"THREE IN ONE"

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 20 & 21) I can't think of a better way to end this debate, then to admit to you and everyone else that Jesus is the One and Only Son of God!!! True, true, true as can be; Jesus is the Son! He is the Second Person of the Three Person God!!! As Jude expounded in this power packed little epistle, "building up yourselves on your most holy faith" requires that we relate to and look to All Three of the Godhead Persons, because they are All Three required for our completeness in God! The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost are all One complete God; and as hard as that might be for some to swallow, it does not change Who They are, was and always will be! Adam, you used as a reference, 1 Corinthians 8:4 & 6 as the proof that the Father is the ONE GOD; listing also that which Jesus spoke in John 17:3 about "that they might know thee the only true God", which was part of His prayer in His final hours. Like I said yesterday, If you take these verses alone to mean what you think that they are saying, then you might be able to prove your point; however, no single verse is ever meant to be taken alone as the definition or the context of what is being said. I was told something a long time ago, and it has become my general rule of thumb: if a single verse is presented to me, I should always include at least three prior or the three after, or both, before I base an opinion of what that verse is saying. Sometimes the single verse can mean just the opposite of what you think that it does, if you do not combine it with the surrounding verses. This is one of the sharp differences that I can remember from studying with the J.W.'s as a child: they do not study the complete Bible. They study from their Scripture Studies, which are printed by The Watchtower Tract Society; and in the process of their studies, there is a Scripture reference given, at which time they stop, look it up in their New World Translations Bible, and then agree that the Studies are correct. Quite amazing how easy it is to convince someone truth, without actually using the Whole Truth of God!!! First off, the point that Paul was making in 1 Corinthians 8:6, was about touching those things that are sacrificed to idols, and about having a clear conscience, whether with your self or with others. The reference that Paul was making about "But to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him", was to illustrate whom we are to worship, because in the verse prior to this, he states, "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be gods many, and lords many; but to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him." Do you see how including the previous verse can bring new meaning? Now, concerning John 18:3; which is the beginning of Jesus praying to the Father, as he is about to give His life for you and me. Again, you cannot just take a single verse or two, and make a doctrinal case with it. Verse three, taken by itself, can mean just about whatever you want it to mean, depending what definition you are looking for; for He says, "And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ , whom thou hast sent." Let's try again, but this time, try taking in the magnitude of this prayer, remembering that Jesus is about to give His life, and be humiliated and scourged for us! This time let's take the first five verses together as one!!! "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given Him (being the Son) power over all flesh, that He (being the Son) should give eternal life to as many as Thou (being the Father) hast given Him (being the Son). And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou hast gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." So there!!!