Of course any simple or complex answer falls short of describing Almighty God. But the Apostles’ Creed adds:
Maker of Heaven and Earth.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth… And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3 excerpt KJV
The Lord God created every thing and all life!
God — ONE God.
There IS no other being — an Existing One — capable of speaking any created being of substance into existence.
Therefore, THE LORD GOD is neither plural, as in, “gods,” nor is ‘god‘ in all creation and creatures, as some falsely claim.
Hear – šāmaʿ -שְׁמַע
Do you hear what I hear? – a well-known Christmas song
You with ears to hear, let him hear… – Jesus, the Messiah
Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. – Hebrews 3:15
And oft-repeated by sons of a chosen people of all the earth — our spoken truth of monotheism (One God worshiped):
Hear, O Israel: Our God YHWH—YHWH [is] one!
Deuteronomy 6:4 LSV
Hear, H8085 O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
שָׁמַע shâmaʻ, shaw-mah’; a primitive root;
to hear intelligently
(often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):
.. witness
God IS ONE!
There are no other gods (though the world worships them).
Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
WHY is the One God of monotheism the first key doctrine of the Apostles’ Creed?
To begin, God speaks authoritatively through Scripture. The word ‘God’ occurs more than 20,000 times in the BIBLE.
Jesus, born of a Jewish mother, Mary — through Joseph to whom she was betrothed, a son of the house of David — received His covenantal circumcision on the eighth day
— the incarnate Messiah of Israel would have recited the šāmaʿ and later taught directly from it.
the MANY gods of a polytheistic world
Like the Jews, the early saints lived in a polytheistic world, as do Christians now in the Common Era.
ROMANS worshiped many gods.
GREEK gods were created from their ancient myths.
(Even Zeus was born from other gods, therefore created and not an eternal being.)
330 million gods, ~20 deities of India,
(where Hinduism remains practically the State religion).
Largest number of Buddhistslive in ‘modern‘ China plus Buddhism is the State religion of at least four Asian nations
and practiced in other countries —
yoga, meaning “to yoke” or “union” (from the Sanskrit root yuj), has its genesis in ancient India,
Karma Yoga (the yoga of action),
Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion), and
Jnana Yoga (the yoga of knowledge) – source: yoga.org
The Father Almighty
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him,
I am the Almighty God;
walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:1 KJV
Hear of Israel (Jacob, that is), sons of David, of Moses, of Jacob and Isaac — and ALL sons of our father Abram, who the LORD named, Abraham:
Creator of heaven and earth
Not only is the One God and Father of all fathers, including the Father of Israel, Abraham, the ALMIGHTY, IS Creator of the heavens and the earth.
God is NOT the earth. Nor is the Almighty many gods of the heavens named for suns and planets and meteoric phenomena beyond the reach of man’s understanding.
Have we not all one father?
hath not one God created us?
why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?
Malachi 2:10 KJV
Yet THE LORD GOD will bring a Redeemer to Israel and reveal a new covenant to the nations in a Person who was from the beginning.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
We get it humanly – the relationship of a son (or daughter) to a father (or to our mother).
HumanAND ever-existing SON
Mortal men and women can relate to a Son of THE FATHER.
We understand, in part, that JESUS was flesh and blood, body and brain a perfect human son of man (Mary, actually: ‘man‘ as in human like all of us).
John, the Apostle who speaks so well relationally in the witness of his Gospel tells us:
But these [signs, proofs or miracles] are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
The Twelve, having loved their friend and Master whom they followed willingly, understood a relational link between JESUS and each of His disciples personally.
When the Lord in so many ways showed His Disciples His ever-existing relationship to Almighty God our Father — HIS Father from before the beginning — they could not have been more awe struck that GOD stood in their human presence.
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.
Yet think from the witness of any of the Twelve of the impact of JESUS, the living Christ they follow, telling His disciples: “I and the Father are One.”
Just like all faithful Jews, these disciples had recited the Sh'ma since their childhood:
John’s Gospel continues with Jesus’ further explanation of the Spirit:
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
What is JESUS telling us about spirit and the Holy Spirit?
Although mankind is flesh and blood, created from dust and water,
and Man is created in God’s image;
Man, LIKE GOD, is also spirit.
What is Spirit?
John begins his Gospel with Jesus (the Word) and the Spirit.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
READ MORE BELOW NOTE: Although I generally limit your reading time to ~5 minutes, today I'll expand our TOPIC of SPIRIT with additional definitions and more Biblical verses than we could cover in a single post on the SPIRIT.
Please continue and COMMENT at the end of this entire post.- RH
The KJV translates Strong’s H7307 in the following manner: Spirit or spirit (232x), wind (92x), breath (27x), (various additional)
Two additional uses in Genesis show both the Spirit of God and His quickening spirit in His creatures, including mankind:
And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; – Gen. 6:3a NKJV
And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life.. All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. – Gen. 7:15,22 NKJV
COMMENTARY
The Spirit of God; not the wind, which was not yet created, as is manifest, because the air, the matter or subject of it, was not yet produced; but the Third Person of the glorious Trinity, called the Holy Ghost, to whom the work of creation is attributed, Job 26:13, as it is ascribed to the Second Person, the Son, Joh 1:3 Col 1:16-17 Heb 1:3, and to the First Person, the Father, every where.
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.
Before proceeding to the more powerful and most mysterious Holy Spirit of God,
consider beyond flesh and blood, mind and spirit -- that which is the same in Old and New Testaments, yet having subtle ungraspable distinction: spirit and soul.
“BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL [psychē] IS WELL-PLEASED;
We hear it also in the heart of Isaiah, a Prophet of God:
With my soul [nep̄eš] I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit [rûaḥ] within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy
as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning
imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power
as endowing men with various gifts
as energy of life
as manifest in the Shekinah glory
never referred to as a depersonalised force
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
When you hear an ENGLISH translation of pneuma in the King James Version it will most often suggest an image of the Holy Ghost.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
As mysterious as Ghostor the Spirit may be to mankind, its root word [Strong’s G4154 – pneō] directs our thoughts
to breathe hard, i.e. breeze:—blow (of the wind)
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
I encourage you in the spirit to pray with ears to hear the Holy Spirit of the Lord God, who IS ONE with the Father and the Son our savior Jesus Christ.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
.. you ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. [NIV]
Now Paul moves forward by pointing to the ministry of Corinthian Christians and make a few points as example.
Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
1 Corinthians 4:2 RSV
ἀνακρίνω – anakrinō – examined
it is a very small thing that I may be examined (by you or any)
In fact, I do not even examine myself.
No charges against me
Yet I am not acquitted
But the one who examines me is the Lord.
Consider personally the definition of Paul's topic:
Do YOU examine or judge? interrogate? examine the accused or witnesses?
Does your investigation examine, enquire into, scrutinize, sift, and question?
As the Corinthian church’s leading architect the Apostle challenges its leaders and members to be judges of and estimate or determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing) ALL who build Christ’s church in Corinth.
Contrary to our Common Era cop-out by evangelicals avoiding examination of our own inconsistencies within the church, the Apostle Paul has already established the architecture for Christians to account for each other.
But he who is spiritual examines G350 all things, yet he himself is examined G350 by no one.
Now the Apostle writes in response to the Corinthian church (some translations use JUDGED in place of examined):
I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.
It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.
1 Corinthians 4:3-5a New International Version
He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. – 1 Cor 4:5b
Later in this letter Paul instructs further:
Therefore if.. an unbeliever or an uninformed man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that SURELY GOD IS AMONG YOU. 1Co 14:24 LSB excerpt;1Co 14:25
The Nature of True Apostleship
FIRST, a reminder of who are apostles AND what defines a true apostle?
ἀπόστολος
a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ (“apostle”) (with miraculous powers):—apostle, messenger, he that is sent.
Paulos apostolos iēsous christos [Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ] will further define his anointing as an apostle just a bit further into his epistle [letter] to the Corinthians.
If to others I am not an apostleG652, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Paul moves forward to an alleged controversary perceived between his leadership and teaching and that of Apollos, who had also ministered to the Corinthian church with great power.
(in case you missed this from Luke’s historical Account of the Apostles of the 1st c. church)
Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another. –1 Corinthians 4:6 BSB
NOW the Apostle’s accounting of leaders of the Corinthian church:
For who makes you so superior?
What do you have that you did not receive?
And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Paul answers his own rhetorical questions:
Servants of Christ
8 Already you have all you want.
Already you have become rich.
Without us, you have become kings.
How I wish you really were kings, so that we might be kings with you!
9 For it seems to me that God has displayed us apostles at the end of the procession, like prisoners appointed for death.
We have become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to men.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE APOSTLE OBSERVE OF THIS CHURCH?
This judgment from these verses of Paul’s epistle translates from the Greek to English with words perhaps more telling:
You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us— NKJV
You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! – NLT
Fools for Christ
SO YOU think that you are smart enough to lead YOUR church without listening to apostles sent to guide you in building Christ's church?
We are fools on account of Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; You are honored, but we are without honor.
Now listen to Paul's circumstance at the very time the Apostle writes to the Corinthians:
11 As far as the present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are poorly clad, and are buffeted [harshly treated], and wander homeless, and we toil, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being slandered, we entreat [endure].
We have become as the residue of the world, the refuse of all, until now.
– 1 Corinthians 4:11-15 BLB
– IS PAUL CONDEMNING THE CORINTHIAN PASTORS?
– Does PAUL understate his own challenges by comparison to the Corinthians?
WHY would this architect of the Corinthian Church write to them with such severity?
Apostolic Fatherhood
Paul restates his case for continuing his own guidance of the leadership of the Corinthian leadership.
14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.
How do YOU take fatherly warnings such as these?
Do you LISTEN as an obedient child of the Lord?
OR might you, beloved child of God, insist on a life with Jesus YOUR own way?
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. – KJV
I WARN you. – to put in mind, i.e. (by implication) to caution or reprove gently:—admonish, warn.
Of course some are ashamed, convicted in their hearts by nature of our guilt. Some translations use admonish, correction, advise — but don’t miss the Apostle’s intent as a father of his flock in the Way of Christ Jesus as our Lord.
15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
Paul, of course, has fathered or mentored others -- several others throughout his three Apostolic missions proclaiming the Gospel into all the world; none more faithful and true than Timothy, his young protege in Ephesus.
It is Timothy who brings Paul's Epistle to Corinth. And the Apostle expresses complete confidence in this young pastor who he sent to the Corinthians.
The ESV states this well:
I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord,
to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 4:16-17 ESV
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.
But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.
the Kingdom of God
- Who has authority in the Kingdom of Christ Jesus?
The Apostle challenges the Corinthian believers and leaders to show the true fruit of humility in Christ.
For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.
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