These five questions will help you see why
a growing number of people are beginning to doubt that the traditional teaching about
God found in most churches is correct. Jesus was a Jew, right? Well, Judaism at the
time of Jesus (and to this day) confessed belief in only one individual, who is God—the
one called Yahweh (or Jehovah)—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. If Jesus was a
Jew, then, he too must have held this belief, right? Well, we don't have to guess, because
Mark 12.28-34 actually records a conversation in which Jesus explicitly agreed with a non-trinitarian
Jewish scribe on his Jewish definition of God. So, if Jesus believed in the Trinity
then he should have… disagreed with this Jew, right? But, in fact, Jesus not only agreed
with him about who God was, but even complemented him saying, "you are not far from the kingdom
of God." Doesn't this mean that first generation Christians, like Jesus, held the same view
of God as the Jews? A second question that has caused some trouble
is that we cannot find a single place in Scripture where the Trinity is explained. Where is the
verse, chapter, or book that simply states the doctrine? I mean, if this belief is so
important then shouldn't it be explained all over the place like other doctrines are such
as Jesus' death for our sins, or his resurrection from the dead? Now we do know that the Bible
can be used to "support" the Trintiy, but it can also be used to support slavery, anti-semitism,
and all sorts of things (There has been no shortage of wacky groups that claim the Bible
supports their pet theories). Sure one could go through the arduous chore of cobbling together
a verse here and a verse there to erect an impressive facade which rather than elucidating
Scripture actually obscures it. Honestly, the Trinity must be read into Scripture not
out from it. In fact, I don't think anyone can arrive at the Trinity from only reading
the Bible. It has to be taught alongside of Scripture and even then most people don't
even understand it (not that we blame them). A third question we are constantly asking
relates to controversy. In the New Testament, a number of historical controversies are described,
from the speaking in tongues controversy in Corinth to the Jerusalem council which decided
whether or not new Gentile converts needed to keep the Law. However, one controversy
is strikingly absent from the New Testament documents—a controversy over a new definition
of God. I mean, think about it. Here I am challenging your understanding of who God
is and you're probably feeling a bit uncomfortable, right? Well, what if as a missionary I came
to your church and started preaching that God is only the Father not the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. Wouldn't that cause controversy? Of course it would. People who believe one
thing about God don't just change the moment they hear a new idea, we know that. So, what
about in the first century? You've got all of these Jewish communities throughout the
Mediterranean world who are strictly monotheistic, and these Christians come to town preaching
a message about the Trinity. Wouldn't that cause problems? Of course it would. But, where
is the evidence of this? In the entire NT we find no controversy over the Trinity, to
such a degree that it is never even spelled out clearly. Isn't the simplest explanation
that this doctrine just wasn't around yet? Our fourth question focuses on what language
the Bible uses to talk about God. Pronouns can either be singular or plural. If we read
a singular pronoun like "I" or "she" we know that a single person is in mind but when we
read a plural pronoun like "we" or "they" we know that a group of persons are being
referenced. So, what about God? I mean, if God is comprised of multiple persons then,
of course, we should find plural pronouns when God is spoken of. But, if God is a singular
individual then we should find singular pronouns instead. Think back to texts you've read about
God. Which kind of pronouns are used? Let's see. One of the most quoted verses in the
Bible is Jeremiah 29.11, which begins with, "'For I know the plans that I have for you."
If God were a Trinity it should read, "For we know the plans that we have for you", right?
But it doesn't. In both the Old and New Testaments, tens of thousands of times, when God speaks
or when people speak about God they use singular pronouns instead of plural ones. What's the
deal with that? Isn't this grammatical phenomenon evidence that God is one individual rather
than three? Of course there are plenty of other questions
that we could ask about the Trinity, but we have time for only one more right now. This
one is about Jesus' knowledge. If Jesus is fully God then he must have full knowledge,
right? But, what about the time when Jesus said, "of that day or hour no one knows, not
even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone"? Was Jesus lying? I mean,
if Jesus is God then of course he knew when he planned to return, right? But here again
we have the Scripture threatening our belief by clearly and explicitly teaching that Jesus
did not know something. Are we going to believe Jesus' own words or should we cling to our
tradition regardless of what the Scriptures say? Now, we know that there are creative "solutions"
to all of these questions, but they usually complicate the matter rather than explain
it. Furthermore, any such attempts have to assume a very developed view of the Trinity
and the dual natures of Christ in order to even get started. Usually, before long, we
are told that the Trinity is a "mystery" that we have to just accept by faith. We are cautioned
that human language and even our minds are not capable of explaining or grasping God.
Though there is some truth in this type of sentiment, we still consider such appeals
to incomprehensibility as cheating. I mean, let's just reverse our positions for a moment.
You be the Unitarian and I'll be the Trinitarian. You try to convince me that my beliefs are
unbiblical, anachronistic, and illogical. You make some solid arguments and rather than
listening and really considering what you are saying I say, "well, I hear what you are
saying, but really, you just need to accept that this is a mystery that you cannot understand…you
just have to believe it." If I pulled that on you, wouldn't you feel like that was dirty?
Yet, this is what happens over and again, when we have conversations with fellow Christians
about this subject. I suppose it all comes down to one question. Would you still want
to believe it even if it was wrong? If so, then you should probably not waste your time
on this website or even watch the rest of this video. In fact, if that is where you
are at, you may want to do some serious introspective thinking because this mentality, of stubbornly
holding to a belief regardless of the evidence, is not only fear-based and but it is precisely
the sort of thinking that surfaces in dangerous cults. But, if you are someone who is not
afraid to ask the big questions; if you are someone who is willing to listen to both sides
of the argument; if you are someone who truly believes that God has given you his spirit
to lead you to all truth; then stick around, we've got some good stuff for you to think
about.
This is an amazing argument. For all of the NT verses which mainline Christians use to back up their erroneous idea of the trinity, there are just as many, if not more that directly disprove it.
Thank you for this, it’s been on my mind all day.