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Other
Articles on the Trinity Controversy
Beware
of Polytheism
The Doctrine of Christ
The Lord Our God Is One
Trinity Doctrinal Chart
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The
Doctrine of Christ
Summary and Conclusions
Some 1600 years have passed since the Trinity was forged. In all
that time, no one has been able to provide a clear and logical
statement of it. It has begged an explanation in every age. Oddly
enough, no scholar or groups of scholars have been able to coin a
clear and workable formula that is an acceptable standard for all
time. Every explanation is flawed and needs more theology to clarify
it. Endeavors at clarification, more often than not, lead into a
labyrinth of words with the fog-level index going out of sight. And
there we would be left—hopelessly lost and struggling for truth.
The Trinitarians paradoxically operate on two levels. When
reading or quoting the Bible, both Trinitarians and non-Trinitarians
sound alike. Both refer to the same verses, and their readings are
similar. As long as the Bible is adhered to, they are hard to tell
apart. But when the Bible is departed from and philosophical
arguments are introduced, a wide gap soon appears. Because the
Trinity is a doctrine of inference, and not of statement, it can be
sustained only as long as it is continually inferred from the Bible.
Whenever the Scriptures are merely read and quoted, the Trinity
loses ground. Hence, every so often, the doctrine must be
"injected" into the consciousness of the hearers lest they
forget. The Trinity has to be piped into Scripture before it can be
piped out.
Everyone knows you do not get cider from cotton. Yet, in fact,
you can squeeze cider from cotton. However, you must first soak the
cotton with cider, and then, lo, and behold, you can squeeze cider
from cotton. That is how you may extract the Trinity doctrine from
the Bible. First, saturate the Bible texts to be used with the
concept; then squeeze it out. That is why Dr. Pelikan, who has been
called "perhaps the foremost living student of Church
history," said, in effect, no one could find the Trinity by
just reading the New Testament (see p. 8). You need the theologians
to superimpose their theology upon the Word before you can find it
there.
In our brief consideration of this subject, we have found the
Scriptures unequivocally teach that "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 Cor.
8:6). These are the two great personalities of the Bible, with the
holy Spirit an expression of their power and influence. The Father,
always supreme and preeminent, exists "from everlasting to
everlasting." The Son, the direct creation of the Father, was
highly exalted for his faithfulness in becoming the world’s
redeemer; yet he always remains in harmony with and in submission to
his Father’s will.
It was also shown that Trinity as a concept was an integral part
of heathen religions many centuries prior to Christianity. The idea
was borrowed by some later theologians, who, during the third to the
fifth centuries, developed it into a basic dogma of the Christian
religion. The gradual emergence of the Trinity doctrine is freely
acknowledged by most historians, attested by its lack of Scriptural
support and demonstrated by the evolving sequence of the basic
creeds of the faith.
Hence, rather than being pure truth taught by Jesus and his
Apostles, the Trinity turns out to be Church dogma arising gradually
from the philosophy of men who attempted to fuse certain heathen and
Christian ideas together. It required many years to fashion and
shape it against the objections of many of the outstanding leaders
of the early Church, as we have noted. In the end, the effort
prevailed, a doctrinal theory was created, and it was given the
blessing of orthodoxy by official Church councils. Yet all of this
does not make it valid, for eternal truth is not the handiwork of
man but stems only from our immortal and all-wise God.
We opened this treatise with a discussion of the "doctrine
of Christ." We found this to mean that Jesus had come in the
flesh and died in the flesh. It holds that he was the
"Anointed" of God, anointed King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, and also the abiding Melchizedek priest. He is the glorious
Bridegroom for whom the Heavenly Father is selecting a bride during
this Gospel age. As Christians, we hope to be joined with our Master
in the marriage of the Bride and the Lamb. No Christian can
anticipate marriage to God, but only to God’s dear Son. In another
figure, he is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5). And in
yet another, he is the head of the body of Christ of which the
faithful believers are members (Col. 1:18). In contrast, God is
spoken of as being "the head of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:3).
Repeating our opening text, 2 John 9 (RSV)— "Any one who
goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not
have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the
Son." The lesson is clear. We cannot have access to the Father
apart from the doctrine of Christ—that he is the Anointed One of
God. When we accept the singular personhood of Jesus as God’s
Anointed, then by addition, we have two—both the Father and the
Son. Let us then abide in the doctrine of Christ. In so doing we
shall have the extravagant blessing of having both the "Father
and the Son"—and that is everything!
The Trinity was a theological attempt at fusion. Somehow, with
the incantation of words, the effort was made to fuse God, Jesus and
the holy Spirit into one. We get the feeling, sometimes, that many
scholars wish they had not done this, but like the leaning Tower of
Pisa, it will just have to remain a religious wonder until it falls
of its own weight and imbalance due to an unscriptural foundation.
Appendix
Translations of the Greek arch (arkee, arche) in italics.
(From Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament)
Here are the complete uses of the Greek word arch mentioned in
Chapter I. The reader may see how the word is used throughout the
New Testament. Please note how John 1:1 and Rev. 3:14 use the word
"beginning" in common usage. By studying the various uses
of the Greek word arch, the reader may be properly informed.
Matt. 19: 4 which made (them) at the
beginning
Matt. 19: 8 from the beginning it was not so.
Matt. 24: 8 these (are) the
beginning of sorrows.
Matt. 24: 21 since the beginning of the world
Mark 1: 1 The
beginning of the gospel of
Mark 10: 6 from the beginning of the creation
Mark 13: 8 these (are) the
beginnings of sorrows.
Mark 19 as was not from the beginning
Luke 1: 2 from the
beginning were eyewitnesses,
Luke 12:11 unto the synagogues, and (unto)
magistrates,
Luke 20:20 might deliver him unto the power and authority
of the governor.
John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word,
John 1: 2 The same was in the
beginning
John 2:11 This beginning of miracles
John 6:64 Jesus knew from the
beginning who
John 8:25 I said unto you from the beginning.
John 8:44 was a murderer from the
beginning,
John 15:27 with me from the beginning.
John 16: 4 not unto you at the
beginning,
Acts 10:11 knit at the four corners, and let
Acts 11: 5 down from heaven by four
corners,
Acts 11:15 as on us at the beginning.
Acts 26: 4 which was at the
first among
Rom. 8:38 nor principalities, nor powers, nor
1Cor.15:24 have put down all
rule and all
Eph. 1:21 above all principality, and power,
Eph. 3:10 now unto the
principalities
Eph. 6:12 against principalities, against powers,
Phil. 4:15 that in the
beginning of the
gospel,
Col. 1:16 dominions, or principalities,
Col. 1:18 who is the
beginning, the
Col. 2:10 the head of all principality,
Col. 2:15 having spoiled
principalities
2 Th. 2:13 God hath from the beginning chosen
Tit. 3: 1 subject to
principalities and powers
Heb. 1:10 Thou, Lord, in the beginning
Heb. 2: 3 which
at the first began to
Heb. 3:14 if we hold the beginning of
Heb. 5:12 the
first principles of the oracles
Heb. 6: 1 leaving the principles of the doctrine
Heb. 7: 3 having neither
beginning of days
2 Pet. 3: 4 from the beginning of the creation
1 John 1: 1 which was from the
beginning,
1 John 2: 7 which ye had from the beginning.
-- ye have heard from the
beginning.
1 John 2: 13 him (that is) from the beginning.
1 John 2: 14 known him (that is) from the
beginning.
1 John 2: 24 have heard from the beginning.
-- ye have heard from the
beginning
1 John 3: 8 the devil sinneth from the beginning.
1 John 3: 11 that ye heard from the
beginning,
2 John 5 which we had from the beginning,
2 John 6 as ye have heard from the
beginning,
Jude 6 angels which kept not their first estate,
Rev. 1: 8 the
beginning and the ending,
Rev. 3:14 the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev. 21: 6 the
beginning and the end. I will
Rev. 22:13 Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end.
References
Addis, William E. and Arnold, Thomas.
A
Catholic Dictionary. St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1960.
Beach, W. B. and Hickey, Y. Beach vs. Hickey on
the Trinity. Dayton, Ohio: Christian Publishing Association,
1867.
Bowman, Robert M., Jr. Why You Should Believe
in the Trinity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1989.
Boyle, Isaac. The Council of Nice.
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1879. From Eusebius’
Ecclesiastical History. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich.,
1984.
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Edited by
Charles G. Herbermann, et al. New York: Robert Appleton Co., 1912.
Christian History. Carol Stream, Ill.:
Christianity Today, Inc. Payne, Robert. "A Hammer Struck at
Heresy." Issue 51, 1996. Shelley, Bruce L. "The First
Council of Nicea." Issue 28, 1990.
Christianity Today. Carol Stream, Ill.:
Christianity Today, Inc. Noll, Mark A. "The Doctrine
Doctor." Sep. 10, 1990. Poston, Larry. "The Adult
Gospel." Aug. 20, 1990.
Clarke, Adam. A Commentary and Critical Notes
on the New Testament, New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, (n.d.).
Dictionary of Doctrinal and Historical
Theology. Edited by John H. Blunt. London: Rivingtons, 1872.
Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 1952 edition.
Forrest, James. Some Account of the Origin and
Progress of Trinitarian Theology. Meadville, Pa.: Theological
Press, 1853.
Fortman, Edmund J. The Triune God: A Historical
Study of the Doctrine of the Trinity. London: Hutchinson and
Co., Ltd., 1972.
Gibbon, Edward. History of Christianity.
New York: P. Eckler, 1923.
Girdlestone, Robert Baker. Synonyms of the Old
Testament, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1951.
The Illustrated Bible Dictionary. J. D.
Douglas, organizing editor. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1980.
Kung, Hans. Christinaity: Essence, History and
Future. New York: Continuum, 1995.
McClintock, John and Strong, James.
Cyclopedia
of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, New
York: Harper & Brothers, 1890.
New Catholic Encyclopedia, Editorial staff
of Catholic University of America. Washington, D.C.: McGraw-Hill,
1967.
The New International Dictionary of New
Testament Theology. Colin Brown, general editor. Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.
Newton, John. Origin of Triads and Trinities.
Liverpool: Henry Young & Sons, 1909.
Richards, H. M. S. The Voice of Prophecy Radio
Broadcast. Los Angeles, Dec. 20, 1958.
Strong, James. Exhaustive Concordance of the
Bible. New York: Abington Press, 1890.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
Gerhard Kittel, primary editor, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, editor and
translator. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1965.
Visalli, Gayla, editor. After Jesus. The
Triumph of Christianity. Pleasantville, N.Y.: The Reader’s
Digest Association, Inc., 1992.
Wells, H. G. The Outline of History.
Revised by Raymond Portgate. Garden City, N. Y.: Garden City Books,
1920.
Young, Robert. Analytical Concordance to the
Bible. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co., 1936.
"Adding up the
Trinity"
In Christianity Today, April 28, 1997, p. 26, in an
article entitled, "Adding Up the Trinity," Immanuel Kant
and Thomas Jefferson are quoted on the subject of the logic and
practical value of the doctrine of the Trinity. "Kant, for
example, argued the doctrine had no practical significance. ‘The
doctrine of the Trinity provides nothing, absolutely nothing, of
practical value, even if one claims to understand it; still less
when one is convinced that it far surpasses our understanding. It
costs the student nothing to accept that we adore three or ten
persons in the divinity. . . . Furthermore, this distinction offers
absolutely no guidance for his conduct.’"
"Jefferson seems particularly irritated by the complexities
of ‘Trinitarian arithmetic,’ as he called it, a theological
mathematics that only served to blur our vision of who Jesus truly
was: ‘When we shall have done away with the incomprehensible
jargon of the Trinitarian arithmetic, that three are one, and one is
three; when we shall have knocked down the artificial scaffolding,
reared to mask from view the very simple structure of Jesus; when,
in short, we shall have unlearned everything which has been taught
since his day, and got back to the pure and simple doctrines he
inculcated, we shall then be truly and worthily his disciples.’"
The same article quotes Roderick T. Leupp on his book, Knowing
the Name of God: A Trinitarian Tapestry of Grace, Faith and
Community. "For most people and, sadly, for most Christians
also, the Trinity is the great unknown. The Trinity, to use a
familiar equation is viewed as a riddle wrapped up inside a puzzle
and buried in an enigma. A riddle, for how can any entity be at the
same time multiple (three) yet singular (one)? A puzzle, for the
Trinity is so clearly contrary to any rational thought as not to
warrant a second thought from sensible people. An enigma, for even
if the Trinity could be understood, of what practical value, even
what religious value, would it have for ordinary people?"
The article continues: "Not much, many of us might be
tempted to say. As Karl Rahner notes, ‘Despite their orthodox
confession of the Trinity, Christians are, in their practical life,
almost mere monotheists.’" So we find the Trinitarians very
much in the same posture as the evolutionists. The evolutionists
control the schools, the media and all the mind programming areas,
but when all is said and done, most students go to Church on Sunday
and sing, "How great Thou art." They are not true
believers in the evolution theory. So with the Trinity, people are
programmed to believe the Trinity, but worship God in a monotheistic
way and praise Him for sending His son to be our Redeemer.
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