All posts by rockfortress

DIVINITY FROM SONSHIP – EGW Quotes

June 29, 2021 rockfortress Leave a comment

“To the Saviour’s words, “Believest thou?” Martha responded, “Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” She did not comprehend in all their significance the words spoken by Christ, but she confessed her faith in His divinity, and her confidence that He was able to perform whatever it pleased Him to do.” { DA 530.4}

Think about it. How does Martha confess Christ’s divinity in John 11:27? Does she use co-eternal and words like that? No. She confesses Christs divinity by confessing that the Son of God was to come. That means, there was a Son of God, before the Son of God came to our world.

“Christ’s divinity is to be steadfastly maintained. When the Saviour asked His disciples the question, “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15, 16). Said Christ, “Upon this rock,” not on Peter, but on the Son of God, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (verse 18).” {EGW, The Upward Look, p. 58}.

In the statement “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” is to be found the divinity of Christ. His divinity is his sonship. In other words, by being an only begotten Son of the living God, Christ has divinity as His Father, God.

“At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father’s glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever since Adam’s sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God’s abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored.”{ DA 116.2}

What voice from the Father testified of the Son’s divinity at Christ baptism?

Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

“In the closing events of the crucifixion day, fresh evidence was given of the fulfillment of prophecy, and new witness borne to Christ’s divinity. When the darkness had lifted from the cross, and the Saviour’s dying cry had been uttered, immediately another voice was heard, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”” Matthew 27:54. { DA 770.1}

Again, the testimony of Christ’s divinity was in Christ’s sonship found in the words “Truly this was the Son of God”.

With four witnesses, we can attest to the fact that the testimony of Christ’s divinity is that He is the Son of God. His sonship is his divinity because his divinity is by inheritance from God (John 5:26; Hebrews1:3, 8).

All three-in-one god believers disagree with how EGW explained the divinity of Christ in these quotes. No three-in-one god believer would explain divinity on the basis of pre-existent sonship. All three-in-one god believers explain divinity as opposed to pre-existent sonship.

26 May 2021

therockfortress@gmail.com

Youtube: therock fortress tv

Facebook: The Rock Fortress Ministries

Opinions & Ideas

The divinity of Christ is His Sonship

May 25, 2021 rockfortress Leave a comment

“Christ’s divinity is to be steadfastly maintained. When the Saviour asked His disciples the question, “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15, 16). Said Christ, “Upon this rock,” not on Peter, but on the Son of God, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (verse 18).” {EGW, The Upward Look, p. 58}.

“At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father’s glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever since Adam’s sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” ( Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God’s abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored.”{ DA 116.2}

What voice from the Father testified of the Son’s divinity at Christ baptism?

Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The testimony of Christ divinity is that He is the Son of God. His sonship is his divinity because his divinity is by inheritance.

26 May 2021

therockfortress@gmail.com

Youtube: therock fortress tv

Facebook: The Rock Fortress Ministries

Opinions & Ideas

The metaphor confirms the sonship

February 20, 2021 rockfortress Leave a comment

The metaphor confirms the sonship
20/02/2021

I received this message from one sincere brother. I have nothing against him, but I want to interrogate the thought process he is using. I quote him.

“The father-son image of mankind cannot be literally applied to the Divine Father-Son relationship. The term “Son” is used metaphorically it conveys the ideas of distinction of persons and the equality of nature in the context of an eternal, loving relationship.”

Basically, the brother was saying the term Son of God has nothing with being the Son of God as what a son of a man is to a man. The term son simply means there are two distinct persons and that these two distinct persons are equal and are in an everlasting loving relationship.

The problem is, it seems to me the brother is describing friendship or partnership or brotherhood not sonship. Two friends or two partners or brothers are more accurately described as two distinct equal persons in an everlasting loving relationship. The term son has much more than just being distinct, equal, and loving. One wonders why God would allow the use of the term son of God when all he meant was “two equal loving friends/partners/brothers”.

This brother is not the only one who says this. Many professed Christians say the same, including SDAs. Here is another quote.

“The term “Son” is used metaphorically when applied to the Godhead” (Angel Rodriguez, “A Question of Sonship” Biblical Research Institute (of the SDA Church) article)

With this argument, they say that Christ is actually not a Son of God. They say there is no actual father-son relationship between God and His Son. Instead, they say, God and His Son are just two equal persons with no father-son relationship. They say what seems to us as a father-son relationship is just a role-play, for the sake of our salvation.

There are so many things to discuss on this speculative conclusion but we will focus on one thing in this writing. In this writing, we want to look at what is a metaphor and how is a metaphor used in day to day communication among people.

Let us consider this example of a metaphor.

“It snowed so heavily in the night that by morning, a WHITE BLANKET COVERED THE GROUND.”

The words ‘white blanket covered the ground’ is a metaphor for ‘snow covering the ground’. But why is it a metaphor? Because it is comparing the literal covering of blanket over a bed or person with the literal covering of snow over the ground.

In other words, if snow did not literally cover the ground, the metaphor would not be possible. Again in other words, the relationship between the bed and blanket is exactly as the relationship between the ground and the snow in terms of the effect of covering and being covered.

Just to emphasise this point. A metaphor can only be possible if comparison between two literal things or situations is possible. A metaphor would not make sense where there are no literal things to compare. For example, it would not be a metaphor if I said this:

“It snowed so heavily in the night that by morning a STRING COVERED THE GROUND.”

There is no obvious comparison between a literal string and literal snow in terms of literally covering something. A string does not cover but it ties. So there is no way a string can apply metaphorically to snow.

So what we can ascertain is that a metaphor is used where two literal situations are literally comparable. It is necessary to have observable literal characteristics between two things or situations before the metaphor can be derived from the comparison. The term metaphor is an observation that what is literally happening in one situation, is comparable to what is literally happening in another. The similarity of the two literal situations is what makes a metaphor possible.

With that in mind, if the father-son relationship between God the Father and his son is a metaphor of the literal relationship between a human father and a son, then the relationship between God the Father and the Son of God must have literal aspects that reflect the literal father-son relationship of men. That means both relationships must be literal before we can compare them to make a metaphor. That’s the only way we can call it a metaphor. If the relationship between God the Father and the Son of God is not literal, then the terms ‘father and son’ do not apply even in a metaphorical sense.

Therefore, to say the relationship between God the Father and His Son (the Son of God) is metaphorical means one of two things. Those who say this either do not notice their veiled admission that the relationship between the God the Father and the Son is literal sonship, or they do not see that they misuse the term metaphor.

If that which happens literally between a human father and son is not found happening literally between the divine Father and His Son, then the words ‘father and son’ are not the correct metaphors in this case. In other words, if after studying the relationship between God the Father and the Son of God we see that it is all about being two distinct, equal, eternally loving persons, then we have to come to human relationships to find words that represents such a relationship. One thing is sure. Those words would not be ‘father and son’. They should try friends, partners, or brotherhood.

But if that which happens literally between a human father and son happens literally between the divine Father and His Son, then, yes, the Father-Son relationship between God the Father and the Son of God is literal.

therockfortress@gmail.com

Opinions & Ideas

This day have I begotten thee – Hebrews 1:5

February 15, 2021 rockfortress Leave a comment

Hebrews 1:5 says “This day have I begotten thee”. Is it talking about that day in a manger, when Mary gave birth to a male child? Some say it means when Christ is referred to as only begotten, it is talking about his birth through Mary, i.e. incarnation.
That is an error for these reasons.
1. Read again Hebrews 1:4-5“Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”Notice that the purpose of Hebrews 1 is to prove the divinity of Christ, i.e. “being made much better than angels”. The evidence that Christ was made better than angels is that God said these words to him “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee”. But by Mary, Christ was “made a little lower than angels (not better than angels) for the suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). So we see two cases where Christ is made something.In Hebrews 1:5 he is made higher than angels. In Hebrews 2:9, he is made lower than angels. These are two different cases. But the quote “This day have I begotten thee” is not applied to Christ being lower than angels. Thee quote is applied to him being made higher than angels. Therefore the quote is not about incarnation, but applies before incarnation.
2. The argument is often made by those who deny the sonship of Christ before incarnation saying, Christ could not be begotten before incarnation because God has no wife and there was no mother before Mary.Do you see the problem here. If begotten is taken to me a husband and a wife and the wife becomes the mother of the son, then by implication Mary was the wife of God. That is the thinking that led to the worship of Mary and to the idea of immaculate conception of Mary. That’s why Catholics say all their doctrines are based on the three-in-one god teaching.But the truth is that Mary was only a vessel for the purpose of creating a body for the only begotten Son of God, to give Christ humanity to unite divinity and humanity in the literal begotten sonship of the Son of God. If he was not a literal Son of God before, the body created in Mary’s womb could not make Him a literal Son of God. It was his already being a literal begotten Son of God that gives us the sonship through of God through him. We are adopted sons of God because our blood brother is a real only begotten Son of God.
3. Hebrews also teaches that by being begotten, Christ became an express image of God.Those who teach that Christ was only begotten through Mary, essentially teach that through Mary Christ became an express image of God’s person (not just character, but person). Now I am not sure if anyone would want to argue that the human body of Christ was the express image of God’s person. At no time does the Bible teach that in the form of a man, Christ was an express image of God’s person. As a man he was an image of God through Adam, and that is not an express image.The Bible teaches that the human body of Christ was the express image of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16) not of God the Father. The only way Christ could be an express image of God is if he was begotten of God as an express image of God before Christ became human. So EGW says this:“A complete offering has been made; for “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,”–not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father’s person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” — (Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895)Notice that to be begotten put him in the express image of the Father’s person.“From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two [NOT THREE], yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character.” { YI December 16, 1897, par. 5 } (emphasis added)At that, Christ was already an express image of God’s person.
4. Christ human nature was created and was not the express image of God.“I will try to answer this important question: As God he could not be tempted: but as a man he could be tempted, and that strongly, and could yield to the temptations. His human nature must pass through the same test and trial Adam and Eve passed through. His human nature was created; it did not even possess the angelic powers. It was human, identical with our own. He was passing over the ground where Adam fell. He was now where, if he endured the test and trial in behalf of the fallen race, he would redeem Adam’s disgraceful failure and fall, in our own humanity.” { 3SM 129.3}There is no Christ being begotten here. There is creation of human nature. I cannot say I have seen anywhere where begotten as an express image of God is applied to incarnation directly. It is impossible. Why?Like begets like. God begets god. God creates human nature, not beget it. So Christ human nature was created by God but not begotten of God.
The second and related erroneous teaching I read was this and I quote.“The biggest problem is , you apply his “Begotten” to his pre-existence and try to place a beginning point of his life in time immemorial, and run away from him being begotten, as to Earthly Ministry and Salvation oriented.”Notice that the claim made here is that the word begotten does not apply to Christ before incarnation. To expose that error, I give this single quote.“Christ was the only begotten Son of God, and Lucifer, that glorious angel, got up a warfare over the matter, until he had to be thrust down to the earth.” — (Ellen G. White, Ms86, August 21, 1910)Notice that EGW applies the words “only-begotten” before incarnation and independent of incarnation.Simple truth. If God did not have an only begotten son who was the express image of God’s person before incarnation, incarnation would not be able to achieve that in the Son of God. Christ’s human nature was created by God, not begotten. Christ divine nature was begotten of God as the express image of God’s person. This is more than just express image in character. But it is express image in person.So yes, the brethren greatly err on this one. The truth is that Christ was the only-begotten of the Father before incarnation. The detail of how he was begotten, we are not told. Just as much as we are not told how one who is fully God could become a baby in a womb. No-one can understand that detail. It is not for us to resolve the questions of how he was begotten as an express image of God’s person. Neither are we to speculate on that to create doctrines based on what we do not understand and are not given to understand.

The Rock Fortress Ministriestherockfortress@gmail.comFind us on YouTube and Facebook15 February 2021

Opinions & Ideas

Today have I begotten thee

February 13, 2021 rockfortress Leave a comment

We can demonstrate from the Bible the following:

The trinitarian argument that the phrase “another comforter” (allos paracletos) means that Christ was speaking about another person other than himself is flawed. It is contrary to John’s own use of the term another. John uses the term another six times (Greek a’llos’ in John 18:15; John 18:16; John 20:2; John 20:3; John 20:4; John 20:8) to refer to himself (John 21:24). So it is not true that the use of the term “another” (allos) must mean that Christ was talking of another person other than himself.
Christ spoke in this manner, the third person (i.e. as if he is speaking of another person) all the time and that is never evidence that he is speaking of another person (Luke 9:26).
It is normal in the Bible to speak of one’s own Spirit as another person (Many examples such as “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” Genesis 45:27, David saying his spirit was overwhelmed as he was Psalms 77:3, David saying his spirit was remembering together with him Psalms 77:6).

We also see this:

The words that Christ spoke were the spirit (John 6:63).
These words are what he breathed on his disciples (John 20:22).Christ himself was sent by the Father in the same way, i.e. he was anointed by the Father’s spirit/words before he was sent (Isaiah 61:1).
The words he spoke were not his, he got them from the Father (John 14:10)
That was the Spirit of the Father that was in him reconciling the world to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself)

Some people honestly misapply Hebrews 5:5 (…Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee) saying the words “begotten” and “today” apply to Christ being born in Bethlehem. I give three points against this error.

The Book of Hebrews has three main parts Chapter 1 divinity of Christ, Chapter 2 humanity of Christ and the rest about the priesthood of Christ. The context of Hebrews 5 points clearly to resurrection as the third begottenness of Christ, i.e. Chirst was born the third time by the Father, when the Father raised Christ from the dead. This is what the phrase “today have I begotten thee” means in that context.
The second point was that, EGW discusses the same verse in the context of Christ ressurection and priesthood (RH December 22, 1891, par. 12 and RH May 25, 1911, par. 6).
But here is a nail in a sure place. Read Acts 13:30-33.

Acts 13:30 “But God raised him from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm,

I do not know if anyone cannot see that Psalms 2:7 (“today have I begotten thee”) refers to the resurrection of Christ as being begotten. According to Paul, the fulfilment of the promise that says “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” is found in the resurrection of Christ.

But what was Christ begotten from the dead as?

1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

He was begotten the third time as a quickening spirit, i.e. life giving spirit.

Why as a quickening spirit?

So that the merits of his life can be applied to us.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Romans 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.

That’s what we need to receive, Christ himself by his life giving spirit. Now listen what EGW then says:

“It is not safe to catch the spirit of another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ.” (Letter 66, April 10, 1894, par.17-18)

The Bible says the same thing.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

So Jesus Christ by His life giving spirit is the:

Comforter
The life of his life { HP 62.4 }
Third person of the Godhead/divinity
Office-work of the Holy Spirit
Etc.

And all those expressions from EGW that many Adventists have thought to be trinitarian. They are not trinitarian expressions.

The three heavenly dignitaries
The heavenly trio
Etc.

There is the Father, the Son in his earthly ministry before resurrection and the Son post resurrection by his quickening spirit (the Comforter, the Spirit which flows from the Father).

This is the knowledge of righteousness by faith. I believe that without this noone can receive the sealing of Revelation 7. This is the message of 1888, the message by which probation almost closed and the end almost arrived. And that’s the message that has been lost and destroyed by adopting three-in-one god wine of Babylon.

The Rock Fortress Ministries

therockfortress@gmail.com

Find us on Youtube and Facebook

13 February 2021

Opinions & Ideas

Deconstructing the trinitarian thought process

November 16, 2020 rockfortress Leave a comment

Click to access Deconstructing-the-trinitarian-thought-process-updated-version-1.pdf

During the journey of discovering the errors in the three-in-one god doctrine, you may come across many books and materials which try to explain the three-in-one (3-in-1) god. The same happened to us. Many brothers, when we questioned the obvious errors of the 3-in-1 god doctrine, referred us to some books. It is thought that such books make clear the 3-in-1 god doctrine. There are so many of these books out there. For example, we came across a book titled “The Trinity: What Has God Revealed” by Glyn Parfitt. When we read the book, we immediately saw the same errors as all the other trinitarian writings. Except that in this book, the errors were nicely packaged into one large book. Despite its huge volume, and our time-poor life, we have always wanted to explain why we see errors in this book and in the trinitarian thought process itself.

After thinking for some time about how to explain the errors, we decided it was better not to produce many pages tackling verse by verse and point by point, even though we could. If we did that, we would be explaining the same underlying errors across many of the different points that allegedly explain the three-in-one god. For example, as we will show in this writing, the error made in using Matthew 28:19 to construct the 3-in-1 god doctrine is the same error made in many other verses including Acts 5:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14 and 1 John 5:7.

Therefore, we thought the most effective way to help the authors of such books and those who refer to the books as trusted sources of doctrine, is to plead with them to reflect on how trinitarian interpretation works. In this writing we focus on the trinitarian interpretation of the Bible. God willing, in a future writing, we will explain the three-in-one god errors based on Ellen G. White’s writings. For a primer on our view of what EGW wrote, we refer you to our critique of George R Knight’s article, “Adventist and change”. You can find this article titled “A Critique of George R. Knight’s article Adventist and Change” freely available online.

And so here is the reflection on the trinitarian thought process as it navigates verses to formulate the three-in-one god doctrine. We pray that you will not find this writing to be adversarial, but rather that it will be an eye opener to you, or at least lead you to make an honest search for yourself, with no dependence on the church doctrinal statements, but more importantly, a simple “Thus saith the Lord”.

The Rock Fortress Ministries

therockfortress@gmail.com

September 2020

Opinions & Ideas

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 5

September 5, 2020 rockfortress Leave a comment

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 5

From Part 4, we continue here.

We have one last question to discuss. Now that we have seen that there is only One God the Father, who has one only begotten Son who is God by inheritance, what about the Spirit? Is the Spirit God? Let us see what the Bible says.

The Bible is clear that the Spirit belongs to God. This fact is stated over fifty times. The Bible says:

“Spirit OF God” – 26 times/witnesses in the Bible

“HIS Spirit” – 9 times/witnesses in the Bible

“MY Spirit” – 12 times/witnesses in the Bible

“Spirit OF Christ” – 2 witnesses/times in the Bible

“THY Spirit” – 5 times/witnesses in the Bible

The small words, i.e. OF, HIS, MY and THY are completely ignored in the one in three god doctrine. If these small possessive words could be considered as they are, it would become immovably clear that the Spirit which is OF God belongs to the One God, not that the Spirit is a third part of who the One God is.

So, if we are to establish the truth on the basis of a “Thus saith the Lord”, we can says, “Thus saith the Lord, the Spirit is OF God, it belongs to God”. That would be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. God is the one who has the Spirit as His own, which he sends, gives, takes, etc. as He sees fit, and that by that Spirit, he is present everywhere. In fact, there is no record in the Bible where the Spirit active except when explicitly sent by God. Not once is the Spirit not sent!

In all the verses about the Spirit of God there is nothing about forming a One God out of three persons. There is no verse which says the Spirit is God. The Spirit is never addressed as God in any statement in the Bible. But there are a few verses where that assumption can be made. Let us study one of them.

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Ananias lied to the Holy Ghost (the Spirit). And it was said that, Ananias lied not to man, but to God. So, it is concluded that, if to lie to the Spirit is to lie to God, then the Spirit is God.

But is that what the verse is saying? What does it mean to say the Spirit is God?

Just to be clear. What is stated is that Ananias lied to the Spirit and that Ananias lied to God. The connection that this Spirit is itself the God who was lied to is not there in this verse. That connection is reasoned out by assumption as we will now demonstrate.

But is this reasoning always so? Is it even correct that if to lie to someone is to lie to God, then that someone has become God himself?

May be the question should be:

Would it be true that to lie to the Spirit is to lie God if the Spirit belonged to God and was sent by God?

Yes. Let us see how.

Is the Spirit God? Well, Yes and No.

The simple answer is:

WHAT YOU DO TO THE ONE WHO WAS SENT

IS WHAT YOU DO TO THE ONE WHO HAS SENT.

Here are examples of this simple principle which occurs in the Bible, that to do something to one sent by God is to do it to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

If you despise man, to whom God has given His Spirit, you despise God, not man.

Is man God? Yes and No.

How yes? Figuratively, man is standing in place of God and is a god. John 10:34 puts it this way:

John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken.

So the ones to whom the word of God came so that they can give it to others, i.e. the ones who were sent with God’s word were called gods, because they were a conduit of the words from God.

How no? Not literally. Man, who has received the word of God and the Spirit of God is not the God we worship neither does he part of forming the One God we worship.

Man is god by virtue of representing God, but is not the One God whom he is representing. Hence, we can say “the Man of God” but we cannot say “God the Man” or “Man the God”.

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

To do good to Christ’ brothers (owned and sent by Christ) is to do good to Christ himself. Similarly, to do evil to men who are Christ’s brethren, is to do evil to Christ himself.

Are Christ’s brethren Christ? Yes and No.

How yes, they stand in Christ’s place therefore what is done to them is done to Christ.

How no? Not literally, Christ’s brethren are not the Christ who paid for our sins, the one we worship, neither are they part of forming who the One Christ is.

Christ’s brethren are Christ, by virtue of representing him, but not literally the One Christ they represent. So we can say the ‘brethren of Christ’ but we cannot say ‘brethren the Christ’ or ‘Christ the brethren’.

Exodus 17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?

When you chide with Moses, who is owned, sent and given by God, you chide with God.

Is Moses God? Yes and No.

How yes? Figuratively, Moses stands in place of God and is to be obeyed by Pharaoh as obeying the very God himself. Exodus puts it this way:

“Exodus 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee A GOD TO PHARAOH: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”

How no? Not literally. Moses is not the One God we worship neither is he a part that forms the God we worship.

Moses is god by virtue of being sent by God, but Moses is not literally the God who has sent him. Hence, we can say “Moses of God” but not “God the Moses” or “Moses the God”.

So we can see clearly that Acts 4:5 or any other verse, when weighed against the evidence of the Bible, to harmonise it with the most important truth about the Spirit, it says nothing about the Spirit being a person that forms the One God. The Spirit which is OF God, when sent by God, is to be obeyed as God himself. Yet the Spirit remains “Thus saith the Lord, the Spirit is OF God”, not forming a third part of who God is.

The spirit can think, speak, and show the qualities of a personality

Remember we want a clear “Thus saith the Lord” only to establish the truth.

There are many verses that show the Spirit doing that which you would expect a person to do. Here are some examples:

The Spirit intercedes for us with groaning – Romans 8:26

The Spirit searches – Romans 8:27

The Spirit speaks – 1 Timothy 4:1

So, yes the Spirit shows the qualities of a person. But what to we do with the fact that the Spirit belongs to God and is sent by God to do God’s will? Let us look further. We have an interesting hint in 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11. It says,

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

The Bible does something interesting here. The Bible compares the spirit of man and the Spirit of God. What the spirit of man does to man is the same that the Spirit of God does to God, i.e. know the deep things of God.

So far, the Spirit of God is still the Spirit belonging to God, searching the things of God, knowing the things of God, and as sent by God revealing the things of God to us. Yet in doing so, the Spirit exhibits a personality, by doing, speaking, even thinking. That’s all that we have from the Bible directly stated about the Spirit of God. Beyond that we can have our speculation, but it is not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Let us look at the spirit of man. We do so because the spirit of man to man has been compared to the Spirit of God to God by the Bible. How does the spirit of man relate to man? Or from a different angle, when Paul compared the spirit of man to the Spirit of God, was that something he could find in the Bible?

Let consider this case of Jacob and his spirit, the spirit of Jacob.

Genesis 45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

Would you say according to this statement, the spirit of Jacob showed a personality? Yes, a person is revived by receiving good words. So was the spirit of Jacob after receiving the good words from Joseph and seeing the wagons from Joseph. But who was revived? Was another person other than Jacob, i.e. a second person called Jacob’s spirit revived? No. The revival of the spirit of Jacob is the revival of Jacob himself, in his very life or spirit.

Psalms 77:3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

The spirit of David showed to qualities of a person. The spirit of David was overwhelmed and also made diligent search. So, of a truth the spirit of David has a personality just like David. But, is the spirit of David a second person to David or a second part of who David is? No. The Spirit of David is David himself. When the spirit of David is overwhelmed, David is overwhelmed. When the spirit of David is making diligent search, David is calling to remembrance.

We have many more examples of the attributes of God and man displaying personalities. Here are a few more.

Agape love (charity) shows a personality in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 when charity “suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Wisdom shows a personality in Proverbs 9 when wisdom “builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city”

Grace shows a personality when it “bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11) and “frustrated” (Galatians 2:21).

Just like the Spirit of God, the love of God, the wisdom of God and he grace of God all have a personality. If having a personality is the evidence of being another person which makes a part of who God is, then we have more than three on one god. We have five if not more than five in one God.

However, in all these cases we know already that the love of God, the wisdom of God and the grace of God are God’s attributes that belong to him. The Spirit of God has also been presented as an attribute that belongs to God. Thus, we can say, just as much as the love, wisdom and grace of God accomplish that which God wants, so is the Spirit of God. Just as much as to frustrate the grace of God (Galatians 2:21) is to frustrate God Himself not another person called the grace of God, so is the lying to the Spirit lying to the God who owns and sends His Spirit to us.

Here is how David understood the Holy Spirit of God.

Psalms 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psalms 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

According to David, the Spirit of God can be fled from. The Spirit of God is the presence of the same God.

So let us summarise what we have seen.

There is only truth in God, no truth mixed with a lie.
All lies come from one source, the devil.
We must know the true identity of the One God we worship, that is eternal life.
We must decide only on the basis of a clear “Thus saith the Lord” because Christ spoke in simple language simple enough for babies.
We measured the statement that says:
1. The One God is formed the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
1. The One God is made up of three persons.
1. The One God is not a person, but a concept of unity.

Against a clear “Thus saith the Lord”.

We found that:
- The One God of the Bible is the Father.
- God has a Son begotten from eternity before the world was created.
- The Son of God is God by inheritance but not the One God.
- We do not have two Gods, but one God and His divine Son.
- The Spirit belongs to God as God’s own presence..
- Of all these points, we did not make an assumption.
- Those who believe that the One God is made up of three persons teach that they assume this doctrine because it is not clearly taught in the Bible.
We therefore conclude that the idea of a One God formed out of three persons is a lie. There is no “Thus saith the Lord” in this idea, but there is “Thus saith the men”.

God’s blessings to you all.

The Rock Fortress Ministries

Email: therockfortress@gmail.com

Website: www.rockfortress.net

YouTube

Facebook

05 September 2020

Opinions & Ideas

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 4

September 5, 2020 rockfortress Leave a comment

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 4

From part 3 we continue here.

So, is Christ God?

Having declared with a simple “Thus saith the Lord” that the One God is the Father, a question is raised. Is Christ also God? Let us see what the Bible says.

John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Thomas declares in very simple way calling Christ “My God”. So, we see that Christ is called God.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah the prophet also declared that Christ would be called “the mighty God”. So, we see again that Christ is called God in the words of prophecy (Isaiah) and of witness (Thomas).

We can say “thus saith the Lord, Christ is called God”.

That’s confusing isn’t it? We saw that the One God is the Father only. So how is it that Christ is also God? Do we now have two Gods? This is where many people choose to throw away all the “Thus saith the Lord” we have seen so far and start forming a new One God out of many persons, which as we saw is an assumption and a lie.

But let us read further. Why is Christ also called God, when the One God is already there, the Father only? We turn to Hebrews and find this.

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he [God] hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he [God] made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his [God’s] glory, and the express image of his [God’s] person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he [God] at any time, Thou art my [God’s] Son, this day have I [God] begotten thee? And again, I [God] will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he [God] bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he [God] saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he [God] saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son he [God] saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (emphasis added)

Let us see what is going on here. Here we see God and the Bible is explaining how God, the One God has communicated with us, people. First, he communicated through prophets. Later and now, he communicates through his Son. So we see again that the God is there, then his prophets then His Son. But notice what is said to qualify the Son’s role in this communication.

The Son is not like angels. He is much more than angels. That’s because:

God appointed Christ as inheritor of all things – “whom he hath appointed heir of all things”
God made the worlds by Christ – “by whom also he made the worlds”
Christ is the brightness of God’s glory – “Who being the brightness of his glory”
Christ is an exact copy copied from God – “and the express image of his person”
Christ, having been given everything God, he also was given power by God (Matthew 28:18) – “and upholding all things by the word of his power”
Christ, with that power from God, by his flesh (death and resurrection) he took away our sins – “when he had by himself purged our sins”
After taking away our sins, he went back to God and sat, not on his own equal throne, but the right had of God – “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”

Now notice what the Bible goes on to say. We have seen that Christ was given everything by God. The other thing he was given besides the power of God is the very name of God. He inherited it. He has the right to inherit because he is a real Son of God. Thus, he is better than angels.

The Bible now shows us how Christ inherited all things including the name of God from God. This inheritance is shown by the words of God to His Son. God speaks better things to his Son than to angels. God speaks five times in this passage. Remember that in all this speech, God is declaring the inheritance, in other words explaining what the inheritance is. Let us see what God says about His Son’s inheritance.

“For unto which of the angels said he [God] at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?”

First God declares his fatherhood over His Son. He declares that he, God is Christ’s Father because he has begotten Christ. Angels where never told that they were begotten by God.

“And again [God saith], I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”

Then God declares again that he has a Father-Son relationship with Him. In a Father-Son relationship, where there is only one Son, all that belongs to the Father, he gives to the Son, everything. Many Fathers even give their only Son the same name as themselves (Luke 1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.).

“And again, when he [God] bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he [God] saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

God makes it clear that the angels are not in the same class as Christ, God’s Son. God instructed angels to worship Christ as they worship God. So, it is no surprising to us that Christ is to be worshipped. The worship due to him is channelled to the Father, to whom all worship ultimately goes. The worship given to the Son is to the glory of the Father.

“And of the angels he [God] saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

God continues by placing the angels in their right place below Christ, God’s Son. The angels are his ministers. Now, God turns to his Son and finishes off the inheritance ‘speech’ with a strong statement. Listen to this explanation of the inheritance.

“But unto the Son he [God] saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

God declares His Son to be God. Christ having received everything from God, including the right to be worshipped, the same nature (express image of God’s person) as God, the same Spirit as God and a kingdom, God appoints His Son as God thereby completing the inheritance. True, because the Son is and has everything that God is and has, but by inheritance. While God did not inherit from anyone, the Son did inherit everything from His Father.

This Christ, whom God has bestowed with so much, whom God has loved so much, is the one given to us for our salvation. So, the inspired writer says again.

“In giving us His Son, the Father gave the most costly gift that heaven could bestow.” { YRP 200.2}

So now we see the truth. Yes, Christ is called God. But that is not said in order to form a One God by putting the Father and the Son together. NO. He is called God because he inherited being God as the only-begotten Son of the One God. As the son of any earthly king is fully a man and a king like his father, so is Christ, but more. Christ is the express image of His Father, that means he looks like, thinks like, talks like, behaves like His Father. So, the Bible can say:

Christ came to reveal the Father.

Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

When we see him we see the Father. To see Christ is to see the Father, because he has all that the Father has and is all that the Father is. He thinks the same and does the same as the Father. That’s the only way he could reveal the Father to us by his own life.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 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?

Him and His Father are one. Why? Because the Son never does anything, say anything he has not seen from the Father. The behaviour of the Son is exactly as the Father. And they share the same name, the same nature and the same Spirit. They are truly united, truly one but not to form the One God.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Now the truth is out. We do not make two Gods by calling Christ God. No not at all. We simply acknowledge that God made an express image of himself in Christ and gave Christ everything by inheritance. The One God remains the One God, the Father, and the Son remains the Son, God by inheritance, Fully God in the Highest Sense because God gave Him everything. So, the Bible says:

Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead [divinity/deity] bodily. (emphasis added).
John 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

God gave everything to Christ. He is the divine Son of God, fully God by inheritance. By His only begotten sonship to God, Christ is called God.

I trust that so far we have not made a single assumption. We have simply taken a “thus saith the Lord” and no further. We have raised another question. Is Christ the Son of God since he was born as a man on earth or before? Let us see some more plain statements.

John 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John said the same thing again a few verses later.

John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

We know that in terms of earthly number of years, John was older than Christ by about 6 months. But in terms of existence, John says Christ “was before him”. So Christ existed before John existed.

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Christ was with the Father before the world was created. Those are Christ’s own words. He existed before the world was made for by him, the worlds were created.

The inspired writer then says this:

“CHRIST WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, AND LUCIFER, THAT GLORIOUS ANGEL, GOT UP A WARFARE OVER THE MATTER, until he had to be thrust down to the earth” {Ms86-1910 (August 21, 1910) par. 30}. (emphasis added)

“Angels were expelled from heaven because they would not work in harmony with God…THIS FACT THE [FALLEN] ANGELS WOULD OBSCURE, THAT CHRIST WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, and they came to consider that they were not to consult Christ.” {TDG 128.2}. (emphasis added)

So, the truth is out again. Christ was the Son of God, the only-begotten Son of God before he was born on earth. Not just that, if you believer the inspired writer, the devil and his angels did not like that fact and are still busy trying to make that fact unclear.

Continues in Part 5.

God’s blessings to you all.

The Rock Fortress Ministries

Email: therockfortress@gmail.com

Website: www.rockfortress.net

YouTube

Facebook

05 September 2020

Opinions & Ideas

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 3

September 5, 2020 rockfortress Leave a comment

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 3

From Part 2 we continue here.

Who is the One God we worship according to the Bible?

The only way to prove the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is to present the evidence and if possible the facts. Evidence and facts are devoid of assumptions, opinions and sentiments. Evidence and facts are statements which speak for themselves directly saying what they are saying in their own words.

So, what then is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about the God we worship? Well the answer is so simple. You do not need nothing more than to read it directly from the Bible. No need for many books, for learned people, for Greek or Hebrew languages. You can simply read it straight as a “THUS SAITH THE LORD”.

A “thus saith the Lord” is very important. Only those statements that are clearly stated by God in the words of the Bible can be trusted. Statements that are created by men, no matter how many men they are, nor how educated they are, cannot be relied on. In fact, the time of Christ’s earthly ministry tells us that the educated people and the leaders of the people are the most likely to mislead the people. Christ referred to them as “Woe unto you, ye blind guides” (Matthew 23:16) and “You fools and blind” (Matthew 23:17).

The Bible shows that to teach the truth, simple language is necessary. Notice what the Bible says.

2 Corinthians 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.

Except simple words are used to mean what they mean, the teaching of the truth is corrupted. So Paul says to the Corinthians that he was using great plainness of speech. He meant what he said. But today, many theologians make arguments based on claiming that words in the Bible are not plain statements. They say that words in the Bible do not mean what they mean. They claim that the words of the Bible mean what the theologians think they mean.

It is this thinking that God is so mysterious that He cannot simply state that he is three in one but uses certain code words to say so. The devil must be happy with that because with that thinking, one can build just about any doctrine they want, because the actual words of the Bible do not matter, but the construction put on them does.

The inspired writer says this about finding the truth, the whole truth and nothing about the truth.

“History is repeating. With the open Bible in front of them, many religious leaders of our time are destroying faith in it as the Word of God. They dissect the Word and set their own opinions above its plainest statements. This is why unbelief is growing rapidly and iniquity is everywhere.” {HH 113.2} (emphasis added)

An average person now thinks the Bible is so hard to understand. Yes, because they are told that when the Bible says Father, it does not mean Father, when it says Son, it does not mean Son, and when it says ‘one’, that means three persons. When the Bible says “only begotten Son” it does not mean a son born of a father it means “only a special person”. If the words no longer mean what they mean, then where are we getting the meaning from. Yet what we need is the “plainest statements” because only those can be relied on.

“…The Pharisees scoffed at Christ; they criticized the simplicity of his language, which was so plain that the child, the aged, the common people heard him gladly, and were charmed by his words. The Sadducees also derided him because his discourses were so unlike anything delivered by their rulers and scribes. Those Jewish teachers spoke in monotonous tones, and the plainest and most precious scriptures were made uninteresting and unintelligible, buried under such a mass of tradition and learned lore that after the Rabbis had spoken, the people knew less of the meaning of the Scriptures than before they listened…” {CE 142.2} (emphasis added)

Please notice. When we read what Christ said we are reading simple language, plain enough for a child to understand. Is there anyone who says to a child ‘son’ when he does not mean ‘son’? Christ spoke words in their simple meaning as we will see.

The inspired writer continues:

“…In my books, the truth is stated, barricaded by a “Thus saith the Lord.”…—Letter 90, 1906. {CM 126.2} (emphasis added)

“We believe the Sabbath of the fourth commandment because it is written plainly and is the foundation of our religious faith. Let none of us be ashamed of this…. We accept not the authority of men’s councils, but we go further back, even to the councils of heaven. “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89). We take a “Thus saith the Lord.” Here we stand. A DOCTRINE THAT HAS NOT A “Thus saith the Lord” may be accepted by the whole world, but that does not make it truth…. If we want to know the way to heaven we must study the Bible, not man-made theories or man’s suppositions…. We are not at all ashamed of our faith, Seventh-day Adventism, for it is the very best specification we can have. We are waiting for the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Men may scoff and ridicule our faith, but this should not provoke or surprise us. All these demonstrations do not make the truth error, neither do they make error truth. We take our stand firmly and unmovably upon the platform of the Word of God…” {TMK 357.3} (emphasis added)

The doctrine that says the One God we worship is formed of three persons comes from councils of men. It does not have a clear “Thus saith the Lord” to support it. Thus, it is said again “A doctrine that has not a “Thus saith the Lord” may be accepted by the whole world, but that does not make it truth.

If we want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we cannot take anything that has no “Thus saith the Lord.” We must not speculate or assume. Yet, a we saw, it is clearly stated by churches that the doctrine of a One God made from three persons is an assumption. So, we know it is not truth and nothing but the truth. There is no “Thus saith the Lord” in the three in one god doctrine.

The writer goes further:

“Walk by faith in a “Thus saith the Lord.” Rest your case with the Lord, and believe in His Word. Believe, oh, believe the Word of the Lord, and walk by faith, not by sight. Consecrate yourself anew to God. Be loyal and true to a “Thus saith the Lord,” and stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ doth make you free.—Letter 388, November 19, 1907, to a church member in South Lancaster, Massachusetts.” {UL 337.6} (emphasis added)

“In this age of the world there is no safety in departing from a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” however wise and correct the human assumption may appear. Tradition in names and books is nothing. God’s word is everything. The wisdom of the wisest man that lives is foolishness if it swerves one jot or tittle from the word of the living God. God lives, God reigns, and He declares, “Them that honor me I will honor.” Of those who place their sophistry above a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” God says, “I will make their wisdom foolishness.”” {BTS May 1, 1913, par. 3} (emphasis added)

“Those who disregard a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” are casting off their allegiance to God, and exalting human power in His stead. By thus placing themselves in opposition to the God of heaven, men are failing to receive the mark, or sign, by which the people of the world are to know God’s true followers. There is no justification for those who, having the light, close their eyes and their ears to a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” They have taken up the weapons of their warfare against God, and their guilt is made manifest.” { ST November 22, 1899, par. 5 } (emphasis added)

In simple terms, God speaks in plain language. Even when God speaks in symbols, they are plain language.

TAKE ONLY THE PLAIN “THUS SAITH THE LORD” AND NO FURTHER

What does a “Thus saith the Lord” mean to you? What does a simple reading of the Bible mean to you? Would you agree that it means this?

ONLY WHAT IS CLEARLY PLAINLY STATED

No need for assumptions and reasonings beyond what is simply stated. No ‘if this then that’. Just read it as it says.

With that let us read the simple “Thus saith the Lord” of who the one God we worship is.

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

The identity of the One God is the part of the first commandment given to Moses.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee [you – just one] the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (emphasis added)

To know the Father of Jesus Christ, is to know the ONE ONLY TRUE God. It is the One True God who sent Christ.

Romans 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The God is the Father of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

There is One God, the Father of all.

Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

There is One God the Father of All

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

The One God can be easily identified. Christ mediates between God and us.

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

To believe in the One God is to do well.

1 John 5: 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him [God] that is true, and we are in him [God] that is true, even in his [God’s] Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

This passage puts together all the verses before. Notice what John is saying. Firstly, he says we know we belong to God and the world lies in wickedness. How do we know? Because when the Son of God came, he gave us an understanding. What understanding did he give us? That we may know the true God, in whom we are. How are we in him? Because we have his Son Jesus Christ. So, what does this all mean? John says it means this is the true God, and eternal life. And the last verse, if we are not worshipping him, we are in idols.

So, judge for yourself. If we are looking for a clear “Thus saith the Lord”, can we say with confidence:

Thus saith the Lord, “There is One God the Father of all”.

Yes, we can, it is stated several times in exactly those words. We add nothing, we remove nothing, we do not assume, we read and stop there with the plain simple language. This is true in any language the Bible has been translated in. Just pick it up and read and we will all see the same thing.

We can read throughout the Bible and see this. There is always One God, the Father. God the Father has a Son and God the Father has a Spirit as we will see later. The Son of God and the Spirit of God are never said to form the One God, but to belong to the One God. This is the truth, and nothing but the truth.

Continues in Part 4 and Part 5

God’s blessings to you all.

The Rock Fortress Ministries

Email: therockfortress@gmail.com

Website: www.rockfortress.net

YouTube

Facebook

05 September 2020

Opinions & Ideas

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 2

September 5, 2020 rockfortress Leave a comment

Tell me nothing but the truth – Part 2

From Part 1, we continue here.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Another verse which has the three mentioned in one sentence is Matthew 28:19. However, there is no ONE mentioned here. In Matthew 28:19, there is an instruction to baptise in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. In this verse there is no talk of forming a One God out of the three. There is only baptism and a name. But what does the Bible teach about baptism, the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost? Let us start with baptism.

Baptism symbolises the death and resurrection of Christ. The death and resurrection of Christ reconciles us with God. To support that we read:

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

In baptism, we are baptised with the Holy Spirit, and we receive the Holy Spirit by whom we are sealed to salvation.

Acts 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

So in short, in baptism, we are reconciled with the Father, through the sacrifice of Christ, to receive the Holy Spirit. That if the baptismal formula. None of that demands that the three be One God for baptism to takes place. Nowhere does Matthew 28:19 teach that the Father, the Son and the Spirit form One God.

But how about the name. About the name of God we read:

Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

In this verse we see the name of God. How about Christ?

Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

We hear that Christ inherited a name and this name was from his Father. Only a father’s name can be inherited by a son. So, the Father’s name is his name. The inspired writer confirms this by saying.

“Jehovah is the name given to Christ.” (The Signs of the Times, May 3, 1899, p. 2.; 7ABC 439.3) (emphasis added)

And about the Spirit we read:

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name…

So, we see that the Spirit came in the name of Christ, and Christ inherited the same name that belongs to his Father. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit do come to us in three different independent names. There is only one name, that of God, the Father. The name was inherited by God’s Son, and the Spirit was given in the same name. It is no surprise then that we have one name for baptism whilst God, His Son and His Spirit are all involved in the same baptis.

Again, in all this, there is nowhere where the forming of One God out of three persons is taught.

There is a bit more about this name. We quote the inspired writer again.

“The creation of the worlds, the mystery of the gospel, are for one purpose, to make manifest to all created intelligences, through nature and through Christ, the glories of the divine character. By the marvelous display of his love in giving “his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” the glory of God is revealed to lost humanity and to the intelligences of other worlds. The Lord of heaven and earth revealed his glory to Moses, when he offered his prayer to Jehovah in behalf of idolatrous Israel, and pleaded, “Show me thy glory.” And the Lord said: “I will make all my goodness to pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy…. And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock.” { ST April 25, 1892, par. 2 } (emphasis added)

We see here that the name of the Lord, is his character of love. We see that character and identity (name) go together. Then the Bible says:

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

Those who are going to be triumphant over the world have the Father’s name written on their foreheads. That same one name (both identity and character) is on them too. They identify with God and have God’s character.

Therefore, at baptism we are to receive the one name of the One God, who gave his name to his Son, sent His Spirit in the same name and gives us a seal by the same name. In all that, there is no forming of a God made up of three, God remains One God from whom the name, the character, the Son and the Spirit all come.

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

We could also search for this One God made up of three in 2 Corinthians 13:14 since it is another verse which mentions the three. What we see there is that Christ has grace, God has love and we communion through the Holy Ghost. There is nothing about forming a One God out of three persons. In fact, only one is identified as God in this verse and we know that is the Father.

If we read further in the Bible we will see that the Father also has grace and the Son has love.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…

If we read even further, we will see that the communion/fellowship we have between ourselves is with the Father and the Son through the Spirit.

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

By the same Spirit, we have communion with the Father and the Son. Therefore, in 2 Corinthians 13:14, there is no reason to assume that the One God is formed out of three persons. God remains God, His Son remains the Son of God and His Spirit remains the Spirit of God.

Summary

We can check all the Bible, but we will never see any statement that says the One God we worship is made up of three persons. In fact, this fact that no passage teaches the one-in-three-god is so true it is agreed by the churches, even the churches which preach that the One God is made up of three persons. They all know that the one-in-three-god is not taught by the Bible. Here are two quotes to confirm that.

“While no single Scripture passage states the doctrine of the Trinity, it is assumed as a fact… only by faith can we accept the existence of the Trinity.” — (Adventist Review, Vol. 158, No. 31, p. 4) (emphasis added)

“The concept of the Trinity, namely the idea that the three are one, is not explicitly stated but only assumed.” — Fernando L. Canale, The Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopaedia, Volume 12, page 138, ‘Doctrine of God’ (emphasis added)

Notice here that it is officially taught that the idea of a one in three god is an assumption. We wonder how many times an assumption can be made to turn it into truth. Yet, in the passages quoted from the modern SDA theology. We wonder how this world would be if assumptions were treated as facts. More importantly, who would inspire such a move whether the forces of truth or the forces of error?

Therefore, if we all want the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, if we do not want truth mixed with a lie or an assumption, then we can embrace the truth that the idea of a One God formed by three persons is not there in the Bible. That the One God we worship is formed by three persons is a lie, and in God, there is no lie.

Continues in Part 3 to Part 5.

God’s blessings to you all.

The Rock Fortress Ministries

Email: therockfortress@gmail.com

Website: www.rockfortress.net

YouTube

Facebook

05 September 2020