29 Reasons

Why Jesus Christ

Was “God Of
The Old Testament”
by Jason Busa

March 2019

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Contents:
I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… 3

II. 29 Reasons Why Jesus Christ was “God of the Old Testament”………………… 5

III. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………. 72

IV. Counterarguments, Questions, and Answers………………………………….….74

V. References: Proof that the teachings of HWA, WCG and current day

COGs have been mischaracterized by proponents of the new theory.……….….110

VI. Endnotes……………………………………………………………………….…… 202

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I. INTRODUCTION
This research paper was prompted by a doctrinal controversy that developed in one of
the current Church of God groups, based on the theory that God The Father was the
Being who most often interacted with the prophets and patriarchs in the Old
Testament, instead of Jesus Christ. In other words, God the Father Himself appeared
and/or spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, et al.

While teaching this new doctrinal theory, proponents have also painted an inaccurate
picture of past teachings by Herbert W. Armstrong on the subject. The following
sermon excerpt is one example.

“What does this doctrine—that Christ is the God of the Old Testament—what
does that imply? That implies that the Father wasn’t around in the Old
Testament; that the words and actions were of Christ and not of God. In other
words, if you adhere to that doctrine, God was not involved—He just wasn’t
involved. He was not a personal God, He was off doing some other things
while Christ was, in effect, the God of the Old Testament.”

The assertion that Herbert W. Armstrong’s teachings about God the Father diminish
and/or downplay His involvement in the Old Testament is a serious misrepresentation of
history. And to conclude that anyone who “adheres to that doctrine” automatically
believes that God the Father was “not involved” or “off doing some other things” in the
Old Testament, is illogical. Mr. Armstrong repeatedly explained that God the Father was
intimately involved from the beginning and directed all things through the Word (Jesus
Christ).

Proponents of the new theory have also insinuated that any current day Church of God
group that embraces the “Jesus was God of the Old Testament” doctrine taught by Mr.
Armstrong is denying God the Father, and guilty of leaning toward a “Christ-centered”
or “Protestant-like” position. The following excerpt is from a letter of correspondence
on the subject.

“If we knowingly put anything before God, it is a sin. If we knowingly deny God,
it is a sin. If we knowingly attribute something to Christ that should be
attributed to God, is that not denying our Father?”

The answer is, it depends on the “something.” Attributing the words and actions of
God in Old Testament to Christ is ultimately attributing them to God the Father, since
the Father directed Christ (The Word) in all dealings with mankind. This does not
constitute denial of the Father.

This research paper will show that (A) the theory that God The Father is the one who
interacted directly with the prophets and patriarchs in the Old Testament is based on a
half truth and therefore flawed, and (B) the assertion that doctrines taught by Herbert

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W. Armstrong imply that God the Father as “not involved” or “off doing other things” in
the Old Testament is inaccurate.

It’s my firm belief that God the Father has intentionally orchestrated His plan of
salvation through The Word (Jesus Christ) since the beginning, based on all the
evidence in the Bible. By orchestrating “all things” through His Son, it forms an
inexorable link or chain—from Father to Son to humanity. This is the only way the two
Beings in the Godhead can function as a team.

It’s also my firm belief that God the Father’s mode of operation has remained
consistent and unchanged since creation. Both Father and Son are consistent in their
ways and functions. When the bible says, “I am the LORD, I do not change” and
“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever,” I believe it creates a simple
and powerful lens through which we can view the entirety of scripture. Everywhere we
look in the Bible we find a binary God with a singular vision.

It would be contradictory and inconsistent for God to operate differently in the Old
Testament versus the New Testament, for Christ is the Head of the body—the Church
—including the patriarchs and prophets. And when the plan of God is viewed from a
wide angle perspective, it makes this fact even more concrete, as explained on the
following pages.

Nevertheless, no one should take my word for it. We are each held responsible for what
we profess to believe. The truth is out there for any spirit-begotten Christian who is
hungry enough to seek and find it (Matthew 7:7).

Lastly, I created a video introduction for this research paper. Before reading any further,
I recommend watching it (assuming you currently have an internet connection). It’s
under ten minutes in length but provides an illustrated summary of the controversy
surrounding this new doctrinal theory, and some of its inherent flaws.

Click here to open your browser and view the intro video

– Jason Busa

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II. 29 REASONS WHY JESUS CHRIST WAS “GOD OF
THE OLD TESTAMENT”

#1. The Logos is a title and function

The Greek word, Logos, is a critical piece of the puzzle. It has been largely ignored by
the proponents of the new theory, and yet it is one of Christ’s titles (John 1:1,14; Rev
19:13).

This title helps define Christ’s role in the Godhead. As we shall see, the evidence very
strongly points to the fact that The Word (Christ) was and is God the Father’s
mouthpiece or spokesman—not just during His earthly ministry—but since creation. He
was The Word from the beginning.

“In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word [Logos] was with God
[Theos], and the Word [Logos] was God [Theos].”

(John 1:1)

This first verse tells us four profoundly important things: (A) Christ carries the title of
The Word, which is Logos in the Greek language—which means, word, speech,
utterance, discourse, doctrine (i.e. spokesman). In other words, Christ embodies the
physical utterance of God the Father. (B) Christ carried this title from the “beginning.”
In other words, since eternity. (C) Christ has been with God the Father since eternity.
(D) Christ is also God, a fact which is in perfect harmony with the Hebrew name,
Elohim—a plural name.

“And the Word [Logos] 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 1:14)

The emphasis in verse 14 is that the Word, which had eternally existed as The Word,
came and dwelt in human form.

It’s been implied that Mr. Armstrong took too much creative license in using the term
“spokesman” as a translation for Logos. But did he? What I found is that the term is
perfectly synonymous with the literal definitions of Logos.

Strong's 3056: (331 occurrences in the N.T.)

logos: a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech

Original Word: λόγος, ου, ὁ

Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine

Transliteration: logos

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 Phonetic Spelling: (log'-os)

Definition: a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech

Usage: a word, speech, divine utterance, analogy.

3056 lógos (from 3004 /légō, "speaking to a conclusion") – a word, being the

expression of a thought; a saying. 3056 /lógos ("word") is preeminently used
of Christ (Jn 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit.

3056 (lógos) is a common term (used 330 times in the NT) with regards to a
person sharing a message (discourse, "communication-speech"). 3056 (lógos)
is a broad term meaning "reasoning expressed by words.”

Furthermore, there is one place that Logos is actually translated as “speaker.” In Acts
14:12…

Acts 14:12:
“And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief
speaker [logos, 3056].”

So, we should not think it strange that Mr. Armstrong used the term, “spokesman.”

Additionally, here are some other words that are translated from Logos in the New
Testament:

“Communication,” “statement,” “account,” “commandment,” “saying,”

“matter,” “in talk,” “those things,” “report,” “saying,” “message,” “talk,” and
“instruction.”

Combining the literal definitions above with other scriptures that portray Christ as
God’s “speaker,” I cannot think of a more descriptive and worthy synonym than
spokesman.

The Apostle John used the term Logos to refer to Christ on other occasions (1 John
1:1-2, Rev 19:13). When we consider other names and titles attributed to Christ, they
all point to the same conclusion.

I believe Mr. Armstrong was correct in saying that Christ was and is the Word in person
as well as in print (the Bible). He is the implement through which God the Father
orchestrated everything.

It is logical and biblically harmonious to say that The Word/Christ, as representative of

the Godhead, spoke on behalf of God the Father—even in the Father’s name at times
—since creation. It was one of His primary roles and responsibilities.

(See illustration on next page.)

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Looking through the lens of scripture and piecing together various biblical symbols, we
can see that The Word (Christ) has been absolutely integral since creation. According
to John 1:1-18 and 1 John 1:1-3, He was the Logos from “the beginning.” Even more,
the scriptures are very pronounced in positioning Christ as creative agent, go-between,
and only pathway to eternal life. As shown below.


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#2. Other names and titles that are harmonious with spokesman.
The term, Logos, is not the only word that indicates Christ is the spokesman for—and
conduit to—God the Father. There are many others which, combined together, help
validate the long-held belief that Christ was divine representative of the Godhead on
earth since the beginning.

Here are 19 different terms which indicate that Christ serves as a go-between for God
the Father.

Messenger: (n) “A person who carries a message or goes on an errand for another,

especially as a matter of duty or business.” (Mal 3:1)

Mediator: (n) “A person who mediates, especially between parties at variance.”

(Heb 12:24)

Advocate: “A person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person,

cause, etc; a person who pleads for or in behalf of another;” (1 John 2:1-2)

Door: (n) “Movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway…;

a doorway.” (John 10:9)

Vine: (n) “Any plant having a long, slender stem…; the stem of any such plant.”

(John 15:1-5)

High Priest: high: “Having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or

vertically; lofty; tall”; priest (n) “a person ordained to the sacerdotal or pastoral
office; a member of the clergy; minister.” (Heb 3:1)

Apostle: (n) “One sent on a mission.” (Heb 3:1)

Bread: (n) “Food or sustenance; livelihood.” (John 6:48)

Chief Shepherd: chief: (n) “The head or ruler of a tribe or clan; shepherd: (n) “A

person who herds, tends, and guards sheep; a person who protects, guides, or
watches over a person or group of people.” (1 Pet 5:4)

Captain: (n) “A person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief;

leader. (Heb 2:10)

True Witness: true: (n) “Real; genuine; authentic" witness: (n) “To bear witness to;
testify to; give or afford evidence of.” (Rev 3:14)

Light: (n) “Something that makes things visible or affords illumination.” (John 8:12)

Image: (n) “A physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing,

photographed, painted, sculpted, or otherwise made visible.” (Gr. Eikón #1504:
properly, "mirror-like representation," referring to what is very close in resemblance.)
(Col 1:15)

Judge: (n) “A person appointed to decide in any competition, contest or matter at

issue; authorized arbiter” (James 5:9)

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 King: (n) “A male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure, and usually
by hereditary right, the chief authority over a country or people.” (John 18:37)

Rock: (n) “A firm foundation or support.” (1 Cor 10:4)

Root: (n) “the usually underground part of a seed plant body…; something that is an
origin or source; one or more progenitors of a group of descendants.” (Rev 22:16)

Foundation: (n) “The basis or groundwork of anything; the natural or prepared

ground or base on which some structure rests.” (Isa 28:16)

Teacher: (n) “A person who teaches or instructs, especially as a profession;

instructor.” (Matt 23:8)

The beautiful and consistent theme inherent in all these words is they indicate a
transmission from another source. A “door” is a pathway between two sides. A “vine”
connects the trunk to the branches. A “root” connects the plant to the soil. A “king”
receives his office by heredity. A “shepherd” doesn’t own the sheep but leads them.
And so on.

In every case, it demonstrates that Christ was and is a representative, or go-between,

for someone of higher authority… God the Father. The term “spokesman,” could live
quite comfortably on this list.

Even though it could be said that converted Christians have “direct” access to the
Father—we can go before God in prayer any time we choose—we must nevertheless
pray in Christ’s name, so that both beings in the Godhead are involved at all times.

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever
you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” (John 16:23)

“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (Eph 2:18)

“…according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our

Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in
Him. (Eph 3:11-12)

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our

Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this
grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Rom 5:1-2)

“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)

I believe these factors all point to a single, definite answer. Perhaps alone each
passage could be a worthy defense of Christ being the earthly representative for the
Godhead since creation. But there are many other things that point to this conclusion.

(See illustration on next page.)

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#3. Jesus Christ is also the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Proponents of this new theory have cited Acts 3:13 in defense of their view that Jesus
Christ was not “God of the Old Testament.” Since both God Beings are mentioned in
the same sentence, it is assumed that Peter is specifically identifying the Father as the
One who interacted directly with the prophets and patriarchs. Acts 3:13 reads…

“The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,
hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the
presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.”

Asserting that God the Father is God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is true—but it’s a
half truth. God the Father is indeed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but that fact
does not eliminate Jesus Christ as also God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The truth is, Acts 3:13 is a matter of identity not exclusivity. Peter is identifying The
Father as God, but he is not excluding Jesus from being God. To leap to that
conclusion constitutes poor deductive reasoning.

There are three important lenses required to have a proper understanding of Acts 3:13.
Failure to apply these lenses to our bible studies can lead to confusion about which
God being is speaking in the Old Testament.

1) Jesus Christ is The Word of God. It cannot be overstated how important it is

to keep in mind that Jesus Christ was and is The Word of God. This is the first
important lens which brings the Old Testament into focus. He has been the
“mouthpiece” or “spokesman” for the Godhead since the beginning.

2) The Word of God only speaks what God the Father tells Him to speak. The
second important lens is Christ’s own statements about the words He spoke.
He said, “My Father tells me what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49).
He said, “I have come in My Father’s name” (John 5:43). He said, “The works
that I do in My Father’s name” (John 10:25). This is a powerful insight into how
God transmits information.

3) There are two in the Godhead. Both God the Father and Jesus Christ carry
the divine names, Elohim and Yahweh (LORD or Jehovah). Both are equally
God, therefore equally the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. [See
#15 below.]

The same lenses (or principles) apply to similar passages, such as Exodus 3:6-8, which
has also been used to support the new theory.

Exodus 3:6-8 reads…

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 “Moreover He said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to
look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my
people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their
taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a
good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…” (Exodus
3:6-8)

Given the similarity of the phrasing to Acts 3:13 in the first part of this passage, any
person who assumes God the Father is the exclusive God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob will erroneously conclude that it must be God the Father who had “come down
to deliver them.”

The flaw in this assumption quickly becomes apparent when we apply the
aforementioned lenses that prove Jesus is also God. Could anyone rightly say that
Christ wasn’t God? No. Could anyone rightly say Christ wasn’t also God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob? No. The following few scriptures (an many more) attest to the deity of
Christ.

“Then God [Elohim] said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness…’” (Gen 1:26)

“…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and
Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of
our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet 1:1)

Christ said, “I and My Father are One.” (John 10:30)

So how should we understand Exodus 3:6-8 when it says, “I am come down to deliver
them”? Which God being is speaking?

The short answer is, the message spoken to Moses on Mount Sinai originated from the
Father and was delivered by The Word (Christ) in first person language. The Bible
explains that both God beings are Elohim, and both God beings are YHWH, therefore
The Word has the authority to speak in the first person as YHWH or Elohim—even
when the words originated from the Father.

This fact is confirmed by the many biblical passages which point to Jesus Christ as
representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament. The Word—as Elohim and YHWH
—was the divine representative of the Godhead who had “come down to deliver” the
Israelites.

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Confusion over this simple truth seems to be a result of flawed deductive reasoning.
Proponents of the new theory erroneously conclude that “if” Christ was The Word from
the beginning of creation, and was the Being who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai,
then why wasn’t the concept of The Word introduced in Genesis?1 And during Christ’s
ministry on earth, why didn’t He say “God spoke through me” in the Old Testament?2

The answer is simple: the Bible explains that the true nature of the Godhead—
especially Christ’s role—was kept largely hidden, and only revealed at the time of the
New Testament Church.

The Apostle Paul and Christ explained it…

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which

God ordained before the ages for our glory…” (1 Cor 2:7)

“…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from

generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” (Col 1:26)

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the

preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept
secret since the world began…” (Rom 16:25)

“…to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all
things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of
God might be made known by the church…” (Eph 3:9-10)

"O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You;
and these have known that You sent Me.” (John 17:25)

“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these
things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” (Luke 10:21)

“And these things they will do to you because they have not known the

Father nor Me.” (John 16:3)

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was

manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among
the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” (1 Tim 3:16)

1 (See “Counterarguments” section IV, page 75, paragraph 6)

2 (See “Counterarguments” section IV, page 82, paragraph 4)

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Truths were hidden from Israelites and Gentiles alike. Only those individuals with God’s
spirit—which were few and far between in the Old Testament—had any understanding.

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word
which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith [Holy Spirit]
in those who heard it.” (Heb 4:2)

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were

written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1
Cor 10:11)

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts…” (John 12:40)

Why were the people “blinded” and things “hidden”?

“…lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand
with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” (John 12:40; Isa 6:9-10)

God’s primary goal now is to prepare a helpmate (wife) for His Son during this age (the
last 6,000 years). He never offered His Holy Spirit to the Israelites, nor is He trying to
save the masses now.

There were a lot of concepts in the bible that were not introduced in Genesis. Without
John 1, Hebrews 1, Colossians 1 and Ephesians 3, and 1 Corinthians 8, we wouldn’t
even know that God created all things through Jesus Christ.

And why should we think it strange that there is no mention of Christ’s name—“The
Word”—in the Old Testament? God reveals more and more over time. We are told that
even the early patriarchs did not know God by His name, YHWH.

“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty,

but by My name LORD [YHWH] I was not known to them.” (Ex 6:3)

Lastly, the pre-incarnate Christ Himself—as the representative God of the Old
Testament—says He was “hidden.”

“And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand
He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has
hidden Me.” (Isa 49:2)

This fact is demonstrated by interactions with Moses who may or may not have
realized that the One who spoke to him was God the Word (i.e. Christ).

“I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will
put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command

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 Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in
My name, I will require it of him.” (Deut 18:18-19)

The passage above is truly a “meta moment.” Christ is speaking God the Father’s
words, yet was prophesying about His own future incarnation. Notice specifically that
He speaks the Father’s words in the Father’s name. And, as God, He has the authority
to do so. Christ was and is The Logos (The Word or speaker) for God, and that is His
function.

Clearly, the purpose of the New Testament writings is to illuminate and reveal deeper
information and purpose that was not generally known prior to that time.

It is a certifiable fact that the nature of the Godhead was kept hidden until Christ
revealed the full truth during His ministry on earth in New Testament times. That is why
the Apostles spent such an inordinate amount of time in their sermons and letters to
the churches to prove that Christ was God in the flesh—that He was “equal” (in
composition and Godly designation) to God the Father—and that He had a history with
Israel prior to His earthly existence.

As spokesman, there is no doubt that The Word/Christ had the authority to speak on
behalf of the Godhead—even speaking as “God Almighty” and “God Most High” in the
first person. That was His function. “The Word was with God, and the Word
was God” (John 1:1).

I don’t know why any minister in the Church would ever ask why God didn’t reveal the
truth about The Word/Logos in Genesis, when He plainly tells us why… it was
purposely “hidden.”

Paul rightly said, “great is the mystery of Godliness” (1 Tim 3:16). Perhaps that explains
why these controversies over the nature of God occur—even in God’s true Church.

Failure to apply the lenses of scripture can lead to a serious misunderstanding about
which God being was doing the physical speaking in the Old Testament. And failure to
acknowledge that the true nature of the Godhead was kept hidden until revealed by
Christ in the New Testament, can compound that misunderstanding.

Very simply, Peter’s statement in Acts 3:13 is a matter of identity not exclusivity. Both
God beings are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But only one God is the Father
and one God is the Son.

(See diagrams on the next pages relating to Acts 3:13 and similar passages.)

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#4. Christ is the Head of the body

The term “Head” should be added to the list of the other 19 stated in reason #2, but it
deserves a special focus.

We are told in Colossians 1:18 that Christ is the “Head of the body”—the church. Who
comprises that church/body? It is comprised of God’s called out ones, otherwise
known as the first fruits (James 1:18), or the wife (Rev 19:7) of Jesus Christ.

It would be impossible to argue that the body doesn’t include the patriarchs and
prophets. It must, since they will be apart of the first fruits, who will rise to meet Christ
in the air, during the first resurrection (1 Thes 4:16).

The beautiful symbolism of the prototype human family mirrors the God family. God the
Father is selecting and preparing a bride for His son (John 6:44; 2 Cor 11:2), therefore
we (the “first fruits”) are being courted by Christ—our husband to be.

Of the individuals that the Father has handpicked, Christ will ultimately decide who He
will marry, since all judgement has been committed to Him (John 5:22). And we are told
that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah and David (and others) will be among the
first fruits, so clearly Christ has already decided on them.

Even though the children of Israel were referred to as the “church in the
wilderness” (Acts 7:38), it’s clear that most of them did not receive God’s spirit (Heb
4:2). Only a few individuals received His spirit during that time. The larger group of
natural born Israelites served as a physical prototype—proving that it’s impossible to
obey God without His spirit (Rom 8:7)—and they will have their opportunity for
salvation during the White Throne Judgement (Rev 20:5,11-13).

When we consider who will comprise the “first fruits” or wife of Christ, we can only
conclude that it will encompass all of God’s spirit-begotten children since creation. And
Christ is Head of all, since He is the Head of the body.

Therefore, it makes complete sense that Jesus Christ was the divine representative of
the Godhead in the Old Testament, just as He is in the New Testament. Jesus Christ—
as The Word—was the member of divine Elohim who was tasked with transmitting God
the Father’s words and commands to mankind since creation. Christ is the Head of all,
but under His Father.

They’ve always worked together as a team, with the Word/Christ serving as the conduit
or channel of communication. Both are intimately involved and always have been.

God the Father’s involvement does not necessitate His physical presence on earth, nor
does it necessitate Him speaking by some other means except through the Word/
Christ (and on a few occasions, through angels)—no more than His involvement in our

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lives now necessitates His physical presence on earth or speaking directly to us by any
other means, other than through His Word (Christ/Bible).

#5. Christ is the Shepherd of Israel

Sheep need a shepherd. We are God’s sheep and the Father has made Christ our
Shepherd (Heb 13:20). But is Christ the shepherd of only New Testament begotten
children? Is there an inconsistency in the way God the Father operates?

Any biblical study on the usage of the word, “Shepherd” will uncover some compelling
evidence that points to Christ as the representative God of the Old Testament.

The Father has conducted everything—the entire plan of salvation—through the Word,
His Son. Including shepherding us (Matt 2:6). The Apostles correlated many things to
Christ, continually emphasizing—especially to Jewish converts—that there are two in
the Godhead, and that the Father orchestrates through the Son.

Christ referred to Himself as the “good Shepherd” (John 10:11), and then made the
following statement, referring to other spirit-begotten individuals, past and future…

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and
they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (John
10:16)

Peter added…

“…when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that
does not fade away.” (1 Pet 5:4)

Certainly, by extension, God the Father could be referred to as a shepherd—since He is

orchestrating through Christ (see Jer 23:1-6). But the repetitive theme of scripture
focuses our attention on Christ being the Shepherd of Israel. And this symbolic role
harmonizes beautifully with the other symbolic titles, such as “Head,” “Husband,”
Lord,” and “Master.”

When Jacob was old and near death, he gathered His sons and was inspired to reveal
to them what would befall their progeny in the times to follow. When speaking of
Joseph (father of Ephraim and Manasseh), he said….

“But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong

by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the

Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, and by the
Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above…” (Gen 49:24-25)

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The first part of this passage is referring to the God Being who would become Jesus
Christ. The “Mighty God of Jacob,” “the Shepherd” and “the Stone” (or Rock) are one
and the same person: The Word/Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:1-8). Notice he says, “by the
God of your father who will help you…” This harmonizes with the fact that Christ is also
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—as previously mentioned.

The second part of this passage refers to the “the Almighty” which must be God the
Father. When we look closely enough, we can see many inferences to two Beings in
the Godhead throughout the Old Testament.

Consider also one of the most recited passages in all the bible, Psalm 23, which begins
with, “The LORD is my Shepherd….” Which Shepherd is that? Peter refers to Christ as
“the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Pet 2:25). Paul refers to Jesus as,
"that great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:20).

Passages in Ezekiel quote God saying…

“For thus says the LORD God: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and
seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his
scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the
places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day’…. ‘And as
for you, O My flock, thus says the LORD God: ‘Behold, I shall judge
between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats’…. ‘And as for you, O My
flock, thus says the LORD God: ‘Behold, I shall judge between sheep and
sheep, between rams and goats’….’Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their
God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ says the
Lord God.” (Ezek 34: 11,12,17,20,30)

The Father could certainly claim to be “LORD God” and a “Shepherd,” but Christ is
also “LORD [YHWH] God [Elohim]” and the overwhelming emphasis in the New
Testament is placed on Christ as the “Chief Shepherd” who will “gather His elect” (Matt
24:31) and “judge” the world (John 5:22). Therefore, this passage in Ezekiel is most
likely a statement from God the Word speaking of Himself (yet all words originated from
God the Father [John 12:49]).

Lastly, Peter said…

“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the
Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Pet 2:25)

What did Peter mean, “returned”? The answer is, he was addressing his fellow Jews—
who were Israelites—who had gone “astray” for many generations, and now were
being called by God and “returned” to their “Shepherd and Overseer.” Being familiar
with the Old Testament passages, those Jewish converts undoubtedly knew what Peter

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was saying. He was referencing Genesis 49:24-25, Psalm 23, and Ezekiel 34:11-30,
among others.

This facet of Christ being the Shepherd will become more profound as we proceed and
it becomes more clear who led the Israelites out of Egypt.

#6. Christ is Lord of the Sabbath

What does this have to do with anything? It may be a small piece of the puzzle, but an
integral piece nonetheless.

What is the Sabbath for? It’s our rest day, it’s our education day, it’s our once-weekly
“reset button,” to realign us with God. And it reminds us of our true reason for being.

It also typifies the millennial reign of Christ when the whole earth will enjoy a Sabbath
(Heb 4:1-11; Rev 20:4). So it’s fitting that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath (Matt
12:8), since He will be King and Ruler (or Lord) on earth during the millennium.

Now let’s consider the very first Sabbath in history, after six days of creation. What
happened on that day? It’s not recorded in the Bible, but logic would dictate that God
taught Adam on the very first Sabbath. Which God? Elohim. Which divine member of
Elohim spoke to Adam? Would it not be the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28)? Would it
not be The Word of God (Rev 19:13)? Doubtless the words originated from the Father.

By teaching in this way, both God beings remain involved. Knowing that both God
beings work together (John 1:1-3; 5:17; Heb 1:2), it stands to reason that God Almighty
told the Word what to preach to Adam on the very first Sabbath. This is reasonable and
logical, based on how Christ taught the disciples in the New Testament, amongst the
green hillsides of Jerusalem.

Why should we believe it? Because, (1) Christ illuminated us by explaining their
relationship, when He said, “I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father
who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John
12:49), (2) Jesus Christ is “The Word of God” (Rev 19:13), and (3) God is nothing if not
consistent (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8).

Why should we attempt to contrive any other method, when so many facets of
scripture point to this conclusion, and when this method of transmission facilitates the
involvement of both God beings?

The Sabbath is the most important day of the week. It is the day when we make God
and His instruction the central focus of our day, without distraction. When both God
beings—Father and Son—are intimately involved, as they always have been. Together,
from Father to Son to mankind.

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Christ said He was Lord of the Sabbath. He did not say He would become Lord of the
Sabbath after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to the right hand of
God. It was not a title He acquired after His time on earth. He already carried that title
while on earth.

We have no reason to believe that He was not Lord of the Sabbath since creation. If
Jesus Christ said He carried a title—without any qualifiers or caveats—then it’s
reasonable and logical to conclude that He held that title since creation.

As we dig deeper into the titles, roles and responsibilities of the Word—who became
Jesus Christ, the Son—it becomes increasingly clear that the mode of communication
that God the Father designed is perfect and beautiful. Father to Son to mankind… “that
in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and
the dominion forever and ever.” (1 Pet 4:11).

#7. Christ is the conduit

Repeatedly, the scriptures portray the teamwork of Father and Son, placing the Son as
a conduit or channel to the Father. This way, both are actively involved. Father is
architect, Son is builder.

Not surprisingly, this is how any properly functioning organization operates—from the
top down. God the Father is like CEO of the universe.

The Bible is consistent. Our connection to the Father is always portrayed through
Christ. This arrangement is so consistently portrayed in the New Testament, that it
would be out of character for God to operate in any other way. It’s the only way for
both God beings to participate together, with Christ as a conduit.

Consider the following statements.

“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)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser…I am the vine,

you are the branches.” (John 15:1,5)

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9)

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have
kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10)

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the
Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26)

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 “…Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with
confidence through faith in Him.” (Eph 3:11-12)

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and
out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

“For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and
He is the Savior of the body.” (Eph 5:23)

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13)

“…through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom 5:2)

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that
all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” (John 5:22-23)

“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and ye say well; for so I Am.” (John 13:13)

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of
sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature…” (Col 1:14-15)

“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give
power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be
dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My
Father.” (Rev 2:26-27)

This list could certainly be longer, but the passages above suffice to show a consistent
chain of instruction, communication, and salvation—from Father to Son to mankind.

Christ is a conduit between man and God, demonstrating how they are both actively
involved, so that they may both be honored and glorified (John 5:23; 14:13).
Regardless, the greater glory goes to the Father (Rev 4:11).

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#8. Christ is the Root
Christ is both the root and offspring of David (Rev 22:16). “Root” (Gr. rhiza) means
source or origin in this passage, whereas offspring means descendent. A root is an
unseen source from which the trunk and branches sprout. This coincides perfectly with
Christ’s claim to be “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First
and the Last.” (v.13) As God, He preceded David, but as man He came from the lineage
of David.

On this point, Christ posed the following question to the Pharisees…

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, ‘What

do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The Son of
David.’ He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,”
saying: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your
enemies Your footstool’? If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?
And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone
dare question Him anymore.” (Matt 22:41-46)

The Word (Christ) was God’s creative implement, spiritual representative, and
messenger to mankind since creation. Naturally, as the second member of divine
Elohim, He was also Lord and Master of mankind.

David was aware of two in the Godhead, as evidenced by Psalm 110, and it’s logical to
conclude that the patriarchs and prophets knew it (see Gen 49), but it was not
generally known by the Jews during Christ’s earthly ministry, since they were blinded
(Luke 8:10) and assumed (as they still do today) that the Messiah is a mere human king
that will reign—not a member of the Godhead.

Peter believed Christ was Messiah but also God in the flesh, and Christ remarked that
this had been “revealed” to him by God the Father (Matt 16:17).

Another biblical analogy describes Christ as a Vine, from which springs forth branches
—which are representative of members in the church. God the Father is then depicted
as the “vine dresser,” who prunes the branches.

There is obvious involvement by both Father and Son, but the analogous imagery of
scripture repeatedly depicts Christ as a conduit or go-between for God the Father. It is
clearly by design, so that both Father and Son receive glory. It is how they work
together. To suggest otherwise is to deny and separate their beautiful and harmonious
relationship.

Rev 22:16:
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I
am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

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As “God of the Old Testament”—or divine representative of the Godhead in the Old
Testament—it should be no surprise that Christ would be called the “Root of David.”

Furthermore, Paul adds weight to this fact in his letter to the Colossians…

“He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all
creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before
all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He
may have the preeminence.” (Col 1:15-18)

As number one being in the universe under His Father, Christ was the instrument by
which everything was brought into existence, both physical and spiritual. He is the
Root of not just David, but all of us.

It was Christ who “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life” (Gen 2:7). It was Christ who was “the hand” that led Israel out
of the land of Egypt (Jer 31:32). It was Christ who appeared to Abraham (Gen 18) and
wrestled with Jacob (Gen 32:22-30). And it was Christ through which David was
inspired to record the prophetic Psalms about Himself (1 Pet 1:10-11; Isa 53).

David was a special figure in the bible, and Christ knew him well. He was a man after
God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), and the vessel through which Christ would be born many
generations later. Christ—as divine representative of the Godhead on earth—is the
Root of David… the conduit through which David communed with God.

#9. Christ is the revealer

Christ said we cannot know God the Father unless He is revealed to us. And who does
the revealing? Christ says…

“Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the
Son wills to reveal Him.”

(Matt 11:27)

Certainly, it’s also true that God the Father reveals the Son (John 12:37-38; Matt 16:17).
And God the Father does the calling (John 6:44). They obviously work in partnership.

As Mr. Armstrong rightly observed...

“The Lion of the Tribe of Judah—the ROOT of David—is JESUS CHRIST! No

MAN can interpret this momentous prophecy—but Jesus Christ—God the

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 SON—here standing BEFORE the throne of God the Father—here standing at
the very RIGHT HAND of God—is able to open these seals, and to REVEAL to
us the meaning…. JESUS CHRIST is the Revelator!… THIS is the Revelation
of JESUS CHRIST, which God the Father gave to HIM!” (“The Book of
Revelation Unveiled At Last!”)

“Revealer” aligns with Christ’s other titles that depict Him as a go-between. Was this a
function that Christ acquired after His earthly ministry? No. Christ claimed this position
as revealer of God prior to His death, burial and resurrection (Matt 11:27). This fact is
an important piece of the puzzle and must not be overlooked.

#10. The Earth was created for Christ

As supreme ruler over all, God the Father is the architect of the entire plan of salvation,
and He has designed a beautiful courting process and plan primarily for His son—for
Whom He created the earth.

Let’s ponder that for a moment. The earth was created for Jesus Christ. It is His… at
least until He hands it over to His Father, as the Apostle Paul explained…

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when

He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” (1 Cor 15:24).

Christ said, “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father.” (Matt 11:27). The
Amplified bible version says, “All things have been handed over to Me.” When were all
things “delivered” or “handed over” to Christ? Christ’s statement is past tense, so we
have no reason to doubt the implication, that it was prior to His earthly sacrifice.

In a sense they co-own everything. God the Father is ultimate owner, but He gave
everything to His Son (John 17:7).

Mr. Armstrong rightly said that Christ had to “qualify.” Unfortunately, this term has led
some people to the mistaken impression that Christ had to prove something to His
Father—which is not supported by scripture. In truth, He lacked nothing, (1 Pet 1:19;
Heb 9:14; Col 2:9)

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the
suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God,
might taste death for everyone. Bringing Many Sons to Glory for it was fitting for
Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

(Heb 2:9-10)

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It says, “Jesus… was made a little lower than the angels…” Why? To prove something
to the Father? To gain something that He lacked? No. Rather, “for the suffering of
death” He came, not to prove anything to his Father, but to be a sacrifice for mankind.

Christ was perfect in His pre-incarnation, perfect in earthly tabernacling, and perfect
after His ascension. Perfect through and through, and since eternity. There is no
evidence to convince us otherwise. After all, what could He possibly need to prove?
Any proof needed was for our sake, not God’s sake.

It would be more accurate to say that Christ was “pre-qualified.” His earthly sacrifice,
victory and disqualification of Satan as ruler was already pre-ordained (Isa 42:4; 1 Pet
1:20; Rev 13:8).

The use of the word qualify might also lead people to the mistaken impression that God
the Father “handed over the car keys” to Christ after His death, burial and resurrection.
This seems to be what Catholics and Protestants believe, and it begs the question…

Did Christ receive all authority only after His earthly mission? Or did He have authority
from the beginning and just resumed His position after His ascension? Consider the
following:

"And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I

had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5)

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am,
that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me
before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form
of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself
of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness
of men.” (Php 2:5-7)

“The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.” (John 3:35)

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the
Son except the Father.” (Matt 11:27)

What exactly was the pre-incarnate glory that He spoke about in John 17:5? We get a
glimpse of it in the book of Isaiah, as we shall see.

And think about this… we humans are often preoccupied with our own stupendous
future, so much so that we rarely stop to consider that we are apart of God’s plan for
His son, whom He dearly loves (John 3:35).

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 “All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things,
and in Him all things consist.” (Col 1:16-17) 

Furthermore, if the earth was created for Christ at creation, and Lucifer was given
governance of earth, then who placed Lucifer in that position? Logically, it would have
been Christ. This makes Satan’s comment to Christ, “All these things I will give You if
You will fall down and worship me,” especially absurd, and clearly spoken in an
attempt to get an emotional, human-type reaction.

Christ was the implement through which Lucifer was created (Col 1:16) and through
which Lucifer (Satan) received authority over the earth. There is more study needed on
this subject and I don’t say it dogmatically, but it’s logical.

The point is, God the Father designed His 7,000 year plan—or you could even say
multi-million year plan, if you include pre-history—primarily for Christ.

We are an important component in God’s plan for salvation, but Christ is far more
prominent and far more important. Who is more important to a parent, the Son or the
wife of the Son? There’s no contest… the Son is more important. God created
everything for His Son, and the Father will not come to earth until after the 7,000 year
plan…

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father,

when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” (1 Cor 15:24)

Without a doubt, God the Father is the originator, but He has placed a massive
spotlight on His Son, the Word. Because He loves Him…

“…that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does
not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (John 5:23)

So we must be careful not to diminish the spotlight that God has placed on Christ.

#11. Christ is the arm of the LORD

Nobody disputes the fact that Christ sits at the “right hand” of God the Father. But we
rarely consider that Christ is the right hand of the Father, figuratively speaking.

The statement in John 12:37-38 (which is quoted from Isaiah 53) makes a direct
correlation between “arm” and “Christ.”

“But although He [Christ] had done so many signs before them, they did not
believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of
the LORD [the Father] been revealed?’” (John 12:37-38)

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The Jews could not believe and accept Christ because He had not been revealed to
them by the Father until that time (Isa 52:10; 53:1). Neither was the Father revealed to
them (Matt 11:27). Both Father and Son revealed each other (Matt 11:25; 16:17) and
they are revealed by God’s Holy spirit (1 Cor 2:10).

Seen through this lens, the other bible passages that refer to God’s “hand” or “right
hand” or “right arm” become more plain.

“It shall come to pass in that day that the LORD shall set His hand again the
second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria
and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and
the islands of the sea.

(Isa 11:11)

Notice in the above passage, that the LORD (God the Father) will deliver His people
again using “His hand.” Which hand? His “right hand," ergo Christ. Furthermore, it says
“again” implying that He will use the same method of delivery—the Word.

If that wasn’t clear, consider the following passage.

“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient

days, in the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab
apart, and wounded the serpent? Are You not the One who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a road for the
redeemed to cross over?”

(Isa 51:9-10)

At first glance, the above passage might seem like purely poetic language, but you
can’t ignore the personification of “the arm” in the second half of the sentence, “Are
You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, and wounded the serpent?” This statement
places The Word/Christ as the individual (representative) of the Godhead who
performed those acts.

This point is further solidified in Isaiah 48:13…

“Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has

stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together.”

(Isa 48:13)

The words above can only be from God the Father, “who created all things through
Christ” (Eph 3:9; Col 1:16). As we read further, it becomes unmistakable that Christ is
figuratively the Father’s right arm.

Consider another…

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 “My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge
the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm they will
trust.” (Isa 51:5)

Again, figurative language that refers to Christ as the right arm of God—through whom
we trust God (2 Cor 3:4; Eph 1:12).

Consider another…

“Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of
the LORD the cup of His fury; you have drunk the dregs of the cup of
trembling, and drained it out.”

(Isa 51:17)

In the above passage, the figurative language places a “cup” in the right hand of God,
full of “fury” — which is symbolic of wine and blood. Combine this with Rev 19:15 in
which Christ is the One (God’s right hand) who treads the winepress and wrath/fury of
God.

"And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself [Christ] treads
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God [the Father].”

(Rev 19:15)

In every case, The Word (Christ) is God’s “right hand man”—the One who speaks and
leads and brings wrath—for the Godhead. See also Psalm 77:10,15.

#12. Christ has all authority

Christ said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18).
He spoke these words after his resurrection. But should we automatically assume that
“all authority” was only given after His resurrection? Or did He have “all authority” prior
to His time on earth?

This is an important question to ask.

At first glance, it might seem like the prophetic vision detailed in Daniel 7:13-14, which
paints a picture of Christ being given authority, represents a level of authority not
previously held. Let’s read it.

“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they
brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and
a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His

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 dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His
kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan 7:13-14)

This prophetic vision seems to indicate the period of time after Christ’s resurrection,
when He was given dominion. But does it mean that Christ received a level of authority
that He didn’t have before? Furthermore, did Christ have to prove Himself to His Father
before He could receive authority? If we just stopped here, we might get that
impression.

Consider more of the picture. Christ Himself said the following words.

“The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.”

(John 3:35)

The Greek word for “has given” is past (aorist) tense, and was spoken prior to His
resurrection. But that’s not all. He also said the following past tense statements.

“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in
Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is
the Son of Man.” (John 5:26-27)

And this…

“Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him
authority over all flesh…” (John 17:1-2)

Then this…

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the
Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son,
and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matt 11:27)

These are past tense statements made prior to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Then, Christ prayed the following concrete words to His Father.

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I

had with You before the world was.”

(John 17:5)

We mustn’t forget that Christ was very God prior to His human existence on earth. And
we mustn’t forget that He only stepped down temporarily from Godly status for a short
time—for a primary reason—in order to become the sacrifice for mankind. Paul makes
this clear…

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 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,
for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace
of God, might taste death for everyone.”

(Heb 2:9)

Notice that Paul leaves out other reasons why Christ came (i.e. to build a church, to
preach the gospel, etc.) in favor of the primary reason—to be a sacrifice for mankind.
Not to prove anything to His Father. After all, what was there to prove? Christ was a
perfect, immortal God being, existing side-by-side with God the Father since eternity.

And let’s consider the following statement from the Apostle Paul.

“…Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery

to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

(Php 2:5-7) 

Let’s not make a mistake in believing that Christ needed to prove anything to the
Father in order to qualify to be King. This notion is not defensible.

Christ was always God and always perfect, since eternity. Any “proof” exhibited was
for our benefit not God’s benefit.

God already knew that The Word (Christ) was perfect in every way, which is why He
was foreordained before creation to appear in human form as a sacrifice for all, as
Peter explained in the following passage.

“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you [for our benefit, not God’s] who through
Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory [which
He had before: John 17:5], so that your faith and hope are in God.”

(1 Pet 1:20-21)

Satan would love for us to believe that Christ was somehow weak, flawed or unproven
prior to His human existence. Satan would love for us to believe that Christ came to
prove Himself to the Father. Satan would love for us to think of Christ as less than He
really is, in an attempt to create doubt in Christ’s capability.

Christ indeed was coronated King and received dominion and authority, as pictured in
Daniel 7. But to assume that implies He didn’t have any authority prior to that time
contradicts the past tense statements above. It’s more likely that the scene pictured in
Daniel 7 was a re-coronation to His rightful place that He occupied before, but with the
added achievement of successfully sacrificing Himself and disqualifying Satan—as it
was foreordained.

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 “What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?”

(John 6:62)

Throughout the rest of Christ’s prayer to His Father recorded in John 17, He speaks of
His glory which was previously given Him, and associates it with a time prior to
creation itself (v. 24).

While on earth in human form, Christ did not have the glory that He had with the Father
previously in heaven. But He did have authority. While on earth in human form, God the
Father alone was true God—the only true God—residing in heaven on a spiritual plane
—but after the resurrection, Christ was re-coronated and re-glorified as God, then
nothing less than God. Now, He’s awaiting His physical rule on earth.

This facet of Christ’s total authority prior to creation aligns perfectly with His role as the
divine representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament, always speaking and acting
on behalf of God the Father.

#13. Christ was the Rock

Another description of our relationship to God is contained in Paul’s letter to the

Corinthian church. He portrays Christ as the implement through which God the Father
sustained ancient Israel.

“…all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For
they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was
Christ.” (1 Cor 10:3-4)

This passage helps clarify Christ’s role in Old Testament times. Notice that Christ is the
“Rock” through which the water flowed.

Water is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, which emanates from God the Father. In this case,
Paul relates the water to truth (“spiritual drink”). Both God beings are clearly involved,
but Christ is again depicted as a conduit or go-between through which the water
flowed.

Of course, none of the Israelites in the wilderness literally received God’s spirit, except
for Moses (Heb 4:2). But their experiences served as a physical prototype for the spirit-
begotten church that would come later (v.6,11).

Paul again correlates Christ to ancient Israel just a few verses later, in verse 9.

“…nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were

destroyed by serpents…” (1 Cor 10:9)

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This passage correlates perfectly to Psalm 78:40-41 which states that the Israelites
tempted (tested) God…

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the

desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of
Israel.” (Psa 78:40-41; notice occurrences of “Holy One” in NT)

See also…

“The LORD [YHWH] is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of

my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.” (2 Sam
22:2-3; Psa 18:2)

These scriptures dovetail to show Christ was the divine representative of the Godhead
in Old Testament times. And when you provoke Christ, by extension you provoke the
Father, for they are One (John 10:30)…

“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent
Him.” (John 5:23).

The full context of the passage in 1 Corinthians primarily concerns the subject of
idolatry (10:7) and worldly influences (10:13), but obviously Paul used the opportunity
to reinforce to Jewish converts (10:1) that the pre-incarnate Christ played an important
role in God’s relationship with Old Testament Israel.

Elsewhere the term “Rock” is used to depict a firm foundation upon which we rely (Psa
18:2), upon which the Church is constructed (Matt 16:18), and a stumbling stone (1 Pet
2:8). But here, in 1 Corinthians, the “Rock” analogy is used differently, to represent a
conduit or implement of spiritual sustenance. They drank “of” that Rock, which was
Christ. (See also, Jacob’s reference to Christ as the “Stone” in Gen 49:24).

Did God the Father Himself personally and physically lead Israel out of Egypt? Since
God “Most High" is mentioned in some passages (such as Psalm 78) does that mean it
must have been the Father Himself who appeared and led them? No.

By combining the scriptures, we understand that God Most High led them by the Word
—the representative of the Godhead. This is how God Most High and The Word work
together. By the Father and through the Son—as it’s been since the beginning.

This has been a core doctrine in the Church of God for decades, and for good reason:
God is consistent. By insisting that God the Father must be physically present in order
to be involved with His people limits His abilities and disrupts the role of Christ as the
conduit and mouthpiece of God.

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#14. Christ claimed to be “I AM”
On a number of occasions, Christ’s words were so incendiary that they sent Jewish
antagonists into a red-hot, murderous rage. And few things could drive them to such
rage than one claiming to be God in the flesh. The following passage is a vivid
example.

“Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen
Abraham?” Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before
Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him…” (John
8:57-59)

Christ had used the phrase “I am” in other instances to define His role in salvation. He
said, “I am the Bread of life” (6:35), “I am the Light of the world” (8:12), “I am the Door
of the sheep” (10:7), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11), “I am the Resurrection and the
Life” (11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (14:6), and “I am the True
Vine” (15:1).

However, the usage of the phrase “I AM” in John 8:57-59—without any qualifiers—was
different.

In this instance, the usage of the phrase “I AM” was especially egregious to the Jews,
because they knew exactly what Christ was inferring. He was essentially quoting a
phrase from scripture—a phrase they were all too familiar with, in which God said, “I
AM.”

To the Jews, it was heresy of the highest order, and justified their intention to
immediately pick up stones and attempt to kill Christ.

What scripture did the Jews call to mind? What sent them into a hate-filled rage?

“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say
to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Ex 3:14)

We know that Christ was indicating this scripture because He uses this phrase in
connection to Abraham—specifically, His pre-existence to Abraham.

Christ, as member of divine Elohim, had no beginning (Heb 7:3). He was God in the
flesh (John 1:1,14; 20:28) and like the Father, Christ is self-existent (John 5:26). By
definition, both beings are “I AM” (Heb. hayah / Gr. ego eimi). But here in John 8:58,
Christ is saying to the disbelieving Jews that He is also “I AM” and pre-dates Abraham.

This scripture alone seems insufficient to prove that Christ was “Spokesman” for God
the Father in the Old Testament, but combined with the evidence from other scriptures,

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we can be quite confident that Christ was indeed the divine representative of the
Godhead.

Consider also John 8:28 and John 18:6…

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know
that I am.’”

(John 8:28)

“Now when He said to them, “I am [He],” they drew back and fell to the ground.”

(John 18:6)

The Jews rejected Christ as Messiah and they rejected His assertion that He existed
prior to His human birth. When He quoted the words “I AM” they were so enraged by
such “blasphemy” that they felt justified in trying to stone Him. We must not reject or
reason away Christ’s words.

#15. Christ is also Yahweh

The term YHWH (or Jehovah) occurs over 5,000 times in the bible. It means, “self-
existent” or “eternal” in Hebrew, and by simple definition could be applicable to both
Beings in the Godhead.

It’s well documented in history that the Masoretes (groups of Jewish scribes-scholars
who worked between the 6th and 10th centuries CE) altered the Hebrew texts by
replacing 134 instances of YHWH with Adonai, thereby obscuring the fact that there
are two YHWH’s mentioned in the Old Testament. Generally, this historical fact is
referred to as the “134 Emendations of the Sopherim.” A simple Google search will
show this.

Researching this subject is truly fascinating. Bullinger’s Companion Bible, appendix 32

is a good place to start.

Even without understanding the truth behind the alterations of the original Hebrew
texts, it’s possible to prove that the Word (Christ) is also referred to as YHWH, because
the Apostles quoted Old Testament scriptures quite often and attributed many
passages to Christ. Notice the following examples.

A) Speaking of Christ’s return, Zechariah writes:

“Then the LORD [YHWH] will go forth and fight against those nations, as He

fights in the day of battle. And in that day His [Christ’s] feet will stand on the
Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives
shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the

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 mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.” (Zech
14:3-4)

B) Notice in the following scripture that both God beings carry the title, “Yahweh”:

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD [YHWH], ‘That I will raise to

David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and
execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be
saved, and Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be
called: THE LORD [YHWH] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jer 23:5-6)

Notice, that was one God being speaking about another God being.

C) In Isaiah, the LORD (YHWH) says:

“I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor
My praise to carved images.” (Isa 42:8)

And again, the LORD (YHWH) says:

“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be
profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.” (Isa 48:11)

So then, God the Father will not share His glorious name. Or will He? Christ says:

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I

had with You before the world was…” (John 17:5)

When we put these pieces together, it becomes clear that the name YHWH (or
Jehovah) can apply to both God and the Word, similar to the name, Elohim. Evidently,
God will not share His glory with anyone except His Son. Read on.

D) Notice in the following two passages that Paul correlates the “LORD” (YHWH) in
Isaiah 45:23 to Christ:

“I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,

And shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take
an oath.” (Isa 45:23)

And we read in Romans:

“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your
brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is
written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every
tongue shall confess to God.” (Rom 14:10-11)

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Notice how “Christ” and “LORD” are correlated in the above passage?

E) Then, prophesying about John the Baptist, we read in Isaiah:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD
[YHWH]; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” (Isa 40:3)

Who is the above scripture referring to? Matthew writes…

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and
saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was
spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the
wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord [Christ]; Make His paths
straight.”’” (Matt 3:1-3)

F) The prophet Isaiah had a vision of the LORD (YHWH) of hosts on His heavenly
throne, as detailed in Isaiah, chapter 6. The apostle John correlates that passage with
Christ:

“These things Isaiah said when he saw His [Christ’s] glory and spoke of
Him.” (John 12:41)

G) Zechariah correlates the LORD [YHWH] with the One who was “pierced”:

“Thus says the LORD [YHWH], who stretches out the heavens, lays the
foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him…  and I will pour
on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace
and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will
mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves
for a firstborn.” (Zech 12:1,10; see also John 19:37; Rev 1:7) 

H) Consider the following in the book of Malachi.

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And
the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the
Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says
the LORD (YHWH) of hosts.”

(Mal 3:1)

The above correlates to the following prophetic scripture referring to John the Baptist
preparing the way for Christ.

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the LORD
(YHWH); make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isa 40:3 [Mark 1:3])

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I) The Apostle Paul quotes Joel 2:32 in correlation to Christ in the following passage…

“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him [Christ] will not be put to
shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord
over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of
the LORD [YHWH] shall be saved.’” (Rom 10:11-13 [Joel 2:32])

And then repeats the phrase in 1 Corinthians 1:2…

1 Cor 1:2 — “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are
sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call
on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours…”

J) Paul compares knowing the mind of the LORD with knowing the mind of Christ in
the following passage.

“For ‘Who has known the mind of the LORD [YHWH] that he may instruct

Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16 [Isa 40:13])

K) The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 102:25-28 and correlates the creation to
Christ…

"But to the Son He [the Father] says… “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the
foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They
will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak
You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, And
Your years will not fail.” (Heb 1:8, 10-12)

L) Speaking of Christ’s return, the Psalmist correlates Christ with LORD (YHWH).

“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its
fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods
will rejoice before the LORD [YHWH]. For He is coming, for He is coming to
judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples
with His truth.”

(Psa 96:11-13; see also Psa 98:9)

Compare the above statement with Christ’s own words…

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son…”

(John 5:22)

N) Speaking yet again of Christ, Isaiah foretells of His return and ruling from
Jerusalem…

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 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host
of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and
shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then
the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of
hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients
gloriously.” (Isa 24:21-23; see also Isa 31:4-9)

O) In another passage foretelling the return of Christ…

“For, behold, the LORD [YHWH] cometh out of His place [heaven] to punish

the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her
blood, and shall no more cover her slain. In that day the LORD with his sore
and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent,
even leviathan that crooked serpent; and He shall slay the dragon that is in the
sea." (Isa 26:21-27:1)

P) In another passage foretelling the return of Christ…

“Behold, the LORD [YHWH] rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt;
the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in
its midst. (Isa 19:1)

Compare with…

“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken
up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in
white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up
into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into
heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’” (Acts
1:9-11)

Taking all the related scriptures into account, the truth is, God the Father WILL judge
the world, but He will do it through His Son (Acts 17:31; John 5:27; Rom 2:16).

Q) The same LORD was “husband” to Israel and will be again in the future.

“…[Israel] went after her lovers; But Me she forgot,” says the LORD [YHWH]
….“Therefore, behold… as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she
came up from the land of Egypt. And it shall be, in that day,” says the LORD
[YHWH], that you will call Me “My Husband,” And no longer call Me “My
Master.” (Hosea 2:13-16)

Who was—and will be—the “husband?” Read 2 Cor 11:2 and Rev 19:7… it’s Christ!
There are so many harmonious and consistent scriptures which attest to the identity of
Christ (alongside the Father) as YHWH in the Old Testament.

(See the chart on next page)

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44

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#16. Israel was Christ’s possession

In John chapter 1, we read that Christ “…came to His own, and His own did not
receive Him.” (John 1:11). At first glance, this scripture may not seem to have much
relevance, but closer inspection reveals John is saying Christ came to unto His own
possession—the nation He owned.

The Amplified bible says it this way…

“He came to that which was His own [that which belonged to Him—His world,
His creation, His possession], and those who were His own [people—the
Jewish (i.e. Israelite) nation] did not receive and welcome Him.” (John 1:11
AMP)

E.W. Bullinger says…

“His own. Neut. plural: i.e. His own things, or possessions”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says…

“‘His own’ (property or possession), for the word is in the neuter gender. It
means His own land, city, temple, Messianic rights and possessions… and his
own—‘His own (people)’; for now the word is masculine. It means the Jews
[Hebrews], as the ‘peculiar people.’”

By combining a few biblical passage, the picture comes into focus…

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has

chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the
peoples on the face of the earth.” (Deut 7:6)

Compare with…

“…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and
Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous
for good works.” (Titus 2:13-14)

And…

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His

own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you
out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1 Pet 2:9; referring to Christ, see v.4)

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To say that we are Christ’s possession, is not to say that we aren’t God the Father’s
possession as well. Very simply, we are co-owned by both God beings. Christ made
this fact plain in the following statement…

“I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are
Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.”

(John 17:9-10)

When we keep Father and Son closely linked, in succession—from Father to Son to
humanity—everything synchronizes. But when we attempt to show that Father and Son
have operated independently from each other, things break down.

The Father has always been intimately involved in salvation and in the lives of His
people. But He has orchestrated all communication through His Son (The Word) from
the beginning of creation until now.

Israel was and is Christ’s possession. It was given to Him by the Father, who ultimately
owns everything. Again, this facet of scripture places Christ (The Word) as the go-
between for humanity and God Most High. And it harmonizes with the fact that Christ
(The Word) was the divine representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament.

But we needn’t stop here. The proof keeps piling up. Let’s turn to Ezekiel.

“‘Thus they shall know that I, the LORD [YHWH] their God [Elohim], am with

them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ says the LORD God. ‘You
are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,’ says
the LORD [YHWH] God [Elohim].”

(Ezek 34:30-31)

Compare that passage in Ezekiel with Hebrews 13:20-21…

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the
dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you
what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever
and ever.” (Heb 13:20-21)

And…

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring,
and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one
shepherd.” (John 10:16)

Does this mean that God the Father is not a shepherd? No, God the Father must also
be a shepherd. We must always remember that they share possession. (John 17:9-10)

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And what about Christ ruling in the millennium? Read Isaiah 2:2-4.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s
[YHWH’s] house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall
be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall
come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD [YHWH], to
the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk
in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD
[YHWH] from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many
people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war anymore.” (Isa 2:2-4)

Who shall judge between the nations and rebuke sinners?

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives
of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there on
account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among
the nations…. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of
Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations….. ‘So
you shall know that I am the LORD [YHWH] your God [Elohim], dwelling in
Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever
pass through her again.’” (Joel 3:1-2,12,17)

The correlation to Christ is unmistakable…

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him,
then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered
before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matt 25:31-32)

Remember, both God and Christ use the name YHWH (or Jehovah) in addition to
Elohim. So, in effect, the Father is judging humanity through His Son (Acts 17:31).
Because He gave His Son “all authority” (Matt 28:18) and “all judgment” (John 5:22).
This way, both God beings remain involved.

It is evident that The Word (Christ)—as divine representative of the Godhead—spoke

every word from God the Father to the prophets and patriarchs in the Old Testament,
as well as to the disciples and apostles in the New Testament, showing consistency
throughout time. In some instances He spoke about the Father, and in some instances
He spoke about Himself. Only through patience and careful assembly, can we discern
the difference.

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#17. No one has seen God

This statement is made not once, not twice, but four times in the New Testament. And
each statement is made in the most straightforward and unambiguous way. There are
two statements made by the Apostle John and two by Christ Himself.

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
(John 1:18)

“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have
neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”
(John 5:37)

“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has
seen the Father.”
(John 6:46)

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us,
and His love has been perfected in us.”
(1 John 4:12)

As we review these statements individually, let’s pay special attention to the context.

Occurence #1: John 1:18

This is the most prominent occurrence because of the context. The first chapter of John
begins by describing Christ’s pre-human existence to the readers—that Christ was and
is God.

We must pause here to consider the political and religious climate in Jerusalem and
throughout the surrounding regions. This climate factors heavily into all the books of the
New Testament because the vast majority of Jews resisted the notion that Christ came
from God. Repeatedly, the Apostles faced opposition and persecution for preaching that
Christ was the Messiah, and even more so that Christ was God in the flesh.

To Gentile converts this wouldn’t be controversial in the least, but to Jewish converts
this would have been a struggle to accept—to rewrite years of mental conditioning and
false teaching. And to Jewish non-converts, this notion would have been total heresy.

The Jews believed God was composed of one individual, and they believed the Messiah
was merely a human king who would be sent to restore the kingdom to Israel. However,
as we know, the bible teaches that there are two in the Godhead, and Christ was one of
the two.

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The Apostles constantly reinforced this truth time and again, mostly for the benefit of
Jewish converts, but also for Gentile converts that would doubtlessly face opposition
and persecution in their daily lives from Jewish non-converts.

John begins his writing by explaining Christ’s pre-human existence and then drops a
bomb by saying, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in
the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” That leaves the Jewish reader with a
conundrum: if no one has seen God (The Father) at any time and Christ (The Word) has
declared Him, then who appeared and spoke to the prophets and patriarchs?

Let’s inspect John’s words, verse by verse.

1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.” 

Again, this first verse tells us four profoundly important things: (A) Christ carries the title
of The Word, which is Logos in the Greek language—which means, word, speech,
utterance, discourse, doctrine (i.e. spokesman). In other words, Christ embodies the
physical utterance of God the Father. (B) Christ carried this title from the “beginning.” In
other words, since eternity. (C) Christ has been with God the Father since eternity. (D)
Christ is also God, a fact which is in perfect harmony with the Hebrew name, Elohim—
a plural name.

2 “He was in the beginning with God.” 

Here, John reiterates Christ’s eternal existence. Redundant for extra emphasis.

3 "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that
was made.” 

Christ was the creative agent of all things physical and spiritual (Eph 3:9; Col 1:16). He
was the implement God used to create the universe, as well as all the angels. It says,
“All things were made through Him…” — the word “through” again designates Him as
the “doer” and the phrase “all things” implies inclusion of the commandments on
tablets of stone.

4 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” 

This means self sustaining life (John 5:26). And Christ is the truth (John 14:6) and the
light (John 9:5), and the only pathway to eternity (John 3:15).

5 “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
it.”

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We cannot comprehend the light of truth without God’s Holy spirit (1 John 5:18-20),
therefore we remain in darkness until we receive the spirit.

6-8 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came
for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He
was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” 

The Apostle John speaks here of John the Baptist. The Jewish converts were well
aware of the prophecies in Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3 mentioning the one who would
“prepare the way” for Messiah. John thereby identifies John the Baptist as the one
fulfilling this prophecy, as further proof of Christ being the Messiah.

9 “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the
world.”

Reiterating that Christ was “the Light,” harkening back to the very words of Christ in
John 8:12 and 12:35.

10 “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world
did not know Him.” 

Christ stepped down from His glorious place beside God the Father (John 17:5), to
temporarily reside on earth in humble, physical form—even though He was the creative
agent who formed the earth itself. And ignorant people of the world did not “know”
Him—in other words, they rejected Him.

11 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” 

This statement, “He came to His own” means that Christ came to His own possession
or property. As explained earlier.

12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become

children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John explains here that Christ is the path to eternal life, to those who “receive Him.” In
other words, we accept Christ as our savior and receive God’s Holy spirit—being
begotten as children to eventually be born into the God family.

14 “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.”

The emphasis being that the Word, which had eternally existed as The Word, came and
dwelt in human form. Again, John is attesting to the deity and perfection of Christ, as
well as “grace” for He shall be our Judge (John 5:22).

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 15 “John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I
said, “He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, by emphatically proclaiming Jesus’ pre-
human divinity.

16-17 “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the
law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” 

This statement reinforces the preeminence of Jesus Christ over Moses. The Jews
revered Moses almost to the point of hero worship. So this reinforces that obedience to
the letter of the law cannot bring salvation. Only by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ
can our sins be forgiven and we receive grace—which is an unmerited pardon for sins
—in order to receive everlasting life. Not only grace, but truth—because religious
leaders at that time had corrupted the truth (Matt 15:9) and it needed to be purified by
Christ’s teaching.

18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

Here, John drops the bomb. After declaring that Christ was a God being, who came to
earth in human form, he proceeds to tell coverts, “no one has seen God [the Father] at
any time.” In the minds of Jewish converts, this would naturally call into question every
Godly interaction with mankind recorded in the bible, from Adam onward. Then John
says that Christ “has declared Him.”

The operative word here is “declared.” Jesus Christ, as The Word—The Logos—is the
utterance of God, the doorway to God, the mediator to God, and the messenger, High
Priest, and conduit—to God (see reason #2). As divine representative of the Godhead,
Christ has been declaring the Father since creation.

Occurence #2: John 5:37

“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have
neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.”
(John 5:37)

How did God the Father testify of Christ? Through prophetic scripture, which was
uttered through The Word (Christ) to the prophets or patriarchs, or in some cases
through an angel. We must remember that every word of God originates from the
Father, then is uttered through The Word (Christ).

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Whether the word, “you” referred to those specific Jews only, or whether He was
including their forefathers is a matter of interpretation (see “you” in Matt 23:35).
Regardless, we have three other passages that reinforce the same truth, and specify
that “no one” has seen God the Father. This should leave no doubt in our minds. And
the statement, “at any time” implies “since creation.”

Despite this, there is a belief that the word “seen” in this and similar passages, doesn’t
mean what it says. Instead, it supposedly means that no one has seen God the Father’s
real face. This opinion begs the question… why didn’t John or Christ specify it? Why
were the statements made broadly without caveats or qualifiers? Everyone agrees that
no human has ever seen the actual glorified face of the Father and the Son. Exodus
33:20 makes that clear. Humans have only seen God in vision, manifestation, or visually
obscured. Otherwise, they would not have survived the encounter.

The most logical explanation is that these statements were made to reinforce to Jews
(primarily) that Christ was not only Messiah, but God in the flesh—as a member of
divine Elohim and YHWH (Jehovah) and in covenant relationship with Israel.

Occurence #3: John 6:46

“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has
seen the Father.”
(John 6:46)

This statement is a caveat or qualifier for the preceding verse. Put together with John
6:45, it reads…

“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore
everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not
that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen
the Father.”
(John 6:46)

Using manna as a symbol in the preceding verses, Christ was explaining the method
that God uses to teach mankind—from Father to Son to humanity. He said, “Therefore
everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” Then, to make
sure no one was confused by his statement, He adds, “Not that anyone has seen the
Father…”

Very simply, God communicates and teaches through The Word (Christ). He has
operated this way since the beginning of creation. Yet the Jews refused to believe it.

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Occurrence #4: 1 John 4:12

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us,
and His love has been perfected in us.”
(1 John 4:12)

In the full context of John’s first epistle to the church, his statement that “no one has
seen God at any time,” seems a little out of place. The overall theme of this passage is
about the love of God, and how we know whether God abides in us. We know because
we have His Spirit (v.13) and we express love for the brethren (v.12).

Considering that many Gentile converts were formerly pagans who worshipped idols, it
seems likely that John intended to remind them that God is an invisible spirit (1 Tim
1:17) and we worship Him in spirit (John 4:24), as opposed to pagans who worshipped
physical idols that they could see and touch (see 1 John 5:21).

Regardless, we can take this statement at face value, especially since he said “no one
has seen God at any time” and especially when reinforced by the other three similar
statements in the bible, one of which was also made by John (John 1:18).

Lastly, what about 1 Timothy 6:16?

Some attribute 1 Timothy 6:16 to God the Father, since the Apostle Paul uses similar
phrasing, “whom no man has seen or can see…” However, this passage is doubtlessly
speaking of Christ in His glorified form, “dwelling in unapproachable light” as “King of
kings and Lord of lords.” No one can see the actual face of God or Christ in glorified
form. Christ said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Ex
33:20).

#18. From His mouth (issues a sharp, two-edged sword)

This statement is from Revelation.

“He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-
edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its
strength.” (Rev 1:16)

The mental image of a sword extruding from a person’s mouth is strange but powerful.
Since it’s humanly impossible and could never be performed in a literal way, it’s an
extremely memorable image. Clearly, God wants it that way because it endorses and
validates the notion of Christ being the “spokesman” or “mouthpiece” for the
Godhead. The “two-edged sword” is the Word from God the Father, and it proceeds
from the mouth of Christ.

When we combine a few key scriptures, we get a clear picture.

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 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God…. 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 1:1,14)

A) Christ was the Word from the beginning. Then He came in human form, as it was
prophesied.

“He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called

The Word of God.” (Rev 19:13)

B) It’s Christ’s name. A name has a meaning and function.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-
edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints
and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb
4:12)

C) The Word discerns our thoughts. The Word is two-edged and sharp, so it cuts both
ways. Therefore hypocritical teachers who use the Word for selfish gain will cut
themselves “with many sorrows.” (1 Tim 6:10). Elsewhere, it’s likened to fire (Jer 23:29).

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4)

D) Who’s mouth? Christ’s mouth (as He is instructed by God the Father). And that Word
is our spiritual sustenance. We cannot live without it.

“But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God
and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

E) We must hear the Word of God and obey it (Him).

“If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the
Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified
and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of
God’?” (John 10:35-36)

F) The Word of God (Christ) came (and spoke) to the prophets and patriarchs.

“But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the
meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with
the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” (Isa 11:4)

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G) Christ, The Word of God, is synonymous with a “rod” and “breath” which originates
from God the Father.

All these scriptures are harmonious and point to one conclusion: Jesus Christ (The
Word) is the mouthpiece for the Godhead. He is the instrument or tool by which the
Father has communicated with mankind. He (Christ) is also the instrument or tool by
which God the Father will rule mankind…

“…because He [God the Father] has appointed a day on which He [God the
Father] will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Christ] whom He
[God the Father] has ordained.” (Acts 17:31)

In essence, the universe is co-ruled by Father and Son—as Elohim. This is how they
work together. This is what Herbert Armstrong always taught, and it’s as true as ever.

Everything—God’s entire plan of salvation since the beginning—is being orchestrated

by God through The Word, Jesus Christ.

#19. God is consistent

This is a fundamental pillar of belief. Our success depends upon the unshakable belief
that God is consistent and reliable. He will not change His mind, or fail. That’s why God
(and Christ specifically) is likened to a Rock. He is the foundation upon which our faith
(and our entire existence) is built.

God says…

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons

of Jacob.”

(Mal 3:6)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

(Heb 13:8)

For centuries, counterfeit “Christians” have tried to teach the world that Christ came to
“do away” with His Father’s law. They twist the scriptures in an attempt to teach that
the law was faulty, and therefore God had to change tactics. But this notion is
antithetical to who God is and how He operates.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should

repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not
make it good?”

(Num 23:19)

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 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

(James 1:17)

By saying that God the Father appeared and spoke directly to the prophets and
patriarchs in the Old Testament while Christ served that function in the New Testament
contradicts the scriptures noted above.

Christ has always been the Word. He was and is the “mouthpiece” or “spokesman” of
the Godhead. By communicating to mankind in this way, Elohim work together as a
team—as architect and builder, as author and speaker, as originator and implementor.
It’s consistent, it’s logical, and it’s harmonious with other facets of God.

#20. Earth is where sin is contained

The evidence strongly supports the view that God the Father will not come to earth until
it has been purified of sin. Based on a combination of the following points:

A) Satan corrupted himself and then contaminated the minds of one-third of the
angels and convinced them to join him in his ascension to heaven to rebel
against God the Father (Isa 14, Ezek 28; Rev 12).

B) Satan was thrown out of heaven and back down to earth at the speed of light,
along with a third of the angels, who became demons (Rev 12:4). Christ
mentioned that He was a witness to this event (Luke 10:18).

C) Satan and his demons are confined to earth. The bible says the earth is a
caged prison for demons (Rev 18:2). They are awaiting their judgment (Matt
8:29; 1 Cor 6:3) at which time they will be locked up for one thousand years
(Rev 20).

D) The Father is only ever pictured sitting on a throne in Heaven, ensconced in

majestic surroundings, accompanied by the heavenly host, and joined by the
twenty-four elders (Psa 11:4; 14:2-3; 33:13; 53:2; 102:19; Rev 4; Dan 7; Isa 6;
Psa 103:19-22).

E) The Father resides on His throne in heaven, which is a realm of holiness,

righteousness, purity and perfection (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8; Psa 11:7; 99:3) and
cannot tolerate defilement or sin (Isa 6:5-7; Rev 21:27; Hab 1:13).

F) The earth is the Father’s footstool (Isa 66:1; Matt 5:35).

G) The Father sends angels from heaven to minister to the saints and also to
report back to him happenings on earth (Gen 28:12-13; Heb 1:14; Zech 1:9-11;
4:10).

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 H) The earth is cleansed by fire and made new prior to the Father descending to
earth, where He will reside (2 Pet 3:10-12; Rev 18:8; 20:14-15; 21:1-4, 8). At
which time, sin and death have been destroyed (Rev 20:14; 21:1-4).

I) “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when

He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power…. Now when all things are
made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put
all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15:24,28)

J) Christ was "forsaken” by His Father in the final moments before His death
(Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34; Psa 22:1). It was always explained that Christ became
sin for us (2 Cor 5:21) and it’s sin that separates us from God (Isa 59:2),
therefore it’s logical to conclude that God temporarily turned away from His Son
at the moment of death—because Christ had to represent sin by Himself.

These facets all point in the same direction: God the Father will not subject himself to
the contamination on earth where Satan (corruption and sin reigns), until the end. When
the Father does come to earth in Revelation 21, it’s depicted as an unprecedented
event of epic proportions.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first
earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from
heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with
them and be their God.’” (Rev 21:1-3) 

Furthermore, we are taught that the earthly temple in the Old Testament was a symbolic
representation of heaven, and it was strictly required to remain pure and undefiled.
Nobody except the High Priest (Lev 16) could enter into the Holy of Holies—where God
the Father symbolically dwelt—and nobody with a bodily defect or blemish could even
come near it, lest they “defile” it (Lev 21:16-23). The symbolism of God’s temple on
earth included restrictions on anything that would cause defilement.

Just think about that symbolism for a moment.

The symbolism of the temple design and the rules and regulations governing the temple
tells us two important things: (1) it reinforces the fact that God the Father dwells in a
place of purity and holiness—where nobody can enter in, except the High Priest (i.e.
Jesus Christ), and (2) it shows that God the Father has never stepped foot on earth,
since the ark of the covenant (with the “mercy seat” depicting God’s throne) always
stayed inside. These facts indicate that God the Father has not and will not subject
Himself, nor His heavenly realm, to sin and contamination.

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This is one reason why God the Father is conducting His entire plan of salvation—all
things—through His Son. As Paul states…

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by
Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All
things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things,
and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who
is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have
the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness
should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of
His cross.” (Col 1:15-20)

Such lofty words spoken about Jesus Christ—who is a God and a King—are not to be
taken lightly, because, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who
sent Him.” (John 5:23)

(See the chart on the next page.)

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59

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The remaining reasons consist mainly of subtle inferences to Christ being the
representative God of the Old Testament. Alone, each passage may not be weighty
enough to be thoroughly convincing. However, when combined with the 20 reasons
above, they point to the same, harmonious conclusion.

#21. Matthew 5:11-12

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds
of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for
great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.”

In the scripture above, Christ draws a connection between the suffering of New
Testament Christians and Old Testament prophets. At first glance, we might be inclined
to assume the common thread is persecution alone. However, Christ makes no
delineation between the reason for the persecution of Old Testament prophets and
New Testament Christians, but simply says, “for My sake” — or “on account of
Me” (Greek Interlinear) — subtly placing Himself as the impetus.

#22. James 5:7-11

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord [Gr. Kurios,
meaning Lord or Master, i.e. Christ]. See how the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and
latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord [Kurios, Christ] is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren,
lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge [Christ] is standing at the door! My
brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord [Kurios], as
an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed
who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the
end intended by the Lord [Kurios] — that the Lord [Kurios] is very
compassionate and merciful.”

Notice above, James’ repeated and consistent usage of the Greek word, Kurios. He
uses it to describe the “coming of the the Lord” (Jesus Christ) twice, and then switches
the emphasis to Old Testament figures yet continues using Kurios. Could it be that the
divine personage (or representative) of the Godhead in the Old Testament is one and
the same as Jesus Christ of the New Testament? Certainly. James seems to take it for
granted.

Repeatedly, the apostles wrote in such a way that the words “God” (Theos) and
“Lord” (Kurios) were used to refer to Father or Son, which makes it difficult at times to
understand which God Being is the focus of a statement or passage. The context
usually provides the answer. However, it underscores the strong unity of Father and

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Son—as two separate individuals yet of one mind, spirit, purpose and goal (John
10:30).

Regardless, we needn’t agonize over it, since what God ultimately desires is for us to
build righteous Godly character and overcome Satan.

#23. James 4:11-12

“Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a
brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the
law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is
one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are
you that you judge your neighbor?” (RSV)

The ESV, NASB, RSV and Greek Interlinear (literal translations) all include the word,
“Judge” after Lawgiver (contrary to the KJV and NKJV which exclude the word,
“Judge”). The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says this: “There is one
lawgiver — The best authorities read in addition, ‘and judge.’ Translate, ‘There is One
(alone) who is (at once) Lawgiver and Judge, (namely) He who is able to save and
destroy.’” 

Notice how “Lawgiver” and “Judge” are combined to describe the same being or
person? Either Father or Son could be called “Lawgiver” and “Judge.” But consider the
following.

(1) James referenced the “Judge” again in James 5:8-9, but specified Christ.

(2) The Apostle Paul made a similar statement but directly correlated Christ (Rom
14:10-12).
(3) All judgment has been committed to Christ (John 5:22; 1 Pet 4:5; Acts 10:42; 2
Tim 4:1).

It stands to reason that the Lawgiver and Judge in this passage is the person of Jesus
Christ—the God being through which the law was given and the world will be judged.

#24. Jude 5

Jude 5
“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who
saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did
not believe.”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says this: “the Lord—The oldest

manuscripts and versions read, "Jesus." So "Christ" is said to have accompanied the

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Israelites in the wilderness; so perfectly is Jesus one with the God of the Israelite
theocracy.”

The original Greek word is indeed Jesus Ἰησοῦς (Gr. Iēsous, Strong’s 2424), however
most translations substituted the word, Lord. Early translators apparently struggled
over this passage and the majority of the them voted to substitute the word Jesus with
Lord. The corruption of the original Greek text in the book of Jude by translators with a
strong religious bias underscores the importance of consulting various translations (or
Greek Interlinear) when conducting any biblical study.

Thankfully, modern translators seem more willing to accept the word Ἰησοῦς (Jesus)
and it’s becoming more common in newer bible printings.

This passage in Jude is yet another compelling piece of the puzzle that points to Christ
as the divine representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament… the one who
interacted with Israel on behalf of His Father. But there are more.

#25. 1 Pet 1:10-11

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who
prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what
manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” 


In this passage, the Apostle Peter testifies that it was the “Spirit of Christ” that
functioned as divine inspiration behind the prophecies foretelling the coming Messiah.

Let’s pause here for a moment.

Christ, or more accurately, The Word of God (since He had not yet assumed the role of
Christ or Son), spoke God the Father’s words to the prophets, in God’s name, in the
first person, regarding His own future incarnation.

Peter said, “the Spirit of Christ… testified beforehand” What is Peter telling us? Let’s
break it down.

The Word (Logos) of God is a title and function. Therefore, a prophetic message would
be logically conveyed like this:

1. God the Father formulates the message.

2. He then communicates that message to His “spokesman” or “mouthpiece,”

who is The Word (Logos) of God.

3. The Word of God then appears in person or in vision (as the LORD) to a
particular prophet, such as Isaiah, and speaks those words.

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 4. The prophet then records those prophetic words in a book, as he’s inspired by
the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21).

5. In this case (1 Pet 1:10-11), the prophetic message was about the Messiah—the
future Christ. So, essentially, The Word spoke regarding His own future
incarnation as the Messiah, uttering God the Father’s words so completely that
He phrased the prophecy with “He” and “Him” rather than “Me” and “I.” This is
not so strange when we realize that God’s prophetic messages were almost
always spoken in first person language, whether by The Word, an angel, or by a
human messenger. And not so strange considering the full truth of God’s
composition was “hidden” until it was fully revealed during New Testament
times (John 17:25; 1 Cor 2:7; Col 1:26).

Peter explained that Christ was the implement or tool for conveying an important
prophetic message to a prophet (presumably Isaiah). Who else but Christ, The Word of
God, would have performed that function?

#26. Gal 3:29

"And if you are Christ's, then you [Gentile-born Christians] are Abraham's
seed [Israel], and heirs according to the promise.”

Notice in the above scripture that begotten children—whether natural born Israelites or
Gentiles—are “Christ’s”? We are not just “in” Christ or “through” Christ, we are literally
Christ’s possession. The Amplified version of the bible states, “…if you belong to
Christ…”

This passage in Galatians underscores the fact that Father and Son are co-owners of
this earth and everything in it. God created it for Christ (Col 1:16; Heb 2:9-10).
Therefore, Israel—God’s own chosen people—are Christ’s possession. As well as the
Gentiles that came later, by adoption.

This means that Deuteronomy 7:6 applies to both Father and Son…

“For you are a holy people to the LORD [YHWH or Jehovah] your God

[Elohim]; the LORD [YHWH] your God [Elohim] has chosen you to be
a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of
the earth.” (Deut 7:6)

As we have learned, both God beings are Yahweh and both God beings are Elohim,
therefore they co-own Israel. Whether we ascribe “Himself” in this verse to Father or
Son, it’s true. This fact is in harmony with other scriptures. That’s why we shouldn’t
think it strange that Peter said we are Christ’s possession.

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#27. Matt 23:37

Matt 23:37:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing!”

This lament by Christ implies an accumulative longing that reaches back further than
the few short years of His earthly ministry. Not only does He elude to witnessing
generations of Israelite rebellion and suffering, but He uses intimate and possessive
language when He says, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings.” The emotion inherent in the words is reflective of
many laments of God throughout the Old Testament.

No doubt both beings in the Godhead share in this lament. They are, after all, one in
spirit, goals, plan and purpose. But this very personal and emotional statement by
Jesus overtly implies a long history, harmonizing with the notion that He was the divine
representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament.

There are many instances of God expressing His displeasure of Israel’s iniquity and
stubbornness, but these few passages should suffice to demonstrate the similarity in
tone to Christ statement in Matthew 23:37…

Psa 81:10-16
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your
mouth wide, and I will fill it. But My people would not heed My voice, and
Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn
heart, to walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and
turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD would
pretend submission to Him, but their fate would endure forever. He would have
fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would
have satisfied you.”

Isa 48:17-19 
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your
God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh,
that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have
been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your
descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your
body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off nor
destroyed from before Me.’”

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 Isa 30:15-16
“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest
you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’
But you would not, and you said, ‘No, for we will flee on horses’— Therefore
you shall flee! And, ‘We will ride on swift horses’— Therefore those who pursue
you shall be swift!

Hosea 7:13
“Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they
have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies
against Me.”

Psa 78:7-8:
“That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but
keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and
rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and
whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

Isa 65:2:
“I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts…”

Jer 7:13:
“And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I
spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and
I called you, but you did not answer…”

Regarding Christ’s analogy of His “wings” under which Jerusalem (or Israel at large)
could take refuge, we have the echoes of these inspired Bible passages…

Ruth 2:12:
“May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the
LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”

Psalm 91:4: 
“He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take
refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”

Psalm 17:8:
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your
wings.”

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 Psalm 36:7:
"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of
men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.”

Psa 57:1:
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in
the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have
passed by."

Psa 63:7:
“Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I
will rejoice.”


#28. Hebrews 8:1-13 + Hebrews 3:3-6

The book of Hebrews reveals a lot about the pre-incarnate Christ. If we pay special
attention to phrasing throughout the book, it becomes clear that Christ is more than
just the Mediator of the New Covenant.

It’s important to keep in mind the Oneness of God. Father and Son are co-creators, co-
owners, and co-judges. At various times the bible identifies both God beings as
creating, owning and judging.

For example, we know that Christ will be the judge of mankind (John 5:22). However,
the Father is also judge (Acts 17:31). The answer to this apparent contradiction is that
the Father judges through Christ. This is how they function as a team… as one.

The point is: it could be said that both Father and Son were in covenant relationship
with Israel, because Christ—as The Word of God—always spoke what the Father told
Him to speak. But, as the divine representative of the Godhead on earth, Christ was
physically present and assumed that role more directly.

When read slowly, the book of Hebrews reveals something deeper. It’s very focused on
the person of Christ, primarily for the benefit of Jewish converts, to explain that Christ
is High Priest and Mediator of the new covenant. And that His work supersedes that of
the earthly priesthood. But, while doing so, it reinforces the fact that Christ was the
representative God in the Old Testament.

Case in point: Hebrews, chapter 8.

The focal point of Hebrews 8 is Christ and the New Covenant. As you read it, pay
special attention to the Old Covenant references in Jeremiah, and notice that Paul
begins the passage speaking about Christ and then proceeds to use the pronoun “He”

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throughout—inferring that Christ was the representative God in Old Covenant
relationship with Israel (highlights provided).

Heb 8:1-13:

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High
Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty [Father] in
the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the
Lord erected, and not man.

“For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it
is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on
earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts
according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things,
as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.

“For He said, 'See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you
on the mountain.’ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch
as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better
promises.

“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been

sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: ‘Behold, the
days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead
them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant,
and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 

“‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their
hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 

“‘None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know
the LORD,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of
them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
lawless deeds I will remember no more.’

“In that He says, 'A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what
is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Did you notice the focus and intent of Paul in this passage? He places Christ as the
central focus when referring to the Old Covenant with Israel.

Notice specifically verses 4 through 6…

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 “For if He [Christ] were on earth, He [Christ] would not be a priest, since there
are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy
and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he
was about to make the tabernacle. For He [God, doubtlessly Christ]
said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the
mountain.’ But now He [Christ] has obtained a more excellent ministry,
inasmuch as He [Christ] is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was
established on better promises.” (Heb 8:4-6)

Continuing on, verse 13 is even more specifically referring to Christ…

“In that He says, 'A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what
is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

How do we know for sure that “He” is not referring to the Father? Because Christ is the
one that “made the first obsolete.” And verified elsewhere in Hebrews…

“Then He [Christ] said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He [Christ]

takes away the first that He may establish the second” (Heb 10:9)… “for this He
[Christ] did once for all when He offered up Himself.” (Heb 7:27; see also 9:26)

Paul seems to take it for granted that Christ was the divine representative of the
Godhead in the Old Testament, and the representative God in covenant relationship
with Israel—as he explained in 1 Corinthians 10:4: “…they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

These facts become more clear with each re-reading of Hebrews. Certain passages
begin to really stand out. Such as…

Hebrews 3:3-6:
“For this One [Christ] has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses,
inasmuch as He [Christ] who built the house has more honor than the
house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God
[Gr. Theos, i.e. Christ; see John 1:1]. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His
house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken
afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we
hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Heb
3:3-6)

Are not the patriarchs and prophets included as part of that house? Are they not part of
the spiritual body? Is not Christ the “Head of the body”? (Col 1:18). The more we read,
the more we understand that Christ has always functioned as a conduit between God
and man.

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#29. John 12:37-41 + Isaiah 6:1-13

“But although He [Christ] had done so many signs before them, they did not
believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of
the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said
again: ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should
see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So
that I should heal them.’ These things Isaiah said when he saw His [Christ’s]
glory and spoke of Him.”

Notice in the above passage how the Apostle John not only said that Isaiah saw a
vision of the pre-incarnate Christ, but also Christ is called “LORD of hosts” (hosts =
armies), Compare Isaiah 54:5 and Hosea 2:16 for proof. This can also be proved by
turning to Isaiah, and reading the account in Isaiah, chapter 6.

Keep in mind, John 12:37-41 says this was a vision of Christ, not God the Father.

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high
and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 

2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his
face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 

3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;


The whole earth is full of His glory!”

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and
the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!


Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King,

The Lord of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he
had taken with the tongs from the altar. 

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

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 “Behold, this has touched your lips;

Your iniquity is taken away,

And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,

And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;


Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull,


And their ears heavy,

And shut their eyes;

Lest they see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart,

And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,


The houses are without a man,

The land is utterly desolate,

12 The Lord has removed men far away,


And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

13 But yet a tenth will be in it,


And will return and be for consuming,

As a terebinth tree or as an oak,

Whose stump remains when it is cut down.

So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

(Isa 6:1-13)

As John said, “These things Isaiah said when he saw His [Christ’s] glory and spoke
of Him.” (John 12:41)

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Understanding these truths brings renewed significance to Christ own words, “And
now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You
before the world was.” (John 17:5; see also v.24)

It must be said, even though Isaiah had a vision of the pre-incarnate Christ, and heard
His proclamation, everything originated from God the Father. That is how the Godhead
works as a team. Christ is the Word of God.

As mentioned earlier, the combination of inferences in the scriptures outlined above are
weighty because they consistently point in the same direction… that Jesus Christ was
the divine representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament.

Now, the conclusion…

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III. CONCLUSION
After piecing together all the scriptures, we can only arrive at one conclusion: Jesus
Christ has been the divine representative of the Godhead on earth since creation. The
main points of this research paper can be distilled into the following takeaways.

1) Christ’s title, Word of God, factors heavily into the equation, as does the shared
names of Elohim and YHWH. Not to mention Christ’s many other titles harmoniously
positioning Him as a go-between for God and mankind. The evidence is overwhelming.

2) Peter’s remark in Acts 3:13—the apparent impetus for this new doctrinal theory—is
one of identity not exclusivity. Peter identifies the Father as God but does not eliminate
Christ as God, nor does he eliminate Him as The Word or “spokesman” for the
Godhead. The focus of his statement was to reiterate to hostile Jews that Jesus was
the Son of God. Proponents of the new theory have used poor deductive reasoning
and perpetuated a half truth, then crudely attempted to reason away many other
scriptures that firmly point to Christ as God’s spokesman (see Counterarguments
beginning on page 74).

3) Both Beings are called God (Elohim and Theos), both Beings are called LORD
(YHWH), and therefore both Beings are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This
fact further demonstrates the unity of the Godhead, as Christ said, “I and My Father are
One.” Two individual Beings, but of one spirit, mind, and purpose.

4) The only way that God the Father and Jesus Christ could work together as a team, is
through a chain of contact. By God the Father orchestrating through Jesus Christ in
every way. Proponents of the new theory are essentially asserting that God the Father
bypassed The Word/Christ and interacted directly with the prophets and patriarchs in
the Old Testament, which does not—and cannot—constitute teamwork.

5) The assertion by proponents of this new theory that Herbert W. Armstrong’s

teachings about God the Father diminish and/or downplay His involvement in the Old
Testament is a distortion of history. The record shows that Mr. Armstrong always
reinforced the supremacy and intimate involvement of God the Father in his sermons
and writings. They are vivid, black-and-white proof of what Mr. Armstrong (and WCG)
actually taught. Numerous examples/quotes have been provided at the end of this
document (see page 110).

6) This new doctrinal theory has no spiritual components. It’s 100% materialistic. It
focuses entirely on the method of information delivery in the Old Testament—in other
words, who spoke the words to the prophets and patriarchs. It completely ignores the
content—the words themselves. A fact that is very unsettling.

So, where does all the evidence point? See the chart on the next page.

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73

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IV. COUNTERARGUMENTS, QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Here are my responses to statements by proponents of the new theory about God in
the Old Testament. Some of their quotes are taken from personal correspondence and
other quotes from their sermons or articles. Please note: Quotes from proponents of
the new theory are in italics and highlighted yellow. For discretion, names have been
removed.

Re: The spiritual benefits of this new perspective

When I asked how this “newfound knowledge” strengthens our relationship with God,
the following response was given…

“I firmly believe that in these last days God has chosen to reveal Himself and
Christ in ways He has not previously done in this modern era. I firmly believe it is
a test for each of us to see if we will put God first or put the traditions of the
Church and men first.”

And also…

“This new understanding has opened up the Bible in ways I could have never
imagined beforehand. Reading the Bible, praying, and singing hymns has taken
on new meaning because we now clearly know Who we are relating to. Now, we
better understand the relationship God and Christ have, what Their roles are, and
what Their activities have been.”

I have some problems with these responses.

A.) The traditions of the Church were to always put God the Father first. The
historical record shows that. Who else would we put above God? Christ? Never.
That’s what the Protestants do.

B.) What “traditions” are being referred to? The traditional belief that Christ was
the Word/Logos of God the Father—the One through Whom God created and
spoke? Personally, I believe the all evidence strongly supports this fact.

C.) What member in the Church wouldn’t know Who they are relating to? We’ve
all known God the Father was in charge. We’ve all known it was God the
Father’s spirit in us. We’ve always prayed to God the Father day and night.
What has actually changed?

Here’s my main problem with these answers…

As we all know, it’s not about knowledge but what we do with that knowledge. Unless
it results in action and transformation, knowledge is totally worthless. Mathematics is

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knowledge, but unless we use it to budget our household finances, create a computer
algorithm, engineer a suspension bridge, or facilitate some other worthy
accomplishment, it just sits worthlessly in our brains.

This answer by proponents of the new theory doesn’t contain any spiritual or
actionable elements, and that raises an even more important question…

Why would God inspire a new perspective/doctrine to be introduced that focuses

entirely on the delivery of information and not the content?

God the Father must indeed be glorified—and He has been glorified and given due
reverence and respect for decades. But it’s clear to me that what God the Father really
wants is for His servants to take action in their lives and continue their training to be
the future wife of Christ, as it is written, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear
much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:8).

The plain and simple truth is, throughout the recent decades of church history, there
never was any lack of respect and reverence for—or due credit given to—the Father.
The archive of church literature proves it.

Re: The Logos

Regarding “The Logos” in John 1, the following statement was made.…

“If the term ‘Logos’ in Jn 1:1 applies to Christ for all time, why was the concept
not introduced in Gen 1? Based on that one verse, it seems a great stretch to
say that it applies to Christ at all times. The concept of the Word being
introduced at the beginning of the NT, is a direct implication that Christ
functioned as the Word while as a human on this earth.”

On the contrary, the evidence very strongly points to Christ being the Word from the
beginning of the physical creation, and beyond.

John illuminates on this point in his epistle to the church in 1 John 1:1-4…

“That which was from the beginning…”

The beginning, meaning prior to His earthly tabernacling. And as John 1 says, before
creation itself. “That which” refers to the Word, as evidenced by the verbs, “have
seen,” “beheld,” “handled.”

“…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have

looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life…”

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Here, John expands our understanding of Christ’s function as not just the Word of God
in person, but reinforcing Christ as our means of eternal life. Notice also, as the “Word
of life,” we see the unmistakable parallel of Christ to the “the bread of life,” “the water
of life,” and even “the tree of life.” And many inferences that Christ is inexorably
intertwined with God the Father, serving as the sole conduit to Him.

“…the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to
you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us…”

Christ is synonymous with eternal life.

“….that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may
have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with
His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:1-4)

That our “fellowship” can be with Father and Son. But our only pathway is through the
Son.

And why wasn’t the concept of “The Logos” introduced in Genesis 1? The answer is
simple… because the bible tells us the truth was hidden (see reason #3 of the research
paper) as the following scriptures prove: Eph 3:9-10, Luke 10:21, John 16:3, John
17:2, 1 Cor 2:7, Col 1:26, Rom 16:25, 1 Tim 3:16, Heb 4:12, 1 Cor 10:11, John 12:40,
Isa 6:9-10, and Isa 49:2.

Re: “God Almighty” and “God Most High”

The following statement was made…

“Our previous understanding that titles such as “God Almighty” or “Most High
God” refer to Christ do not stand up under scrutiny.”

This was not “our previous understanding” in the church. HWA always applied the
names God Almighty and God Most High to the Father. The proof is in his sermons and
writings. Excerpts are included at the end of this document.

Re: The Father being personally involved

The following statement was made…

“You correctly say that, ‘The plan and purpose originated from the Father.’ The
issue is whether or not the Father was directly and personally involved with
mankind prior to Christ’s being born human.”

Also…

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 “It seems clear to me that if God was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
that He would be personally and directly involved in speaking with the humans
He had called at that time. If we assume that Christ was the only one doing all
the speaking in the OT, then that makes God a remote God, not directly involved
with His creation.”

Nobody has ever said that the Father was not personally involved. God the Father
being “personally involved” does not necessitate His direct communication with
mankind.

A conductor being personally involved with an orchestra does not necessitate him
playing an instrument. He could even conduct the orchestra from afar through a TV
screen, and indeed that has been done. Likewise, God the Father conducts through
Christ. That is how they function as a team.

Also, it’s irrational to say that God the Father speaking through The Word “makes God
a remote God, not directly involved with His creation.” It’s irrational to believe that
personal involvement necessitates physical presence or direct communication. To say
the only way God the Father can be involved is directly, and not through Christ, is
limiting God—is it not?

Furthermore, was God the Father involved in the revelatory vision to the Apostle John?
He sent it through His Son, who sent it through an angel (Rev 1:1). He did it indirectly,
channeled through others. But does that make Him an uninvolved and remote God?
Certainly not.

God is not limited by space or time. But He chose to orchestrate through Christ. “…for
us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom are all things [in every way, shape and form], and
through whom we live.” (1 Cor 8:6)

Re: God speaking through the prophets

The following statement was made.…

“We are told in Heb 1:1 that God spoke through the prophets in the OT and by
Christ in the NT. If Christ was the God of the OT, why is it not recorded that it
was He who spoke to the prophets?”

Actually, it is recorded. Peter said it was “the Spirit of Christ who was in them,”
referring to the prophets (1 Pet 1:10-11; 2 Pet 1:21). Christ said, “Before Abraham was,
I AM.” (John 8:58). Paul said, “That Rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4). Paul said, “nor let us
tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted” (1 Cor 10:9). Jude said, it was “Jesus”
who “saved” the people out of Egypt, then “afterwards those having not believed, He

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destroyed” (Jude 5, Orig. Greek). And in many other places, all pointing to Christ as
God’s mouthpiece since creation. Without a doubt, God expects us to piece it together.

It was also stated…

“In the OT, if God spoke to Christ, who in turn spoke to the prophets, why then
are there not multiple examples of that happening?”

The bible gives us the answer to this question. Many truths were kept hidden, including
the role of The Word (see John 1), until it was revealed through Christ and the Apostles.

“…and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things
through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God
might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the
heavenly places…” (Eph 3:9-10)

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which

God ordained before the ages for our glory…” (1 Cor 2:7)

“…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from

generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” (Col 1:26)

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the

preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept
secret since the world began…” (Rom 16:25)

“…meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the
word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I
may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” (Col 4:3-4)

Matthew quoted a Psalm, saying of Christ…

“I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the
foundation of the world.” (Matt 13:35/Psa 78:2).

And Luke quoted Christ…

“…I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these
things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” (Luke 10:21)

And John quoted Christ…

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 “And these things they will do to you because they have not known the
Father nor Me.” (John 16:3)

John said, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him.” (John 1:10).

It’s all by design. God only revealed truths to a select few since creation, but for the
rest it was kept hidden. During the entire 40-years of time that the Israelites wondered
in the wilderness, God was only working with one man on a spiritual level: Moses. One
man out of millions. Paul adds…

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word
which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith [Holy
Spirit] in those who heard it.” (Heb 4:2)

Their minds were not open to understand and piece together the scriptures. Christ
made it clear to his disciples that the scribes and Pharisees were ignorant—blind—
despite their elite education.

“They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will
fall into a ditch.” (Matt 15:14)

The truth about the relationship between Father and Son was even veiled to Christ's
disciples until later…

“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is
coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will
tell you plainly about the Father.” (John 16:25)

And it’s all for a reason…

“To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but
to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing
they may not understand.’” (Luke 8:10)

God is not calling the world now, only preparing a select few to be a helpmate for His
Son (Rev 19:7). The simple reason is: the Bible—and the secrets kept hidden since the
beginning—is intended for the New Testament church to know.

If God would have revealed the truth about The Logos in the Torah, it would have
defeated His purpose to keep things veiled. It would have given the Pharisees and
scribes too much information and less cause to doubt Christ—not just as Messiah, but
very God in the flesh.

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The Father’s intention was for Christ to be rejected and murdered by ignorant men,
who assumed they knew the truth, and thereby prove that without God’s spirit—it’s
impossible see, understand and obey.

Re: Who dwells in the Most Holy place

The following statement was made.…

“If we believe Christ was the God of the OT, then it must be Him who was
present in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle and Temple. It has to be either
Christ or God who dwelt there. Scripture proves it cannot be Christ.”

When God said He would “dwell" among the Israelites (Ex 25:8), He did not mean in a
literal sense. Because, “the Most High does not dwell in temples made with
hands” (Acts 7:48; 17:24). Even Israelites in Old Testament times knew it (1 Kings 8:28;
Psa 11:4; Psa 102:19; Psa 103:19-20; Isa 66:1).

The tabernacle in the wilderness and the subsequent temple built by Solomon were
purely symbolic representations. The Holy of Holies inside the temple represented
God’s throne in heaven. It was not the literal place where God resided.

Even the earthly temple itself demonstrates symbolically that God the Father resides in
heaven and functions through an intermediary—the high priest (i.e. Christ).

Any instance of God physically visiting them (Ex 40:34; Lev 9:23) was orchestrated
through His divine representative—The Word—in Whom the fullness of the Godhead
resided (Col 1:19; 2:9). This is how God operates. He sends messengers to speak on
His behalf (Rev 1:1) and in His name (Psa 118:26; John 5:43; 10:25; 17:6,26; Heb 2:12;
Mark 11:9).

Just because we read of instances where God Most High or God Almighty spoke, we
shouldn’t assume it was the Father Himself who appeared and/or spoke the words. To
do so would require ignoring dozens of scriptures that point to Christ as His divine
representative (as outlined in this paper).

God the Father speaking through God the Word is the only way that Father and Son
can work together in communication to mankind. By asserting that the Father
bypassed The Word, and spoke or interacted directly, it means that they didn’t work
together as One—which contradicts the words of Christ who said, “I and my Father are
One” (John 10:30; 17:21), and God who said, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God,
the Lord is one!” (Duet 6:4)

Re: Christ’s other appearances in the OT

The following statement was made.…

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 “Christ did indeed appear and talk with humans during the OT period. He
appeared as Melchizedek in Genesis, as an Angel in Exodus, and Captain of the
host of the LORD to Joshua, as well as at other times. We all agree and
acknowledge this fact. Here is an issue that needs to be considered. If Christ
was the ‘Spokesman’ throughout the OT, then why would these individual
instanced be noted? They would be unnecessary and redundant if Christ was
doing the speaking every time. The reason Christ’s appearances were noted on
the OT is to inform us He was also there along with God as His Servant (Isa
51:13-14 and 53:10-14). The rest of the time God was talking directly to Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets.”

This is poor deductive reasoning. The simple truth is, the instances mentioned above
(such as Melchizedek) were instances where He represented Himself. Elsewhere, He
represented the Godhead speaking on behalf of God the Father. Even so, in every
appearance, whether as Melchizedek or Yahweh, He undoubtedly spoke only what the
Father told Him to speak.

We already know that Christ wears a lot of “hats,” as demonstrated by His many titles.
So we should not think it strange that He appeared on behalf of God (remember He is
the other half of Elohim, and also Yahweh) and also appears on behalf of Himself, as
Melchizedek and Jesus Christ.

Regardless, what matters most to God is our obedience to His words (Deut 5:29; Rom
6:16).

Re: An artificial construct

The following statement was made.…

“Without doubt, God and Christ were active together in the OT. However, for the
Church to state that Christ is the exclusive spokesman for God in the OT is an
artificial construct not supported by scripture.”

Once we put all the pieces together, it is definitely not “an artificial construct.” It’s built
on the strongest foundation possible… Jesus Christ—The Logos (Word, Utterance or
“Spokesman” for God). And all the scriptural evidence very much supports this
conclusion.

If we’re waiting for someone to show us the exact scripture that says, “Jesus Christ
was the exclusive representative of the Godhead since creation,” we’ll be waiting a
long time…. along with the Jews who refuse to accept Christ as Messiah and as God
because there’s nothing in the Old Testament that literally says, “The Messiah is also
God and will come twice,” …and along with the Christians who refused to observe the
Sabbaths because there’s nothing in the New Testament that says, “All true Christians

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must observe the weekly sabbath and annual sabbaths.” But if we put the pieces
together, it’s all there.

Mr. Armstrong rightly said, “The bible is a coded book.” Knowledge has been hidden,
obscured and veiled in metaphor since the beginning—so that only those with God’s
spirit could understand it.

Elohim is plural, and a shared name. Yahweh is a shared name. These passages
identify Father and Son, they don’t exclude the Son from being God, nor exclude Him
from being The Word (or “spokesman”) of God. It’s not an "artificial construct.” The
evidence is all there if we are willing to see it.

Re: The “angel” who spoke on Mt. Sinai in Acts 7:30

The following statement was made.…

“In Mk 12:26 Christ states: ‘And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye
not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I
am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ Christ
plainly tells us that it was God Who spoke from the burning bush. He did not
say, ‘I spoke’ or ‘God spoke through Me’ although this was the perfect time to
say so. As Mr. Armstrong often said that we must put all the scriptures together.
This scripture cannot be ignored.”

This was addressed earlier in this paper, but it’s worth re-addressing. There’s a
perfectly simple explanation, as outlined in these two points…

(1) The plurality of God means that both Beings were the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Both beings are referred to as Theos (John 1:1; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; Heb
1:8). God said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” Therefore, Christ's remark is one of
specificity not exclusivity. We should not automatically exclude Christ from the
Godhead. We know better. Nor should we think that it would have been a “perfect
time” to say “I spoke” or “God spoke through me.” Christ was not that explicit. He did
not speak that directly, nor should we expect Him to. Again, we know better… He
spoke using vague language and parables for a reason (John 16:25-31)!

(2) In Mark 12:26, when it says “God spoke” it meant that He spoke through the Word
—who was also God. We must not forget that He was also God and often spoke of
Himself in the third person. Plus, all the words spoken in the OT came from God the
Father regardless—indeed ALL teaching and instruction is ultimately derived from the
Father… but it came through Christ. We must read between the lines (i.e. assemble the
scriptures to get a clear picture), and the combined evidence points to Christ being the
“spokesman” for God during Old Testament times.

It was also stated.…

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 “Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, [who is that
God] the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; ... (KJV)

“This tells us clearly that Jesus’ Father is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
—the God of our fathers, and that can only be God the Father; it can’t be any
other being, it just can’t. Christ can’t assume the Son and the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob—it can’t work because one is the Father and one is the Son,
and the Father is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Again, this is poor deductive reasoning. The fact is, Jesus Christ is also God. He is
Elohim, Yahweh and Theos. Very much the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The misinterpretation of Acts 3:13, Mark 12:26-27, and similar scriptures, denies
Christ’s Godly status. The truth is, The Logos (The Word/Christ) was and is a God
being who was the creative implement that brought the universe (including Adam and
Eve) into existence. He did so as God the Father directed Him. (See reason #3 on page
12.)

Re: God and Word functioning as a spiritual team

The following statement was made.…

“Then, as you correctly point out, in Acts 7:38 that the angel (Christ) also spoke
from Mt. Sinai. We are not given all the details. However, when One speaks, it
does not prohibit the Other from also speaking, after all they function as a
spiritual Team. This is consistent with the fact that They worked together in the
OT and Both were present when Israel came out of Egypt.”

There’s no dispute that God the Father and Jesus Christ function as a team. No true
student of the bible could argue against that fact. What is baffling, is why anyone
would believe that God the Father’s involvement necessitates physical presence,
whether in person (on earth) or vocally (from heaven).

Nobody has ever implied that God the Father was “off somewhere” or “not involved”
as it’s been suggested. Just the opposite. It has been preached since the 1930s that
God the Father was intimately involved—even knowing the number of hairs on our
head. The archive of WCG sermons and articles proves it.

I do not believe that God the Father’s involvement necessitates His physical presence
on earth (in person) or audibly heard from heaven. To assert that He must be physically
presence to be “involved” instead of remaining in heaven and orchestrating through
messengers (primarily through The Logos), is the same as asserting that His abilities
are limited.

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And when the Father speaks, the words are His words. Just because His words are
spoken through another does not constitute a “prohibition” no more than the Father’s
words spoken through Christ constituted a prohibition.

It’s not necessary for the Father to be physically present in order for them to work
together. He can (and does) routinely conduct His plans by and through others.

The Godhead absolutely does work as a team—from Father through Son to mankind.
Frankly, it’s the only way to involve all parties in a chain of communication (sometimes
with an angel in the link of the chain, as in the example of Revelation). Melchizedek
interacting with Abraham is another example, and undoubtedly how the Father was
revealed to him.

Re: God sending “His Angel”

The following statement was made.…

“God tells Moses that He was directing His Angel to do His bidding. What could
this be but God sending Christ to perform His (God’s) will?” and “How could
Christ send His Angel (who is also Christ)? He would be ordering Himself. That
makes no sense whatsoever.”

A couple remarks here.

(1) I don’t believe the evidence is 100% conclusive regarding “Angel" in the Old
Testament. Whether we are talking about Mt. Sinai, or with Hagar, or appearing to
Joshua, it’s not 100% conclusive. The translators and commentators have some
reason to conclude it might have been the person of Christ. But then again, Paul tells
us in Hebrews, “‘For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I
have begotten You?’” (Heb 1:5).

(2) God the Father is God Most High and Almighty God, therefore the ultimate God of
the Old Testament, as Mr. Armstrong explained in articles and sermons. So even
though Christ was the divine representative of the Godhead in the Old Testament, there
is no reason to believe that Christ sent “His” angel. The simplest explanation is that
God the Father sent the angel (which may or may not have been the person of Christ).
Or God the Father directed The Word, who then directed the angel—in the same way
that information was transmitted to the Apostle John in Rev 1:1.

(3) In Matthew 3:13, it says “a voice” came from heaven and said, “This is My beloved
Son…” — it did not identify God the Father as the “voice.” To assume that it must have
been the Father’s voice despite evidence to the contrary can only be done with
blinders on. And consider Judges 2:1-3, which states, “Then the Angel of the LORD
came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: ‘I led you up from Egypt…. but you have not
obeyed My voice.’” This and many more biblical passages show that God speaks

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through others. Ruling out the possibility that it was an angelic messenger speaking
God’s words is illogical.

The evidence supporting the exact identity of the capitalized “Angel” in the Old
Testament is not 100% cut and dry, therefore I don’t think anyone can claim to know
for sure. It could have been Christ or it could have been a created angel accompanying
Him in the fiery bush. Regardless, all the other evidence outlined in this paper points to
Christ being the representative God of the Old Testament, speaking on behalf of God
the Father.

Re: The One who divided the Red Sea

The following statement was made.…

“Now notice who was the One who divided the Red Sea.

“Isa 51:15 But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose
waves roared: The LORD of hosts is His name.

“The Lord of Hosts Is The Father who dwells between the cherubims – 2 Kings
19:15 plus many other verses (2 Sam 6:2, Ps 99:1, Isa 37:16, Jer 32:17). But
look especially at the following verse:

“Zech 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man
that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the
sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.

“The term “My Shepherd” in this verse has been universally accepted by the
Church as referring to Christ. Here the LORD of Hosts (Who divided the Red
Sea) refers to Christ as “My Shepherd” and “My fellow”. Who could this be but
God who spoke?”

A couple comments:

(1) The second being in the Godhead (The Word/Christ) is also referred to as “LORD of
hosts” in the bible, so it’s not an exclusive title. The Hebrew word for “hosts” just
means “armies.” It’s not a high and lofty title that indicates total supremacy, such as
“God Most High” or “Almighty God.”

(2) Regardless, every word spoken originated from the Father, and was spoken through
Christ. That is the crux of the matter here… the title identifies the source, not the
speaker. If we refuse to accept that Christ was The Word from the beginning (as John
specifically states), and if we refuse to consider the other many biblical points
previously listed, we’ll end up with the wrong conclusion… that “it must have been the
Father who spoke directly.”

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We must never forget that Christ (The Word) is also Elohim, Yahweh and Theos, and is
perfectly qualified and capable to speak for God as God. The statement in Zechariah
13:7 is a matter of identity not exclusivity, just like Acts 3:13 and Mark 12:26-27.

To illustrate the point, let’s ask this question…

Who created the heavens and the earth? Naturally, it was God the Father. Yet, we know
that He created all things by or through The Word (Jesus Christ). This is how God
speaks and acts. This is how Elohim works together. This way they both remain
involved. If we insinuate that God the Father acted independently, apart from The
Word/Christ, we are essentially dividing them. Who stands to benefit from division of
the Godhead?

Without a doubt the power of God divided the Red Sea. But The Word/Christ was
God’s “right arm” or implement. Who performed all the miracles in the New Testament?
Who healed the sick? Who made the blind see? Who brought the dead back to life?
Christ said, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The
Words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who
dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10). The Father is naturally the One who
divided the Red Sea… because all power flows from Him through Christ.

Re: The One who brought Israel out of Egypt

The following statement was made.…

“Now look at other references to the Father:

“Acts 13:17 ‘The God of this people of Israel (Acts 3:13 tells us it is the
Father) chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as
strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought He them out
of it.’

“Heb 8:8 ‘For finding fault with them (ancient Israel), He saith, (quoting
Jer 31:31) Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I
took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because
they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the
Lord.’

“We see here that the One who will make a new covenant with Israel was also
the One who brought them out of Egypt. Acts 3:25-26 tells us it is the Father
Who made the covenant with Israel. Therefore, it is the Father who brought
them out of Egypt.”

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In essence, it’s correct to say that God the Father brought them out of Egypt, because
—as it was always taught by HWA in the WCG—God the Father is the conductor of
everything. But He conducts through The Word (Christ). So when God the Father
declares that He has done or said something, we know that He has done and said it
through The Word (Christ). That is how they work together. Just because the words
originated from God the Father, does NOT mean He spoke them Himself. He spoke
through Christ.

Likewise, many passages in Job and Psalms and other books say that God (The
Father) created the heavens and earth. He says, “I” did this and “I” did that. But we
know that He did it through Christ. Both actions and words throughout the entire bible
were performed by The Word (Christ), as instructed by God Almighty (the Father). All
the evidence points to that fact.

We cannot apply two different rules to what God says and does. We cannot apply one
rule for what God speaks and another rule for what God does. This is completely
illogical.

To illustrate the point, read Isaiah 48, and notice these specific statements…

“I have declared the former things from the beginning; they went forth from
My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came
to pass.” (Isa 48:3)

After reading the passage above… would we contend that God the Father Himself did
the physical speaking directly to the patriarchs and prophets? That seems to be what it
says. Now read verse 13 of the same chapter.

“Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand
has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up
together.” (Isa 48:13)

Now, after reading this passage above… would we contend that God the Father
Himself did the physical creating directly with His own hands? No, because the lens of
other scriptures tells us His “hand” was The Logos (John 1:1-3; Col 1:16; Eph 3:9; Heb
1:1-2).

Consider a similar example in Psalm 9…

“I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous
works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O
Most High… But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne
for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall
administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.” (Psa 9:1-2,7-8)

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After reading this passage above… would we contend that God the Father Himself will
administer the physical judgment directly Himself? No, because the lens of other
scriptures tells us that all judgment has been committed to Christ (John 5:22).

The answer is: God the Father is the ultimate judge but will perform the judgment by
Jesus Christ…

“…because He has appointed a day on which He [the Father]

will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Christ] whom He has
ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him
from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

We see a consistent pattern of everything being orchestrated through Christ, both

words and actions. The lenses of scripture, as outlined in this paper, must be applied to
these passages in order to fully understand them.

Christ—The Logos—delivers the words and actions of God. And He speaks as God,
because He is God (Elohim, Yahweh and Theos).

Also, that “high arm” in Acts 3:17? That was a subtle reference to Christ… who sits at
the Father’s right hand (see reason #11).

Re: The Angel and the Rock

The following statement was made.…

“But, as has been demonstrated, Christ was also involved along with God.

“Ex 14:19 And the angel of God (NKJV: Angel), which went before the
camp of Israel (together with God), removed and went behind them; and
the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind
them:

“That Angel was Christ as 1 Cor 10 tells us.

“1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that

all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did
all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock
was Christ.”

“Apparently, Christ moved between Israel and Pharaoh’s army… It seems

evident to me that both the Father and Christ were directly involved in leading
Israel out of Egypt”

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I understand the compulsion to force Christ to be “the angel” and emphasize the word
“followed” to imply that Christ brought up the rear, because it’s the only way to make it
fit into this new theory that God the Father was physically present and directly leading
Israel out of Egypt. But it's poor deductive reasoning.

There is not enough evidence to definitively say the “Angel” in Exodus was Christ
accompanying the Father, who Himself spoke directly to Moses. Using the lens of other
scriptures, it was The Word/Christ accompanied by a created angel (see Ex 13:31). Or
it was one in the same Person (The Word/Christ) as Stephen indicates in Acts 7:38 (see
also Judges 2:1). Regardless, we know the Words originated from the Father and were
delivered by The Word (The Logos, ie. Christ). There is no evidence that God the Father
was there.

Regarding the word “followed,” in 1 Corinthians 10:4, the original Greek word can also
be translated as “accompanied,” as it is rendered in the NIV. So, we can’t hinge our
perspective on the word “followed” to imply Christ was the caboose.

The far more significant takeaway from 1 Corinthians 10:4 is: “that rock was Christ.”
That’s where the emphasis should be. God was clearly present with Moses and the
Israelites in the wilderness, but it could only have been in the person of The Logos
(Christ), as Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 10:4.

Re: Both God Beings being involved

The following statement was made.…

“The record of scripture clearly indicates that both God and Christ have been
active with mankind since the beginning…. They Both were involved in the OT
as well as the NT. They have worked as a team for eternity with God always
taking the lead: designing and initiating the creation as well as the plan of
salvation. He calls Christ “My Servant” (Isa 52:13-15; 53:12-14). Christ willingly
did God’s bidding in both Testaments. If Christ came to do His Father’s will
while He was on earth (Jn 8:28)… and since He and God do not change, Christ
has performed God’s will always. Remember, the Father was Christ’s God (Jn
20:17, 1 Cor 11:3, Eph 1:17). Two of these references were after Christ
ascended back to sit on the right hand of His Father.”

I agree wholeheartedly with the statement above. So did Herbert Armstrong, as proved
by his many sermons and writings. So does every minister of God. Who has ever
implied that God the Father was uninvolved? No one. Certainly not Mr. Armstrong.

This statement was also made…

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 “We must understand that God has always been in control, Christ has always
been on His right hand do His Father’s will (Jn 6:62). God loves His creation so
much that He talked directly with those He called. This is what a Loving God
would do! Why would He not be directly involved in creating the Kingdom that
bears His name? Why would He not be directly involved with the Church that
bears His name? The record of scripture is clear that God has always been
directly involved with His Creation, from the creation of the angelic hosts to this
present day.”

God the Father is indeed involved, but through Christ… “that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13). And, “that in all things God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion…” (1 Pet4:11). Very
simply, by conducting everything through Christ, both God beings remain involved.

We must not be offended that Christ is a “middleman,” a “conduit,” or a “go-between.”

The scribes and Pharisees were also offended. But it’s the truth.

Regarding the statement, “God loves His creation so much that He talked directly with
those He called. This is what a Loving God would do!” How does the Father talk
directly with us now? Through the Word. The Word in print is the same as the Word
(Christ) in person. Are we offended that the Father doesn’t speak “directly” to us, in our
ear? Certainly not.

Whether God “talks directly” to us from His own lips (which He has not) or whether
through an implement such as Christ… is irrelevant. What really matters are the words
themselves.

Additionally, the archive of WCG sermons and articles available online (from which
dozens of excerpts are included in this paper) prove that the church always taught that
God the Father was very involved, and was the source of all instruction, and the entire
plan of salvation—from the beginning. To imply otherwise is a mischaracterization of
past teachings.

God the Father’s involvement with mankind, does not necessitate His physical
presence. Just because HWA taught that The Word (Christ) was God’s “spokesman”
and the representative God of the Old Testament, does not mean that the Father was
“not involved.” It’s irrational to deduce such a thing.

Re: The earth is where sin is contained

The scriptures imply that God the Father has not, and will not, come to earth until the
completion of his 7,000-year plan. And earth is where sin is contained.

In response to this notion, the following statement was made.…

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 “The Church has erroneously taught for years that God cannot be in the
presence of sin. Therefore, He will not come to earth until sin is eradicated…. If
God cannot be in the presence of sin, then how can the following scriptures be
explained? ‘Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered
the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up
and down in it…. Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to
present himself before the LORD….’ Clearly, we see that God can indeed be
in the presence of sin and in the presence of a sinner.”

HWA and the church implied that earth is where sin is contained for good reasons: (1)
We know that both God beings can be referred to as LORD/YHWH (see point #15), so
the LORD in this passage is God the Word. (2) Combining the scriptures reveals that
Satan and the demons are confined to earth, so when “the sons of God came to
present themselves before the LORD,” it happened on earth.

We must remember that God said, “I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of
God [i.e. heaven]” and “cast you to the ground” (Ezek 28:16-17). This pictures the time
of Lucifer’s (Satan’s) original rebellion. (See also these scriptures which depict God
remaining in heaven while using angels to bring messages to earth, as well as serve as
His eyes and ears… Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:11-17; Rev 12:9; Rev 18:2; Luke 10:18; Matt
8:29; Isa 66:1; Matt 5:35; Isa 59:2; Isa 6; Psa 103:19-21; Gen 28:12-13; Heb 1:14; Zech
1:9-11; Zech 4:10)

What the passage in Job indicates is that Satan presented himself to God The Word
(YHWH), and he presented himself on earth. No mention is made of this meeting
occurring in heaven, so we should not assume it happened anywhere near God’s
heavenly realm.

God now resides in an undefiled, heavenly realm of holiness and purity, where no sin
exists. We too shall someday reside in an undefiled realm of purity and holiness, after
God the Father finally comes to earth. Regarding that future time, the Bible tells us,
“there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a
lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev 21:27). This echoes
rules and regulations surrounding the earthly prototype of the temple in ancient Israel,
to keep it undefiled (Lev 15:31; 16:2).

God says it’s our “sins” that separate us from Him (Isa 59:2), and it’s only through the
blood of Christ that we are reconcile to Him (2 Cor 5:18).

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It was also stated…

“If God cannot be in the presence of sin then He would not be able to dwell
within us. But that is exactly what He and Christ do!”

And…

“We come into the Father’s presence through prayer. We have direct access to
Him through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. If God could not be in the
presence of sin, then we could not go before Him in prayer to ask for the
forgiveness of our sins.”

This is another example of poor deductive reasoning. We must distinguish the

difference between God’s physical presence and His spirit present within us. They are
not the same thing. The bible tells us that He “sends” His spirit (Psa 104:30; 1 John
4:13), therefore His spirit emanates from Him—from a specific place in the spiritual
realm—from heaven. We receive some of His spirit essence at conversion.

Likewise, the electricity from the power station comes to our homes, but the power
station itself does not physically inhabit our homes. Similarly, the water from a reservoir
travels to our homes but the reservoir itself does not physically inhabit our homes.
When the sperm from a husband impregnates his wife, he himself does not physically
inhabit his wife.

The point is that God Himself cannot be in the presence of sin, and will not come to
earth until it is cleansed by fire. That is what the combined scriptures indicate.

Lastly on this point, it was stated…

“God created Satan, demons, and all sinful humans. To say He cannot be in
the presence of sin would deny His involvement in the Kingdom and the
Church that bears His name. I do firmly believe the teaching that God cannot
be in the presence of sin was originated by Satan as a deception that
would, if believed, make God a distant and uninvolved Father.”

I strongly disagree with these statements.

God did not create Satan, demons nor sinful humans. They were created perfect and
undefiled, then they corrupted themselves.

Nobody has denied the Father’s involvement. Not ever. Nor does the fact that He has
remained in heaven constitute being “uninvolved.” Should we limit His ability to
orchestrate from heaven? No, that’s just poor deductive reasoning.

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A symphony conductor does not touch an instrument nor make a sound, yet is
responsible for the beautiful music that is heard by the audience. Similarly, God the
Father orchestrated from heaven and conducted through The Word (Christ) in Old
Testament times.

And to say, “the teaching that God cannot be in the presence of sin was originated by
Satan as a deception” is disregarding many scriptures which point to this truth. It could
be equally said that any doctrine that implies that God’s involvement necessitates His
physical presence on earth is a deception—because it limits his abilities and denies
Him the possibility of orchestrating from His heavenly throne.

God says, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” (Isa 66:1). Would we
answer back and say, “God, you are a distant and uninvolved Father!” Certainly not.

Re: what The Word (Christ) was doing while the Father interacted
directly with men

Question: If this theory was true, then what was The Word (Christ) doing while the
Father interacted directly with men?

This question prompted the following response.…

“When one makes the assumption that Christ is the God of the OT, and when
one assumes that Christ did all the speaking and acting, this removes the
Father from having any interaction with mankind during that time.”

This answer is illogical. Again, does God the Father’s involvement require His physical
presence? No.

The truth is just the opposite. When we remove The Word/Christ from the equation, it
divides the Godhead—which we cannot do. They are joined in unity. Christ said…

“….now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had

with You before the world was.… I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but
for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours,
and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them…. that they all may be one,
as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the
world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have
given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in
Me; that they may be made perfect in one…” (John 17:5,9,10,21-23)

By God the Father orchestrating through Christ, they are working together as a team.
This is the only way they can work together as a team—by The Word/Christ functioning
as the go-between.

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By teaching that God the Father Himself interacted (spoke/appeared) directly with
humans eliminates Christ from the equation and divides the Godhead.

It was also stated….

“Therefore, it is only fair to ask the question, if Christ was the God of the
OT, what was the Father doing during that period? The Father is assumed to
be off somewhere doing who knows what. Those who assume that Christ is the
God the Old Testament have never even addressed the question as to what God
the Father is doing while Christ is running everything on earth by Himself.

What was God the Father doing while Christ was representing the Godhead on earth?
He was orchestrating everything from His heavenly throne—directing The Word—as it
was always taught in the church by HWA. The Father was NEVER EVER “assumed to
be off somewhere doing who knows what.” That is terrible deductive reasoning.

Lastly, on this point, it was stated…

“God has always been on His throne with Christ at His right side. The point
being that Both of them have worked together as an Eternal Team. They
worked together from creation to the present day.”

Nobody disagrees with this statement. This has been taught for decades in the church
by HWA and others. Again, the enclosed excerpts from the archive of WCG sermons
and articles is the proof. It’s disconcerting that this is being preached as if it’s new.

Re: Christ depicted as the spiritual food and water in the O.T.

The Bible says Christ was the figurative food and water to the Israelites (1 Cor 10:1-4),
and therefore strong inferences to Christ being the representative God of the Old
Testament.

This comment prompted the following response.…

“In these verses Paul is drawing an analogy between baptism and Israel’s
crossing the Red Sea; and a second analogy between Israel’s food and drink
with Christ. In our minds this should bring up Jn 6 where Christ tells us in v:53
that we must symbolically “eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood”
if we want to have life. In v:48-51, He says that His the “bread of life” and goes
on to compare Himself with the manna that physically sustained Israel. But,
notice what He says in v:32, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you
the true bread from heaven.” Here Christ identifies the source of the true
bread. Christ is the true bread, but the Father is the One who provides it! This
scripture is one more proof that God and Christ have worked as a spiritual team

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 eternally.… The Church over the decades has made this an “either or issue”
which it is not.”

Indeed, Christ is analogous to food and water. And God the Father provides it.
Everything comes from the Father, as was always taught by HWA.

But the church has not made it an “either/or” issue. It was always taught that Christ
was the representative “God of the Old Testament,” and always directed by God the
Father. Nowhere has any church minister every taught that Christ was an autonomous
God of the Old Testament while the Father was “off somewhere” or “not involved.”

Re: this new perspective being a physical argument

I asked the question, “Doesn’t this new perspective of God the Father in the Old
Testament consist solely of a physical argument?” In other words, doesn’t it focus
entirely on the method of information delivery and not the content itself? I then cited
quotes from HWA and others in the WCG demonstrating decades of extreme reverence
for God the Father and ultimate credit given to Him for the plan of salvation.

My question prompted the following response…

“The quotes you bring out are all true and they were indeed stated by the
Church. The problem is that we (the WW Church of God and now the Greater
Churches of God) have been what is best described as bi-polar on the issue. On
the one hand we have all these statements about reverencing the Father,
but on the other we have said Christ is the exclusive God of the OT. The
latter meaning that anytime God is quoted as saying something or doing
something in the OT, it must be Christ. How does that stance resolve amid all
the quotes you bring out? We, as a Church, never thought the issue through.
I believe Mr. Armstrong never addressed this disparity.”

I disagree. The Word/Christ never acted independently apart from the Father. Nor was
it ever taught or implied in the church. The Father has instructed every word. The Word/
Christ was the delivery mechanism. This was explained thoroughly by HWA and other
WCG ministers.

It was also stated…

“How can we say we must pray to the Father (which is true) and at the
same time say He had little if anything to do in the OT?.… If we accept that
Christ is the God of the OT, then it must be Him Whom ancient Israel sacrificed
to, prayed to, and worshipped. It must have been Christ Who dwelt in the Most
Holy Place. This is simply not supported by the record of scripture. Does it make
sense that one God should worship and prayed to in the OT and another God in
the NT? Again, we never thought this through.

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The church has never taught that the Father “had little if anything to do in the OT.”
Quite the contrary. The written record proves that HWA and WCG taught that the
Father is architect of salvation and very involved, but orchestrated through The Word/
Christ. Plain and simple.

Also, the true people of God have only ever prayed to One God—the Father. As Christ
instructed. Only Protestants and Catholics believe the Father was God of the OT while
Jesus is God of the NT.

It was also stated…

“Satan does not want anyone worshiping God. Rather, he perverted the early
Church into worshipping Mary, Saints, Apostles, etc. Anything but God. Satan
did the same with the Protestants, provoking them to diminish God by focusing
on Christ. He did the same with the Mormons with the “angel” Moroni revealing
to Joseph Smith that Christ was the God of the OT. Then after God called and
opened Mr. Armstrong’s mind to the truth, Satan cleverly slipped this heresy into
the Radio/Worldwide Church of God.”

“I firmly believe we have been diminishing and denying the Father by insisting
that Christ is the God of the OT. All we want to do is restore the truth about
who God and Christ are, what Their relationship is, and what Their activities
have been in the record of scripture.”

The truth is, every member in the true Church of God worships God the Father first and
foremost—as we were always taught by HWA in the WCG. We are God the Father’s
children after all, not Christ’s children.

I do not believe there is a conspiracy among the Church of God groups to elevate
Christ above the Father, nor lean toward worldly protestantism. If there is any
conspiracy at all, it is a conspiracy to mischaracterize past teachings in the church to
imply that the spotlight was on Christ alone. It mostly certainly was not.

The reality is, there’s no need to “restore the truth” about God the Father being the
supreme God and actively involved with mankind from the beginning, because that’s
what everyone in the church already believes.

The only point of difference in this new theory is the method of information delivery…
asserting that it came from the Father directly. Everyone else (based on Mr.
Armstrong’s teaching) says it came from the Father but through The Word/Christ.

The truth is, nobody is “denying the Father.” HWA and WCG always taught that all
things originated from the Father but were delivered to humans through The Word
(Christ).

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Re: the Church of God being “bi-polar” over the years

The following statement was made.…

“Here is the problem: I, as well as the Church, have been bi-polar on this issue.
On the one hand we have all the quotes from Me and even HWA (which you
correctly mention) that God is indeed Almighty, Most High. But simultaneously
on the other hand, we have the long-standing teaching that Christ was the God
of the OT. This bi-polarness (if you will) is that one cannot logically claim both
concepts to be true at the same time. Yet, I did so for decades. I did the same
as HWA stating that God was Almighty, yet simultaneously repeating that Christ
was THE God of the OT.”

My problem with this statement is that when HWA used the phrase, “Christ was the
God of the Old Testament” he never meant that Christ was an autonomous God of the
Old Testament, nor that God the Father was “uninvolved” as it’s been implied.

The truth is, HWA taught that Christ was the “divine personage” or representative God
of the Old Testament. The oft repeated phrase, “Christ was the God of the Old
Testament” was a condensed hook phrase intended primarily for Protestants and
Catholics. It was used to challenge their notion that the Father was God of the OT
while Christ is God of the new, and therefore came to “do away” with His Father’s laws.

Anyone who studies HWA’s sermons and literature will discover what he actually
taught… that God the Father was very much involved by orchestrating everything
through Christ (The Word).

Re: who dwells in the most Holy place?

The following statement was made…

“The bottom line is framed by one question: Who dwells in the Most Holy
Place? If Christ is the God of the OT, it must be Him. If God, then it must be
him.”

The bible tells us in multiple places that “God does not dwell in temples made with
hands.” The earthly temple was merely a symbolic representation of heaven. Neither
Father nor Son literally inhabited the place.

My problem with this statement is that it ignores the fact that Christ was the
representative God of the Old Testament, and always appeared and spoke on behalf of
His Father. All of the appearances, edicts, commands, everything—that centered

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around the earthly temple—came from the Father but were represented through Christ.
That’s where all the evidence points.

The real bottom line is framed by this question: if God the Father was directly involved
(by “directly” I mean bypassing The Word and interacting Himself with human beings
with His own vocalizations and appearances on earth, that people both heard and
saw), then why was the high priest the only one allowed to enter the holy of holies?
Why did God use the symbolic notion of a go-between or intermediary between heaven
and earth? Is it because God is conducting from heaven? Yes. Is it because the earth
was made by, through and for Christ? Yes. Is it because God will not come to earth
until it has been purified by fire? Yes. This and much more evidence points to these
truths.

But God the Father remaining in heaven does NOT mean He’s a “remote God” or
“uninvolved” just because He has been orchestrating through The Word/Christ. No
more than a orchestra conductor is “uninvolved” in making the music just because he’s
not playing a physical instrument. And no more than a corporate CEO is “uninvolved”
in running a company just because he doesn’t do all the physical work of producing
and selling a product.

Insisting that God the Father’s involvement necessitates physical presence and direct
interaction—bypassing His “spokesman”—is limiting His ability to orchestrate from
heaven. Consequently, heaven is the place of God’s throne and earth is His footstool.

Re: when this understanding came

The following statement was made.…

“Finally, the understanding came that Both have been intimately involved in the
physical and spiritual creation. Both have always worked together as a team
with the Father in the lead and Christ as His Servant.”

I object to the insinuation that this “understanding came” recently. I’m quite positive
that Mr. Armstrong—if he were alive today—would be offended by this statement. And
so would anyone acquainted with true history. The proof is in the excerpts included at
the end of this document.

The only point of different in this new theory is that God the Father bypassed His
speaker (The Word/Christ) and spoke directly to mankind—which is a physical
component consisting only of the method of information delivery.

Re: recollections of past teachings in the church

The following statement was made.…

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 “I will comment on what I have heard with my own ears and seen with my own
eyes about a deemphasis of God.

"I was ordained an Elder in 1974, and at ministerial conferences and refreshing
programs in Pasadena, as well as regional conferences, we were taught that
Christ was THE God of the OT and that all words and deeds attributed to God in
the OT were actually performed by Christ.

“As I said before, we were bi-polar on the issue. Yes, HWA did refer to God
Almighty but at the same time mentioned that Christ was the God of the OT.
This entire subject was never thought through as to its implications, much less
reconciled. We read over hundreds of scriptures with only a fuzzy and confusing
notion of Who did or said what.”

I disagree that it was “never thought through.” It was very thought through, as
evidenced by years of articles and sermons.

Furthermore, I don’t believe anything was “fuzzy” or “confusing” on this matter. We all
knew the Father was in charge and everything that was spoken from Him, but delivered
by the Word/Christ. Simple as that. All the evidence points to this conclusion.

Re: only seeking to know God more fully

The following statement was made…

“All I am seeking is to know God and Christ more fully so that I can worship
them in truth more fully.”

Understanding the roles and relationship of Father and Son is indeed important.
However, the crux of this new theory is really centered around Who spoke the words in
the Old Testament. Regardless, the words always originated from the Father… which
we’ve been taught for decades.

In truth, this theory centers on the physical method of information delivery. If we really
seek to know God and Christ more fully so we can worship them in truth more fully,
then focusing on the content is more helpful than focusing on the delivery method.

Re: the Father’s physical vs. spiritual presence on earth

The following statement was made….

"Just to be clear, God the Father came spiritually to the Temple and
Tabernacle, He did not come physically. He allowed His glory to be seen and His
voice to be heard, but He was not transformed from the spirit to the physical in
doing so.”

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I think the general takeaway among believers of this new theory is that God the Father
personally came to earth. The inference is… the Father Himself appeared in some
physical form to Abraham, and appeared in some physical form to Moses (to whom He
showed his backside in Ex 33:20), who appeared in some physical form and wrestled
with Jacob, who appeared in some physical form to the seventy elders at Mt. Sinai,
and who descended in a cloud upon the tabernacle/temple.

One thing is for sure, a God being definitely appeared on earth and spoke to humans
during Old Testament times.

We know God is composed of spirit but He has taken physical form and appeared in
person (not just in vision). I believe this was always the person of The Word/Christ
during Old Testament times, which is where the evidence points.

Re: “God” as the Father’s exclusive title

The following statement was made…

“However, Acts again tells us that the God Who spoke to Moses identified
Himself as “the God of your fathers” and as “the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob” and we have previously seen that the book of Acts
exclusively uses these titles for God the Father.”

This is incorrect. As explained earlier, the statement in Acts 3:13 is one of identity not
exclusivity. To conclude that just because Peter identifies the Father as God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it automatically eliminates Jesus as God is failing to
consider the whole picture. (See reason #3 on page 12).

We must ask ourselves: isn’t Jesus also Theos? Isn’t Jesus also Elohim? Isn’t Jesus
also Yahweh? The answer is yes, yes, and yes. As co-Creator, Jesus was just as much
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To argue otherwise constitutes poor deductive
reasoning.

Re: Hearing and Seeing God

The following statement was made…

"Notice that both Acts 3:25-26 and Acts 5:30-31 mention that the God of our
fathers ‘raised up’ Jesus. This makes it very clear that God the Father is being
referred to here as “the God of our fathers”. Christ certainly didn’t resurrect
Himself nor did He by His own power do any of the works He performed during
His physical life (John 5:30). It was clearly God the Father who “raised up” Christ
in every way that statement can be interpreted. So, it is clear that God the
Father is being referred to here with the title ‘God of our fathers’. This means

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 Ancient Israel and the Patriarchs had to be aware of God the Father. It
would not make any sense for Israel to give this title to a God Being that ‘the
fathers’ were not even aware of and thus would not have actively worshipped as
their God. Since it is clear that Israel was definitely aware of the existence
of both God the Father and the One Who became Jesus Christ…”

Incorrect. Two points regarding the statement above.

Firstly, nobody in the Church of God would disagree that God the Father is and has
always been the supreme God of the universe, therefore the ultimate “God of our
fathers.” That’s what HWA taught—that Christ was the physical representative of the
Godhead on earth, speaking and acting on behalf of the Father.

Secondly, I believe it’s grossly inaccurate to say, “Israel was definitely aware of the
existence of both God the Father and the One Who became Jesus Christ” and “It
would not make any sense for Israel to give this title to a God Being that ‘the fathers’
were not even aware of…”

Ancient Israel was spiritually blind, except for a few individuals. Only a few handpicked
prophets and patriarchs were privileged to have any deep understanding of the
Godhead, and they worshipped God the Father same way that you and I worship God
the Father.

Regarding the unconverted leaders in ancient Israel… just because they used certain
titles and terms to address God does not mean they had any true understanding of the
Godhead. It’s totally illogical to correlate vernacular with comprehension. You could
walk into a synagogue today and hear the same phrase, “God of our fathers” uttered
from the lectern, and yet Jews today believe there is only one individual in the
Godhead.

Israel did not have a clear picture of the plurality of the Godhead, because they did not
have God’s spirit. And it remained that way even into the times of Christ’s ministry on
earth. The Jews of Christ’s time used the same titles and terms as their forefathers and
they had no comprehension whatsoever of the Godhead. They rejected the notion of
plurality of the Godhead, as they still do today. That’s one of the reasons they were so
offended that Christ claimed to be a deity and felt justified in murdering Him.

Christ explained…

“Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and
they know that You sent Me.” (John 17:25)

“They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever
kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to
you because they have not known the Father nor Me. (John 16:2-3)

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 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do
not know Him who sent Me.” (John 15:21)

“Where is Your Father?" they asked Him. ‘You do not know Me or My Father,’
Jesus answered. ‘If you knew Me, you would know My Father as
well.’” (John 8:19)

Christ meant “know” as in spiritually converted. Without God’s spirit, humans are blind
and ignorant. They know nothing.

The proof?

Consider modern day “Christians” who believe in a three-in-one trinity—an

incomprehensible gobbledygook.

Consider the Jews who still believe there’s only one in the Godhead. And the other
religions believe in any number of Gods.

But, amazingly, not a single religious group on earth believes in two individuals in the
Godhead, except the Church of God. One God but two persons.

Israel was definitely not “aware of the existence of both God the Father and the One
Who became Jesus Christ.” They were blind… and intentionally blinded (Luke 8:10;
John 12:40).

It was also stated…

“We can see from the scriptures… that Psalms 78 identifies the God that
performed all of these miracles for Israel as “the Most High”. This account
tells us that “the Most High” is the One that parted the Red Sea, the One that
provided Israel with water out of the rock, and the One that fed them with
manna and quail, and the One that led Israel with the cloud during the day and
with the pillar of fire at night. We are also told that the covenant that Israel made
at Mount Sinai was “His covenant”.

This statement is a half truth.

The full truth is, God the Father performed all these miracles but He performed them
through Christ, just as God the Father performed the miracles during Christ’s earthly
ministry. He said, “The Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10; see
also: John 5:19; 9:4; 10:25).

That is how the Godhead operates… by the Father but through the Son. And we
should notice that God the Father always gets the credit for all works throughout the

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scriptures. The only thing The Word/Christ did on His own was offer Himself as a
sacrifice. He made that personal choice (John 10:15-17).

Re: “no one has successfully demonstrated out of scripture that what
we state is untrue”

The following statement was made…

“When one looks at the record of scripture without this artificial construct, then
there opens up a mountain of evidence to the contrary. And, not one of those
who oppose this deeper understanding has explained the multitude of such
scriptures.”

I would not call The Word of God an “artificial construct.” It’s a lens which clarifies
Christ’s role in the Godhead, and without it everything becomes out of sync.

Also, I don’t see a “mountain of evidence.” I only see a misinterpretation of scripture

and poor deductive reasoning. Such as the misinterpretation of Acts 3:13 and similar
passages that mention both Father and Son, by assuming that it excludes Jesus from
the Godhead.

John 1 is an important clarifying lens: Christ was and is The Word (Logos)—the earthly
representative or speaker for God the Father since creation. Every word and every
action was conducted by God the Father through Christ. Just as Herbert Armstrong
taught for decades in the WCG. Simple and plain. And definitely not “artificial.”

Wherever we read about “Almighty God,” “God Most High” or “God of our Fathers” —
it refers to no other than God the Father. Yet, He nonetheless orchestrated all things
through Christ, as demonstrated by the points in this paper. That is how they work
together as a team. By the Father, through the Son.

It was also stated…

Of the many sermons and posts on our WEB site, no one has successfully
demonstrated out of scripture that what we state is untrue. When they
cannot rebut scripture, they resort to attacking the person(s) who bring this
deeper understanding.”

A number of “proof” scriptures were then cited by proponents of the new theory, with
added emphasis in red. There are of course simple explanations for all of these. I have
grouped my comments below that pertain to similar scriptures.

Jn 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

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 Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you
all.

1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due
time.

1 Cor 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in
sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there
is none other God but one. 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether
in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6 But to us there
is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

1 Cor 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son
also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be
all in all.

2 Cor 5:18 And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Regarding the above passages about the “One God” and "True God” (or any scripture
which declares the Father’s supremacy)… these scriptures in no way contradict the
fact that Christ (as the Logos) represented God on earth.

These verses are quoted as if it’s some new revelation, but it’s not. The plain fact is,
HWA emphasized these same scriptures time and again, declaring repeatedly that God
the Father is supreme over all, and that He is the architect and conductor of the entire
plan of creation and salvation.

But we mustn’t forget that Christ is also a member of divine Elohim and also God: “And
the Word was God.” (Logos was Theos, John 1). Very simply, God the Father
orchestrated everything through Christ. That’s where all the evidence points. It’s a
unified team effort.

Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our
fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in
the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14 But ye denied
the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we
are witnesses.

As explained earlier, Acts 3:13 in no way eliminates Jesus—The Word—from being the
earthly representative of the Godhead during Old Testament times.

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Even as HWA taught, God The Father was always God supreme. He was and is the
God being that humans pray to and worship. God The Word was and is the second
member of divine Elohim, and was the divine personage or speaker who appeared and
communicated with mankind on behalf of the Godhead. This is understood by putting
all the scriptures together, beginning with John 1.

Furthermore, it’s very poor human reasoning to conclude that just because Peter
identifies God the Father as “the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob” that it
automatically excludes Christ from also being “the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and
of Jacob.” It definitely does not. This passage is one of identity not exclusivity.

We must ask ourselves these questions…

-Didn’t God say, “Let Us make man in Our image”?

-Isn’t Jesus a member of divine Elohim?

-Isn’t Jesus One with God?

-Didn’t God created all things through Jesus Christ?

-Isn’t Jesus The Word (Logos, i.e. speaker) of God?

The answer is “yes” to all of these questions.

Peter’s motive in this passage is to identify God the Father and condemn the Jews for
denying Jesus His Godly status and role as Prince of Life. His motive was not to
exclude Christ as a deity. That would be ridiculous, since elsewhere in scripture His
Godly status is overwhelming obvious.

When we read this passage using the lenses of other scriptures, we understand that
God the Father is indeed “God of our Fathers” but the Word (who is also “God of our
Fathers”) has represented the Godhead throughout history, and has appeared and
spoken in the name of God Most High—as He did in the New Testament.

Mk 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book
of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

The answer to this passage is the same as Acts 3:13. Jesus Christ, as the Word, and
also as a member of divine Elohim, is also God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When
we stand individually before Christ, would we say, “You’re not God!”? I hope not.

The question here is… how did God speak to Moses? Through His speaker, the Word
(i.e. Jesus Christ). If we keep the all-important lens of John 1:1-18 in place, then
everything remains in sync. But if we remove the lens, things go sideways and
everything becomes out of sync.

Acts 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God
made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the

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 kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his
Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities.

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on
a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 22:12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good
report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said
unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon
him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of
his mouth.

2 Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.

These four passages above touch on the same thing: naming both Father and Son in
the same passage.

For a person that accepts that Christ was and is The Word since the beginning of
creation, the answer is easy: none of these exclude Christ from the Godhead, nor is
that the point of any of these four scriptures. Rather, the point is to validate Christ as
Messiah—primarily for the benefit of the resistant Jews, who struggled to accept the
fact that the Messiah is not merely a man but actually God in the flesh—because only
the perfectly righteous shed blood of a God being could sufficiently cover the sins of all
mankind.

But, for a person who rejects that Christ was and is The Word since creation, erroneous
conclusions will be made, and everything is out of sync with many other biblical
passages that point to Christ as being the earthly representative for the Godhead in the
Old Testament. Subsequently, many simple and straightforward passages must be re-
framed and re-interpreted to align with the erroneous conclusions.

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord,
which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they
were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

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 Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and
wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and
hast reigned.

God the Father is indeed God Almighty. Who could rightly dispute that He is God
Almighty and the supreme God of the universe, and in authority over The Word/Christ?
Nobody. I invite anyone to conduct a survey and ask any major Church of God splinter
group leader whether or not they believe God the Father is the master architect and
conductor of the entire plan of salvation. I’m willing to bet all of them would respond
with a resounding “Yes!” No truly begotten Christian could deny such a thing. Nor was
anything other than this truth preached in WCG until the apostasy in the mid-1990’s.

What spiritual benefit can we gain by believing that God the Father Himself delivered
the information to the prophets and patriarchs in the Old Testament, instead of through
The Word (Jesus Christ)? After all, we all know the information derived from the Father
regardless, as HWA preached for decades.

If there is only one thing I could communicate, it would be this…

This new theory (or “perspective”) has no spiritual components. It deals only with the
physical method of delivery. In other words, it’s focused on which God being appeared
or spoke the words to men. It does not focus on the content or messages delivered.

God is much more concerned about our obedience to His spiritual law of love. That’s
where our focus should be, not distracted by a controversial theory that consists of a
physical method of information delivery.

God says…

“But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And
who trembles at my word.” (Isa 66:2)

Christ says…

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have
kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10)

What God ultimately wants is for us to prove obedience and loyalty to His moral laws,
even to death. Only then will we be accepted into His eternal family. For this very
simple reason… He doesn’t want another adversary in this universe. One Satan is
enough.

Re: the conclusion by proponents of the new theory

The following statement was made…

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 If Christ is the God of the OT, then He would have resided in the Holy of Holies
in the Temple and Tabernacle. If that was the case, then the sacrifices would
have been made to Christ. When Christ was on the cross and the veil was rent,
that must then symbolize His having access/contact with Himself. If Christ was
the God of the OT, then those who lived at that time would have worshipped
Christ, while those of us in the NT worship the Father. Humans would be
worshipping one God in the OT and another in the NT. How can it be that God
resides in the Holy of Holies in heaven, while Christ is believed to have
resided in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and Temple? This is definitely
not consistent and not supported by scripture.

The statement above demonstrates a serious misunderstanding of temple symbolism.

Firstly, it’s a plain fact that “God does not dwell in temples made with hands.” And the
earth is God’s “footstool.”

When God said he would “dwell” with them, He did not mean in the literal sense. In
other words, He did not literally reside inside a dusty, dark tent or building on earth. It
was all symbolic. God the Father was and is on his throne in heaven, accompanied by
the twenty-four elders and surrounded by His angelic hosts.

Furthermore—as HWA taught—during Old Testament times, Christ was the

representative of the Godhead. He appeared and spoke on behalf of God the Father.
As the Logos or speaker, that was His role. He was NOT God the Father, and nobody
has ever claimed such a thing.

The earthly temple was symbolic. It’s a miniature copy of heavenly things (Heb 8:5).
Nobody has asserted that Christ is the God being represented in the Holy of Holies.
That could only be the Father. Nevertheless, the symbolism of the temple design
shows that God the Father is unreachable and unattainable except through Christ—our
Mediator— who is symbolized by the high priest exclusively entering on our behalf
(John 14:6; Eph 2:18).

It was also stated…

“Here is the real question: Who is the Most High God and Who resides in the
Most Holy Place? If it is Christ, then He is the God of the OT. However, if it is the
Father, then it was He who resided in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle and
Temple. He was the One ancient Israel sacrificed to and worshipped. He now
resides on His eternal throne, as He always has, in the Most Holy Place in
heaven. God has always been there as the record of scripture proves.”

The individual points made here are accurate: (1) God the Father is the Most High, (2)
the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies symbolized the throne of God the Father, (3) God

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the Father was the one who ancient Israel sacrificed to and worshipped, and (4) God
has always been in heaven on His throne.

However, when we add up these things, it does not mean that God the Father
interacted directly with mankind. That’s an illogical leap to a false conclusion. The
accumulative scriptures show that Christ was the God being who represented God the
Father on earth—especially John, chapter 1. And the record of church history shows
that HWA always taught that God the Father was conducting things from heaven.

In essence, the highlighted statement above is the same thing HWA taught, but with
one caveat… Christ was the earthly representative or speaker for the Most High God.

Also, neither God being literally resided in the temple. “God does not dwell in temples
made with hands” (Acts 7:48). God the Father always resided in heaven, conducting
operations from His heavenly throne, occasionally sending The Word on His behalf, and
at other times, angels. But He Himself has remained in heaven throughout history.

—This concludes the “Counterarguments, Questions & Answers” section—

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V. REFERENCES: PROOF THAT THE TEACHINGS OF HWA, WCG
AND CURRENT DAY COG GROUPS HAVE BEEN
MISCHARACTERIZED BY PROPONENTS OF THE NEW THEORY

EXCERPTS FROM

SERMONS AND LITERATURE BY

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD

(HWA YEARS)

PLEASE NOTE:

The excerpts below are copied from various Worldwide Church Of God literature and sermon
transcripts. Mostly by Herbert W. Armstrong, but a few others as well.

These excerpts prove a consistency in teaching.

1. HWA taught that Word/Christ was representative of the Godhead during Old Testament
times (in effect “The God of the Old Testament”), and no human has seen or heard the
Father.

2. HWA taught that The Word/Christ—as “God of the Old Testament”—was a conduit and
only spoke as God the Father instructed.

3. HWA taught that God the Father was (and is) a hands-on God, and actively involved
with his chosen people since creation. And He has orchestrated all interactions with
mankind through His “spokesman,” The Word/Christ.

4. HWA taught that true Christians must have the upmost reverence and respect for God
the Father—the Supreme Being in the universe. As you’ll see, most definitely a Father-
centered mindset.

5. HWA taught the same things that proponents of this new theory are teaching, with the
exception of one thing… the method of information delivery. They are teaching that God
the Father appeared and spoke directly to the patriarchs and prophets, whereas HWA
and WCG taught that all information was delivered through The Word/Christ. The
spiritual content (information delivered) is still the same.

These consistent teachings disprove characterizations made by proponents of the new theory,
asserting that Herbert W. Armstrong’s teachings diminish God the Father and/or downplay His
involvement in the Old Testament.

Emphasis is provided in bold text.

(Note: similar excerpts from current day Church of God groups begins on page 155)

110
 “Christ's Teaching Not His Own - The things He taught He did not teach out of His
own mind, they were not His own ideas. Most of our listeners know and understand
that the prophesies that I give you are not mine, but His that sent me…. I was giving
you the Revelation of Jesus Christ; He is the true Revelator. And the book of Revelation
is called in your Bible, the inspired words say; "The Revelation of Jesus Christ….”

“…Turn back to the book of Revelation, the last book in your Bible…. Now read the
very first words of the Book that God inspired and God had this written: "The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him..." (Revelation 1:1). Now which
will you believe. There it is, do you see it with your own eyes in your own Bible?….And
here Jesus said that my teaching or my doctrine is not mine but His that sent me, and
the Father sent Him. There again it's the revelation of God who sent Him gave Him
and He's preached what His Father said…. ” 

“….Well my friends, if Jesus could do nothing of Himself, neither can I and neither
can you. And if He needed the Father who sent Him and had to rely on God
Almighty and the great power of the Creator how much more do you and I need to
rely on that same power? I would be afraid to live another moment of my life without
the protection and the guidance of God Almighty….

“…And again, I read the other day back in the one hundred and eleventh Psalm: "A
good understanding have all they that do his—the Father’s—
commandments." (Psalm 111:10)...

“…And here's what He said, verse 14: "Blessed are they that do his
commandments" (Revelation 22:14). He didn't say 'my commandments.' 

   “Now I know people that try to say there is a competition between God the Father
and Jesus Christ; apparently they believe it because they say well we'll keep the
commandments of Christ but we won't keep the commandments of God. And the
reason for that is that they believe it was God the Father who spoke to Israel in
Mt. Sinai as you find recorded in Exodus 20 who said; "I am the Eternal thy God, that
brought thee out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 20:2 paraphrased), and that gave them
the Ten Commandments. 

   “Now actually, that was the One who was the Spokesman of God, the Logos, who
was made flesh and dwelt among us who was Jesus Christ (John 1:1). He is the
Word and He is the One who did the speaking at Mt. Sinai; and He is the One by
whom God created the Earth, and He is the Eternal who created it in the six days. 

   “But nevertheless, the law originated from the Father and not from Christ; but
Christ spoke His Father's Word. And He said; "I have not spoken anything of
myself" (John 8:28). But some preachers today believe He did….”

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“…Now Jesus said: "Blessed are they that do his commandments—that’s not my
commandments, He was speaking of His Father, The Father's commandments—
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city" (Revelation 22:14)."   

“…God Is A Family - Always He magnified His Father as greater than He. And
always here is the family relationship. God is a kingdom my friends, and it is a family
grown into a great kingdom; it is a family, and it is a family where the Father is the
Head. And the Father does the governing and sets the laws. It is the creating family,
it is the supreme ruling family of the universe and the Father is the head Ruler. I guess
not very many people know that. 

“Most people think of God as one Person. But God is an Elohim. Elohim is the
word used in Genesis one verse one in the beginning of your Bible. "In the beginning
God [or Elohim]"(Genesis 1:1), and that means more than one person. And God didn't
say let me make man in my image; but God said. "Let us make man in our
image" (Genesis 1:26). And Jesus Christ was God, He looked like God. He said, "...if
you've seen me you've seen the Father" (John 14:9 paraphrased). But He also looked
like other men and here are other men here saying; well we know all about Him, we
know where He came from, He's just like any other human being, how could He be the
Messiah? How could He be God? 

  “But Jesus said: "...he that sent me is true, whom ye know not" (John 7:28 last part).
They didn't know God. People don't know God today but many of them think they do.
They know a different God not the true God. But Jesus said: "I know him: for I am
from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands
on him [why?], because his hour was not yet come." (John 7:29-30)” 

(Excerpts from “Jesus, Spokesman of God,” by Herbert W. Armstrong, The World

Tomorrow radio broadcast, year unknown)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1439048524

———————

“GOD THE FATHER IS THE LAWGIVER - Now let me make this straight. The law
came from God the Father. You know, it's a great deal like the government of the
United States. The Congress is the law-making body; the President is the executive of
the administration to administer the government; and then we have the Supreme Court
to do the judging. Now, spiritually in the government of God, God the Father is the
Congress (or the Parliament). He is the Lawgiver. He makes the law. And when you
break the law, you have put yourself clear outside of God the Father. It is God the

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Father you need to be reconciled to, not Christ. You accept Christ not because that
saves you. The receiving of Christ does not save you. And yet they say that you're
already born again if you say "I receive Christ." And the churches are saying that thing
all over, and they are in gross ERROR! 

“And it is simply, as it says in II Corinthians the eleventh chapter, beginning along, let
me see, a little farther along—they are the ministers of Satan the devil, but they
pose as the ministers of Christ. They say He was Christ, but they don't speak
much about any connection with God; and they don't want anything to do with
God's law. And they think the blood of Christ saves you. 

   “Now in Romans 5, and about verse 5, you will read that by the blood of Christ we
are RECONCILED TO GOD THE FATHER; but we are SAVED through Christ by His
life—the resurrection. And God is the one who resurrected Christ, and who will
resurrect you and me. And of course, Christ now is "of God" and "is God." And He
says He has the power to raise us up at the Last Day also. And those things, no
wonder they call it "a mystery" today; and they are so confused in the world
today. . . . . “

“….Genesis 1:26, God said—and this must have been God saying it to the Word—
Let Us make man in our image. 

  “And so God told the Word to do it, and the Word formed man. And in the second
chapter, Yahweh is mentioned, and always speaks of the Word who became Christ.” 

(Sermon excerpt: “Mission of the Philadelphia Era,” by HWA, December 17, 1983)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1330450883

———————

“As a theocracy, with government from the top down, it also is revealed that God the
Father is the supreme LAWGIVER, and head over Christ and therefore ABOVE
ALL. The Kingdom of God is the FAMILY OF GOD—and the Father is supreme head
over His family! Jesus Christ is coming as KING of kings and LORD of lords, so the
Kingdom of God shall combine church and state, as did ancient Israel—with Christ
earthly King and LORD.”

(Excerpt: “7 PROOFS OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH: Part Eight” by Herbert W Armstrong,

Plain Truth, Oct-Nov 1979)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1342350510

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———————

"Well in the United States form the executive is one department, the legislative another,
and the judicial is the third branch; we have three branches. In God's government the
Father is the legislative and He is the head and there the legislative branch or the
law maker is supreme and superior over the executive; as the Father is supreme
and superior over Christ. But He has delegated to Christ the rule and placed the
executive branch in the hands of Christ. And also the judging — the judiciary branch.” 

(Excerpt:“You were born for a purpose” by HWA, The World Tomorrow program)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1365257889

———————

“All things were created by Jesus Christ, but they were all created by God through
Jesus Christ. Christ is the Word. He spoke, and it was done; but He spoke only what
God the Father told Him to speak. The power of the Holy Spirit is the power that
actually did what Jesus Christ spoke, and so there is power back of His word.”

(HWA sermon excerpt: “Grateful For God’s Blessings” May 4, 1982)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1334323989&byAudioVideo=&SermonList=SermonList&Sort
List=&page=&return=sermons

———————

“Anyway, here was the Word and God. They are two persons; and They—two
combined—made God. 

   John 1:2-3 The same [the Word] was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were
made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

   You read, in Ephesians the 3rd chapter and 9th verse, God "created all things by
Jesus Christ." Now, God is the leader. He directed what should be done, what
should be made. He told the Word to do it. The Word was the Spokesman, and the
Word spake. As you read in one of the Psalms, "He spake, and it was
done." [Psalm 33:9] Now we also find that, when He spake, the POWER—the Spirit
that emanated from both God the Father and from the Word (who was not yet His Son,
but later was born as God's Son)... The Spirit was the power that did whatever He
said, and He only said what the Father told Him.”

114
(Sermon excerpt: “Why Only A Few Called Now?” by HWA, June 5, 1982)
LINK: https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1335529854

———————

“Genesis 1:26, And God said, "Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness. 

You see, God said that to the Word; and there are two people there. God didn't say
"Let Me." He said, "Let us." He told the Word to do it. Now HOW did the Word
create? And HOW did God have anything to do with it? In Ephesians 3 and verse 9,
you read that God created all things; but He did it BY Jesus Christ. In other words,
Christ is the Word. One of the Psalms says He spoke and it was done. 

   “Well, how did He speak? His own ideas? No. When He was in the human flesh —
and He didn't change, because He said He's "the same yesterday, and today, and
forever" has always been. He said He spoke only what the Father told Him to speak
and commanded. Now, God created things BY Christ. God told Him what to do; and
He spoke, and the Spirit of God that emanated from both the Father and the Son is the
power that did it. So that's the way that the Word created, and that's the way the
Father also was back of creation.” 

(Sermons excerpt: Success Based On God’s Law, HWA, July 30, 1983)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1330874371

———————

“Now, God created the Earth. Well, how did the sun and the moon get there? How did
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the other planets of our solar system, how did they come to
exist? How did our whole system which is part of a Milky Way, which is one
galaxy, come to exist? And there are many other galaxies besides the galaxy of which
our Milky Way is one, and our solar system is even part of that. God created it all.
In Ephesians 3:7, "God created all things by and through Jesus Christ." So, in a
sense, Jesus Christ was the Maker; but He only made by His word. He spoke, and it
was done; and He only spoke what the Father told Him to speak. There was
complete harmony and unity. 

   “How did they live together? They lived in LOVE—love one to the other. The Son
loved the Father, and obeyed Him. The Father loved the Son. And, when He became
Jesus and was born and was being baptized in the River Jordan, God the Father said
"You are My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." He loved the Son. Jesus loved

115
the Father, and obeyed Him. There was absolute cooperation. Now how did they live?
They lived by the way of love—which is cooperation, mutual respect, working
together; but one in leadership. And in the Bible we read that there is one lawgiver.
Jesus Christ is not that lawgiver. GOD THE FATHER IS THE LAWGIVER. But God
the Father judges no man. He's turned all judgment over to Jesus Christ the Son. 

   So there is organization. And there had to be organization. And to have organization
you have to have some sort of government.”

(Sermon excerpt: Feast Of Trumpets 1985, by HWA, September 16, 1985)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1335015329

———————

“The Great Educator - And here enters a basic TRUTH long ago forgotten by the
world! 

“The Almighty is not only the Creator! He is also the Great Educator! 

   “The ETERNAL instructed the first man and woman. And He instructed them about
SEX! The Great Designer, Creator and Lawgiver revealed for mankind the basic
FOUNDATION of ALL KNOWLEDGE! That foundation of necessary knowledge — not
otherwise discoverable by man — is available today in the Bible. 

   “Yet our first parents rejected God's revelation of knowledge, rebelled against God
and His Law for man's welfare! And their children have been rejecting and rebelling
ever since! 

   “Think of it! God the Creator is also Ruler of all His vast creation. He is also the
Great and Supreme EDUCATOR for all mankind. Yet mankind rejects Him as both
Ruler and Educator — and most reject Him as Creator!  . . . . .”

“. . . . . Just as this first Sabbath came on, there was the man Adam — suddenly
formed, shaped, created as an adult MAN — needing instruction! And there, beside
him, was his wife and his Creator, ceasing from the work phase of creation! Did
the Creator walk off, or vanish out of sight, leaving the man and woman helpless
with empty minds, to stumble and bungle around aimlessly into trouble and
harm? 

   “Just as a newborn baby is helpless — needing parents — needing to be taught —

knowing NOTHING at birth — so this newly created couple were helpless, needing to
be taught — knowing NOTHING at creation. 

   “The record shows that the Eternal God began speaking to the man —
communicating knowledge — giving instruction.  

“It was on another Sabbath day, some 4,000 years later, that Jesus preached and
instructed His followers. God is consistent — never changing (Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8).

116
As that first Sabbath came on, God set the example — teaching the Gospel to the first
man — giving that man, so far sinless, HIS FELLOWSHIP on His Sabbath day! 

   “The historic record says: "And the ETERNAL God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the ETERNAL God commanded the man,
saying ..." (Gen. 2:15-16). The ETERNAL immediately began speaking to, TEACHING,
INSTRUCTING, the man. 

   “Understand, now, two points: 1) Which Person of the God Kingdom spoke to man;
and 2) the brevity of this record, as the very briefest SUMMARY.…”

   “…In other words — and you may write in for a free article giving proof — the "Lord"
(Yhwh) of the Old Testament, in nearly every case, is the Jesus Christ of the New
— but as He existed prior to His birth as a human of the virgin Mary. 

   “In John 1:1-3, this same Personage is spoken of as the Word — the Greek word (the
New Testament was originally written in Greek) is Logos, meaning Word, or
Spokesman, or Revelatory Thought. Jesus the Christ (Messiah) is, and always has
been, the individual Person of the GOD KINGDOM who is the Spokesman. But He
said that He had spoken nothing of Himself — the Father which had sent Him had
instructed and commanded Him what to say. 

   “….The FATHER of the God Family is the HEAD — the Lawgiver — the Creator.
Yet He created everything by Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:9). Christ carried out the
Father's orders, by speaking, as the Father had directed. In the creation, "He
spake, and it was done" (Ps. 33:9, Gen. 1:3). The HOLY SPIRIT is the POWER that
produced what He commanded (Gen. 1:2). Thus, in John 1:3, "All things were made by
him" — by the Logos or Word, who is Jesus Christ (verse 14). 

   "The specific Person of the Godhead who spoke to Adam, then, was Yhwh — the
ETERNAL (often falsely translated Jehovah) — who became Jesus Christ.”

(Excerpt from The Missing Dimension In Sex, by HWA, chapter 4)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbook&InfoID=1326143104

———————

“God the Father had promised to send a messenger into this world from heaven,
bearing a message from HIM — God the FATHER!…”

“…1) With whom did this Message - this Gospel - originate? Peter said: “The word
which GOD sent." 2) To WHOM did God send it? Peter said: "unto the children of
Israel." Although now, ten years later, this same Gospel was being opened up to

Gentiles of ALL nations, originally it was sent to the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, and it
was sent by GOD THE FATHER. It did not originate with Jesus Christ, nor with
Peter, nor with the Apostle Paul. It was sent by GOD the Father of Jesus Christ!…”

“…Yes, the Father SENT Jesus bearing a Message, which is the Good News of
THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Jesus is God’s Spokesman - the WORD that was made

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flesh and lived, and taught, on this earth! In John 14:24 Jesus said, “The word which ye
hear is NOT MINE, but the Father's which sent me….”

“…In Jesus' prayer, so commonly called ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ He prayed, "THY
KINGDOM COME" - then it wasn't here yet, and it isn't here yet, today - but He taught
us to pray for it to COME, for His KINGDOM and that ALONE shall bring PEACE and
HAPPINESS to this sinsick, war-weary earth! ‘Thy Kingdom COME - THY WILL BE
DONE on earth, as it is in heaven.’ The FATHER'S WILL."

(Excerpts: “What Is The True Gospel?” by HWA, pgs, 4,5,7,11)

———————

“Now before the creation of the earth, and before humanity, there was God. Let's
begin at the beginning. And you find the beginning in the first chapter of John in the
New Testament, rather than in Genesis 1 verse 1. In John 1:1, it says that, "In the
beginning was the Word." Now the Word was a great personage, a personage that had
lived forever and ever, without father, without mother, without descent, without
beginning of days or end of life, as you read in Hebrews. That Word was a great
personage but He was with another personage called God, and the Word also was
God. 

   “They were two personages, and They were Spirit beings, and They had always
lived. They were never born. Without father, without mother. Never was a time when
They began living. They have always lived. Now your mind can't comprehend that. You
can't understand it, nor can I. But there had to be life, because life can come only from
life; and there is life in this universe, and that life started with God and with the
Word. 

   “They had life. So you read in John 1 and verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, that in Them was life. If
there was life in Them, They lived. Now if They lived, HOW did They live? What did
They do? Well, They had an occupation; and creation was the occupation. So you read
in John 1 and verse 14 that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us," and
became Jesus Christ our Lord. But He spoke about the glory He had with the Father
long before His human birth, and long before even the world was. Long before that! 

   “Then in Ephesians 3:9, you will read how God created all things BY Jesus
Christ. He was the Word. He spoke, and it was done (as you read in one of the
Psalms); and that's how God created everything. And there was law there because
Jesus obeyed the Father. The Father told Him what to say, what to do, what to
create. He spoke. The POWER that did it was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that
emanated from God and from Christ and by which They are everywhere present.
Everywhere!”

(Sermon excerpt: “The Purpose Here Below” by HWA, LGD 1982)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1334154832

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————————

“Who is this speaking? The prophet Isaiah wrote it — but he quotes the speaker
who claims to be God! 

   "I am the Eternal, and there is none else, there is no God beside me," says the
One quoted (Isa. 45:5). 

   “Further: "Thus saith the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of
things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command
ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have
stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded" (verses 11-12). 

   “Still further: "For thus saith the Eternal that created the heavens; God himself that
formed the earth and made it ... I am the Eternal; and there is none else ... who
hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I
the Eternal? and there is no God else beside me ... I have sworn by myself, the word
is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee
shall bow ... (verses 18-23). 

   “In due time we shall see whether this One claiming to be God shall not be able to
force every knee of every atheist and agnostic to bow in humble acknowledgment
before Him — even if He must break their rebellious bones! 

   “This One claiming to be God gives proof that He is God. That proof? Ability to
FORE tell what shall happen — with power to bring it to pass. 

   “The One quoted claims to be GOD: "To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be like? ....Remember the framer things of old: for I am
God, and there is none else; I am GOD, and there is none like me, declaring the
end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure ... yea, I have spoken it, I
will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it" (Isa. 46:5, 9-11). 

   “Then this Personage quoted, claiming to be God, challenges the doubters. He

says to them (Moffatt translation): "CONSIDER"! Yes, I have asked the reader to
consider! And now the One quoted as GOD says, "Consider and agree that the
Eternal's hand has done it, that Israel's Majesty has made it all. Now, the Eternal
cries, bring your case forward, now, Jacob's King cries, state your proofs. Let us hear
what happened in the past, that we may ponder it, or show me what is yet to be, that
we may watch how it turns out; yes, let us hear what is coming, that we may be sure
you are gods; come, do something or other that we may marvel at the sight! — you are
things of naught, you can do nothing at all!" (Isa. 41:20-24.) 

   “Thus God challenges and ridicules the scoffer — and shows that ability to prophesy
and bring it to pass is proof of God. 

   “This One who claims He is God has, in the biblical prophecies, foretold, 1900 to
2500 years ago, what was to happen to every major city in the world of that time, and
every nation and every prophecy has come to pass! 

   How important are God-rejecting scientists, compared to the God they refuse to
acknowledge? 

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   "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of
the balance [weighing scales]: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing .... All
nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and
vanity. To whom then will you liken God?" (Isa. 40:15-18.) 

   “So now, let us consider what this One claiming to be God reveals. And, though
you may have read the Bible, prepare to be astonished!…….”

“……..Did you notice, "And God said, Let US ..."? 

   “Not "Let me!" "Let us, make man in our image, after our likeness." 

   “Why the "us," the "our"'? Why the plural form? 

   “Go to the very beginning. The first words in all the Bible are: "In the beginning GOD
created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). 

   “Those words are in the English language. But God inspired Moses to write them,
originally. And Moses wrote in the Hebrew language. The English word "God" is
translated from the Hebrew Elohim. Moses wrote the Hebrew word Elohim. And
Elohim is a noun implying more than one in unity. It can be collective in the same
manner that the words "family" or "church" are collective. 

   “I am of the Armstrong family. We have had four children. I am "Armstrong." My wife
Loma was "Armstrong" also, from the moment she married me. Our first son Richard
David was "Armstrong." He was my son. I am "Armstrong," and, though he is now
deceased as a result of an auto accident, Richard David was "Armstrong." We were
two different persons — but we belonged to the one family. Our second son was a
different person, but he also was "Armstrong," and part of the Armstrong family. The
one Armstrong family. 

   “So we were one family — but we were six persons! 

   “The human body is one body, but has many members two arms, two legs, ten
fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, one nose. God compares the one Church to the
human body: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we
all baptized into ONE BODY ..." (the Church). (I Cor. 12:12-13.) 

   “Elohim is not two Gods, or three Gods, or many Gods — Elohim is ONE God,
but composed of more than one divine Person. 

   "And Elohim is a divine family! 

   “Have you not thought of God as a Person — a single Personage? 

   “The one God — Elohim — the one divine family — has a Head. He is the One
we call the Father. His name is GOD. Jesus called Him "Father." He is the One most
of us have thought of as the Personage who is God. Jesus was His Son. And Jesus,
by a resurrection from the dead, is His divine Son (Rom. 1:4), and Jesus also is GOD
(John 1:1; Heb. 1:8). 

   “Notice how plainly this is revealed……”

“…..So, finally, grasp this stupendous truth. 

   “Incredible as it may sound to those deceived by the god of this world and his false
ministers, God is a family! 

   “God is the Creator family, who rules His creation. Therefore God also is a
Kingdom! And in man, God is reproducing His kind (Gen. 1:26). 

   “Marriage and family life is a God-plane relationship. 

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   “Man's potential — the purpose for human life on this earth — to be born into the
Kingdom of God — the God family! 

   “Down through history, the philosophers, the great minds, the priests — cut off from
God's revelation — have sought in vain to reason out in their minds some meaning to
human life — some purpose for our being. The true answer has been written all along,
in God's Word. 

   “Animals reproduce — but animals do not marry. Animals do not enjoy the blessings
of home and family life. 

   "Angels do not have sex (Matt. 22:30) and do not marry. Of all life forms — whether
plant, animal or angel — none has been given this God-plane relationship of marriage
and family life, except humans who are potential heirs of the God family. 

   “God is more than one Person. There is only the one God — but that God is a
family of more than one divine Person — having the Father at its Head — Jesus
Christ as His divine Son — those converted up to the time of Christ's coming in
power and glory, as Christ's wife — and those converted and changed to divine
immortals afterward, during the Millennium, as the divine children of that union. 

   “Man's stupendous potential is to enter divine family life! 

   “Man's super colossal reason for being is to be married to Christ. 

   “Marriage is of God! 

   “Marriage is for man — as well as for God — because man was made in God's
likeness, to bear His divine image! 

   “Marriage is a most sacred supernatural blessing — and (apart from the clearly
defined biblical standards) its dissolution is a capital sin, imposing the penalty of
capital punishment! — eternal punishment! Eternal death! Unless each repents — turns
from the sin — and receives salvation by God's grace through Christ. 

   “Marriage was given mankind to prepare us for eternal life in the divine God family!
Two of the Ten Commandments of God's basic spiritual law directly and specifically
protect the sacred marriage state. 

   “There can be no more wonderful physical blessing in this mortal human life than a
happy marriage, based on true love, honors integrity and faithfulness — especially
when there are growing children to love, care for, teach, and rear in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

   “Marriage soon to become obsolete ? Never! 

   “On the contrary, the only humans left in existence after God's master plan has
finally worked out His purpose here below will be those made immortal and
divine, living for eternity in the happy, blissful, family union that is the life of the
Everliving God! 

   “Can you grasp this colossal truth? 

   "I have given you, here, the greatest, most precious and valuable truth you can ever
know. 

   “Man, and only man, of all life forms in existence, can be born into the God family —
which is the Kingdom of God. This was the gospel of Jesus! 

   “The family relationship is a GOD-plane relationship. And of all His creatures,

God bestowed it solely on man. 

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   “Of all life forms — whether plant, animal, or angel — man alone was created for
marriage! For enjoying a home and a family relationship! 

   “And man's potential — the very purpose of human life — is that man, born
again — born of GOD born into the God family — may enjoy that blessed marriage
and family life in blissful happiness forever! 

   “Think on that! 

   "And give God thanks!

(Excerpt: “Why Marriage! Soon Obsolete? by HWA, 1968)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1319659663

———————

“Indeed, Jesus’ whole ministry was one of revealing God as the supreme
Lawgiver and Ruler. He preached the good news of the coming kingdom or
GOVERNMENT of God (Mark 1 : 14). That is the true gospel-the good news of God’s
government, God’s RULE.

“The very foundation of Jesus’ teaching was that, “Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

“What word? What God?

“Those Jews knew very well that Christ was referring to the God of the Old
Testament—the giver of the LAW the God who was to RULE Israel. The only
‘word’ of the true God—at that time—was the Old Testament as contained in your
Bible! Jesus referred to the “law”—the Old Testament writings —as scripture, and He
said, “the scripture cannot be broken’’ (Jn. 10: 35).

“YOU are commanded to live by every word of the true God as revealed in the New
and Old Testaments of your Bible. He is the true God.

“Do you know that God? Or do you think that Christ didn’t know what He was
talking about?…..”

“….What was Jesus’ example? Jesus entire life is a perfect example of

OBEDIENCE to God’s law and His rule! He said, . . . “I have kept my Father’s
commandments . . .” (John 15: 10). His own teaching was simply a magnification of
God’s law (Isa 42:2 1). Actually, He came in the flesh to magnify His own law—the
Ten Commandments! Remember? He was the God of the Old Testament who
gave the Ten Commandments and dealt with Israel (I Cor. 10:1-6).

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“When He came in the flesh, Jesus KEPT that law to set us an example. He was our
“light,” our example. A true Christian is simply one who follows Christ—who follows
that example.

“Do you begin to see the true nature of the living God?

“He is the ONE who has set all physical and spiritual laws and energies in motion.
He has an overall plan for this earth—He is Supreme Ruler.

“God came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to preach the good news of God’s
kingdom—or government. Jesus always preached that gospel.

“God is RULER. If we become His children through repentance, baptism, and receiving
the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), we may be “born again” (Jn. 3: l-8)—changed into, actually
born of spirit as a literal son of God! God is reproducing Himself! He—the Creator
and Ruler of the universe—is begetting human beings through His Spirit to be
born as His sons—to be in His own family—to inherit eternal life. But we must first
learn bow to live before God will grant us eternal life and make us His own sons.

“We must develop God’s wisdom, God’s character. We must “live by every word of
God.” Realizing that our Creator knows best, we should OBEY Him. To deny this is
to admit a profound ignorance of the Eternal God’s great wisdom and purpose! It
betrays a lack of understanding of the character of the true God.

“The apostle John summed it all up when he wrote of Christ—the God of the Old
Testament, the giver of the LAW—“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments, is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him. (I John 2:4).

“God himself calls these lawless ministers liars when they try to deny the authority of
His RULE, the wisdom of His LAW, and the very basis of His great PURPOSE.

“It is time to wake up! May God help you to repent of defying His rule, of breaking
His laws, and guide you to accept Christ as your Saviour from sin. Then you may
begin to develop the character of God and ‘be born of the Spirit as His son in the
resurrection. You need to come to know the true God as your Father.

“Once you come to really know the true God—the God revealed by Jesus Christ—
you will want to talk to Him. You may do this in prayer. This is the third way you
may come to really ‘know’ the true God.”

(Excerpt: “How to Know God” by Roderick Meredith, Plain Truth July 1953, pgs. 14-15)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1410353133&GetMag=PT&byYear=1957&page=&return=
magazines

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———————

    “In the Bible, God reveals Himself as the Supreme RULER over men and over
nations. 

    “Speaking to the intellectually vain and confused Greek philosophers of his day, the
Apostle Paul revealed to them what the TRUE GOD is like: "God that made the
world and things therein... and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell
on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the TIMES before appointed, and the
BOUNDS of their habitation" (Acts 17:24-26). 

    “It is God who has predetermined the rise and fall of great empires and nations. It is
HE who intervenes in circumstances occasionally to guide the course of human events
in accordance with His plan and His purpose which STANDS FIRM. He is a masculine
God always pictured in the male gender and revealed as the ALMIGHTY — yet His
perfect character is tempered with great love and mercy so that, "as the heaven is high
above the earth, so great is His MERCY toward them that fear Him." 

    “Now notice what the Bible says about God revealing Himself as Supreme
RULER over men and nations. 

    “Prior to the calling of Moses, God had permitted His chosen people, Israel, to be in
captivity for many generations. But during the ministry of His servant Moses, God
purposed to show forth His supreme POWER and RULERSHIP in freeing Israel from
their Egyptian bondage. God began to bring great supernatural plagues upon Egypt
until they should free Israel. 

    “But Pharaoh refused to let Israel go because "the heart of Pharaoh was hardened,
neither would he let Israel go" (Ex. 9:35). 

    “Then the LORD said to Moses: "So go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his
heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him: And
that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have
wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that
I Am THE LORD" (Ex. 10:1-2). 

    “God was demonstrating His ruling POWER so that men might know that He is
Lord, Master, Supreme RULER over the affairs of this earth! He worked great
miracles in the sight of Israel time and time again to teach them this lesson. 

    “Generations later, God's people were again in captivity, this time in Babylon. Once
again, God revealed Himself in the sight of men as Supreme RULER. 

    “God abased the great King Nebuchadnezzar by causing him to become insane and
to dwell among the wild beasts, "till he knew that the Most High God RULED in the
kingdom of men, and that He appointeth over it whomsoever He will" (Dan. 5:21).

“Jesus REVEALS The Father -


“Christians are supposed to believe in the God REVEALED BY JESUS CHRIST. 
   “And the God of Jesus of Nazareth had VERY DEFINITE personality and
characteristics. He was the SUPREME SPIRIT PERSONALITY — the All-wise, All-

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powerful BEING who rules over the heavens and the earth with DIRECT power and
control over the affairs of men to wield as he chooses in perfect love and wisdom. 

   “Jesus said: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in
the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18). 

   “Jesus came to "reveal" the Father (Matt. 10:27). 

   “Above all else, Jesus revealed God as the over-all RULER of heaven and earth.
He proclaimed that man was not to seek his own ways and devices but was to "live by
every Word of God." Jesus taught us to pray: "Thy Kingdom come. Thy WILL be done,
as in heaven, so in earth" (Luke 11:2). 

   “He continually taught OBEDIENCE to the law and will of God. When a young man
asked Him the way to inherit eternal life, Jesus answered: "If thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17). 

   “Jesus continually PRAYED to God the Father as a definite spiritual

PERSONALITY having POWER to intervene in this world and heal the sick, raise the
dead, and carry out His immutable Word. 

   “Jesus said, "I go unto my Father, for my Father 'is greater than I" (John 14:28).
Jesus surrendered His will so completely to the Father that His every thought and
action was directed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, He could say: "He that hath seen me hath
seen the Father" (John 14:9). 

   “Do you grasp the significance of this statement? 

   “The nature and character of God was manifested SO PERFECTLY in the life of
Jesus, that if the Father Himself should be manifested in the flesh as Jesus was, His
thoughts and actions would have been EXACTLY THE SAME. 

   “Even when facing an agonizing death on the cross, Jesus prayed: "Not my will, but
THINE, be done" (Luke 22: 42). 

   “The true God revealed Himself through Moses, Daniel, all His prophets and
Apostles, and through His own Son, as Creator and Supreme RULER over heaven
and earth — the One who makes and unmakes nations — the One who really
ANSWERS prayer, the One who is working out a definite PURPOSE among men
here on earth! 

   “You need to come to know THIS GOD — the TRUE God and Ruler who is right
NOW intervening in human affairs and bringing about specific events in preparation for
His coming Kingdom to be set up on this earth!”

(Excerpt: “Do You Know What Kind Of God You Worship?” by Roderick C. Meredith,
The Plain Truth, Nov. 1963)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1402657544

———————

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“IS GOD OFF SOMEWHERE?

“You think God has gone way off somewhere, that God isn't even looking, that
God isn't concerned, that He doesn't care? Let me tell you something, my friends,
God Almighty created not only this earth, but the forces, and the laws, the energies, the
powers, the forces that move matter on this earth. And God Almighty sustains them
and God is the one who directs them and who controls them and God is a living
present ruling force. God is the Ever-Living and He is the one who sees and
knows everything you do and everything you do is taken to account and nothing
is hid that shall not be revealed. And you're going to come that Judgment and how
are you are going to fare then? It's about time we began to wake up.”

(Radio program excerpt: The Ten Commandments, by HWA, May 10, 1979)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1329744262

———————

“Most people think that God created something way back here in the long ago,
some 6,000 years ago…. but His work was all finished, He's gone way off
somewhere, He's not concerned about this earth any more. 

   “Oh, is that what you think? Let me tell you my friends, God is very much
concerned about this earth that He created, and all that He created that you read
of in the first chapter of Genesis, was the physical matter, the physical material to
begin to go to work on in the real creation, the spiritual creation which was only
beginning then and not being finished or completed.”

(Excerpt: “Outline of Prophecy 19” by HWA, World Tomorrow Radio program)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1377960993

———————

“God has not gone way off somewhere. Maybe He's always been way off, but
He's close too because God is everywhere present through the power of His
Spirit. God is ever present. God is ever living. He is all wise and all knowing, and He
is very much concerned about our people, our nation, and about you as an individual.

“Now notice: 

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   ‘The Eternal looketh down from heaven; he beholdeth...the sons of men [all the sons
of men, every one of us]. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the
inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.’
(Psalm 33:13-15) 

   “Yes, He's watching what you are doing. Now you may hear — a lot of people tell
you — there are no works any more, that God isn't concerned about works. God is
concerned about your works, and you're going to be judged by your works. You
don't get SAVED by your works, but you are going to be JUDGED according to your
works. 

   “If anyone says contrary to that my friends, they just don't know anything about
it and they are contradicting the word of God, and therefore I think that that makes
them liars, because God's word is the truth.”

(Excerpt: “Outline of Prophecy 19” by HWA, World Tomorrow Radio program)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1377960993

————————-

“Jesus came to reveal God as the ‘Father.’ For we are to feel a deep sense of
personal LOVE and CLOSENESS with God who brought us into being, who gives
us every good and every perfect gift, who protects, provides for and guides us as
we YIELD to His will — and who INTERVENES SUPERNATURALLY if we cry out to
Him for help.”

(Excerpt: “Vital Keys To Success In Prayer” by Roderick C. Meredith, Plain Truth, Feb.
1979)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1343299596

————————

“The God of the Universe

“There actually EXISTS a REAL God who sits at the controls of this universe. He is
an active, LIVING God. He controls all power, energies and forces!

“He sits on a magnificent throne overlooking a dazzlingly beautiful, court-like,

crystal-clear sea of glass. Surrounding Him are twenty-four great, impressive
SPIRIT BEINGS who are His counselors. Immediately around His throne are four

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more SPIRIT BEINGS of even greater office, power and brilliance. And at His right
hand is the LIVING JESUS CHRIST!

"Out from His throne proceed LIGHTNINGS, THUNDERS, VOICES — and ANGELIC
MESSENGERS going to and from the earth. For this is the very throne of the TRUE
GOD! (Rev. 4:1-6.) Here sits ALMIGHTY God, the Ruler and Sustainer of the entire
universe! The very heavens reverberate with THUNDER when He speaks!

“Do You "Know" This God?

“Are YOU FAMILIAR with the God described above? Are you ACQUAINTED with
Him? Do you PRAY to THIS GOD?

“YOU SHOULD! For great and powerful as the true God is, He DELIGHTS in the
man who will SEEK TO KNOW HIM, TALK TO HIM in prayer and LOVE HIM!

"God has created man IN HIS OWN IMAGE. He wants men to DRAW CLOSE to Him,
to IMBIBE OF HIS CHARACTER, to become HIS SONS! The God of the Bible
DELIGHTS in the prayers of the righteous (Prov. 15:8).

“The trouble is, very few people today know THE GOD OF THE BIBLE. They have
invented their OWN "god."

“The PERSONAL Spirit Being of whom Jesus spoke and TO WHOM HE PRAYED
— they know not. The God who CREATED this earth out of spirit energy, the God
who actually SUSTAINS LAWS and FORCES with His power — they don't know.

“The PERSONAL God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — of Peter and Paul — they
are not aware of. The great GOVERNOR over men and nations — the One who has
made literally HUNDREDS of SPECIFIC PREDICTIONS in Bible prophecy, and HAS
and IS bringing them to pass — this LIVING GOD they know not!

"This God of the universe has literally hundreds of promises written down for you
in His Word, saying, that under certain terms and conditions, He will actually CAUSE
certain things to happen for you if you will ask Him.

“You will see promises about outside SUPERNATURAL HELP everyone needs from
time to time. You will find promises to deliver you from trouble when you get into it, to
supply your every necessity, and to FIGHT your personal battles for you — even to
HEAL YOU when you are sick. Yes, even to PROSPER YOU FINANCIALLY!

“This God of the universe will do ALL these things for you if you will ASK Him in
BELIEVING PRAYER!”

(Excerpt: Lesson 45 - Seven Conditions to Answered Prayer [Ambassador College

Correspondence Course, 1966]) 

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbstudy&InfoID=1331389037&page=11&return=Study58

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————————

“God Almighty is going to intervene with all the POWER and FURY of the
Supreme CREATOR AND RULER OF THE UNIVERSE, and STOP this hellish trend of
organized mass destruction of MAN BY MAN! He is going to send the very SAME
JESUS CHRIST, once again to this earth — this time in all the colossal POWER and
GLORY of the Great ETERNAL GOD — to set up on earth the RULE of GOD
ALMIGHTY over ALL NATIONS!”

(Excerpt: “Why God Is Not Real To Most People,” Tomorrow’s World, by HWA, May
1971)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1333901192

NOTE: The excerpt above is from an excellent article about the Father’s supreme
authority and preeminence.

———————

“The PERSONAL Spirit Being of whom Jesus spoke and TO WHOM HE PRAYED
— they know not. The God who CREATED this earth out of spirit energy, the God
who actually SUSTAINS its LAWS and FORCES with His power — Him they know not.
The PERSONAL God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — of Peter and Paul — they
know not. The great GOVERNOR over men and nations — the One who has made
literally HUNDREDS of SPECIFIC PREDICTIONS in Bible prophecy, and HAS and IS
bringing them to pass — this LIVING GOD they know not.”

(Excerpt: “Vital Keys To Success In Prayer” by Roderick C. Meredith, The Plain Truth,
Feb. 1979)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1343299596

——————

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 “Pray to the True God - Though you may be offended by this assertion, it is a fact
that millions of people pray regularly to the wrong "God" or "gods"! 

   "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as
there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of
whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things,
and we by him" (I Cor. 8:56). In this passage, the true God is identified as being the
Creator — a real Spirit Personality who designed and created the universe; a God of
law, order, symmetry, beauty, and total power. 

   

“Under threat of persecution, the early Christians "lifted up their voice to God with
one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the
sea, and all that in them is..." (Acts 4:24). Notice here and elsewhere how the true
God is constantly identified as the Creator, and the God of David or, often, the
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

   

“This is because the true God is understood in terms of His character — by how
he dealt with Abraham, Moses or David — and by His tremendous power in creating
the universe, with His vast sense of design, beauty and unchanging law which is
manifested by and through His creation. 

   

“So, when you pray, learn to bow your knees and lift your heart and hands to the
great Creator God, the originator of all that exists in the entire universe (Eph.
3:14-15). Recognize the great privilege it is to be able to come into the very presence
and receive the personal love and attention of the Almighty God of heaven and earth!

“As a begotten Christian, you can pray to Him in a very humble and personal way, as
Jesus taught: "Our Father which art in heaven (Matt. 6:9)."    

(Excerpt: “Does God Really Answer Prayer?” by Roderick Meredith, Plain Truth
Magazine, June 1977)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1348138449

———————

“God is supremely intelligent, loving, protective and logical. He wants us to

prepare for some things before we receive them. As our Father, He wants us to learn
certain lessons and overcome certain sins or weaknesses before He will answer
some of our prayers! 

“So as you pray to God, talk to Him about these things. Reason with Him as
Abraham did in Genesis 18:23-33. Ask Him to show you if there is any lesson you

130
need to learn before He will answer your prayer. And unless you find you are "asking
amiss" (James 4:3) — asking for something you shouldn't have keep on praying to God
until the answer comes.”

(Excerpt: “Does God Really Answer Prayer?” by Roderick Meredith, Plain Truth
Magazine, June 1977)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1348138449

———————

“Remember James 5:16: ‘The effectual FERVENT prayer of a righteous man availeth

much.’ Realize that you are coming to plead your case before the Supreme
Governor of the universe, the Lord and Giver of life. Put your heart, your mind and
your being into an alert, profound, and heartfelt communion with your Creator. For our
good, God wants us to serve and reverence Him in this way. The Moffatt translation
makes plain God's concern about Israel's halfhearted prayers: "Though it was I who
redeemed them, they have lied to me; they never put their heart into their
prayers" (Hosea 7:13, 14). 

   “Even Jesus Himself, preparing for a slow and torturous death, poured His very
being into His final hours of prayer to God: "And being in an agony he prayed more
earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the
ground" (Luke 22:44). No doubt this is where the expression "to sweat blood" comes
from.”

(Excerpt: “Does God Really Answer Prayer?” by Roderick Meredith, Plain Truth
Magazine, June 1977)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1348138449

———————

“Well in the United States form the executive is one department, the legislative
another, and the judicial is the third branch; we have three branches. In God's
government the Father is the legislative and He is the head and there the legislative
branch or the law maker is supreme and superior over the executive; as the Father is
supreme and superior over Christ. But He has delegated to Christ the rule and
placed the executive branch in the hands of Christ. And also the judging — the
judiciary branch.”

131
(Excerpt from “Your Were Born For A Purpose” - Herbert W. Armstrong, The World
Tomorrow program)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1365257889

———————

“There is but the ONE GOD, even though that GOD is composed of more than
ONE PERSONAGE! But those personages are closely COMPACTED together. Jesus
said that He and God the Father are ONE. They are 100 percent IN HARMONY. So
must the CHURCH be!….”

“….So the eternal Father is GOD — a divine personage. And Jesus is a different
person and is GOD! They are two separate and individual persons (Revelation
4:2, 5:1). The Father is divine supreme HEAD of the GOD FAMILY. He is the
LAWGIVER, Christ is the administrator — He does the work by the power of the Holy
Spirit. Jesus is the Word or Spokesman — He speaks and it is done.”

(Excerpt: “Where This Breakdown in Family Life Is Taking Us” by HWA, The Good
News, Aug. 1985)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1338982540

———————

[NOTE: The following excerpts from “AC Correspondence Course Lesson 8” show the
context of church teachings… that Christ was “God of the Old Testament” and did the
physical creating but only as directed by the Father—the Supreme God. Never was it
implied that Christ acted autonomously or that God the Father was “off somewhere” or
“not involved.” Bold print is provided for emphasis.]

“Who and What is "God"?

   “To fully understand what it really means to be born again, it is necessary to first
understand who and what God is, and the very PURPOSE for our existence. 

   “Turn to the beginning of the Bible. The first words are: "In the beginning GOD
created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). The original Hebrew word for "God,"
here and throughout the account of creation, is Elohim. It is the plural form of the
Hebrew Eloah, which in English means "Mighty One." So Elohim means "Mighty
Ones" — more than one divine Personage. (Notice the plural pronouns "us" and
"our" in referring to "God" in Genesis 1:26.) 

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   “Thus we see that Elohim is a plural noun. In other words, Elohim stands for a
SINGLE CLASS composed of MORE than one individual such as the words church,
family, or kingdom. Just as there is the animal kingdom and the human family or
kingdom, Elohim, as used in the account of creation, shows that there is also a GOD
KINGDOM or FAMILY. 

   “But who are the individuals presently composing the God Family? Let's notice
what the Bible reveals. 

   “1. Who was with "God" when God created the universe? John 1:1. Is the "Word"
also God? Verses 1-2. Was it the Word who actually created all things? Verse 3. 

   “COMMENT: The Greek word translated into English as "Word" in John 1:1 is
Logos. It means "spokesman," or "one who speaks." 

   “2. By whom was all the material universe created — including this earth and
mankind? Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:16-17. Who, then, is the "Word" of John 1:1? John
1:14; Eph. 3:9. And who is the other divine member of the God Family? I Cor. 8:6. 

   “COMMENT: John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1 are two accounts of the same event — the

original creation of the universe. They both reveal that the two Supreme Beings of
the God Family created all things. Together they planned the creation and the Word
did the actual creating. Everything was created and made by the divine Being who later
became the human Jesus Christ to die for the sins of mankind!



“The "LORD" of the Old Testament

   “Do you know which of the two members of the God Family dealt directly with
man in Old Testament times? Was it the "Father"? Could it possibly have been the
Word, who became Jesus Christ? Very few have understood this important truth. But
the Bible makes it plain. 

   “1. Has any human being ever seen the Father? John 1:18. 

   "2. But did people ever look upon the God of the Old Testament? Gen.
17:1; 18:1, 22; 32:30; Ex. 24:9-11; 33:18-23. 

   “COMMENT: Notice in Exodus 33:18-23 that Moses had specifically requested to see

the LORD in His "glory." But God prevented Moses from looking upon His glorified face
lest he DIE from seeing His brilliance! 

   “The verses cited in questions 1 and 2 clearly prove that the God of the Old
Testament could not have been the "Father." 

   “3. Who was called the "Rock" in Old Testament times? II Sam. 22:2-3. Did David call
the LORD his "Rock" and his "God"?Ps. 18:1-2. 

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   “COMMENT: The King James Version of the Bible and several other translations use
the word "LORD," usually in capital letters, to translate the Hebrew word YHWH. Most
Biblical scholars believe YHWH to be some form of the verb "to be" or "to exist."
Hence YHWH signifies "the self-existent One," One who "lives" — from eternity, and to
eternity. 

   “Revelation 1:8 clarifies the meaning of this name, speaking of Christ as "the

beginning and the ending... which is, and which was, and which is to come..."
Consequently both Moffatt's "the Eternal" and Fenton's "Ever-Living" are excellent
translations of the Hebrew YHWH. 

   “In ancient Hebrew, the vowels were not written. They were supplied by the reader.
Since the ancient Jews considered the name YHWH too holy to pronounce, instead of
reading YHWH they substituted Adonai (meaning "Lord" or "Master") or occasionally
Elohim. 

   “When the Jewish textual scholars known as Masoretes added the vowels to the
written Hebrew text about the seventh century A.D., they wrote the vowel points of
Adonai or Elohim with each occurrence of YHWH to tell the oral reader to pronounce
either Adonai or Elohim, whichever had been indicated. From the consonants YHWH
and the vowels of Adonai came the hybrid form "Jehovah." 

   “Thus the precise pronunciation of YHWH is unknown today. Obviously it is not

necessary for us to know exactly how to pronounce it, or God would have made
certain that the correct pronunciation was preserved. It is clear that the meaning of the
Almighty's name is infinitely more important than its mere sound in Hebrew. 

   “4. According to I Corinthians 10:4, who was (and still is) the "Rock"? 

   “COMMENT: Thus the Bible identifies the "Rock" — the LORD of the Old
Testament — as Christ! How surprising to those who have assumed that the God of
the Old Testament was the "Father"! 

   “And so the "LORD" who spoke to and was seen of men was the One who later
became Jesus Christ. For no mortal man has ever seen the Father (John 1:18). 

   “5. Was the One who became Christ also the One who spoke the Ten
Commandments? Ex. 20:1-2. 

   "COMMENT: The Hebrew word for "LORD" in Exodus 20 is YHWH. So it was the
Logos, the "Spokesman," who later became Christ, who actually spoke the Ten
Commandments! 

   “But why is this understanding important for us today? 

   “Understanding the true identity of the God of the Old Testament is vital to
becoming reborn with the spiritual nature of God. For the God of the Old

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Testament, commonly believed to have been harsh and stern, was really our
SAVIOR — loving, kind, merciful and just (Ex. 34:5-7).

“The POWER of God

   “Most of traditional Christianity today believes that God is a "trinity" composed of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Could this possibly be true? Let's learn what the
Bible reveals about the Spirit of God. 

   “1. Is God's Spirit the POWER by which He creates? Jer. 32:17; Gen. 1:1-3; Ps.

104:30. 

   “COMMENT: It was by the Spirit of God that the Eternal (YHWH) — the Logos
(Christ) — created the entire vast universe. Invisible spirit energy was literally
transformed into the material creation (Heb. 11:3). And it was by the power of His Spirit
that God renewed the surface of the earth (Ps. 104:30). 

   “2. Exactly how did the Eternal God utilize His Spirit of power to bring His
various creations into being? Ps. 148:1-5. Notice the word "commanded" in verse
5. Also read Psalm 33:8-9 and Genesis 1:2-3. 

   “COMMENT: Christ—the Logos, or "Word" (John 1:1) — "spake, and it was

done." He is the One who said, "Let there be light." The Word willed that spirit
energy emanating from Himself be TRANSFORMED into physical energy and matter.
That is how the creation of the universe was done. 

   “3. Is God's Spirit omnipresent — does it fill the entire universe? Ps. 139:7-8; Jer.
23:24. Is it by His Spirit of power that God is also able to sustain and rule His vast
creation? Heb. 1:2-3; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 66:7. 

   “COMMENT: Like the atmosphere on earth, the power of God is everywhere. That is
how the Word was able to do the work of the creation. God uses this power much as
man uses electrical energy. 

   "David's prayer in Psalm 139:7-8 shows that he knew God's Spirit or power was
omnipresent. No matter where in the universe one might go, God's Spirit will still be
there. That is how Jesus Christ is "...upholding all things by the word of his
POWER" (Heb. 1:3). By His authority as God, He keeps all things in the universe in
their place. This work is done through the power of the God Family and with the
express consent of the Father. 

   “Though the Father is SUPREME in the God Family, as Christ Himself revealed
(John 14:28), Jesus is the administrator of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). He is
therefore greater than that Spirit. These two scriptures alone nullify and make void the
supposition that the Holy Spirit is a person of equal rank with the Father and Son. The
Spirit is not a personality, but rather the very power of God — the power by which God
does His will. IT IS NOT ANOTHER PERSON!……”

135
  “…..A ‘Father-Son' Relationship

   “Have you ever wondered how the "Father-Son" relationship of the God Family
developed? This is vital to know in order to understand the purpose and plan of God,
and what it really means to be born again. 

   “1. What did Jesus say about Himself and His Father? John 10:30; 17:11. Yet
who is greater in authority? John 14:28; I Cor. 11:3. 

   “COMMENT: The Father and Son are one in purpose and attitude. But the Father is
greater in authority. The Father has always been in supreme command in the
Family or Kingdom of God — even before the Word became a human being. 

   “2. Why did the Word (Christ) become a flesh-and-blood human being? Heb. 2:9, 14. 

   "COMMENT: All mankind has sinned (Rom. 3:23). And "the wages of sin is [eternal]
death" (Rom. 6:23). The Word became a mortal man so He could die to pay the death
penalty for the sins of ALL mankind. Christ was able to do this because His life was far
more valuable than the lives of all human beings put together. He was not only the
Creator of all mankind, He was GOD made flesh! (John 1:14.)….” 

(Excerpts: “Lesson 8 - What it Means to be Born Again” Ambassador College

Correspondence Course, 1984) 

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbstudy&InfoID=1316263314&page=1&return=Study32

———————

“Well, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ Moses was writing
that; and the word he wrote was Elohim, which is a uni-plural. God is more than
one person. 

   “Now you read in I John, in the New Testament, "In the beginning was the Word."
The Word was a personage — a great immortal, divine personage, called the
Word and the Spokesman, the One who spoke. " ... and the Word was with God."
God is another person, so now we have two persons; but "the Word" also "was
God." They were both God, and yet They're different persons! 

   “Now Elohim, that we find here, is the same two persons. And the Word was made
flesh later on, and dwelt among us. (That was 1950...1900 and, oh, about 80 some
years ago now.) It was Jesus Christ, but He was not the Son of God originally. He
was only the Son of God when He was born of the virgin Mary as a human being. But

136
He is the One. God told Him what to do. When He came in the human flesh, He said,
"I've spoken nothing of Myself." He said, "Of Myself I can do nothing.…” 

“….Look, we must all speak the same thing. That's what God tells us, and what He
commands, I Corinthians first chapter. But it must be the same thing that Christ
speaks, and He's the Word. Everything He speaks, He got from God the Father;
and there's perfect agreement. I'm not the head of this Church. Christ is. I don't rule
this Church. Jesus Christ is the ruler. If you don't like the government in this Church,
you go tell God about it — because He made Christ the head of the Church, not
me. I just want to serve Him, and I hope that's the way you do too.”

(Excerpt from “Are You Ready?” by HWA, Feast of Tabernacles, October 15, 1981)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1330618342

———————

[NOTE: The following excerpts are from the booklet entitled, “Military Service And War,”
written by Herbert Armstrong in 1967. This booklet places the spotlight squarely on
God the Father, and characterizes HWA’s widespread teaching that God the Father is
the Supreme Creator and Lawgiver. One cannot read this booklet and then try to imply
that HWA taught that the Father was “off somewhere” or “not involved” during Old
Testament times. Bold print provide for emphasis.]

  “The Church of God herein gives you the biblical answer and teaching. 

   “The thing called SIN involves man's relationship to his Maker. The Bible defines
SIN (I John 3:4) as the transgression of GOD'S Law, which is a SPIRITUAL Law
(Romans 7:14). CRIME is offense against MAN'S law, enacted by an official human
legislative body. 

   “At the outset, therefore, in determining relative relationships, it is necessary to

determine WHICH law — according to GOD'S Word — has precedence. 

   “Since God is the CREATOR of man — the Supreme MAKER of those who
constitute themselves, by consent of humans, as legislative bodies — and since GOD
is the AUTHOR of right and wrong — the Ruler over the vast Universe — God
reveals that He is above man's laws…..

“…..It is important, in this matter of relationships, that we establish thoroughly that

GOD and GOD'S LAW is supreme, and has precedence over the laws of any nation.
And since OUR LIVES (those in God's Church) are committed to be lived by EVERY

137
WORD OF GOD, we look to — and stake our lives and our eternity on — God's Word,
the Bible, for our answers. 

   "Through Isaiah, among others, God gives us a comparison of the relative power
and authority between Him and any or all nations of earth: 

   ‘O Zion, that bringest good tidings [the Gospel] .... Behold your GOD! Behold, the
Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall RULE for him .... Who hath
directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? ... Behold,
THE NATIONS are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the
balance .... ALL NATIONS before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less
than nothing, and vanity. To whom, then, will ye liken GOD? or what likeness will ye
compare unto him?’ (Isaiah 40:9-10, 13,15, 17). 

   “God is the Supreme Judge over all on earth. "... verily, he is a God that judgeth in
the earth" (Psalm 58:11). "... the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth ..." (I Samuel
2:10). "And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar
off ..." (Micah 4:3). God shall judge the whole world (Romans 3:6). "As I live, saith the
Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:11-12).

“God Supreme Over Nations - First, then, understand that GOD rules supreme,
even over national governments. Every national government on earth rules only
by God's permission….”

“….Ancient Israel - In the days of Moses, after all nations had rejected God's
rule, God emancipated the Israelitish SLAVES from Egypt, led them to a country
He had appointed to give them, and set them up as HIS nation, ruled by HIM, with
His Government. Even so, God did not interfere with their prerogative of free moral
agency. He made the proposal of this Theocratic Government. The people made their
own decision to accept it. But from the very first, they griped, grumbled, complained,
doubted, rebelled. After a time, they decided they wanted to switch to HUMAN
government, like the other nations around them. 

   “Here's the dramatic incident: 

   ‘Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto
Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways:
now make us a king to judge us like all the nations .... And the LORD said unto
Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for
they have not rejected thee, but they have REJECTED ME, that I should not reign
over them.’ (I Samuel 8:4-7) 

138
   “So they had a human king, Saul. He was the tallest man in their country. But they
still remained bound by their covenant with God as His Kingdom — even though He
allowed them to have a human king. 

   “God removed Saul. It was GOD who chose King David as the next human king.
Then came King Solomon. But he excessively overtaxed the people. They rebelled
under the burden….”

“….Thus GOD revealed to the very first EMPIRE ruler — after the last of the two
kingdoms of Israelites had been conquered, losing their sovereignty — that GOD is
SUPREME over the nations — that GOD gave Nebuchadnezzar the power to govern
— that NATIONS govern only by GOD'S consent. …”

“….I repeat, the Creator understands human nature better than we humans do! He
provided for that! 

   “Do you think the Almighty Creator is so impractical that He leaves those who
OBEY HIM — who accept HIS GOVERNMENT over them — helpless? Understand
this! God Almighty is SUPREME! He created the UNIVERSE — and He RULES
SUPREME over the entire vast UNIVERSE. He RULES over the earth — and
whatever men do in their politics — their wars — their setting up of their own forms of
government — is done ONLY BECAUSE GOD ALLOWS IT! He did make humans free
moral agents.

“Government Responsibility to Protect Citizenry - God is SUPREME in

Government! Again I remind you. A prime responsibility of GOVERNMENT is to
PROTECT its own subjects! 

“So open your eyes, now, to the FACTS as recorded in four case histories! 

“God did take a people — as I have already shown — a family of some two to
three million SLAVES, children of God's friend Abraham — and offered to set them
up as a nation UNDER HIS GOVERNMENT!…” 

“….Is there any DIFFERENCE between God's teaching for ancient Israel, and
His teaching for members of His Church TODAY? 

“Now we need to UNDERSTAND the relation of God's teaching, so far covered, to

individual members of God's Church today. 

   “Remember, with EMPHASIS, this basic TRUTH: Sin is SIN, whether committed
between the time of Adam and the Flood, whether in ancient Israel, or today; whether
by Jew or Gentile; whether by a nation, a group of people collectively, or by an
individual — regardless of time. 

139
   “And for emphasis we repeat: Popular acceptance, group approval or disapproval, or
national decree does not determine what is SIN — or what is righteousness!
Governments may legislate what they regard as crime, but SIN IS the transgression
of GOD'S Law. SIN involves man's relationship with his Maker. And we have
shown, in the beginning, that GOD and the laws of God are SUPREME in authority,
even over those of nations and their human legislative bodies. 

   “Although God's teaching directs us to be loyally subject to the government under

whose jurisdiction we live, if, unhappily, there is conflict, God Almighty teaches us
that we must OBEY GOD, rather than man — even though still submissively subject
to the national authority….”

“….Thus, the true Spirit-begotten Christian, in a sense, has a new DUAL

citizenship. But, in his new CHRISTIAN LIFE — his primary allegiance, above all, is
to ALMIGHTY GOD THE CREATOR, and to his Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST,
coming KING of the Kingdom of God! He is completely loyal in his heart, his attitude,
his sympathies, his obligations, concerning all governments of this world, to HIS
COUNTRY in which he was born or has national citizenship. …”

“….Jesus Christ came into this world as a messenger of the Government or

Kingdom of God. 

   “He took no part in this world's politics or wars. On trial for His very life before
Pontius Pilate, He said: "My kingdom is NOT of this world: if my kingdom were of this
world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but
now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36). 

   “As we have stated, only GOD who gave life has the right to take life. Therefore, only
GOD has the right to wage war! And, as Jesus taught, God does not choose to
have His children wage war. 

   “And wars fought by and for the governments or kingdoms of this world are in
defiance of the higher government and RULE of Almighty God from whom all real
authority proceeds….”

“….Jesus Christ came preaching the good news of the government or RULE of
God. That rule is based on the Ten Commandments — God's spiritual Law. 

   “Jesus magnified that Law and showed its spiritual intent and purpose. He
taught that if we even hate our brother, we are spiritually guilty of murder! Jesus taught
that men should OBEY the laws of God and prepare for His coming Kingdom by
yielding themselves to let God's laws — His character — be placed within them. 

140
   “When God's Government does come very soon now to this earth, His LAW will go
forth as the standard of conduct of all nations (Micah 4:1-2). At that time, God alone
will wage war to punish rebellious nations in perfect wisdom and justice. …..”

“….And the great Father of Jesus Christ, the Almighty GOD who governs the
universe from His throne in heaven, that God thunders at an age of violence and
rebellion: "Thou shalt not kill!”

Excerpts: “MILITARY SERVICE and WAR” booklet by HWA, 1967)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbklet&InfoID=1326297208

———————

[NOTE: The following is an excellent short article by HWA. It shows how He actually
taught about God the Father.]


“They Ignore God the Father... Do You? 

“There are two basic common and universal errors in the preaching of the "Gospel"
by this world's "Christianity."    

“WHAT ARE THE two most universal errors in the proclaiming of the "Gospel" by
the various sects and denominations of traditional Christianity today? 

   “1) They ignore God the Father, and 2), they proclaim a FALSE GOSPEL—in which
God the Father is mostly ignored. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that
Jesus Christ, as God's Messenger, brought. In other words, the message GOD THE
FATHER sent to mankind by His Son and Messenger (Malachi 3:1) to mankind. 

   “Jesus said plainly, "I speak that which I have seen with my Father ... for I proceeded
forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me" (John 8:38, 42).
Again, Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the
Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works" (John 14:10). 

   "In the first sermon Peter spoke to gentiles, he said, "The word [Gospel] which God
sent... preaching peace by Jesus Christ..." (Acts 10:36). 

   "That message from God the Father was not proclaimed to the world from the
middle of the first century, when it was suppressed, until the middle of the 20th
century. Then, after going to the United States coast to coast, it began, January 7,
1953, reaching all Europe. 

   "What has been proclaimed? MAN'S "gospel" about the Person of the Messenger,
but omitting His MESSAGE, which came from God the Father. 

141
   “Now how else do they ignore God the Father? 

   “They preach Christ—but Him only. 

   “Let me explain something here. There are two WAYS of life: 1) the way of GETTING,
receiving, acquiring—the way of SELF-centeredness; and 2) the way of GIVING, of
helping, cooperating, sharing, of outflowing LOVE—which is the way of GOD-
centeredness. 

   “Now how do they of traditional Christianity preach? 

   “Assuming that this is the only time of salvation, they plead with people, "RECEIVE
Christ"—in other words, "GET," not "GIVE." 

   “They believe the blood of Jesus—Christ's death, gives LIFE. But LIFE cannot come
from death! Notice Romans 5:10: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to GOD the Father by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his LIFE." We are not saved—given eternal life—by Christ's shed blood—by
His death. We are reconciled to GOD THE FATHER by Christ's death. 

   “How is that? The penalty of SIN is death. Sin IS the transgression of God's LAW (I
John 3:4). There is ONE Lawgiver. NOT Jesus, but God the Father! When we sin we
are CUT OFF FROM GOD THE FATHER! That is what modern "Christianity" ignores.
All have sinned. All have put an impassable WALL between themselves and God the
Father. We must be reconciled to God first, for it is HE who has eternal life to give! 

   “How may we be reconciled to God the Father? By REAL REPENTANCE.

Repentance is toward GOD the Father, and faith is toward Jesus (Acts 20:21).

   “Once we truly REPENT, which means a complete change of ATTITUDE, way of life
and purpose, then our faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood for payment of the
penalty of our sins, destroys that impassable WALL between us and GOD the
Father—and we then may receive His Holy Spirit—after we have GIVEN our life,
through repentance and faith, to Christ, who bought and paid for it by His DEATH.

   “Then our salvation—gift of eternal life—is made possible by Christ's

RESURRECTION—by His LIFE! 

   “But this world's Christianity thinks it may receive eternal life from Jesus'
DEATH, and from Jesus ALONE—leaving out the FATHER. 

   “And once converted—changed—what then? We must KEEP reconciled to GOD by

obedience to His Law. If we make a slip, or fall down along the way, then IF we
"confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (I John 1:9). 

   “Of course, traditional Christianity has lost sight of GOD'S LAW and of what
constitutes SIN. They ignore the fact we must be first reconciled to God THE
FATHER! 

142
   “None can come to Jesus for eternal salvation, except God the Father first draws
him! Jesus said plainly in John 6:44: "NO MAN CAN come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him." 

   “It is God the Father who decides whom He shall call. It is God the Father from
whom we have cut ourselves off by transgressing His Law. It is the Father who has
the Holy Spirit to give. The sinner must first of all, upon being called, REPENT—change
his mind and attitude in regard to sin, and obedience to God's WAY OF LIFE! 

   “How does God call one? He DRAWS one (John 6:44) by the magnetic POWER of
His Holy Spirit, working externally from outside one. Through His Spirit, God convicts
one. On the very day Christ founded the Church, Peter had preached a Spirit-
inspired sermon. Three thousand there were "pricked in their heart"—"they were
cut to the heart" (Revised Standard Version); "it went straight to their hearts" (Moffatt
translation). In other words their whole minds and attitudes were convicted of guilt and
changed, ready for repentance—a COMPLETE CHANGE to GOD'S WAY OF LIFE. This
led them to repentance TOWARD GOD THE FATHER. Then they BELIEVED on Jesus
Christ, were baptized, and God the Father then gave them His HOLY SPIRIT! 

   “Now WHAT GOSPEL did Jesus bring from God the Father? What was the
MESSAGE the Father sent to mankind by Jesus? In Mark 1:1, 14, 15, we read: "The
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ... after that John was put in prison, Jesus came
into Galilee preaching the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD, And saying, The time is
fulfilled, and the KINGDOM OF GOD is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel." 

   “Jesus proclaimed the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, based on the LAW OF GOD, to

rule the whole earth, at Christ's Second Coming—now SOON! 

   "The KINGDOM OF GOD is the divine born FAMILY OF GOD, of which God the
FATHER is Father of the entire Family. 

   “Today, by leaving God the Father out of their message, the churches of
traditional Christianity do not know that a real and true Christian may be, in this
life, only BEGOTTEN by receiving the Holy Spirit—which is the begettal of God-life—
and may be BORN a full GOD BEING, immortal, composed of Spirit, at the resurrection
of the just—at Christ's coming! 

   “In a word, by ignoring God the Father, they make the life, Gospel, death and
resurrection of JESUS CHRIST utterly MEANINGLESS! 

   “Let us be sure we have God the Father and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
BOTH in the picture, as they, themselves, have placed themselves!”

(Excerpts: “They Ignore God the Father... Do You?” by HWA, The Plain Truth magazine,
May 1980)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1342267667

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———————

“2 Corinthians 11, you find that Paul mentions how there would be false prophets
coming in the name of Jesus, saying that Jesus was the Christ; but they would be
preaching another Jesus. And that is precisely what they did! They preached a Jesus
who was a smart aleck young man, who knew more than His Father, and did away
with His Father's law and commandments. They preached a Jesus that nailed the
law to the cross. They preached a Jesus that was in opposition to God the Father. 

   “And that is what has come on down through Protestantism! And you will notice that
TODAY THE PROTESTANT CHURCHES AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TALK
ABOUT JESUS (Although the Catholic Church probably talks more about Mary than
they do about Jesus even.); but they talk about CHRIST, ABOUT JESUS—BUT THEY
LEAVE GOD THE FATHER OUT OF IT. THEY WON'T HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH
GOD THE FATHER. THEY TALK ABOUT CHRIST, BUT THEY WANT TO DO AWAY
WITH THE LAW.

“Now let me make this straight. The law came from God the Father. You know,
it's a great deal like the government of the United States. The Congress is the law-
making body; the President is the executive of the administration to administer the
government; and then we have the Supreme Court to do the judging. Now, spiritually in
the government of God, God the Father is the Congress (or the Parliament). He is
the Lawgiver. He makes the law. And when you break the law, you have put
yourself clear outside of God the Father. It is God the Father you need to be
reconciled to, not Christ. You accept Christ not because that saves you. The
receiving of Christ does not save you. And yet they say that you're already born again if
you say "I receive Christ." And the churches are saying that thing all over, and they are
in gross ERROR!….”

“…..But I need to explain a little something here about the government of God.
You read in John the first chapter in the New Testament, John 1 and verses 1 to 4 or 5: 

   "John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 

   “Now, who's the Word? Verse 14 says: 

   "John 1:14 The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. 

   “And became Jesus Christ: the Word is the one who was made Jesus Christ. In
other words, the Word was Jesus Christ before His human birth and before He
became Jesus Christ. And He was also God. And in the third chapter and the ninth
verse of Ephesians, I believe it is, "God created all things by Jesus Christ". Jesus
obeyed His Father. 

144
   “Now, They were together. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. All
things were made by Him, the Word; but God made it by Him, and Jesus did only
what His Father said. He was the Word, the Spokesman, He said "I've spoken only
what My Father commanded and told Me to speak." And so He is the one who created
man. 

   “Now we turn back to Genesis the first chapter. Well, first I want to explain about the
government of God. Two can't walk together except they be agreed. So they were in
absolute harmony. And everywhere in the Bible it shows that Jesus and God the
Father were completely as one—of one mind; of one belief; of one agreement; no
discord; no disagreement of any kind whatsoever. Also two cannot walk together
except one is the leader. You must have leadership, and we had a sermonette on
that. You must have leadership! And God was the Leader. Jesus obeyed His
Father. He said "I have kept My Father's commandments." And He also said He'd set
us an example. We should also keep them. 

   “Now, law is merely a way of life. Their way of life was love: cooperation; mutual love
and affection. God ruled over Jesus, but it was loving authority. Loving authority.
And Jesus obeyed, in love. And They loved one another, and there was no conflict
whatsoever. It was total cooperation, but God was the Head. And you will find
where Christ is the Head of the Church, but God is the Head of Christ; and we
must never forget that. So that is the basis of government. 

   “Now a LAW has to be the basis of ANY GOVERNMENT. You can't have government
without a law. The basis of the United States is the Constitution, which is a law; and all
laws must be according to that basic law, the Constitution. That's the foundational law
of all the United States' government. But the basic law of the whole universe is love
(L-O-V-E), which is outgoing concern. Outgoing concern toward others: first toward
God and then toward our fellow creatures. 

   “Now God and the Word worked. They lived. It said, "in them was life." If They had
life, They lived. If They lived, how did They live? They had to DO something to live!
What did They do? They created. Now, They had a way of creation. How did They
create? Well, God created all things by Jesus Christ. God told Him what to do and
what to say. He spoke; the Holy Spirit responded; and it was done. Now God said,
in Genesis the first chapter, it says there: 

   "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning [God] [Elohim, which is a plural word, meaning "Gods"]
created the heavens and the earth. 

   "Now the word "God" should be pluralized, or "Gods." And the word "created the
heaven" as it is in the King James, also is translated in every other translation, as far as
I know, "heavens [It's plural.] and the earth." And they were all created at the same
time, you read in the second chapter of Genesis also. And in verse 26 of Genesis 1: 

   "Genesis 1:26 God said [And this must have been God saying it to the Word.], Let Us
make man in our image. 

145
   "And so God told the Word to do it, and the Word formed man. And in the second
chapter, Yahweh is mentioned, and always speaks of the Word who became Christ. 

   "Genesis 2:7 [And the LORD God] formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man [dust of the ground] became [a
soul] a living soul [Not an immortal soul!]. 

   “So the dust of the ground became a living soul. And God said, "If you disobey, you
will surely die….”

“….Now the Gospel was suppressed; and, as I say, they turned to a gospel ABOUT
Christ. But they have not talked of His message! And His message talked about
God as being the Supreme Ruler. And His message had to do with the Government
of God; and God is the Lawgiver. And when you sin, the sin is the transgression of
the law; and that has cut you off from GOD THE FATHER. BUT WHAT ARE THE
PROTESTANT PREACHERS PREACHING? "JUST RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AND
YOU'RE ALREADY BORN AGAIN." POPPYCOCK! THEY ARE WRONG! THEY ARE IN
ERROR. THAT IS THE TEACHING THAT SATAN THE DEVIL HAS GIVEN THEM. That
alone is not enough! That's a start, but it's not enough. It takes far more. The world
has lost the purpose of God. They have lost all knowledge of the gospel of Christ,
which is the Kingdom of God. They have lost all of these things…..”

“….But thanks and praise to God, He HAS restored knowledge. That is all God's
doing. None of us can be anything more than human instruments. If I have been willing
to do anything, it is only because God Himself brought about circumstances to compel
me and make me willing, whether I wanted to be or not; and even then I can take no
credit whatsoever. It was all the doing of God, through Jesus Christ. 

   “But remember this: the Protestant churches, they just have Christ. We have to
come to God by way of Christ. And Jesus taught us: When you pray, pray "Our
Father which art in heaven." And we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He said
whatsoever we ask the Father in His name (the name of Christ), God will do—if we ask
in faith, believing. We must ask what God has promised to do. Remember that faith is
simply believing that God will not lie; and that, what God has promised, He will
perform. So let's be thankful. Let's praise God for it. Let's give all thanks to God
Almighty, the Father.”

(Excerpts: Mission Of The Philadelphia Church Era” sermon by HWA, December 17,
1983)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1330450883

———————

146
 “God said. Elohim said. Well, which person said it — God or the Word? The one
who later was called the Son, or the one who was called the Father after Jesus was
born? In this case, it is the Word. Jesus said when He was on earth as the Word of
God and as Immanuel (or God with us); He said, "I have spoken nothing of myself,
the Father which sent me ... He told me what to say and what to speak." (John
12:49) He has spoken His Father's words faithfully. 

   “So His Father had told Him to say this, and He is the one who said it; and the
Holy Spirit is the power that did what He said and obeyed that Word. But it came from
God the Father through Christ, and the Holy Spirit performed it. Then later He said,
"Let the dry land appear." Well, that was the one who later became Christ who said
that. Now then we come down a little later to verse 24. 

  “ Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his
kind ... [And so on.] 

   "Well, who said that? The Word did. He said it as the Father had told Him to say
it. But this is the Word speaking, and it happened. Now to verse 26: 

   "Genesis 1:26 And God said; Let us make man in our image... 

   “There it looks like one of the two that form God is speaking to the other and said
Let us do something." Now would that be Christ the Word speaking to God the
Father and suggesting, "Well, I've got an idea. Look, I tell you Father, let us do
this. This is MY idea." Is that the way you would interpret that? By no means
whatsoever! That was God the Father speaking. Elohim there is the two, and it
could be either one of the two speaking. But you have to determine by what is in the
sentence, and as you find it explained in other places in the Bible, which one of the two
was doing the talking. This was the Father saying to the Word "Let us make man in
our image, after our likeness."

“….So the idea of the creation of man came from GOD, the one who became the
Father of Christ and who is our heavenly Father. We then are the product of God the
Father. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them
have dominion ... " Then, in chapter 2, another name is introduced….”

“….. "In the day the YHWH Elohim" or the Eternal God (because Yhwh really means
Ever Living or Eternal; and the one who became Christ made the earth and the
heavens)... So it was Christ who made it. It was God who said: "Let us make man,"
however. It was Yhwh who had done the speaking, but He only spoke as God had
told Him. Now then if we read on:…..”

“…..  Genesis 2:6-7 But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole
face of the ground. (7) And the [Yhwh Elohim, which is Christ] formed man of the dust
of the ground ... 

147
   Now put it together. It was God the Father who said, "Let us make man in our
image." But Christ spoke only as the Father told Him. So it was Christ who formed
man; but God is the one who said, {5} "Let us make man in our image after our
likeness.’…..”

“…..   Genesis 2:16 And the [Eternal] God commanded the man saying [Now here is
what the Word said as God the Father had told Him], Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

   Now that was Christ saying that, but He said only what God the Father had told
Him to. So now we have that all straight. Now I've gone into this so many, many
times we don't need to go over that again……”

“…..Now you see, it's the Father who said "Let us make man in our image." It is
the Father we have disobeyed really because He is the Lawgiver. Jesus had merely
told Adam what God had told Him to say, and it was God the Father that he really
disobeyed; and really it is God the Father we are cut off from. You notice that the
Protestant churches today talk a lot about Christ. They say very little about the
Father. It's the Father we've been cut off from. It's the Father we need to get back
to, and there is no way back to the Father except through and by Christ. 

   “Jesus said no man could yet come to Him except God the Father chooses you
and selects you. Every one of you has been chosen as one out of several thousand
other people of all of the people on the earth. If God has called you, you are only one
out of several thousand. And God has looked down and picked out, and by
predestination has called you and you are given that wonderful chance……”

Excerpts: “Spiritual Health Check-up” sermon by HWA, April 16, 1983)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1330869441

———————

“Now THE WORLD DOESN'T WANT TO GO BACK TO GOD; AND THE WORLD
BELIEVES IN A FALSE JESUS. MOST OF THE CHURCHES PREACH ABOUT JESUS.
THEY PREACH ABOUT CHRIST. THEY DON'T PREACH ABOUT GOD THE
FATHER. You don't hear very much about GOD. That's why they say, "The law is
done away." The law is honoring God. It is GOD who established the Sabbath. It is
GOD who said you are stealing when you take His tithe that is holy to Him. The things
that are holy to God they're not concerned about…..”

148
 “…I’ve read this so many, many times. Jesus said: John 6:44 No man can come to
me... 

   “Now, there's only one door to God. The main thing is to get back to God the
Father. The Protestant churches and the Catholic church ignore God the Father.
The Catholic church teaches you to go to Mary, and the Protestant churches teach you
to go to Jesus. But, you see, the law came from God the Father. Christ came to
restore us to God the Father and reconcile us to God. It's God who has eternal life
to give. God is the Father from whom the potential Family has been kidnapped. Jesus
said: 

   "John 6:44 No man can come to me [And He's the only door to get to God.], except
the Father which hath sent me draw him.

   “It's a case of getting to the Father; and the Father has to choose and call you
and draw you, or you can't come to Christ….” 

(Excerpts: “Foundation Of A New World” sermon by HWA, Dec. 31, 1983)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1331220127

———————

“The very opening verse says: ‘The revelation of Jesus Christ... to show unto his
servants things which must shortly come to pass.’ 

   “The very word "Revelation" — the English word translated from the original Greek
word "Apocalypse," as it is called in one version — means the REVEALING. Not the
hiding, sealing, or closing up, but the REVEALING! Yet the prophecy of future world
events in this Book was sealed with seven seals! 

   “Of course! And absolutely NO ONE, except Jesus Christ, was able to strip off the
seals, to open up, to REVEAL the meaning of the prophecies. 

   “Now notice, GOD gave this prophecy to CHRIST. The first three verses form the
introduction. Let us read them: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto
him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent
and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God,
and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which
are written therein: for the time is at hand" (Rev. 1:1-3). 

149
   “So notice, the prophecy first CAME from God the FATHER! It is the REVELATION
— not the concealing, but the REVEALING — the EXPLAINING — the OPENING UP —
of JESUS CHRIST, but God gave it to Him sealed! 

   “Christ is the WORD — the SPOKESMAN. And He tells us plainly, in John

12:49 and elsewhere, that He spoke NOTHING of Himself, but only as the FATHER
commanded Him! Christ is the WORD. Christ is the REVEALER.”

(Excerpt: The Book Of Revelation Unveiled At Last!” booklet by HWA, 1972)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbklet&InfoID=1316559133

———————

“And not only is God in a class by Himself, but He is higher in rank than all other
things, since He is the Creator of all things, and it follows that the creator is above
the creation. 

   “Notice this very point, made by the author of Hebrews: "He who built the house has
more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all
things is God" (Hebrews 3:3-4). 

   “Yes, time and again God confirms He is the only God, and a God above all else:
‘I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.’ (Isaiah 45:5). 

   "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last" (Revelation 1:11). 

   “And, besides being a spirit, the only God and above all else, we find that God is
both eternal (having no beginning or ending) and immortal (will live forever).
Notice Deuteronomy 33:27, where God is called "eternal," or Deuteronomy 32:39-40:
"Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I lift My hand to
heaven, and say, 'As I live forever ... ' " 

   “Of course, it is natural for humans to want to see God or, if we cannot, to at least
know what He looks like. Unless we can see at least a mental image of God, we cannot
feel we know Him. Yet Scripture, contrary to the beliefs of many, says plainly and
pointedly, "No one has seen God at any time" (John 1:18). 

   “Clearly, the prospect of seeing God in the flesh is nonexistent. But we are not left in
darkness, for the very one who said no one has seen God, the apostle John, also said
in the same verse, "The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He
[Jesus Christ] has declared Him…” 

150
 “…Although this is a large subject, it helps comprehension to remember, or even
memorize, a few key verses. John 4:24 shows God is a spirit being. Isaiah 45:5 shows
He is the only God. John 1:18 reveals that no one has seen God, but that the Son
has declared Him. Revelation 1:13-16 describes God's glorified body that shines with
tremendous brilliance. And John 1:11-12conveys the astounding truth that we can
enter the God Family.” 

(Excerpt: “Who And What Is God?” by Bernie Schnippert, Good News, Feb 1985)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1339332324

———————

“First and foremost, the greatest life that exists in the extraterrestrial is the one
who made all life — the great Creator God. There is no life greater than God. And he
brought all other life forms into existence. I realize that will not win a popularity contest
in many scientific circles — but it is the absolute truth. 

   “God cannot be put into a test tube. He cannot be analyzed with a

spectrophotometer. He has no anatomical (physical) weight. He cannot be felt,
smelled, tasted, touched or seen by physical means. God is spirit, not matter (John
4:24). Thus, many scientists reject his existence. 

   “Those who believe in creation are often ridiculed by certain members of the
scientific community. Life on earth, many scientists reason, is the result of blind chance
— a happenstance "big bang" that occurred in the universe hundreds of millions of
years ago. 

   “Then, say scientists who oppose creation, just the right chemical combinations
resulted in the evolutionary process that has developed all the physical life forms on
earth. 

   “They reason further, "If it happened on earth, then perhaps it happened elsewhere in
our universe." 

   “The scientific community as a whole has rejected the existence of a Creator

God (and though some have not rejected his existence, most have repudiated his
revealed message to mankind). Therefore the knowledge of other life forms as revealed
in the Bible has been excluded and subjected to ridicule. 

   “But all the while, the one Being who does exist in the universe — the one who
created it all — sent this message: "For this is what the Lord says — he who created
the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did

151
not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited — he says: 'I am the LORD,
and there is no other’ (Isa. 45:18, NIV throughout).”

(Excerpt: “Yes, There Is Life Out There!” by Ron Kelly, Plain Truth, Nov/Dec 1983)
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getmagazine&InfoID=1337083971

——————

“I've been struck with the average "gospel message" so-called (falsely so-
called) preaching about Christ, just about Christ. That's all right in itself, but we
need so much more than that. Jesus Christ was the Messenger who brought the
message of the Gospel. The Gospel is the message He brought — the message from
God the Father; and they ignore God the Father today in the religion known as
Christianity. They just say, "If you have heard Christ, if you know that Christ died for
you. The Gospel is that Christ died for you. You just accept the fact He died for you,
'hocus pocus', you'll go to heaven when you die." 

“Oh, how terrible it is, brethren, that the world doesn't know WHY WE ARE HERE!
THEY DON'T KNOW THE PURPOSE OF LIFE!! THEY DON'T KNOW THE PURPOSE
OF GOD ALMIGHTY. But this Church is beginning to tell them; and we've been telling
them now for about forty-eight, forty-nine years. And the only voice in the world that is
telling them the real truth of WHO AND WHAT GOD IS, OF THE REAL MESSAGE OF
GOD AND THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST which is the Gospel OF THE KINGDOM
OF GOD, OF WHAT AND WHY MAN IS, HOW DID WE COME TO BE HERE? WHAT"S
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? WHY WERE WE PUT HERE? The world does not know those
things.…” 

“….Now in John 1:1 you read there was in the beginning, "the Word, and the Word
was with God; but "the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us." you find in verse
14 of John 1. The Word became Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God. But when He
came as a human being He said, "I have spoken (He was the Word) but I have
spoken only as my Father told me to speak". It ALL came from God the Father.
They were of the same, like mind in perfect agreement. Two cannot walk together
except they be agreed, and God and Christ were in perfect agreement. God the Father
was the boss, and Jesus knew that all along. He was the Word. He spake and it
was done, as you read in one of the Psalms….”

“….Now notice: I just read in Psalms 104 ‘Thou sendest forth thy spirit... thou
renewest the face of the earth’. Christ is the Word who speaks and it is done. Now
notice Him speaking. 

“Genesis 1:3 And God said [The word for God here is ‘Elohim,' meaning more than
one person; and that includes the Word and God. That includes Christ as He later

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became and God the Father. So, Christ is the one who did the speaking or ‘Yhwh’
as He is called in the Old Testament.], Let there be light: and there was light….” 

“….Now the people of the so-called Christian religion believe they're already born
again if they just say, ‘All right, I profess Christ, I believe Jesus died for my sins.’ That's
all they need to have. They don't know what repentance is. They don't believe in
keeping the Law of God. They say that Christ was a smart aleck young man that
knew more than His Father and did away with His Father's Law. ‘We don't have to
keep that Law.’ Oh, they think that Law is a terrible thing. 

“That Law is love. That Law is the way to peace. That Law is the way to happiness
and to mutual well-being and cooperation all together. And yet the world hates that
Law of God. Well, God loves that Law and He didn't compromise with it….” 


(Excerpt: “The Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles” sermon by HWA, Oct. 1981)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getsermon&InfoID=1335628927

———————

“But still Christ had to go to the headquarters of the universe, to the throne of
the whole universe; more than just a throne of this world. The throne of God the
Father to have it confer on Him. In Daniel 7, verses 13 & 14, you'll find the vision of
Christ coming up there in the clouds of heaven and having this conferred on Him and in
the mean time there He is at God's headquarters. It's the headquarters of God's work
wherever it might be in the whole universe that is the supreme headquarters of the
God's work. And Jesus Christ is there at the Father's throne now, that's where
Christ went….”

“….We’ve been reading it in the book of Hebrews. That's the book that tells the
present mission and the present life. The present job, if you please, of Jesus
Christ. He doesn't have to get all worn out and tired and go to sleep and spend a night
sleeping like you do. He's on the job, what in here in our time on this earth is night
and day for us. And He's there for us.

“We've been reading how great he was and the very first chapter of this book of
Hebrews. He's the express image of His Father's person, of God Almighty,
upholding all things in the entire universe, by the word of His power. And He is the
one whom God the Father said, to the son, He says, Thy throne, Oh God, speaking
of Jesus Christ is for ever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of thy
kingdom. What does He mean His throne; His kingdom? You read back here in the
first chapter of Luke that Jesus Christ was born to be a king and to reign over the

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house of David and the children of Israel forever. Not only that, you find in the book of
Revelations that all the kingdoms of this world, of all the nations of this world, are soon
now to become His kingdoms….”

“….Well, now in this book of Hebrews, we'd come up to the eighth chapter, we find
that Jesus Christ is our High Priest. That means He's head of the Church, He's
head over all the work of God. He's my boss, is He yours? He said, Why call ye me
Lord, Lord and do not the things that I say? I mean He's my boss, I mean I have to do
what He says. Now, Christ is the living word of God and He's alive and living. But I
have also the living word of God in another form. I have the word of God right here in
my hands written in a book. And this is the written word of God. And Jesus is the
living word of God and He is the one who through the Holy Spirit inspired this
whole word and everything He got came from God the Father! It was inspired by
and through the Holy Spirit. But Jesus Christ is the Word who did the inspiring and He
inspired to be written here what the Father gave Him. So, this is the very Word of
God.”


(Excerpt: “Hebrews Series 10 - A New Covenant” by HWA, The World Tomorrow

program, year unknown)

https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?
action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1333111195

———————

NOTE: The archived WCG material is seemingly endless. The excerpts above should
suffice to demonstrate what HWA really taught… that (1) all instructions derived from
God the Father—Who is the supreme Being in the universe, (2) The Word/Christ only
spoke what the Father told Him to speak, (3) the biggest spotlight is reserved for the
Father, who is architect of the entire plan of salvation, and therefore (4) He is naturally
deserving of the most reverence and respect.



Now, let’s examine excerpts from other Church of God groups. See next page.

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 EXCERPTS FROM
SERMONS AND LITERATURE BY
CURRENT DAY
CHURCH OF GOD GROUPS

PLEASE NOTE:

The excerpts below are copied from various Church Of God group literature and sermon
transcripts. Mostly United Church Of God, Living Church Of God, Philadelphia Church of
God, and Church Of God - A Worldwide Association (COGWA), as well as smaller groups.

These excerpts prove a consistency in teaching. Primarily…

1. All teach that The Word/Christ was representative of the Godhead during Old Testament
times (in effect “The God of the Old Testament”), and no human has seen or heard the
Father.

2. All teach that The Word/Christ—as “God of the Old Testament”—was a conduit and
only spoke as God the Father instructed.

3. All teach that God the Father was (and is) a hands-on God, and intimately involved with
his chosen people since creation. And He has orchestrated all interactions with
mankind through His “spokesman,” The Word/Christ.

4. All teach that true Christians must have the upmost reverence and respect for God the
Father—the Supreme Being in the universe. As you’ll see, they most definitely have a
Father-centered mindset.

5. All teach the same things that proponents of this new theory are teaching, with the
exception of one thing… the method of information delivery. They are teaching that God
the Father appeared and spoke directly to the patriarchs and prophets, whereas other
groups are teaching that all information was delivered through The Word/Christ. The
spiritual content (information delivered) is still the same.

These consistent Church of God teachings disprove the characterizations made by proponents
of the new theory, implying that there is a movement in the church groups to diminish God the
Father and/or downplay His involvement in the Old Testament, and thereby becoming more
“Christ-centered” or Protestant-like.”

Emphasis is provided in bold text.

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UNITED CHURCH OF GOD EXCERPTS:

“Jesus Christ came to reveal God the Father (Matthew 11:27). Yet mainstream
Christianity continually deemphasizes the role of the Father and focuses almost
exclusively on Christ. In no way did such thinking originate with Jesus Himself.

He told us to pray in this manner: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your

name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew

6:9-10). Jesus always endeavored to acquaint people with the Father and
point them toward Him.

"Not truly comprehending the four Gospel accounts, the world suffers from
a grievous misunderstanding of God the Father. The biblical reality is often the

opposite of the way many, even those in the mainstream religious community,

usually picture Him.

“The Father is intimately concerned with the whole creation. Even the falling of
a sparrow gains His attention (Matthew 10:29). Yet Christ said that human beings

are of more value than sparrows (verse 31), and the Father is deeply concerned
with His master plan for humanity.

“He sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). He is kind to unthankful

and evil human beings (Luke 6:35). He is merciful (verse 36), putting up with

much from a wayward mankind. He is patient towards us all, always hoping for

full repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

"God the Father is especially concerned with those called to eternal life now in
this age—and particularly the vulnerable “little ones” who are in the first stages
of conversion (Matthew 18:6-14). Those who are older in the faith are firmly

advised to be cautious and to not offend “one of these little ones” (verses 7, 10).

Jesus, while human, demonstrated the way the Father thinks and lives. Truly He

came to reveal the Father. It is through Christ Himself—through His life and work,
through His sterling example—that we more completely comprehend the Father’s
nature and character. Many often overlook this crucial fact.”

(Excerpt: Who Is God? by United Church Of God, pg. 30; 2001, 2010)
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/who-is-god

———————

156
“The abundant witness of the New Testament Scriptures shows that God the
Father created everything through the Word—the One who later became Jesus
Christ. Thus, both divine beings were intimately involved in the creation.

“The book of Hebrews presents Christ as the being through whom the Father
brought the world of space and time into existence, and who “sustain[s] all things
by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3, NRSV). Scripture, therefore, reveals that Jesus not
only created the universe, but He also sustains it….”

“….Of course, then and always, the Father is supreme. Christ’s equality with the
Father is in the sense of sharing the same level of existence, both of them being God. It
does not mean, as some maintain, that the two are equal in authority—for Scripture
clearly shows that Christ is subordinate to the Father….”

“….The 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians is often rightly called the resurrection chapter. It
tells us that everyone in God’s future Kingdom will be subject to Christ, the Father
being the only exception: “It is evident that He [the Father] who put all things under
Him [the Son] is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son
Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in
all” (1 Corinthians 15:27-28).

Earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul clearly states that “the head of Christ is God” ( 1
Corinthians 11:3). In both passages Paul describes two individual divine beings, with
Jesus being subject to God the Father. In fact, Christ Himself said, “My Father is
greater than I” (John 14:28) and “My Father … is greater than all” (John 10:29). God
the Father is thus the undisputed Head of the family.”

(Excerpt: “The Personal Nature Of God” by Beyond Today, highlighted from “Who Is
God?,” United Church of God, 2010)
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/who-is-god/the-personal-nature-of-
god

————————

“[Mal 3:17] ‘And they shall be Mine,’ says the Eternal of hosts – says the Eternal of
hosts. This is the God of gods – the God above all gods. Scores of times in the Bible,
this term – the Eternal of hosts – “the Eternal of hosts” is used. And God the Father is
the God of hosts. He is above all gods….”

157
“….Now one of the things about the book of Revelation, which oftentimes goes
over some people’s heads, is the fact that this revelation is from God the Father.
The chain of revelation is God the Father, Jesus Christ, in some cases an angel, and
then a human being, and on to the churches. How do I know this? Look at Revelation
1:1. Some people mistakenly say…and I know the term “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ” is given here, but it’s preceded by something which is very important.

Revelation 1:1 – The Revelation of Jesus Christ – I said, “preceded;” it’s succeeded

–which God gave unto Him – who gave it to Jesus Christ? God. God gave it unto
Him – to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass. And He sent
and signified it by His angelos – which can be translated a human messenger or a spirit
being … and unto His servant John. So it went from God the Father to Jesus Christ to
the angel to John. That is the chain of revelation….”

“….In John, chapter 1, we read that through Him – that is Jesus Christ – all things were
created . We also read in Colossians, chapter 1, that through Him – that is, through
Jesus Christ, all things were created. Whether there be thrones, dominions,
principalities, visible and invisible, all things were created by Jesus Christ. So that,
once again, tells you that Jesus Christ was in submission to the Father before the
material realm or the spiritual realm was created – the spiritual realm, the angelic
realm, was created before the physical realm. We read about, in Job 38, where the
morning star sang for joy….”

“….But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which
was spoken unto you by God? Who spoke it unto them? See, this is Jesus Christ
speaking. He’s speaking to the detractors of the day. This begins up earlier with the
lawyer asking Him, “What is the greatest commandment?” Don’t let this go over your
head. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was
spoken to you by God, saying – in other words, Jesus Christ is saying, “My Father
said this.” “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God
is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” And when the multitude heard this, they
were astonished at His doctrine….” 

“….The LORD – the Yahweh , the Eternal – said unto my Lord – Adonai – “Sit you on

My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” See, David knew that there
is One who is greater than all and He is the One who makes it possible, when all is
said and done, for this One to sit on His right hand. Of course, the One who sits on His
right hand had to fulfill many roles as well. The LORD – the Yahweh – shall send the
rod of Your strength out of Zion – rule You in the midst of Your enemies! The
people shall be willing in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the
womb of the morning. You have the dew of Your mouth. The Eternal has sworn and will
not repent, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizadek….”

158
(Excerpts: “The Nature of God and Jesus Christ—Part 1” by Donald Ward, Nov. 5, 2016,
United Church Of God, )
https://www.ucg.org/sermons/the-nature-of-god-and-jesus-christ-part-1

———————

“What I just said, I want to verify by scripture. He is the One who calls us. Look at
John 6:44. He – the Father – is the One who calls us. Is it an accident that you are
called? According to this, it says in John 6:44: “ No man can come to Me except the
Father which has sent Me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Now the
Father is the One who resurrects us from the dead. We’ll read Romans 8:11 later in the
sermon. Now Jesus Christ apparently plays some role in it, like He plays some role in
sending the Holy Spirit….

“….Several times in the New Testament, God is called Savior – God the Father.
Several times Jesus Christ is called the Savior. They work in tandem to bring about
the purpose and plan of God….

“….He is the One who begets us – of His own will. Now look at 1 Corinthians, chapter
12. 1 Corinthians 12 is the greatest unity chapter, I believe, in the whole Bible. It shows
that we are members one of another. And the way that we’re members of one another
is through God’s Holy Spirit….”

“….God the Father calls us. God the Father gives us His Spirit. Now you look at Psalm
2 – a psalm in the book of Psalms (plural) – Psalm 2, and verse 1: Psalms 2:1 – Why do
the nations rage – why are the nations where they are today –and the people imagine a
vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Eternal and against His Anointed …against God the Father – the Eternal
– and His Anointed. Who is His Anointed? It is Jesus Christ…”

“…He became subservient to the Father way before He was made flesh and dwelt
among us. Now how do you know that? He became subservient in the agent of
creation before the spiritual creation and before the physical creation. He became
subservient, so He was under the Father, in that sense – so no longer being, in that
sense – if we’re looking at that as equality, that He became subservient, even before
He became flesh, and He became the agent of creation….”

“…The Father instructed Jesus Christ, and the Word carried out the Father’s
instructions. So we have here, Yahweh, meaning the Eternal Ever living Godhead,
created everything. The Father instructed Jesus Christ, and the Word carried out
the Father’s instructions. And Elohim is a uni-plural noun. And the Father directed the

159
Son in the act of creation, but God is the Creator and the Son the agent of creation, as
is clearly stated in the gospel of John.…”

(Excerpt: The Nature Of God and Jesus Christ—Part 2” by Donald Ward, 2016, United
Church Of God)
https://www.ucg.org/sermons/the-nature-of-god-and-jesus-christ-part-2

———————

“So the Word was indeed the God of the Old Testament—and yet the Father
fulfilled this role in a very real sense as well. For Jesus dealt with mankind on the
Father’s behalf as His Spokesman (compare John 8:28; 12:49-50). Moreover, in many
passages in the Old Testament it can be difficult to separate these two great
personages, whereas the New Testament is usually clear in this respect.

"Of course, since Jesus came to reveal the Father (Matthew 11:27), the logical
conclusion is that the Father was not generally known by those in Old Testament
times except for a few of the Hebrew patriarchs and prophets. King David, for
example, is one who understood.

“Partially quoted earlier, Hebrews 1:1-2 states: “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.”

"In this opening passage of the book of Hebrews the clear implication is that the
Father is the moving force behind the whole Old Testament. In context, verse 2
interprets verse 1. Though God the Father is the prime mover behind the Hebrew Bible,
it is through Jesus Christ that He created the entire universe.

"Also, the vital principle of the Bible interpreting the Bible helps us to understand the
intent of Hebrews 1:1 in the light of other scriptures. Since God made the worlds
through Christ and created all things by Him (Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16;
John 1:3), He dealt with man through the agency of the preexistent Word, Christ.”

(Excerpt: Who Is God? by United Church Of God, pgs. 25-26; 2001, 2010)
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/who-is-god

————————

160
“The relationship between the Word and the Father is more clearly defined in the
New Testament, when “the Word was made flesh” (John 1:14, King James Version;
Philippians 2:5-11), revealed the Father to His disciples (Matthew 11:25-27), was
sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins and has now once again been exalted by the
Father (John 17:5).

“The New Testament emphasizes the unity between the Father and Son, yet
makes the distinction between the two clear in numerous scriptures (e.g., John
20:17; Romans 15:6). We read in Ephesians that God “created all things through
Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:1-3). The relationship between the Father
and the Son demonstrates God’s perfect and eternal way of life. The Father has always
loved the Son, and the Son has always loved the Father (John 17:4, 20-26). The
harmony between the Father and the Son is a singleness of mind and purpose,
which Jesus Christ asked the Father to bring about among His disciples, Himself, and
the Father (verses 20-23).”

(Excerpt: “What Does The Bible Teach About The Nature Of God?” by Beyond Today /
United Church Of God)
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-does-the-
bible-teach-about-the-nature-of-god-what

———————

“Just as Christ Himself did, Paul was acknowledging the Father as the Supreme
Being over all and the focus of our worship. While “all should honor the Son just as
they honor the Father” (John 5:23), it should be evident that our honor of the Son is still
relative to our honor of the Father. We honor the Son in this way because the Father
has so ordained it. Thus, the Son is not the one God in the sense of the Supreme
Being—and Paul therefore did not include Him in that designation.

“But this does not exclude the Son from being God in the sense of sharing the same
level of existence with the Father and sharing rule with the Father over all—and of
acting as God on the Father’s behalf throughout eternity, past and future. For the
Son is in fact God in this very sense. Yet had Paul referred to Jesus as God in this
particular context of denying polytheism and labeling the Father as the ‘one God,’ it
would likely have resulted in confusion for many. So he chose to use a different
distinction, Lord —the same title Paul typically used for Jesus in his writings.

“Designating Jesus as the ‘one Lord' stresses His role as the One who exercises
God’s rule over creation—the point being that the Father does not do so directly

161
but acts through Jesus Christ. This fact is a crucial aspect of defining God. And
particularly for us, just as David recognized, Jesus is our immediate Lord and Master—
the Father being ultimate Lord and Master. But there is no division in allegiance, for
devotion to Christ is the way we are devoted to the Father. So again, the fact that the
Father is Lord does not contradict Jesus being the “one Lord.” For their lordship is not
divided. Rather, the Father rules through the Son.

“This then, in stark contrast to the competing deities of pagan polytheism, is Paul’s
brief explanation of true monotheism—God the Father, who is supreme, working
through the Son, who perfectly carries out His will, these two being one in unity.
And it is through Jesus that we worship and serve the Father. Thus, we should be able
to see that Paul in 1 Corinthians 8 was not denying the deity of Christ but was, rather,
affirming it through carefully chosen wording.”

(Excerpt: Is God A Trinity? by United Church Of God)

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/is-god-a-trinity/there-is-one-god-the-
fatherand-one-lord-jesus-christ

——————————————

“We have an in-depth doctrinal study paper that’s called The Nature of God and
Christ. So if you’re taking notes, the doctrinal study paper is called The Nature of God
and Christ. You can find that at ucg.org. If you go to the member’s page, that’s
members.ucg.org, and from the drop-down menu that says “Member Resources,”
you’ll find study papers and under that tab, you will find this particular paper that’s
called “The Nature of God and Christ.”

“And this particular paper was approved by the Council of Elders in 2005, and it
encapsulates the teaching of the Bible and what we believe in the United Church
of God. Of course, we have many booklets that also supplement these teachings. The
booklet, Who is God? The booklet, Is God a Trinity? And the booklet, Jesus Christ: The
Real Story . Those booklets go into quite a bit of details about this subject. And each
one of these, you’ll find, is consistent with our fundamental beliefs booklet and say the
same thing.

"Now, when one says, “Jesus is the God of the Old Testament,” we have to step
back for just a moment because technically speaking, it’s not the best wording.
It’s not the best way to state it. Because technically, it’s not correct. Why? Well,
because God, the Father, was always God from eternity, including the time during
the Old Testament. So that leads us to recognize the fact that we have to be careful in
what we mean when we say the word “God.”

162
“So to be more precise, when we think Jesus is the God of the Old Testament,
more precisely, what we mean is the being who came in the flesh as Jesus was
the God who interacted with human beings in the Old Testament. You see how
much more precise that is? The being who came in the flesh as Jesus was the God
who interacted with human beings in the Old Testament. Because the One who
became the Father was always around. He eternally existed. And we don’t want to
shortchange the One who became the Father. But the being who came in the flesh,
who interacted with human beings in the Old Testament, was the One who
became Jesus.

"So let’s build on why we believe what we do about who and what Jesus was before
His human birth. And to do this, let’s methodically consider what the Bible actually
says….”

“….And so as we put all of these things together, what does it mean to us as

Christians? What does it mean to us as the Body of Christ? Is Jesus the God of the
Old Testament? That’s not the best wording. That’s not the best way to state it.
It’s technically not accurate. God the Father was always God from eternity
including the Old Testament period.

"And so more precisely, the being who became… or the being who came in the
flesh as Jesus was the God who interacted with human beings in the Old
Testament. And it is a wonderful blessing to understand that. This is what the Bible
teaches. It’s our fundamental belief. We realize the Bible defines God as a type of
being, a kind of being. And God right now is comprised of Jesus Christ, the Word, the
Son of God, and the Father. And as our doctrinal study paper says, “God can be
defined as a family— one God family, although currently consisting of two beings.”

“And so when we recognize this fact and we recognize that everything that God
created came into existence through the One who became Jesus Christ, we see
very clearly then, the Father hasn’t been seen. The Father had to be revealed. And
so Jesus Christ came and declared the Father and made Him known. And so when we
look to see which God interacted with human beings in the Old Testament, the God of
our fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Joshua, David, the Y-H-W-H who appeared was
the One who became Jesus Christ.

“He was the Angel of the LORD, the Messenger who thundered the Ten
Commandments. He is the I AM. No question about that. In fact, on page 14 of the
doctrinal paper, it says “It is clear that the name Y-H-W-H can be used to identify
both God the Father and the one who later becomes Jesus Christ (the Word). The
context determines which one is being referred to as Y-H-W-H. Scripture clearly
reveals the preexistence of Christ before His human birth and that He is often called Y-
H-W-H in the Old Testament.”

"Now with that said, none of this takes anything away from God the Father—
none of it. God, the Father is also the LORD, is also Y-H-W-H. The Father is the

163
supreme ruler over the entire universe, over all things. The Son Himself, Jesus
Christ, the Word, is subject to the Father. And Scripture says, “So that God the
Father may be all in all.” And none of this detracts from God the Father. God the
Father is the undisputed head of the family for all eternity. And so what an amazing
blessing to understand the relationship between the Word and God, between Jesus
Christ and God the Father.

“As our paper states on page 41, “As clearly shown… God and the Son are coeternal
with the Son preexisting in eternity as the Word before His incarnation. God and
the Son are of the same essence, the Spirit of God. God the Father, the Son and Spirit-
filled sons of God are united through that one Spirit. Thus, the Godhead is not a closed
Trinity, nor an absolute unity of only one God, but a dynamic family unity that allows for
Spirit-born believers to become the very children of God.”



Excerpts: “Jesus—God of the Old Testament” sermon by Steve Myers, United Church
Of God)

https://www.ucg.org/sermons/jesus-god-of-the-old-testament

(Mr. Myers referred to this paper: “The Nature Of God And Christ” by United
Church Of God, 2005)
http://streaming.ucg.org/files/papers/ucg-paper-the-nature-of-god-and-
christ.pdf?
_ga=2.191718314.1680274855.1549153138-933357544.1518876575

————————

“Does Acts 3:13—stating that the God of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
glorified His servant Jesus—mean that God the Father alone was their God, and
not the One who became Jesus?

“We need to keep in mind that there were two Beings who together were the God of the
patriarchs—the Word and the One He served who became the Father.

"Scripture states that God has always been two divine Beings—God, who became
known as the Father, and the Word, who was also God, who became Jesus Christ
(John 1:1-3; John 1:14). And the One who became Christ interacted with the Israelites
as God on behalf of the Father.

“Yet the apostle Peter in Acts 3:13 said, “The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of
Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus …” He further said
in Acts 5:30, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus.” Does this mean that the God
of the patriarchs was God the Father exclusively—and not Christ at all? No it
does not.

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“The patriarchs were able to have a relationship with the Father through the
intercessory work of the Word who became Christ—as we do today.

“The verses in Acts are not meant to parse the divine nature of the Father and
Christ or to declare the Father alone to be the God of the patriarchs. The focus is
on the resurrected Christ and faith in the power of His name for salvation,
forgiveness and healing. Furthermore, while Jesus was already recognized as God at
this point (John 20:28), more complete understanding may have come later. The verses
cited above from the apostle John about God the Word were not written until very late in
the New Testament period. Nevertheless, the statements in Acts are completely
accurate in what they say.

“We need to keep in mind that there were two Beings who together were the God
of the patriarchs—the Word and the One He served who became the Father. When
the Word came to the earth as a man and died, only one of the two was at that moment
acting as God to resurrect the other—the Father. This does not mean that Jesus was
not one of the two who together had been the God of the patriarchs.

“It’s evident that the patriarchs understood that there were two who were God from
references to the Angel (or Messenger) of God who was also God (see, for
example, Genesis 16:10-13; Genesis 22:11-12). This Messenger of YHWH (that is,
of Yahweh, the Eternal) was also identified Himself as YHWH. This makes sense only if
there were two who were God or Yahweh.

“We should note that it was specifically the Angel or Messenger of YHWH who
appeared to Moses at the burning bush and referred to Himself as “I AM,”
as YHWH, and as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob” (Exodus 3:2-6; Exodus 3:14-15; Acts 7:31-32). The One who became the Father
could never be referred to as the Angel or Messenger of YHWH. So this was clearly the
Word who became Christ. And indeed Jesus later identified Himself as the “I AM” who
was alive before Abraham (John 8:58).

“Abraham clearly dealt with this Being, as One who was called God and YHWH
appeared to Him and, in Genesis 18, even ate a meal with Him. That could not be
God the Father, whom no man has ever seen (John 1:18; John 5:37; John 6:46; 

1 John 4:12). It had to be the One who became Christ.

“But we should not think of the God of the patriarchs as exclusively the Word who
became Christ either. For while the Word was YHWH God, He was also the
Messenger of another in a higher position who was also on a few occasions referred
to distinctly as YHWH. Jacob mentioned “the Angel of God” who declared Himself “the
God of Bethel,” where Jacob had made a vow to God (Genesis 31:11; Genesis 31:13).
So in recognizing that this God was a Messenger for another who was also God, Jacob
must have understood that there were two who were God.

“Furthermore, in Genesis 14 Abraham met with Melchizedek, “priest of God Most High,”

who stated, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High” (Genesis14:18-19). And it’s evident
from other passages that this Priest-King was an appearance of the Word who became

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Christ. (See “A Mystery Solved: The Identity of Melchizedek ” in our free study
guide Who Is God? ) So the God of Abraham here necessarily included the One
who became God the Father. But Abraham also knew Melchizedek as the Lord
or YHWH His God who later ate and spoke with Him
(Hebrews 7:1-3; Genesis 14:18-20).

"In all this we see that the God of the patriarchs and of Moses was two Beings—
one they directly encountered and another who was higher, for whom the first
was Messenger and Priest. Both divine Beings—later known as the Father and
Christ—were the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The patriarchs were able to
have a relationship with the Father through the intercessory work of the Word who
became Christ—as we do today. Certain other people in the Old Testament period, such
as the prophets, had this understanding as well. Yet it does not seem that this was well
understood by the general populace of the Israelites, thus necessitating Christ’s later
revealing of the Father (Matthew11:27; John 1:18).

“All of this provides the needed context for proper understanding of the
statements in Acts about the God of the fathers resurrecting and glorifying His
Servant Jesus. The God of the patriarchs included both the Father and the Word—with
the Word as Servant of the Father, being His Messenger and Priest. But when the Word
came to earth as a man and died, only One member of the patriarchs’ God was alive in
heaven and functioning as God—the Father. He then acted directly as God to raise up
and glorify Jesus. This was not a different God—it was the same God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. The Father was certainly their God—and when Christ died it was only
the Father acting as God. But this does not mean that Christ was not the God of
the fathers. We’ve seen ample evidence that He definitely was—along with the Father
—while also being the Servant of the Father.

(Article: Does Acts 3 Verse 13 Mean that God the Father Alone was the Patriarchs'
God?
by United Church of God, Jul 13, 2017)
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/does-acts-3-
verse-13-mean-that-god-the-father-alone

————————

“The New Testament sheds much light on how we are to understand the Old
Testament, especially with regard to the Father and the Son.

“Again, Hebrews 1:2-3, quoted in part earlier, tells us that God the Father

‘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 [is] the brightness

of His glory, and the express image of His person . . . Christ was exactly like
the Father.

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“In this particular verse image is translated from the Greek word charakter. This
term means “‘a tool for [en]graving’ . . . [or] ‘a stamp’ or ‘impress,’ as on a coin

or seal, in which case the seal or die which makes an impression bears the ‘image’

produced by it, and, vice versa, all the features of the ‘image’ correspond respectively
with those of the instrument producing it” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of
Old and New Testament Words, 1985, “Image,” p. 319).

“No wonder Christ told the apostle Philip, ‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’
(John 14:9). Christ is the express image of God the Father. We can gain much
understanding from Jesus’ conversation with His apostles leading up to this remark.

“Jesus had said to Thomas, ‘No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (verse 6).
Only through Christ could one know the Father and enter into a relationship with
Him. Jesus continued, ‘If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also;
and from now on you know Him and have seen Him’ (verse 7).”

(Excerpt: Who Is God? by United Church Of God, pgs. 30; 2001, 2010)
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/who-is-god

———————

“Yet Jesus has dominion over everything that exists with the exception of only
one thing—the Father, who is over Him. Jesus is thus subordinate to the Father,
but the Father has entrusted “all authority” and “all things” to Him (Matthew 28:18; 1
Corinthians 15:27-28). And as explained elsewhere, Jesus is in perfect and total
agreement with the Father.”

(Excerpt: Is God A Trinity? by United Church Of God)

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/is-god-a-trinity/there-is-one-god-the-
fatherand-one-lord-jesus-christ

———————

“Paul reaffirms the wonderful truth that “it is Christ who died, and furthermore is also
risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for
us” (Romans 8:34). Both the Father and Son are actively involved in fulfilling Their
purpose of bringing others into the divine family. It’s your destiny.”

(Excerpt: Who Is God? by UCG, pg. 18; 2001, 2010)

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/who-is-god

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LIVING CHURCH OF GOD EXCERPTS:

“As the God of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ taught tithing. Remember, Jesus
Christ is the God of the Old Testament. As the Apostle Paul explained to the
Corinthian brethren: "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our
fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same
spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that
Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1–4). Later in this same chapter—talking about
this same time period—Paul wrote: "Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also
tempted and were destroyed by serpents" (v. 9). So it was Christ they were
dealing with back in the Old Testament! Most theologians realize this because there
are so many references to it. But most "play it down" because of the implication that it
was Christ who spoke the Ten Commandments and gave other laws which "modern
churchianity" chooses not to obey!

“Yes, Christ was the "Word"—the divine "Spokesman" for the Father from the
beginning (John 1:1–10). So the "Word"—who later became Christ—is the One
who guided and blessed Abraham in tithing to God. And Christ is "the same yesterday,
today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, we must not negate or minimize
this fundamental example of tithing set by the very ‘father’ of God's faithful!”

(Excerpt: “God’s People Tithe!” by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrows World magazine,

Living Church of God)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/gods-people-tithe/content

———————

“WHO WILL ALWAYS BE IN CHARGE? - The Bible indicates the Father

will always be greater in power and authority. Obviously, God the Father will never
get old or retire or die. So He will always be the unquestioned Head of the God
Family. Even Jesus Christ said, "My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28)."

(Excerpt: “Your Ultimate Destiny” by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrow’s World magazine,

Living Church of God)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/your-ultimate-destiny/content

———————

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"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). In this very
first verse of the Bible, God reveals Himself by the Hebrew name Elohim. There is one
God—but more than one member in the Godhead, or God family! This same
word Elohim is used in Genesis 1:26: "Then God [Elohim] said, 'Let Us make man
in Our image, according to Our likeness.'" Here it is clearly seen—in context with the
passage itself—that more than one person shares the name of God—Elohim. In the
New Testament, this is made clear by the revelation that God the Father created
all things by and through Jesus Christ—who was with God and was God from the
beginning (John 1:1–14; Ephesians 3:9).

“In these passages, therefore, it is revealed that God is more than one person—God
the Father and the "Word" or Spokesman, who later became Jesus Christ when born in
human flesh. This Father-Son relationship shows that God is a family. And the way
the word Elohim is used in these early passages in Genesis and elsewhere certainly
indicates that God is the creating kingdom or family! Interestingly, Elohim is plural in
form but is used either in the singular or plural, depending on the context. God, by
virtue of being Creator, is also the Ruler over His creation. We find that immediately
after creating the first man and woman, God gave them both a blessing and a
command: "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28).

“Yes, the true God is Ruler—and you should obey Him because He made you and
gives you every breath of air you breathe! In dealing with Abraham, God
sometimes called Himself El Shaddai, which means "Almighty God." So God is the
source of all power! His name should be revered, because it stands for the one
who is the source of all power, all might, and all authority.” 

(Excerpt: “The Ten Commandments” by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrows World

magazine, Living Church of God)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/the-ten-commandments/content

———————

“The clearest passage of all explaining Antichrist is found in 2 John 6–7: "This is love,
that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you
have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone
out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a
deceiver and an antichrist." In this passage, we see first of all how John is inspired to
define love: "that we walk according to His commandments." In context, the
"commandments" being spoken of are clearly the commandments of God the
Father (cf. v. 4)—not some "new" commandments of Jesus. Even though John
wrote in the 90s ad, some 60 years after Christ's crucifixion and 20 years after Paul's
death, there is not even a hint that God's commandments were "nailed to the cross" or
"done away with" by the Apostle Paul! Then John reminds his readers that the

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commandments were those they had heard "from the beginning." In other words,
they are the clear teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 19:17 and
elsewhere.”

(Excerpt: Who Or What Is The Anti-Christ?”by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrows World

magazine, Living Church of God)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/who-or-what-is-the-antichrist/content

———————

“….Since sin in any form is rebellion against God, it is a truly horrible thing. And since
God has decreed that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), God decided long
ago that only the death of His own Son, Jesus Christ, could truly atone for the
awfulness of sin. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love…. In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His
grace” (Ephesians 1:4, 7).

"God told ancient Israel that the “life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11).
So God planned that His own Son’s blood would be shed. Christ would be the
ultimate Passover Lamb—reconciling all true Christians to God the Father. “For
indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). And also: “Much
more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through Him” (Romans 5:9).

“Weeks before they came to Mount Sinai and before the Old Covenant was even
proposed, God told the people of Israel to set aside an unblemished male lamb
(Exodus 12:3–6). This lamb was to be the “Passover lamb” and was to be slain on the
eve of the 14th day of Abib—the first month of the year in God’s sacred calendar.

"God had determined to destroy all the firstborn in Egypt because of Pharoah’s refusal

to let His people go. But God told the Israelites that if they would obey Him and kill
and eat the Passover lamb—putting some of its blood on their doorposts and
lintels of their homes—then “when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the
plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day
shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your
generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance” (vv. 13–14).

“So, more than 1,400 years ahead of time, God guided an entire nation of some
three million people to pre-enact the awesome sacrifice that His own Son, Jesus
Christ, would later make on behalf of all humanity. For the slaying of the Passover

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lamb directly portrays the sacrifice of Christ—the first step in God’s Plan to make
human beings His full sons and daughters…..”

“…..Satan the Devil, the “prince of this world,” as Jesus called him (John
14:30, KJV), is working overtime to deceive humanity. Being the “prince of the
power of the air,” Satan “broadcasts”—just like radio and television. But he spiritually
broadcasts wrong attitudes and ideas. He makes mankind feel that God is either
“dead” or that He is not “real,” that He is an ethereal God, a “blind force” way off
somewhere and, always, that mankind does not need to obey God’s law and literally
follow His ways, the Ten Commandments and keep holy His weekly Sabbaths and
annual Festivals like Christ and the original Apostles did do—setting us an example….”

(Excerpts: “The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan” by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrow’s
World, Living Church of God)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/the-holy-days-gods-master-plan/content

———————

“The true God was revealed by Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:27). To one of His
disciples, He said: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me…?
He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I
speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me
does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me" (John 14:9–
11).

“We read of Jesus Christ acknowledging that God was a loving, divine Person—a
‘Father.’ And we see the Father acting through Christ to heal the sick, to comfort
the downcast and to teach those whom He calls to keep the Ten Commandments as
a way of life (Matthew 19:17). This should certainly help us to better understand God's
character and His desire for us.

“Christ also set an example for us in praying to the Father: "Jesus spoke these
words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your
Son, that Your Son also may glorify You'" (John 17:1). Again, when He taught His
disciples the outline—the proper approach to prayer—He said: "In this manner,
therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9–13).

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“So once again, Jesus revealed that the God to whom we should pray is a Father. And
what does Christ reveal about Him? He is "in heaven." He has a Kingdom or
Government that will be set up on this earth. He—as our Father—is One who can
give us daily bread, forgive our sins, deliver us from Satan and bring us into that
everlasting Kingdom.

“In describing this true God, with whom so very few even today are acquainted,
the Apostle Paul wrote: "Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him
I proclaim to you: 'God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord
of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He
worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all
life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to
dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the
boundaries of their dwellings'" (Acts 17:23–26).

"We learn more about the true God from the Old Testament. The great Babylonian
king, Nebuchadnezzar, was told that he would be driven from his kingdom "until you
know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He
chooses" (Daniel 4:32). And this God will not share preeminence with any other. He
inspired Isaiah to write: "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I
am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My
mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every
tongue shall take an oath" (Isaiah 45:22–23).

"This is an awesome God, with limitless power and glory! When you get down on
both knees and lift up your hands in prayer to the great Creator of the universe,
you should think of to whom you are praying, and "hallow" or praise His name, as
Jesus instructed. Remember that He is not only the Creator, but the
active Governor of the entire universe—guiding the rise and fall of nations according
to His will. He is the One in charge of the weather—sending rain in "its due
season" (cf. Deuteronomy 28:12)—or at times drought and destruction upon those
nations that must be punished (vv. 24–25).

"Yet, if you surrender to Him, obey Him and serve Him, God will become your

loving Father, your Protector, your Healer, the Giver of "every good and perfect
gift" (James 1:17) and the One who has abounding love and mercy. "For as the
heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as
far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As
a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our
frame; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:11–14).

"Be sure you always pray specifically to this God—the true God—and to no other.

As you begin your prayer, think about whom you are praying to and consciously
worship this Great God who gives you life and breath.”

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(Excerpt: “Twelve Keys To Answered Prayer” by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrow’s World,
Living Church of God)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/twelve-keys-to-answered-prayer/content

———————

“Jesus Himself tells us: "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just
as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15:10). So
Jesus kept His Father's commandments and, as the God—the "Rock"—of the Old
Testament (1 Corinthians 10:4), Jesus gave these commandments to Israel! For He
was their God—acting for the Father—and He and the Father are ‘one’ (John
10:30). They do not have different laws or different value systems.”

(Excerpt: “The Answer” by Roderick C. Meredith, Mar-Apr 2003)

https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2003/march-april/the-answer

———————

“Jesus is our perfect example! Those who say they are Christians—that they "remain in
Him"—ought to be living as He lived! Are you? If you do not believe in and try to
follow Jesus' example, you do not understand what kind of God the true God is.
You are ignorant of how to worship and obey the God and Father of Jesus
Christ…..

“….What was Jesus' example? - Jesus’ entire life is a perfect example of

obedience to God's law and His rule! He said, "I have kept my Father's
commandments" (John 15:10). His own teaching was simply a magnification of
God's law (Isaiah 42:21). Actually, He came in the flesh to magnify His own law—the
Ten Commandments! Remember, He was the God of the Old Testament who gave
the Ten Commandments and dealt with Israel (1 Corinthians 10:1–6)...."

“…..We must develop God's wisdom—His character. We must "live by every word of
God." Realizing that our Creator knows best, we should obey Him. To deny this is
to admit a profound ignorance of the Eternal God's great wisdom and purpose! It
betrays a lack of understanding of the character of the true God.

“The Apostle John summed it up when he wrote of Christ—the God of the Old
Testament, the giver of the law: "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

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"God Himself calls lawless ministers liars when they try to deny the authority of His
rule, the wisdom of His law and the very basis of His great purpose!

“It is time to wake up! May God help you to repent of defying His rule and breaking
His laws, and guide you to accept Christ as your Savior from sin. Then you may
begin to develop the character of God and be born of the Spirit as His son in the
resurrection. You need to come to know the true God as your Father.

“Once you actually begin to know the true God—the God revealed by Jesus Christ
—you will want to talk to Him. And you can talk to Him in prayer. This is the third way
you may genuinely come to know the true God.

“As you come to know God in this way, you will soon realize that you need to
obey God if you expect an answer. You will also find that God is love, and that He will
gladly grant any request that is good for you under the circumstances. You will
discover that He has power to heal you when you are sick, to deliver you in miraculous
ways from trouble and to bless you in a manner beyond human comprehension.

“So, get to know God by talking to Him every day!

“And remember—the combined testimonies of nature, of the Bible, and of answered

prayer all reveal the same true God. He is the All-Wise, All-Powerful, Law-Giving
Ruler of the universe. He is your Father. I hope you will be willing to acknowledge
His government, obey His laws, and inherit eternal life as His child!”

(Excerpt: “How To Know God” by Roderick C. Meredith, Tomorrow’s World, Sep-Oct

2007)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2007/september-october/how-to-know-
god

———————

“A sixth key to facing your fears is to fear God. Can you really face your fears by having
fear? Many mistakenly call the "fear of God" primitive. But the biblical fear of God is
a deep reverence and respect for the Creator. It is an awe at God's majesty and
greatness. It is a response to the reality of God. When you choose to fear God, you will
not fear man.

“The fear of God and the love of God are not mutually exclusive. Many wrongly think
that you can have one or the other. That is not what your Bible says. Notice: "And now,
Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to

174
walk in all his ways and to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes
which I command you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12–13).

“Yes, God requires that we both love Him and fear Him. Both qualities go hand in
hand! If you read through the books of Psalms and Proverbs, you will be amazed at the
blessings and benefits of a godly fear! For example: "In the fear of the Lord there is
strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge" (Proverbs 14:26). True
fearlessness ("strong confidence") comes from God.”

(Excerpt: “Facing Your Fears” by Richard Ames, Tomorrow’s World, May-Jun 2004)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2004/may-june/facing-your-fears

———————

“Next, we come to God's codifying of the Ten Commandments for His nation of
Israel. This was truly an awesome occasion. Thunder roared. Lightning flashed. And
the earth SHOOK with the power of the Creator. Then God Himself—not Moses—
spoke the Ten Commandments! (Exodus 20:1). Many think that God the Father gave
these commands and that Jesus Christ later came along and did away with them.
But Jesus told the Jews that they had "neither heard [the Father's] voice at any time,
nor seen His form" (John 5:37).

“So just who was this God with Israel in the Sinai wilderness? He was often called
the ‘Rock' of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 31; Psalm 18:2, 31, 46, etc.). In the New
Testament, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write about Him. He says the Israelites ‘all
drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,
and that Rock was CHRIST’! (1 Corinthians 10:4). The Bible makes it abundantly
clear that the Person in the Godhead who spoke to ancient Israel was the One
who later ‘emptied’ Himself and became Jesus Christ!

“During His human lifetime, Jesus told the belligerent Pharisees, "Most assuredly, I say
to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Many respected Bible commentaries
acknowledge that in this verse Jesus is clearly indicating that He was, in fact, the God
of Israel now made flesh.

“Regarding this phrase, "I AM," the Expositor's Bible Commentary states:

"I AM" implies continuous existence, including existence when Abraham

appeared. Jesus was, therefore, asserting that at the time of Abraham's birth, he
existed. Furthermore, I AM was recognized by the Jews as a title of deity. When

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 God commissioned Moses to demand from Pharaoh the release of the Israelites,
he said, "This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to
you'" (Exod. 3:14). [One scholar] states that "the phrase harbors within itself the
most authentic, the most audacious, and the most profound affirmation by
Jesus of who he was" [vol. 9, p. 99].

“Yes, Jesus Christ was certainly the God of the Old Testament—the "Word," as the
first chapter of John's Gospel calls Him, who spoke on His Father's behalf (To learn
more about this subject, please write for our free booklet, The Real God). The Bible
also shows that Christ was the One through whom God created all things (John
1:1-3, 14; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3). This means that Jesus
Christ is the One who originally created the Sabbath by resting on the seventh day! No
wonder He is Lord of that day, as we have seen from Mark 2:28. For He MADE the
Sabbath!

“We can now see that it was Christ's own voice that SHOOK the mountains as He
set forth the great spiritual LAW of God. As we have noted, that law had
existed even from creation. But the Israelites had been in slavery, and no doubt their
knowledge of the law and the Great God behind that law had become foggy over the
centuries. So now God—in the person of the "Word," Jesus Christ—spoke that law
and then inscribed it on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18; 34:1)....."

“…..Jesus did not come to do away with the Ten Commandments that He had
previously delivered from the Father in the Old Testament. Rather, He came to
give full expression to them-to show their real spiritual intent. In fact, He made
them even more binding. For example, Jesus explained that the seventh
commandment against adultery prohibited more than just having sexual relations with
someone other than your spouse. It even forbade lusting after others in your mind (vv.
27-28). And as we've just seen, He also said that in order to be called "great" in His
coming Kingdom, men must "do and teach" even the least of God's commandments.
How much more vital is it that we do and teach the very TEST commandment, which
points to the true GOD-the Creator!

“Now many say that Christ broke the Sabbath Himself. But that is completely
false! The Bible says that He was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). And "sin IS the
transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4, KJV). So we know that Jesus never
transgressed God's law-including the fourth commandment about keeping the
Sabbath holy. If Jesus had broken the Sabbath, He would have earned the wages of
sin-death (Romans 6:23)-and could not have become our Savior. It is clear, then, that
Jesus never broke even the least of God's commandments-nor taught men so.
On the contrary, He said, "I have KEPT My Father's commandments" (John
15:10)."

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(Excerpts: “Which Day Is The Christian Sabbath?” by Roderick Meredith, Tomorrows
World magazine, Living Church of God)

https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/booklets/which-day-is-the-christian-sabbath/content

———————

“The Bible reveals much about God. Paul explained that God is eternal, immortal
and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17). Psalm 147:4–5 emphasizes His great power and His
infinite understanding. God can do all things, and no purpose of his can be withheld
from Him (Job 42:2). He even knows the very thoughts of man (Psalm 94:11; 1
Corinthians 3:20). The Apostle John describes God dwelling in splendor, light and glory,
surrounded by a court of heavenly creatures and millions of angels (Revelation 4:1–
6; 5:11).

“God is not remote and disinterested, nor is He a ‘hanging judge’ who delights in
sending people to an ever-burning hell. Rather, love is the most fundamental
characteristic of His nature (1 John 4:8). The supreme way in which He demonstrated
that love was in offering His Son Jesus Christ, to make possible the reconciliation of
sinful mankind to Himself (John 3:16). He is also a God of justice, mercy (Psalm
103:8), and faithfulness (Psalm 119:89–90). He is actively involved with His
creation, and has declared the future in advance (Isaiah 46:9–11).

“The supreme way in which God chose to reveal Himself was through Jesus
Christ of Nazareth. Make no mistake about it; Jesus was no ordinary man. He was not
simply a "good man" or even a prophet. He was nothing less than Immanuel—God
with us!”

(Excerpt: “What Is God Really Like?” by John O’Gwyn, Tomorrow’s World, Living
Church of God, Jan-Feb 2004)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2004/january-february/what-is-god-really-
like

———————

“The Bible reveals that the real God is going to send Jesus Christ back to this
earth to judge this earth in righteousness (Psalm 96:13; Revelation 19:11). He is
going to put an end to human suffering and misrule and point mankind in the proper
direction—towards peace, justice and truth (Isaiah 9:6–7; Revelation 11:15–18). The

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prophet Micah relates, "He shall judge between many nations afar off; and rebuke
strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more" (Micah 4:3). The prophet Ezekiel was inspired by the living God
to write, "So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I
will not let them profane My name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the
Lord , the Holy One in Israel. Surely it is coming, and it shall be done, says the Lord
" (Ezekiel 39:7–8).

“The God of the Bible is real. The Creator, Designer and Sustainer of the Universe
is alive. He is bringing to pass what He has prophesied in His Word. This all-powerful
God is preparing to intervene dramatically in the affairs of this world. Jesus Christ is
going to return to this earth to establish the kingdom of God that will rule over all
nations. The powerful, loving and just God, our Father, is going to save us from
ourselves. This is what the gospel is all about. You can be part of this exciting
future if you get to know the REAL GOD. The question is—Will you?”

(Excerpt: “The Real God” by Douglas Winnail, Tomorrow’s World, Oct-Dec, 1999)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/1999/october-december/the-real-god

———————

“People often misunderstand what the Bible means by 'fear.’ As we have seen,
God loves us so much that He let Jesus Christ come to this earth to die for those who
were still sinners. He is not trying to "crush" people and make them "cower" for His
pleasure. He sincerely desires that all should be saved. Those who are rebelling against
God should certainly fear His vengeance. But those who are seeking to obey Him
should be awestruck by His love, and should be moved to deep reverence….”

“.…God created human beings for a purpose. We are intended by our Creator to
learn to have the right kind of respect and even awe of Him in order to fulfill that
purpose—in order to be made fit to receive eternal life in the very Family of God. God
is not in the business of creating "rebels." He simply wants people who
will love Him, revere Him and obey Him, so that they may learn and practice
the right way of life and be able to get along harmoniously forever in His coming
Kingdom. It is just that simple. Through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, He
has made possible complete forgiveness for our past sins and mistakes and
rebellion….”

“….I pray that you will learn to have the right kind of deep awe and reverence for
your Creator, that you will love Him—and show that love and reverence by striving to

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obey His commandments (1 John 5:2–3). Prove God's Truth for yourself—and act on it
while you have the opportunity!”

(Excerpt: “Do You Fear God” by Roderick C. Meredith, Tomorrow’s World, Sep-Oct
2010)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2010/september-october/do-you-fear-
god

——————

“The God of the Bible who spoke to Abraham cares about His creation, and He
is involved in the lives of those with whom He is working. God's plan for mankind
involves everyone. This caring God created human beings to be capable of caring for
others. The God of the Bible who made human beings in His image (Genesis 1:26–
28), views all human life as sacred—which is why human sacrifice and murder—
whether of adults, children or the unborn—are evil and wrong (Genesis 4:8–12; Exodus
20:13). The God of Abraham also demands holiness among His followers (Leviticus
19:2), which involves showing love to neighbors and treating others as you would like
to be treated (Leviticus 19:18).”

(Excerpt: Abram Becomes Abraham by Douglas Winnail, Tomorrow’s World, Jan-Feb,

2016)
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2016/january-february/abram-becomes-
abraham

————————

CHURCH OF GOD WORLDWIDE ASSOCIATION (COGWA)

EXCERPTS:

“Many churchgoing people think of God the Father as a part of an impossible-to-

understand Trinity. (Read what the Bible teaches about this in our Life, Hope & Truth
article “The Trinity: What Is It?”) Many also think of Him as the strict God of the Old
Testament, in contrast to Christ, viewed as the loving, merciful Lord of the New
Testament. Or you may admit you know little about Him.


“One of the buzz phrases of modern Christianity is “Christ-centered.” Churches

label themselves as “Christ-centered” communities. Ministries talk about leading

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people to Christ and teaching them to live a “Christ-centered” life. Writers talk about a
“Christ-centered” approach to everything from parenting to yoga!

“There is no doubt about it—Jesus is vital to true Christianity. Jesus said: “I am the
way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He is the way to salvation. He is the source of
truth. He is the path for an abundant life. But notice what He said at the end of that
verse:

‘No one comes to the Father except through Me.’

“Jesus didn’t come just to bring us to Himself—He said one of the principal
reasons He came was to lead us to the Father!

“In fact, the evening before He was crucified, Jesus made this statement in prayer to
His Father: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3, emphasis added).

“Think about that statement. Jesus said He came to reveal and help us “know”
God the Father—and that knowing the Father was necessary for eternal life! Yet
many of the churches that claim to follow Christ rarely talk about the Father. They don’t
talk about being “Father-centered” or being driven by a mission to “lead people to the
Father.” They neglect the Father. Yet Christ said that knowing the Father is
essential to have eternal life.…”

“….There is more to Christianity than Jesus Christ alone. This may be a paradigm-
shattering statement to some in the Christian world. But if we honestly examine the
words of Christ, we see that is exactly what He taught.

“Yes, Jesus is absolutely essential. Without His sacrifice and life, we would die in our
sins (John 3:16; Acts 4:12). He is our Savior, and without Him we have no hope. We
can’t underestimate His importance. But if we believe what He actually said, then
we have to accept that Jesus taught us to seek the Father first. He was
constantly emphasizing and highlighting the Father. He didn’t come doing His own
will, “but the will of the Father” who sent Him (John 5:30).

“Jesus said that one of the distinguishing marks of His true followers was that
“true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking
such to worship Him” (John 4:23, emphasis added). This is a direct challenge to those
who neglect the Father. Jesus Christ directed worship and attention to the Father.
He taught us to “pray to your Father” (Matthew 6:6; see also Luke 11:2). He taught us
to live by “My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10). He said
that by setting a right example we “glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Do you emphasize the Father in your life?…”

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“….when we read the words of Jesus Christ in the Bible, we should remember
they were inspired by the Father. In essence, Jesus serves as the spokesman for the
Father, communicating His message to human beings. So, one of the major ways we
can learn about the Father is by carefully studying the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ! There is no disconnect between the Father and Christ…..”

“…IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FATHER - It is clear from Jesus’ words that the Father
was at the center of His thoughts, teachings, prayers and worship. Jesus came to
reveal the Father to us—and to lead us to Him! It is through Christ’s sacrifice that we
can have access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:18; 1 Peter 3:18). That is why we pray
to the Father “in the name” of Jesus Christ. In fact, God’s plan of salvation for
mankind will culminate in Christ delivering “the kingdom to God the Father” (1
Corinthians 15:24).

"Everything Jesus said and did—and, in fact, the entire Bible—leads us to the
Father.”

Excerpt: “JESUS CHRIST WAS ‘FATHER-CENTERED’ — ARE YOU?” by Erik Jones,

Life Hope & Truth - a COGWA publication, March/April, 2016)
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/jesus-was-father-centered/

———————

“….Although the Old Testament also has references to God the Father (Genesis
1:26; 14:18-20; Psalm 45:7; 110:1; Daniel 7:13), the Word was the Spokesman, the
member of the God family whom the patriarchs, prophets and righteous kings
talked to, walked with and obeyed…..”

“The Bible also describes Jesus’ involvement with Abraham, Moses and David (John
8:56-58; 5:46; Matthew 22:41-45). But we do not know exactly how much the
patriarchs, prophets and righteous people knew of the relationships in the Godhead.
We do not know what God revealed and what He kept secret.

“They did know that the God of Abraham was their Rock and Redeemer (the One who
delivered the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage—Exodus 17:6; Deuteronomy
32:15; Psalm 95:1). But did they realize that the ‘Rock that followed them’ (1
Corinthians 10:4) was Christ—the Word who became flesh—the Son of God?….”

“In fact, Jesus was equal with God (Philippians 2:6). He has eternally been a member
of the God family (John 1:1-2). But the Word—Jesus—has always been willingly
subordinate to God the Father….”

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“….Jesus referenced His Father over 100 times in the Gospel of John alone. He also
pointed the disciples to His Father (and their Father) over and over. Jesus
repeatedly emphasized that He came because His Father sent Him (John 5:23, 30,
36-37; 6:39, 44, 57, just to list the first seven references of the 21 times this is stated in
John)…..”

“….Jesus spoke this way to point His disciples to the Father. He wanted them to
look to Him because of God’s plan for giving them and all humanity the
opportunity to become God the Father’s own sons and daughters (2 Corinthians
6:17-18). He emphasized the Father’s deep love for them—“for the Father Himself
loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from
God” (John 16:27)….”

“….Jesus Christ—the Word who became flesh—revealed the wonderful and

perfect relationship that exists between Him and the Father as members of the
Godhead—the God family. His Father loves Him; He loves His Father; and through
this example, those with spiritual understanding can learn how to love God—and
our fellowman—in the same manner!”

(Excerpts: “Jesus—The Son Of God” article by Steve Moody, Life Hope & Truth - a
COGWA publication)
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-jesus/jesus-the-son-of-god/

———————

“Much has been written about what Jesus does, and rightly so. But what about
the Father’s role? Romans 8:29-30 tells about five things the Father does….”

“…The Father undoubtedly carefully and thoroughly analyzes everything about a

person before making the decision to call him or her. He gets to know people
intimately before calling them. Knowing that God puts so much into the calling of the
firstfruits of His plan before they are even aware of it should inspire us!…”

“….This speaks of the ultimate potential of one foreknown, predestined and called of
the Father. When Jesus returns, the Father will change the faithful saints from flesh and
blood to immortal spirit—to be glorified. Many scriptures show that Christ is
intimately involved in this, as well; but again, Paul indicates in these verses in
Romans 8 that the Father takes the lead in creating His sons and daughters
(compare 1 John 3:1-2)….”

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“….In part 1 we saw God the Father’s intimate involvement in our calling based on
Romans 8. What other things does the Bible tell us the Father does?…”

“….The Father is not some remote, harsh, forever critical, monstrous judge, as
some imagine Him to be. He deeply loves and is intimately involved with His called
and chosen children. Because people know so little about the Father, this concept can
be difficult for some to understand. God is a tender, loving and caring Father!….”

“….We must come to see and understand that the Father is our personal Father.
We need to think of Him in those terms, because that is a major part of who and what
He is. We need to be reminded often about what He does for us, as well as for the
world. Through His perfect plan, He will extend the same offer of salvation and the
same parental care to the entire world (John 3:16). Let’s make sure we honor and
worship our Heavenly Father for all He does for us.”

(Excerpts: “What Does God The Father Do?” Parts 1 and 2, by Harold Rhodes, Life
Hope & Truth - a COGWA publication)
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/what-does-god-the-father-do-part-1/

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/what-does-god-the-father-do-part-2/

————————

“The use of Logos to describe Jesus before His human birth gives us insight into
His Old Testament identity. The Word was, essentially, the being in the God family
who served as the spokesman. He has always been responsible for
communicating the will of the Father to human beings—during Old Testament and
New Testament times. When God’s voice or revelation was given, it was through the
Word—who became Jesus Christ—or an angel. The Father has never spoken directly
with human beings….”

“…..We read that “God [the Father]… created all things through Jesus
Christ” (Ephesians 3:9). Jesus Christ, the Word, created “all things”—the angelic realm,
the physical universe and all physical life—for the Father and under His direction.

“Colossians 1:16-18 reveals more functions of the Word. He not only created “all
things … in heaven and that are on earth,” but He also rules over all authorities and
powers that exist under the Father. This means that Christ has authority over the
entire angelic and human dominions. He existed “before all things” (He is eternal) and
“in Him all things consist” (verse 17).

“The truth of Jesus being the Creator of all things is also reinforced in 1
Corinthians 8:6 and Hebrews 1:2.

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“The implications

“We have just skimmed the surface of this incredibly important topic. There is
much more to understand about the identity of God the Father and Jesus Christ. But
the key truth to understand is that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son exist in
total harmony (John 10:30). They share the same perfect character of love, truth, mercy
and grace.

“Though the Father did not speak directly to people, He is mentioned throughout
the Old Testament (for example, both Father and Son are evident in verses like Genesis
1:26; 11:7; and Psalm 110:1). The Father has chosen to accomplish His plan for
mankind through Jesus, from beginning to end….."

(Excerpts: “Christ Was The God Of The Old Testament” by Erik Jones, Life Hope &
Truth - a COGWA publication, May/June 2014)
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-jesus/christ-was-the-god-of-the-old-
testament/

———————

PHILADELPHIA CHURCH OF GOD EXCERPTS:

“God’s Spirit is everywhere, like the atmosphere on Earth. It is the power God
uses to rule everything. It is what the Word used to do the work of creating. God
uses this power much as man uses electrical energy. That is how Christ is “upholding
all things by the word of his power.” Under the Father, He uses His authority as God
and the power of the God Family to keep everything in the universe in its place.

“Though the Father is supreme in the God Family (John 14:28), Jesus is the
administrator of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). The Spirit is not a personality, but
rather the very power of God—the power by which God does His will. It is not another
person!….”

“….Does Genesis 1:1 speak of one God? - The English word “God” is translated
from the Hebrew word Elohim. This is a collective noun (like family, church, group—
one noun consisting of two or more members).

“God is not a trinity. God is a Family composed of, so far, the two Personages

mentioned in John 1:1. However, the God Family will not always be composed of only
two divine beings. God is in the process of expanding His divine Family! Many

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thousands have already been begotten by God’s Spirit and will soon be born into His
Family at the return of Jesus Christ—either by a resurrection from the dead or an
instantaneous change. In the future, billions will eventually be born into the Family of
God!

“Jesus Christ, by His resurrection, was born a divine Son of God (Romans 1:4). But He
is only the firstborn of many brethren who will also be born into the God Family
(Romans 8:29). God the Father is the divine Father of the God Family, and when we
who are now the Spirit-begotten sons of God are born into His divine Family at
Christ’s return, we shall be like God (1 John 3:2), for we shall then be the Spirit-born
sons of God! God is not a trinity. God is so much more—a Family!”

(Excerpt: “Do You KnowThe Truth About The Trinity?” Philadelphia Church Of God
website, Feb 2013)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/120/bible-iq-do-you-know-the-truth-about-the-trinity

———————

“God’s government is His structure or method of getting things done. It is a

hierarchical form of government, from the top down. There is always one being or
person at the head of whatever unit is being governed. Consider the following: In the
God Family, the Father has always been supreme in authority. Under the Father,
the Word did the work of creation (John 1:1-3). It was the Word who was slain from
the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). It was He who became Melchizedek,
God’s High Priest, and it was He who became the Son of God. He clearly stated that
the Father was greater than He was (John 14:28).”

“In a godly human family, the husband, who is under Christ, has authority over the wife
(Genesis 3:16; Ephesians 5:23; 1 Peter 3:1).

“The congregation of Israel was called the “church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38).
In this Old Testament Church, the pattern of government was the same. Moses was
the leader, appointed by God, and he in turn appointed others under him (Exodus
18:21-22).

“In the New Testament Church that Christ founded, this pattern of government was
consistent….”

“….When we examine the Scriptures, it is clear that Peter had preeminence over all the
other apostles. So we’ve seen that the pattern of government in the God Family, in the
godly human family, in the Old Testament Church and in the early New Testament
Church is all the same. Even where two beings are perfectly united as one, as in

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the God Family, that pattern holds true—God the Father is supreme over Christ!
God’s government when properly administered always has one person in charge!
Christ is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

(Excerpts: Was Peter The Chief Apostle?” by Fred Dattolo, July 2003, Philadelphia
Church Of God website)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/1274/was-peter-the-chief-apostle

———————

"Consider what is revealed in just the first few words of the book of Revelation:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father] gave unto him, to shew
unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1). These
words introduce God the Father and Jesus Christ. The first verse of Revelation
demonstrates God’s royal family government. The Father is the Head of His Family.

“The Apostle John recorded this prophetic message, but this book came from God
the Father. He structured everything precisely and carefully. He wants us to know
that all this revelation came from Him—not from Christ, not from an angel, certainly
not from John—never from a man!

“This book contains the Father’s prophecies about future events which He gave

to Jesus Christ to share with His servants. The Father is the originator of
prophecy. This reveals the Father’s thinking about His coming Family, the Kingdom of
God—the good news that is the gospel….”

“…..God the Father gave the book of Revelation to Christ, and Christ then
distributed it (Revelation 1:1). But if you’ll notice, some Bibles print a portion of the
book in red letters, which denotes Christ’s own words. This shows that Christ added to
the book of Revelation (verse 2) as God the Father directed Him. What He added, you
and I really need to understand in this end time."

(Excerpts: “A Prophecy About God’s Church” by Gerald Flurry, Feb. 2018, Philadelphia
Church Of God website)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/4590/a-prophecy-about-god-s-church

———————

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“What we can learn from the most intimate relationship between any two beings
ever.…”

“…John 1:18 also says Jesus was “in the bosom of the Father,” which means He
had a wonderfully intimate, loving relationship with His Father. He loved, honored
and respected His Father. He repeatedly gave His Father credit for His success.”

“Then, this verse tells us that Christ actually devoted His earthly ministry
to declaring His Father! Jesus Christ revealed the existence of God the Father to this
world. Before that time, people didn’t even know God in the terms of family….”

“….Christ was the Son of God, who had shared in the majestic glory of God for a prior
eternity. But He came to Earth to declare His Father. Over and over, He said, My
Father sent me. Don’t make your religion revolve around me. I’m not the central
figure! The Father sent me! He’s in charge! He’s the Head of the Family!….”

“…Yes, God is a loving Father. He’s not like a father—He is the ultimate Father!

And He’s perfect. He said, If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more do I, in whom there is no evil? (Matthew 7:11).

“God gave His own Son to pay for our sins so that, when we repent and accept that
sacrifice, God can open up His Family to us!

“He gives us incredible honor. We all must learn to honor Him back, as Jesus Christ
did. As Christ told us in Matthew 18:1-4, in order to enter God’s Kingdom we must
humble ourselves as little children. That means seeing God, and honoring Him, as
our Father!”

(Excerpts: “Honoring The Father” by Gerald Flurry, Sept 2009)

https://www.pcog.org/articles/3376/honoring-the-father

———————

“Exalt the Father - While on Earth, Jesus Christ exalted His Father. Study through
the New Testament, especially the Gospel according to John, and you will see how
often Christ spoke of the Father. Jesus Christ taught people to worship the Father.
He never placed the emphasis on Himself….”

“….Are we putting the Father first in our lives? This is how Christ lived. “Ye have
heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye
would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than

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I” (John 14:28). If we truly love Christ, we will come to recognize the exalted
importance of the Father’s role. “These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs:
but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew
you plainly of the Father,” Jesus told the disciples at His last Passover with them (John
16:25). Christ planned to place the emphasis on revealing the Father even after He was
glorified. He looked forward to the time He could reveal more about His wonderful
Father to the Church.

“When Christ is living in us, we will highly praise God the Father because He is so
great in love, mercy, patience and righteousness.

“Do the Father’s Will - Christ living in us causes us to do God’s will—not our will—

God’s will! Jesus Christ set us a fantastic example in this regard. He exhibited a great
passion for doing God’s will.”

(Excerpts: “Before Passover Ask, ‘Is Christ Dwelling in Me?” by Dennis Leap, March
2013, Philadelphia Church Of God website)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/1423/before-passover-ask-is-christ-dwelling-in-me

———————

“We must not take commandment keeping lightly. Many who call themselves Christians
teach that Christ did away with the Ten Commandments. But that does not square with
Christ’s personal example. He said, ‘I have kept my Father’s commandments’ 

(John 15:10). Jesus Christ also taught the disciples to keep the Ten
Commandments. In fact, Christ restored God’s law to its deserved place of honor. So
must we in our modern world….”

“….The Second Commandment shows us how to worship the true God. This
commandment condemns idolatrous religious practices. God is the great Educator—
He demands that we worship Him in the manner He chooses. God lovingly shows us
what dangers to avoid with worship….”

“….God seeks true worshipers. Christ said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when
the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father
seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23)….” 

“….Recognize that God is a Father. God is building a family through mankind

(Ephesians 3:14-15). Jesus Christ came to Earth to declare the Father (John 1:18). God
should be as real as our own Father. We should be in contact with God as a loving
son or daughter would be in contact with a devoted father. Jesus Christ loved His

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Father and was always in communication with Him through prayer. We must develop
that same kind of contact with God….”

“….We must learn to surrender our whole life to God. Our Father is a living and active
God. He desires us to love Him as much as He loves us. That is true worship…..”

“….It is time for us to wake up and forsake our idolatrous ways. Let’s study into this
Second Commandment. What an incredible blessing it is to know that God desires us
to worship Him directly. All men ultimately can come to know the great God of this
limitless universe as their personal Father. God has predestined that all men can, in
time, choose to daily walk and talk with the very living God….”

(Excerpt: “Beloved—Flee Idolatry” by Dennis Leap, June 2015, Philadelphia Church Of

God website)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/1722/beloved-flee-idolatry

———————

“Many Christians believe the Old Testament is not an integral part of the Holy
Scriptures.”

“They think it is only a collection of Jewish literature. Ironically, most Jews reject the
New Testament and consider only the Old Testament holy. Consequently, neither
Christians nor Jews, as a whole, really understand the Bible.

“….The scriptures we have just reviewed prove that Jesus Christ believed and
accepted the testimony of the Old Testament as absolutely authoritative! And He
had good reason to. He was the God of the Old Testament and saw all the events
chronicled in its writings. (See 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Also compare John 8:58 with
Exodus 3:14.)…”

“….Remember that Jesus Christ—God in the flesh—was also the God and
Spokesman of the Old Testament, although it was the Father who directed what
Jesus spoke (John 14:10). And God promised in both the Old and New Testaments
that His words would be preserved. That is a divine, unbreakable promise of a God
who cannot fail!”

(Excerpts: “Jesus Upheld the Old Testament” Philadelphia Church Of God website,
March 2007)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/1324/jesus-upheld-the-old-testament

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———————

“Some people ridicule the idea that Old Testament law should be consulted for
how to live today….” 

“….In truth, that law is a perfect expression of God’s mind. The Almighty Creator’s
understanding of law—governing all aspects of the physical realm, of human
relations, of economics and everything else—makes the most brilliant minds in our
world today look like children….”

“….Study Deuteronomy 8:1-3. As we have seen, God gave His law so the Israelites
could enjoy abundant success. It was up to them, however, whether or not to obey.
The laws were not suggestions from which they could pick and choose. God’s people
were to live ‘by every word’…..”

“….When Jesus Christ came to Earth, He did not abolish the law. He elucidated the
abiding spiritual principles that animated the creation of some of the specific Old
Testament laws. He gave penetrating insights into those laws, showing how truly
relevant they are for us today….”

“A thorough study shows that the God of the Old Testament—the One who gave
Israel the statutes, judgments and commandments—was the very Being
who became Jesus Christ. Nothing Jesus said or did while in the flesh contradicted
what He said or did anciently. God and Christ are love, and they do not change
(Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). God could never make a law contrary to His nature….”

(Excerpts: “Which Old Testament Laws Still Apply?” by Joel Hillaker, March 2011,
Philadelphia Church Of God)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/1219/which-old-testament-laws-still-apply

———————

“Before He came to Earth as a mortal man, the Being who became Jesus Christ
was a glorious God Being. He lived for eternity with the God Being who became the
Father….”

“….The Word came to Earth as a human and became Jesus Christ. When He was
begotten of God, by the Holy Spririt (Luke 1:35), in the womb of His mother, Mary, He
became the Son of God. God then became God the Father.

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“Word means “Spokesman.” Jesus Christ was the God Being who spoke on
behalf of the God Being who would become God the Father. The Word, or
Spokesman, was the God Being through whom God created all things. God told the
Word what to create. Then the Word spoke and brought the creation into existence
through the power of the Holy Spirit (which is the power of God).

“He is the One who spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He is the One who
spoke to Noah, Abraham and all the patriarchs. He is the One who is usually referred
to in the Old Testament as the Lord, meaning the Eternal…..”

“….The Word was the God Being who led Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt. He
was the Lord who gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai!

“As the Lord of the Old Testament, Christ had many names that identified His
characteristics. One of these names is given in the Hebrew in Exodus 15:26 as
Yahweh-Rapha, meaning “God who heals you.” Another is given in the Hebrew
translation of Exodus 31:13 as Yahweh-Mekaddishkem, meaning ‘Lord who sets you
apart.’”

“1 Samuel 1:3 refers to Christ as the Lord of hosts. This title refers to the hosts, or
armies, of angels that Jesus Christ commands on His Father’s behalf. Another title
held by Christ in the Old Testament was that of High Priest. Genesis 14:18 tells us
about a priest of the most high God, Melchizedek.…”

“….Jesus Christ was the High Priest Melchizedek in the Old Testament. Under the
direction of the most high God, He was the Spokesman, the Creator, the Healer, the
Lord who sanctifies, the Lord of hosts!”

(Excerpts: “Imperial Academy Bible Lessons - Level 8 - Lesson 1, Philadelphia Church

Of God)
https://www.pcog.org/media/literature/
W1siZiIsImJpYmxlX2xlc3Nvbi9wZGZzL0lBQkxfTGV2ZWwgOC0xLTE0NjY3OTkwODgu
cGRmIl1d/IABL_8_1_EN.pdf?sha=0a91355b3e837a0b

———————

“Before all other things, God and the Logos existed from eternity in antiquity as
divine spirit beings.

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“Their way of life is founded on true outgoing love and concern. It is expressed in
divine perfect law as encapsulated in the Ten Commandments and administered
through the government of God, with God over all, and the Logos enacting and
commanding the perfect lawful love and will of God. Both God’s law and
government are perfect expressions of His divine love.

“This history of the Godhead (consisting of God and the Word—or, in

Greek, Logos) is revealed in John 1:1-5. There was righteousness and perfect
harmony emanating from the absolute intimate unity of the Supreme God and the
Logos. They lived together in mutual love and total agreement….”

“…As far as God has revealed, the first creative activity and project of the Godhead
was the creation of the angels as spirit beings. The Logos, under the government of
the supreme God, created all things (Rev. 4:11)….”

(Excerpts: “Sin—Past, Present and Future” by James Leigh, March 2003, Philadelphia
Church Of God website)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/403/sin-past-present-and-future

———————

"The question, then, now becomes: “What IS that superior authority?”

“Is that source of your religious belief and practice a supreme, all-powerful,

personal God?—a God who created all matter, force and energy—who
created everything that exists

“The incredible answer, in nearly all cases, believe it or not—is NO!!

"Many of the world’s organized and recognized religions do not believe in any one
supreme, personal, all-powerful God!

“Most of the many sectarian divisions of the professing Christian religion do claim to

believe that there is one supreme, all-powerful, personal God—but, in reality, is such a
personal God the real SOURCE of their religious belief and practice? The astonishing
answer is NO!…”

“…WHY God Is Unreal - If such a supreme, living, all-intelligent, all-powerful,

personal Being does exist, then WHY is it that this God seems so UNREAL to
people—so far off as to seem nonexistent? Why?…."

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“….The hour that you were born, you knew nothing about any one, supreme,
personal God. You knew nothing!…”

“….But—if there be a true first cause—a supreme personal Being who had wisdom

and power to actually create this Earth and life upon it—I say that if there be such
an intelligent supreme personal God, it is not reasonable that He should have failed
to make Himself known to mankind—and to communicate to mankind the knowledge
of the truth, the knowledge of the purpose of life, the spiritual laws that govern life and
all relationships—and of the hereafter!”

“…Many religions today teach nothing about the one, supreme, personal Creator

God. Most professing denominations use the names of God and Christ. They
teach aboutGod and aboutChrist, but they have embraced a mixture of a part of the
truth of the message of Christ and the revelation of the Bible with ancient pagan
superstitions and false philosophies, and their own comparatively recent ideas
of men….”

“….The real source of their practice and their belief is not the above—it is the around, it
is society, it is THIS WORLD! Even as the Bible says—all nations are deceived…..”

“….God Almighty is going to intervene with all the power and fury of the
supreme Creator and ruler of the universe, and STOP this hellish trend of organized
mass destruction of man by man! He is going to send the very same Jesus Christ,
once again to this Earth—this time in all the colossal power and glory of the
great Eternal God—to set up on Earth the rule of God Almighty over all nations!”

(Excerpts: “Why God Is Not Real To Most People” by Herbert W. Armstrong,

From Tomorrow’s World, May 1971 — Republished by Philadelphia Church Of God)
https://www.pcog.org/articles/742/why-god-is-not-real-to-most-people

CHURCH OF GOD FELLOWSHIP EXCERPTS:

“The Holy Scriptures are emphatic: before anything was created in the invisible spirit
realm or the visible physical universe, two distinct God beings existed.

“Hierarchy - As we will now review, the Holy Scriptures also clearly reveal that one
of them (“the God”) possessed greater authority than “God the Word”.

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David was inspired to record a psalm—PSA 8—in which he addressed the
dominion that God had given man over the earth. The apostle Paul was later
inspired to refer to part of that psalm regarding its application to Jesus….”

“…..Paul was led by Jesus to understand that PSA 8 had dual meanings. It speaks of
mortal man being given dominion over the works of God’s hands and that God put all
things under his feet. But, more importantly, this psalm, in conjunction with PSA
110, establishes that the Most High God placed the Son of Man (God the Word) in
total control of the entirety of creation—both the physical and spirit realms until all
resistance to the Kingdom of God has been abolished…..”

“….These examples are conclusive: God the Word was the God of Israel, the God of
the Old Testament who had carried out the will of the Most High God with the
authority that the Most High had committed to Him….”

“….Sitting at the right hand symbolizes receiving authority from a superior. This verse
makes clear that the Most High God is the ultimate authority since He delegated all
authority to the Word…..”

“…..Based on the fact that the Word was the Creator of all things, the Most High God
must have delegated all authority to Him before the creation of the heavens and
earth. Jesus acknowledged that the Father was the Most High God, the greater of
the two Gods. …..”

“…..Jesus clearly revealed that the Father had placed Him in complete authority over
everything. …..”

“….The Father restored Jesus to the position of authority that He, as God the
Word, had been given before man was created—the position from which Jesus was
absent during the three days and three nights when He was unconscious in death. The
Word had been given that authority over all principality and power—including in
the spirit realm—at an early time. His authority over spirits was acknowledged by
demons while He was a mortal….”

“….God the Word identifies Himself as the YHWH to Abram. Yet, in PSA 110:1,
YHWH is clearly God Most High, showing that both God beings can be referred to
by this name. It’s therefore important to understand how to identify which One is
meant in each occurrence. As we have earlier reviewed, the word Elohim in GEN 1
reveals two God beings associated with the creation of all things, including the week of
seven days. Later, God (YHWH) calls upon the other God to join Him in dividing
humanity by introducing multiple languages at the Tower of Babel (GEN 11:7-8). The
name YHWH is always used to identify the God being who is in superior authority
within any relationship: for example, in the incident at the Tower of Babel, the Most
High God was the One called YHWH. There are a few other times when both of the

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God beings are together and in each case—except DAN 7, where the Most High is
called the Ancient of Days—the Most High is always designated as YHWH. However, in
all other situations when God the Word dealt with man, as here with Abraham, He was
the superior authority and was identified as YHWH.…."

(Excerpts: “God Of The Old Testament” sermon by Harold Smith, Jan. 27, 2018, Church
Of God Fellowship)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnK3d2MD_kc

———————

CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL CHURCH OF GOD EXCERPTS:

“Here is the spike in the whole doctrine. Think about this. If the God of the Old
Testament were the Father, how do you reconcile that with this verse?

“John 6:46: "No one has seen the Father except He Who is from God… [Who is from
God? Christ] …He has seen the Father.”

“Is the Word of God true? Yes!

“What does "No one…" mean? It means no one!

“Let's see what Jesus' mission was to do.

“Matthew 11:25: "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I praise You, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and
have revealed them to babes.  Yes, Father, for it was well pleasing in Your sight  to
do this'" (vs 25-26).

“That takes care of all of the intellectuals. Do we know of a single intellectual who has
really been honest with the Scriptures and Truth of God? Not one!

"Verse 27: "All things were delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son
except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one
to whom the Son personally chooses to reveal Him."

“Let's put these Scriptures together. If no one has seen the Father, and Christ had to
reveal Him, how can anyone say that the God of the Old Testament was the
Father? Impossible!

“Remember the sermon  News,  Flesh & Bone, & New Testament Fraud. How did God
appear to Adam and Eve? He couldn't appear in His glorified form because they would
have disintegrated!  He appears to them in flesh and bone. They looked at Him and
thought, 'We're just like Him.' They didn't understand the spiritual aspect of it. They

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didn't understand the glory of it. If that were the Father, Adam and Eve would have
seen Him—right?

“How about Moses? Did he see Him? Yes, he did! Moses was walking along and all of
a sudden here's a burning bush dropping down from heaven and says, 'I am the
Father.' No! He didn't say that! He said, 'I AM!’

“Did Moses see that? Yes!

“Did Moses go up on the mountain and talk with God? Yes!

“Was it said that Moses talked to Him face-to-face like a man? Yes!

"Therefore, the God of the Old Testament has to be exactly the One that the New
Testament says it is and He is the One Who became Jesus Christ. Could not be
any other way.

“How about when He spoke the Ten Commandments?  Jesus also said, 'No one has
heard His voice at any time!' Did they hear the voice of God? That could not have been
the Father because:

“Jesus said no one has heard His voice.

"No one has seen Him.

“No one knows Him except the one to whom Jesus reveals Him.

“Isn't that clear and easy to understand? Yes, indeed!….”

“How is the Father known of, but not known in the Old Testament? The Most High
God! It's about 35 times there. We'll look at some of them. When God dealt with the
patriarchs, the Most High dealt with them through the Lord God. And they
understood that….”

“…What I found in searching this out is that on every important thing in the Old
Testament, it has reference to the Most High because that would transfer over into
the New Testament as the Father. That tells us that the Most High is the One Who is
behind everything that there is in the Old Testament, as well as the New
Testament….”

“…So, whenever you have spectacular event in the Bible, the Most High is
brought in, showing a greater power above God, but carrying out the work of
God….”

“…The other one who has knowledge of the Most High, not known as a Father, but
understand that there's one higher than the Lord God of the Old Testament, you
find that in the Psalms. Almost all of those Psalms are the Psalms of David, who is
going to be in the Kingdom.”

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(Excerpt: “God the Father Was Not the God of the OT #1” by Fred Coulter, Christian
Biblical Church of God, Jan. 2018)
https://www.cbcg.org/series/jesus-and-father/god-the-father-was-not-the-god-of-the-
ot-1.html

——————

“Verse 34: "And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to
heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I
praised and honored Him Who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation." How does He carry
that out?

• through the One Who became Jesus Christ

• through angels

• through Satan and the demons

• through people

“Ultimately, it all goes up to the Most High!

“When are men and women going to see the Most High? When they're resurrected and
New Jerusalem comes to the earth.

“When we're resurrected and are on the Sea of Glass, we may have an
opportunity to see God the Father, because then we'll be resurrected beings. But
what are we going to do? We're all going to be under Christ, Who is King of kings and
Lord of lords (Rev. 19). We're going to come back to the earth, take over the earth.
That's going to be quite a operation.

“Nowhere does it ever say the Father spoke directly to anyone in the New
Testament. He did give dreams and visions. He spoke through Christ, and so forth.
Nowhere does it say in the Old Testament that the Most High spoke directly or even in
vision. This was made known to Daniel by the One Who became Jesus Christ that
this came from the Most High.

“Psa. 78:12-17: Marvelous things he did in the sight of your fathers in the land of
Egypt, the field of Zoan. He divided the sea; caused them to pass through. He made
the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also He led them with the cloud and all
the night with a light of fire.

“He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
He brought springs out of the rock. He caused the waters to run down like rivers, but

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they sinned more and more, even against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the
wilderness.

“If you sinned against God, are you in rebellion against the Most High?  Yes. But
does that mean that the Most High was the One Who was leading them? No!

“Verses 18-20: And they tested God in their heart, asking for food for their fancy. Yes,
they spoke against God; they said, 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, the waters overflowed. Can He
give bread? Can He provide meat for the people?'"

“Verse 24: Rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven… [v
27]: …He also rained meat on them like dust, and feathered fowl like the sand of the
sea…. [v 35]: Then they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High their
Redeemer.

"They say this proves that the God of the Old Testament was the One Who was the
Father. But again, we have the same situation here. Is Jesus going to redeem anyone
the Father does not approve of? No. Would the Lord God of the Old Testament, Who
became Jesus Christ, do something that the Most High didn't want Him to do? No!

“In the prayer Jesus said, 'You, Father, and I are One. You in Me and I in You, and that
We… [we and us] …may become one with them' (John 17).

“This does not prove that the God of the Old Testament was the Father. Can
anyone come to the Father except through Christ? No, they cannot!

"John 6:44, Jesus said: "No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me,
draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

“Verse 46: "No one has seen the Father except He Who is from God; He has seen
the Father." That makes it clear!

“What this shows is this, John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the Way, and the Truth,
and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.'" And 'no one comes to
Me unless the Father draw.' So yes, They're working together, of course!

“This is why Jesus came to reveal the Father so that we understand that it all comes
from the Father. 

“Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me… [Christ] …he will
keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We… [the two] …will come to
him and make Our abode with him.'" There are two aspects to the Holy Spirit:

• the begettal by the Father

• the Spirit of Christ for the mind of Christ

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“Together!  The two parts of eternal life come from God the Father and Jesus
Christ. They work together.”

(Excerpt: “God the Father Was Not the God of the OT #5” by Fred Coulter, Christian
Biblical Church of God, Feb. 2018)
https://www.cbcg.org/series/jesus-and-father/god-the-father-was-not-the-god-of-the-
ot-5.html

——————————

“Let's see what Jesus said in Matthew 6:9: "Therefore, you are to pray after this
manner: 'Our Father, Who is in heaven …'" The very first thing is our Father. Who do
you have contact with? The Sovereign Ruler of the universe—our Father! When
we all understand that, we can then put in proper perspective everything that we need
to do.…”

“…Psalm 63:1: "O God, You are my God, earnestly… [with deliberation, zeal,
eager] …I will seek You! My soul thirst for You… [hunger and thirst after
righteousness] …My flesh longs for You, as in a dry and thirsty land where no water is.”

“This is how we remain zealous and overcome being lukewarm, Psalm 42:1: "As
the heart pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after You, O God. My
soul thirsts for God…" (vs 1-2).

“We have this fellowship with God, where we started, this close relationship with
God. How important is that? That's what grace is all about, that you have access
to God the Father in heaven above, with Jesus Christ at His right hand. What a
blessing, what a privilege, what a fantastic thing that that is.

Look at the world: 7-billion people out there and how many have had that opportunity
given to them? Only those to whom Christ personally has chosen to reveal the
Father! That's an amazing thing, isn't it?…”

“…There's a whole lot more to our relationship with God than just reading and
thinking, and all of this, because Jesus said that if we love Him and keep His
commandments and keep His Word that the Father and He would come and dwell
in us by Their Spirit. That's an amazing thing! Think of how that is!…”

(Excerpt: “Hunger And Thirst After God” by Fred Coulter, Christian Biblical Church of
God, Oct. 2016)

https://www.cbcg.org/christian-living/hunger-and-thirst-after-god.html

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———————

“God the Father, has made known to you the secret of His own personal will for
you. You think on that because that is absolutely mind-boggling when you understand
it. For those who play church, you can just excuse yourself because you will never
grasp it. But for those who are truly called of God, let us understand that God the
Father Himself:

• has called us
• has opened our minds
• has given us the knowledge of His Truth
• the knowledge of His Family
• the knowledge of the fact that we can be born into the Kingdom of God
through the power of the resurrection by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, in Jesus
Christ, to be the children of God the Father.

“That is what all of this means. Verse 9: “Having made known to us the mystery [secret]
of His own will, according to His good pleasure… [it is going to be for joy and
happiness and abundant living through all eternity] …which He has proposed in
Himself.”

• God the Father is actively involved in our lives.

• God the Father is the One Who calls us.
• God the Father is the One Who applies the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to us, etc.,
etc.

“So, when Paul talks about God’s very own will and purposeful desire,’ it has
great and profound meaning, and this ought to have great and profound meaning to
every minister.”

(Excerpt: “Epistle Of Paul To The Colossians” by Fred Coulter, Christian Biblical Church
of God, 2016, pg.39)
https://www.cbcg.org/images/books/transcript-books/Colossians-01-28-16.pdf

———————

“…Therefore, everyone who has heard… [that is responds to this drawing and calling]

…from the Father, and has learned… [has been taught of the Father—these things that
is to lead him to repentance] ‘…comes to Me’ (v 45). So it's really quite a thing that
happens—isn't it? God is the One Who does that! God is not way off somewhere in

200
the universe, sitting up there with His arms folded just waiting for the end to
come. He is actively involved in our lives. Christ is involved in our lives. But because
it's such a profound thing and it's not just an ordinary occurrence—and God is not
calling everyone at this time—therefore, you are required to enter into a covenant with
Him. Whenever God deals with His people He enters into a covenant!”

(Excerpt “Meaning Of Baptism - Series 8” by Fred Coulter, Christian Biblical Church of

God, June 2001)
https://www.cbcg.org/series/baptism/baptism-series-08.html

———————

—This concludes the “References” section—


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VI. ENDNOTES

NOTE REGARDING THE VARIOUS CHURCH OF GOD EXCERPTS ABOVE:

It seems clear from these excerpts that there’s no “heresy" or false teaching in the
various sermons and writings related to “The God of the Old Testament.” And there’s
no apparent leanings toward worldly, “Christ-centered” Protestantism.

These excerpts demonstrate that the various COG groups all place the ultimate
spotlight on God the Father, who has been intimately involved since creation.

NOTE REGARDING THIS RESEARCH PAPER:

This is an individual study paper and subject to scrutiny. It is NOT the final word or
authority on the matter. The Holy Bible is the only final word on any matter. We must all
remain openminded and willing to accept new insight, and prove whether a doctrine is
true or false (Rom 12:2; 1 Thes 5:21; 1 John 4:1).

***You may freely share this document, but only if it remains entirely intact and
unedited, and is shared without any cost or obligation.***

NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a second-generation, baptized member of the Church of God. I am neither a

scholar nor a pastor, just a simple, decades-long student of the Bible. I am also a
vigorous supporter of the truths revealed by God through Herbert W. Armstrong.
However, I am a not “hero worshipper” of Mr. Armstrong (like some) and it’s worth
mentioning that I have frequently questioned the doctrines that I was taught during my
youth growing up in the Church, and I do not endorse every single little doctrine that
was espoused in the Worldwide Church Of God. I do however believe that the core
doctrines were (and still are) correct.

Questions and comments about this research paper may be sent to the following email
address:

29reasonspaper@gmail.com

Although I will do my best to respond to questions or comments, please forgive me if I

am unable to respond in a timely manner.

Sincerely,

Jason Busa

(March 26, 2019)

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