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Today there is a growing movement within our church. It is serious, as it relates to the identity of God, specifically the Godhead. As we have often mentioned, we are active in His vineyard, watching and listening to what the workers amongst us are doing and saying. The idea of the “Trinity” is being discussed on a large-scale and we thought it important to discuss this relevant and important issue.

Wikipedia gives us a good look at the historical understanding of the Trinity–

TRINITY–

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (Latin: Trinitas, lit. ‘triad’, from trinus, “threefold”)^[2] holds that God is three consubstantial persons^[3] or hypostases^[4]—the Father, the Son (JesusChrist), and the Holy Spirit—as “one God in three Divine Persons”. The three persons are distinct, yet are one “substance, essence or nature” (homoousios).^[5] In this context, a “nature” is what one is, whereas a “person” is who one is.^[6][7][8]

According to this central mystery of most Christian faiths, there is only one God in three persons: while distinct from one another in their relations of origin (as the Fourth Lateran Council declared, “it is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds”);^[9] and in their relations with one another, they are stated to be one in all else, co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial, and each is God, whole and entire”.^[10] Accordingly, the whole work of creation and grace is seen as a single operation common to all three divine persons, in which each shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity, so that all things are “from the Father”, “through the Son” and “in the Holy Spirit”.^[11] 

While the Fathers of the Church saw even Old Testament elements such as the appearance of three men to Abraham in Book of Genesis, chapter 18, as foreshadowings of the Trinity, it was the New Testament that they saw as a basis for developing the concept of the Trinity. One of the most influential of the New Testament texts seen as implying the teaching of the Trinity was Matthew 28:19, which mandated baptizing “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”.

Another New Testament text pointing to the Trinity was John 1:1-14, in which the inter-relationships of the Triune God are reflected in the gospel author’s description of “the Word”, again showing the elements of the Triune God and their eternal (always was, always is, and always shall be) existence. Reflection, proclamation, and dialogue led to the formulation of the doctrine that was felt to correspond to the data in the Bible. The simplest outline of the doctrine was formulated in the 4th century, largely in terms of rejection of what was considered not to be consonant with general Christian belief. Further elaboration continued in the succeeding centuries.^[12]

Scripture contains neither the word Trinity,^[13] nor an expressly formulated doctrine of the Trinity. Rather, according to Christian theology, it “bears witness to” the activity of a God who can only be understood in Trinitarian terms.^[14] The doctrine did not take its definitive shape until late in the fourth century.^[15] During the intervening period, various tentative solutions, some more and some less satisfactory, were proposed.^[16]

Trinitarianism contrasts with nontrinitarian positions which include Binitarianism (one deity in two persons, or two deities), Unitarianism (one deity in one person, analogous to Jewish interpretation of the Shema and Muslim belief in Tawhid), Oneness Pentecostalism or Modalism (one deity manifested in three separate aspects). Additionally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three separate deities, two of which possess separate bodies of flesh and bones, while the Holy Ghost has only a body of spirit; and that their unity is not physical, but in purpose.^[17]

The above give us a good basic understanding of the concept of the Trinity. But as God’s remnant church, and specifically –present truth believers , we need to know what is happening amongst us concerning this issue.

There appears two camps today amongst us. One, the camp that stands squarely with our standard SDA doctrinal belief number two , let us read it–

The Trinity , No. 2
There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. God, who is love, is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation. (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 6:8; Matt. 28:19; John 3:16 2 Cor. 1:21, 22; 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2.)

They believe as shown that there are THREE coeternal “Persons.”

Then there is the other camp, which is unfortunately growing, that believe that there are only TWO coeternal Persons, the Father and the Son. The “Holy Spirit” is a type of force or cosmic energy and is at the beck and call of the Father and Son.

Before we go further there is a very important SOP quote that we all, both camps, must remember in any discussion about the Holy Spirit–

“The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden.” {AA 52.1}

Ah, the Lord’s Spirit of Prophecy says we “cannot explain it.” This makes perfect sense as once someone decides to do a study upon this great “mysterious” and confounding subject they come into all kinds of “what ifs” and “how comes”.

But this Inspired counsel is today thrown to the wind and many are taking upon themselves the mount of Korah, and declaring that they are inspired just as God’s prophets are and can explain who, what and where the Holy Spirit is! And they have declared that not only is there no Holy Spirit Being as God, but that the very word–Trinity– is blasphemous!

For a good example of one of the anti-Trinity proponents in our SDA church and who has the site called “The Third Angel’s Message.com”, and what they teach, let us read–

1 Corinthians 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father

“This is who he is, the father and God of Jesus Christ our Lord who is the son of the father.  A false doctrine has gained it’s way into our church today.  A doctrine “denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ”[Jude 4].

The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each. [Hebrews 1:1-5 quoted.] God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son. (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, page 268)

1 Corinthians 1:3  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Almost every book in the New Testament begins with a similar greeting.  The title, God, is always used in reference to the father, and there is no reference to a third being. Nowhere in the scriptures is the title, “God,” used in reference to the father, son, and holy spirit,  at the same time.

A doctrine called the trinity has denied this.  This doctrine denies who God is and who his son is.  This doctrine does not “manifest the love of God toward us”[1 John 4:9].   It denies Christ is the son of God, and makes God out to be an office of three beings, an impersonal God pervading all nature.  Co-eternal, co-equal friends is what it says when you analyze it rather than a “father and son”.

What we see here is this man’s explanation of the Godhead, specifically that there are TWO Persons, not three. Yet as we showed our important doctrinal SDA belief says we believe in THREE Persons in the God head. This man and those like him  today want to re-write or deny our doctrinal beliefs!

But  let us remember that the Omniscient God knew very well that this Trinity issue would be a concern in our last days, did He not? And Did He not decide to write a promise in His Holy Word saying that a “restorer” , the last prophet to our church, the Elijah would come and therefore explain these things?

Ok, if we believe that, then we must search what the final restoring message says in order to know the Truth of this matter. Otherwise we are like Korah, uninspired and stepping up to the Lord’s platform to tell Him and us what is Truth and that “we” know it instead of His inspired Prophets. Oh my my!

Today there are many teachers of this new doctrine, claiming that it is really a old doctrine founded with the pioneers of the SDA church. For example a website call Revelation1412.org– Nader Mansour, and the above mentioned site by David Barron. Both of these are active promoters of this doctrine.

There are two specific areas where the Elijah message confirms the belief in the Triune God, the Trinity.

In 1947 in the publication called the “Timely Greetings”, the message said the following–

“FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF DAVIDIAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

Emerging in 1930 from within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination (“the church of the Laodiceans”), the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association has ever been committed to the prophetic work (predicted in Isaiah 52:1) of preparing the Laodicean church, the last with the “tares among the wheat,” for the final proclamation of the gospel “in all the world.” Matt. 14:14.

This Association, in common with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, holds “certain fundamental beliefs, the principal features of which, together with a portion of the Scriptural references upon which they are based,” are originally summarized as follows:

“1. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, contain an all-sufficient revelation of His will to men, and are the only unerring rule of faith and practice. 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

“2. That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient,

Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 10, page 21

infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the work of redemption. Matt. 28:19.”

For a complete report on the fundamental beliefs on the SDA and DSDA, as one organization,  read this link-

http://www.shepherds-rod-message.org/tracts/2tg10.html

As a side note, if you read this link, keep it in your memory bank as many of Satan’s workers, those SDA leaders and scoffers of the Lord’s Rod (Micah 6:9),  will tell you that Davidian Seventh-day Adventists don’t believe in  the same fundamental beliefs as the SDA, which this exposes as a lie. Instead they should be worried about the real usurpers as shown above, those promoting the denial of the Trinity!

An additional  reaffirmation —

Question 214:

Why are not the given names of the Trinity used in baptizing?

Answer:

As the Scriptures give several names for the Father and for the Son (and none for the Holy Ghost), and as we are not told which of these to use in baptizing, we must, therefore, take Him at His word and baptize in just the way He commands: “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  Matt. 28:19.  Moreover the names given in the Scriptures are not absolute names, but rather titles–equivalent to the names Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Still further, even if the absolute names of the Trinity were known, their use would lead to irreverent address.  For example, suppose the Father’s name is George; the Son’s, Thomas; and the Holy Ghost’s, William.  Could any God-fearing human being even dare think of its being reverent to say, I now baptize you in the name of George, Thomas, and William!  Let us therefore comply with the Lord’s command: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of be Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  Matt. 28:19. (For further light on this subject, study our Tract No. 11.) (Vol. 7   Symbolic Code   Nos. 1-6. page 13.)

“The greatest trouble with most S.D.A’s  is that they are baptised in the name of the denomination  rather than in the name of the Trinity.” (Vol. 3, Symbolic Code, no.5,6 p.8)

So we are clear, the Lord’s restoring message of Elijah CONFIRMS that there is such a term as “Trinity” and it describes three co-eternal Beings. This is solid my brethren and we can “take it to the bank”.

So what do we have here my beloved? We have an end time deception! A side tracking issue that diverts our minds from one of our core fundamental beliefs as Seventh-day Adventists. This is for the purpose of trying to establish a form of self-righteousness, a holier than thou belief because they know who God is more than the prophets!

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” (1 Tim.4:1)

But the anti-Trinitarians have many tricks up their sleeves such as the following James White quote–

“Here we might mention the Trinity, which does away the personality of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, and of sprinkling or pouring instead of being “buried with Christ in baptism,” “planted in the likeness of his death:” but we pass from these fables to notice one that is held sacred by nearly all professed Christians, both Catholic and Protestant. It is, the change of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment…” {James White, Dec 11 1855, Review and Herald, Vol. 7, no. 11, P 85 Par 16}

But what they forget is that he was not inspired prophet of God. It was only when he co-wrote the booklet  “A Word to the Little Flock” that the prophetess approved, collaborated  and authorized it, thus endorsing it with her part of that booklet. Yes, he was the husband of Ellen White, our prophetess, but that did not keep him from declaring uninspired statements or beliefs. All we have to do is see what the INSPIRED prophetess, his wife said years AFTER such words.

“We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds. — Manuscript 66, 1899. (From a talk to the students at the Avondale School.) {Ev 616.5} The Holy Spirit is a person, for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries with it its own evidence. At such times we believe and are sure that we are the children of God. .. . . {Ev 616.6} 

The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”–Manuscript 20, 1906. {Ev 617.1}

“Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature.” (Desire of Ages, p.671)

Our King the Lord Himself warned us of the following —

“And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” (Matt: 12:32)

The Words Holy Spirit are “hagios pneuma” meaning pure spirit (being) used above and it is the same as what Christ described in authorizing baptism into His Christian faith in Matt: 28:19-20.

Is it fair and right to be VERY careful in regards to the Holy Spirit? If Christ exalts Him to be one of the THREE divine authoritative titles used to be publicly received into His faith and promises, then who are we to try in the least amount to lessen or degrade the Holy Spirit into a mankind construction. In other words, we  must go back to God’s instruction that specifically calls us NOT to explain it. Christ exalted the Holy Spirit and let’s leave it at that!

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”(1 John 5:7)

Lastly the restoring message gives us important counsel on our subject —

“In whom are we to be baptized?–

   “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 28:19.

   “This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is Truth.  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are One.” 1 John 5:6, 7.

   When we are baptized in the name (singular, not “names”) of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we are baptized in our Maker, the blood, and the Truth, and these three are One.  Thus we are baptized in the “name,” not names, because these three are one — The Trinity — Creation, Redemption, Truth.

   Most people, though, act as if they were baptized to the church, to a society, to Paul or to Apollos, so to speak, but we as reformers and Present Truth believers, must go on with the Truth wherever it leads us, always remembering that we have been baptized to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

   If this be not true of us, then it is certain that we shall never advance any further in the knowledge of God, Christ, or His Truth, — no, not any further than we were the day we were baptized.  Those who do this become dwarfs instead of grown-up Christians, never reaching the fullness of the stature of Christ, for they are satisfied to be what they are; they feel in need of nothing more than what they got at baptism; they are as unmovable as were the priests, scribes, and Pharisees in Jesus’ day.  God forbid that any of us should thus lose out.” (Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 19, p.16-17) 

In closing, let us not fall for one of Satan’s many snags today. If we believe in our Lord, the Word, we will know the Truth. It is only when we desire to follow man instead of His inspired prophets, that we may fall. There is a concept known as the Trinity, and it is from God.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”(Matt. 28:19-20)

This entry was posted on June 24, 2017 at 4:27 am and is filed under Christian faith, Elijah Interpretations, Proper teachings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.