This is the second in a two-part series on the personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit. In the previous column, we examined the biblical evidence for the personhood of the Holy Spirit; that is, the Spirit is a He, not an it. Once the Spirit’s personality is established, His deity is a biblically faithful next step. For starters, the Spirit is active in creation (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30), omniscient (1 Cor. 2:10-11), and omnipresent (Ps. 139:7) – qualities that establish Him as co-equal and … [Read more...]
The personhood of the Holy Spirit
One way the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation (NWT) seeks to undermine the Trinity is by consistently rendering the name “Holy Spirit” as the inanimate “holy spirit.” The unnamed translators of the NWT often omit the article “the,” which results in stilted verses such as: “That one [Jesus] will baptize you with holy spirit …” (Matt. 3:11). John the Baptist “will be filled with holy spirit even from before birth” (Luke 1:15). Mary, the mother of Jesus, “was found to be pregnant … [Read more...]
The gates of Hades; transfiguration
After Simon Peter makes his famous declaration that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus tells the apostle, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:16, 18 NIV). Jesus’ reference to “this rock” has been the subject of much debate. The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares, “The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the ‘rock’ of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and … [Read more...]
Why you can’t say ‘Mormon’ anymore
Last month, Russell Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that God had impressed upon him the urgency of casting off the nickname “Mormon.” Non-Latter-day Saints in the 19th century used the “Mormon” moniker disparagingly to identify members of the organization founded by Joseph Smith, whose followers came to embrace the name as a badge of honor. Even so, Nelson argued that “Mormon” does not do justice to the name that God, in 1838, gave Smith for … [Read more...]
What do you know about the Incarnation?
This is the last in a series of articles on the Incarnation. Over the last six columns, we have examined the doctrine of the Incarnation. As we complete our study, let’s test what we’ve learned about the person and work of Jesus. Answer the following questions (feel free to refer to previous columns). The correct responses are listed at the end of each question. 1. What is the Incarnation? (a) The state of living in a country that’s crazy about automobiles (b) The eternal Son of God … [Read more...]
Incarnational heresies
This is the sixth in a series of articles on the Incarnation. As we complete our examination of the Incarnation – the eternal Son of God taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth – it’s important to identify a number of heretical views that have plagued the church throughout its history. Some of these heresies effectively have been countered, while others continue to rear their ugly heads and cause people who sincerely seek the truth to embrace “another Jesus” (2 Cor. … [Read more...]
Subordination and Scripture
This is the fifth in a series of articles on the Incarnation. In the previous column, we examined six key passages of Scripture that help us understand the Incarnation – the eternal Son of God taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible is clear that Jesus is one person with two distinct, but undivided, natures: human and divine. This means, at least in part, that by adding sinless humanity to His deity, Jesus did not become less than co-equal with the other … [Read more...]
Six key passages about the Incarnation
This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Incarnation. By the term “Incarnation,” we mean the eternal Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. As such, Jesus is one person in two distinct but undivided natures: human and divine. In previous articles, we explored how these two natures work together as the eternal Son of God adds sinless humanity to His deity via the miracle of the virgin birth. And we summarized 10 essential truths about the … [Read more...]
10 truths about the Incarnation
This is the third in a series of articles on the Incarnation. So far in this series, we have established that the Incarnation means the eternal Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. As such, Jesus is one person in two distinct but undivided natures: human and divine. In addition, we’ve explored how these two natures work together as the eternal Son of God adds sinless humanity to His deity via the miracle of the virgin birth. In this article, we summarize 10 … [Read more...]
Jesus as the God-man
This is the second in a series of articles on the Incarnation. If Jesus is fully divine and fully human, how are we to understand the way in which these two natures work together? At times, Jesus exhibits the fullness of deity – demonstrating His sovereign control over nature, forgiving sins, receiving worship, and knowing the thoughts of human beings. But He also displays the full range of humanity – getting hungry, growing tired, and, occasionally, not knowing certain things such as … [Read more...]
The doctrine of the Incarnation
This is the first in a series of articles on the Incarnation. Lorenzo Snow, fifth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once claimed the Spirit of God fell upon him and revealed a principle that has become an apt summary of Mormonism: “As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be.” In other words, the God of this world once was a mere human who attained deity, showing us the path to our own godhood. This principle of “eternal progression” is a stunningly … [Read more...]
How false religions undermine Scripture
Evangelicals may disagree about many things, but we stand together on the non-negotiables that define the Christian faith: The Trinity, justification by faith, and the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures, to name a few. Many false belief systems, from Mormonism to Islam, profess a high regard for the Word of God. But, in fact, they deny its inspiration, inerrancy, or preservation and thus reject the Bible as supremely authoritative. Specifically, false religions employ four … [Read more...]
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