A study of the third Person of the Trinity is called Pneumatology, from the Greek word pneuma (πνεῦμα) meaning Spirit, wind or breath. Let’s explore who is the Holy Spirit.
Was the Holy Spirit involved in creation?
“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2 HCSB)
Was the Holy Spirit prophesied to change men’s hearts?
“I will take away your stubborn heart and give you a new heart and a desire to be faithful. You will have only pure thoughts, because I will put my Spirit in you and make you eager to obey my laws and teachings.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27 CEV)
What did Joel prophecy about a time which Acts 2 translates as “the last days”?
“It will happen afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28 WEB; cf. Acts 2:17-18)
Who did John say would baptize people with the Holy Spirit?
“I [John] indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he [Jesus] that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11 KJV)
Should we ask God for the Holy Spirit?
“If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13 CEB)
Does the Holy Spirit lead us?
“He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth…” (John 14:17 NLT)
What is one of the Holy Spirit’s main jobs?
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26 KJV)
Who does the Holy Spirit bear witness about?
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26 ESV)
Can we be guaranteed that the New Testament is accurate? Would any “word” supposedly from the Holy Spirit ever contradict God’s Word?
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13 ESV)
What would the Holy Spirit give the Apostles?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NIV)
How was the baptism of the Holy Spirit, poured out on Pentecost pictured? Is an immersion therefore the only picture of baptism?
“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” (Acts 2:3 NIV)
What extraordinary experience did the Holy Spirit give? Is there any indication that this would always occur?
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” (Acts 2:4 CEB)
Is the Holy Spirit a gift?
“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ” (Acts 2:38 NASB)
What can the Holy Spirit do with ordinary believers?
“After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking God’s word with confidence.” (Acts 4:31 CEB)
Did Ananias lie to the Holy Spirit? Did he lie therefore to God?
“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit … You have not lied just to human beings but to God.’ ” (Acts 5:3-4 NIV)
Is there a condition to receiving the Holy Spirit?
“And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:32 NASB)
What does the Holy Spirit flood our hearts with?
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:5 KJV)
Does having the Holy Spirit define whose side we are on?
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.” (Romans 8:9 WEB)
What designation is given those led by the Spirit of God?
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” (Romans 8:14 NLT)
Does the Holy Spirit teach us?
“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13 NKJV)
Is the Nicene Creed correct when it calls the Holy Spirit “the Lord”?
“The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 CEB)
Is the Holy Spirit mentioned as an equal with God the Father and God the Son?
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 KJV)
What fruit does the Holy Spirit produce in our lives?
“God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” (Galatians 5:22-23 CEV)
What does the seal of the Holy Spirit mean?
“... when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.” (Ephesians 1:13 NLT)
Are we saved by good works? Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit also called a washing?
“He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5 HCSB)
The Holy Spirit is the third essence of the three realities that we call God. Do you believe this mystery, testified to by Holy Scripture and all true Christian churches? You decide!
Bible E-Course 15d - God the Son
A study of Christ, the second Person of the Trinity is called Christology. Who is He? What does the Bible reveal about Him?
Who did God say Jesus is?
“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 KJV cf. Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22, 2 Peter 1:17)
Who does the Father want us to listen to?
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!’ ” (Matthew 17:5 NASB cf. Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35)
In the parable of the vineyard, did the workers respect God’s Son?
“Now the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What am I to do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the vine-growers saw him, they discussed with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ ” (Luke 20:13-14 NASB)
How did John explain who Jesus is?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made… And the Word became 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 1:1-3, 14 NKJV)
Does Jesus have life in Himself?
“For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:26 WEB)
Did Thomas recognize who Jesus was?
“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28 NIV)
Though He was the Son of God before His resurrection, what did His resurrection prove?
“This good news is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! As a human, he was from the family of David. But the Holy Spirit proved that Jesus is the powerful Son of God, because he was raised from death.” (Romans 1:4 CEV)
Will Jesus submit to God for all eternity?
“Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.” (1 Corinthians 15:28 NLT)
Was Jesus equal with God?
“... Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
What verse in the Psalms is clarified in Acts and Hebrews?
“I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (Psalm 2:7 ESV)
Jesus God’s Son?
“that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus, ‘You are my son because today I have become your Father.’ ” (Acts 13:33 CEV)
Through whom did God make the worlds?
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJV)
Was Jesus Michael the Archangel as some claim, or does this verse in Psalms refer to someone that all God’s angels worship?
“This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names. For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’ God also said, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.’ And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, ‘Let all of God’s angels worship him.’ ” (Hebrews 1:4-6 NLT)
As Son of God is Jesus also God?
“But about the Son he [God] says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.’ ” (Hebrews 1:8 NIV)
Did the Son of God literally become flesh or was He just an illusion as some claim?
“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.” (Hebrews 2:14 NLT)
Who does true Christian fellowship include?
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3 NIV)
What was the main purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry?
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10 NLT)
God the Son was with the Father from the beginning. He became flesh for the purpose of dying for our sins which separate us from God, so that we could enjoy eternity with Him. Do you cherish the Son? You decide!
Who did God say Jesus is?
“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 KJV cf. Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22, 2 Peter 1:17)
Who does the Father want us to listen to?
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!’ ” (Matthew 17:5 NASB cf. Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35)
In the parable of the vineyard, did the workers respect God’s Son?
“Now the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What am I to do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the vine-growers saw him, they discussed with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ ” (Luke 20:13-14 NASB)
How did John explain who Jesus is?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made… And the Word became 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 1:1-3, 14 NKJV)
Does Jesus have life in Himself?
“For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:26 WEB)
Did Thomas recognize who Jesus was?
“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28 NIV)
Though He was the Son of God before His resurrection, what did His resurrection prove?
“This good news is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! As a human, he was from the family of David. But the Holy Spirit proved that Jesus is the powerful Son of God, because he was raised from death.” (Romans 1:4 CEV)
Will Jesus submit to God for all eternity?
“Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.” (1 Corinthians 15:28 NLT)
Was Jesus equal with God?
“... Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
What verse in the Psalms is clarified in Acts and Hebrews?
“I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (Psalm 2:7 ESV)
Jesus God’s Son?
“that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus, ‘You are my son because today I have become your Father.’ ” (Acts 13:33 CEV)
Through whom did God make the worlds?
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJV)
Was Jesus Michael the Archangel as some claim, or does this verse in Psalms refer to someone that all God’s angels worship?
“This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names. For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’ God also said, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.’ And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, ‘Let all of God’s angels worship him.’ ” (Hebrews 1:4-6 NLT)
As Son of God is Jesus also God?
“But about the Son he [God] says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.’ ” (Hebrews 1:8 NIV)
Did the Son of God literally become flesh or was He just an illusion as some claim?
“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.” (Hebrews 2:14 NLT)
Who does true Christian fellowship include?
“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3 NIV)
What was the main purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry?
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10 NLT)
God the Son was with the Father from the beginning. He became flesh for the purpose of dying for our sins which separate us from God, so that we could enjoy eternity with Him. Do you cherish the Son? You decide!
Bible E-Course - 15c - God the Father
Studying God as Father is called patriology or paterology. God is described as Father about 15 times in the Old Testament and over 250 times in the New Testament? Why?
Is God a Father even to orphans?
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5 NIV)
Does God intend that we understand His fatherly compassion?
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:13 ESV)
What about loving discipline?
“Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11-12 HCSB)
Even if we were to be disowned by family back to our ancestors, God is still our Father.
“Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, Lord, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.” (Isaiah 63:16 NLT)
Should we allow any cultural or national background to get in the way of Christian unity?
“Don’t all of us have one Father? Didn’t one God create us? Why then do we act treacherously against one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?” (Malachi 2:10 HCSB)
To whom should we pray?
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:6 KJV)
Is God a Father who provides?
“Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NASB)
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31 NASB)
Hyperbolically, ought no other take God’s place as our one Father in heaven?
“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9 ESV)
Is God a giving Father?
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NIV)
Are there conditions?
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” (John 1:12 NKJV)
How much did God love the world?
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)
Can anyone snatch us from the Father’s hand?
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” (John 10:28-30 NLT)
How do we come to the Father?
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.’ ” (John 14:6 WEB)
Does the Father want obedient children?
“Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them.” (John 14:23 CEV)
How long has the Father loved the Son?
“Father, I want those you gave me to be with me where I am. Then they can see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24 CEB)
Does God treat us as slaves living in fear of a harsh task master or as adopted children, who call Him by terms of love?
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ ” (Romans 8:15 NLT)
Why were we made?
“We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.” (1 Corinthians 8:6 CEV)
Does God bless His children abundantly?
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NASB)
Does glory belong to God the Father?
“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:20 ESV)
Is God a generous and giving Father?
“Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.” (James 1:17 HCSB)
What is one way to tell if the love of the Father is in us?
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15 KJV)
If we have the love of the Father in us will the world even know us anymore? What manner of love has the Father given us?
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1 NKJV)
The Bible pictures God our Father in heaven as someone of compassion, loving discipline, generously providing perfect gifts, and who loves us so much that He allowed His unique Son to die for us that through Him we might have eternal life? Do you love this loving God our Father? You decide!
Is God a Father even to orphans?
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5 NIV)
Does God intend that we understand His fatherly compassion?
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:13 ESV)
What about loving discipline?
“Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11-12 HCSB)
Even if we were to be disowned by family back to our ancestors, God is still our Father.
“Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, Lord, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.” (Isaiah 63:16 NLT)
Should we allow any cultural or national background to get in the way of Christian unity?
“Don’t all of us have one Father? Didn’t one God create us? Why then do we act treacherously against one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?” (Malachi 2:10 HCSB)
To whom should we pray?
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:6 KJV)
Is God a Father who provides?
“Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NASB)
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31 NASB)
Hyperbolically, ought no other take God’s place as our one Father in heaven?
“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9 ESV)
Is God a giving Father?
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NIV)
Are there conditions?
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” (John 1:12 NKJV)
How much did God love the world?
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)
Can anyone snatch us from the Father’s hand?
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” (John 10:28-30 NLT)
How do we come to the Father?
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.’ ” (John 14:6 WEB)
Does the Father want obedient children?
“Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them.” (John 14:23 CEV)
How long has the Father loved the Son?
“Father, I want those you gave me to be with me where I am. Then they can see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24 CEB)
Does God treat us as slaves living in fear of a harsh task master or as adopted children, who call Him by terms of love?
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ ” (Romans 8:15 NLT)
Why were we made?
“We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.” (1 Corinthians 8:6 CEV)
Does God bless His children abundantly?
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NASB)
Does glory belong to God the Father?
“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:20 ESV)
Is God a generous and giving Father?
“Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.” (James 1:17 HCSB)
What is one way to tell if the love of the Father is in us?
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15 KJV)
If we have the love of the Father in us will the world even know us anymore? What manner of love has the Father given us?
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1 NKJV)
The Bible pictures God our Father in heaven as someone of compassion, loving discipline, generously providing perfect gifts, and who loves us so much that He allowed His unique Son to die for us that through Him we might have eternal life? Do you love this loving God our Father? You decide!
Bible E-Course 15b - Is God Three & One?
The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but is the concept there? How can God be both three and one?
God’s Oneness
The central prayer of Jewish prayer life is the Shema Yisrael (שמע ישראל) after its first words in Hebrew, “Hear, O Israel.”
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV)
Are two one flesh in marriage?
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 ESV)
Three in One
Do Father, Son and Holy Spirit have one name?
“Go [having gone] therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the [singular] name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 NASB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit present at Jesus’ baptism?
“After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I [the Father] am well pleased.’ ” (Matthew 3:16-17 NASB)
“And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him [Jesus], and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I [the Father] am well pleased.’ ” (Luke 3:22 NKJV)
Does this help us begin to understand other passages?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1-2 KJV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in teaching and reminding us of Jesus’ teachings?
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I [Jesus] have told you.” (John 14:26 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in testifying about Jesus?
“When the Counselor has come, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15:26 WEB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the promise of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost?
“While he was still with them, he said: Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I [Jesus] told you he has promised to do.” (Acts 1:4 CEV)
“Now he [Jesus] is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.” (Acts 2:33 NLT)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ earthly ministry?
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God [the Father] anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38 NASB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the Resurrection of Jesus?
“who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4 WEB)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the lives of those in the Spirit?
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God [the Father] dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9 ESV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in cleansing us and making us right with God?
“Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God [the Father] by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in one of the great benedictions?
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in us calling God by the endearing term Abba?
“And because you are sons, God [the Father] has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Galatians 4:6 ESV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in making us wise to know God?
“I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.” (Ephesians 1:17 CEV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in us coming to the Father?
“Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.” (Ephesians 2:18 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in God living in us?
“Christ is building you into a place where God [the Father] lives through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22 CEB)
Is there one Father, one Son and one Holy Spirit?
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6 NKJV)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in pouring out the Holy Spirit on us?
“He [God the Father] poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:6 HCSB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ sacrifice?
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God [the Father], purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14 ESV)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in choosing us?
“God the Father chose you because of what he knew beforehand. He chose you through the Holy Spirit’s work of making you holy and because of the faithful obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you.” (1 Peter 1:2 CEB)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in building us up?
“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” (Jude 1:20–21 NLT)
Heresies
God’s Oneness
The central prayer of Jewish prayer life is the Shema Yisrael (שמע ישראל) after its first words in Hebrew, “Hear, O Israel.”
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV)
Are two one flesh in marriage?
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 ESV)
Three in One
Do Father, Son and Holy Spirit have one name?
“Go [having gone] therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the [singular] name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 NASB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit present at Jesus’ baptism?
“After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I [the Father] am well pleased.’ ” (Matthew 3:16-17 NASB)
“And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him [Jesus], and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I [the Father] am well pleased.’ ” (Luke 3:22 NKJV)
Does this help us begin to understand other passages?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1-2 KJV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in teaching and reminding us of Jesus’ teachings?
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I [Jesus] have told you.” (John 14:26 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in testifying about Jesus?
“When the Counselor has come, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15:26 WEB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the promise of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost?
“While he was still with them, he said: Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I [Jesus] told you he has promised to do.” (Acts 1:4 CEV)
“Now he [Jesus] is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.” (Acts 2:33 NLT)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ earthly ministry?
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God [the Father] anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38 NASB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the Resurrection of Jesus?
“who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4 WEB)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in the lives of those in the Spirit?
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God [the Father] dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9 ESV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in cleansing us and making us right with God?
“Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God [the Father] by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in one of the great benedictions?
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in us calling God by the endearing term Abba?
“And because you are sons, God [the Father] has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Galatians 4:6 ESV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in making us wise to know God?
“I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.” (Ephesians 1:17 CEV)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in us coming to the Father?
“Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.” (Ephesians 2:18 NLT)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in God living in us?
“Christ is building you into a place where God [the Father] lives through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22 CEB)
Is there one Father, one Son and one Holy Spirit?
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6 NKJV)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in pouring out the Holy Spirit on us?
“He [God the Father] poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:6 HCSB)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ sacrifice?
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God [the Father], purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14 ESV)
Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in choosing us?
“God the Father chose you because of what he knew beforehand. He chose you through the Holy Spirit’s work of making you holy and because of the faithful obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you.” (1 Peter 1:2 CEB)
Are Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in building us up?
“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” (Jude 1:20–21 NLT)
Heresies
The scriptures do not support modalism, God as one person in three modes. Jesus prayed to the Father, not Himself. Nor do the scriptures support three gods, tritheism. God is one. Both are heresies and bad logic. The mystery of the Trinity is that God is one ousia (essence) in three hypostases (realities). Do you believe this mystery? You decide!
Luke 16 Filthy Lucre
Should we boycott corporations that deal in dirty money, or is all money really filthy lucre? Are our tainted tithes and offerings usable for heavenly purposes? Let’s discuss a shrewd business manager and his wise use of filthy money in Luke 16:1-13.
People versus Profits
Luke 16:1-4 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’ 3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’
An absentee landowner buys land cheaply from debt-burdened farmers. The farmers now work as hired hands. The manager has great latitude. Was he more generous than the owner wanted? Did he mismanage the boss’s money? The manager schemed selfishly, to avoid manual labor or begging.
Forgiving Debts
Luke 16:5-7 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ 7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’
The manager forgave his boss’s debtors. Perhaps he had been overcharging them for selfish gain. He clearly had the authority to change the bill. Or, Did the owner cheat the people in the first place? Yet, the boss commends his manager for shrewdness. The manager now has grateful friends. Was he unjust? What were his motives? Debt forgiveness is a great blessing.
Righteous Purposes for Money
Luke 16:8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.”
Is Jesus praising misuse of money? Ought Christians use even the corrupt resources of this world for any possible good they can do? Are all of this world’s teachings about money evil? Is Jesus saying to use money in manners similar to dishonest rascals, but for eternal and godly purposes?
Does this mean we are saved by works? No, we are saved by faith, but saving faith is evidenced by good works (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:14-26). Faith without works is dead. Remember Cornelius, whose prayers and giving to the poor were a memorial in heaven? Remember poor Lazarus who suffered in this life, but would welcome us into heaven.
Dirty Money
Luke 16:9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
Parables leave room for hearty conversation, deep thought and different opinions. Jesus challenges us to think about the wise use of money to benefit others. But, is not all money corrupted in some way? Jesus’ instructions were quite the opposite. He said to use unrighteous mammon to make eternal friends.
Faithful with Little
Luke 16:10-12 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
Many people misuse money. All money is on loan from God. Even a trillionaire on earth has little compared to owning the whole Universe. Can God trust us with what He only loaned us in this life? If so, He will give us actual ownership in eternity.
Serving Two Masters
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Does money master us or do we master money? In ancient Israel the wealth was spread equally in a planned system to minimize poverty, using a seven and fifty year redistribution, and kings were never meant to be obnoxiously wealthy. The jubilee system prevented some abuses of wealth. We can master money and bring small jubilees to the poor.
Wealth is dangerous and deceptive. Are we honest and fair? What is a righteous price? What is a righteous day’s pay? Wealth blinds us to the suffering of others. Wealth deceives us. Ownership is fiction. We borrow from God what others will one day control. Two important uses of money for the Christian are the Gospel and the poor. We can avoid the danger and deception of wealth by using it for eternal purposes.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
People versus Profits
Luke 16:1-4 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’ 3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’
An absentee landowner buys land cheaply from debt-burdened farmers. The farmers now work as hired hands. The manager has great latitude. Was he more generous than the owner wanted? Did he mismanage the boss’s money? The manager schemed selfishly, to avoid manual labor or begging.
Forgiving Debts
Luke 16:5-7 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ 7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’
The manager forgave his boss’s debtors. Perhaps he had been overcharging them for selfish gain. He clearly had the authority to change the bill. Or, Did the owner cheat the people in the first place? Yet, the boss commends his manager for shrewdness. The manager now has grateful friends. Was he unjust? What were his motives? Debt forgiveness is a great blessing.
Righteous Purposes for Money
Luke 16:8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.”
Is Jesus praising misuse of money? Ought Christians use even the corrupt resources of this world for any possible good they can do? Are all of this world’s teachings about money evil? Is Jesus saying to use money in manners similar to dishonest rascals, but for eternal and godly purposes?
Does this mean we are saved by works? No, we are saved by faith, but saving faith is evidenced by good works (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:14-26). Faith without works is dead. Remember Cornelius, whose prayers and giving to the poor were a memorial in heaven? Remember poor Lazarus who suffered in this life, but would welcome us into heaven.
Dirty Money
Luke 16:9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
Parables leave room for hearty conversation, deep thought and different opinions. Jesus challenges us to think about the wise use of money to benefit others. But, is not all money corrupted in some way? Jesus’ instructions were quite the opposite. He said to use unrighteous mammon to make eternal friends.
Faithful with Little
Luke 16:10-12 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
Many people misuse money. All money is on loan from God. Even a trillionaire on earth has little compared to owning the whole Universe. Can God trust us with what He only loaned us in this life? If so, He will give us actual ownership in eternity.
Serving Two Masters
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Does money master us or do we master money? In ancient Israel the wealth was spread equally in a planned system to minimize poverty, using a seven and fifty year redistribution, and kings were never meant to be obnoxiously wealthy. The jubilee system prevented some abuses of wealth. We can master money and bring small jubilees to the poor.
Wealth is dangerous and deceptive. Are we honest and fair? What is a righteous price? What is a righteous day’s pay? Wealth blinds us to the suffering of others. Wealth deceives us. Ownership is fiction. We borrow from God what others will one day control. Two important uses of money for the Christian are the Gospel and the poor. We can avoid the danger and deception of wealth by using it for eternal purposes.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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