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Most
Christ-professing people believe God is an unfathomable MYSTERY;
a "Trinity." This doctrine, proposed and accepted more
than three hundred years after Christ, is held by the Roman Catholic
church and dozens of Protestant denominations. Millions seem to
accept it without question; singing songs like "Holy, Holy,
Holy….Blessed Trinity," each Sunday. WHY is the "Trinity"
mentioned nowhere in the Bible? WHO, or WHAT is the Holy Spirit?
Is God "One in ‘three Persons?’" Is He an
"hypostasis," or does the Godhead consist of Father and
Son? You will be astonished to see what your Bible says!
Never
did Jesus Christ use the word "Trinity." Never did any
one of the apostles speak or write about a "Trinity."
Never did Jesus Christ speak of "three in one," or speak
of the Godhead as a triumvirate of three persons.
The
word "Trinity" is found nowhere in the Bible. Not one
of the "ante-Nicene fathers," such as Arnobius, Polycarp,
Justyn Martyr or Eusebius used the term "Trinity."
One
hundred and eighty years had passed after the ascension of Christ
before an obscure Latin writer used the word "trinitas."
WHY?
Could it be because the concept of the "Trinity," which
is viewed today as the virtual cornerstone of the nominal "Christian"
religion, was not known by God’s early church in the days of the
apostles, nor those of the first century, AD?
You
will be surprised to see what your Bible says about the nature of
God, and about the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Father.
You will be astonished to find that your Bible does not teach
the doctrine of the Trinity!
Is
your religion any good if you understand it? Or is it more
comfortable for most people to cling to a religion which makes God
into an unfathomable mystery?"
Tens
of millions of superstitious heathens worship animals, trees, rocks,
the sun and moon, the stars, or their ancestors. Others worship
"spirits" they think inhabit "sacred mountains,"
"sacred" forests, or man-made temples. Still others worship
idols; imaginary creatures with humanoid forms, or combinations
of animals, such as eagles, hawks, jackals, crocodiles, or cows.
Ironically,
space-age nations, possessing nuclear arsenals, are populated by
hundreds of millions who still worship cows. Superstition
is everywhere. Ignorance among illiterate savages in the Brazilian
rain forest is understandable, perhaps, but when superstition is
organized into a "mystery religion," it is another thing,
entirely.
God’s
word predicted this world would be totally deceived in the
last days; held in the clutches of a great arch-demon called Satan.
He is said to deceive the whole world (Revelation 12:9),
and is called the "god of this world."
Paul
wrote, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are
lost:
"In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them"
(2 Corinthians 4:3,4).
A
deceived person can be the nicest person you ever met. Deception,
by its very meaning, implies sincerity. The deceived individual
does not know he or she is deceived, or there would be no
deception. Deception has nothing to do with honesty, integrity,
or sincerity.
For
example, during World War II, millions were deceived by Hitler.
They worshiped the man, believing his lies about the "super
race," and joyfully accepting his racist hatred against Jews.
Tens of millions died as a result of one man’s ability, empowered
by Satan himself, to deceive. There are hundreds of such
examples in both politics and religion.
Could
you have ever been deceived about some of your religious
beliefs?
Is God An Unfathomable "MYSTERY?"
God’s
word prophesied there would come in the last days a great false
religion, presided over by a great false prophet. That man, claiming
to actually "be god" (2 Thessalonians 2:4) will
be worshiped by millions! He will be in direct collusion
with the military dictator of ten nations, called the "Beast."
He will cause millions to worship the beast, or a ten-nation
military dictatorship! Notice the prophecy: "And I beheld another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb,
and he spake as a dragon [he appears Christ-like, yet speaks as
Satan].
"And
he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth
the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first
beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
"And
he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven
on the earth in the sight of men,
"And
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles
which he had power to do in the sight of the beast..." (Revelation
13:11-14).
This
great false religious leader heads a church which is pictured as
a great WHORE, who makes all nations "drunk," spiritually,
with her false doctrine. The entire seventeenth chapter of Revelation
is given over to describing this false church, and the effects of
her false doctrine. John wrote, "And there came one of the
seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying
unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
"With
whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [she is a
political church; sending ambassadors to the nations; having
concourse with other states], and the inhabitants of the earth have
been made drunk [metaphor for spiritually deceived] with
the wine of her fornication.
"So
he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw
a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,
having seven heads and ten horns.
"And
the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour [the color
of prostitution], and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness
of her fornication:
"And
upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH"
(Revelation 17:1-5).
But
Babylon had been destroyed many centuries earlier, in 538 BC! Yet,
the MYSTERY RELIGION of ancient Babylon, originally begun by Nimrod
and his mother/wife Semiramis, would remain, and would be extant
at the time just prior to God’s intervention in human affairs, and
the second coming of Christ. Semiramis and Nimrod were the first
"Madonna and child," as Satan paved the way for the adoration
of the Madonna (The Two Babylons, Hislop, p. 21, 143-4).
By
means of symbolism, imagery, elaborate ritual, and spectacular pageantry,
the heathen were mesmerized into accepting the "MYSTERY"
religion!
Even
today, literally BILLIONS of human beings believe that God is an
unfathomable "MYSTERY," to be worshiped by chants, candles,
repetitive prayers, beads, and intricate rituals. Ceremony; the
acting out of prescribed ritual, is extant in many of the world’s
major religions.
Millions
pray to "saints" they suppose are still alive, but in
heaven; or to various "virgins" they see depicted on glorious
altars. Millions believe they should pray to Mary, Joseph’s wife,
and the mother of Jesus Christ. Millions more pray to the "Holy
Trinity," as they call it, a kind of spiritual triumvirate
which is unfathomable, virtually impossible to define. But is God
the Father a "mystery?" Is Christ the Son "mysterious?"
Does the Godhead consist of One, Two, or Three "Persons?"
Some say one must not refer to God as a "person" at all,
making the concept of God even more remote.
Then
WHY did Jesus Christ come to REVEAL the Father? Why did He continually
speak of His Father, pray to Him, encourage His disciples to pray
to the Father, and say that the Father dwelt IN Christ?
Those
who preach about a "trinity" are fond of quoting Christ’s
Great Commission to His church, found in Matthew 28:18 and 19: "And
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth.
"Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The
Catholic Encyclopedia admits that the word "trinity" is
nowhere in the Bible, and says that the Greek word from which the
Latin "trinitas" is derived "...is first found
in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180. He speaks of ‘the Trinity
of God, His word and His wisdom.’ Ad. Autol. II, 15, P.G., VI, 1078).
Ibid. Vol. XV. P. 47).
But
it is very doubtful Theophilus (not the person known of Luke, but
a much later individual by the same name) was remotely referring
to the later concept of "God in three Persons" set forth
by the Athanasian Creed. He said nothing about Christ directly,
unless one is to assume the expression "His word"
referred to Christ. This would be speculative, for he may well have
meant the Bible itself, and not Christ as the "Logos."
It would require a vast quantum leap to believe that Theophilus
was referring to a third person of the Godhead when he wrote the
word, "His wisdom." In any event this obscure writer in
Antioch in AD 180 is hardly to be viewed as an "authority"
on the most central building block of Christian faith, as if he
supercedes Christ, Peter, James, John, Paul, and all the rest.
Obviously,
the writer of the article in the Catholic Encyclopedia diligently
searched all available historical manuscripts, vainly trying to
find the word "Trinity" somewhere, and the best he could
come up with was the vague statement of Theophilus about God, his
word, and his wisdom.
By
no stretch of the imagination should this be taken to mean the doctrine
of the Trinity was taught by Christ, the apostles, or the writers
of the New Testament.
The Athanasian Creed And The "Trinity"
When
the second century ended and the third century after Christ began,
the church which emerges to our view through the literature of the
period is an entirely different church from that of the
apostles. It is as if a curtain were drawn down over the century
following the death of John. There is a paucity of literature in
the following years.
By
the time that curtain is lifted, God’s true church was scattered,
persecuted; many had been martyred and driven underground. The church
which emerges was busily engaged in impugning everything "Jewish,"
while adapting purely pagan idolatry and ritual into "Christian"
garb. Large numbers of gentiles had come into the early church,
bringing with them their idolatrous heathen customs.
On
the one hand were Jewish zealots who could not bring themselves
to abandon such things as circumcision (The Jerusalem conference
was called to deal with this widening dispute. See Acts 15), and
on the other hand there were the pagans who brought in their heathen
holy days, such as "Ishtar" (silent "h," pronounced
"easter", the Saturnalia and Brumalia, and other pagan
orgiastic feasts.
Paul
specifically said that the "MYSTERY of lawlessness;" of
sin, was at work within the church during his time. He warned the
church in Thessalonika, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto
him,
"That
ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit,
nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ
is at hand.
"Let
no man deceive you by any means [manner, or method]: for
that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
"Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God.
"Remember
ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
"And
now ye know what withholdeth [held back the wave of paganism infiltrating
the church] that he might be revealed in his time.
"For
the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he
who now letteth [restrains; holds back] will let [will continue
to restrain], until he be taken out of the way’ (2 Thessalonians
2:1-7). Clearly, Paul was speaking of how he had striven to keep
the church free from heresy!.
Paul
was used to write fourteen books of the New Testament. Study his
rejoinder to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:28-30); his impassioned
pleas to Timothy and Titus concerning false teachers; his continual
references to evil men who were perverting the gospel.
Whole
books could be written (and many have been) about Simon Magus and
those who "called themselves apostles" (Revelation 2:2)
but were wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Paul
warned Timothy, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils [demons];
"Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
"Forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and
know the truth" (I Timothy 4:1-3). One cannot help but be impressed
by the imposition of such things as "no meat" days, and
celibacy.
By
the early 3rd century, increasing division over the weekly
Sabbath, the annual Sabbath, the Passover, and the concept of Who,
or What, was God caused the Emperor Constantine to convoke the "Council
of Nicaea."
This
council, called not by the pope, but by the Emperor, who may or
may not have consulted the pope, was attended by more than two hundred
fifty "bishops," mostly from the east. While primarily
called for the purpose of condemning "Arianism" (see the
Catholic Encyclopedia article on the subject), major statements
were adopted concerning "Easter" (a pagan holiday which
was grafted onto the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread) and
celibacy.
The
so-called "Trinity" is entirely a Roman Catholic dogma.
To reject it is tantamount, in the Catholic religion, to be condemned
to hell fire. While the so-called "Athanasian Creed" was
apparently not known until the fourth century, it nevertheless forms
the fundamental statement of the Roman Catholic Church on the subject
of the Trinity. The protesting daughters of the Catholic Church
have, as if with one voice, adopted the doctrine of the Trinity.
They label any church which rejects the Trinity a "cult,"
and insist they are not even "Christian," even if such
churches or groups fervently believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and
His saving grace; in God the Father, and in the Holy Spirit which
proceeds from Him.
Under
the article "Trinity" in the Catholic Encyclopedia
(Vol. XV, p. 47), one reads, "THE DOGMA OF THE TRINITY. ---
The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine
of the Christian religion---the truth that in the unity of the Godhead
there are Three Persons [note: some modern adherents to the Trinity
doctrine assert that one must not refer to any member of the Godhead
as a "person"], the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another."
The
Catholic Church says of the Trinity doctrine: "This, the Church
teaches, is the revelation regarding God’s nature which Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, came upon earth to deliver to the world: and which
she proposes to man as the foundation of her whole dogmatic system."
Yet,
after making this statement, the article continues to say that there
is not one word in the Bible which can be found which conveys to
our mind the concept of the Trinity! "In Scripture there is
as yet [sic] no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are
denoted together" (ibid. P. 47). "There is as YET no single
term" in scripture? What does such a statement imply — that
they intend adding such a term later? Shockingly, this is
precisely what was done about the time of the invention of printing,
as you shall soon see!
The
"Athanasian Creed" says, "Whosoever will be saved,
before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith.
Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without
doubt shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this,
that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Neither
confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is
one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the
Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father Uncreate, the Son Uncreate, and the Holy Ghost Uncreate.
The Father Incomprehensible, the Son Incomprehensible,
and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible. The Father Eternal,
the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal and yet they are not
Three Eternals but One Eternal. As also there are unto Three Uncreated,
and One Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the
Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not
Three Almighties but One Almighty. So the Father is God, and the
Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three
Gods, but One God..." (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. II,
p. 33, emphasis mine).
Thus,
with these obviously self-contradictory and admittedly "incomprehensible"
terms, the doctrine of the "Trinity" became firmly established.
The
term "substance" means "matter, material, solid body;
of what a thing consists. The Athanasian creed seems to say the
concept of "three in one" requires that all three are
indivisible, inseparable from a "material" point
of view, as if all three are joined into one "substance."
To
the human mind, this is not only impossible, but, just as Athanasias
himself admitted "incomprehensible." To him, God was completely
incomprehensible — a fathomless mystery.
"Incomprehensible?"
But Jesus Christ said He came to REVEAL the Father, and plainly
said those who had seen Him had "seen the Father." Repeatedly,
He insisted that He and His Father in heaven were "one,"
which plainly meant to those who heard Him that they were one in
agreement, in purpose, in doctrine, in character, and one in spiritual
purity! Yet, Christ was on the earth; able to be seen, handled,
experienced, and His Father was invisible, in heaven.
Nothing
incomprehensible here whatsoever! Certainly, on has no problem seeing
that the two "substances" were separate; Christ on earth,
and the Father in heaven!
By
the time one reads the language of the "Athanasian Creed,"
one is thoroughly confused! God is made into an "incomprehensible
mystery," thus opening the way for God to be interpreted
to people, NOT by the Bible, the Word of God; NOT by the plain statements
of Jesus Christ about His Father, but by a human priest, and through
ritual and man-made religious artifacts.
God’s Holy Spirit Is Not A "Ghost!"
To
millions, the "third member of the Godhead" is a "ghost."
Because of a very poor and erroneous mistranslation into English
from the Latin, the term "Holy Ghost" has been printed
in millions of copies of the "Authorized King James" Bible.
Today,
Pentecostal preachers continually refer to the "Holy Ghost,"
and bridle at those who dare to write or speak of the "Holy
Spirit." But the Greek word, "pneuma" means
"spirit," or breath, or wind. We recognize the word in
our English language in such words as "pneumonia" and
"pneumatic."
To
millions, The Holy Spirit is perceived as wraith-like; a kind of
"spiritual essence," as a hooded apparition, hovering
about Father and Son. While Christ plainly said "...he that
hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9), and Christ
is described in both human and glorified form; there is no mention
of the visage, shape, form, makeup or image of the "third member
of the Trinity." God is described as having eyes, ears, arms;
a body. Christ appeared in glory to John in vision, with His head,
body, eyes and entire appearance described (Revelation 1:13-16).
We know that we are made in the "image of God" (Genesis
1:26,27).
There
is no such description anywhere of the Holy Spirit. Never is the
Holy Spirit described as having feet, legs, arms, hands, torso,
eyes, or face.
The
German word "geist" is the origin of our English
word "ghost." But the common understanding of the word
"ghost" is, according to the World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary,
"The spirit of a dead person. It is supposed to live in another
world and appear to living people as a pale, dim, shadowy form:
‘the ghost of the murdered man haunted the house’."
As
synonyms, the dictionary lists "Specter, apparition."
Some
have blasphemously referred to the Holy Spirt as a "spook."
But
the original languages of the Bible, primarily Hebrew and Greek,
do not remotely intend to convey to your mind the concept of a haunt,
ghost, spook, or a specter! Neither do they convey to your mind
a "person" distinct from the Father and the Son.
The
Hebrew word is "ruwach," and is translated in various
forms, especially wind.
Of
"ruwach," Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance says,
"wind; by resemblance, breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent)
exhalation; fig. Life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extens.
a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only
as a rational being (includ. Its expressions and functions):-- air,
anger, blast, breath, cool, courage, mind, quarter, side, spirit
(ual), tempest, vain, (whirl)wind, or windy."
The
very first place in the Bible where the Hebrew word "ruwach"
is found is in Genesis 1:2: "And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And
the Spirit [Ruwach]of God moved upon the face of the
waters."
The
term for God is "Elohim," which is PLURAL, meaning
more than one! Notice, " And God said, Let us make man
in our image, after our likeness:..." (Genesis
1:25). Obviously, One of the Divine Persons implied in "Elohim"
said to the other member of Divine Elohim, "Let US..."
Now, WHO did the speaking, and to WHOM did He speak?
The GOD Of Creation
What
you are about to read is so simple, sp PLAIN, yet so ASTONISHING
that you will scarcely be able to believe it! If the hundreds of
denominations believed this astonishing passage of scripture, it
would profoundly affect all their doctrines, and totally change
their concept of Who, or What, is God!
There
are two places in the Bible which tell us about remote origins —
the very beginning of all things. The most important of these
two is found in John’s gospel, the first chapter! John wrote, "In
the beginning was the Word [Greek: "Logos," meaning "Spokesman"],
and the Word was with God [Greek: "Theos: synonymous with "Elohim,"
meaning more than one], and the Word was God" (The Logos was
Theos).
"The
same was in the beginning with God.
"All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made
that was made" (John 1:1-3). Plainly, the divine member of
the Godhead (Elohim) who did the speaking; who said, "Let there
be light," and who said, "Let US make man in OUR image"
was the one described by John as the "Logos," or the Word!
This is none other than the Person of the Godhead who became Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, born of the virgin Mary!
Notice
that ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM! He is the CREATING AGENT by whom
all material things came into existence! And who WAS this "Logos?"
He became Christ! Notice further proof:
"That
was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world.
"He
was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the
world knew him not.
"He
came unto his own [Christ was a Jew, and came unto the Jews],
and his own received him not.
"But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name:
"Which
were born [Greek: "gennao," translated either "begotten,"
or "born"], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
"And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [Greek: "tabernacled;"
dwelt temporarily] among us, (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth" (John 1:9-14).
What
you are reading is the truth of God. It is the inspired WORD of
God. No would-be spiritual guru can misinterpret it, twist, deny,
it, without bringing upon himself/herself a great CURSE from God
(Revelation 22:18,19).
The
meaning is as plain as the nose on your face! Jesus Christ of Nazareth
is the One who was "made flesh" and dwelt, or "tabernacled"
among humans on this earth. He was the "first begotten of the
Father" among all mankind. He came to His own, and His own
received him not.
Notice,
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
"John
bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake,
He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before
me [John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ].
"And
of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
"For
the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
"No
man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John
1:14-18).
John
introduces Jesus Christ as the "Spokesman," the "Logos,"
who was the CREATOR of all things! He was in the beginning with
God the Father; and He was the One who did the speaking; who said,
"Let the dry land appear," and who dealt with Adam and
Eve; with the patriarchs; with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and with
the prophets.
Millions
have mistakenly assumed that the FATHER is the "God of the
Old Testament," while Jesus Christ is the God of the New! Many
years ago, I received a letter from a lady who told me, "I
could never worship that ‘God of the Old Testament!’ Why, to command
those bears to kill those boys just because they had made fun of
Elisha — why, I could NEVER worship a God like that!"
She,
like millions of others, indeed, like dozens of churches and denominations,
falsely assumed that Jesus Christ was a completely different personality;
that it was the Father who dealt with the patriarchs and prophets,
but that Jesus Christ came to overthrow the "harsh old laws"
of His Father! Millions falsely assume Christ was like a "reformer,"
who came do overthrow everything His Father had imposed upon ancient
Israel! Nothing could be farther from the truth!
Jesus
Christ IS the "God of the Old Testament!"
He
told the Jews, "Before Abraham was, I AM!" (John 8:58).
They knew He was saying HE was the One who spoke to Moses out of
the burning bush; that HE was the one who wrote the Ten Commandments!
Outraged, and not willing to accept this truth, they tried to kill
Him! (See John 8:58,59).
Notice,
"God [Theos; meaning more than one], who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake [the "Spokesman was Christ] in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets,
"Hath
in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
"Who
being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when
he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:1-3).
The
plain truth is, Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind, is the
Member of the Divine family called "Elohim" who did the
commanding; who was the Spokesman of His Father at the moment of
creation! He was also the Spokesman of His Father during His earthly
sojourn, and is the Divine Word of His Father even today!
Yet,
there is not one in a thousand of church-going, professing "Christians"
today, who knows, or believes, that Jesus Christ of the New Testament
is the CREATOR, and the God of the Old Testament!
Thousands
of nominal Christian pastors avoid this scripture like the plague,
for they know it would be the death knell of their "no
law" doctrines, and they would be forced to admit the Ten Commandments
are in full force today!
Father And Son — A FAMILY Relationship
Jesus
Christ is called the "first begotten" of the Father! Continually,
He referred to God the Father! Notice only a few examples: "Labour
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:
for him hath God the Father sealed" (John 6:27).
"Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven;
but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
"For
the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth
life unto the world" (John 6:32,33).
"For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of
him that sent me.
"And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all
which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day" (John 6:38,39).
"No
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me
draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
"It
is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.
Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the
Father, cometh unto me.
"Not
that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God,
he hath seen the Father" (John 6:44-46).
"When
ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he,
and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught
me, I speak these things.
"And
he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone;
for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:28,29).
This
expression of familial relationship is not the invention of some
cleric who thought it would be nice of Christians spoke of one another
as "brother" or "sister." Instead, it is part
of the divinely revealed word of God, showing the relationship between
Christ’s Father, and OUR Father, once we have been begotten by His
Holy Spirit!
Continually,
Jesus Christ spoke of His FATHER in heaven.
Whose
Son is He?
Why,
the Son of the FATHER! None of the Trinitarians confuses the Father
of the Bible with the Holy Spirit, insisting they are distinct,
for otherwise the whole concept of "three persons" disintegrates!
But
wait! Notice the following, "And the angel said unto her, Fear
not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
"And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS.
"He
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
"And
he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom
there shall be no end.
"Then
said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?
"And
the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:30-35).
If
the Holy Spirit is the "third person of the Godhead;"
a member of a "trinity," then Christ is the Son, NOT of
God the Father, but of the Holy Spirit!" Clearly, the archangel
told Mary that the "Holy Spirit" would come upon her;
that the Holy Spirit was the begetting agent!
But
Christ continually asserted that He was the Son of God, the Father!
NEVER did He refer to a "third Person" of the Godhead!
Certainly,
He NEVER called the "Holy Ghost" HIS FATHER!
There
is no ambiguity in this scripture. Unless the Holy Spirit to which
this scripture refers is NOT a "person" but is, instead,
the life-giving power; the begetting agent; the life, mind, nature,
character and Spirit of God, the Father! Did Jesus Christ pray to
the WRONG FATHER? Christ was begotten BY THE HOLY SPIRIT! If the
Holy Spirit is a PERSON, then Jesus Christ could NOT have been the
"son of God the Father," but was, instead, the "Son
of the Holy Spirit!" But since the Bible plainly says God the
Father IS a spirit, and that the spirit life, mind, nature, character
and power which proceeds from Him is therefore Holy, it refers to
the spirit which issues forth from the Father as "The Holy
Spirit!"
The
Father has a SPIRIT. Christ has a SPIRIT. Does the "Holy Spirit"
(IF a member of a so-called "Trinity") have a spirit?
Does the bible ever speak of the "spirit of the Holy Spirit?"
No,
of course not!
"God
IS A SPIRIT," said Jesus Christ, "...and they that worship
him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
The
Father is clearly distinct! Not one of those who believe the false
doctrine of the "trinity" denies this. All know that Christ’s
dozens of references to His FATHER in Heaven make it very clear
that the Father is supreme; that Christ came to this earth to do
the will of His Father!
The
Athanasian Creed declares that neither one of the so-called "Trinity"
is superior, or supreme. Yet, Jesus Christ of Nazareth declared,
"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again
unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go
unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I" (John
14:28). Who are you going to believe, an obscure scribe who wrote
contradictory, confusing words, making God into a "mystery"
who is "incomprehensible," or Jesus Christ? Will you believe
man-made church traditions, adopted centuries after
Christ, or your own Bible, and Jesus Christ Himself?
The SPIRIT OF THE FATHER
The
word "spirit," as mentioned above, comes from the Hebrew
"ruwach," and the Greek "pneuma." It is used
not only of God, but also in many other ways; even of an evil spirit.
The word "pneuma" occurs 385 times in the received text.
It is translated "Spirit" 133 times; "spirit"
153 times; "spiritual" once, "ghost" [not erroneously
in these cases] twice; "life" once; "wind" once;
"spiritually" once; and with the Greek word "hagion,"
meaning "holy" four times.
It
is erroneously mistranslated "Holy Ghost" 89 times.
Twice,
the word "breath" is given in marginal references for
"pneuma." The scripture quoted above, "God is a Spirit..."
uses the word "pneuma." Technically, there is no indefinite
Article in the Greek, and the phrase should read, "God is Spirit."
Pneuma
is used of God the Father; of Christ; of the Holy Spirit; of the
work or operations of the Holy Spirit; of the "new nature of
the children of God;" of man [psychologically]; of man [physiologically];
of character, and other invisible characteristics, such as feelings
or desires; of angels, or spirit-beings; of demons, or evil spirits,
and of the resurrected body.
Always,
it is the context in which the word is used which conveys
the sense.
Dr.
Bullinger’s Companion Bible, Appendix 101, says, "Pneuma
hagion,= holy spirit, and is so printed in The Companion
Bible. This usage (without Articles) occurs 52 times in the
N.T., and is always wrongly rendered "the Holy Spirit"
(with the definite Article, and capital letters). Consequently there
is no stronger rendering available when there are two Articles present
in the Greek (to pneuma to hagion), which means "the
Spirit the Holy [Spirit]". Hence, the English reader can never
tell which of the two very different Greek expressions he is reading.
"Pneuma
hagion" (without Articles) is never used of the Giver (The
Holy Spirit), but only and always of His gift. What this gift is
may be seen by comparing Acts 1:4,5 with Luke 24:49, where "the
promise of the Father" is called (in the former passage) pneuma
hagion and in the latter is called "power from on high."
The
Hebrew word for "spirit" is "ruach" (The
Exhaustive Concordance spells it "ruwach" to aid in pronunciation).
Never does it connote a "third member" of the deity. Primarily,
it is used in the sense of "an invisible force," or "power
from on high." Bullinger says, ""Ruach,
in whatever sense it is used, always represents that which is invisible,
except by its manifestations. These are seen both externally to
man, as well as internally within man. As coming from God, it is
the invisible origin of life. All apart from this is death.
It
is used of God, of the Holy Spirit, of Invisible Divine Power, of
the invisible part of man (psychologically), as breath, spirit,
mind, courage, anger, blast, the whole person, invisible spirit-beings,
angels, cherubim, and even as invisible manifestations of our atmosphere,
such as air, wind or winds, whirlwind, windy, tempest, and "sides,
" meaning the "four quarters" from whence the winds
blow.
The
word itself, as can be seen from the wide range of usages, never
connotes a "third person" of a "Trinity."
We
use the English term in everyday speech. "You’re in a wrong
spirit," means a wrong attitude; a wrong frame of mind. "Her
spirits were lifted by the sound of music" means her attitude,
or mood was improved. "Mean spirited" is a term politicians
continually use to describe their opponents. A "spirited"
horse is one which is lively, full of energy. "His spirits
are down" describes disappointment; dashed hopes.
By
the same token, vague references to evil spirits are found in the
expressions, "I wonder what came over him?" or, "What
has gotten into you?"
The
first place in the Bible where the term "ruach" is used
is found in the account of creation: "In the beginning God
[Elohim]created the heaven and the earth.
"And
the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the
face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters" (Genesis 1:1).
Refer
back to the wide usages of the word "ruach" above. Obviously,
we should not take this to mean "winds," or "rage"
or "breath." The context makes it plain when we understand
the meaning of the word "moved." which is "rachaph,"
a primary root word which means "to brood," as in a relaxed
manner, or to "flutter, move, shake."
Some
margins render it "The Spirit of God brooded..." Clearly,
it is the MIND of Elohim; their THOUGHTS as they prepare to recreate
the world after its destruction by Satan.
Remember,
the Member of the Divine Family we know as "Elohim" (the
Hebrew word for God in Genesis 1:1) is the "WORD" which
was "made flesh!"
Elohim
means MORE THAN ONE. The One who did the speaking, according
to John’s gospel, was the "Logos" or the "Spokesman."
That BOTH the Father and the "Logos" Who would become
the Son are involved in the creation is clear, for "Let US
make man in OUR image" is clearly expressed!
Man, Made In The Image Of God
The
Creation reveals the Creator! We know an architect by the buildings
and designs he has created; an artist by his paintings; a musician
by his music. God’s word tell us we can KNOW about the Divine Creator;
about God, by looking at what He has MADE!
We
need not be in ignorance about God.
Paul
wrote, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [Greek: "kataballo,"
meaning supress, or hold back] the truth in unrighteousness;
"Because
that which may be known of [about] God is manifest in [to] them;
for God hath showed it unto them.
"For
the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
[by looking at all the creation; the universe, the solar system,
our earth, and all life upon it] are clearly seen, being understood
[what one understands is not a "mystery!"]
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;
so that they are without excuse..." (Romans 1:18-20).
Consider
what God has MADE!
He
said "Let US make man in OUR image." Did God make man
with THREE eyes, or two? Does man have THREE nostrils, or two? Does
man have THREE arms, or two? Has he THREE hands, or two? Does man
have THREE legs, or two? Does man have THREE feet, or two? Are there
THREE sexes, or two? Does the male have THREE testicles, or two?
Does the female have THREE ovaries, or two? Does each have THREE
breasts, or two?
Like
an architect or a sculptor, God (Elohim) used His own image and
likeness as the MODEL for the creation of man! He then took Adam’s
rib, and made a SECOND member of the human family, Eve. He did not
make THIRD! There was no "mister in between" in the first
family, but TWO persons, joined together in God-sanctioned marriage,
making ONE family!
Are
there THREE sexes, or two? God MADE them "male and female"
and said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother,
and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh"
(Genesis 2:24). The TWO then become "ONE," which is a
picture of the Divine Elohim, or Godhead! This closest of
all possible human relationships, marriage, is like a type of the
Divine family of God! It is analogous to God’s "marriage agreement"
with Israel under the terms of the Old Covenant! God said, "I
was an husband unto them."
Marriage
is not a triumvirate, but TWO separate individuals becoming "ONE
FLESH" physically and spiritually.
There
are TWO great lights (Genesis 1:16), and TWO parts of every day;
the daylight part, and the nighttime part.
There
are TWO magnetic poles, not three.
There
TWO states of being; life or death, not three.
Throughout
the animal kingdom, there are TWO sexes, not three!
Everywhere
in God’s creation, there is DUALITY.
Paul
wrote, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a
living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit [a life-giving
spirit].
"Howbeit
that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural;
and afterward that which is spiritual.
"The
first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man
is the Lord from heaven.
"As
is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the
heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly" (I Corinthians
15:45-48).
Again,
duality! There is not the first, second, and third "Adam,"
but the first and second; TWO. There are not THREE states of being,
but TWO, earthy, and heavenly!
When
Jesus Christ was born of God (Romans 8:29), called the "FIRSTBORN"
of the world, He did not become a tripartite Person! He became glorified,
and appeared in human-like form, yet with great, brilliant, radiant
glory, like the sun shining in its strength!
There
was no "mystery" about what John saw! John wrote, "And
I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned,
I saw seven golden candlesticks;
"And
in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of
man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the
paps with a golden girdle.
"His
head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his
eyes were as a flame of fire;
"And
his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and
his voice as the sound of many waters.
"And
he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went
a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth
in his strength.
"And
when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right
hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
"I
am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore..."
(Revelation 1:12-18).
Again,
Christ appeared with two eyes, two feet, a right and a left hand.
He was the "First and the Last" and there was NO "MISTER
IN-BETWEEN!" No "Trinity" here, but Father and Son,
TWO members of the Divine Family called "Elohim!"
A Lying, Spurious Verse DELIBERATELY Inserted Into The Bible
Trinitarians
are fond of quoting 1 John 5:7 which says, " For there are
three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
This
verse appears in NONE of the early manuscripts, but was deliberately
inserted by some unknown scribe after the invention of printing!
The
King James Bible has the entire passage thus: "Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son
of God?
This
is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water
only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth.
"For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one [the italicized
words are those which were deliberately inserted into the text,
and are not in the original manuscripts]
"And
there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the
water, and the blood: and these three agree in one" (I John
5:5-8).
Notice
carefully the difference between the King James version and the
"New International" Bible: " Who is it that overcomes
the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
"This
is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not
come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit
who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
"For
there are three that testify:
"the
Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement"
(I John 5:5-8, NIV)
Do
you notice the difference? Verse 7 in the KJV is missing in the
NIV for the simple reason that even superficial Biblical research
proves that the 7th verse is spurious; false; a deliberate
insertion!
Now,
notice the New Revised Standard Version: "Who is it that conquers
the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
"This
is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the
water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the
one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.
"There
are three that testify:
"the
Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree"
(I John 5:5-8, NRSV).
The
Diaglott has it thusly: "And who is he that overcomes the world,
but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
"This
is He who came by water and blood, — Jesus the Anointed One; not
by the water only, but by the water and the blood; and the Spirit
is that which testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
"For
there are three which testify;
"The
Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three are of one"
(I John 5:5-8; Diaglott).
In
a footnote, the Diaglott says, "This text concerning the heavenly
witness is not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written
earlier than the 15th century. It is not cited by any
of the Greek ecclesiastical writers; nor by any of the early Latin
fathers. Even when the subjects upon which they treated would naturally
have led them to appeal to its authority. It is therefore evidently
spurious; and was first cited (though not as it now reads) by Virgilius
Tapsensis, a Latin writer of no credit, in the latter end of the
15th century; but by whom forged is of no great moment,
as its design must be obvious to all."
This
deliberate forgery; this willful falsification of the Bible by some
unknown scribe nearly one thousand, six hundred years after Christ
will merit the individual who stooped to the chicanery a terrible
curse from God!
The
obvious meaning of the passage in 1 John 5:5-8 is that salvation
is through the acceptance of the shed blood of Jesus Christ as an
atonement for sin, then receiving water baptism, and the Holy
Spirit!
Notice
the language the ORIGINAL verses 7 and 8: "For there are THREE
which testify; the SPIRIT, and the WATER, and the BLOOD; and the
three ARE OF ONE!"
It
does NOT say "the three are one!" Even if it did, it is
not speaking of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but of the SON
ONLY, for it says "...the three are of one," meaning of,
and from, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Christ
underwent water baptism to set us an example. He was "baptized"
by His blood sacrifice; shedding His life’s blood to atone for the
sins of all mankind! He responded to Peter and the disciples, "...
Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I
shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized
with? They say unto him, We are able.
"And
he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given
to them for whom it is prepared of my Father" (Matthew 20:22,23).
Desperate
to find at least SOME faint shadowy reference to "three"
somewhere in scripture, a dishonest copier, nearly one thousand
six hundred years after Christ, inserted a spurious verse into a
manuscript.
Notice
that the footnote in the Diaglott stresses that early Latin writers,
all of whom were no doubt Roman Catholics, and therefore eager to
find some reference in scripture to a "trinity," DID NOT
cite this "verse" since it simply did not exist during
their day!
Nowhere
is the Holy Spirit referred to as "the blood." The true
original verses in I John 5:5-8 do not remotely indicate a trinity,
but rather the rite of water baptism, Christ’s shed blood, and the
receiving of the Holy Spirit, which helps the Christian overcome
the world (I John 5:4).
The Greek Word For "He"
Many
assume that the language of Christ (recorded by John) concerning
the "Other Comforter" is referring to a third person of
the Godhead.
Christ
said, "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.
"And
when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment:
"Of
sin, because they believe not on me;
"Of
righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
"Of
judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
"I
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
"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.
"He
shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
unto you.
"All
things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he
shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you" (John 16:7-15).
God
the Father is masculine, not feminine. Like the Latin languages,
the Greek has gender. In Spanish, "el" is masculine,
while "la" is feminine. Hence, "el techo" is
masculine, for "the roof," and "la casa" is
feminine for "the house."
The
Greek word translated "he" in this lengthy passage is
from "ekeinos." Of this word, the exhaustive concordance
says, "that one (or [neut.] thing); often intensified by the
art. Prefixed:--he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that (same,
very), x their x them, they, this, those."
Notice
carefully that "ekeinos" can just as easily be translated
"it" as "he." It can also be used to indicate
"that one" or "that thing."
"He"
in any language is a reflexive third-person pronoun, and can be
applied in many, many ways. In the Greek, it is "autos,"
and is used in the following ways: "her, it (self), one, the
other, (mine) own, said ([self], the] same, ([him, my, thy]) self,
[your] selves, she, that, their (s), them ([selves]), there [at,
by, in, into, of, on, with], they, (these) things, this (man), those,
together, very, which." (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance,Greek
Dictionary, No. 846).
Because
one or another of these two words are used in connection with the
Holy Spirit which issues forth from the Father, they are used in
the masculine "He" in the passages appearing in John 16.
However,
notice, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again
to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father.
"The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children
of God:
"And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together" (Romans 8:15-17).
The
word "itself" comes from the Greek "autos,"
and is a reflexive pronoun.
It
is quite appropriately translated "itself" in this passage.
Notice
the awesome MEANING of these beautiful words!
When
we receive the Holy Spirit of God following repentance, accepting
the shed blood of Christ, water baptism, and the laying on of hands,
we are begotten of God, the Father!
Our
spiritual FATHER is the FATHER; the same Father to Whom Jesus prayed,
and the Father to Whom He returned!
We
are NOT the "children of the Holy Spirit," as if a third
person of a triumvirate had begotten us, but the children of
God, the Father. Christ is the first begotten of the Father, and
He is the FIRSTBORN among many brethren (I Corinthians 15:23;
Romans 8:29).
This
clearly shows that being "born of God" means exactly what
it says; that we are eventually to be BORN AGAIN as a SPIRIT being,
in the Divine Family of God!
The
word "adoption" should be rendered "sonship,"
for it means much more than mere legal adoption. It means becoming
the actual begotten child; the BORN child of the parent!
Paul
says this is why we cry "Abba," which means "FATHER."
Your
human father is your literal, actual, real father, not some vague,
shadowy, ghost-like "mister in between." It was your FATHER
whose life-giving seed united with your mother to produce YOU.
In
like fashion, the life-giving HOLY SPIRIT OF THE FATHER unites with
your human spirit (erroneously called "the soul" by most)
which produces a ‘new creature in Christ" (II Corinthians
5:17). Christ is now our elder Brother, for He was the FIRST
begotten of the same Father!
God’s
Holy Spirit witnesses with our human spirit that we are now the
"children of God!"
There
is no "third person" active in this scenario!
The Biblical Analogies For The Holy Spirit
Had
the Bible been written in our day, the analogies used to convey
to our minds the truth about the Holy Spirit might have included
electricity, radio and television waves, or nuclear energy. Instead,
the analogies used in the Bible are air, wind, light, power, and
water!
Never
is the Person of the Father, or the Person of the Son spoken of
as being "poured out." But notice, "And it shall
come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon
all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your
old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
"And
also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will
I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28, 29). One pours
water out of a vase. Pouring is obvious reference to liquid, as
water!
When
Peter referred to this prophecy, the Holy Spirit had been manifested
in at least four different ways; as a "roaring, mighty wind;"
as "fire," as the gift of speaking with foreign languages,
and as liquid, as if being "poured out!"
Notice
what Luke wrote, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place.
"And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
"And
there appeared unto them cloven [flickering flames, or "tongues"
of fire, equally divided] tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them.
"And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance.
"And
there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven.
"Now
when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language...14
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and
said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem,
be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
"For
these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third
hour of the day.
"But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
"And
it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out
of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams:
"And
on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days
of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:1-18).
Here,
the Holy Spirit is analogous to sound, or noise; to water, to powerful
wind, and to fire! Water is the substance of LIFE! Without water,
there could be no life on earth. You are mostly composed of water.
Baptism
is a type of being "washed" free of sin by the power of
the Holy Spirit!
Notice,
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it;
"That
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word" (Ephesians 5:25-26). The word of God "washes"
the human mind free from sin, even as one washes dirty laundry.
Water, that greatest of all solvents over a period of time; that
life-sustaining substance, is used as an analogy of God’s Holy Spirit.
When
Peter had to learn that God was opening the way to salvation to
the Gentiles, he rehearsed how the house of Cornelius and other
Gentiles had repented, and been begotten of God: "And as I
began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
"Then
remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed
baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.
"Forasmuch
then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"
(Acts 11:15-17).
Expressions
such as "falling upon," or "clothed with," or
"poured out," or "baptized with" are used of
the Holy Spirit in order to convey the invisible POWER of God; His
mind, His purpose, His life-giving power; His nature; His Divine
Character!
Notice
that each Christian is said to be "begotten of the Holy
Spirit!"
None of
the adherents to the false doctrine of the Trinity argues that the
Father is anyone other than the Father of Christ, the distinct FATHER
of their so-called "Trinity!"
Then, notice
what Christ said about our Father in heaven: "And when thou
prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love
to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward.
"But
thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
"But
when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
"Be
not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things
ye have need of, before ye ask him.
"After
this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
"Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven..."
(Matthew 6:5-10).
Buy by
Whom, or by what POWER were we begotten of God? IF the Holy Spirit
is a "PERSON" then each Christian is praying to the WRONG
FATHER!
The Father
is the Great God of the Divine Elohim, of Whom Christ said, "My
Father is GREATER than I!"
Christ
prayed to His Father. We are to pray to the same Father!
Christ
is said to have been like a "Replica," or the "stamped
impress"; a perfect COPY of the Father! He said, "If you
have seen me, you have seen the Father."
Notice,
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets,
"Hath
in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
"Who
being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when
he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high;
"Being
made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained
a more excellent name than they.
"For
unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this
day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father,
and he shall be to me a Son? {Hebrews 1:1-5).
Who said
he had begotten Jesus Christ? Why, the FATHER said this!
Then the
SPIRITUAL AGENCY by which such a miracle occurred was that of the
Holy Spirit! NOT a "separate person" of the Godhead at
all, but the life-giving POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD THE FATHER!
Jesus Christ
did not come to make His Father a darkened, incomprehensible MYSTERY!
Christ
came to REVEAL the Father. The FALSE doctrine of the trinity sees
a CLOSED Godhead, and denies that you or I can become the children
of God the Father!
The "incomprehensible
MYSTERY of the so-called "trinity" makes millions of people
assume "God" is unknowable; unapproachable except through
elaborate ritual, "way off" somewhere in the blackness
of space.
But Jesus
Christ came to REVEAL God the Father; to explain the purpose of
life, and to offer salvation to all those who will believe what
He said!
Christ
cried out, "Why call ye me, ‘Lord,’ ‘Lord,’ and do not the
things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
Christ
commanded, "REPENT ye, and believe the Gospel!"
The Gospel is the GOOD NEWS of the soon-coming world-ruling Kingdom
of God! The Gospel is the very BEST news you could ever hear!
-End-
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