Blog - One God Worship

God is The Father

The most fundamental question one can ask about Christianity is, "Who is God?" That's because God's identity is the foundation upon which the tenets of the faith stand. Who then is this God? The Church Fathers of the fourth century, backed by the cunning and heavy handed Emperor Theodosius[1] at the Council of Constantinople (381 AD), declared God to be three persons in one substance. If this is the case, we should be able to find this doctrine stated in Scripture. However, even Trinitarian scholars…

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May 17, 2019

Jesus Came Down From Heaven

The Importance of Understanding Jewish Idioms What could be more clear? When Jesus said he came down from heaven, it's obvious proof that he preexisted in heaven. John 6:38 (NASB) "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (emphasis added) But is this what Jesus was trying to convey? Is it possible that the first century Jewish audience would have understood his statement to mean something other than a literal pre-existence in…

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May 14, 2019

Who is Jesus / How to Read the Bible / Preexistence

Jesus Came Into the World

The Importance of Understanding Jewish Idioms In order to properly understand a foreign language it is important to understand the idioms that are common to that culture. You can imagine how someone who isn't from America might react if they were told they needed to "butter someone up" in order to gain their favor, or that dinner at an expensive restaurant was going to cost them an "arm and a leg." Without knowing the true meaning of such phrases, the uninitiated is left to take…

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May 9, 2019

Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Church History / Dual Natures of Christ / Preexistence

John 1:1 The Jewish Mind vs Greek Philosophy (Part 3)

The Jewish Mind vs Greek PhilosophyIn part 1 and part 2 of this series we looked at three textual considerations having to do with grammar and the translators' bias in the prologue to John's gospel. First, we saw that "Word" (logos) was incorrectly capitalized, inferring that it was a person that pre-existed with God. Second, we learned that the translators failed to follow standard translation methods when they referred to "word" (logos) as a "he" and "him" instead of an "it" which the English calls for…

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May 8, 2019

Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Dual Natures of Christ / Preexistence

John 1:1 The Jewish Mind vs The Translators’ Bias (Part 2)

In part 1 of The Jewish Mind vs The Translators' Bias, we began our examination of what is commonly viewed as the quintessential proof text for Jesus' pre-existence: the prologue to John's gospel. John 1:1-3 (NASB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. The Translators' Bias…

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April 26, 2019

Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Dual Natures of Christ / Preexistence

John 1:1 The Jewish Mind vs The Translators’ Bias (Part 1)

Invariably Trinitarians point to John 1:1-3 as the key passage in their defense of Jesus' deity and by extension, the doctrine of the Trinity. This article begins a multi-part treatment of John's prologue in which we will compare what his Jewish contemporaries would have understood it to mean versus how Trinitarian scholars translated it centuries later. Begin With the End in MindOne of the habits Steven Covey wrote about in his popular book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is that we should, "Begin with…

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April 23, 2019

Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Guest Posts / How to Read the Bible / Preexistence

John 1:1 – Fifty Plus English Translations

by Sir Anthony Buzzard Reprinted with permission: FocusOnTheKingdom.org John 1:1 - Fifty Plus English Translations The opening verses of the Gospel of John have proven to be, unfortunately, a veritable battleground and storm center of theological argument. Translators have often edited John to make him fit much later systems of theology. John had never heard of the “Trinity,” the mystifying proposition that God is one and yet three. Jesus knew nothing of that teaching. Jesus was a Jew and he publicly affirmed, as…

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April 23, 2019

Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Who is Jesus

Son of God: Proof of Jesus’ Deity?

Scripture reveals Jesus to be a man of many titles. For example, one of the most frequent titles used in relation to Jesus is Son of God. But what does this designation mean? Can it be used synonymously with the title God the Son as is so often the case in Churches today? Indeed, under the instruction of Trinitarian pastors, teachers and leaders, we have become accustomed to treating these two titles as equivalent. This tradition is so pervasive that often when we read the…

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April 19, 2019

Who is God / Creation and Jesus / Proof Texts for the Trinity

The Testimony of Singular Pronouns

The Testimony of Singular Pronouns Anyone who has at least a grade school education knows that a pronoun is defined as "a word that takes the place of a noun."[1] Pronouns, whether singular or plural are not complicated things. Indeed, child development experts tell us that by the age of "36 months, toddlers have mastered most pronouns."[2] In Scripture, what do the pronouns used to refer to God tell us about who He is? Do they support the doctrine of the Trinity which states, in…

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April 14, 2019

Who is God / Church History

The Uniqueness of God

Many Christians are familiar with the '90s worship song, "There is None Like You." The song had a resurgence in popularity in the 2004 when it was recorded by the group Shane and Shane. Perhaps most memorable is the song's refrain which extols the uniqueness of God: There is none like You No one else can touch my heart like you do I could search for all eternity long and find, There is none like You While God's ability to connect with the inner man…

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April 10, 2019