Answering Islam - A Christian-Muslim dialog

Is The Holy Spirit Jesus’ God As Well?

Sam Shamoun

Question:

In one of your articles you stated that the Father became Jesus’ God due to his incarnation. You argued that by becoming flesh Christ acquired a nature that was created, which therefore made him part of creation. As a result of this, Christ began submitting to the Father as his God. You further stated that the Father continues to relate to his Son as God since the Son continues to exist as a man as a result of his resurrection. With that said, does this mean that the Holy Spirit also became (and continues to be) the God of Christ? After all, if the Son submits to and honors the Father as his God by virtue of possessing a human nature that was created then why wouldn’t he also honor the Holy Spirit as God seeing that he is the other member of the Trinity who did not become flesh?

Answer:

The Holy Spirit did not become Christ’s God at the Incarnation. Rather, it is the Father alone who became and continues to be the God of Christ:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? … From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God… Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feetThey divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” Psalm 22:1, 10, 16, 18 – cf. Matthew 27:33, 35, 46; Mark 15:25, 27, 34; Luke 23:33-34; John 19:23-24

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from eternity. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.” Micah 5:2-4 – cf. Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 2:4-7

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” 2 Corinthians 1:3

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

The reason why God’s Spirit didn’t become Jesus’ God is because the Holy Bible is clear that, even though Christ operated in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish his earthly mission, it wasn’t the Spirit that sent him into the world. Nor did Christ become flesh so as to accomplish the Spirit’s will.

Rather, it was the Father who sent his Son into the world:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.” John 3:34-35

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.” John 6:57

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.’” John 8:42

“What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?” John 10:36

“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’” John 11:41-42

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” John 20:21

“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,” Romans 8:3

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” Galatians 4:4-5

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins… And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:9-10, 14

The inspired Scriptures also teach that the Lord Jesus came to perfectly accomplish the Father’s will and to speak whatever the Father commanded him to say:

“Meanwhile his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ Then his disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:31-34

“Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed… By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me… I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sentI have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.’” John 5:19-20, 30, 36-38, 43

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38

“‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.’ They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him… I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.’” John 8:25-29, 38

“For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” John 12:49-50

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves… I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Come now; let us leave.” John 14:10-11, 30-31

"I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:4-5

“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, “Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, O God.”’ First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’ – though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second.” Hebrews 10:5-9

Part of the Father’s will entailed that the Spirit would be sent to aid his beloved Son to fulfill his earthly mission:

“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Acts 10:36-38

Hence, even though Jesus submitted to the Spirit’s leading this didn’t make the Holy Spirit his God anymore than Jesus submitting to and obeying his mother and adoptive father made them his God as well:

“Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’ ‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:41-51

It was the Father’s will for Jesus to not only submit to Mary and Joseph but also to come under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

That Jesus’ Incarnation didn’t necessitate his submitting to the Holy Spirit as his God can be further seen from the fact that, even though Christ continues to honor his Father as God while in heaven, he actually has the divine authority to send forth the Spirit upon believers in conjunction with the Father:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’ Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’” John 1:29-34

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me.” John 15:26

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

“Seeing what was to come, he [David] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that his soul was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his flesh see decay. This Jesus God has raised up again, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” Acts 2:31-33

The Holy Spirit is even said to be the Spirit of both the Father and the Son:

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” Acts 16:6-7

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:9-11

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:6-7

“for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Philippians 1:19

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” 1 Peter 1:10-12

The reason why the Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Christ is because the Son has authority to send forth and command the Spirit much like the Father does:

“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you… I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:7, 12-15

As such, the Spirit submits to the Son in the same way that he submits to the Father.

In light of this, the Son does not submit to the Holy Spirit as his God despite the fact that he was dependent upon God’s Spirit to guide and empower him during his earthly ministry, since it was the Father who had decreed that such would be the case. Rather, it is the Father alone that the Son submits to and honors as his God since it was the Father who sent him and it was his will which Christ came into the world to accomplish. The Holy Spirit was sent to assist Christ to perfectly carry out the mission which the Father sent him to do.