5 Reasons Why I Reject The Doctrine of The Trinity!!

[Daisy]

It is essential that we know God. Eternal life is to know God and His Messiah, Jesus. I have 5 Biblical reasons that I reject the doctrine of man, the trinity.

Bottom line...what fruitage has the trinity produced down through the ages? Even now...

 

[redbeer]

The cross of Christ utterly destroys the doctrine of the trinity. Their Christ is a divine person, therefore incapable of death, thus the need to divide Christ into two natures, similarly how they divide God into three persons. It's the ultimate "being caught cheating in a shell game" tactic. Then throw it all up in the air by claiming it's a "mystery", lol.

"God is 3 persons and Christ has two natures"......what bible are they reading?


(1Co 15:15) Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.


How was their Jesus dead?.....still awaiting for an honest answer.

 

[Daisy]

The cross of Christ utterly destroys the doctrine of the trinity. Their Christ is a divine person, therefore incapable of death, thus the need to divide Christ into two natures, similarly how they divide God into three persons. It's the ultimate "being caught cheating in a shell game" tactic. Then throw it all up in the air by claiming it's a "mystery", lol.

"God is 3 persons and Christ has two natures"......what bible are they reading?


(1Co 15:15) Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.


How was their Jesus dead?.....still awaiting for an honest answer.

My understanding of the meaning of divine is different, not necessariyl immortal...it can also pertain to being from God/belonging to God, which Jesus is, don't cha think? What Paul said about Jesus in Colossians 2:9 makes it sound so...

"because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily."

it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily: The context shows that having this “divine quality” does not make Jesus Christ equal to God Almighty, as some claim. In the preceding chapter, Paul states: “God was pleased to have all fullness to dwell in him,” that is, in Christ. (Col 1:19) So the Father is the one who caused Christ to have “the fullness of the divine quality.” At Col 1:15, Paul says that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God,” not God himself. Col 1:19-22 describes the reconciliation that God brings about through Christ, and Col 2:12 shows that God raised him from the dead. Furthermore, Paul later says that “Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1) These statements show that possession of this “fullness” does not make Jesus Christ identical with God, the Almighty.

of the divine quality: Or “of the divinity.” The “divine quality” includes all the excelling qualities of Jesus’ heavenly Father and God, and these also dwell in Christ. The Greek word (the·oʹtes), which occurs only here in the Christian Greek Scriptures, is derived from the Greek word for “god,” the·osʹ, but is different in meaning. Many lexicons give such definitions as “divine character; divine nature; divinity.” The term was used by ancient Greek writers to describe a quality or condition that could be obtained or lost as a result of one’s behavior. Obviously, then, such a term was applied to created beings and not exclusively to the almighty and eternal God, Jehovah. So there is solid basis for rendering the·oʹtes to refer to a divine quality rather than to God himself.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/b/r1/lp-e/nwtsty/51/2#s=9&study=discover&v=51:2:9

 

[redbeer]

My understanding of the meaning of divine is different, not necessariyl immortal...it can also pertain to being from God/belonging to God, which Jesus is, don't cha think? What Paul said about Jesus in Colossians 2:9 makes it sound so...

"because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily."

it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily: The context shows that having this “divine quality” does not make Jesus Christ equal to God Almighty, as some claim. In the preceding chapter, Paul states: “God was pleased to have all fullness to dwell in him,” that is, in Christ. (Col 1:19) So the Father is the one who caused Christ to have “the fullness of the divine quality.” At Col 1:15, Paul says that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God,” not God himself. Col 1:19-22 describes the reconciliation that God brings about through Christ, and Col 2:12 shows that God raised him from the dead. Furthermore, Paul later says that “Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1) These statements show that possession of this “fullness” does not make Jesus Christ identical with God, the Almighty.

of the divine quality: Or “of the divinity.” The “divine quality” includes all the excelling qualities of Jesus’ heavenly Father and God, and these also dwell in Christ. The Greek word (the·oʹtes), which occurs only here in the Christian Greek Scriptures, is derived from the Greek word for “god,” the·osʹ, but is different in meaning. Many lexicons give such definitions as “divine character; divine nature; divinity.” The term was used by ancient Greek writers to describe a quality or condition that could be obtained or lost as a result of one’s behavior. Obviously, then, such a term was applied to created beings and not exclusively to the almighty and eternal God, Jehovah. So there is solid basis for rendering the·oʹtes to refer to a divine quality rather than to God himself.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/b/r1/lp-e/nwtsty/51/2#s=9&study=discover&v=51:2:9

Yes, I understand all of that, but it's the trinitarian belief that Jesus is fully God, being fully divine how did he die or do they even believe Jesus died, idk. Or was it just a nature and not the person of Christ who died......it's very strange and the copout stating, "it's a mystery" doesn't cut it, imo.

There can be no other answer to the question, "Did the person of Christ die?"......it is either a 'yes' or 'no' question which must be answered. That's the problem in raising up a Godman into their theology. This question becomes paramount.

 

[Daisy]

Yes, I understand all of that, but it's the trinitarian belief that Jesus is fully God, being fully divine how did he die or do they even believe Jesus died, idk. Or was it just a nature and not the person of Christ who died......it's very strange and the copout stating, "it's a mystery" doesn't cut it, imo.

There can be no other answer to the question, "Did the person of Christ die?"......it is either a 'yes' or 'no' question which must be answered. That's the problem in raising up a Godman into their theology. This question becomes paramount.

Oh, ok...gotcha...I agree...

 

[Lycanthrope]

What is the place/power of the Holy Ghost in the JW cosmology?

 

[Daisy]

What is the place/power of the Holy Ghost in the JW cosmology?

The holy spirit is Jehovah God's invisible, active force He puts into action to accomplish His will...

But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you,+ and you will be witnesses+ of me in Jerusalem,+ in all Judea and Samaria,+ and to the most distant part of the earth.”+ Acts 1:8

 

[Lycanthrope]

The holy spirit is Jehovah God's invisible, active force He puts into action to accomplish His will...

But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you,+ and you will be witnesses+ of me in Jerusalem,+ in all Judea and Samaria,+ and to the most distant part of the earth.”+ Acts 1:8

Is the HG sentient?

 

[Daisy]

Is the HG sentient?

No...

Personification does not prove personality. It is true that Jesus spoke of the holy spirit as a “helper” and spoke of such helper as ‘teaching,’ ‘bearing witness,’ ‘giving evidence,’ ‘guiding,’ ‘speaking,’ ‘hearing,’ and ‘receiving.’ In so doing, the original Greek shows Jesus at times applying the masculine personal pronoun to that “helper” (paraclete). (Compare Joh 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15.) However, it is not unusual in the Scriptures for something that is not actually a person to be personalized or personified. Wisdom is personified in the book of Proverbs (1:20-33; 8:1-36); and feminine pronominal forms are used of it in the original Hebrew, as also in many English translations. (KJ, RS, JP, AT) Wisdom is also personified at Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:35, where it is depicted as having both “works” and “children.” The apostle Paul personalized sin and death and also undeserved kindness as “kings.” (Ro 5:14, 17, 21; 6:12) He speaks of sin as “receiving an inducement,” ‘working out covetousness,’ ‘seducing,’ and ‘killing.’ (Ro 7:8-11) Yet it is obvious that Paul did not mean that sin was actually a person.

So, likewise with John’s account of Jesus’ words regarding the holy spirit, his remarks must be taken in context. Jesus personalized the holy spirit when speaking of that spirit as a “helper” (which in Greek is the masculine substantive pa·raʹkle·tos). Properly, therefore, John presents Jesus’ words as referring to that “helper” aspect of the spirit with masculine personal pronouns. On the other hand, in the same context, when the Greek pneuʹma is used, John employs a neuter pronoun to refer to the holy spirit, pneuʹma itself being neuter. Hence, we have in John’s use of the masculine personal pronoun in association with pa·raʹkle·tos an example of conformity to grammatical rules, not an expression of doctrine.—Joh 14:16, 17; 16:7, 8.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200004211

 

[Lycanthrope]

No...

Personification does not prove personality. It is true that Jesus spoke of the holy spirit as a “helper” and spoke of such helper as ‘teaching,’ ‘bearing witness,’ ‘giving evidence,’ ‘guiding,’ ‘speaking,’ ‘hearing,’ and ‘receiving.’ In so doing, the original Greek shows Jesus at times applying the masculine personal pronoun to that “helper” (paraclete). (Compare Joh 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15.) However, it is not unusual in the Scriptures for something that is not actually a person to be personalized or personified. Wisdom is personified in the book of Proverbs (1:20-33; 8:1-36); and feminine pronominal forms are used of it in the original Hebrew, as also in many English translations. (KJ, RS, JP, AT) Wisdom is also personified at Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:35, where it is depicted as having both “works” and “children.” The apostle Paul personalized sin and death and also undeserved kindness as “kings.” (Ro 5:14, 17, 21; 6:12) He speaks of sin as “receiving an inducement,” ‘working out covetousness,’ ‘seducing,’ and ‘killing.’ (Ro 7:8-11) Yet it is obvious that Paul did not mean that sin was actually a person.

So, likewise with John’s account of Jesus’ words regarding the holy spirit, his remarks must be taken in context. Jesus personalized the holy spirit when speaking of that spirit as a “helper” (which in Greek is the masculine substantive pa·raʹkle·tos). Properly, therefore, John presents Jesus’ words as referring to that “helper” aspect of the spirit with masculine personal pronouns. On the other hand, in the same context, when the Greek pneuʹma is used, John employs a neuter pronoun to refer to the holy spirit, pneuʹma itself being neuter. Hence, we have in John’s use of the masculine personal pronoun in association with pa·raʹkle·tos an example of conformity to grammatical rules, not an expression of doctrine.—Joh 14:16, 17; 16:7, 8.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200004211

Thank you for responding. So JWs do not worship the Holy Ghost the way they do God.

What about Jesus - is he worshipped?

 

[Nickyjo]

To better understand the Trinity, one has to look to “The Godfather,” pronounced the source of all wisdom by Tom Hanks, I believe akin to the I Ching in some movie. Think of Vito Corleone’s three sons. Sonny is God the Father, always ready to smite someone, advocates genocide. Michael is God the Son, at times hesitant to take up his burden, as in his agony on the garden before his arrest. The Holy Spirit, like Fredo, gets little respect (“send Fred to the airport to pick up someone,” he complained) and is sent on errands like the Annunciation and Pentecost.

 

[Daisy]

Thank you for responding. So JWs do not worship the Holy Ghost the way they do God.

What about Jesus - is he worshipped?

No, what did Jesus say? He didn't say "me alone you must serve"...

At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’ ” Matthew 4:10

 

[LittleNipper]

It is essential that we know God. Eternal life is to know God and His Messiah, Jesus. I have 5 Biblical reasons that I reject the doctrine of man, the trinity.

Bottom line...what fruitage has the trinity produced down through the ages? Even now...

The disciples were not claiming to be GOD, yet they continued to say that JESUS was both the SON of GOD and SON of MAN. GOD IS ONE GOD and JESUS revealed that both HE and the FATHER ARE ONE. They are ONE ENTITY, made up of three persons. Please pray regarding the following:

All major religions and cultic groups reject the doctrine of deity of Christ. Some of these objections are a result of rationalism (“reason” is supreme, not God) over revelation or a misunderstanding of what the doctrine teaches. Another more common objection results from revisionist history, which claims that Christ’s deity was invented at the Council of Nicaea in the 4th century and not something believed by the early church.

The reason Christians believe in the deity of Jesus is that we are forced to come to this conclusion by the clear teaching of Scripture. It is important to get Jesus’ identity because if we deny the deity of Jesus then we do not have the Father (1 John 2:23; cf. John 5:23). Here are 10 Scriptural reasons for the deity of Jesus.

1: The Bible Teaches That There Is One True God​

Jesus’ divinity is part of the doctrine of the Trinity.

This is important to understand because many objectors to the deity of Jesus misunderstand what Christians believe about the Trinity. Christians believe what the Bible teaches—that there is only one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4; cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6). However, we must not confuse monotheism (belief in one God) with Unitarianism (the belief that the being of God is shared by one person). Jesus’ divinity is part of the doctrine of the Trinity, which states that within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is a distinct person, yet each is identified as God: the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son (John 1:1–3; Romans 9:5), and the Spirit (Acts 5:3–4). We must also remember that it wasn’t the Father or the Spirit who became incarnate; it was the Son (John 1:14) and he was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4). This is why, in his humanity, Jesus prays to the Father (Matthew 26:39, 42).

The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed between the Old and New Testaments through the incarnation of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God did not change between the Old and New Testaments, being a Unitarian God in the Old and a Trinitarian God in the New. God has always been Triune, but the specific revelation of the divinity of Jesus takes place in the New Tamen

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[LittleNipper]

2: The Bible Teaches That Jesus Pre-Existed Before The World Was​

The New Testament in several passages clearly teaches that Jesus existed in eternity past before his birth in Bethlehem.

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In John 1:1 we read the same words, “In the beginning.”8 John informs us in John 1:1 that in the beginning was the Word (logos) and that the Word was not only with God but was God. This Word is the one who brought all things into being at creation (John 1:3). John 1:1 teaches that the Word is eternal, the Word has had an eternal relationship with the Father, and the Word as to His nature is deity.

In his prayer in John 17:3–5 Jesus both refers to his pre-existence and uses terminology that can only be used about deity:

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

To have eternal life is to know two persons: both the Father and Jesus (see John 14:6-7; 16:3). But notice, Jesus is distinguished from the Father because Jesus is the one speaking to the Father. The personal pronouns (me, your, you) clearly show that this is one person speaking to another. In this conversation, the Son is speaking of the glory he has shared with the Father before the world was; the words “in your own presence” refer to their sharing of divine glory.9 John 17:3–5 is not an example of the “human side” praying to the “divine side” but of a divine, yet incarnate (John 1:14) person, the Son, communicating with a divine, but non-incarnate person, the Father in heaven.

Paul’s words in Philippians 2:5–8 teach not only the deity of Jesus but also the distinct personhood of the Son prior to his incarnation.10 In this passage, Paul exhorts the Philippians to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus who “existed in the form of God.”11 These words come before the verbs emptied, taking, and becoming and point to the pre-existence of the one “existing in the form of God.”12 Moreover, Jesus did not regard13 the equality he had with God the Father, in eternity past, something to be held on to. Instead he “made himself nothing”14 by doing two things: taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men.15 Having entered into human existence he humbled himself to death on the Cross. Because of this, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11); it is only God who is to be worshipped as Lord (see Isaiah 45:23).

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[LittleNipper]

3: Jesus Is Creator Not Creature
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Paul’s statement in Colossians 1:15 that the “firstborn of all creation” teaches that Jesus was a created being. However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teaching resembles the view of the ancient Colossian heresy that Paul had to combat.

The Colossian false teachers advocated the idea that Jesus was the first of many other created mediators between God and men. By using the specific Greek word prōtotokos, “firstborn,” Paul rules out the idea of Jesus as a created being. “Firstborn” does not mean “first created.” Rather, Paul uses a term that was based on the ancient designation of the authority, or pre-eminence, metaphorically given to the firstborn (Genesis. 49:3–4; Exodus 4:22). In the same way, David, the youngest of Jesse, was named “firstborn” (Psalm 89:20–27) who ruled Israel. Manasseh was born to Joseph first, but Ephraim, his younger brother, was “firstborn” due to his position as given by Jacob/Israel (Genesis 48:13–20, Jeremiah 31:9).

By describing Jesus as the “firstborn over all creation,” Paul is saying that he is the absolute ruler over all creation.

Furthermore, if Paul had wanted to describe Jesus as a created being, he could have used the Greek word protoktistos, which means “first created.”16 So why didn’t he use it? Because Paul did not believe Jesus was created. By describing Jesus as the “firstborn over all creation,” Paul is saying that he is the absolute ruler over all creation.

In fact, the evidence that Jesus is supreme over all creation comes in Colossians 1:16. Here, Paul absolutely rules out the idea that Jesus is a created being because he presents Jesus as the Creator of the entire universe which exists by his creative power (John 1:1–3; Hebrews 1:2, 8–10). The reason Jesus can “create all things” is that “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). The Greek word for “Godhead,” theotēs, refers to “the state of being God.”17 It is only God who can create (Isaiah 42:5, 44:24, 45:18).

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[LittleNipper]

4: Jesus Identifies Himself as Divine​

At the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths in his encounter with the Pharisees (John 8:13), Jesus told them, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). The Jewish people reacted to Jesus’ statement by asking him, “Who are you?” (John 8:25).

Jesus told the Jews exactly who he is: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). This “I am” (ego eimi) statement was Jesus’ clearest example of His proclamation, “I am Yahweh (Jehovah),” from its background in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 41:4; 43:10–13, 25; 46:4; 48:12; cf. John 13:19).

These are the very words (ego eimi) ) that caused the Roman soldiers to fall to the ground after they came to arrest Jesus (John 18:6). Jesus’ explicit identification of himself with Yahweh (Jehovah) of the Old Testament is why the Jewish leaders wanted to stone him for blasphemy (see John 5:18; 10:33).

5: The Apostles Identified Jesus as Divine​

Both Jesus and his apostles identified him as divine. The Apostle Peter described Jesus as “our God and Savior” (2 Peter 1:1; cf. Titus 2:13) and called on believers to “honor Christ the Lord as holy” (1 Peter 3:15).18 Jesus’ own half-brother James, who was an unbeliever at first (John 7:5), described him as “the Lord of glory” (James 2:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:8; Psalm 24:7–8). What man or prophet could be described in this way? The Apostle John also attributed titles to Jesus that were used only of God by describing him as the “Alpha and Omega” and the “first and the last” (Revelation 22:13; 1:8, 17–18; cf. Isaiah 44:6). The writer of the book of Hebrews also has insight into the identity of Jesus In Hebrews 1, the author identifies Jesus (the Son) as superior to any prophet (vv. 1–2), above the angels (v. 5), worthy of our worship (vv. 6–8; cf. Psalm 45:6–7), and the creator of all things who is unchangeable (vv. 2–3, 10; cf. Psalm 102:25). The author of Hebrews further states that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2; cf. Acts 2:30).

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[LittleNipper]

6: The Jewish Leaders Recognized Jesus’ Claim to Divinity​

One of the clearest evidences of the deity of Jesus is the Jewish leaders’ reaction to Jesus’ words and actions. In Mark 2, Jesus not only heals a paralytic but also forgives his sins (Mark 2:5). This is the reason that the scribes cry blasphemy, for it is God alone who can forgive sins (Mark 2:7).

In his trial before the Sanhedrin Jesus is once again charged with blasphemy because of his response to the high priest’s question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mark 14:61) Jesus responded, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). Then the high priest tore his clothes, charged Jesus with blasphemy, and condemned him to death (Mark 14:64). Why did the high priest respond that way? Because Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13–14 and applied the words to himself. In Daniel 7 the divine Son of Man comes before the Ancient of Days, and all peoples and nations serve him. The Pharisees recognize Jesus’ divine claim here and charge him with blasphemy, intending to put him to death.

7: The Early Church in the New Testament Prayed to Jesus​

Prayer is something that should be addressed to God alone, but Jesus calls his disciples to pray to him (John 14:13–14; 16:26). In the book of Acts when Stephen is being stoned to death, he calls out to the Lord Jesus to receive his sprit (Acts 7:59). Interestingly, the term for “calling on” (epikaloumenon) recalls the appeal of Peter to the people in Acts 2:21 to “call on” (epikaleshtai) the Lord to be saved. Paul also describes the Corinthians as those who “call upon [epikaleo] the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2). In the Old Testament, people “called on” on the name of Yahweh (Joel 2:32). The Corinthians were people who addressed Jesus as Lord in prayer.

8: The Early Church in the New Testament Worshipped Jesus​

Jesus accepted worship from people (Matthew 2:2, 14:33, 28:9). One of the greatest examples of this comes from the lips of Thomas when he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). If Jesus was not divine, then Thomas made a serious error; but Jesus made no effort to correct Thomas in his worship. Yet Peter (Acts 10:25–26), Paul (Acts 14:14–15), and the angel in Revelation (Revelation 22:8,9) all corrected others for trying to worship them. The confession of deity here is unmistakable, clearly demonstrating that worship belongs only to God (Revelation 22:9) because Jesus accepted Thomas’s worship of him (John 20:29).

What’s more, in the book of Revelation, the elders and every creature in heaven and upon earth ascribe universal worship to “him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” (Revelation 5:11–14; cf. John 1:29).

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[LittleNipper]

9: Jesus Made Claims That No Human Being Could Ever Make​

Jesus not only identified as God, but he also indicated his deity through his words and actions. Jesus said that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must call him Lord (kurios, Romans 10:9; cf. Matthew 7:21). Just saying that Jesus is Lord does not get you into the Kingdom, but to enter the Kingdom you must confess Him as Lord. The entrance into God’s Kingdom, according to Jesus, is dependent upon a person’s knowledge of him and his reciprocal knowledge of the person (Matthew 7:23).

Jesus even promised rest to all those who come to Him (Matthew 11:28). Could Moses have ever made a claim like this? No! How could a human being give anyone rest from the Law? Jesus also claimed, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). God never gave any man or prophet all authority in heaven and on earth, but this same authority was given to the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13–14 (see also Matthew 26:64).

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[LittleNipper]

10: Jesus Is​

It is often pointed out that the words “Son of God” are not an exclusive title for Jesus. For example, in the Old Testament Israel was called God’s son (Exodus 4:22–23; Hosea 11:1), the king was called God’s son (Psalm 2:7), and the angels were called God’s sons (Job 38:7). Even in the New Testament, Adam and believers are referred to as son/s of God (Luke 3:38; Romans 8:14).

There is, however, a difference between an adopted son and a relational Son of God, the latter being a deity by nature. More than anyone else who has walked this earth, Jesus the Messiah is uniquely entitled to be called the Son of God (John 1:49, 11:27) – “the unique One, who is himself God” (monogenēs theos – see John 1:18 NLT).

Whatever Jesus said about himself must have been sufficiently provocative enough for the Jewish leaders to call for capital punishment on that charge of blasphemy.

In Jesus’ trial before Pilate, the Jewish leaders clearly understood that Jesus’ use of this term was not just generic, for they wanted him put to death: “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God” (John 19:7; cf. John 10:36). According to the Law, it was blasphemy to use God’s name (Leviticus 24:16). Therefore, by referring to himself as the Son of God, Jesus was claiming to share “the rights and authority of God himself (cf. [John] 1:34; 5:19–30).”24 People who say that Jesus never claimed to be God must answer why he was crucified on the charge of blasphemy. Whatever Jesus said about himself must have been sufficiently provocative enough for the Jewish leaders to call for capital punishment on that charge of blasphemy.

The significance of this is that failure to believe in Jesus as the Son of God brings judgement because we are already dead in our sins (see John 3:18, Ephesians 2:1), but believing in Jesus as the Son of God brings eternal life (see John 3:15–17, 6:40, 20:31).

Conclusion​

Although there may be many objections to Jesus’ deity, the New Testament clearly provides eye-witness testimony to the words, actions, and teachings of Jesus that prove his deity. A false Jesus cannot save you. If we do not get the identity of Jesus right, we will die in our sin (John 8:24). This article can be found here: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/...HosucqE_ARNsOAbg8h033VkJnce3u-Yf5auEgX7rB-ITJ

 

[Daisy]

In this video I provide 7 times Trinitarians Changed The Bible For The Trinity. These textual variants are highly used to prove the Trinity & Hypostatic Union, but we're likely altered intentionally by scribes in later centuries. See manuscript comparisons (Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, etc.), their english counterparts (KJV, ESV, NIV, etc.), and what scholars have to say!


Verses In Question:

1 Timothy 3·16“God (Θεός) was manifest in the flesh” vs “He (Ὃς) was manifested”

John 1·18Was Jesus “the only-begotten God” (μονογενὴς Θεός) vs “the only-begotten Son” (μονογενὴς υἱός)

Jude 1·5Did "Jesus" (Ἰησοῦς) deliver Israel out of Egypt vs Lord (Κύριος) delivered Israel out of Egypt

Titus 3·6Jesus “our Savior” (τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν) vs “our God and Savior” (τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν)

Hebrews 13·20“Our Lord Jesus” (τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν) vs “Our God Jesus” (τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν)

John 19·40“the body of God” (τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Θεοῦ) vs "body of Jesus" (τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ)

1 John 5·7-8"Father, Word, Holy Ghost" (ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ Πατὴρ, ὁ Λόγος, καὶ τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα) vs "Spirit, Water, Blood" (ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες)

Most Christians have never been told that some of the most quoted “Trinity verses” in the Bible, like “God was manifested in the flesh” or “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit” aren’t even in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts. And others which are in old texts lack witnesses in the testimony of Church Fathers (like Turtullian, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, etc.).

Whether you're a student of textual criticism, or simply curious about what the Bible actually says, this video peels back layers of tradition and reveals what the earliest Greek, Latin, and Syriac manuscripts really read, based on sources like Nestle-Aland, UBS, Textus Receptus, Peshitta, Vetus Latina, and Codex analysis.

These aren’t minor footnotes because they touch the core of how we understand who God is and who Jesus really was. If the Trinity is true, then they shouldn't have to change the Bible to prove it! And all these examples testify against Trinitarianism.

 

[LittleNipper]

1. The Trinity Distinguishes Our God​

Many assume Muslims, Jews, and Christians worship the same God. In reality, Muslims and non-Messianic Jews profess a mono-personal god, rather than the tri-personal God of the Trinity. This distinction is critical.

A mono-personal god could not be eternally loving and gracious. Before he created the world, he couldn’t have loved; at least, he could have only loved himself. He would best be defined in his solitude by self-serving egotism. That leads to a worldview prioritizing power, as opposed to our Christian worldview that considers love the most important commandment and enduring virtue (Matt. 22:36–40; 1 Cor. 13:13).

We believe God never has or will change. We also believe God is love (1 John 4:8). The Trinity explains how God was love before he created. The three persons divinely and eternally loved one another. He has always, in himself, been defined by love.

At the same time, our tri-personal God must be distinguished from polytheism—for example, the Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva of Hinduism. We do not worship three gods. The Lord our God is one (Deut. 6:4).

As world religions continue to multiply, and against a rising tide of universalism, this distinctive will only become more essential to how we communicate our faith.

2. The Trinity Makes Sense of the Old Testament​

The early church coined the term “Trinity” in the late second century to articulate the mystery revealed by Christ (Eph. 1:9; 3:3). But the first glimpses of plurality within God are recorded in the Old Testament, not the New.

From the first chapter, the Spirit of God is introduced (Gen. 1:2), and God refers to himself by the plural pronouns “we” and “us” (Gen. 1:26–27; 3:22; 11:7; Isa. 6:8). While the oneness of God is strongly emphasized, the word used to describe God as “one” in Hebrew scripture, ehūd, is an elastic term that can be used to describe unity in diversity. Similarly, “Elohim” and “Adonai,” used for God in the Old Testament, are plural terms, perhaps foreshadowing a reality not yet fully revealed.

More than 100 times, the Old Testament mentions the Spirit of God. It also teaches of a coming defeater of the enemy (Gen. 3:15), a Son of Man appearing with the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9–14), a Son to be revered (Ps. 2:11–12), a virgin birth of a child called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father” (Isa. 9:6), and the angel of the Lord acknowledged as God himself (Gen. 16:10–13; 22:12–16; Ex. 3:1–6; Judg. 2:1–4; 6:11–24; Zech. 12:8).

Drawing from Exodus alone, the Gospels identify Christ as the “I Am” (Ex. 3:14; John 8:56–58), the rock in the wilderness (Ex. 17; 1 Cor. 10:4), and the one who saved the Israelites from Egypt (Jude 5). The risen Christ interpreted things concerning himself throughout all Scripture (Luke 24:27) and even used Psalm 110:1 to prove the Jews’ innate assumption of a second person in the Godhead.

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[LittleNipper]

3. The Trinity Provides a Framework for the New Testament​

Christ was not a created human who conjectured a self-originated way of coming to God. While he was fully human, he was also fully God, as he had been from the beginning (John 1:1) and will be forever. This is difficult to explain. But the Trinity helps.

It also helps explain passages in which all three members of the Trinity appear. The Father sends the Spirit in the Son’s name (John 14:26). All the Father has is the Son’s, and the Spirit declares these things to us (John 16:15). The Father sends the Spirit of the Son into our hearts (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; Titus 3:6). We baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Through the Son, we have access in one Spirit to the Father (Eph. 2:18). And the Father’s love, the Son’s grace, and the Spirit’s fellowship are always with us (2 Cor. 13:14).

4. The Trinity Is the Basis of Our Relationship to God and His Church​

Because the Father, Son, and Spirit were perfectly unified before the creation of the world—loving, serving, and glorifying one another—we can be confident God didn’t create us out of a needy desire to fill an inner relational void. That is good news for us, because we never could do that.

He was perfectly fulfilled without us. Yet he lovingly chose to create us, inviting us in to enjoy (and be fulfilled by) the overflow of all God is within himself. As the church, we are the household of the Father (1 Tim. 3:15), the bride of the Son (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7), and the temple of the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

God did not create us out of a needy desire to fill an inner relational void. That is good news for us, because we never could do that.

United with him in love, so too we are united with his people—those with whom we are built together in the Son to be a dwelling place of the Father by the Spirit (Eph. 2:22). As the three persons of the Trinity are mysteriously united as one, so all the tribes, tongues, and nations of God’s people (Rev. 7:9) are one in him.

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[LittleNipper]

5. The Trinity Explains Our Mission​

As we see the Father sending the Son and the Son sending the Spirit, so we see our own Great Commission as a continuation of the Trinity’s mission in the world (John 17:18; Matt. 28:18–20). We too are sent—according to the foreknowledge of the Father, for obedience to the Son, in the sanctification of the Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2).

As each person of the Godhead glorifies the other, we are invited to glorify and testify to God also, throughout the world he made. At the cross we see the ultimate glorification of the Father as the Son lays down his life for us, in order that we might receive the Spirit of adoption as children of God (John 12:28; Rom. 8:15). And we likewise are called to lay our lives down for others (John 15:13), glorifying God as we do. In this way, we carry on the missio Dei—the mission of our triune God.

The Trinity Is Central​

We will never fully comprehend our triune God. The only kind of god we could fully understand would be a god we made in our own image. But in reality, we are the ones who have been made in his (Gen. 1:26–27).

As we draw near to God, we can assure ourselves that he reveals himself to those who seek him (Jer. 29:12; Heb. 11:6). The more rightly we perceive him, the more deeply we can treasure him, the more fully we can worship him, and the more passionately we can join him in his work throughout the world.

The entire article maybe found here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-reasons-trinity/

 

[LittleNipper]

Are There Missing Verses in the New World Translation?​

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ bible is known as the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. They believe that it is equal to all other bibles. However, there are some scriptures omitted from their bible but are found in other bibles. This is something that is not known by many people, including Jehovah’s Witnesses themselves!
If this is true, then the verses found at Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:19 need careful consideration by each member of Jehovah’s Witnesses.1
Let’s step down through various verses in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures and compare them with verses in other bibles.

A Bible Version Comparison​

Complete Verses Omitted​

In the Appendix of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (2013), at A3 How the Bible Came to Us, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society makes the claim that most bibles have gaps in the verse numbering at Matthew 17:21; 18:11; 23:14; Mark 7:16; 9:44, 46; 11:26; 15:28; Luke 17:36; 23:17; John 5:4; Acts 8:37; 15:34; 24:7; 28:29; and Romans 16:24. But is that true? A comparison of various bibles should help us to ascertain if this is true.

Continued below​

 

[GIJane]

I thought Papist hatred was a thing of the past. Apparently denominations have long memories.