What does the Bible say?

Before Jesus Christ appeared, the writings of the Old Testament had for centuries been revered by the nation of Israel (the Jews) as the revelation of their God who had delivered them from Egypt at the Exodus. What impression had they gained about the nature of God? The answer is clear from the following quotation:

“Having affirmed the existence of God, Judaism really lays down only one basic idea about Him which is a recognised dogma – the Unity of God. ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.’ This is immediately a negation of the polytheism of the ancient world with its numerous deities. It is a repudiation of the idea that there are two gods or two creative sources of existence, one of good and the other of evil. It is also a clear denial of the idea of a trinity – three gods in One which is the established doctrine of Christianity. For Judaism there can be absolutely no compromise at all in this fundamental concept of the Only One God who is the ultimate creative source of all life and death, the elements of nature and history and the power behind all forces, physical and spiritual.” (C. Pearl and R. Brookes, A Guide to Jewish Knowledge, pages 96,97)

To this day the orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity remains a great obstacle for any Jew inquiring into the Christian religion.

In these days of hazy ideas we need to remind ourselves that the Old Testament we possess is the same collection of writings revered in Jesus’ day as the word of God. Jesus himself described them as “the law, the psalms and the prophets” and said that in them were prophecies of himself. In Psalm 2 we read:

“Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (verses 7,8)

Certain clear conclusions arise: God has anointed one who is to rule for Him (“my King”, verse 6) over all the nations of the earth. But he is God’s Son, because he has been “begotten”. The ruler is not God; he is the Son of God; and he began to exist on the day he was “begotten”. Like all sons, he is preceded by his Father. The whole of this general teaching is summed up in the first verse of the New Testament:

“The book of the generation (or birth) of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)

Now when this “Son” first appeared among men, how does he regard himself? There can be no doubt about the answer: Jesus always speaks of himself as subordinate to the Father, as dependent upon Him for all his teaching and all his works. These are some of his own sayings:

“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do …” (John 5:19)

“My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me.” (7:16, RV)

“My Father is greater than I …” (14:28)

When he is accused by the Jews of “making himself God”, he denies the charge and says, “I am the Son of God” (John 10:34-36). He even declines to allow himself to be called “good”. When he is addressed as “Good Master”, he replies:

“Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” (Mark 10:18)

In his great prophecy uttered shortly before he was crucified, Jesus speaks of his own coming back to the earth to reign:

“Then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory … But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:26,32, RV)

When he has risen from the tomb, this is his message for the disciples:

“Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17)

There can be no doubt about the view held by Jesus himself: in everything the Father was superior; the Son was dependent upon Him.

Objection

Now it is sometimes objected that the passages we have quoted all refer to Jesus “in the days of his flesh”, as a man, and cannot be applied to him in his exalted state. Let us investigate what scripture says. The time came when Jesus was raised from the dead; his mortal nature was changed to immortality; and he ascended to heaven, there to sit in the place of honour at the Father’s right hand:

“He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death … Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11, RV)

The exaltation of Jesus to a place of honour in heaven was the work of the Father. It is He who is to be glorified. All the decisive events in the life of Jesus are ascribed to God the Father. It is God who has made Jesus “both Lord and Christ”, and who has appointed him “to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 2:36; 10:42).

Many times the apostles refer to God and Jesus in their present relationship in heaven. This is how they do it:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7)

This precise wording is repeated in a number of the epistles. In Ephesians it is:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ … the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1:3,17)

Whenever the allusion is to God and Jesus in heaven, they are always presented as two separate Persons, and the priority is always given to the Father.

Of special interest is the Book of Revelation, given through the Apostle John, and almost certainly to be dated about AD 90 or a bit later. In it are instances of the risen and exalted Lord himself referring directly to his own relationship with God the Father. Notice how this revelation commences:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass …” (Revelation 1:1)

In the early chapters Jesus addresses directly “the seven churches which are in Asia” (verse 4) and refers on a number of occasions to God his Father:

“He that overcometh … I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (3:5; see also verses 12,21)

These are the words of Jesus himself; they were uttered about 60 years after he had ascended to heaven and taken his place of honour at the right hand of God. They describe therefore his relationship to God in his present glorified state. Their general sense is clear: it is God the Father who has supreme authority; it is He who gives the revelation to His Son; it is His throne that the Son shares; and it is He whom the Son acknowledges as “my God”. There is no suggestion of “co-equality” in these very significant pronouncements.

But the most striking comment on the relative authority of God the Father and His Son is found in the Apostle Paul’s description of the reign of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:

“Then cometh the end, when he (Christ) shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father … And when all things have been subjected unto him (Christ), then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him (God), who did subject all things unto him (Christ), that God may be all in all.” (verses 24-28, RV)