THE HOLY TRINITYandTHE DEITY OF JESUS THE CHRISTHome www.moelder.freeservers.com mailto:moelder@usa.netAll pages are in draft form and may be changed at any time. Sola Scriptura - Solus Christus - Sola Gratia – Sola Fide - Soli Deo Gloria. No King but King Jesus. ATONING BLOOD OF CHRIST ALONE Judaism and Islam are blasphemy of the Holy Trinity. Every explanation of the Holy Trinity is an explanation of the Deity of Jesus The Christ. If one is going to trust God some understanding of God is essential.
Contrary to popular teachers, the doctrine of The Holy Trinity did not originate with Constantine or even Rome; the earliest disciples of Jesus The Christ discussed the concept in well documented manuscripts. Upon encountering those who consider themselves Christian and those who may be seeking the Lord I find that most do not give a clear or even rudimentary explanation of the Holy Trinity a complete understanding of which can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit. Once I am able to see the awakening of a desire to discuss the subject and move beyond a rudimentary discussion of Holy Scripture into the miraculous work of the disciples of the first centuries, from whom much valuable study and supporting information on the Holy Trinity can be found in the old creeds, I find it difficult to get to that information with a pilgrim once the word Catholic is mentioned.
I find myself struggling with the Anti-Catholic bigotry, slander of the Theotokos and Jewish Supremacy of those deluded by End-Time Heretics, rather than discussing how effective the Athanasian Creed can be in refuting the early Gnostic statements which are repeatedly raising an ugly Anti-Christian head.
The confusion about the Holy Trinity opens a window for cultic leaders to mislead new pilgrims about the nature of God superficially using scripture having a hidden agenda to promote some other non-biblical practice and promoting a Church much like we find described in Ezekiel Chapter 8. SECTION I. THE HOLY TRINITY. A. JESUS REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE SON OF MAN. B. THE SUFFERING MESSIAH. C. JESUS THE CHRIST IS PRE-EXISTENT AND UNCREATED. D. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD or THE ANGEL OF JEHOVAH. E. JESUS THE CHRIST IS: THE ONE MEDIATOR, ADVOCATE AND INTERCESSOR. F. JESUS THE CHRIST IS: THE LIVING WORD or LOGOS. THE LORD. THE CHRIST. THE CREATOR. 1. IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES 2. IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES BOOK 3 CHAPTER VI. THE HOLY GHOST, THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES, MADE MENTION OF NO OTHER GOD OR LORD, SAVE HIM WHO IS THE TRUE GOD. 3. IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES BOOK 3 CHAPTER XVI. PROOFS FROM THE APOSTOLIC WRITINGS, THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS ONE AND THE SAME, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, PERFECT GOD AND PERFECT MAN. 4. IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES BOOK 4 CHAPTER XXV. BOTH COVENANTS WERE PREFIGURED IN ABRAHAM, AND IN THE LABOUR OF TAMAR; THERE WAS, HOWEVER, BUT ONE AND THE SAME GOD TO EACH COVENANT. G. ATHANASIAN CREED H. SAINT AUGUSTINE, ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE I, Chapter 5. 397 A.D. I. COUNCIL
OF CHALCEDON 451 A.D.
J. APOSTLES CREED.
K. General Character of the Ecumenical Creeds.
L. TERTULLIAN.
M. theophilus of antioch
N. justin martyr
O. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
P. THE DIDACHE
Q. THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE
SECTION II. A further Study on the Deity of Christ. SECTION I. THE HOLY TRINITY.
A.
JESUS
REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE SON OF MAN: In
his book, APOLOGETICS AN INTRODUCTION, William Lane Craig writes.
.................................."It seems to me very
likely that
Jesus did claim to be the Son of Man. Most people think this title refers to
Jesus' humanity, just as the title Son of
God refers to his
deity. But this fails to
make into account the Jewish background of the
term. In the book of
Daniel, the Son of
Man is a divine figure who
will come at the end of the world to establish his kingdom of God and
judge mankind. This was Jesus' favorite self‑ description and is
the title found most frequently in the gospels (80 times). Yet
remarkably, this title is
found only once outside the Gospels in the
rest of the New Testament. That shows that the designation of
Jesus as Son of Man was not a title that arose in later Christian usage and
was then read back into the Gospels. There
seems to be no good
reason to deny that Jesus regarded Himself and called Himself the Son of
Man. Now some critics
are willing to allow this, but they maintain in calling Himself Son
of Man Jesus merely meant "a human person, just as the Old Testament
prophet Ezekial referred to Himself as a son of man. But as C.F.D. Moule
of Cambridge University points out, With Jesus there is a crucial
difference. For Jesus did not refer to Himself as a son of man, like
Ezekial, but as the Son of Man. Most critics have long overlooked
Jesus' constant use of the definite article with the title. By calling
Himself the Son of Man, Jesus was directing attention to the
divine end‑time figure of Daniel 7. During the
intertestamental period, this title ‑‑the Son of Man was used of the divine
person who would come to usher in
the kingdom of God. It was this
title that Jesus seized upon and
used to describe who He was. It may
well be that Jesus preferred this title to Messiah because the later
title had become so overlaid
with political and temporal
considerations in Jewish thinking
that to claim to be the Messiah would
obscure rather than elucidate the true nature of his mission."
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the
Son
of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the
Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom,
that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and
his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
B. THE SUFFERING MESSIAH.
Craig continues: "The
concept of a suffering Messiah as opposed to a conquering and ruling king
was unheard of." Matt
8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where
to
lay his head.
Matt 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on
earth
to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,)
Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
Matt 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye
into
another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over
the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Mark 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must
suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the
chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days
rise again.
Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my
words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also
shall
the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his
Father with the holy angels. C.
JESUS
THE CHRIST IS PREEXISTENT AND UNCREATED: Robert
P. Lightner wrote in his book EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY concerning the preexistence
of Jesus the Christ, ........."that
the birth of the Son of God did not signal his beginning. He always existed
as God's Son before He was born of Mary. He always was as eternal as God
himself. When evangelicals refer to the preexistence of Christ, They mean
He existed eternally as the second person of the Godhead. The claim for
Christ's pre‑existence is based on ample biblical support. Every support for
the Savior's Deity is also support for his eternal pre‑ existence. The
Doctrine of the Trinity provides a strong support for the timeless existence
of Christ. The statements, that he is God, and always was, stand or fall
together. Names and titles of
Christ used in the Old Testament lend strong support for His eternal
preexistence. Jesus the Christ is as eternal as the god whose names were
assigned to him in his preincarnate state.
For example, Christ is called,
"Jehovah our righteousness" (Jer. 23:5‑6; 1 Cor 1:30).
Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
raise
unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and
prosper, and
shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall
dwell
safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE
LORD
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1
Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made
unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: Divine names Jehovah and
Elohim are used of Christ (Isa. 40:3; Luke 3:4).
Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare
ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway
for
our God.
Luke 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias
the
prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Micah wrote of the Son of God as "from of old" (Mic.
5:2)".
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come
forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have
been from of old, from everlasting.
Habakkuk refers to God's eternal nature (Hab. 1:12).
Hab 1:12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine
Holy
One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for
judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for
correction. Therefore the Son
is as eternal as God Himself. Hundreds of years before Mary conceived by
the Holy Spirit, Isaiah called the Son yet unborn "the mighty God, the
everlasting Father" ( Isa. 9:6).
Isa 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. D. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD or THE ANGEL OF JEHOVAH.
THEOPHANIES OF JESUS THE CHRIST AS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
Robert
P. Lightner wrote in his book EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY concerning the preexistence
of Jesus the Christ,
"The angel of
Jehovah is identified as Christ in his preincarnate state,
further support is gained for his preexistence.
The identification
usually follows along these
lines: The angel of Jehovah is identified as Jehovah in Genesis 16:7-13;
22:15-18".
Gen 16:7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of
water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
Gen 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou?
Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy
Gen 16:10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will
multitude.
Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou
Gen 16:12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against
Gen 16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto
Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham
Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying
sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess
the
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
"In other Scripture the angel is an altogether
distinct person from Jehovah (Zech. 1:12-13).
Zec 1:12 Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD
of
cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these
Zec 1:13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me
with " Only the second person of the Trinity is seen in
bodily, visible form in the New Testament. It would seem to follow,
therefore, that the second person of the Trinity was the one who
appeared bodily in
the Old testament.
After the incarnation the angel of Jehovah no longer appears. Both the angel in the Old Testament
and the Son in the New were sent by the Father.
This provides additional identification of the two as the same and thus supports Christ's
eternal preexistence." another theophany of christ in the old testament The disciple Stephen, and Martyr, testifies of the deity of christ. The deity of
the i am so easily summarized as the holy trinity. notice – the
glory of god notice - the angel of the lorD notice - the church in the wilderness Acts 71Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 2And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. 7And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. 8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. 9And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. 12But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 15So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 16And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem. 17But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: 21And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. 30And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the LORD came unto him, 32Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 39To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 44Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47But Solomon built him an house. 48Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50Hath not my hand made all these things? 51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
E. JESUS THE CHRIST IS: THE ONE MEDIATOR, ADVOCATE AND INTERCESSOR.
Irenaeus: born circa 120 A.D. died circa 203 Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 3 Chapter VI. The Holy Ghost, throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, made mention of no other God or Lord, save him who is the true God. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103306.htm http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/fathers/ante-nic/irenaeus/03-ag-he.htm Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 3 Chapter XVI. Proofs from the apostolic writings, that Jesus Christ was one and the same, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103316.htm http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/fathers/ante-nic/irenaeus/03-ag-he.htm Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 4 Chapter XXV.—Both covenants were prefigured in Abraham, and in the labour of Tamar; there was, however, but one and the same God to each covenant. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103425.htm http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/fathers/ante-nic/irenaeus/04-ag-he.htm G. ATHANASIAN CREED From
The Book of Common Prayer, (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1979),
pp 864 - 865. THE CREED OF SAINT
ATHANASIUS
Quicumque Vult (Whoever wishes)
commonly called
The Creed of Saint Athanasius. Circa 325 A.D.
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that
he hold the Catholic Faith. Which faith except everyone do keep
whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly.
And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in
Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons,
nor dividing the substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and
another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy
Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost
uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the
Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost
eternal.
And yet they are not three eternal, but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three
uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the son Almighty, and the
Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but
one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the holy Ghost is
God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So
likewise the father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the holy
Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For as like
we
are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every
person
by himself to be both God and Lord.
So we be forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, there be
The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made,
nor
created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three
sons, one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is
greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are
co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and
the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He therefore that
will be saved must think of the trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to eternal salvation that he
believe rightly the Incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ.
For the right faith is , that we believe and confess, that our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man:
God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the
worlds; and Man; of the substance of His Mother, born in the
world;
Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human
flesh subsisting;
Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the
Father, as touching his Manhood.
Who although he be both God and Man, yet He is not two, but one
Christ;
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking
of the Manhood into God;
One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of
Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man
is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again
the
third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the
Father,
God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and
the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and
shall
give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into everlasting; and
they
that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe
faithfully,
he cannot be saved. Athanasius
was engaged in a dispute with many religious leaders of the day. Perhaps
the most prominent were Pelagius, a Briton and Arius a North African.
The false
teaching of Pelagius about the nature of Christ was widespread.
Evidence of the
Pelagian Arian heresy continues today in the written
commentary of Men of Letters. Particularly
in Columbia, a professor who received national recognition in 1988 for
his Political Science activities with regard to the first amendment,
has demonstrated
his ignorance of history. In a recent editorial in a local paper he has
perpetuated the error by suggesting that Trinitarians are not
Monotheist. This was
offered by him as fact rather than opinion, much less with reference
to the controversy
of the first seven centuries A.D. From
the, HISTORY OF Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages by Etienne
Gilson, random
House, published 1954, page 579.
a further description of Athanasius. Athanasius,
born ca. 295 at Alexandria, died a Bishop of that city on May 2, 373. Ever
since the council of Nicaea where he had played a leading part,
Atahnasius was
engaged in ceaseless battles against the Arians. He was five times
exiled from Alexandria
as a consequence of their attacks against him. He
is also described as among the "Greek" Church Fathers. H. SAINT AUGUSTINE, ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE I, Chapter 5. 397 A.D. ROBERT
MAYNORD HUTCHINS, EDITOR IN CHIEF, GREAT BOOKS OF THE WESTERN WORLD, Volume
18, AUGUSTINE, (London, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.,
1952), pp 625 ‑ 626 ST. AUGUSTINE, ON
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE I, Chapter 5. 397 A.D. The true objects of
enjoyment, then are the Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit, who
are at the same time the Trinity,
one Being, supreme |