The relatively short five chapter Old Testament Bible book isn’t used very much these days. In fact, many Christians are unaware that the book even exists, and even many of those who are aware, would struggle to find its place in the Bible. This is ironic, because an older song often sung in Christian Church services, weddings and funerals, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, is based on Lamentations 3:22-23. Yahweh, the Most High God, is mentioned a number of times, Jesus Christ is possibly referred once, and the holy Spirit isn’t mentioned at all in this relatively short book. We’ll examine its contents thoroughly to see whether we find evidence for, or against, the Trinity doctrine. Is the Trinity doctrine in Lamentations?read more
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”’” (Isaiah 46:10New International Version) There is no question that the one who has “perfect knowledge” ( Job 36:4 NIV), Almighty God “knows everything” (1 John 3:20 NIV), so everything CAN be “foreknown” (1 Peter 1:20 LSB) by him. There have been numerous cases that are Biblically documented where he has demonstrated his unique ability to foreknow the future about many things, including individuals. The Bible is clear that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). However, just because he CAN know everything in advance, does that mean he does know everything in advance? While we will deal with this subject in general, this article will focus on the question, “does Almighty God foreknow each person’s eternal destiny?”
RELEVANT FACTS WE KNOW ABOUT GOD
Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (NIV). “This phrase suggests that humans have an innate sense of the eternal, a longing for something beyond the temporal world. This concept is unique to humanity, as it reflects . . . the image of God in which humans were created (Genesis 1:27). The awareness of eternity points to a spiritual dimension that transcends earthly existence, indicating a divine purpose and destiny. This longing for eternity can be seen in various cultures and religions throughout history, where people seek meaning beyond the material world. It also connects to the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to set their minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)” (Bible Hub Study Bible). We know that, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Would such a loving Almighty God put such a concept of, and desire for, “eternity” without any way to achieve it? – Hardly!
We know that “God . . . cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), and the “hope” that he offers “will not lead to disappointment” (Romans 5:5 NLT).
The scriptures refer to “foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:2 NIV), and “God’s settled purpose and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23Weymouth New Testament) of certain important events.There is no question that God has chosen to foreknow, and even to “purpose”, or “foreordain” (1 Peter 1:20 NKJV) certain events in advance. But, does God foreknow everything that will ever happen in advance, including each person’s eternal destiny?
GOD CAN RESTRAIN HIS POWERS
Isaiah 42:14 – “For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself” (English Standard Version). “The Lord God Almighty” (Revelation 4:11) has unlimited powers. “The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power” (Job 37:23New International Version). The Bible is also clear that he also has perfect self-control, “perfect patience” (1 Timothy 1:16 NASB), over those powers. That is, he controls his use of his powers to suit his purpose. Instead of using all of them indiscriminately, he exercises discriminate use of his powers. The thought of Almighty God using self control, or restraint, might, on the surface, seem strange. But, if we think through that a little bit, it is completely reasonable to think of him as doing so. Otherwise, wouldn’t he be out of control, even uncontrolled? For example, he has the power to destroy every human, and he has the power to give every human eternal life. But he will do neither. He will selectively give some eternal life, and some eternal death (Matthew 7:13,14).
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF GOD NOT USING HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE
Psalms is one of the longest books in the Bible. Based on what many scholars and experts assert, we would expect to find this doctrine in such a long and prominent Bible book. Is the Trinity in Psalms?
Does it strike you as odd that even the most scholarly proponents of the doctrine admit it is neither understandable nor explainable?
“The most difficult thing about the Christian concept of the Trinity is that there is no way to completely understand it or explain it. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. But we do trust the Bible, which teaches that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. At the same time, the Bible also teaches there is only one God. So, the one God exists in three Persons. It’s possible to understand some facts about the Trinity and some of the relationships the different Persons of the Trinity have to one another. But, ultimately, how a single Being can exist in three distinct Persons is incomprehensible to us. Our inability to understand, however, does not mean the doctrine of the Trinity is untrue or unbiblical. The word Trinity is not found in Scripture. It is a useful term in discussions of the triune God, as we speak of three coexistent, co-eternal divine Persons who are One. Although the word itself is not found in the Bible, the concept represented by the word Trinity certainly is.”-–GotQuestions.orgread more
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Trinitarians claim that the doctrine of the Trinity is found throughout the Bible. The Old Testament book of Job, with its 42 chapters, is one of the longest Bible books, so if what is asserted to be the main doctrine of Christianity is true, one would expect to find at least some evidence of it in Job. Is the Trinity in the book of Job?
Job 1:6; 2:1 – “Now it was the day that the sons of God came to stand before Yahweh and Satan also came among them.” “Again it was the day that the sons of God came to stand before Yahweh, and Satan also came among them to stand himself before Yahweh” (LSB). “In the Old Testament, “sons of God” often refers to angelic beings. This phrase suggests a gathering of divine beings in the heavenly court. The term is used similarly in Genesis 6:2 and Job 38:7, indicating beings created by God who serve Him . . . The use of “LORD” in all capitals signifies the divine name YHWH, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and authority. This setting underscores God’s supreme rule over all creation, including the spiritual realm” (Bible Hub Study Bible). Jesus, at Matthew 22:41-46 quotes and applies Psalm 110:1 in a way that makes it obvious he is not Yahweh. At these two heavenly meetings, Yahweh, the angels and Satan were in attendance. But where are Jesus and the holy Spirit, since they are supposedly equal members of the Trinitarian “Godhead”? Are they AWOL? Jesus is real, and has existed since his “origin . . . from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2 NRSV). Even though Jesus was alive back then, and may have been at that heavenly meeting, it was Yahweh God who handled matters with Satan. As we will see later in this article, the holy Spirit is not a person, so it couldn’t attend the meeting. These views into the heavenly realm give evidence against the Trinity.read more
The Book of Ephesians provides some clues as to Nontinitarianism.
Most Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. But what is Nontrinitarianism?
“The trinity of God is defined by the church as the belief that in God are three persons who subsist in one nature”—Dictionary of the Bible, page 800, by John L McKenzie, S. J.
Something “defined by the church” influences many people in the world. But, more importantly, is “the trinity of God” found in the scriptures?
“The brief as so defined by the church was reached only in the 4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief”—Dictionary of the Bible, page 800, by John L McKenzie, S. J.read more
Many people wonder, “Who Is God?” He is often thought of as a spirit being and independent of the material creation, while pantheism holds that he is the universe itself. Many believe “thereare many such gods” (1 Corinthians 8:5 REB).
This article does not claim to be all-inclusive, but these are some of the primary things we are told in the scriptures about the Almighty, such as who and what he is, but also about what he is not.
“He, Shaddai (Almighty), is far beyond our reach. Supreme in power, in equity, excelling in saving justice, yet no oppressor”—Job 37:23 NJBread more
Logic studies valid forms of inference like modus ponens.
Only the Bible can make sense of the standards by which we evaluate whether or not something is true. One such set of standards are the laws of logic. We all know that a true claim cannot contradict another true claim. That would violate a law of logic: the law of non-contradiction. The statements “The light is red” and “The light is not red” cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. Laws of logic thus represent a standard by which we can judge certain truth claims. Moreover, all people seem to “know” laws like the law of non-contradiction. We all assume that such laws are the same everywhere and apply at all times without exception. But why is this? How do we know such things?
If we consider the biblical worldview, we find that we can make sense of the laws of logic. The Bible tells us that God’s mind is the standard for all knowledge because, “God . . . has perfect knowledge” (Job 37:15,16 NIV). “God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ” (Colossians 2:3).read more
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is thought by many to be Almighty God, along with God the Father, and the holy Spirit. However, according to the scriptures Jesus Christ has a God. Who could this be? Who is Jesus’ God?
“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions”—Hebrews 1:9 ESV
From the above scripture, Jesus’ God has anointed him more anyone else. Who is Jesus Christ’s God?read more
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