SeeWas the Trinity Conceived in the 4th Century? This doctrine is called Oneness of God or Jesus Only. . Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. But in spite of where or when it first appeared, it has been associated to a vast number of meanings through time. 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. The PAW formed in 1918, but split along racial lines in 1924. John 14:18: I will not leave you as orphans. 4. Does this not seem to vindicate Oneness theology? Let's look at the Foursquare Church and United Pentecostal Church International and see how hey differ. Westminster Confession of Faith, 1:9. with v. 9) out and then pretext into them a modalistic understandingwe call this eisegesis. I always say at the onset to one like yourself, who make the incorrect uninformed assertion regarding the triquetra symbol being derived from Wicca, paganism, etc. Oneness Pentecostals honestly believe that their view of the Godhead is the true doctrine . In doing so, they will think that they have mounted a proper argument against trinitarian theology because they believe that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. Now I will switch gears from Oneness to their view of water baptism. II. 4200 North Point Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30022, Employment Media & Public Relations NAMB Store. 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). John 14:9 Oneness people routinely quote this passage (usually in the same breath with John 10:30), as though it was part of the passage. How would anybody understand what he is saying? Clarence L. Haynes Jr. Also, only that the Son was God can He God make this request/command to the Father, not mere man. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998. Because I live, you also will live. There are two basic strategies that Oneness Pentecostals use for arguing for the conclusion that Jesus is God and Father. No amount of good works, moral living, or church membership guarantees salvation. Does the long ending of Mark vindicate the Oneness Pentecostal position about speaking in tongues? : 8. 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. 2021 North American Mission Board, SBC. Pentecostal Church of Apostolic Faith (PCAF)-25,000 Recently a well-known pastor, television preacher, and best-selling author was asked about his beliefs about God. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. 6th ed. This view of the Trinity is connected with Oneness Pentecostals' Christology. Have a clear understanding of your faith and the Bible. . If an individual believes that there are three gods, then they have, in effect, denied the doctrine of the trinity. Wallace, BBGG, 630). They are not three distinct persons. Since Oneness Pentecostalism maintains that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all different manifestations of the same person, it follows that Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Add to Wish List Link to this Book Add to Bookbag Sell this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices. 1 Tim. Jesus is a perfect representation of the person of the Father. 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? Oneness theology rejects that the Son was the actual Creator. Biblical Response: The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God (see 2 Tim. As we read through the New Testament, we will encounter what boggled on Why Calvinists And Catholics Share The Nicene Faith, on Why Charismatics Should Cut Glossolalia (Tongues) Out of Their Theology, on Why Christians Should Empty Themselves of Kenotic Christology, The Shortcoming of Christian Apologetics From An Apologist. the God)], and [kai] the fellowship of the [tou] Holy Spirit be with you all. . 5. If you were to join a Oneness Pentecostal church, what would your experience be? We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. John 6:38). Michael Burgos is a Bible teacher at Northwest Hills Community Church in Torrington, CT, and has a Master of Theological Studies from Andersonville Theological Seminary. So what does this verse mean? Further, how do you know that you do not merely possess the gift of tongues? The reason that I am doing that is because Oneness Pentecostalism is often not understood by trinitarian Christians. Mark 16:18 is part of a disputed portion of Marks text. Well, there are a number of reasons that I think that interpretation is implausible. John 1:14). Therefore, we may conclude that Deuteronomy 6:4 and the multiple proof-texts for monotheism do not represent a good argument against the trinity. 30:3; John 14:23]; Yahweh to Yahweh and Elohim (God) to Elohim correspondences in passages such as Gen. 19:24; Ps. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." The Hidden Cult of Oneness Pentecostalism. Why is snake-handling not a criteria for salvation? United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic) (UCJC-A)-100,000 Melton, J. Gordon. The Bible Way News Voice (Bible Way) He was making claims that no mere human could make. 3:7.). Answering A Few Common Oneness Pentecostal Arguments During the Last Supper, the disciples were distraught. An Antichrist who denies the power thereof, that The Apostle Paul warned us to turn away from! Note: in passages such as John 1:3, 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:2, 10-12, the Son is clearly presented as agent of creation, the Creator Himself. 2022 Department of Christian Defense Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Accredited. Significantly, there are two instances in which that pattern is broken. As with other Christian symbols and Christian holidays (e.g., Christmas, Easter, cross, etc. 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.. All modern writings or revelations must be analyzed in light of sound principles of biblical interpretation. The same can be said in Ecclesiastes 12:1, where the Hebrew literally reads, Remember also your Creators (plural in Heb.). Michael Burgos Jr., Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique (Winchester, CT: Church Militant, 2016). "Michael Burgos has produced a brilliant blend of systematic theology and biblical exegesis with a detailed and thorough discussion of the main passages at the center of the dispute between Oneness Pentecostalism and traditional trinitarianism. If he and the Father are one, does that necessarily mean that he is the Father? They do not know how to deal with the texts that are often cited. ", ASIN To be sure, Modalism embraces another Jesus, another Gospel, and another Spirit. 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. So there are good reasons to think that the disciples were not concerned with the words that were recited but with the power and authority of the Trinity. The answers do not represent a *full exegetical presentationrather it simply and basically demonstrates (a) the fundamental Oneness unitarian assumptions (viz. More than 160 oneness ministers who were expelled from the AOG quickly formed their own alliances to promote their doctrines. So, you appeal to v. 9, to assume Jesus is the person of the Father, but a verses later (v. 23), Jesus clearly affirms His deity as Son in distinction from the Father: Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and MY FATHER will love him, and pros auton eleusometha [to him WE will come] and monn par autw poisometha [at home with him, WE will Make].. But what good reasons are there to think that? It is enough for the disciples to see Jesus because they share a divine essence. Oneness Pentecostal churches are, therefore, cultic in nature and outside the theological parameters of historic Christianity. 4. John 10:30: I and the Father are one. The first two chapters of the text outline the basis for the Oneness Pentecostals' disbelief in the Holy Trinity - and their belief that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are simply . John 3:5 does not explicitly say that one must be water baptized before entering the kingdom. The classic statement of Trinitarian doctrine is that there is One God who exists eternally in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the trinity states that there is one God who is eternally present in three persons. This new anti-trinitarian belief needs to be understood and addressed, and it must be done so differently than Unitarianism of a by-gone day. 14 and Johns theology. By 1916, oneness views were being expounded by some ministers in the Assemblies of God (AOG) denomination. Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique Michael R. Burgos 16 Paperback 1 offer from $24.99 Christianity without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism Thomas A. Fudge 51 Paperback 16 offers from $22.99 Colossians 2:9 does not teach that the totality of the Godhead was in the body of Jesus, but rather that Jesus embodied the totality of the divine nature and God is totally revealed in Him. 31; A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures, 4:478-79; and cf. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Oneness theology rejects the personhood of the Holy Spirit. In terms of the triquetra (Trinitarian symbol), you should not base an argument on ignorance, and unaccredited internet articles. He says in verse 14 that he will ask the Father, and the Father will send the Holy Spirit. , Dimensions It may also be that Father, Son, and Spirit is the name by which we know God. III. But standing by the cross [para t staur] of Jesus were His mother, and His mothers sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.. Oneness Pentecostalism, or Jesus-only teaching, is a modern recycling of the old Sabellianism and modalism of ages past. 2:10). : The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. 13:14). This is from where most Christians derive their baptismal formula, actually reciting the words, In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, Oneness Pentecostals think that in reciting those words, they are not obeying the command. Oneness adherents (along with Muslims and Jehovahs Witnesses) wrongly assume that the concept or word one when referring to God (e.g., Deut. Oneness movements emphases on personal holiness and healthy lifestyles are commendable. , Item Weight Oneness theology rejects the eternality of the Person of the Son. 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. Skylar McManus shares about being raised Oneness Pentecostal and moving from Oneness to Orthodoxy. Still not understanding (i.e., by knowing Jesus they know and see the Father), Philip says to Jesus, Show us the Father (v. 8). What Michael Burgos Jr. has produced in Against Oneness Pentecostalism is a helpful book for pastors or churchmen needing a polemical approach against the anti-Trinitarians embedded in our communities and occasionally, our churches. Many trinitarians, unfortunately, have never heard of these arguments before. So I want to provide a resource for understanding Oneness Pentecostalism, some of the arguments that they will use and how to respond to them. But typically, God became a man. Wallace, GGBB, 368; Greenlee, A Concise Exegetical Grammar of New Testament Greek, 5th ed. There is no doubt that there is some form of tongues in the Bible. But the argument that Jesus Christ is the secret answer to the riddle, "What is the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy . Michael Burgos, is a modern Pharisee. The Oneness Pentecostal movements generally teach that to receive and maintain salvation, a person must adhere to four essential requirements. I found this web page, looked promising to refute Oneness theology. How can you use Mark 16:17 to establish tongues as a criteria for salvation without using an absolute double-standard? 1. Oneness Pentecostalism have discounted, distorted or dismissed the Three-in-One doctrine of the Trinity, as found in classical Christian theism. Some Pentecostal denominations, often referred to as Apostolic Pentecostals, Oneness Pentecostals or Jesus-Only Pentecostals, take the . Example, Theodotus (the first known dynamic monarchianist) was excommunicated by Victor, the bishop of Rome, around A.D. 190; Noetus (the first known modalist) was condemned by Hippolytus and by the presbyters around the same time; Praxeas was marked as a heretic by Tertullian; Paul of Samosata was condemned at the Third Council in Antioch (A.D. 268); Dionysius of Alexandria and Dionysius bishop of Rome along with many important church Fathers condemned Sabellius and his teachings as Christological heresy. Important Question: If Jesus is the Father, why is there not a single passage that states this in the NT or the OT? Of course, this is a mischaracterization. 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. 1:3). Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Jesus then reiterates (as a corrective) that by seeing Him they can see, that is, know or recognize the invisible Father (v. 9). 51: I am the living bread that came down ek tou ouranou, 58: This is the bread which came down ex ouranou; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.. the parallels in Mk. Oneness author W. L. Vincent writes "The argument against the "Son being his own Father" is a red herring. Again, in its proper sense, a mediator is one who is other than or distinct from the parties, which are being mediated. Hence, Jesus could not have meant that by seeing Him they were literally seeing the Father. Please try again. So, he establishes that he is speaking of tongues for edification. The argument over whether God is three-in-one or one-in-three is a moot point for the average layman, who tends to view the doctrine of the Trinity as an unexplainable mystery. . The Contender for the Faith (COLJF) To avoid the plainness of the passage (namely, the preexistence of the Son and His personal distinction from His Father), Oneness teachers argue that the glory that Jesus (the Son) had with the Father, only signified the future glory or plan in the Fathers mind, thus anticipating the Sons coming at Bethlehem. His knowledge of living water from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 2:13, Isaiah 12:3, 58:11, etc) should have informed him. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. If the Son did not eternally exist with the Father as a distinct person why is it that the Son can say, Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had [or shared, eichon] with You before the world was.? UCJC: Institute of Biblical Studies-Baltimore, Md. How would you be able to tell the difference? Where in the Scripture does it say that God is unitarian? Michael Burgos builds upon his book "Kiss the Son" and provides an almost exhaustive study, and refutation, of the Oneness (Jesus Only) movement. I am beginning to suspect that, since Christianity is unique in . Thus, in spite of the arguments of Oneness advocates against the triune God and the the person of Christ, it is the gospel that must be proclaimed to them-, which the power and ordained means of God for setting them free from the darkness of Oneness theology and bringing them to the true Jesus Christ, as He wills. 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. Thanks! No one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from [the] heaven [ek tou ouranou]: the Son of Man (John 3:13). 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. And when did the Son have this glory? Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique Author Michael Burgos Publisher Church Militant Publications, 2016 ISBN 0692644067, 9780692644065 Length 246 pages Export. Recall what I said regarding what Oneness Pentecostals believe about being born again. 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. I do not think so. Isa. It does not seem at all implausible that Jesus was referring to living water in John 3:5. 36: But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe., 38: For I have come down apo tou ouranou, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me, 41: Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, I am the bread that came down ek tou ouranou, 42: They were saying, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?