======== Continued From Previous Message ==========

; occasionally applied by way
of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels,
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly),  (very) great, judges,  mighty.

1. (plural)

   a.) rulers, judges
   b) divine ones
   c) angels
   d) gods

2. (plural intensive - singular meaning)

  a) god, goddess
  b) godlike one
  c) works or special possessions of God
  d) the (true) God
  e) God

Strong's number 2316
'theos'

of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme
Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:-- exceeding, God,
god(-ly, -ward).

BAGD: (parentheses *theirs*)

theos
1. of divine beings generally
2. Some writings in our lit. use the word theos w. ref. to Christ (without
necessarily equating Christ with the Father).
3. of the true God
4. *fig.*, of that which is worthy of reverence or respect (ancient Roman
children had to call their parents theoi).
5. of the devil 2 Cor 4:4

Thus, the words originally used in the Bible that in English translate as
"G/god" allow for a greater semantic range than some would wish.

Or does anyone here know of a lexicon/dictionary that gives only "true god"
or "false god" as the only definitions of 'elohim/theos'?

So the accusation of 'polytheism' is thus a false one, according to
Scripture.

Most study Bibles reference this to Prov. 8:22, which, in the Bible John
would have used, reads:

"Jehovah *created* me the beginning of His ways for His works. From
everlasting He established me in the beginning, before He formed the earth,
and before He made the depths, and before the springs of waters came forth,
before the mountains were settled; He begets me before all the hills." Prov
8:22 LXX

The preexisting 'sons of God' shouted in applause at the creation of heaven
and earth (Job 38:7)  They obviously preexisted earth's creation, but did
not necessarily exist into eternity past.  The heavenly hosts were created
before the earth.

There are no "all of God" or "part of God" statements
in the Bible, they are
simply not there.  Jesus Christ plainly identified the one true God as the
Father ONLY at John 17:3.  And to Jews who were of course familiar with the
Scriptural use of 'elohim' in the Hebrew Scriptures and 'theos' in the LXX,
this would not be a statement of polytheism, for these words have different
shades of meaning, as I have repeatedly pointed out, (and been repeatedly
ignored).

An interesting point on John 1:3:

Ginomai occurs upwards of seven hundred times in the "NT", but never in the
sense of create, yet in most versions at John chapter 1, it is translated
"made."  Ginomai appears fifty three times in John, and signifies
"to be, to
come, to become, to come to pass; also, to be done or transacted."

Egeneto (a form of the word 'ginomai') NEVER carries a creation meaning and
is never translated such outside the four times rendered such in the first
chapter of John (John 1:3,4, & 10) where it is translated "made".

When the Bible refers to God, the only reference is to the Father.
Repeatedly, the Bible uses the term "God the Father."  I know of no Bible
translation where one will one find "God the Son" or "God
the Holy Spirit".
If I have missed any that do, I know someone here will be more than pleased
to tell me.

In John 20:28, the definite article is used when Thomas confesses, "My Lord
and my God."

Which would make vs 17 a lie and vs 31 an anticlimax if indeed Thomas meant
that Jesus was, in fact, Jehovah God.  Quite unlikely, since he had observed
Jesus bow his head in prayer to God.  And heard him proclaim that he was
*taught* by God (John 8:28).  What would Almighty God need to "learn"???

"There is no objection to referring to Jesus as "God," if this is what
Thomas had in mind. Such would be in harmony with Jesus' own quotation from
the Psalms in which powerful men, judges, were addressed as "gods." (John
10:34, 35; Ps. 82:1-6) Of course, Christ occupies a position far higher than
such men. Because of the uniqueness of his position in relation to Jehovah,
at John 1:18, Jesus is referred to as "the only-begotten god." 
None of this
denied Jewish monotheism, for even imperfect humans were referred to as
elohim as God's appointed agents.  How much more so the unique, firstborn
Son of God!

The context helps us to draw the right conclusion from this. Shortly before
Jesus' death, Thomas had heard Jesus' prayer in which he addressed his
Father as "the only true God." (John 17:3) After Jesus' resurrection Jesus
had sent a message to his apostles, including Thomas, in which he had said:
"I am ascending . . . to my God and your God."  (vs.17) After
recording what
Thomas said when he actually saw and touched the resurrected Christ, the
apostle John stated: "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his
name." (John 20:31) So, if anyone has concluded from Thomas' exclamation
that Jesus is himself "the only true God" or that Jesus is a Trinitarian
"God the Son," he needs to look again at what Jesus himself said (vs. 17)
and at the conclusion that is clearly stated by the apostle John (vs. 31)."

John was not a "ranking" Jew, he was a simple fisherman, among those who
were sneered at by the "ranking" Jews as "unlearned and
ignorant".  (Acts
4:13)

John records Jesus' refutation of the charge of blasphemy at John 10:34-36:
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'?
If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be
broken), do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the
world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

So if judges in Israel could properly be called 'gods' because they were
God's representatives, how could anyone accuse Jesus of "blasphemy" simply
because he said he is God's Son?

The doctrine that is supposedly 'the keystone in the arch of Christian
truth' would reasonably be mentioned in Scripture at least once, and
plainly.  The identity of the God of the Bible is not something that can be
left to "implication" or "development" over several
centuries by means of
creeds.

This all-important doctrine would be plainly spelled out, over and over,
yet, do we find 'trinity' (or 'trias') or any equivalent thereof?  NO!
Think on these questions:

1) Why would the Bible only "imply" what Trinitarians say is its central
doctrine?

2) Why would the "central doctrine" of the Christian religion have to be
"developed" and added centuries later?

3) Why would the loving God NOT make clear a doctrine whose belief would
determine one's eternal life or death and eternal torments? (as I am told by
most Trinitarians).

What IS found in Scripture is the personal name of God, nearly 7,000 times,
more than any other name in the Bible.  Yet, how is this Name treated by
today's most popular Bible translations?  It is *removed* without apology.
Clearly, the name of the true God is unpopular for some reason.  The very
*few* ocurrences of the names of false gods are retained, however.  It is
quite interesting that Satan never once uses Jehovah's Name, but just calls
Him "God".  But Jesus quotes extensively from Scripture where God's Name
appeared.

"Orthodoxy" is defined by Scripture ONLY.  Not creeds.  Not
anathemas.  Just
Scripture.  First-century Christianity was a persecuted minority, viewed as
'heresy' by "orthodox" Judaism.  Not even the preaching of the perfect Son
of God could change that, so obviously Jesus Christ meant what he said at
Matt. 7:13, 14:

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad
that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the
gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are *few*
who find it."

Nowhere does the Lord Jesus Christ say that fact would change.  If the
majority did not listen even to the Son of God, how can his imperfect human
followers expect to do better?  So when Christians became "orthodox" by an
unholy alliance with pagan Rome and became persecutors themselves, they
disowned Christ, who said:

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His
sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and
the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you
have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  If you greet only your
brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do
the same?" Mat 5:44-47

Keep in mind that the Scriptures are "inspired of God" and are to be used
for "setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the
man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."
(2 Timothy 3:16, 17) So the Bible is complete in doctrinal matters. If the
Trinity doctrine is true, it should be there.

I invite all to search the Bible, especially the 27 books of the Christian
Greek Scriptures, to see for yourself if Jesus and his disciples taught a
Trinity. As you search, ask yourself:

  1. Can I find any scripture that mentions "Trinity"?  (After all, the
"keystone in the arch of Christian truth" could reasonably be expected to
merit at least one mention in Scripture).

  2. Can I find any scripture that says that God is made up of three
distinct persons, Father, Son, and holy spirit, but that the three are only
one God?

  3. Can I find any scripture that says that the Father, Son, and holy
spirit are equal in all ways, such as in eternity, power, position, and
wisdom?

Beyond a doubt, the Trinity doctrine has confused and diluted people's
understanding of God's true position. It prevents people from accurately
knowing the Universal Sovereign, Jehovah God, and from worshiping him on his
terms. As theologian Hans Küng said: "Why should anyone want to add anything
to the notion of God's oneness and uniqueness that can only dilute or
nullify that oneness and uniqueness?" But that is what belief in the Trinity
has done.

Those who believe in the Trinity are not "holding God in accurate
 knowledge." (Romans 1:28) That verse also says: "God gave them up to a
disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting." Verses 29 to 31
list some of those 'unfitting' things, such as 'murder, strife, being false
to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless.' Those very things
have been practiced by religions that accept the Trinity.

For instance, Trinitarians have often persecuted and even killed those who
rejected the Trinity doctrine. And they have gone even further. They have
killed their fellow Trinitarians in wartime. What could be more 'unfitting'
than Catholics killing Catholics, Orthodox killing Orthodox, Protestants
killing Protestants-all in the name of the same Trinitarian God?

Yet, Jesus plainly said: "By this all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:35) God's Word expands on this,
saying: "The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by
this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate
with God, neither does he who does not love his brother." It likens those
who kill their spiritual brothers to "Cain, who originated with the wicked
one [Satan] and slaughtered his brother."-1 John 3:10-12.

Thus, the teaching of confusing doctrines about God has led to actions that
violate his laws. Indeed, what has happened throughout Christendom is what
Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard described: "Christendom has done away
with Christianity without being quite aware of it."

True Christians will have peace with one another, as only the love of the
Christ can conquer hate:

 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for
the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to
the casting down of strongholds)" (2Co 10:3, 4)

"Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you;
but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same
judgment." (1Co 1:10)

 "Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not."  (Rom 12:14)

"Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight
of all.  If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with
all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God;
for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord." No, "if
your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so
doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be overcome by
evil, but *overcome evil with good*." Rom 12:17-21

Find the faith that practices these things, and you will have found the
geniune followers of Christ.

Peace to you and yours in this violent world.

Read the NWT online at
http://www.watchtower.org/bible/index.htm


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