Onegod, Part Five

PART FIVE-WHO IS SPEAKING “God speaks to us; by His great power we’re led....” So goes the hymn based on John 14:1-3. Yes, God does speak to us in many places in his word, the Holy Bible. But is all the speaking done by just one being or spirit that is God, and no others? Is every “thus saith the Lord” from this supposed “one God”? In this part five will be examined scriptures involving one claiming to be God speaking. However, the answers reached will not support there being only one spirit that is God. Only one spirit called God does not do all the speaking in the Bible. In the previous two parts we saw clearly that the Father is God, and that Jesus Christ is God also. We saw that before the human Jesus Christ was the spirit called Lord, or Eternal. This God was the personal God of those in the Old Testament. The Father God was not this personal God. The Father God did not have intimate contact and interaction with those in the Old Testament. The truth is there always was, always has been, and still are two spirits called God. In this part, we will see how who speaks as God will prove the above further. The first scripture to be examined is Genesis 1:26: “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness....” Moses inspired by God writes down God thinking and saying, then creating mankind. But notice this verse says “us.” “‘God said, let us.’” It would cause confusion to think there is only one spirit called God and then come across this verse. But the Bible tells us that in the Old Testament there were two spirits called God. Read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, New International Version). This says there was a spirit called the “Word” that was God. And this spirit called the Word was with another spirit that was called God. Obviously the spirit that was with the Word was the Father. But remember the Word was God also. John 1:1 clearly says there where two spirits called God. Therefore it is plain why Genesis 1:26 says, “‘God said, let us...in our....’” Genesis 1:26 is one of very few, if any other, scriptures where the one word “God” means two spirits that are such. The context of Genesis 1:26 bears

this out. So also does John 1:1. Genesis 1:26 shows “God” speaking but it is in the total agreement of two spirits that are each God. Just because Genesis 1:26 does not say “Gods” causes some to think it is a figure of speech regarding “us” and “our” in the context. But John 1:1, John 20:17, John 20:28, and Psalm 110:1 absolutely disprove this claim. So who is speaking in Genesis 1:26? Either the “Word”, The Lord, or the Father God is. But because their nature is one, the singular “God” is used. If only one spirit called God is all there is, how are Psalm 110:1, John 20:17,28 explained then? Next look at Genesis 1:29: “And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed....” Notice carefully this verse uses the singular “I,” which therefore makes “God” here singular. Read also Genesis 1:31. Verse 31 uses “he” in the things God made. Again, the context of this verse, like Genesis 1:29, uses the singular for God. But this does not mean Genesis 1:26 is a figure of speech because there has to be only one God based on singular usage. But who is speaking in Genesis 1:29 if it is just “I”? The answer is found partly in Genesis 1:31. But also in John 1:3: “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” The “him” here is the spirit called the Word that was God. All things were made by the Word. John 1:3 is singular in talking about that spirit called the Word. But this does not mean the Word was or is the only spirit that is God. John 1:1 states the Word was with another spirit which was also God. Now, just because Genesis 1:29 and 31 use the singular for God does not prove there is only one God. If a verse uses a singular usage, then by the context one of two spirits called God is speaking. Lets us go further to confirm this. Read: “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). This God said he would make man the “help meet” woman (v.22). But which God is this from John 1:1 and Psalm 110:1? The indications are that it is the “Word” in John 1:1 and “my Lord” in Psalm 110:1. Remember that according to John 1:3 the Father God made all things-including man and woman- by or through the Word. And also remember, “...the Word was

God.” So the Word that was God did the actual creating from the thought process of the Father God. Genesis 2:18 is identifying the creator God called the Word. But the Father God existed, too. So this reveals two spirits called God not one. Other places in Genesis are chapters 6:7, 9:12 and 22:14-16. In each case it has to be identified who is speaking, the Father or the Word. When the identifying is done it will confirm even more that two spirits are called God. The Holy Bible does not support the teaching that only one spirit is God. Now we look at a scripture in the book of Exodus. Exodus 3 reveals God called Moses to go to Egypt and free the Israelites from their oppressive rulers. But the question now needs to be asked: who is speaking? Is just one God speaking, and does all the speaking in the Bible? See how the Bible gives us the answer: “And Moses said to God, behold when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:13-14). So “I AM” is a name of God. But which spirit called God? Or is there just one? John 8:58 and John 18:5 tell the answer. First John 8:58, in response to the Jews Jesus Christ said: “I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM” (New American Bible). This is the same thing that Exodus 3:14 says. But who was Jesus Christ before his human birth? See the plain answer: “And

the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Before Jesus Christ’s human birth he was the “Word.” But this “Word” according to John 1:1 was God. And this is the God that said his name was “IAM” to Moses. Jesus Christ called himself “I AM” in John 8:58 because that is exactly who he was. So Exodus 3:13-14 are talking about the “Word,” which took other names as the Lord God or Yahweh. The God that spoke to

Moses was not the Father. But the Father surely existed. He was not known personally but he existed at the time. John 18:5 reveals Jesus Christ again confirming that he was the God that originated this name to Moses in Exodus 3:14. In Exodus 3:14 Jesus Christ was the Word that was God. The Father God did not become the human Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ saying “I AM” reveals he was the personal God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, and all the other servants at the time. Next is a scripture in the book of Deuteronomy: “See how I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39, NIV). Surely, this verse by context proves there is only one God. With all the “Is,” this must be true. However, this verse is saying no such thing. First, the God speaking to Israel is the only God they knew so intimately. And evidence in the Bible reveals this to be the God that became the human Jesus Christ (John 1:14). The Israelites knew only this God, so naturally this should be the only God that carries out the functions listed and more also. Second, in “there is no god besides me,” the word “god” is in a lower case “g.” God does those functions and more is the point being made here. No other “god” does even somethings that the true God does. But the fact that god is in a lower “g” does not mean there is only one spirit called God and no more. Look at John 1:1 for the very beginnings. Look at John 20:17 and John 20:28 for who was God after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In each scripture whoever is called “God” the “g” is found in the upper case. This shows absolutely that these spirits are God. Each of the above verses reveals two spirits, not one spirit, called God. There is no way possible that Moses could have written what is said in Deuteronomy 32:39, “there is no God besides me,” because it was not the truth. There was another “God” besides the God the Israelites knew and this was the Father. Psalm 110:1 unarguably tells this. Deuteronomy 32:39 is saying there is no other god, or even gods, besides the true God the Israelites knew. These other gods were false. And what is true and what is false can not stand together for long. Some may bring up 1

Chronicles 17:20. The “g” in “God” is upper case. First, this is not the God David and his forefathers knew speaking. This is King David speaking. Going back to Exodus 20:3, Exodus 23:13, Deuteronomy 32:39, NIV version, and Hosea 13:4, the God here speaks of god or gods besides him in a lower case “g.” As mentioned above, Moses could not have quoted his God in Deuteronomy 32:39 saying, “There is no God besides me.” The Holy Bible proves that in the Old Testament this was not true. Now, second, David and the forefathers were plainly told by the God they knew that this God was their one God-their personal God (1 Chronicles 17:22). The “God” David gives an upper case “g” to, and rightly so, was the only God he knew. So naturally this is how David would feel and be quoted as speaking. David did not know personally the one called the Father. It was not in God the Father’s plan that he be known at David’s time. David said what he said in 1 Chronicles 17:20 because this was what the God he knew told him. This God told the same to Moses and the Israelites also. See Deuteronomy 4:35. And finally, 1 Chronicles 17:20 is also a scripture regarding worship, service, and recognition. This is detailed in Part 2. 1 Chronicles 17:20 does not in any way prove there is and always has been literally only one spirit that is God. God’s word the Holy Bible has to be viewed diligently for what it is saying or it is taken for granted. God the Father and Jesus Christ are responsible for their jobs in such matters. But Christians have to be responsible for their jobs in such matters also. The Bereans were called “more noble” because they did their jobs. See Acts 17:11. Let us move to the book of Psalms for more truth. Read: “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God” (Psalm 50:7). This God says he is the Israelites God. But who is speaking? Now, for the answer look at another scripture from Psalms: “The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). Who is speaking here, though? First, in Psalm 50:7 notice how the wording is so personal. It says “thy God.”

Then in the beginning of Psalm 110:1 it says ‘‘my Lord.” This is talking about the same God-the personal God Israel and David both knew. The personal usage reveals this as the same God. So the God speaking in Psalm 50:7 is the same God called “my Lord” by David in Psalm 110:1. But now Psalm 110:1 talks of some other God speaking. But we see this is not the personal God of David or the Israelites. Psalm 110:1 reads, “The Lord said....” “The Lord” here is none other than the Father God. So what Psalm 50:7 and Psalm 110:1 are showing is two different spirits speaking each called God. Those who teach there is only one God can not establish this with the Old Testament. This teaching is contrary to the Bible, as shown by those verses from Psalms. There are many more scriptures from the Old Testament that prove by who is speaking there are two spirits called God. A few more will be looked at in the Prophets before seeing the New Testament. First read Isaiah 42:1: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with who I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations” (NAB). Most will agree this verse is talking about Jesus Christ. But who is talking about Jesus Christ? Verses 5-6 tell it is God the Lord doing the speaking. But again, who is the spirit that is God? It is either the Father God, not identified as such, or the Word that was God also speaking of Jesus Christ the human. But whichever it is just confirms the point of this part: there are two spirits called God. If there is and was only one God then who was in heaven when the Word became Jesus Christ? Nobody? The answer is the Father was in heaven! But according to John 20:17 the Father is God. The Father still is God. At the time of Isaiah 42:1 the human Jesus Christ did not come yet. We know from John 1:14 that the Word as God became Jesus Christ. But Isaiah 42:1 is saying this is for the future. So the Word was still God at the time Isaiah 42:1 was prophesied. This means the Father God existed and the Word existed as God also. And this once again proves two spirits are God. The Father most likely is the one speaking in Isaiah 42:1, 5-6, but this just confirms the truth two spirits are God. See Matthew 12:18. Other verses in Isaiah: Isaiah 44:8; 45:5, 18; and 57:18, 21 (see again Psalm

110:1). The last Prophet looked at will be Ezekiel. The scriptures are so numerous for God speaking “thus saith the Lord.” But each verse has to be examined to see who and what God is speaking. We will look at one, notice: “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 34:1). This chapter is talking of future events. But the God speaking is speaking of knowing the House of Israel personally. Verses 6, 10-11, 15 and 30 show this absolutely. The God speaking therefore is the Word that was God besides the Father God. Just because “I” is used in Ezekiel 34, however, does in no way prove there is and always has been one God. Teachings that God is somehow, unscriptural in fact, three persons, entities, individuals, or aspects are wrong. Those that think usage is such as “I” and “me” used of God proves there is only one God are assuming this. Assuming does not draw anyone closer to God the Father, finding and looking for the truth does.