That I May Know Him (Mid-Week Bible Study)

Objective: Who is Jesus Christ? Explaining the Validity of Worshipping God in Jesus and the Theology of Trinity

Introduction: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Phil 2:6-8

• The divine nature
• The human nature
• The divine nature
• Who being in the form of God (v. 6) John 1:1; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3
• He thought it no robbery to be equal with God; did not think himself guilty
  of any invasion of what did not belong to him, or assuming another’s right
  His Human nature John 10:30
• He was made in the likeness of men, and found in fashion as a man Heb 2:7
• He further humbled himself by taking the form of a servant.

The Nature of Christ

The “Kenosis” of Christ
Gr. kenoo, to empty out, drain. It is translated to:

• make void 1 Cor. 9:15;
• make of none effect 1 Cor. 1:17;
• be in vain 2 Cor. 9:3;
• make of no reputation or emptied Himself Phil. 2:7.

What did Christ empty Himself of?

• Equality with God Phil 2:6-7; Jn 10:30

• God-form or God-body, the spirit body that He lived in from eternity, to take human-form Phil 2:6-8; 3:21; Mt 1:18-25; Lk 1:35; Jn 1:14

• Immortality of body 1 Cor 15:3; Ps 16:10; 1 Pet 2:24

• The glory that He had with the Father before the world was Jn 12:23; 17:5; Phil 2:5- 11

• His authority in heaven and in earth, which was given back to Him after the resurrection Mt 28:18; Phil 2:9-11; Eph 1:20-23

• His divine attributes and outward powers that He had with the Father from eternity. Jn 2:11; 3:34; Isa 11:1- 2

The Trinity Basics

Rom 1:20 AMP, Gen 1:26-28, 1 Cor. 15:35-38

• God has been seen bodily by human eyes many times Gen 18:1-33; 32:24-30; Ex. 24:11; 33:11-33; Josh 5:13-15; Judg 6:11-23; 1 Chr 21:16-17; Job 42:5; Isa. 6; Dan 7:9-14; Acts 7:56-59; Rev 4:2-5; 5:1
• The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, each Person is fully God, and there is only ONE God.

Some Proofs That The Trinity Exists

• The word ONE means one in unity as well as one in number. It means unity in 1 Jn 5:7; Jn 17:11; 22-23
• The father is called God 1 Cor 8:6
• The son is called God Isa 9:6-7, Heb 1:8, John 1:1-2, 20:28.
• The Holy Spirit is called God Acts 5:3-4.
• Names of God prove plurality of persons. Elohim is the word for God in Gen 1:1 and in over 2700 places in the old testament.
• Plural nouns are used for God, proving plurality of persons Gen 1:26; 3:22; 11:7. Man is become as on of us prove plurality of person Gen 3:22
• Three self-acting persons—the Lord God, the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit, are referred to
• as blessing, anointing, sending, and doing things for one another in Isa 11:2; 42:1-7;
• 48:16; 59:21; 61:1-2; 63:1-14; Zech 12:10–13:2
• There are three distinct and separate witnesses that bear witness of Christ 1 Jn. 5:5-11, 13,
• Both God and man require this many personal and separate witnesses to confirm any point Mt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1.

Proofs Jesus Is Not the Father

• The Father was in heaven all the time Jesus was on earth Mt 5:16, 48.
• Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father Col 3:1-4
• Jesus said He would confess men ”before my father”, proving He is not the Father Mt 10:32; Rev 3:5.
• Jesus always prayed to the Father as a separate person Mt 11:25; Jn 17.
• The Father existed ”outside” the body of Jesus, so He could not be Jesus, Mt
• 2:12; Jn 12:27-30.
• Both Jesus and Satan refer to a God separate from “Jesus” Mt 4:6-10.

Holy Spirit Not Jesus Or the Father:

• The Holy Spirit is “another” from both the Father and the Son Jn 5:32; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26;16:7- 15.
• He has been seen with the natural eyes as a separate person from the Father and the Son Mt 3:16-17; Jn 1:31-34; Rev 4:5.
• He is symbolized as a separate person with Christ, both of them before God who sits on a throne Rev 1:4-5; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.
• He could not be sent from God until Christ was glorified but would then be sent from both the Father and the Son Jn 7:37-39; Acts 2:33-34.
• He was sent from the Father to endue Jesus with power, which required three persons: the one who sent Him, the one being sent, and the one who received Him Acts 10:38; Isa. 11:2; 42:1-7.

Conclusion

The concept of Trinity is one of our foundational doctrines. Though it can be
confusing, we know that God is one and three at the same time, but not in the
same way. We have ONE God in essence, with 3 personalities – Father, Son
and Spirit.

Questions ?????

Thank You