Did You Know The Trinity Is MAN-MADE?
What does the bible teach concerning the God we serve? Is He One or Multiple persons(many)??
All the scriptures will be shared to help the individual reader about God. This room is not for Debate,We are here to share God's Word in Love and in Truth. Please Refrain from personal attacks. AGAIN THIS ROOM IS FOR SINCERE SEEKERS OF THE ONE TRUE GOD. We must maintain A right spirit,and behave like true Christians edifying in the Word of God and Loving One another. Thank you for your interest in in Learning the Bible . God Bless you.
"Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
"God is one" (Galatians 3:20).
There is one God. There is only one God. This doctrine is central to the Bible message, for both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach it plainly and emphatically. Despite the simplicity of this message and the clarity with which the Bible presents it, many who believe in the existence of God have not understood it. Even within Christendom many people, including theologians, have not comprehended this beautiful and essential message. Our purpose is to address this problem, and to affirm and explain the biblical doctrine of the oneness of God.
Monotheism Defined
The belief in only one God is called monotheism, which comes from two Greek words: monos, meaning alone, single, one; and theos, meaning God. Anyone who does not accept monotheism can be classified as one of the following: an atheist who denies the existence of God; an agnostic - one who asserts that the existence of God is unknown and probably unknowable; a pantheist - one who equates God with nature or the forces of the universe; or a polytheist - one who believes in more than one God. Ditheism, the belief in two gods, is a form of polytheism, and so is tritheism, the belief in three gods. Among the major religions of the world, three are monotheistic: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Within the ranks of those labelling themselves Christian, however, there are several divergent views as to the nature of the Godhead. One view, called trinitarianism, asserts that there are three distinct persons in the Godhead - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost - but yet one God.
Within the ranks of trinitarianism, one can discern two extreme tendencies. On the one hand, some trinitarians emphasize the unity of God without having a carefully developed understanding of what is meant by three distinct persons in the Godhead. On the other hand, other trinitarians emphasize the threeness of the trinity to the point that they believe in three self-conscious beings, and their view is essentially tritheistic.
In addition to trinitarianism, there is the doctrine of binitarianism, which does not classify the Holy Ghost as a separate person but asserts belief in two persons in the Godhead.
Many monotheists have pointed out that both trinitarianism and binitarianism weaken the strict monotheism taught by the Bible. They insist that the Godhead cannot be divided into persons and that God is absolutely one.
These believers in strict monotheism fall into two classes. One class asserts that there is only one God, but does so by denying, in one way or another, the full deity of Jesus Christ. This view was represented in early church history by the dynamic monarchians, such as Paul of Samosata, and by the Arians, led by Arius. These groups relegated Jesus to the position of a created god, subordinate god, junior god, or demigod.
The second class of true monotheists believes in one God, but further believes that the fulness of the Godhead is manifested in Jesus Christ. They believe that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are manifestations, modes, offices, or relationships that the one God has displayed to man. Church historians have used the terms modalism and modalistic monarchianism to describe this view as held by such early church leaders as Noetus, Praxeas, and Sabellius. (See Chapter 10 - ONENESS BELIEVERS IN CHURCH HISTORY.) In the twentieth century, those who believe in both the indivisible oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ frequently use the term Oneness to describe their belief. They also use the terms One God and Jesus Name as adjectives to label themselves, while opponents sometimes use the misleading or derogatory designations "Jesus Only" and "New Issue." (The label "Jesus Only" is misleading because to trinitarians it implies a denial of the Father and the Holy Spirit. However, Oneness believers do not deny the Father and Spirit, but rather see Father and Spirit as different roles of the One God who is the Spirit of Jesus.)
In summary, Christendom has produced four basic views of the Godhead: (1) trinitarianism, (2) binitarianism, (3) strict monotheism with a denial of the full deity of Jesus Christ, and (4) strict monotheism with an affirmation of the full deity of Jesus Christ, or Oneness.
Having surveyed the range of human beliefs about the Godhead, let us look at what the Word of God - the Bible - has to say on the subject.
The Old Testament Teaches That There Is But One God
The classic expression of the doctrine of one God is found in Deuteronomy 6:4. "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD." This verse of Scripture has become the most distinctive and important statement of faith for the Jews. They call it the Shema, after the first word of the phrase in Hebrew, and they often quote it in English as "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one." (See also the NIV.) Traditionally, a devout Jew always tried to make this confession of faith just before death.
In Deuteronomy 6:5, God followed the announcement of the preceding verse with a command that requires total belief in and love for Him as the one and only God: "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." We should notice the importance which God attaches to Deuteronomy 6:4-5. He commands that these verses be placed in the heart (verse 6), taught to the children throughout the day (verse 7), bound on the hand and forehead (verse 8), and written on the posts and gates of houses (verse 9).
Orthodox Jews literally obey these commands today by binding tefillin (phylacteries) on their left forearms and on their foreheads when they pray, and by placing mezuzzah on their doors and gates. (Teffilin are small boxes tied to the body by leather straps, and mezuzzah are scroll-shaped containers.) Inside both types of containers are verses of Scripture handwritten in black ink by a righteous man who has observed certain purification rituals. The verses of Scripture usually are Deuteronomy 6:4-9,11:18-21, Exodus 13:8-10, and 13:14-16.
During a trip to Jerusalem, where we gathered the above information, [1] we attempted to buy tefillin. The Orthodox Jewish merchant said he did not sell tefillin to Christians because they do not believe in and have the proper reverence for these verses of Scripture. When we quoted Deuteronomy 6:4 and explained our total adherence to it, his eyes lit up and he promised to sell to us on the condition that we would treat the tefillin with care and respect. His concern shows the extreme reverence and depth of belief the Jews have for the concept of one God. It also reveals that a major reason for the Jewish rejection of Christianity throughout history is the perceived distortion of the monotheistic message.
Many other Old Testament verses of Scripture emphatically affirm strict monotheism. The Ten Commandments begin with, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). God emphasized this command by stating that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). In Deuteronomy 32:39, God said there is no other god with him. There is none like the LORD and there is no God beside Him (II Samuel 7:22; I Chronicles 17:20). He alone is God (Psalm 86:10). There are the emphatic declarations of God in Isaiah.
"Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour" (Isaiah 43:10-11).
"I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6).
"Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any" (Isaiah 44:8).
"I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself" (Isaiah 44:24).
"There is none beside me. I am the LORD and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:6).
"There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:21-22).
"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me" (Isaiah 46:9).
"I will not give my glory unto another" (Isaiah 48:11; see also Isaiah 42:8).
"O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth" (Isaiah 37:16).
There is only one God, who is the Creator and Father of mankind (Malachi 2:10). In the time of the Millennial Reign, there shall be only one LORD with one name (Zechariah 14:9).
In short, the Old Testament speaks of God in terms of being one. Many times the Bible calls God the Holy One (Psalm 71:22; 78:41; Isaiah 1:4; 5:19; 5:24), but never the "holy two, the holy three," or the "holy many."
A common remark by some trinitarians about the Old Testament doctrine of the oneness of God is that God only intended to emphasize His oneness as opposed to pagan deities, but that He still existed as a plurality. However, if this conjecture were true, why did not God make it clear? Why have the Jews understood not a theology of "persons" but have insisted on an absolute monotheism? Let us look at it from God's point of view. Suppose He did want to exclude any belief in a plurality in the Godhead. How could He do so using then-existing terminology? What strong words could He use to get His message across to His people? When we think about it, we will realize that He used the strongest possible language available to describe absolute oneness. In the preceding verses of Scriptures in Isaiah, we note the use of words and phrases such as "none, none else, none like me, none beside me, alone, by myself," and "one." Surely, God could not make it plainer that no plurality whatsoever exists in the Godhead. In short, the Old Testament affirms that God is absolutely one in number.
The New Testament Teaches There Is But One God
Jesus emphatically taught Deuteronomy 6:4, calling it the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29-30). The New Testament presupposes the Old Testament teaching of one God and explicitly repeats this message many times.
"Seeing it is one God which shall justify" (Romans 3:30).
"There is none other God but one" (I Corinthians 8:4).
"But to us there is but one God, the Father" (I Corinthians 8:6).
"But God is one" (Galatians 3:20).
"One God and Father of all" (Ephesians 4:6).
"For there is one God" (I Timothy 2:5).
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19).
Again, the Bible calls God the Holy One (I John 2:20). There is one throne in heaven and One sits upon it (Revelation 4:2).
In subsequent articles we will explore New Testament monotheism in greater depth, but the above verses of Scripture are sufficient to establish that the New Testament teaches one God.
In this study you will find the whole Bible teaches a strict monotheism. God's people have always been identified with the one-God message. God chose Abraham because of his willingness to forsake the gods of his nation and his father and to worship the one true God (Genesis 12:1-8). God chastised Israel every time she began to worship other gods, and polytheistic worship was one of the main reasons that God finally sent her into captivity (Acts 7:43). The Savior came to the world through a nation (Israel) and through a religion (Judaism) in which the people had finally purged themselves of polytheism. They were thoroughly monotheistic.
Today, God still demands a monotheistic worship of Him. We in the church are heirs of Abraham by faith, and this exalted position demands that we have the same monotheistic faith in the God of Abraham (Romans 4:13-17). As Christians in the world we must never cease to exalt and declare the message that there is only one true and living God.
The Bible clearly teaches the doctrine of the oneness of God and the absolute deity of Jesus Christ. The early Christians believed this great truth, and many people have adhered to it throughout history. Although in the course of history trinitarianism became the predominant doctrine in Christendom, the Scriptures do not teach it. In fact, the Bible nowhere mentions or alludes to the word trinity, the phrase "three persons in one substance," or the phrase "three persons in one God." We can explain all the Scriptures in both testaments adequately without any need to resort to the doctrine of the trinity.
Trinitarianism contradicts and detracts from important biblical teachings. It detracts from the Bible's emphasis on God's absolute oneness, and it detracts from Jesus Christ's full deity. Trinitarian doctrine as it exists today did not develop fully and the majority of Christendom did not accept it fully until the fourth century after Christ.
Here are five specific ways in which the biblical doctrine of Christian monotheism differs from the presently existing doctrine of trinitarianism. (1) The Bible does not speak of an eternally existing "God the Son;" for the Son refers only to the Incarnation. (2) The phrase "three persons in one God" is inaccurate because there is no distinction of persons in God. If "persons" indicates a plurality of personalities, wills, minds, beings, or visible bodies, then it is incorrect because God is one being with one personality, will, and mind. He has one visible body - the glorified human body of Jesus Christ. (3) The term "three persons" is incorrect because there is no essential threeness about God. The only number relevant to God is one. He has many different roles, titles, manifestations, or attributes, and we cannot limit them to three. (4) Jesus is the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for Jesus is the revealed name of God in the New Testament (John 5:43; Matthew 1:21; John 14:26). Therefore, we correctly administer water baptism using the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). (5) Jesus is the incarnation of the fulness of God. He is the incarnation of the Father (the Word, the Spirit, Jehovah) not just the incarnation of a person called "God the Son."
What is the essence of the doctrine of God as taught by the Bible - the doctrine we have labelled Oneness? First, there is one indivisible God with no distinction of persons. Second, Jesus Christ is the fulness of the Godhead incarnate. He is God the Father - the Jehovah of the Old Testament - robed in flesh. All of God is in Jesus Christ, and we find all we need in Him. The only God we will ever see in heaven is Jesus Christ.
Having said all of this, why is a correct understanding of and belief in this doctrine so important? Here are four reasons. (1) It is important because the whole Bible teaches it and emphasizes it. (2) Jesus stressed how important it is for us to understand who He really is the Jehovah of the Old Testament: "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). The word he is in italics in the King James Version, which indicates it is not in the Greek but was added by the translators. So Jesus called Himself the "I AM," the name Jehovah used in Exodus 3:14-15. Jesus was saying, "If you believe not that I AM, you shall die in your sins." It is not mandatory that a person have a thorough comprehension of all questions relating to the Godhead to be saved, but he must believe that there is one God and that Jesus is God. (3) The Oneness message determines the formula for water baptism - in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). (4) Oneness teaches us how important the baptism of the Holy Ghost really is. Since there is only one Spirit of God, and since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, Oneness shows us that we receive Christ into our lives when we are filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).
Since the Bible so plainly teaches the oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ, why is it obscure to many people, especially to those in Christendom? The answer is that it comes not merely through intellectual study but through divine illumination of the Scriptures. It comes through prayerful study, diligent searching, and intense desire for truth. When Peter made his great confession of the deity of Jesus, Jesus said, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:16-17). Therefore, if we want to understand the mighty God in Christ we must put away man's doctrines, traditions, philosophies, and theories. In their place we must put the pure Word of God. We must ask God to reveal this great truth to us through His Word. We must seek after His Spirit to illuminate His Word and to guide us into all truth (John 14:26; 16:13). It is not enough to rely on church dogmas, for church dogmas are only valid if they are taught in Scripture. We must go back to the Bible itself, study it, and ask God to illuminate it by His Spirit.
Colossians 2:8,9
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power."
All the scriptures will be shared to help the individual reader about God. This room is not for Debate,We are here to share God's Word in Love and in Truth. Please Refrain from personal attacks. AGAIN THIS ROOM IS FOR SINCERE SEEKERS OF THE ONE TRUE GOD. We must maintain A right spirit,and behave like true Christians edifying in the Word of God and Loving One another. Thank you for your interest in in Learning the Bible . God Bless you.
"Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
"God is one" (Galatians 3:20).
There is one God. There is only one God. This doctrine is central to the Bible message, for both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach it plainly and emphatically. Despite the simplicity of this message and the clarity with which the Bible presents it, many who believe in the existence of God have not understood it. Even within Christendom many people, including theologians, have not comprehended this beautiful and essential message. Our purpose is to address this problem, and to affirm and explain the biblical doctrine of the oneness of God.
Monotheism Defined
The belief in only one God is called monotheism, which comes from two Greek words: monos, meaning alone, single, one; and theos, meaning God. Anyone who does not accept monotheism can be classified as one of the following: an atheist who denies the existence of God; an agnostic - one who asserts that the existence of God is unknown and probably unknowable; a pantheist - one who equates God with nature or the forces of the universe; or a polytheist - one who believes in more than one God. Ditheism, the belief in two gods, is a form of polytheism, and so is tritheism, the belief in three gods. Among the major religions of the world, three are monotheistic: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Within the ranks of those labelling themselves Christian, however, there are several divergent views as to the nature of the Godhead. One view, called trinitarianism, asserts that there are three distinct persons in the Godhead - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost - but yet one God.
Within the ranks of trinitarianism, one can discern two extreme tendencies. On the one hand, some trinitarians emphasize the unity of God without having a carefully developed understanding of what is meant by three distinct persons in the Godhead. On the other hand, other trinitarians emphasize the threeness of the trinity to the point that they believe in three self-conscious beings, and their view is essentially tritheistic.
In addition to trinitarianism, there is the doctrine of binitarianism, which does not classify the Holy Ghost as a separate person but asserts belief in two persons in the Godhead.
Many monotheists have pointed out that both trinitarianism and binitarianism weaken the strict monotheism taught by the Bible. They insist that the Godhead cannot be divided into persons and that God is absolutely one.
These believers in strict monotheism fall into two classes. One class asserts that there is only one God, but does so by denying, in one way or another, the full deity of Jesus Christ. This view was represented in early church history by the dynamic monarchians, such as Paul of Samosata, and by the Arians, led by Arius. These groups relegated Jesus to the position of a created god, subordinate god, junior god, or demigod.
The second class of true monotheists believes in one God, but further believes that the fulness of the Godhead is manifested in Jesus Christ. They believe that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are manifestations, modes, offices, or relationships that the one God has displayed to man. Church historians have used the terms modalism and modalistic monarchianism to describe this view as held by such early church leaders as Noetus, Praxeas, and Sabellius. (See Chapter 10 - ONENESS BELIEVERS IN CHURCH HISTORY.) In the twentieth century, those who believe in both the indivisible oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ frequently use the term Oneness to describe their belief. They also use the terms One God and Jesus Name as adjectives to label themselves, while opponents sometimes use the misleading or derogatory designations "Jesus Only" and "New Issue." (The label "Jesus Only" is misleading because to trinitarians it implies a denial of the Father and the Holy Spirit. However, Oneness believers do not deny the Father and Spirit, but rather see Father and Spirit as different roles of the One God who is the Spirit of Jesus.)
In summary, Christendom has produced four basic views of the Godhead: (1) trinitarianism, (2) binitarianism, (3) strict monotheism with a denial of the full deity of Jesus Christ, and (4) strict monotheism with an affirmation of the full deity of Jesus Christ, or Oneness.
Having surveyed the range of human beliefs about the Godhead, let us look at what the Word of God - the Bible - has to say on the subject.
The Old Testament Teaches That There Is But One God
The classic expression of the doctrine of one God is found in Deuteronomy 6:4. "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD." This verse of Scripture has become the most distinctive and important statement of faith for the Jews. They call it the Shema, after the first word of the phrase in Hebrew, and they often quote it in English as "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one." (See also the NIV.) Traditionally, a devout Jew always tried to make this confession of faith just before death.
In Deuteronomy 6:5, God followed the announcement of the preceding verse with a command that requires total belief in and love for Him as the one and only God: "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." We should notice the importance which God attaches to Deuteronomy 6:4-5. He commands that these verses be placed in the heart (verse 6), taught to the children throughout the day (verse 7), bound on the hand and forehead (verse 8), and written on the posts and gates of houses (verse 9).
Orthodox Jews literally obey these commands today by binding tefillin (phylacteries) on their left forearms and on their foreheads when they pray, and by placing mezuzzah on their doors and gates. (Teffilin are small boxes tied to the body by leather straps, and mezuzzah are scroll-shaped containers.) Inside both types of containers are verses of Scripture handwritten in black ink by a righteous man who has observed certain purification rituals. The verses of Scripture usually are Deuteronomy 6:4-9,11:18-21, Exodus 13:8-10, and 13:14-16.
During a trip to Jerusalem, where we gathered the above information, [1] we attempted to buy tefillin. The Orthodox Jewish merchant said he did not sell tefillin to Christians because they do not believe in and have the proper reverence for these verses of Scripture. When we quoted Deuteronomy 6:4 and explained our total adherence to it, his eyes lit up and he promised to sell to us on the condition that we would treat the tefillin with care and respect. His concern shows the extreme reverence and depth of belief the Jews have for the concept of one God. It also reveals that a major reason for the Jewish rejection of Christianity throughout history is the perceived distortion of the monotheistic message.
Many other Old Testament verses of Scripture emphatically affirm strict monotheism. The Ten Commandments begin with, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). God emphasized this command by stating that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). In Deuteronomy 32:39, God said there is no other god with him. There is none like the LORD and there is no God beside Him (II Samuel 7:22; I Chronicles 17:20). He alone is God (Psalm 86:10). There are the emphatic declarations of God in Isaiah.
"Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour" (Isaiah 43:10-11).
"I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6).
"Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any" (Isaiah 44:8).
"I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself" (Isaiah 44:24).
"There is none beside me. I am the LORD and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:6).
"There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:21-22).
"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me" (Isaiah 46:9).
"I will not give my glory unto another" (Isaiah 48:11; see also Isaiah 42:8).
"O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth" (Isaiah 37:16).
There is only one God, who is the Creator and Father of mankind (Malachi 2:10). In the time of the Millennial Reign, there shall be only one LORD with one name (Zechariah 14:9).
In short, the Old Testament speaks of God in terms of being one. Many times the Bible calls God the Holy One (Psalm 71:22; 78:41; Isaiah 1:4; 5:19; 5:24), but never the "holy two, the holy three," or the "holy many."
A common remark by some trinitarians about the Old Testament doctrine of the oneness of God is that God only intended to emphasize His oneness as opposed to pagan deities, but that He still existed as a plurality. However, if this conjecture were true, why did not God make it clear? Why have the Jews understood not a theology of "persons" but have insisted on an absolute monotheism? Let us look at it from God's point of view. Suppose He did want to exclude any belief in a plurality in the Godhead. How could He do so using then-existing terminology? What strong words could He use to get His message across to His people? When we think about it, we will realize that He used the strongest possible language available to describe absolute oneness. In the preceding verses of Scriptures in Isaiah, we note the use of words and phrases such as "none, none else, none like me, none beside me, alone, by myself," and "one." Surely, God could not make it plainer that no plurality whatsoever exists in the Godhead. In short, the Old Testament affirms that God is absolutely one in number.
The New Testament Teaches There Is But One God
Jesus emphatically taught Deuteronomy 6:4, calling it the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29-30). The New Testament presupposes the Old Testament teaching of one God and explicitly repeats this message many times.
"Seeing it is one God which shall justify" (Romans 3:30).
"There is none other God but one" (I Corinthians 8:4).
"But to us there is but one God, the Father" (I Corinthians 8:6).
"But God is one" (Galatians 3:20).
"One God and Father of all" (Ephesians 4:6).
"For there is one God" (I Timothy 2:5).
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19).
Again, the Bible calls God the Holy One (I John 2:20). There is one throne in heaven and One sits upon it (Revelation 4:2).
In subsequent articles we will explore New Testament monotheism in greater depth, but the above verses of Scripture are sufficient to establish that the New Testament teaches one God.
In this study you will find the whole Bible teaches a strict monotheism. God's people have always been identified with the one-God message. God chose Abraham because of his willingness to forsake the gods of his nation and his father and to worship the one true God (Genesis 12:1-8). God chastised Israel every time she began to worship other gods, and polytheistic worship was one of the main reasons that God finally sent her into captivity (Acts 7:43). The Savior came to the world through a nation (Israel) and through a religion (Judaism) in which the people had finally purged themselves of polytheism. They were thoroughly monotheistic.
Today, God still demands a monotheistic worship of Him. We in the church are heirs of Abraham by faith, and this exalted position demands that we have the same monotheistic faith in the God of Abraham (Romans 4:13-17). As Christians in the world we must never cease to exalt and declare the message that there is only one true and living God.
The Bible clearly teaches the doctrine of the oneness of God and the absolute deity of Jesus Christ. The early Christians believed this great truth, and many people have adhered to it throughout history. Although in the course of history trinitarianism became the predominant doctrine in Christendom, the Scriptures do not teach it. In fact, the Bible nowhere mentions or alludes to the word trinity, the phrase "three persons in one substance," or the phrase "three persons in one God." We can explain all the Scriptures in both testaments adequately without any need to resort to the doctrine of the trinity.
Trinitarianism contradicts and detracts from important biblical teachings. It detracts from the Bible's emphasis on God's absolute oneness, and it detracts from Jesus Christ's full deity. Trinitarian doctrine as it exists today did not develop fully and the majority of Christendom did not accept it fully until the fourth century after Christ.
Here are five specific ways in which the biblical doctrine of Christian monotheism differs from the presently existing doctrine of trinitarianism. (1) The Bible does not speak of an eternally existing "God the Son;" for the Son refers only to the Incarnation. (2) The phrase "three persons in one God" is inaccurate because there is no distinction of persons in God. If "persons" indicates a plurality of personalities, wills, minds, beings, or visible bodies, then it is incorrect because God is one being with one personality, will, and mind. He has one visible body - the glorified human body of Jesus Christ. (3) The term "three persons" is incorrect because there is no essential threeness about God. The only number relevant to God is one. He has many different roles, titles, manifestations, or attributes, and we cannot limit them to three. (4) Jesus is the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for Jesus is the revealed name of God in the New Testament (John 5:43; Matthew 1:21; John 14:26). Therefore, we correctly administer water baptism using the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). (5) Jesus is the incarnation of the fulness of God. He is the incarnation of the Father (the Word, the Spirit, Jehovah) not just the incarnation of a person called "God the Son."
What is the essence of the doctrine of God as taught by the Bible - the doctrine we have labelled Oneness? First, there is one indivisible God with no distinction of persons. Second, Jesus Christ is the fulness of the Godhead incarnate. He is God the Father - the Jehovah of the Old Testament - robed in flesh. All of God is in Jesus Christ, and we find all we need in Him. The only God we will ever see in heaven is Jesus Christ.
Having said all of this, why is a correct understanding of and belief in this doctrine so important? Here are four reasons. (1) It is important because the whole Bible teaches it and emphasizes it. (2) Jesus stressed how important it is for us to understand who He really is the Jehovah of the Old Testament: "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). The word he is in italics in the King James Version, which indicates it is not in the Greek but was added by the translators. So Jesus called Himself the "I AM," the name Jehovah used in Exodus 3:14-15. Jesus was saying, "If you believe not that I AM, you shall die in your sins." It is not mandatory that a person have a thorough comprehension of all questions relating to the Godhead to be saved, but he must believe that there is one God and that Jesus is God. (3) The Oneness message determines the formula for water baptism - in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). (4) Oneness teaches us how important the baptism of the Holy Ghost really is. Since there is only one Spirit of God, and since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, Oneness shows us that we receive Christ into our lives when we are filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).
Since the Bible so plainly teaches the oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ, why is it obscure to many people, especially to those in Christendom? The answer is that it comes not merely through intellectual study but through divine illumination of the Scriptures. It comes through prayerful study, diligent searching, and intense desire for truth. When Peter made his great confession of the deity of Jesus, Jesus said, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:16-17). Therefore, if we want to understand the mighty God in Christ we must put away man's doctrines, traditions, philosophies, and theories. In their place we must put the pure Word of God. We must ask God to reveal this great truth to us through His Word. We must seek after His Spirit to illuminate His Word and to guide us into all truth (John 14:26; 16:13). It is not enough to rely on church dogmas, for church dogmas are only valid if they are taught in Scripture. We must go back to the Bible itself, study it, and ask God to illuminate it by His Spirit.
Colossians 2:8,9
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power."
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Della Morton on
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A common remark by some trinitarians about the Old Testament doctrine of the oneness of God is that God only intended to emphasize His oneness as opposed to pagan deities, but that He still existed as a plurality. However, if this conjecture were true, why did not God make it clear? Why have the Jews understood not a theology of "persons" but have insisted on an absolute monotheism? Let us look at it from God's point of view. Suppose He did want to exclude any belief in a plurality in the Godhead. How could He do so using then-existing terminology? What strong words could He use to get His message across to His people? When we think about it, we will realize that He used the strongest possible language available to describe absolute oneness. In the preceding verses of Scriptures in Isaiah, we note the use of words and phrases such as "none, none else, none like me, none beside me, alone, by myself," and "one." Surely, God could not make it plainer that no plurality whatsoever exists in the Godhead. In short, the Old Testament affirms that God is absolutely one in number.
The New Testament Teaches There Is But One God
Jesus emphatically taught Deuteronomy 6:4, calling it the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29-30). The New Testament presupposes the Old Testament teaching of one God and explicitly repeats this message many times.
"Seeing it is one God which shall justify" (Romans 3:30).
"There is none other God but one" (I Corinthians 8:4).
"But to us there is but one God, the Father" (I Corinthians 8:6).
"But God is one" (Galatians 3:20).
"One God and Father of all" (Ephesians 4:6).
"For there is one God" (I Timothy 2:5).
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19).
Again, the Bible calls God the Holy One (I John 2:20). There is one throne in heaven and One sits upon it (Revelation 4:2).
In subsequent chapters we will explore New Testament monotheism in greater depth, but the above verses of Scripture are sufficient to establish that the New Testament teaches one God.
Conclusion
As we have seen, the whole Bible teaches a strict monotheism. God's people have always been identified with the one-God message. God chose Abraham because of his willingness to forsake the gods of his nation and his father and to worship the one true God (Genesis 12:1-8). God chastised Israel every time she began to worship other gods, and polytheistic worship was one of the main reasons that God finally sent her into captivity (Acts 7:43). The Savior came to the world through a nation (Israel) and through a religion (Judaism) in which the people had finally purged themselves of polytheism. They were thoroughly monotheistic.
Today, God still demands a monotheistic worship of Him. We in the church are heirs of Abraham by faith, and this exalted position demands that we have the same monotheistic faith in the God of Abraham (Romans 4:13-17). As Christians in the world we must never cease to exalt and declare the message that there is only one true and living God.
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Permalink Reply by Lance on
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Ok so in Genesis when God says let US make man in OUR image and OUR likeness. In John 1:1-14 it clearly states in the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was WITH God and the WORD WAS GOD. When talking about marriage the bible states that man will join his wife and they will become ONE flesh. There is such a thing as compound unity. A team has to be as ONE to work effectively. All the parts of my body act as ONE. In 1 John 5:7 it says for these 3 bear witness in heave the Father the WORD and the Holy Ghost and these 3 are ONE. Jesus himself said that He and the Father ARE ONE. Trinitarianism doesn't negate monotheism. What you are espousing is Unitarianism which is what Islam is based on. When God appeared to abraham in Genesis he appeared as three men. The bible does indeed teach trinitarianism.
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Permalink Reply by James Pierce on
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Lance,
The word was not literally next to God. The word was in the mind of God.
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Thats not at all true. The greek word used is pros which means with. Where did you get that from?
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Lance it says in
Genesis 1:26
"And God said, Let us make man in our image." (Genesis 1:26)
Why does this verse use a plural pronoun for God? Before we answer this, let us note that the Bible uses singular pronouns to refer to God hundreds of times. The very next verse uses the singular to show how God fulfilled verse 26: "So God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:27). Genesis 2:7 says, "And the LORD God formed man." We must therefore reconcile the plural in 1:26 with the singular in 1:27 and 2:7. We must also look at God's image creature, which is man. Regardless of how we identify the various components that make up a man, a man definitely has one personality and will. He is one person in every way. This indicates that the Creator in whose image man was made is also one being with one personality and will.
Any interpretation of Genesis 1:26 that permits the existence of more than one person of God runs into severe difficulties. Isaiah 44:24 says the LORD created the heavens alone and created the earth by Himself. There was only one Creator according to Malachi 2:10. Furthermore, if the plural in Genesis 1:26 refers to the Son of God, how do we reconcile this with the scriptural record that the Son was not born until at least four thousand years later in Bethlehem? The Son was made of a woman (Galatians 4:4); if the Son was present in the beginning who was His mother? If the Son be a spirit being, who was His spirit mother?
Since Genesis 1:26 cannot mean two or more persons in the Godhead, what does it mean? The Jews have traditionally interpreted it to mean that God talked to the angels at creation. [22] This does not imply that the angels actually took part in creation but that God informed them of His plans and solicited their comments out of courtesy and respect. On at least one other occasion God talked to the angels and requested their opinions in formulating His plans (I Kings 22:19-22). We do know that the angels were present at the creation (Job 38:4-7).
Other commentators have suggested that Genesis 1:26 simply describes God as He counseled with His own will. Ephesians 1:11 supports this view, saying that God works all things "after the counsel of his own will." By analogy, this is similar to a man saying "Let's see" (let us see) even when he is planning by himself.
Others explain this passage as a majestic or literary plural. That is, in formal speaking and writing the speaker or writer often refers to himself in the plural, especially if the speaker is of royalty. Biblical examples of the majestic plural can be cited to illustrate this practice. For example, Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar, "We will tell the interpretation thereof before the king" even though Daniel alone proceeded to give the interpretation to the king (Daniel 2:36). King Artaxerxes alternately referred to himself in the singular and the plural in his correspondence. Once, he wrote, "The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me" (Ezra 4:18). In a letter to Ezra, Artaxerxes called himself "I" in one place (Ezra 7:13) but "we" in another place (7:24).
The use of the plural in Genesis 1:26 also may be similar to the plural Elohim in denoting the greatness and majesty of God or the multiple attributes of God. In other words, the plural pronoun simply agrees with and substitutes for the plural noun Elohim.
Still another explanation is that this passage describes God's foreknowledge of the future arrival of the Son, much like prophetic passages in the Psalms. We must realize that God does not live in time. His plans are real to Him even though they are in the future as far as we are concerned. He calls those things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17). A day is as a thousand years to Him and a thousand years is as a day (II Peter 3:8). His plan - the Word - existed from the beginning in the mind of God (John 1:1). As far as God was concerned, the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:19-20; Revelation 13:8). It is not surprising that God could look down the corridors of time and address a prophetic utterance to the Son. Romans 5:14 says that Adam was a figure of Him who was to come, that is, Jesus Christ. When God created Adam, He had already thought about the Incarnation and created Adam with that plan in mind.
Taking this idea a step further, Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God made the worlds by the Son. How could this be, seeing that the Son did not come into existence until a point in time much later than creation? (Hebrews 1:5-6). God used the Sonship to make the world. That is, He hinged everything on the future arrival of Christ. Though He did not pick up the humanity until the fulness of time was come, it was in His plan from the beginning, and He used it and acted upon it from the start. He created man in the image of the future Son of God, and He created man knowing that although man would sin the future Sonship would provide a way of salvation.
God created man in the beginning so that man would love and worship Him (Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11). However, by reason of His foreknowledge God knew that man would fall into sin. This would defeat God's purpose in creating man. If this was all there was to the future, then God would have never created man. However, God had in His mind the plan for the Incarnation and the plan of salvation through the atoning death of Christ. So, even though God knew man would sin, He also knew that through the Son of God man could be restored and could fulfill God's original purpose. It is apparent, then, that when God created man he had the future arrival of the Son in mind. It is in this sense that God created the worlds through the Son or by using the Son, for without the Son, God's whole purpose in creating man would have failed.
In summary, Genesis 1:26 cannot mean a plurality in the Godhead, for that would contradict the rest of Scripture. We have offered several other harmonizing explanations. (1) The Jews and many Christians see this as a reference to the angels. Many other Christians see it as (2) a description of God counseling with His own will, (3) a majestic or literary plural, (4) a pronoun simply agreeing with the noun Elohim, or (5) a prophetic reference to the future manifestation of the Son of God.
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1. John 1:14 says the Word which was identified in John 1 as being God was made flesh and dwelt among men. Made of a woman means in the flesh. The Word has always existed. His mother Mary was according to the flesh.
2. There is only one creator but one in what sense. As I showed before man and wife are ONE flesh according to genesis 2:24. There are two people but they are ONE. You have not described what you mean but ONE. One in what sense? One in being, one in essence? What are you talking about. Muslims believe God is one. What does that mean?
3. What does it matter if jews have said that God was talking to angels? That doesn't matter, the text clearly says Let US make man in OUR image and OUR likeness. What you are saying suggest man is made in both Angel and Gods image. Which is unscriptural. You are using modern language and applying it to ancient literature. Jews also reject Jesus Christ, aThe majestic or "royal" we didn't exist then. That is modern language. Why would Jesus tell people to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost?
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Permalink Reply by PASTOR CHARLES E BELL JR on
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DELLA AND JAMES YOU BOTH ARE DEAD WRONG ON THIS ONE
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These are titles or Roles of God. The Apostles knew what that One saving Name was: Jesus said in Matt.28:19 to baptize them in the NAME of singular not plural meaning if someone was going to be a christian there had to be one saving Name(acts 4:12)
they had to be identified with! The apostle preached Acts 2:38 to be saved they knew you could only find remission of sins through The Name Of Jesus Christ.Luke 24:45-47 (King James Version)
45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
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You are still missing the point and ignoring what I've been posting. In the name of the Father, The Son AND the Holy GHOST. If I make out a shopping list I would say I need milk, eggs and sugar. Milk isn't eggs nor are eggs sugar. Nor is the Father the Son nor is the Son the Holy Spirit. They are 3 parts of the whole of God. 1 John 5:7 states for these 3 bear witness in heaven the Father The Word and the Holy Ghost. Jesus consistently preached on how His father sent Him but then also stated that He and the father were one. And that He did what he did by the power of the Holy Spirit. The only unforgivable sin is to BLASPHEME the Holy Spirit. But how can you blaspheme something that isn't God.
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LANCE AND BELL We are not talking about persons in a godhead that is erroneous . To fully understand the Godhead You have to lay a side what you've been taught by a man A man-made doctrine of the trinity from the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH and open your heart and mind and shed all that man-made stuff ! Clear your mind in Prayer and Ask Jesus to show you who He is in His word. Then you will be able to see it.
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Permalink Reply by Child of the Kingdom on
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WHY WAS THE FIRST VERSE IN PLURAL WHEN TALKING ABOUT CREATING THEN WENT TO SINGULAR WHEN THE CREATION TOOK PLACE
Genesis 1:26-27 (King James Version)
PLURAL
26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
SINGULAR
27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
IF 3 WERE INVOLVED IN THE CREATION THAT SECOND VERSE WOULD HAVE READ AS FOLLOWS:
(MOCK VERSE)
27. So THEY created man in THEIR own image, in the image of THEM created THEY him; male and female created THEY them.
HOPEFULLY THIS MAY HELP IN UNDERSTANDING THAT ONLY ONE CREATED ALL NOT THREE. THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THERE ARE 3 GODS.
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