1. Then why do NUMEROUS encyclopedias agree that "... the doctrine of the Trinity was of gradual and comparatively late formation; that it had its origin in a source entirely foreign from that of the Jewish and Christian scriptures; that it grew up, and was ingrafted on Christianity"? – p. 34, The Church of the First Three Centuries, Alvan Lamson, D.D.
2. Then why do many encyclopedias, dictionaries and other sources (including Sir Isaac Newton) agree that the "Trinity was a pagan corruption imposed on Christianity in the fourth century by Athanasius" and 2 Roman Emperors?
3. Then why does the Bible consistently identify God by singular person pronouns: "I, "Me," "He, and "Him" instead of "We", "Us", "They" or "Them"?
4. Then why does 2 Cor. 13:14 say that the Lord Jesus Christ is one individual, the holy spirit is another individual (whether a person or a thing), and that "GOD" IS ANOTHER DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL?
5. Then why is there not even one scripture which clearly defines the Trinity?
6. Then why is there not even one scripture of a vision, dream, or CLEAR description wherein God is shown as three persons?
7. Then why is there not even one scripture where God is described using the word "three"? If Jesus is Almighty God...
1. Then why is "God the head of Christ just as Christ is head of every man"? (1 Cor. 11:3)
2. Then why does Scripture consistently phrase Jesus as a separate person from God? (John 20:17; John 14:1; Mark 10:18; John 17:1-3; etc. Also in heaven, 1 Cor. 11:3; Luke 22:69; etc.)
3. Then how can Jesus have a God? Could Almighty God have a God? (Mic. 5:4; Ps. 45:6, 7; 89:26; John 20:17; Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph 1:3; Col 1:3; Mark 15:34; John 17:1-3; Also in heaven, Rev. 1:6; 3:2, 12)
4. Then why does Scripture say he was born and is part of Creation? (Col. 1:15)
5. Then why does Rev. 3:14 say that Jesus is "the beginning of the creation of God"?
6. Then why is he subject to GOD, like we're subject to him? (1 Cor. 15:27, 28; Eph. 1:17)
7. Then why does Micah 5:2 say that Jesus' ORIGIN was “from early times”?
8. Then why does Jesus not know what God knows? (Matt. 24:36, Rev.1:1; Luke 8:45)
9. Then why is Jesus still subject to God when he is as high as he will ever be? (1 Cor. 15:27, 28)
10. Then why does Proverbs 8:22-31 show that the Messiah was CREATED / PRODUCED by God?
11. Then why is he not powerful enough to subject things to himself? (1 Cor. 15:27, Eph. 1:17, 22)
12. Then why would he have to be given any power and authority? (Mt. 28:18; 11:27; Jn. 5:22; 17:2; 3:35; 2 Pet. 1:17)
13. Then why did he have to learn anything? (Heb. 5:8; John 5:19; 8:28)
14. Then why is speaking against him not as bad as speaking against the Holy Spirit? (Mt. 12:31,32; Luke 12:10)
15. Then why did Jesus call the "Father...the only true God"? (John 17:1, 3)
16. Then why did he need to be saved? (Heb. 5:7; John 12:27)
17. Then why did he have to be exalted to Leader and Savior? (Acts 5:31)
18. Then how could he be exalted and given a higher name than he had? (Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:2-4)
19. Then why did he have to be given life in himself? (John 5:25,26)
20. Then how can the Father be greater than he? (John 14:28)
21. Then how could Jesus be tempted by Satan when God cannot be tempted with evil? (James 1:13)
22. Then why did he worship the Father? (John 4:22)
23. Then why can he not do anything on his own? (John 5:19; 6:38)
24. Then why would he pray to anybody? (Luke 22:44; John 17:1,2; Heb. 5:7)
25. Then why does John 1:18 (cf. Jn 3:16, 18) say that Jesus is God's "only BEGOTTEN Son"? ASV
26. Then how can he be God's servant? (Acts 4:26,27,30)
27. Then how could he receive strength from an angel? (Luke 22:43)
28. Then how could he be a mediator between God and man? (1 Tim. 2:5)
29. Then how could he be with God (ho theos)? (John 1:1)
30. Then how can he be God's image? (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3)
31. Then why is he called the agency (dia) of creation and not the Originator (ek)? (1 Cor. 8:6; John 1:1-3; Prov. 8:30; Heb. 2:10; Col. 1:15
,16)
32. Then why did Jesus say GOD was "good" in a way that Jesus was not? (Mark 10:18)
33. Then why does he have an archangel's voice instead of God's voice? (1 Thess. 4:16)
34. Then why is the only "worship" given to him the same given to humans? (Heb. 1:6, cf. Mt. 18:26; Rev. 3:9 - "Proskuneo")
35. Then why do many who believe this rely on a few selected, so-called 'proof-texts' instead of the context of the consistent teaching of the entire Bible?
36. Then how could he get commanded to do anything? (John 12:49; Deut. 18:18)
37. Then why did Steven see two separate entities, GOD and Jesus, and not just one God or three persons? (Acts 7:55)
38. Then how could he be seen at GOD's right hand? (Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55; Rom. 8:34)
39. Then how could Jesus be exalted (not to become God Himself, but) to the position at the "right hand OF God"? (Acts 2:33)
40. Then why would he have to receive a revelation from God? (Rev.1:1)
41. Then why is he called God's "begotten" Son before he came to earth? (John 3:16; Gal. 4:4; 1 John 4:9)
42. Then how could he have a Father? (John 20:17)
43. Then how could he come in the flesh? (1 Kings 8:27; Acts 17:24,25)
44. Then why did he not come in his own name? (John 5:41-44)
45. Then why did Jesus "come down from heaven to do" God's will and not his own will? (Luke 22:42; John 6:38; John 5:30; John 8:42)
46. Then how could he appear before GOD? (Heb. 9:24)
47. Then how could he die? Can God die? Can part of God die? (Rom. 5:10; Acts 5:30; 1 Cor. 15:3; Hab.1:12; cf. 1 Tim. 6:16; Num. 23:19; Ps. 90:2; Dan. 6:25-26)
48. Then why is it that God resurrected Jesus? (Acts 2:32)
49. Then why was he seen by men if "no man has seen God at any time"? (John 1:18)
50. Then why is there not one clear scripture where Jesus is called "God the Son," (equal to those declaring "God, the Father)?
51. Then why does the last Gospel writer not tell us so in his final conclusion? John 20:31 John's final conclusion IF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALMIGHTY GOD...
1. Then why do quotes from Trinitarians admit that the Holy Spirit is not God but rather is a force from God?
2. Then why would Jews instructed in the Old Testament scriptures and in the teachings of John the Baptist, NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS? (Acts 19:2)
3. Then why isn't the Holy Spirit given equal description in the Bible?
4. Then why didn't Jesus ever teach that the Holy Spirit was God along with the Father and Son?
5. Then why does the Bible describe the Holy Spirit as an "it"? (Is. 34:16 ASV, KJV; Numbers 11:17, 25 ASV, KJV, RSV, NRSV, AT, LB, NEB, REB, NAB, JB, NJB; and Romans 8:16, 26 in the KJV.)
6. Then why does the Bible describe the Holy Spirit as a thing that can be poured out into portions? (Acts 2:17, 18, 33; Numbers 11:17, 25)
7. Then why is the holy spirit nameless and indistinguishable from all of the other holy spirits?
8. Then why did the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD disregard the Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead when they declared Jesus to be 'God' in 325 AD? Why did they wait until the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD to include the Holy Spirit in the formula?
9. Then wouldn't the water and blood be persons too according to Trinitarian reasoning and 1 John 5:8?
10. Then why is it sandwiched between a list of QUALITIES at 2 Cor. 6:6?
11. Then why does the NT Greek Lexicon describes the Holy Spirit as "this" at Acts 2:33?
12. Then why is it that nowhere in the Bible is the Holy Spirit ever said to be an equal member of a trinity?
13. Then why is it that nowhere is it mentioned in the Bible the words, "God, the Holy Spirit," or "The Holy Spirit is God"?
14. Then why is it that there is never mentioned a vision, dream or clear description in scripture wherein God and the Holy Spirit are shown as the same person? (Dozens of Questions For Those Who Believe in the Trinity )
How did Jehovah appear to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob at Exodus 6:3 yet Jesus said no man has seen him or heard his voice?
ReplyDeleteAngelic representatives. For instance in the burning bush narrative in Exodus 3.2-7 it is quite clear that an angel is communicating on Jehovah's behalf. The bible is full of theophanies. So it is true that no man has seen God ie. Jehovah. They always saw his representative.
ReplyDelete1. The claim that numerous encyclopedias agree the Trinity was a gradual and late formation originating from foreign sources, as cited from Alvan Lamson's work, misrepresents the historical development of Trinitarian doctrine in Catholic theology. While the explicit formulation of the Trinity as three persons in one essence was refined over time through councils like Nicaea and Constantinople, this was not an invention but a deeper penetration into the mystery already revealed in Scripture and apostolic tradition. The Jewish and Christian Scriptures, such as the plural "Elohim" in Genesis 1:26 ("Let us make man in our image") and the baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 naming Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, provide the foundational revelation. Lamson's Protestant perspective overlooks the patristic consensus, from Ignatius of Antioch's early references to Christ as God (Epistle to the Ephesians, c. 110 AD) to Tertullian's coining of "Trinitas" around 200 AD, showing organic growth from divine revelation, not pagan importation. Thus, the doctrine is biblically rooted, progressively clarified against heresies, affirming one God eternally subsisting in three coequal persons.
ReplyDelete2. Assertions that encyclopedias and figures like Sir Isaac Newton describe the Trinity as a pagan corruption imposed in the fourth century by Athanasius and Roman emperors ignore the Catholic understanding of doctrinal development as guided by the Holy Spirit, not imperial fiat. The Trinity is known through revelation, not philosophical invention, and historical sources like the Encyclopædia Britannica acknowledge that while councils addressed Arianism, the core belief predates Constantine, evident in the Didache (c. 70 AD) and Justin Martyr's First Apology (c. 150 AD), which describe baptism in the triune name. Newton's unitarian views, influenced by his personal biblical studies, contradict the Church's magisterial authority, which Athanasius defended against Arius at Nicaea (325 AD) by drawing on Scripture like John 1:1 ("the Word was God") and Philippians 2:6 ("being in the form of God"). Emperors like Theodosius ratified what was already apostolic faith, not originating it; pagan trinities (e.g., Egyptian or Hindu) lack the personal distinctions and unity of essence central to Christian Trinitarianism, rendering this charge a superficial historical caricature.
3. The Bible's use of singular pronouns like "I," "Me," "He," and "Him" for God does not contradict the Trinity but reflects the divine unity of essence, where the one God speaks as one, even while subsisting in three persons distinguished by relations. Plural pronouns like "Us" and "Our" in Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 6:8 ("Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"), and Genesis 11:7 ("Let Us go down") explicitly indicate intra-Trinitarian dialogue, balanced by singular references to emphasize ontological oneness (Deuteronomy 6:4: "The Lord our God is one Lord"). This linguistic pattern mirrors the mystery: the persons are not three separate gods but one divine nature acting inseparably, as seen in John's Gospel where the Father and Son share actions (John 10:30: "I and the Father are one"). Jehovah's Witness interpretations atomize pronouns to deny personhood, but Catholic exegesis harmonizes them, revealing the Trinity's relational depth within unity.
4. 2 Corinthians 13:14 does not portray three separate individuals in a way that denies Trinitarian unity but rather invokes the three persons in their distinct yet coeternal relations, where grace, love, and fellowship proceed from the undivided divine essence. "God" here refers to the Father as the unbegotten source, Jesus Christ as the eternal Son, and the Holy Spirit as the bond of love between them—not as disparate beings but as one Godhead. This benediction parallels the baptismal command in Matthew 28:19, equating their saving work, and avoids modalism by distinguishing personal appropriations: the Son's grace, the Father's love, the Spirit's fellowship. The verse's structure underscores coequality, not separation, affirming the principle that the persons are really distinct yet consubstantial.
Delete5. The absence of a single scripture explicitly defining the Trinity as "one God in three persons" aligns with the Catholic view that divine mysteries like the Trinity exceed full human comprehension and are revealed progressively, not in exhaustive propositional statements, but through implications across the canon. Implicit clarity abounds: Isaiah 48:16 speaks of the Lord God sending "His Spirit" alongside "Me" (the Son); the seraphim's trisagion in Isaiah 6:3 ("Holy, holy, holy") evokes triple holiness for one God; and 2 Corinthians 13:14 conjoins the three without division. The OT's Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) insists on monotheism, fulfilled in the New by Christ's divinity (Titus 2:13: "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ") and the Spirit's personhood (Acts 5:3-4: lying to the Spirit is lying to God). This scriptural tapestry, interpreted through the Church's living tradition, yields the doctrine's full definition, countering the demand for a simplistic formula that would reduce the infinite mystery.
6. No single scripture depicts God as three persons in a vision because, the Trinity is a supernatural truth beyond sensory representation, known by faith rather than sight, yet glimpses appear: Stephen's vision in Acts 7:55-56 shows the Son standing at the Father's right hand with glory, implying the Spirit's presence in his prophetic utterance; John's baptismal theophany in Matthew 3:16-17 reveals the Spirit descending as a dove upon the Son, with the Father's voice affirming unity ("This is my beloved Son"). Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 1:4-28) of the chariot-throne with threefold living creatures prefigures Trinitarian symbolism, and Daniel 7:9-14's Ancient of Days receiving the Son of Man evokes paternal-filial distinction. These are not exhaustive portraits but invitations to deeper contemplation, where the persons' invisibility (John 1:18: "No one has ever seen God") protects the mystery from idolatrous imaging.
7. The lack of Scripture describing God explicitly as "three" stems from the Catholic emphasis on unity over numerical division, where "three" denotes relational distinctions within one essence, not a countable triad like pagan gods; yet triadic language permeates: the threefold "Holy" in Isaiah 6:3, the triple blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, and Revelation's sevenfold Spirit (Revelation 1:4, linking to Father and Son) build to Trinitarian fullness. Jesus' commission in Matthew 28:19 names three persons for one baptism into "the name" (singular), and 1 Peter 1:2 invokes election by the Father, sanctification by the Spirit, sprinkling by the Son's blood. This avoids tritheism by subordinating number to essence, allowing the Bible's monotheistic witness to unfold into triune revelation without crude arithmetic.
If Jesus is Almighty God...
ReplyDelete1. 1 Corinthians 11:3 reflects the economic order of the Trinity, not ontological subordination, where the Father's headship arises from relations of origin—the Son eternally begotten, not created—while sharing divine equality (John 10:30). This mirrors spousal hierarchy (Ephesians 5:23) as functional, not essential inequality; Christ's voluntary submission in the Incarnation (Philippians 2:6-8) exemplifies humility, yet He remains coequal, as "God" here likely denotes the Father in paternal primacy, affirming intra-Trinitarian order without diminishment.
2. Scriptures phrasing Jesus as separate from God, such as John 20:17, John 14:1, Mark 10:18, and John 17:1-3, highlight personal distinctions within the Godhead, not separation into deities. In heaven, 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Luke 22:69 (Son of Man at God's right hand) depict filiation, not inferiority; Mark 10:18 invites recognition of Christ's divinity through His humanity, and John 17:3 distinguishes missions while uniting knowledge of Father and Son as salvific oneness (John 17:21-23).
3. Jesus having a God, as in Micah 5:4 (ruling "in the name of the Lord his God"), Psalm 45:6-7 ("Your throne, O God... therefore God, your God, has anointed you"), Psalm 89:26 ("He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God'"), John 20:17, Romans 15:6 ("the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"), 2 Corinthians 1:3, Ephesians 1:3, Colossians 1:3, Mark 15:34 ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"), John 17:1-3, and Revelation 1:6; 3:2,12 ("the words of the Amen... Him who loves us"), arises from the hypostatic union, where the divine Son assumes human nature, relating to the Father as man while eternally God. Almighty God cannot have a God in essence, but the incarnate Word, in His assumed humanity, cries to the Father (Psalm 22:1), modeling prayer; this filial dependence exalts, not diminishes, His divinity, as the Father is "His God" economically, not ontologically.
4. Colossians 1:15 does not imply Jesus' creation but preeminence in sonship and creatorship, where "firstborn" denotes eternal generation and headship over creation (v. 16: "by him all things were created"), echoing Psalm 89:27. JW translations insert "other" to suggest creatureliness, but the Greek prototokos means primacy, not chronological origin; the verse contrasts visibility with invisibility, affirming Christ's divine imaging without creaturely status.
5. Revelation 3:14's description of Jesus as "the arche of the creation of God" signifies originative principle, not created entity, paralleling Proverbs 8:22's Wisdom (typifying Christ) as eternally generated. "Arche" means source (John 1:1), as Christ initiates creation (Colossians 1:16-17: "in him all things were created... he is before all things"), upholding His uncreated eternity against Arian misreadings.
6. Jesus' subjection to God, as in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 ("when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all") and Ephesians 1:17 ("that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ... may give you a spirit of wisdom"), denotes voluntary economic order post-Incarnation, not essential inferiority, where the Son's submission glorifies the Father's monarchy while maintaining coequality (John 5:19: "The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing"). Our subjection to Christ mirrors this, fostering unity in the body of Christ.
7. Micah 5:2's "origin from of old, from ancient days" (motsa'oth min-qedem, me'ime yime 'olam) affirms Christ's eternal preexistence, not a created beginning, aligning with the eternal generation, where "origin" evokes divine timelessness (John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word"). This prophecy of Bethlehem's ruler underscores incarnation from eternity, not temporal origin.
8. Jesus' limited knowledge, as in Matthew 24:36 ("But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only"), Revelation 1:1 (revelation "from Jesus Christ, which God gave him"), and Luke 8:45 (wondering who touched Him), pertains to His human nature in the hypostatic union, where the divine Son assumes a beatific soul yet experiences growth (Luke 2:52). As God, He knows all (John 16:30); the incarnate limitation veils glory for salvific humility, not denying omniscience.
Delete9. The Son's eternal subjection in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 reflects intra-Trinitarian order, not post-eschatological demotion, where even in highest glory, relational distinctions persist—the Son's filiation eternally honors the Father—while "all in all" unites them in one divine act, countering subordinationist inferences.
10. Proverbs 8:22-31's Wisdom "created/produced" (qanah/yatsa') by God personifies the eternal Son, not a creature, with "created" denoting appointment to creation's role (v. 30: "I was beside him, like a master workman"), fulfilled in John 1:3 ("all things were made through him"). Patristic consensus (e.g., Athanasius) sees this as poetic for eternal generation, not temporal production.
11. Jesus' need for subjection from the Father, per 1 Corinthians 15:27 ("It is not that he is excepted who put all things under him") and Ephesians 1:17,22, arises from economic mission, not inherent weakness, the Father delegates authority to the Son (John 5:22) to manifest unity, as the Son's power is divine yet appropriated relationally.
12. Jesus receiving power and authority (Matthew 28:18: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"; 11:27; John 5:22; 17:2; 3:35; 2 Peter 1:17) exemplifies Trinitarian appropriation, where the Son's mediatorial role veils inherent omnipotence; "given" denotes eternal procession, not conferred creatureliness, as in Philippians 2:7's kenosis.
13. Jesus learning obedience (Hebrews 5:8; John 5:19; 8:28) through human experience perfects His humanity, not implying divine ignorance; the God-man grows in wisdom (Luke 2:52) to redeem us, uniting suffering to eternal knowledge.
14. The unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32; Luke 12:10) being graver than against the Son underscores the Spirit's role in convicting of sin (John 16:8), not inequality; it is final impenitence rejecting divine mercy, applicable to any person but appropriated to the Spirit as sanctifier, while blasphemy against the incarnate Son invites repentance through His visible mediation.
15. John 17:1,3's "Father... the only true God" distinguishes the Father's unbegotten paternity while including the Son in divine knowledge for salvation; the verse's context (v. 5: shared glory before the world) affirms coeternity, echoing Titus 2:13's "great God and Savior" for Christ.
16. Jesus needing salvation (Hebrews 5:7: "he offered up prayers... and he was heard because of his reverence"; John 12:27) refers to deliverance from mortal agony in Gethsemane, not from sin, as the sinless God-man (2 Corinthians 5:21) intercedes for us; His prayer models human trust, securing our eternal salvation.
17. Exaltation as Leader and Savior (Acts 5:31) follows humiliation (Philippians 2:9), restoring incarnate glory, not granting divinity; this mediatorial office eternally belongs to the Son, elevating humanity through His divine person.
18. Being exalted with a higher name (Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2-4: "having become as much superior to angels") pertains to the humanity's assumption into divine sonship's fullness post-resurrection, per hypostatic union; the "name above every name" is Yahweh shared eternally (Isaiah 45:23 cf. v. 11).
19. Receiving life in Himself (John 5:25-26: "as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself") describes eternal generation's communication of essence, not temporal bestowal; the Son's aseity is innate, applied to humanity for vivification.
20. The Father's being greater (John 14:28: "the Father is greater than I") holds economically in the state of humiliation, not ontologically; contextually, it comforts disciples amid the Son's impending passion, while equality persists (John 10:30).
Delete21. Jesus' temptation (James 1:13: "God tempts no one") by Satan (Matthew 4:1) occurs in His human will, united to divine impassibility; God cannot be tempted essentially, but the God-man experiences it without consent, conquering for us.
22. Jesus worshiping the Father (John 4:22: "we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews") as incarnate Jew directs latria to the Godhead; He receives worship as God (Matthew 14:33), modeling intra-Trinitarian adoration.
23. Inability to act alone (John 5:19: "The Son can do nothing of his own will"; 6:38) reflects perfect unity of action with the Father, not impotence; divine operations are undivided, the Son's "nothing" meaning nothing apart from the Father's eternal will.
24. Jesus praying (Luke 22:44; John 17:1-2; Hebrews 5:7) as man to the Father exemplifies human filial dependence, sustaining the hypostatic union; as God, He intercedes eternally (Romans 8:34), teaching us communion.
25. "Only begotten Son" (John 1:18; cf. 3:16,18) denotes unique eternal generation, not creaturely begetting; monogenes implies singular relation, contrasting adopted sonship, affirming divinity (John 1:1).
26. As God's servant (Acts 4:26-27,30; cf. Isaiah 42:1), the Son's messianic humility (Philippians 2:7) serves redemption, not inferiority; servanthood is assumed, not essential to His Godhead.
27. Receiving angelic strength (Luke 22:43) fortifies His human nature against agony, not indicating weakness; angels minister to the God-man (Matthew 4:11), upholding divine mission.
28. Mediatorship (1 Timothy 2:5: "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus") uniquely fits the God-man bridging divinity and humanity; no creature mediates salvifically, affirming His dual nature.
29. John 1:1's "with God" (pros ton theon) signifies eternal relational presence, not spatial separation; ho theos denotes the Father, yet the Word is God, consubstantial in essence.
30. As God's image (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3: "exact imprint of his nature"), Christ perfectly reveals the invisible Father; imaging is proper to the Son's generation, not diminutive.
31. Agency in creation "through" (dia) Him (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:1-3; Proverbs 8:30; Hebrews 1:2; 2:10; Colossians 1:15-16), not "from" (ek) as originator, reflects Trinitarian procession; the Father creates through the Word, who is uncreated source with Him.
32. Mark 10:18 probes the man's faith to confess Christ's divinity; Jesus embodies divine goodness, inviting equation with God.
33. The archangel's voice (1 Thessalonians 4:16: "with the voice of the archangel") describes the manner of Christ's descent, not identity; He commands angels (Hebrews 1:6), superior to them.
34. Worship (proskuneo) to Jesus (Hebrews 1:6; cf. Matthew 18:26; Revelation 3:9) is latria when divine, distinguished by context; Hebrews elevates it to adoration, unlike human homage.
35. Reliance on proof-texts like John 1:1, Titus 2:13, and Hebrews 1:8 harmonizes with the Bible's consistent Christological trajectory—from OT theophanies to NT divinity claims; context reveals progressive revelation, not selective proof.
36. Being commanded (John 12:49: "I have not spoken on my own authority"; Deuteronomy 18:18) shows the Son's obedience in mission, not subjection; commands flow from eternal unity.
37. Stephen's vision (Acts 7:55: "he... saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God") distinguishes persons without dividing essence; two "entities" in one Godhead, implying the Spirit's glorification.
38. At God's right hand (Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55; Romans 8:34) signifies equality in power (Psalm 110:1), not inferiority; the Son's session exalts His co-divinity.
39. Exaltation to God's right hand (Acts 2:33: "exalted at the right hand of God") completes incarnation's purpose; position denotes shared rule, not becoming God.
Delete40. Receiving revelation (Revelation 1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants") as mediator veils divine knowledge for prophetic delivery; He reveals what He eternally knows.
41. "Begotten" Son pre-incarnation (John 3:16; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:9) affirms eternal filiation, not temporal birth; sent in time, begotten in eternity.
42. Having a Father (John 20:17: "my Father and your Father") eternally defines the second person; relation constitutes personhood in God.
43. Coming in the flesh (1 Kings 8:27; Acts 17:24-25) via incarnation unites divine immensity to human limitatio; God transcends yet assumes body without change.
44. Not in own name (John 5:41-44: "I do not receive glory from men") but Father's subordinates glory to the mission; His name is the Father's (John 17:11).
45. Coming down to do God's will (John 6:38; 5:30; 8:42; Luke 22:42) enacts eternal obedience, not reluctance; the Son's descent saves by submission.
46. Appearing before God (Hebrews 9:24) as high priest in heavenly sanctuary; the God-man intercedes, distinct yet one.
47. Dying (Romans 5:10; Acts 5:30; 1 Corinthians 15:3; cf. Habakkuk 1:12; 1 Timothy 6:16; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 90:2; Daniel 6:25-26) involves human nature only, divine impassible; God dies in flesh, not essence, reconciling us.
48. God resurrecting Jesus (Acts 2:32: "This Jesus God raised up") appropriates the act to the Father through the Spirit (Romans 8:11), undivided divine power; the Trinity acts in unity.
49. Seen by men (John 1:18: "No one has seen God") yet visible as incarnate Son, whose humanity reveals the Father; theophanies prefigure this.
50. Absence of "God the Son" phrasing mirrors biblical economy, but equivalents abound (John 1:1,18; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8); "God the Father" specifies origin, not inequality.
51. John 20:31 culminates Johannine Christology, implying divinity through sonship (John 1:1; 5:18; 10:30-36; 20:28: "My Lord and my God"); the purpose is faith in the divine Son.
IF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALMIGHTY GOD...
ReplyDelete1. Trinitarian quotes acknowledging the Holy Spirit as a force misalign with Catholic doctrine, where Classical theology insists on personhood, distinct from impersonal energy; patristic admissions (e.g., Augustine's fluid analogies) clarify mystery, not deny divinity, as Romans 8:26-27 shows personal intercession.
2. Jews' ignorance of the Spirit (Acts 19:2) reflects partial OT revelation, fully unveiled at Pentecost (John 16:13); John's baptism prepared, but Trinitarian baptism completes (Matthew 28:19).
3. Unequal description arises from appropriations: the Spirit as bond proceeds from Father and Son (John 15:26); equality in essence, diversity in relations, as omnipresent (Psalm 139:7) yet personal (Acts 5:3-4).
4. Jesus' non-explicit teaching on the Spirit's divinity (John 14-16) implies it through personhood (teaching, convicting, guiding); parakletos denotes divine advocate, coequal in mission.
5. "It" for the Spirit (Isaiah 34:16; Numbers 11:17,25; Romans 8:16,26) is neuter pneuma in Greek, grammatical not ontological; personhood evident in actions (speaking, Acts 13:2).
6. Pouring out (Acts 2:17-18,33; Numbers 11:17,25) metaphorizes abundant bestowal, like blood (Hebrews 9:14), not depersonalizing; the Spirit's procession enables indwelling.
7. Namelessness distinguishes the Holy Spirit from angels (holy spirits, Hebrews 1:14); "Holy" is proper name, emphasizing sanctification over personal nomenclature like Father/Son.
8. Nicaea's (325 AD) focus on Son's deity preceded Constantinople's (381 AD) on Spirit against Macedonians, reflecting targeted heresy response, not disregard; both complete Trinitarian formula.
9. 1 John 5:8's "water, blood, and Spirit" witnesses to incarnation, not implying their personhood; Trinitarian reasoning distinguishes testimony from essence, avoiding absurd extension.
10. Listing with qualities (2 Corinthians 6:6: "by... the Holy Spirit") appropriates the Spirit to sanctification; not reduction to quality, but divine gift among virtues.
11. "This" (touto) at Acts 2:33 refers demonstratively to the promise, not depersonalizing the Spirit; context exalts outpouring as personal act.
12. Implicit equality permeates: equating lie to Spirit with lie to God (Acts 5:3-4), eternal procession (John 15:26), and doxologies (Revelation 1:4-5); no need for explicit "member."
13. Absence of "God, the Holy Spirit" follows relational naming—Spirit as spirated, not unbegotten—yet divinity affirmed (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
14. No vision equating God and Spirit reflects the Spirit's invisibility (John 4:24: God is spirit), yet theophanies imply: dove at baptism (Matthew 3:16), tongues at Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4); personal distinction in unity.