Bruce writes: I first want to thank and commend you for all of the positive information that you have on your website. I was reading through it today and thoroughly enjoyed continuing my research on the validity of Biblical scripture and the processes that were used to ensure its accuracy was maintained.

However when I came to read the section entitled "The two are not the same," I came across a point that was contrary to what I find in scripture: "He also become the "life-giving Spirit." (1 Cor. 15:45b). He was transfigured. He became the Spirit..." This idea was based on one small part of a scripture that was lifted out of context. As I understood it, the point Paul was making was that there are natural bodies (the body of men before they are resurrected) and then there are "spiritual bodies" which are raised after the natural body perishes: "42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." Christ did not "become the Spirit" He simply was "raised imperishable," in a "spiritual body." This is how He was able to appear to so many of the disciples in such a short amount of time, disappear, and accomplish other supernatural feats (which He could not do in His natural body) all before he finally ascended into Heaven. Christ promised that when He left that He would not leave His disciples alone without a Helper. He was talking about the Holy Spirit which He blessed the disciples with before he ascended into Heaven: "Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As

Jesus right now is physically at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit is who resides in us. Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are separate and distinct parts of the Trinity. I am very much interested in hearing your thoughts to compare what we believe as we continue on our quest to learn more from the Bible to know God better.

Thanks for your comments and your positive attitude in soliciting fellowship rather than doctrinal debate. I agree with your assessment of the context of 1 Corinthians 15 from the point of view of bodies being changed from natural becoming spiritual. So also it is written, ``The first man, Adam, became a living soul''; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. 1Cor 15:40 (recovery) "There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another."

On the other hand, however, these are not the only verses that indicate the Lord's Person and Nature as a man and as God. You mentioned that the Lord is physically at the Father's right hand right now. I agree. But "physically" is not the same for the Lord as for us anymore. He is Spirit and flesh. I do not understand how, but in His resurrection He could appear and reappear at will. He did not have to use "doors" as is evidenced in John 20. He told Thomas to put his fingers into His hands and His side yet He just showed up in their midst and then unshowed up. He appeared to the two on the road to Emmaus and then disappeared as quickly. He did say, "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you behold Me having." His "physical nature" no longer had the fallen element of flesh in anyway as He had by being born of Mary in which He had the likeness of the flesh of sin (Rom. 4:3). But to exist in the third heavens with the Father requires a spiritual nature as well which is evidenced by 1 Corinthians 15.

Let me also say unequivicably that I am NOT a "modalist" as the heretics of old who thought the Father became the Son and the Son became the Spirit and the previous persons no longer existed. I AM NOT A MODALIST nor do I adhere to any thought that the Trinity is less than the Father, Son and Spirit.

I do believe that God, who is Triune, is ONE. Therefore, God the Father is God the Son who is God the Spirit. You said that God is three separate and distinct parts of the Trinity. To be honest, to me this is a contradictory statement. Let me explain: The Trinity or Triune God is ONE, not three. They are distinct but INSEPARABLE. Where "one" is, all are. Where all are, there is ONE. This is divine logic. The only time I see that the Trinity was not one (please read on) was the moment Jesus cried out on the cross as He took the world's sin upon Himself, "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:1, "Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." That one moment in which the Lord became sin for us, that fallen part of His being connected to this fallen earth which was being crucified vicariously, was separate from the Father because God cannot sin and cannot look upon sin.

I believe there is Biblical evidence for the Lord being the Spirit and the Triune God being ONE inseparable person with distinct expressions. Isaiah 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." Isn't this passage referring to Christ? If so, then Christ is called the mighty God, the everlasting Father. Some translations use the word "eternal Father" rather than "everlasting Father." How many eternal or everlasting Fathers are there? My opinion is that the eternal Father is God. Couple this with 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, "And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit." Is the Spirit the Lord? Is the Lord the Spirit? Paul says both! Surely Jesus Christ is the Lord, yet Paul calls Him the Lord Spirit. Surely the Spirit is for our transformation as the context states in 2 Corinthians, yet Paul calls Him the Lord Spirit.

In John 14:15-20, the Lord spoke of Himself as a Comforter and then speaks of the Another Comforter. Read the passage carefully and you may find that the Lord was identifying Himself with the Spirit. "16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, 17 Even the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world beholds Me no longer, but you behold Me; because I live, you also shall live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." The Lord says He is sending the Spirit as the Comforter, then He says "I am coming to you." Verse 20 clearly states the Lord is also in us and Paul specifically mentions this in Colossians 1:27, "Christ IN YOU, the hope of glory." Yes, the Spirit is in us, but so is Christ and ... please do not be offended, so is the Father ... because they are ONE and inseparably ONE.

John 6:63, the Lord is quoted by the apostle John saying, "It is the Spirit who gives life ; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life ." Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:45b, says the Lord is a life-giving spirit. How many life-giving Spirits are there? You can say two based on these two verses, but I believe you can also say ONE because the Triune God is one. 1 Corinthians 15 is not just referring to the Lord's physical nature but also to His life-giving ability.

Bruce, I guess I am only saying that there is a good scriptural basis to say that the Lord is the Spirit. There are other verses which give good evidence as well that I have not included here with explanation. Suffice it to say, I believe in the Triune God and I will not divide our fellowship based on "who's who in the Trinity." My feeling is that the Triune God has come to man and became a man and that man, Jesus Christ, is both in the heavens with the Father and in us as the Spirit. Again, the Triune God is distinct in His expression (Father, Son, Spirit), but INSEPARABLE in His Person. He is not three gods. I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. I also believe they are ONE, not three gods. An expression that helped me grasp this thought is: "The Trinity is ONE in essence, but three in economy." God is God essentially, but God the Father is the "source", God the Son is the "course" and God the Spirit is the "flow" to carry out God's eternal economy.

Your e-mail expresses the truth very well and we are indeed on one accord in what we believe. The issue that I have was in the statement on your web-site: "Jesus became the Spirit?" Based on what you said in your e-mail it sounds like you and I believe the same thing, however the way this is worded makes it sound like Jesus no longer stood on earth in his spiritual body after being resurrected and literally became the Spirit and entered into His disciples. My point was simply that Jesus was raised in a

Also the statement that I made: "Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are separate and distinct parts of the Trinity," may sound contradictory but I was just communicating the fact that you spelled out (quite poetically I might add) in your e-mail, that God is indeed three persons, but they are still one God. This statement just reads like one Person in the Trinity became the Other, and we know that this isn't the case. They are already One.

It may be as simple as this: For a believer (such as you and I who believe the same thing) reading this statement "Jesus became the Spirit" may make sense to some degree because of the understanding of the dynamics of the Trinity. My biggest concern is for baby Christians and those non-Christians

It is my hope that brothers and sisters in Christ can fellowship along these lines... whether they agree doctrinally or not. There is a sweetness between these brothers who only know of each others' existence through cyberspace. There was a clear discrepancy of understanding between the brothers, yet they both were seeking the same thing: a sweet harmony based on the Body of Christ even if disagreement exists. I appreciate Bruce's feelings and empathy toward younger believers who may be confused by truths or doctrines that are either out of context or not explained properly. My response was to go to the article cited and make a few additions for clarification's sake. Thanks Bruce!