Today, we move onto what’s perhaps the greatest surprise for some, the greatest mystery for others and unbelievable for many.
Selwyn introduces this ‘surprise’, as follows: “It is time now to consider what is without doubt God’s greatest surprise ever – His coming to this world in the Person of His Son. From earliest days, men and women knew that the problems which sin had created in God’s universe would ultimately be answered by a Word from heaven. But that the ‘Word’ would be God himself never occurred to them. … Our Lord, while never ceasing to be what He had always been – true God – became what He had never been before – true man. Amazing and incredible though it may be, this truth IS THE VERY HEART OF OUR FAITH. Indeed it is impossible for a person to receive God’s gift of salvation without acknowledging it.”
The first verse of John’s gospel – says it so clearly, yet it’s perhaps one of the hardest verses of Scripture to understand: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God.’ It’s my view that we cannot fully understand this verse – this side of the grave. The concept of the Trinity was defined in the early history of the Church to explain the three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In addition, we know from the old Testament, for example, Deuteronomy 4:35; ‘You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other.’ Therefore, we should be very clear that there is only one God.
I think many people get tangled up because they think they fully understand the concept of the Trinity and start to talk as if there were three gods, or that Jesus was God with a human ‘mask’, and not fully human; or that Jesus was fully human and not God; or that the Holy Spirit only represents God’s power. Many people want to modify what’s written in Scripture to try and make it sound more rational and acceptable to their way of thinking.
I think, it’s an issue of pride – as it’s hard for some to consider that some things are beyond their understanding – do you agree?
God’s greatest surprise
Today, we move onto what’s perhaps the greatest surprise for some, the greatest mystery for others and unbelievable for many.
Selwyn introduces this ‘surprise’, as follows: “It is time now to consider what is without doubt God’s greatest surprise ever – His coming to this world in the Person of His Son. From earliest days, men and women knew that the problems which sin had created in God’s universe would ultimately be answered by a Word from heaven. But that the ‘Word’ would be God himself never occurred to them. … Our Lord, while never ceasing to be what He had always been – true God – became what He had never been before – true man. Amazing and incredible though it may be, this truth IS THE VERY HEART OF OUR FAITH. Indeed it is impossible for a person to receive God’s gift of salvation without acknowledging it.”
The first verse of John’s gospel – says it so clearly, yet it’s perhaps one of the hardest verses of Scripture to understand: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God.’ It’s my view that we cannot fully understand this verse – this side of the grave. The concept of the Trinity was defined in the early history of the Church to explain the three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In addition, we know from the old Testament, for example, Deuteronomy 4:35; ‘You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other.’ Therefore, we should be very clear that there is only one God.
I think many people get tangled up because they think they fully understand the concept of the Trinity and start to talk as if there were three gods, or that Jesus was God with a human ‘mask’, and not fully human; or that Jesus was fully human and not God; or that the Holy Spirit only represents God’s power. Many people want to modify what’s written in Scripture to try and make it sound more rational and acceptable to their way of thinking.
I think, it’s an issue of pride – as it’s hard for some to consider that some things are beyond their understanding – do you agree?