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Do the Twelve Minor Prophets Support Trinity Doctrine?

Do the Twelve Minor Prophets Support Trinity Doctrine?

Who Were the “Minor Prophets”? Part One: Hosea-Micah – Dr ...

It is often stated by those in authority in churches that God is a Trinity, and evidence of this is found throughout the entire Bible. There are twelve Bible books that aren’t used as much as other Bible books, called the Minor Prophets. Is the Trinity doctrine found in the Twelve Minor Prophets?

“The Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet, there are not three Gods, but one God”—Athanasian Creed read more

Is the Trinity Doctrine Taught in 1 Peter, or Contradicted?

Is the Trinity Doctrine Taught in 1 Peter, or Contradicted?

The book 1 Peter opens up with a statement that has been that has been used to support the Trinity doctrine. The question for us to consider is, “Do we find the Trinity in 1 Peter?” Trinitarians point to the naming of the three who are said to be in the Trinity as proof of its existence. For example:
“Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (1 Peter 1:2 NIV). Yes, the three are mentioned. Trinitarians count 1,2,3, and say, ‘There’s the Trinity!” The mention of three does not tell us anything about their supposed equality, nor the “personhood” of the Spirit, nor their supposed “oneness” of substance. In fact, only one of the three is identified as God, something Trinitarians overlook. Rather, “God the Father” is shown to be in control with his “foreknowledge”. In fact, only “the Father” is said to have such “foreknowledge”, meaning that he knows things that “Jesus Christ” doesn’t know, which is a very clear indication of their separateness and distinction. The holy Spirit is always described by “the”, indicating that it is not a person, and therefore cannot know anything. Being “sprinkled with” “Jesus” Christ’s “blood” indicates that he died, which also means that he cannot be Almighty God, since God cannot die (Habakkuk 1:12).
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . he has given us new birth . . . through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 NIV). “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” indicates that “God the Father” is the God of, or over, Jesus Christ, thus denoting his superiority. “The resurrection of Jesus Christ” implies his Father’s superiority because he brought his Son back from death. “From the dead” implies that Jesus was dead, which means he cannot be God, since God cannot die (Habakkuk 1:12). Jesus admits that, “I was dead” (Revelation 1:18), meaning that his entire person was “dead,” not just the Trinitarian imagined “human part” of him. The “God-man” dogma of Trinitarianism is contradicted by 1 Peter. read more

Are Jesus, God, and the holy Spirit a Trinity in 1 Timothy?

Are Jesus, God, and the holy Spirit a Trinity in 1 Timothy?

Is the Bible reliable?
Is the Trinity in 1 Timothy?

It is frequently asserted by Bible preachers and teachers that Jesus Christ Is Almighty God, along with God the Father, and ‘God the Holy Spirit,’ they are part of a Trinity. If this is so, then we should find plenty of scriptural evidence to support it. Do we find the Trinity in 1 Timothy? Since 1 Timothy was written by Bible scholar and teacher, the apostle  Paul, to counter false teachers and false teachings, let’s see what it says.
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1 NIV). God and Christ are here clearly portrayed as two separate and distinct individuals. As if this is not enough, it is further emphasized in verse 2:
“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (1 Timothy 1:2 NIV). “Grace, mercy and peace” are said to come from both God and Christ, with no mention of the Holy Spirit. This omission of the Holy Spirit would be surprising and confusing if the Trinity were true, but since the Holy Spirit is not a person, this statement makes perfect sense. read more

Does 2 Timothy Support the Trinity?

Does 2 Timothy Support the Trinity?

In Paul’s final canonical letter, and now facing certain execution at the hands of the Romans, we would expect Paul to at least make some mention of the Trinity, if it was true, since it is purportedly the “primary doctrine of Christianity”.
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:1 NIV). There is no mention in this opening greeting of the holy Spirit. God, not Jesus, obviously is the one who is supreme, since Paul is “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”. There is no mention, nor is there any evidence of, any personhood of holy Spirit, or any equality between God and Jesus.
“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:2 NIV). In this verse, we again do not find any reference to a Trinity, nor of the holy spirit, but we do have “God the Father and Christ Jesus” named as separate and distinct individuals. If the holy spirit was a person, or the Trinity was real, we would expect that there would be greetings from them, but there are not any. These facts provide no evidence of the Trinity doctrine.
“Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us” (2 Timothy 1:14 NAB). “The holy Spirit” is referenced by the definite article “the.” The holy Spirit is real. It is God’s power (Luke 1:15-17; Acts 1:8) and no name is ever given to “the holy Spirit”, both of which are evidences that the holy Spirit is not a person.
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead” (2 Timothy 2:8 NIV). Since “God . . . will never die” (Habakkuk 1:12 NIV), but Jesus “was dead” (Revelation 1:18), Jesus cannot be Almighty God. “God has resurrected this Jesus” (Acts 2:32 HCSB), which is strong evidence that God the Father is superior to Jesus, and, thus, there is no equality.
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1 NIV). Here we again see a clear distinction between Almighty God and Jesus Christ. This verse also reminds us that “the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22 NIV), which is powerful evidence of the Father’s superiority over the Son. Also notable by absence is any reference to the holy Spirit, or the Trinity, at 2 Timothy 4:1 regarding the matter of judging. The Trinity is never mentioned, in 2 Timothy, or anywhere else, in the Bible.
The Letter of 2 Timothy gives us very good evidence that the Trinity doctrine is not only false, but is one of the “myths” that many Christians unfortunately were foretold would “turn aside to” (2 Timothy 4:4 NAB; NIV; NJB). read more

DOES THE LETTER OF JAMES SUPPORT THE TRINITY?

DOES THE LETTER OF JAMES SUPPORT THE TRINITY?

False Doctrines
“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ” (1 John 4:1 NIV) Is the Trinity in James?

Is the Trinity in James? James’ short general letter to early Christians doesn’t have a plethora of references to God, Jesus, and the holy Spirit, but what it does have is more than enough to figure out whether the Trinity doctrine is in the book of James. First of all, notice who James is a servant of:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1 NIV). James identifies himself as serving two distinct personages, namely Almighty God and Jesus Christ. These two are not mysteriously merged together, as Trinitarians assert. Their distinctive separateness is maintained. Notable by absence are references to the Trinity and the holy Spirit. If these are real, why isn’t James serving them?—Perhaps because the Trinity is fictional. He’s not serving the holy Spirit because it is not a person, even though it is real. “The holy Spirit” is called “it” at John 1:32 (ESV); 14:17 (NAB, REB), Acts 2:33; 8:16; 11:15 NAB, and Romans 8:16,26,27 (NAB;REB). Persons are not called “it”. The holy Spirit is God’s “power” (Acts 1:8), not a person. read more

Is the Trinity in Colossians?

Is the Trinity in Colossians?

Is the Bible reliable?
Is the Trinity in the book of Colossians?

Is the Trinity doctrine in the book of Colossians? Let’s examine all the verses in this Bible book where God and Jesus are mentioned in relation to each other. Also. let’s look for any references to the holy Spirit, which is said to be the third person of the Trinity. Then, let’s see whether what Bible says agrees with Trinitarianism, or proves it to be false. Notice all the references in this letter to the superior position of Almighty God toward his Son, Jesus Christ, and the subordinate position of Jesus Christ in relation to his heavenly Father. read more

2 Peter—Is Jesus Christ Almighty God, or Part of a Trinity?

2 Peter—Is Jesus Christ Almighty God, or Part of a Trinity?

Is the Bible reliable?
Is Jesus Christ Almighty God in 2 Peter?

Trinitarian bias influences translators to render the first verse of this short letter in a way that makes it appear as though Jesus is Almighty God. For example, “by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 ESV). However, the verse is more accurately translated as:

“Through the justice of our God and of our savior Jesus the Anointed” (2 Peter 1:1 Hart)
“Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ: To those to whom there has been allotted the same precious faith as that which is ours through the righteousness of our God and of our Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 Weymouth).
“Through the righteousness of our God and the savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 NAB ftn).

“Through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus =&0=&
“Through the righteousness of our God and the Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 NRSV ftn).
Almighty God and Jesus Christ are thus clearly presented as distinct and separate in these three accurate translations. Notice how this so in the very next verse:

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2 NIV).

“We told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power . . . He received honor and glory from God the Father . . . saying ‘This is my Son” (2 Peter 1:16,17 NIV). Jesus “received honor and glory from God the Father”, and Jesus is called “my Son” by “God the Father”. You can’t receive something from yourself, and, by definition, “Son” and “Father” cannot be the same person.

“Human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God” (2 Peter 1:21 NAB). Trinitarians assert that the holy Spirit is a person. However, the definite article “the” is not the way a person is described. Without the holy Spirit being a person, the Trinity doctrine collapses.

In 2 Peter, where God and Jesus are mentioned together, they are clearly separate and distinct, which ‘demolishes’ the Trinity ‘stronghold’ (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV).

Is God the Father Exclusively the Almighty?

Is God the Father Exclusively the Almighty?

Can God the Father of the Bible be the only Almighty?

“The Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet there are not three Gods, but one God”—The Athanasian Creed

Trinitarians assert, in probably their main creed, above, that ‘God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,’ all rolled into one Almighty God, but three entities at the same time. Of course, this makes no sense, but let’s see what the Bible says:

“We know that, ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one’. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us 

there is one God, the Father . . . and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ read more

The Fixed New Testament Text – a Huge Problem for Trinitarianism!

The Fixed New Testament Text – a Huge Problem for Trinitarianism!

The fixed New testament Text has been a huge problem for Trinitarianism.

“Command certain people not to teach false doctrines”—1 Timothy 1:3 NIV

Since the Trinity Doctrine is said to be the main, or primary, teaching, of Christianity, why is it so disputed down to this day?

Accurate history tells us that:

(1) Various Trinities were taught and believed in many pagan religions prior to Jesus, going all the way back to ancient Babylon, 3,000 years before Christ!

(2) The Bible’s Old Testament canon closed about 400 BCE, saying nothing about any Trinity, or Trinitarian ideas..

(3) The Bible’s New Testament canon closed about 100 CE, also lacking any mention of any Trinity, or Trinitarian ideas.

(4) The Greek New Testament Master Refined Text became even more strongly fixed than ever during the latter part of the 20th century, with the publication of the Nestle-Aland (N-A) 26th Edition (now in its 28th Edition) and the United Bible Societies’ (UBS) 3rd Edition (now in its 5th Edition). These two independently done Greek Texts are now identical. They are based upon collation and critical anaylsis of the 5,800 extant New Testament manuscripts, some of which are dated to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th centuries CE.

(5) The integrity of the New Testament (NT) Text we have today is so far greater than anything else from ancient times that there is nothing anywhere close to it in textual integrity. This is what we would expect from “the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

(6) It can truly be said of Christianity that it is a textually based religion. It is “written down,” “with paper and ink” (John 21:25; 2 John 14 NLT). The popular myth that the text of the Bible has been changed through handwritten copying and recopying through the centuries is unsupported by the facts.

(7) It was accurately predicted that “men will come forward perverting the truth” (Acts 20:30 NAB). However, the fixed Biblical text has served as a powerful safeguard against doctrinal changes.

(8) The Trinity doctrine, as we know it today, with the three in one idea, did not even appear on the scene until late in the 4th century CE, and was greatly disputed then, and it still is.

From the Bible we learn that:

(1) Jesus based his teachings upon the scriptures. “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44 NIV), which is the way the entire Old Testament was referred to in those days.

(2) The early Christian Church based its decisions upon the Scriptures—Acts 15:12-18

(3) The early individual Christians based their teachings entirely on the Scriptures— “He reasoned with them from the Scriptures . . . they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:2,3,11 NIV). Also see Acts 28:23.

(4) Teaching “different doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3 ESV), or “false doctrines” (1 Timothy 1:3 NIV), was/were not allowed.

(5) Teaching “a different Jesus”, or “a different gospel” was not allowed—2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT; Galatians 1:6 NIV; NAB

(6) Going “beyond what is written in the scriptures” was not allowed—1 Corinthians 4:6 GWT

(7) “Speculations” were not allowed—Timothy 1:4 NIV

(8) The Church was to “test” (1 John 4:1 NIV), and “weigh carefully, what is said” ( 1 Corinthians 14:29 NIV)

(9) The fixed text of the Bible, especially the New Testament, serves as a safeguard against “all kinds of strange teachings” (Hebrews 13:9 NIV)

(10) A false doctrine might take hold for a while, but the Bible’s fixed text tends to bring the true Biblical teachings back into focus. “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers in the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24,25 NIV). This is the reason for the huge controversy over Trinitarian doctrine today. A false doctrine, such as the Trinity, is developed through a ‘distortion of the scriptures’ (2 Peter 3:15,16).

(11) “The faith that was once for all handed down to the holy ones” (Jude 3 NAB) was in written form with the completion of the New Testament by the end of the 1st century. This, and other scriptures, implies that there is nothing “add to” it (Proverbs 30:5,6 NIV). In fact God has preserved his word, like nothing else has ever been preserved. “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24,25 NIV). This fixed New Testament text serves as a safeguard against any doctrinal changes. It is true that unscriptural doctrinal changes, such as the Trinity, have been made, but “because of the truth,” “those who love the truth,” (2 John 1,2reject them, and stick with what the Bible itself teaches.

This fixed text of the Bible, especially the New Testament, is why the Trinity is so disputed, and is, in fact, contradicted, by the Bible itself.

Not one aspect of the Trinity doctrine is found within the Biblical text itself.

Some c=&0=& translations=&1=& rendered in=&2=& (KJV),=&3=& in a way that seems to support the Trinity doctrine. This is because they were based on texts composed from manuscripts that had spurious changes.

For example, the words “testify in heaven: the =&4=&were added to 1 John 5:7,8These words have been used to “prove” the Trinity doctrine. However, textual criticism revealed that these words are not in any Greek manuscript prior to the 14th century, so they are obviously spurious.

The KJV translation of 1 Timothy 3:16, “God was manifested in the flesh,” was based on a corrupted text, which would seem to support the Trinity doctrine. Discoveries of older, more accurate Greek manucsripts, combined with modern textual analysis revealed that the most ancient copies read: “Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is =&5=&

John 1:1 is a favorite go-to “proof text” of Trinitarians. The usual translation in English is: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  However, Koine’ Greek language doesn’t have the indefinite articles “a” and “an.” The Greek of John 1:1 reads, “the Word was with the God, and the Word was divine” (AAT). This is a big difference! Jesus was with THE God, that is, Almighty God, in heaven, prior to his coming to earth. The footnote to John 1:1 in the New American Bible (NAB) is quite informative: “Was God: lack of a definite article in Greek signifies predication rather identification.” Predication describes something about the subject. Jesus is godlike, but he’s not Almighty God. Once again, the Greek text, rather than Trinitarian spin, helps us to get the correct understanding. John 1:18correctly translated, is a big help to understanding John 1:1“No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father; He has explained Him” (NASB). Since lots of people saw Jesus, he could not be God, because, “no one has ever seen God” (1 John 4:12 NIV). Jesus is called “God”, but he is begotten, meaning he was created. He did not exist prior to his creation. His “origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2 NIV). Trinitarians don’t like this, so many translations render John 1:18 differently. But the Greek text trumps biased translations.

John 8:58 is usually rendered as, “before Abraham was born, I am” (NIV). Trinitarians claim this connects Jesus to being the “I am” of Exodus 3:14However, the Greek is more accurately rendered as “I existed before Abraham was born” (AAT), or the slightly less accurate, “before Abraham was even born, I have always been alive” (NLT margin).

Acts 20:28 is often translated in a way that indicates that God died for our sins: “The church of God, which He purchased with His own blood” (NASB). However, since “No one has ever seen God” (1 John 4:12), and he is “eternal” (1 Timothy 1:17 NIV), and “the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NAB), the Greek text of Acts 20:28 is better translated as: “The church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son” (NRSV).

The fixed New Testament text helps with Romans 9:5“Theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever” (NAB). This is often translated with Trinitarian bias, such as, “the Messiah, who is God over all” (NIV). The NAB footnote clarifies the Greek,  by explaining, “However, Paul’s point is that ‘God who is over all’ aimed to use Israel, which had been entrusted with every =&6=&The usual translation of, “the Messiah, who is God over all,” contradicts the Trinity doctrine anyway, because, “in this Trinity . . . none is greater, or less, than another. But the whole three Persons are . . . coequal” (Athanasian Creed). If Jesus was God over all, that would include being “over” the Father and the holy Spirit.

Another Trintarian favorite is Philippians 2:5,6“Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal to God” (NKJV).  The Greek text, however, reads: “Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not =&7=&

Titus 2:13 is usually rendered as “of our great God and savior =&8=&which makes it appear that Jesus Christ is Almighty God. However, since Paul offered greetings “from God the Father and Jesus Christ our savior” (NAB), it is obvious that Paul did not mean that Jesus is Almighty God. The more accurate translation is, “of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ” (NAB; NRSV margin).

2 Peter 1:1 is likewise rendered as though Jesus Christ is Almighty God in most translations: “Through the righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ”. However, the Greek is more accurately translated as: “the righteousness of our God and the savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 NAB margin; NRSV margin; KJV; ASV; Weymouth; Aramaic Bible in Plain English).

The=&9=& renderings=&10=& modern refined Greek Texts, such as the N-A and UBS, upon which many modern=&11=&

How Can Jesus Be God If He Is the Mediator?

How Can Jesus Be God If He Is the Mediator?

“There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all”—1 Timothy 2:5,6 NIV

“Mediator. One who represents God to humans and humans to God–and who removes all alienation between them by offering himself as a ransom for ‘all'”—NIV Study Bible footnote

The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the mediator BETWEEN God and mankind. Trinitarians claim that Jesus is God, and their “God-man” also. How do they explain this apparent contradiction?

Jesus the Mediator
Jesus is the Mediator between God and mankind. Yet, Trinitarians claim Jesus is also God, and call him “God-man.”Trinitarians say: “Jesus MUST be God in order to be our mediator.”

This is the crux of their argument. Trinitarians equivocate by changing the meaning of mediator, since Jesus being the mediator BETWEEN humans and God (1 Timothy 2:5) presents a problem with their Trinity doctrine. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

By definition, a mediator is neither of the two parties for whom he mediates. The two parties discussed here are the “one God” and “mankind”. The 

“one mediator”  read more

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