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(mobile friendly version-click here) Heresy concerning God SOME SCRIPTURES WRESTED TO TEACH HERESY ("the trinity" teaching is that "the first person" sent "the third person"to cause the birth of "the second person"(wrest- ing Luke 1v30-35)…...it is "a mystery", as its proponents claim, identifying it with "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT", Revelation 17v5. 'Babylon' means 'confusion'). But the Scriptures do not teach such a self-contradictory doctrine. Note John 17v3 - "And this is life eternal, that they might KNOW THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent". God has provided His Son, through holy spirit power. 1st John 5v7 - "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one". EXPLANATION. These words, and the first words of v8- "And there are three that bear witness in earth" do not appear in any Greek man- uscript earlier than the 15th century AD. They are OMITTED in the Revised and other versions. Verses 7 & 8 should read - "For there are three that bear record, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one". They agree to the one thing, i.e. that Jesus Christ the Son of God has come to redeem us-see v4-6, 9-11. For more specific details, link to 'the trinity heresy' - item 9. Matthew 28v19 -"...teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit". EXPLANATION. The Roman ecclesiastical historian Eusebius rendered the above: "...make disciples of all the nations in my name".This was before AD325, when the infamous 'Nicene Creed' was adopted by the apostate "church"- which paved the way for "the trinity" - link to 'committees'. It was only after AD325 that the current erroneous form of Matt.28v19 was adopted. Cp the correct rendering by Eusebius with Luke 24v47; Acts 2v38; 4v8-12; 8v12,16; 10v48. For more specific details, link to 'the trinity heresy' - item 10. Genesis 1v26 -"And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness". EXPLANATION. It is claimed that here we have "the trinity" speaking with each other. Where does it mention "the trin- ity"? It is obviously more than one person speaking, but why limit it to three? It could just as easily be a multiplicity of people speaking - & the Scriptures in fact teach that it is! We are told in Job 38v7 re the Creation (v4)- "all the sons of God shouted for joy". These "sons of God" are also called "his angels" - they "hearken unto the voice of his word", and "excel in strength" - they are "ministers of (God) that DO HIS PLEASURE" - Psalm 103v20,21; cp Psalm 33v6;Genesis 1v3,6,9,11,14, 20,24,26. During the Creation, God commanded, & the angelic host heard and did His will. God-manifestation is not "one in three" ( a pagan relic) but ONE IN A MULTITUDE. The hope of a true believer is to be "equal unto the angels", for "neither can they die any more"- Luke 20v36. God "maketh his angels spirits"(= immortal spirit beings) - Hebrews 1v7. But apparently they were not always like this. At the epoch of the Fall, when sin brought death into the world, the angels said something which could never be affirmed of God Himself- Genesis 3v22 - "Behold, the man is become like one of us, to KNOW (be acquainted with, as in ch.3v7;4v1) GOOD AND EVIL". This was AFTER sin and death had come into the world - a fallen state. It appears therefore that the angels had once been subject to sin and death, even as we are. And that subsequently, through faithfulness, they had been elevated to their current blessed state.The word "God"-Gen.1v26 is from the Hebrew 'elohiym', which is translated as "angels" in Psa.8v5. Also see Acts 7v30,31- "there appeared..an angel of the Lord..the voice of the Lord came". God speaks, and the angelic host performs His will. He is not personally revealed,cp John 1v18-"No man hath seen God at any time", cp Colossians 1v15 (see below); 1st Timothy 1v17; 6v16. John 10v30 - "I and my Father are one". EXPLANATION. See above and cp ch.17v21 - "That they all may be one;as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us". Was the Lord praying that we should all be part of "the trinity"? Of course not! The Divine Family,as ex- plained below, is founded upon unity with the "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" - Ephesians 4v6. This Divine Family will ultimately be revealed in glory - cp Zech. 14v9RV "And the LORD (Yahweh)* shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall the LORD (Yahweh)* be one, and his name one" - i.e. united and glorified at last. (*see below for the significance of this Memorial Name) John 20v28 - "My Lord and my God"...Hebrews 1v8 - "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever"... Isaiah 9v6 - "The mighty God, The everlasting Father". EXPLANATION. As we have seen in the paragraphs above, the use of the word 'God' does not necessarily imply that the reference is to God Himself i.e. the Creator, "who only hath immortality" 1st Timothy 6v16 cp ch.1v17. And on page 1 we have seen that Jesus Christ is termed a "man", even in His present immortal state. However, as with the angels(see above)the term 'God' may sometimes be applied to Him. How can this be? The answer lies in the wonderful truth of God-manifestation,which has been touched on above ("One in a multitude"). John Thomas has written a book on this sublime subject entitled 'Phanerosis',which Greek word is translated "manifestation" in 1st Corinthians 12v7; 2nd Corinthians 4v2. The subject involves A DIVINE HIERARCHY. God is above all. In the Adamic creation Jesus Christ is under God(and always will be,see page 1). Then come the redeemed from the Adamic race, and they will be equal to the angels(Luke20v35,36).All those belonging to this Divine family(in the past, now, and in the future) are name-bearers, i.e. bearers of the Divine Name. Cp Exodus 23v20-22...the Name of God was "in" the "angel".If this is true, how much more is the Name of God in His Son,Who has now been given "all power...in heaven and in earth", and controls the angelic host? See Matthew 28v18; Philippians 2v5-11; Hebrews 1. Belief of the Gospel must be followed by baptism "in the name of Jesus Christ" - Acts 2v38 cp ch. 8v12,16 & 10v48 - link to 'baptism'. In the above we see the quotation in Hebrews 1v8 & 9 from Psalm 45v6,7. Although the Son is termed "God", there is One termed "God, thy God". This is the Father of all, the Creator. His Memorial Name of 'Yahweh' was revealed in Exodus 3v13-15...it signifies 'He Who will be' (in a multitude). And it reminds His people of His purpose with the redeemed and with the earth - see also Numbers 14v21. The book 'Phanerosis' (above) fills in many of the glorious details. And so although Isaiah prophesied of Jesus Christ as "The mighty God",He will always be subservient to the Creator of all things (see page 1). Jesus testified "for my Father is greater than I"-John 14v28cp ch.5v19;10v29. Jesus Christ therefore not only assumes the Divine Name relative to POWER ("The mighty God") but also as to FATHERHOOD("The everlasting Father"). Isaiah 53v10 testifies "he shall see his seed", for He, on God's behalf, will have "begotten" (RV) the redeemed "not of corruptible seed, but of incorrupt- ible,by the word of God,which liveth and abideth for ever"-1st Peter 1v23,3. Therefore the fatherhood of the Lord will be "everlasting",because those who are redeemed will live forever with their Lord in God's Kingdom and beyond. If the above language seems strange, consider that Paul states(1st Cor.4v15): ""For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel". Acts 20v28 - "...the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the ecclesia of God, which he hath purchased by his own blood". EXPLANATION. The holy spirit is simply the power of God,and God acts through His spirit power - link to 'spirit'. Concerning the last part of the above quotation, the original Greek text, as rendered by Griesbach, should be translated , as in the Diaglott Version: "which he (hath purchased) by the blood of his own" (i.e. God's own Son). Similar to other inconsistencies, the translators, believing in "the trinity", found it convenient to not correctly translate the Greek text, so that their false teaching might appear. There is much more to say about the above, and the context in Acts 20, for which we do not have the time at present. If you would like more details, please write to us (link to 'index'). John 17v5 - "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was". EXPLANATION. If this proves the personal pre-existence of Jesus, it must also prove believers' pre-existence…..for the same language is used of them! (Jeremiah 1v5; Romans 8v28-30; Ephesians 1v4,5,11; 2nd Timothy 1v9; Revelation 17v8). The principle is in Romans 4v17- "God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE". Cp Isaiah 46v9,10; Rev.13v8; Heb.4v3. For more on the foreknowledge of God, link to 'Sin and Death and Divine Selection'. John 6v33,38,51 - "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven..For I came down from heaven..I am the living bread which came down from heaven". EXPLANATION. When we exam- ine the record from Exodus 16v11-15, we read of the "manna..on the ground..the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat". The spirit power of God created the bread UPON THE EARTH. Similarly, the spirit power of God created Jesus in a virgin UPON THE EARTH - cp Luke 1v35; Galatians 4v4. Jesus' words were THE WORDS OF GOD (as with angels & prophets, cp Acts 7v30,31; Hebrews 1v1,2). See John 3v34; 8v28,47; 12v49; 14v10,24. Cp Genesis 11v5 - "the LORD came down", Genesis 18v20,21;19v1- "..the LORD said..I will go down now... And there came two angels". Cp Exodus 23v20-22 - "I send an Angel..my name is in him..obey HIS VOICE..do all that I SPEAK"- cp Matthew 1v23; Luke 1v68. God has visited, & spoken by His spirit in His angels, prophets & Son. Colossians 1v15-20 - "the image of the invisible God". EXPLANATION - link to Colossians 1 (next page) below. |