Lesson Study #1 is on The Personality & Divinity of the Holy Spirit which can be found at the following link:

http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/06b/less01nkjv.html

Let this particular study be discussed here.

This is what we read in the lesson study guide for this Sabbath afternoon:

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Memory Text: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19).

One doesn't have to read far in the Bible before one is confronted with the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2 reads, "The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters" (NASB); meanwhile, at the other end of the Bible, Revelation 22:17 reads, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Of course, between these two texts, throughout the pages of Scripture, the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit are revealed to us. This especially is true in the New Testament, where we are given many insights into the reality, purpose, and function of the Holy Spirit, particularly in regard to the plan of salvation.

This week we'll concentrate on one often misunderstood aspect of the Holy Spirit: His divinity. In other words, the Holy Spirit isn't just some impersonal force that emanates from God. Instead, He is God, one of the three Persons who make up the Godhead of the Christian faith. Let's take a look at this fundamental teaching of the Bible.

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Let us discuss this week's topic using the information presented in the Lesson Study Guide at this link:

http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/06b/less01nkjv.html

Sunday's study is titled, The Triune God.

The preamble of this day's study says:

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The second of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church reads, in part: "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons."—Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . (2005 ed.), p. 23. In other words, Adventists—along with millions of other Christians—believe in the triune nature of God; that is, there is one God (Deut. 6:4) who exists as three Persons. While that concept itself might not be simple, the biblical evidence for this truth is powerful and compelling. That we can't fully understand something, particularly something about the very nature of God Himself, is hardly reason to reject it (Job 11:7, 1 Cor. 13:12).

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I bolded some of this for emphasis purposes only.

Dear Daryl:
You quoted: "There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal persons. God (the unity of three co-eternal persons) is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, ever present."
However, my Bible says: "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." (It does not say that a unity of three co-eternal persons only hath immortality). See 1 Tim. 6:16.
"For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life within himself". (The Son Jesus Christ only hath immortality because the Father gave this to him) John 5:26 (it does not say that the unity of three co-eternal persons only hath immortality)
"The Son can do nothing of himself." John 5:19. "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. " Matthew 28:18 "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
John 17:2. (the Son Jesus Christ is all-powerful because the Father gave this to him) (it does not say that the unity of three co-eternal persons is all powerful).
"But of that day and hour, knoweth no man, no not the angels, which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (the Son Jesus Christ is not all-knowing).
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (the Son Jesus Christ is ever present through his representative, the Holy Spirit).

For openers I'll agree with everything Dr Glenn has posted just above here.

The rest of Sunday's section is mainly that magnificent statement by Ellen White about the Father as the Godhead bodily but invisible to mortal sight, the Son as the Godhead manifested, and the Comforter as the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making divine power and grace manifest among us believers.

The question at the end implicitly contradicts her statement, it would appear: "how one God can be composed of three equal Persons." Given the texts in Dr Glenn's post above about the Father alone having immortality and the Son having his authority, equality and divine life from his Father whose divine nature he has, "one God" isn't composed of three persons since divine nature isn't composed of three persons. Three persons possess divine nature: that the Father mysteriously begot his Son before time or eternity were created and that the Spirit proceeds from them to us as Jesus' presence - and all creation as divine power itself, makes the Godhead the divine nature which is possessed by three persons - a truly simple concept to grasp, even for unbelievers or for confused believers.

Dear Colin:
I agree with your statements. I would also add this: My Bible says: "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ephesians 4:6. (it does not say that a unity of three co-eternal persons is above all).

The question in Sunday's study:

How do each of the following texts point to the plurality of the Godhead?

Let's look at the first one quoted below:

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Genesis 1:26 (New King James Version)

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[a] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Footnotes:

a. Genesis 1:26 Syriac reads all the wild animals of.

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Plurality is seen in the word Our stated twice in the above Bible quote and reference.

The second, third, and fourth quoted texts compliments the first one:

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Genesis 3:22 (New King James Version)

22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

Genesis 11:7 (New King James Version)

7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Isaiah 6:8 (New King James Version)

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“ Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

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Again, the plurality is seen in the word Us in all of the above quoted texts.

What does the fifth Bible reference tell us?

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John 1:1-3 (New King James Version)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

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Verse 14 is also very important in connection with the above.

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14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

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The Word that became flesh and dwelt among us was none other than Jesus Christ who was also referred to as God in verse 1.

The sixth and final reference given is quoted below:

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John 8:58 (New King James Version)

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

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Jesus referred to Himself as the I AM, a title reserved for Jehovah God.

Jesus, therefore, is none other than Jehovah God.