More Proofs that the Father and Son are One God
- samshmn
- 21 hours ago
- 9 min read
In this post I will show how the same verbs, participles, functions, titles, etc., are employed for both God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This will demonstrate that the inspired writings do teach the Trinity since they affirm that both the Father and the Son are fully and essentially God.
I will also cite examples where singular verbs and pronouns are used in reference to both God and Christ, not because they are the same Person, but because they are one and the same God.
I begin with the following case:
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things (ektisas ta panta), and because of Your will they existed, and were created (ektisthesan).” Revelation 4:11
The four living creatures and 24 elders glorify the Lord their God for creating all created reality.
And yet the Apostle Paul describes Jesus as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation:
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created (ektisthe ta panta), in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created (ta panta ektistai) through him and FOR him. And he IS before all things, and IN HIM all things (ta panta) hold together.” Colossians 1:13-17 English Standard Version (ESV)
Revelation celebrates the day when God comes down to tabernacle among his people:
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth did pass away, and the sea is not any more; and I, John, saw the holy city -- new Jerusalem -- coming down from God out of the heaven, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a great voice out of the heaven, saying, ‘Lo, the tabernacle of God (he skene tou Theou) [is] with men, and He will tabernacle (skenosei) with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them -- their God, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and the death shall not be any more, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor shall there be any more pain, because the first things did go away.’” Revelation 21:1-4 Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
And yet this same inspired author describes Jesus as the God who had already come down to pitch his tabernacle among humanity when he became flesh:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; this one was in the beginning with God; all things through him did happen, and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened. In him was life, and the life was the light of men… He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world; in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him… And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle (eskonesan) among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14 YLT
Elsewhere, believers are said to be the people that Christ redeemed for himself so as to be his own possession:
“looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:13-14
Remarkably, Paul describes Jesus in the same way that the Hebrew Bible speaks of YHWH.
For instance, YHWH is He who redeemed a people from their sins in order to make them his own possession:
“‘So now then, if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6
“They also will no longer defile themselves with their idols or with their detestable things or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all their places of habitation in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.” Exodus 37:23
YHWH is also the Great God and great King over the gods, who is the Shepherd that has the sheep in his hand and whose voice they are to obey:
“For Yahweh is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before Yahweh our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,” Psalm 95:3-8
Astonishingly, Christ claims to be the one Shepherd who has the sheep in his own hand and whose voice they follow!
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are not from this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” John 10:11, 14-16
“’My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.’
“The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?’ The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.’” John 10:27-33
Now wonder the Jews concluded that Jesus was making himself out to be God!
The Apocalypse describes God as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end, who will give the thirsty drink from the spring of living waters:
“And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘They are done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’” Revelation 21:5-8
Yet both in this same book and in John’s Gospel, Jesus is said to be the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and the beginning and the end, and he is the One who gives his flock to the springs of living water, which is said to be the Holy Spirit:
“‘Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end… I, Jesus, sent My angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’… He who bears witness to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:12-13, 16, 20 – Cf. Matt. 16:27-28; John 5:22
“They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of the water of life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:16-17
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ She said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?’ Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst—ever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:10-14
“‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:38-39
Finally, John states that both God and the Lamb shall be the one Temple/Tabernacle of the news heavens and earth, and that together they will become the one everlasting light of creation. The Apostle even uses singular verbs and pronouns to make this point!
“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple IS (estin) the Lord God the Almighty AND the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By ITS light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.” Revelation 21:22-27 ESV
Remarkably, the Apostle has applied the language of the follow OT texts, which speak of YHWH being the one, single Temple and everlasting light/lamp,
“And I will cut a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will give them the land and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.” Ezekiel 37:26-28
“For You are my lamp, O Yahweh; And Yahweh illumines my darkness.” 2 Samuel 22:29
"No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be finished.” Isaiah 60:19-20
To both God and the Lord Jesus, thereby identifying them both as the one true God YHWH Almighty!
In light of such verses, is it any wonder that the early Church was forced to develop the doctrine of the Holy and Glorious Trinity?
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