The Foundation for "Christian" Studies?
Today I came across an msnbc article online about the Foundation for Christian Studies. An alarm bell went off while I was reading the article, and I decided to go directly to the web site. It took under a minute to determine that the "Foundation for Christian Studies" is an LDS (Mormon) web site, and not a Christian site at all.
There is a global emblem toward the upper left corner of the home page denoting the global outreach of the web site, and it sports a fish of course, and also dove holding an olive branch in its beak. I guess they just wanted to be certain that the site was well-represented by Christian symbolism.
This is just the latest effort from one of the largest cults of Christianity to gain acceptance within the faith that their founder said was condemned by God as false, namely---mainstream Christianity. "I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong." Mormon founder and all-around famous dead guy--Joseph Smith.
Set those aside who are assaulting justification, sanctification, the Grace of God, and on and on who also want to be called mainline Christians. Among those who hold to the truth of God's word--the Bible, and who agree on essential doctrine, mainline Christianity is full of godly, loving, caring and solid churches. It is not perfect, but the body loves Jesus. Mainstream Christianity was not all wrong when Joseph Smith made his original claim, and it isn't all wrong now.
What is wrong, is that despite the fact that the LDS church refuses to acknowledge that they believe in a god who is completely different from the God of the Bible. They continue to insist that they do, but that we Christians just simply don't have all the facts. I won't bother to try to list the immense differences between the god of their record (The Book of Mormon) and the Biblical God I have placed my faith in, but suffice it to say it wouldn't matter, because this web site is an effort to intersect their religious beliefs with true Christian faith, and they do that with a new wave of Mormon "apologetics". It is slick, and it is clever, but don't be fooled.
A mixture of truth and falsehoods is what Satan used in the garden. The tactics have not been changed here. Know your Bible. Pray for these people, because they are very deceived, and avoid that web site. There is nothing Christian about it.
5 comments:
Mormons Are First Century New Testament Christians, not Fourth Century Creedal Christians
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This post helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity's theology relating to baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Baptism:
Early Christian churches, practiced baptism of youth (not infants) by immersion by the father of the family. The local congregation had a lay ministry. An early Christian Church has been re-constructed at the Israel Museum, and the above can be verified. The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continues baptism and a lay ministry as taught by Jesus’ Apostles. Early Christians were persecuted for keeping their practices sacred, and prohibiting non-Christians from witnessing them.
The Trinity:
A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose. . To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration? The Nicene Creed’s definition of the Trinity was influenced by scribes translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin. The scribes embellished on a passage explaining the Trinity , which is the Catholic and Protestant belief that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The oldest versions of the epistle of 1 John, read: "There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one." Scribes later added "the Father, the Word and the Spirit," and it remained in the epistle when it was translated into English for the King James Version, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. . Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was neo-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. For example, it was an emperor (Constantine) . who introduced a term, homoousious, which defined the Son as “consubstantial” (one being) with the Father. Neither term or anything like it is in the New Testament. Harper’s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.” Furthermore, 11 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were non-Trinitarian Christians http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2009/01/richard_price.php The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) views the Trinity as three separate divine beings , in accord with the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts and the Founders.
Theosis
Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, "The Son of God became man, that we might become God." Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: “we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods” Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: “all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest” Clement of Alexandria explained “Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.” The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: "He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him," (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988) For further information on this subject, refer to http://NewTestamentTempleRitual.blogspot.com The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) agrees with Early Christian church leaders regarding theosis.
In the words of Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie: "There is and can only be one who is supreme, who is the head and to who all others are subject". Becoming like God is not saying we will ever be equal to Him, frankly we won't and can't. He, and only He, will forever be worshipped by us.
The Deity of Jesus Christ
Mormons hold firmly to the deity of Christ. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. Evangelical pollster George Barna found in 2001 that while only 33 percent of American Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists (28 percent of Episcopalians) agreed that Jesus was “without sin”, 70 percent of Mormons believe Jesus was sinless.
The Cross and Christ’s Atonement:
The Cross became popular as a Christian symbol in the Fifth Century A.D. . Members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) believe the proper Christian symbol is Christ’s resurrection , not his crucifixion on the Cross. Many Mormon chapels feature paintings of the resurrected Christ or His Second Coming. Furthermore, members of the church believe the major part of Christ’s atonement occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane as Christ took upon him the sins of all mankind.
Definition of “Christian”: .
But Mormons don’t term Catholics and Protestants “non-Christian”. They believe Christ’s atonement applies to all mankind. The dictionary definition of a Christian is “of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ”: All of the above denominations are followers of Christ, and consider him divine, and the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. They all worship the one and only true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and address Him in prayer as prescribed in The Lord’s Prayer. It’s important to understand the difference between Reformation and Restoration when we consider who might be authentic Christians. . Early Christians had certain rituals which defined a Christian , which members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continue today. . If members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) embrace early Christian theology, they are likely more “Christian” than their detractors.
• The Need for a Restoration of the Christian Church:
The founder of the Baptist Church in America, Roger Williams, just prior to leaving the church he established, said this: "There is no regularly constituted church of Christ on earth, nor any person qualified to administer any church ordinances; nor can there be until new apostles are sent by the Great Head of the Church for whose coming I am seeking.” (Picturesque America, p. 502.) Martin Luther had similar thoughts: "Nor can a Christian believer be forced beyond sacred Scriptures,...unless some new and proved revelation should be added; for we are forbidden by divine law to believe except what is proved either through the divine Scriptures or through Manifest revelation." He also wrote: "I have sought nothing beyond reforming the Church in conformity with the Holy Scriptures. The spiritual powers have been not only corrupted by sin, but absolutely destroyed; so that there is now nothing in them but a depraved reason and a will that is the enemy and opponent of God. I simply say that Christianity has ceased to exist among those who should have preserved it." The Lutheran, Baptist and Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) churches recognize an apostasy from early Christianity. The Lutheran and Baptist churches have attempted reform, but Mormonism (and Roger Williams, and perhaps Martin Luther) require inspired restoration, so as to re-establish an unbroken line of authority and apostolic succession.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .* * *
• Christ-Like Lives:
The 2005 National Study of Youth and Religion published by UNC-Chapel Hill found that Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) youth (ages 13 to 17) were more likely to exhibit these Christian characteristics than Evangelicals (the next most observant group):
1. Attend Religious Services weekly
2. Importance of Religious Faith in shaping daily life – extremely important
3. Believes in life after death
4. Does NOT believe in psychics or fortune-tellers
5. Has taught religious education classes
6. Has fasted or denied something as spiritual discipline
7. Sabbath Observance
8. Shared religious faith with someone not of their faith
9. Family talks about God, scriptures, prayer daily
10. Supportiveness of church for parent in trying to raise teen (very supportive)
11. Church congregation has done an excellent job in helping teens better understand their own sexuality and sexual morality
. LDS . Evangelical
1. 71% . . 55%
2. 52 . . . 28
3. 76 . . . 62
4. 100 . . 95
5. 42 . . . 28
6. 68 . . . 22
7. 67 . . . 40
8. 72 . . . 56
9. 50 . . . 19
10 65 . . . 26
11 84 . . . 35
So what do you think the motivation is for the Evangelical preachers to denigrate the Mormon Church? You would think Evangelical preachers would be emulating Mormon practices (a creed to believe, a place to belong, a calling to live out, and a hope to hold onto) which were noted by Methodist Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean of the Princeton Theological Seminary, as causing Mormon teenagers to “top the charts” in Christian characteristics. It seems obvious pastors shouldn't be denigrating a church based on First Century Christianity, with high efficacy. The only plausible reason to denigrate Mormons is for Evangelical pastors to protect their flock (and their livelihood).
Further Reading: http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/
A Baptist minister says the Book of Mormon is consistent with Jesus Christ’s teachings in the New Testament: http://www.centerplace.org/library/bofm/baptistversionofbofm.htm
That early Christian churches were persecuted for their sacred practices is not surprising in a societies that were not free. Chinese Christians and Christian citizens of many countries are persecuted for practicing their sacred beliefs every day, and I have no problem with those clergy who can manage to do what they do in an unpaid capacity if that is what the Lord guides them to do. I have no beef with the responsible baptism of younger believers either. First century Christians had creeds and opinions. There were those who were right, and there were those who were errant in their thinking. "Creedal" Christians as you call them had their share of unbiblical misconceptions too.
I'm sorry, but your post only serves to clarify that the LDS organization as ever, is guided by the authority of men, rather than the God of the Bible. The examples you cite throughout your comments, which are impressive in their scope, are largely the opinions of men.
The Trinity---
"A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose." This is a bit of a stretch, but let's go ahead and grant that a literal reading of the New Testament achieved what you say it does. With respect to you and to the Harper's Bible Dictionary a thorough reading of the entire Bible, through which the Triunity of God is progressively revealed---would demonstrate or illustrate no such thing. It shows that there is but one God who is revealed to us in three persons, not three separate beings. There is not a triunity of gods, or a plurality of gods. That is why Old and New Testament harmonies are so important when trying to understand the Triune nature of God.
Incidentally, "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one" is the way that 1 John 5:8 reads in my King James Bible, and what does it matter what someone mistranslated for an agenda 1,700 years ago, or 17 days ago? Though some will disagree on the actual numbers of extant Greek New Testament copies, the manuscript evidence is overwhelming in the original writings. It is still there to refer to, and to be confirmed by. So the important question becomes not--"What did early Christians say?", "What does Dr. Bart Ehrman say?" The important question is--"What does the Bible say?"
For example, regarding what you wrote about God the Father, and early Christians believing in an embodied God. There is no reason to believe that an embodied Father God was the universally held belief by early Christians. Those who did hold to such a belief may simply have done so because of Old Testament use of anthropomorphisms where He is concerned, but I have no way of knowing that. But it doesn't matter why they erred in their thinking, because the Bible says something else. Jesus said, "God is a Spirit:and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." No amount of exegetical gymnastics can change the contextual meaning of what the Savior said there. The Trinity may be a "concept" to human beings, but it is the way God is. It should not be impossible for us to grasp well enough to believe, any more than is the Hypostatic Union in the one and only Savior who was fully human and fully divine. There is no need to try to change who God is to make Him more understandable. He is infinite, and we are finite. One day as Paul explained, our understanding will no longer be clouded by such limitations, because God will provide full knowledge to us of these things. And respectfully, what does it matter at all to the truth of the matter what eleven signers of the Declaration of Independence believed in this regard? That may prove an interesting historical tidbit, but I do not base my belief on such things. I stand on what the Bible says. It is God's holy word.
I added a post from a church that I know of at the end of this post that I believe explains the Trinity Biblically if you are willing to read through it without any presuppositions.
Theosis--
The Bible tells us that men through God's grace may partake of His holiness, but to teach that men may become divine is simple heresy. As I said in my post, Satan used this lie to influence his deception of Eve. What would you do if you wanted to deceive people away from God? You would do just as the enemy did in the garden. You would tell people just exactly what they want to hear. When people are unsaved and steeped in allegiance to sin, they would love to be a god. When they come to know God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, any such notion disappears from their thinking because their heart is changed. The thought of becoming a god is anathema to them. Only He is worthy of praise, and He and only He will ever be divine. To think otherwise is simple heresy.
Isaiah 43:10 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me."
The Deity of Jesus Christ-- and The Cross and Christ's Atonement--
The "major part" of Christ's atonement? The "major" part of Christ's atonement? If I said that a million times, that statement would never sound or be correct. His atonement cannot be measured. He is infinitely pure and just. Any sin of ours is infinitely black and disgusting when compared to His perfect goodness. Anyone who believes that Jesus ever sinned does not understand Him rightly, does not understand the gospel, and is not a Christian. Again, what does the Bible say?
1Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Definition of "Christian"--
Once again, you are turning to a worldly source for information. "The dictionary definition of a Christian is “of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ” This is vague in the extreme. There are too many cults to name which fit this definition, but who at the same time attack the identity of Jesus, diminish His deity in some way, deny His full atonement for sins and turn to a dependence on their own works to attain heaven and remove the Bible's place as the source of authority or make it secondary to some writing of their own.
You wrote: It’s important to understand the difference between Reformation and Restoration when we consider who might be authentic Christians. . Early Christians had certain rituals which defined a Christian , which members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continue today. . If members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) embrace early Christian theology, they are likely more “Christian” than their detractors.
Rituals or the observance thereof do not make one a Christian, nor do they define Christianity. Again, what does the Bible have to say?
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
A Christian is disciple, a follower of the Jesus Christ of the Bible. More important than the dictionary definition you quoted is what becomes of a person who repents of their sins and in God given faith actually follows Jesus?
2nd Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
The Need for a Restoration of the Christian Church--
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Isolated comments from even famous men through whom God may have moved do not establish a doctrine one should build a doctrine on, much less a church. God has never let His church die off. There has always been a remnant, and there have always been men who have followed God with their heart. Were they flawed? Yes. But they have been there. Men just need to trust the promises of His word, and not try to substitute doctrines of their own in order to shoehorn Him into a box that they can live with.
Christ-like lives---
Again, you turn to a worldly definition of what demonstrates Christianity in order to justify what your organization espouses, and the overtones of your list of "observances" is a tendency toward what I call "works righteousness". You cannot justify yourself to holy God no matter how observant you are of these things. None of us can, my friend. Men are not inherently good, and that is never more apparent than to one who understands the holiness of God and the prodigious grace that has been given one through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ on that cross. Underneath your system of belief, calling itself the "restored church" is a doctrine that demands that you do certain things in order to achieve heavenly glory.
"For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" 2 Nephi 25:23
Not so. Full and complete grace must come before we may have peace with God. The Bible makes it clear that it is God's grace alone that reconciles men to God. This is not some small disagreement with the Bible. This doctrine flies fully in the face of the complete atonement of Christ for our sins. It diminishes what He did for us, and it says that our works can add to what He did for us on the cross. It is another heresy. Are Christians supposed to produce works acceptable in God's sight? Yes. That is a natural outgrowth of our loving response to what He did for us. But anything we do could never get us close enough to close any gap between our works and His grace.
Your question: So what do you think the motivation is for the Evangelical preachers to denigrate the Mormon Church? I will answer this way.....You are hurting yourself eternally, and I care sincerely about that. I believe in some very absolute things. I believe there is truth and there is error. I believe that those who understand the gospel, who understand Jesus rightly, who He is biblically, and who turn to Him in repentance and faith and place their trust in Him for their salvation, and in no part of their own works to do the same, will go to heaven. I believe that those who entrust their salvation to anyone or anything else will suffer eternally. I don't want that for anyone, and if I were to remain silent about these things, I would be a coward. What is more, I would be neglecting to do my spiritual duty to you and to anyone else who needs to hear it.
"Christian characteristics" might be very important to people of principle, but they do not make one a Christian, any more than hanging out in a McDonald's makes me a Big Mac. It is not you that I represent as having any lacking in value. Quite the contrary. It is the system in which you have placed your trust. That is where the problem lies, and any Baptist minister who says that the Book of Mormon is consistent with Jesus' teaching in the New Testament should be run out of his church by the congregants. Seriously. He doesn't know his Bible. The LDS organization is telling people what they most want to hear--that they may become gods. This is heresy. God will not countenance it.
Thank you very much for responding to my post. I appreciate it very much.
*The Trinity
There is no verse in the Bible that states explicitly that God is a Trinity, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Why then do Christians believe it?
First of all, the Bible is very clear that there is only one God (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; I Corinthians 8:6). The God of the Old Testament is called Jehovah (Yahweh) or Elohim. The concept of the Trinity comes from the fact that three different Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, claim to be Jehovah God. We are left with only two alternatives: 1: The Bible is incorrect, or 2: God is a plural personality consisting of three persons in one Being.
There is much evidence to support the fact that God exists as a Trinity. First of all, in the book of Genesis, we find God addressing Himself in the first person plural:
"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26)
Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:22) also see (Gen. 3:5, 11:7)
The word Elohim is a plural word, but it is applied to the one God. At times the word Elohim is used to describe the pagan deities and it is translated "gods" (Ex. 12:12). But when it is applied to Jehovah, the same word is translated "God" (Gen. 1:1).
The Father Is Jehovah God: Matt. 6:9
• This is usually agreed to by all. THE SON (JESUS) IS JEHOVAH GOD: John 14:9
The Holy Spirit Is Jehovah God: Acts 5:3-4
• In order to prove that the Holy Spirit is God, it is first necessary to prove that He is a separate Person and not just the presence of the Father. It is then necessary to prove that this separate person is Jehovah.
The Holy Spirit Is a Separate Person: John 14:16-17
• Acts 5:32 The Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son.
• I Cor. 12:11 The Spirit has his own will.
• Eph. 4:30 The Spirit has emotions.
• Acts 5:3-4 The Spirit can be lied to.
The Holy Spirit Is Jehovah God:
The Holy Spirit has the attributes of God:
• Psalm 139:7-9 The Spirit is omnipresent.
• I Cor. 2:11; John 16:12-15; II Pet. 1:21; Is. 40:13 The Spirit is omniscient.
• Acts 5:3-4; Matt.12:31-32 The Spirit can be sinned against and blasphemed.
The Holy Spirit is Jehovah God:
• Compare Jer. 31:31-34 (Heb. 8:8) and Heb. 10:15-16.
• Compare Is. 6:8-9 and Acts 28:25-26
• Compare John 3:5-6 and John 1:12-13
• Compare I Cor. 6:19 and II Cor 6:16
• Compare Ex. 33:12-14 and Haggai 2:5
OTHER EVIDENCES FOR THE TRINITY:
• Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14 The three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are associated together.
Within the nature of the One God, there simultaneously exist three Eternal Persons, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are co-equal in attributes, eternity, power, and Glory.
God Is Spirit:
• John 4:24; II Cor. 3:1
Omnipotent:
• (Father) Jer. 12:17; Rev. 19:6 (Son) Matt. 28:18; I Cor 1:24; Rev.1:5; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3 (Holy Spirit) Luke 1:35 and 37
Omniscient:
• (Father) Ps. 139:1-6; Is. 44:7-8; Is. 46:10 (Son) Matt. 12:25; John 2:24; John 16:30; John 6:64; I Cor. 1:24; Col. 2:3 (Holy Spirit) Is. 40:13-14; I Cor. 2:10
Omnipresent:
• (Father) Jer. 23:24; I Kings 8:27 (Son) Matt. 18:20; Matt. 28:20; Eph. 1:23 (Holy Spirit) Ps. 139:7-10
Person Of The Father:
• Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2; John 10:15; Mark 8:38
Person Of The Son:
• Matt. 3:17; Acts 13:33; Prov. 30:4; Is. 9:6
Person Of The Holy Spirit:
• John chapters 14, 15 & 16 (personal pronoun HE), Matt 12:31; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 10:29; Rom. 8:26-27 (only a person can be blasphemed, grieved, insulted, intercede, etc...)
Father = God:
• Rom. 1:7; I Cor. 1:3; II Cor. 1:2
Son= God:
• Is. 7:14 & Matt. 1:23; Is. 9:6; Is. 45:23 & Phil. 2:9-11; Jer. 23:5-6; Zech. 12:10; Mk. 2:7-9; Jn. 1:1 & 1:14; Jn. 1:18 (only begotten God, in Greek); Jn. 5:18; Jn. 10:30; Jn. 8:58 (the I AM is the same as in Ex. 3:14); Jn. 20:28; Acts 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:6-8; Rom. 9:5; I Tim. 1:17 & Rev. 17:14; II Pet. 1:1; Titus 2:10-13; Heb. 1:6 (& Lk 4:8); Heb. 1:8; Heb. 1:10-12 & Ps. 102:24-27; I Jn. 5:20; II Jn. 9; Rev. 1:8 & Rev. 22:12-13
Holy Spirit = God:
• II Samuel 23:2-4; Jer. 31:31-34 & Heb. 10:15-16; Is. 6:8-10 & Acts 28:25-27; Acts 5:1-5; I Cor. 3:16 & 6:19-20; Heb. 3:7-19 with Ps. 95:7-11
One God:
• Is. 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:21-22; Mk 12:32, etc...
All Three Persons In Old Testament:
• Is. 48:16
The Work Of All Three Persons:
• CREATION: (Father) Is. 42:5; Zech. 12:1
• (YHWH alone) Is. 44:6;
• (Son) Jn. 1:3; I Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2
• (Holy Spirit) Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30; Job 26:13; Job 33:4
Indwells:
• Father) Jn. 14:23; I Jn. 2:23
• (Son) Eph. 3:17; II Cor. 13:5; Col. 1:27
• (Holy Spirit) Jn. 14:17; Rom. 8:11
• (Son) Eph. 3:17; II Cor. 13:5; Col. 1:27
Resurrection Of Jesus' Body:
• (Father) Gal. 1:1; I Thes. 1:9-10;
• (Son) Jn. 2:18-22; Jn. 10:17-18
One Lord:
• Eph. 4:5; (Father) Is. 64:8; Matt. 11:25; Acts 17:24
• (Holy Spirit) II Cor. 3:17
Eternal:
• (Father) Deut. 33:27; Is. 40:28
• (Son) Col. 1:17; Heb. 13:8; Micah 5:2; I Jn. 1:1
• (Holy Spirit) Heb. 9:14
Wisdom:
• (Father) Dan. 2:20
• (Son) Col. 2:2; Rev. 5:12
• (Holy Spirit) Is. 11:2
Knowledge:
• (Father) I Sam. 2:3
• (Son) Jn. 2:24; Col. 2:3
• (Holy Spirit) I Cor. 2:10-11
Power:
• (Father) Ps. 62:11; Matt. 6:13
• (Son) Matt. 28:18; I Cor. 1:24; Rev. 5:12
• (Holy Spirit) Rom. 15:13-14
Sanctifier:
• (Father) Jude 1
• (Son) Heb. 2:11
• (Holy Spirit) Rom. 15:16; I Pet. 1:2
Restorer From Death:
• (Father) Jn. 5:21; Rom. 4:17
• (Son) Jn. 5:21; Jn. 6:39
• (Holy Spirit) I Pet. 3:18
Searches The Heart:
• (Father) I Chron. 28:9
• (Son) Rev. 2:18,23
• (Holy Spirit) I Cor. 2:9-10
Glory:
• (Father) Is. 42:8
• (Son) Jn. 17:5
• (Holy Spirit) I Pet. 4:14
ALL THREE ARE PRESENT IN THE FOLLOWING:
Incarnation:
• Luke 1:35
Baptism:
• Matt. 3:16
Great Commission:
• Matt. 28:18 (the word "name" is singular)
Paul's Letters:
• II Cor. 13:14
Theophanies: (Appearances of God before the Incarnation)
• We see from Scripture that the Father did not appear unto men in the Old Testament (Jn. 1:18 & Jn. 6:46). Yet, Jehovah God or the Almighty God made Himself visible to men in the forms of a man, angel or in some form which was not mentioned. Jesus said it was He himself who appeared in the Old Testament (Jn. 8:56-58): John the Apostle testified of it (Jn. 12:41 with Is.6:1-5) and St. Paul testified of it (I Cor. 10:4,9).
• Some of the Theophanies are in this order: Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1; 26:2; 26:24; 28:13; Exodus 6:3; 24:10; 33:18-23; Judges 13:15-23 I Kings 3:5; 11:9; II Chronicles 7:12; Isaiah 6:1,5.
Plurality & Separation Of Persons In The Godhead:
• Gen. 1:26-27; 3:22; 11:7-8; 19:24; Is. 6:8; 44:6; 45:11; 48:16; 51:15; 56:4-7; 60:7-9; Jer. 23:5-6; 51:3-4; Hosea 1:6-7; Obadiah 1:1; Zech. 2:8-11; 10:12; 12:10.
Old Testament Passages Of Jehovah Applied To Jesus:
• Matt. 3:3 with Is. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:5 with Is. 35:4-6; Matt. 11:29 with Jer. 6:16; Matt. 13:41 with Zeph. 1:3; Matt. 16:27 with Ps. 62:12 and Prov. 24:12; Mark 1:3 with Is. 40:3; Luke 3:4-6 with Is. 40:3-5; Luke 3:6 with Is. 40:5 and Luke 2:30; Luke 7:22 with Is. 35:4-6; Jn. 1:23 with Is. 40:3; Jn. 3:17 with Is. 35:4; Jn. 8:58 with Ex. 3:14; Jn. 12:40 with Is. 6:10: Jn. 19:37 with Zech. 12:10; Acts 2:25-28 with Ps. 16:8-11; Acts 2:20-21 with Joel 2:32; Acts 10:42 with Is. 33:22; Rom. 10:9-13 with Joel 2:32; Rom. 14:10-11 with Is. 45:23 and Phil. 2:10; Eph. 2:17 with Is. 57:19; Titus 2:14 with Ps. 13:8 and Ex. 19:5 and Deut. 14:2; Heb. 1:10 with Ps. 102:25-27; I Pet. 2:8 with Is. 8:13-14; Rev. 1:7 with Ps. 2:8; Rev. 2:23 with Jer. 17:10; Rev. 22:12 with Is. 40:10 and Is. 62;11
JESUS IS YHWH, JESUS IS Jehovah
Glory:
• Is. 42:8 (alone) Is. 48:11, Jn. 17:5
Light:
• Is. 60:20 (true light) Ps. 27:1, Jn. 1:9 Jn. 8:12
Judge:
• Joel 3:12, Ps. 98:9, Ps. 96:10, 13, Ps. 50:6,Jn. 5:22, Jn. 9:39, II Cor. 5:10, II Tim. 4:1
King:
• Jer. 10:10, Ps. 47:7, Is. 44:6; 43:15, Zech. 14:9, Rev. 17:14, Jn. 12:15, I Tim. 1:16-17, I Tim. 6:15
Lord Of Lords:
• Deut. 10:17, Rev. 17:14
Knows The Heart:
• I Kings 8:39, Luke 5:22, Matt. 9:4
Draws:
• Jer. 31:3, Jn. 12:32
Holy One:
• Hos. 11:9, Is. 40:25, Job 6:10, Hab. 1:12, Acts 3:14, Ps. 16:10, Mk. 1:24, I Jn. 2:20
Rock:
• Deut. 32:4, II Sam. 22:32, II Sam. 23:3, I Cor. 20:11I, Pet. 2:6-8, Num. 20:11
Savior:
• Ps. 106:21, Is. 43:3,11 (alone), Is. 45:21, Acts 4:12, I Jn. 4:14, Jn. 4:42
Swallow Up Death:
Is. 25:6-8, I Cor. 15:54
First And Last:
• Is. 41:4; 44:6, Is. 48:12, Rev. 1:8; 2:8, Rev. 1:17-18, Rev. 22:13
One Shepherd:
• Ps. 23:1, Ps. 80:11, Jn. 10:14,16, Heb. 13:20, I Pet. 5:4
I Am:
• Ex. 3:14, Jn. 8:58
ALSO SEE:
• Is.33:22 with Acts 10:42; James 4:12; Rev. 17:14; Matt. 1:21; Jn. 3:17; I Tim. 1:15
THE TRINITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
God is a plurality:
• Elohim is a plural noun used both for the one true God and for false gods. It has the masculine plural ending im. It is used for the one God in Gen. 1:1 and for many gods in Ex. 20:3 and Deut. 13:3.
The following are examples of plural verbs used with Elohim in reference to one God.
• Gen. 20:13 God caused (they caused) me to wander...
• Gen. 35:7 There God appeared (they appeared) unto him...
• II Sam. 7:23 God went (they went)...
• Ps. 58:12 There is a God that judgeth (they judgeth)...
• Eloah is the singular form of Elohim. It is used 250 times in the Old Testament while Elohim is used 2,500 times. e.g. Deut 32:15-17; Hab. 3:3.
• God speaks of himself using the plural: Gen. 1:26; Gen. 3:22; Gen. 11:7; Is. 6:8.
Plural descriptions of God:
• Eccl. 12:1 Remember now thy creator (creators).
• Ps. 149:2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker (Makers).
• Josh. 24:19 ...holy God (Gods)...
• Is. 54:5 For thy Maker (Makers) is thy husband (husbands).
The Sh'ma
• Deut. 6:4
The word God is Elohim. The word one is echad and indicates compound unity. Other examples of its use in scripture are:
• Gen. 1:5 evening and the morning--one day.
• Gen. 2:24 man and the woman become one.
• Ezra. 2:64 assembly as one.
• Ezek. 37:17 two sticks combined to become one.
The word yachid means absolute unity. Some examples of it's use are:
• Gen. 22:2,12; Judg. 11:34; Ps. 22:21; Ps. 25:16; Prov. 4:3; Jer. 6:26; Amos 8:10; Zech. 12:10
God is at least two:
• Elohim: Ps. 45:6-8. First Elohim is addressed, the second is the God of the first.
• YHWH: Gen. 19:24. The first is on earth and brings fire from the second who is in heaven.
• Zech. 2:10-11. One sends the other
• Other examples: Is. 41:14; 44:6; 49:7; Amos 6:8
God is a Trinity:
(1) Jehovah (YHWH)
(2) Spirit (ruach hakodesh) Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps 51:11-13; Ps.139:7; Is. 11:2. The Spirit contains all the characteristics of personality (intellect, emotion and will) and is considered divine.
(3) The Angel of Jehovah. Almost always Angel of YHWH and YHWH Himself: Gen. 16:7,13; 22:11-12; 31:11-13; Ex. 3:2-4; Judg. 6:11-12, 20,21 with vs. 14, 16, 22, 23; Judg. 13:3,21-23.
All three in one passage:
• Is. 48:12-16: The Creator is speaking and distinguishes Himself from the Lord Jehovah and the Spirit of God.
• Also see Is. 63:7-14: YHWH v. 7, Angel of YHWH v. 9, Spirit v. 10,11 and 14.
New Testament light:
• God the Father.
• God the Son; answers Prov. 30:4 "...what is His Son's name?" Compare with Jn. 3:13.
• God the Holy Spirit; Acts 5: compare vs. 3 with vs. 4
David - are you relying too much on the Emperor Constantine (who had any books of the Bible which contained theosis or esoteric teachings burned):
Constantine's reign as Roman emperor (A.D. 306-337) dramatically changed the direction of Christianity, though in ways far different from those portrayed in The Da Vinci Code. This grew out of his strategy for unifying his empire by creating a "catholic"—meaning universal —church that would blend elements from many religions into one.
While Constantine supposedly converted to Christianity in 312, he wasn't baptized until on his deathbed 25 years later. In the intervening years he had his wife and eldest son murdered, and from all appearances he continued as a worshipper of the sun god. Long after his supposed conversion he had coins minted with a portrait of himself on one side and a depiction of his "companion, the unconquered Sol [sun]" on the other.
The "Christianity" Constantine endorsed was already considerably different from that practiced by Jesus Christ and the apostles. The emperor accelerated the change by his own hatred of Jews and religious practices he considered Jewish.
For example, at the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325), church authorities essentially replaced the biblical Passover with Easter, a popular holiday rooted in ancient springtime fertility celebrations. Endorsing this change, Constantine announced: "It appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast [Easter] we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul . . . Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd" (Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3, 18-19, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 1979, second series, Vol. 1, pp. 524-525).
Constantine's affection for sun worship had earlier led him to endorse Sunday, the first day of the week and a day dedicated to honoring the sun, as a weekly day of rest in the Roman empire . This created considerable hardship on those Jews and true Christians who continued to keep the biblical Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. (A century later the Council of Laodicea would essentially outlaw Sabbath-keeping and Christian observance of the Old Testament Holy Days.)
Constantine's merging religious practices produced a corrupted Christianity that meshed paganism with biblical elements; for example the followers of Isis adored a Madonna nursing her holy child. Many Christians did not make a clear distinction between this sun-cult [Mithraism] and their own. They held their services on Sunday, knelt towards the East and had their nativity-feast on 25 December, the birthday of the sun at the winter solstice.
" Did the empire surrender to Christianity, or did Christianity prostitute itself to the empire?
When we consider the vast differences between the mainstream Christianity of today and the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the apostles, we can trace much of that change to Constantine and the religious system he put in power,
Hello,
Once again, you are pointing to a man to make your point, and not to the God of the Bible. I am very familiar with the history of the early church and the role which Emperor Constantine played in it. The Bible is full of examples of people who meant something for evil, but which God used to His further glorification and majestic plan. I do not rely on any record that Constantine might have established, but on the Bible that we have as a result of God's power to preserve His inspired word through any circumstance or selfish, evil intent on the part of those who would oppose it and Him.
The God of the Bible speaks to us through the written eye-witness accounts, fulfilled prophecy and self-confirming nature of the words contained within its covers. The lives of men and women are accurately recorded with all or their warts and blemishes. The violence, the ugliness of man, even of the men who were inspired to write of themselves in a less than flattering capacity is also one of the many strengths of the Bible. The books, letters, songs, prophetic and historical writings of the Bible were recorded over an enormous period of time, and from beginning to end-- it all harmonizes. Constantine had absolutely nothing to do with that. Nothing.
The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is about our Savior God, His holiness and His glory. The intensity of one's ability to deny the harmony of the Old and New Testaments does not make the denial accurate. Constantine was not the over-arching influence that gave us our Bible. For example, he didn't write the New Testament books and epistles, and the men who authored them were either eye-witnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, or were close associates of a person or persons who were. The Thomasine codex which you mentioned is a good example of the type of book that should well have been rejected from the canon because of questionable authorship and gnostic tendencies. The measuring rod used to determine the books of the New Testament is reliable, and Constantine had absolutely nothing to do with that either. The Bible is sufficient.
LDS leaders from the founder, Joseph Smith on down have, many times, taught that the Bible is unreliable. The following are just a few such comments.
[["Many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled."]] (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Volume 1, page 245)
[["Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors"]] (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 327).
[["... who in his right mind could for one moment suppose the Bible in its present form to be a perfect guide? Who knows that even one verse of the Bible has escaped pollution, so as to convey the same sense now that it did in the original?" (LDS Apostle Orson Pratt,"]] Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon," Page 47.)
This has to be said because the Bible and the Book of Mormon do not harmonize. The holy Trinity-- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have always been. Heavenly Father does not now, nor did He ever have a heavenly wife. They did not conceive and birth spirit children, and Jesus was not born of such a union. He was never the spirit brother of Lucifer. Lucifer was a created being. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus neither "progressed" to godhood nor was He granted godhood. He has always been. He is God.
You asked in your previous post you posed a question which I chose to overlook. I will address it now. You asked, "To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration?" Again, we are finite beings, and God is infinite, so our understanding is limited, but I can best answer your question this way. Jesus came to bear witness to the truth and thereby destroy the works of the devil. I mentioned the Hypostatic Union, the fully divine/fully human nature of the Savior. No one but holy, sinless (yes sinless) God could be worthy to take our sins upon Himself and make the way to heaven possible for us. The suffering, blood and death of anyone else would not have been sufficient to do so.
Through His divine nature, Jesus walked without sin upon the earth. Part of His testimony to the truth was how He lived as a man. As a man, He showed us the perfect example of how to live before God. When He prayed to God the Father, being one with Him, He merely showed us again perfectly, how we ought as men to rely totally on God, on Him for everything we must do and be.
Which brings me to my last points. From the article: "When we consider the vast differences between the mainstream Christianity of today and the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the apostles, we can trace much of that change to Constantine and the religious system he put in power,"
That statement is simply not true. A more accurate statement would be this: "When we consider the differences between the mainstream Christianity of today and the conduct of the men and women of the early church, we can trace much of that change to the prideful acts of men."
It would have been nice to know that I was in real dialogue with you on a one-to-one basis, but as both of your articles originated other than here, I hope that in the future you will choose to be more intellectually honest with me. I do not mean to be rude, but when you lift an entire article (barring your first paragraph) from a published website, it is common courteous practice to give credit to the author/site. Since you did not choose to acknowledge that, I will do so for you here.
I am not sure where your first article originated, as it is very well-used on the internet, but as for your second post:
http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn64/code_impact.htm
Thank you again for responding.
I (Mormonx Are Christian) wrote the original post. I did not have a source for the Constantine post. Thanks for providing that. I'll include it in the future.
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