THE GODHEAD

Based on a study found at : http://www.bibletruths.net/Great%20Truths/GT01.htm



The word "Godhead" occurs three times in the scriptures (Acts 17: 29, Rom. 1: 20, Col. 2: 9, KJV). The "Trinity" is another way of saying "The Godhead.

(Acts 17:23-33 KJV)
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription,
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
{24} God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
{25} Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing,
seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
{26} And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
{27} That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him,
though he be not far from every one of us: {28} For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
{29} Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
{30} And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
{31} Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness
by that man whom he hath ordained;
whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
{32} And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked:
and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
{33} So Paul departed from among them.


(Rom 1:16-23 KJV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
{17} For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
{18} For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
{19} Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
{20} For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
{21} Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful;
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
{22} Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
{23} And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,
and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

(Col 2:6-10 KJV)
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
{7} Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving.
{8} Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
{9} For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
{10} And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

There are two different Greek words translated Godhead in these occurrences, theiotes and theotes. Thayer says Godhead (theiotes) means, "divinity, divine nature" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, pg. 285). Vine distinguishes between these two words: "Theiotes, the attributes of God, His Divine nature and properties; theotes indicates the Divine essence of Godhood, the personality of God" (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). The Godhead, then, is divinity, divine nature, and the essence of God, simply stated. It is essential that we also understand the term inspired writers used to designate the Creator - "God." "God" is from the Greek theios which means "divine, deity" (Thayer, pg. 285).

The Godhead consists of three entities.
The term God (divine) is applied to the Father (Rom. 1: 7),
(Rom 1:7 KJV)
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father,
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

the Son (Heb. 1: 8),
(Heb 1:8-12 KJV)
But unto the Son he saith,
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
{9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
{10} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth;
and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
{11} They shall perish; but thou remainest;
and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
{12} And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed:
but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5: 3, 4).
(Acts 5:3-4 KJV)
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost,
and to keep back part of the price of the land?
{4} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?
why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? t
hou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.


While three entities comprise the Godhead (state of being God), they are one in nature, purpose, and thinking (cf. Jn. 14: 8-11).

(John 14:8-11 KJV)
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show 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, Show 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.

The scriptures never refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Godhead) as "gods". When "gods" is used, it refers to idols or pagan pantheons (Ex. 12: 12).

(Exo 12:12 KJV)
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night,
and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast;
and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment:
I am the LORD.

Moreover, it is significant that the Hebrew adjective of singularity (one) is used with the plural noun God (Elohim).

(Deut. 6: 4 KJV).
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.

Notwithstanding, the scriptures clearly present three separate and distinct entities or personalities:

(2 Cor 13:14 KJV)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

(Eph 4:3-6 KJV)
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
{4} There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
{5} One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
{6} One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
(Mat 3:16-17 4:1KJV)
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
{17} And lo a voice from heaven, saying,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
(Mat 4:1 )Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

In view of the exalted magnificence of the God of heaven, it is a great privilege to learn of him from the Bible, and serve Him. Paul preached the following about God in his famous sermon in Athens, Greece:

"…and set the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us" (Acts 17: 26, 27).

(Acts 17:24-28a KJV)
God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,
dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
{25} Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing,
seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
{26} And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
{27} That they should seek the Lord,
if haply they might feel after him, and find him,
though he be not far from every one of us:
{28} For in him we live, and move, and have our being;


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