The doctrine of the Trinity

In the doctrine of the Trinity, there are three persons, God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit. All co-equal, co-powerful and etc.

Considering that the Holy Spirit is a person, look at Matt 1:18, 1:20 and Luke 1:35 where we are told that Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit, a person in the Trinity. Thus, if the doctrine of the Trinity is true, the Holy Spirit, being a person, is the father of Jesus, not God the Father.

The Holy Spirit being the father of Jesus, however, does not line up with the rest of scripture. Either scripture is wrong or the Holy Spirit is not a person. If the Holy Spirit is not a person, then the doctrine of the Trinity is false. Can’t have it both ways.

Council Of Nicea Had It Wrong

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any.

The Council at Nicaea declared that Jesus is part of a triune Godhead and is therefor deity. Yet Hebrews 4:15 say he was tempted as we are but we know from James 1:13 that God can not be tempted. We can then see that the Council at Nicahad it wrong.

The Apostle Paul was not a Trinitarian

Paul, the most prolific New Testament writer, gave honor to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in the introductory salutation of every one of his epistles. However, he did not mention the Holy Spirit. Why would he not honor the third person of the Trinitarian Godhead?

It is interesting to note that when he does include a third name it is not the Holy Spirit. Consider:

1Ti 5:21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels,.....

If the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, why are angles mentioned in the place of it.

One can only conclude that Paul was not a Trinitarian.

The Only True God

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

These are Jesus’ words. He was speaking to his Father and called Him the only true God. How then can Christ be God?

Power on Earth

In Matthew chapter 9 we see a story of a man sick of the palsy brought before Jesus. Jesus said to him, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (v. 2) The scribes got upset and considered this blasphemy. (v. 3) But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking said to them, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” (v. 6)

The Greek word for power, as in “power on earth” above, is expisoa. Thayer (1), and Strong (2)both say this Greek word means: power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; leave or permission.

It can be seen from the above definition of the Greek word expisoa, that although the word means “power of choice” there’s a strong sense of having “leave or permission”. In other words, this power of choice is delegated (3).

Delegated from whom? Leave or permission from whom? The answer can be found in verse 8, “and the multitudes having seen, wondered, and glorified God, who did give such power to men.” This power came from God!

If then, according to the doctrine of the deity of Christ, Jesus is co-equal with the Father, why did the power to forgive sins need to be delegated to him from God?

The answer can be found in verse 8. God gave “such power to men.” Jesus, although the Son of God, was a man and only a man. (See Rom 5:15, 1 Tim. 2:5,)

Reference:

(1) Joseph Henry Thayer, D.D., The New Thayer’s Greek - English
Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers,
1981) p. 225

(2) God’s Word for Windows, Strong’s # 1849

(3) W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, JR., Vine’s
Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Atlanta: Thomas
Nelson Publishers, 1985), p. 479

The Creeds and the Deity of Christ

As alluded to in the Nicene Creed, and stated in the Athanasian Creed, “in this Trinity none is afore, or after other: none is greater, or less than another.” If then this is true, that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal, “none is greater, or less than another,” why does Jesus say, “the Father is greater than I?” Consider:


John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come [again] unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.


If Jesus is co-equal with the Father, then why did he need to be taught by his Father? Consider:

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.


These two passages are just the beginning of problems found in scripture with the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ as defined in the Creeds. In fact, for every so called “proof” text for the Trinity or the deity of Christ, there is a simple and reasonable way of looking at them that does not require the Trinity or the deity of Christ.

I believe in Christianity

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
C. S. Lewis

"My Father is greater than all"

John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

If the Father is "greater than all," is not the Father then greater than the Son? How then can the Son be co-equal as in the doctrine of the Trinity?

"But to us there is but one God"

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, .... and one Lord Jesus Christ....

God in this passage is the Greek word theos (G2316) and speaks of deity.

The Greek word for lord is kurios (G2962) and is a title of honor and speaks of respect and reverence. It does not speak of deity. A word study on this word will support this.

This passage cannot be used to support the deity of the Messiah but it does show that there is but one God, the Father. If there is but one God, the Father, how then can Jesus be deity?

Christ as a priest cannot be God.

Heb 3:1 therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

The office of a priest is to minister to God. Christ, then, as a priest, cannot be God.

The Doctrine of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ

Having been a Trinitarian for eighteen years, I'm aware of all the arguments for the Trinity and thus the deity of Christ and have examined them all. I find the only way the Trinity can be found in Scripture is if the idea is taken to Scripture. It can't be found from Scripture it self.

Jesus never said that he was God but spoke of the Father who sent him as God and the only God.

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

If then Jesus said that his Father is the only true God, then Jesus can't be deity and thus the doctrine of the Trinity is false.