"Trinity"

      When we think about God and how he exists, we tend to try using our logic to figure it all out. But it is impossible for mankind to completely or logically explain God. But the Word of God does give us a pretty good description of the existence of our God.

     Although the word trinity cannot be found in the bible, it is a word that has derived to explain what the bible tells us, and what most believe about the existence of God. It is only a descriptive word, not a biblical word. Just as Oneness is the word used to describe what the Apostolics believe about the existence of God.

     Trinity is the belief that God is one, but exists in three separate entities or persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But not to be understood as three Gods, or a God with three heads, which is a ridiculous way that some may accuse of the Trinity. Oneness is the belief that there is one God, who exists only in the person of Jesus Christ. In this study I will show the very close similarities of the two, and the many scriptures that show us the truth of this subject. Most times that there is a disagreement in biblical doctrine, people will tend to go to one extreme or another. And most every time the truth lies right between these two different views in theology, just as it is with the doctrine of the Trinity. The one direction away from trinity is Oneness, and the other direction is the denial that Jesus is God Almighty and that the Holy Spirit is a separate entity of the Godhead. This is a doctrine taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses, when taken to the farthest extreme, and also similar to what Mormon's teach.

     If we would just look at creation we can see a trinity in many of God's creations. The earth has three layers, the Sun is a trinity having heat, light and chemical action. Fire is a trinity with three very important elements: Heat, Oxygen, and fuel. Without any one of these neither cannot exist. The bible says in Deuteronomy 4:24, Isaiah 30:27, and Hebrews 12:29, that our God is a consuming fire. He appeared to Moses as fire in the burning bush in Exodus 24:17, and then as cloven tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost in the 2^nd chapter of Acts. And in Hebrews 1:7 "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire". Man was created in God's image with a body, soul, and Spirit. And God also being a trinity does not exist without the existence of all three in the Godhead. Not that he can't, but that he just doesn't.  Because if there were no Trinity, his plan of salvation could not be fulfilled in the way he had brought it to pass.

"God's Plan of Salvation"

     The Bible says in John 4:24 that God is Spirit. In Exodus 33:20 God told Moses that no man could look upon the face of God and live. But yet, somehow God had to make a new covenant with mankind for their salvation. This would only be made possible through a sacrifice that would be much more powerful than the blood of any animal. No man, no Angel, or any creation of God would be acceptable. Only God himself would be the acceptable sacrifice, because only he could be that perfect and without fault of any kind. But he could not come to earth in all his glory; else we would die when we looked upon his face, just as he had told Moses. Nor could mankind crucify such a mighty God so that the provision could be forgive us of our sins. First, because man would know he was God and would bow before him immediately. Man wouldn't have crucified God, knowing that he was God. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory". Therefore he came in the form of a man as stated in Philippians 2:5-8, and he humbled himself, was made in the likeness of men, and became the one time sacrifice for sin. Philippians 2:6-11 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So here we have the second person of the trinity in Jesus. Also known as the Son of God. Not second meaning he is less than God. And not a Son as men have Children in the flesh. But for his time on earth according to Philippians, God had been limited, and took upon himself the form of a man and a separate body from the Father. But after his resurrection he was glorified and restored to his original glory at the right hand of the Father. John saw a vision of this in the book of Revelation. His name is above every name. The bible declares God is a jealous God and we are to bow to no other. But all under heaven, earth and under the earth will bow to Jesus. This is the very place of God almighty that he would give to no one other than himself. But the scripture says that this will be done to the glory of God the Father.

     The bible states that Jesus is both God and man. How can this be? It's possible the same way Jesus can be both shepherd and lamb, and the high priest and sin offering at the same time!

     During Jesus' life on earth he set the example of baptism for us. When He was baptized the Father had spoken from heaven, and the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. Here God gave us a picture of the trinity. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit fell upon all believers. That same Spirit dwells within us today as Christians. Here is the third person of the Trinity. Again, not that he is less than the others are, or that he is a separate God. But again, God in all His Glory, and Jesus as a glorified being, could not dwell within us or be with us, except through this third part of God's existence, the Holy Spirit. Each manifestation of God was necessary for God's plan of salvation and our relationship with God.

     The Trinity is not the belief in a God with three heads, as the Apostolic would accuse. Although there are some who claim a belief in the trinity, in that they assume too much separation between the three manifestations. But nobody can deny that the Word of God speaks continually of three, and not just one. But although we can know that it is the third part of this trinity that dwells within us, the bible shows us that it is all three who dwell within us through the Holy Ghost, because if the three are one, then if one is present then they all are. Jesus told his disciples in John 14:8-11 when they had asked to see the Father that "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" and "I am in the Father and the Father is in me". Romans 8:9 says that it is the Spirit of Christ that dwells within us. Romans 8:14 says it is the Spirit of God, and then in Acts and throughout the New Testament we can read of the Holy Ghost that dwells within us. So which one is it that dwells within us? It is all three of course, because the three are one. 1 John 5:7 " There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: And these three are one."

Rom 8:9-11  "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Rom 8:14  "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

     It is evident through these scriptures that Paul is referring back and forth, speaking of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ that dwells within us. He is not just saying the Spirit that is from them both, being the Holy Spirit. But he said in verse 10, "And if Christ be in you". This is only possible through the Holy Spirit, but there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is one and the same Spirit of the Father and Jesus. The bible is clear on this doctrine. Although Oneness can give some scriptural support, and does not have the support the trinity has. And those who teach the opposite extreme, bringing a great separation between the three, are those who rely on their own translation of the bible or those who interpret the bible for them. But the bible is clear, as it has been written. The bible says that the things of God are spiritual discerned, and that they are a mystery to those who do not have the Spirit of God within them. 1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned". So in their inability to understand these things, they make their own translation of the bible to fit their own understanding. But the bible says in Galatians 1:8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." In there new translation, they also have changed the gospel message that is so very clear to those who have the Spirit of God.

     In all reality, God can exist in any form or way that He wants to. We can try to make it fit into our own logical way of thinking, and attempt to simplify or complicate God if we want. But I believe that God's Word has made it very clear already if we will only seek and pray for spiritual discernment. God does not want an ignorant people who believe things only because that is what they were taught. He wants us to seek Him. This is why there are so many Christians that are pulled away into cults and false teachings. Because they have a hint of what they think is right, but have no idea why they believe it. Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:" And He promised in Matthew 7:7 that if we seek we will find. It is our personal responsibility to seek and find the truth. Philippians 2:12 ".work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

     There are religious organizations that will oppose the Trinity with doctrines such as Oneness, or those that make Jesus less than God almighty. But no doctrine has the scriptural backing as the Trinity does. Some will attempt to attack the trinity by it's origin, saying that it was started by a man named Tertulian, and taught by the Catholic Church in the third Century. It is true that these groups had taught Trinity, but not accurate to say that it originated with either of them. But it is true that most groups that teach other than the trinity today are those who had formed in the late 19^th or early 20^th centuries, with groups such as the Apostolics (United Pentecostal Church), the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormon's and most other Christian religion's of today. Although the Apostolics would not be considered a cult, while the other two are, they still have several false teachings. The doctrine of the trinity has stood through many centuries, even through the dark ages and many persecutions. It may have been perverted a bit when the Catholic Church took control in the third century, but the scriptures still hold true today to the truth.

The Son of God

     In the scriptures we can read about Jesus being called the Son of God. A lot of confusion arises from the understanding of many concerning what a "Son" refers to. If a man has a Son we understand that His son is a different person altogether. Many have tried to use this analogy with God and His Son. But the same cannot be true at all! First of all, Jesus is called a Son because He was born of a virgin who had conceived of the Holy Ghost (Spirit Of God the Father). Being born into a human body makes Him a son of in the flesh. But what was He in the Spirit? According to the scriptures Jesus is the creator of all things, God (the Father) manifest in the flesh. When speaking of His deity the scriptures make no distinction between the Father and the Son. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one". And "He who has seen me has seen the Father". If the Son were a separate person, then He would also be a separate God, in which the Bible clearly states that there are not others. The Bible also says that there is only one God! In Jesus we have God in the flesh, who according to Colossians 2:9 had lowered Himself to the likeness of men so that He could come to earth and die for the sins of men.

     In the Old Testament we can read of a few examples of when God came down amongst men. He walked with Adam in the Garden of Eden. He visited with Abraham on more than one occasion. When He did come down He appeared in the form of a man. In the book of Daniel we read the story of the three Hebrew men who were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow to the kings idol. Then we read in Daniel 3:25 "He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Many Trinitarians will say that this is Jesus appearing in the furnace with them. This is partially true. It is the Son of God: God in the flesh, as a man. Jesus had not yet been born and the Son of God (God in the flesh) had not yet been given any separate name from God.

     It is important to understand what the Bible means when it calls Jesus the Son of God. Jesus referred to Himself many times as the Son of God, but also claimed to be God. Both can only be true if Jesus is as the Bible says He is: God in the flesh, born with the limitations of a man. And if we attempt to separate the three in the trinity too much, as to make three separate persons, then we divide the Godhead too much, making separate Gods. Even though we may call then "one", we make them three in our theology. The Bible says in Mark 12:29 "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord". If He is one Lord, then we should not attempt to make Him three. Ephesians 4:5 says that there is "One Lord, one faith, one baptism". This is not to say that there is not trinity! It is saying that God is "one" divinity. He is not three persons of the Godhead, but He is three manifestations of the One God.

      The most important question I would have for anyone who professes Christianity of any form is, "Who or what is Jesus to you?" Is he the brother of Lucifer as the Mormon's believe; an Angel that was exalted to be a God under the Almighty, as the Jehovah's Witnesses would teach, or maybe just a good man or prophet as many religions and non-Christians might say? If Jesus is taught to be anything less than God by any group or organization, then that group is a cult. The Bible says in Colossians 2:9 "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"; which means, "Jesus is all of God in one body". The one who died on the cross for our sin's, that would be the onetime sacrifice for sin, had to be perfect. No angel or any other creation of God could ever be good enough to be the Lamb of God. Only Jesus, the Son of God was perfect and acceptable. A Son because of Philippians 2:5-8 where the bible tells us how he humbled himself, being made in the likeness of men, and thought it not robbery to be made equal with God. And because of the fact that God not only appears as a man in parts of the old testament, but will also appear in the clouds at the second coming, and rule and reign the earth throughout the millennium through the glorified body of Jesus. To be equal with God makes him at the same rank as God almighty. So is he God almighty in the form of a man, or is he, as the Jehovah's Witnesses would suggest, "A God".

 In this chart is a scriptural comparison between the Father and Jesus, which tell us that they are both the same, while the bible declares there is only one, yet separate entities.                          

                                                The Father                                                The Son

In this chart you can see the comparison of scriptures in the Old Testament and the New Testament that tell the same things about both God the Father and Jesus. I would encourage all who are interested in knowing what the bible says about the trinity and the Godhead to look up all these scriptures and to compare them to each other. It should be obvious what the scriptures are saying about the Godhead. But the important thing to note is that most of the scriptures refer to only one, not two or three. The one and only God, creator, savior, etc. Again, this is not a contradiction, but rather a confirmation of who Jesus is. The name of God that was given to Israel was "I Am". Jesus has referred to himself in the same way in the compared scriptures.

Hebrews 1:8-12  "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a cepter of righteousness is the cepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."

This same passage of scripture, which talks about the Son, is taken from the following scriptures in the Old Testament, which talk about God. The Hebrew word for God here is Elohiym, which is the plural name for God used in Genesis for the creation. This verse speaks of the Godhead is the plural sense, because although the Father and the Son are One, they are also separate and both involved in the creation and everything else in the above chart.

Psalms 45:6  "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the cepter of thy kingdom is a right cepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

Psalms 102:24-27 "I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end."

     It is without question that Hebrews is speaking of Jesus, who is the only Son of God. But Psalms, which are the scriptures that are being quoted in Hebrews is saying the same thing, but the Greek and Hebrew words for God show something. The Greek word for God is "Theos", which is used when talking about the father and Jesus, but is not a name. The Hebrew for God here is "Elohiym", which the Old Testament always refers to God Almighty, the father. The Hebrew for Psalms 45:7 is interpreted, "therefore Elohim, thy Elohim hath anointed thee". So in this case Jesus is also called "Elohiym". 

       Isaiah 44:8 says "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any". All throughout the bible we can read that there is only One God. Even God said that he knows not of any beside himself.

John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. The disciples recognized Jesus as God in the flesh. The Greek word for God in most all places in the New Testament is "Theos", as it is here. This is the same word Jesus used when he talked about the Father. And he also said many times as in John 10:30 "I and my Father are one". And in John 14:8-9 "Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" Philip was asking to physically see the Father. But Jesus said, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father". Some readers may assume that he is talking about only the likeness of the Father, which is in Jesus. But if somebody came to my door and asked me to see my earthy father, and I was to say to them, "If you can see me, you are seeing my father", they might not assume that I was talking about a likeness of my father. First of all they would think I have lost my mind, because this comparison of an earthly father is so different of our Heavenly Father, who is Spirit. Philip wanted to see the glory of God, and Jesus knew exactly what he was asking, and then answered as he did. But besides that, if Jesus did not mean to show his disciples that he was God, then he sure liked to play mind games with them, because nothing else can be assumed here, in an accurate way. The very thing he was telling his disciples is that he and the Father are the one and the same God.

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:3-4

James 2:19 says "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Being that there is only one God, Jesus could not be "a God" and he definitely could not be anything less than God. Therefore, they must be just as Jesus had said they are, "One".

 I John 5:7   For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

    It is important to know, not only that there are three, but also the purpose of three. In everything that God does he always has a purpose. God could not come to die for our sins and appear to man as being God. He couldn't come down in all his glory, else man would die if they saw his face, and if man knew that he was God he would not have been crucified and could not have died for our sins. That's why God gave us Jesus. In Jesus, God had limited Himself to the likeness of men, but was still just as much God as the father. Many might ask the question, "How is it then, that if Jesus is God and the three are one; that the father was in heaven and spoke from heaven, and on earth as Jesus at the same time, then the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove?"

Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

In this scripture we can see the Trinity in action. The One God in three persons all at the same time. In our carnal minds we might have a little difficulty understanding something like this. But we must remember that this is God we are talking about. He can do whatever he wants, and be wherever he wants all at the same time. That is how he is able to hear all the prayers of every Christian, move in signs and wonders, save souls, and live within every Christian all at the same time. He can be delivering a person from a demon in the USA, while healing people in Europe or Asia, and doing signs and wonders all over the world, all at the same time. But all of these things are done through the Holy Ghost, the third part of the Trinity. But not to be made any less than God, for He is God. The Holy Ghost is the part of God that lives within us. The other two forms of God could not do so in their existence. But through the Holy Ghost the bible tells us that all three dwell within us.

John 7:38-39  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Acts 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:17    And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

In these scriptures we see that the Holy Ghost will dwell within us. But that's not all.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Matt 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you I, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Spirit of Christ also dwells within us, as Jesus had promised that He would be with us till the end of the World.

Rom 8:11   But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Now in this scripture and in Romans 8:9 it is the Spirit of God that dwells within us.

     So do we have three different manifestations of God dwelling within us? Of course not! It is only the manifestation of God through the Holy Ghost that is within us. For the three are one. So all three do dwell within us, but all through the manifestation of the Holy Ghost. If we were to take the scripture in Matthew 3:16,17 and assume that this is speaking of three completely separate beings, then we might have to assume also that the Holy Spirit is a dove. But we know that would be silly to suggest such a thing. God was simply giving a picture of the trinity in this passage of scripture for those that were present at Jesus' baptism.

      In Genesis 1 we can read of how God, speaking of the only one true God, had created all things. Not only is there only one God according to scripture, but also only one creator.

Malachi 2:10 "Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?"

So we know that it was God who created all things. But was there anyone else involved? Not according to the Old Testament. But what about the New Testament?

Ephesians 3:9 "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ"

Colossians 1:16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him"

Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

Revelation 10:6 "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer"

     You might find it necessary to read before or after some of these scriptures to be assured of whom they are talking about. But you will see that it is without a doubt Jesus. The Word of God here tells us that it is Jesus who created all things, and all things were created for Him. So is this a contradiction in the bible, as some would suppose? Of course not! This is the Trinity. God the Father created all things through the person of Jesus and by His Holy Spirit.

Did Jesus Have a human spirit or soul?

     In the argument of who Jesus was and is, some have asked the question of whether or not Jesus had a human spirit or soul. First, if we are going to answer this question we must define what is meant by a human spirit or soul. The human spirit is the life that was breathed into Adam and is also given to every human being upon birth. The human soul is the individual life and character that each person has; the part that makes up a persons personality and defines who we are as an individual. The spirit is the life of the body, and the soul is the eternal being inside the body, which will spend eternity in heaven or hell.

     I believe that the answer to this question lie's in the biblical explanation of who Jesus is. Although we can clearly see that He lived a life of a normal man, with physical limitations, He also was God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). In Colossians 2:9 He is the "fullness of the Godhead bodily" or "All of God in one body". As a man who was filled with the fullness of God, it would appear that this is "who" He was and is. He was not a man with a human spirit who was simple filled with the Holy Spirit. But He was
"One" with the Holy Spirit, since the three are one. It has been assumed by many that Jesus receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit after His baptism, and just before going into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This is drawn from John 1:32 "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." The scriptures do not say that He was "filled" with the Spirit, but that the Spirit descended upon Him. There was nothing that took place after His baptism that changed Jesus. What changed Him was when He had fasted 40 days and prayed to the Father. After this His ministry would take off in a great way. Although Jesus was God in the flesh, he did have the physical limitations that He had to overcome. Therefore He fasted and prayed so that His humanity could be decreased and His divinity could be increased. His baptism was an example to us. Surely Jesus, the one who never knew sin needed the baptism of repentance (which is what John's baptism was). Nor did He need the infilling of the Holy Spirit, since He was already filled with divinity from birth. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God, and so is Jesus! But the descending of the Spirit upon Him was not something that was done for Jesus, but because of who He was. It was a sign to John that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and it was a picture of the trinity of the Godhead.

     The Bible states that the body without the spirit is dead. Every human being must have their own Human spirit in order to give life to their body. But with Jesus, the giver of life, it was the Holy Spirit that gave Him life from His birth. This is evident by that fact that Mary had conceived by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18). Many will argue that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit at His baptism because of the verse in Luke 4:1 "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness". Assuming that they are correct, this still does not prove that He possessed a human spirit. What it would prove if correct is that Jesus had not "yet" received all fullness of the Godhead until His baptism. But even if this would be so, He was still God manifest in the flesh. And God being a Spirit that has come to earth as a man, He therefore is the Spirit that gave life to His body, not a human spirit.

      When we pray, or when we talk about God, how should we address Him, or what name should we call Him? Does God have a name that He wants us to call Him? These are questions that many have asked and have caused confusion among Christians. But let's see what the bible says about it.

     If you were to ask a Jehovah's Witness, God's name would have to be Jehovah. This is true, as stated in Exodus 6:1-3 "And Jehovah said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Jehovah: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them." To an Apostolic God's name will be Jesus Only! To a Mormon it is Elohim. To many Christians the only acceptable names would be Yahveh, Yehoshua, or Yeshua, Hebrew names for God the Father and Jesus. Each one of these names, and others also, can be backed up by scriptures as names used or given to God. But is God so concerned about what we call Him? Or could it be that He is mainly concerned about how well we know his character and His ways?

     In the scriptures all the names that where given to God were replaced with the English words "God" or "Lord". In most scriptures the Hebrew for Lord is "Yehovah", and the Hebrew for God is "Elohim". "Adonay" is another Hebrew word for Lord, but not used near as often as Yehovah or Jehovah. This is how the Jehovah's Witnesses will come up with the belief that God's name is Jehovah, and the Mormon's that his name is Elohim. But although these are the most commonly used names, God never said we must call him by either of them. Leviticus 19:2 "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy". This is translated ".for I Jehovah Elohim am holy". Elohim is a plural name for God, which is good proof of the plurality of the Godhead. In this scripture both names are used. So which one is the correct name? There is only one place in the bible that God was asked what His name really is.

     In Exodus 3:13-15 Moses asked God what he should tell the children of Israel when they ask what the name is of the God that sent him to them. God answered, "I am what I am", tell them "I Am" sent you, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If it were a critical thing to call God one of these names, then He surely would have told Moses which one he was to be called. But that was no concern of God's. We are to know God by His character. Yes He is Jehovah, Elohim, Yeshua, Adonay, Yahweh and Jesus. And also many, many other names that He has been given throughout the Bible.

    Throughout the bible, especially the Old Testament, the Hebrew names of God have been replaced with "the Lord" or "God". This was done to prevent confusion, so that the readers will always know that it is always talking about the one and same God. Most of the names given to God in the bible are descriptive words. They have different meanings such as Wonderful, Beautiful, Almighty, etc., all names given by mankind to describe their God. But not one of them has God ever commanded that we should call Him. He is the one and only God and desires that we just know Him and who he is. Not just by a name!

1.        "EL" - Mighty One - 225 times. E.g. Gen. 14:20, "Blessed be the Most High EL".

2.        2. "YAHVEH" - 248 times. E.g. Isa. 40:10, "The Lord YAHVEH will come with a strong hand."

3.        3. "Tzur" - A Rock - once. E.g. lsa. 44:8, "Yes, there is no Tzur, I know not any."

4.        4. "Elah" - An object of Worship - 88 times. E.g. Ezra 5:11, "We are the servants of Elah of heaven".

5.        5. "Elohim" - Object of Worship - 2222 times. (Note: Plural used in Hebrew to denote plenitude of might). E.g. "EL" - Mighty One - 225 times. E.g. Gen. 14:20, "Blessed be the Most High EL". Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning Elohim created."

6.        6 "Eloah" - An object of Worship - 55 times. E.g. Deut. 32:17, "They sacrificed unto devils, not to Eloah".

7.        7. "Theos" Greek - Object of Worship - 1274 times. E.g. Matt. 1:23, "They will call Him (the Messiah) Emmanuel, a Name which means `Theos is with us' ".

     These are just a few of the names given to God throughout the bible. There are many others, including the names of the messiah, which are Yeshua, Jesus, and Immanuel, which means "God with us". Some people will even argue that the name Jesus is pagan in origin. That it was given originally as Je-Zeus, from the Greek Sun god Zeus. Although there could be some possible truth in that, we know the character of our God and that we serve the only one who died on a cross and rose again on the third day. The only one that could have been the true messiah! And we also know the power we have seen, the demons cast out, bodies healed, many deliverance's and miracles all done in the name of Jesus. So people can make a major issue out of what name we call God the Father or the messiah, what name we baptize in, what name we use when we pray, etc. But if God the father were going to demand that we call him by any ONE of these names, he would have made that clear in the bible. He simply said, "I Am what I Am"! Some may assume that the bible does tell us Gods name, but any support of their doctrine is weak. The only name given to us is the name of Jesus, who is yeshua. And when we use His name we are also using every name given to the Father and the Son. For all fullness dwells in the Christ, whom we know aw Jesus! The bible says that there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved. It is not in the pronunciation of the name that makes His name so powerful. For different languages call him or pronounce his name differently. But when we speak every demon knows whom we speak of, and that is why there is power in the name in every language. It is a God given authority to every believer in the true Christ. When we read the words "God" and "Lord" in the bible, with the first letter being a capital letter, this signifies a place where the name that was there in the original language was removed and "God" or "Lord" was placed there instead. Many people have a problem with this. Although I can see their point, the reason this was done was because that there are so many names given to the one and only God, that many people would be confused, not knowing for sure if it is referring to the Almighty, some false god or someone else. So to keep from this confusion they replaced those original names with one name or the meaning of that name. For example, when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac and the Angel of the Lord stopped him and had shown him a Ram, Abraham referred to God as Jehovah Jirah. The English translation says, "the Lord who provides", which is the meaning of the Hebrew name he used for God almighty at this time in his life. Thank God for Hebrew and Greek lexicons that show us the correct name whenever we want to know what was there originally. It can help us at times to see what it was, but does not change the fact of who the scripture is talking about, nor does it prove that we should be calling God by a different name. Even Jesus referred to God as the Father, both his and ours and did not call Him by any of these Old Testament names. If anyone would know whether or not it is critical to call him by any particular name it would be the Christ. The fact that we know His Character is much more important than finding the most correct name. Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormon's, and other false religions believe they have the correct name for God, but their belief in His character is so far off that they have a different god than what the Bible teaches us about. The fact is; they are incorrect with both His character and their insistence of using one name only.

    The one time I could see a possible need to use a particular name of God would be when confronted with a Muslim, some other false religion or even a Jew. Muslims will also call their God "Lord" or "God", and call him Allah by name. If we say "god" or "Lord" when talking to them, they may think we speak of Allah. But it wouldn't be hard for the Muslim to understand who we know as God if when mentioning the word "Christian", "Christ", "the Bible", "Jesus" or "Jehovah". Jews do not respect the name "Jesus" for many different reasons, but do not have as big of a problem with the name "Yeshua", because it is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Others will know that we speak of Our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus by many things other than a single name. They will know who we serve as His character shows up in our own character. Then when we share of His goodness, it will not take much for them to know whom we speak of. So lets just continue to serve the almighty and our Lord and savior, and enjoy our lives in Christ to the fullest. There is no God like our God!

 History of Oneness

      Noetus, who lived in the third century, denied the distinct personality of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Hippolytus, the early 3^rd century Church Father, says in his "Refutation of all heresies", "What the blasphemous folly is of Noetus, and that he devoted himself to the tenets of Heraclitus the Obscure, not to those of Christ." Heraclitus was a 5^th century B.C. philosopher. Philosophers had great influence in the doctrines of the heretics.

     Hippolytus says again, "Now, that Noetus affirms that the Son and Father are the same, no one is ignorant. But he makes his statement thus: "When indeed, then, the Father had not been born, He yet was justly styled Father; and when it pleased Him to undergo generation, having been begotten, He Himself became His own Son, not another's." For in this manner he thinks to establish the sovereignty of God, alleging that Father and Son, so called, are one and the same (substance), not one individual produced from a different one, but Himself from Himself; and that He is styled by name Father and Son, according to vicissitude of times."

     All throughout Church history we will find the teachings of the trinity unquestioned. It is the doctrine known today as "Oneness" that has always been questioned by the Church. The doctrine of the Trinity was not a teaching that came into the Church through heresies or through the Catholic Church, as many have assumed. Many assumptions have been made without knowing the facts given in history.

     After having spent countless hours reading through all the early Church writings, from the first century on; not once has the true Church ever taught Oneness, but has always held without argument to the teaching of the Trinity. Oneness is rooted in pagan philosophy as just shown. The Trinity has no other roots than the scriptures and continued on through the early Church, to the present.

     Although many people who argue one view or the other do not completely understand the opposite view; there is actually a lot of agreement between the two views. As Hippolytus said, Noetus was attempting to hold to a teaching of the sovereignty of God. He may have been trying to be careful not to teach Jesus to be less than what He really was and is. It is hard to imaging teaching Jesus as less than the Father when the scriptures show that He is God. Many scriptures do show the "oneness" between the Father and Son. To teach Oneness seems accurate to many people; while to teach otherwise would appear to lessen the deity of Christ.

     Trinity never taught the Jesus is not God, but rather that He is not the Father. The scriptures make it obvious that the Father was in heaven and spoke from heaven, while Jesus was on the earth in the flesh. They also make it clear that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, and that Jesus will return one day in all His glory. The work of the Holy Spirit within each Christian also shows us and proves to be a separate working of God. We are told in the scriptures that there are without a doubt three; and that these three are one. Trinity does not teach the three without teaching the oneness. But Oneness does spread doubts about the three, teaching that there is only one. Oneness only holds one side of the truth. A half truth must still be placed with the mass of false teachings.

-Spiritual Gifts
-Trinity
-Water Baptism
-Heaven
-Hell
-The Rapture
-Spiritual Warfare
-Sabbath Day
-The Early Church and Calvinism
-Priestly Sacrificial Atonement
-Soon coming Books