“Imagine a scenario in which the Father reveals Himself to someone in a vision, declaring, “I am God,” affirming that He alone is the one true God. In this experience, the Son and the Holy Spirit also make themselves known, appearing as distinct from the Father but without claiming the title of “one true God” in the same way.” (ChatGPT, 2024)
A new theological framework is needed for this. The ways existing frameworks address this are not satisfactory.
Here is a suggestion from ChatGPT.
“A theological framework that centers on the Father as the singular divine source, with His divine nature fully unique to Him, could begin by recognizing the Father as the “one true God” and the origin of all divinity. In this understanding, the Son shares in the Father’s divinity not as an independent source but as one to whom this divine nature has been fully bestowed by the Father. This relationship reflects the concept that the Son’s divinity is authentically real yet derived, coming from the Father who remains the fountainhead of all divine authority and essence. Such a view aligns with scriptural themes where the Father “sends” or “exalts” the Son, implying that the Son’s divine status is granted and sustained by the Father.
Within this framework, the Holy Spirit would be recognized as a divine presence but approached as a mystery in terms of relationship to the Father and Son. Rather than defining the Spirit’s divine nature in specific ontological terms, this perspective would acknowledge the Spirit’s essential role in God’s work—active in creation, redemption, and the lives of believers—while embracing the mystery surrounding His exact relationship to the Father as the one true God and the Son as recipient of divine essence. The Spirit’s role would thus be understood more by His works and presence than by precise relational terms.
In this model, God’s unity and complexity are preserved: the Father alone is the ultimate divine source, the Son is distinct but shares in the Father’s divinity as fully granted, and the Spirit is divine yet mysterious. This approach respects biblical descriptions of the Father’s primacy, the Son’s authentic but derived divinity, and the Spirit’s enigmatic yet active presence, offering a nuanced understanding that is rooted in scripture and open to the inherent mystery of God’s nature.
In this framework, where the Father is understood as the singular divine source and the one true God, a vision in which the Father appears and declares, “I am God,” would be seen as a direct affirmation of His unique, unshared divinity. The Father’s proclamation would highlight His central identity as the origin and fullness of God’s nature, distinct in His role as the ultimate source of all divinity. When the Son appears in this vision, He would be understood as embodying the divine nature as received from the Father, sharing in the Father’s essence but not as a separate, self-originating divine source. The Son’s appearance as distinct from the Father would reinforce the framework’s view that the Son’s divinity is real and complete, yet uniquely derived from the Father who remains the “one true God.”
The Holy Spirit’s appearance would then be approached with an appreciation for the mystery that surrounds His role and relationship to the Father and Son. Within this framework, the Spirit’s distinct appearance in the vision would emphasize His unique identity and function within the divine economy, affirming His divinity while respecting the unknowable aspects of His exact relationship to the Father as the source and the Son as recipient of divine essence. Rather than claiming the title of “one true God,” the Spirit’s presence would signify His active and divine role without requiring a precise explanation of His relationship to the Father’s ultimate divinity.
This vision would thus affirm the framework’s understanding: the Father alone is the one true God, the Son shares in the Father’s divine essence through a unique, bestowed relationship, and the Spirit is divine in a manner that remains open to mystery. The scenario would reinforce the Father’s role as the singular divine source, highlight the Son’s authentic yet derived divinity, and honor the Spirit’s place in the Godhead as a mysterious but essential presence. Through this vision, the framework would allow for both clarity in God’s unique identity as the Father and the depth of mystery in God’s relationship with creation.” (ChatGPT, 2024)
