The gospel of John in describing Jesus as the “Word” reveals the very nature of God's Messiah. John 1:1 declares - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures put out by the Jehovah’s Witness Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society denies the whole impact of the verse, rendering it - “the Word was a god”. This is impossible for us to accept in light of the totality of Scripture! Of Jesus the following is clear:
1. The New Testament claims that creation was accomplished through Jesus (though the Old Testament always identifies God as the creator) - John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:16. Thus either the New Testament contradicts the Old Testament or Jesus is God.
2. Jesus is identified as the “express image” of God (Hebrews 1:3), the “Image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and one in whom “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
3. Scripture refers to Jesus as “God”—John 20:28; Titus 2:13.
4. The prophetic name of the Messiah (Immanuel) means—“God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
5. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be called “Mighty God”—Isaiah 9:6. Thus if we are to accept what Scripture reveals to us we must accept the Deity of Jesus Christ.

A second fact evident in Scripture is that the Holy Spirit is not simply a manifestation of God or of Jesus but a third person of the Godhead. Consider the following proofs:
1. The Holy Spirit possesses a distinct and separate will from God the Father. When Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit He declared— “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak” (John 16:13).
2. The Holy Spirit is referred to with the Masculine Pronoun “He”. Notice—“He will speak” (John 16:13).
3. The Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus returned to Heaven. In John 16:7 Jesus said—“If I do not go away , the Helper will not come to you” If the Holy Spirit were simply a manifestation of Jesus He would have been present with them when Jesus said this!
4. In Jesus’ baptism the triune nature of Deity is demonstrated: the Son was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove. If the Holy Spirit is not a third person of the Godhead then we see in essence the Father both speaking and descending which is not in line with Scripture (Luke 3:21,22). Thus if we are to accept what Scripture says we must accept that the Holy Spirit (like Jesus) is a separate person from the Father.

Visualizing This Concept

This is certainly a difficult concept to grasp. How can there be one God composed of three persons? The difficulty of visualizing this concept unfortunately leads many people to reject it altogether. What we must consider is that as “stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10) our duty is not to figure out what has not been revealed to us about the indescribable nature of an eternal God but rather to uphold and affirm what has been revealed.

     Men have constructed illustrations to help us grasp God's nature. Some say—“Just as a husband and wife become ‘one flesh’ the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.” Others say—“Just as we are body, soul and spirit so God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. The logo adopted by the Thomas Nelson Publishing Company for their New King James Version is an ancient symbol called a triquetra.It is intended to illustrate distinct yet inseparable nature of the three persons of the Godhead. Another ancient symbol demonstrated that while none of the three persons of the Godhead were one of the other three, yet all of them are Divine.

     While each of these illustrations may have merit, they undoubtedly fail to give us a full and complete picture of the nature of Deity. As Christians what we must do is simple: oppose that which is contrary to Scripture, affirm that which is revealed in Scripture and long for the day what has not been revealed to us will be manifested.  

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