The Father, Revealed!

Editorial by Robert Oliver

Mat 11:27  All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

            A study of the Godhead can be confusing for several reasons. First, we need to understand the concept of divinity, or of the nature of God. Secondly, it is necessary to understand the roles deity has played in this world. Finally, we need to understand what the Christ means when he says He will reveal the Father to us. 

The term “Godhead” occurs three times in the text.

Act 17:29  “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.”

Rom 1:20  “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

Col 2:9  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

The word “Godhead” is defined in the New Oxford American Dictionary as “Godhead (from Middle English godhede, "godhood", and unrelated to the modern word "head"), may refer to:

·      the substantial essence or nature of the Christian God”

            It might be easier for us to think of the term “Godhead” in the sense of “Godhood” or as we do the word “manhood”. Those things that relate to the nature of man constitute manhood, and those things that constitute the nature of God constitute Godhood or Godhead.

      Perhaps it would be good to examine each of these passages to understand how these passages are using the term, “Godhead”. The first passage, found in Acts 17:29, is being used by the Apostle Paul when he addressed the philosophers in Athens.  Paul is showing that if we are the offspring of God, then God could not be something from wood or stone that is made by man. The nature of deity would be far above anything made by “man’s device”.

      An easier to read version of Romans 1:20 is as follows: “There are things about God that people cannot see—his eternal power and all that makes him God. But since the beginning of the world, those things have been easy for people to understand. They are made clear in what God has made. So people have no excuse for the evil they do.” (Easy to Read Version). This version clarifies somewhat the concept of the nature of God. We have seen the work of God in a way that proves He is God. A good example of this is found in Hebrews 1:3. Speaking of Christ the writer said, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”. Today scientists are facing a major problem when studying the universe. One author in Forbes writes:

“There are many different lines of evidence that point towards dark matter's existence, but it's perhaps a little more interesting to consider all the ways our Universe would be different — and inconsistent with what we observe — if it had no dark matter at all. If you enjoy the fact that the Universe is held together as well as it is, you have dark matter to thank for it. Even if you don't believe in it, it's a key ingredient in the Universe that led to you.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2020/02/14/the-universe-would-be-very-different-without-dark-matter/?sh=31f47ac437ea

We see, however, that it is Christ, and not “dark matter” that no one can identify, that is holding and controlling our universe. That is His ability; and therefore, we see in him Godhood. This passage indicates there is no reason for man not to believe in God. 

      The third passage illustrates that the Christ, the Son of God, has all of these qualities and is of a divine nature. He is God in every sense as the scriptures teach. Consider the following:

      There is a key passage we need to keep in mind as we examine the work of Christ before His birth in Bethlehem of Judea. That passage is John 5:37 “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.” Notice that Jesus here made two points. No one has ever seen the Father, and no one has ever heard the Father.

      With this in mind notice a few passages from the Old Testament. First, many people are aware that Christ, being God, (Philippians 2:6), was the creator of heaven and earth. 

John 1:1-3        “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

Hebrews 1:1-2  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

Hebrews 1:8 &10 “But unto the Son he saith…. Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:”

      Something, however, that many do not realize is that it was the Christ with whom we identify as the God in the Old Testament.  His work continued to prepare the way for His entrance into this world as the babe of Bethlehem, and the supreme sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Consider these passages:

·       “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself’” (Genesis 3:9-10). Adam clearly heard God’s voice.

·       “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). Moses clearly heard and saw God.

·       In Isaiah 44:6, the LORD (Yahweh) refers to himself as “the First and the Last”. In Revelation 1:8 and 17, Jesus similarly refers to himself as “the Alpha and the Omega” and “the First and the Last”.

While there are other passages that might be referenced, these clearly show that throughout the days of the Old Covenant, and even in the distant Patriarchal Age, God spoke to various men.

      That brings us to the key focus of this article. How has the Father been revealed to us today? The answer lies in the words of Jesus.

Mat 11:27  “All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

Joh 7:16  “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”

Joh 8:38  “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.”

What many have missed is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has given Christians a far greater gift than they may realize. He has given us direct contact with the Father who was hidden from those of old. Do you remember the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray? How did He begin that prayer?

Mat 6:9  “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name….”

Jesus has given his followers the right to pray directly to our Heavenly Father. That is why we close our prayers “in Jesus’ name”, for that is a way of saying “through Jesus’ authority”.

Such a great gift. We now, with permission from the Son of God, can speak to our Father in Heaven. What could be a greater gift?