What Does the Bible Mean When it Talks about the Godhead?
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Many Bible readers experience frustration when we encounter a term that is translated differently from version to version. The word “Godhead” is such a term. A devotee of one translation may ask, “What does Godhead mean in the Bible?” Someone using a different translation may have never encountered this term, except perhaps in the second verse of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or in Chris Tomlin’s contemporary worship song, “How Great is Our God.”
Variations in translation can occur, especially as language progresses (for instance, we rarely refer to others as “thee” or “thou” any longer) or in cases where words can mean more than one thing depending on context (“dust” can mean to remove dust, to add a substance such as powdered sugar, or a word describing the fine matter that settles on our furniture). Translations can also vary when a word only occurs once or is seldom used outside of the Bible. Variations aren’t a reason for concern, as generally a comparison of versions reveals the translators used synonyms similar in nature.
So this leaves us with the questions: where do we find “Godhead” used in Scripture and what does it mean?
Where Is the Word “Godhead” Used in Scripture?
The word Godhead in the Bible is a term that appears in the King James Version (although not in the New King James Version), as well as the American Standard Version and the Geneva Bible, among others. In the King James Version, Godhead appears three times:
Acts 17:9, “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.” In this verse, the Greek word is theios.
Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Here, the Greek word used is theiotes.
Colossians 2:9, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” This Greek word is theotes.
Clearly, these three words are similar. In fact, the root of theiotes is theios, and both theios and theotes originate from the same word, theos (Strong’s 2316). Before you run to your concordance, consider words you know such as theology or theocentric. Theology is the study of the nature of God and theocentric means having God as your central focus. You can see that all three words translated "Godhead" have to do with God. Now, reread each verse and ask yourself what you can understand about the meaning of that word from the context of the verse.
Sometimes when we read our Bibles, we become overwhelmed with unfamiliar words or complicated sentence structures. We don’t often sit with Bible dictionaries or concordances at our side (although most are available now through our phones!). I have found it a sound practice to address this panic by asking myself what I can determine about the word meaning by the context of the sentence and by thinking of similar words. This builds a good habit within me of training my mind to access the tools it's already developed. Then, when I check reference books to deepen my understanding, the “files in my brain” are already open to receive the new information.
What Does the Term “Godhead” Mean in the Bible?
A quick perusal of translations that use words other than Godhead in these verses helps us see that Godhead means divine nature, divine being, deity, or divinity. In other words, the essence of God’s being. In Psalm 50, God is correcting the Israelites and in verse 21 He explains their mistaken thinking by saying, “you thought that I was one like yourself.” (ESV). We are created beings. We have mortal souls. We have a beginning. We are limited. We are human.
God is Spirit. He is without beginning and without end. He was, and is, and always shall be. He is infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. And He is Three in One—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Godhead is a word used to encapsulate the nature of God as THE Divine Being.
Is the Godhead the Same as the Trinity?
Godhead would not be translated trinity but that doesn’t mean it’s unrelated. Godhead or divine being or deity is God’s essential nature. We know from His Word that He exists, also, as Three in One Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Trinity.
In Genesis 1:1-2 ESV, we see God the Father and God the Holy Spirit at the birth of creation. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Then, John explains to us that God the Son or The Living Word was also present at creation, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3 ESV).
Paul continues to teach us that Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, was present at creation in Colossians 1:15-17 ESV, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” And the writer of Hebrews says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:1-3a ESV).
Jesus refers to the Trinity after His resurrection in Matthew 28:18-20 ESV, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So, while the term Trinity would not be translated Godhead, God’s essence is that He is divine and that He is Three in One. This is the doctrine of the Trinity. God is different from us. He is greater, and while it is hard for humans to grasp His essence, He desires to be known and so has revealed Himself to us.
What Do the Three Persons of the Godhead Do?
While the Godhead is Three in One, there are distinctions in function between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus said in John 14:8 that the Father is greater. Scripture refers to God on His throne and Jesus at His right hand. God loved the world and sent His Son. He initiated the incarnation. Only the Father knows the time of Jesus’s return. God the Father’s love for us is our foundation.
Jesus is the incarnation of the Godhead—fully God and fully human. He came to save, to deliver, to redeem. He came to die for us and rise again to eternal life. One day, He will return, triumphant. By Jesus we are justified and He is our Brother, our King, and our Great High Priest.
John 15:26 ESV states that The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit. “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” The work of the Holy Spirit happens “behind the scenes.” He convicts the world of sin. He sanctifies the believer. He comforts, guides, and instructs those who follow Jesus. He is the guarantee of our salvation.
Why Understanding the Godhead is Important for Christians
Every Christian doesn’t need to obtain a doctorate in theology or be able to write a paper about the doctrine of the Trinity. However, a basic understanding of the nature of God, His essential qualities, can ground faith in biblical truth and prevent false teachers from leading us astray.
The infinite Godhead, the Deity who is Three-in-One, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is how God has revealed Himself to us. To deny that or try to teach a different understanding is to reject what He says about Himself. Why would we do that?
The Godhead or God’s divine nature is a mystery, but that doesn’t mean we can’t explore that mystery and understand some aspects of it. That is part of the adventure of faith—exploring the mystery of the Divine God we serve. This is a beautiful and engaging aspect of our faith that we should celebrate.
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