problems with oneness theology

Since they believe that Jesus was, and is, the Father, then when he took a drink, the Father was thirsty. (John 10:17), Jesus said that Father is greater than all. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. The focus here is on the main area in which Oneness theology and the doctrine of the Trinity are in disagreement, namely, whether the one God exists as one Person or as three Persons. How can you say, Show us the Father? by Matt Slick | Mar 13, 2023 | Oneness Pentecostal, World Religions. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. That is why so many Catholics also consider themselves Apostolic. Anybody reading the gospels will see that there is some sort of distinction between Jesus and the Father. So, when oneness adherents say that the name of God is Jesus or that there is one God is Jesus, they are making a mistake in theology and logic. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each exemplify attributes of personhood. The problem with this is that they do not realize what the apostolic age entails. there is no God but one. 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earthas indeed there are many gods and many lords 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at [emailprotected], by Luke Wayne | Jan 6, 2023 | Islam, World Religions. The Bible teaches there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10:44:6, 8; 45:5). This is precisely what happens to many people. Was Jesus praying to Himself? Therefore, the Son created the universe and existed alongside the Father. 16 So Jesus answered them, My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. This is exactly how the Trinity doctrine is arrived at. Over the years, Ive spoken to many people within the oneness Pentecostal movement. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 17 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.. The Father and the Son manifest at the same time (Isaiah 9:6; Matt. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. It is based upon a faulty conception of the trinity. Bernard, The Oneness of God, pp . The problem with this is that it is just completely unbiblical. Oneness theology is false. 5 They think that we are still in the apostolic age. There is no doubt that there is some form of tongues in the Bible. We have lost this link because in our culture, people just name their children whatever sounds good but they do not give any attention to what the name means. God is dependent on nothing. Jesus came from the Father (John 6:38; 17:1-5); the Father did not come from Jesus. We read inHebrews 3:1-2, Jesus is the apostleand high priest of our confession and was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses was also faithful in all Gods house. This known as patripassionism and it is the pervasive view among many Oneness Pentecostals. 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. On several occasions, Ive had in-depth discussions with oneness believers. (John 17:1-3), Why does Jesus refer to God as His God and his Father if he himself is the Father? Also, Paul indicates that while he wishes everybody could speak in tongues, they cannot, and he would prefer that they prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:4-5). Atonement is through the flesh and blood of the human Messiah (Christ). Did He ascend to His OWN right hand? (Heb 4:15), Jesus was taught by God. He said that it is an example of the Father communicating with the Son. 22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Is he only part of the Godhead? He would already know everything he would contemplate. If you would like to discuss this further, come join our Theology Discussion Group. This is because prior to the incarnation of Christ Jesus, there was no Jesus. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. They teach people that they saved when in fact, they are not. 29 And he who sent me is with me. 6 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him. 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. Oneness Pentecostal Doctrine: What do they teach? | Carm.org Furthermore, the communication of the properties means that the attributes of both natures are ascribed to the single person of Christ. (Heb 5:8-10), If Jesus already is God and all things are subjected to God, does it make any sense to say God has put all things in subjection under his feet? 27 For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says, all things are put in subjection, it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. Hear, O Israel, The Lord Our God Is One. Deuteronomy 6:4 In an attempt to establish the oneness view of God, Oneness Pentecostals will often appeal to passages that prove that there is one God. Personhood (i.e., self-awareness, awareness of others, rationality, the ability to love, speak, etc.) 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. The infinite cannot be finite and remain infinite. Similarly if you do not speak in tongues, then you have not been filled with the Holy Spirit and consequently are not saved. The Sinners Prayer teaches people that if they recite this prayer once in their life, then they are saved. Muslims routinely claim that the Bible has been corrupted. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Christians have classically said that there is only one God who is eternally present in three persons. 1 But typically, God became a man. monotheism, belief in the existence of one god, or in the oneness of God. Oneness Pentecostalism does the exact same thing. What is wrong with the oneness view of God? The trinity declares that there is only one God. The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Solomons name was Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25). When one speaks in tongues, then we can say that they are born again. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Since Oneness theology and the doctrine of the Trinity are in agreement on these points, these have been omitted. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. If that is the case, that means that Jesus is both the Father, and the Son. This means that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rather than being three distinct persons, are just manifestations of one person, in the same way that a man can be a father, a son, and an employee. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. What is wrong with the oneness view of God? The agent acting and speaking for the principal is the principal by proxy (a person authorized to act for another). Try, If The Preacher Is Dead, The Sermon Will Be Dead, Chasing The Dream, Preaching Greatness, And Knowing Your Audience. The book of Acts chronicles exactly what those chosen by Christ proclaimed about who Jesus is. And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. Hello ThereforeGodExists audience! In the case of Oneness theology, the full expression of personhood, fellowship, and love would be dependent upon the creation of something else. The solution is found in the next section. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. If Christ is God, how can it be said that Christ has entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf? The Father is presented as on the throne and Heaven, and Jesus is presented as a lamb beside the throne. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. In my discussions with oneness experts and laity, when discussing the two natures of Christ, they repeatedly support the idea that within the body of Christ are two distinct persons: God and man. He is absolutely divine, possessing an absolutely uncompromised divine nature. God is infinite, man is finite. What Is Wrong With The Oneness View Of God? - Therefore, God Exists Baptism must be by immersion. 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (John 8:28), If Jesus is God, he would have the Holy Spirit within himself. Having trouble logging into your account? This will raise the question of why Peter and the apostles baptized in the name of Jesus. (Phil 2:9, Eph 1:17-21), A high priest works on behalf of God in relation to men, so how is it that God designated himself a high priest? It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, He is our God., 14 I am the good shepherd. Don't get me wrong, I love questions. Jesus, who is God incarnate, is baptized in the water. Oneness Pentecostalism denies the Trinity and claims that instead of God being three persons, He is one person. This seems to me to be more peer pressure than the work of the Holy Spirit. But this raises the question, whose wrath was satisfied on the cross? Jesus can be called God because he represents God. Ibid., p. 22. Rather, it was necessary that the remedy for the sin of man be of a type of Adam a man who was made in the likeness of the first Adam a direct creation of God made without sin. The Trinity is one of the foundational doctrines of Christianity. This is problematic because the very nature of God is love (1 John 4:8). But they never, even once, indicate that everybody must do this. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. They must be different considering that the Father sent the Son (Matt. These references include. How can Jesus ascend to the right hand of God if He is the only person of the godhead? This means that Jesus would say, I am thirsty (John 19:28)and I will be with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. They deny the Trinity and teach that there is one person in the Godhead whom they call Jesus. There is absolutely no place in Scripture that says that everybody who has the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues. Problems with oneness theology | carm.org 4 They condemn other denominations for their baptismal formula. In the green section are the characteristics of personhood. The Trinity is saying, There is no other God beside me. The Trinity is the one God in existence. He is self-aware and aware of others. Here, Jesus is distinguished from God in four ways: These four aspects of who Jesus is affirm that the humanity of Jesus is core to the Gospel message. Is he but one-third, 33% of God? 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. PDF Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity - isca-apologetics.org The text says that these are names. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. These "forms" are not three distinct persons, but one person who occupied consecutive modes. Jesus was born of a virgin. It is based upon a misunderstanding of Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38. 44. What is Oneness Pentecostal theology? - carm.org Oneness theology denies the Trinity doctrine and claims that there is one person in the Godhead who has manifested himself in three different forms: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The author of Hebrews clearly applied this creation psalm intended for YHWH to the Son, and even added the word YHWH so that there would be no misunderstandings. If it were a formula, it would be consistent throughout. But if the Father is a conscious being and the Son is a conscious being and they are distinct from one another, then in what sense can it be said that they are truly one? Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me., These verses provide the strongest distinctions between God and Jesus not only in reference to them being separate persons but also provide distinction with respect to ontology (the Father is identified as God who is greater than all). But what is interesting is that these two natures are both conscious entities. 3:17; 11:25, 27; 16:17; 24:36; Mark 13:32; 2 Pet. If so, why? Was he praying to himself? 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.. The problem is that a group's denial of an essential biblical teaching excludes that group from Christianity. The Father is relaying that he will say these things to the Son in the future. It negates Nestorianism, which states that in the body of Christ are two distinct persons. They have the wrong view of. If God is only one person, why does Jesus say, "we"? 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.. The Trinity is one God in three distinct simultaneous, coeternal persons. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1:17), have separate thrones, (Rev. In the light blue section in the table below are the characteristics of God. Thus, if you have been baptized in a trinitarian formula, you must be re-baptized into a oneness formula. Jesus is a servant of God who mediates for us. Oneness theologians would argue that if the Father and the Son were separate, then the Godhead could not fully dwell in Christ. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool. 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.. 9 Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? That is what this article seeks to explore. Oneness people have never refuted these facts found in the table below especially where the distinction of persons is clearly seen in Scripture when the persons speak to and about each other. 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. The Trinity, the Definition of Chalcedon, and Oneness Theology Jesus could be seen not as the Lord of Glory, but as an asinine individual with serious mental deficiencies, for if he is the Father, it comes unthinkable that he would say, The Father is greater than I.. That is, a mediator is a third party. Understanding how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospels, Understanding how Jesus is the model for us, The essential humanity of the one mediator Jesus Christ, Understanding The Law of Agency - A Key Biblical Concept Pertaining to Christ, Understanding the distinction between one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, Analysis of Philippians Chapter 2: Form of God is exaltation, not preexistence, Refuting erroneous conflations of Scripture used to infer Jesus is ontologically God, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-articles/, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-videos/, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-audio/, www.21stcr.org/subjects/oneness-pentecostalism/oneness-pentecostalism-books/, There is one God (God is our Savior and desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth), There is one mediator between God and men, The mediator is Christ (the Messiah) Jesus, The mediator gave himself up as a ransom for all, The testimony of the Messiah was given at the proper time. (i.e., according to Gods predestined plan), Jesus is the mediator between God and men, How are Jesus and the Father two witnesses? Problems with oneness Archives Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry It is just a traditional doctrine. Put another way, in the one substance of divinity, in the one being that is God, there are three co-eternal, co-existent, simultaneous persons: The Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. A person must have faith in Jesus Only. If there is only one person in the godhead, and Jesus is God, does this not mean that He is His own Father? So there will be one flock, one shepherd. The Hebrew term for an agent or legal emissary isShaliachwhich is comparable to the Greek worldApostolosand the English word Apostle. When I ask them for an analysis of John 6:37-39, I get some very interesting responses. Answer Oneness doctrine is a rejection of the Trinity and is found in some branches of Pentecostalism. On pages 98-99 of The Oneness of God by Doctor David Bernard, he writes, [God the Son] is not a correct term because the Son of God refers to the humanity of Jesus Christ. Oneness theology denies the true God by denying the Trinity and proposes a Nestorian view of Christ where the two natures (human and divine) are actually two persons who speak alternately even in the same sentence. In distinction to God, Jesus is referred to as a man who is the one mediator between God and men in 1 Tim 2:5-6. But there is nothing about these passages that refutes or challenges the trinity. (1 Peter 2:23), Did God highly exalt Christ and give him the name that is above every name because he was obedient to himself? It regards Jesus as God but fails to distinguish his personal existence from that of God the Father (or the Spirit). 11 Comments. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, own will, but the will of Him who sent Me, 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me. 5 Problems With Oneness Pentecostal Doctrine - Therefore, God Exists 2 They teach people that they are saved when they are not. Monotheism | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts | Britannica (John 8:54), If Jesus himself is the Father, what sense does it make to say that the Father loves Jesus because he lays down his life? That is why they often champion themselves Apostolic Pentecostal, or something similar. The most terrifying truth in all of Scripture is that God is good. That is a problem for oneness. 1:3; 1 Thess. Oneness Pentecostalism teaches that when you are water baptized, the baptizer must recite the words in the name of Jesus. If he does not recite those words, the baptism is illegitimate, and you cannot be saved. There is no place at all. 24 they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? Please note, though, this is not saying there are three competing and separate gods (polytheism). If Jesus is the fullness of deity, it follows that he is not 33% of God. How can this be if they are the same person? The typical phrase used in Pauls greetings is, God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, in the dawn of its history, it received no small criticism from Tertullian. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentilesto whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 19 Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 3:21), separate wills (Luke 22:42), and Jesus is now presently at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 7:56; Heb. Despite that, the Bible teaches that it pleased the Lord to crush Jesus (Isaiah 53:10), and that Jesus entrusted his Spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46). If Jesus is the Father, how could someone else, who is called the Father in the text, speak from Heaven? There is no talk of repentance or being born again. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. Jesus is just part of God. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, A PSALM OF DAVID. Is this belief true? 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. Furthermore, each has a will, speaks, loves, and with whom we can have fellowship. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. They held to a modalist conception of God. Man is mortal, while God is immortal. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The Oneness Pentecostal would agree with Arius who said that there was a time when the Son was not. The central difference is that they do not deny the deity of Christ but rather affirm that Jesus is the Father from eternity and took on the extrinsic property of sonship. He is totally God. The main sticking point among oneness believers is maintaining the deity of Christ. He can only represent fully in His nature another person that exists. He possesses all divine attributes. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. (Heb 9:24) Did God go into heaven to appear in the presence of God? The truth of who Christ is is found in these two doctrines, known as the hypostatic union and the communication of the properties. The Oneness folks have corrupted the word of God ( 2 Cor 2:17, Rom 16:17-18) by rejecting the Son of God, hallucinating that Jesus is the Father while swapping roles in heaven and denying His existence at the right Hand of God the Father ( Psa 2:7-9, Psalms 110:1-2, Heb 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, Mark 16:19, Eph 1:20, Acts 2:33, Rom 8:34, 1 Peter (Luke 4:18, Acts 4:26-27, Acts 10:38), Why does Jesus have no glory in himself if he is God? (2 Cor 1:3). It is based on a misapplication of Colossians 2:9. The Oneness Pentecostal believes that Jesus is the proper name of God, something like the name Jehovah or YHWH. What is this? The Problem. They are different roles that he takes in the world. But that is not to say that he is the totality of divinity. But firstly, we should note that Izzy Folau and oneness adherents believe that Jesus is fully God, they hold to the Bible as the Word of God, the sinfulness of all mankind, the doctrine of hell, and see the urgency of evangelism. Let me explain. So the idea from oneness theology that God is a single eternal person means that from forever ago, he had no one with whom to fellowship and no one to love or be loved by. [2] [3] It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great What Does Jesus Died For Our Sins Mean? Again, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each exemplify attributes of personhood. In this, Jesus, the single person designated by the word I claims the attributes of both natures. This means that the name of Jesus is Immanuel, Son, everlasting father, prince of peace, wonderful counselor, mighty God, and YHWH.
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