How The Trinity Supports All Other False Doctrines
K___ wrote:Hello Mike,Thanks for inviting me to write back. Concerning your e-mail and article about your understanding of the Godhead; I have read it and believe I grasp your view, although I'm not sure I agree with you. Even as you wrote, I am willing to have my understanding change if I am wrong. I wouldn't believe in the Trinity simply because tradition threatened me with hell-fire if I didn't.Have you ever considered William Law's understanding of the Trinity? It seems to make sense to me. Although this section deals with man created in the image of God, I believe it gives an understanding of the Trinity as he saw it. (Italics mine)I'll quote:"Nothing can so fully, and justly show us the true nature of our Fall, as the nature and manner of our Redemption. These things have such a necessary correspondence, as cannot be denied, but by a mind utterly indisposed to receive conviction."
So let's consider what Law says concerning the original of man in the image of God."Man was created by God after His own Image, and in His own Likeness, as a living mirror of the Divine Nature; where Father, Son and Holy Ghost, each brought forth their own nature in a creaturely manner. As the who is begotten of the Father, is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son, as an amiable moving Life of both; so it was in this created image of the holy trinity. In it the Father's nature generated the nature of the Son, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from them both, as an amiable moving life of both. This was the likeness or Image of God, in which the first man was created, a true offspring of God, in whom the Divine Birth sprung up as in the Deity, where Father, Son and Holy Ghost saw themselves in a creaturely manner. In the Divine nature the Father cannot possibly be separated from the Son, nor the Holy Ghost from both, or either of them.
I understand this to mean that man because of his likeness to God, could commune with God. Man's soul in the likeness of God generated a life that was as God's Life.This seems correct to me because man's soul is constantly generating or giving forth a birth of some life. Now this life is either good or evil depending on the state of his soul; whether it be good or evil. ( So it seems to me)Now lets consider what happened to the state of his soul after the fall, according to Law."Now by his transgression this image of the Holy Trinity was broken; the generation or birth of the Son or Word, and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost in him, were at an end; in the day that he sinned, in that day he died this death. And therefore what was he as to his soul? It was something that was deprived of that birth, which was the brightness of it's glory, and which should be that in it, which the Son of God is to the Father; it wanted that Spirit which was it's amiable life, and which was to be that to it, which the Holy Ghost is to the Father and Son..... This was the state of the soul after the fall, when the birth of the Son of God and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost, were no more to be found or felt in it.""Now it is a plain, manifest doctrine of the holy scriptures that man by the fall is in such a condition, that there was no help or remedy for him..... but by the Son of God's becoming Incarnate, taking the fallen nature upon him. If this alone could be the remedy, does not this enough show us the disease? Does not this speak plainly enough, what it was that man had lost by his fall, namely, the birth of the Son of God in his soul and the procession of the Holy Ghost; and therefore it was that only the Son of God in so mysterious a manner, could be his Redeemer. If he had lost less, a less power could have redeemed him.....But since it is an open, undeniable doctrine of the Gospel, that there can be no salvation for mankind, but in the name and in the power of the Son of God, by His being united to the fallen nature, and so raising his own birth and life in it; is it not sufficiently shown us, that what was lost by the fall, was the birth of the Son of God in the soul?"
"It is said that we must be born again from above, born of God, born of the spirit; for this is expressly telling us what birth we have lost, and is only saying that the first birth is to be restored, or that divine birth is to arise, or to be brought again into us, as at the first, when the living image of the Holy Trinity was brought forth in us." -The Grounds and Reasons of Christian Regeneration.I just want to add something here - I believe, if I am not mistaken, that you say that Christ is the Holy Spirit. But is this necessarily the case, though. It is true that Christ equates the coming of the Holy Spirit, with His coming to them; but does this mean He is the Holy Spirit? Is it not merely the case that as the Holy Spirit can only proceed from Christ (and the Father, I know!) that He (the Holy Spirit) can only come to them when Christ comes to them? This seems right to me."When it is known that the triune nature of God was brought forth in the creation of man, that it was lost in his fall, that it is restored in his redemption, a never-failing light arises in all scripture, from Genesis to Revelation."
"The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is wholly practical; it is revealed to us, to discover our high original, and the greatness of our fall, to show us the deep and profound operation of the triune God in the recovery of the divine life in our souls....for as everything that is in us, whether it be heaven or hell, rises up in by a birth, and is generated in us by the will-spirit of our souls, which kindles itself either in heaven or in hell; so this mystery of a triune Deity manifesting itself, as a Father creating, as a Son or Word regenerating, as a Holy Spirit sanctifying us, is not to entertain our speculation with dry, metaphysical distinctions of the Deity, but to show us from what a height and depth we are fallen, and to excite such a prayer and faith......after this triune fountain of all good, as may help to generate and bring forth in us that first image of the Holy Trinity in which we were created, and which must be born in us before we can enter into the state of the blessed......No person has fitness, nor any pretense, nor any ground from scripture, to think, or say anything of the Trinity, till such time as he stands in the state of the penitent returning prodigal, weary of his own sinful shameful nature; and desiring to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil, and then he is first permitted to be baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; this is the first time the Gospel teaches, or calls anyone to the acknowledgement of the Holy Trinity." - An Appeal to all who Doubt the Truths of the Gospel
I also cannot see how Christ, the Son of God, if a created being, is able to dwell in all his creatures. All creation was created in and through Christ, and all creation must have Christ in it if it is to have any glory or perfection. I hope you believe that I have no intention of arguing with you or anyone; I merely want to know what the truth is, and I feel that William Law has explained the nature of the Trinity better than anyone I have ever read.For a better and more in-depth understanding of what I have referred to, you can look up these two books of William Law's on the internet and see whether you agree or disagree with him.I also remember you mentioning something about Adam and Eve - how God creates through Christ, as Adam creates through Eve (I can't remember exactly, so forgive me if I have gotten it wrong), as somehow proving that Christ is an inferior created being to the Father. Consider the teaching of Jacob Boehme on this subject:"God created His Image and Likeness in a single man. Adam was a man and also a woman;....for God did not in the beginning make man and woman; He did not create them at the same time, because the life in which the two properties of masculine and feminine are united in one, constitutes man in the Image of God....after the manner of the Father's and Son's property, which together are one God, not divided; for perfect love is not found in one property, but in the two, one entering into the other". - Man in the Image of the Heavenly (Treasures from the writings of Jacob Boehme)
Please let me know what you think of all this, whether you agree or disagree.Yours sincerely,K____
Hi K____,
It is good to hear from you again.
Just weigh what I say against the scriptures and don't allow 'scholarship,' name recognition or the fact that someone has been so helpful in the past, to keep you from "trying the spirits."
How do we 'try the spirits?'
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
When I do this I am not 'trying' these men. One thing I am convinced of by Christ Himself is that we are not judged by what we produce. Rather we are judged by what we do with what we are given, as demonstrated in the parable of the talents.
Not being given this knowledge, Mr Jukes draws the erroneous conclusion that "Paul's letters are 'Katurah'.
They 'smell sweet,' but they will never be allowed to inherit the promises given to Abraham, because they were not born of Isaac." (from Types In Genesis).
Now I point all that out about Andrew Jukes so that you will see where I am coming from when I answer your question about William Law. Mr. Law obviously believes in the unscriptural doctrine of the 'fall of man.' Neither Christ nor any of his apostles ever mention "the fall."
The reason is that all the New Covenant writers understood that:
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly [not by choice], but by reason of him [God, not by Adams fabled 'free will'-Read 'After The Counsel Of His Own Will] who hath subjected the same in hope,This is what is meant when we read:
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.This is what we are being told when we read:
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly [here is the Truth, it wasn't by Adam's 'free choice,' or his will], but by reason of him [God Himself] who hath subjected the same in hope [God's original plan was for Adam to disobey Him and come to see his corruptible nature and his need for a Savior. So God had already provided this Savior, before he ever created Adam.]Here are the scriptures for the statement above in brackets:
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
1 Cor 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
2 Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
1 Pet 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Pet 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Gen 50:20 But as for you [Joseph's brothers], ye thought evil against me; but God meant it [their evil thoughts and choices] unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Exo 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or noNow let's read John and see if the people were telling the truth about what that scripture said:
John 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.Christ flatly contradicted His own words in 'the law:'
Exo 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you;
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things...
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.So when God says in 'the law' that He "created man in His own image," what He is really saying is that He created a mere shadow of the true image of God. Adam himself is called "the son of God"
Luke 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.But Paul reveals to us that Adam was nothing more than a type of the true 'Son of God.':
1 Cor 15:43 It is sown [God is the 'sower'] in dishonour [naked and of the ground]; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1 Cor 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1 Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul [a 'living soul,' is a 'body of this death]; the last Adam [the true 'Son of God'] was made a quickening spirit.
1 Cor 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual [and eternal], but that which is natural [and dying]; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1 Cor 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen [by the hand of the creator] in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.David understood that it is God who creates evil:
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Here is what that means:
1) Dust:
1 Cor 15:47 The first man is of the earth, [dust] earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
I Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption
.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity
2) Naked:
Rev. 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and [just like Laodicea] were not ashamed.Nakedness in the scriptures is equated with sin:
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Adam was not created by God dressed in white linen. It was God Himself who brought Adam and Eve into this world 'naked.'
God is not 'going back' to anything. He never intended to 'go back.' He is right on schedule with plan A. Here is plan A, and it has no room for 'the fall of man':
1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Cor 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
1 Cor 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1 Cor 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1 Cor 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1 Tim 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [Not exclusively] of those that believe.
1 John 2:2 And he is [not could be but "is"]the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Here is what John has to say of all the things that we experience in this world:
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Now notice what this 'shadow' of the 'image of God' did before she ever touched the forbidden fruit:
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [the lust of the flesh], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [the lust of the eyes], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [the pride of life], she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
This entire experience is nothing but an old covenant type and shadow of "the law... bringing us to Christ."
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
God intended for the "first man Adam" to come to see that he had been "shapen in iniquity." The law of Moses accomplishes that
that task, and it was typified in the garden by the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil.'
For an in-depth study of this subject, read 'The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit,' on the web page.
To give a direct answer to your question: "Have you ever considered William Law's understanding of the Trinity," the answer is yes, I have. The doctrine of the trinity is based upon the doctrine of the 'fall of man.'
Now with that statement before us, let's go to what the scriptures actually say about what happened to Adam:
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly [Not by his own free will], but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,And about the Godhead:
Rom 1:20 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:
1 Cor 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father [not 'One God the trinity], of whom are all things, and we in him; and [besides God there is also "the beginning of His creation" (Rev. 3:17)] one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
You say this below:
I just want to add something here - I believe, if I am not mistaken, that you say that Christ is the Holy Spirit. But is this necessarily the case, though. It is true that Christ equates the coming of the Holy Spirit, with His coming to them; but does this mean He is the Holy Spirit? Is it not merely the case that as the Holy Spirit can only proceed from Christ (and the Father, I know!) that He (the Holy Spirit) can only come to them when Christ comes to them? This seems right to me.
This "gift" under discussion by our Lord is the Holy Spirit. It is not a personality but the very makeup of God the Father.
John 4:24 God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
It has been the 'good pleasure' of the Father to give all that He has to the Son.
1 Cor 15:27 For he [the Father] hath put all things under his [the Son's] feet. But when he [the Father] saith all things are put under him [the Son], it is manifest that he [the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him.This "all things under His feet" is cited from Psalms :
1 Cor 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him [the Son], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [the Father] that put all things under him, that God [the Father] may be all in all.
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
I did not say "Christ is the Holy Spirit," as you say. I quote I John 2:1, which says Christ is the 'Parakleetos.' I do not say that. John says that. All I do is point that out. Here is what I did say:
If the Holy Ghost, the hagios pneuma, which is the Comforter, the parakleetos, is really Christ in us, then there should be a scripture that calls Christ the parakleetos. It so happens that there is just such a scripture. But you would never know it by simply reading your King James Bible or for that matter, using your Strong's concordance which is keyed to our King James English. If one uses Strong's, one will see the four places where parakleetos appears in John 14, 15 and 16. These scriptures certainly reveal Christ as the parakleetos, as we have shown. You would need to use an Englishman's Greek Concordance (Wigram's) or America's Online Bible to find the only other appearance of this Greek word in all of the scriptures. It's not translated Comforter there. Remember as you read this that, according to John 14:26,The Comforter (parakleetos )…is the Holy Ghost…The scripture before us is the First Epistle of John, chapter two verse one.My little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (parakleetos - not even capitalized here in the KJV) with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous:There it is once again stated straight out. Jesus Christ is the parakleetos, the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost.
Matt 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.You make this statement below:
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
I understand this to mean that man because of his likeness to God, could commune with God. Man's soul in the likeness of God generated a life that was as God's Life.This seems correct to me because man's soul is constantly generating or giving forth a birth of some life. Now this life is either good or evil depending on the state of his soul; whether it be good or evil. ( So it seems to me)Now lets consider what happened to the state of his soul after the fall, according to Law.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Paul tells us that the church at Corinth was:
1 Cor 1:2 ...sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:Yet in his next breath he tells us that they are "yet carnal.'
1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Cor 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Cor 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.Christ, on the other hand, is the 'tree of life:'
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Psa 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.How does God know that the thoughts of man are vanity?
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly [not by choice], but by reason of him [God, not by Adams fabled 'free will'] who subjected the same in hope.
Isa 45:6 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.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Gen. 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people aliveYou ask this question:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things [meaning all men] in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
For a better and more in-depth understanding of what I have referred to, you can look up these two books of William Law's on the internet and see whether you agree or disagree with him.I also cannot see how Christ, the Son of God, if a created being, is able to dwell in all his creatures. All creation was created in and through Christ, and all creation must have Christ in it if it is to have any glory or perfection. I hope you believe that I have no intention of arguing with you or anyone; I merely want to know what the truth is, and I feel that William Law has explained the nature of the Trinity better than anyone I have ever read.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:15 All things [even God's Spirit] that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
That is not what I said; that is what Paul said in I Cor. 11 when he was explaining our relationship with Christ, and how it parallels Christ's relationship with The Father.
1 Cor 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.Finally you paraphrase what I said about I Cor. 11:
1 Cor 11:8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
1 Cor 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
1 Cor 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
I also remember you mentioning something about Adam and Eve - how God creates through Christ, as Adam creates through Eve (I can't remember exactly, so forgive me if I have gotten it wrong), as somehow proving that Christ is an inferior created being to the Father.
Rom 1:20 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:This accords with Paul's point in I Cor11:
1 Cor 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.So when Paul tells us that Christ was "made to be sin for us ..."
1 Cor 11:8 For the man [God] is not of the woman; but the woman [Christ] of the man [God].
1 Cor 11:9 Neither was the man [God] created for the woman [man]; but the woman [ Christ] for the man [God].
1 Cor 11:12 For as the woman [the church] is of the man [Christ], even so is the man [Christ] also by the woman [the church]; but all things of God.
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman [sinful flesh], made under the law [the "church in the wilderness"]...
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Eph 5:22 Wives [husbands], submit yourselves unto your own husbands [Christ], as unto the Lord. Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 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.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
I dare say that even Mr. Law would be hard pressed to show how the trinity is typical of a married couple!
And while I respect Mr. Law and most of his writings, I cannot concede that 1+1+1=2.
To me "there is but one God, the Father, of whom is all things [including the one Lord] and one Lord, Jesus Christ by whom are all things [just as all men come into this world by a woman].
You say: " All creation was created in and through Christ, and all creation must have Christ in it if it is to have any glory or perfection."
I could not agree more. As I said before I don't see what Christ being created has to do with this.
Here is how Christ intends to use His created 'Wife:'
Eph 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: Eph 2:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Eph 3:9 and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; Eph 3:10 to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, 1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:[not 'out of light into darkness back into light, as 'the fall' teaches] Psa 68:35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: The God of Israel, he giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
I apologize for the length of this e-mail. I hope I have expressed my thoughts in a spirit that has not offended you.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike