Onegod, Part Eight

PART 8-WHO IS BEING CALLED GOD This then brings us to the New Testament. All the New Testament will do, as we shall see, is confirm and magnify the Old Testament. Just like Hebrews 1:8 magnified Daniel 7:14. Matthew chapter 1:18-22 tell of the foretold birth of Jesus Christ by an angel to Joseph. But read verse 23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” The “Word” that became Jesus Christ was no longer spirit. But Jesus Christ is called “God with us” because his nature was human and divine. That is the way Jesus Christ was born. So he was “God with us.” But remember he is the one being called God not the Father. How can there have possibly been only one God when John 1:1 says there was two that were God? But even so, Jesus Christ was “God with us” and that continued and confirmed John 1:1. Nothing says the Father stopped being God. Moving to Mark’s gospel. Chapter 12:18-25 reveals Jesus Christ correcting the Sadducees concerning the resurrection of the righteous. All the Sadducees were doing was testing Jesus Christ about the Mosaic Law (v.19). Why should they ask about the resurrection when they did not believe it in the first place (v.18)? Now, Jesus Christ continued: “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’”? (Mark 12:26, New American Standard). Jesus Christ quoted from the book of Exodus, specifically from chapter 3. Who is being called God in Mark 12:26? Some want to think it is the Father. But this is not true. Read in Exodus 3:14 that the name God told Moses he was “I AM.” And who did this “I AM” become? Read again John 8:58, NAB: “I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM.” Jesus Christ was this “I AM.” This is why the Jews wanted to stone him. It was not just that he claimed to have existed before Abraham. He used those words from Exodus: “I AM.” Now according to Mark 12:26 God-this “I

AM”- was the God of the forefathers mentioned. But this is one who became Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was this “I AM.” So it becomes clear with diligent searching who is being called God in Mark 12:26. And speaking of Mark 12:26, notice this in Acts 3:13: “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.” Read this verse and then read Mark 12:26. The Bible explained plainly that the one being called God in Mark 12:26 was the one that became Jesus Christ. However, the one being called God in Acts 3:13 is obviously the Father. This being the case how can both be called the God of the forefathers? Some assume the God in Acts 3:13 is the same God found most often in the Old Testament and they sight Acts 5:30 as more proof. But this is exactly what it is, an assumption. Mark 12:26 for one place reveals the above as an assumption. The God found in Mark 12:26 is NOT the God found in Acts 3:13 and Acts 5:30. Another place that proves the God known personally in the Old Testament was not the Father is found in 1 Corinthians 10. In verse 1 Paul is talking about the forefathers again. Verses 2 and 3 focus in on Moses and the Israelites. Then read verse 4: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.” The “Rock” that followed the Israelites, and for that matter was the God known personally by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the one that became Jesus Christ. And how did this God follow them? The answer: “He guided them with the cloud by day, and with light from the fire all night” (Psalm 78:14, New International Version). This is what is also found in Exodus 13:21-22. This is how the God the Israelites knew followed them. Remember that the Apostle Paul called this God before becoming Jesus Christ “that Rock” in 1 Corinthians 10:4, now read Psalm 78:35: “They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer” (New International Version). The Apostle Paul is talking about the same God and also the same events. But Paul says this “Rock,” or God, became Jesus Christ. The God the

Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of that God’s servants had personal, intimate contact with was the one that became Jesus Christ. The God the forefathers knew personally was not the Father. The question remains, however, why Acts 3:13 and Acts 5:30 say what they say. The answer is simple for those who will see the God the forefathers knew was not the Father God. The word “knew” is the key. Of course the Father God is the God of the forefathers in Acts 3:13 and 5:30. He witnessed all that took place with Abraham and the other forefathers, and with Moses and the Israelites. John 1:1-2 as well as Daniel 7:9, 13 say the Father was always there as God. But just because Acts 3:13 and Acts 5:30 call the Father the God of Abraham, etc., does not mean he was the God they knew as God. This also does not mean the Father is the only one called God there is. Mark 12:26 with Exodus 3:6, 13-14 show clearly the God the forefathers knew-interacted with and dealt with-was not the Father. So those who think there is only one God throughout the Holy Bible can not use Acts 3:13 and Acts 5:30 to try and prove this. The Bible shows why they can not do this. Other scriptures to look at in this part are Acts 4:24, 26; 1 Timothy 1:17, 2:5; Titus 2:10, 13; Revelation 4:8, 5:1-7, 21:22-23, 22:1, 3, 5, and Psalm 78:41, 56. The last verses to look at are found in 1 Timothy 6 and 1 John 4. First, some want to use 1 Timothy 6:16 to try and show there is only one God. Read this verse: “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting.” This verse is talking about God no doubt. But who is being called God? Those that want to believe there is only one God will say that because God in this verse can not be seen or ever be seen by humans, then God has never been seen. Again, this is simply not what is being said. Who is being called God in Acts 6:16? Verse 13 reveals that the one being called God is the Father. Verse 15 tells of the Father sending Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. But verse 16 is still talking about the Father. No human has ever seen the Father or possibly ever can. Read also John 1:18. Humans have seen the glorified, spirit-composed Jesus Christ. John 20:28 for one place says so. So 1 Timothy 6:16 is talking about the Father. But the

general term “God” can not be used for every scripture which the word “God” is used. 1 Timothy 6:16 says the Father is the one being called God and the one who may not ever be seen by humans. But because the above is so does not mean “God” has never been seen.” This takes us to Exodus 33. This chapter deals with the God Moses knew speaking to him. In verse 18 Moses asks to see God, to see what God looked liked. Verses 19-20 tell of God saying Moses would see what he looked liked but not see his face. Now verses 21-22 have God telling Moses he will put Moses in a rock cleft, and while God passed by he would cover Moses’ face with his hand. But read verse 23: “And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.” Who is this God that Moses saw? Remember Moses saw God’s back parts. Those who teach there is only one or ever has been only one God will say this is just a “manifestation” of the one God. But yet John 1:1, Psalm 110:1, Hebrews 1:1, 8 and other verses do not fit into this teaching. Who is the God Moses saw and spoke to? Exodus 3:14 with John 8:58 and John 18:1-6 says this God is the one that became Jesus Christ. And this God is not the Father. Those who want to hold to this manifestation teaching may mention 1 Timothy 3:16. But again, who is being called God? This can not be the Father. So the indication is that the Son Jesus Christ is being talked about here, the context underlines this. Now remember what John 1:1 reveals. This reveals there are TWO spirits being called God. So how can there possibly be a manifestation of only one God when the before mentioned verses reveal there are two that are God? It is worth repeating: the general term “God” can not be used to simply explain away the Holy Bible. The word “God” has to be identified in order to really understand 1 Timothy 3:16 and 6:16, John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1 and 8. What Moses experienced was really seeing the back parts of the God he knew as God. The God Moses knew as God was not the Father. Looking at 1 John 4:12, what is said concerning 1 Timothy 6:16 applies here also. 1 John 4:9-11 tells the one being called God is the Father. But the Father was not the God Moses saw the back parts of in Exodus 33:23. It is true, no human has ever seen or may never see the Father. But the God in Exodus 33: 18-23 allowed Moses to see his back parts. Exodus 33:20 says Moses could not see God’s face and live. But Moses did see God’s back parts and lived.

Based on these truths the God spoken of in 1Timothy 6:16 and 1 John 4:12 is not the God spoken of in Exodus 33: 18-23. These verses just confirm that there are today two spirits called God. This brings us to the last parts in this series. These parts will talk about how God is one but in nature. Nature means actions, ways of living, conduct of life, character and such. It will be discovered that there are two spirits that are God but they are one in nature, and this is how “God” is one.