My Story: To God Be the Glory - Joel & LaBreeska Hemphill

Hallelujah!! Former Oneness believers, Joel & LaBreeska Hemphill have come to the knowledge of the truth of the ONE GOD! Amen!!

Here is Joel Hemphill's testimony given at the 17th Theological Conference, April 2008.
(Taken from: http://www.focusonthekingdom.org/108.pdf )

My Story: To God Be the Glory - Joel Hemphill

Joel Hemphill and his wife LaBreeska have been in the preaching and Gospel music ministry for over 45 years. They have traveled around the world, and along with their family, have written and recorded over 300 Gospel songs. They have received 8 Dove Awards and had numerous #1 songs. Joel has been nominated 10 times by the Gospel Music Association as “Song Writer of the Year.”
They make their home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Joel spoke at [the 17th] Theological Conference:

I’m here first of all to thank you for your courage in holding on to this truth and helping pray us to this point. We’re fairly new in this understanding, about three years now, and so we’re debtors to you. Paul said in Romans 1:14, “I am a debtor,” and we’re debtors to you and want to thank you for your prayers, for your love, for this opportunity to speak from my heart for a few minutes.
I’ll just tell my story…

…In 2002 I got hold of a book called
The Doctrine of the Trinity: Christianity’s Self-Inflicted Wound.

I thought, this is interesting;
I’ve never believed in the Trinity. I was Oneness…

It looked interesting and I read it. It had to germinate so I laid it aside for about a year. God has different ways of bringing us to proper understanding…

In Israel we were sponsored by a very dear lady who came to this understanding 35 years ago. She was a Gospel music promoter. God opened her understanding. She tried to share it with a few people and they didn’t understand it, so she just had to keep it to herself. We were sitting on her balcony drinking coffee, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen, and she said, “Joel, why don’t we let Jesus be who he said he is — the Son of God?”
I said, “Wow! That’s right.” So that began to soak in, and then some friends of ours wrote and recorded a song, “God So Loved,” which is God’s viewpoint of Calvary. You see, Christianity has made Calvary a display of Jesus’ love. And yes, Jesus went there in love. Paul said Jesus loved the Church and gave himself for it.
But we’ve forgotten John 3:16: “For God so loved…” It’s a display of God the Father’s love. These friends of ours wrote this song from that perspective. I would play that CD in my truck and weep aloud over it.

I developed an empathy for God the Father. I began to see God.

So in November of 2005 the scales began to fall from my eyes. I began to write. I thought I was writing a Gospel tract — just Scriptures about God.
I read Isaiah 44:24 where God says,
“I created it all by Myself. There was no God with Me. I did it alone.”
I began to find other Scriptures about One God in the Old and New Testaments and began to write those. I was driven to write…
It established a foundation in my mind of who God is — who the one Most High God is.
He revealed Himself to me in His word.

I now see God the Father on every page. Yes, I see Jesus — the supernaturally conceived, virgin-born, sinless Son of God, our Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, soon-coming King, but his Father is now my God! Jesus is my Savior, my Messiah.

My understanding was completed when I went through the book of Revelation and highlighted every time it says “God,” “Jesus,” and “Lamb.” It says God 99 times, Jesus 14 times, and Lamb 27 times.
The focus of the book is clearly God the Father.

I was looking for who is on that main throne; who is the King of the universe? In my mind it was Jesus. And when I could not put Jesus on that main throne in heaven, I stood in our living room and literally wailed.
I had to change Gods. That’s the day I changed Gods!

Can I say that? Jesus was my God, and it was an emotional adjustment. So I can have compassion on people who struggle with this. God used different ways to bring me to this understanding, but ultimately He revealed Himself to me in His word.

So I wrote this book called To God Be the Glory.

I would wake up every morning at 5 o’clock with a question in my mind: Where is Jesus now? I had to answer that question for myself. He’s at the right hand of the Father. What is he doing there? He’s our intercessor. Hebrews says that he’s expecting.
May I humbly say, God the Father is not expecting anything!
He just speaks and it’s done. But Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father with a right to expect what God the Father promised him in
Psalm 110:1: “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
So I saw that Jesus came at Bethlehem, spoken before time, brought forth in time, in the womb of a virgin, promised the throne of his father David.

There’s not a verse in the Bible that promises Jesus God’s throne in heaven. Jesus said in Revelation 3:21, “He who overcomes I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame and sat down with my Father in His throne.”
God the Father is the King of Universe and His glory is the ultimate glory!

This is why my book is called To God Be the Glory.
In Isaiah 42 the first seven verses are about the Messiah, an awesome promise about our Lord Jesus who was to come in Bethlehem some 740 years later. But God the Father says in verse 8: "My glory I will not give to another." This was very strong in opening my understanding.
In Isaiah 48:11 He says it again.

I began to see the distinction between God the Father’s glory and Jesus’ glory.
God the Father’s glory is innate. Jesus’ glory is a given glory.
There’s absolutely no comparison between God the Father’s glory and Jesus’ glory. Jesus has awesome glory. He told his disciples, "You will see the Son of Man coming in great glory." Jesus’ glory is so great that the brightness of his coming will destroy the antichrist.
But Jesus’ glory is a given glory…

1 Peter 1:20-21 says Christ was "foreordained before the foundation of the world," not preexistent, "but manifest in these last times for you, who through him believe in God who raised him up from dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God."
I realized that in my sincere desire to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ I gave him God the Father’s glory. I repented of that and I no longer do that.

Glory, honor and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, but the ultimate glory goes to the Most High God the Father!

When we do that we’re obeying so many Scriptures that say, "Give unto God the glory due unto His name."
I never thought the day would come when we would have to defend God as the Creator! Christianity has taken the creation and given it to Jesus. As you know Jesus’ part in creation is redeeming creation. The first Adam lost it through sin; the last Adam bought it back at Calvary through his righteous blood. But we’ve taken God’s throne and given it to Jesus; we’ve taken the creation and given it to Jesus; we’ve taken God’s name and given it to Jesus!

God told Moses at the burning bush, "My eternal name is the Lord God," and He called Himself the Lord God over 200 times in the book of Ezekiel. When the angel appeared to Mary he said, "The Lord God…"
Who is that? That’s God the Father: "The Lord God shall give to this child the throne of his father David." He’s called Lord God 9 times in the book of Revelation. So I’m out now to give God the Father the glory due to His name!

Revelation 14:6-7 says, "I saw an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel"…The end-time message declared by a mighty angel is "Fear God and give glory to Him and worship Him."
Who is that? God the Father, the Creator.

"Worship Him who created the heavens, and the earth, and the seas, and the fountains of water." So when we give God the Father His glory we’re right on message, and we’re right on time…

If anybody asks you what I believe you be quick to tell them. I’m not going to hide it. We’re telling everybody that this is the message for today. I told my wife LaBreeska, "We have the truth and we’re not going to act like we don’t." We don’t have to hide it.

I sent a tract called "Can You Face Reality?" to over 91,000 Christian ministers.
Another tract, "Shocking Admissions" has gone out to over 43,000 Christian ministers, and we’re getting ready to send out more.
We’ve given away hundreds of books, To God Be the Glory.

Now I pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of my Lord Jesus Christ, and my God.
And I have absolutely just fallen in love with God the Father! Jesus said in Mark 12:29 that’s the greatest commandment.
"Thou shalt the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy strength."
How are people going to love God the Father if they don’t know who He is?

I’m preaching to the choir. We love you all. Thank you again for praying for us, for holding onto this truth.

Jesus is NOT a Trinitarian!

Here is another of Keith Dyer's wonderful blogs showing that:

Jesus is NOT a Trinitarian!

 

It still amazes me that for so many years it never really occurred to me
that God was not a trinity, or that Jesus was not God.

The fact is though, I had lots of help with that particular mindset. Now that I have discovered the truth that has been right in front of me all these years, I can see it everywhere. Jesus did not believe in the trinity!

While reading through the gospels recently, I came across a passage of Scripture that jumped out at me in this regard.
Mark 12:28-34 reads as follows:

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"
29 Jesus answered, "The most important is,
'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32 And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher.
You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.
33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
--Mark 12:28-34 (ESV)

In verse 29, Jesus is quoting from Deuteronomy chapter six;
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
This is called the "shema" and to this day you will hear it recited in every Jewish synagogue, and hear it on the lips of every sincere Jew. It is now, and was in the days of Jesus, the creed of Israel. It is the thing which made the nation of Israel stand out from the other nations; the belief in ONE God. But more than just one God with regard to those whose practice was to worship multiple gods, the shema is a declaration
that God is a singular Being!
Notice in verse 32 that the scribe agreed with Jesus by saying
"You have truly said that he is one..."
But then he adds "...there is no other besides him."

The shema acknowledges, that Yahweh alone is the God of Israel AND that He is ONE; i.e. not multiple in any sense.
If this was the creed of Jesus, should it not be the creed of any and all who claim to follow Jesus?
Should not every Christian declare, along with Jesus, that God is ONE?

The practicality of seeing that Yahweh alone is God, and Jesus is not, is immense.
Belief in the trinity requires a philosophical outlook that is not supported in the plain language of the Bible. It requires us to love and trust a God we cannot possibly hope to understand or relate to in any way. It reduces our knowledge of God to a philosophical concept, and it's difficult to love and trust a philosophical concept!
On the other hand, Jesus teaches us that God is a singular being - a person - worthy of our love and trust.

Jesus, quoting Hebrew Scripture, affirmed that the greatest of the commandments is to "love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." When I believed in God as a trinity, I generally always associated God with Jesus and therefore unwittingly gave him the glory that was due to God alone. By following the example of Jesus and affirming that God is ONE, we can love and trust God in the way that Jesus taught us. At the same time, we can give Jesus all the praise due to his name without confusing him with God.

If the Bible is God's message to mankind, and I believe it is, then it honors Him when we take Him at His word.

Jesus never claimed to be God, but he did worship, pray to, and teach about a personal God; a God who he called

"the only True God" (John 17:3); a God with whom he was intimately acquainted.

It was also Jesus' prayer that as he and the Father were one (unity of purpose), that we would also be one (John 17:11). And, that as he was in the Father and the Father in him, that they would also be in us and we in them (John 17:21-23).

This is a call for the Church to awaken from the stupor of Greek philosophy and tradition.

Let God be God, and let Jesus be who he said he is...
the Messiah... the anointed one... God's chosen servant.

Jesus is not a trinitarian!

 

 

Three in One is a great lubricant ...

A truthseeker by the name of Keith Dyer has recently come to the knowledge of the truth that:

• there is solely ONE GOD, the Father
• and the Lord Jesus Christ is the ONE GOD's human Son

 In light of this, he has written some wonderful blogs promoting what the Scriptures truly say.
Here (and the following blog) are two samples for you to enjoy:
(edited by me for emphasis)

Three in One is a great lubricant ...

When did otherwise rational people start believing that three persons equals one God? When and how did otherwise reasonable people begin accepting the idea that one does not really mean one? Let's face it, what if I tried to give a dollar bill as payment for merchandise costing $3 and told the cashier that even though it looked like only $1, it was actually worth $3? What would happen? Well, perhaps if the cashier was in a good mood, he or she might chuckle in disbelief and wait for the other $2. The fact is, no thinking person accepts that kind of math when it comes to money, or anything else! Why then do otherwise normal people accept it when it comes to the subject of God?

For over 35 years, as a Christian and student of the Bible, I never seriously considered that the doctrine of the Trinity could be false. My parents believed it, their parents believed it, my Pastors believed it, my Bible teachers and professors believed it; why, even many non-Christians believe it, or at least accept it. Like the majority of Christians today, I accepted this doctrine without question as the truth about the nature of God. The basis of this acceptance on such a wide scale seems to be rooted in the notion that it's simply a mystery and that God's ways are “past finding out” (Job 9:10; Rom 11:33). We must accept it by faith since no one can expect to understand God in His totality! To question this divine revelation of "three Who's which equal one What", as suggested by the Bible Answer Man Hank Hanegraaff, simply because it makes no logical sense, is futile and faithless. But is that right? Is that how we should view the subject of the revealed nature of God? Is that actually what the Bible teaches? I don't think so!

Part of my “paradigm shift” concerns this Trinitarian concept of God.
Until recently (roughly August '08) I believed in God the Father God the Son and God the Spirit, the three persons of the Trinity. I sang the songs passionately, extolling the three in one and listened to the sermons referencing the three in one without bending an eyebrow. I was well aware that it made no sense, but I was content to be confused along with everyone else. When confronted with the irrationality of it, I consoled myself with the usual analogies of water, ice and steam, or depth width and height, or past, present and future, and of course the standard tripartite nature of man, body, soul and spirit. But one day those ideas just didn't work for me any longer. In my search for truth, I began reading some literature on the subject that so impacted me, that I began to see Scripture with new eyes. As I followed the Bible references with an open mind, I began to turn around in my thinking. I can't say exactly what specific argument or premise brought about this sudden change, (some might say I simply allowed myself to be deceived) but I think rather, I was just hungry enough to receive it.

Please understand that, I am a "believer"! I do not deny Jesus as a genuine historical personality, nor do I question His virgin birth, his sinless life, his Sonship, or even his divinity, i.e. that he is like God; but I now see that I have gone beyond what the Bible teaches about him, or even what he says about himself. Rather than simply taking him at his word that, he is the Son of God, tradition has made him what he never claimed to be and by doing so the theological waters have been muddied. Even in the gospel of John which is used extensively as proof that Jesus is God, closes by declaring,

“but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

-- John 20:31 (ESV)

For the first time in my adult life, I have been willing to take seriously the arguments of those who refute the Trinity. And now as I study the subject on my own, the evidence just keeps “piling up” in favor of my newly adopted understanding that,
God the Father alone is God, Jesus is His son, the only begotten, and the holy spirit, rather than a person, is the active, personal, power of God at work in the world and especially the lives of believers.

I will submit my arguments from Scripture for this view in future posts, but if you are reading this and you believe in the Trinity, I must concede that 1700 years of Church history are on your side! The Trinitarian view of God has been called "orthodoxy" since the council of Nicea in 325 AD, and Trinitarian scholars would no doubt argue that the council only put down on paper what was already the accepted view by the majority of the Church. However, it's not that simple. The history is complex. Other groups argued against the Trinitarian view for centuries after, with some later Councils overturning the Council of Nicea. But regardless of the current majority view, I believe sound reasoning and, more importantly, sound Scriptural evidence, will show that a Biblical Unitarian interpretation of Scripture is more faithful to the text of the Bible, more logically coherent to the Bibles message, and allows for a more exalted view of Jesus, the human Christ!

I'll be writing more on this later, but in closing I would like to quote from a Trinitarian source in order to make a point. In the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia under the topic “Trinity” we read as follows:

“The term “Trinity” is not a Biblical term, and we are not using Biblical language when we define what is expressed by it ...
A doctrine so defined can be spoken of as a Biblical doctrine only on the principle that the sense of Scripture is Scripture. And the definition of a Biblical doctrine in such un-Biblical language can be justified only on the principle that it is better to preserve the truth of Scripture than the words of Scripture...

As the doctrine of the Trinity is indiscoverable by reason, so it is incapable of proof from reason. There are no analogies to it in Nature, not even in the spiritual nature of man, who is made in the image of God. In His trinitarian mode of being, God is unique; and, as there is nothing in the universe like Him in this respect, so there is nothing which can help us to comprehend Him...” [emphasis mine]

 

What is interesting to me is that the ISBE specifically states not only that “trinity” is an unbiblical term, but that the doctrine cannot be proven from reason. But then, oddly enough, the article goes on at great length in an attempt to prove the doctrine from reason! Huh? Also, if "the sense of Scripture is Scripture", as the article puts it, I guess it can mean whatever I want it to mean; that is, whatever my sense of it is becomes Scripture! Can that be right? And, by the way, how can one “preserve the truth of Scripture” without preserving the “words of Scripture”? Isn't that just double talk? But this is typical when it comes to defining the doctrine of the Trinity.

It seems to me that the doctrine of the Trinity is not a revealed doctrine at all, but in fact, an inferred doctrine, and there is a big difference! If the doctrine of the Trinity is so important, and if God, indeed, intended to reveal Himself as a “triune” being, certainly He would have made it much more plain, and it would be stated clearly in BOTH Testaments and we would not be left to “infer” anything!

Three in one is a great lubricant,
but not such a great doctrine!

"As a man, As God"

 

"As a man ... As God"

 

What follows is an extract from an article by a renown Oneness preacher, written in the 20th century.

It is nowadays used as a typical and "classic" set of axioms to proclaim who Jesus supposedly is; therefore, you would quite often hear these statements in Oneness churches & circles.

 

By GOD's grace I can now see just how incorrect these axioms indeed are.

For the purpose of explaining why I say this, firstly let me show the axioms in full:

 

"... I want to give a few statements that will make us to recognize the mystery of God.

As a man, He was born in humility;

but as God, He was worshipped by men and angels.

As a man, He was tempted in all points as we are;

but as God, He defeated every power of the devil.

As a man, He sat down on a mountain and spake unto the people;

but as God, He brought peace and comfort to every troubled life.

As a man, He taught the people;

but as God, He forgave their sins.

As a man He grew weary;

but as God, He claimed to have all power in heaven and in earth.

(That must be the Almighty, the only Omnipotent.)

As a man, He walked the paths of men;

but as God, He walked upon the waves of the sea.

As a man, He slept on a pillow in the hinder part of a ship;

but as God, He rebuked the wind and the sea, and they obeyed Him.

As a man, He hungered;

but as God, bread grew and multiplied in His hands.

As a man, He wept at the tomb of Lazarus;

but as God, He called him from the dead.

As a man, He talked with the blind and lame;

but as God, He opened their eyes and made their feet to walk.

As a man, men scorned Him;

but as God, the devils obeyed Him.

As a man, He suffered and died;

but as God, He arose from the dead.

As a man, they laid Him in a tomb;

but as God, He came forth conquering.

As a man, He was mocked as He hung on the cross;

but as God, the whole universe trembled when He cried, "It is finished."

As a man, men rejected Him;

but as God, He opened the way to the Holiest of holies,

when the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

As a man, He sat at meat with His disciples;

but as God, He vanished out of their sight.

He appeared to be a man to men;

but He proved to be the God of the Scriptures, fulfilling His word.

As the Son of man, He was visible;

but He was the image of the invisible God.
As a Son, He was known to the world;

but through the Spirit,

He was revealed to His chosen as Lord of all.

As the Son of man, He came into the world;

but as God He ascended to heaven, to come to earth again,

as King of kings and Lord of lords.

..."

 

 

 

Now let's examine each point scripturally ... I will number each axiom, and give my alternative (and prayerfully more correct) response in blue.

 

1. As a man, He was born in humility;
   but as God, He was worshipped by men and angels.
   
   
   Scripturally humans can indeed be worshiped in a manner which does not infringe the worship of Almighty GOD.
   This kind of worship is generally called
   "civil worship".
   The Hebrew word for worship, shachah, is used in reference to humans more than it is used in reference to Almighty GOD.
   When used in regards to humans i.e. prophets, dignitaries and kings,
   shachah is generally translated
   (esp. in the KJV) as
   "do reverence, do obeisance, make obeisance, bow down."
   Here is an example where it is translated as "worship":
   

   (1 Chr 29:20) And David said to all the congregation,
   Now bless YAHWEH your God. And all the congregation
   blessed YAHWEH God of their fathers,
   and bowed down their heads,
   and worshipped YAHWEH, and the king.

   Worshiped the king!?! How can that be! The king is not Almighty GOD!!
   
   Hopefully you realize that this verse is indeed showing the two types of scripturally legitimate worship!

   YAHWEH is being worshiped AS GOD;
   whilst His representative, "the king" is being civilly worshiped as the king of Israel.
   
   How much more our Lord Jesus the Messiah,
   the Son of GOD, the King of Israel?
   [John 1.49]
   
   The Greek equivalent to shachah is the word proskuneo.
   It has the same range of meaning. The confusion comes about because the translators always translated proskuneo as "worship" when used in regards to Jesus.
   Therefore, the reader assumes
   "if Jesus is being worshiped,
   he must be Almighty GOD!"
   Right Assumption? Wrong!!
   
   In the NT people bowed before Jesus (even some who at the time didn't know who he really was)
   because he was a man of God, a prophet; and of course,
   (after it was revealed to some,)
   their King, the Messiah.
   
   To bow (shachah, proskuneo) before
   a man of GOD, a prophet, a king; was the custom of the day, and in no way infringed the awesome, exclusive worship of Almighty GOD!
   
   And when GOD sends back Jesus the Messiah to inaugurate the Kingdom of GOD upon the earth,
   the very angels are commanded to bow before the man Christ Jesus, whom Almighty GOD has made "Lord of all"
   [Heb 1.6, Acts 2.36, Phil 2.11]
   
   So, as a man, not only was Jesus born,
   he was (and is) worshiped as
   Prophet, Messiah and Lord.
   
   For more information on the scriptural worship of Jesus the Messiah;
   please see 'The worship of Christ' and
   ' Defining the Term "Worship" '
   
   

   
   
2. As a man, He was tempted in all points as we are;
   but as God, He defeated every power of the devil.
   
   
   Let's begin by stating the obvious:
   
   

   (James 1:13) ... for God cannot be tempted with evil, ...

   and yet:
   
   

   (Mat 4:1) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness
   to be tempted of the devil.
   (Mark 1:11-13) And there came a voice from heaven, saying,
   Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
   12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days,
   tempted of Satan; ...
   
   
   GOD ALMIGHTY CANNOT BE TEMPTED WITH EVIL!
   Much less be tempted by the evil one, himself, Satan!
   
   The temptations would have been both pointless & futile if Jesus was indeed GOD Himself, who is impervious to temptation and evil.
   
   Satan the devil was not tempting GOD! Rather he was tempting the man
   Jesus of Nazareth.
   Just as the devil had tempted the First Adam, he was now similarly tempting the Last Adam. The great difference is of course:
   where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. Jesus did not yield to any of the devil's temptations.
   He overcame them by the word of GOD and by being totally submitted to his GOD.
   
   Incidentally (and sadly unlike many today)
   the devil knew who Jesus was!
   Not once did Satan call him GOD!
   Rather ... If thou be the Son of God ...

   So, as a man, Jesus both was tempted by the devil and overcame his temptations.
   May we by the grace of GOD follow Christ's example.
   
   
   
3. As a man, He sat down on a mountain and spake unto the people;
   but as God, He brought peace and comfort to every troubled life.
   
   
   Jesus brought peace and comfort because he did not speak of himself!!
   
   

   (Deu 18:18) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee,
   and will put my words in his mouth;
   and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
   (John 12:48-50) He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
   49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
   he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
   whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
   (John 14:10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?
   the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
   (John 8:28) Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he,
   and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me,
   I speak these things.
   (John 7:16) Jesus answered them, and said,
   My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

   So, as a man, Jesus spake to the people, and his words (and actions) brought peace and comfort;
   because he spoke not of himself, neither taught his own doctrine;
   but rather spoke and taught the words and doctrine
   which the ONE GOD his Father gave him to speak.
   
   It has been rightly said:
   Never man spake like this man.
   [John 7.46]
   Why? Because there could only be one man who could fulfill that criteria.
   See Deut. 18.15,18-19, Acts 3.22-26!!
   
   
   
4. As a man, He taught the people;
   but as God, He forgave their sins.
   
   
   Jesus, our Lord, Master, and Rabbi/Teacher,
   forgave sins by the authority that GOD had given him!
   Remember, Jesus can do nothing of himself!
   [John 5.19,30; 8.28]
   
   The believers who witnessed the healing of the paralyzed man not only understood this,
   but actually glorified GOD for giving such authority to mankind!
   
   

   (Mat 9:5-8) For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
   6 But that ye may know that the Son of man
   hath power [authority, Gk. exousia] on earth to forgive sins,
   (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled,
   and glorified God,
   which had given such power [authority] unto men.
   
   Oh that we all would have this understanding of these people, who glorified GOD for giving such authority
   to the man Jesus of Nazareth!
   
   So, as a man, Jesus both taught the people,
   and forgave sins by GOD-given authority.
   
   For more information on Jesus forgiving sins;
   please see 'Jesus forgave sins'
   
   

   
   
5. As a man He grew weary;
   but as God, He claimed to have all power in heaven and in earth.
   (That must be the Almighty, the only Omnipotent.)
   
   
   Let's read that verse for what it says:
   

   (Mat 28:18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
   All power [authority, exousia] is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
   
   Well for starters, GOD Almighty the only Omnipotent does not need to be given anything - much less authority!
   Why? Because He is Almighty GOD!
   Therefore, for someone needed to be given authority,
   that someone is not Almighty GOD!
   
   However GOD Almighty can chose to authorize anyone He so chooses.
   GOD has indeed so chosen to authorize His totally submitted and obedient, holy servant Jesus the Messiah 
   [Matt 12.18, Acts 3.13, 4.27,30]
   with all authority.
   Amen! Let your will be done, O GOD!
   
   So, as a man, Jesus indeed grew weary;
   and now as a glorified, immortalized man,
   Almighty GOD has fully authorized Jesus to totally represent Him.
   
   

   
   
6. As a man, He walked the paths of men;
   but as God, He walked upon the waves of the sea.
   
   
   Well that kind of reasoning would therefore make Peter, GOD!!
   
   (Mat 14:28-29) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship,
   he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
   
   So, just like Peter,
   as a man, Jesus walked on water by the power of GOD.
   Remember, (John 14:10) ... the Father that dwelleth in me,
   he doeth the works.
   
   In fact, here is Peter's testimony of Jesus:
   

   (Acts 2:22) Ye men of Israel, hear these words;
   Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God
   among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
   which God did by [through] him in the midst of you,
   as ye yourselves also know:
   
   

   
   
7. As a man, He slept on a pillow in the hinder part of a ship;
   but as God, He rebuked the wind and the sea, and they obeyed Him.
   
   
   Again, let's look at Peter's testimony i.e. Acts 2.22 &
   (Acts 10:38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
   with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;
   for God was with him.
   
   Jesus did such miraculous things because GOD was with him!
   Jesus was GOD's anointed one,
   the Christ of GOD.
   [Luke 9.20]
   
   Truly, What manner of man is this?
   Answer: He is the Messiah, GOD's authorized agent!
   
   So, as a man, Jesus slept; and as GOD's authorized agent, 
   the wind & sea obeyed this man, just like they obeyed Moses in times past!
   [e.g. Exo 10.13, 14.16,21,26-27; Isa 63.12]
   Truly, Jesus the Messiah is that Prophet like unto Moses!
   
   
   
8. As a man, He hungered;
   but as God, bread grew and multiplied in His hands.
   
   
   

   (Mat 15:36) And he took the seven loaves and the fishes,
   and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
   (Mark 8:6) And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves,
   and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
   (John 6:11) And Jesus took the loaves;
   and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
   
   Now who do you think Jesus gave thanks to?
   That's right!
   To the GOD of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob!
   To the GOD of Elijah who caused the barrel of meal & cruse of oil to multiply!
   [1 Kings 17.8-16]
   To the GOD of Elisha who caused the oil to multiply!
   [2 Kings 4.1-7]
   
   Amen! The same GOD who is the GOD and Father of Jesus [John 20.17] caused the loaves and the fishes to multiply!
   
   And what was the men's response?
   Did they cry out, "Jesus is our GOD?"
   Answer:

   (John 6:14-15) Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said,
   This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
   [i.e. Deut 18.15,18-19] 
   15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force,
   to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
   
   The men perceived that he was
   "That Prophet, That Prophet promised by GOD Almighty, according to the Scriptures."
   So much so that they wanted to make him "king!"
   However, their timing was wrong. It was not the will of GOD.
   
   No doubt, when GOD will finally send back to earth, the Lord Messiah, 
   Jesus will indeed be enthroned, and rule over Israel in the Kingdom of GOD; in fulfillment of all GOD's promises.
   [Luke 1.32-33, Matt 25.31, Acts 3.20-21]
   
   So, as a man, Jesus hungered;
   and Almighty GOD heard his prayer and multiplied the food.
   
   

   
   
9. As a man, He wept at the tomb of Lazarus;
   but as God, He called him from the dead.
   
   
   What did Jesus actually say?
   

   (John 11:41-42) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.
   And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
   Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
   42 And I knew that thou hearest me always:
   but because of the people which stand by I said it,
   that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

   
   Jesus lifted up his eyes and said "Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me."
   Is this not both prayer and thanks to GOD for a prayer which is about to be answered?
   
   Jesus is thanking GOD for hearing him. When did GOD hear Jesus (in this context)? No doubt in the many occasions that Jesus spent in prayer to GOD, sometimes even all night in prayer! [Luke 6.12]
   
   So Jesus had already prayed to GOD concerning the resurrection of Lazarus. But like Jesus said, he prayed yet again, so that the people would believe that GOD had indeed sent him,
   that GOD had indeed sent 
   the man, Jesus of Nazareth! 
   
   Also, Jesus can do nothing of himself,
   it is his Father that doeth the works!
   [John 5.19, 14.10]
   
   So, as a man, Jesus wept, prayed, and called Lazarus from the dead.
   Lazarus, however, was raised from the dead by the power of GOD Almighty.
   
   
   
10. As a man, He talked with the blind and lame;
    but as God, He opened their eyes and made their feet to walk.
    
    
    Again, look at the testimony of a disciple who witnessed Jesus,
    namely Peter.
    Acts 2.22, 10.38.
    
    (Acts 2:22) Ye men of Israel, hear these words;
    Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God
    among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
    which God did by [through] him in the midst of you,
    as ye yourselves also know:
    
    GOD Almighty did the miracles, wonders & signs
    through that approved man,
    Jesus of Nazareth.
    
    So, as a man, Jesus opened their eyes and made their feet to walk,
    not by any power or ability of himself;
    but rather, because Almighty GOD was with him.
    
    
    
11. As a man, men scorned Him;
    but as God, the devils obeyed Him.
    
    
    Sadly demons (devils) unlike many today, 
    know who Jesus is!
    
    James says that demons believe in one GOD and tremble!
    [James 2.19]
    So who did the demons believe Jesus was?
    And why did they obey him?
    
    

    (Mat 8:28-29) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee,
    Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
    
    (Mark 1:23-24) And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
    24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
    thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?
    I know thee who thou art,
    the Holy One of God.
    
    (Mark 3:11) And unclean spirits, when they saw him,
    fell down before him, and cried, saying,
    Thou art the Son of God.
    
    (Mark 5:2) And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
    (Mark 5:7) And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee,
    Jesus, thou Son of the most high God?
    I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
    
    (Luke 4:33-34) And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
    thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?
    I know thee who thou art;
    the Holy One of God.
    
    (Luke 4:41) And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying,
    Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak:
    for they knew that he was Christ.
    
    (Luke 8:28) When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee,
    Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
    
    (Mat 12:28) But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, ...
    (Luke 11:20) But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, ...
    
    
    The demons who believe in one GOD and tremble, knew who Jesus was!
    They knew he was:
    the Messiah, the Son of the Most High GOD,
    the Holy One of GOD.
    
    That is why they obeyed him! Jesus spoke with GOD-given authority and cast out demons by the spirit of the Most High GOD!
    
    So, as a man, demons obeyed Jesus because he is the Messiah,
    the Son of the Most High GOD.
    
    

    
    

12. As a man, He suffered and died;
    but as God, He arose from the dead.
    
    
    There are at least 20 clear NT verses which categorically state that GOD Almighty the Father, the ONE GOD, 
    raised His Son, Jesus from the dead
    e.g.
    Acts 2.24,32; 3.15, 4.10, 10.40,
    Acts 13.30,37; 17.31, 
    Rom 4.24, 6.4, 8.11, 10.9,
    1 Cor 6.14, 15.15,
    Gal 1.1, Eph 1.20, Col 2.12,
    1 Thess 1.10, Heb 13.20,
    1 Pet 1.21, etc.
    
    Not one verse says anything about:
    Jesus rising from dead as GOD
    or Jesus rising from the dead
    because he was GOD.
    Which is senseless anyway. Why?
    
    BECAUSE GOD ALMIGHTY CANNOT DIE!
    THAT IS WHAT "IMMORTAL" MEANS!
    INCAPABLE OF DYING!
    
    (1 Tim 6:16) Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
    
    GOD Almighty alone has innate immortality. Immortality is His to give.
    Whilst Jesus is:
    the firstborn from the dead,
    the firstfruits of them that slept.
    [Col 1.18, 1 Cor 15.20]
    Jesus is therefore the first human to whom
    the eternal, immortal, invisible,
    the only wise God,
    [1 Tim 1.17]
    has raised from the dead & given immortality to.
    
    So, as a man, Jesus suffered & died, and was raised from the dead by GOD his Father;
    and now liveth by the power of GOD!
    [2 Cor 13.4]
    
    

    
    

13. As a man, they laid Him in a tomb;
    but as God, He came forth conquering.
    
    
    See No. 12.
    So, as a man, Jesus died and was buried, and the ONE GOD raised him from the dead. Therefore Jesus can now testify:
    
    (Rev 1:18) I am he that liveth,
    and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
    
    

    
    

14. As a man, He was mocked as He hung on the cross;
    but as God, the whole universe trembled when He cried,
    "It is finished."
    
    
    Rather, the centurion got it right!
    
    (Mat 27:54) Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying,
    Truly this was the Son of God.
    (Luke 23:46-47) And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
    Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
    47 Now when the centurion saw what was done,
    he glorified God, saying,
    Certainly this was a righteous man.

    So, as a man, Jesus hung on the cross, and three days later ...
    (Rom 1:4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
    
    Note: Son of GOD not GOD!!
    
    

    
    

15. As a man, men rejected Him;
    but as God,
    He opened the way to the Holiest of holies, when the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
    
    
    ????
    
    Let's simply let the Scriptures speak:
    
    (Heb 10:19-21) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
    
    (Heb 5:1) For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
    (Heb 5:5) So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him,
    Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
    (Heb 5:10) Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
    
    (Heb 2:17) Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
    
    (Heb 4:14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest,
    that is passed into the heavens,
    Jesus the Son of God,
    let us hold fast our profession.
    
    
    So, as a man, Jesus was indeed rejected;
    but now seeing that he is the faithful, obedient Son of GOD,
    has been called of GOD, to be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to GOD.
    High priests are taken from among men.
    The man Christ Jesus is now for ever a high priest of the order of Melchisedec.
    [Heb 5.6, 6.20, 7.17,21]

    It should go without saying
    that the High Priest cannot possibly be the GOD to whom he ministers too!!
    
    

    
    

16. As a man, He sat at meat with His disciples;
    but as God, He vanished out of their sight.
    He appeared to be a man to men;
    but He proved to be the God of the Scriptures, fulfilling His word.
    
    
    Again, what was the message of Peter,
    who heard firsthand the testimony of these disciples [Luke 24.33]?
    
    (Acts 2:22) Ye men of Israel, hear these words;
    Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God ...
    
    Throughout the Book of Acts, there is simply no account, no testimony, no sermon, no preaching,
    of the 'apparent fact' 
    that Jesus is actually,
    their "GOD" who appeared to them, and fulfilled Scripture!
    
    What about Paul? He had an encounter with the risen Jesus.
    What was his testimony?
    
    (Acts 9:20-22) And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues,
    that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus,
    proving that this is very Christ.
    
    Paul (Saul) said nothing about the Lord Jesus being Almighty GOD,
    but rather that he is the Son of GOD, the very Messiah! And that's three days after his encounter with the Lord Jesus!
    What! Was Paul again mistaken?
    What! Did Paul have a last error that was worse than the first
    (i.e. after firstly persecuting Jesus and his church)??
    Judge for yourselves!
    
    Paul later goes on to say to the Athenians:
    (Acts 17:29-31) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
    31 Because he [GOD] hath appointed a day,
    in the which he [GOD] will judge the world in righteousness
    by that man whom he [GOD] hath ordained;
    whereof he [GOD] hath given assurance unto all men,
    in that he [GOD] hath raised him
    [the man Jesus] from the dead.
    
    Paul goes on to say ...
    
    (1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God,
    and one mediator between God and men,
    the man Christ Jesus;
    
    So, as a resurrected, immortalized man,
    Jesus showed that he was not a spirit,
    but a man of flesh and bones
    [Luke 24.39];
    and yet in his resurrected body, he could vanish out of sight.
    
    The man Messiah Jesus is indeed that promised man, prophet and Messiah;
    who the ONE GOD ordained to fulfill His words and Scriptures;
    through whom the ONE GOD will judge the world.
    Jesus is that man who is the one mediator
    between the ONE GOD and mankind.
    
    

    
    

17. As the Son of man, He was visible;
    but He was the image of the invisible God.
    As a Son, He was known to the world;
    but through the Spirit,
    He was revealed to His chosen as Lord of all.
    
    
    Amen!
    Jesus without doubt is the Son of man!
    And we know who is not the Son of man i.e.
    (Num 23:19) God is not a man, that he should lie;
    neither the son of man, that he should repent:...
    
    Jesus is indeed the [visible] image of the invisible GOD
    [Col 1.18]
    And an image is not the very same thing that it represents.
    
    And why is Jesus, Lord of all?
    [Acts 10.36]
    
    (Acts 2:36) Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
    that God hath made that same Jesus,
    whom ye have crucified,
    both Lord and Christ.
    
    Answer: because GOD Almighty made him so!
    
    Therefore, one day ...
    (Phil 2:11) And that every tongue should confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.
    

    
    

18. As the Son of man, He came into the world;
    but as God He ascended to heaven,
    to come to earth again,
    as King of kings and Lord of lords.
    
    
    Jesus is still "the Son of man!"
    Even after he ascended into heaven!
    
    As testified by Stephen before his death:
    (Acts 7:55-56) But he, being full of the Holy Ghost,
    looked up stedfastly into heaven,
    and saw the glory of God,
    and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
    56 And said,
    Behold, I see the heavens opened,
    and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
    
    Who then had ascended into heaven?
    (Heb 4:14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest,
    that is passed into the heavens,
    Jesus the Son of God,
    let us hold fast our profession.
    
    Let's clarify.
    Who then is returning to earth?
    
    (1 Th 1:9-10) For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you,
    and how ye turned to God from idols
    to serve the living and true God;
    10 And to wait for his Son from heaven,
    whom he raised from the dead,
    even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
    
    It is the man Christ Jesus,
    [1 Tim 2.5]
    the Son of man, the Son of God,
    who passed into the heavens, 
    who is currently at the right hand of the ONE GOD!
    Even Jesus, the Son of the living and true GOD
    who we await from heaven!!
    
    Can Scripture be clearer?
    Indeed, Jesus will return as
    King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
    has ordained by GOD Almighty.
    
    Nevertheless,
    the ONE GOD his Father,
    will always be his GOD;
    [John 20.17, Rev 3.12]
    And Jesus will always be:
    the Son of man,
    the Son of the ONE, Living and True GOD!

    
    

60 questions on the Godhead

Both, Oneness & Trinity doctrines are equally wrong. They use the same proof texts and practically the same methods of interpretation to present their common erroneous pretext:
That is, that our Lord and Savior,
Jesus the Messiah, the Son of GOD
is indeed GOD ALMIGHTY!!

In this sense then, both doctrines do equally err.

The largest Oneness organization, UPCI, have a tract that presents 60 questions concerning the Godhead, titled "60 Questions on the Godhead with Bible answers."

In this tract the oneness camp present to the trinitarian camp, 60 questions, with 60 “oneness” answers.

In this blog, I present the majority of the 60 questions with alternative answers.
And by GOD’s grace, I believe the alternative answers presented actually align with GOD’s Holy Scripture and the Truths concerning the ONE GOD and His glorious, highly exalted Son, the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

The Oneness questions are presented in brown.
The Oneness answers in green.
The alternative (and prayerfully more correct) answers and responses are in blue.

60 questions on the Godhead 

1.    Is the word trinity in the Bible? No.

 

And BTW, neither is the word ‘oneness’.

2.    Does the Bible say that there are three persons in the Godhead? No.

 

In fact, the Bible does not speak of any persons or anyone “in the Godhead.”

5.    Does the Bible use the word three in reference to God? Only one verse in the entire Bible does so - I John 5:7. It speaks of the Father, the Word (instead of Son), and the Holy Ghost, and it concludes by saying, "These three are one."

It appears that there is a great translational issue concerning 1 John 5.7.

The truth of the matter is that the Bible in fact does NOT in any sense use the word ‘three’ in reference to GOD Almighty!

6.    Does the Bible use the word one in reference to God? Yes, many times. For example, see Zechariah 14:9; Malachi 2:10; Matthew 23:9; Mark 12:29, 32; John 8:41; 10:30; Romans 3:30; I Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; I Timothy 2:5; James 2:19.

Amen!
(John 10.30 is not appropriate in this regard.)

8.    Has the Christian only one Heavenly Father? Yes. Matthew 23:9.

Amen. And consider also what Jesus said concerning the Father:

(John 20:17) ... I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to my God, and your God.

It appears that Christians' Heavenly Father and GOD;
is also both the Father and GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Compare: Rom 15.6, 2 Cor 11.31, Eph 1.3,17;
Col 1.3, 1 Pet 1.3.

9.    Then why did Jesus say to Philip, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father"
(John 14:9)? Because Jesus is the express image of God's person. Hebrews 1:3. The Greek word for person in this verse literally means "substance."

Yes, Jesus is the image of the invisible GOD.

[Colossians 1.15]

However, an image is not the thing that it represents.Thus, Jesus is the image of GOD; he totally represents GOD his Father. Jesus also represents the very substance of GOD, nonetheless, Jesus is GOD’s perfect representative. He is not GOD himself!

Note in John 14.10, Jesus says I am in the Father;
not I am the Father!
Which would have been the case, if Oneness doctrine were true.

13. Who is the Father? The Father is the one God, particularly as revealed in parental relationship to humanity. Deuteronomy 32:6; Malachi 2:10.

15. Did the prophet Isaiah say that Jesus would be the Father? Yes. Isaiah 9:6; 63:16.

No!
The word 'Father' in Isa 9:6 abi-ad is being used in a different context here; the term 'father' in this verse does not mean the ONE GOD.

Compare Isa 51:2, Matt 3.9, Rom 4.16.

Also Eliakim: he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. Isa 22.20-22.
In Isa 9.6, abi-ad means that the Messianic king will be:
the father of the age to come.

 

Another example is Joseph:
(Gen 45:8) So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

 

So, just as Abraham being called 'father' doesn't make him Almighty GOD; and just as Eliakim, being called 'father' doesn't make him Almighty GOD; and just as Joseph being made 'father' to Pharaoh, doesn't make him Almighty GOD;  
the same goes for the Messiah!!

 

Besides, Jesus clearly said:
(Mat 23:9-10) And call no man your father upon the earth:
for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters:
for one is your Master, even Christ.

Jesus makes a clear distinction between himself and the ONE GOD, the Heavenly Father.
And above all, Jesus identified his Father as the only true GOD!
(John 17:1) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, ...
(John 17:3) And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 

( See also Concerning Isaiah 9:6 )

19. Does the Bible say that Jesus is the Almighty? Yes. Revelation 1:8

NO! It does not!
Don't be duped by red-letter bibles.
Verse 8 is about the ONE GOD, the Father. Just compare verse 4:
from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; ...
Then verse 5: And from Jesus Christ, ... right through to verse 7 (ending with Amen.);
these verses are about Jesus.

So, Verse 4: is about GOD;

Verses 5-7: is about Jesus Christ;

Verse 8: is about GOD again;

Verse 9: is about John.

22. How many persons did John see sitting on the throne in heaven? One. Revelation 4:2.

The ONE he saw is the ONE GOD,
the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.

Whilst the Lamb is in the midst of the throne alongside the 24 elders & the 4 beasts
[Rev 5.6, 7.17].
The Lamb (we know who the Lamb is! John 1.29,36)
even takes the book out of the right hand of Him who is seated on the throne!! [Rev 5.6-7]

Solely the ONE GOD is depicted throughout the Book of Revelation as seated on the One throne; whilst the Lamb is not!

23. If Jesus is the first and the last, why did God say in Isaiah 44:6 that He was the first and the last? Because Jesus is the God of the Old Testament incarnate.

Different context.
Clue: The immortal Almighty GOD who ONLY has immortality [1 Tim 6.16] cannot die!
While Jesus the first and the last, was dead!!
[Rev 1:17-18]
Thus it ought to be obvious that the terms "the first and the last" are being used in different contexts, depending on whom it is referring to, whether GOD or Christ.

30. Does the Bible say that there is but one Lord? Yes. Isaiah 45:18; Ephesians 4:5.

31. Does the Bible say that Christ is the Lord? Yes. Luke 2:11.

32. Does the Bible say that the Lord is God? Yes. I Kings 18:39; Zechariah 14:5; Acts 2:39; Revelation 19:1.

The word 'Lord' is being used in two different contexts.

See Psalm 110.1. The word 'lord' is used twice.
Once in reference to YAHWEH GOD ALMIGHTY.
The other reference to someone who David
prophesied about and called 'my lord'.

Jesus after identifying the ONE GOD as the ONE LORD of Deut 6.4 in Mark 12:28-34;
then identifies himself as that other 'lord' referred to in Psalm 110.1.
See Mark 12:35-37.

Psa. 110.1 is the most quoted OT verse in the NT.
It defines the Lordship of Christ.
And this verse was totally fulfilled when the LORD GOD made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
[Acts 2.32-36]

For more info on Psalm 110.1
and its implications concerning Jesus' Lordship,
please see:

LORD, Lord, lord

Adonai and Adoni (Psalm 110:1)


BTW, the word "LORD" used in the verses referred to in questions:
30 (Isaiah 45:18), 32 (I Kings 18:39; Zechariah 14:5;), 39, 40;
is actually GOD's Name in the Hebrew text
(hence not the actual Hebrew word for 'lord').

That is why this word appears in capitals, "LORD" in our English OT.

And also, that is why these OT comparisons to the Lord Jesus simply do not match.
You cannot just compare two OT & NT verses which both use the word 'lord' and think that they are referring to the same being, the same 'lord'.

The OT usage of the word "LORD"
(in the example questions e.g. 30,32,39,40,etc.)
is actually GOD's name.
(Hence capitalized in our translations as "LORD" to indicate to the reader that this word is actually GOD's name in the Hebrew.)

Whilst the other usage is Jesus' title, simply the word 'Lord'.
(Also, other men in both the OT/NT are also called 'Lord'.
That doesn't make them the LORD GOD just as it doesn't make them
the Lord Christ! [Luke 2.11, Col 3.24])

Always check the context:
see LORD, Lord, lord


So in answer to No. 30.
The Father is YAHWEH, there is none else.
Hence he is the One God and Father of all. [Eph 4.6]

And in answer to No. 31.
In contrast, Jesus of Nazareth is the one man whom YAHWEH GOD
made both "Lord & Christ" in fulfillment of Psalm 110.1;
thus Jesus Christ is the "one Lord" [Eph 4.5]

Thus:
(1 Cor 8:4) ... that there is none other God but one.
(1 Cor 8:6) But to us there is but one God, the Father, ...
and one Lord, Jesus Christ, ...

33. How could the church belong to Jesus (Matthew 16:18) and yet be the church of God (I Corinthians 10:32)? Because Jesus is God in the flesh.

A simpler answer would be:
(John 3:35) The Father loveth the Son,
and hath given all things into his hand.

(John 6:37) All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

(John 16:15) All things that the Father hath are mine: ...

(John 17:2) As thou hast given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him.

(John 17:9-11) I pray for them: I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine;
and I am glorified in them.
11 ... Holy Father, keep through thine own name
those whom thou hast given me,
that they may be one, as we are.

37. What is one thing that God Cannot do? Lie. Titus 1:2.

GOD ALSO CANNOT DIE.

That is what "Immortal" means! So that's two things!

(1 Tim 1:17) Now unto the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God,
be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(1 Tim 6:16) Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;
whom no man hath seen, nor can see:
to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.


Yet Jesus died for us. Hence, Jesus is not the ONE GOD, but rather:
the human Son of the ONE GOD, the Father.

(1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;

(2 John 1:3) Grace be with you, mercy, and peace,
from God the Father,
and from the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

41. Does the Bible say that God alone treads upon the waves of the sea? Yes. Job 9:8

42. Why, then, was Jesus able to walk upon the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:25)? Because He is God the Creator. Colossians 1:16.

Such reasoning would make Peter, GOD the Creator!!
Why? Because Peter walked on water:
(Mat 14:29) And he said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship,
he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

So ask yourself how was Peter able to walk on water?
Hint: The answer to that question will answer how Jesus was able to walk on water too!
Clue: Acts 2.22, 10.38.

43. Is God the only one who can forgive sin? Yes. Isaiah 43:25; Mark 2:7.

44. Why, then, could Jesus forgive sin in Mark 2:5-11? Because He is God the Savior.

Again, such reasoning would make Jesus' disciples,
God the Savior!
Why? Because they also forgave sins.
(John 20:23) Whose soever sins
ye remit [forgive, same Gk. word as in Mark 2.5-11!],
they are remitted [forgiven, same Gk. word as in
Mark 2.5-11!] unto them; ...

So the question should be, how could the disciples do so?
Answer: By the authority of Jesus which was given them.
Then how did Jesus in turn forgive sins?
That right! By the authority of the ONE GOD has given to Jesus!!
Therefore:
(Mat 9:8) But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled,
and glorified God, which had given such power [AUTHORITY] unto men;
i.e. the man Jesus of Nazareth!!

The believing crowd understood this!!

See also Jesus Forgave Sins 

 

45. Is Jesus the true God? Yes. I John 5:20.

NO!!! Jesus clearly tells us who the true GOD is.
John (the same writer) isn't contradicting himself!!

(John 17:1) These words spake Jesus,
and lifted up his eyes to heaven,
and said, Father, ...
(John 17:3) And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

48. When Stephen was dying, did he call God Jesus? Yes. Acts 7:59.

 

NO! The word 'God' is in italics in our Bibles;
to indicate that this word is not in the Greek text;
but rather was added to the English translation
by the (trinitarian) translators.

Rather the verse actually reads:
(Acts 7:59) And they stoned Stephen,
calling upon and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Always remember who translated the KJV Bible!
They obviously had a bias to present Jesus as
'God the Son'!!

49. Did Thomas ever call Jesus God? Yes. John 20:28.

Yes. See also Jesus Is God

 

 

50. How could Jesus be the Savior, when God the Father said in Isaiah 43:11, "Beside me there is no Savior?" Because "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." II Corinthians 5:19.

Well, ask yourself:
How could the ONE GOD, raise up men in OT times to be saviors? ...
Judg. 3.9,15; Neh. 9.27 (see also Obadiah 21)
How could Othniel & Ehud be saviors in light of
Isa 43:11?
(The word "deliverer" is the same Hebrew word as "savior" in Isa 43.11)

Does that mean then that Othniel and Ehud are GOD?
Of course not!
So to be called/made "Savior",
didn't make Othniel & Ehud, Almighty GOD!
So neither does it make Jesus!
[Acts 5.31, 13.23]

Othniel, Ehud, the saviors of Neh 9.27;
are all agents of the ONE GOD our Savior.
The ONE GOD saved through them in the OT.

Likewise in the NT,
the ONE GOD saves through His agent,
Jesus the Messiah.
That is why they are both referred to as Saviors.

So similar answer to questions 23 & 31.
Same terms, different contexts!

51. Does the Bible say that Jesus was God with us? Yes. Matthew 1:23.

It actually reads:
(Mat 1:23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us.

Its the name "Emmanuel" which means
"God with us".
And in actuality, the boy in Isaiah chapters 7 & 8 was also called "Immanuel".
Did that make the child, GOD?
And also, Jesus is never actually recorded as being called by that name in the NT. Hmmm!

52. Did Jesus ever say, "I and my Father are one?" Yes. John 10:30.

And look at what else Jesus said:

(John 17:11) And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world,
and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me,
that they may be one, as we are.

(John 17:22) And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;
that they may be one, even as we are one:

59. Does the Bible say that God shed His blood and that God laid down His life for us? Yes. Acts 20:28; I John 3:16. God was able to do this because He had taken upon Himself a human body.

Again, look at 1 John 3.16
The words 'of God' are in italics in our Bibles;
to indicate that these words are not in the Greek text;
but rather these words were added to our English translation
by the (trinitarian) translators.

Rather the verse actually reads:
(1 John 3:16) Hereby perceive we the love, because he laid down his life for us:
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Obviously, the context is about our Lord Jesus Christ;
and not about Almighty GOD, who cannot die!!

As for Acts 20.28, that's another translation issue!
However, always remember who translated the KJV Bible! And their theological bias.

Nevertheless, the Bible does not say anyway that GOD shed blood!

60. The Bible says that God is coming back with all his saints (Zechariah 14:5) and also that Jesus is coming back with all his saints (I Thessalonians 3:13). Are two coming back? No. Only one is coming back--our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.

The question ought to be rather:
Are two coming?

Well ... we know that Jesus indeed is going to come back at his return.
However, are you not aware that after the 1000 years,
GOD Himself is going to come!!

(Rev 7:15) ... and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

(Rev 21:2-3) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.


Oh BTW, the Greek text of Titus 2:13 can legitimately be translated another way, which shows that this verse actually speaks of:
the appearance of the glory of our Great God AND our Saviour Jesus Christ;

i.e. The Glory.

Compare:

(Mat 16:27) For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father
with his angels; ...
(Mark 8:38) ... when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
(Luke 9:26) ... when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.