Quick Post Concerning the Trinity
by Samuel Bland
08/18/2014
Who came in the flesh: Jesus or the Father?
This is a very short response to those who use verses such as John 3:16 to support the view of the Trinity. The verse in question is read as follows:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The idea is that “God” here is God the Father and the “Son” is God the Son, and the supposed distinction between them supports the Trinitarian claim of three Persons in the Godhead. I do not believe this to be the case, and I will attempt to briefly show why.
According to Strong’s Concordance of Hebrew and Greek Lexicon, whenever “God” is used in the New Testament, the actual Greek word used is “Theos,” which is generally reserved for “the supreme Divinity” or simply God Himself.
In the case of John 3:16, “God” is translated from this Greek word “Theos”; Theos gave His Son. So to say that John 3:16 supports a distinction, such as saying that “God” here means God the Father, would be to say that Theos refers to God the Father. If the Father gave his Son, then Theos gave his Son; that is saying the same thing. Let’s see where else Theos is used:
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
The word “God” used here is also translated from Theos. We can read this as “Theos was manifest in the flesh.” So if we assert that Theos refers to the Father, which Trinitarians do concerning John 3:16, we must come to the conclusion from 1 Timothy 3:16 that The Father was manifest in the flesh.
So who came in the flesh, Jesus or the Father? Interpreting this verse from a Trinitarian standpoint suddenly becomes tricky, while those who adhere to Oneness interpret it plainly: the Father and Jesus are one and the same! Jesus even says so:
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Amen!
ReplyDeleteCol. 1:15 states “Who (Jesus) is the expressed image of the invisible God…”
ReplyDeleteThe disciples still had a very hard time believing this man standing before them was the great “I am” of the old testament and rightfully so, because he was just a man in every aspect, yet he was conceived of the Holy Ghost which overshadowed Mary.
Just because God had molded a living human body didn’t mean he stopped being God and the creator of all things. Jesus was just the part of God his followers could see and it was hard for them to digest.
A case in point: You could take a glass of water from the Pacific Ocean and bring it to a lab technician in Texas and tell him it’s the Pacific Ocean. He would laugh at you and say it is only a glass of water, but when he tested it, he would find it had every solute property of that Ocean!! Would that make two Pacific Oceans-not in the least!! The glass of water would be an expressed image the technician could see, but one in the same with the might ocean!!
Jesus was that visible temple having all the attributes of God the disciples could see, yet he was the mighty God who created the worlds!!
We are made in the image of God. We are not some split personality being walking around with three heads, but one as he is one.
So simple to understand if you will lay down traditions and open your heart for truth…
Thank you for the reply! I especially loved the analogy of the glass and Pacific Ocean, I will definitely be using it.
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ReplyDeleteThe "mystery" of godliness that some to this day claim is still a "mystery" should take a second look at the verse you posted 1 Tim 3:16. Look at the structure. It begins with what was considered a mystery. Here is the beauty of this verse. It doesn't just leave the mystery out there hanging as if it is still a mystery, No! What this verse does is not only identify what was or had been a mystery, but it goes on to reveal the mystery. The once mystery of godliness is no longer a mystery as it is full explained! No more mystery!!
ReplyDeleteThe answer or revelation of that mystery is fully revealed and is no longer a mystery.