“…ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME, IN HEAVEN AND EARTH”

(Matthew 28:18)

A Bible Study about God

By Pastor Maurice R. Gordon

Lovingway United Pentecostal Church, Denver, CO

Introduction

To every sincerely honest seeker of truth, this is a lovingly presented message of revelation directly from the throne of God. We pray that you will open your heart to the one, and only “…faith once delivered to the saints…” (Jude 3). It might be shocking to realize that many of the modern “Christian” teachings do not even resemble what the Bible-era church taught and practiced, especially the fact that so much of the Bible is ignored when someone is searching for salvation. Since salvation is a matter of eternal life and death, we hope that you will be compelled to open it and take a second look at the first church!

Religion cannot save someone from hell. Creeds and traditions have created a slippery slope sending seekers away from truth. Popular religion’s “easy believism” with its vain, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9.) tiptoes around sin and its awful consequences, offering free and easy salvation with little or no expected change in one’s behavior. They teach that one can “accept the Lord as their person Savior,” without accepting and obeying His commandments. Unfortunately, this saves no one (Luke 6:46, John 14:23).

Billions of unwitting souls are being deceived by the spiritually blind, who are using the media to steer people away from the “old time religion” as was practiced in the New Testament church. To many, religion has become a moneymaking business. But the true gospel is free! Jesus paid for it with his shed blood. Only Jesus saves!

The title of this Bible study comes from a portion of Matthew’s account of the gospel. Just like Matthew 28:18 cannot be understood without its context, neither can Matthew’s account of the commission be understood--and obeyed--unless it is analyzed along with the other three inspired gospel writers who also recorded His words. Jesus said, in Matthew 24:4 “…take heed that no man deceive you.” Deceivers create “…cunningly devised fables…” (2 Peter 1:16), and come up with doctrines, by taking bits and pieces of scriptures while ignoring the context. Beware!

Read on, to understand:

·  Why the first disciples (proto Christians), worshipped Jesus as their God after the day of Pentecost (Acts 1, 2).

·  How the first disciples baptized all repentant coverts in Jesus’ name for remission of sins (since the blood is in His name).

·  That all believers “…spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance…” when they were baptized with the Holy Ghost (See Acts 2:4).

What does the Bible say about who God is?

Let’s start our study by opening our Bibles to Matthew 28: 16-20. Every verse is an integral part of Jesus’ command to His disciples, who had not yet received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In verse 18, Jesus reveals to them who He was when He said “…all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Let’s stop and examine other related verses to understand how and why He made that declaration. When we do, we’ll understand what the name referred to in verse 19 is!

Jesus Christ’s true identity

1.  “…God with us…” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).

2.  “…The mighty God, the everlasting Father…” (Isaiah 9:6).

3.  “…Jesus Christ, this is the true God, and eternal life…” (1 John 5:20).

4.  “…The Great God and our saviour Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13).

5.  “…My Lord and my God…” [what “doubting Thomas” said when he saw Jesus after the resurrection] (John 20:26).

6.  Jesus [the word made flesh] “…was in the world, and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not…” (John 1:1-10).

7.  “…the Lord of glory, the crucified one…” (1 Corinthians 2:8).

8.  “…and who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalms 24:10).

9.  “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which was, and which is, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). [Do you realize that “the Almighty” mentioned in this verse is the only one who could have “all power” as recorded in Matthew 28:18?]

10. “…Lord God almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come: because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned” (Revelation 17:14). [That’s where Jesus got all His power!]

11. Jesus: “The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lord…, which regardeth not persons…” (Deuteronomy 10:17).

12. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of Kings…” (Revelation 17:14).

Please keep reading! There’s more to come.

So what about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity?

I’d like to pause momentarily to comfort and encourage the millions of our God-loving friends, who are wondering why they have never been taught that there is only one God—as these scriptures affirm. Instead, they have been accepting the three-person mystery called the trinity [which some believe has as many as nine person!] It is not my wish to depart from the theme of this Bible study, in which God is revealing Himself through His infallible word, but I need to make a few comments concerning the classic false doctrine, spread by the cunning “...author of confusion…” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Every since Satan was expelled from heaven, he has hated Jesus and his friends. Lucifer had been created perfect, “…till iniquity was found in him…” (Ezekiel 28:15) and he literally “…fell from grace…” (Galatians 5:4, Luke 10:18). Now he is “…the father of lies…” (John 8:44). “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost… In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). And, what better way is there to blind and manipulate minds as he did Eve and billions more, than to conceal the true identity of The Eternal God?

The Apostle Paul sounded the alarm: “For I am jealous over you, with Godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, [not three] that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). And again, the watchman sounds His trumpet, “Husband love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). [This scripture helps us to understand John 3:16]; “That He might sanctify and cleanse it… that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Now He gives a wake-up call. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, [Satan] preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1: 6-9).

The Bible says that false doctrine was a growing menace even in the New Testament church. “Now the Sprit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).

Apostate leaders of the Catholic Church created the doctrine of the trinity. Cunning demons inspired Gnostic paganism from Athens [“…totally given to idolatry…” (Acts 17:16)] and collaborated with Rome [“…mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots” (Revelation 17:4)] to come up with the doctrine. By clever policies, they incorporated the popular teaching of heathen philosophers with Christianity, and—behold, a “miracle” evolved—unscriptural tritheism.

What an irony! Satan used a similar “miracle” to deceive Moses’ brother Aaron when he lied and said in Exodus 32:23-24, “…For they said unto me, make us gods, which shall go before us… and I said unto them, whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me; and I cast it into the fire—and there came out this calf!” James 2:19 adds an ironic twist, “Thou [the saints of the most high God] believest there is one God: thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble.” Yes, Satan will never forget who demoted him. He knows exactly who Jesus was, is and will be. But Satan wants you to believe that Jesus is the second person of his trinity!

Dear searcher, heed the warning of the prophets and apostles: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). Just be sure that you end up with the sheep and not with the goats in the final judgment (See Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20:10-15).

Hear the apostle in Colossians 2:8-10: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead [deity] bodily. And ye are complete in Him which is the Head of all principality and power.”

What else does the Bible Say about God being One

Now it is becoming easier to understand how and why Jesus said what He did in the title of this study. But before we return to that passage, in case there is still a trace of doubt in your mind about true, scriptural monotheism, here are a few more revealing passage from God’s infallible word.

The most quoted verse in the Bible is Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” Unfortunately that verse is usually taken from its context, which includes verse 5 as well, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Knowing the truth is one thing—but knowing it and living it creates the faith that God rewards.

There are some other awesome and absolutely profound passages from Isaiah we should look at before we leave this subject:

·  “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? Sayeth the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25).

·  “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary” (Isaiah 40:28).

·  “Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me, there is no God. And who, as I shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: Have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a god beside me? Yea, there is no god; I know not any” (Isaiah 44:6-8).

·  “Tell ye, and bring them near; let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside me; a just god and a saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isaiah 45:21-23).

·  “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no god beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:5-7).

·  “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18).

Also take note of Philippians 2: 9-11: “Wherefore God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

Now What?

So, have you been misled by false prophets? What can you do? God himself (now that you understand who He is,) will show you the way: “Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and board is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Don’t be afraid to follow “God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). One more comforting promise will be encouraging: “The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (1 Peter 3-9).

And speaking of repentance, let’s return in our Bibles to Matthew 28:19-20, since you now understand verse 18.