The Pre-Existence of Jesus Christ (02/06/2005)

The topic we've been discussing in the last several sermons is perhaps the highest topic we can discuss in the

Word of God, and that is the way in which God exists. I want to read for you, again,

I read this the first in the introduction to this study, I want to read it again today. You can go back through church history and you can read several places where they've gotten together and created a creed, and most, all of these creeds have some information about the existence of God, and they go from, oh three, actually 325 all the way through about 500 or 600

A .D. But I would like to go before those creeds were written, go back to the year 150

A .D., very, very close to the times of our Lord and the times of the apostles, and read to you what a man named

Tertullian believed about God's existence, and I think it's beautiful.

I think it far surpasses anything that was written later, and that is my personal opinion, that's all

I can give you on this, but I've read all the creeds, and I think this one is the most beautiful and the purest, it does go back closer to the times of the apostles.

As you read the New Testament, and especially the epistles of Paul, do you ever get the idea that they're confused at all about how

God exists? I don't. They seem very comfortable with it. Very, very comfortable speaking of the

Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and of God, and all the different terms that are used, they don't have any problem with it.

And then you move forward to 500 years later, and all of a sudden they're struggling with the words.

So if we go back closer to the times of the apostles, and read this, I think it's beautiful. Tertullian said this,

He is God, and the Son of God, both are one. And thus spirit from spirit, and God from God, becomes another in mode of being, not in number, another in order, not state or standing, and has gone forth, but has not gone out of, in other words, has not been separated from, the original divine source.

They are three, not in substance, but in form, not in power, but in specific distinction, but of one substance and power.

Hold fast always the rule which I avow, in accordance with which I testify, that the

Father, Son, and Spirit are not separated. When I say that they are distinct, only ignorance or perversity will take this as meaning a diversity which issues in separation, for the

Son is other than the Father, not by diversity, but by distribution, not by division, but by distinction.

The Father and Son are not the same, but they differ one from the other in their mode of being, in their mode of being.

So now that's not simple either, and it probably helps if I can see the words. I need to get copies of this made for one where you can take it home and read it slowly because it's, you know, it's more difficult to read things that were written long ago.

They don't use little short sentences like we do today. But if you read it very, very carefully, it's, to me, the most accurate account other than the word of God itself of how

God exists. I think, in summary, what he's pointing out is that they are not three gods, and that when we talk about the distinction, that we're talking about a distinction in mode, not in essence.

Essence means the very being. They are of the same essence. Mode is the manifestation in which we see them with the eye.

Or if it's the Holy Spirit, you don't see him with the eye, but you sense him with the heart. That's the mode in which

God appears. And there are three modes, and that's what Tertullian taught and believed. I think it's exactly what 1

Timothy 3, verse 16 teaches in Colossians and the different passages we've looked at.

So now let me move forward in our study. We had come to the place last time where we were just about to talk about specifically the preexistence of the

Lord Jesus Christ. We had covered who is

Jesus. We had talked about the fact that he is Jesus, which means

Jehovah saves. That's his name. Isn't that amazing? He is Emmanuel, which means

God with us. And he is, according to John chapter 1, verse 1, in the beginning was the

Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God. And in the Colossians passages say that he is all of the fullness of the

Godhead in a body. And 1 Timothy 3, verse 16 says he was

God manifest in the flesh. So those are the things we've studied.

We also studied the whole first chapter of Hebrews, where it distinguishes very clearly that he was not an angel.

He was not a created being. He was higher than the angels and so forth, and the creator of the angels, and he's the only one that God called

God. That's right there in the book of Hebrews. It's also in the book of Psalms. So we covered all those things.

Now I want to move forward at this point and talk specifically about the preexistence of Jesus Christ. To me, this is some of the most fascinating material, and it's wonderful because if you were in Sunday school this morning,

Brother Otis began a study on the book of Revelation, and that book spans into our future.

We don't know how distant a future at this point, but it spans into our future. And as we look at this today, at the preexistence of Jesus Christ, we go back the other way as far as we can go, and we find him there.

And so today in our assembly, we've spanned from the beginning to the end and all of eternity, and God is there, and his son,

Jesus Christ, is there. And that's why Jesus is called I Am, and Jehovah means

I Am. So let's review a little bit, a couple of verses. Remember, we introduced this last time.

We talked about Isaiah 9, 6. You don't need to turn to him because we've got to move on this morning. But Isaiah 9, 6 says that he is the everlasting father.

Isn't that fascinating? Because the Trinitarian view, the Trinitarian view that you read in the creeds that comes forth from the

Roman Catholic Church would not ever say that Jesus is the father. They would never say that because that creates a problem with the distinction of the three persons.

But Isaiah 9, 6 says, And then we went to Micah 5, 2, which says that this one who would be born in Bethlehem, Ephratah, he would be ruler in Israel.

And it says, So you go back this way in the past to a point beyond where time began and go into everlasting that direction, which the only way we can talk about it is on a line.

It is not that way. I assume, I don't know how it is, but we assume it's not that way. But you go back as far as you could go and you get into that space that is everlasting and eternal going backwards.

Jesus was there. And he came forth from that place. Micah 5, 2 says.

That's really, this week, that's my favorite verse in the Bible. Okay? Got to be one of the favorites.

It's an awesome verse. Now, John 1, 1, if you remember, we talked about it.

In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. So you go back to the beginning. Jesus is there.

Colossians 1, 15 says he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

And I want you to think about that word firstborn because we're going to be looking at that idea in just a few moments.

But it says that by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible.

If there be any thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, that would include all of the

Mormon's gods that they say are out there over other universes. If there be any such as that, then

Jesus created them. So there is only one God. And that is the

Lord Jesus Christ. But what does it mean when he says he is the firstborn of every creature?

I want us to examine that today because it does play a part in understanding the eternity of the son.

And you say, well, how can it be eternity if he was born? Well, we'll look at that in a moment.

Let me give you a couple of other verses before we get into it that talk about his eternal nature.

Revelation 13, 7 calls him the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

First Peter 1, 18 says that he was foreordained before the foundation of the world and was manifest in these last times for us.

And so now turn to John chapter 8, verse 40.

And let's begin to speak specifically about his pre -existence and what the scriptures mean when it says he was born.

There's an interesting verse that we've already covered in Isaiah 43, 10 where it says,

I am he, before me there was no God formed, neither shall be after me.

So Jehovah of the Old Testament, who is the same as the everlasting son, who's named

Jesus when he's born into this world in the manger, he says that there was a time when he was formed, but there was no other formed before him or after him.

There is only one. And we struggle with the word formed. What can it mean that he's formed if he is in fact eternal?

And what does it mean when it says he's the first born if he is in fact eternal? Well, we're going to examine that this morning.

We'll start with John chapter 8, verse 40. And then we're going to go into Proverbs chapter 8.

Proverbs chapter 8 is where I'm trying to get to so urgently because it's awesome. But we want to read this passage first.

So turn to John 8, 40. Jesus says, but now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth.

So Jesus claimed to be a man. He claimed to be a man who tells the truth.

Which I have heard of God. This did not

Abraham. Now he claims to be more than a man. Because Abraham was just a man.

Now that's subtle there, but you have to see the importance of that last phrase. It doesn't even seem to fit in the sentence, does it?

He says, you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth. Which I have heard of God.

This did not Abraham. What didn't Abraham? He did not hear directly from God.

Not in the way that Jesus did. Because when Jesus heard from God, God's words were his own words.

God's mind was his own mind. God's heart was his own heart. Abraham was not that way because Abraham was not the

God man. He was just man. So Jesus claims to be both man and God in that verse.

But it's subtle. Then he says, you do the deeds of your father.

Then said they to him, we be not born of fornication. We have one father, even

God. And Jesus said unto them, if God were your father. Which he's obviously teaching there that they are goats.

And that they will never see heaven because they are not of the elect. Because if God were their father, he wouldn't say, if God were your father.

So Jesus could tell the difference. He's looking at some men right now who are the best Bible scholars of the day.

Who are not even known by God. Jesus would say,

I don't even know you. I've never known you. Jesus said unto them, if God were your father.

You would love me. And look why. For I proceeded forth and came from God.

Neither came I of myself. But he sent me. This phrase proceeded forth and came from God.

The word proceeded in the Greek language is literally issued.

He issued forth from God. He came. The connotation of it in the

Greek is that he came out from God. Now in the English it just says, I came from God.

In the Greek it would say, I came out from God. You see the difference? Subtle difference but important. I issued out from God.

The word came. Actually in the Greek is the word to be present.

So he issued out from God and became present with us in time and space on the planet

Earth. This is who Jesus is. He is that which issued out from God.

Which was obviously God. If it issued out from God. And then became present with us on the

Earth. Or became manifest with us on the Earth. Or became a mode of being of God which we could see with the eye.

He was sent. This word is from two little Greek words. It is the word apostelo.

Apo means away and stelo means to set fast. So this little verse, verse 42 tells us a lot.

It tells us that Jesus. And I'm going to call him Jesus.

Because back before the manger he was not called Jesus except by God. But we didn't call him that on the

Earth. And so we call him the everlasting son if you want to.

Son. The eternal son. Whatever. I don't mind. I'm going to call him Jesus. Okay. That's who he is.

And we see that Jesus Christ. Was God.

In essence. And issued forth out of that essence. And was manifest on this planet before us.

In a mode which we could see. Which we. I'll tell you what. Go to first John.

I'll show you what kind of mode it is. First John 1 .1.

This is awesome. Jesus issues out of the essence of God. Is born in the manger.

And now John 1. First John. Not John. But first John 1 .1. That which was from the beginning.

Now that doesn't mean at the beginning. It means he comes forth into the beginning. He's already there. Which we have heard.

Now he has been manifest on the Earth in a mode which we can hear. We can hear his voice speak.

Which we have heard. Which we have seen with our eyes. Now he's in a mode or manner of being.

Which we can see with the human eye. Which the Father you cannot see. No man hath seen him at any time.

But Jesus issued forth from God. And was God manifest in the flesh. First Timothy 3 .16.

He was God manifest into a mode. Which you could see.

Which you could feel. Which you could hear. He says which we have heard. Which we have seen with our eyes.

Which we have looked upon. And our hands have handled. Of the word of life.

For the life was manifested. Now what is life? Only God is life. Everything else is life borrowed.

Only God is the essence of life. And here John says Jesus was life.

So here life has come in a mode. In which we can hear him with our ears.

See him and look upon him with our eyes. And touch him with our hands. God with us.

Emmanuel. For the life was manifested. And we have now seen it.

Before that we had not. And we bear witness. And show unto you that eternal life.

You see it's eternal life that they touched. It's eternal life that they saw with their eyes.

And looked upon. And heard speak with their ears. And it says we bear witness.

And show unto you that eternal life. Which was with the father. You see he was.

He was in the father. And which was manifested unto us. He issued out.

Came to the earth in the mode of the man. The God man. Jesus Christ. That which we have seen.

And heard declare we unto you. That ye also may have fellowship with us. You can't have fellowship with brothers.

Unless you believe that passage of scripture. There is no fellowship. Unless you have received

Jesus as who he is. The Jesus of the Bible. Not the Jesus of the Mormons.

That's a different Jesus. There are different Jesus's. Different gospels and different spirits. This Jesus.

The one who was in God. Who was issued forth from God. And sent here in a mode.

Which we could hear. See and touch. This one. Is the one that is declared to us.

That we might have fellowship one to another. This is the savior. And truly our fellowship is with the father.

And with his son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you. That your joy may be full.

What a beautiful passage. So we see from the John chapter 8. Verse 40 and following.

Especially verse 42. That he issued forth. Came out from God. And was manifest in this world.

In a mode in which we could hear. See and touch. Now turn with me if you would.

To Proverbs 8. While you're turning there.

I'm going to read to you from 1 Corinthians 1 .30. You don't necessarily need to turn to that one. But just go to Proverbs chapter 8.

Because we're going to be there for a little bit. 1 Corinthians 1 .30 is important though.

In interpreting Proverbs chapter 8. And I will say this. This is certainly not my private interpretation.

Every commentary I've ever read. In my whole life. Agrees that this passage in Proverbs 8.

Is a personification of not only wisdom. But a personification of Jesus Christ himself.

So we're speaking of Jesus Christ. Pre -incarnate. Before he was born in the manger.

In Proverbs chapter 8. 1 Corinthians 1 .30 says. But of him are you in Christ.

Who of God. Is made unto us wisdom. Who of God.

Is made unto us wisdom. So Jesus. Is our wisdom.

He is wisdom. Now when we go into Proverbs 8. The entire proverb is speaking of wisdom.

But it's personified. And so let's start with chapter 8.

And let's start with. Let's go down to about verse 19.

For sake of time we won't read the whole chapter. But let's start with verse 19. Speaking of wisdom.

Now I'm saying before we begin into this. That wisdom is Jesus Christ. It is speaking of wisdom.

Which comes from God to man. The only way God's wisdom can come to man's little mind.

Is if the word. The eternal word. Reveals that to us.

That's who Jesus is. He is the word of God to man. He is the only way that man can hear

God's word. Because God's language is not like ours. He is the word of God to man.

He is the wisdom of God to man. So this is speaking of Jesus Christ.

And let's start here. Verse 19. My fruit is better than gold. Yea, than fine gold.

My revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness.

In the midst of the paths of judgment. That I may cause those that love me.

To inherit substance and I will fill their treasures. Now look at verse 22.

The Lord possessed me. In the beginning of his way.

Before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting.

That's the same thing Micah says. He came from everlasting. From the beginning or ever the earth was.

When there were no depths. I was brought forth. And I want you to notice the phrases.

Such as brought forth. And we'll see some others.

There's a phrase set up. I want you to notice those phrases as we read.

When there were no depths. I was brought forth. When there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled. Before the hills. Was I brought forth.

While as yet he had not made the earth. Nor the fields.

Nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens. I was there.

When he set a compass upon the face of the depth. When he established the clouds above.

When he strengthened the fountains of the deep. When he gave to the sea his decree.

That the water should not pass his commandment. When he appointed the foundations of the earth. Then I was by him.

As one brought up with him. And I was daily his delight.

Rejoicing always before him. Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth.

And my delights were the sons of men. The last two verses lead all scholars that I've ever read.

To believe this entire passage is speaking of Jesus Christ pre -incarnate. Some of it if you read just a few verses and pick them out alone.

You might think it's talking about only the idea of wisdom. But it's not. Because it would not make sense to say.

That if we're speaking of the idea of wisdom. To say that I wisdom was beside him.

As one brought up with him. And I was daily his delight. Rejoicing always before him.

And I wisdom rejoiced in the habitable part of his earth. And my wisdom's delights were with the sons of men.

That's the delight of Jesus Christ. A certain group from the sons of men were given to him as a love gift.

And he already knew that. And so therefore his delight centered around this planet earth.

And the men who God put on this earth for him. Now let's go back up to verse 22.

And come down through the passage one more time. And look at some of the key words. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way.

We could stop right there. And have a time thinking this morning. Because if you read that carefully.

The Lord himself had a beginning of his way. He did not have a beginning.

But there was a beginning of his way. Whatever Jesus is talking about here. What could he be talking about?

Well the word beginning. Means the first in place, time or order.

In the Hebrew word that's used there for beginning. The word way. Is the word derek.

Which means a road as trodden. Or a course of life.

So in my thinking of this. For many, many, many times. For a long period of time.

From the first time I really noticed that. Interesting phrase from the beginning of his way. And then doing these word studies.

I've come to conclude that the beginning of God's way. Means the beginning of time as we think of it.

And let me tell you exactly what I mean. That I think this means. When Jesus Christ the son of God.

Was the essence of God. At the point he issued out from God.

I believe is where the beginning of this way is. I believe it's a reference to the way that we know of his life.

That's revealed to us in the word of God. And it has a beginning from our vantage point looking back.

And that beginning to us. The first beginning we can see anywhere. Is the great counsel of God.

Not the creation of the earth. Not the creation of the angels. And the animals and man.

But it goes back to some time prior to the beginning. Of even the creation of the universe. Or the earth.

At a place where there was a counsel. The bible speaks of this counsel. It's very mysterious. It only mentions it in two places that I know of.

But. A counsel implies two or more people. Now we think of this in terms of.

When we. I don't want to use the word people. I bring that from. From the Trinitarian viewpoint. I think it muddles our understanding.

But in our way of viewpoint. If you had a counsel. On the earth among human beings. It would have to be two or more persons.

Now. With God. I believe that it's called a counsel. At the point after Jesus Christ.

Issues forth and comes out from God. At that time. It's as if God.

Can place him across the table. And speak to one another. The spirit of God.

Is. I would rather think of him. As the omnipresent.

Mode of God. And when we think of omnipresence. We're thinking we have to understand it.

We're talking about. With regard to the material universe. Everywhere you see the phrase omnipresence.

Of God taught in the Bible. It's with regard to the. Physical material universe. So the

Holy Spirit. Is everywhere. That there is anything in the universe. It does not mean he's omnipresent.

In the sense of being everywhere at once. Like we've always taught it. And the way we can prove that is because.

He is not dwelling within Satan. So omnipresence does not carry.

Into the spiritual world. It's in the physical material world. The Holy Spirit is the mode of God.

Which is everywhere in the material world. Why is that different than the spirit of the father?

We know the father is a spirit being. Is he not? The Bible says he's a spirit. We must worship him in spirit.

Why do we need the Holy Spirit? Why is that a distinct mode?

Of God that is needed. That's necessary. That God in his wisdom saw was necessary. Because the father.

Is not to be seen as. Inside this creation. That would limit him.

He's not in the trees in the rocks. In the streams as the

Indians thought. That's paganism. He is greater than that. He is the sovereign.

He is outside of it all. He spoke it all into existence. But in the mode of the

Holy Spirit. He is able to be inside of it all as well. And a part of his own creation as well.

That's why in the beginning. You see the spirit brooding. Over the waters.

And Jesus Christ. Being the word of God. Is God seen. He is the mode of God.

Which you can see with your eye. Touch with your hand. And hear with your ear. The Holy Spirit.

You cannot do that. But he is everywhere. Around us and within us. He is a comforter.

Like Jesus Christ. Because he is the spirit of Christ. But he's not here physically.

For you to see and touch. But he is here for you to feel in your hearts. Dr. Freeman used to say.

Jesus is God seen. The Holy Spirit is God felt. And so we can see as we understand.

This issuing forth. And we go back to the council. We can see a purpose. In what the world.

The church today calls the Trinity. And I don't choose to call it that. Because I think that's a Roman Catholic conception.

That the Protestants borrowed from them. Let's call it triunity. That's more descriptive.

Of how God exists. But we can see the usefulness. Of why

God has manifested himself. In three distinct modes. But one essence and one

God. Now let me tell you. There is a philosophy. That comes from the first century.

Called modalism. And it is a false heretical viewpoint. Of Christianity.

It is not what Tertullian taught. Even though he uses the Latin word. Modulos. Mode.

It's not the false. Type of modalism. False modalism.

Is a belief. That and it's still prevalent today. Have you heard of the.

United Pentecostal Church? It's all around us. I think one of their headquarters. Is right down here on 7th

Street. They are a group that believes. What they call oneness.

Or some people call them. The Jesus only church. And they have gone back.

And taken a heresy that existed. 2000 years ago. In the days of Paul.

Called modalism. And they reinvented it. Gave it a new name. And that's all it is. And what they teach is that.

God exists. As there was a father. At one time.

And then there was the son. And now once the son is manifest.

There is no longer a father. Because they say. There is only one

God. Therefore Jesus is here. There is no father. There is no Holy Spirit. There's only Jesus. So therefore Jesus only.

That's what they believe. So when he ascended back into heaven. Then it's just Jesus only now.

That is heretical. If you read Tertullian's idea of God. And what the scriptures say.

To say that God exists in three modes. Is not heretical modalism. As long as you understand.

All three exist at the same time. God existed.

Even though there was a point. In what we call time. When Jesus issued forth from the father.

Even before that. God existed. As the father. The eternal son.

And the Holy Spirit. And just because Jesus issues out.

Does not eliminate the father. That's what the Jesus only people believe. So you can see how that's heretical.

So I don't wouldn't want you to be confused. And think the word mode is a bad word. because Tertullian uses it very well, it simply means a manifestation.

First Timothy 3 .16 says Jesus was a mode of God, a manifestation of God.

It says Jesus was in fact God manifest in a flesh form.

He says in Colossians, he was all of the fullness of the Godhead manifest in a bodily mode.

Do you see how that does not fit the Trinitarian view in its strictest sense because they would never say that Jesus is the

Father or the Spirit. But the Bible says he was all of the fullness of the

Godhead. Who does that include? Well, let's say this way, who's it leave out? Jesus was all of the fullness.

He was not just the Son. Within Jesus Christ dwelt all of the fullness of the

Godhead in a body. And so it doesn't fit, but it does fit if you just look at the scriptures and I think if you go back far enough in history, you can find the early church fathers who they didn't struggle with it.

The apostles didn't struggle with it. Tertullian lived 150 years later, did not struggle with this and the scriptures certainly do not.

And so we see this idea in Proverbs 8 .22 that the

Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way. That way began when time began.

It means the way that we know about on this earth where it says at the bottom down here the habitable parts of his earth which is where his delights are, the

Lord Jesus, the physical manifestation of God. And so the beginning of God's way doesn't mean

God had a beginning. It means there was a beginning of a way when he had the council. That began a new way.

If you go back in eternity past before the council, it was different than it was after the council.

And God gives us a glimpse of that for some reason and we can't understand it all, but we see a glimpse.

Therefore, we do know something about it. And so Jesus says the

Lord, the God possessed me in the beginning of his way.

Now the word Lord in verse 22 is the word Jehovah. So the

Jehovah of the Hebrews was Jesus Christ, but they don't understand that nor recognize it yet, but they shall someday soon.

And some of them like Dr. Freeman did recognize it, praise God, some Jews are saved today.

He possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old. Now look at verse 23.

Jesus was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

So if you go back sometime before the earth was created, and you go back to a point of the beginning, he was coming forth from everlasting, which is even farther back than that.

And at some point he was set up. That is another reference to the great council when there was a

Jesus Christ who could sit across, and I speak as a man, sit across from the

Father and the two could converse. Set up in the Hebrew, nasach means to pour out as a casting of metal.

Now I want you to think about that for a moment. It's very picturesque.

If you think of the liquid form of metal before it is cast, you could liken that to spirit.

And then when it's poured into the cast and it hardens and you pull it out and stand it up, it's a form that you can see.

And this is what it's speaking of, that Jesus Christ was set up at the council at that time.

He was as if spirit issued out from God and was cast into a form that the eye could see, that existed in a material universe that was about to be created.

Or I don't know now how you discuss that because perhaps, does it happen at the same time?

Let me ask you, I wish Bill were here this morning. Can material exist before there's a universe to hold it?

Ask him that when you get home. I need to know that answer. But there was a way of God that began at this council.

And there became, if you want to think of it as the third heaven, at least it existed, maybe not the stars and the planets and the universe as we know it, but a third heaven where there could in fact be a throne, could in fact be a lamb.

You see, in order for the Father and the Son to converse, there has to be time, maybe not earth time, but there has to be time in order for the speech to go from here to this and from here to that.

Time and space began at that time. That's the beginning of his way. And at that time is when

Jesus Christ was poured out and cast as liquid molten metal cast into a solid form.

Now, it says this happened from everlasting. That's the word olam, which we've studied before.

It's from the vanishing point. Now you think about that. If you go back just prior to the time

Jesus was poured out and cast, there was nothing that could be seen. That's the vanishing point.

That is the Hebrew word for eternity past. Isn't that amazing? Eternity past goes back before the council because at that time, nothing could be seen.

That's the vanishing point. When Jesus was poured out and set forth and set up at that point, there was something that even we would consider to be physical or tangible,

I should say. Now, as we read through, it says,

I was set up from everlasting from the beginning. It's interesting, the word beginning is a different word than the word everlasting.

The word beginning is rosh, and it means to shake as to shake the head.

Isn't it interesting that you go into Genesis 1 .1 where the Holy Spirit hovers over the imageless earth at that time, and the

Hebrew carries a connotation of a shaking. You remember that when Brother Otis taught that the last time?

There's a shaking of the molecules, of the atoms, whatever, even the parts of the atoms.

It's a bringing together into a form, you see. And this is the beginning that this is referring to is the beginning when

Jesus Christ was set forth. Now, he goes on and it uses the word, if you go down through here, you'll see the phrase where it says he was brought forth.

It says, when there were no depths, I was brought forth.

So he was set up, which means to be cast into a, the only way we can think of it, a more physical form.

And now he is brought forth. Now, this Hebrew word is the word cool.

It sounds just like cool. I'm sure you put more in it when you say it in Hebrew.

But it literally means to twist or whirl.

Now, can you picture? God gives us bits of pictures of this as the essence of the eternal son issues out from the father.

It's as if he twists and whirls and spins out, and then there he is. And then they have the council.

A circular or spiral manner of twisting and whirling forth. So when it says that when there were no depths,

I was brought forth, he came out from God. There was a point where the invisible became visible and whirled out of there, out of the essence of God.

And then it goes on and it says, I was brought forth. And it's interesting because it also carries the idea of being built or supported or fostered as a parent or nursed.

So there we see him subsisting as the son of God.

So at the moment he was brought forth, he was also built up, supported, or fostered as a parent would foster or nurse a child.

And I don't mean that in the literal sense. It's figurative language, but it shows the sonship, even from the beginning.

It shows the fatherhood and the sonship. And remember that it all dwelt as one essence before this happened.

And this is why there's one God. So there is only one God. And he was manifest in the flesh, in the manger.

And even before that, there were times when God was shown in the Old Testament as a theophany in different forms.

And then there is the spirit of God, which is the omnipresent God that's inside of this universe.

And then there's the father, which is pure spirit who is beyond and bigger than and outside of this universe.

And this is how God exists. This is how he is. And it's not that hard to understand if you get away from some of the creeds.

If you start reading the creeds, it just really muddles up the words. But I prefer not to speak of God as three persons.

Now, I don't mind if you do. But because all of the creeds have, but you have to understand that that came into being about the year 325 with Constantine and Eusebius.

Eusebius, you would not have even sat under his preaching. He was what we would call a liberal today. And they came forth with the terminology of the persons, the three person.

Have you ever seen a Catholic do this? That's three gods to them.

Father, God, God the Father, the Father God, the Son God, the Holy Spirit God. It's evil.

When you see someone do this, why is it every movie you see when there's a clergy person, it's this?

You never see Jerry Falwell type guy up there just preaching, do you? It's always this.

And it was the way of bringing paganism and polytheism into Christianity.

Now, if what you mean when you talk about the three persons is you just mean three modes in which

God exists, it's okay. But to me, it's confusing to use the word persons. And I know everyone does pretty much, but Tertullian didn't.

Everyone on this side of the Roman Catholics did. And unfortunately, the Protestants picked it up.

And you won't see it in the Bible anywhere. It's God manifest in the flesh.

That's who Jesus is. All of the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Let's stand and have prayer together.

Father, we thank you for your word which you have preserved for us. It is the only thing that you promised to preserve.

You did not promise to preserve theology or dogma.

You didn't promise to preserve the theology of the fathers through the

Roman Catholic times to our day, but you did promise to preserve your word. And thank you that you've given it to us.

Thank you that you've given us your spirit who teaches us. Thank you that the smallest child in this room who can read, can read the word of God under the guidance of the spirit of God and understand things about God that some of the greatest theologians missed.

And we ask you to protect us in these last days. Keep us from the heresies that will spring forth from false teachers all around us.

Lord, keep us safe in your word. May our membership be diligent about reading and studying the word of God on their own every day as protection.

And Lord, thank you for the light and the wonderful glimpses of eternity past that you've given us in the scriptures today and also going out into the future in Sunday school today.

It's as if you've allowed our minds to scan all of time as you've created it from the beginning to the end.

And Jesus was there. We thank you that he's there on both sides, that that means he's coming back again soon.

May we be ready. May we be as a bride in white apparel. We ask you to bless our fellowship time and our meal together in Jesus' name, amen.