God . . . Three in one? One in three? Slivers of the same? Or three distinct beings?

Despite man’s centuries-old trinity debate, the Bible refers to God in two ways: Corporately at the beginning of creation – Hebrew el-o-heem (Genesis 1:1-2 & John 1:1-14) and as God the Father. Different heavenly beings under corporate God (el-o-heem) are as follows.

• Father: The father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9), the father who gives us the Spirit (Luke 11:13), and the father who forgives (Matthew 6:14-15).
• Son: Took human form to live and die as a man in order to give humankind the choice of life through covenant with Him.
• Spirit: Described as the ‘breath of God’, He is currently on earth to guide and instruct those who follow the Christ (John 16:13).

They’re corporately the same just like company employees or a husband and wife may be of one mind. Jesus pointed this out when claiming that He and His father were one and the same (John 14:11).  However, each is a distinct entity with beautiful attributes.

Different titles for God the Father based on His character and actions:

• His true name, Jehovah/Yahweh – “I am that I am” – “I exist” (Genesis 2:4)
• Creator and Father of spirits (Genesis 6:7, Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 & Hebrews 12:9)
• Healer, Jehovah-Rapha (Exodus 15:26)
• Provider, Jehovah-Jireh (Genesis 22:14)
• Judge of the world through Jesus the Christ (Acts 17:30-31)

Regarding the Son of God: He came to earth and took human form (spirit in body like us) to become the final sacrifice for sin. He has earned the right to rescue us from judgment (Revelation 5) and sits in the kingdom of heaven at the right side of God the father (Ephesians 1:19-20).

What about the Spirit of corporate God? The Spirit is given by God the Father at the moment of true belief (Luke 11:13) and Acts 19:2). He is also a teacher & helper to Jesus’ Followers (John 14:26 and 16:13, and 2Peter 1:21). Finally, the Holy Spirit also gives gifts to the Followers of Jesus to strengthen them. These include the tongues of men and angels along with interpretations, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and discerning of spirits (Acts 2:4 & 13, and 1Corinthians 12:7-10).

El-o-heem God corporately describes creator, savior, and helper – three distinct individuals working together to reconcile God the Father of Spirits with His creation. Who – or what – is your god?

Keep an eye out for “Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don’t Discuss!” scheduled for a mid-2015 publication. There, you’ll find roughly 60 topics related to daily life (such as sex, religion, finances, tattooing, and everything in between!) along with practical application of God’s guidance for navigating those difficult waters!

And, for a very comprehensive and detailed study of the very important topic of God’s judgment to come and being rescued from it, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!