No single translation or human interpretation can be regarded as infallible. There is not a single case in which the prophets repudiated anything like the doctrine of the trinity, nor is there any case in which rebellious Israel believed it and convoked the wrath of God. John 9:39) the invisible Father (cf. But again Only by removing this passage from the document and immediate context can Oneness teachers posit a modalistic Oneness understanding. 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). Recently, a few evangelicals have tried to label Oneness Pentecostal churches as cultic. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Primarily, KJV Onlyists and anti-Trinitarian groups (esp. dual nature of Christ," but my heart sank when I found nothing which properly explained these things against a Trinitarian argument. Hence, Jesus could not have meant that by seeing Him they were literally seeing the Father. Further, the triquetra has been found on Indian heritage sites that are over 5,000 years old; found on carved stones in Northern Europe dating from A.D. 8th cent. Michael R. Burgos is an American theologian, author, and pastor. While this is not a good argument that Jesus is the Father, it is a good argument that Jesus is God. Please give me some verses that challenge this thought? But that is not quite the point of the argument that I am making. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim. Exegetically, it cannot refer to the Father thinking of the Son or having the Son in view or in His mind, for Jesus uses the imperfect tense [eichon, *had*), which shows that the Son had or possessed it, not in the Fathers mind. 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 7:29). So what does this verse mean? After all, in John 17:11, the text says that the disciples are one in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one. an outline of some early heresies in the Church. Brother Burgos carefully and respectfully dismantles the misguided half truths of Oneness doctrine. Note, that over two hundred times, the Father is referred to by Jesus or someone else as being clearly distinct from Jesus. Over fifty times, the Father, and Jesusare presented as explicitly distinct in the same passages (cf. The UPCI was organized in 1945 with the union of two predominately white groups started earlier in the century. Tate Reeves did in late August. Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity by Gregory A. Boyd - Goodreads : Pentecostal Christianity has more than 700 denominations. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all (2 Cor. [3] BDAG defines allos here as pert[aining] to that which is other than some other entity, other . Oneness Pentecostal Sources of Authority: Oneness Pentecostals of all branches affirm the authority of the Bible for doctrine. So they will use this proof-text that they think 31 They justify their actions by referring to the rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity by Oneness believers. Biblical Response: Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (see Rom. 5:18). Following these beginnings, Pentecostal preachers and churches spread rapidly coalescing into various denominations and factions. Several verses are quoted to establish this view, such as Colossians 2:9 (NKJV), For in Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Oneness theologians would argue that if the Father and the Son were separate, then the Godhead could not fully dwell in Christ. And those (like yourself) who object (due to a mass of misinformation) to the Trinitarian symbol, since they do not have a problem with pagan-origins calendars in their homes, do they have a problem with the Apostle Pauls quotations of pagans writers to make a biblical pointnamely, Epimenides of Crete in Titus 1:12 and Acts 17:28 (referring to Zeus); Aratus of Cilicia in Acts 17:28 (also referring to Zeus); and Menander in 1 Cor. to the one sittingthe Father]) and the Lamb (kai t arnithe Son) are grammatically differentiated by the repeated article t (the), which precedes both nouns and are connected by the one conjunction kai (and). 2:10). 6:4) has the strict denotative meaning of absolute solitude. Preexistence of the Son - Is the Son pre-existing like the Father or did the Father become the Son. Michael Burgos builds upon his book "Kiss the Son" and provides an almost exhaustive study, and refutation, of the Oneness (Jesus Only) movement. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, an event that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of . 12:11; Eph. that that calendar in your office and/or house and/or in the rooms of your children, are filled with symbols of pagan gods (all days and names of months were named after pagan gods). As a former Oneness Pentecostal Church member, Home Missionary, Assistant Pastor, Youth Director, and District Youth Board Member, I want to thank Pastor Michael Burgos for writing this fine book. If Jesus were the Father, as Oneness believers contend, one would expect to find a clear example of thisat least one passage (cf. They place much emphasis on the name of God. John 10:30: I and the Father are one. Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity - Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth 2. 8. This is far, far more plausible than thinking that Jesus switched between him and I.. If he and the Father are one, does that necessarily mean that he is the Father? Oneness Pentecostalism - Wikipedia Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 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. Yes, the Jesus of Oneness theology is a false Jesus. (or that God exist as one person?). 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. He says in verse 14 that he will ask the Father, and the Father will send the Holy Spirit. They will see that because he lives (he was raised from the dead), they too will live (be raised from the dead). This seems to draw support from John 14:18. Arguing unipersonalism (unitarianism) assumes a conclusion that is meant to be proved. 5. Does this not seem to vindicate Oneness theology? So Christians should strive to do the objective research, in order that they not provide bad untruthful arguments and appear unread. 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. He coyly answered that he believed in one God who manifests himself in three ways: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 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. So, if you are going to mount an argument on the basis of Mark 16:17 for the necessity of tongues, you would have to mount an argument for the necessity of resisting a snake bite. Jesus was claiming absolute unity with the Father. Second, it may be said that the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is YHWH. That God the Father and Jesus are inseperably the same person/being/entity/substance/everything. Moreover, when it found its way in the twentieth century, departing from the Trinitarian Pentecostals, it was again rejected by the church. PO Box 2128 Winnetka, CA 91396 | 818-377-5272 | edward@christiandefense.org, Site Prepared and Built by ChurchWebPresence. arguments against oneness pentecostals - bmc.org.za We work hard to protect your security and privacy. 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. This seems to disconfirm the idea that all believers speak in tongues. Melton, J. Gordon. Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel! 8:6; 12:4-6; 2 Cor. Why is snake-handling not a criteria for salvation? 14:7, 10, 16; etc.). It is an attempt to get around what the text is saying so that their doctrine will prevail. 2:18). He claims the symbol used by trinitarians is demonic. Wallace, BBGG, 630). Third, how could we recognize tongues for edification as opposed to the gift of tongues? Again, in its proper sense, a mediator is one who is other than or distinct from the parties, which are being mediated. 42:8), which shows that the glory that the Son had was in together in the presence of the Father. 4:4). John 14:9: He who has seen Me has seen the Father. T. D. Jakes and The Potter's House church | carm.org The reason that I am doing that is because Oneness Pentecostalism is often not understood by trinitarian Christians. Thanks! They believe that God is ONE and not one in three persons. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 2:6-11). There are three problems with this worth pointing out. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. : Grammatically, when the preposition para (with) is followed by the dative case (as in this verse: para seaut, para soi), especially in reference to persons, it indicates near, beside, or in the presence of.. In Isaiah 9:6, the text says, His name shall be mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, wonderful counselor. This is his name, despite that Oneness Pentecostals would identify them as titles. However, since in Oneness theology Jesus is both Father and Son, Jesus cannot be properly Mediator between two partiesGod the Father and man. I do not think so. Specifically, in John 1:3;1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2 and 2:10, the Greek preposition dia (though) is followed by a pronoun (autou, Him)in the *genitive* case (or possessive case). 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. Jesus then says to His disciples, From now on you know Him, and have seen Him. Thus, by knowing Him they have known and have seen the Father (note the parallel: have known, have seen). For example, the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, has 16 Fundamental Truths. Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity - Greg Boyd - ReKnew John 3:5 does not explicitly say that one must be water baptized before entering the kingdom. Paper. No amount of good works, moral living, or church membership guarantees salvation. Nonetheless, historic Christianity maintains that the doctrine of the Trinity (or tri-unity of God) is taught in Scripture. In this theology, the Father embodies the divine attributes of the Godhead and the Son embodies the human aspects. It would be to cherry-pick the verse that fits into ones doctrine. United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic) (UCJC-A)-100,000 Further, the Father is spirit. In addition, many Oneness advocates rely on the unbiblical revelations received by various Oneness leaders whom they regard as divinely inspired or anointed interpreters of the Bible. They take this to indicate that Jesus is the Father. Of course, this is a mischaracterization. So, he establishes that he is speaking of tongues for edification. 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. Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique The argument isn't against modesty, but that the descriptions the New Testament gives are examples from the first century and aren't universal prohibitions for every time and culture . The Hidden Cult of Oneness Pentecostalism. Baptism is not essential to ones reception of salvation. 6 Of course, this is a mischaracterization. 4. How is that clear at all? In Acts 4:31 and 8:17, people are filled with the Spirit and tongues are simply not mentioned. This interpretation is not an attempt to understand the text. There are two basic strategies that Oneness Pentecostals use for arguing for the conclusion that Jesus is God and Father. However, to early Christians (and many today), the triquetra symbolized the Trinity (one God, three persons). Christian Life College-Stockton, Calif. Be prepared to explain biblically why you do not believe these are necessary ingredients for salvation or eternal security. A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology: In the Light of Biblical Books Refuting Oneness Pentecostal Beliefs - Spiritual Abuse (PDF) Boyd, Gregory A. Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity. Grand Before time, with the Father. If you are going to claim that there is a pattern in the book of Acts wherein everybody who is filled with the Spirit also speaks in tongues, you have a problem, because that pattern is broken on two occasions. Virtually all Oneness churches reject that water baptism should be done in the *triune* formal as instructed by Jesus in Matthew 28:19, rather, as they insist, it should be dome in the name of Jesus only. Great book with in depth analysis about the Oneneness movement faults both historically and biblically. Oneness Versus Trinity - Spiritual Abuse Well, I think so. He argues throughout for . The same grammatical distinctions are observed in 2 Corinthians 13:14:The grace of the [tou] Lord Jesus Christ, and [kai] the love of God [tou theou (lit. They are manifestations that one God takes on, sometimes simultaneously. How would anybody understand what he is saying? Now revised, updated, and expanded. 6:8; 54:5; Prov. 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. Consider this, Trinitarians, not Oneness believers, conducted all of the major revivals worldwide. Here's what you should know about Pentecostal Oneness. Oneness theology is the doctrine that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not distinct persons. Indiana Bible College-Seymour, Ind. 5. Oneness Pentecostals are vehement anti-trinitarians who commonly maintain that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology: In the Light of Biblical That the Son of Man was in heaven prior to Bethlehem creates a theological problem for Oneness doctrine. a. Spatial: near, beside, b. Father) to glorify Him together with Him (para seaut, thus, a shared glorification, a glory that only God can have, Isa. As Hebrews 1:3 tells us, The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being If we want to know who God is, then we need to look to Jesus Christ. They are just continuing that long tradition. When we hear a Oneness Pentecostal claiming that everybody speaks in tongues throughout the Bible, we immediately go to 1 Corinthians 12:29-31, for Paul recognizes that not everybody possesses all of the spiritual gifts, and tongues are listed among them. I have a friend who is try to understand he trinity. Michael Burgos, is a modern Pharisee. So when a Oneness advocate says that the Son did not exist before time, remember, that assertion is not based on biblical exegesis, but rather on what he or she has been taught by Oneness pastors/teachers. Oneness Pentecostal churches are, therefore, cultic in nature and outside the theological parameters of historic Christianity. Pentecostalism: Spirit-filled Blessing or Dangerous Heresy? 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) Therefore, when they see Jesus, they see the only way to, and an exact representation of, the invisible unseen Father, for Jesus makes Him known, He explains or exegetes Him. 32 To illustrate their arguments against Oneness groups, the following quotes from a book on cults by Bruce Tucker, an evangelical author, are Jesus Only Churches. 4:4-5; Eph. Answering A Few Common Oneness Pentecostal Arguments Further, how do you know that you do not merely possess the gift of tongues? During the Last Supper, the disciples were distraught. 2 Cor. Any group or church that claims to be Christian yet deviates at any point from historical Christian faith is, by definition, a cult. . : 9. This doctrine is called Oneness of God or Jesus Only. distinguished fr. What does it mean that Jesus explains the Father? The block of Oneness ministers present urged against such a move but was overruled. This Belief Bulletin presents basic Oneness Pentecostal history and doctrines and provides a biblical analysis and response. Modern Oneness Pentecostals garner support for their modalistic view by interpreting Matthew28:19 in conjunction with Acts2:38. . But I thought that it would be useful to assimilate many of the arguments into one post so that you may have a quick reference. Library : The Pentecostalism Controversy | Catholic Culture And you are pretexting the passage with no consideration of the context of chap. Does the long ending of Mark vindicate the Oneness Pentecostal position about speaking in tongues? Oneness theology rejects that the Son was the actual Creator. Further, the idiom in the name of does not always refer to a reciting of the name. Oneness Pentecostalism - Apologetics - North American Mission Board - Home 13:14; also cf. Oneness Pentecostals honestly believe that their view of the Godhead is the true doctrine . Further, in the Gospels, almost one hundred and eighty times, Jesus referred to the Father as the Father, my Father, or your Father- thus, as a distinct person from Himself. How can they ask him to Show us the Father when he is the Father? Oneness Pentecostal articles - Let Us Reason Oneness objections, to the Trinity, Department of Christian Defense Phillip asked him, Show us the Father, Lord, and it will be enough for us. Jesus replied that Phillip should not need to ask this question, because, He who has seen me has seen the Father. Oneness Pentecostals will argue that Jesus was saying that he is the Father. Many small Oneness groups formed after 1916, though many have remained independent. In terms of the triquetra (Trinitarian symbol), you should not base an argument on ignorance, and unaccredited internet articles. 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. biblical case against Oneness unitarianism. An Antichrist who denies the power thereof, that The Apostle Paul warned us to turn away from! He was making claims that no mere human could make. 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. Oneness Pentecostal churches are, therefore, cultic in nature and outside the theological parameters of historic Christianity. Nearly twenty years ago a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Greg Boyd wrote a book defending the doctrine of the Trinity against the objections of Oneness Pentecostals. In this episode I interact with " A Solution to Dale Tuggy's Argument against Oneness Pentecostal Christology " - a blog post by Skylar McManus. 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. And hey, while we're doing that, let's look at Southe. . Paul was referring to the latter, not the former. The Holy Spirit is not regarded as a person at all, merely a manifestation of Jesus power or a synonym for Him. They are Acts 2:4, 10:44-46, and 19:6. What does it mean, then? His will is one with the will of the Father. So, what is Oneness Pentecostalism? It is very well organized. He comes from a United Pentecostal, or Oneness Pentecostal, background. ' Note the first person plural verbs (eleusometha, We will come, and poisometha, We will make). The *Son* said that He possessed (note the imperfect of ech) the glory WITH (para, in the presence of) the Father (not in the Fathers mind, for eh Son had it). Speaking in tongues, like all other gifts, is distributed sovereignly by the Holy Spirit to those He wills for the equipping and edification of the whole body of Christ (see 1 Cor. Witnessing to Oneness Pentecostals: 1. Oneness Pentecostalism | Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. In sum, John 17:5 the Son first commands/asks (doxason, aorist impart.) Every time somebody is saved throughout the book of Acts, we will see them speaking in tongues. Privacy Policy & Copyright Notice. Col. 1:15) who brings out, that is, exegetes the Father: He [Jesus] has made known or brought news of (the invisible God) (Bauer, 2000: 349). Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998. Well, there are a number of reasons that I think that interpretation is implausible. These arguments against Acts 2:38 demonstrate a holistic ignorance of how the OT is fulfilled in Jesus and the NT death, burial and resurrection is performed in repentance . Oneness Pentecostals have a distorted notion of the Trinity and need someone to show them the scriptural teaching of the Trinity, David Kowalski writes. This is an important reminder of the need to respond to contemporary . Scripture quotation marked NKJV is from The New King James Version. Biblically, only Jesus, God the Son, can rightfully represent the Father (because He is God a distinct person from the the Father), and represent man because He is fully man. References of the Son coming down from the heavenappear eight times in John chapter 6 alone! Oneness Pentecostals are vehement anti-trinitarians who commonly maintain that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. Instead, you should focus on the biblical teachings within the text and not use non-biblical philosophy. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Well, first, most Christians will point out that this verse is part of the long ending of Mark, and therefore it is not Scripture. 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. 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. Recently a well-known pastor, television preacher, and best-selling author was asked about his beliefs about God. Texas Bible College-Houston, Texas.
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