The Path To The Trinity In A Parable
Tom Raddatz (tomr@corecom.net)
Mon, 19 Aug 1996 21:36:38 -0800
What really, is wrong with applying the phrase "Separate Persons" in
defining the godhead (as Trinitarians do)? Allow me to give you a parable.
A General commands his troops to go and capture a town called Bravo. They
are currently in a town called Alpha. (A to B, get it! ;-) The shortest way
to Bravo APPEARS to be in a straight line through the towns of Charlie,
Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot. But the General warns them. I COMMAND you: DO NOT
go through Charlie- you'll have all your weapons stolen, and by the time you
get to Alpha you'll be no good to me. I COMMAND you: DO NOT go through
Delta, because you'll catch your death of Malaria, and a sick soldier will
only be a burden when I need you at Bravo. I COMMAND you: DO NOT go through
Echo, because they will strip you naked, and you'll be vulnerable, and of no
use to me. I COMMAND you: DO NOT go through Foxtrot, because they are
exceedingly mean, and you will not survive the ordeal.
Next the General commands them where to go, and briefly explains why...
I COMMAND you to go through Golf, though the way be longer, and seem more
difficult, they will feed you there on your journey. I COMMAND you to go
through Hotelville, though the way be weary, for they will give you lodging,
and you will be rested. I COMMAND you to go through the City of India,
though it be a steep climb, it is not that far, and they will fortify your
rations, and arms. I COMMAND you to proceed on from there to Juliet, even
though the way may at first look difficult, for they are a hardy people, and
they will join you, and your numbers will be increased.
So, what happens? As soon as the General is out of sight, most of the troops
decide they don't agree with the way the General has ordered them to go.
They decide they're tough enough to take on Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot,
and then get to Bravo so much the sooner. The General will be pleased, and
they'll be heroes! So off they go on the easy looking road, until each one
of the General's warnings against those cities comes true in them. They end
up at Bravo without any weapons, sick of Malaria, naked, having their bodies
mortally wounded.
Fortunately, there were enough soldiers who obeyed the General, and win on
to win the right road to gain the victory. But the disobedient were lost and
shamed.
---
So, what's the interpretation of this parable?
In the city of Charlie, your weapons are stolen- In order to formulate the
Trinity doctrine the Bible was held in LOWER authority than the philosophies
of man developed by pagans!
"THE FIRST CHRISTIAN TO USE GREEK PHILOSOPHY in the service of the Christian
faith WAS JUSTIN MARTYR (martyred c. 162-168)... this was carried on in the
Greek speaking world by CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (c. 150-c. 215), a persuasive
Christian Humanist, and by the greatest of the Alexandrian Christian
teachers, ORIGEN (c.184-254)... The GREEK PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY THAT
DEVELOPED DURING THE TRINITARIAN CONTROVERSIES over the relationships among
the persons of the Godhead, which were settled at the ecumenical councils of
Nicea (325) and Constantinople (381), OWED A GREAT DEAL TO ORIGEN... Its
greatest representatives on the orthodox side were THE THREE CHRISTIAN
PLATONIST THEOLOGIANS of Cappadocia, Basil of Caesarea (c. 330-379), Gregory
of Nazianus (c. 330-390), and Basil's brother Gregory of Nyssa (died 394)...
Augustinian Platonism. Each of the great CHRISTIAN PLATONISTS UNDERSTOOD
PLATONISM AND APPLIED IT TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF HIS FAITH in his own
individual way; and of no one of them was this more true than of
Augustine... In his anthropology, AUGUSTINE WAS FIRMLY PLATONIST... In his
theology, insofar as AUGUSTINE'S THOUGHT ABOUT GOD WAS PLATONIC, he
conformed fairly closely to the general pattern of Christian Platonism...
Perhaps THE MOST DISTINCTIVE INFLUENCE OF PLOTINIAN NEOPLATONISM ON HIS
THINKING ABOUT GOD WAS IN HIS TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY..." -Encyclopedia
Brittanica, Vol. 4, page 542-543
"The definition of the Christian faith as contained in the creeds of the
ecumenical synods of the early church indicate that UNBIBLICAL CATEGORIES OF
NEOPLATONIC PHILOSOPHY WERE USED in the formulation of the doctrine of the
Trinity, as well as in Christology and the doctrine of man..."
--Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, 1984, Vol. 4, page 476.
But God had COMMANDED us NOT to go to the city of Charlie. He COMMANDED US
NOT to use the philosophies of men to formulate doctrine-
Col 2:8 "Beware lest any man SPOIL YOU THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND VAIN DECEIT,
AFTER THE TRADITION OF MEN, AFTER THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD, AND NOT AFTER
CHRIST. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And
ye are complete in him..."
But that is EXACTLY what the Trinitarians did in order to formulate the
Trinity doctrine! They employed pagan philosophical interpretations in order
to develop their terminology!
Instead, God commanded us to the city of Golf: God commanded that HIS WORD
ALONE should feed us-
Mat 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
2Ti 3:15 "...the holy scriptures, which ARE ABLE TO MAKE THEE WISE UNTO
SALVATION through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be
perfect, THROUGHLY FURNISHED UNTO ALL good works."
----
If you go to the city of Delta, you will catch Malaria- God's word was added
to in order to formulate the doctrine of the Trinity. God's people were
thereby infected with the leaven of the world, and have been since the
council of Nicea.
"Trinity... It is generally agreed that the doctrine was formulated with
progressively increasing clarity AS IT'S TERMINOLOGY DEVELOPED..." -Colliers
Encyclopedia, 1982, pg. 480.
***IF THE BIBLE'S WORDS WEREN'T ADDED TO, TRY DESCRIBING THE TRINITY WITHOUT
THE FOLLOWING UNSCRIPTURAL WORDS AND/OR PHRASES***:
Trinity, holy Trinity, Divine Trinity, Triune, Three-in-one, Three-of-one,
God-the-Son, God-the-Holy-Ghost, Separate Persons, Separate Egos, Separate
Individualities, Divine Plurality, Divine Individuality, Divine Unity,
Mystery-above-reason.
God COMMANDED US NOT to go to the City of Delta: He COMMANDED us NOT to add
to the word of God:
Deu 12:32 "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: THOU SHALT NOT
ADD THERETO, nor diminish from it."
Rev 22:18 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, IF ANY MAN SHALL ADD UNTO THESE THINGS, GOD SHALL ADD
UNTO HIM THE PLAGUES that are written in this book"
However, if you should go to Hotelville, you will find shelter: The Lord
COMMANDS us to keep His word, that He may keep us safe:
Deu 28:1 "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto
the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to DO ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS
which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high
above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on
thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD
thy God."
Mat 7:24 "Therefore whosoever HEARETH THESE SAYINGS OF MINE, AND DOETH THEM,
I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon
that house; AND IT FELL NOT: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every
one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened
unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
---
We are commanded not to go to the city of Echo: God has commanded us not to
go after the world, for the world is not of God, and will strip us naked of
the righteousness of God (compare Rev 19:8, with Isa 64:6, and 1Jo 2:15)!-
Deu 6:14 "Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which
are round about you..."
Deu 13:6 If thy brother... entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve
other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 Namely, of
the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off
from thee... 8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him;
neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt
thou conceal him:"
The Trinitarians looked to the gods which were "round about" them to serve!
Who were these "gods" that were "round about" them? None other than the
Trinity of Persons in one god!
"It is a solution by harmonization, an attempt to combine, as Gregory of
Nyssa characterizes it, the monotheism of the Jews and the polytheism of the
Greeks. THE METHOD OF HARMONIZATION USED BY THEM WAS TO THIN DOWN THE JEWISH
MONOTHEISM AS A CONCESSION TO GREEK POLYTHEISM." -Wolfson, Harry A. "The
Philosophy of the Church Fathers", pgs. 578-579, as quoted in After The Way
Called Heresy, by Thomas Weisser, page 32.
"In the Trimurti, Brahma... The Lord God, though one without a second,
assumes the three forms respectively of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva... though
three in form, are one entity... It may, however be noted that, whereas THE
TRINITY is presented in Scholastic philosophy as a mystery, IT IS A
FUNDAMENTAL DEFINITION OF HINDU RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY!" -Edward Rice, Eastern
Definitions, pg. 387. as quoted in After The Way Called Heresy, by Thomas
Weisser, Page 34.
"Mr. Layard, in his last work, has given a specimen of such A TRIUNE
DIVINITY, WORSHIPPED IN ANCIENT ASSYRIA. The accompanying cut of SUCH
ANOTHER DIVINITY (TRINITY), WORSHIPPED AMONG THE PAGANS OF SIBERIA..." -Rev.
Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pages 16-17.
God commands us on to the City of India: to fortify our rations and arms: We
are COMMANDED to take the Word of God as our sword, and the things of God as
our armament!
Eph 6:14 "Stand therefore, having... 17 ...the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God"
Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his
sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we
have to do."
---
Do not go to Foxtrot is the command: that city will surely be the Death of
you- By leaving off all those other commandments of God, the people took on
the very same god of their enemies- the Babylonian Trinity of persons-
Satan's masterpiece!
"Trinity... was FIRST defined by the earliest council of churches. This was
the first council of Nicea in 325 A.D..." World Book, 1984, vol. 19.
"The emperor CONSTANTINE GRANTED TO HIMSELF, as 'bishop of foreign affairs,'
CERTAIN RIGHTS TO CHURCH LEADERSHIP... LEADING IMPERIAL COUNCILS AND
RATIFYING THEIR DECISIONS..." . -Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition,
1984, Vol. 4, pages 508-509.
Jesus SPECIFICALLY TOLD US where on earth SATAN'S throne is-
Rev 2:12 "And to the angel of the church IN PERGAMOS... THOU DWELLEST, EVEN
WHERE SATAN'S SEAT (THRONE) IS"
This kingdom (throne) of Satan was then legally BEQUEATHED TO ROME!-
"Pergamum... served as THE RESIDENCE OF THE Attalid DYNASTY... When
Eumenes's son and second successor, Attalus III, died without an heir, HE
BEQUEATHED THE KINGDOM (SATAN'S SEAT) TO ROME (133AD). ROME ACCEPTED IT..."
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, 1984, vol. VII, pg. 873.
So, where did this doctrine of the Trinity originate, if not expressly with
the apostles, or those who immediately followed them?
"THE ANCIENT BABYLONIANS, just as the modern Romans, RECOGNIZED IN WORDS THE
UNITY of the Godhead; and, while worshipping innumerable minor deities, as
possessed of certain influence on human affairs, they distinctly
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS ONE INFINITE AND ALMIGHTY CREATOR, supreme over
all... IN THE UNITY OF THAT ONE ONLY GOD OF THE BABYLONIANS, THERE WERE
THREE PERSONS..." -Rev. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pages 14-17.
So the Trinitarians went to Foxtrot (the gods round about them), and there,
Satan's legal heir, filled them with the doctrine of the Trinity that came
from Babylon!
What, you DON'T believe the Trinitarians ACTUALLY DID GO AND SERVE THE GODS
THAT WERE ROUND ABOUT THEM?
"Christianity of Constantine was but of a very doubtful kind, the pagans
seeing nothing in it to hinder but that WHEN HE DIED, HE SHOULD BE ENROLLED
AMONG THEIR GODS.-(Eutropius,x.pp.131-133)" -The Two Babylons, By Rev.
Alexander Hislop, Loizeaux Brothers, page 235.
"Christianity... The early Christian Church... of the first three centuries
turned decisively against the state religion of Rome... because their
religion could not be fitted into the politically sanctioned pagan religious
system... CONSTANTINE, IN THE EARLY 4TH CENTURY... ENDED THE PERSECUTION OF
THE CHURCH AND MADE IT ITSELF THE BASIS FOR THE SPIRITUAL UNITY OF THE ROMAN
EMPIRE. THE CHURCH THEREBY BECAME THE PARTNER OF THE... STATE..." -
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th edition, 1984, vol. 4, page 468.
However, if you would go to the city of Juliet, as the Lord commanded: your
strength would be increased by the hardy-
Mar 12:29 "...THE FIRST OF ALL THE COMMANDMENTS IS... THE LORD OUR GOD IS
ONE LORD"
Joh 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you
for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless:
I will come to you.
---
You see, Trinitarians just plain haven't followed the way of the Lord. They
went off on their own road! They are disobedient children!
2Pe 2:15 "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following
the way of Balaam the son of Bosor..."
Rev 2:14 "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them
that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to
commit fornication."
The doctrine of Balaam was the doctrine of compromise, and compromising with
pagan, philosophic, Babylonian heirs is what it took, and what they did to
introduce the Trinity doctrine to Christianity. It has happened again
exactly as it did with Israel, which was our example, and they still haven't
caught on!
-----
Trinitarians have stated that I have to throw away a lot of the Bible to
preach this Oneness doctrine. I don't believe I do, and I don't believe
anyone has proven that I do. But, is it safe for me to assume that someone
who would say such a thing, as they have, must think they don't, right?
So, let them explain to me-
How can Trinitarians in good conscience throw away 2 Tim 3:15-17 which says
the Bible "Thoroughly furnishes us unto all..."? If Trinitarians aren't
throwing this scripture away, and making it of none effect, how come the
Bible never explicitly says, NOR defines that the Godhead is a Trinity of
Separate Persons, yet they hold that to be true? How come they have to add
concepts to the Bible to explain that doctrine?
How can Trinitarians in good conscience throw away Deut. 12:32, Rev. 22:18,
and Pro 30:6 "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be
found a liar." How come the Bible COMMANDS us NOT to add to His words, but
they do it anyway? If Trinitarians are not throwing these scriptures away,
where does the bible use the word "Persons" or "Trinity" in regard to the
Godhead?
If Trinitarians had done as the scripture says (2Ti 2:15) in studying and
rightly dividing the word, they would have come upon 1 Cor. 12 where it
SPECIFICALLY SAYS WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE between the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost! Trinitarians would have found that the Bible, the complete, thorough
word of God TELLS US VERY SPECIFICALLY what those differences are: 1Co 12:4
"...diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are DIFFERENCES
OF ADMINISTRATIONS, but the same Lord. 6 And there are DIVERSITIES OF
OPERATIONS, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal... 8 For
to one is given by the Spirit... 10 ...prophecy... 11 But all these worketh
that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he
will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."
They would have found that 1Co 12:28 says: "...God hath set some in the
church... secondarily prophets..." And we all know that "...to us there is
but one God, the Father..." -1Co 8:6.
And they would have found that: Eph 4:7 says: "...unto every one of us is
given grace according to the measure of THE GIFT OF CHRIST. 8 Wherefore he
saith, When he ascended up on high, HE (CHRIST)... GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN. 9
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the
lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended IS THE SAME ALSO THAT
ASCENDED UP FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS, THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS.) 11 And HE
GAVE SOME... PROPHETS; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers"
How can Trinitarians in good conscience throw away the whole chapter of 1
Cor 12, and Eph. 4:7-11? How come they don't believe that "all these worketh
that one and the selfsame Spirit" like the Bible says? How come they don't
believe the Bible when it clearly explains that: "There are differences of
administrations... and there are differences of operations... But ALL these
worketh that one and the selfsame God"? The Bible EASILY could have said
these were "Separate Persons" here, so why do they have to add to the word
of God, against God's explicit commands (Rev 22:18, Prov 30:6), with impunity?
If they were interpreting scripture with scripture, instead of adding
unbiblical words, they would still see a difference between Jesus and the
Father in John 8, but IT WOULDN'T BE DIFFERENCES OF PERSON! It WOULD be
"differences of operations and differences of administrations... but all
these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit. For so also is Christ." You
see, they would have noticed that Jesus said- "though I bear record of
MYSELF, my record is true." And they would have realized- yes, Christ is
all. The Father isn't all, and the Son isn't all, but "CHRIST IS ALL" -Col.
3:11.
Col 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 AND
YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM..."
If Trinitarians don't believe in a polytheistic view of God, then how come,
and how can they, possibly, in good conscience, use the same terms to
describe god, in the EXACT manner the pagan Babylonians did? What gives with
that if not blatant disobedience?
"THE ANCIENT BABYLONIANS,..., RECOGNIZED IN WORDS THE UNITY of the Godhead;
and,... ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS ONE INFINITE AND ALMIGHTY CREATOR,
supreme over all... IN THE UNITY OF THAT ONE ONLY GOD OF THE BABYLONIANS,
THERE WERE THREE PERSONS..." -Rev. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pages
14-17.
Why did it take a council, led by the legal heir of Satan, to institute and
ratify the Trinity doctrine? Could some one of you Trinitarians PLEASE tell
me how you Trinitarians in good conscience can JUSTIFY
THAT????????????????????????????????????????????????
And how can Trinitarians, in good conscience, condemn and ridicule me for
refusing to partake with them in the making of none effect all these
commandments of God as they do, ESPECIALLY THE VERY FIRST ONE (Mark 12:29)?
OR SHOW ME WHERE THE BIBLE COMMANDS ME TO BELIEVE IN THE TRINITY!!! BECAUSE
THAT COMMANDMENT IS NOT THERE, AND THE BIBLE IS COMPLETE, AND THOROUGH!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The scripture says that I can't be sinning unless there is a law that I have
broken-
Rom 4:15 "...For WHERE NO LAW IS, THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION."
1Jo 3:4 "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: FOR SIN IS THE
TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW."
So show me where this commandment is that COMMANDS me to believe that the
"differences" in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are a Trinity of Separate
Persons, in the manner that Trinitarians and pagan Babylonians believe, or
EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THEY AT ALL JUSTIFY CONSIDERING ME THE HERETIC FOR NOT
OBEYING A COMMANDMENT THAT DOESN'T EVEN EXIST!
Until then, I'll just KEEP holding the first commandment first, (and telling
you all about it!) and I will continue to refuse to add words to the Bible
that aren't there, and I'll continue to REFUSE to believe like the
Babylonians did about the godhead, and I'll REFUSE to accept that it took
pagan philosophers to explain what the Bible was talking about, and to give
us the right words to explain the God of the Bible with!
So there! ;-)
Eze 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of
Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: THEY AND THEIR
FATHERS HAVE TRANSGRESSED AGAINST ME, EVEN UNTO THIS VERY DAY.
Eze 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto
them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for
they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet
among them.
Eze 2:6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of
their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell
among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their
looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Eze 2:7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or
whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
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May God Bless you! From Tom Raddatz
http://www.corecom.net/~tomrpp/watchman.htm
"That I may know him;... Not as though I had already attained, either were
already perfect:... I count NOT myself to have apprehended:... I press
toward the mark for the prize..." -Phil. 3:10-14.
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