For an expanded exegetical refutation of Oneness unitarian theology see Oneness Theology (Modalism). Many small Oneness groups formed after 1916, though many have remained independent. 42:8). No one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from [the] heaven [ek tou ouranou]: the Son of Man (John 3:13). Add to Wish List Link to this Book Add to Bookbag Sell this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices. Additionally, the repetition of the preposition distinguishes the Father and the Son as two distinct self-aware Subjects (e.g., 1 John 1:3). , ISBN-13 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. After all, he did not say, I am the Father, in this verse. 8. , Publisher The Global Witness (UPCI) There was a problem loading your book clubs. For the Son of Man in Oneness theology was not the Father, but the human Son who emerged not until Bethlehem, but here, the Son of Man came from heaven, that is, the Son (cf. including terms like Trinity, Unitarianism, Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2017. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998. He said that he and the Father are one. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. The proper mode is immersion in the triune name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That specific doctrine was foreign to the Old Testament. This is an excellent refutation of Oneness Pentecostals. 15-16), Jesus distinguishes Himself from His Father by using different prepositions. But they gain the "Spirit baptism" in order to be used powerfully in ministry. 5:18). Oneness Pentecostals declare that the Godhead consists of only one Person and deny the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. With thanks to Baker Academic for this review copy! After that time, a number of oneness sects formed, most of which were predominately African-American. 27 Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.. Learn more. Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2021. Virtually all of the great biblical scholars, theologians, and Greek grammarians, historically have been and presently are Trinitarian, not Onenessfor obvious reasons. The triquetra symbol is also found in Norse Viking artifacts such as combs and saddles; found on a Norwegian coin from around the 11th cent. The largest oneness movements today are the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). 42:8), which shows that the glory that the Son had was in together in the presence of the Father. Author: Michael R. Burgos Jr., Burgos Jr., Michael R. Format: Paperback. Yadon: and the Vanishing Theological Past in Oneness Pentecostalism, Our God is Triune: Essays in Biblical Theology. Example, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Also see passages such as Matthew 3:17-17; 28:19;Luke 10:21-22; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 2:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 1:2-3; and Jude 1:20-21 where all three persons of the Trinity are referredin the same verse or context. 15:33? But in spite of where or when it first appeared, it has been associated to a vast number of meanings through time. Oneness theology rejects the personhood of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean, then? Oneness theology distorts and thus rejects the biblical concept of the Son being Mediator (Intercessor) between the Father and men (cf. First and third person personal pronouns and verb references: Throughout John 14 and 16 Jesus clearly differentiates Himself from the Father. Is there an argument that you would like to see addressed? 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). In John 1:18, we read: No one has seen God [the Father] at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (lit. Different prepositions: Throughout John chapter 14 (and chaps. Michael Burgos Jr., Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique (Winchester, CT: Church Militant, 2016). 1. Witnessing to Oneness Pentecostals: 1. 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. Oneness Pentecostals will point to John 3:5 as evidence of that. Sphere: in the sight of, before (someone), c. Association: with (someone/something) (BBGG). ), we embrace the Christian significancenot its origin. In this episode I interact with " A Solution to Dale Tuggy's Argument against Oneness Pentecostal Christology " - a blog post by Skylar McManus. In addition, many Oneness advocates rely on the unbiblical revelations received by various Oneness leaders whom they regard as divinely inspired or anointed interpreters of the Bible. That God the Father and Jesus are inseperably the same person/being/entity/substance/everything. Read the entire account. Matthew 28:19 also affirms their views that Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Please try again. History of Heresies - History always repeats itself when no one is paying attention. Further, the Father is spirit. Nonetheless, historic Christianity maintains that the doctrine of the Trinity (or tri-unity of God) is taught in Scripture. Thanks! 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. Read the entire account. It may be that is the name under which we are baptized. Customize your subscription to get the latest of what matters most to you! At the time Boyd was full of zeal and all sorts of emotion, which comes out on nearly every page of Oneness . The context is obvious: by knowing and seeing Jesus (as the only way to the Father; cf. . It is certainly possible that various cultures developed the basic design arrangement independently. Official Names and Membership (estimates): Apostolic Overcoming Holy Church of God (AOHCG)-13,000 I have a friend who is try to understand he trinity. The *Son* said that He possessed (note the imperfect of ech) the glory WITH (para, in the presence of) the Father (not in the Fathers mind, for eh Son had it). Oneness Pentecostal churches are, therefore, cultic in nature and outside the theological parameters of historic Christianity. As with other Christian symbols and Christian holidays (e.g., Christmas, Easter, cross, etc. 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. Nowhere in the New Testament, however, is it said that Jesus sent the Son. On that first day, something looking like split tongues of fire fell from the sky onto the followers of Jesus. The triquetra symbol has been found in Norwegian churches dating to the 11th century. (Robertson, Word Pictures, 5:275-76). 1:20-21). Note: there are many places in the OT where God is presented as multi-personal (e.g., plural nouns, verbs, nouns, prepositions, and plural adjectives were used of God, i.e., Us, Our, in Gen. 1:26-27; 3:22; 11:7-9; Isa. Nearly twenty years ago a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Greg Boyd wrote a book defending the doctrine of the Trinity against the objections of Oneness Pentecostals. This use of different prepositions shows a relationship between them,5 and clearly denotes essential distinction, e.g., no one comes to [pros] the Father but through [dia] Me (John 14:6); he who believes in [eis] Me . The Bible indeed teaches the existence of only one God (Deut. So, if you are going to mount an argument on the basis of Mark 16:17 for the necessity of tongues, you would have to mount an argument for the necessity of resisting a snake bite. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990. Oneness Pentecostals have a distorted notion of the Trinity and need someone to show them the scriptural teaching of the Trinity, David Kowalski writes. The term *with* is para in Greek. John 3:5 does not explicitly say that one must be water baptized before entering the kingdom. The argument over whether God is three-in-one or one-in-three is a moot point for the average layman, who tends to view the doctrine of the Trinity as an unexplainable mystery. (as seen above). (for in Oneness theology *only Jesus as the Father mode existed prior to Bethlehem). It is very well organized. 2 John 1:3- Jesus is the Son of the Father). In terms of the triquetra (Trinitarian symbol), you should not base an argument on ignorance, and unaccredited internet articles. Is there any practical difference at all? Well, in verse 18, Jesus is talking about the resurrection. Over fifty times, the Father, and Jesusare presented as explicitly distinct in the same passages (cf. 6:4). 2. 30:3; John 14:23]; Yahweh to Yahweh and Elohim (God) to Elohim correspondences in passages such as Gen. 19:24; Ps. It is a symbol of ones identification with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. [hereafter BDAG], 225). The UPCI was organized in 1945 with the union of two predominately white groups started earlier in the century. John 3:13; 6:38, 46, 62; 8:23, 38, 42; 16:28). In response, Oneness Pentecostals will tell us that there are different kinds of tongues. For if Jesus is the Father, then, between whom would He Mediate since by definition a mediator/intercessor represents two distinct parties, other than Himself. Thus, the person of the Son of Man was in heaven prior to being sent. One cannot have the Father except through the Son, Jesus Christ: Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23; see also John 17:3). 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. God is absolutely and unqualifiedly one. 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. Salvation is eternally assured for those who have accepted Christ as personal Lord and Savior (see John 1:12; 5:24; 1 John 5:13). 1:33): 'I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he . This is an important text for Oneness Pentecostals because it seems to use parlance that they are familiar with. And hey, while we're doing that, let's look at Southe. Again, in its proper sense, a mediator is one who is other than or distinct from the parties, which are being mediated. biblical case against Oneness unitarianism. How Can a Pastor Stay Engaged in Apologetics? 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. Thus Saith Putin: Christianity Invaded by the Religious Right, Church Is Not Seminary: Why Young Theologically-Informed 20-Somethings Should Manage Their Expectations of Their Pastors, Why Jesus looked and acted like me, not you, Minimizing The Maximally Great Argument For Arminianism, How apologetics bloggers caused the downfall of the United States, Why Christians should apologize for using apologetics, Why apologetics is not necessary to evangelism, Something Greater Than The Crucifixion Is Here: How Jesus Shocked The Pharisees, Social Issues, Politics & Biblical Ethics. Pentecostals are so certain of this logic that many consider it to be a key teaching of the Christian faith. John 1:18; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. In Isaiah 9:6, the text says, His name shall be mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, wonderful counselor. This is his name, despite that Oneness Pentecostals would identify them as titles. What arguments do they use to support this proposition? Also, when Jesus prayed, it was His human nature praying to His divine nature-not to a separate Father in heaven. A better work to understand the balance between " oneness" and "trinitiarisism" is the works of Thomas Fudge. If an individual believes that there are three gods, then they have, in effect, denied the doctrine of the trinity. In doing so, they will think that they have mounted a proper argument against trinitarian theology because they believe that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. This seems to draw support from John 14:18. Note, that over two hundred times, the Father is referred to by Jesus or someone else as being clearly distinct from Jesus. This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. Brother Burgos carefully and respectfully dismantles the misguided half truths of Oneness doctrine. These are great questions and wonderful references. , Item Weight But if Jesus expected him to understand his reference to living water, it follows that he was not teaching the doctrine that water baptism is necessary for salvation. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. His will is one with the will of the Father. 1986 Oneness Symposium Tape 7- "UPCI: Christian or a Cult?" Robert Sabin Watch on : 6 2:6-11). If he and the Father are one, does that necessarily mean that he is the Father? It says that one must be born of water. But what does it mean to be born of water? 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. Good works and holy living are the natural responses of salvation already received-not its cause (see Eph. Consider this, Trinitarians, not Oneness believers, conducted all of the major revivals worldwide. There are four exegetical features, which provide a cogent refutation to the Oneness handling of this passage. 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. 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. Your confusing Jesus perfectly representing the Father with His identity. Moreover, when it found its way in the twentieth century, departing from the Trinitarian Pentecostals, it was again rejected by the church. For example, the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, has 16 Fundamental Truths. The only thing that keeps me from fully accepting Oneness at this point is Christology. 12-14). Praxeus taught a doctrine know as patripassionisma belief that says that the Father died on the cross. that that calendar in your office and/or house and/or in the rooms of your children, are filled with symbols of pagan gods (all days and names of months were named after pagan gods). If the Son did not eternally exist with the Father as a distinct person why is it that the Son is said to be sent from the Father out of heaven? Bowman, Robert M., Jr. Oneness Pentecostals and the Name of Jesus, paper. Answering A Few Common Oneness Pentecostal Arguments It is never used apart from God's incarnation, however; it never refers to deity But these do suffice in showing that the Bible affirms that God is triune, and militates against Oneness unitarianism. [3] BDAG defines allos here as pert[aining] to that which is other than some other entity, other . . John 14:23: Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and we will make Our abode with him [par aut]. To be sure, Modalism embraces another Jesus, another Gospel, and another Spirit. Modalism is the belief that one God existed in time in three distinct modes of being: first as the Father in heaven; second, bodily as the Son on earth; and finally as the Holy Spirit. Wallace, GGBB, 368; Greenlee, A Concise Exegetical Grammar of New Testament Greek, 5th ed. 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. First and third person personal pronouns: Throughout chapter 14, Jesus clearly differentiates Himself from the Father by using first person personal pronouns (I, Me, Mine) to refer to Himself and third person personal pronouns (He, Him, His) to refer to His Father (e.g., John 14:7, 10, 16). Important Question: If Jesus is the Father, why is there not a single passage that states this in the NT or the OT? In point of fact, The triquetra is a very old symbol and dates back perhaps to around 500 BC. [4] This grammatical rule is also know as Granville Sharp rule #6: when multiple personal nouns in a clause are each preceded by the article ho (the) and linked by kai (and) each personal noun denotes a distinct person as in Matthew 28:19 (esp. Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique by Michael Burgos Jr. - A second book by the author addressing Oneness beliefs, released in July 2016. His knowledge of living water from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 2:13, Isaiah 12:3, 58:11, etc) should have informed him. I. Michael Burgos builds upon his book "Kiss the Son" and provides an almost exhaustive study, and refutation, of the Oneness (Jesus Only) movement. Thus, because God is tri-personal He can be described as both Maker and Makers and as Creator and Creators. He is one Being, not one persona point that is repeatedly brought to bear by the OT authors. Where in the Scripture does it say that God is unitarian? There is one God who is eternally present in three persons, and his name is YHWH. 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. 2:5). The Trinitarians won the majority and a "Statement of Fundamental Truths" was adopted that affirmed the Trinity. Privacy Policy & Copyright Notice. It may also be that Father, Son, and Spirit is the name by which we know God. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, an event that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of . But for a deeper understanding, please view my other posts on this important subject. No Christian used it as a pagan symbol, in the same way no Christian uses a calendar today on their wall to exalt the pagan gods of the days and months it representsthus, calendars were factually derived from pagan in origins. . This is clearly a reference to baptism in water and baptism of the Spirit, right? Against the Oneness notion (and v. 9), Jesus specifically used two first person PLURAL indicative verbs (eleusometha, We will come and poisometha, We will make Our) abode with him. This is part of chap. After all, it says that one must be born of water and Spirit. Why is snake-handling not a criteria for salvation? an outline of some early heresies in the Church. This view of the Trinity is connected with Oneness Pentecostals' Christology. Does this not seem to vindicate Oneness theology? No amount of good works, moral living, or church membership guarantees salvation. Is that the case? Trinitarians could easily affirm that they are one God, they share the same essence. In conclusion, the Triquetra has been used historically by all kinds of groups to mean different things. 14. Number eight is this: "The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking . Details; Description; (3rd Edition) is a thoroughly researched critique of Oneness Pentecostalism. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. In my opinion it is better than Burgos' Against Oneness Pentecostals, Boyd's Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity. Most of them encourage their members to dress and live modestly, but do not have specific teachings about hair and skirts. Research resources on religious movements, cults, sects, world religions and related issues . Note: In this beautiful passage (Jesus high priestly prayer) the Son (for Jesus says, Now, Father) says that He possessed or shared glory with the Father, before time. Trinitarian who is struggling with the Oneness doctrine. UPCI: Apostolic Bible Institute-St. Paul, Minn. Detroit: Gale Research, 1999.Dictionary of Christianity in America. Of course, this is a mischaracterization. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. 5:13).As NT scholar Harold Greenly points out, When the article is used before each member, each is to be considered separately (Greenlee, Exegetical Grammar, 23). Its headquarters and publishing firm, the Pentecostal Publishing House, is located at 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042. Well, I think so. It is noticeably absent. Salvation is entirely based on grace through faith in Christ. Atlanta: Atlanta Christian Apologetics Project, 1994. Well, first, most Christians will point out that this verse is part of the long ending of Mark, and therefore it is not Scripture. 2:7, the participle labn,(taking as in taking the nature of a servant) is a participle of means (cf. Forty times in Johns Gospel, Jesus refers to himself as sent by the Father, but never does he refer to himself as the Father who sent the Son, Further, Isaiah 9:6, is no help for Oneness advocates trying to prove Jesus is the Father- See Isaiah 9:6: Oneness Refuted, 1. Oneness Pentecostals are vehement anti-trinitarians who commonly maintain that the doctrine of the trinity states that there are three gods. I always say at the onset to one like yourself, who make the incorrect uninformed assertion regarding the triquetra symbol being derived from Wicca, paganism, etc. distinguished fr. Pray and trust the Holy Spirit to lead you as you share. the parallels in Mk. By promoting the Son as a temporary mode or a role of the unitarian deity whose life started in Bethlehem, denies the Son, as well as the Father. Throughout the passage, it is clear that Jesus is speaking of someone else. Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Accredited. Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement that emphasizes direct personal experience of God through baptism with the Holy Spirit. "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.