Friday, October 9, 2015

One God or Three Of Them?

The subject of God has consumed the lives of many thousands of men and women.

Ever since Moses wrote:

In the beginning God, men and women have either loved and reached for knowledge of this Being, or invented their own god or gods so they could control, manage, and interpret what a deity is.

Researchers have all concluded that men and women have venerated the sun, moon, stars, volcanos, mountains, and other natural things. They have also venerated man and woman and made them into gods and goddesses. Add a child or children into this new developed human-gods theory and instantly, as in the case of cosmic gods: there is a belief in the plurality of spiritual powers. Within this search for a deity that men and women could worship and give homage, came different animals. Perhaps the most widely animal of excitement and awe was the snake, the serpent. The serpent was seen as the benefactor of knowledge and wisdom. This belief came from the story of Adam, Eve, and the serpent. The serpent promised them gnosis or secret knowledge that God had withheld from them. The serpent figures in different civilizations and their religions. Other animals were added to increase the awe and veneration of men and women for the ones being promoted to have special spiritual powers and images such as the golden calf emerge. In all of these religions invented by men there is absolutely no objection to there being a plurality of gods.

There stood out one people, one lineage of men and women, that did not follow those who invented gods of their own making. We refer to these as the patriarchs of the pre-flood and post-flood eras. This genealogy of men and women are traced through the seed of Adam to Enoch to Noah to Abraham and then to the nation of Israel. While the world around them became deeply divided over which and whose god or goddesses was supreme, the lineage of Adam to Abraham held strictly to one God who was the Creator. This one God was one Being. He was alone and there was no God other than He. This God demanded worship and veneration be reserved only for Him. All other gods and goddesses were to be rejected. This was so important it was enshrined within the very first Commandment: "Thou shalt not have any other gods before me." This Commandment lays out the fact there is one God and not a plurality of Beings who separately can be venerated as a co-equal God to other Gods.

The trinity concept does not begin in the Bible.It begins outside of the Bible and apart from the Patriarchal lineage of monotheistic believers. Monotheism is defined as: mono = one and theism = God. Monotheism in its strict identity means One God and only One God. This is also referred to as the Monarchical faith. Monarchical is defined as mon or mono = one and archical = ruler. Thus in its strict identity means One Ruler. It is from this One Ruler we have the name Elohim or Lord. By one Monarchy we mean there is only one Lord. He alone is supreme because he is also the only true God.

Up to this point most scholars and people of common sense can agree. It is when we depart from the Bible and give philosophy, beliefs of men, and a merger of the plurality of pagan and heathen concepts of deity that a division comes into play. For the most part, the entire world was born and raised among religions that boast of a plurality of divine beings. For some it is their way to compartmentalize how their gods relate to one another and how they possess different powers to be called upon by men and women.

I met a Hindu on a flight from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi back in 2003 on my way to Indonesia. He was sitting next to me with his wife in the window seat. He had a little prayer book he was reading. And I noticed on the pages images of the Hindu gods Shiva, Kali, and Vishnu. I asked him if he would explain to me his religion. He was so happy to share with me. According to him, each of the deities had different things they did for mankind. You pray and show veneration to the one who has control over that which you seek help. So you pray to and venerate which ever one you need help from. The other gods are not jealous of each other. They see themselves regulated to their own specific powers and so each god within his/her power would be co-eternal and co-existent in peace and love. The gods love each other and have eternal and internal relationship. He explained they have songs they sing to these deities. They have worship rituals and dances to them. I could then understand how many of the ancient Israelites could take God and add to Him other gods and goddesses until they also had a plurality of deities to whom they would sing, dance, and perform rituals. I also began to understand why God was jealous and angry against the Israelites for this idolatry.

Are you still with me?

Israel as a people were originally the seedline of the Patriarchal faith of monotheism and the diving monarchy. Within this faith of Abraham and his Elshaddai (God Almighty) there was no plurality of divine beings. In fact, when God himself changed the name of Jacob to Israel a divine revelation was placed upon the name of all the people of the twelve tribes. The name Israel contains the revelation and few even know it: Is-ra-el. Is is a contraction of Ishi which is defined as "prince"; ra is defined as "power" and el is defined as God. Take a look at this text:

Gen_32:28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

It is very obvious that God put within this new name his own name. Yes, in the ancient days of the Patriarchs God or El or Elohim was a name.  We know this because God said that Abraham knew him only by the name of Elshaddai Or God Almighty (see Exodus 7:4). We now know El = God and shaddai = almighty. God is the name and shaddai defines his awesome power as "almighty." do not let anyone tell you that God is not a name.

One God and his name one.

The paganistic and heathenistic world demands a plurality of gods and goddesses, each having their own names but they are co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent. There is unity between them, They each have the same substance as their corporate existence: they are a spiritual power. They radiate a single spirit in the minds of the people, as a deity and therefore as a spirit that can be where ever the worshipper is. This concept of trinity goes all the way back to Babylon. And from this tower and the dispersion of the people, this trinitarian error was spread to all nations.

It is right here many run. Many will become angry. Many will begin to make false accusations. They will attack monotheism and the monarchy and claim there is not one God but three of them. Each being a separate person, a separate being, and each possessing its own spirit.The adoption of the plurality concepts of idolatrous religions is drafted over into and among the Israelites and their successors, the Christians.

While there are attempts to perform a marriage between monotheism and the monarchy with pagan religious concepts of deity, Jesus never once taught there were three of them who were separate, who were co-eternal, co-existent, and co-equal. There are several attempts to take different scriptures to prove there are three, upon close examination such wrestlings of scripture only produce confusion and contradiction.

Let's do a simple test here. Ar you trinitarian or oneness like the Jews.

Answer honestly please:

1) How many Gods are there?
2) How many diving Beings are there?
3) Hoe many divine Spirits are there?
4) How many Lords are there?
5) Did God ever say he was co-eternal, co-existent, and co-eternal with other Gods?

Before you can escape from humanitarian concepts of the pluralistic trinity, you must admit that Jesus was both God and man. He was divine and earthly. He was the divine Spirit in a human form. He was both Father and Son.

Jesus said to Philip: "when you have seen me you have seen the Father." He said: "I and my Father are one."

To many this revelation departs to far from the plurality concepts invented by man. Traditions kick in and men become lovers of themselves more than lovers of God. We cannot allow our minds to be tricked and controlled by concepts the Old Testament prophets knew nothing about, Jesus knew nothing about, and the apostles knew nothing about.

Anyone who uses any text or scripture in an attempt to prove there are three divine Beings, three divine Spirits, and three divine persons who are each a separate Lord: is being deceptive.

There is one God. Jesus is this one God manifested in the flesh )1Timothy 3:16).

Anyone who denies this confession of faith of the Father and the Son, is not a real Christian.

If you use up your life trying to prove there are three of them and not one, you will be trying to get to heaven with concepts not taught in your Bible.

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