Question 4
The Correct Answer Is: FALSE
Matthew 3:13-17: "13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
John 8:58: "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
Acts 5:1-4: "1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
John 17:20-23: "20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
The Bible clearly states that there is only one true God: Jehovah. But it also makes clear that this one God exists in three persons: The Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. This has led to confusion among Christians about how this can be so, and downright mockery from skeptics who basically tell Christians that they don't know how to count. One way that some Christians have tried to clear up their confusion is by saying that while there is only one God, sometimes he appears to us as the Father, sometimes he appears to us as the Son, and sometimes he appears to us as the Holy Spirit. In other words: Father, Son and Holy Spirit do not represent three separate persons of the Godhead, but three ways that the one God chooses to appear to us. But Jesus' baptism proves this explanation false. Jesus is on earth (appearing as God the Son). A voice from Heaven (God the Father speaks), while God the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. That is not one person appearing in three distinct ways, but three distinct persons. Period. Others try to come and claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, something that John 8:58 clearly shows to be wrong, for in that verse, Jesus took upon Himself the eternal name of God. Acts 5 shows us that the Holy Spirit too is God, meaning that there are three persons of the Godhead. How then could there be only 'one' God? Because 'one' in this context means 'unity'. The pantheon of gods are not only numerous in person, but in ability. The god of the sea only has power over the sea. The god of war only has jurisdiction over the actions of war. In the Bible though, each person of the Godhead (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), has all of the attributes of God and works together in perfect unity. Jesus doesn't say one thing and God the Father another. They speak in perfect unity. God the Father doesn't do one thing and the Holy Spirit another. They work in perfect unity. That's what Jesus' prayer in John 17 is desiring of future Christians: that they be one as God is one. Jesus isn't saying that he desires the millions of Christians to become one person. No, he's desiring that they, being many persons, may become one (united), as God, who exists in three distinct persons, is one (united). The oneness of God is a difficult concept for sure, but it is one that can be comprehended through proper Bible study.