Who is God?

 The question of who God is and how to describe Him has perplexed mankind for as long as anyone can remember. Descriptions run from three persons, one person, and all the way to trees and animals. One thing we know is that there is a Supreme Being that created everything we see and know. The World is too complicated to have just arrived by itself.

For our discussion, we will throw out the irrational premise that God is an animal or tree. Is He a triune being or one supernatural person? These are the most common beliefs, so we will concentrate on them.

To start, we look at the two sides. A triune God: Jehovah is the Father, Jesus is the son, and the Holy Ghost is a spirit. Somehow all three are separate and individuals, but together, they make up one God. Under this belief, God is an office that all three hold. Oneness: Jehovah is the Father and God alone. Jesus is His son, but what about His deity? The Holy Ghost is the spirit of one or both.

So which is it? How can we describe what appears to be an indescribable God? The problem is people look at the scripture from a bias point of view. They go to their Pastor or some teacher and get their opinion. Then they look at the Bible from that predetermined viewpoint. If you really want to learn who and what God is, you must look at the Bible as if you have no knowledge at all. Then and only then is God able to speak to you through His word.

Let us start in the beginning. Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord." This is a lesson that Jewish children learn from birth. This states that God is one. There is here no mention of three persons at all.”

Isaiah 37: 16: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the Cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.” Here we see the Bible tells us that the God of the Jews, Jehovah, is God alone. He is by Himself.

Isaac 44: 6: “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. 7. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. 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.” This is one of those scriptures that tends to confuse a person, if you are looking at the scripture with a predetermined mind. Verse 6 states the Lord King of Israel and his redeemer. This is one place where people say that Jesus is mentioned in the Old Testament. King of Israel points to Jehovah and his redeemer points to Jesus. Let us look at the logic here for a minute. First I would like to draw your attention to the word "his". It is not capitalized, therefore I am led to believe that it is not used as a proper noun, as if it were referring to Jesus or another person. So this verse could be read "his," meaning Israel’s redeemer, because Jehovah was the only redeemer Israel recognized. Jehovah was the one who was expected to redeem the Jews. Now let us look at the verse in the New International version. It makes it a little clearer without all of the flowery language of the King James Version. "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." Now let us look at verse 8. “Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” Again Jehovah is alone, no mention of Jesus. This backs up our interpretation of verse 6. It should be read as in the New International version. 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;” Here redeemer is used again and this time it is read as we discussed in verse 6 and 8. In understanding the Bible, we must remain constant, not picking out one verse we don’t understand and leaving the rest of the Bible out of the picture. When the Bible is read in its context and completely, it becomes very clear.

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: 6. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Jehovah speaks in the singular here. Look at the use of the word “I” and “none else” and “no God beside me,” no mention of a son or another one. Here we see all creation was created by Jehovah alone. 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.” Again He created everything alone. Verse 21: "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me." Verse 22: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” No other God or Savior but Jehovah.

Isaiah 46: 5: “To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? 9. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me” There is not even anyone like Him, no equal.

Isaiah 48: 12: “Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last." He is the first and last.

Now let us look at the New Testament Mark 12:29: “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:” Here Jesus quotes the Deuteronomy 6:4. Even He knew there was only one God and that was Jehovah.

James 2: 19: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” Even the Devil knows there is only one God.

Revelations 4: 2: “ And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” John only saw one on the throne.

So who was Jesus and what about His deity? How do we explain verses where it appears that He is God? And didn’t He say He was God? Let us look.

Ephesians 3: 9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Here we see that it looks like Jesus created all things while Jehovah sat back and watched His Son do the work. However, when we look at creation we see that Jehovah created everything. How can both scriptures be true? Both are true as written. By looking at the Bible and not what men have told us, we must conclude that Jesus and Jehovah were one and the same, not two different persons. If you apply this to any scripture that looks like it is in conflict with the Old Testament, the conflict devolves and the scriptures fit together.

Now how was this, and where is the scriptural evidence? John 1: 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
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."

Let us look at these verses closely. Verse 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Was the Word Jesus as some think? We see it capitalized here? The word “Word” comes from the Greek logos Pronounced log'-os, something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive. All it says here is that someone was speaking in the beginning. Look at the account of creation. Jehovah was speaking things into existence. It fits that “Word” means Jehovah was speaking. 2: “the same was in the beginning with God.” What same? The spoken word of God. 3: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” How were things made? The spoken word of God. 4: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Where was the light of men? The word of God. 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.” Verse 14 explains verses 6-13. How did this happen?

Matthew 1: 18: “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.” It was the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of Jehovah that caused Mary to be with child. Was this a physical relationship? No a spirit could not do this physically but God spoke it into existence, just like every thing else. That is why, in verse 22, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us,” Jesus was called God with us. Jesus was a body Jehovah spoke into existence so that His spirit could walk this earth in bodily form.

John 1: 23: “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias” Here John refers to something in the Old Testament. Isaiah 40: 3: The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Here we find John was to make a way for Jehovah to come. This is the scripture John referred to. Jesus would have had to been Jehovah, or the spirit of Jehovah in a body. Malachi 3: 1: “ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” Who is His messenger? John 1:23 and Isaiah 40:3 says John was the messenger to announce the coming of Jehovah. Colossians 2: 8: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9.For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Jesus is the fullness of God in bodily form. I Timothy3:16: “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.” God, through the body His Spirit entered and called Jesus, was manifest or made known, seen of angels, and received up into glory.

Jesus, Jehovah, and the Holy Spirit with out a doubt, are one in the same. God just chose three different ways to show Himself to mankind.