. Testimony Of Jesus.
. . Just who is Jesus? Is He the Second PERSON of a Divine Trinity? Was He God robed in human flesh? Was He a created being, like an angel? Was He just a great man, philosopher and religious leader? Was He a prophet, like those in the Old Testament? Who was (is) Jesus? Can we REALLY know and understand? These, and many other questions, have surely been on the minds of untold millions of honest, independent thinking people down through the ages. Some never receive satisfactory answers and go their graves as confused as Pilate was the day he said, "I find no fault in him," yet turned Him over to His false accusers to be crucified when it was in his power to spare the Lamb of God (However, it was for this reason that Jesus came into the world). Then there are those who soak up TRUTH like a hard, dry sponge on a hot summer day! What you are about to read is going to be controversial for some and refreshing for others, but down right blasphemeous for those indignant, indoctrinated denominationalists who don't know if they are afoot or horseback. Although there are a few other minor bends, slants and twists when it comes to denominational theory on who God is, and the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, there are only two major beliefs concerning the Godhead: . THE APOSTLES' ONE GOD, MONOTHEISTIC DOCTRINE: This is the belief that God is ONE. God is the ONLY Creator. God is the ONLY Savior and Redeemer. God is the ONLY Almighty. God is an Omnipresent, Omnipotent Spirit who is INVISIBLE, all powerful, all knowing and is everywhere at one time. This is the purest sense (or definition) of Monotheism to be found in the WORD of God. . THE "THREE PERSON" DOCTRINE OF ROME THAT EVOLVED IN 325 A.D.: While the word "trinity" cannot be found in any of the Bible text, and was never referred to by Jesus or His Apostles, and did not become an established doctrine until 325 A.D. (ALMOST 300 YEARS AFTER JESUS), its defenders assert that God is really THREE separate and distinct PERSONS who are each co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent with one another. Analogies are drawn using the members of a team such as a forward, guard and center on a basketball team, who are independent of each other but ONE in the sense of being PART of the same team. Some use an analogy of an egg which has a shell, the white and the yoke, each separate but ONE in the sense of being PART of an egg. When all else fails and their logic is proven to be ridiculous, Trinitarians then concede that the trinity is actually a "mystery" which cannot be fully understood or explained. Therefore, one must accept it by faith. Being a former Trinitarian myself, I can relate to the puzzled look on a person's face when trying to explain their three person theory and how they know that it is real. However, many of them don't have a puzzled look, they get OUTRAGED! I once received a letter from a very nice Trinitarian lady who did her best to assert that the trinity is, in fact, an unexplainable "MYSTERY." Therefore, she could not possibly explain it to me. Well, I took the time to research every place in the King James Version of the Bible where the words "mystery" and "mysteries" are mentioned and immediately wrote her back. Here's what I found (The particular verses are in parenthesis, but please read the scriptures outlined to get a better understanding of the context): Matthew 13:1-11 (11) "..it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.." Mark 4:1-23 (11) "..Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God." Luke 8:1-17 (10) "..Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.." Romans 11:13-25 (25) "..For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery.." Romans 16: 24-27 (25) "..according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret.." 1 Corinthians 2: 1-8 (7) "..we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.." 1 Corinthians 4: 1-4 (1) "..stewards of the mysteries of God.." 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 (2) "..and understand all mysteries...and have not charity..." 1 Corinthians 14: 1-40 (2) "in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.." 1 Corinthians 15: 33-58 (51) "..Behold, I shew you a mystery;.." Ephesians 1: 1-23 (9) "..having made know unto us the mystery of his will,.." Ephesians 3: 1-21 (3, 4 & 9) "made know unto me the mystery.." "..that ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.." "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.." Ephesians 5: 1-33 (32) "..this is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.." Ephesians 6: 1-24 (19) "to make known the mystery of the gospel.." Colossians 1: 1-29 (26 & 27) "..the mystery which hath been hid from generations ...but now is." "..make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery.." Colossians 2: 1-23 (2) "..understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.." Colossians 4: 1-8 (3) "to speak the mystery of Christ.." 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-17 (7) "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:.." 1 Timothy 3: 1-16 (9 & 16) "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." "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." Revelation 1: 1-20 (20) "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand.." Revelation 10: 1-11 (7) "..the mystery of God should be finished.." Revelation 17: 1-18 (5 & 7) "..Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots.." "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman.." I am still waiting on her reply. . The religious Jews rejected the testimony of Jesus, even though they had been waiting centuries for their promised Messiah to come down from Heaven and set up His Kingdom. They were the ones to whom the Law and the prophets had been directed. They were God's "chosen" people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Because they rejected Jesus, the door was opened to us Gentiles to be grafted in and become heirs to the Kingdom and partakers of God's precious "ISN'T THAT AMAZING GRACE"??? Revelation 2:2 speaks of those who "tried" those who claimed to be Apostles and found them to be LIARS. Again, this material is designed to assist any hungry heart in "trying" the validity of a message, belief or doctrine. Therefore, it is IMPERATIVE to resolve this issue of the Godhead! The trinity is a very old doctrine. I mean, 325 A.D. was before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. It has been so well indoctrinated that hardly anyone would even dare to question its scriptural basis (except for those inquiry minds, like mine, who want to know the TRUTH of the matter).
History records that a Roman Emperor named Constantine was very instrumental
in setting up the First General Council of Churches in 325 A.D., known as
the Council of Nicaea. The Church of Rome became the Official Church of the
State with Constantine as its head. This "universal" church with its new
doctrine was established so that EVERY subject (that means person) of the
Empire would belong to the Official Church of the State. The THREE PERSON
DOCTRINE was purely an orchestrated effort by Constantine designed to appease
both the MONOTHEISTS (One God Christians) and the POLYTHEISTS (Multiple god
Pagans). From a strictly political standpoint, I guess you might say it was
a brilliant move. Constantine stopped the persecution of Christians for a
while so I don't guess he was all bad.
. By the way, Rome's "Universal" Church is still in existence today! One of Webster's definitions of Catholic is "universal." The Roman Empire is alive through it. In that setting in Revelation Chapter 17 we just touched on we read about the beast "that was, and is not, and yet is" (verse 8). Let me say here, that this is NOT an attack on people who are Catholic. I know a lot of good Catholics. As a matter of fact, both of my sisters are Catholic. I do not feel that my life is in danger by any one of them. I would no more attack them than I would attack people whose ancestors were cruel slave owners. Being from Mississippi, I know how biased and prejudiced some people can be on BOTH sides of that issue! We can't be held responsible for that which we had absolutely no control over and were never a part of. Likewise, good and decent Catholic people shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of the Catholic Church's past. However, it is the doctrine of the Catholic Church which I want to address here. I do not deny the three "aspects" of God being Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I just cannot find any place in the Bible where it says that these three aspects are separate and distinct persons who are each co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent. Since the Bible does not mention a trinity I searched into history. Here is what I found: . New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967 Edition, Vol. 13, p. 1021 The first use of the Latin word "trinitas" (trinity) with reference to God, is found in Tertullian's writings (about 213 A.D.). He was the first to use the term "persons" (plural) in a Trinitarian context. Encyclopedia Americana, 1957 Edition, Vol. 27, p. 69 The word "Trinity" is not in Scripture. The term "persons" (plural) is not applied in Scriptures to the Trinity. World Book Encyclopedia, 1975 Edition, Vol. T p. 363 Belief in Father, Son and Holy Ghost was first defined by the earliest general council of churches. This was the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. New International Encyclopedia, Vol. 22 p. 476 The Catholic faith is this: We worship one God in trinity, but there is one person of the Father, another of the Son and another of the Holy Ghost. The Glory equal - the Majesty co-eternal. The doctrine is not found in its fully developed form in the Scriptures. Modern theology does not seek to find it in the Old Testament. At the time of the Reformation the Protestant Church took over the doctrine of the Trinity without serious examination. Life Magazine, October 30, 1950, Vol. 29 No. 18 p. 51 The Catholics made this statement concerning their doctrine of the Trinity, to defend the dogma of the assumption of Mary, in an article written by Graham Green: "Our opponents sometimes claim that no belief should be held dogmatically which is not explicitly stated in scripture...But the Protestant Churches have themselves accepted such dogmas as The Trinity, for which there is no such precise authority in the Gospels.
A voice from heaven said, "This is beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God said, "Let us make man in our image." In Matthew 28:19 Jesus said to baptize in the NAME of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. On the cross Jesus said, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" John saw the Spirit descending in the form of a dove and abiding on Jesus. Jesus constantly referred to His Father in Heaven. Jesus prayed to His Father. So all of the above means that there are THREE PERSONS in the Godhead, huh? Well, let's see what the Bible has to say, O.K.? In Matthew 3:17 where the voice from Heaven said, "This is my beloved Son IN WHOM I am well pleased" may mean something besides what many try to imply. St. John 14:10 records Jesus saying, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The WORDS that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that DWELLETH IN ME, he doeth the works. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "..God was IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself..." St. John 4:24 says, "God is a SPIRIT; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Luke 24:36-39 says "...a SPIRIT hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have..." Micah 1:2-3 (A prophecy hundreds of years BEFORE Jesus) says that God was going to come down to tread upon the high places of the earth. **IF** God (Who is a SPIRIT) put on a "robe of flesh" (the body of Jesus) and came to Earth, then the scriptures above are harmonious, don't you agree?
John 1:10 "He (Christ) was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew him not." (The second person of the trinity made the world) Colossians 1:16 "For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him." (The second person of the trinity created ALL THINGS) This must include the frist and second persons of the trinity <even the invisible Spirit of God> since this verse says "all things visible and invisible." Do you see how foolish the 3 person theory becomes in light of other scriptures? Isaiah 44:24 "...I am the LORD (all caps) that maketh ALL THINGS; that stretcheth forth the heavens ALONE; that spreadeth abroad the earth BY MYSELF;" (The first person of the trinity did it alone and by himself). Isaiah 43:10-11 " ... that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD (all caps); and beside me there is no saviour." (The first person of the trinity is the first and only God and there is no saviour at His side or in His presence). Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the LORD (all caps) the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD (all caps) hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." (the first person of the trinity and the second <or third> person of the trinity <if they assert that two are speaking here> are both claiming to be the first and the last with no God standing beside Him or in His presence.) Isaiah 44:8 "...Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." (I don't know to which person the trinitarians give credit for this statement, but ever which one it is, He doesn't know another God <Deity>.) Isaiah 45:5-6 "I am the LORD (all caps), and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me; That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me, I am the LORD (all caps), and there is none else. (The first person of the trinity does not acknowledge the second or third person whatsoever.) Isaiah 45:21 "...have not I the LORD (all caps)? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me." (The first person of the trinity still does not acknowledge the second or third person). . Where are the Trinitarins' "THREE PERSONS" of God in any of the scriptures above??? I certainly do NOT find them, and neither do they. That is why they have no other choice but to resort to the writings of "so called" Bible scholars and use all sorts of translations and Greek words to try and explain their reason for belieiving something that simply does not have any specific authorization in the Word of God. The very best they can do is to take very carefully selected scriptures and read something "into" them which is NOT specifically stated as they state it. In other words, they base their core foundation of faith on "implied" meanings from these very carefully selected passages of text. I'm telling you here and now in the fear of God, you had better stay away from ANY doctrine that is built upon "implied" meanings from scriptures instead of being built upon the direct and verbatim words of specific authorization from the Word of God. Doctrines built upon "implied" meanings, logic and human reasoning are built upon the sand! In Matthew 28:19 where Jesus gave the "Great Commission" He was telling them what to DO - NOT WHAT TO SAY! Notice that it says, "In the NAME (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This is the core of the Trinitarians theory of the THREE PERSONS of God. We will cover it in depth later in Undeniable Belief # 4: Baptism: The second step in God's plan of salvation. But, let me just say that I've had a $ 10,000.00 reward out for over 10 years for any clergyman, layman or "professing Christian" who can:
1. find a single verse in the King James Version of the Bible text with the
word "trinity" in it;
On the cross when Jesus cried, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This is a twofold event: it is the words of Psalms 22:1, and here we have the flesh crying out to the Spirit just prior to the Spirit's departure. This was the ONLY way that it was possible for Jesus to die, because God cannot die, but the flesh could (and did). However, three days later when the Spirit reentered the body, Jesus came forth from the grave victorious! This is a hard matter to comprehend for those who don't understand the DUAL NATURE of Jesus. As man, He hungered, thirsted, felt pain, cried, suffered and died. As God, He fed multitudes, opened blind eyes, raised the dead, forgave sins, walked on the water and controlled nature's violent winds, rain and crushing seas! The crucifixion scene and Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsamine is a real contradiction for a Trinitarian because according to their own theory they have to explain why one of their co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent PERSONS is praying to the other one. Furthermore, if there are three separate and distinct PERSONS who are each co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent as the Trinitarian theory asserts then the Holy Ghost would be the Father of Jesus instead of God the Father according to Matthew 1:18 & 20. Now that is a SERIOUS problem. But if God the Father (Spirit) and the Holy Ghost (Spirit) are actually one and the same then no problem exists at all. The Spirit descending in the form of a dove was a sign that had been given to John the Baptist which enabled him to recognize who it was that was the Christ (anointed one) as detailed in St. John 1:29-34. Jesus referred to His Father in Heaven and prayed to His Father in Heaven. This was also a twofold thing: Jesus was setting an example for us to follow in setting our affections in Heaven and not on Earth, and it was the flesh showing subjection to the Spirit (which is also for our example even today).
Now carefully consider as I try to explain the TREMENDOUS difference in THREE PERSONS and that of THREE POSITIONS, OFFICES OR MANIFESTATIONS. My friend, the only distinction in the Godhead is FLESH and SPIRIT - not THREE separate and distinct PERSONS! A) God is a SPIRIT (John 4:24) B) and a spirit hath not flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). C) God is the WORD (John 1:1) D) and the WORD was made flesh (John 1:14). E) God was manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). F) It was NOT the body of Jesus Christ that was God, but rather the Spirit of Almighty God that dwelled in that sinless body (John 14:10). As man, the flesh knew pain, hunger, thirst, etc. As God, the Spirit forgave sins, healed the sick, performed miracles, walked on the water, raised the dead, etc. Because of this "DUAL NATURE" of Jesus Christ, there were times when the flesh spoke, and there were times when the Spirit spoke. The THREE PERSON doctrine has been so well indoctrinated that hardly anyone questions it! I am a father, I am a son and I am a husband, but none of these TITLES is my name! These are TITLES of the different positions (offices) that I occupy, YET I am ONE PERSON. There is a tremendous difference in ONE PERSON (singular) occupying three separate and distinct positions or offices (plural), and that of "three separate and distinct PERSONS" (plural) occupying ONE position or office (singular) of ALMIGHTY GOD! Ponder that for a while. The THREE PERSON DOCTRINE is a product of man - PERIOD, END OF ISSUE! I have absolutely NO malice or animosity in my heart towards Trinitarian people. I know the TRUTH shall remain standing when everything else has fallen. However, "die hard" Trinitarians VICIOUSLY attack me because I dare question their THEORY of the Godhead and point out its many SERIOUS flaws. Every once in a while I run across a person who is really a "TRUTH SEEKER". They aren't afraid of TRUTH and are man enough or woman enough to admit error when the Bible does not agree with their theology, then they gladly make the necessary corrections so they can get over it and get on with it! It really isn't hard to PROVE where the Trinitarians' doctrine originated, when it originated and by whom it originated. Even though most of them will insist that it came straight from the Bible. **IF** there was a trinity or **IF** God was THREE separate and distinct co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent PERSONS, certainly the Bible ought to say so somewhere.
Now that we have taken a look at the Doctrine of the Trinity, its origin and its roots, let's take a look at the Biblical foundation of God and speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent. It is truly a tragic thing when intelligent people resort to bending and twisting the scriptures, using logic and making all sorts of assumptions completely void of SPECIFIC Bible authority to support any doctrine that is held as dogmatically as the trinity. We've already covered the fact that we are not to add to or take from the Word of God. Romans 3:4 says, "...let God be true, but every man a liar;.. "Don't you think man should refrain from "putting things in God's mouth?" . THE THREE OFFICES, POSITIONS OR MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD.
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth." St. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God and the WORD WAS GOD." St. John 1:3 "All things were made by Him (GOD / WORD) and without Him (GOD / WORD) was not anything made that was made." Hebrews 11:3 "The worlds were framed by the WORD of God." Isaiah 45:18 "Thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established and there is NONE ELSE." Isaiah 44:8 "Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Deuteronomy 32:39 "See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no God with me." Malachi 2:10 "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?" Isaiah 44:24 "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretched forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;" Isaiah 43:15 "I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King." It should be plain that GOD did NOT have assistance. The Bible mentions the word "THREE" over 400 times. If there are THREE PERSONS functioning as one team to comprise the ONE GOD of Israel, surely out of this many references the Bible would say so, but it just does not. However, the Bible mentions the word "ONE" over 1,800 times. I will not get bogged down here listing the references to ONE GOD, but let's just agree that there's no question about that. Furthermore, I can show you in many different places where the same Hebrew word "ONE" (as used to described God) is used in other places where there could be absolutely, positively no dispute that it was definitely talking about ONE (not two, three, four, etc.). In conclusion, God is ONE, He created everything by Himself (all alone) without any help, advice or assistance from any other PERSON, PERIOD! . GOD IN REDEMPTION (His role as Son): Genesis 22:7-8 "And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide HIMSELF a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." Hebrews 10:4-5 "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:" Galatians 4:4-5 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Isaiah 53:1-5 "Who hath believed our report: and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 52:10 "The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." Isaiah 59:15-16 "Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him." Micah 1:2-3 "Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the LORD GOD be witness against you, the LORD from His holy temple. For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth." 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the LORD OF GLORY." Blood was a requirement for atonement of sins under the law that God gave to Moses. This lamb had to be without spot or blemish. Hebrews 9:22 says, "...Without shedding of blood is no remission." In Revelation Chapter 5 we read about a man being unworthy to open the book, but the Lamb in the midst of the throne did! In Revelation Chapter 13 we read about the beast with seven heads and ten horns causing all that dwell upon the earth to worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World (verse 8). In Genesis 3:15 God said that He was going to put enmity between satan and Eve and between his seed and her seed: "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel," this was God revealing His Divine plan to redeem man back to Himself. Since God knows all things from the beginning to the end and visa versa, He already knew and had in His plans a lonely hill outside of Jerusalem called Calvary where the sinless lamb of God would pay the debt for all humanity. Centuries later John the Baptist made that famous declaration, "...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," (St. John 1:29). Centuries BEFORE Christ, Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, "therefore the LORD HIMSELF shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." We learn in Matthew 1:23 that Emmanuel means "God with us". Isaiah 9:6 foretold, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his NAME shall be called Wonderful, counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
In St. John 10:30. Just listen to the discourse that immediately followed (as we pick back up in verse 31), 31) Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32) Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33) The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, MAKEST THYSELF GOD. My friend, the Jews know exactly what Jesus meant and they didn't like it one bit! They didn't get into a discussion of which PERSON of the Godhead Jesus was claiming to be. AFTER Judas Iscariot left and went out to betray Him, Jesus had a very intimate talk with His disciples as recorded in St. John Chapter 14. If you have never read it, you ought to. In verses 8-9 of this Chapter Philip just asked Jesus outright to show them the Father. Here is Jesus' own words as recorded in St. John 14:9-11, 9) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, shew us the Father? 10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works. 11) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. The Old Testament tabernacle was a "type" of Christ for inside dwelled the Spirit of Almighty God. However, God is Omnipotent and Omnipresent, all knowing and everywhere at one time. So while the tabernacle could contain the total QUALITIES (presence/attributes/characteristics) of God, it couldn't contain all of the QUANTITY of God. God is Omnipotent and Omnipresent. He was still ruling the Universe. You see, God is not confined to any one geographical place or period of time like we humans are. GOD is a Spirit. He is EVERYWHERE. Howbeit, His Divine presence did dwell in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle just above the mercy seat between the two cherubims. I use this analogy (it's not a perfect analogy, but it is about as close as I can get to one), if you take an empty soda bottle and put a top on it, the bottle would contain the total qualities of the outside atmosphere. Only it's just contained inside the bottle. With the atmosphere here being used as the Spirit of God that is everywhere and the soda bottle being used here as the fleshly body of Jesus Christ, we have a picture of the Godhead. I have yet to meet a Trinitarian who can separate their God the Father and their God the Holy Spirit and make two separate persons out of them. Folks, the Spirit of Almighty God and the Holy Spirit is the same Spirit! My friend, the only distinction in the Godhead is FLESH and SPIRIT - not THREE "separate and distinct PERSONS"! God is a SPIRIT (John 4:24) and a spirit hath not flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). God is the WORD (John 1:1) and the WORD was made flesh (John 1:14). God was manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). It was NOT the body of Jesus Christ that was God, but rather the Spirit of Almighty God that dwelled in that sinless body (John 14:10). Jesus IS the Father in the flesh to reconcile the world unto HIMSELF. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "..God was IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself..." As man (the flesh), Jesus knew pain, hunger, thirst, etc. As God (the Spirit), Jesus forgave sins, healed the sick, performed miracles, walked on the water, raised the dead, etc. Because of this "DUAL NATURE" of Jesus Christ, there were times when the flesh spoke, and there were times when the Spirit spoke. The THREE PERSON doctrine has been so well indoctrinated that hardly anyone questions it, but I am telling you it was man made NOT God ordained. I am a father, I am a son and I am a husband, but none of these TITLES is my name! These are positions (offices) that I occupy, YET I am ONE PERSON. There is a tremendous difference in ONE PERSON (singular) occupying three separate and distinct positions or offices (plural), and that of "three separate and distinct PERSONS" (plural) occupying ONE position or office (singular) of ALMIGHTY GOD! Now, ponder that for a while. The THREE PERSON DOCTRINE is a product of man - PERIOD, END OF ISSUE! St. John 1:10-11 "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." . GOD IN EMANATION (His role as Holy Ghost): Emanation means to emanate, to come out from a source, emit. As I will scripturally prove, the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Almighty God which emanates forth from Him (not a separate and distinct PERSON), but rather Almighty God's very own SPIRIT. I will also scripturally prove that not only is the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Almighty God, but that it is also the Spirit of Christ. We will touch on the operation of the Holy Ghost in the New Testament Church here, but will cover it more in depth in UNDENIABLE TRUTH # 5: The New Birth: The third step in Gods Plan of Salvation. I have yet to run across a Trinitarian who can scripturally prove that the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Almighty God is two separate PERSONS. God and the Holy Ghost just can't be separated. I want you to remember that all the fullness of Gods qualities, characteristics and presence can be confined to a geographical location, i.e., the burning bush, the pillar of fire, the pillar of cloud, the holy of holies inside the tabernacle, within the tabernacle of flesh in the man Christ Jesus and inside the hearts and minds of believers who obey the true Gospel message, but the fulness of His quantity can't. Also, keep in mind that God is Omnipotent and Omnipresent. He is all powerful, all knowing and He is everywhere at once. God can (and does) manifest Himself in many different ways in many different places all at the same time. Now I know we can't comprehend the vastness of God with our finite minds, but He has things arranged that we can come to know Him intimately through His Word and through the power of the Holy Ghost. That, my friend, is truly AMAZING GRACE! Genesis 1:2 "...And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Isaiah 40:13 "Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being His counsellor hath taught Him?" Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." St. John 3:5 "...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." St. John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." St. John 14:16-17 "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." Romans 8:9-11 "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. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. 1 Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the LORD is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty." Galatians 4:6 "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." 1 Peter 1:11 "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 John 5:7-8 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are ONE. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." 1 Corinthians 12:3 "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the LORD, but by the Holy Ghost." At this point I want so badly to jump right on into the UNDENIABLE BELIEF # 5: The New Birth: What does it mean to be born again? However, it will have to wait for now. I will just say this: If you have not experienced this wonderful gift from God of receiving the Holy Ghost (the BIBLE WAY), then you just don't know what you are missing! It is real, it is genuine and it is for YOU. But, we will get to all of that later. First things first. This concludes UNDENIABLE BELIEF # 2: The Testimony of Jesus: Who is He? Without any shadow of a doubt, He is Jehovah God of the Old Testament who came to this earth incognito to the vast majority of those who met Him face to face. But those who had eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to obey have been made part of the kingdom of God! It is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost! A-men'. . Bobby G. Richardson.
. Study # 3: Repentance: What does it mean to repent? Study # 4: Baptism: How important is it? Study # 5: The new birth: What does it mean to be born again? |
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I use the analogy of the fictitious character, Clark Kent, the humble newspaper
reporter who would disappear at a time of trouble, change into Superman and
go save the day. He lived a dual life so to speak and referred to Superman
as being another person altogether, yet they were actually one and the same.
This is not a perfect analogy by any stretch of the imagination, but the
point I wish to make is that Jesus was the REAL SUPERMAN, who, unlike Clark
Kent, showed Himself openly. Like the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees of
old, many today just do not know what to do with Jesus. They say He is God
in one breath and diminish Him to an inferior and lesser in power Second
Person of some triune God in the next breath. I'll just tell you that I reached
a point where I could no longer defend something that I could't prove. It
is not easy coming to terms with being in error unless, of course, you hunger
and thirst for TRUTH!