Logos: The Beginning of the Creation of God

Part 2

"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. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth"
– John 4:23-24

LOGOS:

THE BEGINNING
OF
THE CREATION OF GOD

THE WORD & JESUS

I pray that you may have the revelation on the difference between JESUS and THE WORD. Many Bible scholars would have us believe that THE WORD was Jesus in the beginning and He became flesh nearly two millenniums ago. But by saying that THE WORD was Jesus, they are telling us that in eternity past (or in the period of "the beginning" in John 1:1) there were two Gods – God the Father and God the Son. Look at this verse:

"...there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me." (Isa.45:21)

If the LOGOS was another GOD, then this statement is false. The LOGOS was but the WORD BODY that God spoke through to bring forth creation and to His chosen people, Israel. It stood between the invisible and the visible realms like a mediator. "Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is ONE" (Gal.3:20). As the LOGOS, so is the Lord Jesus Christ Who mediates between God and man in the new covenant of His Blood (cf. 1 Tim.2:5).

THE WORD was not Jesus. THE WORD was God. However, Jesus was THE WORD of God made manifest in the flesh. Jesus was not with God in the beginning; THE WORD (that was to be made manifest in the Man Jesus) was. And THE WORD was the 'Monogene' (SEED) which came forth from God to express ITSELF. THE WORD had a beginning but since IT came forth from the Eternal Spirit, THE WORD was and is eternal (because THE WORD was God), but the Man Jesus, Who was begotten and created, was not eternal. THE WORD was the Full Prefiguration of Christ who came forth from the MIND of God to express Deity, the Eternal Godhead. In that beginning, Deity comprised of the Invisible Almighty Spirit and His Visible Word Body (Grk: LOGOS) and not the Father and the Son.

The beloved Apostle John had an undeniably clear revelation of the WORD (LOGOS) of life that he wrote thus:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)" (1 Jhn.1:1-2)

Notice that he called the LOGOS "life" and "eternal life" that was with the FATHER in the beginning, sort of rephrasing the statement he used in the prologue of his gospel – "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". He said that this ETERNAL LIFE was manifested to the saints who had heard IT, seen IT, looked upon IT and even handled IT. ETERNAL LIFE is none other than YAHWEH taking form in the LOGOS. And the LOGOS of eternal life was later manifested in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Hence, THE SPIRIT OF GOD (THE FATHER) and THE LOGOS (of ETERNAL LIFE) are not two but ONE.

Unless we have the revelation, we will think that THE WORD (LOGOS) was Jesus, the Son of God, in the beginning. But Jesus Who was to be God's WORD (tabernacled and manifested) in flesh (about 2000 years ago) was expressed right there in that LOGOS. Because of the attribute of Fatherhood in God, there had to be a Son. And the LOGOS of God came forth with that Sonship spirit to express the Son of God Who was yet to come. (Remember a son is a carrier and a builder of the family name.) Hence, the "Sonship spirit" of Jesus was an intrinsic part of the LOGOS which came forth from God to express God's attributes. Jesus, Who was the Monogene (Seed, 'Son') of God, was being expressed in and through that WORD body. He was the very Spirit and Soul of God, so to speak. The LOGOS which was later to be tabernacled in Jesus, the Son of God, was the 'SON', figuratively speaking. And according to God's Sovereign Will, God glorified Him, the Son of God, in His WORD (Jhn.17:5). Then God crucified and slain Him as a Lamb before the foundation of the world (Rev.13:8). Elohim purposed His WORD after the counsel of His Own Will (Eph.1:11), and spoke of non-existent things as if they (already) existed (Rom.4:17). As the redeemed of God, we were even chosen and purified in Christ before the world was founded as God saw us in love (Eph.1:4). We were a part ("sonship") of that WORD because we are a part of the Body of Christ. We are "seeds" produced by the "Monogene" (Seed) which was expressed in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament according to the Master Plan of God. Because we have the sonship spirit we could be born flesh (human beings) and be born again as sons and daughters of God. "That which is born of flesh is flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (Jhn.3:6). Moreover, we have also been glorified as it was established in the Mind and Word of God (Rom.8:29-30). Yes, by the foreknowledge of God, He had thus predestinated and foreordained His Redemption Plan such that even the names of His sons and daughters were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world (Rev.13:8).

Adam, who was first created a spirit, was not yet a son of God. He could not be called a son of God until he was given a body of flesh – born into this world. In that spirit form, he only possessed the attribute of sonship. Some Bible believers believe that, like Adam, all human beings (or just the true sons and daughters of God) were created, and existed, as spirits before they were born. A favourite scriptural verse in support of this idea is Job 38:4-7: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding...When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Do they mean to say that the spirits of all the other human beings (or all the "sons of God") were already created together with the spirit of Adam before the earth was founded? Also, before the earth was laid, was the spirit of Eve existing among all the female spirits or was she a part of the spirit of Adam?

All the "sons of God" (which include "daughters") were existing only in the omnipotent Mind of God. They were a part of the LOGOS, as "seeds" (sons of God) to be brought forth by the SEED (SON of God) when He came to lay down His Life on earth (Jhn.12:24). As "seeds" within the SEED (e.g. mangoes (seeds) which would be produced by ONE MANGO SEED through time), they did not literally exist as spirit beings. The "sons of God" were intrinsic in the LOGOS.

We know that God is a Creator, but He cannot be Creator if creation exists only in His Mind. He has to create and make manifest His creation before He is called Creator. We know that He is a Saviour, but if there is no literal sinners for Him to save, then He cannot be called Saviour.

The Father-son relationship between God and Adam had to be expressed and manifested. Adam was the beginning of mankind (Hebrew: ādām). Though he was first created a spirit (male and female), he was unlike the LOGOS which was the WORD BODY of God. He came from God being created by the WORD Himself. Adam was just a part of the Word body. The sonship attribute of Adam was in the spirit of Adam but it had to be visibly manifested as a person (human being) before it can truly be called a son of God. Adam had to have a corporeal body from the dust of the earth. [What is a person? See section under "PERSON AND PERSONALITY".] After forming a body of dust, God then took the spirit of Adam and breathed it into the body of dust, and Adam became a living soul, a person (human being) with the life and vitality of his Maker (Gen.1:27). He was to express the Life of God in him. (The living soul is the manifestation of the spirit.) Even though Adam was a son of God, the knowledge of Father-son relationship was unrevealed in the Old Testament. God’s relationship with Adam and the children of Israel was a Master-servant relationship. The revelation of Father-son relationship came only after Jesus was sent as the Son of God to be the propitiation of our sins (1 Jhn.4:10).

The spirit-mind of Adam was an expression from the Spirit of the Almighty God, and thus it was part of the image of God. The (sonship) spirit of Adam was both male and female. And as long as Adam was in that form he could never be manifested as a son of God. It was manifested only after Adam became a person, a man. Then from his side, was the feminine part taken out to form a woman. Likewise when the WORD was made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, we see the expression of both male and female. Christ was the "male" (Bridegroom) and the Church the "female" (Bride) which was taken and formed from His side at Calvary.

Angels have no sonship spirit though they were created in God's image (spirit in form) and likeness (visible feature). They cannot be born human. They cannot be persons. They are not persons even though they may appear (en morphe) as men. They cannot be sons of God. They were simply created and ordained to be ministering spirits.

The prophet-messenger, William Branham, said:

"The Great Eternal began to form Himself towards flesh in a Theophany; it's called THE WORD, a BODY. This then was the state He was in when He met Abraham; He was called Melchizedec. He was in the form of Theophany." "This Great Spirit began to form (in the creation) and THE LOGOS that went out from IT was 'The Son of God'. It was the only VISIBLE form that the SPIRIT had. And it was a Theophany which means a BODY, and the BODY was like a man." "Now, 'no man has seen the Father at any time'. No man can see God because God is not in body form. God is a Spirit ...Then after a while I begin to see a little sacred LIGHT which began to form, like a halo or something. You could only see it by spiritual eyes...What was that? That was called, by Bible readers, 'LOGOS', or 'The Anointed', or 'The Anointing', the part of God began to develop into something so human beings could have some type of an idea what IT was. That was THE WORD of God."

God is a SPIRIT, that's what He is. Though the WORD is God yet not all of God is the WORD. Theologically, we could say that the SPIRIT of Elohim is the greater part and His WORD the lesser part (for the latter proceeds from the former). It is this lesser part that is the visible side of God (called the WORD) which became a man. Hence, the WORD is the Lord of Heaven (1 Cor.15:47; Jhn.3:13). And the WORD was manifested in the Person of Jesus Christ.

The Thought and Expression of God – THE WORD – went forth from Him in a Spirit-Body as THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD (THE BEGINNER or AUTHOR OF THE CREATION OF GOD), THE FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE, THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. By and through this WORD were all creations of God brought forth into existence.

"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" (Col.1:16-17 NKJ version).

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things [by Jesus Christ:]" (Eph.3:9 [bracketed text are not in original]).

The Word of God came through this WORD BODY. God spoke through Him and said, "Let there be light" and there was light; "Let there be fishes" and there were fishes. He was the Spokesman of God. And it was through this WORD (or SPIRIT) BODY that the Spirit of God 'en morphe' Himself and became VISIBLE unto His servants the prophets. We call such a manifestation THEOPHANY.

THEOPHANY

Now, the 'going forth' of this LOGOS (from God) to reveal God's purpose was expressed in the form of a MAN. The LOGOS was expressed in a Spirit Body (called the Word). Whenever the LOGOS went forth from God, IT will return unto Him after accomplishing ITS mission. ITS appearance as a man was either in a corporeal or visual (visionary) non-tangible form. Each appearance of a theophany was a pre-figuration of Christ and was only temporary as well as localized. We have read how He was once Melchizedec, High Priest of God; next, He was the Judge and Saviour of Israel; and then, He was the Friend of Abraham with whom He had sweet communion.

Abraham knew that Melchizedek, who blessed him, was the Priest of the Most High God and he gave Him tithes of all that he had (Gen.14:17-20). He knew that He was none other than THE WORD of God. Melchizedek was not Jesus, but a prefiguration of Christ in His High Priestly Ministry. Paul said Melchizedek was "without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life" (Heb.7:3); but it was not so with Jesus Who was born with a body consisting of the elements of the earth, and Whose "mother" was the Virgin Mary. So, Melchizedek could only be the VISIBLE part of God, THE WORD, His Thought Expressed, Who appeared unto Abraham. Since THE WORD was God, Paul could say directly that Melchizedek was "without father". Truly, because the Father-Son relationship between GOD and THE WORD did not exist.
Later on, in the plains of Mamre, three MEN paid Abraham a visit. Two of them were the invisible Spirit Angels (Angelic Beings) who had 'en morphe' themselves to become visible human beings, bodies made up of created elements. Abraham recognized the third MAN and called Him, LORD. THE WORD of the Lord had again become visible (theophany) to fellowship and eat with Abraham (Read Genesis 18). This was the same MAN, the Angel (Messenger) of the Lord, who had also appeared at different times, wearing different garb, to all the other prophets and servants of the Lord in their days. The different appearances prefigured and showed the many roles and attributes of God, such as Saviour, Defender, Intercessor, Friend, Judge, Comforter, and so forth.
Now, the MAN seen by all those holy men of God was the same being with the same face. That face was the face of Jesus. There is only one face of God and it is the Lord of Heaven. The LOGOS could only appear with that face because God had to show forth His "Son" Who was to come and fulfill all that were spoken of Him. Jesus said to the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (Jhn.8:56). "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" (Joh.17:5 cf. 13:32; Rom.8:30). Hence, Jesus was that spirit of Sonship, manifested in the LOGOS of God, who was to be born into the world as the Only Begotten Son of God to fulfill the various attributes of God, which were shown to those holy men.

HIS CREATIVE SELF-REVELATION

We now understand that THE WORD of God (Grk: LOGOS; Heb: DABAR) is more than a verbal utterance; it is His creative self-revelation, "the side of God turned towards the world". We also understand from St. John's 'prologue' that THE LOGOS is not a blind, impersonal creative principle or life force but the PERSONAL EXPRESSION OF THE LIVING GOD in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the very embodiment of THE LOGOS of God, the EXPRESSION of the Divine Light, (Eternal) Life, Glory and Truth in a human personality (Jhn.1:4,9 cf. 1 Jhn.1:1-4).

As I have said, THE WORD was not Jesus. And according to John, THE WORD was God. Jesus, "Who is the Image of the Invisible God" was THE WORD made manifest. He was THE REVELATION OF GOD. Jesus was basically what the WORD was. He was The Christ, the Mystery of God revealed to the saints. He was THE SEED of God, the 'Monogene' of God, the ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God, Who was in the BOSOM of the Father, that was expressed in the LOGOS throughout the Old Testament. As Jesus Christ was prefigured in the old, so He was manifested and revealed in the new. In the old, He was that "Sonship" spirit intrinsic in the LOGOS expressed; in the new, He was the Son of God, the LOGOS incarnated. In the old, the LOGOS was expressed in and through a spirit body; in the new, the LOGOS was expressed in and through a human body. In both the old (a spirit body) and the new (a human body), the LOGOS of God had but one face, the face of Jesus Christ.

THE WORD was not another ALMIGHTY SPIRIT or another GOD. In His 'Self-counselling', the One True Almighty Spirit (Yahweh) had purposed in Himself to bring forth children (of God) unto Himself. As such, there had to be a SEED-WORD in order to produce and bring forth life into existence. The WORD BODY was the channel through which God manifested and revealed Himself. In the Old Testament era, when God spoke to His prophets, He always spoke in and through the WORD BODY, either visibly or invisibly. The Spirit of God and His Word are One. This is the compound unity of the Godhead Who is Elohim. We know that a seed will bring forth its own kind. That's God's law (Gen.1:11-12,21,24-25). For example, an apple seed when planted will bring forth an apple tree which will produce apples with apple seeds in them. And that apple seed (which went down into the earth) had its origin in its 'parent' apple seed. So, in type, we understand that THE WORD was the MONOGENE (SEED) of God, and IT was God – for that which is Spirit is Spirit.

NO SEED, NO LIFE

When you get an apple seed to work, by planting it, it will bring forth a shoot, then leaves, stalks, branches, and so on. Then the flowers appear and fade. The pistils enlarge to become apples which contain the same type of seed which was originally planted. The seed, the beginning of the product, through its different manifestations in various stages would in the final stage emerge as seed itself. So, we understand that THE LOGOS as THE SEED of God, which came forth as The Beginning of the Creation of God, was manifested unto the Patriarchs and Prophets at different times and in divers manners, and ("in these last days" – Heb.1:2) revealed unto us as The Only Begotten Son (Monogene – Seed) of The Father. The complete LOGOS of God was in the Son of God. Therefore Jesus was THE WORD (LOGOS) of God. He was the revelation of God to mankind (cf. 1 Pet.23-25).

As THE LOGOS was THE SEED (Monogene) of God which God had brought forth out of His own bosom to express His attribute of Fatherhood, it could not be anything less than the 'SON' of the 'FATHER', THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD, THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE, THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN – Elohim producing Himself a Family. This is that "Mystery of Godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of the angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in the glory" which was purposed in the Mind of the Almighty before anything ever existed, and brought forth to pass in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was come in the flesh. He was THE WORD of God manifested in human flesh. In all things, He was the pre-eminence.
Now, since "the Word was with God,..." (Jhn.1:1), IT therefore dwelled with the Almighty Spirit in the Light (Pillar of Fire) that was unapproachable (cf. 1 Tim.6:16). IT dwelled in the bosom (heart) of God. God, as 'Father', cradled the Word, His Seed, His 'Son'. The spirit of SONSHIP (Jesus, the Son of God) was in the WORD. Jesus was that 'Son of God' expressed in that WORD Body. That's why Jesus, the Son of God, was the WORD of Life – both in Creation and Redemption (Jhn.1:4; 1 Jhn.1:1). As the Messiah (Saviour) must be human, the WORD must put on human flesh. To do that, God had to bring about a new creation for the dwelling place of the WORD – "...a body hast thou prepared me" (Heb.10:5b). Yes, a body of flesh (not the body of a baby) was prepared for the WORD of God to be manifested. It was a body untouched by human genetic. That body was the body of Jesus. And God was with Him preparing Him for the WORD to indwell Him when He came of age (Lk.1:80; 2:40,52; Jhn.1:14). [Note: The gospel of Luke deals with Jesus as Son of Man, His Humanity and the gospel of John deals with Jesus as the Son of God, His Divinity and Godhood.]

When the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God breathed into Him the spirit of Sonship (that was expressed in the Spirit Body of the WORD). The newborn baby Jesus became a living soul and grew up to express the Life of God. From thence there was no longer any manifestation of the Spirit (Word) Body. Theophany ceased but the WORD was still with God. Though Jesus was sinless and had a divine nature, just as Adam had before his fall, Jesus was not Deity (God). Until He was 'adopted' (cf. Gal.4:5, see section under HUIOTHESIA), He could not be anointed. Until He was anointed (at His Water Baptism), He could not be the fullness of the Word. And until He was indwelled by the Word, He could not be Deity, He could not be God incarnate.

"For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell." (Col.1:19)

"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Col.2:9)

Hence, Jesus is not in the Godhead (Deity) but the Godhead (Deity) is in Jesus.

Though every living thing, both animals and man, received their spirit of life from the Living God, only the predestinated sons (and daughters) of God were with God as part of His WORD in His predestinated plan. Jesus said:

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;..." (Jhn.6:37a).

"But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (Jhn.10:26-29).

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (Jhn.12:24).

Jesus Christ, the WORD of Life, is that "corn of wheat" – the SEED of God, which died and brought forth "much fruit" – sons and daughters of God. These sons and daughters of God are the predestinated seeds of God in the MONOGENE of God. (Remember SEED begets seeds of its kind.) Therefore, only predestinated seeds possess the spirit of sonship within them, even though they are born into this world in sin. The apostles wrote:

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8). "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph.2:4-10).

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 Jhn.3:9).

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Pet.1:23).

It is clear that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did not by-pass the WORD (Spirit Body). He, being the MONOGENE, was that spirit of SONSHIP in the WORD BODY. He came straight from the WORD and was God incarnate after His water baptism at River Jordan. He was then "the Word made flesh". Whereas the predestinated sons and daughters of God, who were "fruits" of that MONOGENE, had to by-pass their Word (Spirit) Bodies and be "subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope" (Rom.8:20 NKJ Version). And as the "deep calleth unto deep" (cf. Psm.42:7), the predestinated seeds would instinctively respond to the Revelation of the WORD because they were a part of the MONOGENE WORD. They were a part of the body of the SEED (Christ) that died. They were His "fruits" which came forth out of Him Who died as a "corn of wheat" (at Calvary). The saints are intrinsic in the Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Like Jesus Who was born a child (not Son of God) from Mary's womb, the elected seeds were also born children (not sons of God) from their mothers' womb. Like Jesus Who had to receive the Fullness of the WORD to become the Son of God, the elected seeds needed also to receive the WORD to become sons of God.

AS THE FATHER, SO THE SON

Whatever is ascribed to God in the Old Testament is reflected in Jesus. We read of God being addressed as King (Psm.5:2; Jer.10:10; Zech.9:9). When Jesus came into the world, He was worshipped as King (Matt.2:2) and will be King in the day when He shall sit upon His Throne of Glory (Matt.25:31-32 cf. 1 Tim.1:17; Rev.11:17; 15:3). We read of God as the Judge (Psm.58:11; Isa.33:22), and Jesus is the Judge (Jhn.5:30; Rev.19:11). God is the Redeemer (Psm.19:14; Isa.43:14), so is Jesus (Gal.3:13; Heb.9:12). God is the "I AM" (Ex.3:13-14; Isa.44:6b), Jesus claimed that He was the "I AM" (Jhn.8:24; 57-58; Rev.1:17-18).
All these examples and others in the Scriptures do not testify of two Gods. On the contrary, they demonstrate that the Lord Jesus is God Himself in the flesh. The Scriptures emphasized that there is One God, the Father, Who created all things, and that there is One Lord, Jesus Christ, by Whom all things consist (or stand together). Concerning Jesus Christ, Paul wrote:

"Because in him were the all things created, those in the heavens, and those upon the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things through him, and for him, have been created, and himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted" (Col.1:16-17 Young's Literal Translation).

It is clear that Jesus Christ was God's reason for creation. Jesus was the Firstborn in God's designation, creation and predestination plan. He was the PRINCIPAL THEME of God's Glory. God was the Author Who purposed the heavens and the earth in Christ. Yahweh is the Creator, not Yahshua.

"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.8:6).

Amen. God the Father is God, and Jesus (the Son of God), Who is now both Lord and Christ, is worshipped as God for He is bodily the fullness of God (cf. Acts 2:36; Col.1:19; 2:9; Rev.4:11; 22:1).

CHRIST

In trying to prove the doctrine of TRINITY, some Trinitarians have even taken the word "Christ", in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 (where Paul warned the church at Corinth not to be like the children of Israel who tempted Christ) and said that JESUS pre-existed because He was "that spiritual Rock" that followed the children of Israel.

The word "Christ" in the Scriptures does not always point to the Man, Christ Jesus. This can be verified by reading Matthew 24:5 (and similar scriptural verses) where Jesus speaks about False Christs or False Anointed Ones that will come into this world. Also, there are many in this world who are called by the name 'Jesus', but there is only one who is called THE CHRIST.

The Greek word for CHRIST is CHRISTOS which means ANOINTED. God's prophets are called HOI CHRISTOI THEOU which means THE ANOINTED OF GOD. And the ANOINTING comes only from the SPIRIT (LOGOS) of God.

In Acts 2:36, Peter said "that God HATH MADE that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ". Now, why was it necessary for God to make Jesus both Lord and Christ if Jesus had pre-existed as a Spirit called the Christ? And if Jesus had pre-existed as a separate individual Spirit (the second Person of the Godhead according to the Trinitarians) from God (the Father), would not the title Christ on a Spirit, Who was God, be a contradiction? God only anoints; He does not receive anointing. Only created beings and things receive anointing. Therefore, the Man, Jesus, received the anointing from God, His Father.

Thus, "that spiritual Rock" was none other than the Anointed DABAR (WORD) Which flowed from the Almighty Spirit of God to give the children of Israel their spiritual meat and drink in the wilderness. That Rock was the same Christ (Anointed Word) of which every true elect is now partaking. Of course, that Anointed Word came to Israel through the Angel (Messenger) of God who bore the Name of God. He was that WORD which led the children of Israel. He was the Face (Presence) of the Lord God.

INCARNATION

Now, note carefully John 1:14:

"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."

It is often said that "The SPIRIT was made flesh", or "GOD became flesh". Such statements, which are normally taken for granted, tend to lead Christians to conclude wrongly that the Great Omnipotent Spirit vanished to become a man. The equally appalling concept of Trinity implies that the second Spirit Being called "God the Son" transformed Himself into a human embryo in the womb of the Virgin Mary to be born the "Son of God". It implies also that the WORD (which is interpreted to be Jesus Christ Himself) became that foetus in Mary's womb and, hence, the human child was divinely God (the Son). Those Christians who believe in this concept call this the incarnation of the Son of God. They further believe that God (the Father) then incarnated Himself in the Son after His baptism at River Jordan. Such sacrilegious teachings have no foundation in the Holy Scriptures. (Note: The word "incarnate" is derived from the Latin word "incarnare" which means "to clothe with flesh".)

How could any sane person believe that God, Who is Spirit, would transform Himself into a human embryo to grow in the womb of Mary? How could any one believe that God, Who is Spirit, would become a human being when the human body is composed of created elements? Some may exclaimed: "Oh, God could do all these things because He's God!" Such foolish persons would also believe that God could create a huge rock so heavy that even God Himself could not lift it.

Seriously think about this. Does it make any sense to believe in such an absurd idea that God was once a growing foetus in Mary's womb? When baby Jesus was born, He came forth crying like all other babies: was that crying baby, God? When baby Jesus was sucking on the paps of Mary, was that God being breastfed with milk? Certainly, not! God is a Spirit. He is not a man; He is not made of flesh, for "that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (Jhn.3:6).

It was God's WORD, His Visible Self-Revelation, that became (made manifest in) flesh. It was that WORD BODY which proceeded from God, and which had appeared unto the various Old Testament saints in temporary THEOPHANY forms, that had completely vanished. IT ceased at Bethlehem for God had decreed that the LOGOS should take on a permanent HUMAN FORM.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a SON is given" (Isa.9:6a).

"And the Word was made 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" (Jhn.1:14).

"The Word was made flesh" only when God incarnated Himself in the Man Jesus at His baptism in River Jordan before a multitude of people fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi 3:1:

"...And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:..."

That was when the FULL WORD of God dwelled in Christ.

"And Jesus, when He was baptised, went up straight way out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him (John the Baptist), and he saw the SPIRIT of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My Beloved Son, in whom I AM WELL PLEASED." – Matthew 3:16-17

"For it pleased the Father that in Him SHOULD ALL FULLNESS DWELL." – Colossians 1:19 (cf. Jhn.14:10; Col.2:9.)

Notice that the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 calls for a SON, not a child, to be given as a sacrifice for sin (cf. Jhn.3:16-18). Hence, the Anointed Man, Jesus, is called the last Adam or the second Man in contrast to the first Adam or first man who was created and made a man, a son of God, and not a child. Also, God never once appeared in Theophany as a baby, a child or even a youth because the Word Body always appeared as a mature person.

"And the Word was made 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." (Jhn.1:14)

It is clear that this statement of the Apostle John is certainly not referring to Jesus when He was a suckling babe or even when He was a youth without a ministry yet. Rather, he is referring to the glory expressed in the life and ministry of the Son of God after His baptism. There is no doubt that John (and all Christ's followers) had witnessed the glory (the Name, the Word and the Work, cf. John 17) of the Everlasting Father in Christ's life and ministry. Yes, they beheld God's glory when the "Word was made flesh", that is, when the Word was made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ in the flesh.

Typologically Jesus is like a seed. A seed must mature and be pollinated in order to have LIFE so that when it "dies" it will bring forth fruits. (An immature or an unpollinated seed cannot do that.) Likewise, the Son of God was to grow from babyhood and mature into a man. Then He was "adopted" and given the power of the Word of LIFE (cf. Lk.4:18-19). The Son of God came as a Servant with a Prophetic Ministry to serve mankind (cf. Isa.42:1; Matt.12:17-21; 20:28). Hence, one of His titles – Son of man. He was anointed to deliver THE WORD of God.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Lk.4:18-19, cf. Isa.42:6-7; 61:1. Read also John 1:32; 3:34).

With the WORD incarnated in Him, Jesus was able to lay down His life to bring forth fruits.

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..." (Jhn.11:25-26).

Jesus was no longer just a living soul, He "was made a quickening spirit", a life-giving spirit (1 Cor.15:45).

That the fullness of the Godhead had dwelt in Christ Jesus bodily did not imply that the whole heaven was drained of the Almighty Spirit completely. God, who is a SPIRIT being, is always OMNIPRESENT (because He is omnipotent and omniscient). So, not all of God was in Christ Jesus, but all that God was was in Christ Jesus. The body of Jesus was merely the dwelling place (the temple) and the full representation (glory) of God. In other words, God put His Spirit without measure in the Son. Jesus was, therefore, the full expression of God's attributes.

A very important statement made by Jesus is found in His prayer in John 17:3. He said,

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

This statement clearly supports the truth of One True God and that Jesus Christ was sent as the direct manifestation. Jesus Christ is the Life of God. He is THE WORD of Life.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life" (Jhn.3:36, cf. Heb.1:3).

As Jesus Christ is NOW God's EXPRESS IMAGE (Col.1:15) and the FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY (Col.2:9), it is therefore impossible for God to reveal Himself outside of, or apart from, Jesus (without distorting the originality and continuity of His THOUGHT as purposed in His MIND).

LogosPart 3