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. If you are interested in learning, I recommend you view my series Oneness Pentecostal Heresy. It may also be that Father, Son, and Spirit is the name by which we know God. Virtually all of the great biblical scholars, theologians, and Greek grammarians, historically have been and presently are Trinitarian, not Onenessfor obvious reasons. (vv. There is only one true God. John 3:5 does not explicitly say that one must be water baptized before entering the kingdom. 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). But they would simply amend their argument by saying, But this is clearly what early Christians believed because it is here. So I am willing to grant the long ending of Mark for the same of argument. Atlanta: Atlanta Christian Apologetics Project, 1994. They maintain that the only real person in the Godhead is Jesus. Pentecostals are Christians who believe that God is still doing the same things he did on the first Day of Pentecost after Jesus rose from his grave. If an individual believes that there are three gods, then they have, in effect, denied the doctrine of the trinity. 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. 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. 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 Trinitarians could easily affirm that they are one God, they share the same essence. Please try again. $22.00. 32 To illustrate their arguments against Oneness groups, the following quotes from a book on cults by Bruce Tucker, an evangelical author, are 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? 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. Westminster Confession of Faith, 1:9. I wont give him this web page..too bad. 3:16; Jn. 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). . 1:21-22; 13:14; 1 Pet. Oneness Pentecostals will point to John 3:5 as evidence of that. They accomplish this by adhering to modalism, more commonly referred to as oneness theology. 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? First, there are no good reasons to think that obedience to this command necessarily entails that those words are recited. 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. a. Spatial: near, beside, b. Oneness theology is the doctrine that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not distinct persons. 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 . Jesus then reiterates (as a corrective) that by seeing Him they can see, that is, know or recognize the invisible Father (v. 9). Arguing unipersonalism (unitarianism) assumes a conclusion that is meant to be proved. As marked out below, Jesus also differentiates Himself from God the Holy Spirit. 6. It is enough for the disciples to see Jesus because they share a divine essence. 8. In the book of Isaiah, he was targeting polytheists; pagan idolaters. How is that clear at all? 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. It would be to cherry-pick the verse that fits into ones doctrine. His insight is edifying. I. This Belief Bulletin presents basic Oneness Pentecostal history and doctrines and provides a biblical analysis and response. 1. Most of them encourage their members to dress and live modestly, but do not have specific teachings about hair and skirts. After all, it says that one must be born of water and Spirit. Some Pentecostal denominations, often referred to as Apostolic Pentecostals, Oneness Pentecostals or Jesus-Only Pentecostals, take the . 1. III. Some scholars believe it to be Celtic in origin, and it is sometimes called the Irish Trinity Knot. 2 John 1:3- Jesus is the Son of the Father). Thus, when He died, only His human nature died. (Robertson, Word Pictures, 5:275-76). Nowhere in the New Testament, however, is it said that Jesus sent the Son. 6:4). Paper. Further, how do you know that you do not merely possess the gift of tongues? They are not three distinct persons. also John 15:26; 16:28). His will is one with the will of the Father. What does it mean that Jesus explains the Father? 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. . 6. Hence, it is God the Son who is the very image of the invisible Father (cf. They will see that because he lives (he was raised from the dead), they too will live (be raised from the dead). 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. Well, in verse 18, Jesus is talking about the resurrection. so thre argument of development for the trinity is weak if it is already being defemnded in the church in different locations. 15:33? 3:11; 1 John 1:3; 2:22-23; Rev. But in verse 5, he says that he wishes everybody spoke in tongues, indicating that everybody does not speak in tongues. 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. The nature of the Trinity can be better understood It does not seem at all implausible that Jesus was referring to living water in John 3:5. No Christian used it as a pagan symbol, in the same way no Christian uses a calendar today on their wall to exalt the pagan gods of the days and months it representsthus, calendars were factually derived from pagan in origins. "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. If Oneness doctrine (or Modalism) is the so-called doctrine of the apostles, then, why was it universally condemned as *heretical* by the early church Fathers (some of who were disciples of the original apostles) and condemned by all the important church councils and creeds? 7. Note: Nowhere in Scripture is God defined as one person, but rather as one Being: mono (from monos, meaning, alone or only one) and theism (from theos, meaning, God). It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Nonetheless, historic Christianity maintains that the doctrine of the Trinity (or tri-unity of God) is taught in Scripture. It is noticeably absent. 2022 Department of Christian Defense Note, that over two hundred times, the Father is referred to by Jesus or someone else as being clearly distinct from Jesus. In Acts 4:31 and 8:17, people are filled with the Spirit and tongues are simply not mentioned. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Let's look at the Foursquare Church and United Pentecostal Church International and see how hey differ. For God does not share His glory with no one (cf. As with other Christian symbols and Christian holidays (e.g., Christmas, Easter, cross, etc. 2. Is that the case? In verse 4, he writes that the person who speaks in tongues edifies himself. The UPCI was organized in 1945 with the union of two predominately white groups started earlier in the century. 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. 6. 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 . The context is obvious: by knowing and seeing Jesus (as the only way to the Father; cf. Michael Burgos Jr., Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique (Winchester, CT: Church Militant, 2016). So, what is Oneness Pentecostalism? Father) to glorify Him together with Him (para seaut, thus, a shared glorification, a glory that only God can have, Isa. 1 Thess. 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 9. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Oneness Pentecostals are vehement anti-trinitarians who commonly maintain that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. However, since in Oneness theology Jesus is both Father and Son, Jesus cannot be properly Mediator between two partiesGod the Father and man. , Dimensions This is an important text for Oneness Pentecostals because it seems to use parlance that they are familiar with. Behind this question lay a criticism of the commonly-held Trinitarian Pentecostal argument that the name of Jesus in baptismal texts from . Paul, too, regularly uses different prepositions to clearly differentiate the Father from the Son. In my opinion it is better than Burgos' Against Oneness Pentecostals, Boyd's Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity.