Also, throughout chap 14 Jesus distinguishes Himself from the Father. They accomplish this by adhering to modalism, more commonly referred to as oneness theology. This view of the Trinity is connected with Oneness Pentecostals' Christology. Paul was referring to the latter, not the former. Oneness/Jesus-only proponents will often say that this is a new revelation that came sometime during or after the Azusa Street Revival of 1906, which is generally regarded to be the birth of modern Pentecostalism. Col. 1:15) who brings out, that is, exegetes the Father: He [Jesus] has made known or brought news of (the invisible God) (Bauer, 2000: 349). Better books written by an ex UPC theologian, Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018. The Holy Spirit is God applying That may be the case. If you are going to claim that there is a pattern in the book of Acts wherein everybody who is filled with the Spirit also speaks in tongues, you have a problem, because that pattern is broken on two occasions. 50 This is the bread which comes down ek tou ouranou, so that one may eat of it and not die. 30:3; John 14:23]; Yahweh to Yahweh and Elohim (God) to Elohim correspondences in passages such as Gen. 19:24; Ps. Noted Greek scholar Daniel Wallace provides the precise meaning of the preposition para followed by the dative: In general, the dative uses suggest proximity or nearness. The modern Pentecostal movement is generally regarded to have begun in 1901 in a chapel prayer meeting in Topeka, Kan., led by Charles Parham, a teacher at Bethel Bible College. This is because in Acts 2:38, we see a manifestation of this command. I am beginning to suspect that, since Christianity is unique in . What Is Pentecostal Oneness? - Christianity.com After all, in John 17:11, the text says that the disciples are one in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one. The doctrine of the trinity states that there is one God who is eternally present in three persons. Unlike Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, Oneness Pentecostals teach both that there is one God and that Jesus is fully God. Notice John 14:16: I will ask [kag erts, first person] the Father, and He will give [dsei, third person] you another Helper, that He may be with you forever (John 14:16; also cf. 2. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. When they see Jesus raised from the dead, they will realize that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. 3:7.). Oneness Pentecostalism constitutes one of the world's largest non-trinitarian expressions of Christianity. While many studies have been written to provide a critique of other heterodox Christian groups (e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses, the LDS Church), there is a general lack of careful scholarship examining the theological claims of Oneness Pentecostals. The Pattern In The Book of Acts Establishes Our Doctrine But what good reasons are there to think that? To avoid the plainness of the passage (namely, the preexistence of the Son and His personal distinction from His Father), Oneness teachers argue that the glory that Jesus (the Son) had with the Father, only signified the future glory or plan in the Fathers mind, thus anticipating the Sons coming at Bethlehem. 12-14). 1. . How would anybody understand what he is saying? Phil. : A Trinitarian's Struggle With the Oneness Doctrine The assumption that Jesus is never referred to as the Father is incorrect. John 10:30: I and the Father are one. The Son is and has been eternally subsisting as the perfect and exact representation (charaktr) of the very nature (hupostases) of Him (autou, of Him, not as Him; Heb. Does the long ending of Mark vindicate the Oneness Pentecostal position about speaking in tongues? Why Don't United Pentecostals Wear Makeup or Jewelry? Get the Facts A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology: In the Light of Biblical Revelation 2:13: I know where you dwell, where Satans throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you [par humin], where Satan dwells (cf. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW)-1,000,000 reported Interacting with Oneness Pentecostals - Apologetics Index Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. The arguments can get a bit technical for people who do not know Greek, but Dalcour communicates so well that one is able to follow him. In the Incarnation, God in his divine nature is the Father; the Son is the perfect man in whom God was incarnate; Jesus is the one God manifested in the flesh. Recently a well-known pastor, television preacher, and best-selling author was asked about his beliefs about God. But typically, God became a man. So he broaches the subject from an intellectual concept. As a former Oneness Pentecostal (OP), Boyd was especially equipped to accurately describe Oneness beliefs about God and their arguments against the Trinity, and as a trained philosopher/theologian he was especially equipped to refute such views. Important Question: If Jesus is the Father, why is there not a single passage that states this in the NT or the OT? "When you believe in eternal life. Publish Date: Jul 20, 2016. He claims the symbol used by trinitarians is demonic. Where in the Scripture does it say that God is unitarian? No amount of good works, moral living, or church membership guarantees salvation. When it comes to implementing apologetics into the local church, it is important to know that Charles Spurgeon said, Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. Many trinitarians, unfortunately, have never heard of these arguments before. NOTE: the answers provided to the questions below are a simple and quick guide for the interested person wishing to compare Oneness theology with Trinitarian theology. "Michael Burgos has produced a brilliant blend of systematic theology and biblical exegesis with a detailed and thorough discussion of the main passages at the center of the dispute between Oneness Pentecostalism and traditional trinitarianism. Note the context indicating that the Father sent the person of the Son. . So, you appeal to v. 9, to assume Jesus is the person of the Father, but a verses later (v. 23), Jesus clearly affirms His deity as Son in distinction from the Father: Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and MY FATHER will love him, and pros auton eleusometha [to him WE will come] and monn par autw poisometha [at home with him, WE will Make].. 1:3). Bishop Thomas Dexter "T.D." Jakes (born in 1957) is a popular black preacher and evangelist who is the main pastor of The Potter's House church in Dallas, Texas (founded in 1996), with a congregation of over thirty thousand members. the subject who is speaking or who is logically understood. His will is one with the will of the Father. One of the key verses to which they will appeal is Mark 16:17, which tells us that those who have believed will speak in tongues. Oneness theology rejects the personhood of the Holy Spirit. However, since in Oneness theology Jesus is both Father and Son, Jesus cannot be properly Mediator between two partiesGod the Father and man. Read the entire account. Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acquire a basic knowledge of Oneness Pentecostals' beliefs and practices. Well, I think so. United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI)-500,000 (1.5 million worldwide), Other Designations: Jesus Only churches; Apostolic Pentecostals; The Oneness Movement; The Jesus Name Movement, Pentecostal Herald (UPCI) If you were to join a Oneness Pentecostal church, what would your experience be? The question that we need to ask is one what? 42:8). But they would simply amend their argument by saying, But this is clearly what early Christians believed because it is here. So I am willing to grant the long ending of Mark for the same of argument. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990. The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And over two hundred times, Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit and Jesus as distinct persons- and Never once does Scripture call Jesus the Father or the Holy Spirit.. Answer: Before time. . PAW: Aenon Bible School-Indianapolis, Ind. Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World Wide, Inc. (Bible Way)-250,000 also Walter Bauers, A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, 3rd ed. In sum, John 17:5 the Son first commands/asks (doxason, aorist impart.) John 1:18; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. Trinitarian vs Oneness Pentecostals (Foursquare vs UPCI) +BONUS The answers do not represent a *full exegetical presentationrather it simply and basically demonstrates (a) the fundamental Oneness unitarian assumptions (viz. Pentecostal Church of Apostolic Faith (PCAF)-25,000 In many debates and particularly in his book The Oneness of God, Dr. David K. Bernard argued that the declarations in the Old Testament are so powerful that they dismiss any conception of plurality within the Godhead. The Nicene Creed has defined historical orthodoxy for centuries. They maintain that God exists in two modes, as the Father in heaven, and as Jesus the Son on earth. Wallace, BBGG, 350-51; Robert Reymond, Systematic Theology, 263. 5:18). Does this not seem to vindicate Oneness theology? The UPCI was organized in 1945 with the union of two predominately white groups started earlier in the century. ), we embrace the Christian significancenot its origin. But for a deeper understanding, please view my other posts on this important subject. 32 Jesus then said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread ek tou ouranou, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread ek tou ouranou. Exegetically, it cannot refer to the Father thinking of the Son or having the Son in view or in His mind, for Jesus uses the imperfect tense [eichon, *had*), which shows that the Son had or possessed it, not in the Fathers mind. It is an idiom for authority, like if I say in the name of the king. This is firmly established in Acts 4:4, which reads, By what power or what name did you do this? Power and name are parallel. 14. Biblical Response: The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God (see 2 Tim. Oneness Pentecostals believe that there is one God and God is one. They place much emphasis on the name of God. $22.00. If you were to ask a Oneness Pentecostal to provide a proof-text for Oneness Theology, it is very likely that first passage that you will hear is Deuteronomy 6:4, which is Israels shema, essentially the thesis statement on the paper of the Jews. Jesus is said to have two natures: human and divine. distinguished fr. 1:33): 'I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he . Well, in verse 18, Jesus is talking about the resurrection. Please try your request again later. See what Christian leaders are saying about Against Oneness Pentecostalism: "Michael Burgos has produced a brilliant blend of systematic theology and biblical exegesis with a detailed and thorough discussion of the main passages at the center of the dispute between Oneness Pentecostalism and traditional trinitarianism. He holds a BS in Bible and Theology from Lee University, an MA in Theology from the University of Chester (UK), an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Belhaven University, and a PhD in Polemical Theology from Forge Theological Seminary. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. All Rights Reserved. Oneness author W. L. Vincent writes "The argument against the "Son being his own Father" is a red herring. I also recommend that you read the series that I linked to at the beginning of this article. Speaking in tongues, like all other gifts, is distributed sovereignly by the Holy Spirit to those He wills for the equipping and edification of the whole body of Christ (see 1 Cor. The church has branded Oneness theology as heretical since the days of Noetus at the end of the second century. And those (like yourself) who object (due to a mass of misinformation) to the Trinitarian symbol, since they do not have a problem with pagan-origins calendars in their homes, do they have a problem with the Apostle Pauls quotations of pagans writers to make a biblical pointnamely, Epimenides of Crete in Titus 1:12 and Acts 17:28 (referring to Zeus); Aratus of Cilicia in Acts 17:28 (also referring to Zeus); and Menander in 1 Cor. This seems to disconfirm the idea that all believers speak in tongues. It may also be that Father, Son, and Spirit is the name by which we know God. Concerning the baptismal view of the most rigid Oneness Pentecostals, he states, "It is on this issue, theologians say, that Oneness Pentecostals have drifted dangerously toward spiritual elitism and heresy." 14 Indeed, the Oneness view of baptism is lethally flawed. 6:4) has the strict denotative meaning of absolute solitude.

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