THE
TRINITY
The subject of the Godhead is without doubt one
of the most controversial subjects of the entire Word of God. The debate
separates into different camps; each of them proclaiming that what they teach
is found in the Word of God:
Oneness; Those who believe in One
God in Jesus Christ.
Two: Those who believe there
are two persons in the Godhead.
Trinity: Those who believe there
are three co‑equal persons in the Godhead.
There are those who, like the so‑called
Jehovah's Witnesses, who would have us think that Jesus was Michael the
Then there are the Mormons who would have us
think that we are all gods, or at least can become gods.
There are those who would have us think that
there are three separate co‑equal, co‑existent, co‑eternal
persons in the Godhead.
The Athanasian Creed reads, in part: “So there
is one Father...one Son...one Holy Ghost...and in this trinity none is afore or
after the other, none is less or greater than another. But the whole three
persons are co‑eternal together and co‑equal.”
This creed was evidently named after Athanasius,
who was the chief spokesman at the Council of Nicea for the dogma of the
trinity. The creed was adopted after his
death. Beginning with the Council at Nicea, called by
The reformers in later years, beginning with
Martin Luther, upon leaving the Catholic Church to some degree, did so without
giving the subject of the Godhead serious examination. Consequently,
practically every church dating back to one of these Reformers, have continued
to embrace the dogma of the trinity.
The idea of the trinity, though not found in the
Word of God, is taught by the vast majority of all religions in the world. If
the trinity is not a Bible doctrine, then why is it embraced by so many? How
can men, who are obviously highly educated, accept a doctrine which is not
taught by the Word of God?
Possibly the answer to this last question is to
be found in Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians
Only those who have been filled with the Holy
Ghost can properly understand its message.
The answer to the first question possibly is
found in the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:33: Another parable spake he unto
them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Leaven is used in the Bible to signify
false doctrine. This is the way Jesus used it in speaking to His disciples in
Matthew 16:6‑12: Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves,
saying, {It is} because we have taken no bread. {Which} when Jesus perceived,
he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves,
because ye have brought no bread? How is it that ye do not understand that I
spake {it} not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade
{them} not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees
and of the Sadducees.
This false doctrine (leaven) was hid in three
measures of meal. Meal constituted part of the sacrifices offered to the Lord
by the people of
THE IDEA
OF THE TRINITY
The origin of the trinity goes back much farther
than the Council of Nicea.
In the Chaldean mysteries, which originated with
Nimrod, there was the trinity consisting of Nimrod, Belus, and Semiramus.
Nimrod was the son of Semiramus. According to some, he had an affair with his
own mother from which was born a son named Belus. From this the idea of the
trinity originated, and the idea of the Chaldean Mysteries was conceived which
has affected the world ever since.
A trinity existed among the false gods of the
other countries as well.
In
Ptolemy I built the first library and temple in
A quote from the
Plato, the Greek philosopher, further defined
the idea of God into modern thinking. Plato affected the thinking of the world
of his day.
Historians inform us that the teachings of the
trinity are found in the archeological finds dating back to the ancient world.
In the ruins of a
The Phoenician religion called its trinity:
Baal ‑ Atargatis and Adon.
Philo, who was a disciple of Plato, developed
the logos Christology, which is believed by today's trinitarians.
In many pictures and teachings found among the
ruins of ancient civilizations, the trinity of the pagans is readily
identified. In some of them it is a picture of a deity with three heads and one
body. The names of the trinity of gods were changed from time to time,
according to the country and according as to whom was in power at the time.
Throughout history they were identified by different names as empires were
overthrown and the conquering empire retained the temples and gods, merely
changing their names. This dogma was thus adopted by the Roman Church and
taught as the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. A dogma borrowed from
paganism ‑ not from the Word of God.
A monastery in
In
“One God, Three Forms.”
In
Mr. Hislop, in his book, The Two Babylons,
states: “All these existed from ancient times. While overlaid with idolatry,
the recognition of a trinity was universal in all the ancient nations of the
world, proving how deep‑rooted in the human race was the primeval
doctrine on this subject.”
SOME
EXPLANATIONS
When we study the teachings of the trinitarians,
as they attempt to explain their dogma of the trinity, we come away just as
confused over their explanation as they are at trying to explain something
which does not exist.
“The doctrine of the Trinity is fundamental to
the Christian faith. We who believe in Jesus affirm that there are three
persons in one Godhead, so that all three are one God as to substance, but
three persons as to individuality...Most Jewish people think that the doctrine
of the Trinity is a foreign, Gentile concept. While it is true that the Old
Testament portion of scripture does not present as clear a picture of the three‑in‑one/one‑in‑three
Godhead, there are indications of the plurality of the Godhead in the Hebrew
Scriptures...In Exodus 3:13,14, Moses says to God, "Behold, when I come
unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them the God of your fathers
hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I
say unto them?" God's answer to Moses is, "I AM THAT I AM...Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of
Like so many trinitarians, she stretches the
scriptures extensively in her attempt to prove her concept of the trinity. How
could anyone be so brazen as to take a statement like I AM, and make a
reference to three persons from it! The same is obviously done with that great
statement of faith in Deuteronomy 6:4.
Charles Evans,
Ph.D. wrote: “Of all the doctrines within the Word of God, perhaps none is as difficult,
indeed impossible, to fully comprehend as is the doctrine of the Godhead or
Trinity...it is important to note that the Hebrew word for God (Elohim), which
is a plural, not singular, is used no less than thirty‑two times in the
first chapter of Genesis. Further support of this is found in Genesis 1:26
where we read, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...All
three members of the Trinity are mentioned in the account of Jesus' birth as
well as His baptism.”
Mr. Evans also stumbles in his attempt to prove
his idea of the trinity. As pointed out in our previous study, when the name
Elohim (or, God) is found in the Scriptures, it is always accompanied with
verbs and adjectives and pronouns which are singular, when the reference is to
the God of Israel. If there were a trinity of persons in the name Elohim, then
why the singular verbs and adjectives!
And like so many other trinitarians, Mr. Evans
fails to quote verse twenty seven of that first chapter of Genesis. Where are
the plurals in this verse, if the plural terms US and OUR of the preceding
verse means a plurality of persons!
Dave Hunt wrote: “It is a mystery how God can
exist in three persons yet be one God; but it is also a mystery how God could
have no beginning and create everything out of nothing. We can't understand
what a human soul or spirit is. Nor can we explain love or beauty or justice.
It is beyond human capacity to comprehend the full nature of God's being. But
neither can we understand what it means for us anything else to exist ‑
nor can we comprehend what space is or what time is or matter is. For every
door science opens, there are ten more unopened doors on the other side. The
more we learn, the more rapidly the unknown expands before us like receding
images in a hall of mirrors. The Jehovah's Witnesses and other Unitarians argue
that because the Trinity can't be understood it can't be. But the fact that it
is beyond human comprehension is no reason for rejecting what the Bible so
consistently presents to us. God is telling us about Himself so we can believe
in and know him. We dare not reject what he says or lower it to the level of
our finite mind.”
I don't believe that God would present Himself
to us in such a manner that we could not understand who He is and what He is. Jesus
plainly informs us in John 8:24: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall
die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am {he}, ye shall die in your
sins. Since it was of such importance to understand who Jesus is, and that
He is the Great I Am, then why would it be hidden and have to be accepted by
faith? No! It is not the doctrine of who we are that must be believed,
it is the doctrine of who I AM that must be believed.
BAPTISM OF
JESUS
Let's examine the baptism of Jesus which is so
often referred to by the trinitarians in their attempt to prove three persons.
They declare that there were three persons present at the baptism of Jesus. Was
there?
Matthew 3:13‑17: Then cometh Jesus from
Now, in regards to the subject of the Godhead,
how many persons are present in this passage? The trinitarian says three. All
that we find in this passage is:
1 ‑ Jesus in the water
2 ‑ A voice from heaven
3 ‑ The Spirit descending as a
dove.
Now, again, how many persons does that make?
A voice does not constitute a person!
A bird ‑ if there was one ‑ does not
constitute a person!
The only person present here is Jesus Christ!
We have three manifestations, but not three
persons. We have Jesus in the water, a voice from heaven; and the Spirit
descending as a dove. Three manifestations, but only one person.
The Spirit descended upon Jesus for John's sake.
Note John 1:33: And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with
water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending,
and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
There is no reason for us to think that it was a physical bird, which lit upon
Jesus. But the Spirit descended, as a dove would descend, upon Jesus.
The voice from heaven does not inform us that
there was a separate person in heaven which was God the Father. God is
Omnipresent. You can't confine Him to one geographical location any more than
you can confine the wind to one location.
The only person present at the baptism was Jesus
Christ (Colossians
Paul makes an interesting statement in Romans
1:20 regarding the Godhead: 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.
STONING OF
STEPHEN
Acts
The trinitarian sees Jesus as the Second Person,
standing next to God the Father, the First Person, in this passage.
First let us point out that in the original
Greek text that the expression “right hand” is not employed. There is no way
that Jesus ‑ nor anyone else ‑ could literally stand on the right
side of God. God is Omnipresent, and there is no way that one could get on His
right ‑ or left side!
Just what did Stephen see that day?
Verse 55: “He saw the glory of God.”
How did Stephen see the glory of God?
Verse 56:
I see Jesus...the Son of man...standing on the rights of God.
So, Stephen saw the glory of God ‑ Not the
person of God!
Stephen saw Jesus Christ, the Son ‑ Not
God the Son!
Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 26:64: Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man
standing on the right (hand) of power.
Another thing: Stephen was not confused nor delirious.
He understood what he was seeing and what he was saying.
Stephen died calling on God, and saying, Lord
Jesus receive my Spirit.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 informs us: Then shall the
dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it.
GENESIS 1:26,27: And God said, Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness...So God created man in his {own} image,
in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Let's consider man which God created in His
image:
Man consists of a body ‑ This is his
tabernacle.
Man consists of a spirit ‑ This houses his
conscious.
Man consists of a soul ‑ This contains his
will.
Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: And I
pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved.
Now the body is distinct from the soul and the
spirit.
The soul is distinct from the body and the
spirit.
The spirit is distinct from the body and the
soul.
BUT MAN IS
ONLY ONE!
We may also state:
The Father is distinct from the Son and the Holy
Ghost.
The Son is distinct from the Father and the Holy
Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is distinct from the Son and the
Father.
BUT THESE DISTINCTIONS ARE MANIFESTATIONS ‑
NOT PERSONS.
We are NOT Jesus Only! We believe in the Father;
We believe in the Son; We believe in the Holy Ghost. But, however, we do not
believe these terms speak of separate persons! They are separate manifestations
of the same God.
CREATION...
We can see in the creation of this world the
handiwork of the One God. We see Oneness in creation.
The Universe in which we exist consists of:
Space: Length ‑ Width ‑ Depth
Matter: Solid ‑ Liquid ‑ Gas
Time: Past ‑ Present ‑ Future.
But there is but one universe.
The earth's creation which contains life forms
consists of: atmosphere ‑ hydrosphere ‑ lithosphere.
But there is but one earth.
Life which was created by an All‑Wise God
and placed upon this earth, consists of: animal ‑ marine ‑ plant.
But it is all of one source of life.
Man, who was created in the image of his
Creator, consists of: body ‑ soul ‑ spirit.
But man is one creation.
And the God who created all things, consists of:
Father ‑ Word ‑ Spirit.
But there is but one God.
Three manifestations clearly indicated in
creation, yet oneness as well. Man, although consisting of body soul and
spirit, is yet only one man.
CO‑EQUALITY
One of the terms often employed by the
trinitarian is that the three persons in the Godhead are all co‑equal.
They seldom use this term any more because they have been embarrassed in too
many debates. Such a statement has been shown to be ridiculous in the light of
the Word of God.
Now ponder some scriptures concerning this
matter:
John 5:19: The Son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also
doeth the Son likewise.
Luke 22:41: And He...kneeled down, and
prayed.
John 14:28: My Father is greater than I.
John 20:21: As my Father hath sent me.
John 13:16: The servant is not greater than
his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
1 Corinthians 11:3: And the head of Christ is
God.
Obviously these scriptures do not show any co‑equality
between the Son and the Father! In every instance it is emphasized that the Son
is in subjection to the Father ‑ not equal with Him!
GOD IS
ONE!
When God speaks He always speaks of Himself
as a single person:
Deuteronomy 32:39: See now that I, {even} I,
{am} he, and {there is} no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and
I heal: neither {is there any} that can deliver out of my hand.
Isaiah 46:9: Remember the former things of
old: for I {am} God, and {there is} none else; {I am} God, and {there is} none
like me.
Also God is always spoken to as being one
person:
Psalm 83:18: That {men} may know that thou,
whose name alone {is} Jehovah, {art} the most high over all the earth.
Isaiah 37:16: O Lord of hosts, God of
And, God is always spoken of as being one
person:
1 Corinthians 8:6: But there is but one God.
1 Timothy 2:5: For there is one God, and one
Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:17: To the King of Ages,
Immortal, Invisible, the only wise God.
To find the term persons employed in
regards to a Godhead, one would have to resort to the pagan religion and pagan
idea of the Godhead. It is not used in the Word of God relative to God!
HUMANITY ‑
DEITY
One of the problems which people have with the
subject of the Godhead in regards to Jesus Christ, is that they fail to
differentiate between the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ was the flesh which housed God as
He chose to walk among men. He was the visible expression of the invisible God.
Jesus manifested God to His creation.
Consequently, Jesus, as man, was limited. As
God, He was without limitations. The flesh ‑ the tabernacle ‑ the
man, Christ Jesus, was not God! But, rather, it was the vessel through which
God manifested Himself to His creation, and through which redemption was
brought about for fallen man.
Therefore, we can note some interesting differences:
JESUS KNOWS EVERYTHING: As God? Yes! John
21:17; Jude 25.
As man, or Son? No! Mark 13:32; Revelation 1:1.
JESUS HAS ALL POWER: As God? Yes! Hebrews
1:3.
As Man, or Son? No! John 14:28.
JESUS HAS ALL AUTHORITY: As God? Yes! Colossians
2:10.
As man, or as Son? No! 1 Corinthians 11:3.
JESUS IS LORD OF ALL: As God? Yes! Acts
As man, or Son? No! 1 Corinthians 3:23.
JESUS IS THE RESURRECTOR: As God? Yes! John 2:19‑21.
As man, or Son? No! Galatians 1:1.
JESUS WILL REIGN FOR EVER: As God? Yes! Hebrews
1:8.
As man, or Son? No! 1 Corinthians 15:28.
JESUS IS EVERYWHERE: As God? Yes! Matthew
18:20.
As man, or Son? No! Matthew 3:16.
Obviously from these passages we have some
irreconcilable differences in the Word of God, or Jesus Christ is both
God the Father and the Son!
HE IS BOTH
HUMAN AND DIVINE!
Jesus is Judge, 2 Corinthians 5:10; and
also Advocate, 1 John 2:1.
Jesus is Lamb, Revelation 5:6; and also Lion
of Judah, Revelation 5:5.
Jesus is the Sun of righteousness,
Malachi 4:2; and also the Morning Star, Revelation 22:16.
Jesus is Jehovah of Battles, Psalm 24:8;
and also, Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6.
PAUL
DESCRIBES JESUS:
Colossians 2:9,10: For in him dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the
head of all principality and power.
1 Timothy 3:16: And without controversy great
is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory.
2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
While the Lord God appeared to many of His
people in the Old Testament in various ways, sometimes even in bodily form, it
is obvious from the Word of God that God did not possess a permanent body until
He dwelt in the body of Jesus Christ. The Bible describes God this way:
John 1:18: No man hath seen God at any time.
John 4:24:
God is a Spirit.
1 Timothy 6:16: Whom no man hath seen, nor
can see.
1 Timothy 1:17: Now unto the King eternal,
immortal, invisible.
The only possible way for man to look upon God
is to look into the face of Jesus Christ!
Colossians 1:15: Who is the express image of
the invisible God.
John 14:9: He that hath seen me hath seen the
Father.
Hebrews 1:3: Who...being the express image of
His substance.
WHO WAS
PIERCED?
In Zechariah, chapter 12, we have some
interesting references made concerning Jehovah.
Verse 1: The burden of the word of Jehovah.
Verse 4: In that day, saith Jehovah.
Verse 7: Jehovah
also shall save.
Verse 8: In that day shall Jehovah defend.
Obviously Jehovah God is the one being
considered in these verses. Now, notice verse ten:
And they shall look upon me whom they have
pierced.
Who was pierced?
Revelation 1:5‑7 states: And from Jesus
Christ, {who is} the faithful witness, {and} the first begotten of the dead,
and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and
his Father; to him {be} glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they {also} which pierced
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Who was pierced? JESUS CHRIST!
WE SHALL
BE LIKE HIM...
1 John 3:2 declares: Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Now, whose sons are we? ‑ Sons of God!
Well, who is going to appear? ‑ Jesus
Christ!
Revelation 1:7,
We are the sons of God, and we are going to
appear like the One coming soon to take us to Himself. That is Jesus Christ!