Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity by Gregory A. Boyd - Goodreads Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998. In the Gospels, Jesus referred to the Father over two hundred times as someone other than Himself, thus, as a distinct person. It is an attempt to get around what the text is saying so that their doctrine will prevail. How would you be able to tell the difference? The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! Library : The Pentecostalism Controversy | Catholic Culture The triquetra symbol is also found in Norse Viking artifacts such as combs and saddles; found on a Norwegian coin from around the 11th cent. Again, in its proper sense, a mediator is one who is other than or distinct from the parties, which are being mediated. 'Jesus Only' Isn't Enough - Christianity Today Please try your request again later. 3. Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Accredited. 8. Scripture presents in plain and normal language that the preexistent person of the Son was sent from the Father (e.g., John 3:13; 16-17; 6:33, 38, 44, 46, 50-51; 62; 8:23, 38, 42, 57-58; 16:28; Gal. After all, he did not say, I am the Father, in this verse. Oneness theology rejects the personhood of the Holy Spirit. 31; A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures, 4:478-79; and cf. But the Son, they say, was not really there with the Father before the world was. However, consider the following: First, note that the glory that the *Son* said that He possessed or shared (eichon) was when? century, by a man named Praxeus, who is known from Tertullian's Against Praxeus. In verse 17, he refers to the Holy Spirit as he and him. Is it really coherent to think that in the next verse, he would refer to the Holy Spirit as himself? The participle describes the means or manner of the emptying. Gifts ceased: Encyclopedia of Pentecostal objections and their - Bible Oneness Pentecostals honestly believe that their view of the Godhead is the true doctrine . Hence, Jesus could not have meant that by seeing Him they were literally seeing the Father. Note the Context: In verse 6 Jesus says, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. In verse 7, He explains to His disciples that if they had known Him they would have known the Father also. Is Jesus the Father and the Holy Spirit? - Christian Research Institute Third, it may be that Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the one name under which we are baptized. How can tongues function as the sign of salvation if you do not even know the difference between tongues for edification and the gift of tongues? Modalism is the belief that one God existed in time in three distinct modes of being: first as the Father in heaven; second, bodily as the Son on earth; and finally as the Holy Spirit. There is no indication that it, or any other spiritual gift, is required to receive Gods gift of salvation by grace or to be filled with His Holy Spirit (see Eph. In my opinion it is better than Burgos' Against Oneness Pentecostals, Boyd's Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity. . : Question for Oneness regarding "modes of existence." - CARM Forums Learn more. Scripture quotation marked NKJV is from The New King James Version. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique Author Michael Burgos Publisher Church Militant Publications, 2016 ISBN 0692644067, 9780692644065 Length 246 pages Export. The answers do not represent a *full exegetical presentationrather it simply and basically demonstrates (a) the fundamental Oneness unitarian assumptions (viz. In John 1:18, John wrote, No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. Jesus is the only begotten God and he is at the Fathers side, and he explains him. Acts 2:38 must be read in context and in light of Jesus clear command in Matthew 28:19. Further, the Father is spirit. The context is obvious: by knowing and seeing Jesus (as the only way to the Father; cf. Of course, this is a mischaracterization. 6:8; 54:5; Prov. Boyd's arguments are dependant mainly on Scripture but he does take some time to delve into the writings of the early Church Fathers (chapter 7) in order to show that the early church was far . By promoting the Son as a temporary mode or a role of the unitarian deity whose life started in Bethlehem, denies the Son, as well as the Father. Trinity 4, Oneness Pentecostals, the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity . Now revised, updated, and expanded. His insight is edifying. Biblical Response: The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God (see 2 Tim. How can they ask him to Show us the Father when he is the Father? History of Heresies - History always repeats itself when no one is paying attention. The Apostle John was very concerned as to the false beliefs and teachings of Jesus Christ, as he gives this warning: Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23). Christian Outlook (PAW), AOHCG: Berean Christian Bible College-Birmingham, Ala. Forty times in Johns Gospel, Jesus refers to himself as sent by the Father, but never does he refer to himself as the Father who sent the Son, Further, Isaiah 9:6, is no help for Oneness advocates trying to prove Jesus is the Father- See Isaiah 9:6: Oneness Refuted, 1. There is only one true God. sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matthew 26:64). So Christians should strive to do the objective research, in order that they not provide bad untruthful arguments and appear unread. 6. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down ek tou ouranou, and gives life to the world. 34 Then they said to Him, Lord, always give us this bread., 35: Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. This is far, far more plausible than thinking that Jesus switched between him and I.. I am beginning to suspect that, since Christianity is unique in . Most of them encourage their members to dress and live modestly, but do not have specific teachings about hair and skirts. Regardless, handling snakes or drinking poison is a misuse of that Scripture and has resulted in the deaths of many practitioners. Granville Sharps grammaticalrule #6: Specifically, the repetition of the article tou (the) before each noun and the conjunction kai (and) that connects the nouns clearly denote a distinction between all three persons named.4 Note Matthew 28:19: in the name of the [tou] Father and of the [kai tou] Son and of the [kai tou] Holy Spirit. Further, Paul clearly presents the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, not as three modes of a unipersonal deity, but rather as three distinct persons. In 1913, one popular teacher, R.E. They are not three distinct persons. 4:4-5; Eph. 12:11; Eph. Official Names and Membership (estimates): Apostolic Overcoming Holy Church of God (AOHCG)-13,000 If an individual believes that there are three gods, then they have, in effect, denied the doctrine of the trinity. I. 9. Beisner, E. Cal. (Robertson, Word Pictures, 5:275-76). Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Is Oneness Pentecostalism a cult? Should it be considered a - reddit John 14:9: He who has seen Me has seen the Father. 32, 33, 41, 42, 50, 51-ek tou ouranou;verse 38 apo tou ouranou;and verse 58 came downex ouranou). Michael Burgos Jr., Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique (Winchester, CT: Church Militant, 2016). Customize your subscription to get the latest of what matters most to you! At the 1986 Oneness Symposium, Robert Sabin addresses the charge of whether the UPCI is Christian group or a cult. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Why did I do this? 2:5). He said that God the Father was the One True God of the Old Testament. And over two hundred times, Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit and Jesus as distinct persons- and Never once does Scripture call Jesus the Father or the Holy Spirit.. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Share your personal testimony of Gods grace and your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Contributing Writer 2022 13 Jun Great book with in depth analysis about the Oneneness movement faults both historically and biblically. As a former Oneness Pentecostal (OP), Boyd was especially equipped to accurately describe Oneness beliefs about God and their arguments against the Trinity, and as a trained philosopher/theologian he was especially equipped to refute such views. This is agreed by recognized Greek Grammars and recognized Lexicons of the NT such as BDAG, 757. All of the arguments both for and against Oneness beliefs seem valid and to me come down to se It is extremely well written, but wasn't the best choice for my needs. Biblical Response: Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (see Rom. The reason that I am doing that is because Oneness Pentecostalism is often not understood by trinitarian Christians. It would be to cherry-pick the verse that fits into ones doctrine. In this theology, the Father embodies the divine attributes of the godhead and the Son embodies the human aspects. A Trinitarian's Struggle With the Oneness Doctrine To be sure, Modalism embraces another Jesus, another Gospel, and another Spirit. 3:11; 1 John 1:3; 2:22-23; Rev. Oneness Pentecostal Jesus asked in verse 11, Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Nicodemus should have understood as the teacher of Israel. The UPCI was organized in 1945 with the union of two predominately white groups started earlier in the century. Pentecostalism is a Spirit-emphasizing movement that is characterized by several unique doctrines and practices, including baptism in the Spirit for Christians after conversion, speaking in tongues as evidence of that Spirit-baptism, and the exercise of all the spiritual gifts. Nowhere in the New Testament, however, is it said that Jesus sent the Son. 3:11; 2 Thess. Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique Paperback - March 17, 2020 by Michael R. Burgos (Author) 15 ratings Hardcover $35.00 1 New from $35.00 Paperback $24.99 1 Used from $19.04 2 New from $22.99 Oneness Pentecostalism constitutes one of the world's largest non-trinitarian expressions of Christianity. The Son is and has been eternally subsisting as the perfect and exact representation (charaktr) of the very nature (hupostases) of Him (autou, of Him, not as Him; Heb. PAW: Aenon Bible School-Indianapolis, Ind. Where in the Scripture does it say that God is unitarian? 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. He does so by using first person personal pronouns (I, Me, Mine) and verb references to refer to Himself and third person personal pronouns (He, Him, His) and verb references to refer to His Father. In 1918, Oneness adherents, needing to develop their own organization after effectively being ousted from Pentecostalism, founded the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, headed by African . McAlister of Toronto, Ont., began teaching that the Trinity doctrine was untrue and that baptism should be done correctly in Jesus name only-not in the traditional trinitarian formula. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW)-1,000,000 reported I also could see many of the arguments used against Praxeas by Tertullian . The Son said that He *HAD* glory *before* timewith (para) the Father. Matthew 28:19 includes the marching orders for Christians. The Nicene Creed has defined historical orthodoxy for centuries. also Walter Bauers, A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, 3rd ed. They accomplish this by adhering to modalism, more commonly referred to as oneness theology. If God is unitarian, why is it that there are so many places in the Bible where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are clearly distinguished from each other in the same verse? They refer first of all to the biblical passages that speak of this baptism, namely, John the Baptist's words about the work of Christ, Matthew 3:11 (cf. ISBN-13: 9780692644065. Assemblies of the Lord Jesus, Inc. (ALJI)-50,000 If Oneness doctrine is biblically true, why then do the biblical authors use grammatical features that personally distinguish between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? 5:13).As NT scholar Harold Greenly points out, When the article is used before each member, each is to be considered separately (Greenlee, Exegetical Grammar, 23). Oneness Versus Trinity - Spiritual Abuse The block of Oneness ministers present urged against such a move but was overruled. Now I will switch gears from Oneness to their view of water baptism. Oneness author W. L. Vincent writes "The argument against the "Son being his own Father" is a red herring. Church of Our Lord Jesus of the Apostolic Faith (COLJF)-30,000 Why is drinking poison not a criteria for salvation? 1:33): 'I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he . In Ephesians 2:18, Paul teaches that by the agency of the Son, Christians have access to the Father by means of the Spirit: For through Him [di autouthe Son] we both have our access in [en] one Spirit to the Father [pros ton patera] (Eph. 9780692644065: Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical plural nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions) to describe the one God? Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. asserting that God is one person) and (b) the basic theological errors of Oneness theology (e.g., denying the deity of the Son). Note also that in 14:10, Jesus clearly differentiates Himself from the Father when He declares: The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. To reiterate, the undisputable fact is this: not one time in the New Testament does Jesus (or any other person) state that He Himself is the Father. Oneness Pentecostals believe that the title "Son" only applied to Christ when he became flesh on earth, but that Christ was the Logos or Mind of the Father prior to his being made human, and not a separate person. Jesus is said to have two natures: human and divine. Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity - Greg Boyd - ReKnew The Oneness Pentecostal view of God is similar to the ancient heresy of Modalism. First and third person personal pronouns: Throughout chapter 14, Jesus clearly differentiates Himself from the Father by using first person personal pronouns (I, Me, Mine) to refer to Himself and third person personal pronouns (He, Him, His) to refer to His Father (e.g., John 14:7, 10, 16). Previous page of related Sponsored Products. Westminster Confession of Faith, 1:9. Rather the Son is biblically (exegetically) presented as the Creator of all things Himself. It is an idiom for authority, like if I say in the name of the king. This is firmly established in Acts 4:4, which reads, By what power or what name did you do this? Power and name are parallel. If you were to ask a Oneness Pentecostal to provide a proof-text for Oneness Theology, it is very likely that first passage that you will hear is Deuteronomy 6:4, which is Israels shema, essentially the thesis statement on the paper of the Jews. 6:4). 4:4). 9. We now consider and refute all Pentecostal Objections to the fact that the Bible teaches spiritual gifts ceased at the end of the apostolic age around 100AD Conclusion Summary: No longer any need for gifts: Apostles have been led into all truth: Jn 16:13 + Jude 3 The Bible has been written and confirmed to be inspired It is never used apart from God's incarnation, however; it never refers to deity This use of different prepositions shows a relationship between them,5 and clearly denotes essential distinction, e.g., no one comes to [pros] the Father but through [dia] Me (John 14:6); he who believes in [eis] Me . 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Moreover, significant Christian church councils affirmed the Trinity and explicitly rejected Oneness doctrine: e.g., Council of Nicaea (325); Chalcedon Creed (A.D. 451); Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381); etc. United Pentecostals, also called Oneness Pentecostals, are known for their rejection of the Trinity, which is a hallmark doctrine in orthodox Christianity. Both Oneness believers and Trinitarians agree that the Father is invisible and does not have a physical body. Thus, because God is tri-personal He can be described as both Maker and Makers and as Creator and Creators. He is one Being, not one persona point that is repeatedly brought to bear by the OT authors. Also, John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; and Hebrews 1:10-12 teach exegetically that the Son was God, the agent of creation, the Creator, thus preexisting with the Father. Description: While most Pentecostals are orthodox, there is a segment within this movement of "Oneness" or "Jesus-Only" Pentecostals who are not. Paul said these things are spiritually discerned. But that is not quite the point of the argument that I am making. John 1:14). . Significantly, there are two instances in which that pattern is broken. In John 1:18, we read: No one has seen God [the Father] at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (lit. Apostolic Missionary Institute-Oshawa, Ont. 1:3). . Pentecostalism: Spirit-filled Blessing or Dangerous Heresy? No single translation or human interpretation can be regarded as infallible. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." The proper mode is immersion in the triune name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Important Question: If Jesus is the Father, why is there not a single passage that states this in the NT or the OT? [hereafter BDAG], 225). How To Implement Apologetics into the Church, The Differences Between the Prosperity Gospel and the Biblical Gospel. Second, when did the Son have this glory (which only God has, Isa, 42:8)? If you were to join a Oneness Pentecostal church, what would your experience be? Oneness Pentecostal churches are, therefore, cultic in nature and outside the theological parameters of historic Christianity. For God does not share His glory with no one (cf. United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI)-500,000 (1.5 million worldwide), Other Designations: Jesus Only churches; Apostolic Pentecostals; The Oneness Movement; The Jesus Name Movement, Pentecostal Herald (UPCI) John 3:5: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 3:7.). He was making claims that no mere human could make. In the Incarnation, God in his divine nature is the Father; the Son is the perfect man in whom God was incarnate; Jesus is the one God manifested in the flesh. For example, the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, has 16 Fundamental Truths. 6:4) has the strict denotative meaning of absolute solitude. Against Oneness Pentecostalism Archives - Therefore, God Exists ' Note the first person plural verbs (eleusometha, We will come, and poisometha, We will make). It may also be that Father, Son, and Spirit is the name by which we know God. Well, there are a number of reasons that I think that interpretation is implausible. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. SeeWas the Trinity Conceived in the 4th Century? That the Son of Man was in heaven prior to Bethlehem creates a theological problem for Oneness doctrine. 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 7:29). For if Jesus is the Father, then, between whom would He Mediate since by definition a mediator/intercessor represents two distinct parties, other than Himself. Behind this question lay a criticism of the commonly-held Trinitarian Pentecostal argument that the name of Jesus in baptismal texts from . I also recommend that you read the series that I linked to at the beginning of this article.