This article continues our series about what is stated concerning God, Jesus and the holy Spirit, and whether they comprise a Trinity, in the various books of the New Testament. This article examines the book of Acts.
Jesus had foretold that, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit which the Father will send in my place, will teach you everything and remind you of =&0=&“The Helper, the Holy Spirit” would “guide [them] into all the truth” (John 16:13 NIV). Acts records for us how this was done, by documenting the spread of Christianity during its first three decades, including its beginning, when the holy Spirit was “poured out” (Acts 2:33). If the Trinity doctrine is true, then it should be evident in the book of Acts.
Acts 1:4 – “Wait for the Father’s promise.” – The Father is in control.
Acts 1:7 – “Not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.” – Jesus said his Father is in control, who operates entirely “by his own authority,” without the involvement of a Trinity ‘godhead.’.
Acts 1:8 – “You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you” (NAB). The language “comes upon you” is not appropriate when referring to a person, so this gives evidence the holy Spirit is not a person.
Acts 2:17 – “I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh” (NIV). This verse provides very strong evidence that the holy Spirit is not a person, because “a portion” of a person cannot be ‘poured out.’
Acts 2:22 – “This Jesus… was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him.” – Jesus was used by God, who is the superior one. Notice that “God” is not “Jesus,” who is “accredited by God to you” (NIV), and that “God did” the miracles “through” Jesus.
Acts 2:23 – “He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan.” – God decided what Jesus would do.
Acts 2:24 – “God raised him up.” – Jesus died; God didn’t. “Yahweh . . . God never dies” (Habakkuk 1:12 NJB), whereas Jesus was “dead” (Revelation 1:18).
Acts 2:30 – “God had sworn to seat one of his descendants on his throne.” – God controlled.
Acts 2:31 – “The resurrection of the Messiah” – by God, who did not die.
Acts 2:32 – “God has resurrected this Jesus.” – Jesus was dead, God is always alive.
Acts 2:33 – “exalted to the right hand of God has received from the Father the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is shown to be subservient to his Father.
Acts 2:34 – “The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand.” – Jesus is at God’s right hand of favor; God is in control.
Acts 2:36 – “God has made this Jesus both Lord and Messiah.” – God the Father decided and granted Jesus Lordship and Messiahship. Jesus had neither “from eternity,” as Trinitarians like to claim.
Acts 3:13 – “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob . . . has glorified his servant Jesus.” (NIV) – God gave glory to His servant, Jesus. What is interesting about this is that in Exodus 3:15, “God further said to Moses, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:15 NJB). Almighty God has “his servant Jesus”. Thus, Jesus cannot be Almighty God, as Trinitarians claim.
Acts 3:15 – “You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead.” – Jesus died, God had the power to bring him back to life.
Acts 3:18 – “What God predicted through all his prophets – that his Messiah would suffer.” – God’s Messiah for people.
Acts 3:20 – “He may send Jesus , who has been appointed Messiah.” – CSB – God decided to send Jesus.
Acts 3:21 – “Whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed.” – NJB – God controlled.
Acts 3:22 – “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me.” – Jesus is called a prophet.
Acts 3:26 – “God raised up His Servant and sent Him first to you.” – CSB – God did not die, Jesus did. God cannot die (Habakkuk 1:12 NIV)..
Acts 4:1,2 – “The priests came up to them, accompanied by the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. They were extremely annoyed at their teaching the people the resurrection from the dead by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus” (NJB) – Jesus had been “dead” (Revelation 1:18). In contrast, “Yahweh . . . God . . . never dies” (Habakkuk 1:12 NJB). Jesus could not be God. Notice, too, what these staunchly non-Trinitarian Jews were so upset about – ‘teaching the resurrection from the dead.’ Nothing is ever said about the early Christian disciples teaching the Trinity. Why? – Because they never believed or taught any Trinity.
Acts 4:10 – “by the name of Jesus Christ… whom God raised from the dead.” – God was alive, Jesus was dead. “God” brought “Jesus” back to life.” So, who is more powerful?
Acts 4:26 – “against the Lord and against His Messiah.” – CSB – God’s Messiah to the world.
Acts 4:27 – “your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.” – Jesus served God and still does.
Acts 4:30 – “You stretch out your hand . . . through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” – Servant is inferior to the Master.
Acts 5:3,4 – “Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you lied to the holy Spirit . . . ? ‘ . . . you have lied not to human beings, but to God'” (NAB). Trinitarians present these verses as “proof” that the holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. But they do no such thing. These scriptures equate lying to the holy Spirit with lying to God. Here the holy Spirit means the power and authority that God invested in Peter. Those who lie to the Apostles are lying to God and the holy Spirit, which represents God. This point is emphasized by Paul’s comment: “Whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who [also] gives his holy Spirit to you” (1 Thessalonians 4:8 NAB). This is also similar to Matthew 1:18,20 where it is mentioned by God’s angel that Mary would conceive Jesus “through the holy Spirit” (NAB). God operates “through the holy Spirit” but that doesn’t make the holy Spirit God.
Acts 5:30 – “God raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.” – CSB – Jesus did not resurrect himself, God did.
Acts 5:31 – “God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior.” – CSB – Jesus’ exaltation came from God, not himself.
Acts 5:32 – “We are witnesses to these things, and so is the =&1=&Many translations render this verse in a biased way (“whom”) to make it appear that the holy Spirit is a person. Accurately translated, the verse reads, “We are witnesses of this things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him” (NAB). In any case, as mentioned above, God operates through the holy Spirit.
Acts 5:42 – “Proclaiming – Jesus is the Messiah,” – not proclaiming Jesus is God.
Acts 7:37 – “God will raise up for you a prophet like me.” – God used Jesus as His prophet.
Acts 7:55 – “He saw God’s glory with Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” – God and Jesus are separate and distinct.
Acts 7:56 – “I see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” – Son of Man is obviously not God. Also, being “the right hand of God” means he can’t be God.
Acts 8:12 – “He proclaimed the good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” – Separate and distinct.
Acts 8:29 – “The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go and join =&2=&Trinitarians claim that here, when the scripture refers to the Spirit speaking, that means the holy Spirit is a person. We notice, however, that three verses earlier, it is reported that “the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip” (Acts 8:26), but that doesn’t mean the angels is God. In fact, the Bible is replete with examples of God speaking through angels (Genesis 16:7,9,11). The angel, representing God, apparently spoke by means of the holy Spirit.
Acts 9:20 – “He began preaching in the synagogues, Jesus is the Son of God.” – Not preaching the Trinitarian “God the Son,” an expression never used in the Bible.
Acts 9:22 – “by proving that Jesus was the Christ.” – CSB; NJB – Jesus was Christ, not God.
Acts 10:19,20 – “As Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said [to him], ‘There are three men here looking for you. So get up, go downstairs, and accompany the without hesitation, because I have sent them” (NAB). Because the Spirit is said to speak, Trinitarians claim that makes it a person. However, Jesus had foretold that, “the Helper, the holy Spirit which the Father will send in my place, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have told you” (John 14:26 AAT). The Father used his holy Spirit to teach Peter about the new covenant and the change of how God was dealing with people. The Spirit was used as God’s instrument, but that doesn’t make it a person. God spoke to Peter through it.
Acts 10:38 – “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with Holy Spirit and power… because God was with him.” – God anointed and empowered Jesus.
Acts 10:39 – “They killed him (Jesus).” – Jesus died, God remained alive.
Acts 10:40 – “God raised this man on the third day.” – God brought the dead Jesus back to life.
Acts 10:41 – “Witnesses appointed by God ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” – God was in control.
Acts 10:42 – “to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.” – God decided what Jesus would do.
Acts 11:17 read more