AN APPEAL TO ONENESS BELIEVERS - part 1

I came across some posts by two different Oneness believers who were sharing their beliefs.

Now, the only real difference between Oneness & Trinitarian doctrines are:

• Trinitarians believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of "God the Son," the second person of the Godhead
• whilst Oneness believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of "God the Father"
• Both believe that Jesus has a dual nature i.e. a human & divine nature
• Both believe that Jesus is 100% God & 100% man - the Godman
• So, in light of the above, both doctrines are indeed erroneous

What follows is a synopsis of the posts by both writers which I came across.

Their points will be in green, whilst my responses will be in black:

ONENESS BELIEVER 1

The first writer was attempting to reconcile the many NT statements which speak about grace & peace being from BOTH God the Father AND the His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ;
these verses are obviously speaking about TWO distinct, individual beings.
Thus the writer then attempts to reconcile these statements with Oneness theology :-

"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

This scripture is just an example of what I am trying to explain because every book after the book of Acts in the Bible has an introduction such as this ... that states something along these lines,
"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." ...
 according to John 10:30,"I and my Father are one." thus giving me the conclusion that Jesus, who was talking to his disciples, is the same as the Father, thus they are ONE; NOT TWO SEPARATE BEINGS.

 

MY RESPONSE:

I suggest you take another look at John 10.30
Then compare it with John 17.11,21-22.
Jesus was not stating that he was the same as the Father.
Otherwise, you would have to conclude that his disciples are the same as the Father!! Why?

John 17.11 ... 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:

No! Just as the disciples are separate beings from the Father (and Christ); likewise Christ is separate from GOD his Father.
Jesus is 'One' with the Father in unity, in will & purpose. Jesus prayed that his disciples would be likewise.

The reason therefore, why "every book after the book of Acts in the Bible has an introduction such as this;" is because:
GOD our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are indeed TWO SEPARATE BEINGS!!
However, ONE is Almighty GOD whilst the other is NOT!

That is, there is solely ONE GOD, the Father.
[1 Cor 8.4,6]
The Lord Jesus the Messiah identified his Father as the only true GOD.
[John 17.3]

The man Christ Jesus in contrast is the one mediator between the ONE GOD and mankind.
Thus 1 Tim 2.5 clearly shows the distinction between these TWO SEPARATE BEINGS!!
ONE is GOD, the Father; whilst the other, is the man Christ Jesus; hence:

(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,
of whom are all things, and we in him;
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
by whom are all things, and we by him.

(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.

Hence when Jesus quoted Deut 6.4 as the greatest commandment before a Jewish scribe (Mark 12.29ff); it ought to be obvious that Jesus was not identifying himself as the ONE GOD; and neither did the scribe think that either!
Rather, they both agreed that their GOD was the ONE GOD we ought to love! (Compare John 4.22)
Jesus also commended the scribe's response. [Mark 12.34]

So before Jesus ascended into Heaven, he declared:
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them,
I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Then Hebrews 9.24 declares: For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true;
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

And whilst in Heaven, Jesus declared: Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God,
and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God,
and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: ...

And Paul speaking about Christ's return, declared: 1 Thessalonians 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.

The distinction and separation of these Two Beings is consistent throughout all the NT scriptures.
There is solely ONE GOD, the Father, the only true GOD.

Whilst the man Jesus of Nazareth is the one man whom the ONE GOD made both Lord and Christ;
hence he is the One Lord [Acts 2.36, 1 Cor 8.6, Eph 4.5]

YAHWEH in contrast is the One God and Father of all.
[Eph 4.6]

Hence, Phil 2.10-11:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Again, clear distinction and separation:
ONE Being is Almighty GOD whilst the other being is not!

ONENESS BELIEVER:

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

I want to make it clear. JESUS is GOD. (No distinctions of persons and no pluralities)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

That Word being Jesus and that Jesus being God
"One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:5-6)

There is only ONE LORD, ONE FAITH AND ONE BAPTISM. ONE God and Father of all. Jesus Christ is LORD!!!!

 

MY RESPONSE:

Indeed there is solely ONE GOD - (No distinctions of persons and no pluralities)

And who is this ONE 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.

(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, ...

Jesus, our Lord and Master, identifies the Father, his Father, as the only true GOD.
And the Apostles concur with Jesus their Lord.

So then, who is Jesus?

Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven.

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

It is that simple! There is solely ONE GOD, the Father.
Jesus is the ONE GOD's human Son;
who was crucified, died for our sins;
whom Almighty GOD raised from the dead, highly exalted him,
and made him both Lord and Christ
[Acts 2.36]
to the ONE GOD's glory.
[Phil 2.11]

So the Father is the LORD GOD;
whilst His Son is the Lord Messiah
[Col 3.24, Luke 2.11]

GOD Almighty alone has immortality.
[1 Tim 6.16]
That means He cannot die! GOD CANNOT DIE!! Much less be crucified.
Rather, it was Jesus the Messiah, crucified,
who the apostle Paul desired to know? 1 Cor 2.2
And how did Paul identify Jesus?
Look again at 1 Tim 2.5

Also:
Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 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.


Wow! Paul does NOT straightway go about preaching that Jesus is GOD!! Even after having an amazing encounter with him!!
Rather, straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God!!

Even after some time, maybe even months or years, what does Paul say?

Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription,
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,
(cp. Matt 11.25, Luke 10.21)
dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 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 hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness
by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

That man! That Man! That MAN!
That MAN whom GOD, the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, hath ordained and raised from the dead!!

The apostle Paul does not identify Jesus as the UNKNOWN GOD! He does not declare to the Athenians that Jesus is the God that made the world and all things therein.
Rather, he declares to the Athenians: that man whom GOD raised from the dead; GOD has ordained this man to be the Judge. (Compare the apostle Peter's consistent message in Acts 10.38-43)

These words are entirely consistent to what the apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 8.4,6; & 1 Timothy 2.5.

So yes, the ONE GOD, the Father, is identified in Eph. 4.6; whilst the one man whom the ONE GOD made Lord is identified in Eph 4.5. Hence Jesus is the one Lord.

The ONE GOD is still (and will always be) the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[2 Cor 11.31, Eph 1.3, Col 1.3, 1 Pet 1.3]

Compare (John 20:17) ... I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
with Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

The Lord Jesus has a GOD! If he has a GOD, then it means he himself is NOT GOD!

There can only be ONE GOD!!! And that ONE GOD cannot therefore be Jesus (seeing that Jesus has a God)!
Rather, the ONE GOD is Jesus' Father; and the ONE GOD is also his (Jesus') GOD!!

Therefore, John 1.1 is about GOD's word!!
(Jesus is not even mentioned!!)

Everything came into being by GOD's word; that is, GOD spoke and IT was done.

Compare Psalms 33:6 By the word of YAHWEH were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 For he spake, and it was done ; he commanded, and it stood fast.

In the fulness of time [Gal 4.4] therefore, GOD's word was made flesh [John 1.14]
resulting in the conception of Jesus of Nazareth, GOD's Son. [Luke 1.35]

So who is Jesus? He is GOD's word made flesh. Amen!! That's what the apostle John is declaring.
In fact, what was the purpose of the apostle John's Gospel?

John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Let me conclude with the words of the apostle Paul:

1 Thessalonians 1:9 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.

Again, the apostle Paul is consistent with his understanding of who GOD and Jesus is.

There is solely ONE living and true God!
Whilst, Jesus is the ONE living and true GOD's Son, whom the ONE GOD raised from the dead!

This is the true Apostles' doctrine from the Scriptures, concerning who GOD and Jesus is.

ONE GOD, the Father.
ONE man, the Lord Jesus the Messiah,
the Son of the Father.
[2 John 3]