While the Articles of Religion rightly speak of the `One living and true God, without

body, parts or passions', we must not allow this man-made article to rob us of the

testimony of the Scriptures, that He Who created heavens and earth, could be `handled'

by those who beheld Him in the flesh. Why should God say "before Me there was no

God FORMED, neither shall there be after Me" (Isa. 43: 10)? This cannot refer

exclusively to the making of idols, for millions of `gods' have been `formed' since Isaiah

uttered these words. Israel were chosen to be "Jehovah's witnesses", were called upon to

know and to believe and to understand "that I am He". "I, even I, am the LORD; and

beside Me there is no Saviour" (Isa. 43: 10, 11). These words refer to the Son of God,

Who in fullness of time was literally and actually `formed'. The word translated `to

form', the Hebrews word yatsar is used by Jeremiah of the forming of a child in the

womb (Jer. 1: 5), even as in Isa. 44: 24. In the same chapter that contains the word "no

God formed", Israel is said to be "formed" (Isa. 43: 1, 7, 21). These are the Words with

which the Holy Ghost teacheth (I Cor. 2: 13).  Idolatry is the usurpation of the

prerogative of Christ, Who is the Image of the Invisible God (Isa. 44: 10). Calvin looks

upon the words "Before Me there was no God formed" as a kind of irony, but in the

self-same chapters that reveal that "The Word" and "The Image of the Invisible God", is

the Creator of heaven and earth. We read that "in the BODY OF HIS FLESH" He

wrought out our redemption (Col. 1: 22), and in the next chapter we are assured that "In

Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead BODILY" (2: 9).

It will, we trust, be evident that Creation is nowhere ascribed to "The Father", but is

everywhere to Him, Who being God, became Man; Who is declared to be the Only

begotten Son; Who was God manifest in the flesh, Jehovah, He that was, and is, and is to

come, the Almighty, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. When the moment

comes, which is depicted in Rev. 11:, "The mystery of God" shall be finished. What that

involves we must consider in a future article.

We discover from the closing verses of John 20:, that the whole of this Gospel, and

the purpose which regulated the selection of its material, was directed to one end:

Matthew opens his Gospel with the book of the generations of Jesus Christ "The Son

of David" (Matt. 1: 1), and in Matt. 22: the Saviour puts the question to the Pharisees: