JOSEPH W. TKACH
PASTOR GENERAL

January 1988

Dear Friend:

Thank you for your recent request for an explanation of John 10:30.

Jesus here revealed that there is one Godhead, or one God Family, and that its members work together with one mind and purpose.

That Family, however, is presently comprised of two individuals, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This is clearly stated in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The "Word" or "Spokesman" was the One who later became Jesus Christ (see verse 14).

Hebrews 1 also shows conclusively that Christ was and is now God: "God ... Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:1-3). God says of Christ, "Let all the angels of God worship him" (verse 6). Only a member of the God Family is worthy of worship.

But, the God Family is not limited to God the Father and Jesus Christ: "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). Hebrews 2:7-8 shows that man, like Christ, was made for a while "a little lower than the angels," but that he is to be crowned "with glory and honour." Everything will be put "in subjection under his feet," but "now we see not yet all things put under him" because the resurrection to immortality has yet to occur.

The Family of God, then, will eventually be expanded to include all who choose God's way. Christians "now are ... the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2). Paul adds, "This mortal must put on immortality" (I Cor. 15:53). This plainly says that resurrected Christians, like Christ, will be immortal. When we are changed, our mortal bodies will become spirit bodies like His (Phil. 3:20-21).

The Father and Christ are one -- one united, holy Family. At the resurrection, we will be born into the one God Family and become one with them.

If we can be of further assistance, please let us know. It is our pleasure to serve you.

PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT