In the green section are the characteristics of personhood. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. God the Trinity is the only God worthy of worship. In his masterful critique of patripassionism, Against Praxeas Tertullian wrote, Quoting Psalm 110:3 If you want me to believe Him to be both the Father and the Son, show me some other passage where it is declared, The Lord said unto Himself, I am my own Son, today I have begotten myself. 11 Comments. Scriptures: They argue that this was fulfilled in Acts 2:38, which says that Peter baptized in the name of Jesus. After He rises out of the water, the Holy Spirit comes down from Heaven in the form of a dove and rests upon Him. But there is nothing about these passages that refutes or challenges the trinity. T.D. Jakes Embraces Doctrine of the Trinity, Moves Away fr | News That is a problem for oneness. While there may be some Christians in Oneness churches, the movement as a whole is non-Christian. To explain the doctrine as saying that one person is three people, or that there are three separate, competing deities is a misrepresentation of the doctrine. Similarly, Isaiah 7:14 says that his name shall be Immanuel. 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. The primary problem with theology is that it asks questions. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you., Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. The Trinity is the doctrine that there is one God who manifests Himself as three distinct, simultaneous persons. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Fathers who sent me. However, at the Council of Nicea, which arose in response to the Arian heresy (the view that Jesus is merely a creature), there were a few oneness representatives. God is not a man, but the Messiah of prophecy is necessarily a human servant of God his anointed as Jesus is the Son of Man of the messianic prophecies. Why would God need to learn obedience? He possesses all divine attributes. Rule in the midst of your enemies! If the Father and the Son are both God, distinct and conscious entities with their own nature (divine and human, respectively), then this logically entails polytheism. Personhood (i.e., self-awareness, awareness of others, rationality, the ability to love, speak, etc.) It is tongues. The Problem. 15 And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. This passage shows they are two separate, simultaneous persons who each have their own will. But the Trinity would solve this problem. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? 23 Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. They deny the Trinity and teach that there is one person in the Godhead whom they call Jesus. 6 It has been testified somewhere, What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. It affirms the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As formulated by Doctor Bernard, it logically entails that there are two Gods. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. Problems with oneness: Eternal Fellowship and Love God is a personal being. Is this belief true? The solution is found in the next section. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. Bernard, Essentials in Oneness Theology, p. 21. What do these things mean? We might pull our cars over for a police officer in the name of the law. Fair use is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, own will, but the will of Him who sent Me, 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me. Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological - Amazon 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love. (i.e., according to Gods predestined plan), Jesus is the mediator between God and men, How are Jesus and the Father two witnesses? Then the result is Jesus taking the scroll from the right hand of Jesus. Therefore when Christ, the person, died on the cross, then the sacrifice was of divine value. The Trinity would solve this problem. 25 For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. Please note, though, this is not saying there are three competing and separate gods (polytheism). But if the Father is a conscious being and the Son is a conscious being and they are distinct from one another, then in what sense can it be said that they are truly one? What is the proper name of God? Hence, there is just no contradiction when Peter baptizes in the name of Jesus because it is the same authority. The problem should be obvious. A mediator between God and man is a separate party from God and the men he mediates for. Jesus was born of a virgin. In the case of Oneness theology, the full expression of personhood, fellowship, and love would be dependent upon the creation of something else. Recently, certain Muslim apologists and YouTubers have been excited that former kickboxer and controversial internet by Matt Slick | Jan 2, 2023 | Islam, World Religions. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. The mark of salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism is not bringing forth good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), it is not repentance (Mark 1:15), and it is not throwing yourself on the mercy of God (Acts 16:31). I will be with you always, even to the end of the age, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at, The Christian Trinitarian God Examined In Depth, https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal/the-distinction-of-persons-between-god-the-father-and-jesus, Responding to Andrew Tate on Islam and Christianity, Responding to Andrew Tate on the nature of God. American Christianity teaches people that if they are sprinkled with some water, then they are saved. The Oneness adherents did not present an aggressive front, so no strong effort was made to censure them. To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. Muslims routinely claim that the Bible has been corrupted. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool. 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.. The Father even died on the cross and rose from the dead. What Is Wrong With The Oneness View Of God? - Therefore, God Exists First, trinitarians do not believe that in the Son resides 33% of God. God is dependent on nothing. Thus, it is obviously not literally when Jesus said, Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.. Since the Spirit teaches us that Jesus is in bodily form now (Col. 2:9), then how does the Oneness Pentecostal person maintain that God is in the form of the Holy Spirit? God, the one divine. In short, oneness theology is not Christian since it denies the True God, the True Incarnation of Christ, and the True Atonement. The one God and Father is the God and Father of Jesus. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand. That is why John 14:9 says that Once youve seen me, youve seen the Father. Jesus is the expression of God. Is he only part of the Godhead? . Oneness Pentecostalism teaches that when you are water baptized, the baptizer must recite the words in the name of Jesus. If he does not recite those words, the baptism is illegitimate, and you cannot be saved. In Oneness Pentecostalism, there is no distinction between the Father, Son and. Quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise indicated. But following the theme of Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time to ask questions, and there is a time to shut up and . How can you say, Show us the Father? As formulated by Doctor Bernard, it logically entails that there are two Gods. ' The relationship and communication between the Father and the Son become incoherent if we say that Jesus is identical with the Father. On several occasions, Ive had in-depth discussions with oneness believers. When I ask them for an analysis of John 6:37-39, I get some very interesting responses. I will elaborate on them in this article. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. What I am explaining here is a form of monotheism. The Oneness Pentecostal movements generally teach that to receive and maintain salvation, a person must adhere to four essential requirements. This charge I have received from my Father.. This is an idiom for power and authority that Jesus used. Oneness Questions and Answers: with Responses - Article - Zeolla Denomination: Instead the . If He werent, He would not qualify to be our High Priest. Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Oneness theology denies the Trinity doctrine and claims that there is one person in the Godhead who has manifested himself in three different forms: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But upon close examination, nowhere does the New Testament suggest that we have to believe that Jesus the one God and Father. That is to say, the principal is not always clearly distinguished from the agent (the one commissioned to carry out an act on behalf of another). He is absolutely divine, possessing an absolutely uncompromised divine nature. We read inHebrews 3:1-2, Jesus is the apostleand high priest of our confession and was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses was also faithful in all Gods house. (Luke 4:18, Acts 4:26-27, Acts 10:38), Why does Jesus have no glory in himself if he is God? 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. If that is the case, that means that Jesus is both the Father, and the Son. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Answer Oneness doctrine is a rejection of the Trinity and is found in some branches of Pentecostalism. 3:17; 16:17; 2 Pet. by Matt Slick | Mar 13, 2023 | Oneness Pentecostal, World Religions. In this, Jesus, the single person designated by the word I claims the attributes of both natures. 28 You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Why does Jesus say numerous times he is going to the Father if he is the Father? 42 Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. An apostle is an agent commissioned by a principal. 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet., 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. If it were a formula, it would be consistent throughout. How can this be if they are the same person? 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 1 Tim 2:5-6is framed as the truth of the Gospel. Oneness Pentecostalism teaches what is known as modalism. They must be different considering that the Father sent the Son (Matt. There is no talk of repentance or being born again. Oneness Delusion - Let God Be True! (Heb 9:24) Did God go into heaven to appear in the presence of God? [2] [3] It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great "Oneness theology is nothing more than the crass unitarianism of Judaism and Islam. If you would like to get in on the discussion about this, join my Theology Discussion Group! Prior to that, the pre-incarnate Christ existed as the word (John 1:1). They think that since the Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God, this would be a challenge to the doctrine of the trinity. However when the Oneness Pentecostal see messianic statements in the Psalms that seem to regard the Son as existing presently, they are viewed as prophetic. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 17 If anyones will is to do Gods will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. Oneness Pentecostalism - Apologetics Yet, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each called God. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? The answer would be no, because if he knows everything already, how could he think about what He knows? Jesus is totally God. When the apostles were on trial, the Jewish court asked them, by what power, or in what name do you do this? (Acts 4:7). 43. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Believing strongly in one undivided God, Oneness authors teach that the whole essential Godhead is present in Jesus (an idea supported by Colossians 2:9 and other passages). The trinity declares that there is one being (God) and three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Oneness Pentecostals often mistakenly think that this is what the doctrine of the trinity represents. Oneness promotes Nestorianism, which attributes to Jesus the quality of two persons in one body. To the best of my recollection, not a single oneness person has ever refuted how the doctrine of the Trinity is arrived at using the Scriptures. It can be credited to Oneness Pentecostal theology that they teach that before you can be saved, you must be born again by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. This will raise the question of why Peter and the apostles baptized in the name of Jesus. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. To whom was the Father praying? If you would like to read a critique of some of these corollary views, I invite you to browse my series Oneness Pentecostal Heresy. Oneness theology denies the eternal distinctions among the three persons, insisting there is only one actual person in the Godhead . . PDF Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity - isca-apologetics.org If you would like to discuss this further, come join our Theology Discussion Group. 1 The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. 2 The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. (Phil 2:9, Eph 1:17-21), A high priest works on behalf of God in relation to men, so how is it that God designated himself a high priest? He was the full expression of the trinity. The agent acting and speaking for the principal is the principal by proxy (a person authorized to act for another). (1 Peter 2:23), Did God highly exalt Christ and give him the name that is above every name because he was obedient to himself? Let me explain. 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. References are provided as to the necessity of the Messiah of prophecy being an agent of God, and we will look at why the humanity of Christ is essential to the Gospel. There is no doubt that there is some form of tongues in the Bible. So when he told his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, he was telling them to baptize under their authority and power. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.. Oneness theologians would argue that if the Father and the Son were separate, then the Godhead could not fully dwell in Christ. Jesus is, by definition, one person with two distinct natures: a divine nature and a human nature. The apostolic age, in addition to all of these signs and wonders, entails that there are apostles. 3:17; 11:25, 27; 16:17; 24:36; Mark 13:32; 2 Pet. This group vociferously criticizes trinitarians, arguing that if one is to be saved, they cannot believe in the trinity. But firstly, we should note that Izzy Folau and oneness adherents believe that Jesus is fully God, they hold to the Bible as the Word of God, the sinfulness of all mankind, the doctrine of hell, and see the urgency of evangelism. The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Israel Folau's problem with the Trinity - Eternity News 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. This is not social trinitarianism with three separate centers of consciousness. A declaration of YHWH to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, || Until I make Your enemies Your footstool.. However, the Unitarian understanding is supported everywhere in the New Testament and with the most explicit references. This means that when Jesus commands his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the name in this formula is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Of course I went into this thoroughly in my subsection Oneness Pentecostal Heresy but I think it would be profitable to briefly lay out 5 problems with Oneness Pentecostal doctrines. Oneness Pentecostal theology affirms that there exists only one God in all the universe. The following points should focus on the particular problems: A) The Oneness position cannot explain logically or Biblically the clear references to the pre-existence and Creatorship of the Son such as Colossians 1, Hebrews 1 and John 1. . There is no place at all. When Jesus said, Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit, (Luke 23:46), what in the world was he talking about, if in fact, he is the Father? Thus Saith Putin: Christianity Invaded by the Religious Right, Church Is Not Seminary: Why Young Theologically-Informed 20-Somethings Should Manage Their Expectations of Their Pastors, Why Jesus looked and acted like me, not you, Minimizing The Maximally Great Argument For Arminianism, How apologetics bloggers caused the downfall of the United States, Why Christians should apologize for using apologetics, Why apologetics is not necessary to evangelism, Something Greater Than The Crucifixion Is Here: How Jesus Shocked The Pharisees, Social Issues, Politics & Biblical Ethics. 17 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.. A person must have faith in Jesus Only. (1 Cor 8:6) Correspondingly, numerous scriptural references (15x) use the term God in reference to the Father and the term Lord pertaining to Jesus. Jesus could be seen not as the Lord of Glory, but as an asinine individual with serious mental deficiencies, for if he is the Father, it comes unthinkable that he would say, The Father is greater than I.. Many past oneness believers have come to the realization the doctrine is inconsistent with the balanced testimony of scripture. 56 And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God., 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. The Father in Heaven is one nature, and the Son on earth is another nature. This is an impossible to solve problem for . 6 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him. 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Understanding how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospels, Understanding how Jesus is the model for us, The essential humanity of the one mediator Jesus Christ, Understanding The Law of Agency - A Key Biblical Concept Pertaining to Christ, Understanding the distinction between one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, Analysis of Philippians Chapter 2: Form of God is exaltation, not preexistence, Refuting erroneous conflations of Scripture used to infer Jesus is ontologically God, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-articles/, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-videos/, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-audio/, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-books/, There is one God (God is our Savior and desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth), There is one mediator between God and men, The mediator is Christ (the Messiah) Jesus, The mediator gave himself up as a ransom for all, The testimony of the Messiah was given at the proper time. In fact, twice in the book of Acts, people are filled with the Spirit without speaking in tongues (4:13,8:17). Oneness doctrine teaches that the one God reveals Himself in various forms: sometimes as the Father, sometimes as Jesus, and sometimes as the Holy Spirit. Problems with oneness theology | carm.org The hypostatic union is the teaching that in the single person of Christ are two distinct natures: divine and human. Here we will outline the problems with oneness doctrine, including the key scriptural references. The Apostolic testimony of Jesus is that the Christ is Jesus (Acts 2:36, Acts 3:18-20, Acts 5:42, Acts 9:20-22, Acts 17:1-3, Acts 18:5, Acts 18:28) It is apparent that the core Apostolic teaching is that Jesus is the Messiah (not that he himself is God), 22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. The trinitarian will recite the Shema, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. The trinitarian believes that. But, if God is one person from all eternity as Oneness teaches, then was it possible for him to experience fellowship or love if he was by himself from forever ago? That is because he is totally divine. Jesus had a totally human nature and a totally divine nature. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! 1:3). (https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal/the-distinction-of-persons-between-god-the-father-and-jesus). But the Oneness Pentecostal church teaches that we are still in the apostolic age. Matthew 28:19 also affirms their views that Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize in the "name" (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are different roles that he takes in the world. Answer The "Jesus Only" movement, also known as Oneness Pentecostalism or oneness theology, teaches that there is only one God, but denies the tri-unity of God. The Sinners Prayer teaches people that if they recite this prayer once in their life, then they are saved. Similarly, the Father is totally God and the Spirit is totally God. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Hello ThereforeGodExists audience! 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. PDF The Oneness Theology of The United Pentecostal Church International As This means that when God says in Isaiah 43:10 There is no other Godthere never has been, and there never will be, God the Trinity is talking. If He is still fully human (and in Heaven, how can He be the same person as the Spirit, who is on the earth ( )? 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ., 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.. That is what this article seeks to explore. This would mean that there was no relationship between the Father and the Son from eternity, for there was a time when the Son was not. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. It is based upon a faulty conception of the trinity. The threefold answer given by Peter to those who sought to know how to respond to the good news repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is interpreted within the multi-tiered "full gospel" theology inherited from the Wesleyan tradition. As we read through the New Testament, we will encounter what boggled on Why Calvinists And Catholics Share The Nicene Faith, on Why Charismatics Should Cut Glossolalia (Tongues) Out of Their Theology, on Why Christians Should Empty Themselves of Kenotic Christology, 5 Things Christians Can Do About Abortion. If God is only one person, why does Jesus say, "we"? He was not establishing a baptismal formula. What Does Jesus Died For Our Sins Mean? As such, it is distinguished from polytheism, the belief in the existence of many gods, from atheism, the belief that there is no god, and from agnosticism, the belief that the existence or nonexistence of a god or of gods is unknown or unknowable. The Trinity is saying, There is no other God beside me. The Trinity is the one God in existence. There are numerous scriptural references (13x) that refer to Jesus being at the right hand of God indicating a distinction of God and Jesus who is at his right hand. Baptism in the name of Jesus - Wikipedia Any time God says something, it is Jesus speaking. 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. Jesus came from the Father (John 6:38; 17:1-5); the Father did not come from Jesus. (Heb 4:15), Jesus was taught by God. When he ate, the Father was hungry. His most recent contribution, In Jesus Name, goes into detail on Oneness history and theology, but he primarily focuses his latter efforts on the significance of the name of Jesus. Who is God? Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. It seems problematic. Similarly if you do not speak in tongues, then you have not been filled with the Holy Spirit and consequently are not saved.
