What's the Point?

There are those who, while affirming the Deity of Jesus, deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They are called modalists, since they believe that the Father Son and Holy Spirit are mere modes of the unitarian God. They teach that Jesus is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I have found in defending the biblical doctrine of the Trinity against this heresy, its adherents will not argue the point in dispute. They will accuse me either of tritheism or Arianism. But I affirm both monotheism and the Deity of Jesus Christ (as does the doctrine of the Trinity).

The real point to be argued is this, “Does the Bible teach that there are personal distinctions between the Father Son and Holy Spirit?” Since Trinitarians and modalist both affirm monotheism and the Deity of Christ, there is no reason to argue these points. But modalist almost universally want to argue these very points. This is because for them to argue the real point of difference (personal distinctions in the Deity) is a loosing battle.

So, they will argue, one God cannot be three gods. I agree! But that is not what the Bible teaches and it is not what Trinitarians believe. The Bible teaches that there is One God who is three Persons. If they want to say that One God cannot be three divine Persons, or, if there are three divine Persons that must mean that there are three gods, then they are arguing philosophically - not biblically.

For if the Bible teaches that there is only one God (and it does), and that there are three divine Persons (it does), then the three divine Persons must be the one God.

Therefore, the debate, to be of any use, must ask the question, “Does the Bible teach that there are Personal distinctions between the Father Son and Holy Spirit?”

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

What is the Doctrine of the Trinity?

I was asked this question by a modalist in the comment section at another blog.

The following is my response:

There is one, and only one, eternal Being which is by nature God. That is, this one eternal Being alone possesses Deity (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10).

The Father of Jesus Christ is the one eternal God (John 20:17; I Peter 1:3).

Jesus Christ is the one eternal God (John 1:1; 8:58; 20:28; Romans 9:5)

The Holy Spirit is the one eternal God (Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 3:17).

There is a “Personal” distinction between the Father of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ. There is a “Personal” distinction between the Father of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is a “Personal” distinction between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Father is not the Son, the Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; Mathew 3:15, 16; 28:19)

Therefore, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the one eternal God. The Being of God is not divided between the three “Persons”. Rather, each “Person” possesses fully the Deity.

Your question seems to come from a failure to allow for the possibility of a being having any thing other than one person. Maybe this will help:

You and I are each one being. You and I are each one person. The kind of being we are is a human being. Human beings are personal beings. Each human being is limited to one person. A rock is a inanimate being. A rock is not personal. A dog is a living being yet it is not personal. Of all the personal being we know of in nature (that would be human beings) each is limited to one person. But what about the supernatural? There are created spirit beings. Angels and demons are spirit beings and they are personal. But each of these created spirit beings are limited to one person each. Every personal being in creation is limited to one person each. Our frame of reference is this world. It is hard for us to conceive of a being possessesed by more than one person.

But God is not a created Being. God is unlike anything in creation. God is the Creator. We must not force God to conform to our frame of reference. We must allow God to be the God revealed in Scripture even if it does not fit our natural frame of reference.

If God has revealed Himself to be one eternal Being co-equally and co-eternally existing in three distinct “Persons” we must bow to God as He has revealed Himself. But if we say, one being can only be one person, therefore, the one God is only one “Person”, then we are recreating God in our own image.

Modalist have assumned unitarianism and have, therefore, forced the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be different modes of the one Person. Without this unitarian assumption the three “Personal” relatrionships in the nature of the one eternal God are clearly seen on the pages of Scriture.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Is Jesus God the Father?

I recently asked someone on another blog this question: “Is Jesus God the Father?” In response I got a chain of modalistic statements denying the personal distictions between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Modalism is a branch of unitarianism that teaches that there is only one person in the being of God. The apparent personal distinction in the New Testament between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are unreal. For the modalist then, the Father is Jesus and Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Christianity has always rejected this belief as heresy.

So I have a challenge to all who deny the personal distinction between the Father and the Son. Whether you are a oneness pentecostal or some other type of modalist I would like for you to help me understand a Bible passage from your perspective.

First, read the following passage from First Corinthians 15.

(First Corinthians 15:22-28 NASB) 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.

Now, go through the passage again and identify what person is being referred to be each use of a pronoun. Here is the passage with blank spaces provided.

(First Corinthians 15:22-28 NASB) 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when ____ delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when ____ has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For ____ must reign until ____ has put all ____ enemies under ____ feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For ____ HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER ____ FEET. But when ____ says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that ____ is excepted who put all things in subjection to ____. 28 And when all things are subjected to ____, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the ____ who subjected all things to ____, that God may be all in all.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?