MEET THE SUPREMES

by Richard Burkard

It may be the most provocative question raised by Joseph Tkach (Jr.) as Worldwide Church of God (now Grace Communion International) Pastor-General - and it's one he merely repeated from other people. It's startling enough to be the title of a chapter in his book Transformed by Truth: "What's all this Jesus stuff?"

Mr. Tkach explains some WCG members started asking this question after the emphasis of WCG sermons changed in the mid-1990's. To some, a message focusing on Jesus was the sort of boring Protestant pap they'd heard for years, and had left to begin attending Church of God groups. It's a common message of Christian radio and television -- and these people perhaps were looking for something uncommon and different.

To read and hear some WCG spinoff groups discuss the Godhead, you get the feeling "Jesus stuff" is not their focus. A few years ago, the United Church of God discussed implementing a model of"Christ-centered Servant Leadership" -- but after some debate, the final title was "Godly Leadership."Christ was not mentioned directly.

Make no mistake: UCG preaches about Jesus regularly. In fact, an entire book about Him came out in 2004 -- one we've analyzed in detail elsewhere on this web site. But many UCG preachers tend to put Jesus in second place, with God the Father atop the governmental ladder and receiving more attention.

This became especially clear to me in a sermon by then-UCG Treasurer Tom Kirkpatrick (now retired from Chuch of God, a Wotldwide Association), which was sent to all congregations around the start of 2004: "The Supremacy of the Father." Reinforced by other ministers in later messages, it declared Jesus is secondary to the Father in many aspects. Mr. Kirkpatrick read many Bible verses to prove his claim - but is this really the "whole Bible" approach? Or is this another case of a Church of God group stacking selected scriptures, while overlooking or ignoring others?

Sorting out the answer to this is not easy, because the Godhead is not as simple as some make it sound. "Who has known the mind of the Lord?" Paul asks in Romans 11:34 as he quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah -- noting in the previous verse God's wisdom and knowledge are truly deep. We attempt to "dig deeper" in an effort to solve a puzzle not only of supremacy, but how God's heavenly government is organized.

Father First

Let's begin with the UCG contention that God the Father has supremacy over Jesus Christ the Son. The testimony of Jesus Himself can be cited to support this.

"The Father is greater than I," Jesus told His disciples in John 14:28. In fact, He called the Father "greater than ALL." (10:29) The Son came "to bring glory to the Father" (14:13) - not by speaking the Son's ownwords, but "just what the Father has taught me." (8:28; 14:24) In fact, Jesus said He was sent BY the Father to do what pleases Him (5:24, 30). That meant doing "what my Father has commanded me" (14:31) and apparently no more than that (5:19).

Jesus denied at one point He was good, telling a ruler, "No one is good - except God alone." (Lk. 18:19) This at least implies God the Father, the One whose will Jesus prayed to have done in the final hours of Christ's human life (Mt. 26:39, 42). In fact, the model prayer of Jesus is for ALL to pray the Father's will be done (6:10) -- which means praying to the Father (Lk. 11:2).

At one point Jesus calls the Father "Lord of heaven and earth" (Mt. 11:25, an important verse to note as we go on) -- the very One, Jesus said, who "raises the dead and gives them life" (John 5:21). This obviously would include the resurrection of Christ (Eph. 1:17, 20). It's the Father who knows when Jesus will return, while Jesus does not (Mk. 13:32). And after Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth with all rebellion and enemies removed, Jesus "hands over the kingdom to God the Father" - and "the Son himself will be made subject to him...."(I Cor. 15:24, 28)

The apostle Paul seems to confirm Jesus's words: "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ.... and the head of Christ is God." (I Cor. 11:3) He makes a distinction: "....glorify the God and Fatherof our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 15:6) John verifies that distinction in a verse sung by many in the Hallelujah Chorus: "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ...." (Rev. 11:15)

So doesn't that settle the supremacy question once and for all? Well, not so fast....

The Supremacy of Christ

That section title is not really mine - it's what my New International Version has above Colossians 1:15-23. Note specifically verse 18: "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." The King James and Moffatt translations say Jesus has "preeminence"; the New American Standard simply puts it based on the original Greek: "first place in everything."

"The goal of both old and new creations is to show the supremacy of Christ," explains The New Bible Commentary: Revised (1970 ed., pg. 1144). "This evidently was a truth inadequately held or else denied by the heretics." We must note Tom Kirkpatrick's "supremacy sermon" never mentioned this passage.

Note again Jesus's own testimony about this. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me," he said in Matthew 28:18. Who gave Jesus that - humans by acclamation? No: "GOD placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church...." (Eph. 1:22; the preceding verse shows Jesus is above all authority and power) Paul goes on to write the church assembles in Jesus's name(I Cor. 5:4), and members who serve others actually are serving Christ (Col. 3:24).

Jesus apparently had some of this authority when He walked the earth in the flesh. "The Father judges noone, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son," He said in John 5:22. Why was this done? Jesus answers in verse 23: "that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him."

Who is Lord?

Take one example of Jesus's authority, which many Church of God members should know by heart: "the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (Mt. 12:8)

What does it mean to be Lord? The word comes from the Greek root kuros - which means, of all things,"supreme in authority"! (Strong's Concordance #2962) COG's seem to have adopted part of this concordance listing to justify calling ministers "Mister," but it's much more than a title of respect. Jesus took it to declare His own supremacy over the Sabbath!

"There is but one Lord," Paul writes in I Corinthians 8:6 - "Jesus Christ." Peter concurs: "But in your heartsset apart Christ as Lord." (I Pet. 3:15) Yet they were not the first to make this declaration. Elizabeth said so when Jesus was still in Mary's womb (Lk. 1:43). An angel told the shepherds at Jesus's birth: "He is Christ the Lord." (Lk. 2:11) And Jesus clearly told His disciples: "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am." (Jhn. 13:13)

Now hold on, you may be saying - didn't we mention Jesus calling His Father Lord? Yes we did; Jesus used phrases such as "the Lord of the harvest" to describe the Father (Mt. 9:38) - and New Testament apostles also do that at times. But there's an important principle to keep in mind....

Unity of the Godhead

"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one," Moses proclaimed in Deuteronomy 6:4. Jesus was the "Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (Jhn. 1:14) - the Word who "was with God, and.... was God" in the beginning (1:1; see also I Jhn. 1:1-2). "I and my Father are one," Jesus made clear in John 10:30.

Given the oneness between the Father and Son, would it be wrong to declare both are Lord - and both are God? No, it would not. Paul put it this way: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...."(Col. 2:9)

Consider some of the ways in which the Father and Son are presented as equals in the Bible:

* Both have glory (Jhn. 17:22, 24).

* Jesus said each is in the other (Jhn. 10:38, 17:21).

* They seem to share all they have, however that is understood (Jhn. 17:10).

* Both can be objects of prayer (Acts 7:59) - and we can pray to the Father through Jesus the Son (Col.3:17).

* Both can be considered "King of kings and Lord of lords" (I Tim. 6:14-15; Rev. 17:14).

* Both can be considered "Almighty" (Rev. 1:8, 21:22).

* Each can be a source of peace for believers (Rom. 5:1; Col. 3:15).

Separate Entities

Yet the Bible also indicates beyond John 1:1 that the Father and Son are separate beings. Jesus personally showed that in a prayer, shortly before heading to the cross: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (Jhn. 17:3)

Did Jesus ever declare Himself to be God while he walked the earth as a human? From what we can tell in the gospels, not directly. Certainly Jesus offered hints about it, such as the statement which nearly led to a stoning: "before Abraham was born, I am!" (Jhn. 8:58-59) - "expressing the eternity of his being and his oneness with the Father." (NIV Study Bible, 1995, p. 1611)

Jesus left it to others to "connect the dots" about His origin. Paul called Him "Christ, who is God over all"(Rom. 9:5) - yet seemed to make a distinction when he wrote there's "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all...." (Eph. 4:5-6) In several letters, Paul offers brethren a two-part greeting: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (II Cor. 1:3, Gal. 1:3, et al.)

Ranked #1 and #2?

There are several points to be drawn from all the analysis above. The biggest one is this: Jesus the Son is presented as a supreme Person in the New Testament, every bit as much as the Father. They're both God. Both can be called Lord. Both can receive our prayers and worship (Mt. 28:9).

Given this, when Church of God groups emphasize "the supremacy of the Father" or seem to consign Jesus to second place in a governmental "pecking order," it seems to miss the Bible's point. God is revealed to the Church today through Jesus, not the Father - and Scripture indicates the Father might not appear finally to believers until Jesus offers a permanently cleansed Kingdom of God to Him (I Tim. 6:16 hints at this).

It then should be no surprise that the author of Hebrews advises: "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Heb. 3:1) That's the Son, NOT the Father. After all, Paul wrote, "God.... has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord...." (I Cor. 1:9) If the New Testament writers were comfortable with that, why should the Church today be different?

A Change of Thinking

I was guilty for years in the old WCG of buying into the commonly-taught concept of supremacy. I'd hear ministers from the Pope down emphasize "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ" - and say to myself (and heaven) in response: "What about Father, Father, Father??"

After considering the WCG changes, the UCG reaction and my own in-depth study, I now realize I was making a false choice. They're both God - and to borrow from a hymn, both are "worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of honor and glory."

If you've consciously or unconsciously put Jesus in second place behind the Father, my prayer is that you will consider all these verses and think again. Note well these words of Paul: "If anyone has no love for the Lord [Jesus Christ, KJV specifies], God's curse be on him!" (I Cor. 16:22, Moffatt) Love Jesus enough to give Him at least equal footing and respect with the Father - for the Bible reveals He's truly deserving of it.

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