Thursday, August 15, 2013

Is The Trinity True? Are You Accepting Or Refusing Blindly?


For there are three that bear witness in heaven:
The Father, the word, and the Holy Spirit;
and these three are one. And there are three
that bear witness on earth; the Spirit,
the water, and the blood; and these there
agree as one. If we receive the witness of men,
the witness of God is greater; for this is the
witness of God which He ahs testified
of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God
has the witness in himself; he who does not
believe God has made Him a liar, because
he has not believed the testimony that God
Has given of His Son.
1John 5:7–10

            In future blogs I will address verses 7 & 8 and the differences between the Textus Receptus that is the basis for the Authorized King James Version and the New King James version and the Critical Text that is the basis for the NIV, ESV, ASV, NASB. There is controversy over those verses. Controversy within the Church is not some “Johnny come lately” theological debate as there have been two great eras of theological controversy in the history of the Church. One controversy that occurred was the great creeds of Protestantism that were hammered out in the Reformation (I will cover this in later blogs), and the controversy that occurred from 325 A.D. to 441 A.D, as there were ecumenical councils of leaders of the Church held to resolve conflict that had become divisive factors in the Church. Let us not forget that there was great zeal in regards to doctrines to assure us by a balanced study of the Bible as to correct doctrine. Yet, this zeal did and could even today lead a zealous person, even unwittingly into error, that is, unless there is a balanced study of the Bible. This is a major thrust of these blogs, to examine the Bible in a balanced method to arrive at truth. An early third century priest Sabellius (fl. ca. 215), may have taught in Rome and probably an African from Libya as Basil stated, but what we know of him is drawn for the most part from the polemical writings of his opponents. Sabellius was a proponent of Modalism that is  a non–Trinitarian heresy that teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply different modes of God and not distinct person within the Godhead. The number “one” ascribe to God in the Bible is a foundational proposition to their theology and a modern adherent to Modalism is the preacher often seen on TV is T.D. Jakes. Modalism as known today by the moniker of Oneness Pentecostalism or Apostolic or Jesus’ Name Pentecostalism are a group of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity and all subscribe to non–Trinitarian theological doctrine. I am providing a list of those denominations that are Modalist in theological doctrine:
Sabellius and Modalism were and are concerned, rightly, with the oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ. This concern to maintain this oneness of God, and the deity of Jesus Christ, has led Modalist into error. This error has blinded their understanding that the Son is God, the same essence as God, the Second person of the Godhead, and led Modalists to maintain that the Son was a distinct person from the Father and this has led to a duality within the Godhead.
You too have many questions about the doctrine of the Trinity, and how the Church resolved this question, these vital differences of opinion concerning the meaning of he Scriptures. Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation is at the heart of this controversy. Therefore, it is a vital doctrine and one that we must investigate and examine so that we know from Scripture the truth.
      This is the beginning of this study and I will now focus on the doctrine of the Trinity for John wrote to us starting from the first verse that Jesus was God (I know there are those who doctrinally disagree with that statement). Maybe you too! Take the time to study this for it is at the heart of Christianity, and our salvation.

For many deceivers have gone
            Out into the world who
Do not confess that Jesus Christ
            As coming in the flesh.
This is a deceiver and an anti–Christ.
            Look to yourselves, that we do
Not lose those things we worked for,
            But that we may receive a
Full reward. Whoever transgresses and
            Does not abide in the doctrine of Christ
Does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine
            Of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
                                                            2John 7–9

Ask and you will receive: pray for guidance you will receive

Richard L. Crumb


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