To interpenetrate means to penetrate (enter in) between or throughout, or to penetrate mutually. In the case of the doctrine of interpenetration, no being with a body can penetrate between or throughout another being with a body. In other words God, angels, men, and animals cannot enter into each other bodily. No one argues about the fact that men have bodies (Romans 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:23), animals have bodies (Genesis 1:20-22; 2:19), but they do about angels (Genesis 18:2-8; 19:1-22; Judges 13:3-6) and God having bodies. That God has a body is made abundantly clear in my teaching entitled Anthropomorphism.
It really borderlines on blasphemy to say that God dwells bodily in you. For only One Man ever had Deity dwelling in Him, and that was because He was Deity (Philippians 2:8-9)!
God as a person (Job 13:8; Hebrews 1:3) cannot enter into another being's body. "How can the Holy Spirit dwell in us if He can't enter into us bodily?" you may ask. He obviously cannot be in every believer bodily at every time, because then He would be omni-body (everywhere body) and not omni-present (everywhere present). This belief makes God into a force that is everywhere and in everything, and not the Almighty Living God of the universe. God is not bodily everywhere. His body can be in only one place at one time, yet, His presence or influence is everywhere. The only way God and man can be understood to be in one another is through unity, not bodily entrance into one another. Let's look at some Scriptures clarifying this point.
"Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot being the number of the twelve" (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). The only way Satan, an angel with a spirit body, could enter into Judas is through union of thought, mind, and purpose, not bodily entrance into. What about a man and woman entering into union with one another? "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7-8; Ephesians 5:31; 1 Corinthians 6:16). Obviously two becoming one does not mean that they become one being with one person bodily dwelling in the other person's body. This simply refers to the union of their flesh, or becoming of one mind and thought.
Once we understand the doctrine of interpenetration then the Scriptures can be clearly understood. "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16-17). "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:4-6). Jesus said, "That they [believers] may all be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:21).
"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring" (Acts 17:28). "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:8-10). In 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 a man can be in Christ and God was in Christ. According to Colossians 1:27 Christ is in believers. "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father" (1 John 2:24). "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" (1 John 3:24). "No man hath seen [understood] God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:12-16). "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).
A cursory look at these Scriptures may give the impression that God dwells bodily in us, but a little probing into the context and meaning proves such belief to be untrue. The Scriptures are clearly referring to unity or solidarity of purpose, interests, and life. If we are to interpret these verses as God or Satan being bodily in another person then we would have to believe that the Apostle Paul had all the Corinthian and Philippian believers dwelling bodily in his heart (2 Corinthians 7:3; Philippians 1:7). We would also have to believe that God the Father is bodily in Christ, while Christ is bodily in us, and we are bodily in God the Father and Christ (John 14:9-20; 1 John 2:24), thus we have two persons dwelling in us and we are dwelling in two persons. Doesn't make any sense does it?! The doctrine of interpenetration is clearly explained in 1 Corinthians 6:17 which says, "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit," and John 14:23 which says, "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
The Scriptures can only become clear when we understand that being in, dwelling in, abiding in, and other similar phrases are not always used in a literal sense in Scripture. Thus we must apply the principle of interpretation: Always interpret Scripture literally when it is possible, when figurative language is used look for the literal meaning conveyed. When this rule of interpretation is followed consistently you can rightly divide the word (2 Timothy 2:15).
Maybe you have been reading this just because you think "Christianity" is interesting, or you are studying different religions. The fact is that Jesus said "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). Religion can't save your soul, religion can't heal your body, religion can't meet your needs and wants, but Jesus can do all this and more! Christianity is not about a religion, it is about a relationship with God Almighty! If you would like to enter into a relationship with God then pray this prayer with me:
"Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Have mercy on me a sinner. I confess my sins before you, and believe that you raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus is my Lord and Saviour, and I will serve Him with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. Father, I thank you for saving me. I ask you to baptize me the power of God by your Son Jesus Christ! Father, I thank you for sending Your Son to die on the cross and shed His blood for me. I thank You for Your free gift of salvation from sin in Jesus' mighty name. Amen!"
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