Expert: Edward Bode - 9/15/2011

Question
QUESTION: I was wondering if it was wrong to preach that God himself died for our sins? John 1:1-14 1Tim 3:16  John 8:58  John 10:30. I mean when we say Jesus was the son of God I know what were saying is God was born as a man to die for our sins and that God in the flesh walked on the earth and he was indeed the son of God, cause God had to take on human form and be like us. But sometimes people get on the Trinity and start trying to make it sound like 3 Gods. I know God is 1x1x1=1 That God is the Father, son and Holy spirit. So I want to preach Christ Crucified but saying that God himself died for our sins. Some people are getting a idea that Jesus was the son of God in the same respect as I am my Dad's son.

ANSWER: The doctrine of the Trinity [3 Persons in 1 God [divine nature] and that of the Incarnation [The Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, became man (human soul and body)] both affect how we talk/preach about the death of Jesus Christ.
The Second Person of the Trinity is God eternal; so, that divine Person did not die.  However, the human Jesus, his body and soul, died [were separated]and later rose from the dead.  At that time [during the human death], the divinity was not separated from the humanity of Jesus.
The salvific value of Jesus' death come from His being a divine Person as well as a human being.
These are very complex theological truths [mystery] and as such difficult to express in preaching.
I would appreciate your comments, Josh, on my answer.  Best wishes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok great answer, that helped a lot. Sometimes you get many many different ideas on this. Well first I guess to be biblical we should say God head, since Trinity isn't found in scripture. Now to me God is one God. Just like the Jews say. By the way I was discussing this same question with a Messianic Jew but come to find out he was a regular Jew and he was trying to get me to go back under the law and old testament. But anyway to me God is one God, no doubt. But he has shown himself to us in 3 Ways. 1Tim 3:16  John 10:30  John 8:58  John 1:1-14 and many others says it all. I mean how can people argue with the bible. It clearly states that God manifested in the flesh. Your answer was good, I liked that. You put it in a good clear way. Sometimes people do indeed make it seem like we believe in 3 Gods or One God and 3 Persons. Like I said I believe in one God. I believe God chose to show his self in 3 ways. God is the father, God is the Son and God is the Holy Spirit. Now the messianic Jew said I was wrong. Whats your thoughts?

Answer
Some do use "Godhead," but I do not believe that appears in the bible.
God has shown Himself as, and is, three distinct Persons.
That there are three distinct Persons in the one God means that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father, the Holy Spirit is not the Father, etc.
Considering all the NT statements about God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, many early Christian writers strove to offer some humanly-worded explantion [theology] to shed some light on the divine mystery. Some appear in early "Creeds" and early written treatises.  
If you would like me to provide some info on this process, let me know.  
You may have to start another question to continue as I think the site only allows one follow-up.
Best wishes, Josh.