I saw and bare record that this
is the Son of God. John 1:34
"Believe not every spirit, but
try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into
the world. Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ IS COME IN THE FLESH is of God: And every spirit that confesseth NOT that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of anti-christ, whereof
ye have heard that it should come." "And we have seen and do testify that the
FATHER sent the SON to be the Savior of the world. Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the
SON of God, God dwelleth in him." -- 1 John 4:1-3,14,15"
About three-fourths of all the
preachers are vehement enemies against the truth of God's Word on this subject. Because
they cannot resist the force of the true Bible teachings, they misrepresent and vilify
others who dare to speak out the truth. They classify them under a "cult"
designation, warning others to stay away from such, that thus by clerical control, they
may hinder good people from hearing and from reading what the Scriptures really have to
say. By their fruits ye shall know them, said the Master, and evidently many clergymen
must be seriously wrong of heart; else they would not bear these unscriptural fruit's --
unmanly fruits "works of the flesh and of the Devil." Gal. 5:19-21; 1 John 3:8
We would not slack our efforts to
make known the true character of the God of the Bible, so in contrast with the Satanic god
of the creeds. Many have come to know the truth and have been set free from this God
dishonoring, third century, dark-age creedal teaching of Papacy fostered upon
Christianity. Christians of all faiths, have thrilled to know who their Father and God
really is. They have received new life and joy in the Lord through a more correct
understanding of His Holy Word.
We are encouraged to go on in the
narrow way which the Master and the Apostles trod. We would not render personal abuse in
retaliation. To do so would be contrary to the Word and Spirit of the Lord. But the creeds
and false doctrines, we would continue to smash with all the power granted us, that thus
hungering, thirsting souls might be delivered from error into the joyous liberty of the
children of God.
DENYING THE SON OF GOD
Walter Martin and some, of more
recent times, have joined other evangelists and preachers in the slanderous misstatements,
that Bible Students are in denial that Jesus is the Son of God. By such false statements,
we declare, they seek to prevent people from coming to hear and from reading Bible
expositions of truths. Yet how foolish it is for them to make such deliberate
misstatements; for eventually their falsehoods will be found out! People who learn of the
gross misrepresentation realize that only desperation, attempting to support a weak cause,
could lead men professing to ministers of the Truth to thus do it violence. Really, it is
true Bible students, who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, while the great majority of
preachers and evangelists do not clearly so teach. They confuse their argument and
bewilder their hearers by telling in one breath that Jesus is the Son of God, and in the
next breath that He is His own Father.
According to them, He is Jehovah God,
who sent His Son into the world to die, and He is the Son who sent Himself as
God. When He prayed to the Father it was a mockery; for He was the Father
"one in person." When he said, The Father is greater than I, He misrepresented
the facts, according to these preachers, evangelists and creed-makers. He spoke of the Cup
which the Father had poured for Him, and said He could do nothing of Himself, and that He
would return to the Father. He prayed, My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me? and said
to Mary, I have not yet ascended to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God. But
these wiser-than-the-Bible teachers contradict Him, and feel like saying, Jesus must have
been a Millennial Dawner! But we know better.
Such teachers make void the
Word of God through their traditions. Luke 11:51; Mark 7:9,13; Col. 2:8. In claiming that
Jesus is Jehovah God, they really deny that He is the Son of God; for common sense tells
everybody that a son receives his life from the father. This is exactly what the Bible
tells us respecting Jesus.
TRUTHFUL CRITICISMS INVITED
We invite truthful criticisms of our
teachings; but our opponents know that to treat us fairly, justly, would be to turn all
thinking people to our side the Bible side -- the reasonable side. For more than a
century, they ignored our presentations, lest people should find out; but as sermons,
Studies in the Scriptures, Vol.1-6 (particularly Vol.5) and booklets, radio, television
and Internet, now reach millions. They are alarmed for the safety of their musty creeds,
and resort to rank falsehoods, misrepresentations and slanders -- the weapons of moral
cowards, who realize their own weakness.
They would charge Bible students with
disbelieving the doctrine of the Trinity that three ones are one, we would cheerfully
admit it, and point them to the fact that the word Trinity is not found in
the Bible. And, that the thought of a trinity is not there, except in one passage, which
Billy Graham and all scholars of all denominations admit is a forgery of the
Seventh Century 1 John 6:7, 8. See Revised Version
We believe in the Heavenly Father,
Jehovah God. We believe in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who left the Heavenly nature,
took the human nature, died for our sins, and was afterward highly exalted to the Divine
nature. We believe in the holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Truth, the Spirit of God, the
Spirit of Christ. Our crime is that we do not believe that the Father, the
Son, and the holy Spirit are one in person, equal in power and glory, neither
one existing before the others, neither one together in any sense, the Son and
neither together in any sense, the Father, really. The Bible says nothing of
this kind; and we are glad that our heads are not so illogical as to lead us to deny
the Bible and common sense for the sake of being in harmony with creeds or traditions
made of men in the Dark Ages. Jesus said, to Paul, "Is it hard for you to
kick against the prickly briars?"
THE MAN, CHRIST JESUS
The Bible makes no mystery of who
Jesus is; and we would not have been in confusion had we relied solely upon the testimony
of Jesus, the Apostles and the Prophets. Our misleading came during the twelve hundred
years [in 325 AD especially] when the Bible was ignored, because it was believed that the
living bishops were Apostolic and had the plenary powers of the original Apostles.
This serious error Jesus emphatically
warned against in advance. Rev. 2:2
The Bible tells of Jesus' present
glorious station, far above angels, partaker of the Divine nature. Phil. 2:8,9; 2 Pet 1:4;
1 John 3:2. But many ignore this, and claim that Jesus is a man in Heaven,
completely out of touch with His surroundings; for a man, according to the Bible, is a
little lower than angels (Psa. 8:5), whereas the Apostle declares that Jesus, at
His resurrection, was exalted far above angels. John 3:6. It tells of Christ
"Who (as in the oldest Greek Siniatic MS text -- not "God" who) 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." 1 Tim. 3:16. This
glorious One, although of a different nature, is the same One who, while on earth, was the
Man Christ Jesus, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Isa. 53:3. St. Paul tells us
how Jesus left the Heavenly glory, how He humbled Himself to take a bondman's form -- to
take the same nature as humanity, which had come into bondage to sin. Phil 2:7,8. He was
neither a God man, nor a man God. "That which is born of the flesh IS flesh."
The Bible explains how Jesus could be
of our race, and yet be holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Heb. 7:26. It
tells us plainly that Jesus had a human mother, but that His life came not from a
human father. Isa. 7:14; Luke 1:35. It is also "blasphemy" to call
"Mary, the Mother of God," Jehovah. Rev. 13:1 And, that therefore He was
perfect, and able to be the Ransomer of the race, redeeming us from the penalty that was
against Adam and consequently against all his posterity. This was accomplished by giving
to God sacrificially a full corresponding (1 Tim 2:5,6 Greek antlutron) price for Adam,
whose life was forfeited (John 6:51) [as that substitutionary sacrifice] because of
sin. Rom. 5:12-14. Thus the Bible explains that Jesus death is sufficient for Adam's sin
and the sins of the whole world (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2); for the world was not condemned
individually, but merely partook of Adam's condemnation to death -- "all in Adam
die." 1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 5:12-14 See Studies in the Scriptures, Vol.5, The Atonement
Between God and Man.
Whoever thinks of Jesus as
being the Father and also the Holy Spirit all one in person must be confronted
with nonsensical errors such as these: How did the Universe manage to progress during to
Jesus birth and on to manhood? How did the affairs of the Universe prosper during Jesus
ministry, when He was fully engaged with earthly affairs to the extent of weariness?
How did the Universe get along when
Jesus died, and until He arose from death?
Some even go to this absurd length:
to wit, that Jesus raised Himself from death; whereas the Apostle
declares positively that the Father raised Him from the dead on the third
day. Gal. 1:1.
How refreshing it is to get out of
the fog into the clear statements of God's Word, which declare (1) To us there is
one God, the Father, (2) and one Lord, Jesus Christ! 1 Cor. 8:6. No
matter how thin you slice it, one plus two or three in substance or any other form DOES
NOT EQUAL ONE.
BEGINNING OF GOD'S CREATION
It seems astounding if our opponents
have never heard the plain Bible statement that our glorious Redeemer was the
First-born (Greek - prototokos) of all creation (Gk. ktiseos -- a
created being) (Col. 1: 15), the beginning (Gk. arche) of the creation (Gk.
ktiseos) of God. (Rev.3:14) If they have read these simple, plain Bible statements, why do
they prefer confusing (Athanasian, Catholic) views of the Dark Ages respecting a
Trinity of three persons, yet one person? Some say one God in three persons; others say
three Gods in one person, or three essences in the one God. It is a matter of semantics.
Both propositions are alike unscriptural and absurd and falsely, in defamation, attribute
to Jehovah God, that which does not belong to him. Rev. 17:3; 13:1.
The "Athanatian creed"
declares, "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet
there are not three Gods but one God." Athanatius, at the Council at Nicea, in 325
AD, was a violent opponent of learned Arius, whose Scripture arguments that the Father was
indeed only the Father and that the Son was indeed only the
Created Son, neither coequal nor coexistent, were documented
in the Library at Alexandria. He was murdered on his return from Constantinople (Church
History, Phillip Schaff, 1910) and the Alexandria, Egypt library was burned in 416 AD
-- so strong was the Satanic hatred in knowing the true Father and His Son,
Jesus Christ. We see such hateful feelings increasing through the coming Church Union.
"This [Trinitarian view],
the (Catholic) church teaches, is the revelation of God's nature"... "and which
she proposes to man [the Trinity] as the FOUNDATION of her whole dogmatic
system." -- The Catholic Encylopedia. Protestants vociferously agree
with this catholic dogma. It is, therefore, not surprising that in the end time, when the
beast and (the image of the Beast) false prophet (Catholic and Protestant in church-union)
gain their final power, that the required mark to buy or sell Bible Truth in the Christian
realm would be under the restriction of having this TRIUNE "foundation"
mark of "6 6 6." "It is the number of a man"-- the
"Man of Sin," Papacy. It is "the number of his name." In the Latin, --
"Vicarius Filii Dei." Rev. 13:16-18. See Studies in the
Scriptures, Vol. 2, pps. 267-361. This is the primary doctrine both
Protestants and Catholics have mutual agreement with; and in opposition to which many
were killed in the Dark Ages.
Jesus Himself, in His last Message to
His Church, declared, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, thebeginning and the ending, the
first and the last" (Rev. 1: 8, 11) as God, so here, says. Thus He clearly
differentiates between Himself and the Father; for the Father had no beginning "From
everlasting to everlasting Thou art God." Psa. 90:2.
Do our opponents claim that Jesus is
God? We agree most heartily, provided the word God is understood in the sense in which the
Bible uses it. Throughout the Old Testament the word for God is "elohim"
-- mighty one. It is applied to Jehovah, the Almighty One; it is also applied
to angels and to men whom He sent as His messengers. Thomas exclaimed at his
recognition of the risen Christ, "My Lord (kyrios) and the mighty one (ho
theos) of me." According to this view, our Lord Jesus Christ is "a"
God. (Diaglott, Greek NT Interlinear, John 1:1). The Bible clearly indicates that
He is above all other gods except Jehovah. "I am Jehovah your God...you shall have no
other Gods (elohim) before me" (in my place). Exo. 20:1,3.
In harmony with this we read
respecting Messiah and His Kingdom: Thy throne, "0 God, is for ever and ever."
Heb. 1:8 This Scripture is based on Psa. 45:6. The declaration there is, "O God (and
simply means O elohim)." The Hebrew text does not say, "the"
God; but "O God." The Hebrew word God, from which this text comes, is the word
elohim. Its meaning is "mighty one."
We have found, according to Biblical
Archeology Review, March, 1978, that there has been much tampering (condemned in Rev.
22:18, 19) with the Greek text. The Review states, "These examples are sufficient to
suggest that the removal of the Tetagrammaton [JHVH - consonants for
Jehovah] from the New Testament and its replacement with the surrogates
kyrios [kurios -- Lord] and theos, (qeos -- God) blurred the original
distinction between the Lord God and Jesus Christ, and in many passages made
it impossible to tell what was meant." -- Professor of Religion and Hebrew,
Geo. Howard, University of Georgia. His article continues, "Thus it may be that
the removal of the Tetragrammaton [JHVH, Jehovah] contributed significantly to
the later Christological and Trinitarian debates."
More than that. This is a
forced area that has, through instigation, effected alterations of Scripture such
as Matt. 28:19 which early first century Christians quote as "baptizing them in
my [Christ's] name." We also quote from Studies in the Scriptures,
Vol. 5, pg. 66 footnote: "The Trinitarian translators probably preferred to
use the word Lord [LORD] instead of Jehovah, in order that Christians
accustomed to use the word Lord as a title for our Savior, Jesus, might in
reading the Old Testament, think that he and not the Father,
Jehovah is usually referred to."
"Christ's rulership or throne as
a "mighty one" is "to the age" (Heb. 1:8, Diaglott) or "olam"
(to a completion) in Hebrew to the completion of limited rulership of earth and
not forever. I Cor. 15:24.
The Apostle applies these words
distinctly to Jesus, but does not say this proves that Jesus was His own Father, nor
does he ignore the Almighty God, of whom are all things. On the contrary, the context
tells us explicitly that the Father, who always was, above all, as a reward exalted His
Son to his (Jesus') glorious Kingship and Headship, declaring that even "the
angels" of Heaven should worship Him. Heb. 1:5-8;Phil. 2:9
One very simple statement
confuses some needlessly. It reads, "I and My Father are one." John 10:30. It does
not say one person. By the context it can be easily seen, it refers to the oneness
of spirit, or harmony, between the Father and the Son; and this oneness
is explained by our Lord, assuring us that He came not to do His own will, but the will of
the Father, since He accepted the Father's will in everything. He and the Father were
always one in purpose. Jesus prayed for the Church, saying, I pray for them that Thou
hast given Me, that they all may be one in Us, even as Thou, Father, and I
are one. (John 17:9, 20-24) Surely no one would claim that Jesus expected His Church to
become one person! And it is equally absurd to think that He and the Father are one
person.
Concerning the statement of our Lord,
"Before Abraham was, I am," (John 8:58), it should be noted that the
Trinitarian's reference back to Exo. 4:14 where the expression I AM is used. It should be
clearly noted that this is "a descriptive term" but is not mentioned by God as
being His NAME.
He clearly states, verse 15
"Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah God of your
fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is
MY NAME forever." It is repeated in verse 16. God's name is
mentioned more than 700 times in the Old Testament and has almost been entirely
obliterated there. When Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am," he clearly
meant, and it was in simple plain statement, "I have continued in existence
from long, long before Abraham was ever born." He was not saying he
was Jehovah.
Because Jesus was thus the Father's representative,
in the only sense that men could see the invisible Jehovah, He answered
Philip on one occasion, He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.
John 14:9 Thus the
President's secretary would say to a caller, I represent the President.
"IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE
LOGOS"
Matthew's and Luke's Gospels make
very plain how the glorious Son of God was made flesh, yet not a partaker of human sin.
So, St. John's Gospel provides us with information still further back, pointing out and
explaining clearly the glorious prehuman nature of the Son of God. The translation,
however, is slightly defective, and hides from the English reader the full import of the
opening verses which, literally translated, reads:
"In the beginning was the Logos,
and the Logos was with the God, and the Logos was "a" god. The
same was in the beginning with "the" God." By Him were all things made, and
without Him was not one thing made... And the Logos was made flesh and dwelt
among us; and we behold His glory, the glory of an Only Begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 1-3, 14
The beautiful simplicity of this
account is wonderful. The beginning it mentions was not that of Jehovah's existence, which
the Bible declares was "without beginning." The word refers to the beginning of
creation, and immediately introduces us to the great Logos, "the Beginning of
the creation of God." (Rev. 3:14) While the name Logos may be not improperly
translated Word, it has a much fuller significance; namely, representative,
messenger, mouthpiece.
Jehovah's entire Message has been,
and will be, given to angels and to men through the great Logos. He was the Alpha, the
first; the Father created none before Him. He is the Omega, the last; the
Father has directly created none like Him. (Rev. 1:8 --The Keys of Revelation,
p.11-13) This explains simply, satisfactorily, that all subsequent creations, while
executed by Jehovah's Power, were worked out by His great Son, the
Logos. By Him were all things made that were made. Jesus was not the
Creator.
When the time came for the outworking
of the great Divine Plan for human salvation, and, incidentally, the showing forth of God
s Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power, the offer properly came first to the Logos. Heb. 1:5
The proposition to be man's Redeemer carried with it a great blessing, as St. Paul
explains. (Heb. 12:2; Col. 1:18) This exaltation to God's right hand, far
above all other creatures, was an advance step. Although originally higher than all the
others, the Logos was not so far above them.
It was God's purpose to have a New
Creation; and the Logos, through the redemptive Plan, was to be the first
and chiefest on that highest plane the Divine nature. During this Gospel Age, God
has been calling and accepting the honest seekers, lovers of righteousness, haters
of iniquity to be associates with Jesus in the Kingdom and participants with Him in the
highest nature of all, the Divine. So, St. Peter declares, God hath given unto us, (the
truly consecrated, the Church) exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we
might become partakers of the Divine nature. 2Pet. 1:4; Heb. 2:10
CULT ACCUSATIONS - SATAN, ACCUSER
OF THE BRETHREN
"The Accuser of the
brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night."
Rev. 12:10 Satan's binding is
completely future, when he shall be cast into the pit for the greater portion of the
kingdom age, yet this Scripture declares that the personality of Satan can be found in
those who name the name of Christ -- well meaning, but deluded brethren --persecutors
of the Saints. Many have been put to death by those, his instruments, having the belief
that "whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God a service," as
was done in support of of the "Trinity creed", during the "dark ages,"
-- from the time of days of Arius forward. The days of persecution are not yet past. John
16:1
" 'The Devil' " comes from
the Greek diablos, signifying one who misrepresents, hence a
slanderer, and accuser (of the brethren -- Rev. 12:10. 'Satan,' as a title,
means one who is an open and unabashed opposing spirit; that is an adversary,
an opponent, a resister (Zech. 3:1)." 1 The Keys of Revelation, 1993, by Frank
Shallieu
Is it right, is it Christian, is it
true, is it manly, to charge our teachings with denying that Jesus is the
Son of God? What object could there be in so doing except to keep the Lord's hungry
sheep away from the green pastures of Divine Truth? Well do our traducers know
that they have nothing Biblical, sane or sensible to give instead. The very bitterness
manifested by ministers against us is being used of the Lord to arouse investigation
amongst those who are truly His people. If our reputation must be thus assassinated in
order that the true sheep may hear the Master's voice, we shall acquiesce as joyfully as
possible, remembering that it will be difficult for them to say bitterer or untruer things
of us than they said of our Master.
The crime is the same that incited
the Pharisees against Jesus and the Apostles. They were angry that they
taught the people. Luke 19:47; Psa.2:1 Preachers who do not believe in eternal torment any
more than we do are angry that we are informing the people; for they fear that the people
will justly think that their ministers deal dishonestly, receiving wages for keeping
them in darkness. The time has come when all who are for the right, the Truth, for
light, should manifest themselves. We have letters from ministers, fearful to come out
boldly. I am sorry for these. The Lord exhorts, Be thou very courageous. He "that
hath a dream (an imagination), let them tell the dream (if he has nothing better to tell);
but he that hath My Word, let him speak my Word (fearlessly) faithfully." Jer. 23:28
A SOMBER WARNING
A somber warning about
"Church Union," (the foundation of which is the Trinity). Such "union"
was manifest by the "Justification Document" in signing between Pope John Paul
II of the Catholic and of Lutheran churches on October 31, 1999. It was 482 years exactly
to the day, when Luther's "Reformation" began (1517) and, now,
Rome agrees purposefully to "lay the ax to" that starting time to
begin to end that Reformation, sweeping aside all Rome's past muderous acts.
Rev.18:24 We conclude with these remarks from our Parochiaid Vs. Freedom -- Church and
State (1999):
"So popular will Federated
["United"] Christianity become, that to even criticize it will be a
"crime" worthy of crucifixion in some form -- socially, financially, if not
[literally to kill, Rev. 13:15] physically. Politicians will quickly realize that their
bread is buttered [supported] on that side, and be ready to enact legislation of any kind
desired by the Federation [Church Union]. Mamon-worship will take on new forms
temporarily, but power will soon debauch the unregenerate mass and drive out the
regenerate faithful who may temporarily be misled by the great "Union" movement
"in the name of Christ," but without his Spirit and authority." [Anarchy
would soon follow]. ZWT Journal, January 1, 1906, Reprint p. 3697, Charles T. Russell,
Editor.
As our knowledge of God and
of His glorious Son, and our true understanding of the Holy Spirit, becomes clearer, we
can the better worship God. Because, the eyes of our understanding are opening
wider and wider, we shall comprehend with all saints the lengths and breadths, the heights
and depths, and know the love of God -- whom to know aright implies fitness for life
everlasting. Eph. 3:17-19.
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