The following is a ****tion of noted Bible scholar and imminent Christian
theologian John Gill's larger work entitled "A Body Of Doctrinal
Divinity."
This lesson centers on the distinct personality and deity of God the Son.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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Of The Distinct Personality, And Deity Of The Son
by John Gill
That the Son of God is a person, and a divine person distinct from the
Father and the Spirit, cannot be doubted; for since his Father is a
person,
and he is the "express image of his person", he must be a person too; and
he
must be the express image of him, as he himself is a divine person, the
Son
of God, and truly God; and not as he is man and mediator; not as he is
man,
or as having an human nature, for his Father never had any, and therefore
he
could not be the image of him in that respect; for though man is the image
of God as to some qualities in him, yet is he never called his character
or
express image, much less the express image of any of the persons in the
Deity: nor as mediator, and in an office capacity, for his Father was
never
a mediator, nor in an office: it remains therefore that it must be the
express image of his person, as he himself is a divine person, abstracted
from any consideration of his human nature, and of his office. For as
Plato[1] says, that which is like must needs be of the same species with
that to which it is like. The definition of a Person agrees with him: he
is
an individual, distinct, though not separate from the divine nature, he
has
in common with the Father and the Spirit; he subsists of himself in that
nature distinctly, and independently; is not a part of another, the whole
fulness of the Godhead dwells in him; nor is his human nature, which he
assumed in time, a part of his person, nor adds anything to his
personality;
but being taken up into union with his person, subsists in it; he has life
in himself, and is the living God; is intelligent, has understanding and
will; knows himself, his Father and the Spirit, and all creatures and
things, and does whatsoever he pleases.
Besides the distinctive, relative property, or personal relation of the
Son,
which is to be begotten, and which gives and makes the distinction of him,
as a divine person, from the Father and Spirit, who are never said to be
begotten; there are many other things which show, or make him appear to be
a
distinct person.
1. His being with God as the Word[2], (John 1:1) and with his Father as a
Son, as one brought up with him, (Prov. 8:30) clearly expresses his
distinct
personality; he must be a person to be with, and to be brought up with
another; and he must be distinct from him with whom he is; he cannot with
any propriety be said to be with himself, or to be brought up with
himself.
2. His being set up from everlasting as mediator, and the covenant head of
the elect; the Father making a covenant with him, and putting the persons
of
the chosen ones, with all the blessings of grace for them, into his hands,
show him to be a person; a mere name and character could not be said to be
set up, to be covenanted with, or to have persons and things committed to
his care and charge; and these show him to be a distinct person from him
who
set him up, and entrusted him with all these persons and things (see Prov.
8:23; Ps. 89:3, 28; Deut. 33:3; Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:9).
3. His being sent in the fulness of time to be the Saviour of his people,
and that under the character of the Son of God, shows him to be distinct
from the Father, whose Son he is, and by whom he was sent; if he was not a
person, but a mere name, he could not be sent; and he must be distinct
from
him that sent him; he that sends, and he that is sent, cannot be one and
the
same person; or else it must be said, that he sent himself, which is too
gross and absurd to be admitted; see (Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4; 1 John 4:9, 14).
4. His becoming a sacrifice, and making satisfaction for the sins of men,
and so the Redeemer and Saviour of them, plainly declare his distinct
personality. Was he not a person, he could not offer himself a sacrifice,
and he must be distinct from him to whom he offered himself; was he not a
person, he could not make satisfaction, or reconcile men to God; or, in
other words, make reconciliation and atonement for sin; these are personal
acts, and he must be distinct from him to whom the satisfaction,
reconciliation, and atonement are made; or to whom men are reconciled by
him; if he has redeemed men to God by his blood, as he has, he must be a
person that is the redeemer of men, and he must be distinct from him to
whom
he has redeemed them; for he cannot with propriety be said to reconcile
and
redeem them to himself; see (Eph 5:2; Heb. 9:14; Rom. 5:10, 11; Rev. 5:9).
5. His ascension to heaven, and session at the right hand of God, show him
to be a person that ascended, and is sat down; and though it was in human
nature that he ascended and sat down, yet it was God in that nature "God
is
gone up with a shout" (Ps. 47:5). "Thou", the Lord God, "hast ascended on
high", (Ps. 68:17, 18). "The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand",
(Ps. 110:1) and he must be distinct from his God and our God, from his
Father and our Father, to whom he ascended, and cannot be the same person
with him at whose right hand he sits, (John 20:17; Heb. 1:13).
6. His advocacy and intercession with his Father, is a plain proof of his
distinct personality. He is said to be an "advocate with the Father", (1
John 2:1) and therefore must be a person to act the part of an advocate;
and
must be distinct from him with whom he advocates; unless it can be thought
he is an advocate with himself; he himself says, "I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter", meaning the Spirit of truth, as
next explained (John 14:16, 17). Now he must be distinct from the Father
to
whom he prays, for surely he cannot be supposed to pay to himself; and he
must be distinct from the Spirit, for whom he prays. He appears in the
presence of God for his people, and ever lives to make intercession for
them, and must be a person to do this; and must be distinct from him in
whose presence he appears, and to whom he makes intercession; for he
cannot
with any propriety he said to appear in his own presence for his people,
and
to mediate and make intercession for them with himself (see Heb. 7:25,
9:24).
7. His judging the world at the last day, with all the circumstances
thereof; gathering all nations before him, dividing them, and setting
them,
some on his right hand and others on his left, and passing the definitive
sentence on them, prove him to be a person, a divine person, and distinct
from the Father and the Spirit; for as for "the Father, he judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment to the Son", (John 5:22) nor is ever the
final judgment of the world ascribed to the Spirit (see Matthew 25:31-41;
Acts 10:42, 17:31).
8. It is promised to the saints that they shall be with Christ, where he
is;
see him as he is, and behold his glory, and shall reign with him for
evermore; and he is represented as the object of their praise, wonder, and
wor****p, to all eternity; and that as distinct from the Father and the
Holy
Ghost; all which, and much more, show him to be a person, and to be
distinct
from them both; for surely he must be a person, a divine and distinct one,
whom the saints shall he, live and dwell with to all eternity; and whom
they
shall praise, serve, and adore throughout endless ages.
The Deity of Christ may he next considered, and proved; or, that he is a
divine Person, truly and properly God. Not a made or created God, as say
the
Arians. He was made flesh, and made of a woman; but not made God; for then
he must make himself, which is absurd; since "without him was not anything
made that was made; but all things were made by him" (John 1:3). Nor God
by
office, as say the Socinians; for then he would be God only in an improper
sense; as magistrates are called gods; and not truly and properly God: nor
God by name only; as there are called lords many, and gods many; such were
the gods of the heathens, inanimate, irrational, lifeless beings, and so
could have no divinity in them. But he is God by nature; as these were
not;
having the whole essence and nature of God in him. This will appear,
1. First, From the names which are given to him; he has the same glorious
names the most high God has; as Ejeh, I AM that I AM, (Ex. 3:14) to which
our Lord refers, and takes to himself, (John 8:58) and Jehovah, which is
incommunicable to a creature, and peculiar to the most High, (Ps. 83:18)
it
is not given to angels; for wherever an angel is so called, not a created
but the uncreated angel is meant; nor to the ark, (2 Sam. 6:2) for not the
ark, but God, whose the ark was, is there called by the name of the Lord
of
hosts: nor to Jerusalem, (Jer. 33:16) but to the Messiah, (Jer. 23:6) for
the words may be rendered, "This is the name wherewith he shall be called
by
her, the Lord our Righteousness": nor to the church absolutely, (Ezek.
48:35) but in composition, or with addition; and is only symbolical of
Jehovah's presence being with her; and the same may be said of mount
Moriah;
and of some altars, called Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Nissi, and
Jehovah-Shalom;
which are only symbolical, and designed to call to remembrance the
wonderful
appearance of Jehovah; the gracious help, and divine assistance, he
granted
to his people in those places, (Gen. 22:14; Ex 17:15; Judg. 6:24) nor is
this name given to priests and judges, (De 19:17) for Jehovah is not to be
explained by them; but is distinguished from them; and though he is joined
with them, this only designs his presence in judiciary affairs, agreeable
to
(Ps. 82:1) if, therefore, it can be proved that the name Jehovah is given
to
Christ, it will prove him to be the most High over all the earth.
Now we are told that God spake to Moses, and said, "I am the Lord", or
Jehovah; by which name he was not known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that
is, not by that only, or that was not so fully made known to them, as it
had
been to Moses, and to the Israelites by him, (Ex. 6:2, 3, 3:14) which
person
that appeared to Moses, and said those words, is called the Angel of the
Lord, (Ex. 3:2) not a created angel, (Ex. 3:6) but an uncreated one; and
must be understood, not of God the Father, who is never called an angel;
but
of the Son of God, the Angel of his presence, who brought the children of
Israel out of Egypt, went before them, and led them through the Red Sea,
and
wilderness, to the land of Canaan, (Ex 3:8, 13:21, 14:19, 23:20; Isa.
63:9)
he, whom the Israelites tempted in the wilderness, is expressly called
Jehovah, (Ex 17:7) and nothing is more evident than that this Person was
Christ, (1 Cor. 10:9) he whom Isaiah saw on a throne, making a very
magnificent appearance, is not only called Adonai, (Isa. 6:1) but by the
seraphim, Jehovah, (Isa. 6:3) and so by Isaiah, (Isa. 6:5), who was bid to
say to the Jews, (Isa. 6:8, 9). "Hear ye indeed", &c. which words Christ
applies to himself; and observes that, "those things Isaiah said, when he
saw his glory and spoke of him" (John 12:39, 40, 41). There is a prophecy
in
(Isa. 40:3). "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the
way of the Lord", or of Jehovah, "make straight in the desert, and high
way
for our God", which, by the evangelist Matthew, is applied unto, and
interpreted of John the Baptist, (Matthew 3:1-3) wherefore, the Jehovah,
whose way he was to prepare, and our God, whose paths he was to make
straight, could be no other than Christ; whose harbinger and forerunner
John
was, and whose way and paths were prepared and made straight by him,
through
his preaching the doctrine of repentance, administering the ordinance of
baptism, and declaring the kingdom of heaven, or of the Messiah, was at
hand. Moreover, the Messiah, or Christ, is expressly called, the Lord, or
Jehovah, our righteousness, in (Jer. 23:6) it being his work, as Mediator,
to bring in everlasting righteousness; and is the end of the law for it,
and
is made righteousness to everyone that believes. Once more, Jehovah
promises
to pour forth the Spirit of grace and supplication on some persons
described
in (Zech. 12:10) and then adds, "They shall look upon me", Jehovah, "whom
they have pierced"; which was fulfilled in Christ, when one of the
soldiers
with a spear pierced his side, (John 19:34, 37) the same words are
referred
to, and applied to Christ (Rev. 1:7). Now, since in these, and in many
other
places, Christ is intended by Jehovah, he must be truly and properly God,
since this name is incommunicable to any other.
It may be observed also, that in some places of scripture, Christ is
absolutely called God; as in Psalm 45:6, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and
ever"; where he is distinguished from God his Father, (Ps. 45:7) and the
words are expressly applied to him as the Son of God (Heb. 1:8). "But unto
the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God", &c. yea, Christ calls himself God;
as
he well might, since he is in the form of God, and therefore thought it no
robbery to be equal to him; saying, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all
the
ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else; I have swore by
myself", &c. (Isa. 45:22, 23) which last words, in connection with the
other, are, by the apostle Paul, applied to Christ (Rom. 14:10-12). The
evangelist John, says of the Word, or Son of God, who was made flesh, and
dwelt among men, and so cannot be understood of any but Christ, that "the
Word was God", (John 1:1, 14) and the same inspired writer observes,
"Hereby
perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us", (1
John
3:16) from whence it follows, that he that laid down his life for men,
which
can only be said of Christ, and wherein his love to them appeared, must be
God.
And Christ is not only called God absolutely, but with some additional
epithets, with possessive pronouns, as, our God, the Jews were waiting
for,
and John was the forerunner of, (Isa. 25:9, 40:3) "your God", who should
come when miracles would be wrought as proofs of it, (Isa. 35:4, 5) "their
God", (Luke 1:16) "my Lord, and my God", by Thomas (John 20:28). Now
though
angels, magistrates, and judges, are called gods in an improper and
metaphorical sense; yet never called our gods, your gods, &c. Christ is
said
to be Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, that is, God manifest in
the
flesh, (Matthew 1:22; 1 Tim. 3:16). Some additional characters are given
of
Christ, when he is called God; which show him to be truly and properly
God;
as, "the mighty God", in (Isa. 9:6) which is manifestly a prophecy of him;
and who elsewhere is called the most Mighty, the Almighty, (Ps. 45:3; Rev.
1:8) and "over all" God blessed for ever", (Rom. 9:5) over all creatures,
angels and men, who are made by him; and he is blessed for ever in
himself.
He is called "the great God", whose glorious appearing, and not the
Father's, saints are directed to look for; besides, this great God, is
explained of Jesus Christ our Saviour in the next clause, Titus 2:13:
compare with this Revelation 19:17 where he who is called the great God,
is
the mighty warrior, whose name is the Word of God, and King of kings, and
Lord of lords, (Rev. 19:11, 13, 16) Christ is also said to be the "living
God", (Heb. 3:12) for he only is spoken of in the context; and this is
only
said of the most high God; which distinguishes him from all other deities,
(Jer. 10:10) and, to add no more, he is called, "the true God", in
opposition to all false and fictitious deities, (1 John 5:20) for what is
there said, is said expressly of the Son of God.
2. Secondly, The Deity of Christ may be proved from the divine perfections
he is possessed of; "for in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead",
(Col. 2:9) not one perfection of the divine nature excepted; or otherwise
it
could not be said, that all the fulness of Deity was in him. God is
necessarily and self-existent, and independent on any; such is Christ, he
is
autoyeov, God of himself: as man and mediator he has a life given him for
himself, and others, and lives by the Father; but, as God, he owes his
life
and being to none; it is not derived from another; he is over all, God
blessed for ever. Eternity is a perfection of God; God is from everlasting
to everlasting; Christ was not only before Abraham, but before Adam; and
before any creature was in being; for he is the arch, the beginning, the
first Cause of the creation of God, (Rev. 3:14) the first born, or rather,
the first parent and producer of every creature; as the word prwtotokov,
by
the removal of the accent[3], may be rendered which best agrees with the
apostle's reasoning in the next verse; where all things are said to be
created by him; and therefore, as the apostle argues, he must be before
all
things, (Col. 1:15-17) as Mediator, he was set up from everlasting; his
goings forth in the covenant were of old; the elect were chosen in him
before the foundation of the world; and had grace given them in him,
before
that began; all which suppose his eternal existence. Hence he is called
Alpha and Omega the first and the last, the beginning and the ending;
which
is, and was, and is to come; Melchizedek's antitype, having neither
beginning of days nor end of life (Rev. 1:8; Heb. 7:3). Omnipresence, or
immensity, is another perfection of Deity, (Jer. 23:23, 24). Christ, as
the
Son of God, was in heaven, in the bosom of his Father; when, as the Son of
man, he was here on earth, (John 1:18, 3:13) which he could not be, if he
was not omnipresent; nor could he make good his promises to his ministers,
churches, and people, to be with them at all times, in all ages, and in
all
places, wherever they are, (Matthew 18:20, 28:20) nor walk in the midst of
his golden candlesticks, the several churches, in different places; and
fill
all things and persons in them, as he certainly does, (Rev. 1:13; Eph
4:10).
Omniscience is another divine perfection, and most manifestly appears in
Christ; he knew what was in man, and needed not that any should testify to
him what was in man; he could tell the woman of Samaria all that ever she
did; he knew from the beginning who would believe in him, and who would
betray him; he knew the secret thoughts of the Scribes and Pharisees; and
is
that Word that is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart;
and
he will hereafter let all the world and churches know, that he searches
the
hearts and reins. In short, he knows all things, as Peter affirmed unto
him,
(John 2:24, 25, 4:29, 6:64; Matthew 9:4; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 2:23; John 21:17)
and though he is said not to know the day of judgment, this is said of him
as the Son of man, not as the Son of God (Mark 13:32). Omnipotence is a
perfection that belongs to Christ, and is peculiar to God, who only can do
all things; Christ is almighty, and his works declare it; the creation of
all things, the sustentation of the universe, the redemption and
preservation of his people, and the resurrection of them at the last day;
all which are, "according to his mighty power, which is able to subdue all
things to himself" (Phil. 3:21). To observe no more, immutability belongs
solely to God; who is without any variableness or shadow of turning; and
such is Christ, the same today, yesterday, and for ever, (Heb. 13:8; see
Ps.
102:26 compared with Heb. 1:12) and since therefore such perfections of
the
Godhead are in Christ, he must be truly and properly God.
3. Thirdly, The truth of Christ's proper divinity may be proved from the
works done by him; which are the same that are done by the Father; and in
which he is a coefficient cause with him; and are done by him omoiwv, in
like manner as by the Father, (John 5:17, 19) such as the creation of all
things out of nothing; of the whole world and all things in it, visible or
invisible, (John 1:2, 3; Col. 1:16) the making of the worlds, the heaven
and
the earth, are particularly ascribed to the Word and Son of God; and he
that
built all things is God, (Heb. 11:3, 1:10, 3:4) the work of providence,
the
government of the world, and the disposing of all things in it, Christ is
jointly concerned in with the Father; "My Father worketh hitherto; and I
work", that is, with him (John 5:17). Christ upholds all things by his
power; bears up the pillars of the earth; and by him do all things
consist,
(Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17) the miracles Christ wrought on earth in human
nature,
as they were proofs of his Messiah****p, so of his Deity; such as curing
the
lame, the blind, and dumb, and deaf, and even raising the dead, by a word
speaking; which were what none but God could do: these prove that the
Father
was in him, and he in the Father, (Matthew 11:4, 5; John 10:37, 38). If he
was not the mighty God, he could never have been able to have wrought and
obtained the redemption and salvation of his people, by his own arm: what
gave virtue and efficacy to his blood, to purchase his church and people,
and cleanse them from their sins, is his Deity; and so to his
righteousness,
to make it a justifying one before God; and to his sacrifice, to make it
expiatory of sin, and acceptable to God. The acts of forgiveness of sin,
and
justification from it, are peculiar to God. None can forgive sin but God;
yet Christ has done it, and therefore must be God, (Mark 2:7, 9, 10) it is
God that justifies men from sin, and acquits them from condemnation, (Rom.
8:1, 33) and so does Christ (Isa. 53:11). The Resurrection of the dead is
a
work of almighty power, and which none but God can do; and yet Christ has
raised himself from the dead, and thereby is declared to be the Son of God
with power; that is, truly and properly God, (Rom. 1:4; John 2:19, 10:18)
and he will raise all the dead at the last day, by his mighty power; and
at
his all commanding voice, the dead will come forth out of their graves,
wherein they have lain, (John 5:28, 29; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17). The judgment
of
the world is committed to him; "The Father judgeth no man, but hath
committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22). Now if he was not God
omnipotent and omniscient he would never be able to do what he will do;
gather all nations before him, separate them, and place them some on his
right hand, and some on his left; bring to light the counsels of the
heart,
and judge the secrets of it, and give to every man for the deeds done in
the
body, whether good or evil; pronounce the several decisive sentences, and
put them in execution, (Matthew 25: 31-46; Rom. 2:16; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor.
5:10).
4. Fourthly, As a further proof of the Deity of Christ, the wor****p given
him both by angels and men may be observed; for when he, God's firstborn,
was brought into the world, he said, "Let all the angels of God wor****p
him", (Heb. 1:6) which order to the celestial inhabitants, would never
have
been given, if he was not God: it is also the declared will of the divine
Father of Christ, "that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour
the Father"; that is, wor****p him with the same divine wor****p; which he
would never have declared, who will not give his glory to another besides
himself, was not Christ his Son the one God with him (see Ps. 2:12). Men
are
directed to exercise faith and hope on him; yea, Christ himself directs
unto
it, equally to be exercised on him, as on his Father; which he would never
have done, but that he and his Father are one, one in nature, and so in
power and glory, (John 14:1, 10:30) yea, if he was not God, but a mere
man,
instead of men being blessed and happy, who make him their hope, and trust
in him, they would be cursed for so doing (Jer. 17:5, 7). Baptism, a
solemn
ordinance of religious wor****p, is ordered to be administered in his name,
equally as in the name of the Father, (Matthew 28:19) which, if a mere
creature, would be idolatry and blasphemy; for which reason the apostle
Paul
was so cautious, lest any should think they were baptized by him in his
own
name (1 Cor. 1:13-15). Prayer, another branch of religious wor****p, is
often
made to Christ; and that not by a single person only, as by Stephen, in
his
last moments, (Acts 7:59) but by whole churches and communities; who are
said in every place to call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord; and
how
often are grace and peace wished for, by the apostles, as from God our
Father, so from the Lord Jesus Christ? (1 Cor. 1:2, 3) all which would
never
be performed by saints, nor be admitted of by God, was not Christ truly
and
properly God; nor need we scruple to wor****p him, nor be fearful lest we
should give him too much: and great encouragement we have to commit our
souls, and the salvation of them into his hands, and trust him with our
all;
since he is God the only Saviour.
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ENDNOTES:
[1] In Parmenide, p. 1113.
[2] Of this name of the Son of God, the Word, see my Doctrine of the
Trinity, c. 5. p. 98-120
[3] Vid. lsidor. Pelusiot. Epist. l. 3. ep. 31.
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