The idea that God is multiple persons seriously threatens the monotheism of the bible. This is really nothing more than lightly veiled polytheism. This self-inflicted wound has unnecessarily harmed evangelism to Jews and Muslims who both see this as irreconcilable with monotheism. The idea of God becoming a man has its origins in Greek mythology and has no place in the bible. The idea that Jesus was both God and man at the same time is hopelessly contradictory.
God and man have utterly incompatible attributes. The idea that one person can be simultaneously mortal and immortal, omniscient and ignorant, helpless and omnipotent, tempt-able and untempt-able, is absurd. This view totally compromises the fact the bible plainly calls Jesus a man. A godman is not both God and man but neither God nor man. An eternal, omniscient, omnipotent being adding a human nature to itself couldn't possibly be referred to as a "man" in any genuine sense.
This also totally compromises Jesus being the Messiah and Son of God. How can Jesus be "the Son of the living God" in any genuine sense if he is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and Holy Spirit? This makes a mockery of the biblical Father and Son relationship that Jesus and God have. Secondly, a transcendent, immutable God can't add a human nature to himself in the first place. God cannot cease being God. Trinitarians often recite their explanations handed down to them by tradition without ever thinking about what they are saying. Saying Jesus was both God and man sounds nice, but when it comes to explaining that in any coherent manner they are unable to do so. All of these interpretations of the scripture are totally unnecessary.
Jesus is the Christ (Anointed One) because he is not God, because he is a human. The Christ is a human anointed by God, Christ by definition is not God. Trinitarians will obliterate everything in their quest to make Jesus into God, including the biblical facts that Jesus is Christ, Son of God and a human being. Here is a quote from a trinitarian scholar:
- “The historic formulation of the Trinity (derived from the Latin word trinitas, meaning “threeness”) seeks to circumscribe and safeguard this mystery (not explain it; that is beyond us), and it confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought that the human mind has ever been asked to handle. It is not easy; but it is true. The basic assertion of this doctrine is that the unity of the one God is complex. The three personal “subsistences” (as they are called) are coequal and coeternal centers of self-awareness, each being “I” in relation to two who are “you” and each partaking of the full divine essence (the “stuff” of deity, if we may dare to call it that) along with the other two.”
Packer, J. I. (1995, c1993). Concise theology:
A guide to historic Christian beliefs. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.
Does that sound like the bible's teaching about God to you? Does the
bible really describe three co-equal persons all sharing the "stuff" of deity?
It seems to me the bible describes a single person God, who alone is almighty
and eternal (Isa 44:24), who begets a Son (Heb 1:5, Luke 1:30-35, Matt 3:17),
anoints him with his Spirit (Acts 10:38, Matt 3:16, Luke 4:18), teaches him what
to say (Luke 2:40,52, John 7:16, 12:49), raises him from the dead (Acts
3:15,5:30), exalts him to his right hand (Acts 2:33, Php 2:9-11), and makes him
the judge and lord (Acts 2:36, 10:42, 17:31). The trinity as Mr. Packer says is
"perhaps the most difficult thought that the human mind has ever been asked to
handle". No kidding Mr. Packer, probably because it is unreasonable, unbiblical
and unnecessary! Trinitarians often need to retreat to the realm of "mystery",
and say this whole trinity thing is unexplainable and beyond us. Has it ever
occurred to them that maybe we should simply rethink the whole trinitarian
interpretation? The amount of effort that needs to be put into defending and
explaining the trinity is all a lost cause. All one needs to say is "that
council of men in the 4th century doesn't determine biblical truth".
Taken from: www.JOHN17-3.ORG
Slightly edited
