Throughout the scriptures we
see the number three appear many times. Solomon, a man of great
earthly wisdom, uses an illustration of the strength of a cord or
rope which is made up of three individual woven strands. Such
a rope is much stronger than the same number of fibers which
are all laid side by side in a bundle. The weaving together
of three individual cords enhances the strength of the rope as each
one complements the other. One of the primary uses of the
number three in the scriptures is the manner in which God has
been pleased to reveal himself to men. He is clear in telling
us that he is one God. when he gave the law to Moses.
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, yet he is equally
clear in revealing himself in a triune Godhead. Go ye, therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. All authority rests in
him. Much speculation and division
has been introduced among the saints over the years as controversy
has raged over the exact manner in which God has revealed himself
as one individual and sovereign God and yet spoken of himself
in a plural sense. As much as men like to bluster
and seek to convince us that they have a perfect understanding
of this matter, The reality is that in this seeming conundrum
is but a manifestation of the mystery which surrounds him who
dwells in the light to which no man can approach. Find a man
who claims to be an expert in the study and doctrine of the
Trinity and who can answer all questions about it, and you will
find a man who has too high of an opinion of his knowledge.
This is the ultimate threefold cord which cannot be discovered
by mortals, much less broken or dissected by anything which
is created. What we do see clearly and unequivocally
set forth in the scriptures is that Jesus Christ is the revelation
of God to man. No man can come to the Father
but by Him, and the Spirit will always testify of none other
but Him. If a man is to be acquainted
with the Almighty God, the Great I Am, he must be acquainted with
Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things, the first and the
last. The gospel of Jesus Christ is
itself a threefold chord, which testifies to the glory of the
blessed God and the redemption which He hath both purposed and
carried out according to the good pleasure of His will. In
this threefold cohort, he has revealed the glory of his grace
and the bestowal of mercy to those whom he calls. God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, preached unto
the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. The grandest of mysteries is
made manifest as the eternal God, whose pure spirit did take
upon himself flesh and blood. In this mortal body he was justified
in the Spirit, that is, the Spirit did bear witness, through signs
and wonders, and ultimately by his resurrection from the dead,
that he is indeed God. The Spirit did testify that he
was without sin, and thereby able to offer a suitable sacrifice
to expiate the sins of every one for which he stood as a mediator. Number two, the Lord was pleased
to manifest his redemptive work in the plain sight of those witnesses,
being the apostles which he called and commissioned to declare the
gospel. This work was made known unto
the Jew first, but also to the Gentiles, to as many as the Lord
our God shall call. This was indeed a great mystery
which had been hidden heretofore, which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should
be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise
in Christ by the gospel. 3. The Lord has given faith to
those whom He has ordained unto eternal life, and called by His
Spirit. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord, and as
many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Those whom the
Lord calls believe, not in order to become the sons of God, but
to manifest the fact that they are the sons of God, which were
born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.