Question: Dear Greg,

In 1 Corinthians 15:28 it states Jesus will be subjected to God after all has been put under Christ. Are we not plainly seeing the operations of a hierarchy? How can this hold with the interpretation that Jesus is God?

Thank you, your ministry is very much appreciated.

Terry

Answer: Dear Terry,

This Trinity teaches an “order”, if you like, but not in the sense of rank, status or subordination. That is, when the Godhead is spoken of, it is always the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Never some other order. But at the same time the biblical teaching of the Trinity teaches that each divine person is co-equal and co-essential.

Submission is a part of the Godhead. Jesus, the second person of the triune God was submissive to the Father during his earthly life (see Philippians 2:5-8) and is now in heaven. There is not some future time when he will become submissive, as opposed to now or in the past when he was not or is not submissive.

Read is its context, 1 Corinthians 15:28 is not speaking of the essential nature of the Father and the Son, and that one is “inferior” or “less than” another (to use terms we humans use to compare ourselves with other humans in our limited existence, bound by space and time). Rather, the verse you ask about is speaking of the work of Christ. The climax of the work of Jesus Christ, the second person of the triune God, will be when he returns, completes the work of the kingdom and then gives all to the Father.

The question concerns the way the three divine Persons in the Godhead are related is not specifically defined for us within the pages of the Bible. There are passages like the one you note, which help us to see that there are three distinct divine Persons while there are many others that teach us that God is one—not three. For example, Jesus said to baptize in “the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)—one name, not three separate names.

Jesus was and is God—that is the evidence of the Bible. It takes some innovative interpretation and proof-texting to try to make him less than God.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht