It has been said that “youth is wasted on the young.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. But I also say that EDUCATION IS WASTED ON AMERICANS - especially professing Christians!
American “Christians” are so brain-washed that they have lost the capacity to think and analyze truth for themselves. THINKING has become a lost art. I will prove this statement. The proof will be evidenced by THE REACTION of those who have been indoctrinated into such error that NO MATTER WHAT EVIDENCE IS SUPPLIED to refute the error they have been taught, they will refuse to see the evidence because their thinking process is clouded by their emotion, as a result of their brain-washing. You will see that to be so by the reactions of most to this post.
I will deal with the THREE FATAL ERRORS one at a time and will begin with the most controversial.
FATAL ERROR #1 - JESUS IS THE ALMIGHTY SOVEREIGN GOD
Frankly, no matter what evidence is provided to refute this error, people refuse to see it. Any honest, close study of the scriptures, the teachings of the early church fathers, a study of the original languages of scripture, an understanding that the teaching of a trinity is a pagan teaching long before the time of Christ, and a number of other factors like the Law of Non-contradiction, is evidence to which the respondents to this post have been blinded by their indoctrination. You will see that for yourself. Further, no Old Testament scholar could ever claim that there was any understanding that the oracles of God committed to the Jews stated or implied that the Messiah and Almighty God were the same.
Actually, the CONCEPT OF A TRINITY was widespread throughout the Pagan world. In Japan there was a three-headed divinity called San Pao Fuh - in India the trinity was called, Eko Deva Trimurtti (one God, three forms). The Babylonians also had a trinity, as did the Pagans of Siberia, Persia, Egypt, and Scandinavia.
Within about a hundred years of the death of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, the teaching that God is a trinity began to creep into the Christian church. It was championed chiefly by the educated converts from Paganism and resisted by ordinary students of scripture.
The eventual victory of the teaching of the Trinity was a triumph of priests and theologians over the deeply rooted faith of God’s people. The teaching that the Father and the Son are equal was at first denied by all. History shows that early church writers such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Novatian, Arnobius, and Lactantius were very explicit in affirming that the Heavenly Father alone is the supreme God and that Jesus Christ was/is completely subordinate to God’s authority and will.
But a lengthy discussion of this matter would not be beneficial to most as it would require study, research, thinking, analyzing, and considering that what they have been taught MAY BE IN ERROR. No one is interested in that. ARE YOU?
So my approach will be somewhat different. I will discuss one simple irrefutable fact, as clearly defined in Scripture, as my starting point and we’ll see how much BIBLE TRUTH the readers of this forum can tolerate.
I will begin with a simple discussion regarding the TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS, Matthew 4:11; Luke 4:1-13.
First: If Jesus is the Sovereign Almighty Eternal God (YHWH) and therefore cannot be tempted by evil - James 1:13 - what in the world could have been the point in Christ’s temptations?
Consider this: Even though the Devil is not omniscience, he obviously has a tremendous amount of insight and understanding of the things of God beyond our comprehension. If the Devil knew that Jesus was the Sovereign Almighty Eternal God (YHWH), why was he trying to tempt Him if he knew He couldn’t be tempted to sin?
Second: Even though Adam was created sinless, he was created WITH THE CAPACITY to sin. Therefore, the capacity to sin IS an ESSENTIAL PART of the human nature, EVEN BEFORE THE FALL. How do we know? Adam & Eve sinned.
Therefore, if Jesus Christ DID NOT have the capacity to sin, He was not human AS Adam was human. In addition, he could not have been “tempted in all points LIKE we are” because when we are tempted our capacity to sin is what leads us to sin. HELLO? Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (ESV) (emphasis mine.)
Based on simple logic, and the record of Scripture, if Jesus did not have the capacity to sin, His temptations were NOT like Adam’s.
If the Messiah COULD NOT HAVE a sin nature, does that mean he did not have the CAPACITY to sin? Without the capacity to sin THERE IS NO TEMPTATION! That’s why Almighty God cannot be tempted - James 1:13.
Some questions to ponder for those really interested in Biblical Truth.
Doc
John 20:17; Revelation 3:12
American “Christians” are so brain-washed that they have lost the capacity to think and analyze truth for themselves. THINKING has become a lost art. I will prove this statement. The proof will be evidenced by THE REACTION of those who have been indoctrinated into such error that NO MATTER WHAT EVIDENCE IS SUPPLIED to refute the error they have been taught, they will refuse to see the evidence because their thinking process is clouded by their emotion, as a result of their brain-washing. You will see that to be so by the reactions of most to this post.
I will deal with the THREE FATAL ERRORS one at a time and will begin with the most controversial.
FATAL ERROR #1 - JESUS IS THE ALMIGHTY SOVEREIGN GOD
Frankly, no matter what evidence is provided to refute this error, people refuse to see it. Any honest, close study of the scriptures, the teachings of the early church fathers, a study of the original languages of scripture, an understanding that the teaching of a trinity is a pagan teaching long before the time of Christ, and a number of other factors like the Law of Non-contradiction, is evidence to which the respondents to this post have been blinded by their indoctrination. You will see that for yourself. Further, no Old Testament scholar could ever claim that there was any understanding that the oracles of God committed to the Jews stated or implied that the Messiah and Almighty God were the same.
Actually, the CONCEPT OF A TRINITY was widespread throughout the Pagan world. In Japan there was a three-headed divinity called San Pao Fuh - in India the trinity was called, Eko Deva Trimurtti (one God, three forms). The Babylonians also had a trinity, as did the Pagans of Siberia, Persia, Egypt, and Scandinavia.
Within about a hundred years of the death of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, the teaching that God is a trinity began to creep into the Christian church. It was championed chiefly by the educated converts from Paganism and resisted by ordinary students of scripture.
The eventual victory of the teaching of the Trinity was a triumph of priests and theologians over the deeply rooted faith of God’s people. The teaching that the Father and the Son are equal was at first denied by all. History shows that early church writers such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Novatian, Arnobius, and Lactantius were very explicit in affirming that the Heavenly Father alone is the supreme God and that Jesus Christ was/is completely subordinate to God’s authority and will.
But a lengthy discussion of this matter would not be beneficial to most as it would require study, research, thinking, analyzing, and considering that what they have been taught MAY BE IN ERROR. No one is interested in that. ARE YOU?
So my approach will be somewhat different. I will discuss one simple irrefutable fact, as clearly defined in Scripture, as my starting point and we’ll see how much BIBLE TRUTH the readers of this forum can tolerate.
I will begin with a simple discussion regarding the TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS, Matthew 4:11; Luke 4:1-13.
First: If Jesus is the Sovereign Almighty Eternal God (YHWH) and therefore cannot be tempted by evil - James 1:13 - what in the world could have been the point in Christ’s temptations?
Consider this: Even though the Devil is not omniscience, he obviously has a tremendous amount of insight and understanding of the things of God beyond our comprehension. If the Devil knew that Jesus was the Sovereign Almighty Eternal God (YHWH), why was he trying to tempt Him if he knew He couldn’t be tempted to sin?
Second: Even though Adam was created sinless, he was created WITH THE CAPACITY to sin. Therefore, the capacity to sin IS an ESSENTIAL PART of the human nature, EVEN BEFORE THE FALL. How do we know? Adam & Eve sinned.
Therefore, if Jesus Christ DID NOT have the capacity to sin, He was not human AS Adam was human. In addition, he could not have been “tempted in all points LIKE we are” because when we are tempted our capacity to sin is what leads us to sin. HELLO? Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (ESV) (emphasis mine.)
Based on simple logic, and the record of Scripture, if Jesus did not have the capacity to sin, His temptations were NOT like Adam’s.
If the Messiah COULD NOT HAVE a sin nature, does that mean he did not have the CAPACITY to sin? Without the capacity to sin THERE IS NO TEMPTATION! That’s why Almighty God cannot be tempted - James 1:13.
Some questions to ponder for those really interested in Biblical Truth.
Doc
John 20:17; Revelation 3:12