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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Why Seek the Knowledge of God? .............................. 1
Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine ....................... 9
Chapter 3: Jesus, The Only Begotten Son of God ...................... 33
Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the
Father and of Christ .................................................. 81
Chapter 5: Jesus Christ The Almighty God ............................... 181
Chapter 6: Jesus Christ is the Person of God ............................ 227
Chapter 7: Jesus Christ is the Son of Man ................................ 265
Chapter 8: Trinity vs. Twoness vs. Oneness Doctrines ............ 277
Chapter 9: Six Hundred Threescore and Six –
The Mark of the Beast............................................. 327
Forward
Forward
The Errors of the Trinity is written solely for the true believers in our Lord JESUS who are seeking for “the truth”, for the pure in heart shal see God. The tradition of the elders has made the Word of God to none effect, diluting the glory of God to that of a corruptible man; deny the only Lord God, JESUS Christ. As there are many cunningly devised fables proclaimed as “the truth” by varying denominations, the true JESUS shines as the great Light to al who wil receive him as the true God and Eternal Life. JESUS is the Blessed and only Potentate, the Omnipotent God who is LORD of al . Our Lord JESUS bless his true body in the revealing of Himself as the true God, who Alone is JESUS Christ.
Chapter 1:
Why Seek the
Knowledge of God?
1
Chapter 1: Why Seek the Knowledge of God?
In one’s conquest for Truth, it must be recognized that the revelation of God is progressive. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto al pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10). Therefore, the revelation of God should be sought for by reading of the Holy Scriptures coupled with sincere prayer for revelation. Therefore, the author hopes to chal enge the body of Christ to seek for the truth that is ours providing that we seek diligently for it.
Most believers in modern day have come to the revelation of Jesus Christ based upon their denomination’s experience and teachings. Also what is passed down from generation to generation usual y prevails in the present day believer’s life of thinking and believing. Faith, therefore, is affected by our beliefs since it is the foundation upon which our faith acts and manifests. It is your revelation of the Word of God that wil ultimately determine your faith, actions, lifestyle, and your relationship with God Himself. It is the writer’s belief, that we should not carelessly enter into a revelation based upon anyone’s belief, but we should search the scriptures daily to see what things are true. Every believer wil make an opinion of Who and What God is, but some cannot explain their idea of the Godhead saying that it is just too complex for man to know and understand. “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as His divine power hath given us al things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory
3
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 1: Why Seek the Knowledge of God?
and virtue.” (2 Peter 1:1-3). Peter tells us here that through knowledge, the knowledge of God, according to the Holy Ghost power, God gives us al things pertaining to life and Godliness, so that we can be partakers of God’s divine nature. It is imperative to have the knowledge of God, which is given us through His Word by the Holy Ghost. For it is by Knowledge given by the Holy Ghost that we receive the promises of God enabling us to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Paul also enlightens us when writing to the church at Ephesus:
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17) Paul had this knowledge of the mystery of Christ: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:4) Paul goes on to say: “And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Til we al come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the ful ness of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-13) Paul states that there is a knowledge of the Son of God to which the five-fold ministry wil lead the body of Christ, in the unity of the faith, unto a perfect man. This is the time in which the body of Christ wil reach ful maturity; the time the body of Christ wil have the knowledge of the Son of God unto the ful ness, unto the measure of the stature of the ful ness of Christ. The knowledge of the Son of God is not just knowing Jesus after the Spirit and not after the flesh; but is coming to the same glory that Jesus had in the days of His flesh. Therefore, the body of Christ must have this revelation of Christ to come to the ful ness of Christ. Paul also tells us that this knowledge of God is in the face of Jesus Christ. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the 4
face of Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 4:6).
To know the revelation of Jesus Christ requires that we esteem it higher than al things; more than riches and Gold; more than our own lives. It is not a vain thing, for it is your life. “Yea doubtless, and I count al things but loss for the excel ency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of al things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Phil. 3:8). Paul counted al things loss to have this knowledge of Jesus Christ. “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Phil. 3:10).
Many wil say at this point, “What’s the big deal? Jesus is the Son of God; God was His Father. And Jesus sent the Holy Ghost in His place as a Comforter to the believers.”
How do you see the person of Jesus Christ? What is your revelation of Jesus Christ? To be certain, there is only one revelation of Jesus Christ. Notice the book of Revelation is not plural but singular: viz. “The Revelation”. Thus, is Jesus Christ the second of the Trinity; i.e. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? Is God a Trinity; having three persons or manifestations of the same Spirit? How do you define the word “Trinity”? Are there two persons in the Godhead; one being the Father, and the other being the Son, Jesus Christ? Are there two natures in Christ, and if so, how do they function? In the case of a belief in the Two-ness doctrine, one would have to believe that the Holy Ghost and the Father are the same person, but different from the Son, Jesus Christ. Or, is God one person being manifested in the body of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Is Jesus Christ one person with one nature? Or, is Jesus Christ one person with two natures, one divine and the other human? We wil cover at length the possibilities in the light of the scriptures. Paul said himself that it was a mystery. But he also said that we as believers should have the ful assurance of knowing this mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ as stated in Colossians 2:2.
Is it the wil of God to reveal Himself to us, the believers? Paul 5
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 1: Why Seek the Knowledge of God?
said so in writing to Timothy: “Who wil have al men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”. (1
Timothy 2:4). Timothy tells us of false believers in the last days: “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”. (2
Timothy 3:7). Paul, to the Romans, mentioned the mystery of Jesus Christ and the revelation given to him. “Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to al nations for the obedience of faith.” (Romans 16:25). Now at this present time, we are able to comprehend with al saints the depth and riches of Jesus Christ, which was kept secret since the world began. It is now fundamental for the faith, which is by Christ Jesus to believe and know this mystery of Jesus Christ. It is necessary for our salvation to know Him and the power of His resurrection if we are to be raised at the last day. We are to have the ful assurance of the acknowledgment of this mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.
It is the intent of this book to assist the reader in coming into this knowledge of this mystery of Jesus Christ; or, to confirm the knowledge of the mystery of Jesus Christ to you that already have received this truth by the obedience of faith. While we discuss the revelation of Jesus Christ, the author wishes to note that there are many depths to the one revelation of Jesus Christ. The point of concern is to have a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Some wil hold to traditions of the elders which wil make the Word of God to none effect. Others wil receive it to the saving of their souls. Stil others that already have this precious truth wil only be strengthened in the inner man as a result of reading and studying the revelation of Jesus Christ. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, that our eyes wil be enlightened to the acknowledging of the mystery of Jesus 6
Christ.
7
Chapter 2:
The Origin of the
Trinitarian Doctrine
9
Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine Most theologians agree that Jesus had a preexistent nature as God and lived a sinless life as man; thus, the God-man. The problem arises as to how God accomplished this in Christ Jesus, the Son of God. There has been a long going debate as to the person of Jesus Christ as God and man, especial y in the mechanics of the incarnation and distinct persons of the Godhead. Are the manifestations of God deemed to be persons of God or possibly God manifesting himself differently at designated times in history? When considering the early church councils, the debates wil help give us insight as to history’s revelation of Jesus Christ. Christology wil be discussed in light of tradition, shedding light on the various doctrines concerning Jesus’
divinity and humanity.
During the first three centuries of its existence, the Christian church had to emerge from the Jewish tenets of doctrine and come to terms with the Hellenistic (Greek) culture surrounding it. Eusebius of Caesarea was an historian whose accounts of the first four centuries of Christianity have been of great value for understanding various persons and events in the doctrines of Christ. His work, Ecclesiastical History, is the chief primary source for the history of the church up to 324.
The Ebionites were an early Christian sect that required an exaggerated Jewish emphasis of the Law of Moses as recorded by Iranaeus. According to Iranaeus, the Ebionites believed in One God, the Creator, and taught that Jesus was the true “prophet” stated in Deuteronomy 18:15 known as the “Son of man”. The Ebionites solved the tension of how Jesus relates to the Godhead by denying the real or ontological Deity of Jesus. They did not view Jesus as the “Logos-sarx”; i.e. “the Word in human flesh”. Basically, Jesus was conceived as merely
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine a man fil ed with the Holy Spirit at the time of His baptism. The term Ebionites is from the Hebrew “evyonium” meaning “poor men”. They used only the Gospel of Matthew, believed that Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary, rejecting Jesus as the “Word or Logos”, rejected the apostle Paul as an apostate from the Jewish Law, and revered Jerusalem as the house of God. Ebionites believed that Jesus became the Messiah because He obeyed the Jewish Law. Most of the doctrine of the Ebionites was seen in the teachings of the earlier Qumran sect as revealed by the Dead Sea scrol s. There was a strong zeal for the Law of Moses among the Jewish converts to Christianity. Of course, after the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem in AD 70, the law could only be performed in part which resulted in a valid reason for doubting the necessity of retaining the rest. This sect opposed Gentile access to Christianity.
Ebionism could be divided into two types. The first was Pharisaic Ebionism and Essene or Gnostic Ebionism. Pharisaic Ebionism or Ebionism Proper was in strict keeping of the Law of Moses under the heading of Judaism, which was deemed eternal y good of itself. Christianity was deemed to be a slight modification and continuation of Judaism. Ebionites exalted the Old Testament to magnify Moses and the Prophets, and al owed Jesus to be “nothing more than a Solomon or a Jonas”. 1 Legalism to them was the highest form of perfection believing that the earthly Jerusalem even after destruction was an object of adoration “as if it were the house of God”.2 The Ebionites denied the virgin birth and believed that Jesus Christ was a natural son of Joseph and Mary after a natural human generation. To them, Jesus was a mere man as a descendant of David and not the Son of God. Jesus then was deemed to go through a change at His baptism and thus became the Anointed as the Christ at this time. Ebionites did not relate any deity in connection with Jesus.
Thus, a faith in Christ accompanied with a corresponding lifestyle was 1 Tertullian de Carne Christi, c. 18
2 Irenaius adv. Haer i.c. 22
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not regarded as necessary. To them al that were necessary for salvation was the observance the Sabbath, circumcision, eating only clean food, sacrificial offerings, and staying separated from Gentiles. This doctrine of the Ebionites was that of works; that is, “when Ebionites thus fulfil the law, they are able to become Christ’s”.3 The apostle Paul stood sharply against them. In short, they were Judaic and anti- Pauline.
Gnosti Ebionism or Essenes were explained by Ephiphanius as holding that Jesus Christ was created of the Father as Spirit; thus he was higher than the angels in that He could come to earth in various modes of manifestation anytime that He so desired. In the Old Testament, Adam was to them a manifestation of God incarnate along with various appearances to the patriarchs in bodily shape. Jesus Christ was also the incarnate God as a successor of Moses, but not of higher authority. Gnostic Ebionism however did not place a time on the union of Christ with the man Jesus; thus they admitted His miraculous origin of the virgin birth. They however were like the Pharisaic Ebionites in that they rejected Paul and his epistles. Judaism of every kind gradual y faded from the scene of Christianity thus leaving those that returned to strict Judaism and the utter rejection of Christianity, or those that chose a purer Christianity than that of Ebionism.
There were obvious apostates according to the Word of God as was Hymenaeus, Alexander, Phygellus, Hermogenes, Demas, and Philetus who left the true faith of Jesus Christ. (1 Timothy 1:20; 2
Timothy 1:15; 2:17). “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God unto lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4). There were also Post Apostolic Fathers supposedly as Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin, Shepherd Hermas, and Polycarp. By 150 AD these had evolved into the counter church, The Church of Rome.
In the fourth century BC, the “Timaeus” was a dialogue written by Plato toward the end of his life. The piece is an exposition of cosmology, physics, and biology put into the mouth of the 3 Hippolytus Refut. Omn. Haer. Vi . 34
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine astronomer Timaeus of Locri.4 The discussion is introduced by a famous narrative of the gal antry of the Athenians who defeated the kings of the imaginary Atlantis in their ambitious attempt to become masters of the world. Platonic al egory envisaged the system of the universe as an ascending ladder of forms, a “great chain of being”, and was summed up in terms of myth. Plato and Platonic thought became a pagan mainstay of later Christian al egory where people, things, and happenings have another meaning. Plato conceived of God as being a nonomnipotent shaper and thus accounted for the manifest element of evil in phenomena. Plato also developed a Greek outlook on creation, speaking of the Demiurge, and subordinate deity who brought eternal forms and recalcitrant matter together. He saw it like the two halves of some mythical creature, to fashion a changing and imperfect temporal world. Plato’s was a dualistic idea in that a divine part of the human soul that is directly infused by the divinity and a mortal part (passionate and vegetative) are defined and considered. The mortal part is assigned to man by inferior divinities, charged to do so by the supreme divinity.
The appetitive passions involved, of fol owed, are held to be responsible for the punishments that the soul wil suffer during various periods of habitation in the other world and reincarnations in this one.
Thus God remains free of blame for the destiny of man. The mortal or spoiled part of man is further attributed, in Plato’s Laws, to the “titanic nature” within his makeup. Thus an element of violence and impiety are inherited from the primordial rebellious Titans, sons of the earth.
Plato’s central inspiration, which unifies his metaphysics, his cosmology, his theory of man, and his doctrine of the soul, was basically dualistic with two irreducible principles: the Idea and the chora or material receptacle in which the Idea impresses itself.
Materiality and necessity conditioned this entire world with the result being the descent of souls into bodies. In short, Plato recognized an absolute and eternal God that existed in changeless perfection in relation to the world of forms, along with a World-Soul, which 4 Encyclopaedia Britannica Micropaedia 9 page 1012
14
contained and animated the world. Plato’s was a dual principle of the divine, uniting both being and becoming, absoluteness and relativity, permanence and change in a single context.5 Plato envisioned the categories of absoluteness as situated in one deity and those or relativity in another. However, in his tenth book of the Laws, by invoking the analogy of a circular motion, which combines change with the retention of a fixed centre, he explained how deity could exemplify both absoluteness and change. Thus Plato could be viewed as a quasi-panentheist.
Plato argued that mathematical entities alone have the sort of enduring intelligibility that the rational science of nature demanded.
Only a physical theory built on a numerical and geometrical framework will reveal the truly permanent structures and relationships behind the evident flux of phenomena. The numbers and figures of formal mathematics wil have immutability denied to familiar physical objects.
Plato’s view of planetary astronomy and the theory matter were scientific fields within which this mathematical methodology showed immediate promise; the movements of the planets must be explained by constructions drawn from three-dimensional geometry. Tertul ian ascertained the “Trinitas” from Plato’s work of three-dimensional geometry as the beginning of the Trinity doctrine of the Godhead.
“Yet, in castigating heresy he was able to formulate the terminology, and to some extent the theory, of later Trinitarian and Christological orthodoxy.”6 Thus, the doctrine of the Trinity was early in the making as noted with Quintus Tertul ianus in his interpretation of the Plato’s Timaeus.
Another main historical example of heresy that fal s to the erroneous view that Christ is not ful y God, but only a man is Arianism. Arius, an Alexandrian priest and disciple of Lucian of Antioch, in the 4th century, affirmed that Jesus Christ is not truly divine but a created being. Arius’ premise for this sect of Christianity was the uniqueness of God, who alone is self-existent, and immutable 5 Encyclopaedia Britannica Volume 13 of Macropaedia page 952a 6 Encyclopaedia Britannica Volume 13 of Macropaedia page 1080e 15
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine (never changing or varying in nature). His theory and reasoning was that the Son, who is not self- existent, cannot be God. Arius believed that because the Godhead is unique, it cannot be shared or communicated so then the Son cannot be God. He also contended that the Godhead is immutable (unchanging), the Son, who is mutable (changing), being in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John represented as subject to growth and change, cannot be God. Arius concluded therefore, that the Son be deemed a creature who has been called into existence out of nothing and has had a beginning.
Moreover, the Son, Jesus Christ, can have no direct knowledge of the Father since the Son is finite (has measurable limits) and of a different order of existence.7 Arianism promulgated the idea that there is an unbridgeable gap of immense magnitude that cannot be reconciled between God the Father and Christ the Son. Arius taught that Christ was a created being of the highest order, which in turn created the universe.
Docetism, on the other hand, denied the ful humanity of Christ. Docetism, from the Greek “dokein” meaning “to seem”, affirmed that Christ did not have a real or natural body during his life on earth but only an apparent or phantom one. Docetism became an important doctrinal position of Gnoticism, a religious dualist belief that held that matter was evil and the spirit good. Therefore, salvation was attained only through esoteric knowledge or gnosis based upon matter being inherently evil. Devout Docetists asserted that Christ was born without any participation of matter and that al the acts and sufferings of his life, including the crucifixion, were mere appearance.
Therefore, Jesus was held to be anything but a flesh and blood incarnation of God. The question that they posed to answer was “How can God who is truly divine suffer?” The assumption was therefore that God who is Spirit couldn’t suffer and die; therefore, Christ on the cross was only an il usion or at best a temporary abode of God who quickly departed at the cross. What fol owed was the obvious denial of 7 Encyclopaedia Britannica: Volume 1 of Macropaedia page 509, 510
16
Christ’s resurrection and ascension into heaven. Those Docetists who were not as radical in their belief attributed to Christ an ethereal and heavenly body but disagreed on the degree to which it shared the real actions and sufferings of Christ.
Ignatius surnamed Theophoros (God Bearer), bishop of Antioch fought both Judaizers (Ebionism) as mentioned earlier in this chapter as well as the Docetists, who believed that Christ had suffered and died only in appearance. Against the Docetists, Ignatius insisted upon the reality of Christ’s human nature. Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection were a vital guarantee of “life everlasting” in the risen Christ.8 Ignatius believed that, had Christ died only in appearance, his own suffering and his readiness to sacrifice his life for Christ would have no meaning. “Concern for the doctrine that Christ is man as well as God is the main reason that Ignatius insisted so emphatically on
“siding with the bishop”.9
Apol inaris the Younger, bishop of Laodicea developed the heretical position concerning the nature of Christ called Apol inarianism. In his work, Incarnation of the Word of God, Apol inaris denied the existence of a rational human soul in Christ, a position that he took in order to combat Arianism. Arianism as mentioned earlier in this chapter was founded by Arius who contended that Christ could not be ful y God if he had a complete human nature.
In so doing, Apol inaris assumed that Christ had some but not al of the nature of a human. To him, though Christ had a human body, yet his soul was metaphysical enabling his mind and reasoning to be divine only.
St. Athanasius, theologian, ecclesiastical statesman, and Egyptian national leader, was the chief opponent in the 4th century, and believed Jesus Christ was a creature of like but not the same substance as God the Father. His two-part work of apologetics,
“Against the Heathen” and “The Incarnation of the Word of God”, completed about 335 AD, was the first classic of developed Greek 8 Encyclopaedia Britannica: Volume 9 of Macropaedia page 200
9 Ibid. page 200
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine Orthodox theology. Arthanasius, and other opponents, accused Arius’
teaching actual y reduced the Son of God to a demigod (demi-meaning half; therefore, demigod meaning half god, half man; the offspring of a human being and a god). They also believed that Arius’
teaching reintroduced polytheism, the worship of many gods. Their reasoning, as to a return to polytheism, was that since worship of the Son was not abandoned and undermined the Christian concept of redemption since only he who was truly God could be deemed to have reconciled man to the Godhead.10
The controversy seemed to have been brought to an end by the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. which condemned Arius and his teaching. With the Arian doctrine of the Son of God being somewhat lesser than God the Father, this heresy raised even more questions and difficulties concerning the Godhead. Arian had many fol owers due to his logical arguments and life of self-denial, which led to more disorders concerning the doctrine of the Godhead. Constantine I the Great, the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity, had great concern that a divided church would offend the Christian God and so bring divine vengeance upon the Roman Empire and Constantine himself. Schism, in Constantine’s views, was insane, futile madness, inspired by the devil. Constantine felt he had to remove error and propagate the true religion as his personal duty and a proper use of his imperial position. The Council of Nicaea, which opened in May 325
with an address by the emperor, had been preceded by a letter to Arius, the chief protagonist. Constantine stated his opinion that the dispute over the Son in relation to the Father was trivial and could be resolved without difficulty. Constantine presided over the opening session and took part in the discussions. Constantine hoped a general council of the church would solve the problem created in the Eastern Church by Arianism, the heresy that believed that Christ is not divine but a created being.
The Council of Nicaea condemned Arius and, with reluctance 10 Encyclopaedia Britannica: Volume 2 of Macropaedia page 257
18
on the part of some participants, incorporated the nonscriptural word
“homousios” (“of one substance”) into a creed called the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed signified the absolute equality of the Son of God with the Father. It was not at first evident that there might be a peculiar sacredness about the decisions of such a council because al councils were believed to be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The word “homousios” (“of one substance”) was mentioned earlier, not found in scripture, was included in the Nicene Creed after a long fight led by Athanasius. The idea developed that the decisions of Nicaea could not be reformed, and Athanasius argued that Nicaea was an especial y sacred council because bishops attended it from al parts of the church. The Councils of Ephesus (431) and of Chalcedon (451) declared that the decisions of Nicaea were unalterable. But it was assumed, rather than formal y stated, that ecumenical councils once recognized to be such, could not err. The emperor, Constantine I, then exiled Arius. Thus, the Nicene declared the Son of God to be al that the Father is and of one substance.11
By the 4th century a common belief developed between the Eastern and Western Christians in their understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. God was understood in the West as one essence (the Trinity of Persons being conceived as an irrational truth found in revelation). The tri-personality of God was understood in the East as the primary fact of Christian experience. So the focus was not the Trinity that needed theological proof, but rather God’s essential unity.
Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Basil of Caesarea, were accused of being tri-theists because of the personalistic emphasis of their conception of God as one essence in three hypostases (the Greek term hypostases was the equivalent of the Latin “substatia” and designated a concrete reality). This terminology, to them, designated the concrete New Testament revelation of the Son and the Spirit, as distinct from the Father.12
The church councils of the 4th century quarreled over the 11 Encyclopedia Britannica: Volume 6 of Macropaedia page 145
12 Ibid.
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine relations between God the Father and God the Son, those of the 5th century faced the problem of defining the relationship of the two natures; i.e., the human and the divine. There were two schools of doctrine. 1) Appolinaris of Laodicea and the theologians of Alexandria general y held that the divine and human natures were united indistinguishably. 2) Theodore of Mopsuestia and the theologians of Antioch taught that two natures coexisted separately in Christ, the latter being “the chosen vessel of the Godhead the man born of Mary.”13 These two contrasting doctrines became the struggle for supremacy among the rivals of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Rome.
Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople in 428, adopted the Antiochene formula, stating that there were actual y two separate persons as opposed to natures in Christ, one human and one divine. He suggested that they could not worship a Jesus who was human. Nestorius stressed the independence of the divine and human natures of Christ which concluded that they were two persons loosely united by a moral union. Therefore, Christ’s person was a unifying or conjunction of moral wil and not a hypostatic union, thereby making Christ two persons rather than two natures in one person.
Cyril of Alexandria is known for his campaign against Nestorius, whose views on Christ’s nature were to be declared heretical. Cyril emphasized the unity of the two in one person, while Nestorius emphasized their distinctness so that he seemed to be splitting Christ into two persons acting in concert. The conflict came to the forefront over Cyril’s insistence that the Virgin Mary be called Theotokos (Greek: “God bearer”) to describe the intimate union of the two natures in the incarnation. Nestorius refused to accept such terminology and their dispute was referred to a general council at Ephesus in 431. Nestorius was banished as a heretic. Later because the council had not waited for the arrival of certain bishops from the East and particularly Antioch where Nestorius had lived before he became bishop of Constantinople, Cyril accepted a compromise with Antioch 13 Encyclopaedia Britannica Macropaedia 3 page 550
20
that emphasized the distinctness of the two natures within the one person of Christ.
Monophysites are those who taught or were accused of teaching that in the Person of Jesus Christ there was only one nature rather than two natures, divine and human as asserted by the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Eutyches, a monastic superior in the Eastern Church at Constantinople, was the founder of Eutychianism, an extreme form of the Monophysite heresy that emphasized the exclusive prevalence of the divinity in Christ. Eutyches was reared in the Christological doctrine of the Alexandrian school under the influence of Cyril. He maintained that Christ had two natures: divine as the Son of God, human as the son of Mary. It also held that the Virgin was not the mother of God. Bishop Eusebius of Dorylaeum in Asia Minor proclaimed his doctrine heretical since he opposed the doctrine of Nestorius. Flavian, the patriarch of Constantinople and an opponent of Monophysitism, summoned Eutyches to a meeting of the standing synod of Constantinople in 448. Eutyches refused to discuss the natures of Christ stating that he held to the Council of Nicaea (325). Of course, the Council of Nicaea focussed primarily on Christ’s divinity and equality in the Trinity rather than on Christ’s nature.
Eutyches affirmation was “two natures before, one after the incarnation,” was his own formula.14 Eutyches explicit expression of the Monophysitic doctrine that, in the incarnation, Christ human nature was deified and subsumed into a single essence.15 He therefore concluded that Christ’s humanity was different from that of any man, which some believe was the real formulation of Monophysitism.
Flavian then reported Eutyches’ heresy to Pope St. Leo 1 the Great, who in 449 issued his “Tome” condemning Eutyches. The council was later called the “robber synod” and was never recognized by Eastern Orthodox and Western churchmen who reinstated Eutyches and deposed Flavian, Eusebius, and other defenders of the two-nature doctrine of Christ. The fol owing year Emperor Theodosius l . was 14 Encyclopaedia Britannica Macropaedia 3 page 1008
15 Ibid.
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine succeeded by Marcian, who convened the Council of Chaldedon in 451; it banished Eutyches, condemned his heresy, and established a centrist doctrine that came to serve as the touchstone of Christian orthodoxy in East and West.16 Thereafter Eutyches disappeared, but his influence nevertheless grew as Monophysitism spread through the East.
Fol owing the condemning of Eutyches, political and ecclesiastical rivalries as well as theology played a role in the decision of Chalcedon to depose and excommunicate Disocorus, the patriarch of Alexandria. The church that supported Dioscorus and insisted that his teaching was consistent with the orthodox doctrine of Cyril of Alexandria was labeled Monophysite. Others like Severus of Antioch repudiated the terminology of Chalcedon as self-contradictory. Most agree that Severus as well as Dioscorus probably diverged from what was defined as orthodoxy more in their emphasis upon the intimacy of the union between God and man in Christ than in any denial that the humanity of Christ and that of mankind are consubstantial. In an attempt to unite the divided fractions, the Chalcedonians invited the Monophysites to reunite under the formula that Christ had two natures but only one wil (Monotheletism). But this attempt only created further divisions among the Chalcedonians themselves.
The Council of Chalcedon was to be the last of the “Great Christological Councils” and its “Chalcedonian Definition” has come to be the recognized view of the person of Christ as the “God-man”
(theanthropos). The fol owing stated the Chalcedonian Definition of the creed and confession.
“Fol owing the holy Father we teach with one voice that the Son [of God] and our Lord Jesus Christ is to be confessed as one and the same [Person], that he is perfect in Godhead and perfect in manhood, very God and very man, of a reasonable soul and [human]
body consisting, consubstantial with the Father as touching his Godhead, and consubstantial with us as touching his manhood; made 16 Ibid.
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in al thing like unto us, sin only excepted; begotten of his Father before the worlds according to his Godhead; but in these last days for us men and for our salvation born [into the world] of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God according to his manhood. This one and the same Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son [of God] must be confessed to be in two natures, (1) unconfusedly, immutable, indivisibly, inseparably
[united], and that without the distinction of natures being taken away by such union, but rather the peculiar property of each nature being preserved and being united in one Person and subsistence, not separated or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son and only-begotten, God the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Prophets of old time have spoken concerning him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ hath taught us, and as the Creed of the Fathers hath delivered to us.”17
The Chalcedonian Definition is regarded as the primary stance of the church concerning the Person and natures of Christ. The statement condemned each heresy in light of the various councils before it. The Ebionites (Pharisaic and Essene) as well as the Arians who believed that Christ was only a man and not divine was condemned by the Chalcedonian Definition was to Christ being very God. Docetism that stated that Christ was a phantom; an il usion was condemned also by Christ being very man. Apol inaris who claimed that Christ did not have a rational human soul was condemned by the definition that Christ was of a reasonable soul. Nestorians that taught that Christ two natures were separate and distinct so as to promote two persons was condemned by the definition stating that Christ must be confessed to be in two natures, (1) unconfusedly, immutable, indivisibly, inseparably [united] and that without the distinction of natures being taken away by such union….not separated or divided into two persons. Monophysitism and Eutychianism which declares that there is only one nature in Christ is condemned by the Definition that states Christ has two natures with each nature preserved in Christ.
The Council of Chalcedon and its Definition stand as the foundation of the truth in the world today. There have been some additions, but 17 Encyclopaedia Britannica Macropaedia 5 page 244
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine basically the Council of Chalcedon has set the definitive boundaries as to the tenets of faith in Christendom.
Some additions as the Latin word “Filioque”, (“and from the Son”) was added to the Nicene Creed in Spain in the 6th century. This affirms that the Holy Spirit proceeds not only “from the Father” as the original Nicene Creed proclaimed, but also “from the Son”. The Spanish councils intended to condemn Arianism by reaffirming the Son’s divinity. The addition was accepted in Rome and found justification in the Western conception of the Trinity: the Father and the Son were viewed as one God in the act of “aspiration” of the Spirit.18
The Byzantine theologians opposed the addition because they felt the Western Church had no right to change the text of a creed.
Secondly, because the “Filioque” clause implied the reduction of the divine persons to mere relations (“the Father and the Son are two in relation to each other, but one in relation to the Spirit”). For the Greeks, the Father alone is the origin of both the Son and the Spirit.
The conception of God is connected with the personalistic understanding of the Trinity.
This brings us to Justinian l, emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
Eusebius had been a disciple of Origen Adamantius who was deemed the most influential theologian of the early Greek Church. After the death of his father, Origen became head of the catechetical school of Alexandria. He created the foundation for the type of Christian exegesis (i.e. typological-al egorical method) that lasted up to the time of Luther in the 16th century. Origen’s main concern was that of ascertaining the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures. He developed a system containing four types of interpretation: literal, moral, typological, and al egorical. Justanian l, (Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus, Cal ed the Great), Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565, condemned the teaching of Origen. Justianian’s main doctrinal problem was the conflict between the orthodox view accepted at the 18 Ibid.
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Council of Chalcedon (451), that the divine and human natures coexist in Christ, and the Monophysite teaching that emphasized his divine nature. Justinian’s wife, Theodora, was a fol ower of the Monophysites which belief was strongly held in Syria and Egypt. However, Justinian did not wish to alienate Rome and the West. Justinian attempted to win over the Monophysite leaders, treating them with such consideration that Pope Agapetus protested. He made a further attempt at compromise in 544 when he issued an edict condemning parts of the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and Ibas of Edessa. Justinian’s edict was based on the grounds that these were tainted with Nestorianism (view holding that there are two separate Persons in the Incarnate Christ, the divine and the human). He had hoped to pacify the Monophysites who charged the Chalcedonians with sympathies toward Nestorian. Justinian’s edict had some support from the east but was denied sharply in the West.
The second Council of Constantinople (533) final y reaffirmed the Chalcedonian position and condemned the so-called Three Chapters of Justinian. Justinian had achieved nothing at his attempt to reconcile doctrinal matters. At the end of his life, Justinian in 564issued an edict stating that the human body of Christ was incorruptible and only seemed to suffer (the doctrine called Aphthartodocetism). This roused immediate protest and many ecclesiastics refused to accept it. The end result, Justinian had carried Monophysitism (that Christ had but one nature and that divine) to a new extreme.
Julian, a bishop of Halicarnassus, founded the doctrine of Aphthartodocetism (Greek aphthartos meaning “incorruptible”) that held that the body of Jesus Christ was incorruptible before his glorification. Julian proclaimed that the body of Christ was divine and therefore natural y incorruptible and impassible. However, Christ was deemed to be free to wil his sufferings and death voluntarily. Severus of Antioch, who was a condemned Monophysite himself, vigorously chal enged Julian on the ground that the doctrine of salvation was meaningless unless Christ’s body was truly human. The Byzantine emperor Justinian l proclaimed the new heresy in an edict of 564 and 25
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine would have imposed it on the Eastern Church had it not been for his death the fol owing year.
Just as Justinian had adopted Julian’s Aphthartodocetism as an extreme Monophysitism, even so there were varying degrees of Gnosticism. Marcion who lived in the 2nd century chal enged Christianity by proposing the existence of two Gods: one the creator-judge of Old Testament Israel, the other the one whom Jesus revealed.
Marcion joined the Christian community but repudiated it in 144, being excommunicated as a quasi- Gnostic heretic (i.e. one who expoused a religious dualism and salvation by gnosis, or esoteric knowledge). He believed the church had erred in retaining the monotheism of the Old Testament texts and in regarding Jesus as the Messiah foretold by the Jewish prophets. His doctrine taught that the God revealed in Jesus, who appeared suddenly as a ful -grown man without natural origins (Docetism) is of a total y different character from the God of Moses, the God of inflexible justice. Salvation to the true Christian, Marcion concluded, can be achieved only by a rigorous asceticism after an interior conversion to the new divine kingdom purchased from the bungling creator God by Christ’s sacrifice.
Amazingly, Marcion had fol owers of his sect and set up churches to defy the Christian ones.
In Christianity, there have been over 150 officially recognized creeds and confessions. The church made the acceptance of a specific kerygma (proclamation) a condition for membership. For the New Testament community, a creedless Christianity was inconceivable.
Ful y formed creeds first developed for us in baptismal rites and catechetical instruction. They general y had three sections concerned with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, but were variable in wording and content. This process culminated in the West in the Apostles’ Creed, which is now almost universal y recognized by Western churches, and is stil used in baptismal rites as well as public worship by Catholics and most Protestants.19 This creed is whol y 19 Encyclopaedia Britannica Macropaedia 5 page 244
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derived from New Testament affirmations, but the 5th-century legend that the Twelve Apostles were its authors is without foundation. Not until the 8th century is it quoted in its present wording. The creed is in part intended to exclude heretical views of Christ. For example, against Gnostism and Marcionism (dualistic heresies), it emphasizes the God, not an evil demiurge, is the creator of the world. Also, against Docetic views that Jesus was a heavenly being with a phantom body, it insists that he was born of the Virgin Mary and actual y suffered and died and was buried.
The Nicene Creed exists in two versions and represents a new type of doctrinal statement. It was first formulated in Nicaea in 325 by the first of the universal or ecumenical councils after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. It was not defined as a baptismal confession, but as a binding standard of orthodox teachings. Its second version has become the most ful y ecumenical of Christian creeds, accepted in East and West alike, as well as the major Protestant bodies. The version is that promulgated at the Council of Nicaea in 325. But the second version, the “Niceo-Constantinopolitan Creed”, which has everywhere become standard and is general y referred to as the Nicene Creed, was affirmed at the Council of Chalcedon (451) as the Nicene “faith of the 150 fathers”; i.e. the Council of Constantinople of AD 381. In 4th and 5th century usage, the “Nicene faith: did not refer to the creed of Nicea as such, but rather to its teaching. Both versions make the same fundamental affirmations against the Arian heresy that denied the equality of the Father and the Son, asserting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is homoousion (“of one substance”) with the Father. They are also both derived from Eastern baptismal formulas, though which ones is in dispute.
The “filoque” clause, affirming that the Spirit proceed “from the Son: as well as the Father, was inserted into the text in Spain during the 6th century and gradual y spread to al Western churches, but was probably not used in Rome itself until 1014. Eastern Christians continue to reject this addition, though now they do not general y 27
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine regard it as heretical, especial y if it is understood in the sense of
“through the Son”.
The Athanasian Creed, also called the Quicumque vult from its roots, is the last of what in the West are regarded as the three catholic or ecumenical creeds. It has received some slight recognition in the East, but only since the 16th century. In part this is because it is in form more a theological exposition than a creed, and in part because of the damnatory clauses that exclude from salvation al those who do not accept every detail of its teaching. The main themes are the nature of Christ and the Trinity, and these are developed in opposition not only to Arianism but also apparently to later heresies such as Nestorianism and Eutychianism. Its doctrine can in general be attributed to the 4th-century Church Father Athanasuis, though he was not its author.
As to the conclusion, the Council of Chalcedon in 451
embraced al former councils as well as the Council of Nicaea in 325.
Christ then is the second Person of the Godhead who is homoousion (“of one substance”) with the Father. The Council of Chalcedon simply focused upon Christ as the Second Person of the Godhead as to reconciling the differences not to his person, but to his nature or natures. This is currently where the church is today in relation as to its Christology.
How do you perceive God? If one’s revelation of God is directly related to his or her understanding the persons or personalities of God, how does one put the pieces of the puzzle together? Are we to accept blindly the Council of Nicaea in 325, known also as the Nicene Creed or the Council of Chalcedon in 451 as the absolute truth concerning the Godhead?
The Doctrine of the Trinity did not exist until 325 A.D. The natures in Christ were then addressed in the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Christology was then spelled out in doctrinal format in the Chalcedonian Creed, which embraced the former ecumenical councils to be embraced by Christianity as absolute truth, thus revealing the Godhead. Christianity embraced One God as revealed in three persons with the Eternal Son being the incarnated Word. The Council of 28
Chalcedon gave the Chalcedon Definition in order to dispel al heresies against the faith as two natures in Christ in a hypostatic union. Are we to accept this Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon as the absolute truth? The Definition states that Mary was the Mother of God. Did Mary begat God? Can God be begotten? The Chalcedon Definition declared that Christ was begotten “before the worlds”, according to his Godhead. If Jesus was begotten before the worlds’ according to his Godhead, this in effect is declaring an “Eternal Son” that was with the Father in the beginning? “Son of God” is a title of God in His redemptive office and references “God incarnate”; i.e., “God in the flesh”. God was not in flesh as Son until He came in a body of flesh and blood. Therefore, there is no such thing as an eternal Son, but there is God who is eternal. Does God have more revelation of the knowledge of the Son of God to bring us to a perfect man in these last days?
Trinity is the Doctrine of God taught by fal en Christianity that asserts that God is one in essence but three in “person”, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by the Nicene Creed. Christ is considered an Eternal Son by the Chalcedon Definition and also that Mary is the Mother of God. There are scriptures that are al uded to when the doctrine of Trinity is being defended or explained. These are a few that wil be referenced. “Go ye therefore, and teach al nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
(Matthew 28:19). “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret in the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” (Isaiah 48:16).
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you al . A-men.” (2
Corinthians 13:14). And there are many more scriptures that the author will deal with in the fol owing chapters according to revelation of the only Lord God, Jesus Christ.
Trinity Doctrine
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine The Doctrine of the Trinity of the Godhead has developed gradual y over the centuries holding Christ as the Word, or Logos, as being interpreted as subordinate to the Father God, the Supreme Being. Most Trinitarians interpret the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as three modes of the self-disclosure of the One God but not as distinct within the being of God himself. By looking at Jesus Christ as the Logos or Word, the Eternal Son of God, being subordinate to the Father, their equality is compromised. How could the Father and Son be equal and one be somewhat less than the other? It was not until the 4th century that the distinctness of the three: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were brought together in a single orthodox doctrine of one essence and three persons.20
As mentioned earlier, the Council of Nicaea in 325 stated the crucial formula for the Trinity Doctrine in its confession that the Son is “of the same essence (“homousios”) as the Father”, even though it said very little about the Holy Spirit.21 Then the Council of Chalcedon in its Definition addressed the dual natures of Christ; that is, that the Eternal Son in the Godhead came as a man. This Son of God is very God and very man. This Doctrine of the Trinity from the Council of Chalcedon is substantial y the form of doctrine that it is today. As we shal see, almost al doctrines and dogmas of Christianity are Trinity, or a spin off or derivative of the Trinity Doctrine of God.
TWO-ness or Bi-natarian Doctrine
Another doctrine that exists is that of Bi-natarian or TWO-ness and is basically a spin-off of the Trinity doctrine. This doctrine affirms that the Father and the Holy Ghost are the same; that is, the Spirit of God. According to (Ephesians 4:4), there is only one Spirit which is the Father or the Holy Ghost, regardless of whichever title one desires to use referring to the One Spirit of God. However, the 20 Encyclopaedia Britannica: Macropaedia Volume 10 page 126
21 Ibid.
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doctrine of “Two” does not reference Jesus Christ as the Father, but the Son, which is separate and distinct from the Father or the Holy Ghost, which is the same Spirit. Most who believe this form of Godhead hold that Jesus Christ is the “Eternal Son” who was with the Father in the beginning of time. Jesus Christ is believed to be the Word of God, or “Logos”, the incarnated pre-existent Son. This person of the Godhead was to have remained in union with the Father when many angels had fal en who kept not their first estate. This Word or Logos, who is the Second hypostasis (person) derived from the Nicene Council, is subordinate to the Father, but on the divine side of the gulf between the infinite Father Creator and infinite creation, the flesh. So the “Son”, or “Logos”, or “Word” became incarnate in a body by the virgin birth of Mary. Therefore, Jesus Christ is this Eternal Son of God, who was in the beginning with God, but not actual y the Father God, Creator of the universe. Justin exploited current philosophical conceptions of the Logos (Word), or rational principle underlying and permeating reality, which they regarded as divine reason which became incarnate in Jesus.22 Scriptures referred to by those who hold to the TWO-ness Doctrine are mentioned here briefly and will be expounded on in the fol owing chapters. “If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”
(John 14:28b). “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good?
There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17). “For he hath put al things under his feet. But when he saith al things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put al things under him. And when al things shal be subdued unto him, then shal the Son also himself be subject unto him that put al things under him, that God may be al in al .” (1 Corinthians 15:27, 28). “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, til I make thine enemies thy footstool?” (Matthew 22:44). In each of the above scriptures, it appears to contain two persons, separate and distinct from each other: God the Father, and the Son. Again, these scriptures wil be discussed in the 22 Encyclopaedia Britannica
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 2: The Origin of the Trinitarian Doctrine fol owing chapters.
There is a true one God doctrine that requires one to go into depth when considering the revelation of Jesus Christ. Many wil not believe truth based on the tradition of their denominations or earthly credentials of a person, choosing rather to believe the dogmas of man rather than the spiritual truths of God. When al is considered, there are the various denominations that have come into being primarily due to the various ideas and conceptions of Jesus Christ as to his person and work. The author does not claim to know the ful ness of the knowledge of God as pertaining to the person and work of Jesus Christ, but encourages the reader to consider the Word of God in acquiring the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.
Stil there are others who claim to be Oneness who do not believe that the man Christ JESUS is God, but that he only had the Spirit of God ‘in him”. They deem the flesh to be only a “puppet”
control by God’s hand and therefore the man is not God but only has the Spirit of God in him.
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3:
JESUS, The Only
Begotten Son of God
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Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God God is Spirit. That is the fundamental truth that must be established in order to understand God in various offices or roles for the purpose of redeeming mankind back to himself. God is a Masterbuilder. The goal of the Master is to bring or redeem creation and mankind back to himself, both creature and creation. The various offices are sometimes confused with Persons rather than offices or roles of the one and same God. The various offices that God wil function in and through are as fol ows:
1. Father
The office of God that delegates and leads the various offices.
2. Word
The office of God that is the divine Logos or Expression, Thought, Intelligence, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Prudence, etc.
3. Holy Ghost
The Spirit form of Jesus Christ which is received through the Son of God as the power of God.
4. Son of God
The redemptive office used for salvation. One must go through this particular office in order to receive of the other offices.
5. Son of man
The Kingdom office as Judgment which is the most obscure of al offices.
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God Some would cite other offices that could be discussed, as God is vast in attributes and glory, but the author wil deal with the ones listed above for consideration. We wil attempt to take a look at each of these varying offices or roles of the One True God as He brings salvation to the world, redeeming the world back to Himself.
The varying offices of God are analogous to a person who has varying roles in life. For example, a man can partake of many roles or offices at the same time, yet he is only one person. The man can be a father and a son simultaneously. He can be a father of his children, a son of his father and mother, a worker on his job, a friend to a friend, and a neighbor to the people that live next door to him. In each of these roles of offices, it is one and the same man, not two or three persons. The same holds true in these varying offices of God. It wil be God in each office and God alone. God is Spirit. He alone is God. He does not create any other Gods: viz. God Jr., God the Third. There is only One God. Therefore, He himself wil carry out every role in a varying office to determine and fulfil His own wil and purpose. There will not be more than One Person who is the Title Character in each role or office. We wil also ascertain the name of this One God, who in past time kept his name secreted, revealing only his attributes but not His ful character or glory. The revelation of the God of glory is ful y manifested in His name. This name is JESUS, the name of each and every varying office of God. It is the same as if the man who is the husband, father, son, worker, friend, and neighbor met each office or role at the same time in his house. For example, he does not act in his role as husband to his wife the same as he does to his children as father. They are different roles or offices of the man, but he is nonetheless the same man. His role as neighbor is yet different than his role as father or husband. He does not act in this role as neighbor the same as he does to his wife or children. Let’s suppose that one of his fellow workers drops by his house for a visit at the same time that the neighbor comes by to borrow some of his tools. His friend also drops by to see him. At the same time, his children are in the room and wants “daddy” to show them attention. His wife comes into the same 36
room and wants to talk to him about her day. Al this is happening at the same time, but his roles or offices wil be different to each one as he carries on conversation with each. As his attention is diverted from one to another, he wil change his language from calling his wife
“honey”, his children “pumpkin”, his friend “buddy”, the man next door “neighbor”, as well as his coworker. His actions wil be different to his worker than that to his wife and children. These varying offices will have distinct characteristics with differing boundaries and limitations in order to fulfil that office or role. The same is true with God in His various roles or offices. The main difference between our example of a man and God is that God is infinite. He can hear a bil ion prayers at one time and answer each one of them simultaneously.
There are no boundaries to God as He is not flesh and bone, but is everywhere, al knowing, and al powerful.
The Son of God
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible as preachers preach the cross of Jesus Christ. This is the redemption office or role of God as the Son of God. One of the key words in this verse is “begotten”, from the Greek word “monogenes”
meaning “only-born or sole” son. “Son” is the Greek “huios” meaning
“a son, used very widely of immediate remote or figuratively, kinship”.23 “Huios” gives prominence to the inward, ethical, legal aspects of parentage. The term “only begotten” used in the above verse means that Jesus Christ was the “only-born” or “sole” Son of God. Al believers are born into the body of Christ through Jesus Christ in the work of adoption which deems the believer “begotten” of God. Even though a believer is “born of God” as stated by the apostle John: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were 23 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G5207
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God born, not of blood, nor of the wil of the flesh, nor of the wil of man, but of God.” (John 1:12,13). Believers are “born” or “begotten of God” through being in Christ as adopted sons of God. Consider the fol owing concerning the church as adopted sons of God; “but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.”
(Romans 8:15b). We are stil waiting for the adoption to be consummated as the sons of God. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23). “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.” (Galatians 4:4,5).
God wil come to mankind since mankind has sinned and cannot go to God. God is Spirit and not flesh; therefore, He wil come to mankind as a man, but wil not cease and desist from being God.
This wil in effect be a mystery as to how God wil redeem mankind back to himself in becoming flesh. In doing so, God wil effect the office or role in manifesting Himself to mankind as the “only begotten Son of God”. “Son of God” wil have certain limitations since the Son will have God in the divine nature as well as be a man with a human nature. The Spirit of God wil be resident in the man. The total complete person wil be God in His ful ness permanently dwelling the man and called JESUS. “Je” is “Jehovah LORD”; “sus” is “salvation”.
Salvation will require the Savior to be both God and man as our Kinsman Redeemer. Jesus as Spirit manifested in flesh (flesh is Greek
“sarx”= human spirit, human soul, and human body) wil have a servant mindset, always being in subjection to the Father. This is the
“kinosis” where Jesus as Spirit wil humble Himself to become a man, God manifest in the flesh. Consider the mind of the Lord Jesus. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a 38
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8). God wil not transmute or be changed into flesh and flesh wil not be divine, but God wil be in the man as the Christ. The whole ministry of reconciliation is based upon God becoming a man in order to die for the sin of the world what is commonly called the incarnation. “And al things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.”
(2 Corinthians 5:18,19a). Where was God? God was in Christ.
God wil take upon himself a body of flesh as a man because a man lost it and only a man can get it back. There are many things that Adam lost in the fal . He lost life and became in bondage to death al his lifetime. Adam forfeited his dominion over creation which was disposed to Satan by his disobedience. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon al men, for that al have sinned.” (Romans 5:12). Satan did not force the fal of Adam in order to effect death; Adam did it himself by not obeying God. For God had told Adam before He had made woman,
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16,17). The man Adam was disobedient and brought forth death. Even though Satan tempted Eve, which in turn gave to Adam to eat, it was fundamental y Adam as a man that was forewarned by God not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Bottom line, a man was disobedient to God which passed death upon al mankind. Since a man and his disobedience to God lost his position with God, only a man could redeem or buy it back through his righteousness to God. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon al men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon al men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18). Again, the foundation of truth is that Adam as a man lost his dominion over creation and 39
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God brought forth death, and only a man as Adam can recover or bring back that which was lost to God. God could not lie and arbitrarily change his Word to fit these unfortunate circumstances in braking through and taking back what was given to man in Adam. His righteousness would have to be satisfied as God. We find that Adam therefore was a figure of Christ that was to come into the world since God could only redeem the world back to himself as a man.
“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” (Romans 5:14). Christ as the Son of God is the man that wil redeem us back to God. This is none other than God in Christ who has been fashioned as a man in order to work redemption for mankind. If Jesus is God; that is, the Father, and the ful ness of the Godhead is dwelling in Christ Jesus bodily (humanity), then why doesn’t Jesus have a conscious awareness of it?
Even though Jesus is God as Spirit, he but must fulfil the righteous demands of His Spirit in order to redeem mankind back to Himself.
The divine wil was not actively accessed from within Jesus, but external y from the Father and that by revelation. The reason is due to the “kenoo” or “kenos”: that God emptied himself in a self-imposed limitation in order to become our kinsman redeemer as a man who wil show al mankind the way, the truth and the life by always doing the will of God through the Spirit that was always resident in him. The Spirit of God could not die nor shed blood, so God formed Himself a body of flesh and blood in order to redeem mankind back to Himself; God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.
Jesus as the Christ walked as a man being tempted in al points like all mankind, though he had the Spirit of God permanently dwelling in him manifesting having a body of flesh and blood like al mankind. The man had limitations because he was truly a man even though he had al the ful ness of the Spirit of God permanently dwelling in him.24 Jesus as Spirit being the Father, Word, the Holy 24 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G2758
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Ghost, made himself of no reputation in a humiliation and took upon Himself the form of a servant.
Form or MORPHE, the key to understanding the nature of JESUS
“Form” is “mor’phe” is not just an outward appearance, but is his Majesty and Splendor which is everlasting attributes as to His eternal nature as the Spirit of God (the Father, Word, Holy Ghost, Elohim, Jehovah, etc).Many object stating that “form” or “morphe” is simply the outward appearance that strikes the eye in fashion, the same as “schema” or “outward appearance”. Jesus was in the form of God; that is, Spirit. Jesus is the Word which is the same Spirit as the Father which is the same Spirit as the Holy Ghost. Jesus is that Spirit and wil always be the Spirit of God. Many wil not confess that Jesus is God and wil never confess that he is the Lord JEHOVAH, God Almighty.
As we examine the “form” or “morphe” that Jesus was in as Spirit before He was made flesh (sarx – being the whole man; spirit, soul and body).
morphē
mor-fay'
Perhaps from the base of G3313 (through the idea of adjustment of parts); shape; figuratively nature: - form. Form or
“morphe” defines God as Spirit in His attributes which are eternal; pre-incarnate, in his being made flesh as a man, and also when the man Jesus was glorified back to where he was being glorified with the Father’s own self. (John 17:5). Jesus is that Spirit that made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:7,8). “Made himself of no reputation” is from the Greek “kenoo” meaning “to abase or neutralize”. Jesus as a human 41
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God being in order to effect salvation for mankind by the obedience of death did abase or neutralize his wil in order to please God. Flesh in and of itself does not have any nature as “soma” or the skin of a human being. It is the nature of the flesh that produces the motions of sin in the flesh that is weak and cannot by its work fulfil or keep the law. A human nature in the form of Adam contains the old man of Adam with a depraved nature called the human naturel therefore, in Adam al die. A man born of Adam of which al mankind came from has the inherent nature of Adam or the sin nature being weak in the flesh.
Human nature is not a sin nature until one has acted upon the propensity to sin, carrying the weight of sin by the wil ful act.
Therefore, Jesus Christ did not possess a “sin nature” in that He never sinned, but was the spotless Lamb of God. It is important to point out that the Greek “keeno” does not define God as negating himself in any way just because he has prepared himself a body. Again, to reiterate,
“Kenoo means to neutralize or to take that which has positive effects and render them neutral; making negative is not within the definition”.25
God did not cease and desist from being God at any instant of time or place. The “keeno” is simply God in the incarnation becoming man and being obedient unto death for the redemption of mankind and creation. Jesus is a man in the likeness of sinful flesh having the Spirit of God without measure; thereby, calling him from birth the Son of God; God manifest in the flesh. However, to fulfil the law as a man of Adam, he does not have an Adamic nature sold under sin, having only the spirit of the old man. with a human nature, but has God dwelling or housing in this man in His ful ness. (Colossians 2:9). God preparing himself a body fulfil ed the righteousness of God.
“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body thou hast prepared me.”
(Hebrews 10:5). When God came into the world, he prepared Himself 25 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G2758
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a body. Notice the next verse. “The said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy wil , O God.” (Hebrews 10:7). The “I” that is coming in the volume of the book is God manifested in man: divinity in humanity, the Christ, the Messiah “to do thy wil , O God” (the Father’s wil ).
Enter, the only begotten Son of God into the world as the Saviour, Christ the Lord. We have reference to other scriptures mentioning the sons of God as in (Job 2:1) “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.” The “sons of God” here are from the Hebrew “ben”
meaning a son as a builder of the family name; in the widest sense of literal or figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality, or condition. Most believe that the sons here were referring to angels that presented themselves before the LORD, others to the heavenly court of God, while others the spiritual disciples of God as the sons of Seth. The point to consider in this passage of scripture is that the term “sons of God” was used here to depict the family of God. The “only begotten” Son of God did not present himself before God, but the sons of God presented themselves before God Therefore, most conclude these “sons of God” to be the heavenly court of God.
“Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” (Luke 3:38). In Luke’s account of Christ’s genealogy, whether you believe the genealogy to be the legal line or col ateral line of Joseph or the genealogy of Mary, Adam is plainly called a son of God. Notice that Adam in reference as a “son” of God is not capitalized denoting deity.
Adam is not called a “begotten Son of God”, or “the only begotten Son of God”; but rather a “son of God”.Jesus Christ is the sole mentioned “only begotten Son of God”. What is the difference between Adam being a “son of God”, and Jesus Christ being the “only begotten Son of God”? The answer is the Spirit. Adam had fellowship with God having the breath of God breathed into him, and he became 43
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God a living soul. However, by his disobedience, Adam as a living soul brought forth death upon himself as well as his progeny. Jesus Christ, as the second Adam was the Lord Jehovah from heaven. The mystery is simply that God manifested himself in flesh as a man. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16a). Jehovah God Almighty, Elohim was manifest in a human being of spirit, soul, and body. We are begotten of God through Christ in adoption into the body as the church. Jesus as the only begotten Son, though an Adam, did not need to be born again since he had the Spirit of God indwelling him.
In the Hebrew, there are two words for “one”, “Echad”26 and
“Yachiyd”27; both have the same meaning being “one”. “Yachiyd”
meaning absolute unity, only child or son, uniqueness, solitary, sole, beloved. Echad used many times in the Word of God whereas
“Yachiyd”, however, is used only twelve times in the Word of God, and refers to Jesus Christ as the “Only One”. “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the Land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I wil tell thee of.” (Genesis 22:2). Here we see the type of Him who is the “Only begotten Son”. In the Crucifixion Psalm, “Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog;” (Psalm 22:20), the same “Yachiyd” is seen again. Jesus is called “my darling” meaning “my only one”. “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shal look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shal mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shal be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10). This clearly is in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ as the “One” that Israel wil mourn for as one mourneth for his “only One”. Jesus Christ is the only hope for the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ is clearly the “Yachiyd” of God, the only 26 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible H259
27 Ibid. H3173
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begotten Son.
“Yachiyd” comes from the Hebrew meaning “sole, beloved, lonely, the life (as not to be replaced); darling, desolate, only (child son), solitary.”28 Many Hebrew scholars have tried to disannul the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Father manifested in the flesh, erroneously concluding that He is the Echad of God, and not the Yachiyd. Let me explain. Many scholars have tried to explain “echad”
as a col ective unity of the Godhead Being Three in One. However,
“echad” means “One”, not three in one as a unity. One means one; whether the Hebrew “Yachiyd” or “Echad” Truly, Some Hebrew scholars wil have us believe that Jesus is One, the Echad, the same as concerning the mystery of Christ and the church. “For this cause shal a man leave his father and mother, and shal be joined unto his wife, and they two shal be one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31). They conclude that the same revelation applies to Christ as the Son of God and the Father, that they are two persons or two separate bodies that become One flesh. They say that they are “One” as a col ective unity, but in reality they are two persons. The man and his wife are one flesh, but the man is not the wife or woman, and the woman is not the man; they are two separate and individual persons comprising a col ective unity. The error in this reasoning is that it is of the flesh and not after the Spirit of God.
Jesus never said that He and His Father were “One” as a union using the Greek “hun”, but He is the Spirit of God that was manifest in flesh as our kinsman redeemer. Therefore, there wil be two components of the Son of God. 1). The Spirit that dwells or houses permanently in him is God. We can rightly call God the Father, the Word, the Holy Ghost, Jehovah, Yahweh. Therefore the Spirit feature of Jesus is the Holy Ghost as Spirit. 2). The man of flesh and blood wil be a human spirit rational soul and flesh and blood body. The judgment that says Jesus is only “One”, the “Echad”, of the Father, but, in reality, is a separate and distinct person separate from the Father, is the same judgment that Jesus records for us in John: “Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not 28 Ibid. H3173
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”
(John 8:15-27). Jesus is claiming that He is the Father as one man manifest in a body of flesh and blood. “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father?” (John 8:19a). Since the Father is the invisible Spirit of God, the Pharisees could not see the Father. They did not understand that Jesus is the Father, judging after the flesh. “Jesus answered. Ye neither know me, nor my Father; if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.” (John 8:19b). Jesus is the “only begotten” of God, the “only begotten” Son of God, which is the express image of the Person of God since Jesus manifested the divine and not the human nature. “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shal seek me, and shal die in your sins; whither I go, ye cannot come.” (John 8:20,21). Jesus proclaimed that the Pharisees would seek Him, but not be able to go to the Father. The Jews not understanding the revelation of Jesus Christ, then said: “Then said the Jews, Wil he kill himself? Because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come, And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above; ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” (John 8:22,23). Jesus is proclaiming Himself to be the Christ, the God from heaven manifested in flesh, not the second person of the Godhead as the everlasting Son; but proclaiming Himself to be the Everlasting Father. (Isaiah 9:6.) “I said therefore unto you, that ye shal die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shal die in your sins.” (John 8:24). Jesus declares that if you do not believe that He is the Father, (“that I Jesus, am He the Father”), that you shal die in your sins. But you say that you have repented and asked Jesus to come into your heart and have eternal life abiding in you. If you do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Father, you wil die in your sins, not believing in the only true God that He is.
“Then said they unto him, Who are thou?” (John 8:25a). The Pharisees stil did not know who He Was and Is. “And Jesus saith unto them, 46
Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.” (John 8:25b).
Jesus proclaims Himself to be the Word made flesh speaking from the beginning. “I have many things to say and to judge of you; but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.” (John 8:27). Jesus is the Word made flesh, the Word that speaks to the world the things of God. “They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.” The Pharisees did not understand that Jesus was proclaiming Himself to be the Father; that except you believe that I (Jesus Christ) am He (the Father), that you wil die in your sins. He is the Son of God possessing two parts or features 1) Spirit and 2) man of flesh and blood. If we judge according to the flesh, we wil not understand that Jesus spake of the Father: that He is the Father and wil be the Father always throughout eternity as the Spirit that abides or indwells this body of flesh as a man.
God manifested in flesh as a human being in His redemptive office. “And he said Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I wil tell thee of.” (Genesis 22:2). Also in verse 16, “And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son”. (Genesis 22:16). This is the
“Yachiyd” of Abraham. Whereas Abraham had many other sons as Ishmael by Hagar (Genesis 16:11), and Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah by Keturah; (Genesis 25:1-4), he had only one, the “Yachiyd”, son of promise, his only begotten son, who was Abraham’s only heir. Al the other sons were given gifts and sent away.
(Genesis 25:6). These could not go where the “Yachiyd” of Abraham was to go neither did they have any inheritance from their father Abraham. That “Yachiyd” was Christ as written by Paul: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, He saith not, and to seeds, as of many: but as one, (this one is the “Yachiyd”) and to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16). Christ is the “Yachiyd” which is the actual promised seed of God, the “monogenes” or “only begotten” of God, the express image of His Person being al that God 47
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God is, the “I Am” in a body as a human being of flesh. Jesus is the “only one” that expressed the divine nature in its ful ness through his humanity being perfect as the perfect man. What made al the sons of Abraham different from the “Yachiyd”? Al the other sons of Abraham did not come by promise, but Isaac is “the only seed of promise”.
“Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.” (Psalms 22:20). In this crucifixion Psalm, “my darling” is the “Yachiyd” or “only One”, which is Jesus Christ. He is the only Person of the Godhead, not one of three persons. Jesus Christ is the
“Yachiyd” or the only Person of the Godhead. There are not two or three persons comprising the Godhead. “For in him dwelleth al the fulness of the Godhead bodily”; i.e. that is, one body of human flesh as a man that has resident in him the fulness of the Godhead. (Colossians 2:9).
“And I wil pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications; and they shal look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shal mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shal be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10).
The “Yachiyd” is again in the scripture as God’s only begotten Son who pours out His Spirit to us that gives grace and supplications containing al the ful ness of the Godhead in His One body. Here again, there are not three bodies of three persons of the Godhead, but one Person of the Godhead in one body.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shal find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29).
Jesus did not say, Take our yoke upon you, and learn of us, for we are meek and lowly in heart, and ye shal find rest unto your souls.” Why?
Because Jesus Christ is not a col ective unity of the Trinity of God as the second person of the Godhead. If you do not believe now, you wil in the day that God sets His kingdom upon earth. You wil be looking for three persons of the Godhead, and wil not be able to enter into that kingdom because of your unbelief. Jesus said “except you believe 48
that I am he: this they understood not that he spake to them of the Father”. (John 8:24,27). In that day there wil not be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, reigning upon the earth and heaven in three distinct and separate persons. “And the LORD shal be king over al the earth; in that day there shal be one LORD, and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:9).
In the Old Testament “shema” is the declaration of Israel that the LORD our God is One Lord. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” (Deuteronomy 6:4). One used here is “Echad”, which some have erroneously concluded to be a plurality of the Persons of Godhead, giving credence to the Trinity. Some say that the
“Echad” used here for One Lord as a composite Unity gives proof to Three Persons in the One God. This is total y untrue since “Echad”
does not mean or imply multiple persons, but rather, a composite unity of the attributes of the One LORD. The key is that LORD is in al capital letters and means the LORD JEHOVAH 29
There is only ONE LORD or Jehovah. But this ONE
JEVOVAH has many attributes or “ECHAD”. For example, the LORD is Jehovah-Jireh (Jehovah wil provide), Jehovah-Nissi (Jehovah is my banner), Jehovah-Tsidkenu (Jehovah is our right), Jehovah-Shalom (Jehovah is peace), Jehovah-Rapha (Jehovah who healeth), Jehovah-Mekaddishkem (the LORD our sanctifier), Jehovah-Shammah (the LORD is present), Jehovah-Saboath (the LORD of hosts), Jehovah- Elyon (the LORD most High), Jehovah-Rohi (the LORD my Shepherd), Jehovah-Hoseenu (the LORD our maker), Jehovah-Eloheenu (the LORD our God), Jehovah-Eloheka (the LORD thy God), Jehovah-Elohay (the LORD my God), etc. In other words,
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD (JEHOVAH) our God (Jehovah-Eloheenu) is one (Echad- plurality of attributes in One) LORD
(JEHOVAH-God). I think we al understand the plurality of the attributes of God; He being our Provider, our Banner, our Righteousness, our Peace, our Healer, our Sanctifier, is ever Present, the Lord of hosts, the LORD most High, our Shepherd, our Maker, 29 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible H3068
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God etc. Nowhere in this scripture does the “Echad” refer to persons of the Godhead. The LORD Jehovah is one LORD with many attributes, which is the true “Echad” of God.
Original Sin
To understand the meaning of the “only begotten Son of God”, we must understand the mission of God as to sin and the devil.
Jesus Christ is the “only begotten Son of God” as the Spirit of God manifested in a human body of flesh and blood. Sin brings forth death.
The redemptive office of Yahweh (Jehovah) is “Son of God”. Christ is deemed by many to have two natures, one of God and one of man.
Jesus Christ possessed only one nature, that of God. “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.”
(Hebrews 1:3a). “Express image” is the Greek “charakter” meaning “a graver (the tool or the person), engraving, character, characteristic, a stamp or impress as a coin or a seal in which case the seal or die which make an impression bears the “image” produced by it, and vice versa, al the features of the “image” correspond respectively with those of the instrument producing it”.30 Consider a couple of other translations.
“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:3a NASB).31 “He is the sole expression of the glory of God_ the Light-being, the out-raying of the divine_ and He is the perfect imprint and very image of “[God’s] nature.” (Hebrews 1:3a Amplified).32 Put very simply, if one desires to see and understand the invisible God, one looks to the sole, unique, and solitary Son of God who is the exact manifestation of God Himself. Jesus Christ possessed the one nature of God as the express image of God. The express image is more than just an image, but is the essence of the Person of God Himself. Christ is the image of the invisible God. As such, he manifests or makes known to humanity the Spirit of God in essence 30 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G5481
31 New American Standard Bible
32 The Amplified Bible
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and truth, displaying the glory of God in perfection. If a person sets a product on display, he or she makes certain that al the features, qualities, and benefits of that product are made available to the prospect. Then the product is portrayed in its ful ness so as not to exclude any single feature, quality, or benefit. God did the same when manifesting His nature to mankind through Christ. Christ is God’s perfect manifestation of His features, qualities or characteristics, and benefits. There is not another display, for the only display or manifestation of God is Christ. The one nature of God is ful y displayed or manifested in Christ Jesus alone as the only begotten Son of God, ful of grace and truth.
Original sin passing upon all mankind has been debated as to its definition. Some scholars have interpreted original sin to condemn babies and children to hell that have died that were not under the umbrella of a believing parent. The problem lies in how a person could be in a guilty condition before any act of his or her own and resulting from an act of a previously deceased person. The very nature of the sinful state is sin only in an analogous sense insofar as it is not a personal act. Contrary to some beliefs, transmission of Adam’s guilt by heredity to his descendants is not mentioned in the Bible. The Gospels say nothing of heredity sin nor does it mention any al usions to the notion of the fal of the first man bringing universal sin. Consider the fol owing scriptures as to this truth. “The fathers shal not be put to death for the children, neither shal the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shal be put to death for his own sin.”
(Deuteronomy 24:16). And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.” (Job 19:4). If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.” (Proverbs 9:12). “In those days they shal say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But every one shal die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shal be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:29,30). “The soul that sinneth, it shal die. The son shal not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shal the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the 51
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God righteous shal be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shal be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20). “For every man shal bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:5).
Although the human condition of death, suffering, and a universal tendency toward sin is accounted for in Adam in Genesis, there is no evidence of heredity sin being transmitted to al mankind.
In order to believe in the unique Son of God as Saviour, one has to have knowledge of the nature of the need that necessitated the salvation. Jesus Christ is a Saviour to us, not for himself, in that we as fal en creatures were in need of salvation. The importance of a correct revelation of original sin and its consequences are vital y important in order for one to determine what Christ did for mankind as well as the creation.
Many speculations and suppositions have plagued doctrines in past centuries as well as present day contrary to Bible truth. Paul acclaims that al things that are created of God are not bad but are in fact good. However, creation has fal en with both man and creation in need of the final redemption. Gnosticism believed that al creation was inherently evil and therefore salvation had to come through esoteric knowledge. The truth is that the earth and the fulness thereof are God’s, even though Satan has become the god of this world temporarily. The determining factor is the sovereignty of God who has never abandoned his creation, but has made a way for its salvation.
Satan is a fal en creature with a third part of the fal en angels waging war against Christians with wil , thoughts, deception, transforming himself into an angel of light with al power, signs, and lying wonders. Death reigns in the world and has come upon al men.
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itsel also shal be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20,21).
The point Paul is making in Romans 5 is that it is not Satan that brought sin into the world and death by sin, it was Adam that traversed it upon al mankind. Death is brought upon mankind by the motions 52
of sin. “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”(Romans 7:5). Where were the motions of sins that brought forth death? Paul states that it is in our members. The only means to victory over death is the resurrection from the dead. Every man and woman is on the battlefield choosing either death or life. It is in the fleshly nature of mankind and yielding to these desires that Paul describes as “living after the flesh”. “Those that live in the flesh, cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8) This life in the flesh is the carnal mind that is in bondage to death al their lifetime. This is the human nature of al flesh and blood which are born upon the face of the earth.
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
(Hebrews 2:14). The Son of God in redemption had a body the same as ours for the suffering of death. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:55). Notice Paul calls the Law of Moses a ministration of death. “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away.” (2
Corinthians 3:7). He also calls the Law of Moses a ministration of condemnation. “For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” (2
Corinthians 3:9). What is the underlying problem of mankind? It simply is death and that is precisely how Satan rules in his kingdom upon earth. Satan thought he had won the war concluding necessarily that man that had dominion over the earth had lost it and therefore only man in a fal en state could redeem it back to its former glory.
Satan’s assumption was simply that a man of fal en nature could not keep God’s law. Therefore, Satan concluded that the world and dominion was now his and could not be taken from him since only a man keeping the ful ness of God’s law could form the task of redemption of fal en creation as well as mankind. “Wherefore, as by 53
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon al men, for that al have sinned: for until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” (Romans 5:12-14).
Paul clearly states that there is no law of morals of reason, neither any type of philosophy or rudiments of the world that can conquer death. There are those that believe that the universe is natural y and inherently good, and conclude that by being in alignment with nature, one is at peace with God. To believe in a universe where mankind can live according to universal reason and peace involves the possibility of being without sin. But the truth is that death reigns over al and that through Adam. Whether we like it or not, Satan has under his influence al men born under the power of death and corruption.
“And deliver them who through fear of death were al their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:15).
Paul goes into explanation of “original sin” as the “law of sin”
which is in his members. Paul said that it was not him that sinned; that is, that it is not his person of spirit, soul, and flesh that has sinned. But he confesses that it is “sin that dwelleth in me”. (Romans 7:17).
“Dwelleth” is the Greek “oikeo” meaning “to occupy a house, reside, inhabit, remain, cohabit”.33 Sin dwells or resides in the members of the flesh, which is the human nature of mankind. Paul declares that our members of the flesh or depraved human nature hold mankind in bondage as servants to sin and death. “For the wages of sin is death.”
(Romans 6:23a). The law of sin takes occasions by the commandment al manner of evil desires and propensities. “For without the law sin was dead.” (Romans 7:8). “Sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
(Romans 5:13b). In other words, the sinful fal en human nature is not a sin until an individual actual y sins having sin imputed to him or her by disobeying the law. God does not condemn a child to hell that has died 33 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G3611
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without a believing father or mother because the child had no knowledge of the law. Paul acknowledged that he was alive without the law at one time, but when he had knowledge of the law, then he was under the death sentence. “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” (Romans 7:9).
Therefore, original sin is not inherent as some teach; neither is it transferred to al because of our pedigree. Death was the result coming upon mankind because of Adam’s transgression and death had to be dealt with by an Adam in redemption. The law of sin and death abides in our human nature as a propensity or desire to sin. It is a sinful nature in that al have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Jesus however did not come short of the glory of God. He learned obedience fulfil ing the law in every respect and shown forth the perfect glory of God. Therefore, Jesus possessed a sinful nature in that he was tempted in al points like as we are; however, he never sinned.
Jesus manifested in the flesh as an Adam after fal like al mankind is Jesus as the Son of God sent in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, to condemn sin in the flesh. Possessing a sinful nature does not have sin imputed until it is acted upon in the motions of the sins of the flesh; therefore, the Son of God is just like al mankind in his temptations but wil never sin.
Some claim that we are born with sin, not in sin, citing David in the Psalms. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms 51:5). David refers to his unregenerate human nature in which he was born that has proneness to evil and not to good. This original depraved nature is bound to corruption and death through Adam. David is simply referring to his corrupt nature and not to his committing sin simply because he was born into the world.
Now that we know the definition of “Original sin”, we can now focus upon Jesus Christ as to His redemptive office of the only begotten Son of God. To be free from this “law of sin and death” can only be achieved through the only begotten Son of God in this redemptive office as our Kinsman Redeemer. “For what the law could 55
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3). The weakness of the law was that a frail, depraved, human nature did not possess the power to live according to the righteous demands that it required. The only begotten Son of God had to be given for a ransom for our sins, to blot out the handwriting of ordinances that was contrary to us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13). Al of mankind was under the death sentence as Paul declared. “But the scripture hath concluded al under sin, That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Galatians 3:22). God sending his own Son in the flesh as a human being just like us to pay our penalty of death for sins is how the redemption price was paid in ful . “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.” (Ephesians 2:15). Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the head of a new creation, a new species of man. The Son of God as God in His redemptive office as a human being paid the price for sin in the body of his flesh by the shedding of his blood.
The only begotten Son of God is therefore God manifested in a human body of flesh and blood, who was in truth God and man; in his flesh very man, in his Spirit very God. “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.” (1 Timothy 3:16). Notice, Paul did not say, “the Son of God was manifest in the flesh”. The Son of God is “God manifest in the flesh”.
The law was weak in the flesh; therefore, the Son of God (God manifest in the flesh) came to condemn sin in the flesh. It is very simple. A man lost it; a man only could get it back. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon al men, for that al have sinned: (For until the law sin was 56
in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” (Romans 5:12-14). Jesus Christ in His redemptive office as the Son of God (God manifest in the flesh) was the figure of Adam that was to come in order to redeem us back to God as the free gift of salvation.
The law being weak in the flesh is the reason God come in flesh in order to condemn sin in the flesh. Obviously we must consider the meaning of “flesh”. “Flesh” is the Greek “sarx” meaning “the complete human being; i.e. spirit, soul, and body”.34 The Son of God had to be God in order to have the power of resurrection, and He had to be human, just like you and me in order to be our Kinsman Redeemer tasting death for every person. In fulfil ing the law, Jesus could only work as a man of flesh and blood like us in order to fulfil the righteous demands of the law. For the Law was not a law to God, but to man. God is holy; therefore, the law is holy. God manifested in flesh is the mystery that Paul preached that was hidden from the foundation of the world. This mystery is now clearly revealed to us that believe. God came in flesh as a human being having a fal en human nature just like you and me.
The difference is that Christ did not have sin in that he never sinned, whereas you and I have sinned and come short of the glory of God. God beat Satan on his own ground as a human being, a man that was tempted in al areas like us, yet without sin. God did not overcome Satan as God, but as a man just like us. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the felling of our infirmities; but was in al points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). The desires of the human flesh of Jesus were present in Him just as they are in us, but He did not succumb to the desires of the flesh at any time. This was due to the Spirit of God in Him overcoming the desires of the flesh. “To him that overcometh wil I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my 34 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G4561
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God Father in his throne.” (Revelation 3:21). We too overcome the same way that Christ did as our example. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11).
The Blood of Christ
We are born again by His precious blood, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:18-23). Sin made the blood of mankind corruptible.
When a person dies, decay sets in, beginning in the blood. That is why embalmers drain the blood and replace as much of it as possible with embalming fluid. But Jesus’ blood even though human, was sinless, spotless, innocent blood and lives forever. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. However, Jesus took his own blood into heaven to cleanse heaven itself. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” (Hebrews 9:23). Blood is the life, and God gave his life through his body of flesh and blood that was offered a sacrifice for sin upon the cross of Calvary.
Christ wil die and be buried, but His body wil not see corruption, in that Jesus wil be raised from the dead in three days. A sacrifice for offering to God could be eaten until the third day, for corruption had not set in until after that designated time. “But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shal be burnt with fire. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at al on the third day, it shal not be accepted, neither shal it be imputed unto him that offereth it, it shal be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shal bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 7: 17,18).
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I wil raise it up.” (John 2:19). Jesus spake of the temple of His body knowing that death could not hold him in the tomb and that He would see no corruption. Jesus knew that He as God in His Spirit 58
would raise up his own body of flesh, therefore, his body of flesh would not see decay. “And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.” (Acts 13:34).
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excel ent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
(Hebrews 11:4). How did Abel, being dead, speak? “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground”. (Genesis 4:10). Abel’s blood spoke; through the voice of his blood, and cried to God “Revenge”. Jesus’ blood speaks “Life”.
Why does Jesus’ blood speak “life” instead of “revenge” when he was crucified unjustly, a righteous dying for crimes that he had not committed? The answer is found in the reason that he died and how he was put to death. If the Jews were responsible for his death, then Jesus was a mere martyr. If the Romans were responsible, then certainly the blood of Jesus would cry “vengeance”, for he would have died as a result of acts of terrorism. If we had put Jesus to death, then we would be guilty of the blood of Jesus in blaspheming the blood of Christ by murder. But if God made him an offering for sin, even though this is the house of body that He had chosen to dwell in permanently, then this would be an act of love with his blood crying “Mercy”. “Yet is pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shal see his seed, he shal prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shal prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:10). The blood of Jesus Christ is stil speaking today
“Love, Mercy, Atonement, Reconciliation, Surety, Safety, Everlasting life”. Jesus’ blood not only purged our conscience from dead works to serve the living God, but also made the way into the Holy of Holies in heaven, to bring us to Himself. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the 59
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God presence of God for us.” (Hebrews 9:23:24). Since heaven had suffered from sin and rebellion through the fal en angels that did not keep their first estate, the blood of the “only begotten Son of God”
who had life gave his life’s blood in order to purify the heavenly articles. Since the earthly tabernacle was a pattern of the true tabernacle in heaven and the earthly high priest had to make atonement for the tabernacle, so did the great high priest, Jesus Christ, make atonement for His tabernacle, the Church. God said that he would appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat in the earthly tabernacle, and He appears also at the same place in the heavenly tabernacle. (Leviticus 16:2b).
Aaron was to take a censer ful of burning coals from the golden censer, and bring it within the veil, putting incense upon the fire before the LORD, so that the cloud of the incense would cover the mercy seat, that he would not die. (Leviticus 16:12,13). This is the place, the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, where Aaron began to make atonement for the people and the sanctuary. But the way into the Most Holy Place or the Holiest of Al was not yet manifested, while the first tabernacle was yet standing. Jesus Christ is the God that was not yet manifested in the flesh, who was to be the minister of the true tabernacle, and the sanctuary, which the LORD pitched and not man.
“And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but hethat is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” (Hebrews 5:4,5). The “only begotten Son of God” has this ministry of the high priest, as did Aaron who offered the blood sacrifice on behalf of the people. Aaron began the sprinkling of the blood of the bul ock, then the blood of the goat in the Most Holy Place on the mercy seat eastward seven times. Then he went out unto the altar of burnt offering and made atonement for it, sprinkling it seven times, cleansing it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Aaron reconciled the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar by the sprinkling of the blood of the bul ock, and then that of the goat seven times. Jesus Christ did the same thing in the heavenly, reconciling the holy place, and the 60
tabernacle, and the altar, with His own blood through the eternal Spirit. Christ’s blood was the blood of Immanuel as the blood of God that flowed through his veins as the Son of God that was shed at Calvary for the sin of the world. The blood of the “only begotten Son of God”, which is God manifested in the flesh, ushered the believers inside the Holy of Holies where He abides on His throne. What kind of blood could obtain access to the throne of God and achieve mercy and grace for mankind? It is the blood of Jesus Christ, the blood that is holy, harmless, undefiled, and innocent blood of the spotless Lamb of God. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16).
There is power in the blood of the “only begotten Son of God” that was shed on Calvary. The blood of Jesus Christ did not need to be resurrected so that it could be glorified by God to enjoin the covenant to mankind. Jesus’ body of flesh was resurrected, not His blood. His blood was shed on Calvary in the earth for the atonement of mankind, then taken to heaven itself to purify the things that are in heaven. The shedding of blood is the act of the Son of God in his sacrificing of Himself through the Spirit for redemption. His blood was not resurrected in order to obtain a new glory for efficacy. God warranted no change in the blood of Jesus Christ before or after His resurrection in order that it would be the strength of the New Testament. Can this blood ever lose its power? NO! Why? The blood is the power of the covenant being the blood in the New Testament.
Every letter, jot and tittle of the Word of God is soaked in the blood of the Lamb giving it life. The blood wil never lose its power! The Word wil never lose its power! Thank God! What a Blessed Assurance knowing the power of the blood; that it cannot lose its power; it cannot lose its freshness, it cannot lose its potency. The blood of Jesus Christ is so powerful that by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. It is sinless, for the Lamb of God was without spot, the perfect Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. It is precious blood. “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed 61
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18, 19).
Let’s consider the blood as the life of the flesh. The blood has two components being one that is physical and the other that is spiritual wherein is the life. Corruption cannot inherit the kingdom of God. By deductive reasoning, therefore, the blood of fal en mankind carries corruption in it and not grace. Jesus, who never sinned and therefore was spotless, shed his life’s blood on Calvary for the sin of the world. Al mankind’s’ blood spoke from the ground as Abel’s blood that cried for vengeance for murder. But Jesus’ blood speaks from heaven as well as the earth with the message of “Grace and Truth”. Jesus was crucified and buried and rose early on the third day according to the scripture. When Mary found him, this was his statement. “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17). Then the very same day, Jesus came into the room where the disciples were gathered with the door being shut and stood in their midst. He had walked directly into that room through a wal or shut door with His body. Prior to this, Jesus had shed his life’s blood on Calvary for the sin of the world and was walking with no blood in his body. Then after eight days, the doors were shut again and Jesus did the same as he had done earlier by entering into the room passing through the woodwork and stood among them. Thomas was there which had not been present in the first meeting and doubted. Notice Jesus’ remark to Thomas. “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27). Jesus had told Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he was going to God, then later tells Thomas to touch him and believe. Jesus had to be glorified going to heaven and purging it by his own blood. Paul tells us the fol owing. “Neither by the blood of bul s and calves, but by his 62
own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12). “And almost al things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these: but the heavenly with things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true: but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
(Hebrews 9:22-24). Jesus’ blood was shed in the earth and applied in heaven for our salvation into the presence of God within the veil.
Therefore, we can come boldly before the throne of God because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. By Jesus shedding his holy, sinless, spotless blood in the earth, He was able to enter in before God as a man and become the Mediator of the everlasting covenant for our reconciliation to God, making the way for us. How do we as believers enter into the Most Holy Place? “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” (Hebrews 10:19,20). How is the blood applied to a desperate sinner in order for him or her to enter within the veil? He or she must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the promise of the Holy Ghost is theirs. (Acts 2:38).
The only begotten Son of God wil also be the son of David as heir to David’s throne and an Adam or man as well. Consider the genealogy of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel as traced through the royal line through Solomon. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)
“The only begotten Son of God”, Jesus Christ, is referred to here as the son of David, as well as the son of Abraham. Jesus Christ was not the natural son of any earthly man, but was entirely the “Son of God”, being God made flesh.
We wil discuss why Matthew calls Jesus, the son of David.
“The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he wil not turn from it: 63
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God Of the fruit of thy body wil I set upon thy throne.” (Psalm 132:11). A closer look at this scripture wil reveal the true meaning. “The LORD
hath sworn in truth unto David; he wil not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body (the seed of David according to the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Only begotten Son of God”) wil I (God, Jehovah, Yahweh) set upon thy (David’s) throne.” This is God manifested in the flesh, as the seed of David according to the flesh. This affords the legal right of God to the throne of David through the lineage of David according to the flesh. “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our LORD
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:3,4). Here we see the “only begotten Son of God” made of the seed of David according to the flesh, in whom God wil set upon David’s throne.
This flesh of Christ was earthy flesh as declared by Jesus Himself, but will embody the God of glory. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shal live for ever: and the bread that I give is my flesh, which I wil give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51). The flesh of the Lamb of God was natural ordinary human flesh of the seed of David made of a woman, made under the law. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Galatians 4:4).
Even though Jesus wil not sin as the perfect Lamb of God, yet in his humanity he wil be under the dominion of death. “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” (Romans 5:14). Some wil not agree that Jesus Christ was under the dominion of death in the days of His flesh upon the earth. Consider the fol owing scripture. “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” (Romans 6:9). Death did have dominion over Jesus in the body of flesh, but now has no more dominion over Him because of the resurrection and His obtaining an eternal priesthood after the order of Melchisedec.
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“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) ful of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). This is the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. There is a divine flesh doctrine that exemplifies Jesus Christ as the Spirit-Man rather than an earthly man like you and me. The divine flesh doctrine states that the flesh of Jesus Christ is eternal divine flesh that cannot die and therefore is not tainted with mortality. If this doctrine were true, it would be impossible for Christ to die for the sins of the world seeing that He would be in an immortal body at birth neither subject to death nor temptation. On the other hand, there is a doctrine that states that Jesus Christ was just an ordinary man of Adam with no significant difference at al , but that He was filled with the Spirit of God at the time of His baptism. This would paint Christ to be an ordinary man with the infil ing of the Holy Ghost, but not the Son of God who is God manifest in the flesh as a human being. Christ did not become the only begotten Son of God, but was born the Son of God. “Made” as in the “Word made flesh” is from the Greek “ginomai” meaning “to cause to be (gen-erate), to become”.35 The God of glory did not cease and desist from being God by becoming flesh, but was housed or dwelled in human flesh as the Christ, the Messiah. Therefore, the Word being God became flesh; i.e.
God housed Himself in a body of flesh of His creation. The Son of God as the only begotten, therefore, is not the Son of God because of genetics or having the genes of God, but having intrinsically the Spirit of God in his person.
The Word made flesh denotes a supernatural act of God which is not ordinary or natural. The Word as the Spirit of God did not infuse flesh, neither did flesh become God, but the Word was born of a woman in the form of human flesh and blood. What kind of flesh one may ask? The flesh is that of Adam obtained from Mary being made of a woman. Sin had hold on the flesh of Jesus, but not on his character. Jesus as a man overcome al temptations given to man. “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour 35 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G1096
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God them that are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18). Not that Jesus did not know al things of mankind in their temptations, but by being tempted himself in natural human flesh of Adam, He fulfil ed the righteousness of God for man’s redemption.
Adam sinned as a man and brought sin and death upon mankind, therefore, Jesus as a man wil have to die to pay the sin and death penalty as stated earlier. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon al men, for that al have sinned.” (Romans 5:12). “For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
(Romans 5:15b). Jesus Christ wil be in a body of natural flesh as Adam. He wil not be a new Adam or a new creation of flesh, but possess a natural body of flesh. Paul states that Adam, as a man, is the figure of Jesus Christ that was to come into the world for our redemption. “Figure” is from the Greek “tupos” meaning “a die (as struck), a stamp or scar, shape, statue, i.e. a model”.36 This Jesus Christ will be in the model or shape of Adam as a man. “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” (Romans 5:14). Therefore, Jesus Christ as God in a body of mortal flesh and blood can redeem mankind under sin because only a mortal body of flesh can come under the law of sin and of death who has to be a figure of Adam, a natural human being. Adam as a man brought forth death bringing mankind under the law of sin and death, therefore, it is only in death in the shedding of his blood that God as a man can buy or redeem back mankind from his fal en state.
“that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:15b). In His redemptive office as Son of God, was Jesus Christ God working through mortal flesh and blood, or was Jesus Christ man working as a man that was 36 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G5179
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led of God? Even though Jesus is the Son of God, yet He wil work only from the flesh or human side of His person in order to retain redemption for mankind and creation. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto al them that obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8,9). Though Jesus Christ Person consisted of two features 1) God and 2) man, yet he wil only work as a man in this office of redemption as the Son of God. In other words, Jesus wil not have a God consciousness that wil allow him any benefits above that of any human being of Adam in obtaining salvation for us. It is not in Jesus’ resurrection as a man that wil buy our redemption, but it is in His death by his shedding of his precious blood as a man through the eternal Spirit that wil accomplish complete salvation. Jesus wil suffer as no man has ever suffered. God cannot suffer, for He is God. Who can war with God? Who can tempt Him? But Jesus, even though He in his Person is God, wil use the very ways and means that we have as our arsenal in warfare against the enemy in order to overcome; that is, prayer, fasting, dedication, consecration to God. “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.” (Hebrews 5:7).
Paul spoke of Jesus Christ in this same sense of a man of flesh.
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” (Romans 1:3). We find the same use of “made” in the fol owing scripture. “But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Galatians 4:4,5). “Made”used in both verses of scripture is from the Greek “ginomai” meaning “to come to be (generate) i.e. to become (come into being)”37 Mary was in the lineage of David by pedigree. Jesus Christ wil be made of the woman, made under the law in order to redeem mankind that was under the law of sin and of death. God used Mary for the flesh of the lineage of Adam or mankind and David for the Messiah. We also find more light given 37 Ibid. G1096
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God to us by this term “made” or “ginomai” in connection with Mary in the conception of the Christ, the Messiah.
God cannot just break through and take mankind back to Himself, denying his own righteousness. Also, He cannot enter into the world as a human being without faith being exercised by his creation. This is a law of the universe that God instituted when He brought mankind into existence and gave him dominion over al creation. Faith is the metaphysical act of believing God according to his wil that wil manifest the permanent or spiritual world into mankind’s’ temporal dimension. In other words, faith is the expression in the visible creation that al ows God to move from the invisible, spiritual dimension into the natural dimension. God will have the right to be born of a woman by her faith in receiving the Word of God that will come to her, giving her the opportunity of bringing the spiritual into the dimension of the natural. “Ginnomai” as mentioned above requires directly an act of God that refutes the natural law of genetics.
This is not a natural conception, as Mary does not know Joseph in the natural sense for conception. Therefore, it wil be impossible in the natural biological sense of science to explain what exactly God worked in making Himself as a human being. We are able however to see some points of this work in the fol owing scriptures.
“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shal this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). In this act of God in conception, it is interesting to note the fol owing scripture. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shal come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shal overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shal be born of thee shal be called the Son of God.”
(Luke 1:35). This is the same used of Luke in the book of Acts when referring to the shadow of Peter overshadowing some of the sick for their healing. “Overshadow” is the Greek “episkiazo” meaning “to cast a shade upon; fig. to invest with preternatural influence”.38 This wil be a supernatural event in which the power of God wil envelop Mary 38 Ibid. G1982
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with brightness of the immediate presence of God as symbolized in the cloud on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Mary received this word, as indeed it was the Word of God from the angel Gabriel, she received the word of faith, which God honored in order for her to conceive the “holy thing” in her womb. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38). The power of God wil energize the womb of Mary to conceive the “holy thing” as the word of faith of the promised seed of the Messiah, which is Christ. This wil al ow Mary to conceive seed and the Christ or Messiah wil be born of her. The seed of Abraham and the seed of David refer to a seed of promise as Christ. This is not a natural seed as some profess, having blood from the Father as God mixed with the blood of a human being from Mary, the conclusion being that the blood of God sanctified the blood of Mary in order for it to be holy. The only begotten Son of God is not a mixed seed of God with the seed of mankind. Again, there is no diffusion between God and flesh. That which is Spirit is Spirit, and that which is flesh is flesh.
Rather Christ is a pure holy seed of promise brought about by the Word of God coming to Mary who received it by faith with the result being the Word made flesh and blood as God manifested in the flesh.
This wil afford God a human body under the law of sin and death just like all mankind.
“Born” used of Mary in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel is the Greek “gennao” meaning “to procreate, fig. to regenerate, to beget”.39 The “be” is the intensive and “get” means to bring to one’s self. Jesus as “the only begotten of the Father” means that Christ wil be the only man born of a virgin, God taking upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. He dwelt among men, was tempted in al manner as mankind was tempted, yet without sin. Then He submitted to the death on the cross, was raised the third day, and ascended back to where He was before. In referring to this “gennao”, we must realize that God is stil God in Jesus Christ, only now manifested in a body of natural human flesh. Therefore, the Person of Jesus Christ is both 1) 39 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G1080
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God God and 2) man. Notice how Luke proclaims the natural son with the divinity manifested in Him as the Son in the fol owing scripture. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son (natural flesh), and shalt call his name JESUS. He shal be great, and shal be called the Son (denoting His divinity as Spirit that is in Him) of the Highest: and the Lord God shal give unto him the throne of his father David.” (Luke 1:31,32).
God’s covenant with David was a covenant of grace.“And when the days be fulfil ed, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I wil set up thy seed after thee, which shal proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shal build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I wil be his father, and he shal be my son. If he commit iniquity, I wil chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shal not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shal be established forever before thee: thy throne shal be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Jesus Christ fulfil ed this covenant of grace that was made with David thus giving Himself the legal right to the throne as the son of David according to the flesh in whom God the Spirit wil reside permanently. The price has been paid and we shal soon see the coming KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS in setting up His kingdom upon the earth.
Jesus Christ is called the son of Abraham also. (Matthew 1:1).
While the apostle Paul was discussing the differences between the Old Testament Law and the New Testament Grace, he made a distinct reference to the Abrahamic covenant. “What shal we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-3). Abraham believed God the same as Mary had done in the word of faith. Paul went on to explain that Abraham received the covenant long before there was the law. Jesus Christ fulfil ed this Abrahamic Covenant of 70
grace. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16). This is the seed of promise as the Word of God becoming a natural human being made under the law having the Spirit of God as the Father permanently residing in him.
Examination of Matthew 1, we discover the “begats” or
“begottens” in the generations of Jesus Christ. “Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;.And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob.” (Matthew 1:2-15). Notice al the
"begats" are derived from the Greek word “gennao” meaning to
“regenerate” or “be born” as discussed above. This Greek word
“gennao”40, is a variation of the Greek word “genos”41 meaning “born”
or “offspring”. Jesus Christ was the “monogenes”42, Greek for “only-born”, “only begotten”, “sole” Son of God. “Monogenes” does not refer to Jesus being the actual genes or genetics of God in His flesh, but expresses His eternal housing the Spirit of God in His natural earthly body of flesh. This is expressed in al the fulness of God being encased in a natural body of human flesh. (Colossians 2:9).
Let’s careful y examine Matthew 1:16 and fol ow the “begats”.
“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Notice that the scripture did not fol ow the given pattern of begats; when it came to Joseph; it simply said “the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is cal ed Christ”.
Joseph did not begat Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God begat the man Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God wil be resident permanently in the human body of Jesus Christ. The person of Jesus Christ wil be a man who is also God in Spirit. As mentioned earlier, the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ wil be natural human spirit, soul, and body that house the 40 Ibid. G1080
41 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G1085
42 Ibid. G3439
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God Spirit of God.
Who is this “only begotten Son of God” that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life? “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shal be upon his shoulder: and his name shal be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6,7). Notice what the scripture says about the son that is given to us. His name shal be called “Wonderful”, His name shal be called “Counsellor”, His name shal be called “The mighty God” (not
“the mighty Son of God”, but “The mighty God”; His name shal be called “The everlasting Father” (not “The everlasting Son”). Those that do not have the revelation of the above scriptures wil simply conclude that the Son of God came in the power of the Everlasting Father. If that is the case, then His name Jesus could not be cal ed in truth the Everlasting Father. However, the truth is Jesus Christ as the Son of God is the Everlasting Father as Spirit.
Why not call Jesus Christ “The Everlasting Son”? Because the Son of God is a Person of 1) God and 2) man that did not exist until he was birthed in Bethlehem. Even though Jesus Christ as His Spirit pre-existed, his flesh did not come into being until he was born of the virgin Mary. He is “The Everlasting Father” who would prepare Himself a body, and “dwell” (Greek “katoikeo”) 43 or “house permanently” in this ONE body; not two or three different persons of the Godhead outside the body of Jesus Christ; but “al the ful ness of the Godhead bodily”, al that God is, dwelleth or houses permanently in the body of Jesus Christ. That one body houses permanently, forever, the ful ness of the Godhead. But you are saying, “Isn’t the Godhead made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?” If you will look up the word “Godhead” in the original Greek to ascertain the meaning, you wil find the Greek word “theotes”44 meaning “divinity”
or “godhead”, derived from the Greek word “theos”45 meaning “a 43 Ibid. G2730
44 Ibid. G2320
45 Ibid. G2316
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deity”, especialy with “ho or he”46 meaning ”the Supreme Divinity”
“God”. The Greek word for Godhead, from the original language from which it was translated into English, does not mention or even al ude to a Trinity or even Two-ness. This has been contrived by man’s teaching down through the centuries beginning with the formal written doctrine by the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.
The early Church, in the book of Acts, was Monotheistic, or One God in Doctrine. This is called the apostles’ doctrine, the belief of One God with baptism in His name. They knew that Jesus Christ is the name to be called for salvation: the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Paul refers to the “only begotten Son of God” in Hebrews: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou are my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I wil be to him a Father, and he shal be to me a Son?” (Hebrews 1:5). “Begotten” here means that Mary has born a son that wil be Christ the Lord and declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead by the Spirit of holiness.
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:3,4). This is the reason Jesus Christ is the “only begotten Son of God”, as the sole, unique, solitary relationship of God manifested in human flesh as the Son. The Son of God is God in his redemptive office or role to humanity.
Redemption through the Blood
“For al have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forebearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of 46 Ibid. G3588
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26). The complete plan of redemption relies solely upon the shed blood of the only begotten Son of God, who is God manifested in the flesh, and the power of that blood shed by the expiator. We know that the blood of bul s and goats did not possess the power to purge sin’s conscience and expiate sin.
“For if the blood of bul s and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shal the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13,14). Only the blood of the Spotless Lamb of God could wash away the sin of the world, by the sacrifice of Himself through the eternal Spirit as “the only begotten Son of God.” The power of the Word of God, the Bible, is in the blood of God. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye al of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28).
Jesus’ body of human flesh wil be broken and raised from the dead so that is wil not see corruption. Jesus’ blood is the New Testament whereby we are saved by believing through obedience. The righteousness of God demands that we meet the conditions of His forgiveness. We must not only read but also obey the commandments of God in order to have this forgiveness of sins unto the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ, from glory to glory. “For if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from al sin.” (1 John 1:7).
The blood of Jesus Christ is constantly flowing through the body of Christ as the church to cleanse it from al sin. We must be careful not to let a promise slip us as to entering into the rest of God, for the life giving blood of Jesus is in the Word of God from cover to cover. Every letter of every Word is soaked in the life’s blood that flows forever for the forgiveness of sins. We must continue in the Word to be washed continual y in the life giving flow of the blood of 74
Jesus Christ which is the life of the body of Christ. The blood of Christ gives us al benefits of the precious promises in the Word of God. Al benefits in God flow by the blood through the Spirit to give us salvation, healing, prosperity, peace, rest, surety, assurance, eternal life and al other things that the body of Christ needs in order to fulfil our mission and destiny in being conformed to the image of Christ. This is the abundant life that belongs to each believer as a saint in the body of Christ due to His shed blood. The power of the Testament is in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. This is the overcoming power of the church.
The believer is not his or her own, but is bought with the price of the precious blood of Christ and belongs solely to him. If the believer is a new creature in Christ Jesus and called by His name
“Jesus”, then when a believer is martyred, the blood of Jesus is shed again through His body, the church as the bride of Christ. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11). Why didn’t the saints love their lives unto the death? This is because they realized the truth that the shed blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Just as Paul had this revelation of the blood in the sacrifice of the body of Christ as the church which has the blood of Jesus Christ flowing through it today in this present evil world. “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you al .” (Philippians 2:17). This is not a terrorist’s act of cowardness in blowing oneself up, but a laying down of one’s life for the cause of Christ as a testimony of Jesus Christ sealed with one’s own blood. Martyrdom is often an il usive idea in relating to the blood of Jesus Christ as it pertains to the modern church of today. In the last day work of God, the church wil experience the ful flow of blood once again in its manifested love for the truth of God’s Word as did Paul when he had his head chopped off on the Ostian Way outside of Rome. “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (2 Timothy 4:6).
What is the power of the New Testament, which we read to 75
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God grow in knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ? It is the blood. “And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.” (Mark 14:24). “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20). Again, Luke, the beloved physician, declares the New Testament’s power is in the blood. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” (John 6:56). Notice the dwelleth used in this verse is different from dwelleth (kateikeo) used in Colossians 2:9, where all the ful ness of the Godhead houses permanently in Christ Jesus bodily. Dwelleth used in John 6:56 is from the Greek word, “meno” meaning “to stay”, (in a given place, state, or relation or expectancy, abide, continue, tarry.)47 We have fellowship with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from al sin.” (1 John 1:7) This is none other than the blood of the Father, the Holy Ghost in the Person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God that was shed for the sin of the world. “The only begotten Son of God” is the incarnation of God the Father in natural Adamic sinful flesh, who wil never sin in act, thought, or in error of omission. Jesus’ blood wil be holy blood in that it is the blood of the Lamb of God who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. The blood is the life of the flesh, and the Son of God wil give his life’s blood through the eternal Spirit as atonement for sin. This is human blood appropriated as God’s own blood due to the Lamb of God being God’s dwelling in a singular body. Jesus Christ never sinned; therefore, his blood never carried a weight of sin like al others of the human race.
The blood of Jesus Christ is holy which is a quality that is only attributed to God alone. “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shal he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was 47 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G3306
76
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29). Although modern science can reproduce the chemical elements of blood, yet the blood reproduced cannot give life.
This is because science has not found the “life” factor in the blood or the “x” factor as the unknown factor for life. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11).
This life of al living is in the blood. Even though the elements of Jesus’ blood are earthly elements of creation, yet the “life” or “x”
factor of the blood that flowed through His veins is God. God only is life, and the life is the light of men. Therefore, no blood of bul s or goats can take away sin or purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. No blood of man or mankind can wash away sins since mankind has sinned and has brought the death sentence to the blood of mankind. The “life” or “x” factor that is unknown to modern science is exactly the reason that Jesus’ blood was precious. For in him was life, and the life was the light of men. Jesus’ blood was not dead, having the death sentence in His blood because he never sinned. This is how God wil give His life’s blood for the sin of the world. It wil never be pol uted since Jesus never sinned even though He was in a human body of flesh. Jesus’ blood was the only blood that could purge a person’s conscience from dead works in order to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14). The blood is attributable to the estimation of the value of the sacrifice that is offered. In the atonement, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious, holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners in that it is the blood of the spotless, perfect Lamb of God. “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world”.
In Luke’s account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, he states that Jesus, as was supposed, was the son of Joseph, which is traced back to Adam. Many believe this to be a fleshly lineage going back to Adam and I the author concur. Jesus Christ is referred to as being the seed of David, according to the flesh. (Romans 1:3). Luke records this also. (Luke 3:31). By Jesus being born of a woman without the seed of 77
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God a natural man, the seed of a woman is that of a natural fallen Adam or man that Jesus wil take from its fal en state back into right union or fellowship with God through the Spirit.
“The only begotten Son of God,” is the perfect man child bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. Jesus, therefore, did not partake of Adam’s nature in that He is the express image of God’s Person in true holiness and glory. The only nature Jesus manifested is the divine even though he was in a body of flesh like ours. His perfect obedience to God, and him being the express image of God’s Person, is the reason that the only nature that Jesus wil manifest wil be that of God. This is the true identity of the Person Jesus Christ who is none other than God, for he is truly God. Notice how Paul explains the battle of this fleshly nature verses the nature of the Spirit. “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to wil is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:17,18). Paul is a believer with the Holy Ghost and called an apostle, however, he maintains that there is a battle going on in his person. The flesh has a wil or a propensity to sin which war against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:17,18). But Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God without the law in that He, in his Spirit is God who took on the meanness of the flesh, conquering death, hell, and the grave. Jesus Christ was housed in the meanest of flesh and suffered more than any man, thus making the captain of our salvation perfect through suffering. “For it became him, for whom are al things, and by whom are al things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:10). Jesus Christ as the kingdom of God or Holy Ghost came to earth as a grain of mustard seed, which is the least among al seeds, and to every seed its own body. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, 78
which a man took and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of al seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” (Matthew 13:31,32). Jesus Christ came as the least of al men. He did not come and live on earth in a palace with men servants, but came as a servant. Jesus also did not stay for just a few short days on earth and then hurry to the cross to get His mission completed, but stayed thirty-three and a half years on earth in his humanity. He was the least of al seeds. Neither did he clothe himself in the most handsome flesh as a man, but had mean looks of flesh so that mankind did not esteem him at al nor desire him. Isaiah gives a picture of the Messiah as one that was the lowliest of al men, but when taking him as the object of our faith and knowledge, showed us the Father. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Jesus lived a perfect life in the body as an ordinary man in order to fulfil al the law given by God to Moses, something that Satan did not deem possible. His body was then nailed to the cross which abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances, making it possible for mankind to have the way provided by God, to redeem mankind back to Himself. Jesus’ living did not save mankind from sin, but by His dying He saved us through the Spirit in the shedding of his blood. The New Testament did not come into force during His lifetime, but came into force at His death, by the shedding of His own spotless, innocent blood. Jesus did not become God through works of the law being fulfil ed, but fulfil ed al the law for us, in order that we might have access to God, going within the veil by His shed blood on Calvary. The blood of Jesus is the precious blood of the New Testament or New Covenant whereby we are saved. The blood of Jesus Christ is the blood of God; that is, human blood that was never tainted with sin, but was spotless, holy, and undefiled. To reiterate, Jesus Christ was not of the natural lineage or earthly seed of any man according to the natural bloodline. He is however an earthly seed of 79
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 3: JESUS, The Only Begotten Son of God the woman Mary who was of the lineage of Adam acquiring Jesus the title of the second Adam. Jesus is the incorruptible seed of the Word of God in His Spirit, God’s only begotten, the expressed image of the Person of God, the manifested Kingdom of God upon the earth. Jesus Christ, which is, which was, and which is to come, truly could pronounce Himself to be the Almighty God (Revelation 1:8), “the only begotten Son of God” that was declared to be so by the resurrection from the dead. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.
Therefore, Christ is God that was veiled in a human being just like us with the difference being that Jesus did not have a sinful nature in that He never sinned. (2 Corinthians 5:19a). Jesus Christ as “the only begotten Son of God” is the redemptive office or role of God in reconciling the world back to himself.
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The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4:
The Mystery of God
and of the Father
and of Christ
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The Errors of the Trinity
Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Paul writes to the Church at Colosse about this mystery of God. “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto al riches of the ful assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;” (Colossians 2:2). Paul goes on to say that in Jesus Christ is hid al the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Divinity is hidden in humanity; God is in a human being manifesting the Father to the world. Paul warns the church about this mystery of God, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. This word “beguile”
is the Greek word “paralogizomai” meaning “to misreckon, delude, deceive”48 Paul al udes to the mystery of God should be reckoned with as truth and guarded so as not to water it down or mix it with error.
Paul continues: “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:5-7). Careful y examine the use of pronouns describing the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. Paul does not use the plural personal pronoun “them”, but, rather uses the singular personal pronoun “him”. This is not by accident, because Paul definitely has the revelation of Jesus Christ given unto God’s holy apostles and prophets. “Them” would connote a “Trinity” or at least “two” in the Godhead. But Paul knows that there is only “One” in the Godhead therefore, he uses the personal singular pronoun “him”. Paul does the same when referring to the mystery of
48 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G3884
83
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in Colossians 2:3, he uses the singular personal pronoun, “whom”.
Paul continues with his plea of exhortation: “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”.
(Colossians 2:8). This teaching of the Godhead requires the closest scrutiny so as not to be deceived, and Paul is elaborating on this precise point of deception. He warns in verse four, again in verse eight, that we should not be deceived concerning the Godhead. Paul then lists three areas in which man would be deceived, not holding to the truth of the Godhead. The first area of deception is by philosophy, which is defined by Strong’s Greek Dictionary as “philosophia”
meaning Jewish “sophistry”, “fond of wise things”49. Philosophy is the study of the processes governing thought and conduct, theory or investigation of the principles or laws that regulate the universe and underlie al knowledge and reality. Solomon writes in the Book of Proverbs: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12). But this philosophy goes beyond the normal, into passing or going beyond the mark into sophistry. “Sophistry” is “unsound or misleading, but clever, plausible and subtle argument or reasoning”.50
The next area of deception comes from vain deceit, after the rudiments of the world. This is the idle fancies and nonsense after the principles or man’s idea of the material world rather than the spiritual world. Paul recites this again to the church at Corinth: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
(1 Corinthians 2:11). The summation of this revelation of God is this; the revelation of God has to be revealed by God, by the Spirit of God, otherwise man cannot receive it by man’s revelation according to his understanding of the principles of the world. It seems correct to a man to perceive God in the earthly or worldly realm and not after the spirit 49 Ibid. G5385
50 Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language 84
realm. “Trust in the LORD with al thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). If we trust in our earthly understanding and wisdom, we wil miss God and His revelation of Himself to us.
The third deception comes from the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. There is a revelation according to the principles of the world. These are notions fol owing the fundamental and elementary teachings of the universe to which disregard the teachings of Jesus Christ. This philosophy after the rudiments of the world and tradition of men makes vain deceit, makes the Word of God to come to nothing. The tradition of man passes down, from generation to generation, his belief on the revelation of God. The receiving generation accepts it believing the same way their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents believed concerning their perception of God. Jesus said: “And honour not his father or his mother, he shal be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” (Matthew 15:6). Another account of the same is in the gospel of Mark: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:13). The Greek word for
“tradition” is “paradosis” meaning “transmission”, a precept, and has a gematria of “666”. 51 Isn’t it interesting that the precepts of men passed down from generation to generation makes the word of God of none effect and has a gematria of “666” which we al know is the same number as the beast. Most believers have their belief of the Godhead received by tradition of the elders, passed down from generation to generation. But Jesus said in John: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.”
(John 5:39). The scriptures testify of “me” Jesus said, not of “us”. The scriptures testify of God. Jesus warned of being spoiled and coming to naught because of these things.
Paul now gives the bottom line for the revelation of the
“mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ”; “For in him 51 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G3862
85
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ dwelleth al the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9). For in him, (not them), dwelleth the Godhead: for “in him”, that is, in Jesus Christ. Paul declares, “For in him ‘dwelleth’”. Remember
“dwelleth” is from the Greek word “katoikeo” meaning “to house permanently”.52 Therefore, “in him”, something or someone houses permanently or makes a permanent abode. Who or what makes a permanent abode or houses permanently “in him”? Paul states “al the ful ness of the Godhead” dwelleth, or houses permanently in him.
How much of the Godhead dwelleth in him? One half or one third of the Godhead, or possibly this verse of the scripture simply means that Jesus has the Holy Ghost? No! “Al the Ful ness of the Godhead”, al that God is or ever wil be, houses permanently; and will always throughout eternity, abide in him”. The ful ness of the Godhead, which is God Himself (not themselves), dwelleth “in him”, i.e. Christ Jesus. Well you ask, in how many bodies does the Godhead “dwelleth”
or house permanently? “For in him dwelleth al the ful ness of the Godhead bodily.” How many bodies? The word “bodily” comes from the Greek word “somatikos” which means “corporeal y or physically”.53 Corporeal refers to the material substance of the body and is opposed to spiritual. It means to come in person, in the flesh, as a single body, a human being.54 Therefore, in Jesus Christ dwelleth al the ful ness of the Godhead in a single body, in the flesh, as one person, taking part of humanity. There are not three persons in the Godhead; neither are there two persons. Paul declares in this mystery of the Godhead, that there is only one person, one body.
If one believed Paul to be true in his revelation of the mystery of the Father, and of Christ; one would conclude that somehow Jesus Christ is the Father that is manifested in bodily flesh as the one person of God. “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 52 Ibid. G2730
53 Ibid. G4985
54 Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language 86
glory. (1 Timothy 3:16). Who was manifested in the flesh? God, or the Son of God? Who was justified in the Spirit? Who was seen of angels?
Who was preached unto the Gentiles? Who was received up into glory?
God was manifest in the flesh. God was justified in the Spirit. God was seen of angels. God was preached unto the Gentiles. God was believed on in the world. God was received up into glory. The “Eternal Son of God” was not manifested in the flesh. Never does the scripture declare that the “Eternal Son of God” was incarnate in the flesh. God, the Father, The Spirit, the Holy Ghost, was manifested in the flesh when God became incarnate. Incarnate, by the Webster’s Dictionary, means to be endowed with a human body, in human form, personified.
Therefore, Jesus Christ is God incarnate, that is, God took on a human body and was manifested in the flesh as the one person that He is and will always be; that is, God. Paul stated that this mystery of Christ is great, without controversy. “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” (1 Timothy 3:9). The mystery of the faith is that the One True God, the Only Lord God Almighty, came down from glory and took on a fleshly body, manifesting Himself to the world. Jesus Christ is not a man that took on God or is part of the Godhead, but He is God that took on human flesh and blood as a man just like you and me. The greater the revelation of God, the greater the depths of the mysteries of Jesus Christ, for Jesus Christ is the Light that manifested Light to the world that shown through the vail of flesh as a man. Al treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ, the manifested God in human flesh and blood.
This body of God’s flesh could have been named anything that God, in His foreknowledge, wanted to name it. God named the attributes of Himself in Isaiah: “Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. (Isaiah 9:6). God is everything, the “I AM that I AM”. He is the Self-Existent, Eternal God. There would come a day when al that God is, al the ful ness of Himself, would dwell in the body of human flesh. “For it pleased the Father that in him should al the ful ness dwell.” (Colossians 1:19).
Remember “dwell” is the Greek word “katoikeo” meaning “to house 87
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ permanently, i.e. reside”.55 It pleased God the Father to have al His ful ness to abide or house permanently in the body of His flesh.
When looking at the body of Jesus Christ, we desire the mystery of the revelation of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, to be given us. Jesus Christ, in the days of His flesh, was made up of Spirit housing in a human spirit, soul and body. Since God was going to take on a body of human flesh, then Jesus Christ, who is God, would have to be al that God is, and God would have to dwell in Him permanently, the expressed image of the Person of God possessing His character and attributes. “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” (St. John 3:34). Who or What is the Spirit? “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and truth.” (John 4:24). Well, then, how much of the Spirit of God abode in the body of Christ? God did not give the Spirit by measure to Jesus Christ, but it pleased Him that al of God, that is al the Spirit, would be in him bodily.
Since Jesus Christ was the embodiment of God, having al the ful ness of the Spirit, the disciples could not receive the Holy Ghost until Jesus left the earth and went back to heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ is, was, and is to come: al that God is, was, and is to come, in the one singular body of flesh. Therefore, Jesus said in the Gospel of John: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter wil not come unto you; but if I depart, I wil send him unto you.” (John 16:7). As long as Jesus Christ was upon the earth, al the ful ness of the Spirit abode permanently in him bodily. Therefore, the disciples could not receive the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, since al the Spirit was in Jesus bodily. Only when the work of the cross was finished, and the Lamb of God had restored to mankind that which Satan had taken away by deception, could mankind have access to the Spirit of God; the middle wal of partition being broken down and 55 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G2730
88
fellowship with God restored. Only then could mankind receive the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God through the blood work shed on Calvary by our Redeemer. It was only at the time of reformation could mankind receive God, the Holy Ghost. “The Holy Ghost thus signifying, the way into the holiest of al was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of the reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:8-12).
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” (Hebrews 10:19,20).
Just as the feast of Pentecost fol owed the feasts of Passover, Unleavened bread, and Firstfruits; so Jesus must be crucified (Passover), buried (Unleavened Bread), and rise again from the grave (Firstfruits), before the Holy Ghost could be given (Pentecost). Some believe that Jesus is one with the Father just like a believer today is one with God by having the Holy Ghost. This is in great error since Jesus is the “Yachiyd” or “only One, or the sole or solitary One of God”.
Jesus had the Holy Ghost without measure. Then after his resurrection, Jesus spake the fol owing. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, Al power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
(Matthew 28:18). Did this transaction leave the Father powerless, since al power in heaven and in earth is in Jesus Christ? No, absolutely not!
Paul declares to the church at Corinth: “Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Jesus Christ, the Lord, is that Spirit. Jesus Christ is not a human being that took on God, but is God that took on flesh as a human 89
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ being. Some wil say, “No, the Lord is not the Father, He is not that Spirit.” How many “Lords” do you believe there is in the Word of God? Paul declares that there is one Lord, not two or three, as some would have us to believe. (Ephesians 4:5). Here we are back to the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. The believers are the
“Echad” and not the “Yachiyd”. Jesus is the “Yachiyd” or “only begotten Son of God”, the solitary, unique manifestation of God, who had the flesh and blood of a human being, as well as al the ful ness of the Spirit of God, which is al power in heaven and in earth. But the believers are the “Echad” which is the col ective body being corporately one with God. There is a vast difference between the
“Yachiyd” and the “Echad”. We as believers wil never be God or receive worship as God because we are not God. Jesus Christ received worship as God while in the body of flesh because He is God as the Spirit of His Person.
Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God is the Yachiyd as the sole unique, solitary Son of God; that is, God manifested in flesh as a human being. The believers are not the Yachiyd, for no one has the Spirit of God in its ful ness at birth. The church as believers are the children of God by grace through faith being adopted and regenerated in our spirit. We partake of the divine nature of God and grow into the image of Christ, from glory to glory. But Christ is the express image of God being the exact nature by an eternal generation as the Son of God. A major difference is seen in that the body of Christ does not receive worship being created by God, but Jesus Christ does receive worship because His is God, the man having the ful ness of the Godhead manifest in his flesh. If a person had al the ful ness of the Godhead dwelling or housing permanently in him, he would be God.
The Son of God is that Spirit without measure dwelling or housing permanently in a body of flesh and blood, the Word made flesh.
We have another example of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ in Isaiah: “And there shal come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shal grow out of his roots.”
(Isaiah 11:1). This rod out of the stem of Jesse is Jesus Christ who is 90
the seed of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3). But notice that
“Branch” is capitalized referring to Deity, showing the reader that the
“Branch” is God. This refers to the incarnation of God, God making Himself a body to manifest Himself to the world, God manifested in the flesh as a human being possessing a spirit, soul, and body. A paral el scripture is found written by John the Revelator: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
(Revelation 22:16). How can Jesus be both the “root” (the Source, the Father of) and the “offspring” (stock, kin, son, seed) of David? By Jesus Christ being Spirit who was manifest in the flesh as a man, Jesus Christ is the “root” (the Source as the Father) of David; according to the Spirit that He is that created David; and He is also the “offspring”
(the stock of, or seed of, or son of) David according to the flesh.
(Romans 1:3).56
“Therefore the Lord himself shal give you a sign; Behold a virgin shal conceive and bear a son, and shal call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). A virgin will conceive a son (natural human being) and that of the Holy Ghost, which wil give Him a human nature consisting of a human spirit, soul, and body as well as the Spirit in His Person. His name wil be “Immanuel” which is “God with us”.
Not the “Son of God” with us, but “God with us”. For truly Al the ful ness of the Godhead dwelleth in Christ Jesus bodily. This is reiterated again in Matthew’s Gospel: “Behold, a virgin shal be with child, and shal bring forth a son, and they shal call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”. (Matthew 1:23).
But what does the term “Immanuel” which is “God with us” really mean? Does it simply apply only to the “name” of the Son, which has the “name of the Father, who is God, implying that the Son is a different “person” than the Father and is in a subordinate position to the Father? Is the name “Immanuel” connoting that Jesus is not the Eternal Spirit of God in His ful ness; but is only “One” with the Father God through the Spirit which abides on or beside Him? Some 56 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G4491 and G1085
91
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ believe that Jesus Christ is not the Spirit of God that left His throne of glory in heaven and came down from above and prepared Himself a body to die for the sin of the world. They believe that Jesus Christ was not God, but a Son of God, who was somewhat less than God, who received the Holy Ghost after He was baptized of John in Jordan, the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. Let’s examine the aforementioned statement.
To have a true understanding of Jesus Christ as “Immanuel”,
“God with us” we have to understand how He is God; not simply
“one” with God, but literal y, God. Looking at the baptism of John in the Jordan River, one would think Jesus had to be baptized because He had to deal with the “sin” question, and afterwards, receive the Holy Ghost. But Jesus Christ was without sin, the spotless Lamb of God.
He did not need baptism in water for the remission of sins, as you and I do. Jesus did so to fulfil al righteousness, not to wash or remit His sins. Jesus Christ did not receive the Holy Ghost, being fil ed with the Spirit of God, as some would have you to believe; but Jesus Christ is the Spirit of God, He is the Holy Ghost. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Jesus is that Spirit; this is the reason that after Jesus was baptized of John in Jordan, a voice from heaven came saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17). “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shal be upon his shoulder: and his name shal be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Does this verse basically mean that Jesus Christ only bears the name of the mighty God, but in reality, He is not God, being subordinate to the Father by His being a Son? Does this verse mean that Jesus Christ only has the name of the everlasting Father, but He really is not the Father since He is the Son? The scriptures clearly states that a “child is born”, a “son is given”; this is the child that was born in Bethlehem-Juda who was called “Immanuel” or “God with us”. Unto us was born this child who is God with us, the Immanuel.
Unto us a son is given; this son is Immanuel, God with us. This son or 92
child is the flesh that housed God, the everlasting Father without measure, the mighty God showing Himself through and in the child as the Son; that is, the “Immanuel”.
To further explain “Immanuel”, let’s consider the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemas. (John 3). Jesus tells Nicodemas:
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.
(John 3:36). Nicodemas responds asking, “How can a man be born when he is old?” “Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:46). “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemas answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shal ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:5-13). And Jesus goes on to tell about Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, and that He also must be lifted up, speaking of the crucifixion.
Jesus mentions two things as requirements to entering the kingdom of God; they are that a man must be born of 1) the water and 2) the Spirit. Jesus is speaking of spiritual things concerning the kingdom of God. “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, al these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” (Mark 4:11,12). There is a mystery concerning the kingdom of 93
The Errors of the Trinity Chapter 4: The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ God, which is the reason Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes.
What is the kingdom of God? The Pharisees looked for the kingdom of God as temporal, a kingdom that is an earthly reign in the present world. Let’s examine the possibilities. “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shal they say, Lo here! Or, Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20,21). How can the kingdom of God be within you? How do you see or enter the kingdom of God as Jesus explained to Nicodemas in John 3? Consider Paul’s writing to the church at Rome: “Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink: but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”. (Romans 14:16,17). What is this mystery of the kingdom of God? We know that the kingdom of God is not a worldly kingdom that comes with observation; but is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (Colossians 1:26,27). So the kingdom of God is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The hope of glory is Jesus in you. This is the
“Son of man” role or office as the “Kingdom of God”.
After Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, he spoke of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infal ible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shal be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye 94
shal receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shal be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in al Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:3-8).
Notice Jesus had just been talking to the apostles for forty days concerning things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Then the fol owers asked Jesus if He is going to restore this kingdom to Israel at this present time. Jesus then responded that it was not given them to know the times or the seasons, which the Father had put in His own power. This again al udes to the fact that God in the office of Sonship stil does not have the knowledge of when the Father as the administrative office of God wil restore the kingdom to Israel. Two offices of Father and Son both held by the Self-same Spirit of God in different and varying roles. This is not two persons, as some would have us to believe, but two offices of the one and Self-same Spirit.
Then He went on to explain that God, in a short period of time was going to give them power this Holy Ghost power this Christ in you power Jesus in you. This anointing that we have received as believers is this earnest of the Spirit that we have been given. (2 Corinthians 5:5).
“Earnest” comes from the Greek word “arrhabon” meaning a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase- money or property given in advance as security for the rest.57 God has given us the earnest of the Spirit and enlightened us, as we have tasted of the heavenly gift, and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost. This is the mystery of the kingdom of God, which is Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). Who is He that is in you but Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior? So Who came to the believers in the upper room on the day of Pentecost? “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 shal be in you. I wil not leave you comfortless, I wil come to you.”
(John 14:17,18). Who wil come to you? Jesus! Jesus dwelled with the disciples, then said that He shal be in them, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus 57 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible G728
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