One
of the most fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith is that of the “Trinity.”
But is this belief based on the Scriptures, or does it originate from a
different religion altogether. One thing we need to ask ourselves, can we find
it in the Scriptures?
I did a search for something that might support the Trinity doctrine. I did find something in the King James Bible that looked as though the doctrine might be Scriptural. Let us have a look at this section in the Bible.
I did a search for something that might support the Trinity doctrine. I did find something in the King James Bible that looked as though the doctrine might be Scriptural. Let us have a look at this section in the Bible.
5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the
Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one (1 John
5:7-8 KJV).
Now verse 7 clearly speaks of what we today know as the Trinity. But when I started looking at other translations, I came across something startling. It seems as thought the KJV Bible added verse 7, that did not originally exist, into the Bible. Let us see what the other translations say.
Now verse 7 clearly speaks of what we today know as the Trinity. But when I started looking at other translations, I came across something startling. It seems as thought the KJV Bible added verse 7, that did not originally exist, into the Bible. Let us see what the other translations say.
5:7 For there are three witnesses-
5:8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood-and these three are
one. (1 John 5:7-8 International Standard Version).
Here we see a huge difference. It seems as if the KJV combined verses 7 and 8 into one verse and added their own verse as verse 7 to support their own doctrine. They also added the words, “in earth” into verse 8 in the KJV to suggest that there must be three witnesses in heaven too.
Many of the translations differ from the KJV here as do the early Greek manuscripts. So where does this false doctrine originate from?
The Christian Faith is built on the writings of the early Church Fathers who created what is known as Christianity today. One of these Church Fathers is called Tertullian and he lived in 155-230 CE (AD).
Here we see a huge difference. It seems as if the KJV combined verses 7 and 8 into one verse and added their own verse as verse 7 to support their own doctrine. They also added the words, “in earth” into verse 8 in the KJV to suggest that there must be three witnesses in heaven too.
Many of the translations differ from the KJV here as do the early Greek manuscripts. So where does this false doctrine originate from?
The Christian Faith is built on the writings of the early Church Fathers who created what is known as Christianity today. One of these Church Fathers is called Tertullian and he lived in 155-230 CE (AD).
Tertullian
was born into a mainstream Gentile pagan family, but later he became a devout
Christo-pagan. He found mainstream Christianity very intolerable, so he set out
to make broad sweeping reform.
According
to Jerome, Tertullian was “distressed by the envy and laxity of the clergy of
the Roman church” so he joined with the Montanists (also known as the
Cataphrygian Heresy) founded by Montanus. Montanus was formerly following the
pagan mother goddess of fertility named Cybele where he learned plenty of
things to adapt into Christianity.
One of Montanus’ “achievements” was to fall into a trance
and prophecy under the influence of the “Holy Ghost,” insisting that his
utterances were the voice of the “Holy Ghost.” Modern day “tongue-speaking”
Pentecostal or Charismatic denominations apparently have very similar
experiences to those of the church of Montanus. As Montanus’ theologies and
influence advanced, he was joined by Priscilla and Maximilla, who abandoned
their husbands to follow the call of his “prophetic” ministry.
Tertullian,
though, while fumbling in all manner of paganism and spiritism also picked up
an “anointing” of the “Holy Ghost” and through demonic inspiration, he
compartmentalized the “Godhead” and coined the word “Trinity” which, of course,
is one of the most cherished doctrines of the Christian Church today. The
“persons of the Trinity” doctrine flourished in the hierarchy-based Christian
religion, which also views itself as a pyramid structure. Tertullian wrote
using puns, wit, sarcasm and a continual pounding of his opponents with
invective and platitude; yet he was the architect of the pinnacle doctrine of
Christianity, the “persons of the Trinity.” Tertullian theology is very akin to
the likes of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz who were the original trinity of
Babylon and he inserted the “persons” of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, making
him extremely popular among pagan Gentile Christians.
Other trinities
Let
us have a look at some Trinities found that influenced Tertullian and gave him
the idea to incorporate it into the Christian religion.
Babylonian: Baal, Semiramis,
Tammuz. (alt. Bel, Ishtar, Duzu).
India: Brahma, Shiva (or
Devaki), Vishnu (or Krishna).
Egypt: Amon Ra, Isis, Osiris (or
Horus).
Greece: Zeus (or Apollo), Demeter (or Athena, Artemis), Porsephene (or Nike).
Greece: Zeus (or Apollo), Demeter (or Athena, Artemis), Porsephene (or Nike).
Rome (Roma): Deus (form of Zeus,
also known as Zeus-Father, or Iu-piter, Jupiter); Venus (or
Astarte,
Biblia, Charis); Cupid (or Bacchus, Nike).
Celtic: (also known as Druid,
Wiccan, Norse, Gaelic); Baal (or Woden, Teutates, Heil);
Ceridwen
(or Freya, Frigga, Eostre); Thor (or Balder, Taranis, Dero). (alt. Esus,
Taranis,
Teutates).
Canaanite: (and Phoenician);
Baal (or Moloch); Asherah (or Ishtar, Easter, Tanit); Rompha.
Chaldean: (and Zoroastrian); Baal
Mithras (known as “wise-lord” Ahura Mazda, or Ohrmazd);
Astoreth;
Haoma.
Persian: Shamash, Ishtar, Sin. Macedonian
/ Asian: Dagon (fish idol); Cybele
(or
Ceres); Deoius (or Janus).
Mithraic: (Chaldean fusion with
Indo-Iranian); Mithras (or Marduk, called Sol by Romans);
Rashnu;
Vohu Manah.
Mandaean: Joshaman, Abatar,
Hibil Ziwa.
Manichaean: Ohrmazd, Maitreya (New
Age “Christ”); Zurvan.
So as
you can see, there is quite a list of pagan trinities and that many of them are
interlinked with each other, which teaches us that the pagan religions stem
from the same root. We can clearly see that the Trinity doctrine originates
from paganism.
Trinity in the Scriptures?
For any kind of doctrine or teaching to be true, then that
specific doctrine or teaching has to match up to every other part of the Bible.
Does the Bible claim that the Messiah is also the Almighty as the Trinity
doctrine teaches? Well let us look at a few verses concerning this matter.
“For there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim
and men, the Man Messiah יהושע (Yehoshua)” (1 Tim 2:5)
The above verse clearly makes a differentiation between the Messiah and Elohim the Almighty. Yehoshua the Messiah is the Mediator between us and the Almighty, just like the “Kohen Gadol” (High Priest). In fact, Yehoshua is the Kohen Gadol, “Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, יהושע (Yehoshua) the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14).
The above verse clearly makes a differentiation between the Messiah and Elohim the Almighty. Yehoshua the Messiah is the Mediator between us and the Almighty, just like the “Kohen Gadol” (High Priest). In fact, Yehoshua is the Kohen Gadol, “Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, יהושע (Yehoshua) the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14).
The
Messiah is our High Priest who is the Mediator between us and the Almighty
because we are unable to come to the Almighty on our own for the forgiveness of
sin. No one who is blemished is able to come into the presence of the Almighty.
It is the Messiah who fulfills that roll of presenting His own blood to the
Almighty for the forgiveness of our sins on Yom Kippur. If Yehoshua the Messiah
was the Almighty and not a being on His own, then it would be impossible to
fulfill the role of High Priest.
Let us have a look at another verse, “for us there is one Elohim, the Father, from whom all came and for whom we live, and one Master יהושע (Yehoshua) Messiah, through whom all came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Let us have a look at another verse, “for us there is one Elohim, the Father, from whom all came and for whom we live, and one Master יהושע (Yehoshua) Messiah, through whom all came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Once
again we get a very clear distinction between the Almighty and His Son Yehoshua
the Messiah. It states that there is only One Elohim, who is the Father, for
whom we live, and only one Son who is the Messiah through whom we live. This
verse also reveals to us that the Messiah has been around since the beginning.
He is also know as the Living Word (Torah). That is why we are to live through
Him (the Torah) in order to live for the Almighty.
So as we can see, the Bible does not support the Trinity doctrine at all, but some people take bits and pieces from the Scriptures and use it out of context to try and justify their convictions or false teachings. Let us look at one such argument that is used by the Church to try and justify their falsehood. “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)
So as we can see, the Bible does not support the Trinity doctrine at all, but some people take bits and pieces from the Scriptures and use it out of context to try and justify their convictions or false teachings. Let us look at one such argument that is used by the Church to try and justify their falsehood. “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)
Now
does Yehoshua the Messiah claim the be the Almighty when He said, “I and My Father are one.”? Or was He really saying
that He and His Father are in agreement with one another? To answer this
question, we need to compare it with the rest of what is written in the Bible. “And I am no more in the world, but these are in the
world, and I come to You. Set-apart Father, guard them in Your Name which You
have given Me, so that they might be
one, as We are” (John 17:11)
The
above verse is speaking of the followers of the Almighty to become one as the
Almighty and the Messiah are One. Now, can a group of people suddenly become
one person? Or is this verse speaking of a group of people standing in
agreement with each other and in agreement to the Almighty and His Messiah? Now
let us look at another verse and see if this statement is consistent, “so that they
all might be one, as You, Father,
are in Me, and I in You, so that they
too might be one in Us, so that the world might believe that You have
sent Me” (John 17:21).
Once
again it clearly says that the people stand together in agreement with each
other and in agreement with the Almighty and Yehoshua the Messiah. It does not
mean that they are one person at all. The Hebrew idiom “being one” means to be
in agreement with each other. This terminology comes from the very beginning of
the Scriptures, “For this cause a man shall leave
his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24).
Now I ask you, how many of you have ever witnessed a man and his wife physically joining and becoming one person? No one has ever seen this happen because that is not what is meant by becoming one flesh. It simply means to join together in agreement with each other.
So any one who uses the argument that the Messiah said, “I and My Father are one” to prove the Trinity doctrine, is either not very well versed in the Bible or is simply a liar.
One very important message for us all is that it is saying that the Almighty and His Messiah (the Living Word) call us to become one with them. Now we also know that The Almighty and His Word (the Messiah) are never changing and remains the same today as in the time of the beginning, ”יהושע (Yehoshua) Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).
Now I ask you, how many of you have ever witnessed a man and his wife physically joining and becoming one person? No one has ever seen this happen because that is not what is meant by becoming one flesh. It simply means to join together in agreement with each other.
So any one who uses the argument that the Messiah said, “I and My Father are one” to prove the Trinity doctrine, is either not very well versed in the Bible or is simply a liar.
One very important message for us all is that it is saying that the Almighty and His Messiah (the Living Word) call us to become one with them. Now we also know that The Almighty and His Word (the Messiah) are never changing and remains the same today as in the time of the beginning, ”יהושע (Yehoshua) Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).
We
have also seen from above that the Messiah was there from the beginning in the
time of Adam. We can also see that He is the same today as He was in the
beginning, and He is in perfect agreement with His Father who is the Almighty
Master of the universe.
So
if we want to learn how to serve the Almighty and follow the Messiah, then we
have to go to the Instruction book called the Torah, which are the first five
books of the Scriptures (Tanakh). In those five books, the Almighty reveals to
us what He requires from us and also the things that He loves and also the
things that He hates.
Those five books give us exact instructions on how to live our lives to be pleasing to the Almighty in order to receive favor from Him.
There are many things that the Almighty regards as abominations and teaches us to NOT do them or have them close to us. These things, for example, are eating unclean animals, making moulded images (like the cross) adultery, idolatry, profaning the Sabbath, Murder, Rape and many other things too. Now to think that what was once unacceptable to the Almighty has suddenly become okay to do today is a teaching that is anti-Scriptural and evil.
If we desire to love the Almighty, then we need to do all that is commanded in the Torah. “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands” (John 14:15)
Also.... click here to see John 1:1-3 explained
Those five books give us exact instructions on how to live our lives to be pleasing to the Almighty in order to receive favor from Him.
There are many things that the Almighty regards as abominations and teaches us to NOT do them or have them close to us. These things, for example, are eating unclean animals, making moulded images (like the cross) adultery, idolatry, profaning the Sabbath, Murder, Rape and many other things too. Now to think that what was once unacceptable to the Almighty has suddenly become okay to do today is a teaching that is anti-Scriptural and evil.
If we desire to love the Almighty, then we need to do all that is commanded in the Torah. “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands” (John 14:15)
Also.... click here to see John 1:1-3 explained