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Brush Up On Your Theology; 11. Theology Proper

by Dr. Henderson Ward  
12/17/2015 / Bible Studies

A case could be made for treating Theology Proper in an earlier segment; because this concept has to do with the doctrine of God, and in particular God the Father, and is foundational if we are to have a right understanding of the Trinity, a topic we dealt with earlier. Presenting Theology Proper here nevertheless is helpful in giving us a better understanding of the concept; because we have already dealt with the separate elements of its structure.

There are many arguments put forward for believing in the existence of God, and many of them seem logical and ingenious but it is best not to buy in to any of those arguments. Some may be familiar with the "Ontological argument", about the concept of God being the greatest concept and therefore the greatest concept must exist. Some may be aware of the "Teleological argument", founded on the notion that since the universe is a product of design then there must be a designer.

The "Cosmological argument" has its admirers and teaches that every effect must have a cause and ultimately something "uncaused" must be responsible for everything to come into existence; and that is God.

Some people give great credence to the "Moral argument" which asserts that all cultures accept some kind of law based on a sense of right and wrong; and that could only come from God.

There are other arguments along similar vein, and my attitude to them all is the same. These are arguments and concepts produced by human thinking, cosseted by layers of inexactitude, and swimming in the diaphanous pool of metaphysics, semantics and ethics. At best they are philosophical arguments which bypass the Bible and, no matter how intellectually comforting, are ultimately invalid. Anything one person's mind can create another person's mind can debunk.

Christians should rely on the Bible as the only authority, complete and immutable, to properly understand God: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3: 16-17) This is the position here, with the Bible the only source.

God exists, not because of people's imagination, or dreams, or speculation, but because the Bible says so:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14)
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." (Psalm 91:1-2)
"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:18)
"And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." (Hebrews 1:6)

To understand the doctrine of the Father, we need to understand that the members of the Trinity have some things in common, and some things that are different. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally eternal, equally omnipresent, equally omnipotent, equally omniscience, equally holy, equally immutable and in every respect, with reference to their character and attributes, they are completely, totally, irreversibly equal.

Now we see a mystery, that no matter how well it is explained will remain a mystery. The members of the Trinity take on different roles or functions which they perform in the interest of Deity. Since God created all things, then by definition there must have been a time when God was alone, for God alone was from everlasting and is everlasting, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." (Psalm 90:2). Therefore it is evident that God the Father was from everlasting.

God the Father is the First or Supreme Person of the Trinity, and Jesus the Son is subordinate to the Father, and the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Son. We should not regard this relationship in any way like an earthly father and son where the father is older than the son, and such like, for that would be totally misleading.

Jesus showed that he was subordinate to the Father by stating that the Father sent him, "And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." (John 8:16) See also John 8:18, 26, 29, 42.

Jesus clearly indicated that the Father is greater than him, "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)

Jesus in turn will send the Holy Spirit, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26). We know that the greater sends the lesser, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him." (John 13:16).

The subordination in office of the Holy Spirit to the Father is clearly seen in this scripture, "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)

God the Father is the Originator of every purpose and plan, and that is demonstrated by a number of scriptures.

With respect to the plan of salvation, for example, and the laying down of his life, Jesus said, "This commandment have I received of my Father" (John 10:18); and of his coming into the world he said, "neither came I of myself, but he sent me" (John 8:42) and referring to his Kingdom Jesus stated, "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;" (Luke 22:29).

In the end, the kingdom will be delivered to the Father, "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father" (1 Corinthians 15:24). It is God the Father that will put all things under Jesus' feet, " For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him." (1 Corinthians 15:27), and in turn Jesus will be subject to him, "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:28). This demonstrates that God the Father is the Originator.

God the Father is the supreme object of Christian worship; since we approach the Father through Jesus Christ, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6), and Jesus clearly indicated such, "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23).

In the 'Lord's prayer' Jesus taught that we should pray, "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9) and writing to the Ephesians, Paul wrote, "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 4:13), and again writing to the Romans he said that on being adopted into God's family we cry, "Abba Father" (Romans 8:15), and confirmed the Father's supremacy to the Ephesians, "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18)

God the Father is the source of all our benefits, even though they come through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Paul frequently addressed the churches like this, "Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2), putting the Father as first.

In the matter of forgiveness, it originates with the Father as shown here, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1), and Jesus on the cross prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), showing that these and other benefits come from God the Father.

Scripture also show that God the Father is the ultimate judge of all men through Christ, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)

Enough said.

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Dr. Henderson Ward received his Doctor of Divinity in theology, with distinction, from Masters International School of Divinity, USA, where he is currently a post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Ward's career involved pastoring, evangelism, and teaching. Copyright 2017

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