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All trinity studies Previous Download Next The Sabbath School Lesson Is Lying to Us EVERY SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON IS LYING TO US ______________ DO NOT FORGET WE HAVE JESUITS IN THE SDA CHURCH When we grieve the Holy Spirit, whose Spirit do we grieve? NOTE:::Your soul depends on knowing this truth! (Please note that I am an Adventist and my intention is not attacking the Church but to wake up Adventists to save souls and restore the truth God gave His remnant) The Sabbath School lesson for March 13th says, “Read Ephesians 4:30. Here Paul uses an imperative and admonishes us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is a personal being, not just a divine force. That is why He can be grieved.” Sounds believable but is it right? This is what the satanic doctrine of the Trinity teaches but it is NOT correct! Please allow me to give proof from the words of Christ through His prophet to show we are being lied to since a Jesuit brought the Trinity doctrine into the SDA Church. First, the Holy Spirit is NOT a personal being. A spirit is a spirit, NOT a being. A being has a spirit and the Holy Spirit belongs to the Father and Son. The Bible says “Spirit OF God”, NOT “god the spirit.” And no, it is NOT a divine force. This is said to try and discredit those with truth, yet this is another lie as those with truth do not teach this at all. What does Christ say through His prophet? Is it a being? A force? NO! It is the PRESENCE and POWER of GOD Himself! “In giving us HIS SPIRIT, God gives us HIMSELF,” — (E.G. White, 7T 273.1, 1902) “The DIVINE SPIRIT that the world's Redeemer promised to send, is the PRESENCE and POWER of GOD.” — (E.G. White, ST, Nov 23, 1891) NOT a force! The Holy Spirit is the mind, POWER AND PERSONAL PRESENCE OF THE VERY LIFE OF GOD that the Father sends through His Son to us. Or to put it another way to make sure this is clear; the Holy Spirit is the presence and power of the Father manifested through Jesus Christ, His only begotten son. This is not a separate person of the Godhead who is being sent, it is the very life of God coming to us through His Son. Ellen White wrote it this way… “They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet ONE IN SPIRIT, and heart, and character.” — (E.G. White, YI, Dec 16, 1897) “The Father gave his Spirit without measure to his Son, and we also may partake of its fulness.” — (E.G. White, RH, Nov 5, 1908) “The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God,” — (E.G. White, RH, April 5, 1906) And so she wrote: “We want the HOLY SPIRIT, which is JESUS CHRIST.” — (E.G. White, Lt66, April 10, 1894) “but it is the leaven of the SPIRIT of JESUS CHRIST, which is sent down from heaven, called the HOLY GHOST,” — (E.G. White, Ms36-1891) “The HOLY SPIRIT is the SPIRIT of CHRIST, which is sent to all men to give them sufficiency,” — (E.G. White, 14MR 84.3) And so when we grieve the Holy Spirit, whose Spirit do we grieve? Is it another being as the lie we have been told to match the satanic doctrine of the Trinity a Jesuit brought into the SDA Church or is it the Spirit of Christ? “O, HOW WE GRIEVE the pure, HOLY SPIRIT OF CHRIST with our defiling sins! We are not prepared for the appreciation of the holy communion with Christ and with one another unless we are cleansed by his efficacy.” — (E.G. White, RH, July 5, 1898) So when we grieve the Holy Spirit we grieve Christ Himself as it is His Spirit. For another example. Daniel wrote: “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit...” Daniel 7:15 Who was grieving? Another being or Daniel himself? IT WAS DANIEL! NOT another being! Make no mistake, we are being lied to. This is supported from the words of Christ through His prophet above. These are not my words. You either accept the above info as truth or you have to call Christ a liar as these words come from Him. ______________ NOTE: God raised the Adventist Church as non-Trinitarian. The Trinity doctrine was slowly brought into the Adventist Church long AFTER the death of Ellen White and the pioneers by a suspected Jesuit who is also a known Freemason. The idea of the Holy Spirit as another being was Satan's idea so he could get worship for his creation. The real truth is that the “Holy Spirit” is the power and presence of God and of Christ which can function independently of themselves like a third (but not a literal third) and is how “They” represent “Themselves” where they are not personally present. ______________ Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

All trinity studies Previous Download Next Is Jesus Christ GOD (Short version) Is Jesus God? The word God is used in two different ways in Scripture. Firstly, the word “God” is used to refer to the Supreme Being of the universe who is the ultimate source of all things. Every time the Bible refers to the one true God, it is referring to this supreme being who is the one that was before all else and from whom all life ultimately came. In this sense no one else is God. But the word God is also used to refer to someone who possesses the attributes of divinity, or the characteristics of God. Many times the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the begotten Son of the one true God the Father, and being the Son, He possesses the same attributes and characteristics as His Father. It is an obvious fact that every son inherits the nature of his father. And since Christ came out of the Father, He is of the very substance of His Father and hence has the same God nature of His Father as He possesses by birth all the attributes and characteristics of His Father. In fact, Hebrews 1:3 says He is the “express image of His person.” A son also and always rightfully takes the name of the father and so Christ as the only begotten Son of God has rightfully the same name. Note that Hebrews 1:1-9 says that Jesus is an heir who has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the angels and that name is God! So Jesus inherited His Father's name, character and divine nature in the same way a human son inherits the human nature and name of his parents. So Jesus is God because He is the Son of God. But He is not and cannot be “God the Father.” He is the “Son of God” just as the Bible so plainly states more than one hundred times. He is God's literal Son. To say that Jesus is God the Father is to say that the “Son is the Father” which means the Son is not really a Son and the Father is not really a Father. Or to put it another way, to say that Jesus is the Father because He has the same God nature as His Father is no different to saying that since my Father is Human and I am Human, therefore I must be my father! This is not good logic or theology and suddenly hundreds of Scriptures supposedly would no longer mean what they say at all. The truth is that Scripture means what it says and says what it means. God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. The Bible never calls Jesus “God the Son” as Trinitarians do and with very good reason. It is always the “Son of God” because that is who He is. Satan's plan is for us to deny the Father and Son as this is what John called antichrist. 1 John 2:22-23. He does not care if our belief is Trinitarian, Unitarian or other. As long as it denies Jesus is the literal Son of God which also denies God is a Father. Confessing Jesus is the Son of God is our only means to the Father and to deny this has eternal consequences. In conclusion, Jesus is not “a” God or “the” God but God only by nature through inheritance being the Son. Jesus is a divine being but He is not the supreme being. The Father is the supreme being and the source of all things and the life of the Father flows through the Son and out to all. Jesus is the channel through which all things come and why the Father has given all things into His hands. Only the Father is described as the one “of whom are all things.” He is the great Source of all. Jesus is not another source “of whom are all things.” That would make Him another God. Rather Jesus is described as the one “by whom are all things.” The Father has given Christ authority to rule over all things but this does not include the Father Himself. The Father is greater in authority and always will be. God the Father is the source of all things including His Son. Thus all things proceed from the Father; including Christ Himself, but it has pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell (Colossians 1:19). So when we say “Jesus is God,” we have to be careful to state exactly what we mean. Christ is a divine being, but not the supreme being. When we speak of the Supreme Being there is only one such person and it is not Jesus. So there is but “one” God. Jesus is “not” God, He is the Son of God. He carries the “name” of God by virtue of His “inheritance.” And because He is the Son of God, He is “equal” with God. “But to us there is but one God, the Father, OF WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we by him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:6 “GOD IS THE FATHER OF CHRIST; CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD. To Christ has been given an exalted position. HE HAS BEEN MADE EQUAL WITH THE FATHER.” — (E.G. White, 8T 268.3) “HE [CHRIST] WAS NOT THE FATHER but in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” — (E.G. White, Lt8a, July 7, 1890) “The man Christ Jesus was not the Lord God Almighty,” — (E.G. White, Ms140, Sept, 1903) “Only one being in the universe besides the Father bears the name of God, and that is His Son, Jesus Christ.” — (J.E. White, Coming King, p. 33) Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

All trinity studies Previous Download Next Does the Seventh day Adventist Church admit 1 John 5 Does the Seventh day Adventist Church admit 1 John 5:7 has added text? THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST BIBLE COMMENTARY: “The passage as given in the KJV is in no Greek MS earlier than the 15th and 16th centuries. The disputed words found their way into the KJV by way of the Greek text of Erasmus (see Vol. V, p. 141). It is said that Erasmus offered to include the disputed words in his Greek Testament if he were shown even one Greek MS that contained them. A library in Dublin produced such a MS (known as 34), and Erasmus included the passage in his text. It is now believed that the later editions of the Vulgate acquired the passage by the mistake of a scribe who included an exegetical marginal comment in the Bible text that he was copying. The disputed words have been widely used in support of the doctrine of the Trinity, but, in view of such overwhelming evidence against their authenticity, their support is valueless and should not be used. In spite of their appearance in the Vulgate A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture freely admits regarding these words: “It is now generally held that this passage, called the Comma Johanneum, is a gloss that crept into the text of the Old Latin and Vulgate at an early date, but found its way into the Greek text only in the 15th and 16th centuries” (Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1951, p. 1186).” — (The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 675) SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST BIBLICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE: The Seventh day Adventist Biblical Research Institute also admits this text in 1 John 5:7 is added. So their final conclusion and advice to Seventh day Adventists was “...you should not use this text.” So the SDA BRI and the SDA Bible Commentary both acknowledge this text is added and say it should not be used, and yet you constantly see Adventists and their key organizations using this verse anyway. So Seventh day Adventists are not following their own advice. SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY: “In some versions of the Bible the words “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit’ and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth” appear in 1 John 5:7, 8 (NKJV). The only problem is they are a later addition, not found in the original manuscripts. “Among biblical scholars there is agreement that this statement is not genuine and has been added, probably to support the doctrine of the Trinity…” — (Sabbath School Bible Study Guide: July – Sept 2009 pg 108) SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST ELLEN G. WHITE ESTATE: Question about 1 John 5:7 Question: “Some years ago I had read some of your publications. At the time I seem to remember a discussion of the devinity of Christ. A refference to 1 John 5:7 was quoated but I cannot find it...can you please tell me where this strong scriptual argument is used? Thanking you in advance, dws” Answer: “Thank you for contacting the Ellen G. White Estate. In answer to your question, though I have to tell you that I have not found any place in the published writings of Ellen G. White where she quotes this passage. Perhaps that is just as well, because it may not be such a “strong scriptural argument” after all. The verse appears in no ancient Greek manuscript earlier than about the 13th century A.D. That is, despite its inclusion in the 1611 original of the King James Version translation into English, it is highly unlikely that it was in the original version of 1 John as John wrote it. No modern Bible translation that I am aware of includes it in the text except the New King James Version, and even this version carries a footnote about the text's absence from Greek manuscripts until relatively recent times. Apparently, it is some scribe's note to himself about the trinity, originally written in the margin of the manuscript he was copying, and later incorporated into the text by another scribe who may have been uncertain about whether or not it was a correction that belonged in the text; in any case, he opted to include it there.” — ( http://ellenwhite dot org/content/file/did-ellen-g-white-believed-doctrine-trinity#document) SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST MINISTRY MAGAZINE: R.M. Johnston: “The term “Trinity” is nowhere to be found in the Bible. But the doctrine is there— this conclusion is inescapable. Nor need we be disturbed by the knowledge that certain words in 1 John 5:7, 8 are spurious additions that found their way into our King James Version from certain manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate, where they originated. For while it is true that no formal statement of the doctrine can be found in the most reliable Biblical manuscripts, nevertheless a comparison of Scripture with Scripture makes any contrary teaching untenable.” — (R. M. Johnston, Ministry, November 1964, What can we know about the Holy Trinity?) SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST PIONEERS: D.W. HULL: “The objector contends that Christ and his Father are one person, and in proof of his position quotes 1 John 5:7. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” This is claimed as very strong proof in support of the trinity. The three persons are spoken of as God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Ghost. I believe I may safely say that, aside from scripture, no such license would be allowable. Men have been so used to perverting scripture, and taking advantage of terms, and pressing them into their service,that they do not realize the magnitude of the crime as they otherwise would. The same expression is frequently used about man and wife; yet no person doubts that a man and his wife are two separate persons, inasmuch as they may be separated by hundreds of miles. Dr. A. Clarke expressly says that this passage[1 John 5:7] is an interpolation. See his Commentary in loco.” — (D. W. Hull, Review and Herald November 10, 1859) J.N. LOUGHBOROUGH: “The word Trinity nowhere occurs in the Scriptures. The principal text supposed to teach it is 1 John i, 7, which is an interpolation” — (J.N. Loughborough, Review and Herald November 5, 1861) Ellen White confirms changes have been made to Scripture also. “I saw that God had especially guarded the Bible; yet when copies of it were few, learned men had in some instances changed the words, thinking that they were making it more plain, when in reality they were mystifying that which was plain, by causing it to lean to their established views, which were governed by tradition.” — (E.G. White, EW, 220.2, 1882) So why do so many Adventists not know this and continually quote it? This text is also missing from most of the Bible translations. Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

All trinity studies Previous Download Next Is Jesus Christ GOD (Long version) Is Jesus Christ GOD? Is Jesus God? There are actually two answers to this question. One is most definitely yes! The other answer is no! And the answer depends upon what you mean by "God". Confused? There's no need to be! You see, the word "God" in the Bible refers to two things. In one instance it refers to the 'all supreme being', the 'almighty God'. And in another instance it refers to the divine nature, the 'God nature'. So we will show you that while Jesus is FULLY divine and is FULLY God by nature (being begotten of the Father from eternity, Micah 5:2, Proverbs 8:22-30), he is not the 'all supreme being' and 'almighty God', as that is His Father alone. Quick Note: Jesus is NEVER called 'God the Son' in the Bible. He is always called the 'Son OF God'. Now according to the Trinity doctrine, Jesus Christ is the 'eternal, self-existent God', known as 'God the Son'. Some even view Him as the 'One God', even thinking Jesus is the Father also. But to believe that Jesus is the 'almighty God' and 'Father' Himself is to believe that Jesus is the immortal God but died, is the invisible God that no man can see, but was seen, is the omnipotent God but needed strength from angels, is the omniscient God but did not know the day of his return, is as great (in authority) as His Father but said His Father is greater than He, is the begotten Son and the unbegotten God, came out from Himself, prayed to Himself, gave power to Himself, thanked Himself, bore witness of Himself, went back to Himself, sits at the right hand of Himself, is His own Father and His own Son, left Heaven and yet was there all the time. And so the CONFUSION of Babylon continues! And the whole world is deceived! So let us unravel the confusion. We will start with the most used verse to support the theory that Jesus is 'the almighty God' Himself, John 1:1: John 1:1-2 ...'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.' Those four words above, 'the Word was God' has convinced many a Christian to believe that Jesus is the 'almighty God' Himself. And yet they miss the simple meaning of what John was saying. Is this all John had to say about Christ? No. Look at what he said towards the end of his gospel: John 20:31 ...'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.' Why did John write his gospel? So that people might believe that Jesus Christ is the 'almighty God'? No! That people might believe He is the SON OF God. And John records this just a few verses after John 20:17, where he records Christ telling Mary ... "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." Revelation 3:12 ...'Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name' Do you see the problem with taking John's words in John 1 and applying a teaching to it without comparing scripture with scripture? So how can we reconcile this? How can John say that Jesus 'is God' and also say He is the 'Son OF God' and also record Jesus saying that the Father is 'HIS GOD'? Well, as I mentioned above, people are missing the simple message of John 1 and have a wrong understanding of it. To begin with, the English translations of John 1:1 have a small but yet important word missing, which is in the original Greek. Let's add that word back in and see how it changes the verse ... "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [THE] God, and the Word was God." ... So Christ was with THE God in the beginning. So He was with someone who is THE God. Who is that? Again, John records it for us: John 17:1-3 ...'Father ... this is life eternal, that they might know thee THE only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' So John records a prayer that Jesus made to His Father in heaven, and Jesus confirmed in this prayer that His Father is THE only true God. So now we know who Christ was with in the beginning. And who is [THE] God? It is God the Father. The only being that is ever called "God the ..." in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is never called 'God the Holy Spirit' and Jesus is never called 'God the Son'. Only the Father is called this, as He is 'THE only true God', which Jesus confirmed in John 17:3 and Paul confirmed in 1 Corinthians 8:6. Just think about this example for a moment. Let us reapply John 1:1 to Adam and Eve ... "In the beginning was the woman and the woman was with the human, and the woman was human.". Now does this mean Eve is as old as Adam? No, because we know Adam was created first (to represent the Father). Or does it mean that Eve is actually Adam herself? No, of course not. It is simply stating that Eve is human, just like Adam. Keep this thought in your mind as we look further. Now let us go a bit deeper into God's Word to further clarify this truth, that Jesus is God (divine) because He is the SON OF God, but not the 'almighty God' Himself. There is a deep and beautiful truth in the creation of Adam and Eve that the majority of Christians miss today. Let's take a look. Genesis 1:26 ...'And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' "Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing great intelligence. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. But when God said to His Son, 'Let us make man in our image,' Satan was jealous of Jesus." (E.White, Early Writings, p.145) Genesis 2:21-23 ...'And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' John 16:27-28 ...'For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, AND am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.' John 17:7-8 ...'Now they have known that all things whatsoever you have given me are of you. For I have given unto them the words which you gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from you, and they have believed that you did SEND me.' Proverbs 8:22-25 ...'The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.' There is such a beautiful truth in these words which many miss. God said 'let us make man in our image'. So first of all, if the trinity was truth, then why didn't God make three people? Why did He only make two? Not only that, can you see what happened with Adam and Eve is an IMAGE of what happened with God the Father and Jesus Christ? The man existed first and then the woman was taken out of man. And Jesus confirmed Himself as you can see above, that this is also what happened with Him. He came OUT of the Father, which is what Proverbs 8 and Micah 5:2 also confirm. So for Jesus to come out of the Father, it means God the Father existed first, and is represented by Adam. Then Jesus came OUT FROM or 'begotten' of the Father, and is represented by Even being taken OUT OF Adam. So what does this mean? It means that just as Eve shared the same human nature as Adam, being taken out of Adam, Jesus shares the same nature as God the Father, because He was taken out of God. This is why John said that Jesus is 'God' in John 1. He wasn't saying that Jesus is the 'almight one true God'. He was simply stating the fact that Christ shares the same nature as His Father, being the SON OF God the Father. And that makes Him 'God'. I am human, so my son is human. God the Father is God (divine), so Jesus His Son is also God (divine). Do you see this? Now take a look at the following verse in Revelation ... "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." (Rev.3:14) ... So this verse confirms that Jesus is 'the beginning of the creation of God'. And who wrote this? John! The very person who wrote 'in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with [THE] God.' So in what way was Christ the beginning of the creation of God? Was Christ created by God? No! Christ was 'begotten' of the Father and literally 'came out of God'. This verse is saying that Christ is the very first 'action' of God. Christ 'coming out of God' was the very first action that the Father did, before anything was created. And this is what John is referring to in John 1:1. He is confirming that at the beginning of creation, Christ was with God. Many people miss the word 'beginning' and forget that it must mean the beginning of something. So John 1:1 is talking about the beginning of creation. And because Christ was 'brought forth' from the Father BEFORE anything was created, then John simply confirmed that Jesus was with God the Father at the beginning of creation. John is not saying that Jesus never had a beginning Himself. He is simply saying that Jesus was with God at the beginning of creation. Now read Proverbs 8 again ... "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.' ... Now can you see what John meant by 'in the beginning'? Christ is speaking through Solomon about Himself! And He confirms that 'in the beginning' of the Father's way, Christ was 'brought forth' as God's Son, before anything was created! "Oh!! ... But Thomas said to Jesus ... 'My Lord and My God'!" (John 20:28) This is the other verse that many Christians fall back on today to say that Jesus is 'the almighty God'. But again, they miss the simple truth of it. Remember that this is just a few verses before John says ... 'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.' (John 20:31). So what do you think John is believing when he writes the account of Thomas? That Jesus is 'the almighty God'? No, that cannot be, because John focuses, as stated, in proclaiming that Jesus is the 'SON OF God', not the 'one true God' Himself (John 17:3). So what about the proclamation of Thomas? Well what did Jesus tell the disciples previous to this? John 14:8-10 ...'Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.' Again, this is one of those verses that people misuse to say that Jesus is the Father, and they completely ignore the rest of scripture, and common sense, which says Jesus is the Son of the Father, not the Father Himself. But what is Jesus saying above? That He reveals the Father to us. Jesus revealed the character of God, and it was God the Father dwelling in Jesus, by His Spirit, just as He dwells in us through His Spirit, guiding and helping us. And who else heard the above words to Phillip? Thomas! So Thomas knew that the Father was dwelling in Christ, through His Spirit, which is why he proclaimed "My Lord and My God". But the proclamation of Thomas in no way makes Jesus the Father or the 'one almighty God'. Please don't forget this important point. This is all from the gospel of John. And what did John say he wrote all this information to show us? That Jesus is 'the one true God'? No. To show us that Jesus is the 'SON OF' the one true God the Father. "Oh!! ... but Jesus is called the 'everlasting Father' in Isaiah 9:6". Well, what does that verse say? It says that Jesus 'SHALL be called' the everlasting Father. So this is talking about a FUTURE time. And what future time could that be referring to? The cross! And what did Jesus become at the cross? 'the AUTHOR of eternal life' (Hebrews 5:9), and the 'CAPTAIN of our salvation' (Hebrews 2:10). So yes, Jesus is our 'Father' of eternal life, because as the Bible says, God has 'put all things under His feet' (Hebrews 2:8). And Jesus declares that we are the 'children' whom God the Father has given to Jesus (Hebrews 2:13). So this prophecy in Isaiah is foretelling a time when Jesus would become a 'Father' to us IN OUR HUMANITY, as Jesus became one of us. But He is not God the Father. The Bible is so clear on this. Take a look at this quote ... "However much a shepherd may love his sheep, he loves his sons and daughters more. Jesus is not only our shepherd; He is our 'everlasting Father.' And He says, 'I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father.' John 10:14, 15, R. V. What a statement is this!--the only-begotten Son, He who is in the bosom of the Father, He whom God has declared to be 'the Man that is My fellow' (Zech. 13:7), --the communion between Him and the eternal God is taken to represent the communion between Christ and His children on the earth! Because we are the gift of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus loves us. He loves us as His children." (E.White, Desire of Ages, p.483) Can you see what is being said above? Jesus as our 'Father' is a REPRESENTATION of the relationship between Himself and His Father which is God the Father, the one true God (John 17:3, 1 Cor.8:6). So we can see that Isaiah 9:6 is not prophesying that Jesus 'IS' the Father. It is prophesying that Jesus would 'become' a 'Father' to us. Like a Father-figure to us. Those who believe in the trinity and believe that Jesus is also the one God, have to believe that ... "God sent himself into the world, died to reconcile the world to himself, raised himself from the dead, ascended to himself in heaven, pleads before himself in heaven to reconcile the world to himself, and is the only mediator between man and himself ... We must believe also that in the garden God prayed to himself, if it were possible, to let the cup pass from himself, and a thousand other such absurdities." (J. N. Loughborough). And as J.N.Loughborough said, it is just 'absurd'. Some of those other absurdities attached to this belief is that Jesus is the immortal God but died, is the invisible God but was seen, is the omnipotent God but needed strength from angels, is the omniscient God but did not know the day of his return, is as great (in authority) as His Father but said His Father is greater than He, is the Son but the same age as the Father, is the begotten Son and the unbegotten God, is very God and very man, came out from Himself, prayed to Himself, gave power to Himself, thanked Himself, bore witness of Himself, went back to Himself, sits at the right hand of Himself, is His own Father and His own Son, left Heaven and yet was there all the time. And so the CONFUSION of Babylon continues! And the whole world is deceived! But the truth that is found in God's Word is clear, without confusion and very logical, as we have shown above. Friend, Satan wants you to turn away from the one true God, which is the Father. And he also wants you to reject Jesus as the literal Son of God. Satan wants you to be confused about God so that your relationship with God and Jesus cannot grow. I mean, how can we truly have a relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father, when we are confused about who they are? It's impossible to have a true relationship with the 'trinity god'. Let me state that again - It is impossible to have a true relationship with the 'trinity god'. And if Satan stops you having that true relationship with the Father and Son, then he wins in your life. John 17:3 ...'And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' John 8:16-18 ...'And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.' John 3:16 ...'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.' 1 John 5:5 ...'Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?' Proverbs 30:4 ...'Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, AND what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?' 1 Corinthians 8:6 ...'But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; AND one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.' 1 John 1:3 ...'Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.' It cannot be made any clearer that there are only two divine beings in the Godhead, and that Jesus Christ is not the Father, or the one true God. Jesus is the SON OF the one true God. There is one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ, whom is the Son of the Father. This is very clear, logical and Biblical Truth. Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

All trinity studies Previous Download Next E. J. Waggoner on the Trinity E. J. Waggoner on the Trinity Once again, these are the words of one of the founding members of the Seventh day Adventist Church and the truth the Adventist Church was founded on. “In arguing the perfect equality of the Father and the Son, and the fact that Christ is in very nature God, we do not design to be understood as teaching that the Father was not before the Son. It should not be necessary to guard this point, lest some should think that the Son existed as soon as the Father; yet some go to that extreme, which adds nothing to the dignity of Christ, but rather detracts from the honor due him, since many throw the whole thing away rather than accept a theory so obviously out of harmony with the language of Scripture, that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. He was begotten, not created. He is of the substance of the Father, so that in his very nature he is God; and since this is so “it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” Col. 1:19 ... While both are of the same nature, the Father is first in point of time. He is also greater in that he had no beginning, while Christ's personality had a beginning.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Signs of the Times, April 8, 1889) “In Ps. 45:6 we read these words, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Thy kingdom is a right scepter.” The casual reader might take this to be simply the Psalmist's ascription of praise to God, but when we turn to the New Testament, we find that it is much more. We find that God the Father is the speaker and that He is addressing the Son, calling Him God. See Heb. 1:1-8.This name was not given to Christ in consequence of some great achievement, but it is His by right of inheritance. Speaking of the power and greatness of Christ, the writer to the Hebrews says that He is made so much better than the angels, because “He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Heb. 1:4. A son always rightfully takes the name of the father; and Christ, as “the only begotten Son of God,” has rightfully the same name. A son, also, is, to a greater or less degree, a reproduction of the father; he has to some extent the features and personal characteristics of his father; not perfectly, because there is no perfect reproduction among mankind. But there is no imperfection in God, or in any of His works, and so Christ is the “express image” of the Father's person. Heb. 1:3. As the Son of the self- existent God, He has by nature all the attributes of Deity.It is true that there are many sons of God, but Christ is the “only begotten Son of God,” and therefore the Son of God in a sense in which no other being ever was or ever can be. The angels are sons of God, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), by creation; Christians are the sons of God by adoption (Rom. 8:14, 15), but Christ is the Son of God by birth. The writer to the Hebrews further shows that the position of the Son of God is not one to which Christ has been elevated but that it is one which He has by right. He says that Moses was faithful in all the house of God, as a servant, “but Christ as a Son over His own house.” Heb. 3:6.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Christ Our Righteousness, pp. 11, 12) “The Word was “in the beginning.” The mind of man cannot grasp the ages that are spanned in this phrase. It is not given to men to know when or how the Son was begotten; but we know that he was the Divine Word, not simply before He came to this earth to die, but even before the world was created. Just before His crucifixion He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” John 17:5. And more than seven hundred years before His first advent, His coming was thus foretold by the word of inspiration: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. We know that Christ “proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8:42), but it was so far back in the ages of eternity as to be far beyond the grasp of the mind of man.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness, p. 9, 1890) “The Scriptures declare that Christ is “the only begotten son of God.” He is begotten, not created. As to when He was begotten, it is not for us to inquire, nor could our minds grasp it if we were told. The prophet Micah tells us all that we can know about it in these words, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. There was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God, from the bosom of the Father (John 8:42; 1:18), but that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is practically without beginning. But the point is that Christ is a begotten Son and not a created subject. He has by inheritance a more excellent name than the angels; He is “a Son over His own house.” Heb. 1:4; 3:6. And since He is the only-begotten son of God, He is of the very substance and nature of God and possesses by birth all the attributes of God, for the Father was pleased that His Son should be the express image of His Person, the brightness of His glory, and filled with all the fullness of the Godhead.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Christ Our Righteousness, pp. 21, 22) Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

返回研究目录 上一篇 下载中文 下一篇 基督是不是上帝 (四部份) 基督是不是上帝？（一） 1. 基督是不是父上帝？ 耶稣说过80多次祂不是父上帝。耶稣与父虽然保持着意志上的合一，但祂们明显是两个分开不同的生物，我们之前也看过了这一点。父在超过一次的场合上从天上对耶稣说话。（马太福音3:17）“从天上有声音说：这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的。” 要么耶稣与父是两个不同的生物，要么耶稣是一个专业的腹语术表演者。 给复临信徒参考： “基督本体的神性没有变为人性，而人子的人性也没有变成神性，而两者是在人类的救主身上神秘地混合在一起的。祂不是父，但神本性一切的丰盛都有形有体的居住在祂里面。” （怀爱伦著，《信函8a》1890年7月7日） “人子耶稣基督不是主神全能者，然而基督与父原为一。” （怀爱伦著，《文稿140号》1903年） “基督与祂门徒之间所存在的合一没有毁灭他们双方的位格。他们在意志、思想、品格上合而为一，但在本体位格上他们是分开的。上帝与基督也是这样合而为一的。” （怀爱伦著，《教会证言卷八》原文第269页第4段，1904年） 2. 耶稣是不是永在的父？ “因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在他的肩头上，他名称为奇妙，策士，全能的神，永在的父，和平的君。”（以赛亚书 9:6） 答案在于希伯来文本的正确翻译。巴恩斯（Albert Barnes）的《圣经注释》（Notes on the Bible ）解释说：“《迦勒底文本圣经》（The Chaldee）把这词翻译成‘永存者’。《通俗拉丁文本圣经》（The Vulgate）译成‘未来岁月之父’。《洛斯版本圣经》（Lowth）则译成‘永恒岁月之父’。在其字面意义上，就是指永恒之父。” 所以在希伯来文本当中，这词句按照字面解读就是“永恒之父”，而不是“永在的父”。故此，以赛亚书9:6并不是表达基督是父上帝，而是表达祂是将来永恒岁月之父。《杨氏直译本》（Young's Literal Translation）和《达秘译本》（Darby Bible）是少数把这词翻译得正确无误的两本译本。 “因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，君权必担在他的肩头上，祂称他名为奇妙，策士，全能的神，永恒之父，和平之君。”（以赛亚书 9:6 《杨氏直译本》） “因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在他的肩头上，他名称为奇妙，策士，全能的神，永恒之父，和平之君。”（以赛亚书 9:6 《达秘译本》） 耶稣创造了万物，而同样的，祂也是受造物之父（来1:2；约1: 3 ；西1:16, 17）。还有意思的是，耶稣和使徒们所引用的希腊文《七十士译本》（Septuagint）并不含这个词语。那么这个大多数译本都错误翻译的词语到底是怎样进入希伯来文圣经的呢？ 《七十士译本》的以赛亚书9:6是这样翻译的：“因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在他的肩头上，他名称为伟大策士的使者，因我必给众君王带来和平，并给他健康。” 耶稣所引用的旧约希腊文《七十士译本》透露了以赛亚书9:6原本最有可能的说法。它是由70至72位犹太学者于公元前300至200年间翻译的，所以它是取自最古老及最可靠的手抄本。然而，希伯来文的旧约圣经是由一批马所拉学士于公元第6世纪编制的。公认的事实是，在第六和第七世纪间，很多文本变体和添加悄悄然地进入了希伯来文本之中。那么以赛亚9:6这句添加的文本是从哪里来的，而且还被大多现代学者错误翻译呢？ 有一件事无人能否认的是，只有其中一个翻译本是正确的。但是哪一个呢？是从最古老的手抄本翻译的《七十士译本》呢，还是那些于第六和第七世纪之间出现变体的后期版本呢？ 3. 我与父原为一？ 在约翰福音10:30中，基督宣告说：“我与父原为一。” 这一节经文应该是当今最被三位一体论信徒误用误解的经文了。许多人结论说，这意味着耶稣和父是同一位生物，正如三位一体论的解说。然而这一节不应该被误解，因为耶稣在约翰福音中稍后解释了祂这句话的具体意思。所以这是一个典型的例子，显示这么多三位一体论信徒如何已经被满脑子灌入了先入为主的观念。 对于神性生物的数目所产生的混淆，一部分是来自人们对“一”字的误解。简单来说，《圣经》所说的“一”不一定代表数量。《圣经》经常用“一”字来代表团结合一。 我们看到这个原则在《圣经》中很早就已经立定了。创世记2:24 “因此，人要离开父母，与妻子连合，二人成为一体。” 这里的“一体”不代表两个人结婚后就融化成为一个人的意思，而是说两人结合成为一家人。罗马书12:5 “我们这许多人，在基督里成为一身，互相联络作肢体，也是如此。” 那么这是否把我们大家都变成单一的基督徒呢？如果你按照三位一体论的方程式的话，答案就必须是肯定的！ 犹太领袖听了耶稣在约翰福音10:30这一番话，就勃然大怒，于是想办法处死祂，因为他们认为耶稣自称自己与上帝同等。约翰福音10:33： “犹太人回答说：我们不是为善事拿石头打你，是为你说僭妄的话，又为你是个人，反将自己当作神。” 再过三节我们看到耶稣澄清祂这话的意思，自称是上帝的儿子。约翰福音10:36 ：“父所分别为圣，又差到世间来的，他自称是上帝的儿子，你们还向他说：你说僭妄的话吗？” 所以耶稣没有说祂与圣父是同一位，因为圣父跟圣子是不同的一位，圣子跟圣父也是不同的一位。根据《约翰•吉尔圣经注释》对约翰福音10:30的解释，另一个显示耶稣与圣父不是同一位的证据是，这一节中的动词是复数的，因此应该翻译成“我与父，我们原为一。” 无论如何，我们不需要猜测耶稣所说祂与祂父原为一的意思，因为稍后在约翰福音里基督自己的话显示了祂话中的确切含意。基督的意思是合一，因为祂祷告祈求，叫祂门徒也能合一，如同祂与祂父合一一样。这个祷告不是叫12个门徒变成一个12头的门徒，而是叫12个门徒在合一中同心协力的合作同工。 约翰福音17:22 “你所赐给我的荣耀，我已赐给他们，使他们合而为一，像我们合而为一。” 约翰福音17:11 “圣父阿，求你因你所赐给我的名保守他们，叫他们合而为一像我们一样。” 约翰福音14:11也是经常被错误引用来指圣父和圣子是同一位上帝。在这里，耶稣说：“我在父里面，父在我里面。” 按照这种误解的逻辑，不知道这些人要怎样解释我们也在祂里面，而祂也在我们里面这句话。约翰福音14:20 “到那日你们就知道我在父里面，你们在我里面，我也在你们里面。” 约翰福音17:21 “使他们都合而为一，正如你父在我里面，我在你里面，使他们也在我们里面...。” 既然三位一体论教导说有三位全方位同等的生物，那么按照这个说法，约翰福音10:30应该是这样写的：“我与父与圣灵原为一。” 但事实并不是这样的。的确有三个实体，但只有两个生物。 给复临信徒参考： “基督本体里的神性没有变为人性，而人子的人性也没有变成神性，而两者是在人类的救主身上神秘地混合在一起的。祂不是圣父，但神本性一切的丰盛都有形有体的居住在祂里面。” （怀爱伦著，《信函8a》1890年7月7日） “人子耶稣基督不是主神全能者，不过基督与圣父原为一。” （怀爱伦著，《文稿140号》1903年） “基督与祂门徒之间所存在的合一并不毁灭他们双方的位格。他们在意志、思想、品格上合而为一，但在本体位格上他们是分开的。上帝与基督也是这样合而为一的。” （怀爱伦著，《教会证言卷八》原文第269页第4段，1904年版） “基督祷告叫祂的门徒都能合而为一，像祂与父合而为一一样。” （怀爱伦著，《评阅宣报》，1888年5月29日） 4. 人看见了我就是看见了父 在约翰福音14:9中，耶稣说：“人看见了我，就是看见了父。” 基督是不是说祂自己就是父，或者说祂是祂父“本体的真像”，从而有同样的本性、特性和荣耀呢？换句话说，人看见了一个，就等于看见了另一个。下面我们来看两位学者的评论。 《约翰•吉尔圣经全释》对约翰福音14:9的解释是： “人看见了我，不是用肉眼来看，而是用慧眼来看，人看见了我里面的神性完美，就是看见了父，在祂里面的完美。因为在我里面的，也同样在祂里面，而在祂里面的，也同样在我里面。我是祂的真形像，我有和祂同样的本性、特性和荣耀，以至人看见了一个，就是看见了另一个。” 基督是祂父的真像。哥林多后书4:4 “此等不信之人，被这世界的神弄瞎了心眼，不叫基督荣耀福音的光照着他们，基督本是上帝的像。” 《巴恩斯圣经注释》对哥林多后书4:4的解释是：“谁是上帝的像？基督被称为上帝的像： （1）是基于祂的神性，祂在祂的神性特性和完美上与上帝一模一样。参阅西1:15和来1:3。 （2）是在祂身为中保的道德特性上，祂向人展现出圣父的荣耀。祂像上帝。在祂里面，我们看见了祂所体现和发出的神性荣耀和完美。 由于祂在各方面都像上帝，所以祂被称为上帝的像。通过祂，神性一切的完美得以向人彰显。撒但最讨厌最憎恨的，就是基督作为上帝的像，祂的荣耀照在人身上，并充满他们的心。撒但恨这个像，他恨人们变得像上帝，他恨一切与伟大荣耀的耶和华相似的人物。” 歌罗西书1:15 “爱子是那不能看见之上帝的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。” 希伯来书1:3 “他是上帝荣耀所发的光辉，是上帝本体的真像，常用他权能的命令托住万有，他洗净了人的罪，就坐在高天至大者的右边。” 儿子或多或少是他父亲的复制品。他在某种程度上有他父亲的特征和个人品质，当然不是完全一模一样，因为在人类当中是没有十全十美的复制的。但在上帝或祂的任何创造当中是没有不完全的，所以基督是父本体的“真像”。 由此可见，耶稣的意思是，祂是祂父的真像，并有同样的本性、特性和荣耀。基督的话不可能意味着祂就是父，因为《圣经》告诉我们，约翰一书4:12说： “从来没有人见过上帝，我们若彼此相爱，上帝就住在我们里面，爱他的心在我们里面得以完全了。” 只有基督才看见过独一真神父上帝。约翰福音6:46 “这不是说：有人看见过父，惟独从上帝来的［耶稣］，他看见过父。” 给复临信徒参考： “基督明显地烙印在门徒的脑海中这个事实，他们只能凭信心看见父上帝。没有人能看见上帝的外形。唯独基督能向人类彰显父上帝。［引用约14:9］” （怀爱伦著，《评阅宣报》，1897年10月19日） 根据三位一体论的教导，这一节应该是这样写的：“人看见了我，就是看见了父和圣灵。” 但是事实并非如此。神里面虽然有三个实体，但只有两个是生物。第三个是他们的灵。 5. 多马是否相信耶稣是圣父 约翰福音:20:28 “多马说：我的主，我的上帝。” 我们只能推测多马为什么会这么说，但既然他被称为“怀疑”的多马，我们可以理解，他这句话或是在惊奇和难以置信的顷刻间脱口而出的。多马是犹太人，所以有可能是用了旧约时代一种普遍的表达方式，就是把上帝所认可的代表都称为“上帝”。希伯来语用elohim来指上帝，但同时也可以指下列的任何例子。 （1）统治者、审判官，在神圣地点供职的神圣代表人，或反映出神圣威严与大能者。 （2）神物，超乎人类的生物，包括上帝和天使。 因此，多马不是称呼耶稣为上帝，至少在三位一体论的意义上，而可能是称呼祂为一位反映神性大能与威严的人，或是一位统治者。如果不是这样的话，那下面是为何多马这么说的最大可能性原因。 按着正当的文法范畴来说，我们发现“我的主，我的上帝”这句话称呼了两个不同的个体。不过，按原文的文法来看，多马是对耶稣一个人说的。 所以我们必须找出一个不违背文法的诠释。这是可行的，只要我们明白，多马在说这句话的时候，虽然他是对着耶稣说的，但他同时也称呼在耶稣里面的父上帝。它的上下文也支持这个论点。我们来看耶稣之前与怀疑的多马和腓力所谈的一段话。 约翰福音:14:5-10 “多马对他说：主阿，我们不知道你往那里去，怎么知道那条路呢？耶稣说我就是道路、真理、生命；若不借着我，没有人能到父那里去。你们若认识我，也就认识我的父，从今以后，你们认识他，并且已经看见他。腓力对他说：求主将父显给我们看，我们就知足了。耶稣对他说：腓力，我与你们同在这么长久，你还不认识我吗？人看见了我，就是看见了父，你怎么说：将父显给我们看呢？我在父里面，父在我里面，你不信吗？我对你们所说的话，不是凭着自己说的，乃是住在我里面的父作他自己的事。” 腓力当着多马的面告诉耶稣说，他能看见父也就知足了。耶稣回答多马和腓力说，看见了祂（耶稣）就等于看见了父，因为父在祂里面。但是多马还是不明白。 多马下一次与耶稣对话是在约翰福音20:28。现在多马已经明白父在耶稣里面做工，甚至叫耶稣从死里复活，所以看见了耶稣，也就是看见了父。因此多马才会发出这样的惊叹：“我的主（耶稣），我的上帝（父）！” 多马并没有称呼耶稣为他的“主和上帝”。 我们也知道，怀疑的多马不可能宣告耶稣是那独一真神上帝。原因是在上面几节，在约翰福音20:17，约翰记载了复活的耶稣向末大拉的玛利亚显现，并告诉她说，“不要摸我，因我还没有升上去见我的父，你往我弟兄那里去，告诉他们说：我要升上去，见我的父，也是你们的父，见我的上帝，也是你们的上帝。” 耶稣说祂的上帝是祂父亲，而祂的上帝也是玛利亚的上帝。耶稣有没有告诉玛利亚说祂是她的上帝呢？没有，相反的，耶稣非常具体地说祂的上帝也是玛利亚的上帝。 既然复活的基督称呼圣父为“我的上帝”，那耶稣怎么可能是上帝，如果连祂自己都有上帝呢？约翰确实不可能说多马用三位一体论的意义来称耶稣为“我的上帝”，因为约翰刚才记载了耶稣称呼父为“我的上帝”。多马不可能称耶稣为上帝，因为约翰写道，耶稣升上去见玛利亚和多马两人的同一位上帝。 再说，在多马承认了耶稣之后的仅仅一节里，约翰福音20:30-31，约翰就结论说： “耶稣在门徒面前，另外行了许多神迹，没有记在这书上。但记这些事，要叫你们信耶稣是基督，是上帝的儿子，并且叫你们信了他，就可以因他的名得生命。” 约翰没有说“要叫你们信耶稣是上帝”。如果是这样的话，那么约翰宣告耶稣为上帝就远远大于宣告祂为上帝的儿子了。 由此可见，耶稣不是父上帝，也不是上帝，而是上帝的儿子。我们若相信祂是真的上帝的儿子，我们就能因祂作为圣子的名分而得永生。阿们。 基督是不是上帝？（二） 1. 只有上帝才能赦罪吗？ 三位一体论老是聚焦于一个法利赛人所说的话，却对耶稣亲口所说的话视而不见。从这一点就能看出其迷惑人之处。有些人称耶稣就是上帝，因为这些法利赛人说只有上帝才能赦罪。 马可福音2:7“这个人为什么这样说呢？他说僭妄的话了，除了上帝以外，谁能赦罪呢？” 但是这些耶稣说进不了天国的法利赛人（马太5:20；23:13）不知道或不接受耶稣是上帝的儿子，他们也不相信父上帝已经把做这些事的权柄都交给了耶稣。三节之后，耶稣说祂已经被赋予赦罪的权柄了。 马可福音2:10“但要叫你们知道人子在地上有赦罪的权柄... ” 不单只是赦罪的权柄，耶稣也说：（马太福音28:18）“天上地下所有的权柄，都赐给我了。” 约翰也说：（约翰福音3:35）“父爱子，已将万有交在他手里。” 注意，上帝已经将“所有的权柄”、“万有”都“赐给”祂儿子了。如果圣子是上帝如同圣父是上帝一样，又如果圣子是全能者如同圣父是全能者一样，那么圣子怎能被赐予任何事物，假如祂本身是上帝呢？上帝本身自然就有这些东西，怎么可能还需要任何生物把这些东西“赐给”祂呢？上帝不依靠任何人或物来获取这些东西。但是我们清楚看到，耶稣必须依靠祂父亲来将万有交在祂手里。耶稣也照样获得了祂父亲所赐给祂的赦罪的权柄。 2. 我们应当只敬拜上帝吗？ 有人说马太福音吩咐我们应当只敬拜上帝。那么既然耶稣也受人敬拜，他们就结论说耶稣必定是上帝。 马太福音4:10“耶稣说：撒但退去吧。因为经上记着说：『当拜主你的上帝，单要事奉他。』 当耶稣说“因为经上记着说”这句话的时候，祂是在引用申命记6:13，祂所用的是希腊文旧约的《七十士译本》，它上面是这样说的：“你要敬畏耶和华你的上帝，并且要单单事奉他。” 我们注意到的第一点是，这两个章节在技术上并没有说“要单单敬拜上帝”。它只说“要单单事奉上帝”。然而，在这一节中，“事奉”这两个字带有敬拜的色彩。无论如何，耶稣曾教导说，我们应当事奉别人，不过这一节的“事奉”明显不是这个意思。再说，上帝也曾命令众天使敬拜祂儿子，所以这里的事奉也不是敬拜的意思。（希伯来书1:6）“再者，上帝使长子到世上来的时候，就说：『上帝的使者都要拜他。』” 不要忘记腓立比书2:6 “他本有上帝的形像，不以自己与上帝同等为强夺的。” 这告诉我们耶稣在本性上与上帝同等，所以祂是全然神性的，祂因此当然配得敬拜。耶稣也说：（约翰福音5:23）“叫人都尊敬子如同尊敬父一样。不尊敬子的，就是不尊敬差子来的父。” 那么耶稣对撒但所说的是什么意思呢？那么多人误会了祂的意思。其实答案并不难找。在马太福音4:10，耶稣说“因为经上记着说”。那么这意味着耶稣是指着旧约圣经中某个相关的例子。要找到答案，我们只需看耶稣所指的是什么，再应用到祂对撒但所说的话。我们来看看耶稣所引用的章节。 申命记6:13-15“你要敬畏耶和华你的上帝，事奉他，指着他的名起誓。不可随从别神，就是你们四围国民的神。因为在你们中间的耶和华─你上帝是忌邪的神，惟恐耶和华─你上帝的怒气向你发作，就把你从地上除灭。” 这段经文凸显了所争议的课题，就是关于拜偶像，或拜假神。敬拜基督并事奉祂不等于拜偶像。以赛亚书14:12-14告诉我们说，撒但要像至高者上帝一样受敬拜。耶稣在旷野受试探时，撒但要耶稣俯伏在地向他下拜，拜他为神，因此耶稣就引用旧约圣经应对他，说，你不可敬拜或“随从别神”。所以基督的话必须从他所引用的经文语境中去了解。很多基督徒经常都无视经文的上下文语境，结果错误的应用了特定的词句而偏离了经文原来的意思。 所以我们要敬拜真神上帝，不要拜假神。因此这不排除我们对祂儿子的敬拜，因为祂儿子与父亲是同等的。而我们也当事奉上帝，不事奉假神，所以这也不排除事奉基督。 3. 耶稣叫自己从死里复活吗？ 那些声称耶稣必定是上帝的人，是根据约翰福音10:18里耶稣的一句话。他们声称基督叫自己从死里复活。但是他们却忽略了《圣经》至少22次明白地说，是祂父亲叫祂从死里复活的。 翻译成“权柄”的希腊原文“exousia”，它的意思还包括“权威”、“管辖权”、“自由”、“能力”、“权利”和“力量”。在这里适当的翻译成“权柄”。 约翰福音10:18 “没有人夺我的命去，是我自己舍的。我有权柄舍了，也有权柄取回来，这是我从我父所受的命令。” 英王钦定本把它翻译成“能力”，于是让一些人误以为耶稣有能力叫自己复活。如果翻译对了，这一节就会呈现全新的意义，从而消除一切看似自相矛盾的问题。下面是所有说明是上帝叫祂儿子从死里复活的经文。 使徒行传2:24 “上帝却将死的痛苦解释［解除］了，叫他复活... 。” 使徒行传2:32 “这耶稣，上帝已经叫他复活了... ” 使徒行传3:15 “你们杀了那生命的主，上帝却叫他从死里复活了... ” 使徒行传4:10 “... 这人得痊愈，是因你们所钉十字架，上帝叫他从死里复活的，拿撒勒人耶稣基督的名。” 使徒行传5:30 “你们挂在木头上杀害的耶稣，我们祖宗的上帝已经叫他复活。” 使徒行传10:40 “第三日上帝叫他复活，显现出来... ” 使徒行传13:30 “上帝却叫他从死里复活。” 使徒行传13:33 “上帝已经向我们这作儿女的应验，叫耶稣复活了... ” 使徒行传13:34 “论到上帝叫他从死里复活，不再归于朽坏... ” 使徒行传13:37 “惟独上帝所复活的，他并未见朽坏。” 使徒行传17:31 “... 并且叫他从死里复活，给万人作可信的凭据。” 罗马书4:24 “也是为我们将来得算为义之人写的，就是我们这信上帝使我们的主耶稣从死里复活的人。” 罗马书6:4 “... 像基督借着父的荣耀，从死里复活一样。” 罗马书10:9 “你若口里认耶稣为主，心里信上帝叫他从死里复活，就必得救。” 哥林多前书6:14 “并且上帝已经叫主复活，也要用自己的能力叫我们复活。” 哥林多前书15:15 “... 因我们见证上帝是叫基督复活了，若死人真不复活，上帝也就没有叫基督复活了。” 哥林多后书4:14 “自己知道，那叫主耶稣复活的，也必叫我们与耶稣一同复活，并且叫我们与你们一同站在他面前。” 加拉太书:1:1 “作使徒的保罗，（不是由于人，也不是借着人，乃是借着耶稣基督，与叫他从死里复活的父上帝）” 以弗所书:1:20 “就是照他在基督身上，所运行的大能大力，使他从死里复活，叫他在天上坐在自己的右边，” 歌罗西书2:12 “你们既受洗与他一同埋葬，也就在此与他一同复活，都因信那叫他从死里复活上帝的功用。” 帖撒罗尼迦前书1:10 “等候他儿子从天降临，就是他从死里复活的，那位救我们脱离将来忿怒的耶稣。” 彼得前书1:21 “你们也因着他，信那叫他从死里复活，又给他荣耀的上帝... 。” 基督是不是上帝？（三） 1. 以赛亚书43:11或何西阿书13:4证明耶稣是上帝吗？ 既然这两节说，除了耶和华上帝以外，再没有救主了，而其他经文例如约翰壹书4:14 则说耶稣是我们的救主，那么很多人就争论说，耶稣必定是那个耶和华上帝了。但这个论点是站不住脚的。 以赛亚书:43:11 “惟有我是耶和华，除我以外没有救主。” 何西阿书:13:4 “自从你出埃及地以来，我就是耶和华你的上帝，在我以外，你不可认识别神，除我以外并没有救主。” 在这两节里翻译成“救主”的希伯来词最普遍的翻译是“拯救”或“得救”，也有被翻译成“拯救者”的。在摩西的时代，上帝拯救了祂的子民脱离埃及的势力，而在以赛亚的时代，上帝拯救了他们脱离亚述国的势力。再没有其他人可以拯救他们脱离这些势力，所以经文清楚地显示，除了上帝以外，他们并没有其他的救主。 《巴恩斯圣经注释》对以赛亚书第43章做了这样的解释：“这一章... 主要是针对上帝给祂被掳到巴比伦的子民所应许的拯救。上帝的子民依然被先知看为在长时间痛苦的掳掠中受苦受罪，而先知的目的是以拯救的保证来安慰他们。” 何西阿书13:4当然是指上帝拯救祂的子民脱离埃及人那个时候。 当然耶稣是我们的救主。但是在这些经文中，上帝是祂子民以色列的救主这个背景，是关乎拯救他们脱离巴比伦和埃及的奴役，而不是拯救他们脱离他们的罪。那是基督为全人类所做的事。人类最大的拯救是脱离罪恶的权势，而这就是上帝交给祂儿子的任务了。 2. 还没有亚伯拉罕，就有了我 另一个备受争议的经文是约翰福音8:58。“还没有亚伯拉罕，就有了我。” 但所争议的主要是英文版圣经。英皇钦定本圣经KJV翻译成“还没有亚伯拉罕之前，我是。” “我是”这两个词也意味着“我存在”。有人称耶稣在约翰福音8:58里宣告自己为上帝，因为他用了“我是”这两个字。他们错误地把“我是”这两个字与出埃及记3:14联系在一起。从这节经文，他们便引出一个结论说，耶稣在隐喻一个神性的名字并以此来告诉犹太人祂是上帝。三位一体论信徒进一步尝试支持他们的论点，说这就是为什么犹太人拿起石头要打死祂的原因。但这其实是因为耶稣在约翰福音第8章的整篇中对他们说了许多事情，而逐步的激怒了他们。最后因为耶稣说祂比他们的国父亚伯拉罕还要大，而彻底让他们忍无可忍了。所以耶稣称祂的权柄比先祖亚伯拉罕还要大，这也意味着祂也比他们大。 约翰福音8:58的“我是”这两个字，是来源于两个希腊词“ego”跟“eimi”。《斯特朗圣经词典》的定义是：ego是指“我”（只作强调性用词）。eimi则是指“我存在”（只用于强调性），我是... 你想耶稣应该如何回应犹太人这句话：（约翰福音8:57） “犹太人说：你还没有五十岁，岂见过亚伯拉罕呢？” 法利赛人不知道耶稣早在亚伯拉罕之前就已存在，于是他们说，你怎么可能见过亚伯拉罕呢，你都还没有50岁呀！既然希腊文中的“我是”也意味着“我存在”或“我已存在”，那么还没有亚伯拉罕就已存在的基督，来自祂的回应明显应该怎么翻译呢？ “耶稣对他们说，我实实在在地对你们说，还没有亚伯拉罕之前，我是。” 或者是 “耶稣说：我实实在在的告诉你们，还没有亚伯拉罕，就有了我。” 两个版本都是合法的译本，但是大部分的圣经译本实际上跟第二个版本相吻合。这是有充分理由的。这两个词也可翻译成“我存在”、“我是（过去式或现在完成式）”。除了在约翰福音8:58，还有其他章节也出现这两个词的。比如说，在路加福音19:22，ego eimi 被翻译成“我是（过去式）”。 这两个词是犹太人和基督徒以及第一世纪在新约圣经中普遍常用的词语。它不是任何神明的名字，圣经的上帝也好，其他神明也好，都不用这个名字的。它从来都没有被犹太人或基督徒理解作宣告自身为上帝的词语。如果他们认为是这样的话，那犹太人肯定不会把这两个字用在他们自己身上，不过事实却相反，他们经常都用这两个字。彼得、保罗、加百列和撒迦利亚都说过“我是...某某 ”。但是他们没有一个宣称自己为上帝的。 路加福音1:18 “撒迦利亚对天使说：我凭着什么可知道这事呢？我已经老了［原文作：我是（ego eimi）一个老人］，我的妻子也年纪老迈了。” 路加福音1:19 “天使回答说：我是（ego eimi）站在神面前的加百列...” 约翰福音1:27 “就是那在我以后来的，给他解鞋带，我是（ego eimi）不配的。” 使徒行传10:21 “于是彼得下去见那些人，说：我就是（ego eimi）你们所找的人... ” 使徒行传21:39 “保罗说：我本是（ego eimi）犹太人，生在基利家的大数... 。” 连那生来瞎眼的人也说“我是”或“是我”来介绍自己。 约翰福音9:9 “有人说：是他，又有人说：不是，却是像他，他自己说：是我（ego eimi）。” 也没有一个犹太人认为这个瞎子在宣告自己为上帝。 下面是耶稣在四福音中说ego eimi的所有其它章节。没有一句可以被理解为耶稣自称为上帝。马太福音24:5、马可福音13:6、路加福音21:8、约翰福音8:24, 28；13:19 “我是基督”。约翰福音18:5, 6, 8 “我就是”。马太福音20:15 “我作［我是］好人”。马太福音28:20 “我就常与你们同在... ” 马可福音14:62 “耶稣说，我是（上帝的儿子）...” 路加福音22:27 “... 我在你们中间，如同服事人的。” 路加福音22:70 “他们都说：这样，你是上帝的儿子吗？耶稣说：你们所说的是。” 约翰福音6:35, 48, 51“耶稣说：我就是生命的粮...” 约翰福音7:34 “我所在的地方... ” 约翰福音12:26；17:24；14:3 “我在哪里... ” 约翰福音8:12 “我是世界的光... ” 约翰福音8:18 “我是为自己作见证... ” 约翰福音8:23 “... 我是从上头来的，... 我不是属这世界的。” 约翰福音10:7, 9 “我就是（羊的）门...” 约翰福音10:11, 14 “我是好牧人... ” 约翰福音11:25 “复活在我，生命也在我［原文作：我是复活和生命］” 约翰福音14:6 “我是道路... ” 约翰福音15:1, 5 “我是真葡萄树... ” 约翰福音:17:14, 16 “我不属世界... ” 约翰福音18:37 “你说我是王... ” 到了基督行将结束祂的布道工作时，有关祂的消息已经传遍远近四方。这时，犹太人理解基督自称祂是谁？他们又告祂什么控状呢？ 马太福音26:63 “耶稣却不言语。大祭司对他说：我指着永生上帝，叫你起誓告诉我们，你是上帝的儿子基督不是。” 马太福音27:40 “...你如果是上帝的儿子，就从十字架上下来吧。”马太福音27:43 “他倚靠上帝，上帝若喜悦他，现在可以救他，因为他曾说：我是上帝的儿子。” 马可福音14:61 “... 大祭司又问他说：你是那当称颂者的儿子基督不是。” 马可福音14:62 耶稣说：我是（ego eimi）... ” 马可福音15:39 “对面站着的百夫长，看见耶稣这样喊叫断气，就说：这人真是上帝的儿子。” 路加福音22:67 “你若是基督，就告诉我们。” 路加福音22:70 “他们都说：这样，你是上帝的儿子吗？耶稣说：你们所说的［我］是（ego eimi）。” 约翰福音19:7 “犹太人回答说：我们有律法，按那律法，他是该死的，因他以自己为上帝的儿子。” 在以上的几节经文中，有两次耶稣回答说，“我是”（ego eimi）。他不是在说他是上帝，而是在证实他是上帝的儿子。犹太人明显从来不以为耶稣宣告自己为上帝。假如耶稣宣告自己为上帝的话，那么这骇人听闻的事就必传遍远近四方。整本新约圣经都没有记载到有任何人问他是不是上帝。所以在约翰福音8:58节中犹太人怎么可能会以为他在宣告自己为上帝呢？ 另外我们也当注意，出埃及记3:14的这个词组“我是自有永有的” （英皇钦定本翻译成“我是那我是”）它的具体意思也有各种说法。《通俗拉丁文本圣经》翻译成“我是那我是”。《七十士译本》翻译成“我是那存活的”。《约拿单的塔古姆》希伯来圣经意译本和《耶路撒冷塔古姆》将这词组意译为“祂那一说，世界就有了，祂那一说，万物就存在了。” 原文的字面意义是“我会是那我会是的。” 如果用希腊文旧约《七十士译本》来对照一下出埃及记3:14和约翰福音8:58，我们会发现上帝说：“我是那生物（ego eimi ho ohn， OHN翻译成英文的BEING，也是“是”字的进行式，中文和合本翻译成“自有的”），而耶稣则说：“还没有亚伯拉罕，我是（ego eimi）。” 由此可见，上帝的名其实是Ho Ohn (The Being 那生物/那自有的）而不是ego eimi（我是）。出埃及记3:14的最后一句也进一步证明这一点。“那自有的（Ho Ohn）打发我到你们这里来。” 经文不是说“我是（ego eimi）打发我到你们这里来。” 无论这词组翻译成什么，ho ohn跟ego eimi 是不同的。所以出埃及记的“我是”和约翰福音的“我是”两者之间并没有必然的关系。约翰福音8:58不可能将耶稣等同于上帝，除非是用不正确的译本和错误的文法持着自己的偏见去推断出来的。 总结来说，约翰福音8:58的正确含义，中文和合本圣经还是翻译得正确的。“还没有亚伯拉罕（的存在），就有了我（的存在）。” 今天的研究再次证明耶稣是上帝的儿子，而不是上帝本身。好了，本期的节目就到这里，愿上帝继续保守我们各人，更深的认识祂并爱祂，使我们的生命重新得力。我们下次再会。 基督是不是上帝？（四） 1. 阿拉法与俄梅戛，初与终 启示录1:8 昔在今在以后永在的全能者，主上帝说我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛。 （【以上乃此经文的正确翻译。整段话是耶稣说的，祂说祂的父（那昔在今在以后永在的全能者主上帝）说祂（耶稣）是阿拉法、俄梅嘎。】 启示录21:6 他又对我说：都成了。我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，我是初，我是终。我要将生命泉的水白白赐给那口渴的人喝。 启示录22:13 我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，我是首先的，我是末后的，我是初，我是终。 初，就是起初/开始（the beginning） 终，就是终结/结束（the end） 有些人相信“阿拉法”与“俄梅戛”这两个概念是指基督没有开始，也没有结束。但是圣经没有这样讲。启示录说，基督是某一件事的首先或初始，和末后或终结。不止这个，一个开始是指某一事物的根源，而一个终结是指某一事物的终止/结束。永恒就是没有开始的，也是没有结束的。许多基督徒对圣经中的开始/起初有着错误的观念。我们知道上帝是没有开始的，祂是常存的。“阿拉法”是希腊字母中的第一个字母，所以它是希腊字母的“初/开始”，而“俄梅戛”是希腊字母中的最后一个字母，所以它是希腊字母的“终/结束”。所以这些词只不过是指某一件事的开始和结束。那是什么事呢？我们不要作任何假设，只要看圣经怎么说，还有这些话对犹太人有着什么样的意义。 我们注意到，凡是提到阿拉法和俄梅戛的章节每一次都是随着基督复临和世界末日的景象而来的。这并不是什么巧合。基督创造了这个世界，给世界带来了一个全新的开始，而到了世界末日，基督要从天降临，给世界带来毁灭的结局。所以说，基督是阿拉法与俄梅戛，是开始也是结束，是第一个也是最后一个。这三种说法都是同一个意思的。在启示录1:17, 18，耶稣说：“我是首先的，我是末后的。又是那存活的；我曾死过，现在又活了，直活到永永远远。” 谁是阿拉法与俄梅嘎（最先和最后的），那曾死过而现在又活到永远的呢？就是基督。 我们也注意到，启示录21:1-8和22:12-14虽然谈到了末时，但也直接地透露，那些遵守上帝诫命的人必能吃生命树的果子，而那些行邪术的、淫乱的、杀人的、拜偶像的、并一切喜好说谎言编造虚谎的（启21:8和22:15），都必永远灭亡。注意启示录21:7（启21:7 得胜的，必承受这些为业，我要作他的上帝，他要作我的儿子。） 如何连系到启示录2:7（启2:7 圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听。得胜的，我必将神乐园中生命树的果子赐给他吃。），而2:7又连系到启示录22:14，这里说那些能吃生命果的人，就是那些遵守上帝诫命的人。（启示录22:14［和合本］ 那些洗净自己衣服的有福了，可得权柄能到生命树那里，也能从门进城。［英皇钦定本］那些遵行他诫命的有福了，可得权利能到生命树那里，也能从门进这城。） 那么我们发现，阿拉法和俄梅嘠这句话的上文是关于世界末日和基督再来的。而这句话的直接下文是关于两件末日之后所要马上发生的事。有太多证据显明这不是什么巧合。既然启示录是圣经的结局篇，同时也是关于末后的事，那么这就说明为什么这几个章节只提到“终”。那如果“终”是指这世界的结局的话，那么“初”明显是指世界的起初了。这起初就在圣经的开头，比如创世记1:1，和其它提到创世记第一章的经文。我们至今所看过的一切告诉我们，阿拉法俄梅嘎这几个章节是指基督复临和世界末日，到那时，那些忠心遵守上帝诫命的人必然吃到生命树的果子，而其他人则必灭亡。 《克拉克圣经注释》对启示录1:8所作的分析，说明了这句话如何被犹太人所用和理解。犹太人有没有把这句话诠释成基督永远存在而且祂又是上帝呢？这当然又与箴言第8章产生矛盾，那里说基督是生出的。所以这怎么说也是说不过去的。 如犹太人对这句话的意思之理解，从起初和圣经的第一本书，直到末后和圣经的最后一本书，耶稣都包含了一切。犹太人实际上明白这句话的含义，这样，他们必不同意三位一体论的说法。这几节经文所提到的初与终，初是指这世界被基督创造的开始，而终则是指基督复临和世界末日还有新天新地的产生。基督造成这世界的开始，祂也把世界带到她的结局。 启示录所说的起初与终结既然是指这世界的创造和开始，那我们就来看看下面这几个章节。 创世记1:1 “起初，上帝创造天地。‘ 箴言8:23 “从亘古，从太初，未有世界以前，我已被立。” 约翰福音1:1-3 “太初有道，道与上帝同在，道就是神。这道太初与上帝同在。 万物是借着他造的，凡被造的，没有一样不是借着他造的。” 以弗所书3:9 “又使众人都明白，这历代以来隐藏在创造万物之神里的奥秘，是如何安排的。” 希伯来书1:10 又说：『主阿，你起初立了地的根基，天也是你手所造的。』 这样，在这个背景下，所有提到起初的经文，贯彻始终都是一致的。这也进一步支持阿拉法和俄梅嘎这两个词的意思。 给复临信徒参考： “基督说，我是真实的见证。我是阿拉法与俄梅戛，初与终，首先的和末后的。” （怀爱伦著，《证道与短讲》第一集，原文第231页） “... 甚至从创世记至启示录，基督是阿拉法，福音链的第一环，也是俄梅戛，福音链的最后一环。这条链是在启示录里鋳成的。”（怀爱伦著，《文稿汇编》第10集，原文第171页） “祂是我们信心的创始成终者，是阿拉法与俄梅戛，初与终，首先的与末后的。” （怀爱伦著，《1888年资料集》，原文第783页） “所以说，祂是上帝创造的开始或首领这句话的意思是，受造之物的开始都在祂里面，如祂自己所说，祂是阿拉法与俄梅戛，初与终，首先的与末后的。启21:6; 22:13。祂是万物的起源。”（瓦格纳著，《基督与祂的义》原文第20页，1890年） 上一篇 返回研究目录 下一篇 到最頂

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All trinity studies Previous Download Next The Bible was Written by Non-Trinitarians The Bible was Written by Non-Trinitarians and so is a Non-Trinitarian Book! Have you ever heard it said that the word TRINITY is NOT in the Bible? The deceived often respond by saying, “The word is NOT in the Bible but the doctrine is.” Not only is the word Trinity NOT in the Bible, but neither is the doctrine. And it is in fact IMPOSSIBLE for it to be in the Bible! Here are the facts… True Christianity originated from Judaism, not Catholic paganism. You cannot argue the doctrine of the Trinity from the words of the Jews who wrote them when they never believed in it. Most of the Bible was in fact written by the Jews who never believed or taught the Trinity doctrine and still do not today! And Jesus of course was a Jew as were His disciples. How do you teach a 3 in 1 god from the Bible when it is a non-Trinitarian book? The apostle John for instance could never have been teaching that the Comforter and Spirit of truth is another being as the Jews have never taught or believed that ever! So the Bible had non-Trinitarian authors in fact. In a discussion between Summerbell and Flood on Trinity, p. 38, in regards to the Trinity he says, “it is certain that the Jewish church held to no such doctrine. Says Mr. Summerbell, “A friend of mine who was present in a New York synagogue, asked the Rabbi for an explanation of the word 'Elohim'. A Trinitarian clergyman who stood by, replied, 'Why, that has reference to the three persons in the Trinity,' when a Jew stepped forward and said he must not mention that word again, or they would have to compel him to leave the house; for it was not permitted to mention the name of any strange god in the synagogue.” We also know the Bible is a non-Trinitarian book as the word Trinity did not exist until about 200 AD at which point the idea of the Holy Spirit as a third being and the 3 in 1 still did not exist. The fully developed Trinity doctrine did not exist until 381 AD. The word “Trinity” originated from Tertullian who was a pagan turned Catholic theologian around 200 AD. This word can have no relationship with Scripture as it came from the Platonic term “trias” which is philosophical in origin, and the Bible does not teach Greek philosophy! “The term trinity is not itself found in the Bible. It was first used by Tertullian at the close of the 2nd century, but received wide currency and formal elucidation only in the 4th and 5th centuries.” — (“Trinity,” New Bible Dictionary, 1996) Tertullian did NOT teach the Holy Spirit as a third being and he NEVER taught the 3 in 1 god as the Trinity doctrine does today. So we know this doctrine developed in stages as Tertullian who introduced the word TRINITY did NOT teach it! So we know that the Trinity doctrine did NOT exist before 200 AD. It was about 225 years “after” the death of the Apostles that the Nicene Council (325 AD) under the pressure of Emperor Constantine ruled in favour of Athanasius who taught a 3 in 1 god. It was about 280 years “after” the death of the Apostles in 381 AD when the Holy Spirit was officially declared as a third being. The Trinity doctrine was now fully established as we know it today. So the Trinity doctrine is a manmade doctrine from the Catholic Church which was formed in two parts. The first part was made up in 325 AD which states it is a 3 in 1 god. The second and final part was made up in 381 AD. This final part states that the Holy Spirit is a third being. So it is impossible for any of the Bible authors to have written about something that did not exist in their lifetime, and not forgetting that the Bible authors were non-Trinitarian! Christians have been indoctrinated with many nice sounding erroneous ideas to make them think the doctrine is in the Bible when in fact it cannot be. It is time to wake up and look at what the real truth is which makes much more sense than the lie. Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

返回研究目录 上一篇 下载中文 Read in English 下一篇 让我的子民思考 让我的子民思考 （第一部分) 让我的子民思考。让他们清楚地阅读这道，以便他们可以相信。我们身处末时，因此应当赎回光阴，不再闲懒散漫。 我们的救恩是在于我们所认识的神，而不是我们所做的事。将来会有一个审判。我们的行为现今正被称在天平里，以显明我们是否要遵行上帝的话，即是我们所自称相信的。 这是生死攸关的 。我们应该是与“父并祂儿子耶稣基督”相交的。 只有一位上帝。祂和祂的独生子一起生活。 申命记 6:4“以色列啊，你要听！耶和华我们上帝是独一的主。 申命记 4:35，39 35 这是显给你看，要使你知道，惟有耶和华他是上帝，除他以外，再无别神。39 所以今日你要知道，也要记在心上，天上地下惟有耶和华他是上帝，除他以外，再无别神。 惟有一位是上帝。祂不是由多位所组成的。这里所用的所有代词都是单数代词“他”。 申命记 6:5-7 5 你要尽心、尽性、尽力爱耶和华你的上帝。6 我今日所吩咐你的话都要记在心上，7 也要殷勤教训你的儿女，无论你坐在家里，行在路上，躺下，起来，都要谈论； 申命记 10:20你要敬畏耶和华你的 上帝，侍奉他，专靠他，也要指着他的名起誓。 我们要爱祂。我们要敬畏祂。祂叫什么名字？ 出埃及记 15:3耶和华是战士，他的名是耶和华。 出埃及记 6:3我从前向亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各显现为全能的上帝，至于我名耶和华，他们未曾知道。 诗篇 68:4你们当向上帝唱诗，歌颂他的名，为那坐车行过旷野的修平大路。他的名是耶和华，要在他面前欢乐。 诗篇 83:18使他们知道，惟独你名为耶和华的，是全地以上的至高者。 上帝说祂不是三位一体。惟独祂是上帝。祂有一个真实的名字。祂的儿子不是三位一体的一部分，也不是三位一体信徒。耶稣显明祂的父为独一的真神。 马可福音12:32-34 32 那文士对耶稣说：“夫子说，上帝是一位，实在不错。除了他以外，再没有别的 神。33 并且尽心、尽智、尽力爱他，又爱人如己，就比一切燔祭和各样祭祀好得多。”34 耶稣见他回答的有智慧，就对他说：“你离上帝的国不远了。”从此以后，没有人敢再问他什么。 让我的子民思考 （第二部分） 约翰福音 17:3认识你独一的真神，并且认识你所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生。 约翰福音 3:16“上帝爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。 上帝没有差派祂自己。祂差派祂独生儿子。上帝的儿子是祂亲生的，并被上帝所差到世间来。祂肯定是在被差派以先为上帝所生。祂不是被差派了之后才变成亲生儿子的。这是经上记着说的。耶稣说祂是”从上帝出来的。” 祂是“从父出来的。” 门徒们都相信耶稣的见证，即祂是从上帝出来的。门徒们都不是三位一体信徒。 约翰福音16:27-30 27 父自己爱你们，因为你们已经爱我，又信我是从父出来的。28 我从父出来，到了世界；我又离开世界，往父那里去。”29 门徒说：“如今你是明说，并不用比喻了。30 现在我们晓得你凡事都知道，也不用人问你，因此我们信你是从上帝出来的。” 约翰福音 8:42耶稣说：“倘若上帝是你们的父，你们就必爱我；因为我本是出于上帝，也是从上帝而来，并不是由着自己来，乃是他差我来。 箴言 8:22-25 22 “在耶和华造化的起头，在太初创造万物之先，就有了我。23 从亘古，从太初，未有世界以前，我已被立。24 没有深渊，没有大水的泉源，我已生出。25 大山未曾奠定，小山未有之先，我已生出。 箴言8:27-31 27 他立高天，我在那里；他在渊面的周围划出圆圈，28 上使穹苍坚硬，下使渊源稳固，29 为沧海定出界限，使水不越过他的命令，立定大地的根基。30 那时，我在他那里为工师，日日为他所喜爱，常常在他面前踊跃，31 踊跃在他为人预备可住之地，也喜悦住在世人之间。 耶稣有一位父亲。耶和华是祂的上帝和祂的父亲。祂们在本质上是同等的。他们有共同的目标。惟独父是比儿子大的。 约翰福音 5:18所以犹太人越发想要杀他，因他不但犯了安息日，并且称上帝为他的父，将自己和上帝当作平等。 让我的子民思考 （第三部分） 约翰福音 10:30我与父原为一。 约翰福音 14:28你们听见我对你们说了，我去还要到你们这里来。你们若爱我，因我到父那里去，就必喜乐，因为父是比我大的。 约翰福音 20:17耶稣说：“不要摸我，因为我还没有升上去见我的父。你往我弟兄那里去，告诉他们说：我要升上去见我的父，也是你们的父；见我的上帝，也是你们的上帝。” 哥林多前书15:24，27-28 24 再后，末期到了，那时基督既将一切执政的、掌权的、有能的都毁灭了，就把国交与父 神。27 因为经上说：“上帝叫万物都服在他的脚下。”既说万物都服了他，明显那叫万物服他的，不在其内了。28 万物既服了他，那时，子也要自己服那叫万物服他的，叫上帝在万物之上，为万物之主。 哥林多前书 8:4，6 4 论到吃祭偶像之物，我们知道偶像在世上算不得什么；也知道上帝只有一位，再没有别的上帝。6 然而我们只有一位上帝，就是父，万物都本于他，我们也归于他；并有一位主，就是耶稣基督，万物都是藉着他有的，我们也是藉着他有的。 以弗所书 4:4-6 4 身体只有一个，圣灵只有一个，正如你们蒙召，同有一个指望；5 一主，一信，一洗，6 一上帝，就是众人的父，超乎众人之上，贯乎众人之中，也住在众人之内。 哥林多前书 1:9上帝是信实的，你们原是被他所召，好与他儿子我们的主耶稣基督一同得份。 约翰一书 1:3我们将所看见、所听见的传给你们，使你们与我们相交。我们乃是与父并他儿子耶稣基督相交的。 约翰一书 3:23上帝的命令就是叫我们信他儿子耶稣基督的名，且照他所赐给我们的命令彼此相爱。 约翰一书 4:8-10 8没有爱心的，就不认识上帝，因为上帝就是爱。9 上帝差他独生子到世间来，使我们藉着他得生，上帝爱我们的心在此就显明了。10 不是我们爱上帝，乃是上帝爱我们，差他的儿子，为我们的罪作了挽回祭，这就是爱了。 约翰一书 4:14父差子作世人的救主，这是我们所看见且作见证的。 约翰一书 4:15凡认耶稣为上帝儿子的， 上帝就住在他里面， 约翰一书 5:5胜过世界的是谁呢？不是那信耶稣是上帝儿子的吗？ 约翰一书 5:13我将这些话写给你们信奉上帝儿子之名的人，要叫你们知道自己有永生。 约翰一书 2:21-23 我写信给你们，不是因你们不知道真理，正是因你们知道，并且知道没有虚谎是从真理出来的。22 谁是说谎话的呢？不是那不认耶稣为基督的吗？不认父与子的，这就是敌基督的。23 凡不认子的，就没有父；认子的，连父也有了。 上一篇 返回研究目录 下一篇 到最頂

返回研究目录 上一篇 下载中文 Read in English 下一篇 我们列祖的上帝 “我们列祖的上帝” （使徒行传3：13，5：30） 这个页面被创建为一个快速浏览页面，供寻找提到独一真神和祂儿子的圣经章节之人。本页面也列出了经文表明圣灵是基督自己的灵，是从父上帝那里得到的。所以请免费使用此页面。复制，分享并帮助传播独一真神和祂儿子的真理。 父上帝是独一的真神 马太福音 4：10 耶稣说：“撒但退去吧！因为经上记着说：‘当拜主你的上帝，单要侍奉他。’” 马太福音 11：25 “那时，耶稣说：“父啊，天地的主，我感谢你！因为你将这些事向聪明通达人就藏起来，向婴孩就显出来。” (路加福音 10：21 也同样记载，请参考启示录14：7，使徒行传4：24-27，约翰福音17：1-3) 马太福音12：28-34 28 我若靠着上帝的灵赶鬼，这就是上帝的国临到你们了。 29 人怎能进壮士家里，抢夺他的家具呢？除非先捆住那壮士，才可以抢夺他的家财。 30 不与我相合的，就是敌我的；不同我收聚的，就是分散的。 31 所以我告诉你们：人一切的罪和亵渎的话，都可得赦免；惟独亵渎圣灵，总不得赦免。 32 凡说话干犯人子的，还可得赦免；惟独说话干犯圣灵的，今世、来世总不得赦免。” 33 “你们或以为树好，果子也好；树坏，果子也坏。因为看果子，就可以知道树。 34 毒蛇的种类！你们既是恶人，怎能说出好话来呢？因为心里所充满的，口里就说出来。 约翰福音4：22-24 22 你们所拜的，你们不知道；我们所拜的，我们知道，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。 23 时候将到，如今就是了，那真正拜父的，要用心灵和诚实拜他，因为父要这样的人拜他。” 24 上帝是个灵（或无“个”字），所以拜他的，必须用心灵和诚实拜他。” 约翰福音 8：54 “耶稣回答说：“我若荣耀自己，我的荣耀就算不得什么；荣耀我的乃是我的父，就是你们所说是你们的上帝。” 约翰福音14：1-6 1 “你们心里不要忧愁，你们信上帝，也当信我。 2 在我父的家里有许多住处；若是没有，我就早已告诉你们了。我去原是为你们预备地方去。 3 我若去为你们预备了地方，就必再来接你们到我那里去；我在那里，叫你们也在那里。 4 我往哪里去，你们知道；那条路，你们也知道（有古卷作“我往哪里去，你们知道那条路”）。” 5 多马对他说：“主啊，我们不知道你往哪里去，怎么知道那条路呢？” 6 耶稣说：“我就是道路、真理、生命；若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去。 约翰福音17：1-3 1 耶稣说了这话，就举目望天说：“父啊，时候到了，愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你； 2 正如你曾赐给他权柄管理凡有血气的，叫他将永生赐给你所赐给他的人。 3 认识你独一的真神，并且认识你所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生。 约翰福音 20：17 耶稣说：“不要摸我，因为我还没有升上去见我的父。你往我弟兄那里去，告诉他们说：我要升上去见我的父，也是你们的父；见我的上帝，也是你们的上帝。” 使徒行传 3：13 亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝，就是我们列祖的上帝，已经荣耀了他的儿子耶稣，你们却把他交付彼拉多。彼拉多定意要释放他，你们竟在彼拉多面前弃绝了他。 使徒行传4：24-27 24 他们听见了，就同心合意地高声向上帝说：“主啊，你是造天、地、海和其中万物的， 25 你曾藉着圣灵托你仆人、我们祖宗大卫的口说：‘外邦为什么争闹？万民为什么谋算虚妄的事？ 26 世上的君王一齐起来，臣宰也聚集，要敌挡主，并主的受膏者（或作“基督”）。’ 27 希律和本丢彼拉多、外邦人和以色列民果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆耶稣（“仆”或作“子”）， 使徒行传 5：30 你们挂在木头上杀害的耶稣，我们祖宗的上帝已经叫他复活。 哥林多前书8：4-6 4 论到吃祭偶像之物，我们知道偶像在世上算不得什么；也知道上帝只有一位，再没有别的神。 5 虽有称为神的，或在天、或在地，就如那许多的神，许多的主。 6 然而我们只有一位上帝，就是父，万物都本于他，我们也归于他；并有一位主，就是耶稣基督，万物都是藉着他有的，我们也是藉着他有的。 哥林多前书11：3 我愿意你们知道，基督是各人的头，男人是女人的头，上帝是基督的头。 哥林多后书 1：3 愿颂赞归与我们的主耶稣基督的父上帝，就是发慈悲的父，赐各样安慰的上帝。 哥林多后书 11：31 那永远可称颂之主耶稣的父上帝知道我不说谎。 罗马书1：7-9 7 我写信给你们在罗马为上帝所爱、奉召作圣徒的众人。愿恩惠、平安从我们的父上帝并主耶稣基督，归与你们！ 8 第一，我靠着耶稣基督，为你们众人感谢我的上帝，因你们的信德传遍了天下。 9 我在他儿子福音上，用心灵所侍奉的上帝，可以见证我怎样不住的提到你们； 以弗所书 1：2-3 2 愿恩惠、平安从上帝我们的父和主耶稣基督归与你们！ 3 愿颂赞归与我们主耶稣基督的父上帝，他在基督里曾赐给我们天上各样属灵的福气。 以弗所书1：17 求我们主耶稣基督的上帝，荣耀的父，将那赐人智慧和启示的灵赏给你们，使你们真知道他。 以弗所书4：4-6 “4 身体只有一个，圣灵只有一个，正如你们蒙召，同有一个指望； 5 一主，一信，一洗， 6 一上帝，就是众人的父，超乎众人之上，贯乎众人之中，也住在众人之内。”（请参考哥林多前书8：6） 希伯来书 9：24 因为基督并不是进了人手所造的圣所（这不过是真圣所的影像），乃是进了天堂，如今为我们显在上帝面前； 提摩太前书2：3-5 “3 这是好的，在上帝我们救主面前可蒙悦讷。 4 他愿意万人得救，明白真道。 5 因为只有一位上帝，在上帝和人中间，只有一位中保，乃是降世为人的基督耶稣。” 希伯来书12：22-24 22 你们乃是来到锡安山、永生上帝的城邑，就是天上的耶路撒冷。那里有千万的天使， 23 有名录在天上诸长子之会所共聚的总会，有审判众人的上帝和被成全之义人的灵魂， 24 并新约的中保耶稣，以及所洒的血。这血所说的比亚伯的血所说的更美。 帖撒罗尼迦前书1：9-10 9 因为他们自己已经报明我们是怎样进到你们那里，你们是怎样离弃偶像，归向上帝，要服侍那又真又活的上帝， 10 等候他儿子从天降临，就是他从死里复活的、那位救我们脱离将来忿怒的耶稣。 帖撒罗尼迦前书3：11-13 “11 愿上帝我们的父和我们的主耶稣，一直引领我们到你们那里去； 12 又愿主叫你们彼此相爱的心，并爱众人的心，都能增长、充足，如同我们爱你们一样， 13 好使你们当我们主耶稣同他众圣徒来的时候，在我们父上帝面前心里坚固，成为圣洁，无可责备。” 帖撒罗尼迦后书 2：16 “但愿我们主耶稣基督和那爱我们、开恩将永远的安慰并美好的盼望赐给我们的父上帝，” 腓立比书 2：11 无不口称耶稣基督为主，使荣耀归与父上帝。 约翰一书 5：20 我们也知道上帝的儿子已经来到，且将智慧赐给我们，使我们认识那位真实的，我们也在那位真实的里面，就是在他儿子耶稣基督里面。这是上帝，也是永生。 犹大书 1：4 “因为有些人偷着进来，就是自古被定受刑罚的，是不虔诚的，将我们上帝的恩变作放纵情欲的机会，并且不认独一的主宰、我们（“我们”或作“和我们”）主耶稣基督。” 启示录 3：12 “得胜的，我要叫他在我上帝殿中作柱子，他也必不再从那里出去。我又要将我上帝的名和我上帝城的名（这城就是从天上、从我上帝那里降下来的新耶路撒冷），并我的新名，都写在他上面。” 启示录 7：10 “大声喊着说：“愿救恩归与坐在宝座上我们的上帝，也归与羔羊。” 启示录 21：22 “我未见城内有殿，因主上帝全能者和羔羊为城的殿。” 启示录 22：1 “天使又指示我在城内街道当中一道生命水的河，明亮如水晶，从上帝和羔羊的宝座流出来。” 耶稣基督是上帝真实的唯一亲生儿子 诗篇 2：7 受膏者说：“我要传圣旨。耶和华曾对我说：‘你是我的儿子，我今日生你。 箴言8：22-30 “22 “在耶和华造化的起头，在太初创造万物之先，就有了我。 23 从亘古，从太初，未有世界以前，我已被立。 24 没有深渊，没有大水的泉源，我已生出。 25 大山未曾奠定，小山未有之先，我已生出。 26 耶和华还没有创造大地和田野，并世上的土质，我已生出。 27 他立高天，我在那里；他在渊面的周围划出圆圈， 28 上使穹苍坚硬，下使渊源稳固， 29 为沧海定出界限，使水不越过他的命令，立定大地的根基。 30 那时，我在他那里为工师，日日为他所喜爱，常常在他面前踊跃， 箴言 30：4 “谁升天又降下来？谁聚风在掌中？谁包水在衣服里？谁立定地的四极？他名叫什么？他儿子叫名叫什么？你知道吗？” 弥迦书 5：2 “伯利恒以法他啊，你在犹大诸城中为小。将来必有一位从你那里出来，在以色列中为我作掌权的；他的根源从亘古、从太初就有。” 约翰福音16：27-29 “27 父自己爱你们，因为你们已经爱我，又信我是从父出来的。 28 我从父出来，到了世界；我又离开世界，往父那里去。” 29 门徒说：“如今你是明说，并不用比喻了。” 约翰福音17：7-8 “7 如今他们知道，凡你所赐给我的，都是从你那里来的； 8 因为你所赐给我的道，我已经赐给他们。他们也领受了，又确实知道，我是从你出来的，并且信你差了我来。” 约翰福音 8：42 “耶稣说：“倘若上帝是你们的父，你们就必爱我；因为我本是出于上帝，也是从上帝而来，并不是由着自己来，乃是他差我来。” 马太福音 3：17 “从天上有声音说：“这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的。” 马太福音 14：33 “在船上的人都拜他，说：“你真是上帝的儿子了。” 马太福音 16：15-17 “15 耶稣说：“你们说我是谁？” 16 西门彼得回答说：“你是基督，是永生上帝的儿子。” 17 耶稣对他说：“西门巴约拿，你是有福的！因为这不是属血肉的指示你的，乃是我在天上的父指示的。” 马太福音 17：5 “说话之间，忽然有一朵光明的云彩遮盖他们，且有声音从云彩里出来说：“这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的，你们要听他。” 马可福音 1：1 “上帝的儿子，耶稣基督福音的起头。” 马可福音3：11 “污鬼无论何时看见他，就俯伏在他面前，喊着说：“你是上帝的儿子！” 约翰福音 1：14 “道成了肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满地有恩典，有真理。我们也见过他的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。” 约翰福音 1：18 “从来没有人看见上帝，只有在父怀里的独生子将他表明出来。” 约翰福音3：16-18 16 “上帝爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。 17 因为上帝差他的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪（或作“审判世人”。下同），乃是要叫世人因他得救。 18 信他的人，不被定罪；不信的人，罪已经定了，因为他不信上帝独生子的名。” 约翰福音3：34-36 “34 上帝所差来的，就说上帝的话；因为上帝赐圣灵给他，是没有限量的。 35 父爱子，已将万有交在他手里。 36 信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不着永生（原文作“不得见永生”），上帝的震怒常在他身上。” 约翰福音 5：26 “因为父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给他儿子也照样在自己有生命；” 约翰福音5：43 “我奉我父的名来，你们并不接待我；若有别人奉自己的名来，你们倒要接待他。” 约翰福音6：68-69 68 西门彼得回答说：“主啊，你有永生之道，我们还归从谁呢？ 69 我们已经信了，又知道你是上帝的圣者。” 约翰福音10：36 “父所分别为圣，又差到世间来的，他自称是上帝的儿子，你们还向他说‘你说僭妄的话’吗？” 约翰福音11：4 “耶稣听见就说：“这病不至于死，乃是为上帝的荣耀，叫上帝的儿子因此得荣耀。” 约翰福音11：27 “马大说：“主啊，是的，我信你是基督，是上帝的儿子，就是那要临到世界的。” 约翰福音 17：1 “耶稣说了这话，就举目望天说：“父啊，时候到了，愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你。” 约翰福音20：17 “ 耶稣说：“不要摸我，因我还没有升上去见我的父。你往我弟兄那里去，告诉他们说：我要升上去见我的父，也是你们的父；见我的上帝，也是你们的上帝。” 约翰福音20：31 “但记这些事，要叫你们信耶稣是基督，是上帝的儿子，并且叫你们信了他，就可以因他的名得生命。” 使徒行传3：13 “ 亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝，就是我们列祖的上帝，已经荣耀了他的儿子耶稣，你们却把他交付彼拉多。彼拉多定意要释放他，你们竟在彼拉多面前弃绝了他。 使徒行传9：19-20 19 “吃过饭就健壮了。扫罗和大马士革的门徒同住了些日子， 20 就在各会堂里宣传耶稣，说他是上帝的儿子。 罗马书 1：9 “我在他儿子福音上，用心灵所侍奉的上帝，可以见证我怎样不住地提到你们” 罗马书8：3 “律法既因肉体软弱，有所不能行的，上帝就差遣自己的儿子成为罪身的形状，作了赎罪祭，在肉体中定了罪案，” 以弗所书1：3 “ 愿颂赞归与我们主耶稣基督的父上帝，他在基督里曾赐给我们天上各样属灵的福气。” 以弗所书3：14 “因此，我在父面前屈膝，” 加拉太书2：20 “我已经与基督同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着；并且我如今在肉身活着，是因信上帝的儿子而活，他是爱我，为我舍己。” 加拉太书4：4 “及至时候满足，上帝就差遣他的儿子，为女子所生，且生在律法以下，” 加拉太书4：6 “你们既为儿子，上帝就差他儿子的灵进入你们（原文作“我们”）的心，呼叫：“阿爸，父！” 歌罗西书1：13-15 13他救了我们脱离黑暗的权势，把我们迁到他爱子的国里， 14我们在爱子里得蒙救赎，罪过得以赦免。 15爱子是那不能看见之上帝的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。 帖撒罗尼迦前书1：9-10 9 “因为他们自己已经报明我们是怎样进到你们那里，你们是怎样离弃偶像，归向上帝，要服侍那又真又活的上帝， 10等候他儿子从天降临，就是他从死里复活的、那位救我们脱离将来忿怒的耶稣。 希伯来书1：1-5 1上帝既在古时藉着众先知多次多方的晓谕列祖； 2就在这末世藉着他儿子晓谕我们，又早已立他为承受万有的；也曾藉着他创造诸世界。 3他是上帝荣耀所发的光辉，是上帝本体的真像，常用他权能的命令托住万有。他洗净了人的罪，就坐在高天至大者的右边。 4他所承受的名既比天使的名更尊贵，就远超过天使。 5所有的天使，上帝从来对哪一个说，“你是我的儿子，我今日生你”？又指着哪一个说，“我要作他的父，他要作我的子”？ 希伯来书4：14 “我们既然有一位已经升入高天尊荣的大祭司，就是上帝的儿子耶稣，便当持定所承认的道。” 希伯来书5：5 “如此，基督也不是自取荣耀作大祭司，乃是在乎向他说“你是我的儿子，我今日生你”的那一位。” 彼得前书1：3 “愿颂赞归与我们主耶稣基督的父上帝，他曾照自己的大怜悯，藉耶稣基督从死里复活，重生了我们，叫我们有活泼的盼望，” 约翰一书1：3 “我们将所看见、所听见的传给你们，使你们与我们相交。我们乃是与父并他儿子耶稣基督相交的。” 约翰一书1：5-7 5 上帝就是光，在他毫无黑暗。这是我们从主所听见，又报给你们的信息。 6我们若说是与上帝相交，却仍在黑暗里行，就是说谎话，不行真理了。 7我们若在光明中行，如同上帝在光明中，就彼此相交，他儿子耶稣的血也洗净我们一切的罪。 约翰一书2：22-24 22谁是说谎话的呢？不是那不认耶稣为基督的吗？不认父与子的，这就是敌基督的。 23凡不认子的，就没有父；认子的，连父也有了。 24论到你们，务要将那从起初所听见的常存在心里；若将从起初所听见的存在心里，你们就必住在子里面，也必住在父里面。 约翰一书3：8 “犯罪的是属魔鬼，因为魔鬼从起初就犯罪。上帝的儿子显现出来，为要除灭魔鬼的作为。” 约翰一书4：9 “上帝差他独生子到世间来，使我们藉着他得生，上帝爱我们的心在此就显明了。” 约翰一书4：15 “凡认耶稣为上帝儿子的，上帝就住在他里面，他也住在上帝里面。” 约翰一书5：5-13 5胜过世界的是谁呢？不是那信耶稣是上帝儿子的吗？ 6这藉着水和血而来的，就是耶稣基督；不是单用水，乃是用水又用血， 7并且有圣灵作见证，因为圣灵就是真理。 8作见证的原来有三：就是圣灵、水与血，这三样也都归于一。 9我们既领受人的见证，上帝的见证更该领受了（“该领受”原文作“大”），因上帝的见证是为他儿子作的。 10信上帝儿子的，就有这见证在他心里；不信上帝的，就是将上帝当作说谎的，因不信上帝为他儿子作的见证。 11这见证就是上帝赐给我们永生，这永生也是在他儿子里面。 12人有了上帝的儿子就有生命，没有上帝的儿子就没有生命。 13我将这些话写给你们信奉上帝儿子之名的人，要叫你们知道自己有永生。 约翰一书5：20 “我们也知道上帝的儿子已经来到，且将智慧赐给我们，使我们认识那位真实的，我们也在那位真实的里面，就是在他儿子耶稣基督里面。这是真神，也是永生。 约翰二书1：3 “恩惠、怜悯、平安从父上帝和他儿子耶稣基督，在真理和爱心上必常与我们同在！” 启示录1：5-6 并那诚实作见证的，从死里首先复活，为世上君王元首的耶稣基督，有恩惠、平安归与你们！他爱我们，用自己的血使我们脱离罪恶（“脱离”有古卷“洗去”）， 6又使我们成为国民，作他父上帝的祭司。但愿荣耀、权能归给他，直到永永远远。阿们！ 启示录2：18 “你要写信给推雅推喇教会的使者说，那眼目如火焰、脚像光明铜的上帝之子说：” 启示录3：21 “得胜的，我要赐他在我宝座上与我同坐，就如我得了胜，在我父的宝座上与他同坐一般。” 启示录14：1 “我又观看，见羔羊站在锡安山，同他又有十四万四千人，都有他的名和他父的名写在额上。” 圣灵是父上帝和祂儿子的灵 圣灵是父上帝的灵，赐给了祂儿子耶稣。这些经文都显示圣灵不是“第三位生物”，而是基督的灵，也是祂从父那里得到的，所以是父和子所共有的灵。 约伯记33：4 “上帝的灵造我，全能者的气使我得生。” 诗篇51：10-11 10上帝啊，求你为我造清洁的心，使我里面重新有正直的灵（“正直”或作“坚定”）。 11不要丢弃我，使我离开你的面；不要从我收回你的圣灵。 诗篇139：7 “我往哪里去，躲避你的灵？我往哪里逃，躲避你的面？” 约珥书2：28 “以后，我要将我的灵浇灌凡有血气的。你们的儿女要说预言，你们的老年人要作异梦，少年人要见异象。” 马太福音12：15-18 15耶稣知道了，就离开那里，有许多人跟着他。他把其中有病的人都治好了。 16又嘱咐他们，不要给他传名。 17这是要应验先知以赛亚的话，说： 18“看哪，我的仆人，我所拣选、所亲爱、心里所喜悦的，我要将我的灵赐给他，他必将公理传给外邦。 马太福音 18：20 因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，那里有我在他们中间。” 马可福音 1：8 我是用水给你们施洗，他却要用圣灵给你们施洗。” 路加福音 21：14-15 14 所以，你们当立定心意，不要预先思想怎样分诉， 15 因为我必赐你们口才智慧，是你们一切敌人所敌不住、驳不倒的。” 路加福音24：49 我要将我父所应许的降在你们身上，你们要在城里等候，直到你们领受从上头来的能力。” 约翰福音3：34-35 34 上帝所差来的，就说上帝的话；因为上帝赐圣灵给他，是没有限量的。 35 父爱子，已将万有交在他手里。 约翰福音 4：10 “耶稣回答说：“你若知道上帝的恩赐，和对你说‘给我水喝’的是谁，你必早求他，他也必早给了你活水。” 约翰福音 7：37-39 37 节期的末日，就是最大之日，耶稣站着高声说：“人若渴了，可以到我这里来喝。 38 信我的人，就如经上所说，‘从他腹中要流出活水的江河来’。” 39 耶稣这话是指着信他之人要受圣灵说的，那时还没有赐下圣灵来，因为耶稣尚未得着荣耀。 约翰福音 14：17-21 17 就是真理的圣灵，乃世人不能接受的。因为不见他，也不认识他；你们却认识他，因他常与你们同在，也要在你们里面。 18 我不撇下你们为孤儿，我必到你们这里来。 19 还有不多的时候，世人不再看见我，你们却看见我，因为我活着，你们也要活着。 20 到那日你们就知道我在父里面，你们在我里面，我也在你们里面。 21 有了我的命令又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；爱我的必蒙我父爱他，我也要爱他，并且要向他显现。” 约翰福音17：22-26 22 你赐给我的荣耀，我已经赐给他们，使他们合而为一，像我们合而为一。 23 我在他们里面，你在我里面，使他们完完全全地合而为一，叫世人知道你差了我来，也知道你爱他们如同爱我一样。 24 父啊，我在哪里，愿你所赐给我的人也同我在那里，叫他们看见你所赐给我的荣耀；因为创立世界以前，你已经爱我了。 25 公义的父啊，世人未曾认识你，我却认识你，这些人也知道你差了我来。 26 我已将你的名指示他们，还要指示他们，使你所爱我的爱在他们里面，我也在他们里面。” 约翰福音20：21-22 21 耶稣又对他们说：“愿你们平安！父怎样差遣了我，我也照样差遣你们。” 22 说了这话，就向他们吹一口气，说：“你们受圣灵。 使徒行传1：1-2 1 提阿非罗啊，我已经作了前书，论到耶稣开头一切所行所教训的， 2 直到他藉着圣灵吩咐所拣选的使徒，以后被接上升的日子为止。 使徒行传2：32-33 32 这耶稣，上帝已经叫他复活了，我们都为这事作见证。 33 他既被上帝的右手高举（或作“他既高举在上帝的右边”），又从父受了所应许的圣灵，就把你们所看见、所听见的浇灌下来。 罗马书8：9-10 9 如果上帝的灵住在你们心里，你们就不属肉体，乃属圣灵了。人若没有基督的灵，就不是属基督的。 10 基督若在你们心里，身体就因罪而死，心灵却因义而活。 哥林多前书2：9-16 9 如经上所记：“ 上帝为爱他的人所预备的，是眼睛未曾看见，耳朵未曾听见，人心也未曾想到的。” 10 只有上帝藉着圣灵向我们显明了，因为圣灵渗透万事，就是上帝深奥的事也渗透了。 11 除了在人里头的灵，谁知道人的事？像这样，除了上帝的灵，也没有人知道上帝的事。 12 我们所领受的，并不是世上的灵，乃是从上帝来的灵，叫我们能知道上帝开恩赐给我们的事。 13 并且我们讲说这些事，不是用人智慧所指教的言语，乃是用圣灵所指教的言语，将属灵的话解释属灵的事（或作“将属灵的事讲与属灵的人”）。 14 然而，属血气的人不领会上帝圣灵的事，反倒以为愚拙，并且不能知道，因为这些事惟有属灵的人才能看透。 15 属灵的人能看透万事，却没有一人能看透了他。 16 谁曾知道主的心去教导他呢？但我们是有基督的心了。 哥林多前书10：1-4 1 弟兄们，我不愿意你们不晓得，我们的祖宗从前都在云下，都从海中经过， 2 都在云里、海里受洗归了摩西， 3 并且都吃了一样的灵食， 4 也都喝了一样的灵水；所喝的，是出于随着他们的灵磐石，那磐石就是基督。 哥林多后书 3：17 主就是那灵；主的灵在哪里，那里就得以自由。 哥林多后书13：3-5 3 你们既然寻求基督在我里面说话的凭据，我必不宽容。因为基督在你们身上不是软弱的，在你们里面是有大能的。 4 他因软弱被钉在十字架上，却因上帝的大能仍然活着。我们也是这样同他软弱，但因上帝向你们所显的大能，也必与他同活。 5 你们总要自己省察有信心没有，也要自己试验。岂不知你们若不是可弃绝的，就有耶稣基督在你们心里吗？ 以弗所书3：14-17 14 因此，我在父面前屈膝， 15 （天上地上的各（或作“全”）家都是从他得名）， 16 求他按着他丰盛的荣耀，藉着他的灵，叫你们心里的力量刚强起来。 17 使基督因你们的信，住在你们心里，叫你们的爱心有根有基， 以弗所书 4：7-11 7 我们各人蒙恩，都是照基督所量给各人的恩赐。 8 所以经上说：“他升上高天的时候，掳掠了仇敌，将各样的恩赐赏给人。” 9 （既说升上，岂不是先降在地下吗？ 10 那降下的，就是远升诸天之上要充满万有的。） 11 他所赐的有使徒，有先知，有传福音的，有牧师和教师。 加拉太书 2：20 我已经与基督同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着；并且我如今在肉身活着，是因信上帝的儿子而活，他是爱我，为我舍己。 加拉太书 4：6 你们既为儿子，上帝就差他儿子的灵进入你们（原文作“我们”）的心，呼叫：“阿爸，父！” 腓立比书 1：19 因为我知道，这事藉着你们的祈祷和耶稣基督之灵的帮助，终必叫我得救。 歌罗西书 1：27 上帝愿意叫他们知道，这奥秘在外邦人中有何等丰盛的荣耀，就是基督在你们心里成了有荣耀的盼望。 希伯来书1：8-9 8 论到子却说：“ 上帝啊，你的宝座是永永远远的，你的国权是正直的。 9 你喜爱公义，恨恶罪恶，所以上帝，就是你的上帝，用喜乐油膏你，胜过膏你的同伴。” 提多书3：4-6 4 但到了上帝我们救主的恩慈和他向人所施的慈爱显明的时候， 5 他便救了我们，并不是因我们自己所行的义，乃是照他的怜悯，藉着重生的洗和圣灵的更新。 6 圣灵就是上帝藉着耶稣基督我们救主厚厚浇灌在我们身上的。 彼得前书1：10-11 10 论到这救恩，那预先说你们要得恩典的众先知早已详细地寻求考察， 11 就是考察在他们心里基督的灵，预先证明基督受苦难，后来得荣耀，是指着什么时候，并怎样的时候。 约翰一书2：27-28 27 你们从主所受的恩膏常存在你们心里，并不用人教训你们，自有主的恩膏在凡事上教训你们。这恩膏是真的，不是假的，你们要按这恩膏的教训住在主里面。 28 小子们哪，你们要住在主里面。这样，他若显现，我们就可以坦然无惧；当他来的时候，在他面前也不至于惭愧。 启示录1：12，13，20；启示录2：1 12 我转过身来，要看是谁发声与我说话；既转过来，就看见七个金灯台。 13 灯台中间有一位好像人子，身穿长衣，直垂到脚，胸间束着金带。 20 论到你所看见、在我右手中的七星和七个金灯台的奥秘，那七星就是七个教会的使者，七个灯台就是七个教会。” 2：1 “你要写信给以弗所教会的使者说，那右手拿着七星，在七个金灯台中间行走的说： 启示录2：18,29 18“你要写信给推雅推喇教会的使者说，那眼目如火焰、脚像光明铜的上帝之子说： 29 圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听。” 启示录3：20 “看哪，我站在门外叩门，若有听见我声音就开门的，我要进到他那里去，我与他，他与我，一同坐席。” 启示录5：6 “我又看见宝座与四活物并长老之中，有羔羊站立，像是被杀过的，有七角七眼，就是上帝的七灵，奉差遣往普天下去的。” 启示录22：1 “天使又指示我在城内街道当中一道生命水的河，明亮如水晶，从上帝和羔羊的宝座流出来。” 只有两位神性生物 当圣经说到神性时（使徒行传17：29，罗马书1：20），它事实上是在指着父上帝而言。祂是所有一切的本源（歌林多前书：6），包括祂自己的神性。但是耶稣也是有神性的，因为耶稣基督是上帝的亲生儿子，因此祂承受了付所有的神性。歌罗西书2：9为我们确认了这一点，“因为上帝本性一切的丰盛，都有形有体的居住在基督里面”，耶稣本身在约翰福音14：10也确认了这事实。但是文章这一部分的主要目的是要揭穿这教导“三位神性生物”的三位一体谬论。 创世纪1：26 “上帝说：“我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜和全地，并地上所爬的一切昆虫。” 约翰福音1：1-3 1太初有道，道与上帝同在，道就是神。 2这道太初与上帝同在。 3万物是藉着他造的；凡被造的，没有一样不是藉着他造的。 以弗所书3：9 “又使众人都明白，这历代以来隐藏在创造万物之上帝里的奥秘，是如何安排的。” 撒迦利亚书6：13 “他要建造耶和华的殿，并担负尊荣，坐在位上掌王权。又必在位上作祭司，使两职之间筹定和平。” 约翰二书1：9 “凡越过基督的教训不常守着的，就没有上帝；常守这教训的，就有父又有子。” 路加福音10：22 “一切所有的都是我父交付我的。除了父，没有人知道子是谁；除了子和子所愿意指示的，没有人知道父是谁。” 约翰福音16：3 “他们这样行，是因未曾认识父，也未曾认识我。” 哥林多前书8：5-6 5 虽有称为神的，或在天、或在地，就如那许多的神，许多的主。 6然而我们只有一位上帝，就是父，万物都本于他，我们也归于他；并有一位主，就是耶稣基督，万物都是藉着他有的，我们也是藉着他有的。 约翰一书1：3 “我们将所看见、所听见的传给你们，使你们与我们相交。我们乃是与父并他儿子耶稣基督相交的。” 约翰福音17：1-3 1 耶稣说了这话，就举目望天说：“父啊，时候到了，愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你； 2正如你曾赐给他权柄管理凡有血气的，叫他将永生赐给你所赐给他的人。 3认识你独一的真神，并且认识你所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生。 哥林多前书1：3 “愿恩惠、平安从上帝我们的父并主耶稣基督归与你们！” 以弗所书1：2 “愿恩惠、平安从上帝我们的父和主耶稣基督归与你们！” 约翰二书1：3 “恩惠、怜悯、平安从父上帝和他儿子耶稣基督，在真理和爱心上必常与我们同在！” 雅各书1：1 “作上帝和主耶稣基督仆人的雅各，请散住十二个支派之人的安。” 彼得后书1：2 “愿恩惠、平安因你们认识上帝和我们主耶稣，多多地加给你们。” 约翰一书2：22 “谁是说谎话的呢？不是那不认耶稣为基督的吗？不认父与子的，这就是敌基督的。” 约翰福音15：23 。。。“恨我的，也恨我的父。” 提摩太前书2：5 “因为只有一位上帝；在上帝和人中间，只有一位中保，乃是降世为人的基督耶稣。” 约翰福音5：23 “叫人都尊敬子如同尊敬父一样。不尊敬子的，就是不尊敬差子来的父。” 约翰福音8：18 “我是为自己作见证，还有差我来的父也是为我作见证。” 启示录21：22-23 22 我未见城内有殿，因主上帝全能者和羔羊为城的殿。 23那城内又不用日月光照，因有上帝的荣耀光照，又有羔羊为城的灯。 上一篇 返回研究目录 下一篇 到最頂

All trinity studies Previous Download Next Is God's Spirit Another Being Is God's Spirit Another Being Because it has Mind, Will and Emotions? Would you believe me if I said that a person's spirit is another literal being? After all, a person's spirit can be troubled, Daniel 2:3 “...my spirit was troubled...” And a person's spirit can be grieved, Daniel 7:15 “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit...” And a person's spirit can speak and pray, 1 Corinthians 14:14 “...my spirit prayeth...” And a person's spirit can rejoice, Luke 1:47 “my spirit has rejoiced...” And a person's spirit can be received by the Lord, Acts 7:59 “...Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” A person's spirit can also serve, Romans 1:9 “...I serve with my spirit...” And a person's spirit can also rest, 2 Corinthians 2:13 “I had no rest in my spirit...” So we find that a person's spirit has a mind, will and emotions just like God. Therefore, a person's spirit must be another literal being, right? You are probably thinking I have lost the plot, and yet this is exactly the SAME LOGIC that is used to imply that the Holy Spirit is another literal being! And Paul said it is no different with God's Spirit in that respect. But note Paul states man's spirit is within him while God can send His Spirit anywhere. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit WITHIN HIM? In the SAME WAY NO ONE knows the thoughts of God EXCEPT the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 Since your Spirit is your mind, will and emotions, the Greek and Hebrew word for “Spirit” also means “mind” as you would expect. Strong's concordance says, breath, figuratively life, spirit, (including its expression and functions), mind. Note below that Paul in Romans 11:34 is quoting Isaiah 40:13. So we know that Paul understood the Spirit of the Lord to also mean the mind of the Lord. And of course the mind of someone is not a different person to them any more than their spirit is and this also includes God as Paul reveals below. “Who has directed the SPIRIT of the LORD, or being his counsellor has taught him?” Isaiah 40:13 KJV “For who has known the MIND of the LORD? Or who has been his counsellor?” Romans 11:34 KJV How can the mind of the Lord be another being? Clearly it cannot! The spirit of every living being has a personality because our spirit is in fact our personality. So the Holy Spirit has a personality because God has a personality. In giving us His Spirit God gives us Himself. It is not another being and it is not some impersonal force. It is the presence and power of God Himself. It is God's own Spirit having God's own personality. “In giving us HIS SPIRIT, God gives us HIMSELF,” — (E.G. White, 7T 273.1, 1902) “The DIVINE SPIRIT that the world's Redeemer promised to send, is the PRESENCE and POWER of GOD.” — (E.G. White, ST, Nov 23, 1891) If I could give you my spirit, whose personality would you have? Mine! Thus God's Spirit has God's personality. God and His Son have a Spirit and that is how “They” represent “Themselves” where they are not personally present. This is the nature of the Holy Spirit that we cannot understand. So the Holy Spirit is not some force or another being, but the presence and power of God Himself. Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top

All trinity studies Previous Download 看中文 Next The Truth of the Trinity [ trinitytruth.org ] 14-26 (total 42 parts) Was Jesus Christ created? It is claimed that Arius who was a fourth century Alexandrian priest taught that prior to making anything else, God had a son who was begotten, or created or established. Some claim that back in the dawn of time, God the Father had some form of cosmic intimate relations with the Holy Spirit and Jesus was the product. They reason, “How else can you call Him the Son.” But these concepts are contrary to Scripture in which Jesus is revealed as the Creator and not a created being and has existed long before He created all things. (John 1:1-4) The Bible states that Christ was not created but created all things. John 1:3 states, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” This verse has two direct statements being that Jesus pre-existed and created all things and that all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Did you notice that John said that not only were all things made through Him but also that without Him nothing was made. Paul also confirms what John wrote, “For by Him all things were created.” He continues with even greater clarity to make sure that we understand what he means by all things. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16 If Jesus created all things then, He could not have been one of the created things. Paul adds the following just so there can be no mistake about this fact. “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:17. If Christ created everything that was ever created, and existed before all created things, it is evident that Christ Himself is not among the created things. He is above all creation, not part of it. The idea that Christ is a created being denies His Divinity. No one who holds this view can possibly have any just conception of the exalted position which Christ truly occupies. For Adventists: Note that the Spirit of Prophecy does not equate being born with being created as some imply. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,”-- not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father's person,” — (E.G. White, ST, May 30, 1895) “The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” — (E.G. White, DA, p. 51) Who is God? Is God a person? Is He a thing or perhaps some invisible cosmic force? These are important questions to answer and should be easily answered by anyone who understands and knows God. Surprisingly, many Christians are stumped by these questions because they have been taught that God is some ghostly, mysterious vapour that pervades all nature. Daniel was given a vision that helps us understand God. He wrote, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” Daniel 7:9. Someone called “the Ancient of days,” who wears a white garment and has white hair takes a seat on a throne. Shortly thereafter the “Son of man,” (verse 13) comes before Him. The Ancient of days must be God, the Father. So according to the Bible our heavenly Father is a real person. John was given a vision of this same event and states, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” Revelation 5:1. Shortly after John saw this, Jesus Christ approaches the throne and takes the book out of His Father's hand. So again we find that God is a real person who sits on a throne and has a book in His right hand. God must be a real person for Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. And Jesus warned, “Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10. We should expect that God is a real person for we were created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). When we get to heaven we will find that we resemble God. We will not find a three headed monster with six arms or any other strange thing like that. God's outward form is very much like our own. And in Hebrews 1:3 we learn that Jesus Christ is the express image of God's person. Therefore God must be a person and Jesus Christ is a real person also. Paul confirmed this when He wrote, “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:” Philippians 2:5-6. The Greek word that was translated “form” means, “the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision, external appearance.” (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). God has an external appearance and His Son Jesus Christ has the same type of appearance. Revelation 2:7 and 22:1-2 say that the throne of God is in paradise where the tree of life is and that is where we find God and His Son. God the person is not omnipresent but He is through His Spirit. Beware of Pantheism which is the belief that the universe and nature is identical with divinity, which basically would make God everything around us. Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus “asked His disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? So they said, Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16:13-17 NKJV This passage says that the Father who is in Heaven, revealed to Peter, that Jesus who was on Earth, is none other than His Son. Jesus Christ being the Son of God is so important that John wrote at the close of his gospel, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name.” John 20:30-31 The very first sermon Paul ever preached after learning the gospel from Christ Himself, “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Acts 9:20. The apostle Peter, who lived with Jesus and heard His messages firsthand said, “And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:69. Christ's disciples also exclaimed, “we believe that you came forth from God.” John 16:30. Martha who was a close friend of Jesus and heard many of His teachings said to Him, “Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” John 11:27. Right after Phillip preached the gospel to the eunuch, “said, If you believe with all thine heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Acts 8:37. Mark said who Jesus was in the first verse of his Gospel. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark 1:1. Even the demons knew, “they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God?” Matthew 8:29. So how did the demons know that Jesus was the Son of God? Because they had met Him before! These demons had once lived in Heaven. When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, he took a third of the angels with him. (Revelation 12:9) So they knew Jesus was the only Son of God! Christ said, “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist:” Luke 7:28. John the Baptist testified, “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34 Of all the witnesses, the greatest is God the Father Himself. Twice He spoke from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son,” Matthew 3:17; 17:5. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the Son of God.” John 10:36. He said that He is “the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was begotten which literally means born, and before anything was created and long before God sent Him into the world. (John 3:16-17; 18:37; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-9 and 1 John 4:9) The Bible does not tell us how Jesus was begotten but God wants us to know that He is His Son whom He loves very much. Jesus said, “For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself.” John 5:26. If Jesus had always existed alongside the Father as the Trinity doctrine claims, then God could not have given life to His Son as He would have always had life. But Scripture reveals this is impossible. According to His own testimony, Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and literally received life from His Father. He did not say that He was one of the three members of a trinity who took on the role of the Son of God. He said He was the Son of God! Was Jesus the Son of God before His incarnation? Trinitarians often claim that Jesus is only called the Son of God because of His birth in Bethlehem. But being born in human flesh, Christ became the “Son of man” at His incarnation, not the “Son of God” which He already was. Scripture reveals many times and in many ways that Jesus was God's Son “before” God sent Him into the world, not after. The following two verses for instance say that God sent His Son into the world. Hence He was already God's Son before He sent Him. “because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:17 And God's Son was in the fiery furnace with the faithful three over 500 years before His incarnation. “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25 Scripture also informs us that Jesus was the Son of God before all things were created. Paul wrote in regards to Christ that, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1:15 NKJV. Note that the latter part of this verse is poorly translated in the KJV which says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” Colossians 1:15 KJV. As a result there are some who use the King James Bible to imply that Christ Himself was a created being. But such an interpretation is contradicted elsewhere in Scripture such as John 1:1-4 and Colossians 1:16-17 Thus we see that Paul is telling us that Christ was “Begotten First or Born Before all creation” because all of creation was by God through His Son Jesus Christ. “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:9 For Adventists: “The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” — (E.G. White, DA, p. 51) “God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, liable to physical infirmities, tempted in all points like as we are. He was the Son of the living God. His personality did not begin with His incarnation in the flesh.” — (E.G. White, Lt77, Aug 3, 1894) Thayer's Greek Lexicon says, “Christ is called, firstborn of all creation, who came into being through God prior to the entire universe of created things.” Barnes New Testament Notes on Colossians 1:15 says, “the word firstborn - pro-tot-ok'-os - properly means the firstborn child of a father or mother.” Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary says, “Begotten (literally, 'born') before every creature.” Matthew Henry's Commentary states “He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made;” Scripture refers to Jesus Christ as “the image of God,” “the image of the invisible God,” and “the express image of his person.” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). An image is never the original but always a likeness or duplication of the original. Christ is the Son of God and therefore the express image of His Father. It would be incorrect to say that the Father is the image of His Son because the Father is the original. In the same manner it would be incorrect to refer to Christ as the true or original God since He is the image of the true God. The Bible refers to Christ as God's Son at least 120 times. Forty seven times using the phrase “Son of God.” Regarding the genuineness of Christ's Sonship, He is called the “only begotten” six times, “the firstborn” three times, “the firstbegotten” once and God's “holy child” twice. Four verses say He was “begotten” prior to His incarnation so this cannot be applied to His birth on earth from Mary as some have chosen to believe. Four verses say that He “proceeded forth from,” “came out from” or “camest forth from” the Father. The evidence on this subject is overwhelming. Christ truly is the literal begotten Son of God who was brought forth from the Father before all creation. The example verses below with the help of the Thayer dictionary also reveal that Jesus was born of the Father before the world was, then much later, He came into the world. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon G1831 - To come forth from physically, arise from, to be born of.G2064 - To come from one place to another. John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me: for I proceeded forth [G1831] and came from God; neither came [G2064] I of myself, but he sent me.” John 16:27-28 “For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out [G1831] from God. 28 I came forth [G1831] from the Father, and am come [G2064] into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” John 17:7-8 “Now they have known that all things whatsoever you have given me are of you. 8 For I have given unto them the words which you gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out [G1831] from you, and they have believed that you did send me.” Since the Trinity doctrine teaches three co-eternal beings, then the Bible stating Jesus is the Son of God presents another serious problem for Trinitarians as it contradicts Scripture. If Jesus is born of God as the Bible states more than a hundred times, then Jesus cannot be co-eternal with the Father and so this is yet another problem that Trinitarians have to explain away. This is typically done by a play on words from the Thayer Dictionary definition of the Greek word for “begotten” which is “monogenēs.” It is claimed that “monogenēs” means Christ was one of a kind rather than the intended meaning of the only begotten Son of God. Strong's dictionary says, only born, that is, sole: - only (begotten, child). So it more accurately means only child. Whenever this Greek word is used of persons, it is exclusively used of parent-child relationships. Here is every single use of “monogenēs” found in the entire Bible. “only begotten son” 4 times referring to Jesus and 1 time referring to Abraham's only son Isaac, “only begotten of the Father” 1 time, “only son of his mother” 1 time, “only daughter” 1 time and “only child” 1 time. So there is not one single Scripture in the Bible that uses this Greek word that does not refer to an only son, daughter or child that was not begotten. And since the word “son” is prefixed by the word “begotten” more than once when referring to Christ, then it can only mean Jesus is born of God and explains why He is called the Son of God to state the obvious. We also have Paul's testimony in Colossians 1:15 which says Christ was the first born before anything was created. And the Greek word “prōtotokos” used in this verse cannot be abused as it means, first born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively): - firstbegotten (-born). There are also other Scriptures that show Jesus was born of God as you are about to see, not that there should be any doubt. For Adventists: “Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” The first chapter of Colossians will wonderfully enlighten the mind as to the truth as it is in Jesus.” — (E.G. White, ST, Nov. 15, 1899) Some also claim that Jesus cannot be divine if He was born of God. But this is just another tactic Satan uses to deter people from the truth. In any case, the problem is actually the other way around. Divinity is not based on how old you are but who you came from. Jesus inherited everything from His Father including his divinity. See Hebrews 1:4 for example. Jesus is the literal Son of God, “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15), and being brought forth from the Father, He has the same “divine nature” as His Father. “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;” Colossians 1:19. Also, the Greek word translated “Godhead” in Colossians 2:9 means “divine nature.” Thus Paul states that the fullness of the “divine nature” of God dwells in His Son. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead [divine nature] bodily.” Colossians 2:9. Hence Jesus is fully divine because He “is” begotten of the Father, and hence came forth from the Father, and so He has the same “divine nature” as His Father. Thus the “divine nature” is in the Son because He is God's Son. Everything that Christ consists of had no beginning, His divinity, His makeup, His substance had no beginning as it all came from the Father. If you trace Christ back you will have to go through the Father and you will never get to a beginning. But His personality as the Son began when He was brought forth by His Father. And if Jesus did not get His divine nature from His Father, then where did He get it from? That would mean that Jesus would have to be a God in His own right just like His Father and so we would have two gods. This would break the first Commandment where the one true God the Father says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3. It does not say before us. If Jesus does not have the same divine nature as His Father because He is His Son, then we have a very serious problem. Why do some insist on trying to make Christ conform to the image they have of Him before they will accept Him? They expect Christ to be a second god identical to His Father in every way and thus reject Him as being a real Son. And yet the truth of Christ being God's Son is so precious. Just think about it for a moment. Christ is God's very own Son whom He loves very much! Why would anyone desire to destroy this precious Father and Son relationship? Another means of trying to discredit the truth is to say that Jesus cannot be born of God because He has no mother. But this is an anthropomorphic thought. Why do Trinitarians try and put “human” limitations on God? He is God! Not human! Just because something does not seem reasonable or logical to us, or just because it does not make sense to us, it does not mean it is not truth. Our heavenly Father said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9. I once heard a Pastor say that if Christ had a beginning that He must be created. Says what Scripture? That is his thought that imposes a limitation on what God can do. God can and did bring forth a Son without having to create Him. Scripture does not lie and those opposing the truth on Christ being begotten of the Father should know all things are possible with God. We must not put human limitations on how or what God can and cannot do based on our human finite knowledge over the omniscience and omnipotence of God. Why do so many Christians try to explain away literally hundreds of clear words that state Jesus is the Son of God just to uphold a pagan doctrine that does not exist in the Bible? When Satan goes to this much effort you know it has to be extremely important. For Adventists: “It is true that there are many sons of God; but Christ is the “only begotten Son of God,” and therefore the Son of God in a sense in which no other being ever was, or ever can be. The angels are sons of God, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), by creation; Christians are the sons of God by adoption (Rom. 8:14,15); but Christ is the Son of God by birth. The writer to the Hebrews further shows that the position of the Son of God is not one to which Christ has been elevated, but that it is one which He has by right.” — (E.J. Waggoner, CAHR, p. 11-12) “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,”-- not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father's person,” — (E.G. White, ST, May 30, 1895) “The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” — (E.G. White, DA, p. 51) Considering Ellen G. White endorsed what Waggoner wrote above, what is the difference between Waggoner saying Christ is “the Son of God by birth,” and the SOP saying Christ is “begotten Son of God” and the “First-born of heaven?” There is no difference of course. Jesus is the literal Son of God by birth and hence there was a time when He was brought forth from the Father. You cannot be the First-born of heaven and a Son by birth any other way. The above also proves that being the literal Son of God by birth does not mean being created as many Trinitarians erroneously claim. Did Christ have a beginning or just His personality? Consider the following. If we could travel at a septuagintacentillion (10513) times the speed of light in any one direction, would we ever find the end of the universe, like perhaps a wall with a sign saying this is the end? And if so, what would be on the other side of that wall? And what existed before God created all things through His Son? Was it nothing? And how long did nothing exist for if that was the case? It would have to be forever! And what about God, when did He begin to exist and who created Him? The answer is that there was never a time He did not exist and hence could never have been created. He is God and has always been and so is without beginning! And what about the Son of God who was born of the same substance of God? The same applies. Since Christ is the same substance of His Father, then everything He consists of had no beginning. So His divinity had no beginning, His makeup; His nature had no beginning as it all came from the Father. So in principle, everything Christ is had no beginning. If you trace Christ back you will have to go through the Father and you will never get to a beginning. But His personality as the Son of God began when He was brought forth by His Father. This principle is brought out in Scripture many times. So in effect it was only the personality of Christ that had a beginning. These are the mysteries of God and things our mind cannot possibly comprehend. For Adventists: “The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, but not in personality.” — (E.G. White, MS116, December 19, 1905). Waggoner explains in words that are easier to understand making what Ellen White said above easier to comprehend. “Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. He was begotten, not created. He is of the substance of the Father, so that in his very nature he is God; and since this is so “it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” Col. 1:19 ... While both are of the same nature, the Father is first in point of time. He is also greater in that he had no beginning, while Christ's personality had a beginning.” — (E.J. Waggoner, ST, April 8, 1889) When and How was Jesus born from the Father? Some say Jesus is being continually born of God in the days of eternity based on Psalms 2:7 which says, “I will declare the decree: the LORD has said unto me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.” But it is prophesying of a future event and does not say that. Acts 13:33 explains, “God has fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you.” In the significant passage of Acts 13:16-41, Paul tells the story of our Lord and Saviour and how he came and died for our sins, but was raised from the dead by His Father in heaven and did not see corruption. Thus this passage declares it was fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. He was born from the dead, and God who raised Him demonstrating that He was His Son. This is also supported by Revelation 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,” So when does the Bible say Christ was brought forth or born from the Father? Proverbs 8:23-26 says, “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.” So Christ was brought forth from the Father before the earth was created in the days of eternity. And of course, if Christ was brought forth than this also confirms His personality has an origin. Note that the Hebrew word “Olam” used for everlasting in verse 23 in the KJV has several possible meanings and has been translated in many different ways according to context and what the translators believed to be correct. It can mean “the vanishing point”, “time out of mind - past or future”, “ancient time” and “beginning of the world” to name a few. Here are some other translations that demonstrate this point. Proverbs 8:23 CJB “I was appointed before the world, before the start, before the earth's beginnings.”Proverbs 8:23 HCSB “I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began.”Proverbs 8:23 NLT “I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began.”Proverbs 8:23 NLV “I was set apart long ago, from the beginning, before the earth was.”Proverbs 8:23 RSV “Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.” Who does “wisdom” refer to in Proverbs 8 since some say this does not refer to Christ? 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30 “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 30 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Wisdom in the following verse also refers to Christ. Luke 11:49 “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles,” For Adventists: “Through Solomon Christ declared: “The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.” — (E.G. White, ST, Aug 29, 1900) Some also have the wrong concept of the word beginning in Scripture. God of course has no beginning and the word beginning means the “origin” and source of something. One example from the Oxford dictionary for “beginning” is, “The background or origins of a person or organization.” If Christ was co-eternal with the Father, then like His Father, He would have no beginning. The Septuagint that Jesus quoted from says, “He established me in the beginning, before time was, before He made the earth.” So all Bible translations of Proverbs 8:23 in fact actually say Christ has an origin! Solomon has used Hebrew parallelism in verse 23 which expresses a thought one way, and then uses a complementary thought to express it another way. So the last two phrases of this verse are saying the same thing as the first phrase but in a different way. This gives tremendous clarity on when he is referring to and yet most still get it wrong. Bible writers did not understand science as we do and measured time by the spheres in the sky that did not exist until Christ created everything. So Christ was established in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) before He made the earth, which was before time was since there was nothing to measure time by yet. Thus we know that the beginning was when the earth was made where there was nothing in existence to measure time by and hence was before time was. And so the phrases “from eternity”, “from everlasting”, “before time was”, “the days of eternity”, “from the beginning” and “before the earth was” all mean the same thing. Quite simply, before the earth and all things were created. Micah 5:2 also informs us that Christ has an origin and was brought forth a long time ago. It also uses the Hebrew word “Olam” as Proverbs 8:23 and has the same translation issue. The phrase “goings forth” in the KJV implies an origin of course and why the NIV used the word “origins.” Micah 5:2 KJV “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 NIV “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Some have mistaken the words “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever:” in Hebrews 1:8 to mean His throne has always existed but it uses the same Greek words as Revelation 22:5 in regards to for ever and ever and both refer to forward in time unless of course we have always existed. The NIV is clearer as it says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever.” For Adventists: “And although we may try to reason in regard to our Creator, how long He [Christ] has had existence, where evil first entered into our world, and all these things, we may reason about them until we fall down faint and exhausted with the research when there is yet an infinity beyond.” — (E.G. White, 7BC 919.5) “There was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God, from the bosom of the Father (John 8:42; 1:18), but that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is practically without beginning.” — (E.J. Waggoner, CAHR, p. 21, 1890). Thus Ellen White and Waggoner say that Christ was brought forth from God a very long time ago. Christ was the Son of God before He was sent to Earth and was tore from the bosom of His Father. “The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind.” — (E.G. White, RH, July 9, 1895) Note that the nature of God and His only begotten Son is actually illustrated on a small scale with Adam and Eve. “Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. ... Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator—all were overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself,” — (E.G. White, PP, 56.2) In exactly the same way Eve was part of Adam, Christ is part of God. “God's love for the world was not manifest because He sent His Son, but because He loved the world He sent His Son into the world that divinity clothed with humanity might touch humanity, while divinity lay hold of infinity. Though sin had produced a gulf between man and his God, divine benevolence provided a plan to bridge that gulf. And what material did He use? A part of Himself. The brightness of the Father's glory came to a world all seared and marred with the curse, and in His own divine character, in His own divine body, bridged the gulf and opened a channel of communication between God and man.” — (E.G. White, Lt36a, Sept 18, 1890) So we find that Christ was tore from the bosom of His Father and hence was part of Himself, which is something a Trinitarian can never say. The Son of God was brought forth from the Father and hence is the same substance of His Father. This means that everything Christ consists of has always existed as it came from the Father. But the person of Christ had a beginning even though what Christ consists of does not. Thus it would not necessarily be incorrect to say that Christ has always existed before he was born from the perspective that He existed in the bosom of His Father. Who or What is the Holy Spirit? Many think a spirit is a ghost in the form of some bodiless phantom that floats around. The American Heritage Dictionary says ghost means “The spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats.” But the Holy Spirit is certainly not a ghost as just described. Note that πνευμα αγιον (pneuma hagion) should have always been translated as “Holy Spirit” but sometimes is incorrectly translated it as “Holy Ghost.” David wrote, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” Psalm 139:7. Here David uses Hebrew parallelism to express himself. This expresses a thought one way, and then uses a complementary thought to express it another way. His first thought is, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit?” And the second which is equivalent to the first says, “whither shall I flee from thy presence?” So David is saying that God's Spirit is equivalent to God's presence. Thus the Holy Spirit is best described as being God's presence and power. For Adventists: “In giving us His Spirit, God gives us Himself,” — (E.G. White, 7T 273.1, 1902). “The divine Spirit that the world's Redeemer promised to send, is the presence and power of God.” — (E.G. White, ST, Nov 23) The Trinity doctrine however claims that the Holy Spirit is another person because the Bible shows the Holy Spirit has mind, will and emotions. But this is unbiblical and faulty logic. The Holy Spirit has a personality because God has a personality. In giving us His Spirit God gives us Himself. And so His Spirit has “His” mind, will and emotions the same as man. A persons spirit is their mind, will and emotions. It is who you are. So a spirit is not and never can be a literal person in itself. If it were, it would cease to be a spirit. For instance, in order for a spirit to be another person, it would also have to have its own spirit. In other words, for the Holy Spirit to be a person, it would have to have its own spirit in order to have its own mind, will and emotions. So you would end up with the Spirit of the Holy Spirit. Along with this false theology introduced by Satan so he could achieve worship, man seems to have lost all touch with the reality of a what a spirit is. However, while our spirit is within us, God's Spirit can do what ours can't. He can send His Spirit anywhere. The book of Job says, “there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Job 32:8. A spirit is the part of a person that can be grieved. Daniel explains, “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body,” Daniel 7:15. A spirit is the part of a person that can perceive or understand things. In Mark's gospel we read, “And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason you these things in your hearts?” Mark 2:8. A spirit is the part of a person that can be troubled. The king of Babylon had a dream and he told his wise men, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.” Daniel 2:3. So we find that our spirit is our mind, will and emotions. This does not make our spirit another person. What would you think if I said, “I know that we have met before, but have you met my spirit? I would like to introduce you to my spirit who is sitting over there on that chair.” You would obviously think I had a twisted concept of what my spirit is. It is not some other person that is separate and distinct from me. My spirit is who I am and hence is my mind, will and emotions. The Bible mentions several types of spirits. We find “evil spirit,” “dumb spirit,” “unclean spirit,” “foul spirit,” “humble spirit,” “excellent spirit,” “good spirit,” “broken spirit,” “wounded spirit,” “faithful spirit,” and “haughty spirit” etc. All these spirits are distinguishable by the adjective that describes them such as good, foul and humble etc. We know that God the Father has a spirit (Matthew 10:20) and His Spirit of course could be nothing other than Holy. The word “Holy” is also an adjective be it in English or Greek. So “Holy Spirit” is not a name but a description of God's Spirit. God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ have different names and titles in the Bible because they are personal beings. If the Holy Spirit is a personal being co-equal with the Father and Son as the trinity doctrine teaches, then why doesn't it have a personal name also? The “Spirit” is not a name, it is what it is. “Holy” is just the adjective that describes God's Spirit, and other terms such as the “Spirit of God” is not a name either but what it is. It is the Spirit of God! It is also called the “Spirit of your Father” which once again is just what it is. So if the Holy Spirit was truly a personal being then why no personal name? Since your Spirit is your mind, will and emotions, the Greek and Hebrew word for “Spirit” also means “mind” as you would expect. Strong's dictionary says, breath, figuratively life, spirit, (including its expression and functions), mind. Now note below that Paul in Romans 11:34 is quoting Isaiah 40:13. So we know that Paul understood the Spirit of the Lord to also mean the mind of the Lord. And of course the mind of someone is not a different person to them any more than their spirit is and this also includes God as Paul reveals below. So again we find that your spirit is your mind, will and emotions for not only people but God also. The Greek word “pneuma” and equivalent Hebrew word “rûach” are also interchangeably translated as “spirit” or “mind” in various translations and “rûach” is translated as “mind” in the KJV Bible six times. “Who has known the mind of the Lord? And who has been His counselor, to instruct Him?” Isaiah 40:13 Septuagint “Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor has taught him?” Isaiah 40:13 KJV“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?” Romans 11:34 KJV So how can the mind of the Lord be another being? It cannot in fact. It was not in fact until May 381 AD when a newly baptized emperor, with little or “no” knowledge of theology accepted the idea of three Cappadocians that the Spirit of God was a literal and separate being. Anyone who disagreed was labelled a foolish madman and heretic and dealt with accordingly! So this Catholic belief flowed on through the dark ages and straight into the Protestant Churches at the Protestant Reformation without being questioned as did the trinity doctrine. Hence it was just assumed to be correct and so one day they justified it by saying that secular dictionaries state a person has mind, will and emotions and various Scriptures show the Holy Spirit does also, and therefore it must be a literal being. But as we have already seen, this unbiblical logic would also mean my spirit within me is also a person, and separate from me. Would you believe me if I said that a person's spirit is another literal being? After all, a person's spirit can be troubled, Daniel 2:3 “...my spirit was troubled...” And a person's spirit can be grieved, Daniel 7:15 “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit...” And a person's spirit can speak and pray, 1 Corinthians 14:14 “...my spirit prayeth...” And a person's spirit can rejoice, Luke 1:47“my spirit has rejoiced...” And a person's spirit can be received by the Lord, Acts 7:59 “...Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” A person's spirit can also serve, Romans 1:9 “...I serve with my spirit...” And a person's spirit can also rest, 2 Corinthians 2:13 “I had no rest in my spirit...” So we find that a person's spirit has a mind, will and emotions. Therefore, a person's spirit must be another literal being. Right now you are probably thinking I have lost my mind, and yet this is exactly the same logic that is used to imply that the Holy Spirit is another literal being! Some will respond, “But it is different with God's Spirit.” But not so. Not only does the Bible reveal it is not different but in fact says it is exactly the same with only one exception. Our Spirit is within us but God can send His Spirit anywhere. If the Bible does not say the Holy Spirit is a literal being, then let's not assume it to say something it does not say. So let's honour God and trust what His Word does say instead of assuming or believing our adversaries lies. And as we have seen in Scripture, God and His Son and all living beings have a spirit which is what gives us all a unique personality with our own mind, will and emotions. So for the “Spirit of God” to be a “literal being” as it is erroneously believed today, then the “Spirit of God” would have to have its “own spirit” and one that is also distinct from the Father and Son. But then we are forced into the belief of the “spirit of the Spirit,” and if the Holy Spirit did not have a spirit of its own as per this belief, then it could not have a separate personality and hence its own mind, will and emotions anyway! The spirit of every living being has a personality because our spirit is in fact our personality! So the Holy Spirit has a personality because God has a personality. In giving us His Spirit God gives us Himself. It is not another being and it is not some impersonal force. It is the presence and power of God Himself. It is God's own Spirit having God's own personality. If I could give you my spirit, whose personality would you have? Mine! So God's Spirit has God's personality. The same applies to the fact that the Spirit is divine because God is a divine being. Remember that God is a spirit and yet He is a personal being. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 For Adventists: The Holy Spirit is not some force or another being but God Himself. “In giving us His Spirit, God gives us Himself, making Himself a fountain of divine influences, to give health and life to the world.” — (E.G. White, 7T 273.1, 1902). “God is a spirit; yet He is a personal being, for man was made in His image.” — (E.G. White, 8T 263.1, 1904) Notice how Paul compares the spirit of man with the Spirit of God putting the final nail in the coffin of this lie. And of course your thoughts come from your mind and hence are the result of your mind, will and emotions. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 Here the spirit of man is likened to the Spirit of God. Just as a man has a spirit, God also has a Spirit in the same manner, and His Spirit is the part of Him associated with His thoughts and emotions the same as a man. Ephesians 4:30 says the Holy Spirit is “the holy Spirit of God” and to grieve not His Spirit. So just as the spirit of man can be grieved so can God's. If I told you that I was grieving in my spirit, would you think my spirit was a separate person? Obviously not. And Paul stated it is no different with God and His Spirit in this respect. God's Spirit belongs to God, just as my spirit belongs to me. So as Paul said, the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God because it is His Holy Spirit and hence has His mind, will and emotions just like man. And of course Paul also revealed in Romans 11:34 given above that the mind and spirit are correlated. He further shows this relationship in Ephesians 4:23 where he said “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” This is Biblical exegesis but to say the Holy Spirit has mind, will and emotions so therefore must be a literal and separate being is an unbiblical assumption and eisegesis. Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:11 shows the difference is that man's spirit is within him but does not say this about God's Spirit as God can send His Spirit anywhere. There is also no Scripture that says the Holy Spirit is God. Notice these examples of how “Holy Spirit” is used in the Bible. Matthew 3:16 “and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” And in the parallel verse of Luke 3:22 “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him,” So these parallel verses show that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. And for an even clearer example. Luke 12:11-12 says, “take you no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.” Note the same account from Matthew and what he called the Holy Spirit. “take no thought how or what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:19-20. Matthew called the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of your Father,” and so is not another being but God's Spirit, and why it is called the Spirit of God. It is not called God the Spirit. His Spirit of course is Holy and why it is also called the Holy Spirit. This is why the Holy Spirit has all the characteristics of the Father because it is His Spirit. Whose Spirit was Jesus anointed with at His baptism? “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” Matthew 3:16. By the power of whose Spirit did Jesus cast out demons? “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” Matthew 12:28. The Apostles did many miracles by the power of whose Spirit just as Jesus did? “Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Romans 15:19. This unmistakable verse says the Holy Spirit is God's Spirit. “Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 4:8. Whose Spirit is it that dwells in us? Is it another person or God Himself through His Spirit? “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13. There are more than twenty five verses that reveal this simple truth. Here is one more. “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 While Scripture uses the term “Spirit Of God,” it never uses the term “God the Spirit” as its meaning is incorrect. The rules of grammar tell us that the phrase “God the Spirit” means it is a Spirit that is a God, while the “Spirit Of God” means this is the Spirit that belongs to God. As you can see, they have different meanings and only one can be correct. But which one? The one that is found in the Bible of course! The other came from the Catholic Church. Phrases like “God the Spirit” or “God the Holy Spirit” are Catholic Trinitarian terms that resulted from Satan through man in 381 AD turning the Spirit of God into God the Spirit. Why? So Satan could step into his creation and receive worship as a deity just as he always desired. Hence these Catholic terms were made up to match the doctrine they created and never occur in Scripture as they are literally wrong. So why does the Bible never use the phrase “God the Spirit?” Because God's Spirit is not another God! It uses “Spirit Of God” because the Holy Spirit is God's own Spirit. It is not a difficult concept. No sincere Christian should ever be caught using unbiblical terms like “God the Spirit” as you would be following in the footsteps of antichrist. Terms such as “God's Spirit,” the “Spirit of God,” the “Spirit of Christ,” “My Spirit,” “His Spirit,” and the “Holy Spirit” are used to name just a few. Also, the Scriptures never tell us to “pray to” or “worship” the Spirit. Why would the Bible neglect that if the Holy Spirit was a co-equal God of a trinity? We are told to pray “for” the Spirit, but never “to” the Spirit. And the same applies to Christ. Does the Bible call Jesus “God the Son” as Catholics and Trinitarians do, or does the Bible call Christ the “Son of God”? Scripture in fact always calls Jesus the “Son of God” and with good reason. Because that is what He is to state the obvious. If you are using Catholic phrases like “God the Son” or “God the Spirit,” that never originated from Scripture, then you are following the Papal Church and antichrist, not the inspired words of God. Some also mention Genesis 1:2 which says “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” as if that gives support to the Holy Spirit being a literal being. But does it say a separate person called God the Spirit moved on the face of the waters or does it say God through His Spirit and hence His personal presence moved upon the face of the waters? It is also worth noting that in the Old Testament that the phrase “Holy Spirit” is used 3 times, “Spirit of God” 14 times and “Spirit of the Lord” 26 times. All these phrases are synonymous and not one of these 43 verses implies the Holy Spirit is God or an actual separate being but simply the Holy Spirit of God. Jewish scholars examining the references to the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Scriptures have never defined the Holy Spirit as anything but the presence and power of God. Are the Father and Son One in Spirit? Paul says in Ephesians 4:4 that there is “one Spirit.” But the Bible speaks about the “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of Christ” which involves two Divine beings. If the Father has a Holy Spirit, the Son must too. So how then is there only one Spirit? The answer is something the majority miss because most have been indoctrinated with the Catholic idea of the Holy Spirit as another being rather than God's own Spirit. God and His Son have a shared Spirit and that is how “They” represent “Themselves” where they are not personally present. So the Holy Spirit is the mind, power, character and personal presence of the very life of God that the Father sends through His Son to us. Or to put it another way to make sure this is clear; the Holy Spirit is the presence and power of the Father manifested through Jesus Christ, His only begotten son. This is not a separate person of the Godhead who is being sent, it is the very life of God coming to us through His Son. “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:24 Everything Christ received He inherited from His Father including His very own life which is self-existent as it came from the Father. “For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself.” John 5:26 But not only His life but Christ also received of His Father's Spirit. Thus the Father and Son are one in Spirit, and that one Spirit proceeds from the Father and comes to us through His Son. This is why Paul equates the “Spirit of God” with the “Spirit of Christ” as it is the same one Spirit of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. And so we find that the Holy Spirit is the same Spirit whether it is spoken of as pertaining to God or Christ. “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Romans 8:9 Referring to the Holy Spirit, Paul says that Christ is that Spirit. “Now the Lord [Jesus] is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 And further, while Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:4 that there is only one Spirit, he again tells us in Galatians 4:6 that this Spirit is the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He received from His Father. So when you receive the Spirit of God, you receive the Spirit of His Son into your heart also. The Father did not send another individual. He sent the Spirit of His Son. “God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6 Thus through their Holy Spirit both the Father and Son come and make their abode in you. “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:23 And being one in Spirit gives us access to the Father through Christ our mediator. “For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Ephesians 2:18 So it is by the Holy Spirit that Christ lives in us. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:” Galatians 2:20 The Spirit of Christ is our Comforter (parakletos) which also means “helper” and is translated as such in the NKJV, “For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Philippians 1:19 And since the Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Spirit of truth, if the Father and Son were not one in Spirit, then Christ by His Spirit could not be the Comforter and Spirit of truth. It is only by sharing the same Spirit that this is possible. Christ had also spoken through all the prophets. “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:11 Christ has always partaken of the Spirit of God since He was begotten of the Father before they created anything. When Jesus was incarnated on earth 2000 years ago, He was full of that same Holy Spirit of God from His conception, and throughout His earthy sojourn as the Son of Man. After His resurrection and ascension to Heaven, He sent “another Comforter” to earth to empower His people till the end of time, which was Himself in Spirit form. Only the Father and the Son can be present outside of their bodies throughout the Universe. Their Holy Spirit is the way in which they are omnipresent while also being physically present in the Heavenly Sanctuary as we speak. This is where the nascent Catholics made their mistakes when coming up with the incomprehensible doctrine of the trinity versus the plain word of God. In creating the trinity they philosophized when they should have left it alone as it is totally un-Scriptural. “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 Here the Apostle Paul is talking about the two Adams. The first Adam was the first created man on earth who sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. The second (last) Adam is Christ who came to redeem us. Notice that Paul says that this One was made “a quickening spirit.” This is the other important thing about Christ. Not just His earthly human life, but also what happened after. In verse 46 Paul clarifies that the natural comes first and then the spiritual. This is exactly what happened with Jesus. He came to earth first as a man, ministered, ascended to Heaven, and then at Pentecost He came back in Spirit with mighty power! Both times were to instruct and sanctify His people, and that is the same purpose today. So the Holy Spirit of God the Father is now also the Spirit of Christ which point Paul confirms in verse 47. So “the Lord from Heaven” in verse 47 is the “quickening Spirit” of verse 45. It cannot be any clearer. The Spirit of God and of Christ is the third entity of the Godhead, but it is not another being any more than our Spirit is another being. However, the Spirit of the Father and Son as divine beings can do something we cannot. They can leave their bodies in one place (the Heavenly Sanctuary), and also be omnipresent in every place throughout the universe at the same time by their Holy Spirit. In this way they can also enter the hearts of a repentant believer. The teachings of the Catholic trinity (three beings in one god) are now rampant in most Churches which destroys this wonderful truth of who the Holy Spirit really is by the introduction of a third being which does not actually exist! And as if that were not bad enough, Satan receives the unwitting worship of millions upon millions of people through this serious deception that he has inspired man to create. For Adventists: “the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.” — (E.J. Waggoner, CAHR, p. 23, 1890) Why both? Because, “The Father gave his Spirit without measure to his Son,” — (E.G. White, RH, Nov 5, 1908)So, “They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit,” — (E.G. White, YI, Dec 16, 1897) And since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and Son, who do we have in us by the Holy Spirit? The Father and Son! “By the Spirit the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with you.” — (E.G. White, BEcho, Jan 15, 1893) The Holy Spirit is the very life of God coming from the Father and shared by the Son. It is the personal presence of the Father and the Son given to us. Those who partake of this divine presence and power within, the life of God, and allow Him to transform their characters into the likeness of His Son will someday personally meet this wondrous God of love. How do Trinitarians claim the Holy Spirit is God? The Trinity doctrine teaches the Father is God, Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God and yet there are not three gods but one God. So when the challenge first arose to prove the Holy Spirit is God, Trinitarians had to find something in Scripture to support this erroneous belief. The following is eisegesis and the best they could find. “But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why have you conceived this thing in thine heart? you have not lied unto men, but unto God.” Acts 5:3-4. Since verse three says Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit and verse four says he had not lied to man but to God, it is claimed that the Holy Spirit is God. But this is eisegesis and red fire engine logic. That is, fire engines are red, my car is red, therefore my car is a fire engine! Peter said to lie to the Spirit of God is to lie to God Himself because it is His Spirit. My Spirit belongs to me in the same way as Paul revealed earlier. So if you lie to my spirit you have lied to me, not someone else! God's spirit revealed to Peter that Ananias had lied and so he had not lied to man but to God as it was God Himself through His spirit that revealed the lie. As Paul said, “no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 For Adventists: Ananias lied to God's Spirit which was within Peter which is the same as lying to the Almighty God Himself because it is His Spirit. “In giving us His Spirit, God gives us Himself,” — (E.G. White, 7T 273.1, 1902)So does Acts 5:3-4 say the Holy Spirit is god or that they lied to the “almighty God” as it is His Spirit? “Peter asked, “Was it not thine own?” thus showing that no undue influence had been brought to bear upon Ananias and Sapphira to compel them to sacrifice their possessions to the general good. They had acted from choice. But in pretending to be wrought upon by the Holy Ghost, and attempting to deceive the apostles, they had lied to the Almighty.” — (E.G. White, 3SP 285.1) How can this be if the Holy Spirit is another Being? Below is something to consider very carefully. And please understand that I am not mocking. If you stop and think about what I am saying, you will realize this does in fact have to be true. Trinitarians claim the phrase “Spirit of God” in Scripture refers to another being rather than God's own Spirit. But if the “Spirit of God” is not really the “Spirit OF God” but another being, then how can God Himself have His own Spirit if His Spirit is another being? And if God does have a Spirit, what would His Spirit be called? The “Spirit of God” obviously which would also be a Holy Spirit! So that would mean we have the “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of God.” One of them is another being and one is not, and both of course are Holy Spirits. So how many Holy Spirits would that make? The only way around this problem is if God Himself does not have a Spirit and His Spirit is only another being separate from Himself. But the problem still does not end there. The Trinity doctrine teaches 3 co-equal beings, meaning equal in every single way. So if the “Spirit of God” is another being, therefore, for Christ to be a co-equal divine being as the Trinity doctrine claims, then the “Spirit of Christ” must also be another being, which would also make another Holy Spirit! How much easier it is if we accept that the Holy Spirit is not another being, and the “Spirit of God” is actually the “Spirit of God” which is shared by His Son. Then we have no problem! For Adventists: The “Spirit of God” is His “own Spirit” and when God gives us His Spirit He give us Himself! “In giving us His Spirit, God gives us Himself,” — (E.G. White, 7T 273.1, 1902) Many believe that Jesus became the Son of God by His birth in Bethlehem. If that were true, then consider the following. Matthew 1:18 says that “Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” So if the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, and the Holy Spirit was an individual god as the trinity doctrine claims, then the Holy Spirit must be the father of Christ. And yet my Bible tells me that God the Father is the father of Christ. So how can this be? Because the Holy Spirit is not another god called “god the spirit” but is the “Spirit OF God” or the “Spirit OF the Father” as the Bible tells us. The Bible also calls the Holy Spirit an “it” which is never done in reference to God or Christ. Romans 8:16 KJV says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness.” And Romans 8:26 KJV “the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us.” Why is it appropriate to call the Holy Spirit it but not appropriate to call the Father or Son it? This means the three cannot be co-equal as you never, ever, refer to an individual person as “it.” Modern translations which are done by Trinitarians have changed these words from it to Him or Himself to hide this fact to try and make the Spirit appear as another being. This is not honest. Does the Bible prove the Holy Spirit cannot be a literal being? Since the trinity doctrine claims the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are literally three co-equal beings, then 1 John 1:3 should have said “truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit,” but not so. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is not a literal being but the Spirit of God. So our fellowship is only with the Father and Son who are literal beings. The same applies to 1 John 2:22-23. John says nothing about denying the Holy Spirit for the same reason. Why did Jesus say that we only need to know the Father and Son to have eternal life, and not the Holy Spirit if it is a third co-equal being as the Trinity doctrine claims? “And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3. Because the Holy Spirit is not “God the Spirit,” but the “Spirit of God.” It is only the Father and Son we need to know as the Holy Spirit is their Spirit. If the Holy Spirit was a literal co-equal being then it would have also seen the Father but once again scripture says no. “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [Jesus] who is from God; He has seen the Father.” John 6:46. How can the Holy Spirit be a literal being and yet never have seen the Father? Because it is not a literal being but God's own Spirit. Luke wrote that no one knows who the Father and Son are except each other. This makes it literally impossible for the Holy Spirit to be a literal being who would have to be able to reveal the Father and Son if it was but not so. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Luke 10:22 Paul wrote “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. But how can Christ be our Mediator when He has returned to the Father? Because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and it is also the Spirit of Christ and why Jesus could say “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. If the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ we have no problem, but if the Holy Spirit was another being we would have two mediators between God and man making Scripture a lie. For example: 1 John 2:1 states that Jesus is our “Advocate” and John 14:26 states the Holy Spirit is the “Comforter.” The Greek word for “Comforter” and “Advocate” in these verses is “Parakletos” which means Mediator, Intercessor, Comforter and Advocate. So we either have two mediators between ourselves and the Father contradicting 1 Timothy 2:5, or the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. So which is it? The Holy Spirit is another being and 1 Timothy 2:5 is a lie. Or the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and all Scripture is in harmony. If the Holy Spirit is a separate being equal to the Father and the Son as the trinity doctrine claims, then why are we “never” told the Holy Spirit loves us? And why does the Bible “never” teach we are to love or worship the Holy Spirit? It cannot be a third co-equal being with that being the case. The thrones of God and His Son are spoken of, but a throne for the Holy Spirit is “never” mentioned. If the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Son, why is a throne for the Holy Spirit “never” mentioned? Because it is their Spirit and not another god. Ask yourself these simple questions. Why did the Father never speak to the Holy Spirit?Why did Jesus never speak to the Holy Spirit?Why did the Holy Spirit never speak to Jesus?Why did the Holy Spirit never speak to the Father? Yet the Father spoke to His Son over and over again all throughout the Bible, and Jesus spoke to His Father over and over again all throughout the Bible. So how can the Holy Spirit be a co-equal being when it never speaks to the Father and Son? And what an inexplicable oversight for Paul if the Spirit were indeed a literal being co-equal with the Father and Son because Paul excluded the Holy Spirit in every one of his greetings in every single letter he wrote! Peter and John did the same. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:7“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:3“Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:2“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,” Galatians 1:3“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:2“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:1“Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:2“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Timothy 1:2“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” 2 Timothy 1:2“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 1:4“Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philemon 1:3“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,” 2 Peter 1:2“Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father,” 2 John 1:3 The Holy Spirit cannot be a literal co-equal being as it is consistently left out of every greeting. If the Spirit was an individual being co-equal with the Father and Son, then this consistent omission is incomprehensible. It would have been effrontery and insubordination by the apostles at the highest level. This would be like having a country with three presidents but only ever acknowledging two of them. In fact not once is the Holy Spirit ever uplifted or praised in the Scriptures. It is always just God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Why is that? Because “there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6. That's why! So the Bible reveals the following: There are only two beings, our fellowship is not with the Holy Spirit, only the Father and Son, we only need to know the Father and Son for eternal life, the Holy Spirit has not seen the Father, only the Son, the Holy Spirit cannot reveal the Father and Son, only they can. Our one mediator is the Holy Spirit of Christ and not the Holy Spirit as another being, the Holy Spirit is never spoken to by the Father and Son and they are never spoken to by the Holy Spirit, we are never told to pray to or worship the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is never included in any salutations. And yet we are expected to believe that the Holy Spirit is a third co-equal being! Clearly that is just not possible. There are many more Scriptures that reveal the same thing over and over. The idea of the Holy Spirit as an individual being was an invention of man through Satan in 381 AD long after the completion of the Bible and hence could never have come from the Bible. It is a very clever and convincing deception until you have seen the real truth. Who is the Comforter? This is another area of great confusion as some believe that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit while others say it is Christ. Both can be considered correct providing you understand the Holy Spirit is not a literal being. A lot of confusion also comes from a misunderstanding of John 14:26 from the King James Bible which says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” But note the words “which is” are italicized in the KJV because they were added by the translators and do not exist in the original Greek manuscripts. The Modern King James Bible reads, “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name,” These two added words are missing in almost every translation including the NKJV Bible. These added words along with the Comforter in John 14:16 being referred to as a “he” have mislead many into believing the Holy Spirit is a literal being. But this is ignorance on what is known as grammatical gender. The word “he” is not in the original Greek text and is added by the translators to make it readable in English. The only reason the pronoun “he” is used is because the grammatical gender for the word “Comforter” is “masculine” in the Greek and would remain masculine even if the Comforter was a female. Many fail to understand that it is grammatical gender and not sexual gender. In any case, the grammatical gender for the word “Spirit” is actually “neuter” in the Greek and not masculine. Not only that, but the grammatical gender for Holy “Spirit” can be masculine, feminine or neuter depending on which language it was written in, which alone reveals the error and misunderstanding. For instance, in Hebrew the Holy “Spirit” would be feminine. Languages derived from Latin such as Greek, Spanish, French, etc. have a specific gender for every noun that does not change. So every object be it animate or inanimate is designated as masculine, feminine or neuter for each of these languages. But the gender is often unrelated to whether the item is actually masculine or feminine. See is the Holy Spirit a he or it for detail. The Greek word for Comforter is “paraklētos” which Strong's dictionary says means, “intercessor, advocate, comforter.” The Thayer dictionary used these words, “one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate.” So who is our advocate and comforter? Who is the only mediator between God and man? There can be no mistake or confusion as John says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (Comforter) [paraklētos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” 1 John 2:1. Parentheses are added. Note that the word for advocate here is exactly the same Greek word [paraklētos] used in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 for Comforter but has been translated here as advocate. So John says our advocate and Comforter is “Jesus Christ the righteous.” And who does Timothy say our mediator and hence advocate is between God and man? “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:5 John 14:16 “he shall give you another Comforter [paraklētos] , that he may abide with you for ever;”John 14:26 “the Comforter [paraklētos] , which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,”John 15:26 “when the Comforter [paraklētos] is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father.”John 16:7 “for if I go not away, the Comforter [paraklētos] will not come unto you;”1 John 2:1 “if any man sin, we have an advocate (Comforter) [paraklētos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” John 14:16-28 tells us many times who the Comforter is, but the moment Jesus says “another Comforter,” most become blind to the fact He is referring to Himself by His Spirit despite His clear words that follow. The Greek word for another is “allos,” which means another of the exact same kind and hence means another as the same kind as Christ. Jesus was present with His disciples in physical form but after His ascension He comes back in another form, that is, by His Spirit. Hence the “another” is His Spirit. Since Christ's Spirit can function independently of Himself, it is like His Spirit is “another.” And because it is His Spirit, it is “another” of the same kind. If the Comforter was someone different, then John would have used the word “heteros” meaning another of a different kind. Easy to understand once you know. Most also fail to notice that Jesus often speaks of Himself in the third person as He has in this passage. See John 17:1-3 for one such example. Compare “heteros” with “allos” HELPS Word-studies © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc. G2087 héteros – another (of a different kind). 2087 /héteros (“another but distinct in kind”) stands in contrast to 243 /állos (“another of the same kind”). 2087 /héteros (“another of a different quality”) emphasizes it is qualitatively different from its counterpart (comparison). [2087 (héteros) sometimes refers to “another” of a different class group or type (as in Plato; Oxy. papyri).] G243 állos (a primitive word) – another of the same kind; another of a similar type. Note Vines dictionary and that the word Comforter to the Hebrew people meant Messiah. “ lit., “called to one's side,” i.e., to one's aid is primarily a verbal adjective, and suggests the capability or adaptability for giving aid. It was used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defense, an advocate; then, generally, one who pleads another's cause, an intercessor, advocate, as in 1John 2:1, of the Lord Jesus. In the widest sense, it signifies a “succorer, comforter.” Christ was this to His disciples, by the implication of His word “another (allos, “another of the same sort,” not heteros, “different”) Comforter,” when speaking of the Holy Spirit, John 14:16. In John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7 He calls Him “the Comforter.” “Comforter” or “Consoler” corresponds to the name “Menahem,” given by the Hebrews to the Messiah.” — (W.E. Vine's M.A., Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, 1940) Here is the entire passage. John 14:6, 16-23 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another [allos] Comforter [paraklētos], that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also. 20 At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 He that has my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord , how is it that you will manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Parentheses are added. In v. 16 Jesus says He will send “another” Comforter but leaves no doubt as to who He meant in v. 18. In unmistakable words He says “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” This “other Comforter” is none other than Christ Himself in another form (Spirit form). He is not seen (physically) as He was when He was here on earth. He is removed from the eye of sense, but He is still with us in Spirit. The Comforter is referred to as the Spirit of truth in v. 17 which is the first time Christ reveals He is referring to Himself in this passage. Ten verses earlier Jesus says, “I am the truth” (v. 6) and by His Spirit He is the “Spirit of truth.” In v. 17 we also see that the Comforter is someone whom the world cannot receive because it does not know Him. But Christ tells His disciples that they know Him for He is dwelling with them. The only one with them is Christ. In verse 19 Christ says that in a while the world seeth me no more referring to His death and resurrection, so in v. 18 and 19 Christ is saying that though He is leaving, He will not leave them Comfortless and is going to come back to them. So the disciples knew it was Christ who was going to return to them as their Comforter but did not understand how. And so Judas, not Iscariot, asks Christ how is He going to manifest Himself to them as the Comforter and not unto the world? (v. 22). How did the disciples understand “another Comforter?” Did they understand that Christ was talking about someone else? No! This Judas understood perfectly that it was Christ who was coming back to them and not someone else. Notice that his question is not “who” but “how?” And so he was not wondering “who” but he did wonder “how” Christ was going to manifest Himself to them as their Comforter. The answer is: by His Spirit which is something they did not yet understand. For Adventists: “That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation.” — (E.G. White, SW, Sept 13, 1898) In John 16:7 Jesus says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” So how is it that the Comforter who was yet to be sent to them was dwelling with them in John 14? In John 7:39 we find “But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” If the Holy Spirit was another being as per the trinity doctrine, it would not be dependent on Christ returning to the Father and being glorified before it could be given. The Holy Spirit could not be given until Christ was glorified as this is how Christ returns as another, that is, by His Holy Spirit. Did you notice the underlined section of John 14:23 above? It says “we will come unto him and make ourabode with him.” That is, both the Father and the Son through their Holy Spirit. This is not a separate person of the Godhead who is being sent, it is the very life of God coming to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Who is more qualified to comfort us other than someone who has lived and suffered as one of us and knows what it is like to be tempted? How precious is it to have both the Father and Son? Those who do not understand this are missing out on more than a blessing. If you believe the Holy Spirit is another being, which was an invention of man from Satan, then what spirit would you have? For Adventists: “By the Spirit the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with you. [John 14:23 quoted]” — (E.G. White, BEcho, Jan 15, 1893) That brings us back to John 14:26. Many believe that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter as a literal being separate from Christ because they misunderstand John 14:26 and who the Spirit truly is. The added words “which is” in the KJV tend to be misleading, and while these words can be used, this passage would be less likely misunderstood if the word “through” was used instead. This would be consistent with all other Scripture and without the seemingly apparent contradiction with the other verses that reveal that Christ is our Comforter, advocate and mediator. It would read without misunderstanding as, “But the Comforter, through the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26 For Adventists: “It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God,” — (E.G. White, DA, p. 388) So in John 14:16-23 Jesus explains to His disciples that He will be soon be leaving them but He will not leave them comfortless and that He will come to them. Judas asks how Jesus is going to come back to them but not to the world. They did not understand that He would come back to them by His Holy Spirit. And not only Him as Christ says but those who love Him and keep His Commandments will have both the Father and Himself make their abode in them by the Holy Spirit. Thus Jesus returns to the Father but comes back again through the Holy Spirit as another of the same kind. Christ explains this to them so that they will not be troubled or afraid, and so that when it happens they will believe. Below is the continuation of this passage and you will note that Christ once again says that He is the one coming back to them. John 14:27-29 “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28 You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' ... 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” Jesus not only said He is coming back but also said, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. What wonderful words of Comfort. Jesus said, do not be troubled or afraid as though I am going away, I am going to come back to you and I am going to be with you even unto the end of the world. But how is Christ going to be with us and Comforting us unto the end of the world when He has ascended to His Father where He is going to remain? By coming back as another of the same kind. That is, through the Holy Spirit as our Comforter! For Adventists: “Jesus was about to be removed from his disciples; but he assured them that although he should ascend to his Father, his Spirit and influence would be with them always, and with their successors even unto the end of the world.” — (E.G. White, 3SP, 238.1) “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself , divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit , as the Omnipresent.” — (E.G. White, 14MR 23.3, 1895) “This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ , called the Comforter.” — (E.G. White, Lt119, Feb 18, 1895) Note how many times many Christians miss Jesus saying that He will be our Comforter because they misunderstand what Jesus meant when he said another Comforter. Parentheses are added. John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth [Jesus is the truth and by His Spirit He is the Spirit of truth]; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwelleth with you [Christ is the only one with them], and shall be in you [by His Spirit as the Comforter].” John 14:18 “I [Jesus] will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:20 “At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you [by His Spirit as the Comforter].” John 14:21 “He that has my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him [by His Spirit as the Comforter].” John 14:22 “Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you [Jesus] will manifest thyself unto us [as the Comforter], and not unto the world?” John 14:23 “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we [Jesus and His Father] will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:28 “You heard me say, I [Jesus] am going away and I am coming back to you [by His Spirit as the Comforter].” Christ could not be in all places and with everyone at the same time in human form, but through the Spirit, He could be with everyone as their Comforter. So Christ comes as our Comforter through the Holy Spirit, which He sends to us, and when we receive the Holy Spirit, we are receiving both the Spirit of the Father, and through the spirit, His Son also. Romans 8:9-11. So it should now be very clear that Christ is our Comforter who is also called the Spirit of truth. And for further clarity, here are four ways Scripture reveals Christ is the Spirit of truth. 1) John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26 reveals the Comforter is the Spirit of truth and the Comforter is Christ. “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18 2) John 14:6 says Jesus is the truth and by His Spirit He is the Spirit of truth. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:” John 14:6 3) The Spirit of truth does not speak of Himself; it is the Father that tells “Him” what to speak and that “Him” is Christ. See John 8:28; 12:49; 14:10, 24 and 16:13 below. 4) The Spirit of truth is also to show us things to come which Revelation 1:1 tells us it is Jesus Christ which is once again revealed to Him by His Father. John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” Notice in John 16:13 above that the Spirit of truth (Christ) does not speak of Himself but speaks what He hears from someone else. In the verses below we find that someone else is His Father. Jesus does not speak of Himself but what the Father instructs Him to say. And that remains the same when Christ returns as our Comforter and the Spirit of truth. Even by His Spirit, He does not speak of Himself but speaks what He hears from His Father. That is what He shall speak. John 12:49 “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” John 14:10 “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me,” John 14:24 “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” John 8:28 “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father has taught me, I speak these things.” The Spirit of truth is also to show us what things are to come which we find in Revelation 1:1 is also Christ. Just as the words He speaks are from His Father, so are the things to come that He is to show us. And hence we find all Scripture lines up without any contradiction or inconsistencies as truth always does. Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;” For Adventists: Hover mouse pointer over the blue text for quotes. What is the Comma Johanneum? This is an addition to Scripture that is so famous and hence so well known that it has even been given its own name. The Comma Johanneum is a comma (short clause) in 1 John 5:7-8 which is the “only” passage in the entire Bible that says all three are one without assumptions or unbiblical human logic. The King James Version reads as follows, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” 1 John 5:7-8 The scholarly consensus is that this passage is a Latin corruption that found its way into a Greek manuscript at an early date while absent from others. The words in red are found in the KJV, NKJV but are missing from the majority of translations. It is disconcerting to find there is no shortage of evidence that reveals this text was added. Thomas Nelson and Sons Catholic Commentary, 1951, page 1186 explains, “It is now generally held that this passage, called the Gomma Johanneum, is a gloss that crept into the text of the Old Latin and Vulgate at an early date, but found its way into the Greek text only in the 15th and 16th centuries.” Here is how 1 John 5:7-8 reads from the NIV and most other Bible translations. “For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” Mouse over for a list of Bible translations for 1 John 5:7 and Adam Clarke's and other Commentaries. Erasmus did not include the infamous Comma Johanneum of 1 John 5:7-8 in either his 1516 or 1519 editions of his Greek New Testament but made its way into his third edition in 1522 because of pressure from the Catholic Church. After his first edition appeared in 1516, there arose such a furor over the absence of the Comma that Erasmus needed to defend himself. He argued that he did not put in the Comma Trinitarian formula because he found no Greek manuscripts that included it. Once one was produced called the Codex 61, that was written by one Roy or Froy at Oxford in c. 1520, he reluctantly agreed to include it in his subsequent editions. Erasmus probably altered the text because of politico-theologico-economic concerns. He did not want his reputation ruined, nor his Novum Instrumentumto go unsold. Thus it passed into the Stephanus Greek New Testament in 1551 (first New Testament in verses), which came to be called the Textus Receptus, and became the basis for the Geneva Bible New Testament in 1557 and the Authorized King James Version in 1611. To the left is an image of the Codex 61 with the added words underlined in red. There is no doubt that the latter part of 1 John 5:7 and the first part of 1 John 5:8 never existed in the original and inspired words of God. The textual Scholar Bart Ehrman described this forgery as follows, “…this represents the most obvious instance of a theologically motivated corruption in the entire manuscript tradition of the New Testament.” The English King James Bible translated in 1611 AD retains this Trinitarian forgery but none of our modern translations have it except the NKJV. And since this text was not from God, then who was it really from? See also was 1 John 5:7 Added to the Bible. For Adventists: “I saw that God had especially guarded the Bible; yet when copies of it were few, learned men had in some instances changed the words, thinking that they were making it more plain, when in reality they were mystifying that which was plain, by causing it to lean to their established views, which were governed by tradition.” — (E.G. White, EW, 220.2) What happened to Matthew 28:19? Trinitarians often say Matthew 28:19 supports their belief stating that by the shared authority of these three we are commissioned to baptize. However, this verse in no way affirms the trinity doctrine which states that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three co-equal, co-eternal beings that make one God. This verse refers to three entities but never says they are one and says nothing about their personality. Nobody denies there is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew 28:19 So this verse does not say they are three beings,it does not say they are three in one or one in three,it does not say these three are the Godhead,it does not say these three are a trinity,it does not say these three are co-equal or co-eternal beings,it does not say that these three are all God,and yet some draw the conclusion that this supports their belief in the trinity which is clearly not so. Trinitarians are concluding something from this verse that it just does not say. For Adventists: Here is the Godhead according to Ellen White. “Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit-- the Spirit of Christ --is to bring unity into their ranks.” — (E.G. White, 9T 189.3, 1909). The third person is the Spirit of Christ, not a third being. In any case, I find myself greatly perplexed by this verse, because where do we see the Apostles or anyone else for that matter following the explicit instructions of Christ here? Here are all verses where anyone was baptized into the name of anyone. Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:48; Acts 19:5; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 1:13; Galatians 3:27. But as you can see, there is not one person following what Christ supposedly instructed them to do. In every verse we find people baptized into the name of our Lord Jesus Christ only. So why the apparent disobedience of the apostles? The following dictionary explains, “The historical riddle is not solved by Matthew 28:19, since, according to a wide scholarly consensus, it is not an authentic saying of Jesus, not even an elaboration of a Jesus-saying on baptism.” — (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 1, 1992, p. 585). Further research revealed this to be the case as all Bible commentaries and dictionaries quoting on this issue claimed that it was added by the Church of Rome to support their Trinitarian formula. The quote below states the origin of this baptismal formula. See Mathew 28:19 added text for many others. “The baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by the Catholic Church in the second century.” — (The Catholic Encyclopedia, II, p. 263) So how did this happen and what did the original text say if this is true? It must be remembered that we have no known manuscripts that were written in the first, second or third centuries. There is a gap of over three hundred years between when Matthew wrote his epistle and our earliest manuscript copies. (It also took over three hundred years for the Catholic Church to evolve into what the “early church fathers” wanted it to become.) This is what my research revealed. Eusebius (c. 260—c. 340) was the Bishop of Caesarea and is known as “the Father of Church History.” He wrote prolifically and his most celebrated work is his Ecclesiastical History, a history of the Church from the Apostolic period until his own time. Eusebius quotes many verses in his writings including Matthew 28:19 several times. But he never quotes it as it appears in modern Bibles. He always finishes the verse with the words “in my name.” The following example comes from an unaltered book of Matthew that could have been the original or the first copy of the original. Thus Eusebius informs us of the actual words Jesus spoke to his disciples in Matthew 28:19 which were, “With one word and voice He said to His disciples: “Go, and make disciples of all nations in My Name, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” — (Proof of the Gospel by Eusebius, Book III, Ch. 6, 132 (a), p. 152) Eusebius was present at the council of Nicea and was involved in the debates over the Godhead. If the manuscripts he had in front of him read “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” he would never have quoted instead, “in my name.” So it appears that the earliest manuscripts read “in my name,” and the phrase was enlarged to reflect the orthodox position as Trinitarian influence spread. So should Matthew 28:19 read “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” or “baptizing them in My name.” And based on your conclusion, should Colossians 2:12 therefore read “Buried with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in baptism, wherein also you are risen with them through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised them from the dead.” or “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 In conclusion, Matthew 28:19 does not prove or disprove the trinity doctrine and you will have to decide for yourself if this text belongs as it cannot be proven conclusively one way or the other. But Scripture certainly strongly indicates that baptism should be in the name of Christ as all examples reveal. The reason we are baptized in the name of Christ is because we are baptized “into” Jesus Christ. Baptism is a symbol of His death, burial and resurrection. Even if the trinity doctrine was true, only Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again. When we are baptized in the name of Christ we become Christians. Paul argued this point in 1 Corinthians 1:13 when he said, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” The obvious answer to this rhetorical question is, “No. You were baptized in the name of Christ because He was crucified for you.” Consider also “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;” Mark 16:16. So whose name do we call on to be saved when we are baptized? “arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16. And what is the ONLY name under heaven that we can be saved? “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 I think most will agree that the weight of evidence is overwhelming that it should have read “in My name.” Previous All trinity studies Next Back to top