Bishop's Epistle: March 2019

Both the Son and the Holy Spirit are said to be “sent” from the Father. The Pluralists claim this as a proof of plural individuals in the Godhead. Of course the Modalist deny the allegation and challenge the alligator. This argument sounds convincing to the unschooled. The holy Scripture states that the first to present his case seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him (Prov 18:17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.).

My prayerful wish is that the disciple of Christ may be fully furnished in all truth. So, in this article we will examine the Pluralists’ argument of “Sent.”

The Sending of the Son of God
Here, we review what is intended by the New Testament’s affirmation that the Father sent the Son into the world. And in connection, we will examine the Pluralists’ claim that, by virtue of that sending, the Father and the Son must be two persons.

There is no better place to look at this idea of the sending of the Son than:

John 17:18, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”

The seventeenth chapter of the Fourth Gospel is the true “Lord’s Prayer.” The first thing that must be recognized about this prayer is that it is prayed from Christ’s humanity. The Pluralists look in vain for any trace of the Son’s equality with the Father in this High Priestly prayer of Jesus. Jesus, as God, does not pray, He answers prayer: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Because of the humanity of Christ, however, demonstrated in His dual nature, He prayed, and rightly so. Psalm 65:2 states, “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.”

Jesus, then, in His humanity, prays and acknowledges a oneness with His disciples. He draws a parallel between the manner of His being sent into the world, and the sending of His disciples into the world. Notice carefully His prayer to the Father: “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” The clause “even so” indicates a sameness between the event of His sending, and the sending of His disciples.

When the Pluralists read of the Son being sent from the Father, visions of a royal dispatching from the throne room of heaven (with Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim standing at attention as the Prince is dispatched to the distant planet Earth) dance in their heads. The truth, however, is more an earthly sending. Notice, Jesus declares, in our text (John 17:18), that He was sending His disciples into the world as He was sent into the world. Here are His words: “As thou hast sent me ..., even so have I sent ....” Jesus sent even as He was sent.

We must ask an honest question at this point: How were the disciples sent? This is an all important question, because it will reveal how the Son was sent by the Father. The truth is, then, that the disciples were not, physically, sent from Heaven, but from their baptisms. Upon being initiated into the faith by water baptism, each Christian receives the commission to make other disciples. Since the followers of Christ are sent into the world from their baptisms, then, so, too, was Christ. At His baptism (by John the Baptist) Jesus received the formal commission to preach the Kingdom of God, and establish said Kingdom.

The news flash to the Pluralists is that: Christ was sent into the world from His baptism, not from the royal court of Heaven with the hosts of Heaven in attendance giving Him a Heavenly send off. The Pluralists really should get their heads out of the clouds on this one.

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The Sending of the Holy Spirit

Just as we have looked at the Son of God being sent into the world, and all that it entailed, we will now review the Holy Ghost/Spirit being sent from the Father.

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” —John 14:26.

An argument presented against Monarchianism is that the word “sent” in John 14:26 proves personal distinction between the Father and the Holy Ghost. But is it so? Is the Holy Ghost (Spirit) proven to be another person from the Father, because the Holy Spirit is said to be “sent” from the Father?

Of course the answer to the above question is: No. Our position is that the Holy Spirit is an attribute of God the Father, and cannot be separated from Him, personally. The prophet Ezekiel writes that God sent a hand: “And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; …” (Ezek 2:9). The Holy Spirit is no more another person from God the Father, because it is said to be “sent,” than is the hand sent to the prophet another person from God because it was “sent” from Him.

Since this argument is brought up by the opponents of truth, we might pursue the point a little space, and ask the question: “Who actually sent the Holy Spirit?”

In answer to our question, we see, from John 14:16, that the Father sends the Holy Spirit: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever ... .” Yet, from v26, we are told that the Holy Spirit is sent in the name of the Son: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, ... .” (If “name” means “authority,” then, the Holy Spirit is sent in, and by, the authority of the Son.) But, wait, just two chapters ahead, in John’s Gospel (16:7), we are told that the Son is actually the Sender of the Holy Spirit; which is what we would expect if it was, after all, the authority of the Son in which the Holy Spirit came: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Now, the plot thickens, in that, back in 14:18 of this same Gospel, it is the Son that is coming, and not the Holy Spirit at all: “I [Jesus, the Son of God] will not leave you comfortless: I [Jesus, the Son of God] will come to you.” Once the Son has decided to come, Himself, there seems to be collusion on the part of the Son and the Father, for from 14:23 we see that the Father and the Son are the ones actually coming; the poor Holy Spirit is left at home: “Jesus answered and said unto him, 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.” Are we to assume (from this decision of the Son and Father to come, themselves, instead of sending the Holy Spirit) that: two are, indeed, company, and three is a crowd? The Three Person Theory Makes The Bible A Comedy.

Who actually came?

We learn from Acts 2:4 that the Holy Spirit did actually come:

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Also, from vv16-17, we discover that the Spirit of the Father came: “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh ... .” Moreover, Paul writes in Colossians 1:27 that the Spirit of Christ came: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory ... .” Now the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of the Christ are NOT three separate Spirits; the Bible is clear that there is but one Spirit in relation to God: “There is one body, and one Spirit ... ,” Paul writes in Ephesians 4:4.

The conclusion of the matter is this: One came! Who is the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Spirit in sanctification.

The truth concerning all this is that for the Pluralists to have any point at all there must be multiple centers of consciousness within the Godhead, which, when proper hermeneutics are applied proves completely incompatible with the Shema ( Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: Deuteronomy 6:4). Thus, the term “sent,” when applied to either the Son or the Holy Spirit, is to be assigned to the Bible’s genre of metaphorical language.

Apostolically Speaking
☩☩Jerry L. Hayes
(Mar David Ignatius)

Excerpted from the author's book entitled "Godhead Theology." Published by Seven Millennium Publications. Order your personal copy today: https://www.amazon.com/Godhead-Theology-Modalism-Original-Orthodoxy/dp/1516983521/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Godhead+theology%2C+Hayes&qid=1554054212&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull

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Bishop's Epistle

Friday, March 29, 2019

Sent From the Father

Bishop, Abbot General