I never believed in Three Gods

[kingdomapostle]

Hi all! New here. I'm so new, I'm even sure that this is where I would post a topic like this, but here goes.

I was raised baptist and even began my ministry in a small baptist church. I was filled with the Holy Ghost at a very early age (and yes I had evidence-speaking in tongues and I prophesied). It was there that I got a GREAT start and a firm foundation.

I became an Apostolic preacher while in college. I was able to appreciate the strong teachings about holiness, prayer, deliverance..etc. However, they always said "we- Baptist folks" believed in three Gods, and I NEVER did.

I just thought that this would be interesting.

I don't know what has or what has not been discussed but...

I thought I'd give it a go.

:) Thanks!

[Aquila]

Hi all! New here. I'm so new, I'm even sure that this is where I would post a topic like this, but here goes.

I was raised baptist and even began my ministry in a small baptist church. I was filled with the Holy Ghost at a very early age (and yes I had evidence-speaking in tongues and I prophesied). It was there that I got a GREAT start and a firm foundation.

I became an Apostolic preacher while in college. I was able to appreciate the strong teachings about holiness, prayer, deliverance..etc. However, they always said "we- Baptist folks" believed in three Gods, and I NEVER did.

I just thought that this would be interesting.

I don't know what has or what has not been discussed but...

I thought I'd give it a go.

:) Thanks!

Baptists don't believe in three Gods. Baptists primarily believe that there is only one God who is revealed in three eternal persons, each exhibiting a distinct persona of God (God as Father, God as Son, and God as Spirit). Each are distinct persons... but the same God.

[kingdomapostle]

Baptists don't believe in three Gods. Baptists primarily believe that there is only one God who is revealed in three eternal persons, each exhibiting a distinct persona of God (God as Father, God as Son, and God as Spirit). Each are distinct persons... but the same God.

GASP! You mean there is no three headed god seated on the throne? My Sunday School teacher has failed me. ITS A JOKE!!! :heeheehee

Okay, yeah many of them do. However, even this much is not usually taught. It's just assumed I guess. Anyway...thanks for your reply.

[acerrak]

Hi all! New here. I'm so new, I'm even sure that this is where I would post a topic like this, but here goes.

I was raised baptist and even began my ministry in a small baptist church. I was filled with the Holy Ghost at a very early age (and yes I had evidence-speaking in tongues and I prophesied). It was there that I got a GREAT start and a firm foundation.

I became an Apostolic preacher while in college. I was able to appreciate the strong teachings about holiness, prayer, deliverance..etc. However, they always said "we- Baptist folks" believed in three Gods, and I NEVER did.

I just thought that this would be interesting.

I don't know what has or what has not been discussed but...

I thought I'd give it a go.

:) Thanks!

oneness pentacostals claim trinitarians are trithiestic because they define God as three persons. One God shown in 3 diferent persons.

when the new thing came into place. Oneness view. There was alot of pride behind it, with comments like we are the true trinitarians. and many behind it disfellowshiped with other trinitarians because of it.

today there is a sour taste in the pentacostal camps between each other. some from both sides calling each other heritics and cults. when in fact trying to understand the Godhead isnt a slavational issue.

and so the battle has been raging for the last 90+ years with radicals from both sides making it worse.

each side saying we got the truth, when actuallity we all are looking through a darkened glass, but one day face to face.

[kingdomapostle]

oneness pentacostals claim trinitarians are trithiestic because they define God as three persons. One God shown in 3 diferent persons.

when the new thing came into place. Oneness view. There was alot of pride behind it, with comments like we are the true trinitarians. and many behind it disfellowshiped with other trinitarians because of it.

today there is a sour taste in the pentacostal camps between each other. some from both sides calling each other heritics and cults. when in fact trying to understand the Godhead isnt a slavational issue.

and so the battle has been raging for the last 90+ years with radicals from both sides making it worse.

each side saying we got the truth, when actuallity we all are looking through a darkened glass, but one day face to face.

Yup. I've concluded the same. Both are just ATTEMPTS in TRYING to understand God. ATTEMPTS...at best. Jesus is. That's after my degree in Theology and everything. I just arrived at a point in which I said you know what--I BELIEVE JESUS. That's cool for me. Just thought I'd mention it though. :)

Oh, and girls who don't wear skirts all the time don't end up pregnant. lol

[kingdomapostle]

I should have named this...

I don't believe in Three God's (and other myths about Trinitarians-- and I never knew I was a trinitarian until I was Apostolic) lol

[Sam]

I became a Christian on March 28, 1955. Shortly after that I joined a local Baptist Church in our small town. I also participated in a couple of correspondence courses from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. One of them was on Romans and one of them, called The Bible Says, was on doctrine. God was described as being three persons but one God. I was told that just as there is no way you could contain the whole ocean in a teacup, there is no way our small human brain could understand God. I often wondered if there were three separate spirits in God, if one of them (the Son) took on humanity to die on the cross, and if so, what happened to that body in heaven --was it stuck off in the corner somewhere while the spirit who was the Son was kneeling at the right hand of the Father's throne praying to the Father.

On December 6, 1955 (my 18th birthday) I prayed before going to bed as usual. As I got off my knees and was getting into bed I received what I believe to be a "revelation." Some how I "saw" (but not a literal picture) that God is one invisible Spirit who visited planet earth in a human body to pay the penalty for my sin and is now living in us as the Holy Spirit. I saw that Jesus was God manifested in flesh and whatever we find Jesus doing or saying could be as God or could be as man. Now, this did not answer all my questions but it helped me see that God acts and moves in various ways but is not three separate spirit beings in heaven.

I've since come to the conclusion that our word "person" came from a word meaning "persona" or "mask" or "role" and that one God can be three "persons" if we take that as meaning that one God plays all three roles --Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-- in the drama of redemption.

I still go along with the teacup and the ocean thing. We humans cannot reduce an infinite God into a package small enough to fit into our puny brain and into our human understanding and explanation or theological package. I don't really like the labels oneness and trinity and don't like to categorize people that way. I think we all believe in one God who came to us in the person of His Son and who lives in us as the Holy Spirit.

[acerrak]

I should have named this...

I don't believe in Three God's (and other myths about Trinitarians-- and I never knew I was a trinitarian until I was Apostolic) lol

there is a few of us here that has went through the oneness camp and came out differently

[kingdomapostle]

I became a Christian on March 28, 1955. Shortly after that I joined a local Baptist Church in our small town. I also participated in a couple of correspondence courses from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. One of them was on Romans and one of them, called The Bible Says, was on doctrine. God was described as being three persons but one God. I was told that just as there is no way you could contain the whole ocean in a teacup, there is no way our small human brain could understand God. I often wondered if there were three separate spirits in God, if one of them (the Son) took on humanity to die on the cross, and if so, what happened to that body in heaven --was it stuck off in the corner somewhere while the spirit who was the Son was kneeling at the right hand of the Father's throne praying to the Father.

On December 6, 1955 (my 18th birthday) I prayed before going to bed as usual. As I got off my knees and was getting into bed I received what I believe to be a "revelation." Some how I "saw" (but not a literal picture) that God is one invisible Spirit who visited planet earth in a human body to pay the penalty for my sin and is now living in us as the Holy Spirit. I saw that Jesus was God manifested in flesh and whatever we find Jesus doing or saying could be as God or could be as man. Now, this did not answer all my questions but it helped me see that God acts and moves in various ways but is not three separate spirit beings in heaven.

I've since come to the conclusion that our word "person" came from a word meaning "persona" or "mask" or "role" and that one God can be three "persons" if we take that as meaning that one God plays all three roles --Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-- in the drama of redemption.

I still go along with the teacup and the ocean thing. We humans cannot reduce an infinite God into a package small enough to fit into our puny brain and into our human understanding and explanation or theological package. I don't really like the labels oneness and trinity and don't like to categorize people that way. I think we all believe in one God who came to us in the person of His Son and who lives in us as the Holy Spirit.

AND AGAIN SAM...WE AGREE! Thank you!!!

[kingdomapostle]

there is a few of us here that has went through the oneness camp and came out differently

I see. It's refreshing. :)

[Pendragon]

Unfortunately, a lot of Trinitarians do believe in three gods. Just listen to Christian music or even their prayer and you'll hear it. They're praising (or praying to) the Father, and then the Son, and then the Holy Ghost. They seem to believe they need to spread the worship around to each of their gods so as not to offend any of them.

[Praxeas]

Ive never heard a baptist say "I believe in three gods" but that doesn't mean that any don't theologically have three gods

there is a fine line between the Trinity and Tritheism and many claiming to be Trinitarians routinely cross that line when trying to explain the Trinity or shoot down some one elses theology imo

[kingdomapostle]

Unfortunately, a lot of Trinitarians do believe in three gods. Just listen to Christian music or even their prayer and you'll hear it. They're praising (or praying to) the Father, and then the Son, and then the Holy Ghost. They seem to believe they need to spread the worship around to each of their gods so as not to offend any of them.

I disagree. Nobody I ever knew did. I knew a lot of them (like my entire family and most of the preachers in our community. I even attended bible college and...nope none of them either. :)

[kingdomapostle]

Ive never heard a baptist say "I believe in three gods" but that doesn't mean that any don't theologically have three gods

there is a fine line between the Trinity and Tritheism and many claiming to be Trinitarians routinely cross that line when trying to explain the Trinity or shoot down some one elses theology imo

Oh okay. Never ran into that.

[Sister Alvear]

I copied a couple creeds down over on the fellowship hall maybe you could put down your creed or state if you believe either creed I copied...

[kingdomapostle]

Already read it...left a comment but I did not state my creed. I can but...it will be copy and paste from the doctrinal statement of my ministry, and I'm Apostolic.

[SeekingOne]

I should have named this...

I don't believe in Three God's (and other myths about Trinitarians-- and I never knew I was a trinitarian until I was Apostolic) lol

:heeheehee :thumbsup

[Praxeas]

Oh okay. Never ran into that.
Have you ever heard a trinitarian say "separate and distinct persons"?

[Praxeas]

The following is a quote from a Trinitarian apologist website

While we must guard against separating the three personages (tritheism ) we must also be aware of the flaw of their being numerically one, they are Distinct but not separate. The church has always maintained the indivisibility of God, being so united that they are three inseparable persons. The traditional doctrine called the perichoresis means the mutual indwelling of the three persons, in that each person permeates the other being united in substance. This guarded against any teaching that there are three separate Gods as in tritheism. That if God were deduced to a mathematical formulae he would not be 1+1+1=3 which would be tritheism, but would be 1x1x1=1, a unified one. None of the persons can exist without the other, they all make up the one God in unity. that each person dwells in the other two which makes God indivisible and unquantifiable, so that wherever one of the persons of God is, all of God is there. What we are not saying is that they separate nor physical.
http://www.letusreason.org/Trin7.htm

Any time a Trinitarian uses the word separate OR describes the persons as though they are separate like two persons in a room are separate, they have violated Trinitarianism and moved into the area of Tritheism

[acerrak]

The following is a quote from a Trinitarian apologist website

While we must guard against separating the three personages (tritheism ) we must also be aware of the flaw of their being numerically one, they are Distinct but not separate. The church has always maintained the indivisibility of God, being so united that they are three inseparable persons. The traditional doctrine called the perichoresis means the mutual indwelling of the three persons, in that each person permeates the other being united in substance. This guarded against any teaching that there are three separate Gods as in tritheism. That if God were deduced to a mathematical formulae he would not be 1+1+1=3 which would be tritheism, but would be 1x1x1=1, a unified one. None of the persons can exist without the other, they all make up the one God in unity. that each person dwells in the other two which makes God indivisible and unquantifiable, so that wherever one of the persons of God is, all of God is there. What we are not saying is that they separate nor physical.
http://www.letusreason.org/Trin7.htm

Any time a Trinitarian uses the word separate OR describes the persons as though they are separate like two persons in a room are separate, they have violated Trinitarianism and moved into the area of Tritheism

there is nothing wrong in saying distinct persons. The son and Father are distinct persons. They conduct, act and talk with each other as any 2 persons would do. That is not tritheism . The error of oneness view is there is no distinction of person and the One God is acting out 2 roles at the same time, Like a man with a puppet on each hand talking back and forth to each other.

There is so much distinction and Love between the 2 and yes plurality in the scriptures Like we, and Our, that it simple cant be over looked or explained away

[Praxeas]

there is nothing wrong in saying distinct persons. The son and Father are distinct persons. They conduct, act and talk with each other as any 2 persons would do. That is not tritheism . The error of oneness view is there is no distinction of person and the One God is acting out 2 roles at the same time, Like a man with a puppet on each hand talking back and forth to each other.

There is so much distinction and Love between the 2 and yes plurality in the scriptures Like we, and Our, that it simple cant be over looked or explained away
lol
Read what I posted again. I didn't say there was something wrong with saying DISTINCT persons nor did what I quote say that. The word was SEPARATE

Not DISTINCT

SEPARATE

[acerrak]

lol
Read what I posted again. I didn't say there was something wrong with saying DISTINCT persons nor did what I quote say that. The word was SEPARATE

Not DISTINCT

SEPARATE

my bad im sorry, some times posting into to many topics on to many subject you just get were you do a quick glance

[Sandra79]

Okay stupid question but gonna ask anyways. Dont trinitians believe God is the Father God is the Son and God is the Holy Ghost but the Father is NOT the Son and the Son is NOT the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost is NOT the Father? Then onesness believes that God is all three and they r the same all in ONE rite, theres three dieties but all the same anyway u look at it rite?

[acerrak]

Okay stupid question but gonna ask anyways. Dont trinitians believe God is the Father God is the Son and God is the Holy Ghost but the Father is NOT the Son and the Son is NOT the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost is NOT the Father? Then onesness believes that God is all three and they r the same all in ONE rite, theres three dieties but all the same anyway u look at it rite?

There is One deity expressed 3 different ways, Oneness use the terms Modes while trinitarians use the word Persons.

The argument stims from the wording used. stating three person equal 3 gods, which no trinitarian profess.

They profess 1 God presented in 3 persons. were Oneness presents 1 God 3 manifestations

at one time Oneness pentacostals called themselves the true trinitarians, and this statement was made out of denominational pride. Found in the book of 20Th century pentacostals

[Sam]

There is One deity expressed 3 different ways, Oneness use the terms Modes while trinitarians use the word Persons.

The argument stims from the wording used. stating three person equal 3 gods, which no trinitarian profess.

They profess 1 God presented in 3 persons. were Oneness presents 1 God 3 manifestations

at one time Oneness pentacostals called themselves the true trinitarians, and this statement was made out of denominational pride. Found in the book of 20Th century pentacostals

yeppers.


This is a small article that appeared on page 7 of the December 1948 Pentecostal Herald and was written by Bro. Howard A. Goss who was General Superintendent of the UPC at that time.

GODHEAD

The name of Jesus people teach that there is one true God and this one true God has manifested Himself in the New Testament dispensation especially as Father, Son and Holy Spirit--not three eternally separate, distinct persons or Gods, but three manifestations of the one true God. We believe that we are the true trinitarians because the word trinity means tri-unity--three in one. The people that hold that there are three eternally separate and distinct persons in the Godhead or deity are tritheists which means three Gods or persons.

Those that believe that Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh are the true trinitarians. Paul says in Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." 1 John 5:7 says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Jesus said-"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father--. John 14:9.

The Lord Jesus Christ is Father, Son. and Holy Spirit, so the Lord Jesus Christ is the one true God.

Howard A. Goss.
--------------------------------------------------------

This is from pages 2 and 3 of the Manual of the Pentecostal Church Incorporated. I don’t know what year this is from. In 1945 the Pentecostal Church Inc. (PCI) merged with The Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ (PAJC) and formed the United Pentecostal Church (UPC).


GODHEAD

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:20

There is one ever-living Eternal God, who is Spirit (Isa. 44:6-8; Mark 12:29; John 4:24; 1 Cor 8:6)

He manifested himself in the Old Testament in various ways and under different names, such as God Elohim, God Almighty, El Shaddai and the “I am the I AM,” Jehovah, and especially Jehovah Lord, the redemptive NAME.

In the New Testament this one true God was manifest in the flesh or in His son, Jesus Christ “For when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law”; “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them”; “for in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”; “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell”; “and without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Man is triune, spirit, soul, and body. God is triune, a trinity. Three manifestations of one God, not three eternally distinct persons or Gods, as that is tritheism.

Jesus in His humanity, was man; in His deity, was God. His flesh was the Lamb or sacrifice of God. (Heb 10:10-20).

The Son of God is the only hope of the world. The Man, He is, is the mediator between God and man. (1 Tim 2:5)

God is multiple. That is, He has many names, offices, titles, many manifestations, such as God, Son of God, Son of Man, Lord of All, King, Shepherd, Priest, Holy One, Lamb, Alpha and Omega. He is all and in all. Amen

[Praxeas]

my bad im sorry, some times posting into to many topics on to many subject you just get were you do a quick glance
:thumbsup

[Praxeas]

Okay stupid question but gonna ask anyways. Dont trinitians believe God is the Father God is the Son and God is the Holy Ghost but the Father is NOT the Son and the Son is NOT the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost is NOT the Father? Then onesness believes that God is all three and they r the same all in ONE rite, theres three dieties but all the same anyway u look at it rite?
trinitarians believe there is One God that is three persons. To use a crude analogy imagine a human body but inside that body are three different individuals sharing that one body,the brain..everything

In Oneness the One God is one individual who became human. He became the Son when He was incarnate or took on a human form

In the Trinity God is One Being (the analogy of a human body) that all three persons share equally

[missourimary]

Hi all! New here. I'm so new, I'm even sure that this is where I would post a topic like this, but here goes.

I was raised baptist and even began my ministry in a small baptist church. I was filled with the Holy Ghost at a very early age (and yes I had evidence-speaking in tongues and I prophesied). It was there that I got a GREAT start and a firm foundation.

I became an Apostolic preacher while in college. I was able to appreciate the strong teachings about holiness, prayer, deliverance..etc. However, they always said "we- Baptist folks" believed in three Gods, and I NEVER did.


Interesting. I was raised non-denominational but didn't believe in three gods. I believed in One God the whole time.
I started going to a oneness church in college. They had no problem with me going to the Baptist church on college Bible study nights (or any other times either), and I never heard any of them say anything tritheistic either.
As a matter of fact, it's only since I left that college town that I've heard more emphasis on the co-equal, co-eternal persons of the Godhead--and that was in Oneness circles (teaching against other faiths) than I ever did in Trinitarian circles. When I moved to get a job in the 90s, I was told that I just hadn't gotten a revelation of oneness when I said it was what I had always believed (even in a Trinitarian church). I've come to the conclusion that I had a revelation of oneness, but they might not have a good understanding of the average Christian's concept of Trinitarianism. :haloplug

[kingdomapostle]

it is interesting...anyway, i just thought I would share