CHAPTER 1

The Godhead

The first thing that we must consider in this study, is a concept ofwhat God is like, and what our relationship is to him. The truesignificance of such an understanding is emphasized in the wordsof the Savior as He prayed, "and this is life eternal that they might knowthee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent" (John 17:3).

From this statement we understand that one of the prerequisitesof eternal life is to know God and His Son Jesus Christ.

In an effort to explain the nature of God, the majority of theChristian churches, through time and councils, have evolved adoctrine that describes God as a spirit only, without body, parts,or passions, and the Godhead as being comprised of three beings,the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, but they are one insubstance. This explanation of God and the Godhead is extremelyvague and creates virtually no plausible concept of what or whoChristians are expected to worship. (see note 1 for discussion onthe Spirit of God and of man at the end of this chapter).

However in Genesis 1:26, we read a very plain inference by Godto His own bodily characteristics, "And God said let us make man,in our own image, after our likeness".... and again in Genesis 1:27,we read, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of Godcreated he him, male and female created he them".

Without groping for dubious meanings we glean from thesescriptures, in their simplest interpretation, that mankind lookslike God.

To further understand our Heavenly Father, let us for just amoment consider His supreme creation whom He has formed inhis own image—MAN.

In general analysis we know that man is composed of a skeletalstructure of bones that is covered with sinew and flesh. Butthere is still a more vital part of man, a part that gives life to thestructure of flesh and bones. This part is known as "the spirit",and it is this part that leaves our bodies when we die. The bodyand the spirit together constitute the soul of man.

Jesus, the one perfect man to walk the earth, was born into thisworld like anyone else, so He too had a body of flesh, bones andspirit. He was active in his ministry only three years when theJews crucified Him. His body was wrapped in linen and placedin a borrowed tomb. Three days after His death the spirit of Jesusreentered His body, as He had foretold (John 2:19-22), and Hearose (Luke 24: 1-9), a resurrected being having everlasting andeternal life.

The events that transpired immediately after Jesus rose from thetomb are rich in explanation of the physical make up and structureof a resurrected, immortal person.

Luke has recorded a momentous meeting that took place afterthe death of Jesus.

His Apostles had gathered the eighth day in secrecy for fear of theJews and were discussing, no doubt, with considerable joy, howthe tomb was empty, and that Jesus had appeared to some of themand to the women out side of His tomb. And then Luke tells usof a wonderful thing that happened.

"And as they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saithunto them, peace be unto you. But they were terrified and a affrighted, andsupposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, why are yetroubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands andmy feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not fleshand bones as ye see me have. And while they yet believed not for joy, andwondered, he said unto them, have ye here any meat? And they gave hima piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb, and he took it and did eatbefore them" (Luke 24: 36-43).

That the Apostles and disciples were terrified and frightenedwhen they saw Jesus, is positive evidence that the time of thismeeting was after His death, because they supposed that they hadseen a spirit. This reaction of the Lord's disciples is a very normaland human one when we realize that they had recently seen theirbeloved Master die on the cross. Were this not the case, no doubtHis appearance would have caused them to feel joy and certainlynot fear.

Let us therefore bear in mind that Jesus stood before His Apostlesand disciples, a resurrected man, with a body that was everlastingand had eternal life. Then He opened their understandings andtaught them that a spirit and a resurrected man are not the samething at all, "for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have",indeed He invited them to satisfy their curiosity through a senseof perception other than their eyes that afterwards they mightnot think that they had been deceived. He invited them to touchand handle His body. What the eyes refused to believe the touchwould only confirm.

The Jesus that stood before them was a resurrected man. Jesuswas now the risen Lord, He had claimed His body through theresurrection. The tomb was empty.

Where then is the resurrected and immortal body of Jesus? Theanswer lies in the scriptures; for as the Apostles and disciples stoodand watched Him ascend into Heaven, two men in white, whowere angels, appeared to them and said, "Ye men of Galilee, whystand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up fromyou into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him gointo heaven" (Acts 1:9-12).

Jesus ascended into heaven with a solid resurrected body andwhen He appears the second time He most assuredly will appearwith the same, immortal, body.

We have no scriptural or logical evidence to indicate that Jesus atthis very moment does not have the same identical body that Heshowed to his Apostles and disciples.

John in his letter to the saints plainly states, "When Jesus appearswe shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

We know then that Jesus, the Son of God and the second memberof the Godhead has an immortal body of flesh, bones and spirit.

God the Eternal Father also has an...