Trinity - Examined: Is Jesus, the Son of God? Or, God, the Son?

By CDR

God is one, not three. Deut. 6:4, Hear O Israel, the Lord our GOD IS ONE LORD. 1 Cor. 8:6, There is but ONE GOD: THE FATHER, of whom all things, and we in him. James 2:19, 1 Tim. 2:5, There is ONE GOD. And one MEDIATOR between God and man, the MAN JESUS CHRIST. Even the devils believe (and tremble) that there is only one God. John 17:3 says, And this is life eternal, that they might know thee THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom THOU HAST SENT. Eph.4:6, ONE GOD and father of all. Isaiah 43:10, Before me there was NO GOD formed, neither shall there be after me.
This Trinity is an established matter by Roman Emperor Constantine with the meeting, known as Council of Nicaea, with all bishops in 325 AD. We cannot open it again. This is the opinion of many. After all, we are not under the kings and emperors now. We are in democracy. Nobody can dictate us. Constantine was not a Christian at the time of taking that decision, and it was only later he became a Christian. He was afraid that his Roman kingdom will break down into two with the fight among bishops about this Trinity, and so he held the Nicene Council with all the Bishops simply took the majority and then declared Trinity. We need biblical support for anything, not the human dictation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Sep 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482851946

CDR

David R.Chinta is a recipient of M.A. in English, MSc in math, MEd, BL, and PhD from India. He has also a BD, MTh, and DMin degrees from India. He worked as Associate Professor and Principal of Colleges of Education in India. This piece is out of his forty years of teaching and preaching experience.

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Copyright © 2015 by CDR.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4828-5195-3

                eBook          978-1-4828-5194-6

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CONTENTS

Foreword

1 Introduction

2 Review of Previous Work

Doctrines of Five Major Denominations:

I) Doctrine of Roman Catholic Church:

II) Doctrine of the Lutheran Church:

III) Doctrine of Baptist Church

IV) Doctrine of Methodist Church

V) Doctrine of the Pentecost Church:

3 Formulate Hypothesis

4 Design Synopsis

5 Collect Data and Information

6 ANALYSE DATA

7 Interpret and Report

8 Thesis Writing and Finalization.

Summary

Bibliography

About the Author

"Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSON, COPYRIGHT 1973,1978, 1984

BY INTERNATIONAL Bible Society, used by Permission."

Quote: "The NIV text may be quoted or reprinted upto and inclusive of one thousand (1,000)

Verses, without express written permission of the publisher."

In this book, the number of verses quoted are less than 1,000 and hence express written permission is exempted.

As regards the images, permission was accorded by "The Christadelphians, PB. 159, Hyderabad, India, for the image of the ChristianTrinity. For the rest of the images, they were taken from the Internet whose wibesite was provided under each image and they are free to use.

DEDICATED WITH LOVE & RESPECT TO

MY DEAREST ELDER BROTHER AND SISTER- IN- LAW

LATE SRI CHINTA ALBERT VICTOR

AND

LATE SMT. CHINTA JAYAPRADHA VICTOR

Foreword

This book is a modified form of the Thesis presented in Part Fulfillment for the Degree of D. Min. to the International Institute of Church Management, 2A, Elangovan Street, East Thambaram, Chennai-600 059, a New York, based Institute.

This was presented under the Title;

IS JESUS, THE SON OF GOD? OR GOD, THE SON? CAN THERE BE A TRUINE GOD? BIBLICAL SUPPORT—A STUDY.

My heartful thanks to Dr. JOHN WILLIAMS, the founder PRESIDENT of THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHURCH MANAGEMENT and my deep sense of gratitude is Dr. Prof. Rev. THOMAS EDMUNDS, the Academic Dean & my RESEARCH GUIDE FOR D.Min.

Lastly, my immense thanks are to my wife, MRS. T. A. DEVI LAZARUS, Rtd. Sr. Lecturer, Govt. College for Women, Guntur, for going through all the manuscript work and correcting all the mistakes and giving suggestions wherever necessary.

–Dr. DAVID R. CHINTA

Chapter 1

YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH… Jn. 8:32,

PROVE ALL THINGS… I Thes. 5:21

Introduction

A s Christians we believe the Bible and that it is infallible. Whatever Bible says we show our humble obedience to it. But unfortunately, there are many distorted believes in the present day Christianity. We will examine one such distortion i.e. "THREE IN ONE GOD. Some people simply conclude that All the Three constitute one God i.e. TRINITY and they say that it is A DIVINE MYSTERY. There are many mysteries in the Bible. Let there be light and there was light. This is a mystery and we accept it because nothing is impossible to God Almighty and God Himself is Light. Jesus walked on the water. This is a mystery and we accept it because Jesus got all Powers from His Father as mentioned in Matt.28:18. This does not mean that everything can be treated as mystery, in spite of the fact that the Bible teaches in a different way.

The word Trinity is no where seen in the Bible. We have coined a new term and we say that this is a divine mystery. This was the presumption of some majority of Bishops during the 3rd century A.D., which is quite unknown to the writers of the Bible, to Jesus, to his disciples and to the Christians of the first century

The Israelites (the Jewish) people were very strong in the belief that the God’s who had brought them out of slavery in Egypt, met with them at Mount Sinai, given them His commandments, and who had brought them into the promised land, was the one true living god of all the earth. This was in contrast to the many gods that the surrounding nations worshipped.

Over the years God foretold through the prophets, a Messiah would arise among them who would bring many blessings to God’s’’ people. Isaiah for example prophesied in 8th century B.C. that the virgin would be with child and would give birth to a Son, and will call him Immanuel (God be with us.) (Isaiah 7:14). Several centuries later, during the reign of the Roman emperor Caesar Agustus, a child, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. At the age of 30, this Jesus began his public ministry and astound people, both with his miracles of healing and with his claims which included the assertion that he was the one foretold in the OT (e.g. Jn. 5:39, 40) and the Jewish leaders recognized him as putting himself on a level with God and they went to the extent to stone him for blasphemy. At the same time he often talked about his ‘Father in heaven’ who had sent him into this world. If his claims of Jesus as God are true, then God is no longer one, but two.

However, before Jesus was crucified, he promised his disciples that he would ask the Father to send them another counselor to be with them forever-the Spirit of truth. (John.14:16). This Spirit that Jesus spoke of came to indwell the disciples of Jesus fifty days later, on the Jewish day of Pentecost.

Now all this complicates the matter even further, for if the Spirit is also God and distinct from the Father, then we now have not just two persons, but three! For Jews who had been steeped in the Jewish tradition of one God, this must have been all rather confusing.

A) ..If we believe that: JESUS WAS GOD, THE SON, how can we believe the BIBLE which states --..

i) that the holy one to be born will be called THE SON OF GOD. (Lk. 1:35).

ii) that when Jesus was baptized and went up out of the water, heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting on him. And, a voice from heaven said that he is his SON, whom he loves and that with him he was well pleased. (Mt.3: 16-17).

iii) that by himself he can do nothing and that he judges only as he hears, and that his judgment is just, as he seeks not to please himself, but him sent him. (Jn.5;30.)

iv) that God so loved the world and he gave his only SON, and that who so ever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." … Jn. 3:16. v) that he was going to the FATHER who is GREATER THAN HIMSELF.. Jn.14:28

B) If we believe in a TRIUNE GOD, how can we believe the BIBLE which states -–

i) …that there is ONE GOD, AND ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the MAN JESUS CHRIST. ITim2:5.

ii) that he asserts about ONE GOD when he addresses Israel saying that the Lord their GOD, LORD IS ONE …Deut. 6:4.

iii) that he is the Lord, and there is NO OTHER; APART FROM HIM THERE IS NO GOD. (Isa. 45:5).

iv) that -— God, the blessed and ONLY RULER, THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS: who alone is immortal.– (I Tim. 6: 15-16).

v) that there is but ONE GOD, THE FATHER, from whom all things came." (I Cor. 8: 6).

C) .. If we believe that: the Holy Spirit is a personal God, how can we believe the BIBLE which states that it is the POWER of the Father. We notice:

i) that the angel answered Mary saying that ‘The Holy Spirit shall come upon her, and the POWER of the MOST HIGH will overshadow her. (Lk.1:35).

ii) that there was a sudden sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. All of them were filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. (Acts. 2:2-4).

iii) that GOD anointed JESUS of Nazareth with the HOLY SPIRIT and with POWER. (Acts. 10: 38).

Jesus was mis-judged even in his own lifetime. Almost no one grasped who he was nor what he was trying to get across. Nothing—not his followers, not his enemies, not his family, not his friends, not the masses could know who he was. Startling as it may seem, there is great confusion today among religious leaders concerning the true nature and office of Jesus Christ – the SAVIOUR of the world.

The word "TRINITY" is no where seen in the BIBLE. An idol in a Hindu Temple – the pagon form of the Trinity – the three Gods 1) Bhairava (Destruction), 2) Brahma (Creator) and 3) Vishnu (the preserver) are treated as ONE. Ecclesiastical History shows how that the doctrine was gradually brought in. The Apostles Creed in 120 A.D. says, "I believe in GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY." During 370 A.D. the DOXOLOGY: Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Ghost was composed. During 381 A.D. the Council of Constantine gives the finishing touch to the Doctrine of "Three persons in one God."

SO, THIS NEEDS A VERY CAREFUL EXAMINATION WITH ALL SPECIAL REFERENCES FROM THE BIBLE BOTH OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT.

* * * * * * *

Chapter 2

Review of Previous Work

D OCTRINES: Jesus commanded His disciples to teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever He commanded them (Matt. 28: 20). What the disciples taught was Christian doctrine. As long as men teach what Jesus commanded them, they teach the truth; when, however, they teach anything contrary to His commands, they teach error or heresy. The teachers of the Christian Church found it necessary to defend the truth of their faith against error within their own midst and against attacks from Jews and pagans without. This made it necessary for them to formulate their doctrine, so that it would be clear to others what they taught. This led to the fixation of dogma. Those who taught error, however, also formulated their doctrine, and as the centuries passed by, error increased in scope and variety. The history of doctrine is the record of the development of doctrine and its fixation as dogma.

The earliest pronouncements of doctrine subsequent to the books of New Testament may be found in the writings of the Apostelic Fathers. These were followed by the writings of the so-called Greek Apologists (Epistle to Diognetus, Theophilus of Antioch etc.,). During this time two important schools were founded in the East, marking the beginning of scientific theology (Alexandria: Pantaenus, Clement, Origen, Antioch; Lucian; Diodorus; Theodore of Mopsuestia, John of Antioch; Teodoret). In the West Tertullian by his writings became the father of Latin theology. With Iranaeus and Hippolytus he may be regarded as one of the anti-Gnostic Fathers. The development of the scientific theology not only coincides with serious attacks on fundamental Christian doctrine but also with the correct formulation of the challenged doctrines, and their successful defense. The doctrine of the Trinity was endangered by dynamic or Adoptionist (the two Theodotuses, Paul of Samota) and by Modalistic (Paraxeas, Sabellius) Manarchianism, and even more so by Arianism (Arius, Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzus, Basil the Great, Gregorry of Nyssa).

This controversy led to the Council of Nicea (325) and the eventual formulation of the second ecuminical Creed (the Nicene), which is an amended form has come down to us as the Niceno - Constantinopolitan Creed. This creed also took cognizance of the error of the Macedonians or Pneumatomachians (Mecedonians of Constantinople), who denied the diety of the Holy Ghost. Apollinarianism (Apollinaris: Lagos, the mind of Christ) was condemned by the second ecuminical council at Constantinople (381).

Nestorianism (Nestorius) denied the unity of Christ’s person. Cyril of Alexandria brought about the condemnation of Nestorius at the third ecumenical Council at Ephesus (431). Eutyches taught that Christ, after the incarnation, had only one nature. The ensuing controversy was settled by the ecumenical Council at Chalcedon(451). The chief ideas of the agreement are to be found in the Athenesian Creed.

The Chalcedonian settlement was unsuccessfully challenged by Monophysitism and Monotheletism. Summary: Nicea (325). Christ is divine; Constantinople(381), Christ is human; Ephesus (431), Christ two in nature.

A fierce anthrpological controversy was stirred up by Pelagius (Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism), who taught freedom of the will in spiritual matters and salvation by works. Augustine was his chief opponent. (Sin and grace; predestination). The early Middle Ages found the Eastern and the Western Church in controversy regarding the use of images (iconoclastic controversy) and the addition to the Nicene Creed of the words and the Son.

Protestant doctrinal development is linked with the names of Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin. The name Luther suggests his two Catechisms, the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles. Post-reformation, controversies in the Lutheran Church led to the adoption of the Formula of Concord (1577) and the final adoption of the Book of Concord, containing all Lutheran Confessions(1580).

Doctrines of Five Major Denominations:

I) Doctrine of Roman Catholic Church:

"To