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Question 9What About The Three Persons In Heaven?
- A. Jesus said, “There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy ghost” (1 John 5:7).John is not out to prove that there are three persons in heaven for we know that he John told us in his gospel that in the beginning in heaven there was God and his Word (John 1:1) he’s not going to tell us here that there are three in heaven when he has already told us that God is one! And in the beginning there was God and the Word was God (John 1:14).Secondly this chapter is about being born of God, the term is used three times in this chapter and John introduces the witness which is Jesus! (V6) and since he is the witness he testifies to our new birth in Word and Spirit.
So he’s not talking of three “persons” in heaven, he’s referring to the “witness” in heaven which is Jesus. He came as the Word and Spirit, “this is he who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness” (v6).So now we know that Jesus is God’s witness on earth we must ask who are the three in heaven? The answer is, God’s witness! And we know this because it states that the three in heaven are not Father Son and Holy Ghost but Father Word and Holy Ghost, the son was he that was in the earth, that’s what the three are a witness too. The three bear witness to the Son on earth, him born of water and Spirit and all those who are born of water and Spirit.Let me take this study further here for a moment. Let’s look at the word “Word” We know that “Word” is “Logos” not “anthropos” (person)! Logos is not person, but that which comes forth from a person. That’s why he’s not talking of the trinity, he’s talking here of the testimony, the testimony that God has given us his Son (v10).Jesus said I (Word) come forth from the Father. This means as the Word he was sent, but as the Son he came forth. He came out of the Father’s bosom, because he and the Father are one and he is both his own father and his father’s Word (John 10:30).A man and his word are the same. My words that I speak are not another person. It’s me that’s talking and the words come from my spirit. Hence my Son could say of me that his Father spoke a word from his spirit. The same with God! The Father’s word is that which he speaks, and what he speaks comes forth from his Spirit.The Word and the Spirit have always come from the self same person. Jesus said the word he spoke were not his, but the Father’s. That is they came from his Spirit, God!The misunderstanding between Logos (Word) and anthropos (person) has led many to believe that Jesus is a second “person” and was in heaven with the Father in the beginning. John however clearly tells us, “In the beginning was the Word…. and the Word was God” (John 1:1). So there was no distinction between the Word and God in the beginning. The only distinction was when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (v13).There is only one man in the heavenlies, the man Christ Jesus! He’s the witness!EXTRA NOTE: Note the word “witness” These three are a witness not to the trinity but to him who came in the flesh, Jesus Christ. “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ not by water only, but by water and blood and it is the the spirit that beareth witness.” because the spirit is truth.” (v6)“And this is the record (witness..PT) that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son” (v11).In my studies I often add extra notes to what i have observed. these notes are available in a series called God notes which I can make available to you.