I just want you to know: I did not seek out these conversations. The Black Hebrew Israelite and Jehovah’s Witness brigade chased me down! And, I found myself wildly unprepared to engage in the web of chatter in which they wanted me entangled.
Actually, I shouldn’t say that.
I did an amazing job at defending Scripture (thank You, God, for all that I’ve learned and for speaking through me). I was also able to very quickly pinpoint that I was talking to someone who was not a Believer. Yet, the topic of the Trinity, and the way in which the questions were asked, most certainly threw me for a loop.
And so I went straight to the source: God. I asked Him to help me understand all that I needed to be able to defend and explain the Trinity, not just to others; but for myself. And yes, it took a lot to ask that question for a number of reasons. But I felt like I needed my brain to understand what my heart already knew. And God answered.
When it comes to a topic as important as the Trinity, it’s extremely necessary to seek clarity if confused, because:
• If you don’t understand – or are not familiar – with what the Trinity is
• If you’ve never had to piece together an argument for the Trinity
• Or, if you don’t know the ways in which people try to oppose it
…then you might one day find yourself in the midst of what will seem like an exhausting and never-ending Trinity debate. And, in turn, you might be tempted to wonder: Why does it even matter? And, that is the question which could lead you dangerously close to denying the Trinity.
So: Ask the tough questions and trust that, if you are truly saved, you’ve already been convicted of each aspect of its truth.
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I felt ignorant about the topic of the Trinity, so I asked God to help me and He did. Therefore, I’m sharing what I’ve learned, here. (Mostly in link form.)
WHAT IS THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY?
“The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person.
These definitions express three crucial truths:
• The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons
• Each Person is fully God
• There is only one God.”— DesiringGod.org
It is monotheistic. We only believe in one God.
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WHAT IS THE TRINITY NOT?
The trinity is not:
• Modalism: “the belief that God exists as one Person who shifts between three modes: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” — Christianity.com [Oneness]
• Arianism: “The central characteristic of Arian thought was that because God is one, Jesus could not have also been truly God.” — RealFaith.com [JW]
• Tritheism: “teaches that the Trinity consists of three equal, independent, and autonomous beings, each of whom is divine. Tritheism stresses the plurality of the Godhead.” — RealFaith.com [Mormonism, polytheism]
• Unitarianism: “denies the divinity of Jesus Christ and asserts that God is a single being.” — Google
• Binitarianism: “posits that there are two persons in the Godhead: God the Father and God the Son.” — Google
SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
God called me to either remember, learn or realize each of the following:
- The greatest point of contention regarding the Trinity is Jesus’ deity.
- The Holy Spirit convicts you of the truth. The only people who can sincerely say, “Jesus is Lord,” are those who are convicted by the Holy Spirit. (see: 1 Corinthians 12:3)
- The Holy Spirit gives testimony regarding the Son. “Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.” (1 John 5:10)
- Do you believe the Bible to be true and do you believe in Jesus? Because, if not, you have to figure that out first. Believers know when they were brought to a point of true belief in Jesus Christ; both experientially and Biblically.
- And, finally: If you believe the Bible to be true – both the Old and New Testaments, then you need to believe who Jesus says He is.
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More on Point 5: God led me to a video by Mike Winger titled, “The Trinity: Can We Defend it Biblically?” Toward the beginning of this nearly 90-minute video, he makes the following quote:
“We can start with this premise: Whatever the Bible tells us about Jesus, we’ll take that as being who Jesus is. [What] does the Bible support about Jesus and His identity?” — Mike Winger
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More on Point 4: Please come back to bullet point 4 if you ever find yourself being thrown by a group which is attacking the Trinity. Often times, their end goal is to get you to deny Jesus’ deity so that they may deconstruct your belief in Christianity entirely. So, again: Do you believe the Bible to be true and do you believe in Jesus?
MOVIE TIME:
Here is the 90-minute, Mike Winger, video. In this video, he poses seven main questions that people like to ask when attacking the Trinity. He fleshes out their talking points before diving into Scripture. Then, he provides ways to answer each of the seven questions.
I wrote the answer to one of the questions – and I included most of the scriptures he pulled – at the bottom of this post. These scriptures are ones which identify both Jesus and the Holy Spirit as God. I also included some Old Testament scripture that I found on an unrelated blog.
A SHORT VIDEO FOR THOSE BATTLING DOUBT:
If you’re unsure as to whether or not you believe the Bible to be true, please watch this. It will encourage you to not run from searching for the answers you need.
AND, ONE LAST FLICK:
This is an incredibly enlightening video about the ever-growing Black Hebrew Israelite movement. The person being interviewed is a Believer who witnesses to them often.
SOMETHING TO HOLD ON TO:
Before I share the notes from the Mike Winger video, here’s a piece of scripture for every brother and sister in Christ:
26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27)
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And another:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
John 1:1-5
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:9-14
NOTES FROM THE MIKE WINGER VIDEO:
Question: How can you defend the Trinity when that word isn’t even in the Bible?
Answer: The word “Trinity” isn’t found in the Bible, but the concept is. The word helps us to define what is already laid out in the Old and New Testaments. (pauses) Do you believe that God is both “omniscient” and “omnipresent”? Well… those words aren’t found in the Bible either. These are theological terms used to summarize the concept the Bible teaches. — Mike Winger (paraphrased)
•••
Jesus’ Deity (I will come back to update this section with the full text)
Titus 2:13
Colossians 2:8-9
John 8:58
John 13:19-20
John 8:21-28
John 1:1
John 1:14
Holy Spirit’s Deity (I will come back to update this section with the full text)
Acts 5
Acts 13:2
Acts 10:19
Mark 3:28-30
Ephesians 4:30
Hebrews 10:29
Matthew 28:19-20
•••
Old Testament verses from a blog study on Isaiah (I will come back to update this section with the full text and a link to the blog. These verses are not from the Mike Winger video.)
Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 8:13-14
Isaiah 9:6-7
The enemy is crafty. Be sure to stay armed with prayer, remain in fellowship with other Believers, and always, always study the word!
Lexzie in Christ 