This book is well researched and more than enough to satisfy any challenges to the Trinitarian position. 1:2). But the Son, they say, was not really there with the Father before the world was. However, consider the following: First, note that the glory that the *Son* said that He possessed or shared (eichon) was when? 1:33): 'I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he . 2:7, the participle labn,(taking as in taking the nature of a servant) is a participle of means (cf. In 1918, Oneness adherents, needing to develop their own organization after effectively being ousted from Pentecostalism, founded the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, headed by African . United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI)-500,000 (1.5 million worldwide), Other Designations: Jesus Only churches; Apostolic Pentecostals; The Oneness Movement; The Jesus Name Movement, Pentecostal Herald (UPCI) The triquetra symbol is also found in Norse Viking artifacts such as combs and saddles; found on a Norwegian coin from around the 11th cent. However, this seems to be far too simplistic of a reading. John 3:5: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Example, Theodotus (the first known dynamic monarchianist) was excommunicated by Victor, the bishop of Rome, around A.D. 190; Noetus (the first known modalist) was condemned by Hippolytus and by the presbyters around the same time; Praxeas was marked as a heretic by Tertullian; Paul of Samosata was condemned at the Third Council in Antioch (A.D. 268); Dionysius of Alexandria and Dionysius bishop of Rome along with many important church Fathers condemned Sabellius and his teachings as Christological heresy. As Hebrews 1:3 tells us, The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being If we want to know who God is, then we need to look to Jesus Christ. He does so by using first person personal pronouns (I, Me, Mine) and verb references to refer to Himself and third person personal pronouns (He, Him, His) and verb references to refer to His Father. How do you know that your family members or your friends do not merely possess the gift of tongues? Witnessing to Oneness Pentecostals: 1. Try again. Something went wrong. It is an idiom for authority, like if I say in the name of the king. This is firmly established in Acts 4:4, which reads, By what power or what name did you do this? Power and name are parallel. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. Well, first, most Christians will point out that this verse is part of the long ending of Mark, and therefore it is not Scripture. Also, John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; and Hebrews 1:10-12 teach exegetically that the Son was God, the agent of creation, the Creator, thus preexisting with the Father. Oneness theology rejects that the Son was the actual Creator. Great book with in depth analysis about the Oneneness movement faults both historically and biblically. There is one God who is eternally present in three persons, and his name is YHWH. The Pentecostal arguments defending this special blessing are interesting and important. Be prepared to cite (in context) and explain specific biblical passages supporting Christian doctrines, particularly the biblical basis for the Trinity, the historic understanding of the nature and work of Christ, and salvation by grace through faith. I will come to you. Is there an argument that you would like to see addressed? But that is not quite the point of the argument that I am making. Pentecostals hold that believers do gain saving faith when they come to Christ. First and third person personal pronouns and verb references: Throughout John 14 and 16 Jesus clearly differentiates Himself from the Father. 1. He says in verse 14 that he will ask the Father, and the Father will send the Holy Spirit. Trinitarians could easily affirm that they are one God, they share the same essence. Other preachers, such as Frank J. Ewart and John G. Scheppe, joined McAlister in his non-trinitarian perspective. 2022 Department of Christian Defense For God does not share His glory with no one (cf. However, to early Christians (and many today), the triquetra symbolized the Trinity (one God, three persons). Why is drinking poison not a criteria for salvation? The proper mode is immersion in the triune name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Further, turning to 1 John 1:3, not only does John show that believers have fellowship with both the Father and the Son, but the Father and the Son are clearly distinguished as two persons by the repeated article tou (the) and the repeated preposition meta (with): We proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with [meta] us; and indeed our fellowship is with the [meta tou] Father and with [kai meta] His Son [tou huiou], Jesus Christ (see esp. Thus, the person of the Son of Man was in heaven prior to being sent. . They take this to indicate that Jesus is the Father. Assemblies of the Lord Jesus, Inc. (ALJI)-50,000 Detroit: Gale Research, 1999.Dictionary of Christianity in America. The argument isn't against modesty, but that the descriptions the New Testament gives are examples from the first century and aren't universal prohibitions for every time and culture . Revelation 2:13: I know where you dwell, where Satans throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you [par humin], where Satan dwells (cf. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. 15:33? Jesus is said to have two natures: human and divine. After all, in John 17:11, the text says that the disciples are one in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one. So Christians should strive to do the objective research, in order that they not provide bad untruthful arguments and appear unread. Matthew 28:19 clearly reflects the trinitarian concept that the name (authority and characteristics) of the one God is incorporated in the three Persons of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. Pentecostal Oneness, also known as the Jesus Only movement, is a particular charismatic Christian movement that combines some sound doctrines with ideas that are close to right but create problems. But its actual origins are unknown. Biblical Response: The Oneness Pentecostal view of God is similar to the ancient heresy of Modalism. Nevertheless, the requirements for outward adherence to a strict moral code in order to maintain salvation inevitably leads to legalism and a lack of assurance of eternal life. , Language First, that seems to be an ad hoc measure to circumvent the meaning of the text. In Isaiah 9:6, the text says, His name shall be mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, wonderful counselor. This is his name, despite that Oneness Pentecostals would identify them as titles. 1:3). . 12-14). In this article, I will be answering a few common Oneness Pentecostal arguments. Well, there are a number of reasons that I think that interpretation is implausible. Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement that emphasizes direct personal experience of God through baptism with the Holy Spirit. 2:6-11). The Contender for the Faith (COLJF) 6. Have a clear understanding of your faith and the Bible. How would you be able to tell the difference? Moreover, significant Christian church councils affirmed the Trinity and explicitly rejected Oneness doctrine: e.g., Council of Nicaea (325); Chalcedon Creed (A.D. 451); Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381); etc. Answering A Few Common Oneness Pentecostal Arguments It is never used apart from God's incarnation, however; it never refers to deity The Son is and has been eternally subsisting as the perfect and exact representation (charaktr) of the very nature (hupostases) of Him (autou, of Him, not as Him; Heb. Yes, the Jesus of Oneness theology is a false Jesus. Additionally, the repetition of the preposition distinguishes the Father and the Son as two distinct self-aware Subjects (e.g., 1 John 1:3). 5. Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique Paperback - March 17, 2020 by Michael R. Burgos (Author) 15 ratings Hardcover $35.00 1 New from $35.00 Paperback $24.99 1 Used from $19.04 2 New from $22.99 Oneness Pentecostalism constitutes one of the world's largest non-trinitarian expressions of Christianity. But the argument that Jesus Christ is the secret answer to the riddle, "What is the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy . Arguing unipersonalism (unitarianism) assumes a conclusion that is meant to be proved. As a former Oneness Pentecostal Church member, Home Missionary, Assistant Pastor, Youth Director, and District Youth Board Member, I want to thank Pastor Michael Burgos for writing this fine book. Oneness theology is the doctrine that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not distinct persons. 8. There Are Different Kinds of Tongues What Michael Burgos Jr. has produced in Against Oneness Pentecostalism is a helpful book for pastors or churchmen needing a polemical approach against the anti-Trinitarians embedded in our communities and occasionally, our churches. While this is not a good argument that Jesus is the Father, it is a good argument that Jesus is God. Oneness Pentecostal churches are, therefore, cultic in nature and outside the theological parameters of historic Christianity. In terms of the triquetra (Trinitarian symbol), you should not base an argument on ignorance, and unaccredited internet articles. Beisner, E. Cal. But I thought that it would be useful to assimilate many of the arguments into one post so that you may have a quick reference. 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 7:29). Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. If we were in the Court of Law, it would be dismissed as evidence. So, he establishes that he is speaking of tongues for edification. For an expanded exegetical refutation of Oneness unitarian theology see Oneness Theology (Modalism). It may be that is the name under which we are baptized. It is knowing The Bible endorses slavery and oppression. Has anyone ever heard this before? But Jesus said, that flesh and blood didnt reveal this, but My Father which is in heaven. John 14:9 Oneness people routinely quote this passage (usually in the same breath with John 10:30), as though it was part of the passage. . The nature of the Trinity can be better understood "Against Oneness Pentecostalism -- An Exegetical-Theological Critique," by Michael Burgos, is a must-read for any serious-minded Christian who wants to be better informed and better equipped to sanctify Christ as Lord whenever the opportunity is presented to defend the biblical doctrine of Trinitarianism. Do not get sidetracked defending your denomination. Hence, exegetically these passages do not indicate that the Son was a mere instrument of creation (as Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons believe), nor, as Oneness teachers argue, these passages indicate that the Son was only a thought or plan in the Fathers mind when the Father (Jesus divine nature) created all things. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." Of course, this is a mischaracterization. How can tongues function as the sign of salvation if you do not even know the difference between tongues for edification and the gift of tongues? Oneness Pentecostals are vehement anti-trinitarians who commonly maintain that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. , Dimensions 1. But they would simply amend their argument by saying, But this is clearly what early Christians believed because it is here. So I am willing to grant the long ending of Mark for the same of argument. Michael Burgos Jr., Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique (Winchester, CT: Church Militant, 2016). Jesus then says to His disciples, From now on you know Him, and have seen Him. Thus, by knowing Him they have known and have seen the Father (note the parallel: have known, have seen). 4:4). (3rd Edition) is a thoroughly researched critique of Oneness Pentecostalism. This is because in Acts 2:38, we see a manifestation of this command. There was a problem loading your book clubs. John 10:30: I and the Father are one. century, by a man named Praxeus, who is known from Tertullian's Against Praxeus. The Nicene Creed has defined historical orthodoxy for centuries. John 1:18; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. These are great questions and wonderful references. It is enough for the disciples to see Jesus because they share a divine essence. 8:6; 12:4-6; 2 Cor. This doctrine is called Oneness of God or Jesus Only. . In 1906, the Pentecostal experience of speaking in tongues burst on the scene during a revival in an African-American Baptist church on Azuza Street in Los Angeles, Calif. An Antichrist who denies the power thereof, that The Apostle Paul warned us to turn away from! John 14:9: He who has seen Me has seen the Father. He was making claims that no mere human could make. And over two hundred times, Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit and Jesus as distinct persons- and Never once does Scripture call Jesus the Father or the Holy Spirit.. Sphere: in the sight of, before (someone), c. Association: with (someone/something) (BBGG). All modern writings or revelations must be analyzed in light of sound principles of biblical interpretation. sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matthew 26:64). As marked out below, Jesus also differentiates Himself from God the Holy Spirit.