … Etc. .
+++ God the Son became flesh , He became man , He is the incarnated God ,
He is God manifested in the flesh.
- So Jesus Christ is God and the Son of God , He is God because He and the Father and the Holy Spirit are the three hypostases of the one True God , and He is the Son of God because before all ages His divinity is begotten of the Father naturally since eternity and continues forever . and He is also the Son of God because His humanity was born from God and the Virgin Mary . He is also a prophet because He prophesied.
- Please notice that the humanity of Jesus is created , but His divinity because He is God is not created but created all things "Everything was made through Him and without Him nothing was made Jn 1" . So , all verses speak about His humanity do not cancel His divinity , that is simply because Jesus is a complete and perfect man , exactly as He is God in full .
- So our Lord Jesus Christ is a complete and perfect man having human spirit , soul and body , and at the same time He is God in full "for in Him dwells all the fullness of the godhead Col.2: 9"
- He is the man Jesus and He is the eternal Lord.
- It was He who grew in spirit and it was also He who gave the growth in everything in every living creature .
- He suffered pain and He healed us through His wounds
- He was crucified and died , and it is He who never died and will never die . Not only that but it is also He who gives life "as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them even so the Son gives life to whom He will Jn5:21"
He rose from the dead and He Himself raised Himself and it is also He who will raise the dead in the day of resurrection with just a mere order , as the Bible says "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth Jn5:28,29" , exactly as He did with Lazuras , He just said "lazarus come forth Jn11:43" and he came out from the grave . that is why when Martha said to Jesus "Jn 11:24 I know that Lazarus will rise in the resurrection in the last day" Jesus said to her "I am the resurrection and the life" , I am the resurrection , means that He is the Lord of the resurrection , He will raise the dead , and I am the life means that it is He who gives life to all men.
It is who ascended to the heaven of heavens because He is over all and it is He Himself who will come to judge the whole world with justice, mercy and truth , for He is the Just and Rightous Judge . He is the Lord and King of the day of judgement . He is the King of kings , Lord of lords and God of gods . He is the Alpha and the Omega , the beginning and the end , and , the eternal.
The Propitiation and Crucifixion of Christ , and , the Redemption of
Adam and Eve and all Their Descendents
Before we start in this subject , I would like to draw your attention to the story of our father Abraham when God commanded him to offer his son as a sacrifice to God . It is not important now who was that son Ishmael or Isaac , this is not the point . I need now to show you how this story was a symbol to , God offering His only begotten Son on the cross to redeem those who believe in Him , see , God commanded Abraham to kill his son , but then He gave him a lamb to slay instead of Abraham's son . Don't think it is just a story , don't think that God likes just to tell us [narrate to us] stories in His book , but all stories in the Holy Bible tell us some things about Christ [and God] or symbolize things related to Him , and this story of Abraham is one of them . See , a lamb died instead of someone else , remember , we said that Jesus is the Lamb of God "see John 1: 29" , this is simply because He died on the cross for us , or , to redeem us .
But , please know that an animal [or the blood of animals] can not redeem a man [men] , a propitiation must be equal or better or more valuable than the one to sacrifice , the lamb God gave to Abraham was just a symbol to the True Lamb whom God gave us to redeem us, who was His Son Jesus , or in other words, this story of Abraham was just a symbol to the real event which is the crucifixion of Jesus for our salvation .
This , was an introduction before we explain what propitiation is and why do we need that God becomes flesh and redeems us . So let us now , very briefly , explain all this , from the Holy Bible .
God created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden of Eden , but they sinned , or , for sure they would sin because they are creatures and no creature is perfect , so after they had sinned God sent them out of Eden , and we all were in Adam [in his loin] , so we all went out of Eden with them , and if anyone says , how can we be punished with them [because of their sin] , I say to him , see : 1] we are all now out of Eden , when anyone is born , he is born out of Eden . 2] Also , always sons and daughters inherit the state of their parents , whether richness , poverty , good health , sickness … . So , it is now clear that this is the will of God , glory be to Him , and He does what He wants . We should not argue, but we better make use of the good things allowed to us and can make us be back to Paradise with Him for ever .
So , no one should get upset : 1] first because he himself sins much like his parents and like Adam and Eve , for we all sin. 2] Second because , you still have many opportunities to improve your state and make your life much better . And , what is more important , is that you better be righteous and as much as you can use all your life here on earth to make your eternal life much better . And for sure God will help you in all your good deeds and can restore you , for as we all know , God is the Merciful and the Most Gracious , although His perfect justice must punish whoever sins , but at the same time His perfect mercy always does what is good for us even while he is punishing us. All God's perfect attributes work together. So now because Adam and Eve and all of us sinned, and sinned against God , so we all need a propitiation , or , a lamb , to be punished instead of us , and this lamb must be a man and at the same time must be equal to God , because as we said, it was Adam who sinned against God, but no creature is equal to God , and no man can become God , so God Himself must take flesh , or become man, or take complete humanity , and that is what happened , the Son of God who is equal and one with the Father , took His complete humanity from the Virgin Mary, and was crucified to redeem us .
-- Someone may say , why is all this , was not God able to say to all man kind "your sins are forgiven" , and that would be enough?
Before we answer we ask him a similar question , or actually it is the same question , it is , why did God give Abraham a lamb to kill instead of killing his son , was God not able to tell him . Ok. Don't kill your son , and that would be enough? And why do the Jews , every year kill and slay lambs and sheep [the Passover] , was not God able to tell them , don't kill anything , I forgive you all? See, The answer you want for your question , is the same answer you will say to our questions. And we can add : this is the will of God , and it is for our good , it is because God wanted to become man that we may be able to see Him, deal with Him , and , be able to live with Him in His kingdom in the everlasting life.
-- Someone else may ask , if Jesus has redeemed us , why hasn't He taken us back to Eden or to Paradise?
Simply the answer is , He will take us to Him in Paradise then into His kingdom for ever , but after we finish this life here on earth . We still sin, but we need to do our best to become righteous , then He , after we go to Him will do the rest and grant us not to sin again .
+++ Incarnation : Some people refuse completely to accept or even to think of , the subject of the incarnation of God , or that God was manifested in the flesh . But we need to remind you [them] of the stories that are in the Old Testament , do you remember the story when God appeared to Moses in the flaming bush [the small tree] , or the bush flamed with fire or the tree unified with fire , which did not burn , and talked to him from it? If you can accept this story , why can't you accept that the divinity can be unified with humanity , or , that God becomes a human being , and talks with us and deals with us and lives with us . This is the best way for us , as human beings , to see Him , understand Him and live with Him in the eternal life .
Christian belief
Again we say , God created Adam and Eve , but because Adam is a creature and is not absolutely perfect , so he must sin, and when he sinned , we all sinned in him because we were in him [in his loin] , but when Jesus died on the cross we were not in His loin and that is why we are baptized to [with] Him , that we may die with Him and rise [come to spiritual life] with Him , and by this, we have been freed from the punishment of death which came upon us when Adam sinned , and when we sin .
And when we eat His body and drink His blood we become one with Him, with His unsinful body who is without sin and never saw corruption , and by this we will be glorified with Him and be always with Him for ever .
That He would die for us , His blood must be shed for us , because , without the shed of blood , no sin can be forgiven
He was incarnated : 1] to redeem us 2] to let us know God and see Him , and that we may live with Him . 3] And we become one with Him and in Him . / Being incarnated , this never affects His divinity negatively . If when the sun enters any unclean or dirty place it does not become dirty or undefiled but it cleanses that place , so how much more is God when He became flesh , He purified and glorified our humanity .
The Asbestos and the Straw : a straw can easily be burnt up , but if it is surrounded or unified with asbestos , it will never burn , so also a man by himself can easily sin or be corrupted , but when he is unified with Christ He will live forever in righteousness
Death is the punishment of sin , but the corruption of the human nature is the result of sin , that is why God drove us away from [cast us out of] the garden of Eden that we might not eat from the tree of life and live forever with corrupted nature , but drove us away from it until he renews our nature by His incarnation. See how God is merciful, and how great is His love to us, He is the Just and the merciful, and He is love.
The law "the Nomos" : "Galatians 3:24 the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" , and it helped us to recognize our corrupted nature , and so to be sure that we need a savior who might redeem us from the curse of the Nomos , for He [Christ] died for us on the cross " Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" . So we didn't only need to be forgiven , as many think , but we also need to be renewed , become holy , and be in God's image as before [as we had been] , and put on an uncorrupted nature . All these were fulfilled by the incarnation and the crucifixion of Christ .
-- Sin caused many kinds of death [there are many kinds of death , three of which are]:
1] spiritual death , when it separated us from God because of sin .
2] the second death [eternal death] which is mentioned in "Rev.20:6" is also explained in "Rev.20:14 and 21:8" , it is "the lake which burns with fire and brimstone", or it is hell .
3] while the first death , is that one known to all of us , when the spirit [and soul] leave the body , and the life on this world ends .
And there are also other kinds of death . But our Lord Jesus abolished all of them by His death
Important subjects
+[1]+ If Jesus is God how can He die? Does God die?
Of course not . God never dies , He never died and will never die , but even more He is the life-Giver , in Him is life . We just need to simplify the meaning of death , it is separation between the body and the soul and spirit [the soul and spirit leave the body] , because the soul and the spirit give life to the body so when they leave it , it dies , and , since Christ was a complete man , so on the cross His soul and His human spirit left His body so His body died for three days , but of course because He is God so His divinity didn't die and never died . Also His divinity in those three days was united with His body and at the same time with His soul and human spirit , so at the end of the three days His divinity brought back His soul and spirit to His body and He raised Himself , and by this His body didn't see corruption [did not corrupt] because it never sinned nor inherited the sin of Adam or of any of His ascendants . So simply , only His humanity died , but His divinity never died . There is a good parable , or good similarity to this , it is like a flaming rod of iron on which someone hammers on it , the iron is affected but nothing happens to the fire nor to the heat that are unified with the iron. And even , more easier , it is like the soul and spirit of any of us , if something happens to the bones or flesh or the rest of the body the soul and spirit are not affected.
+[2]+ There are three kinds of the kingdom of God
1] The kingdom of God on earth , when He rules over our hearts , when we love Him . 2] The kingdom of God when He was crucified and raised Himself from the dead . 3] His kingdom in heaven which will start after the day of resurrection.
When it is said "the kingdom of heaven" , so for sure it means the Kingdom of God in Heaven . But when it is said "the kingdom of God" it can mean any of these three .
+[3]+ The Thousand [1000] Years Reign
+ I am going to say my opinion about things that you will find in the 4 Gospels and in Revelation chapters 20-22
-- I am not against any one or any denomination , but I always like to say my opinion, it may be right , it may be wrong , only God knows everything :
-- It is good to speak about the thousand [1000] years reign . Briefly , it is all the time from the time when Jesus was incarnated , till the end of the days . But to be more specific and go through more details , it is from the time : 1] when Jesus was on earth and said "Jn.12:31 now the ruler of this world will be cast out" and "Lk.10:18 I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven". 2] or from the time when He was crucified. 3] or from the time He went down to Hades. Till : 1) the end of the days . 2) or , till His second coming . 3) or , till the time of the last war when Satan and his kingdoms war Christ , but of course [for sure] our Lord will crush him [triumph over all of them] and cast all evil powers into hell.
So now , the 1000 years is not literal but symbolic . Number 1000 symbolizes perfection [completion] and/or the end of something , and here 1000 years indicate the end of all things and all generations on earth .
We can say in another way , we are now on the seventh day , and "one day with God is like thousand years" , and it is well known that the day of resurrection is the beginning of the eighth day , so we get to the same meaning , that the 1000 years start from Jesus and end at the day of resurrection [the end of the world] .
It is important to keep in mind that the literal explanation of the 1000 years , that Christ will come again and live on earth and reign with His saints, this belief is very dangerous , for it will let those who believe in it follow the false christ [follow any of the false christs] .
As we said before , we better repeat , Christ will only come one more time in the day of resurrection that will be followed by the day of judgment , and this day will be like the day when the flood of Noah came , the flood came and destroyed everything , and also , christ will come and finish everything and this earth will be destroyed [vanish] and there will be new earth . So there will be no earthly authority , and there will be no preaching , and so , as our Lord Jesus said "Mt.24:23,24 if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ! or there! do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise … ". And so also , the saints will only reign with Christ in heaven [and/or on the new earth in heaven] and not on this earth .
+[4]+ We can liken death to immigration
Now since we are sure that we all will die [pass away] , so let us prepare ourselves for the new place we our going to . Here we can liken this to a man who is going to immigrate to another country , how should he get ready for this [eternal] journey : 1] this immigrant should start making good relationships with others who live in that new place , which is the paradise , so we need to make good relationships with the angels of God and the saints who have fallen asleep , we love them and they love us , we honor them and ask them to help us , and they help us .
2] This immigrant should also learn the language spoken in that new place . Though we do not know the language they speak in heaven , but we know the language they deal with . For sure it is the language of love "Love endures for ever" , so we need to learn what true love is , love is not just feelings , it is a language that has rules and many things which we need to learn and practice from now.
3] Also , that immigrant , will need money or anything to live with , put them in a bank in that new place to live a better life . That is why Jesus said "Mt.6:19,20 lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" , and He also said to the rich young man "Mt.19:21 If you want to be perfect , go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
In like manner , there are many other things to do to be ready for your eternal life , so , every one should think and see how he likes to be there .
+[5]+ The Last day , the Resurrection , the Judgment and the Eternal life
1] First , the Lord will come in His glory , with His angels , and everyone will see Him "Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him"
2] Second , He will raise all the dead by a mere order "John 5:28 … the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice , and come forth" . All will be raised up in the spiritual body .
And those [the righteous] who will be still alive will be transfigured [changed] in a moment , their physical body will be transfigured to the spiritual body in a moment , "1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep , for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God . And the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord"
3] Then the day of Judgment will start , every one will receive according to his deeds "Rev.20:11-13"
4] This earth and this heaven will be burned up "2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
5] Our Lord will take all His beloved to live with Him in his heavenly Kingdom , where there will be new earth and new heavens "Rev. 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…"
- From "1Cor.15" and "Dan.12" , we know that the spiritual body of the righteous will differ than those of the wicked , and even the spiritual body of every one will be a little different than the other one , "1Cor. 15:41 … for one star differs from another star in glory" , " Dan. 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever"
- Read chapter 15 of 1st Cor. it is all about the resurrection
All The Holy Bible Speaks About
The Lord Jesus Christ
[1] All Prophecies Were About The Lord Jesus Christ
Or, all prophets spoke about the Lord Jesus, especially in Psalms and in the book of Isaiah. And this needs a big book, but I think it is clear to every one
[2] All the stories in the Old Testament speak aboutour Lord Jesus
They are not just stories that God likes to narrate to us , or wants us to narrate them to our children , but they include many things about our Lord Jesus , so , if all stories in the book of God [the Bible] speak about Jesus, so Jesus must be God . let us now speak about a few of these stories, but first you need to know that, a symbol is never the same exactly as the person or the thing it symbolizes , or we can also say , even if a story indicates many things about a real event , the story is never as exactly as that real event .
[1] The story of our Father Abraham : let us now meditate a little in it . a- As Abraham took his son to offer him as a sacrifice to God because he loved God , in like manner "Jn3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son [to die on the cross for us]". / b- And as God redeemed Abraham's son by a lamb , He also redeemed us all by His Son "the Lamb of God John 1:29" . / c- And as the son of Abraham went back alive with his father , our Lord rose up from the dead and ascended to His Father.
[2] The story of Jonah the prophet : As he was in the belly of the great fish three days then he went out alive , our Lord was in the heart of the earth three days then He rose .
[3] Joseph [the righteous] : a- As he was sold by his brothers to a strange nation , Jesus was also sold by one of His disciples and by His brethren the Jews to the Romans. And as Joseph was sold as a servant , our Lord emptied Himself and took the form of a servant [became man]
b- And as Joseph went to prison where he met with the two servants of Pharaoh where one of them went back to serve Pharaoh while the other was put to death , even so our Lord after He was crucified he went to Hades [the prison] where He took the righteous with Him to the paradise to be always with Him and serve God while the wicked remained there in Hades until the Day of Judgment to go to hell fire (the second death Rev.20-22) .
c- and as Joseph went out of prison to have authority over all the earth with Pharaoh , our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to the Father to rule with Him over all creatures for ever and evermore .
+++ Likewise , all other stories , psalms and prophesies in the Old Testament , are about Christ and related to Him in a direct or an indirect way, see how great is our Lord , He never leaves Himself without witness , He makes the truth clear to everyone who wants to find it , and no creature can ever contradict it , how rich and great is the glory and wisdom of our Lord , "Romans 11:33 Oh , the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out" , How unsearchable O Lord is Your wisdom and Your ways past understanding , perceiving or comprehending .
Brothers , have you not yet realized that Jesus is God. No one can ever change or reconstruct anything in the Holy Bible because it is all written by the Holy Spirit and by Him also -glory be to Him- , the Bible is always kept safe from reconstruction and distortion . The Bible is all about Jesus Christ , and no creature can make up such stories that really happened before Christ by hundreds of years, and apply them to Jesus' life in this way . And as we said before , all the Old Testament [the book of the Jews] is about Jesus Christ , all stories , all feasts , offerings , sacrifices , prophecies and everything in it is about our Lord . Please always pray that God may give us all good understanding , and remember the Biblical verse "John 3:36" , and also know that Jesus said about Himself "I am the way , the truth and the life" and "no one can come to the Father except through Me" . God always talks to everyone as he understands , or speaks with everyone the language he understands , He has witnesses in philosophies to philosophers , He has witnesses in science to scientists , … , and in His Holy Bible to everyone .
[3] All The Feasts of the Old Testament Speak aboutThe Lord Jesus
And how they symbolize or indicate , things about our Lord Jesus , and about the Holy Spirit, and how they are applied in the New Testament [see Leviticus chapters 23, 24, 25] . For instance :
+++ The Passover [symbolizes Christ and His crucifixion] "Ex.12:15-20 , Lev.23:4,5 , Numb.28:16,17" [also see Numb.9 and Jashua5] :
- It indicates our Lord Jesus , so it is the most important . "John 1:29 … behold! The Lamb of God …" , "1Corinthians 5:7 ... Christ, our Passover".
- They kept the lamb of that Passover from the tenth day till the fourteenth day , as Jesus was in Jerusalem in those days .
- The Passover was to free God's people from Pharaoh , but Jesus freed us from Satan and from sin.
+++ The feast of the firstfruits [it was in the day following the Sabbath which is the Sunday of the resurrection of Jesus] [it indicated the resurrection of Christ] "Lev.23:9-14 , Numb.28:26-31"
- This feast symbolized the resurrection of our Lord , who was the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep , or in other words , the first to rise from the dead and so the firstfruits of all who will be raised in the last day , "1Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, for since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead".
+++ The feast of weeks [the fiftieth day after the feast of firstfruits] "Lev.23:15-21 , Ps.34:22 , Deut.16:16"
- It is one of the most important feasts , it indicates , the day of Pentecost , or the day of the descending of the Holy Spirit on the disciples . And then the ministry of the New Testament began .
[4] Also , everything else in the Holy Bible is about our Lord Jesus , from the beginning of Genesis till the end of Revelation .
And so we can say " If the book of God is all about Jesus Christ , So Jesus Christ must be God , it can't be anything else.
+++ I thank the Lord my God , for all His good deeds to , for and with me in doing these books and in all my life. To Him is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever . Amen .
+++ God be with you , please always pray for me .
