Blog - One God Worship

Proof Texts for the Trinity / Who is the Holy Spirit

Father, Son and Holy Spirit: An Examination of 2 Corinthians 13:14

Does Paul's benediction to the church in Corinth constitute proof of the Trinity's existence? Some would say it does because it lists God (the Father), Jesus and the Holy Spirit: 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (emphasis added)Father, Son and Holy SpiritAs we saw in part 1 and part 2 of this series, in order for a passage to qualify as a proof text for…

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May 25, 2019

Proof Texts for the Trinity

Father, Son and Holy Spirit: An Examination of Matthew 3:17

A remarkable thing happened after Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River: God poured out His Spirit on His beloved Son. Matthew 3:16-17 (NASB) After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." Father, Son and Holy Spirit Many Christians view…

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May 22, 2019

Proof Texts for the Trinity

Father, Son and Holy Spirit: An Examination of Matthew 28:19

Does the phrase, "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" provide evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity? Many Christians believe so. They cite primarily three passages[1] where the trio of names, or variations thereof, are mentioned in the same context. In this series, we'll look at each of these proof texts to determine if they do indeed attest to the fourth century doctrine's presence in Scripture.If we're going to discuss the doctrine of the Trinity, we need to know what it states. Not surprisingly, many Christians…

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May 20, 2019

Who is God

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

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

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 heaven? 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