Romans 125
Questions
and Answers concerning the Godhead
Brian Kocourek
Question: How can
brother Branham say Jesus was a dual person when Jesus Himself said “I and My Father are One”, and “when you see me you see the Father”?
Answer: This is
probably the most asked question by those with the Oneness mindset in our midst.
First of all, most people do not read the entire encounter between Jesus and
Philip. If you read the entire scripture reference Jesus explains how He is one
with His Father. But most people will not read the scripture in context. No, they read only what will suit their doctrine,
whether it be Jesus Only or Trinity.
In John 14:8 we read, Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew
us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith
unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath
seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of
myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I
am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for
the very works' sake.
When reading the entire conversation between
Jesus and Philip, it
is very apparent that Jesus is telling him and the others that were listening, that when you see Him, you see the Father,
because the Father was in Him, doing the works and telling him what to say. Therefore
what you saw Jesus do, the Father also was doing, thus manifesting Himself to
the World through the speech and actions of His Son, who was 100% yielded to
the Father in all things.
Notice in JOHN
Now, it is very apparent here that Jesus is
telling the Jews that he is helpless unless the Father shows him what to do. He
says, the Son can do NOTHING. Then the son cannot
save, he cannot heal, he cannot redeem, he can do nothing, unless shown by the
Father what to do. These are not the words of One who
is Sovereign. But God is Sovereign. One who is sovereign answers to no one. One
who is sovereign reigns supreme above all. One who is sovereign is fully
independent of all others. Therefore, the Son of God is not and was not
Sovereign, for He was completely dependent upon the Father to act and to speak.
JOHN
In the next verse we find Jesus again
explaining how it works. JOHN 5:21 For
as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth
whom he (The Father) wills. Now, in your own thinking you may have
read that Jesus was saying that He (Jesus) raised up
whomsoever he the son of God wills, but that is not what He has been saying for
the past few verses. He has already been saying that he can do nothing but what
He sees the Father doing, and then why would he turn and say, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth
them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he himself wills. You see how far off the Scriptures
everyone reads them. To read it that way you will have to completely throw out
everything Jesus the Son of God had just been saying about how His relationship
with the Father works.
Now, let’s continue reading what Jesus says
concerning this unique relationship he has with His Father. JOHN 5:22 For the Father judgeth
no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: Now, the word here that is used for committed
is the Greek word didomi which means to grant. And
Paul uses the same word when he says in ROMANS 15:5 ¶ Now the God of patience and consolation grant
you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Notice
Paul uses this word in speaking of God giving us an ability to be likeminded,
and he adds, according to Christ Jesus. Therefore, he is telling us as Jesus was
likeminded with the Father in all things, so too Go has given us the same
ability to become likeminded with Himself. So when God is committing all
judgment to the Son, Jesus is saying, that God has given Him an
ability to Judge as the Father Judges. He is not saying that His
judgment is Sovereign, nor is he saying that His judgment would somehow be
different from the Father’s Judgment. But what He has been telling us is that
He can do nothing except what He has first learned from the Father to do. And
if you read it any other way, you are making Jesus a Hypocrite. How could He be
speaking in one context for several examples and then suddenly change his course.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And if we do not believe that we might
as well hang it up.
JOHN
So how can we refuse Him that speaketh when
He is only speaking the words of the Father. Now,
let’s get back to JOHN
In honoring the Son we are honoring the
Father, because the Son is only doing what the Father has instructed Him to do.
Thus what we see being done is the Father working and the son working hitherto.
Thus in giving honor to the son we are acknowledging the Father’s preeminent
role, and the son’s role of complete obedience to the Father.
Now, in reading the next verse, we must
remember that the Words Jesus is speaking He had first learned from the Father to
say. JOHN 5:24 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. We find Jesus
clarifying this in JOHN 14:10b The
words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Notice he is saying, these are my Fathers words, not mine. This is identical to
what we had read in various other Scriptures so far, and should need no further
elucidation.
JOHN 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and
they that hear shall live. And
why is He saying this? Because He has already established that His Words, and
thus His Voice is nothing short of an echo of God’s own Words and thus God’s
own Voice. And He explains that in the next verse. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath
he given to the Son to have life in himself; Notice then that the
very Life that Jesus had was given to Him by one greater than Himself. His Life
came from the Father. And thus the Father who is the giver of
Life.
Now, in moving forward we find Jesus say in
verse 27 And hath given him
authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Remember,
we had read earlier in verse 22 that the Father had committed all judgment unto
the Son to execute, and we had stated that this was an ability to be likeminded
with the Father. Notice in this verse Jesus tells us the authority to do so was
also given Him by the Father, because He is His Son. John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And
shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as
I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; Why? because I seek not mine
own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. There
you have it. Jesus can judge because God, His Father knows that he will only
judge what God has already judged. He said, I have not
come to do my own will but the will of the father which sent me. Then he says, 31 ¶ If I
bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
In verse 56 we find out Who
the witness is, Jesus is speaking about. And if Jesus is consistent in what he has
been telling them, then it has to be His Father that He is speaking about as we
see in JOHN 5:36 But I have greater witness than [that] of John:
for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that
I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself,
which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his
voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding
in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Now, let’s stop for a moment and look at another scripture
that Jesus is speaking of this Judging. Let’s turn to JOHN
Notice the words of Jesus, he says, I am not
alone. Now, that speaks of another, meaning more than
one is involved here. And he tells us immediately who that other is… I and the Father that sent me. Then he says, 17 It is also written in your law, that the
testimony of two men is true. Then notice
who those TWO MEN are that he uses for his witness. I am one
that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent
me beareth witness of me. Now if Jesus
considered Himself to be One with God in that way, why
would he speak these words? But they could not see His Father because they did
not understand what He was talking about. And so they looked for one that can
not be seen, and missed seeing that He was living in His Son.
Now, in getting back to John
14:8 we read, Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew
us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith
unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath
seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of
myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I
am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for
the very works' sake.
Obviously from what we have seen so far, Jesus
is not saying here that He and His Father are one like your finger is one. But
what He is saying is that the same Word that is in the Father, is abiding in
Him and that makes Him one with the Father. Brother Branham further clarified
this in the sermon,
SHOW US THE FATHER IT'LL SATISFY 56-0422
E-36 Now, it's many times it's been
said that no man can see God at anytime, the Bible said so. But the only
begotten of the Father has declared Him. Philip, here was very inquisitive; he
wanted to see the Father. Says here He said, "I've been so long with you,
Philip, and you don't know Me?" Said, "When you see Me you see My Father." In other words, you see the Father express Hisself through the Son. Him
and the Father were one in the sense that His Father was dwelling in Him, not
Him doing the works; He was a Son, Himself, the mortal, virgin born, Son of
God. And then in Him was dwelling the God, the Father, expressing Hisself to the world, His attitude towards the people.
See? Well, that's how Christ and God were one. God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself. Now, He said,
"When you see Me, you see the Father, and why do
you say, 'Show us the Father?'"
And again in the sermon, HE SWORE BY HIMSELF 54-1212 we can find William Branham clarifying that this is what was meant by Jesus when he spoke to Philip. He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father is in Me." Said, "Show us now the Father." Philip said, "Showeth me the Father and it'll satisfy me." Said, "Philip, I been so long with you, and you don't know Me?" He said, "When you see Me, you see the Father. And why say, 'Show me the Father.' I and the Father are One. My Father's living in Me now. It's not Me that doeth the works; it's Him that dwells in me, that does the works." Oh, my. How could I tell a man what was wrong with him? How could I tell him what his future will be ten years, or what he was forty years ago? It isn't me. Hallelujah. It's Him that lives in me, that come down, that through His Blood brought me in fellowship with Him. Hallelujah. How could my hands do anything by healing the sick? It hasn't got a bit of power. It's not me. But it's Him that dwells in here that does it.
And since three is a witness, let me share
one more quote with you where William Branham further elucidates my point that
Jesus and God were one by reason of the Father abiding in Him, directing Him by
His Word. CONFERENCE 60-1125 E-73 When He said,
"It's not Me
that doeth the works. It's My Father. He dwelleth in
AS I WAS WITH MOSES 51-0503
E-15 When Jesus of
GIFTS 56-1207 E-29 Now, in
Christ dwelt the Fullness of the Godhead bodily. He had all the Spirit of God
in Him. "I and My Father are One," said Jesus. That's the reason the people couldn't
understand Him. Sometimes He'd say something, might look like He turn around and say something different. It was Him
speaking, then the Father speaking. See? They were... And even the
disciples could not understand Him. And right at the last, they said, "Lo, now speakest Thou plainly. Now,
we believe by this if you know all things; no man needs to teach you." Jesus said, "Do
you now believe?" After all that time, they
couldn't get the... Why? That sometimes He'd say this and then say that. It was Him and the Father speaking.
GIFTS 56-1207 E-30 Now,
notice closely. Now, God dwelling in Christ used His voice to
speak by. Jesus said in His miracle, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the
Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise."
Is that right?
SUPER SIGN 59-1227M 86 When He was here on the earth, He proved that He
was God, proved that God was in Him,
because the signs of God followed Him. He said, "If I do not the works of My Father, then believe Me not. But if I do the works of My Father, if you don't
believe Me, believe the works, the sign": Immanuel. "I and
My Father are One. My Father has sent Me. And as He sends Me, so send I
you. The Father that sent Me is with Me;
He's in Me and doing the works of
Himself. It's God in flesh."
SHOW US THE FATHER AND IT WILL SATISFY 60-0731 E-15 "The works that I
do, shall you also." And seeing the same
results by human beings so submitted to God, until the Holy Spirit can work
through those human beings just like the Holy Spirit worked through Jesus, Who
just has confessed that, "I and My Father
are One. My Father dwelleth in Me.
He doeth the works. It's not My words; it's His words."...
See? He was so submitted to God, …
REVELATION CHAPTER ONE 60-1204 198
He was the true and faithful
Witness to God's eternal Word. He was the Word, was God's Word; and being the
Word, He was a Prophet. For the Word of God flowed through Him; He'd say
only the things. "I can do
nothing within Myself, but what the Father shows Me to
do. Not Me that doeth the works, but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. I and My Father are One.
My Father's in Me," said Jesus, the Man, the Tabernacle.
SIRS WE WOULD SEE JESUS 61-1224 21-3 Well,
they could said, "Our men are educated. We're smart; we know that Bible
from generation to generation." "Why then, why don't God make it live
again in them men if it's God's Word? I and My Father are One," not three,
"We are One." God is in Him.
God speaks through Him. He's no more His own, but He's God's voice through
human lips. Hallelujah.
SIRS WE WOULD SEE JESUS
61-1224 24-1 Jesus
said so. Argue with Him, not me; I'm just saying what He said.
"I and My Father are One. It's not Me that doeth the
works; it's My Father; He dwells in Me. If you don't believe Me, believe the Word, 'cause He is the Word. And the Word was made flesh and I am. In the beginning was
the Word."
QA IMAGE OF THE BEAST 54-0515 194-282 And God
came down and dwelt in His Son, Christ Jesus, making Him God on earth. When Thomas said, "Lord, show us the
Father, and it sufficeth us." He
said, "I've been so long with you
and you don't know Me?"
He said, "Why sayest
thou, 'Show us the Father'?" Why, He said,
"When you see Me
you see the Father. I and My Father are One. My
Father dwelleth in Me."
HE SWORE BY HIMSELF 54-1212
156 And God Himself
living in this, making a tabernacle, and He dwelt in Christ. There's God
walking around. He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father
is in Me."
Said, "Show us now the Father."
Philip said, "Showeth me the Father and it'll satisfy me." Said, "Philip, I
been so long with you, and you don't know Me?" He said, "When
you see Me, you see the Father. And why say, 'Show me
the Father.' I and the Father are One. My Father's
living in Me now. It's not Me that doeth the works;
it's Him that dwells in me, that does the works." Oh, my.
HEBREWS CHAPTER 1 57-0821 25-158
Thomas said, "Lord,
show us the Father and it'll satisfy us. Said,
"I've been so long with you and you don't
know Me?" Said,
"When you see Me,
you see the Father. And why say, 'show us, Thou the Father'? I and the Father are One. My Father
dwelleth in Me. I'm just a
Tabernacle called the Son. The Father dwells in Me. Not Me
that doeth the works, it's My Father that dwelleth in Me. He doeth the works,
not Me."
SHOW US THE FATHER 0722 E-64
God in His Son,
do you believe He was? He looked like God; He acted like God; He said He was
God. He cried like God; He healed like God; He died like a man; and He rose
like God. He was God manifested in the flesh. God was in His Son. Do you
believe it? God was in His universe. You believe it? God is in His Word. You
believe it? God is in His Son. You believe it? Could you see Him in Christ?
Jesus said, "When you see Me you see the Father. Why sayest
thou, Show Me the Father?" God was in the Son, reconciling the world
to Himself. Now, God in His universe,
you believe it? God in His Word, you believe it? God in His Son, you believe
it?
UNVEILING OF GOD 64-0614M
257 Jesus once said, "When you see Me, you see the Father." See? God and His Word is One. Now you
understand? When the Word is manifested, what is It? Right. See? 260 Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures, you think you have... You believe in
God, believe also in Me. If I do not the works of My
Father, then don't believe Me. But if I do do the works, I and My Father are One.
When you see Me, you have seen the Father." And when you see the Word made manifest, you see
the Father God, because the Word is the Father; the Word is God. And the
Word made manifest is God Himself taking His Own Word and manifesting It among believers. Nothing can make It live but
believers, just believers.
Masterpiece The 64-0705 69 There in His own image reflecting God, for He said in
Question number
2) what then do we do with the quote where
brother Branham said that Jesus and God were one, but not in the same way as a
husband and wife are one. How does that fit then with what you are saying? Notice
how brother Branham used the same quote twice, but the second time he
elucidated his point much more clearly than the first. And yet if you
understand the doctrine, you won’t have trouble with the first quote, because
you will know what he is saying.
QA HEBREWS PART 2 57-1002
281-Q-63 63. Please explain the Trinity. How can the
Son set at the right hand of the Father, interceding to the Father, if they are
not two persons? Well, beloved friend, that's a... That's a
revelation. If Jesus said, "I and My
Father are One," then how can they be two? See? Now, they're
not two. A woman once said to me, and I was explaining that, said,
"You and your wife are two, yet you're one." I said, "But God and the Son is
different from that. See?" I said, You see
me?" "Yes." "Do you see my wife?" "No." I
said, "Then Father and Son's different; Jesus said, 'When you see Me, you've seen the Father.'" See? The Father and the Son... The Father was Almighty Jehovah God dwelling in a Tabernacle called
Jesus Christ, which was the anointed Son of God. Jesus was a Man; God is a
Spirit. And no man has seen God at any time, but the only begotten of the
Father has declared Him. He was... He... His Personality, His Being, His Deity,
whatever He was, He was God. He was nothing less or nothing more than God. Yet,
He was a man. He was a man, a house that
God dwelt in. That's right. He was God's dwelling place.
Notice that brother Branham pointed out that
we are not talking about two physical being like a man and wife are two
physical beings. But he explained that there is one that was a man, and we know
to be a man you must have body, soul and spirit. But in that man that was fully
man, indwelt the God, the Father, who is Spirit. Thus making
them one by the indwelling. But notice in this next quote how brother
Branham is more specific and shows that the oneness of God and His Son is not
like Husband and wife and He is more clear as to why it is different.
Baptism Of the Holy Spirit 58-0928M 94 Jesus, He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me." No one could read
that any plainer. They said, "Why don't You show us the Father, and it'll satisfy us." John 14:8. He said, "I've been so
long with you and you don't know Me?" He said, "When
you see Me, you see My Father." As a lady once jumped up, she said, "Why,
Brother Branham," she said, "the Father and
the Son are one, just like you and your wife are one." I said, "Oh,
no they're not." I said, "Do you see me?" She said,
"Yes." I said, "You see my wife?" Said,
"No." I said, "Then
they're not the same kind of one. Jesus said, 'When you've see Me, you have seen the Father.
The Father dwelleth in
Palmerworm Locust Caterpillar 59-0823
140 God Almighty, the
Father, dwelt in Him. At the day of the baptism, when He received the Holy
Ghost on the day when John baptized Him, John said, "I beheld and saw the Spirit of God like a Dove descending
from heaven, and a Voice saying, 'This is My beloved Son in Whom I'm pleased to
dwell in.” Jesus said that God was with Him, "I and My Father are One. My Father
dwells in Me.” Not Jesus, and being one with God; but God
was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. 143 And you Oneness brethren, many of you get
off the wrong track when you try to think that God is one like your finger is
one. He can't be His Own Father. He
can't be.
I want to show you the hypocritical nature of
those who preach against what we stand for in one simple prayer that Jesus
preached. In JOHN
Therefore it is very apparent that we are one
by receiving the same Word which bring us into the
same Glory or same mind as the Father. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that
they may be one, even as we are one:
HARVEST TIME
I hope these questions and answers to these questions has helped you to better understand. Next week, we will continue to look at this Oneness with God and His Word. And we will also look to explain some of the other arguments that are being thrown our way concerning their wrong understanding of the Oneness of God, such as Isaiah 9:6, and how Jehovah could be born over a manure pile, and several other lame arguments that are being bantered about with pomp and arrogance. But for now, Let’s just bow our hearts in prayer.
Dear Beloved Father, full of Mercy and
Grace. We acknowledge that we
were born in sin and shaped in iniquity but through the instrument of your Word
you have caused us to be over-comers and have transformed us by the renewing of
our minds that we might be conformed to the image of your son that He might be
the eldest in a vast family of brothers. Grant to us also Father that we be
likeminded even as Your son Jesus was likeminded with you, that You might be in
Him and he in us, and we in you, for you are the Word, and we ask this in the
wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen!