HEAR O ISRAEL ..!

THE LORD THY GOD IS ONE Please read all of the following verses: 1 Timothy 2:5, Deuteronomy 6:4, Psalm 86:10, 1 Corinthians 8:4&6, Malach i 2:10, Ephesians 4:6, Romans 3:30, Mark 12:29, James 2:19, Ephesians 4: 5-6 (not enough to believe in one God, you have to believe in the one TR UE God), Mark 12:32 (Jesus is even says there is one God). Deuteronomy 32:39, Isaiah 43:10-11, Deuteronomy 4:35&39, Luke 18:19, Mark 10:18, 1 K ings 8:60, Psalms 86:10, Isaiah 44:6&8. Isaiah 45:5-6, Isaiah 46:9, Isai ah 47:10, Isaiah 45:14,18,21,2 Use the following weblink below to view the picture: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Trinity _________________________Tertullians Trinity Doctrine Before you continue reading, please view the picture on the above link. It ce rtainly looks confusing. Can three things which claim to be separate, also cl aim to be united? To anyone, a statement such as this, could obviously appear as a clear-cut contradiction or self-refuting belief. In this diagram, you see a circle in the center with the name God in it, and you also see a circ le off to the left, with the name The Father in it. This is a point, where Tertullians diagram may draw confusion. In the Bible, God is recognized as t he Father, with no distinction. Therefore, the name God or Father should share one bubble God the Father. Tertullians diagram looks like God is in four parts, rather than three. I ultimately believe this diagram does God a g reat injustice, and I will explain why. It is true that the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all called God in the Bible, and it is also true that the Bible tells us multiple times that God is One. In fact, the prophet Isaiah said this about the Messiah, that He would be ca lled Everlasting Father and Mighty God. As Christians, we understand that th e Messiah who Isaiah was referring to, is Jesus. Tertullians diagram helps explain one concept, while causing confusion on another. The Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit is God. So the outer circles, which connect to the inn er circle is accurate. However, this is also the source of confusion, becaus e the diagram simultaneously shows that the Father is not the Holy Spirit. G

od the Father, is not nothingness or a complete and total lack of substance. The Bible tells us that God is Spirit. Have you ever stopped a wondered wha t makes Jesus fully God, while also being fully man? The Bible does not describe Jesus as being half-man and half-God, but rathe r, a person, who is completely and legitimately human, while also completel y and legitimately God. Jesus said the Father is in Him. We also know that Jesus had the Holy Spirit in Him. When He blew on the disciples, they recei ved His Spirit, Gods Holy Spirit. When God made man from the dust of the g round, He blew life into them. Now some people will say, that Jesus did not receive the Holy Spirit, until He was baptizedthat He became God when He was baptized. That viewpoint is false. Instead, God placed His One and Only Spirit in the womb of a virgin. This was not difficult for God to do. He e ven helps us grasp how this is possible, when He placed His Spirit in the a rk of the covenant. If He is capable of doing that to a lifeless material o bject, He can certainly do the same thing, but with human flesh. In fact, t he only way Jesus could be sinless is if He was God in human flesh. He was born with the Spirit of the Living God inside of Him. The Bible tells us th at God alone is sinless and perfect. As human beings, we all fall enormousl y short of His glory. Even as Holy-Spirit filled Christians, we still fall short. Notice that the Bible tells us that Jesus never sinned. Its not tha t His sins were covered, He literally did not sin even one time. God alone is the Source of Goodness, Truth, Love, and Life. The natural con sequence of being separated from God, does not produce good fruit in us. So this bears testimony, that there is something special and unique about the Spirit that was in Jesus, that is completely different from the rest of hu manity. It is Gods Holy Spirit which gives us Eternal Life, and this Life was in Jesus. When we accept Jesus as our God and Savior, He reconciles us to Himself, by connecting us to His Spirit (the Source of Eternal Life). No tice, that Jesus when speaking, can speak as the Father, or as the Son. Jes us said that God sent Him and that He is the bread which comes down from heaven. He also states that He is from above and not of this world. The human body that was formed in the virgin Marys womb, was not that which came down f rom heaven, but the Spirit that was within Jesus Christ is Who came down f rom heaven. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit comes from God. Some p eople believe that this implies that the Holy Spirit separates from God, r ather than being an extension of God, completely connected to the Source. Jehovahs Witnesses believe that the emanation, is simply power from God o r an impersonal force, rather than being God Himself. However, the Bible t ells us that the Gods Spirit can speak, He can be lied to, He can be grie

vedetc Gods Spirit is very much filled with His Life, and is not lacking. The omnipresent God is much larger than we could mentally grasp. If God did not manifest Himself to us in some way, we could not possibly see Him. Wit h this understanding, we can better grasp how God can say He is One, and ho w Tertullians diagram, while having an aspect of the Truth which most Chri stians can agree on, falls short in the explanation of a greater detail. In one aspect it is true, these three - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spi rit are God, and yet Gods Spirit is not separate from God, He is Who God i s. The Spirit of God has one nature, being Goodness, Truth, Love, and Life. And as a man, the Son of God, Jesus was fully submitted to the Spirit of G od which dwelled inside of Him, which is the Same God and self-same Spirit who is omnipresent, able to give His Spirit to be in all people who are wil ling to accept Him and place their trust in Him as God and Savior. Like the Bible says, I believe that God is One and God does not contradict Himself. I reject the teaching that God has three personalities, and that He is three different persons. I also reject Modalism, which teaches that God operates as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in different modes which are con secutive, rather than simultaneous. Modalism teaches that the Father, Son, a nd Holy Spirit never exist at the same time. The Holy Spirit is God and the Holy Spirit was in the Son. Sometimes as people, when we dont understand so mething, we will try to come up with a different explanation, and develop ou r own teachings, rather than trying to rightly discern the Word of God, give n the evidence which God has provided, and trusting in God to relay the Trut h to our understanding. The Hebrews in the past did not believe in the Trini ty, nor did the disciples teach it. It is time to clear up the misunderstand ing. It is this misunderstanding which has caused numerous people to believe that Christians are polytheists. When in fact, God tells us that He is God alone, and He desires for us to worship Him only. This is why Jesus tells us to be careful about referring to other people as our father or fathers. Many of the so-called church fathers had many heres ies of their own. If any individuals were to be called church fathers, it w ould certainly be the apostles of Jesus. However, these men preferred to po int others to the Everlasting Father, who is Jesus Christ. Jesus is Immanue l, which being translated means God with us. He has the same name and title s as God because He is One and the Same. Yah = God, Shua = Saves/Savior. Go d has become our salvation. He placed Himself in our shoes in order to free us from the bonds of eternal damnation and gain back what was lost. Sin ca me into the world by one man, Adam, and no person was able to keep all of G ods Holy Standards without failure in order to be the sinless spotless sac

rifice that was needed to atone for the sins of mankind ----- except, for J esus Christ, who alone who able to fulfill all the works required for righteousness.

____________________________________________ Tertullians Trinity Doctrine 2011 by E.S. Gold All rights reserved. This article may be freely distributed.