Are God and Jesus the same or is Jesus God's Son?

[plaingirly]

I am reading Colossians and getting all confused!

I am new to Christianity and I always thought that God and Jesus were two separate entities. Reading Colossians is making me think they are the same "person" in a way.

It makes me feel a bit sad as I quite liked the idea of the Father and Son. Also how did God sacrifice His Son on the cross if Jesus was God?

[BunnyLebowski]

[Ladymuck]

Have you come across the Holy Spirit yet? Now that will blow your mind!

[newlark]

God being three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and yet being one God - being in complete unity, is a hard thing to get your head around. I found Sam Alberry's book "Connected" helpful in trying to get to grips with it. Have you done a course like Christianity Explored that looks at who Jesus is?

[MrRected]

Personally I don't have trouble understanding it, I have trouble believing it.

[amirah85]

Thtas one part of christianity that didn't convince me...ence being muslim now

[madhairday]

It's difficult isn't it!

Classic Christian doctrine teaches that the Father, son and Holy Spirit are three separate persons, but of one essence, ie 'the Godhead'. I've heard it explained in various different ways, ie water, steam and ice but that's not really sufficient in my mind to get my head around it. It's mysterious and to a certain extent one of those faith things, anyone claiming to understand the Trinity in full - answers on a postcard please

Many Christians claim experience of God in different persons - the love of the Father, the humanity and incarnate experience of the son, the power and comfort of the Spirit. It seems to me that the three persons are all 'of God' as such - all part of God. In creation accounts the writer refers to God being more than one, and male and female being created in his image. Thus the personhood of God is not simply one, male person - it's male and female, it's everything, it's beautiful.

So what's my garbled answer? Yes, God and Jesus are 'the same' as in of the same essence, but no, they are different persons, and yes, Jesus is God's son.

In my opinion and experience, of course :)

[CrikeyOHare]

And if Jesus & God are one and the same - why was Jesus talking to himself of the cross?

OP - my tuppence. If it makes no sense, it is by, definition, nonsense. Just saying.

[plaingirly]

For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.

Colossians 1 19 - 20

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 1 9 - 10

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation

Colossians 1 15

[plaingirly]

It is making more sense but it is so complicated!

I asked 2 Christians that I know and both gave me opposite answers!

[madhairday]

Good question nightlurker. The answer is, I suppose, I'm not sure, because nobody can be sure what the Trinity is and how it works. I would say there's a good case to argue from Scripture that God, Jesus and the Spirit are three persons of one essence, a good proportion of the gospel of John supports this, as do the passages from Colossians and plenty elsewhere. I suppose I come to this as well because I am monotheistic - I do not worship three gods, I worship one God, and believe that God is revealed in different persons and different ways. I love it, and don't mind at all the slight mystery around it all. Have you read The Shack? It's a good fictional explanation of the Trinity though not the best written book ever - quite heart rending though.

I'm interested in your assertion that we were all around, as spirits, before creation - do you mind me asking how you come to that conclusion? :) Also, is this a classic Mormon belief? I have a new friend who is a Mormon and it's really interesting exploring her beliefs, but I have to say we disagree on a fair amount...