THE DEITY OF CHRIST

       PART THREE

This is the final installment in the Deity of Christ series. We previously looked at places where Old Testament references to JEHOVAH were unquestionably applied to Christ in the New Testament. I want to continue in a similar vein by presenting several places in the New Testament where God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are indiscriminately spoken of as the force behind The Gospel, The Church, The Kingdom, etc. I again want to limit the inquiry to the writings of the Apostle Paul, both because he wrote so much of the New Testament, and also because he would be, with his past life as a Pharisee, so sensitive to the charge of blasphemy if the oneness of God should be confused in his letters. (For the third time, I remind you that for Paul, to question the Oneness of God would be the worst kind of blasphemy. Hence he would not speak as he does unless he was absolutely convinced about the Deity of Jesus).

THE GOSPEL

Paul says that the Gospel is the message that he preached. He also says in Gal.1:6-9  that it is a particular Gospel and clearly defined, I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  Which is not another.  The two occurances of “Another” in verses 6 and 7 are the translation of two different words in Greek, and are of great importance to us. The first “Another” is the Greek Adjective HETEROS, (Strong’s Dictionary #2087) found in our English word “Heterosexual”, and means “Another of a different kind”. The second “Another” in verse 7 is the Adjective ALLOS, (Strong’s #243) and means “Another of the same kind”. So that the verse may be expanded to read “You have moved to different Gospel, that is not at all the same as the one by which you were saved.” Paul continues: but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. So if anyone, even an angel from heaven should come preaching any other gospel, and he refers to it as “the gospel of Christ”, that that person should come under the ANATHEMA of God, that is the curse of God! And then in I Thess. 2:2 this very same Gospel, since there is only one, is presented as the Gospel of God. But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. Be aware also that it is not only one Gospel throughout, but it is also the same Gospel that was preached to Abraham so long ago, and which brought salvation to the Patriarch. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Gal. 3:8.

Because this Gospel is the power of God, Paul is not ashamed to defend it. But Paul again notes that it is the Gospel of Christ!  And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: I Thess 3:2 and again, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom. 1:16

And God will take vengeance on those who are not obedient to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus! In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  I Thess. 1:8.

THE CHURCH

Paul writes that the Churches in Christ should greet the Saints in Rome. Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. Rom. 16:16 (We do it with a holy handshake, never mind that kissing stuff!) But he is also comfortable calling these same Churches “The Churches of God” in Gal. 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:  Then, for our instruction, and to remove all confusion, the Holy Spirit has the Apostle combine the first two persons of the Godhead in I Thess. 1:1, where he calls the Church  … the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In all of the above references it is clear that Paul does not see a distinction between God and Christ. The Church may be in God, in Christ, or in both, because for Paul it amounts to the same thing!

THE KINGDOM

The Kingdom of God that Paul preached in I Thess. 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. is also the Kingdom of Christ, God’s beloved Son for which we give thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Col. 1:13 But not surprisingly, it is also the Kingdom of God  and  Christ. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Eph. 5:5.

THE WORD OF GOD

Paul tells us that his ministry is to fulfill the Word of God. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God  Col. 1:25  And he thanks God that the Thessalonians have accepted the message which they heard as the very Word of God, because that in truth is what Paul preached. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. I Thess. 2:13.  But once again, in the same Epistle Paul can thank God that from them has sounded out the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ! For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. I Thess 1:8

The Word is further defined as the Word of Christ that dwells in/among us, providing wisdom and grace in our hearts  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. 3:16.

THE PEACE OF GOD

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Phil. 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Eph. 2:14 For he is our peace (Christ), who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Col. 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE LOVE OF GOD

Rom. 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom. 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THE MYSTERY OF GOD

Eph. 3:8-9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 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:

Eph. 3:3-4 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Col. 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

THE POWER OF GOD

Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

II Cor. 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me

THE HOLY SPIRIT

In I Pet. 1:11  and I John 4:2, We learn that the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God. 

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

THE DAY OF THE LORD

The “Day of The Lord” is also “The Day of God” and “The Day of Christ.”