Whatsoever I Have Commanded You: A Christ Centered Approach to Christian Doctrine

By Dr. Charles W. King

Whatsoever I Have Commanded You by Dr. Charles W. King

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638140535

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A Word of Introduction

When Jesus ended His earthly ministry, He stated what we have called the Great Commission. In a literal and grammatical translation, his words in Matthew 28:19, 20 might be as follows: (You) going, make (imperative mode, so a command) disciples of all the nations (you) immersing them (participle with imperative sense—so a command) into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, (you) teaching (another participle with an imperative sense, so a command) them to hold on to (obey) all things whatever I commanded you, and be watching (a command, though by this time may have been more of an exclamation) I (emphatic) am (not will be) with you all the days until the completion of the age (CWK).

This command constitutes the last words we have from Jesus. He gave it first to His apostles, but also since He commands to them to teach all things, that includes this command and makes it a command to us. It is one of the things he commanded. Therefore, the command passes to all those who follow.

John 16:12–15 becomes an extension of this commission. Jesus says, "I have many things to say to you, but ye cannot (literally, are not having the power to) bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of the truth is come, He shall guide you in all the truth, for He will not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He will hear He will speak, and He will declare the things coming to you. That one (the spirit) will glorify (Me), because He will receive from Me and tell it to you. All (things) whatsoever the Father is having are mine, because of this I said that He will receive the (things) of Me (emphatic) and tell them to you" (CWK).

These three verses indicate that the things He commanded are not completed in the gospels, but the rest of His commands through the work of the Holy Spirit would be communicated to those who had that special inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the period after Jesus had returned to the Father. This makes the teaching of the apostles an extension of the things Jesus commanded, since the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the apostles for Jesus not Himself.

A Criticism of Current Christian Doctrine Texts

The balance between what Jesus commanded while He had a physical presence here and the things he commanded through the Holy Spirit may well be considered in the light of the volume of material in the New Testament. If you exclude Revelation, almost half of the New Testament contains an account of the life of Jesus. I have been concerned that typical texts in Christian doctrine give little space to the actual teaching of Jesus as given in the Gospels. I wonder if this may be one reason for some of the weaknesses in Christian living we frequently find among the orthodox.

Another way to look at the place of the Gospels relates to their position in the New Testament revelation. They are given first. This may mean that they are a necessary prelude to the later instructions given through the Holy Spirit and the inspired apostles, and a necessary base for obedience to this later revelation.

I am including a brief section on the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus. Since Jesus said, Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58), these may be said to be the teaching of Jesus concerning Himself.

What Jesus Taught about Himself by the Old Testament Prophets

In our introduction, we stated that the teaching of the apostles were the teachings of Jesus since He said that the Holy Spirit would speak not of Himself but would speak what Jesus told Him to speak. If the Holy Spirit inspired the Old Testament writers, this may be considered retroactively to be speaking the things of Jesus when they make prophecies concerning the coming Messiah.

The Old Testament writers record at least thirty-eight predictions concerning the life and work of Jesus. I am attaching a chart, which gives each of these predictions and the record of its fulfillment in the life of Jesus. I summarize them and indicate their importance in this discussion.

It seems almost unnecessary, but the first of these predictions states that He would be born as a human being, of a woman. In His ministry, Jesus stressed His humanity. He frequently referred to Himself as Son of Man. The word man is anthropos, the generic term that includes both genders. Greek has another word for man (or husband) which is gender specific.

Matthew places Jesus’ genealogy from David first in his account. Luke includes his genealogy, but carries it back to Adam. Prophecies concerning His genealogy include that He would be a descendant of Abraham, a descendant of Isaac, a descendant of Jacob, a descendant of Judah, and a descendant of David. Both Matthew and Luke believed that this was important enough to give space to the names of the ancestors including those between these. Both are careful to indicate descent from David and so qualify Him as an heir to David’s throne.

Prophecies of His birth include that He would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. They indicate that He would be born of a woman who had never had sexual relations (a virgin). Prophecies of Daniel even indicate the date of His birth.

There are predictions of details of His life, including the flight of His family to Egypt, the fact that part of His work was in Galilee, the fact that the Jewish leaders rejected Him and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matthew 2:23 mentions his residence in Nazareth and that He would be called a Nazarene, as something foretold by the prophets. We can find no direct reference to this in our Old Testament, but the ASV in a footnote comments that it may have been in the Hebrew text but not included in the mainline texts.

The most detailed predictions relate to His trial and crucifixion. The prophets foretell His betrayal by a friend and the exact amount paid for the betrayal. They predict that during the trial, these things would happen. False witnesses would accuse Him. He would be silent when accused. He would be smitten, spit upon, and hated without a cause. They foretell these facts about His crucifixion. He would be crucified with sinners. His hands and feet would be pierced. His tormentors would mock and insult Him while He was dying; He would be given gall and vinegar after being crucified. Prophetic words about Him would be repeated in mockery while He was on the cross; He would pray for those who crucified Him from the cross, and those who crucified Him would cast lots for His garments. After He was removed from the cross, His side would be pierced, but none of his bones broken. He was buried with the rich. All these things occurred exactly as predicted. The prophets provided no predictions that were not fulfilled.

The prophets also foretold His resurrection from the dead, and His upward ascension.

The prophets predict the nature of His work. They described Him in prophecy as a prophet and as a high priest. They also foretell that He suffered vicariously and the fact the spirit of God was upon Him.

Two other events that relate to His life but in which He did not participate are also foretold. First, they foretold the massacre of the infants by Herod in an effort to destroy this new king. Second, they foretold that the money given to Judas as payment for betraying Him would be used to buy a potter’s field in which unidentified corpses could be buried.

These prophecies constitute a very rare and important validation of the ministry of Jesus. They could not happen by chance. A man in a class my father taught had a circular slide rule, and I am not sure exactly what his approach was, but he calculated the probability that this fulfillment of prophecy could happen by chance. His result was that not enough people have yet been born to make the probability that it happened by chance statistically significant.

Prophecies Concerning Jesus

Physical prophecies

The nature of His birth

Seed of woman: Genesis 3:15, Galatians 4:4, Luke 2:7

His genealogy

A descendant of Abraham: Genesis 12:3, 18:18, Matthew 1:1, and Luke 3:34

Descendant of Isaac: Genesis 17:19, Matthew 1, and Luke 3:34

Descendant of Jacob: Genesis 28:14, Numbers 24:17, Luke 3, and Matthew 1:2

Descendant of the tribe of Judah: Genesis 49:10, Luke 3:34, and Matthew 1:2

Heir to the throne of David: Isaiah 9:7, Matthew 1:1, 6

The place and time of His birth

Born in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:1–7

Time of His birth: Daniel 9:25, Luke 2:1–7

Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26–35

Events concurrent to His life

Massacre of the infants: Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:16

The money for His betrayal bought a potter’s field: Zechariah 11:13, Matthew 27:3–10

Events in His life

Events in His ministry

Flight to Egypt: Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:14, 15

He would be a resident of Nazareth: Isaiah 11:1

Ministry in Galilee: Isaiah 9:1, 2; Matthew 4:12–16

He was rejected by the Jews: John 1:11; 5:43; Luke 4:29, 17:25, 23:18

The triumphal entry: Zechariah 9:9; John 12:13, 14; Matthew 21:1–11

Events related to His betrayal and crucifixion

He was betrayed by a friend: Psalm 41:9, Mark 14:10, Matthew 26:14–16, Mark 14:43–45

He was sold for thirty pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15, 27:3–10

False witnesses accused Him: Psalm 27:12, 35:11; Matthew 26:60, 61

Silent when accused: Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:62, 63, 27:12–14

Smitten and spit upon: Isaiah 50:6; Mark 14:65; Matthew 26:67; John 19:1–3, Mark 16:19

Hated without a cause: Psalm 69:4, 109:3–5; John 15:23–25

Crucified with sinners: Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27, 28; Luke 23:33

His hands and feet were pierced: Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; John 20:25–27, 19:37

He was mocked and insulted: Psalm 22:6–8, Matthew 27:39–44, Mark 15:29–32

He was given gall and vinegar: Psalm 69:21, John 19:29, Matthew 27:34

He hears prophetic words repeated in mockery: Psalm 22:8, Matthew 27:43

He prays for His enemies: Psalm 109:4, Isaiah 53:12, Luke 23:34

Events after He died

His side was pierced: Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34

They cast lots for His garments: Psalm 22:18, Mark 15:24, John 19:24

Not a bone was broken: Psalm 34:20, Exodus 12:46, John 19:33

He was buried with the rich: Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:57–60

He rose from the dead: Psalm 16:10, Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:36–48, 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 (and other places)

He ascended to heaven: Psalm 68:18; Luke 24:50, 51; Acts 1:9

His nature

He was a prophet: Deuteronomy 18:15; John 6:14; Acts 3:19–26

He was a high priest: Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 6:20; 5:5, 6; 7:15–17

Suffered vicariously: Isaiah 53:4–5, 6, 12; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3

God’s spirit was on Him: Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16, Luke 4:18, John 1:32, 33

Events after His life

Judas’s apostleship given to another: Psalm 109:7 and 8, Acts 1:16–26

He Who Prepared the Way

John the Immerser

Understanding the function of John the Immerser forms an important part of understanding all whatsoever Jesus commanded. First, at least two prophecies link his life to the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3–5 and Malachi 3:1, 4:5).

Malachi says, Behold I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way (Malachi 3:1) and Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come (Malachi 4:5). Isaiah says, The voice of one that crieth, prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God" (Isaiah 40:3) (all ASV).

Matthew 11:14; Mark 9:11–13; Mark 1:2; Matthew 3:3; Luke 1:76, 3:2–6; John 1:23 give additional details of his coming. Matthew 3:1 describes him as a voice crying in the wilderness. This was true, for he did most of his ministry in the wilderness of Judea. Luke 1:17 says that he was to come in the spirit and power of Elijah. He denied that he was any of these prophets (John 1:21), but Jesus said that he was the Elijah, whose coming was foretold (Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 11:14). The use of the metaphor or synecdoche eliminates any contradiction between Jesus and John.

In that time, when the ruler wanted to travel, or to move his armies, it was a common practice for him to send workers ahead to prepare a road. This made for much easier, efficient, and comfortable travel. Queen Semiramis had the Way of Semiramis prepared from Babylon into Persia. It is still in use. She did similar works to all the countries she ruled. These became her greatest memorial to herself. Arian’s history (B. LIV. C hxxx) indicates that Alexander did the same as far as the Indus River, for otherwise he would have had no mode for passing through the region. Roman roads had a much wider use. They were the means of trade and political control, and many of their roads are still used.

The process of building the road consisted of cutting down or through the mountains and filling in the low palaces. With the road, a horse could pull a chariot a much longer distance in a day, and the ride was much more comfortable. Of course John did not construct any physical road for Jesus. This is figurative language (another metaphor) concerning the work that John was assigned to accomplish. It makes throwing down the high places his assault on the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herod Antipas. (He was beheaded because of his rebukes to the later and, more importantly, Herodias.) He, as Jesus, assaulted the high place given these persons. Filling in the low places might be fulfilled in those who followed him and to whom he proclaimed repentance—the soldiers, the poor, and the common people.

Robert Milligan (Milligan) suggests another view that might alternate with or complement the one mentioned. He suggests that the mountains and valleys were the wickedness and infidelity of John’s own generation. I would add also the apathy fostered by four hundred years in which no inspired prophet had appeared.

How do we evaluate John’s success in fulfilling the functions just mentioned? Matthew 3:5, 6 and Mark 1:3–8 chronicle his successes. (Jerusalem and all Judea went to him.) Luke 3:3–18 says that he reached multitudes, (ASV) including publicans and soldiers. Evidently, he had an impact on the Roman army. More importantly he brought a spirit of revival looking for the Messiah (Luke. 3:15). Before Jesus began His ministry, John announced His coming (Mark 1:7, 8 and Luke 3:16, 17). When Jesus came, John introduced Him especially to his own disciples who became disciples of Jesus (John 1:16–46). When Jesus met John at the Jordan, he—over his own objections that he was not worthy—immersed Jesus, and a miraculous sign from heaven confirmed the action (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:10, 11).

John entered the world in a unique and miraculous way (Luke 1:5–25, 57–80). An angel announced his birth to his father. (Note, the Greek word angelos is always masculine and indicates a messenger or a soldier.) The account of the visit of the angels to the shepherds calls them a multitude of stratias (Moulton—army) of heaven (Luke 2:13). His unique birth and purpose for which he was born were accredited by at least two other miraculous signs. First, the woman who became his mother was steira (Moulton—sterile, barren), and both parents were well past the ages of childbearing. Second, his father suddenly could no longer speak, and that disability continued until he supported his wife in naming the child John. The fact that his father became a prophet and poet constitutes a third special testimony to the miraculous nature of John’s birth (Luke 1:67–79).

John spent much of his youth in the wilderness (Luke 1:80). We don’t know if this was in some way a time of instruction and/or spiritual preparation. When he was about thirty years old, he began proclaiming (karusson) an immersion of repentance into the forgiveness of sin (Luke 3:3) (a literal translation, CWK). He had remarkable success in gaining the attention of both the religious leaders and the common people, including even the Roman soldiers.

The content of his proclamation included the following. He forcibly denied that he was the Christ or a prophet (Luke 3:15, 16; John 1:19–28). Luke 3:7–14 summarizes the content of his proclamation. First, they were sinners. Second, they must repent. Third, their relation to Abraham would not save them. (God from the stones could raise up children to Abraham.) (Matthew 3:9) Fourth, those who failed to repent would be destroyed by fire. Fifth, the multitude must be charitable to the poor. Sixth, the tax collectors must not extort more than they were due. Seventh, the soldiers (Greek, soldiers on service) must not extort by violence, accuse anyone falsely, and be content with their wages. Finally, he made no change in the genuine law of God, or in the way men were to behave to achieve God’s approval. His message received both acceptance by the common people and rejection by the religious leaders (Matthew 3:5–7).

What rank do the scriptures give John? In his own evaluation of his worth (John 1:27), he places himself as one not worthy to loosen the sandals of the Messiah. In Matthew 11:9–11, Jesus gives His evaluation of the rank of John. First, Jesus says of him that he was much more than a prophet. Second, Jesus says that among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Immerser. Third, Jesus said, "The mikroteros (Moulton—little in age, small, not adult) (one) in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he" (CWK).

We can summarize the life of John in a few statements. He had a miraculous birth. He was a wilderness dweller for much of his life. He had great popularity (Matthew 3:5). His diet and dress were those of a wilderness recluse (Matthew 3:4). He introduced Jesus in the Spirit, as we have noted above. He recognized his role as one who prepared and aided in the success of the Christ. Since he was not the Christ, his own popularity must decline (John 3:27–30). He openly proclaimed the sin of the rich and powerful (Matthew 14:3, 4). He was placed in prison because of this, and during that time, he seemed to have had some doubt about Jesus (Matthew 11:2, 3). Jesus gave him the assurance he needed (Matthew 11:4–6). He was beheaded at the request of the daughter of a woman who hated him because he rebuked her adultery with Herod Antipas (Matthew 14:3–11). His disciples buried his corpse (Matthew 14:12). Jesus seems to have expressed deep sorrow when John’s disciple brought Him the news because He immediately departs for a desert place (Matthew 14:13).

Some limitations apply to the work of John. First (Acts 19:2–7), John’s immersion was not Christian immersion. It was not sufficient for preparation to receive the gifts of the Spirit. (This includes the special gifts given the apostles and the promise in Acts 2:38.) (Acts 8:14, Acts 19:1–7) It was an immersion of repentance in preparation for the reality of the Messiah (Acts 19:1–7). It could not be a reenactment of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:1–5), which had not yet occurred. Salvation requires an immersion into the name of the Lord Jesus. He did not found the Baptist Church nor Christ’s church. Jesus had yet to build that church (Matthew 16:16). He did not follow the lifestyle of Jesus. John lived as an ascetic; Jesus lived a very social life (Matthew 11:17–20). Perhaps the church since then has needed to remember that difference and follow the lifestyle of Christ, not John.

What did Jesus command through the ministry of John the Immerser?

First, the ministry of John fulfilled an important place in supporting the initial part of Jesus’s ministry. It formed an important part of the teaching of Jesus that He was the Messiah. The prophecies as to John are part of the body of material proving that Jesus was the long-expected Messiah.

Second, the ministry of John fulfilled an important teaching as to Jesus. Jesus Himself would be the one who would build His church (Matthew 16:18). It was not started by another.

John came to prepare the way.

Third, an immersion into forgiveness of sin was only possible after the sacrifice for sin was given (Acts 17:1–7. Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16).

Fourth, as great as John was, the least in the kingdom of heaven holds a greater function than he (Matthew 11:11). If I understand this, Jesus asserts that the least in the kingdom has a greater place and a more important function than John. The Christian has opportunities John did not have. He has God’s final revelation. He has a mission that is more important than that of John’s because it carries the message of a salvation that John could not know. He has powers that John did not have since the Christian can proclaim God’s forgiveness through His final revelation. The Christian can rejoice in the wonder of having a means for the true forgiveness of sin. He can rejoice in assurance of promises that were never given to John.

Who Did Jesus Teach That He Is?

The first command of Jesus we have recorded is in Mark 1:15. It is a double command and may be literally translated, Go on repenting (changing to an entirely new mindset) and go on believing in the good news (CWK). Both are present imperative verbs. Jesus was commanding that men be in a process of rethinking their existence based on a growing belief in the good news He was bringing.

His identity constituted the central fact in the good news He commands people to believe. Matthew 16:16 makes this clear when Jesus identifies the fact that He was the Son of God as the ledge of rock (Petra—feminine as contrasted to Petros—masculine—a pebble, Peter) on which He would build His church. Therefore in this first and basic command, Jesus commands that men must change their thinking and accept God’s revelation of who He is. (Here and in the title, I am purposely using the present tense, since Jesus is vitally present every day in the life of His people. Matthew 28:20 says this.)

He commanded that men believe the good news that

He is the Son of God and Son of Man.

The most common term Jesus used in reference to Himself is Son of Man. He used the word anthropos, the generic man, referring to human beings. He did not use aner, the word meaning man or husband. This might be understood as a denial that He had a human father. The earliest use in the New Testament appears in Matthew 10:23. In Matthew 11:19, He clearly applies it to Himself, and in Matthew 12:8, He asserts that He the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. There are dozens of other times when He referred to Himself with this term.

The use of the term Son of Man asserts an indispensable fact. He asserts that His nature involved perfect humanity. Hebrews makes this clear when it describes our high priest as tempted in all points like as we yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). This included that He faced all the limitations and problems that human beings face.

The term Son of God referring to Jesus appears first in the voice of God Himself: This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22). It appears in the form Son of God in Satan’s temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:3, 6; Luke 4:3, 9) where Satan seems to demand proof that this is true. We find the clearest affirmation of this as the proper designation for Jesus in Matthew 16:16, when Peter calls Him by this term, and Jesus says that it has been revealed to him by the Father in heaven. Peter is not the first to make this statement. Chronologically the first man to call Him Son of God seems to have been Nathaniel recorded in John 1:49. Martha made this confession of Jesus before He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:27). There are a number of other occasions, but Jesus does not use it as a designation of Himself as often as Son of Man.

The two terms together state His deity and His humanity. They also describe two sides of His nature. Hebrews presents this combination very forcefully in the statement of His deity in Hebrews 1 (also Colossians 1:13–19) and of the reality of His humanity in Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:15. In Matthew 16, we have the term Son of Man applied to him in verses 13 and 27, and the term Son of God approved as blessed revelation concerning Him (verses 16 and 17). John (1 John 2:22, 23; 4:2, 3) deals with those that denied that Jesus was both Son of God and Son of Man and identifies them as the antichrist. Liberal theologians, on the other hand, have attempted to reduce Him to only a man. This denies all the evidence for His deity. John writes, Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist (1 John 2:22 ASV). In other words, to be a Christian, the person must accept the truth that Son of Man and Son of God correctly apply to Jesus.

He is the Messiah (Hebrew) Christ (Greek).

At the very beginning of Jesus’s ministry, John introduces Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:29, 36). We will come back to the term lamb of God later. John says that this is the one who taketh away the sin of the world. When Jesus converses with the Samaritan woman at the well, she says, I know the Messiah cometh (He that is called Christ), and Jesus bluntly states that I am he (John 4:25, 26).

Luke 4:16–29 records the account of His rejection at Nazareth. They rejected Him because He quoted Isaiah 61:1 as being fulfilled in himself. He clearly claimed that He was the suffering servant messiah that the prophets had foretold and which the people in Jesus’s day had been led to expect both by the prophets and the work of John the Immerser. John’s statements (Matthew 3:11, 12; Mark 1:7, 8; Luke 3:16, 17; John 1:23–27) identify Jesus as the coming Messiah. Peter (Matthew 16:16) identifies Him as the Christ (the Greek word for messiah).

This claim made Jesus the subject of prophecies beginning in Eden. It also asserted that all the predictions and promises made for the one who would bring to completion the entire hope and purpose of the Jews spoke of Him.

[With the curiosity of a Greek teacher and a bit of skepticism of religious tradition, I have been seeking to determine if the Greek word χριστος should be considered a noun or an adjective. The spelling and case suffixes are identical for the two parts of speech. Perhaps as Bromley (Kettle) suggests, it became a noun. English translations transliterate it rather than translating it. Perhaps it makes no difference. It was the term used in Hellenistic Judaism for the Messiah and means the same thing as the word messiah, anointed. I wonder if transliteration rather than translation reduces the realization that He is the anointed one in all three senses: prophet, priest, and king. As an adjective, it would most often occur in the substantive position and be used as modifying an implied one.]

Jesus did nothing of Himself. The Father dictated it.

Jesus came commissioned by the Father to do the will of the Father (John 6:38). The Father dictated the message He came to give. Jesus says (John 12:49, 50), For I spake not from myself, but the Father that sent me, He hath given me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak…50 as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak. This is echoed in John 14:24, where it says, The word which ye hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me (all ASV; also see John 7:16).

The Father and Jesus are an unbroken unity.

Jesus and the Father constitute an unbroken unity. In His answer to the Pharisees (John 5:19–29), Jesus firmly stated that He could do nothing of Himself, He did what the Father did. He continues with the fact that the Father loves (has great affection for—philee) the Son. This has caused Him to show the Son all things, including the power to give life to the dead. The dead will hear His voice and come forth. The Father gives all judgment to the Son. The one who hears His word and believes on Him that sent Him has eternal life and does not come into judgment. Finally the Father gave the Son the authority to execute judgment. We find an important extension of this in the fact that Jesus can forgive sin (Matthew 9:1–8). Jesus asserts this authority. In Mark 2:5–12, Jesus again asserts this authority, and the Jews rightly say that only God could forgive sin. Luke (5:17–26) has the parallel account. If only God could forgive sin, then Jesus clearly asserts His deity. He further teaches, My teaching is not mine but that of Him who sent me (John 7:16 ASV).

John 5:22 tells us, Neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the son (ASV). On the other hand, in John 5:30, Jesus says, I can of myself do nothing as I hear, I judge and my judgment is righteous because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him who sent me (ASV). Again this relates to the fact that Jesus claims in Matthew 28:18, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. There appears to be such a unity between Father and Son that there can be no disagreement, and whose will is being done is always the Father’s and also the Son’s. The one exception seems to be in Matthew 26:39, where Jesus asked that the cup pass from Him, and the Father said no, so Jesus said, Be as thou wilt. Jesus’s relationship with the Father included that Jesus spend an entire night in prayer to the Father (Luke 6:12).

This unity makes possible the true understanding of God. In John 14:7, Jesus says, If ye had known me you would have known the father (ASV). In verse 8: Philip saith unto Him, Lord show us the Father. And in verse 9, Jesus replied, Have I been so long time with you and you do not know me Philip. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. I maintain that these verses should furnish the foundation of any correct Christian theology. We know God the Father by knowing Jesus, the Son of God.

The Father regulates the role of the Son.

The Father has regulated the role Jesus fulfills. First, in John 14:28, Jesus says, The Father is greater than I. In this sense, Christ is subject to another, the Father. On the other hand, Jesus at that time and this possesses all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). That gift of authority was only until all things have been subjected to him…then shall the Son also himself be subjected to Him that did subject all things unto him that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).

The relationship between Father and Son included both phileia and agapee.

The relationship between them includes two kinds of love. Remember that the two words for love in the Greek language represent two distinct and different things. (A Greek in response to our word love would ask, What do you mean? Just as we would ask if someone said to us, It is precipitating, whether it was snow, rain, hail, etc.) John 5:20 says, "For the Father loveth (The word is philee, the word for affection rather than commitment.) the son and showeth him all things that himself doeth." There are several other mentions of this love. The other word for love, agapae, appears several times concerning the relationship between the Father and the Son in such passages as John 3:35 and John 15:9. Only John uses this word of the relationship. This love involves commitment and decisions rather than emotion and feeling. John 14:31 indicated that the second type of love was reciprocal. I cannot find a reference where Jesus is said to have the first type of love (philee) for the Father.

The scriptures tie knowledge of God very closely to knowledge of Jesus. Matthew writes (11:27), No one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any man know the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal (him) (ASV). Belief or faith depends on this concept of a perfect unity between the two. Jesus says (John 14:11), Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me (ASV). He also says (John 12:44), He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on Him who sent me (ASV).

The relationship between Father and Son is unique.

Jesus shows a unique relationship with the Father in several ways. In John 5:26,