The Authority structure in the GodHead. Three equals pledging to do whatever is needed to save whosoever will .
Phillipians 2:
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Jesus puts Himself in a subordinate position, this facilitates His work on Earth. Jesus Christ does not represent Himself as being authorized to do things of Himself on Earth. He rests, operates, acts upon & within the authority of His Father.)
John 8:28 "I do nothing of Myself" also John 5:19 "The Son can do nothing of himself" John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
The Father is in an authority structure that voluntarily outranks Christ by mutual consent. The same spirit of cooperation expressed that husband & wife ought follow. The God Head members teach what They live by. They are modeling the human family after principles they themselves follow. Here are the Bible passages that begin to reveal this voluntary giving, surrendering of authority to someone who is an intrinsic equal, especially for the sake of something they are both trying to achieve .
1 Corinthians 7:
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Ephesians 5:
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
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.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
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.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
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.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
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1 Corinthians 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. (At Paul’s point in time - The Father is shown as the One voice Christ would turn to as the One He would subordinate to. )
Ephesians 1:
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Christ physically resurrected Himself by His personal Divine power, but only did so at the call given by the covering Cherub (Gabriel), sent as the official representative of His (our) Father.
In Gethsemene there was only one will Jesus sought to obey. Speaking of the father & to the Father in His thrice spoken prayer. “Thy will be done” not My will be done.
But indeed with the heart of a father being more proud and pleased with his child than even himself, God the Father exalts the name of Jesus Christ, even above His Own. Ephesians 1: 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
But when sin and sinners are no more and the Great Controversy is history in Heaven’s archives, Jesus subordinates even that placement to His Father.
1st Corinthians 15:
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
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.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: Edward F Sutton ]