As to the doctrine of the Godhead, people misunderstand the New Testament much more than the Old. This simply results from the theological teachings, which we inherited up to this day. But they are totally unscriptural. Even at the Nicene Council (325) there was no discussion about a trinity. Every church historian would know that the main argument centred around the deity of Jesus Christ, which Athanasius defended in opposition to Arius, who taught that Christ was created. The formulations about a trinity started from then on. They are the product of human reasonings — a total misunderstanding of the Scriptures. The words of the prophets and of the apostles were not considered. This doctrine originates from that philosophical, theological thinking. Men tried to command their own mind to believe in three persons as one God. But they did not see one, they saw three. And the turning away from monotheism to triunism was complete. They are not three, who make one —it is One, who manifests Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God above us, with us, and in us.

In view of God’s great plan of salvation we acknowledge that the one God began to act. In eternity He had not manifested Himself in any way. But in the beginning He stepped forth as the “logos” — the Word, the acting part of God. Then He manifested Himself in a body of flesh (John 1: 1). God spoke through the prophets, but His speaking in the Son was no longer a prediction, it was the answer, the result itself. We are dealing with the greatest revelation of God Himself. The One, who is from eternity, stepped into time and made history. The Word which was at the beginning was made flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). Light broke forth, a new day dawned — the day of salvation (Isaiah 49: 8). The sun rose with righteousness under its wings. New spiritual life came forth.

God began to act out His plan within humanity. We have to see that He and His manifestation are the same, despite their difference. Only is it true, that God was in Christ or can it also be true, that He reconciled Himself with us (II Cor. 5: 19)? One of the church historians referred to a statement made by Athanasius, who again referred to Irenaeus. The historian wrote these words: “For Athanasius the thought was decisive that in Jesus God Himself appeared unto us; God made Himself known to us and redeemed us; in Him we have the Father Himself.”

Martin Luther said, “The Redeemer must be God Himself, because no one else could redeem us from our terrible fall into sin and eternal death. There was not another means to save us, except through an eternal person who has power over sin and death to take the same away and bring forth righteousness and eternal life. This could not be an angel nor any creature, it had to be God Himself.” The unscriptural doctrine about a trinity became the biggest stumbling block for Jews, Moslems and all the others. Instead of looking upon the manifestation of God as Father, Son and Holy Ghost in their successive order, the human mind has set them up as three persons, sitting next to each other.

Every God-fearing person should believe that Old and New Testament must agree totally. There cannot be a single contradiction. Prophecy and its fulfilment must match, and they do! The Old Testament speaks of the fact that He would come, the New confirms that He entered into the form of man.

According to Genesis l: 26-28, Adam was created in the image of God, which was in a spiritual body. At that time God had not yet appeared in a body of flesh. Later, in Genesis 2: 7, the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth. Thereafter, Eve was taken out of Adam. Because man fell in the fleshly body, God had to come down into the same body, in order to be able to redeem us. Christ was the second Adam. On Calvary His side was opened, and through the blood His bride appeared, redeemed. She is flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone (Eph. 5: 30). We, as human beings, were to be brought back into the divine order. Therefore, God had to come to us in the flesh. But at the same time, He still remained God in the Spirit. He was as Father in Heaven and as Son on earth. This had to be in order to bridge heaven and earth, God and man.

The New Testament does testify about one God, as well as the Old. The manifestation as Father, Son and Holy Ghost did not multiply the one God. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: Hear, o Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12: 29-30). How can anyone imagine that the Lord would say something contrary to the Word of God? The apostle Paul testifies in Rom. 3: 30, “Seeing it is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” This is also a very plain statement what Jude writes, “To the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (verse 25).

Before we shall deal with the various manifestations, we like to emphasize once more on His deity, as also stressed in the New Testament. In Romans 9: 4-5, the apostle writes, “… who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” Who could deny such a statement! The apostle John expresses it like this, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (I John 5: 20).

God can reveal Himself as Father, Son and Holy Ghost and still remain the same one God. Paul gives the overwhelming testimony, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (I Timothy 3: 16). The testimony of the prophets and the apostles should be heard and accepted by all who believe. The deity of Jesus Christ is the absolute foundation for our faith. In Colossians 2: 2, Paul writes, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Only if we receive the true revelation of Jesus Christ, we shall have access to all these hidden treasures.

As to the doctrine of the Godhead, people misunderstand the New Testament much more than the Old. This simply results from the theological teachings, which we inherited up to this day. But they are totally unscriptural. Even at the Nicene Council (325) there was no discussion about a trinity. Every church historian would know that the main argument centred around the deity of Jesus Christ, which Athanasius defended in opposition to Arius, who taught that Christ was created. The formulations about a trinity started from then on. They are the product of human reasonings — a total misunderstanding of the Scriptures. The words of the prophets and of the apostles were not considered. This doctrine originates from that philosophical, theological thinking. Men tried to command their own mind to believe in three persons as one God. But they did not see one, they saw three. And the turning away from monotheism to triunism was complete. They are not three, who make one —it is One, who manifests Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God above us, with us, and in us.

In view of God’s great plan of salvation we acknowledge that the one God began to act. In eternity He had not manifested Himself in any way. But in the beginning He stepped forth as the “logos” — the Word, the acting part of God. Then He manifested Himself in a body of flesh (John 1: 1). God spoke through the prophets, but His speaking in the Son was no longer a prediction, it was the answer, the result itself. We are dealing with the greatest revelation of God Himself. The One, who is from eternity, stepped into time and made history. The Word which was at the beginning was made flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). Light broke forth, a new day dawned — the day of salvation (Isaiah 49: 8). The sun rose with righteousness under its wings. New spiritual life came forth.

God began to act out His plan within humanity. We have to see that He and His manifestation are the same, despite their difference. Only is it true, that God was in Christ or can it also be true, that He reconciled Himself with us (II Cor. 5: 19)? One of the church historians referred to a statement made by Athanasius, who again referred to Irenaeus. The historian wrote these words: “For Athanasius the thought was decisive that in Jesus God Himself appeared unto us; God made Himself known to us and redeemed us; in Him we have the Father Himself.”

Martin Luther said, “The Redeemer must be God Himself, because no one else could redeem us from our terrible fall into sin and eternal death. There was not another means to save us, except through an eternal person who has power over sin and death to take the same away and bring forth righteousness and eternal life. This could not be an angel nor any creature, it had to be God Himself.” The unscriptural doctrine about a trinity became the biggest stumbling block for Jews, Moslems and all the others. Instead of looking upon the manifestation of God as Father, Son and Holy Ghost in their successive order, the human mind has set them up as three persons, sitting next to each other.

Every God-fearing person should believe that Old and New Testament must agree totally. There cannot be a single contradiction. Prophecy and its fulfilment must match, and they do! The Old Testament speaks of the fact that He would come, the New confirms that He entered into the form of man.

According to Genesis l: 26-28, Adam was created in the image of God, which was in a spiritual body. At that time God had not yet appeared in a body of flesh. Later, in Genesis 2: 7, the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth. Thereafter, Eve was taken out of Adam. Because man fell in the fleshly body, God had to come down into the same body, in order to be able to redeem us. Christ was the second Adam. On Calvary His side was opened, and through the blood His bride appeared, redeemed. She is flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone (Eph. 5: 30). We, as human beings, were to be brought back into the divine order. Therefore, God had to come to us in the flesh. But at the same time, He still remained God in the Spirit. He was as Father in Heaven and as Son on earth. This had to be in order to bridge heaven and earth, God and man.

The New Testament does testify about one God, as well as the Old. The manifestation as Father, Son and Holy Ghost did not multiply the one God. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: Hear, o Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12: 29-30). How can anyone imagine that the Lord would say something contrary to the Word of God? The apostle Paul testifies in Rom. 3: 30, “Seeing it is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” This is also a very plain statement what Jude writes, “To the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (verse 25).

Before we shall deal with the various manifestations, we like to emphasize once more on His deity, as also stressed in the New Testament. In Romans 9: 4-5, the apostle writes, “… who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” Who could deny such a statement! The apostle John expresses it like this, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (I John 5: 20).

God can reveal Himself as Father, Son and Holy Ghost and still remain the same one God. Paul gives the overwhelming testimony, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (I Timothy 3: 16). The testimony of the prophets and the apostles should be heard and accepted by all who believe. The deity of Jesus Christ is the absolute foundation for our faith. In Colossians 2: 2, Paul writes, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Only if we receive the true revelation of Jesus Christ, we shall have access to all these hidden treasures.