Then the LORD answered Job
out of the whirlwind, and said:
"Who is this who darkens counsel
by words without knowledge?
Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall
answer me."
Job 38:1-3
Moreover the LORD answered Job,
and said:
"Shall the one who contends with
the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God,
let him answer it."
Job 40:1-2
God will not allow sin to continue for He will deal with it and His dealing of it will be final. Until that final day we who are people of this earth and who have determined that God is this or that, and not actually coming to Authentic Biblical truth will have to answer God, now, and will give an answer on the Last Day before the judgment seat. Contend with what God has revealed about Himself is to contend with a jealous God, a God who will not continue to put up with falsity. Do you want blessing from God? Then don't shrink back from studying His word and allowing His word to teach you; for this will protect you, your spouse, your children, family, and friends, because the truth is what will set you free. There are many ideas about God, and about Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. This problem of various ideas as to the relationship between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ became a major problem soon after the cessation of persecution that kept the focus of the Church on how to live for God and His Son. There were those who were purporting ideas that needed answers. We shall look at those ideas that plagued the Church from early times, and are plaguing the Church today misleading many to either believe a lie, or to become apathetic. Knowing our history will tell us how we have gotten to the place we are now.
Let me begin by reminding you that the world was not like it is now, that is, the nations we now have were not nations then, they were tribes of people, and often were warrior types, or they became absorbed in a religion that kept them in classes, or a belief that seemed right, they could just become a god, as in the Orient. As for Europe, there were two distinct regions, the Eastern Europe and the Western Europe. Eastern Europe had their foundation in Greek culture, and Western Europe had their foundation in Roman culture. Often the culture led them to a belief that was not Scriptural; but how do we know if we do not study Scripture? That is a question for us! So why is this so important? Because the issue at hand is a soteriological in nature, that is, salvation is at issue. Therefore those ideas and theology of men must be examined. We must know if what we believe is truth.
In Western Europe, Tertullian, the man who first coined the word Trinity, a man who was the basis for my book, The Trinity Exposed, insisted upon the unity of essence in three personalities as the correct interpretation of Scripture regarding the Trinity. This centered the argument with Eastern Europe who did not agree with this assessment. The Church has always had to fight against Unitarianism, a belief of theology that had forerunners such as Arianism, and Socinianism.
It was in 318/19, Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, discussed, "The Unity of the Trinity." Arius a presbyter who was an ascetic and popular preacher attacked the sermon because he believed that it did not hold a distinction among the persons of the Godhead, therefore Arius positions was that this sermon did injustice to the true deity of Jesus Christ. Let me ask this question as it pertains to the saving nature of Jesus Christ: "If Jesus Christ were a demi-god, less than true God, and of a similar or different essence from the Father, as what was asserted by Eusubius and Arius, could He save man? This question is most important for the Mormons say that He is of a different essence, another god, in other words a demi-god, the Jehovah Witnesses say that He is a created being and is another god, or demi-god, the Modalist say that God cannot be all three and is more like a chameleon that changes into different persons as needed. So what is the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Father? Is Jesus Christ God? This controversy was bitter then in the early Church and it is a controversy in the Church today, and between those who claim to be "Christian" but have doctrines built upon a man's opinion and not from the Scriptures that God promised to preserve. What occurred due to this controversy? Alexander by synod had Arius condemned. Arius fled to his schoolmate Euseblius, the bishop of Nicomedia. This was no little dispute for its consequences affected the unity of the Empire as this controversy centered in Asia Minor. Enter into the picture, this controversy was Constantine the Emperor of Rome who was attempting preserve and unite Rome due to many influence, both by the invasions and attacks by the Goths and Visiogoths, and the pagans in the empire. Unfortunately this dispute became large and threatened the peace and unity of the Empire, even letters to the parties did not settle the issue, therefore a council was set by Constantine to settle this dispute. This council was held at Nicea in the summer of 325 A.D. Constantine presided over the council and even paid for the expenses. A nagging problem began by the fact that the government was leading this council therefore was a dominant force between the Church and the state. At this time this fact that the government was playing such an important part was not in the bishops thinking for the had a bigger problem at hand. That problem was to deal with theological heresy.
I will continue this walk through early Church history noting the players, the problems, and how they are infecting the Church today. This is not a minor problem for the question remains, "Is Jesus Christ God." This then poses the next question: "Is there a Trinity and if so is the Trinity three separate gods, or is the Trinity One God in three persons?" Is Jesus Christ co-eternal, co-equal, or consubstantial with the Father? As I close this blog allow me to give a current teaching that is affecting thousands of people; it is Shepherds Chapel, taught by Arnold Murray and his son that there is no Trinity. He sounds as though he is Orthodox, even uses the Bible, and quotes from such helps as Strong's Dictionary, yet is he teaching what the Bible teaches? As we look at history and how history has affected the the Church we must look at Scripture in the end to measure what we have learned and as to the truth for it has to do with salvation, not good living practices, even pagans do that, even murderers are good at times and do good things, rather what is revealed by God in His word, that is the final answer and until we understand how these other teaching arrived into the Church we may not be convinced. So we continue our study.
Blessed in the man
who walks not
in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor
stands in the path of
sinners, nor sits in
the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the
law of the LORD, and in
His law he meditates
day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2
Pray for Guidance, and Read His Word
Richard L. Crumb
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