Dear Reader,
There is a cultish sect of professing SDA's traveling the world and proclaiming that only God the Father is God. I have already proven from Old and New Testament Scripture that Christ was Almighty God. Further proof should not be necessary, but since further evidence is available, I will exploit it for those die-hard heretics who continue to try to deny that Christ is very God. The device I will use to prove this is 2 Peter 1:4:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
In this study, we will be particularly interested in the meaning of the word DIVINE in the above verse. The use of DIVINE in the Greek is to denote deities (God or Gods), as Webster's states:
One entry found for deity.
Main Entry: de·i·ty
-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
Etymology: Middle English deitee, from Old French deité, from Late Latin deitat-, deitas, from Latin deus god; akin to Old English TIw, god of war, Latin divus god, dies day, Greek dios heavenly, Sanskrit deva heavenly, god
Date: 14th century
1 a : the rank or essential nature of a god : DIVINITY b capitalized : GOD
1, SUPREME BEING
2 : a god or goddess
3 : one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful
The meaning of the word DIVINE in 2 Peter 1:4, is as follows:
Lexicon Results for theios (Strong's 2304)
Greek for 2304
Pronunciation Guide
theios {thi'-os}
TDNT Reference Root Word
TDNT - 3:122,322 from 2316
Part of Speech adj
Outline of Biblical Usage
1) a general name of deities or divinities as used by the Greeks
2) spoken of the only and true God, trinity
a) of Christ
b) Holy Spirit
c) the Father
Obviously, that which is DIVINE is of the ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT which is God. Whatever God begets is God. God begat a Son of His own essence and substance, so the Son is also God. Since He is of the very same ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT, essence and/or substance, He also is God, and indeed not another second God, for the reason that He is of the same essence or substance. The same principle applies to the Holy Spirit. Thus three persons are ONE GOD, and constitute ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT, and ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT constitutes the heavenly trio.
Whose Divine Nature is Proffered to Us? Whose Mind was to be in Us?
"Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,- one in nature, in character, and in purpose, - the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God." GC – 493.
Ellen White agrees with the Bible:
"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23.
Jer 31:33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Hbr 8:10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Hbr 10:16 This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
The law is a transcript of God's character. This applies to both the Father and the Son, because they are of one mind, ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT, even though they possess individual minds and consciences. When He, Christ, puts His law in our mind, He is putting His mind in ours. Thus, we are told that the mind of Christ will be in us: This identifies Christ as God, just as verily as it identifies the Father as God.
Phl 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who being IN THE FORM OF GOD, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being formed in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even though Jesus was equal with God, He voluntarily took the form of a servant. That is why He said that His Father was greater than He. The Father was not Incarnated to not take the form of a servant. Before the Son took the form of a servant, it was quite a different story. He was equal with God then, and he was still equal with God, but did not feel that He had to grasp that title. Always remember that the reason the Son was equal to the Father is that He was of the same essence and/or substance--the One Eternal Spirit, to wit:
Hbr 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
1Cr 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1Cr 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
It is the ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT essence of the Father and the Son that makes them ONE GOD. We have access to that Spirit, but we are not composed of that ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT. The Father, the Son and His Holy Spirit are composed of that ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT, making them all ONE GOD.
Who Gave the Law on Mt. Sinai, That is to be in our Hearts?
Ellen White said that both the Father and the Son gave the law on Mt. Sinai.
"In union with the Father, Christ proclaimed the law amid the thunders of Sinai..." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, 11-12-94, pr. 07.
But why did she not also mention the Holy Spirit as giving that law? Because at that time, the Son had not laid aside His Holy Spirit life and soul as a regenerating gift to us, and had not thereby made an Atonement for the wages of sin, which is eternal death. The Holy Spirit was present as the life and soul of Christ and the Father, but Christ had not yet sacrificed His sharing of that ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT by laying it aside for us. Thus, it had not become a third person at that time, but that Holy Spirit of Christ was present as Christ's personal Holy Spirit when the Son pledged with the Father and His own personal Holy Spirit to be our salvation from the foundation of the earth. It was as good as done when the Son pledged His Holy Spirit life for us. Thus, that Holy Spirit is mentioned as one of the heavenly dignitaries that pledged Himself for our salvation. Is there confirmation that it was as good as done? Yes. Notice:
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
"Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the source and sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship." E.G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7A, p. 439.
"Jehovah is the name given to Christ. 'Behold, God is my salvation,' writes the prophet Isaiah; 'I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day ye shall say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.' 'In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: we have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, May 3, 1899, p. 2. SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 7a, p. 439.
Who did Isaiah say was his salvation? God. Who is our salvation? Christ Jesus. He is God also. He is ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT GOD with the Father, as is His Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost). The heavenly trio is one God because it is of ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT.
Both Scripture and Ellen White refer to Christ as Jehovah God:
Exd 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Psa 83:18 That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.
Isa 12:2 Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation.
The above verse is why Ellen White said that Christ is Jehovah. Of course, it is Christ--GOD-- who is our salvation. Thus, the above verse calls Christ GOD.
Isa 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:
"Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the source and sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship." E.G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7A, p. 439.
"Jehovah is the name given to Christ. 'Behold, God is my salvation,' writes the prophet Isaiah; 'I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day ye shall say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.' 'In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: we have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, May 3, 1899, p. 2. SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 7a, p. 439.
All blessings,
Ron Beaulieu