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Romans 1:20 – Theiotes
Theiotes/Godhead [KJV] (2305) – 1. “divinity,…is derived from theios…and is to be distinguished from theotes….” (Vine, p.330.); 2. divinity, divine nature” (Thayer, p.285.)
Theiotes “was used by non-Christians both of Artemis at Ephesus and also later of the imperial cult, and emphasized that quality that gives the divine, as deity, the right to man’s worship; Paul used the term in association with the Creator’s power upon which all creatures are dependent.” (Zondervan)
“…Paul is declaring how much of God may be known from the revelation of Himself which He has made in nature, from those vestiges of Himself which men may everywhere trace in the world around them. Yet it is not the personal God whom any man may learn to know by these aids: He can be known only by the revelation of Himself in his Son; but only his divine attributes, his majesty and glory.” (Trench, Synonyms, p.8.)
Therefore, theiotes/Godhead does not refer to a class, but rather a state or quality. You would not say, “Jesus is in the divine nature;” hence you should not say, “Jesus is in the Godhead.” It is more correct to state the Godhead, or divine nature is in Jesus.
“The Greek Fathers (never used) theiotes, but always theotes, as alone adequately expressing the essential Godhead of the Three several Persons in the Holy Trinity.” (Ibid., Trench, p.10.)
“[Syn. Theotes, Theiotes: Theotes deity differs from theiotes divinity, as essence differs from quality or attribute….” (Thayer, p.288.) In order to have the essence of deity, one must possess the attributes of divinity. They are correlative.
Theotes indicates the Divine essence of Godhood, the Personality of God; theiotes, the attributes of God, His Divine nature and properties.
As is hopefully apparent, we often use the term Godhead to refer to three specific persons (i.e. Father, Son, Holy Spirit). I think we misuse the term; it should apply not to the persons, but to their attributes and essence. In other words, the term Godhead may not refer to “WHO is in the Godhead,” but WHAT those persons are, and WHAT those persons are like. Questions such as the title of a tract, `The Godhead – One or Three?’ I think are non-sensical.
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