Hello Mike,

This is something that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to come up with an answer so I thought you could help me. It’s regarding 1Co 8:6 which says:

But to us, there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Now I’ve used this scripture to tell my friends who believe in the “trinity” that there is a distinct difference of the function of God and that of Christ, in that OF whom are all things refers to God, and BY whom are all things refer to Christ. But my question about this came when I read Rom 11:33-36

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Now, I tried to conclude that this is speaking of God, as Paul outlined in the first sentence of verse 33, but when he then switches it to “Lord” in verse 34, this make me thing that he is talking about Christ, because referring back to 1Co 8:6, he is referring to Christ as the Lord, as he does many other times in the openings of his epistles. So it’s hard for me to see that Paul is not saying that OF the Lord Jesus Christ are all things in Rom 11:36. This I believe gives ammunition to the “trinity” supporters that it can indeed be said that OF whom all things refer to Christ, as it does the Father in 1Co 8:6.

Please help if you can!
D____

Hi D____,

Thank you for your questions concerning 1Co 8:6 and Rom 11:33-36. You are wondering how 1Co 8:6 can say that “all things are of the Father,” and then say in Rom 11:36 that “all things are of the Lord.”

1Co 8:6  But to us [ there is but] one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

I will explain that to you, and I feel surely you will understand clearly, but do not expect a trinitarian whose eyes are blinded to the words of 1Co 8:6 or Rev 3:14 to be capable of understanding spiritual matters.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

First of all I want you to notice that 1Co 8:6 tells us that we are “in Him (the Father), “by Christ.”

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Since we are ‘in’ the Father ‘by’ Christ, is it therefore impossible for us to be “in Christ… by the Father?” Or could it be scripturally possible that we could be “in” and “by” both the Father and the Son? There can be no doubt from the scriptures that if we are “in” Christ, then we are also “in” the Father. Therefore we are at the same time both “in the Son and in the Father.”

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Joh 14:10  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.
1Jn 2:24  Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

But is not Christ also “by” the Father? Of course He is, and since we are “in Christ,” we too, are both “of” and “by” the Father.
So the answer to this dilemma is that God’s word is a book of addition. It is not a book of subtraction. It is not ever to be pitted one verse against another. Each verse of His Word reveals more of who He is. We are specifically told, for example, that God is love.

1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

We are told that God is light.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Therefore when the scriptures say that “every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights,” no where in that verse does it say that bad gifts and darkness are not also from the same God. So when we read in His Word that He also creates darkness and evil, we must be careful not to say that the scriptures contradict themselves.

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

So the truth of the scriptures is that the “God, the Father, of whom are all things,” is the Creator of “all things,” good and “wicked.”

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

There is no contradiction at all in being told that God is the creator of light and darkness or of good and evil. In the same way, there is no contradiction between saying that “all things are of God,” and because “everything the Father has He has given to me,” therefore simply because “it pleased the Father,” it can also be said that “of Him [ Christ], through Him, and to Him, are all things.”

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15  Who [ Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16  For by [ Greek, ‘en,’ in] him [ Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by [ Greek, ‘dia,‘ through] him, and for [ Greek, ‘ eis’ to, or into] him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by [ Greek, ‘en,’ in] him all things consist.
Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in [ Greek ‘en,’ in] him should all fulness dwell;

The word translated ‘by’ in the first part of verse 16 is the Greek word ‘en’ meaning ‘in.’ The second time we see the English word ‘by’ in verse 16, it is the Greek word ‘dia’ meaning ‘through.’ The verse ends by telling us that all things God the Father does, He does them “for Him”. This time the word translated “for” tells us that God is doing all things “for Him,” for Christ, by using the Greek word ‘eis,’ which means ‘to or into.’
So Christ is the Father’s crucible, of, through, by, to and for whom all the Father is doing is accomplished.

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by [ Greek, ‘en,’ in] him all things consist.

If the Father has decided that “all things consist in Christ”, then it follows that it is Christ “of whom are all things.”
But this is only true in the same sense that Joseph was the almighty ruler of Egypt. Joseph was almighty in everything except the throne.

Gen 41:39  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, [ there is] none so discreet and wise as thou [ art]:
Gen 41:40  Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

So also is Christ said to be the “the everlasting Father, and the Almighty of whom are all things.”

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

It is this same “Son” who is said to have died and is now alive who is, who was and who is to come, who is also called “the Almighty.”

Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter informs us that God has now made Jesus “both Lord and Christ.”

Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

I hope this helps you to see that Christ is “both Lord and Christ,” and that the “Lord” of Rom 11:34-36 is indeed Christ, in whom “all things consist.” I hope you can see how this is all so for this one reason; “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness of the godhead dwell,” even to the extent that it can be said of our “Lord” that “of Him, through Him, and to Him, are all things,” yet all “subject unto the Father.”

1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him [ Christ], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [ the Father] that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

God the Father, through Christ, made man in His image and after His likeness so that we might understand the godhead.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

“The image of God” is “male and female”. As I have said before, this was done so we could understand 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:

It is the very “Godhead” that is being discussed here, and we are plainly told that “the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.”

1Co 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.

There is nothing in scripture that is any clearer than how God is making man in His image and likeness to show us what is the very Godhead. “Male and female made He them.” Just as Christ is called in Isa 9:6 the everlasting Father and we are both Christ’s sons and His bride, so too, is Christ both His father’s son and yet He submits Himself to God the Father as a wife submits to her husband.
The false doctrine of a triune Godhead, lends itself to the false doctrine which says that homosexuality, which is condemned throughout scripture, is natural and good.

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in [ their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

This doctrine has so taken hold that many churches have discarded these words of scripture, and are now ordaining out- of- the- closet homosexuals, male and female, to the priesthood and to the ministry. But God did not make Adam, Eve and Steve. He made man in His image, and in so doing, He made Adam and Eve male and female, and this is what displays for us “His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Your brother in Christ,
Mike