Tag: Trinity

One God

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

1Timothy 2:5-8 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 

‘One God’ – One here means one in individuality, not unity (1Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:4-6). There are three separate persons in the Trinity, and they are also one in unity (John 17:11, 21-22; 1Jn. 5:7; Deut. 6:4).

‘Mediator’ [Greek: mesites] is a middle person to reconciles two parties at enmity – God and man (Gal. 3:20). Christ is the mediator of the new covenant (2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). This again is proof that Christ and God are separate Persons, for a mediator is the middle person mediating between TWO other persons who are at enmity with each other.

‘Ransom’ [Greek: antilutron] ransom. Compare with lutron as used in Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Titus 2:14 and Hebrews 9:12. Lutron signifies a ransom paid for the redemption of a captive, and antilutron signifies ransom or exchange of one person for another, or the redemption of life for life.

‘To be testified in due time’ – The testimony of the ransom to be given in its own times or in due season.

‘Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and apostle … a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.’ I am appointed a herald, an apostle to teach Gentiles the whole truth.

‘Lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ It was a common custom among Jews to lift up their hands in prayer. It was their way of making entreaties and requests. This was to be done without wrath or hatred toward any person; without an unforgiving spirit; and without reasonings and disputings within over what was being prayed for.

Rejoice

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. 

‘Abraham rejoiced’ the Greek word for rejoice is agalliao which means to rejoice exceedingly; ‘to see’ the Greek word eidon implying not the mere act of seeing with the eyes, but the actual perception of the object; that which is seen, the form, shape, and figure.

Abraham saw three things clearly: The plan of God in sending the Messiah for His people to redeem them and guarantee to them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession; and he was happy (Gen. 12:1-3; 17:1-22); He saw the plan of God in the Messiah being sent through his natural seed (Rom. 4:13-22; 9:4-7; Gal. 3:16) and rejoiced by faith (Rom. 4:1-25); He saw the second person of the Trinity in visible form (Gen. 18:1-8, 19-20; 19:24).

‘I am’ this is one of the eternal names of God, proving that He existed before Abraham (Exo. 3:14-15; Mic. 5:1-2; John 1:1-2). The Jews understood that He applied this name to Himself, thus declaring His deity. He claimed to be God, which was blasphemy to them, so to fulfil the law of Leviticus 24:16 they started to stone Him.

For a little while until their wrath cooled; Jesus hid Himself and then He went through their midst out of the temple.