WE BELIEVE: The Tri-unity, Part 2
     - Norman Manzon -

WE BELIEVE: The Tri-unity, Part 2
                                                              By Norman Manzon

The AMC was founded for the primary purpose of promoting sound doctrine and practice in the body of Messiah. We therefore consider the study of Scripture and the faithfulness of our doctrinal statement to be of great importance. This study is the third in a series that examines why we believe as we do. It is our hope that you will seriously consider these studies and allow the Lord to show you if, in fact, they are faithful to His Word.

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The second point of our doctrinal statement declares our belief in a Tri-unity, a triune God, which seems to fly in the face of the Shema, the universal credo of Judaism, in which God is declared to be "one". In our last issue, we examined the nature of godhead in the aspects of those of God's attributes named in our statement. In this issue, we will address our claims concerning the Father and the Holy Spirit, two of the three Persons named in this point of our statement. Due to length constraints, we will reserve our study of the Son for the August issue. Then finally, in our November issue, we will examine how the Tri-unity of these three divine Persons is revealed in both Testaments.
                                                                                          
THE TRI-UNITY
The second point of our doctrinal statement begins:
We believe that God is one but has manifested Himself in three separate and distinct Persons. Hence, we believe that God is a Tri-unity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the creator of all things. He is infinite and perfect, eternally existing in three equal persons, each possessing the nature of deity, as well as the characteristics of personality. He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 28:19; John 6:27; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8)

By personality in our statement is meant "personhood", the essential attributes of which are: intellect, the ability to think, reason and plan; emotions, the ability to feel affectively with one's spirit; and will, the ability to choose a course of action.

GOD THE FATHER
Our statement continues:                                                                                                                                   

Part 1: God the Father - We believe He is Father over all creation, and thus its sovereign ruler; Father of Israel, whom He has chosen as His unique people; Father of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), whom He sent into the world to redeem mankind and creation; and Father of all who trust in His gracious provision. (Exodus 4:22; Matthew 3:17; John 1:12, 3:16; Acts 17:29; Galatians 3:26)

The Father is God     
God the Father             

Grace to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, (Galatians 1:3)

The Father is a Person
Intellect, Emotions and Will
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

God's love reveals an emotional nature. That He "gave" reveals a will. That He gave His Son for the purpose of salvation reveals an advanced intellect.

Other Points About the Father
He is Father over all creation,
there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. (1 Corinthians 8:6)

And thus its sovereign ruler;
[He] removes the mountains, shakes the earth out of its place. Speak[s] to the sun, and it does not rise; and seals up the stars. (Job 9:5-7)

Father of Israel,
Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born: (Exodus 4:22)

Whom He has chosen as His unique people;
Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)

Father of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus),
And lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)

Whom He sent into the world to redeem mankind
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

And creation;
That the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)

And Father of all who trust in His gracious provision.
But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12

GOD THE SON  to be addressed in the August issue.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
Our statement on the Tri-unity concludes:                                                                                                         

Part 3: God the Holy Spirit - We believe the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) is a Person. He possesses all the distinct attributes of deity and personality. He does not call attention to Himself and is ever present to glorify and testify of Messiah Yeshua. We believe the Spirit of God is active today, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets the believer apart to a holy life. At the moment of salvation, each believer is baptized with the Spirit into the body of Messiah and at the same moment is permanently indwelt by the Spirit. All believers are complete in Messiah and possess every spiritual blessing. We believe that at salvation the Holy Spirit sovereignly imparts at least one spiritual gift to every believer for the purpose of edifying and equipping the body of Messiah. (Nehemiah 9:20; Psalm 139:7; John 15:26, 16:13-15; Acts 5:4; 1 Corinthians 2:10,11; 12:11; 2 Cor. 13:14)

It is important to be able to defend the facts of the personality and deity of the Spirit. Consider: "The Sacred Name Movement also denies the existence of the Spirit as a person of the Godhead, but describes him only as an impersonal manifestation of the power of God" ("The Sacred Name Movement," Pete Koziar, Shofar 2).

The Holy Spirit is God
God the Holy Spirit  
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, So, then, separate Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them. (Acts 13:12)                                                                                     

The Holy Spirit is a Person
Intellect
... the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans8:26)

Intercession requires intellect.

Emotions
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. (Ephesians 4:30)

Will
In reference to the distribution of spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 12:11 says, But the one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing separately to each as He wills.

Other Points About the Holy Spirit
He does not call attention to Himself and is ever present to glorify and testify of Messiah Yeshua.
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive of Mine and will announce it to you. (John 16:13-14)

We believe the Spirit of God is active today, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment. (John 16:8)

He regenerates,
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. (John 3:6-7)

seals,
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

and sets the believer apart to a holy life.
I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

At the moment of salvation, each believer is baptized with the Spirit into the body of Messiah
For also by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, even all were made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)

and at the same moment is permanently indwelt by the Spirit.
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. (John 14:16-17)

We believe that at salvation the Holy Spirit sovereignly imparts at least one spiritual gift to every believer for the purpose of edifying and equipping the body of Messiah.
And to each hath been given the manifestation of the Spirit for profit; for to one through the Spirit hath been given a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:7-8)

EQUALITY OF THE THREE PERSONS
[God] is infinite and perfect, eternally existing in three equal persons.
Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19)
                                                                      

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© Norman Manzon, 2006.

Norman Manzon is a Bible teacher in Hawaii and may be reached at BibleStudyProject@hawaiiantel.net.
More of his studies may be accessed at www.BibleStudyProject.org.