6 It has been testified somewhere, What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.. What do these things mean? The Father and the Son manifest at the same time (Isaiah 9:6; Matt. Bernard, Essentials in Oneness Theology, p. 21. This doesn't sound like a problem, until you realize the danger of questions. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. The problem should be obvious. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. He can only represent fully in His nature another person that exists. Similarly, Isaiah 7:14 says that his name shall be Immanuel. The Oneness Pentecostal would agree with Arius who said that there was a time when the Son was not. The central difference is that they do not deny the deity of Christ but rather affirm that Jesus is the Father from eternity and took on the extrinsic property of sonship. God the Trinity is the only God worthy of worship. The mediator is the Messiah (Christ) of Gods plan foretold by the prophets. These references include Acts 2:23, Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:10, Acts 5:30, Acts 10:40, Acts 13:30, Acts 13:37, Romans 6:4, Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 1 Corinthians 15:15, Galatians 1:1, Colossians 2:12, and 1 Peter 1:21. (Luke 22:41-42). So what is wrong with the oneness view of God? But the Oneness Pentecostal church teaches that we are still in the apostolic age. In Hebrews 1:10, the author quotes Psalm 102:25, and says that this is an example of the Father talking to the Son. It is just a traditional doctrine. What is wrong with the Oneness view of God? Second, it might be said that as the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the exact representation of the Fathers nature (Hebrews 1:3), Jesus was the human image of the trinity. You will see the inconsistency and problems that arise from their position. Denouncing Izzy's Heresy? Check Your Own Oneness First 29 And he who sent me is with me. The trinitarian would object to that on the basis that sometimes the Father is talking, others the Son is talking, and others the Holy Spirit is talking. (1 Peter 2:23), Did God highly exalt Christ and give him the name that is above every name because he was obedient to himself? Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. ' The relationship and communication between the Father and the Son become incoherent if we say that Jesus is identical with the Father. Adam was a type of the one who was to come, and Jesus is the last Adam. It would mean then that God was eternally capable, in and of Himself, to experience the fellowship and the love among the persons of the Trinity. A declaration of YHWH to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, || Until I make Your enemies Your footstool.. 1 Tim 2:5-6is framed as the truth of the Gospel. There was a pretty significant paradigm shift 2000 years ago that forever changed culture, religion and on Why Christians should apologize for using apologetics, on The Subjectivity of The Moral Argument And Why It Is Popcorn, on My King Is A Brown, Middle Eastern Jew, Thus Saith Putin: Christianity Invaded by the Religious Right, Church Is Not Seminary: Why Young Theologically-Informed 20-Somethings Should Manage Their Expectations of Their Pastors, Why Jesus looked and acted like me, not you, Minimizing The Maximally Great Argument For Arminianism, How apologetics bloggers caused the downfall of the United States, Why Christians should apologize for using apologetics, Why apologetics is not necessary to evangelism, Something Greater Than The Crucifixion Is Here: How Jesus Shocked The Pharisees, Social Issues, Politics & Biblical Ethics. I see five main problems with Oneness Theology as it relates to God as Father, Son, and Spirit. Denomination: The trinity declares that there is only one God. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. On several occasions, Ive had in-depth discussions with oneness believers. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit do not represent different persons within the Godhead, but rather, there are different modes that God takes. Modalistic Monarchianism, also known as Modalism or Oneness Christology, is a Christian theology upholding the oneness of God as well as the divinity of Jesus; as a form of Monarchianism, it stands in contrast with Trinitarianism.Modalistic Monarchianism considers God to be one while working through or existing as the different "modes" or "manifestations" of God the Father, God the Son, and . authority on Oneness Pentecostalism, David Reed.2 Reed has spent much of his academic life researching and writing on Oneness Pentecostals, especially the UPCI. 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. It is based on a misapplication of Colossians 2:9. Jesus is, by definition, one person with two distinct natures: a divine nature and a human nature. In the light blue section in the table below are the characteristics of God. Rather, we see him as the human Messiah that God made both Lord and Christ. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. Quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise indicated. The Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament describe the coming son of man as an agent of God through whom God will establish an everlasting priesthood and kingdom. Monotheism characterizes the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and . 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (John 8:28), If Jesus is God, he would have the Holy Spirit within himself. This implies that God is not eternally self-sufficient in all areas. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me., These verses provide the strongest distinctions between God and Jesus not only in reference to them being separate persons but also provide distinction with respect to ontology (the Father is identified as God who is greater than all). The Problem. That is why John 14:9 says that Once youve seen me, youve seen the Father. Jesus is the expression of God. 15 And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Jesus is presented in Heaven in His glorified human state in Revelation 1. If so, why? In Oneness Pentecostalism, there is no distinction between the Father, Son and. Then the result is Jesus taking the scroll from the right hand of Jesus. How does this issue reflect on the personhood of God, who is supposed to be self-sustaining and completely self-dependent from eternity past? Then the Father speaks from Heaven, saying, This is my Son in whom I am well pleased. There are two responses to this worth noting. If God is only one person, why does Jesus say, "we"? 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ., 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.. However, a few seconds of reflection or perusing the gospels will reveal the problem with this view. So, when oneness adherents say that the name of God is Jesus or that there is one God is Jesus, they are making a mistake in theology and logic. 3:17; 16:17; 2 Pet. Please note, though, this is not saying there are three competing and separate gods (polytheism). On October 1, 1915, 525 delegates met in St. Louis, ready for a confrontation. Oneness doctrine teaches that the one God reveals Himself in various forms: sometimes as the Father, sometimes as Jesus, and sometimes as the Holy Spirit. The apostles directed their prayer to the Father and in doing so, they referred to Jesus as your holy servant Jesus. They understood that Jesus is an agent of God. Don't Make Me One with Everything - Scientific American Blog Network I am afraid that this emanates from a misunderstanding of trinitarian theology. The Nicene Creed has defined historical orthodoxy for centuries. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. 7For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle(I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. This is not social trinitarianism with three separate centers of consciousness. Oneness has a problem concerning the person of Jesus being the eternal God. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence., 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. It regards Jesus as God but fails to distinguish his personal existence from that of God the Father (or the Spirit). We have lost this link because in our culture, people just name their children whatever sounds good but they do not give any attention to what the name means. 5 Problems With Oneness Pentecostal Doctrine - Therefore, God Exists Examples of verses for examination if you have discussions with Oneness adherents, you might consider referencing the verses below and asking them which nature is speaking a different times. Oneness Pentecostalism does the exact same thing. Often when engaging in dialogue with a Oneness Pentecostal, they will refer to God in every context in the Old Testament as Jesus. How can Jesus, if He is the same person as the Spirit, say that He is going to send the Spirit to earth when He returns to Heaven? Just as a man can be a father, a son, and an employee, so also God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. Within Orthodoxy There is only one God in all existence. 38 For I[DIVINE NATURE] have come down from heaven, not to do My [HUMAN NATURE] own will, but the will of Him who sent Me [DIVINE NATURE]. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me [HUMAN NATURE], that of all that He has given Me [HUMAN NATURE] I [HUMAN NATURE] lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. There is only one God, so the mediator between God must have a separate ontological distinction from God. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. The Father in Heaven is one nature, and the Son on earth is another nature. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth., 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 1:17). As we read through the New Testament, we will encounter what boggled on Why Calvinists And Catholics Share The Nicene Faith, on Why Charismatics Should Cut Glossolalia (Tongues) Out of Their Theology, on Why Christians Should Empty Themselves of Kenotic Christology, 5 Things Christians Can Do About Abortion. The Bible defines the Son of God as the child born of Mary, not as the eternal Spirit of God (Luke 1:35). One page 87, he says that it is the Son who died, but not the Father. Oneness presents the problem of eternal love and fellowship inherent in a god consisting of one person that is rectified after creation, denying Gods aseity. Is he only part of the Godhead? (John 17:1-3), Why does Jesus refer to God as His God and his Father if he himself is the Father? That is because he is totally divine. Who is God? There is no place at all. But in the Bible, a name is definitional. An apostle is an agent commissioned by a principal. However, at the Council of Nicea, which arose in response to the Arian heresy (the view that Jesus is merely a creature), there were a few oneness representatives. If Jesus is the Father, how could someone else, who is called the Father in the text, speak from Heaven? In my discussions with oneness experts and laity, when discussing the two natures of Christ, they repeatedly support the idea that within the body of Christ are two distinct persons: God and man. . 5 They think that we are still in the apostolic age. (John 10:29, John 14:28), Why does Jesus refer to the Father as the only true God and as himself as the one that he had sent? (Luke 3:22), If Jesus is himself, God, why would an angel be needed to strengthen him? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. Was he praying to himself? PDF Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity - isca-apologetics.org Again, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each exemplify attributes of personhood. The trinity declares that there is one being (God) and three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). They are different roles that he takes in the world. The agent acting and speaking for the principal is the principal by proxy (a person authorized to act for another). To be in the Father does not literally mean to be the Father. The Trinity, the Definition of Chalcedon, and Oneness Theology For clarification, the Trinity is one God in three distinct simultaneous, coeternal persons. Matthew 28:19, while Oneness proponents kept going back to Acts 2:38, in which Peter commands his Jewish listeners to "be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins." Eventually, an explanation was given by the Oneness side that the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spiritwhich Jesus mentions in Matthew 28:19is Jesus. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. The Trinity is the teaching that there is one God who exists in three distinct, concurrent, persons. Also, Paul indicates that while he wishes everybody could speak in tongues, they cannot, and he would prefer that they prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:4-5). God is a personal being. I would like to suggest that what the Oneness Pentecostal has misunderstood is that a title is a name. But as I pointed out in my article, Was There A Time When The Son Was Not? Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, own will, but the will of Him who sent Me, 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me. To whom was the Father praying? The problem is that they attempt to tie angelic tongues, necessarily, with salvation. But if the Father is a conscious being and the Son is a conscious being and they are distinct from one another, then in what sense can it be said that they are truly one? 25 For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. This problem, sometimes called the 'threeness-oneness problem' or the 'logical problem of the Trinity', is the focus of this interdisciplinary volume. If Jesus is the fullness of deity, it follows that he is not 33% of God. This paper briefly address three aspects of christological monotheism from a Oneness perspective. A mediator between God and man is a separate party from God and the men he mediates for. Yet they speak of each other and to each other designating separation among persons. monotheism, belief in the existence of one god, or in the oneness of God. It would mean that God was eternally knowing and experiencing the mutual contemplation of the three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Instead the . Regarding Revelation 5, If you say the Lamb (between the throne and the four living creatures) is Jesus and God (who sits on the throne) is also Jesus. 21st-century reformation has a website directed specifically to those who are of a oneness background of oneness persuasion. While there may be some Christians in Oneness churches, the movement as a whole is non-Christian. The principal and agent remain two distinct persons. 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.. How can you say, Show us the Father? 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. Jesus is totally God. 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothersit is to him you shall listen 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die. 17 And the LORD said to me, They are right in what they have spoken. This means that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rather than being three distinct persons, are just manifestations of one person, in the same way that a man can be a father, a son, and an employee. After He rises out of the water, the Holy Spirit comes down from Heaven in the form of a dove and rests upon Him. 18 Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? (Luke 4:18, Acts 4:26-27, Acts 10:38), Why does Jesus have no glory in himself if he is God? That is why so many Catholics also consider themselves Apostolic. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. It should be noted that the phrase in the name of, is an idiom for power and authority. Trinity, Oneness, Oneness Of God, 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, Help your church understand God's plan in pain, Call your people to experience a higher freedom, Proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. This is because in Jewish thought, a title and a name are inextricably linked. 6 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him. 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. Amen. Jesus said that the Father is greater than he is (John 14:28). The Trinity is saying, There is no other God beside me. The Trinity is the one God in existence. It reads, You, LORD, In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth. What is wrong with the oneness view of God? Jesus, who is God incarnate, is baptized in the water. So rather from descending from heaven and residing with him, wouldnt it rather emanate from him? Regarding the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is totally God. Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance, The problems with Oneness doctrine (Modalism), One Mediator - The essential humanity of the one mediator Jesus Christ, Biblical Agency - A Key Biblical Concept Pertaining to Christ, Jesus Is The Model - Understanding how Jesus is the model for us, I am Statements - Understanding how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospels, Understanding Logos - The true meaning of the Word in the prologue of John, One God One Lord - For us there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, Understanding the true meaning of the Logos in the Prologue of John, Who do you say that I am? We might pull our cars over for a police officer in the name of the law. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. But, there are numerous problems with their position. A person must have faith in Jesus Only. The Trinity is one of the foundational doctrines of Christianity. In the green section are the characteristics of personhood. Man is mortal, while God is immortal. Baptism in the name of Jesus - Wikipedia What Is Wrong With The Oneness View Of God? - Therefore, God Exists What is wrong with the Oneness view of God? 17 And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 22 Moses said, The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. 9 Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? When the apostles were on trial, the Jewish court asked them, by what power, or in what name do you do this? (Acts 4:7). 24 they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? This means that Jesus would say, I am thirsty (John 19:28)and I will be with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt. The humanity of Christ is essential to the gospel, as shown at the link below. But it would be a mistake to say that it is always Jesus who is speaking. Oneness Pentecostalism teaches that when you are water baptized, the baptizer must recite the words in the name of Jesus. If he does not recite those words, the baptism is illegitimate, and you cannot be saved. If there is only one person in the Godhead, why does Jesus say to the Father (who is in Heaven) let your will, not mine, be done? 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love. This known as patripassionism and it is the pervasive view among many Oneness Pentecostals. We'd love to keep you up to date with what is happening at CARM. Dividing Over Oneness | Christian History | Christianity Today 2. But what is interesting is that these two natures are both conscious entities. But typically, God became a man. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. God is dependent on nothing. This will raise the question of why Peter and the apostles baptized in the name of Jesus. Why is the Father referred to as the one God and source of all things, while Jesus is referred to as the one Lord (as a distinction between him and God) in 1 Cor 8:5-6? 17 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.. The Trinity is the doctrine that there is one God who manifests Himself as three distinct, simultaneous persons. Furthermore, it denies the true incarnation by denying the hypostatic union, separating the persons into two and only the human person died on the cross, thereby negating the divine sufficiency of the sacrifice. Bernard, The Oneness of God, pp . Anybody reading the gospels will see that there is some sort of distinction between Jesus and the Father. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. In fact, twice in the book of Acts, people are filled with the Spirit without speaking in tongues (4:13,8:17). Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. If you would like to read a critique of some of these corollary views, I invite you to browse my series Oneness Pentecostal Heresy. To explain the doctrine as saying that one person is three people, or that there are three separate, competing deities is a misrepresentation of the doctrine. What is wrong with the oneness view of God? 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. . 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.. Muslims routinely claim that the Bible has been corrupted. 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed. God made provisions just for the early church, and when the last apostle (John) died, the apostolic age ended. The trinitarian will recite the Shema, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. The trinitarian believes that. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. He was not establishing a baptismal formula. If you act in somebodys name, you are acting under their authority. Shaliach); The main point of the Jewish law of agency is expressed in the dictum, a persons agent is regarded as the person himself (Ned. Modalistic Monarchianism - Wikipedia Was Jesus praying to Himself? Recently, certain Muslim apologists and YouTubers have been excited that former kickboxer and controversial internet by Matt Slick | Jan 2, 2023 | Islam, World Religions. T.D. Jakes Embraces Doctrine of the Trinity, Moves Away fr | News CARM |P.O. Therefore, the Son created the universe and existed alongside the Father. (Phil 2:8-9), Does it make any sense to say that God exalted himself? If you want to know who the trinity is, you look to Jesus. The main sticking point among oneness believers is maintaining the deity of Christ. (1 Cor 8:6) Correspondingly, numerous scriptural references (15x) use the term God in reference to the Father and the term Lord pertaining to Jesus. Zechariah 12:10, I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. The following points should focus on the particular problems: A) The Oneness position cannot explain logically or Biblically the clear references to the pre-existence and Creatorship of the Son such as Colossians 1, Hebrews 1 and John 1. . These references include Romans 1:7, Romans 15:6, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 1:2-3, 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:1-3, Ephesians 1:2-3, Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 5:20, Ephesians 6:23, Philippians 1:2, Philippians 2:11, Colossians 1:3, 1 Peter 1:2-3.