Are Mormons Christians?

           Mormonism has been all over the news as of lately due to Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and television shows such as TLC’s Sister Wives. With increased exposure and attention many questions have been raised about Mormonism, such as what do they really believe, or more specifically how does Mormonism line up with Orthodox Christianity?  The Doctrine of the Trinity is all that is needed to establish that the Mormon Church should not be considered a sect of Christianity. In accordance with the Apostle Paul (Galatians 1.8), Mormonism should actually be considered a false Gospel and accursed.

            Today there are about 10 million followers of the Mormon faith worldwide, but it all started in the 1820’s when Joseph Smith founded the movement. Joseph Smith grew up in rural Vermont and upon moving to New York was exposed, and some what frightened by the presence of so many variations of Christianity.  According to Mormon tradition, by the time Smith was fourteen years old he had his first ‘vision’. In this vision Smith claimed to see two different and distinct Persons. One was God the Father and the other was His beloved Son. God the Father in the vision points to His Son and says, “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!” Smith responds with asking God which sect in Christianity he should join. Both Persons answered that he should not join any sect of Christianity, and that they and their creeds were all wrong.

            Three years later Smith supposedly had another vision.  In this vision an angel told Smith of Golden Plates buried under a hill in his hometown of Palmyra, New York.  In 1830 Smith published The Book of Mormon after translating the hieroglyphics with two reading crystals. The Book of Mormon contains the story of the lost Israelites who ‘migrated’ to America in the sixth century B.C. but were killed in a battle in A.D. 428. This was not the last vision Smith received though; Smith received an additional vision, this time from John the Baptist giving him the Aaronic Priesthood. Also in 1830, Smith founded the ‘Church of Christ’, but by 1838 changed the name to “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” (DeYoung).

            By the 1840s Smith’s revelations caused him to move the church from New York, to Ohio, to Missouri and eventually settle in Illinois where they established what they intended to be a utopian society. By 1844 Smith and his brother were arrested after instituting Polygamy, claiming that Jesus had many wives.  Smith and his brother were murdered later that year when a mob stormed the jail and killed them both.  Following Smith’s death the church split, a small group of followers became the ‘Josephites’ while most followed Brigham Young to Utah in 1847. Since then Mormonism has grown along with Salt Lake City and spread worldwide and is the first American “homegrown” religion.

            The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints mysterious start has been enough for some people to discredit it, but without at least establishing and examining Mormon doctrine it would be a disservice. Mormons have four books that they adhere to and that have authority in their religion; The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price and The Holy Bible. The Bible is the only book that Orthodox Christianity affirms and believes has any authority, the three other books are where Mormons base most of their differing ideas off of, and find support for what can appear to be terrible Biblical interpretation. For example Mormon’s use extra Biblical literature to create arguments for pre-mortal existence from passages such as Job 38.4, where God asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”  Orthodox Christianity would argue that God was rhetorically asking Job, because it is the simple logical conclusion to draw from what we know about humanity and Job’s situation.

            The Doctrine of God even more specifically the Trinity, is another area where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints really deviates from Orthodox Christianity. The wording sounds very “Christian”, but what Mormons mean is completely different. Mormonism started out as traditionally Trinitarian, but as Smith received more ‘revelations’ he swiftly moved to a position that is most commonly known as “Social Trinitarianism”.  Mormonism teaches that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are each their own distinct Gods united in purpose and will, but not in substance.  Mormonism teaches that the three beings are blended together to create a Godhead that are more like extremely close friends similar in heart and mind but not one being (Bushman 6). While this Social Trinitarianism is now the Official doctrine of Mormonism, there are no signs of this teaching in The Book of Mormon.

There are several passages in The Book of Mormon that refer to these three separate Gods in the Mormon religion as one God.   Joseph Smith himself prophesied against the Trinity near the end of his life at a friend’s funeral saying that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three separate Gods (McDermott). Mormon’s now understand this as being united in will and intention but not in substance.  “This is not a trivial change, but one that has done more than most others to separate Mormons from other believers in Christ” (McDermott).

            The Mormon Church fails to hold to an essential doctrine of Orthodox Christianity and completely miss extrapolates who God is based off of Scripture. “Mormons claim that God the Father was once a man and that he then progressed to Godhood (That is, he is now-exalted, immortal man with a flesh-and-bone body), based on the Bible God is not and has never been a man”(Taylor). Numbers 23.19 and Hosea 11.9 both blatantly say, that God is not man, but rather “God is spirit” (John 4.24).  According to Scriptures God is unchangeable in his nature and being (Psalm 102.25-27, Malachi 3.6), God could not have possibly progressed or changed into God simply because He has always been God.

Furthermore Mormons believe that humans go through a process of exaltation and become gods as well; this directly opposes Biblical teaching. When believers are glorified and redeemed in eternity they will experience immortality, but this is through becoming adopted creatures of God as His children (Romans 8.14-30, 1 Corinthians 15.42-47, Revelation 21.3-7). Orthodox Christianity does not teach that believers will ever become gods.  

What exactly does the Bible teach about God and the Trinity? The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the foundational doctrines of Christianity yet the word “Trinity” is never itself found in the Bible. Tertullian first used the term “Trinity” towards the close of the 2nd century, but it did not become an academic term until the 4th and 5th centuries.  The doctrine of the trinity can be defined by three simple assertions: Firstly, there is one God; secondly, the Father, the Son and the Spirit are each fully God eternally; thirdly, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each distinct persons.

There is one God. Throughout Scripture we have this concept both implicitly and explicitly defined.  In both Exodus 8.10, and 9.14 we see the uniqueness of God, “no one like God”. An explicit verse is Deuteronomy 6.4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”. God Himself in Deuteronomy 32.39 states that there is no god beside Him.  All four of these Biblical references are from the Old Testament and accurately describe the singularity of God. Mormon theology limits the scope of who God is. Mormon philosopher David Paulsen states,” God does not have absolute power… but rather the power to maximally utilize natural laws to bring about His purposes”(McDermott).  This is directly contrary to what Orthodox Christianity refers to as the omnipotence of God.  E.G. Robinson, a Christian Theologian, states, “If all power in the universe is dependent on his creative wills for its existence, it is impossible to conceive any limit to his power except that laid on it by his own will” (Strong). God’s will is infinite and cannot even be conceived otherwise because it cannot be measured by anything other than his divine and sovereign will.

The second assertion made about the Trinity is that each member, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is fully and eternally God. After reading the Old Testament it is not hard for any Christian to deny that God the Father is God eternally and fully; this has never been a Christian doctrine that has been questioned by believers. We must inspect the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit to really understand the Trinity.

            Jesus is eternally and fully God.  In the Old Testament we have reference to Jesus as the Angel of the LORD. In Genesis 22:1–19, Abraham is ordered to sacrifice Isaac, but the Angel of the Lord, Jesus, speaks and releases him from the order. Later in Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with the Angel of the LORD and prevails receiving a Divine blessing. He closes in verse 30 saying, “I have seen God face to face”. Much later in Joshua, the Commander of the Army of the Lord appears in Joshua 5. Joshua was commanded to loose his shoes as he was on holy ground and we read in Joshua 6.2, “And the LORD said to Joshua.”  While the Old Testament is implicit about Jesus, the New Testament tells us an explicit story.

In the New Testament, Scripture does not even attempt to hide who Jesus is. John 1.1 states, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus Christ is the Word. He was with God in the beginning, and He is God. Jesus calls Himself the Son of God making Himself equal with the Father in John 5.17-18. In John 8.30-38, Jesus talks with Jews about how He was “I Am” prior to Abraham. Why did those in the audience want to stone Jesus for this? They understood it for what it was; Jesus was connecting Himself with the name of God. Exodus 3.14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said ‘Say this to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you’.” Jesus Himself was the most explicit about who He was. In John 10.32-42, Jesus states, “I and the Father are one.” Clearly indicating that He is God. The apostle Paul agrees with Jesus’ claims as Paul himself wrote to the Philippians that Jesus “existed in the form of God” (2.6).

Mormonism deviates from the Trinity the most in their understanding of who Jesus Christ is.  To Mormons, Jesus Christ was the firstborn spirit-child of the heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother.  In the spiritual world Jesus progressed to deity, but was later conceived in Mary’s womb in the flesh as the only begotten Son of God. Most Mormons are unclear on how exactly this occurred or why it was in that order. Scripture that point to Christ’s eternal deity and immutability immediately refutes this in Orthodox Christianity (John 1.1, 8.58, Hebrews 1.10-12, 13.8). Jesus Christ has always been God and at no point did He progress to deity.

The Holy Spirit is eternally and fully God. In Acts 5.3 Peter asks Ananias why he has lied to the Holy Spirit. Clearly, Ananias’ lie was only to God, equating the Holy Spirit with God. Divine attributes are given to the Holy Spirit that only belong to God: Life – Romans 8-2, Truth – John 16.13, Holiness – Ephesians 4.30, Omnipresence – Psalm 139.7, Eternity – Hebrews 9.14 (Strong 316). The Holy Spirit has all of the Divine attributes and is therefore God.

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each distinct persons within the Triune God, yet there is only one God. This unity and individuality of God is the most complicated concept to understand. Passages in the Bible such as Ephesians 4.4-7 give us a clear picture of the distinct nature of each Person. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Other passages in Scripture such as 1 Corinthians 12.4-6, 2 Corinthians 13.14, and 1 Peter 1.2 also help in grasping the distinct nature of each Person.

            The major mistake made in Mormonism is the lack of recognition in the unity of God, which results in a plurality of God. Most non-Mormons who have an understanding of Mormon doctrine would consider Mormonism the largest and most polytheistic religion in the world.  However Mormons deny they are polytheistic and this is according to theologian Stephen Robinson’s definition of Polytheism:

“Polytheism portrays a world in which competing gods either vie for ultimate authority or have delimited provinces over which they rule. The Mormon picture is closer to henotheism, which posits a supreme God over other lesser, subordinate gods. The Mormons say that the Father is at least functionally over the Son and the Holy Ghost, and they are the only Gods with which we have to do” (Carter).

            While Mormonism may not be polytheistic, it does have the most Gods out of any religion and directly goes against Biblical teaching on the glorification of God’s elect.  Orthodox Christianity already has nothing in common with the Mormon doctrines we have covered other than similar words and phrases used. 

             Mormonism is exactly the kind of false Gospel that Paul is referencing in Galatians 1.9, “As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” The Church of Latter Day Saints’ teachings on God and the Gospel are contrary to what the Apostle Paul and Christ himself taught. The Mormon Church even opposes Orthodox Christianity.  “Mormons claim that “total” apostasy overcame the church following apostolic times, and that the Mormon Church is the “restored church” (Taylor). However grand the intentions are of Pastors such as Joel Osteen in welcoming Mormons as “brothers and sisters in Christ,” we cause devastation to the Gospel proclamation and understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Mormonism is a departure from the existing Christian tradition as much as early Christianity was a departure from Judaism. For if Christianity is a shoot grafted onto the olive tree of Judaism, Mormonism as it stands cannot be successfully grafted onto either” (McDermott). Mormonism is to be accursed for the false gospel that it is.

            The intent of this paper is not to cast Mormons into hell, but simply bring awareness of the apostasy of the Religion and shed light on how vastly different it is from Orthodox Christianity, specifically using the Doctrine of the Trinity. However, although we must reject this heretical theology, we must stop there. We must pray that those who are trusting in this apostasy may one day come to be one of God’s elect and know the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented by Orthodox Christianity. 

Works Cited:

Bushman, Richard L. Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.

Carter, Joe. “The FAQs: Are Mormons Christian?” The Gospel Coalition. 24 Apr. 2012.

DeYoung, Kevin. “Mormonism 101.” The Gospel Coalition. 13 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 May 2012.

Porter, Bruce D., and Gerald R. McDermott. “Is Mormonism Christian?” First Things. Oct. 2008. Web. 01 May 2012.

Strong, A. H. Systematic Theology. Washington: Bellingham, 2004. Print

Taylor, Justin. “FAQ on the Difference between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity.” Gospel Coalition. 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 01 May 2012.

 

The Doctrine of the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the foundational doctrines of Christianity yet the word “Trinity” is never itself found in the bible. Tertullian first used the term the Trinity towards the close of the 2nd century,  but it did not become an academic term until the 4th and 5th centuries.  The doctrine of the trinity can be defined by three simple assertions: Firstly, there is one God; secondly, the Father, the Son and the Spirit are each fully God eternally; thirdly, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each distinct persons. The bible is not explicit about these truths, but implicit. Matthew 28.19 in the English Standard Version states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Three distinct persons are shown with one united purpose.

                        The Trinity is a doctrine that has baffled many Christians for centuries. It is difficult to explain and cannot be summed up with a quick illustration.  Thomas Adams, a Puritan clergyman stated, “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, there are three distinct persons in Name, not names, but there is only one essence. This clear picture of the plurality of God, yet the union of God is hard to comprehend. Although above it has been defined very basically, the depth and implications of the Trinity have not been explored. The Holy Trinity can only truly be defined by looking at scripture itself, which has the authority of God.

            There is one God. Throughout scripture we see this concept implicitly defined. In both Exodus 8.10, and 9.14 we see the uniqueness of God, “no one like God”. The most explicit verse is Deuteronomy 6.4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”. God himself in Deuteronomy 32.39 states that there is no god beside him.  All four of these biblical references have been from the Old Testament and have accurately described the singularity of God. However, in the Old Testament there are also implicit references to His plurality.

            “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1.1 The first sentence in the bible provides us with some implicit details about God. The Hebrew word used for God is plural, “Elohim”. The singular form would have been “Eloah.” One cannot overlook this as a simple mistake by the authors of scripture. “All scripture is breathed out by God…”, 2 Timothy 3.16a, God himself intended for the Hebrew author to scribe His name as plural.  We can also see the plurality of God in Genesis 1.26 God speaks to himself saying, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” There are two pluralities stated in verse 26, “us” and “our”. Establishing the singularity and plurality of God in the Old Testament is not hard to do but why is it so implicit? Gregory Nazianzen the 4th century Archbishop of Constantinople gives us some insight.

“The Old Testament proclaimed the Father openly, and the Son more obscurely. The New manifested the Son, and suggested the deity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit himself dwells among us with a clearer demonstration of himself. For it was not safe, when the Godhead of the Father was not yet acknowledged, plainly to proclaim the Son; nor when that of the Son was not yet received to burden us further…with the Holy Spirit…[I]t was necessary that, increasing little by little, and, as David says, by ascensions from glory to glory, the full splendor of the trinity should gradually shine forth.”

            The robust monotheism of the trinity in the Old Testament allowed for the world to see God in his unity and plurality in a progressive manner.  C.S Lewis also sees proof the Triune God exists through scripture such as 1 John 4.8, “Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love”(21). Wise men such as Lewis give us insight into the eternal nature of the Godhead and the true necessity of seeing God’s triune nature.

The second assertion made about the Trinity is that each member, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are fully and eternally God. After reading the Old Testament it is not hard for any Christian to deny that God the Father is God eternally and fully, this has never been a Christian doctrine that has been questioned by believers. We must inspect the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit to really understand the Trinity.

            Jesus is eternally and fully God.  In the Old Testament we have reference to Jesus as the Angel of the LORD. In Genesis 22:1–19, Abraham is ordered to sacrifice Isaac, but the Angel of the Lord, Jesus, speaks and releases him from the order. Later in Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with the Angel of the LORD and prevails receiving a Divine blessing. He closes in verse 30 saying, “I have seen God face to face”. Much later in Joshua, the Commander of the Army of the Lord appears in Joshua 5. Joshua was commanded to loose his shoes as he was on holy ground and we read in Joshua 6.2, “And the LORD said to Joshua.”  While the Old Testament is implicit about Jesus the New Testament tells us a different story.

In the New Testament, scripture does not even attempt to hide who Jesus is. John 1.1 states, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus Christ is the Word. Jesus Christ was with God in the beginning, and Jesus was God. Jesus calls himself the Son of God making himself equal with the Father in John5.17-18. In John 8.30-38, Jesus talks with Jews about how he was “I Am” prior to Abraham. Why did those in the audience want to stone Jesus for this? They understood it for what it was, Jesus was connecting himself with the name of God. Exodus 3.14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said ‘Say this to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you’.” Jesus himself was the most explicit about who He was. In John 10.32-42, Jesus states, “I and the Father are One.” Clearly indicating that He is God. The apostle Paul agrees with Jesus’ claims as Paul himself wrote to the Philippians that Jesus “existed in the form of God” (2.6).

The Holy Spirit is eternally and fully God. In Acts 5.3 Peter asks Ananias why he has lied to the Holy Spirit. Clearly, Ananias’ lie was only to God, equating the Holy Spirit with God. Divine attributes are given to the Holy Spirit that only belong to God: Life – Romans 8-2, Truth – John 16.13, Holiness – Ephesians 4.30, Omnipresence – Psalm 139.7, Eternity – Hebrews 9.14 (Strong 316). The Holy Spirit has all of the Divine attributes and is therefore God.

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each distinct persons within the Triune God. The unity and individuality of God is the most complicated concept to understand. Passages in the bible such as Ephesians 4.4-7 give us a clear picture of the distinct nature of each Person. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Other passages in scripture such as 1 Corinthians 12.4-6, 2 Corinthians 13.14, and 1 Peter 1.2 also help in grasping the distinct nature of each person.

The economic and ontological descriptions of the Trinity also give us an inside look at how the Trinity actually functions. The economic Trinity helps us to understand God in his inner relationships. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, so in turn is subordinate to both (John 15.26). The Son is begotten by the Father (John 3.16) and is economically subordinate to the Father. Equal in nature and essence but unequal in relationship. The Father sends the Son and gives the Spirit.

The Father has a monarchy in the Trinity, but each person in the Trinity is eternal and coequal. The ontological nature of the Trinity distinguishes each Person from the other. The Son was begotten from the Father, this obvious filiation creates a distinction between the two.  The Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son this spiration characterizes the very nature of the Godhead and gives them each a distinct place within the Trinity.

            The complexity of the Doctrine of the Trinity has caused some to steer into error in dealing with the unity and plurality of God. Those who struggle with the unity of God fail to comprehend the plurality of God. Monarchianism is an example of such an error. They believe there is one God and only one Person who is God. They fail to understand the nature of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. On the flip side of the coin, those who struggle with the plurality of God, fail to comprehend His unity. Mormonism would be an example of an error in the comprehension of the unity of God. The religion of Mormon is the most polytheistic religion in the world. With an infinite number of Gods, the triune nature of God is manipulated and terms such as “heirs to the throne” go largely misinterpreted. Such errors result in a failing to comprehend the true Triune nature of God.

            The Triune existence of God will continue to confound the human race because while the evidence for it is clear in scripture the conception of it does not conform to what man can logically conceive. God is three distinct Persons. Each Person is divine. There is only one God.

Work Cited

Gregory, Nazianzus. “31:26.” On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary, 2002. Print.

Lewis, C. S. Beyond Personality: The Christian Idea of God. New York: Macmillan, 1945. Print.

Strong, A. H. Systematic Theology. Washington: Bellingham, 2004. Print.

Thomas, Isaac David Ellis. The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations. Chicago: Moody, 1975. Print.

The love of my life. She is fantastic. Her song Lemonade. 

Old and New Covenant

A covenant is an agreement between two people and involves each side of the agreement making a promise to the other. Throughout time there have been many biblical covenants between God and mankind. Covenants are the easiest way to see that God is faithful in the bible. We are going to look at four biblical covenants; Patriarchal covenant, Sinai covenant, Davidic covenant and the covenant in the New Testament.   Comparing and contrasting these four will ultimately allow us to see how God has been faithful to his people throughout history.

The patriarchal covenant begins in Genesis 9 with Noah. God makes a covenant with Noah that He will never destroy the world by flood again. In Genesis 12.1-3 we begin to see a covenant that will shape the world. Abraham is given a divine promise from God that God will make him into a great nation, bless his name and make it great, as well as bless all the families on the earth through him. God expounds upon this blessing in Genesis 15. Abraham is promised a seed that will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. His descendants are also promised a huge chunk of land, which will later be coined as the “promised land”. In Genesis 17, God again makes a covenant with Abraham. In this covenant Abraham is promised that God will multiply his descendants greatly and that God will make an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s son Isaac. In return Abraham and his descendants must be circumcised and walk before God and be blameless. In Genesis 22 the last covenant from God and Abraham occurs. Abraham does not withhold his only Son Isaac from the Lord and God blesses him for it. He will have innumerable offspring and nations will be blessed through his offspring.

The patriarchal covenant continues with Jacob, one of Isaac’s two sons. Jacob receives double portion of the birthright in Genesis 25 and in Genesis 27 he is promised agricultural prosperity, to be the ruler of nations and to rule over his brothers. Throughout the patriarchal covenant we see two main promises were made, the multiplication of Abraham’s offspring and the inheritance of the Promised Land. Some of the smaller covenantal promises are fulfilled through Joseph and his time spent in Egypt (Genesis 37.5-11, Genesis 41-42, Genesis 47-49).  Looking at Exodus we can clearly see that the promise of a large offspring is fulfilled (Exodus 1.7-22). The conquering of the Promised Land in Joshua also gives us the fulfillment of inheriting the Promised Land. Within the fulfilling of the patriarchal covenant we have the forming of the covenant at Sinai. However it is important to note that the Sinai covenant did not replace the patriarchal covenant but rather co-existed with it.  When the Sinai covenant was broken in Exodus 32, the author allows the reader to see that the patriarchal covenant was still in play (Exodus 33.1).

God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai has the framework of Suzerain-vassal treaties from the Ancient Near East. The framework of these treaties consists of the identification of the treaty maker, a historical prologue, stipulations, witnesses, and lastly blessings and curses. The treaty at Sinai possesses each one of these parts. The treaty maker is God (Exodus 20.1) and God gives a historical prologue of why he is making the treaty (Exodus 20.2). In Exodus 20-23 God gives the stipulations for the covenant. The Ten Commandments are the foundation for the covenant, but not the extent of it. Moses wrote down all of the words of the Lord (Exodus 24.4) and therefore is the divine witness. The people of God are promised the Land of Canaan in Exodus 23 and therefore the covenant see it’s fulfillment upon the defeat of the Canaanites in Joshua. It is because of God’s continued faithfulness to his people that they are to continue to uphold their end of the covenant.

What really is crucial that comes out of this is we see the holiness of God. God manifests the law for his people and now, any crimes committed are against God. What differentiates the Sinai treaty from the Patriarchal is that it is depicted as being conditional.  The Patriarchal and even Davidic are perceived as being unconditional, meaning nothing can deter them.  On the contrary, the treaty at Sinai seems to be conditional upon Israel keeping the stipulations that are set forth by God. However, we will soon find out this is not the case (Jeremiah 31-32). God continues to be faithful to his people regardless of their unfaithfulness.

The Davidic covenant is sometimes referred to as an extension of the Sinai covenant, however we must look even further back to see the beginning of the Davidic covenant. In Genesis 3.15 God promises the redemption of his people will come through the offspring of a woman. With God’s choice of David in 1 Samuel 16-17 we finally have the narrative coming into more noticeable action. Eventually David is installed as King in 2 Samuel 5 and became the mediator between God and Israel. A covenant between the Lord and King David became a necessity. Israel is promised a place of rest and David is promised that he will defeat all his enemies and a dynasty from his seed, one that has an eternal throne.  An offspring of David will build a house for the Lord and the Lord will love him unconditionally. With the new promise to David of eternal reign by his descendants the patriarchal covenant was succeeded by the Davidic covenant.

The fulfillment of the Davidic covenant begins shortly after the covenant in 2 Samuel 8 David conquers his enemies and his reign begins. The remainder of the Davidic covenant is fulfilled after David’s life. Solomon begins to reign as King and builds the house of the Lord (1 King 1-7). The eternal dynasty of David finds its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus. Matthew 1.1 even opens up calling Jesus the “the Son of David” and Peter preached in Acts 2.29-36 that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of God’s promise to David. God continues to remain faithful to his people and in Christ we see God provide for the people yet again.

The covenant in the age of salvation is rooted in Jesus Christ and his propitiatory atonement on the Roman cross. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the most important part of the forming of a new covenant. The new covenant is the new agreement God has made with mankind. This concept of the new covenant came about in Jeremiah 31.31-34, which stated that God would accomplish for his people what the old covenant had failed to do.  Christ himself told us about it during the Last Supper with His disciples, He spoke of the covenant and said, “for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin” (Matthew 26.28). The new covenant accomplished for God’s people what no prior covenant could, the cleansing and forgiveness of sins. The work of Christ on the cross in turn makes the old covenant old news and he fulfills the promise of the prophet Jeremiah.

The biggest differences between each covenant are ultimately the specifics of what they promise and the conditionality of the promise. The Sinai covenant was a conditional covenant while the patriarchal and David’s covenant were both unconditional. One of the biggest differences between the new covenant and the covenants of old was the spiritual nature of it. The covenants in the Old Testament had physical solutions, physical circumcision, with a physical obeying and written law (Leviticus 26, Exodus 12.48, Romans 7.6). The covenant in the age of salvation is a spiritual covenant based on spiritual promises to come with a spiritual baptism and in the spirit of the law (Romans 8, Philippians 3.3, Galatians 2.20).

In each covenant God remains faithful to his promises even though His people do not remain faithful to their end of the bargain. Ultimately the new covenant shed by Christ overrides all pre-existing covenants and is how God provides for his people and we now have direct access to the Father.  God’s own faithfulness makes faithfulness possible for his people.

The Knowledge and Attributes of God

Both the knowledge and attributes of God are fundamental in understanding whom God is. These two concepts have been established in the history of the church and can be more importantly established in scripture. The most important thing in our lives is how we think about God and relate to him. With that knowledge in hand it is important that we learn exactly what the knowledge and attributes of God are.

The knowledge of God can be summed up in how we know that God exists. This knowledge takes two forms, natural and special revelation. Natural revelation is how God has made himself known through the natural world. God is creator of the universe; therefore the universe should lead us to him. Psalm 19.1-6 reveals to us that, “The heavens declare the glory of God”. Inherently God’s creation should reveal to us that he exists. Through contemplation of his creation one should simply be at the foot of his throne. Paul affirms this in Romans 1.19-20:

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

            Paul not only gleans from God’s creation that he exists but that ultimately humanity is without excuse because of creation. Natural and special revelation both have four qualities; necessity, authority, clarity and sufficiency. These qualities help to define what the revelations exactly establish. The necessity of natural revelation establishes that if God had not made himself known we would not know him. It took natural revelation, the creation of the universe for us to firstly, exist, secondly, know that God exists.

The authority of natural revelation is simple, if it is the God of the universe, there is than an authority in the universe that we are to submit to and worship. The clarity of natural revelation as Paul tells us in Romans 1.20, “God perfectly and clearly makes himself known”. This cannot be mistaken. God “perfectly and “clearly” makes himself known, we are without excuse. Simply looking at creation states the sufficiency of natural revelation. Natural revelation is sufficient in revealing who God is. Scripture is not needed in order to know there is a higher power, but it is necessary for better understanding that power.

            Scripture is one of the forms of special revelation. Special revelation is any revelation from God outside of His natural revelation.  Scripture is the biggest special revelation and gives us another approach to seeing who God is. This form of revelation also retains the same four qualities of necessity, authority, clarity and sufficiency. The necessity of scripture is the purpose behind it; God revealed his Word because we need it. Wayne Grudem author of Systematic Theology described it, “The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exists or knowing something about God’s character and moral laws”(116). Grudem makes an important distinction; scripture is necessary for many things, but not necessary for knowing God.

            The authority of scripture can be displayed by logic. God is the ultimate authority. Scripture is the word of God. The word of God is authoritative. Psalm 18.30, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” There is an infallible nature to God’s word, “The word of the Lord proves true”. Special revelation also has the quality of clarity. The clarity of scripture reveals to us that all one needs to know to understand the Gospel can be plainly understood in God’s word. Scripture is also sufficient. It is all the scripture there is and ever will be. It is sufficient for knowing who God is, his will and maintaining spiritual life.

            Natural and special revelations are both incredible ways that God has shown himself to humanity. Without this revelation we would not know who God is, but because of it we do. We must continue to study His word in order to discover more about God. We do this through his revelation of himself to us. It is important to note that while God has given each of us his communicable attributes it is not to the extent of his own attribute.

The attributes of God take two forms, incommunicable and communicable. Incommunicable attributes are attributes that are unique to God. On the other hand communicable attributes are ones that God can share and does share with mankind. These attributes make up what we know about God based off what scriptures tells or shows us is true about Him. A.W. Tozer wrote in his book The Knowledge of the Holy that, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”(9).  It is important to know each attribute because each is essential to who God is.

The incommunicable attributes can be broken down into four categories, aseity, immutability, infinity and unity. These incommunicable attributes are limited to God. The first incommunicable trait is aseity. Aseity simply means that God is completely self-sustaining. Exodus 3.14 gives us a clear picture of this, “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” God is absolutely independent of other things (John 5.26, Acts 17.25). The second incommunicable trait is God’s immutability.  Immutability describes how God is incapable of change. The above-mentioned scripture, Exodus 3.14, is also the greatest example for God’s immutability. God is who He is. He does not change (Job 23.13, Titus 1.2, Psalm 33.11).

The third incommunicable attribute of God is called infinity. The infinite nature of God describes how He transcends time and space. This does not mean that God exists outside of time or space but rather that He exists in time eternally and space immensely. He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega (Revelation 22.13). “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built”(1 Kings 8.27). In his dedication of the temple, Solomon speaks clearly of how not even the highest heavens can contain the Lord. The fourth and final incommunicable trait is the unity of God. There are two aspects to the unity of God. There is a singularity to God, meaning that there is only one true God. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6.4). As well as the simplicity of God that he has one undivided nature. While the father, son, and Holy Spirit can be clearly distinguished from one another (Matthew 3.16-17, 28.19, 2 Corinthians 13.14) they maintain one undivided nature (Ephesians 4.4-6).           

The communicable attributes of God include spirituality, intellectuality, morality, and sovereignty. The communicable attributes are ones that God can and does share with us. The first communicable attribute is spirituality. God is a living being with a mind, emotion and will (Philippians 2.13, Deuteronomy 5.26, Joshua 3.10). Undeniably the clearest verse on God’s spirituality is John 4.24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The second communicable attribute of God is His intellectuality. God is all knowing (Hebrews 4.13, 2 Chronicles 16.9, Psalm 139.1-6). His knowledge extends past what we can even fathom; his truth is infallible.

            The third communicable attribute of God is His morality. The goodness, holiness and righteousness of God, in concert, make-up the morality of God. “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy for I am holy” (Leviticus 11.44). God is holy; the blood of His son must cleanse us before we may enter into His presence. “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful” (Psalm 116.5). God is righteous and sin is completely contrary to the nature of God. The fourth communicable attribute of God is His sovereignty. God is God. He is king; He is the most high and is sovereign over all creation (1 Timothy 6.15). God created the universe (Genesis 1.1, Hebrews 11.3) and has the right to govern the universe, exercise His power, and delegate His will to others. Albert Einstein once said, “I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice.” It is simple because he does not. He does not have to. The sovereignty of God accounts for His preservation.

            God is incredible. If we allow God’s natural and special revelations to shape our understanding of who He is, we will find ourselves swept away in His majesty and unable to say much more than that. God is incredible; there is no denying it after examining Scripture and coming to the completion of his attributes. God is God and He is worthy of all praise

Works Cited

Grudem, Wayne A., and K. Erik. Thoennes. Systematic Theology. [Grand Rapids, Mich.]: Zondervan, 2008. Print.

Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy. Bromley: STL, 1976. Print.

Total Depravity & Imago Dei

Humanity is one of God’s most intricate and interesting creations. Humans do many things that no other creature has done. We have recorded language, built complex infrastructure and even chewed gum. While some of these things are incredible, there is one thing that really makes Humanity stand out.  Humans were and are created in the image or likeness of God. We are also in a state of what Augustine called “Total Depravity”. How can this be so? We will explore the depths of what it truly means to be made in the image of God and the fine balance that connects “imago Dei”(image of God) and total depravity.

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? There are three places in Genesis where the text directly says  that man is created in the image of God (Genesis 1.27, 5.1-3, 9.6)  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (1.27 English Standard Version).” We even see this image of God traveling with mankind through Adam’s genealogy. “This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (5.1-3).” Adam “fathered a son in his own likeness”. What does this mean? God created Adam in his likeness and Adam’s son was created in the likeness of Adam. Therefore by transitive property the likeness of God was passed on to Adam’s son.

Sure the Bible says we were made in the image of God, but does the world take notice of this? Hamlet in one of William Shakespeare’s many plays cries out, “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god!” Shakespeare known for his wit and way with words captures perfectly how society would see God’s likeness in man.

So what does it really mean for man to be created in the image of God? Many different understandings of this have popped up throughout Church history. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and John Calvin all had separate ideas to what this meant. Augustine understood the image of God as the reflection of the triune persons of God mirrored in the distinct yet unified intellectual capacities of memory, intellect, and will. Thomas Aquinas saw the image of God to be squarely in man’s reason, by which we have the ability to know and love God. John Calvin on the other hand saw the human soul as composing the image of God. Calvin meant by this that both the heart and mind of a man compose the image of God.  It is through this that man has the capacity to know and love God. Calvin like Aquinas believed that sin had “deformed” this image but by God’s grace we retain the distinct capacities of reason and will so that we may love him.

Biblical scholars today still have not come to a solid consensus on what it truly means to be made in the image of God. Most people agree that it means that humans are created in the image of God recognizing some special qualities of human nature, which in turn allow God to be made known to humans. It is interesting to note that Christ himself is called the image of the invisible God in Colossians 1.15, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Does this bring any clarity to being made in the image of God? Not necessarily, it only brings union between Christ being the last Adam and Adam being the first Adam (1 Corinthians 15.45). This can also be seen as further evidence that humanity continues to be made in the image of God.

What exactly does it mean for humanity to be in total depravity even though we are made in the image of God. Total depravity can be defined, as the unsaved have no love for God or one other, in some manner or another, every thought and action performed by the unsaved is tainted by sin. Total depravity does not mean that everyone although deprived by nature indulges in every form of sin. It also does not mean that a person cannot appreciate acts of goodness. It does however mean that sin in all of its corruption extends to all men so that there is nothing men can do naturally that will give him merit in the sight of God.  Concluding this means that mankind even when attempting to do something that is “good” still is tainted by sin. Whether this is pride, which Tim Keller calls the carbon monoxide of sin we cannot know.

The clearest Scripture on the topic of total depravity is Romans 3.9-18. Here Paul states:

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3.9-18).

Paul is conveying very clearly that humanity as a whole is deprived. No question in his mind.  He speaks so clearly about the condition of man “No one seeks God”, “no one does good, not even one”, “none is righteous”.  Else where in scripture there is a clear indication of mans deprived condition such as Romans 3.8-9. Further passages in scripture confirm this, John 5.42, “But I know that you do not have the love God in you.” 2 Timothy 3.4, “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” The list of scripture that speaks on the fallen nature of man is overwhelming, in addition to those mentioned we must recognize Romans 8.3-4, Romans 13.10, Matthew 10.37-39, and Romans 1.21-23 as well.

Total Depravity does indeed exist. We must recognize this in order for humanity as a whole to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How do we balance man being made in the image of God yet being in a state of total depravity? Having the image of God means in laymen terms that we were made to resemble God. Adam did not resemble God in the sense of God having flesh. Scripture tells us “God is spirit” (John 4.24). God therefore exists without a body. The image of God references the immaterial part of man.  It is a likeness, intellectually and morally. It sets man apart from the rest of the world. Intellectually man was made to reason, Morally man was created righteous, a reflection of God’s holiness. Socially man was created as a personal being to fellowship with other beings.

Total depravity has tainted that image of God in us. Adam who was created in the image of God tainted the original image upon sin. In turn became depraved and sinful by nature. Just as God transmitted His imaged to Adam, Adam transmitted his image to his son Seth.  This image that Adam transmitted contained the image of God, unfortunately a spiritually dead and depraved image. Man continually was allowed to act in God’s likeness being able to reason and intellectually adapt.  Morally we were created to reflect God’s righteousness now we can only do evil.

That is not the end of the story though. God’s plan for redemption for his people is in full swing.  God’s grace has allowed humanity to retain that image and given us the opportunity to share in his Kingdom and be the incredible human beings that we are. Made in his image, yet completely deprived.

Hebrews, 1 Peter, and James

The New Testament is filled with different authors, letters and stories that all capture God’s plan of redemption for His people.  With 27 books total there are many different facets of Christianity expressed in each book. Each book gives believers a clearer look at the richness of Christian truth. Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter are three books of the New Testament that will be compared, contrasted and discussed to give us a deeper understanding of Scripture.

The letter ‘to the Hebrews’ is an anonymous letter that appeared in the New Testament following the letters attributed to Paul. Some scholars maintain Paul wrote the letter but the true identity of the author is unknown. The title ‘to the Hebrews’ is not actually in the text of the book, but is based off of deductions made throughout the letter. The letter was written to exhort Christians to persevere through persecution relying on the superiority of Christ Jesus. This letter was probably written between 60 and 70 A.D. Hebrews is not the oldest book in this discussion however, that distinction belongs to James.

Written approximately 40-50 A.D. The author of James is Jesus’ half brother James.  Most likely the oldest sibling, James might also be the oldest book in the New Testament. James was saved after the resurrection appearance of Christ (1 Corinthians 15.7). James was also the Bishop of the Jerusalem Church (Acts 21.18, Galatians 2.9).  The purpose of James is to exhort the early believers to Christian maturity and holiness of life.  Many scholars have claimed that James and the apostle Paul had different theological perspectives on the question of works versus faith. In reality, the spiritual fruit that James talks about simply demonstrates the true faith of which Paul wrote. James was martyred about 62 A.D. for his faith. Peter, the author of the third New Testament book in this discussion, was also martyred for his faith.

Peter, the author of 1 Peter, is one of Jesus’ twelve disciples (1 Peter 1.1).  His name at birth was Simon, but Jesus, on meeting him, said he would be called Cephas (John 1.42). The word in English means “stone” or “rock.” First Peter is addressed to Christians scattered throughout five Roman provinces of the peninsula of Asia Minor.  The churches in those provinces were made up of both Jews and Gentiles. The purpose of 1 Peter was to encourage Christians to face persecution so that the true grace of Jesus Christ would be evident in them.  Peter wrote this epistle apparently just before or shortly after the beginning of Nero’s persecution of the church in the mid 60s A.D. Peter exhorted the readers to trust the Lord live obediently, and keep your hope fixed on God’s promise of deliverance.

Now that we have a basic idea about each letter we can delve deeper to compare and contrast each letter. First we will compare and contrast Hebrews and James, then Hebrews and 1 Peter followed by James and 1 Peter. Two different authors, potentially up to 30 years apart from one another, wrote Hebrews and James. While the letters were written so far apart they have much in common.  Hebrews and James both implore believers to obey God’s word (Hebrews 3.12-4.13; James 2.21-26). Both Hebrews and James also teach that believers need to persevere through trials (Hebrews 10.19-39; James 4-5). Hebrews does this also using its powerful theme of Kadesh Barnea from the Old Testament. This theme gives readers of Hebrews a powerful reference to pull warnings from but also see what happens when believers do not persevere through trials. They both also use Abraham as an example of a man that lived by faith (Hebrews 11.17-19; James 2.21-24). Hebrews and James also have many things that make them different.  The purpose of Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere through persecution relying on the superiority of Christ Jesus. Comparatively the purpose of James is to exhort early believers to Christian maturity and holiness of life. Both are sharpening and harmonizing our approaches to living for Christ, even though they were written so far apart.

Hebrews and 1 Peter were written much closer together chronologically and are only separated by James in the canon of the New Testament.  Peter’s letter to the churches in Asia Minor revolved around the theme that Christians should joyfully accept righteous suffering in order to manifest God’s glory. While 1 Peter revolves around the theme of righteous suffering, Hebrews only briefly touches on the suffering of believers (Hebrews 10.32-33). On the contrary Hebrews focuses almost exclusively on the superiority of Jesus Christ. Two Biblical concepts that 1 Peter and Hebrews both touch on are the Gospel message of salvation and the call to being Holy. The author of Hebrews devotes a considerable part of the letter speaking of the salvation for those who trust in Christ (Hebrews 1.1-10.18). Peter also speaks of the resurrection of Christ and the salvation offered to those with faith (1 Peter 1.3-12). The other Biblical concept (the call to being holy) is made explicit in Hebrews through four warnings: do not drift from God’s word (Hebrews 2.1-4), do not disobey God’s word (Hebrews 3.12-4.13), do not disqualify yourself (Hebrews 5.11-6.20), and do not desert God’s plan (10.19-39). These four warnings call upon believers to imitate the example of Christ. To steal a verse from 1 Peter, he commands believers: “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (English Standard Version, 1 Peter 1.15-16). 1 Peter also uses Christ as the ultimate example of love encouraging believers in light of Jesus’ suffering (1 Peter 4.1-11). Similarly, the author of Hebrews uses Jesus as the ultimate example of faith to encourage believers in light. In this manner we see both the author Hebrews and Peter using Jesus as the ultimate example.

The book of James might be the ultimate example of a book with good advice about how to live a life submitted to Christ. The purpose of James is to exhort the early believers to Christian maturity and holiness of life. The purpose of 1 Peter was to encourage Christians to face persecution so that the true grace of Jesus Christ would be evident in them. While the purposes of James and Peter’s letters were different their content is similar.  James and Peter both spend a sizable portion of their letters focusing on enduring trials (James 2-5; 1 Peter 1-5). Peter dials home the point that enduring trials manifest three things in the life of a believer: holiness (1 Peter 1.1-2.10), obedience (1 Peter 2.11-3.22), and God’s glory (1 Peter 4-5). The book of James shows us that enduring trials requires two Biblical concepts that manifest themselves in God’s character: wisdom (James 1) and patience (James 4-5). The theme of enduring trials could cause these two books to tie the knot but what divorces the two is the book of James never really presents the Gospel while 1 Peter clearly speaks about the resurrection (1 Peter 1.3, 3.21) and salvation (1 Peter 1.3, 1.9-10, 2.2). This is also one of the reasons Martin Luther despised the book of James once even calling it “The Epistle of Straw”.

The three books of the New Testament Hebrews, 1 Peter and James that we compared, contrasted and discussed are definitely not made of straw.  The authors of these books provide us with a sweeping picture of the Christian life as a whole and how it should be lived out. They are full of wisdom that guides us into Biblical truth. These Biblical truths are what make these three epistles so enlightening and valuable to believers.  

The Will of God

Over the weekend I went to a conference entitled “Our Great God” held by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.  One of the speakers tackled the topic the “Will of God”.  I found the speaker Kevin DeYoung to be very enlightening on the subject and it mostly premised off of the statement, “It is about living for faithfulness and not for fulfillment.”  This quote shed light on that fact that too often Christians are looking for satisfaction and fulfillment in their lives rather than striving to be faithful to God. Dietrich Bonheoffer says in his book The Cost of Discipleship, “The road to faith passes through the obedience to the call of Jesus.” These two statements really paved the way for a clearer view on the will of God for me.

            The will of God requires us to live in the present not lamenting over the past or obsessing over the potential fulfillment in the future but merely we need to trust in God who has his sovereign hand over all things.  Kevin DeYoung pointed out that the will of God is clearly pointed out in verse 1 Thessalonians 4.3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” The will of God is that I live faithfully pulling closer to him to be sanctified by his Holy Spirit and cleansed by his son who died on the cross.  God’s will is that we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, which requires us to die to ourselves and live for him.

            I know it seems oversimplified, but the more I read the bible the more I begin to believe that the bible is not only for theologians and scholars, but is meant to be understood by even the simplest of men. Thomas Fuller once said,”God’s own work must be done by God’s own ways.” What Thomas is hinting at is that the God’s will can only be accomplished by those who are accomplishing God’s will. I pray that this message comes as an encouragement to all of you to walk in faith with our Lord and Saviour.

The Role of The Holy Spirit in Acts

The book of Acts fulfills the promises Jesus made about the Holy Spirit and His ministry as well as gives us a clear theological and practical picture of the Holy Spirit.  Without a doubt the least understood person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, will be exhaustively inspected in Acts.  Theologically, the divine nature of the Holy Spirit will be inspected.  Practically the active nature of the Holy Spirit will be established and the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be examined.

 The Holy Spirit is a member of the trinity.  The trinity is one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are each fully God.  The word trinity is never used in scriptures but the concept clearly exists in Scripture.  In Acts 5 we see the Holy Spirit’s divinity laid out by Peter while he is addressing Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit:  “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5.3-4 ESV).  Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God.  This elevation of the Holy Spirit’s person places him on the same level as God.

            The attributes of God are the same as those of the Holy Spirit although their personhood is distinct.  One of the attributes of the Holy Spirit is clearly stated in His name, the “Holy” Spirit.  To say that the Holy Spirit is holy is to say that He is eternally separate and distinct from all impurity. The Holy Spirit has existed eternally with the Father and Son. Look no further than Hebrew 9.14, where it states the “eternal spirit”. Throughout Scriptures the Holy Spirit is described in similar terms to how the Father and the Son are described. Once He relates to human beings in a manner that would make it very unnatural to conclude anything other than that He has traits identical to God. “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit…(Acts 15.28 ESV)”. The Holy Spirit declaring that something seemed good, echoes God in genesis “and it was good”.

Given that the Holy Spirit is divine in nature we can begin to distinguish the Holy Spirit’s role within the Trinity and practically within Acts. The Holy Spirit actively does several things in a believer’s life, teaching, guiding, filling and giving gifts. For example on the day of Pentecost Peter’s clear understanding of Jesus as Lord is a clear indication of the Spirit’s teaching him this truth. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2.36 ESV).  The book of Acts amply illustrates it the Spirit’s ability to guide: “And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot’ ”(Acts 8:29 ESV). “And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them’ ”(10.19–20 ESV).  We also see this in Acts 13.2, 16.6–7 and 20.22–23. To be filled by the Holy Spirit is to say that it will be a life controlled or governed no longer by self but by the Holy Spirit. The greatest representation of the Holy Spirit filling is the day of Pentecost. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2.4 ESV). In Acts 2.4 we also see that the Holy Spirit has the ability to give gifts.  We see here the gift of tongues, throughout Acts we also the gift of evangelism given to Stephen and Philip.

The Holy Spirit is the only means we have at our disposal to do and to be what God has called us to be. The Spirit anointed Christ in some special way at the time of His baptism.  “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10.38 ESV). This empowered Him for service for God.  This same infinite power is given to believers. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1.8 ESV).  Here Jesus is explaining to his disciples that the power they are to receive is going to be divine power and it will equip them for their ministries and lives.  This divine power will be from the Holy Spirit.

Nothing the Holy Spirit does is trivial.  Everything the Holy Spirit does is for a reason and is in accordance with God’s eternal plan.  The Holy Spirit is used by God to accomplish his perfect will. We see this most clearly through God’s plan of deliverance for man.  The Holy Spirit indwelt in Christ from the time of his baptism and the disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Continuing forward we see believers being baptized by the Holy Spirit, giving humanity a true hope.  Not only does He work in the hearts of man, but also He perfects believers, setting them apart from the rest of creation.  The Holy Spirit’s acting in accordance with God’s plan gives one a clear picture of his ministry.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the continuation of Christ’s earthly ministry. Focusing on Acts, we see the Holy Spirit working through Christ first, then secondly filling His disciples on the day of Pentecost.  “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2.33 ESV). From there, we see the Holy Spirit being gifted too more and more of Christ’s followers.  His disciples and followers continue to be led by the Holy Spirit. We see this in the form of the Spirit guiding: “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus” (Acts 13.4 ESV). As well as sometimes keeping the disciples from going certain places. “And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (Acts 16.6 ESV).  The Holy Spirit’s ministry culminating with his divine nature also gives us a clearer look at the trinity.  More importantly we are able to practically see how the Holy Spirit actively is engaged in the life of believers then and now.

The book of Acts gives an expansive picture of the theological and divine nature of the Holy Spirit.  It also allows one to practically see how the Holy Spirit ministry is played out and is a continuation of Christ’s earthly ministry. The Holy Spirit’s ministry also clearly permits us to see how He is involved in the life of a believer. The fulfillments of the promises Jesus makes about the Holy Spirit also manifest in Acts.

The Thinking?

I recently read an article in The New York Times titled “Even on Religious Campuses, Students fight for Gay Identity”. The homosexual movement across these campuses befuddles me, and I being a student at Philadelphia Biblical University am more than perplexed.  For decades Christians have handled men and women who struggle with same sex desires very negatively, in most cases condemning them from the church. There may be some churches who have been altogether unfair and unmistakably unwelcoming to people who describe themselves as homosexuals. I am afraid the pendulum has swung back too far the other way.

As Christians we are commanded to love, bearing witness to the work Christ is doing in us. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13.34-35 English Standard Version).  So we should all just bite the bullet and know that our Christian brothers and sisters are sinning and just let them do it because that is who they are.  Friends, that is not the true Gospel.

God makes it very clear in the Old and New Testament where homosexuality stands.  Homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.

“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them” (Leviticus 20:13).

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality” (1 Corinthians 6.9)

I find it very hard after reading those two verses to make-out exactly what the Christian students on these campuses are thinking. It is one thing for a Christian man to know he struggles with such desires and to be seeking help and fleeing from this sin. But, standing up for “Sin” and saying Yes! This is what I am and I refuse to change.  One mine as well slap God in the face.  What these students are saying is “God, I don’t need you I am fine on my own.”  To put it into maybe understandable terms it is the exact same thing as a drunkard refusing to turn away from the booze because it is just what he is.

Many of you reading this right now are scrolling back up to the first paragraph and asking where is the love in that?  Yes, we are to be loving and compassionate and treat homosexuals like they are, but if they are brothers and sisters in Christ we must love them in a different manner.  When approaching Christian’s who identify themselves as homosexuals we must discipline them, through the truth of the gospel allowing them to see how God truly feels about such issues.  Matthew 18 lays out for us a very clear description for what Church discipline should look like. 

What would Jesus do?  One can see quite clearly through John 4 how Christ would react.  Through His interaction with the women at the well we are shown not to run and be fearful of sinners, but be rich and abundant in compassion.  Besides we are all sinners, turning to Christ to be refined to his image. A homosexual’s sin should not keep us from talking to them about their need for a Savior.  I believe Jean Thompson a vice president for student life at Abilene Christian University said it perfectly, “We want to engage these complex issues, and to give help and guidance to students who are struggling with same sex attraction, but we are not going to embrace any advocacy for gay identity.”

Many of these students are denying help and pushing beyond that forming clubs to discuss homosexuality and fight homophobia.  There may be individuals or groups of Christians that have a lot of fear concerning interaction with gays, however it is important to remember that this is not an issue that is exclusively present in the church. I am convinced that the homosexual lifestyle is opposed to a life spent with Christ, and Christians who struggle with this should be very, very, hesitant to proudly announce they are gay or lesbian without first reflecting upon there Christian walk.  I am not saying that Christians cannot struggle with this, but simply should abide by his word and not there own. It is important for Christians approaching those who struggle with homosexuality to above all love.  “Let all that you be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16.14).