problems with oneness theologyproblems with oneness theology

Here we will outline the problems with oneness doctrine, including the key scriptural references. What is this core truth? Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. In Oneness Pentecostalism, there is no distinction between the Father, Son and. The Bible teaches there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10:44:6, 8; 45:5). God is not a man, but the Messiah of prophecy is necessarily a human servant of God his anointed as Jesus is the Son of Man of the messianic prophecies. But firstly, we should note that Izzy Folau and oneness adherents believe that Jesus is fully God, they hold to the Bible as the Word of God, the sinfulness of all mankind, the doctrine of hell, and see the urgency of evangelism. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, A PSALM OF DAVID. Oneness theology denies the Trinity doctrine and claims that there is one person in the Godhead who has manifested himself in three different forms: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit teaches us that Jesus is in bodily form now (Col. 2:9), then how does the Oneness Pentecostal person maintain that God is in the form of the Holy Spirit? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. They have the wrong view of. Therefore when Christ, the person, died on the cross, then the sacrifice was of divine value. Again, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each exemplify attributes of personhood. This means that the name of Jesus is Immanuel, Son, everlasting father, prince of peace, wonderful counselor, mighty God, and YHWH. Peter said that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ. The conviction that this multitudinous world is illusory can also encourage. The primary problem with theology is that it asks questions. But the Oneness Pentecostal church teaches that we are still in the apostolic age. In this, Jesus, the single person designated by the word I claims the attributes of both natures. Jesus, who is God incarnate, is baptized in the water. 1:3; 1 Thess. He would already know everything he would contemplate. Baptism must be by immersion. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool. 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.. is an important topic related to the Trinity, Oneness presents a potential problem which deals with the apparent inability of the oneness god to contemplate. How can Jesus, if He is the same person as the Spirit, say that He is going to send the Spirit to earth when He returns to Heaven? I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. (John 14:12, John 14:28, John 16:17, John 16:28), How can God be tempted in every way we are and also sympathize with our weaknesses? That is because he is totally divine. The main sticking point among oneness believers is maintaining the deity of Christ. 28 You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. God is one substance, a triune substance. This means that when God says in Isaiah 43:10 There is no other Godthere never has been, and there never will be, God the Trinity is talking. Further, we will look at how Jesus acted according to Gods plan as a servant, that God exalted/appointed Jesus. He is self-aware and aware of others. One of the problems that many Oneness believers have when they hear the word "person" (as used by Trinitarians) is that . The Trinity is not the teaching, in spite of some of its critics, that there are three gods, nor is it the teaching that one person is three persons. Oneness has a problem concerning the person of Jesus being the eternal God. In other words, can he think about what hes going to do and draw conclusions and make decisions based on that contemplation? If you want to know who the trinity is, you look to Jesus. He was not establishing a baptismal formula. 13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. They argue that this was fulfilled in Acts 2:38, which says that Peter baptized in the name of Jesus. But Christ stepped in and paid our fine when he was murdered. (John 8:16-18), Did Jesus learn obedience? Jesus said that the Father is greater than he is (John 14:28). They problem is that when the apostles did acted in the name of Jesus, it was not a formula. But there is nothing about these passages that refutes or challenges the trinity. Oneness Pentecostalism teaches that when you are water baptized, the baptizer must recite the words in the name of Jesus. If he does not recite those words, the baptism is illegitimate, and you cannot be saved. Acts 5:3-4, Acts 7, Colossians 1:15, John 10:36, John 14:23, John 17:5, John 5:23, John 6:46, Luke 22:41-42, Matthew 3:13-17, Revelation 1, Sermon Topics: We have lost this link because in our culture, people just name their children whatever sounds good but they do not give any attention to what the name means. If that is the case, that means that Jesus is both the Father, and the Son. 29 And he who sent me is with me. Oneness people have never refuted these facts found in the table below especially where the distinction of persons is clearly seen in Scripture when the persons speak to and about each other. They are different roles that he takes in the world. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. The Trinity is the doctrine that there is one God who manifests Himself as three distinct, simultaneous persons. Perhaps my greatest complaint against American Christianity is how we popishly declare that people are saved. The Trinity is one of the foundational doctrines of Christianity. The Father in Heaven is one nature, and the Son on earth is another nature. If you were to encounter a normal Oneness Pentecostal, this is probably the view that they would advocate. (John 10:29, John 14:28), Why does Jesus refer to the Father as the only true God and as himself as the one that he had sent? If there is only one person in the Godhead, why does Jesus say to the Father (who is in Heaven) let your will, not mine, be done? 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.. But, if God is one person from all eternity as Oneness teaches, then was it possible for him to experience fellowship or love if he was by himself from forever ago? Bernard, Essentials in Oneness Theology, p. 21. The mediator gave himself as a ransom for all. Instead, they ignore the facts of distinction and force scriptures into a oneness interpretation while ignoring the very nature of personhood. Second, it might be said that as the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the exact representation of the Fathers nature (Hebrews 1:3), Jesus was the human image of the trinity. Oneness presents the problem of eternal love and fellowship inherent in a god consisting of one person that is rectified after creation, denying Gods aseity. For the purpose of this article, I aim at the core of the oneness doctrine. The Oneness adherents did not present an aggressive front, so no strong effort was made to censure them. Similarly, Isaiah 7:14 says that his name shall be Immanuel. The Father was tempted. Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. These formal arguments are based on rules of deductive reasoning, not fallacious syllogism. He is still fully God and fully man. So, when oneness adherents say that the name of God is Jesus or that there is one God is Jesus, they are making a mistake in theology and logic. That is why they often champion themselves Apostolic Pentecostal, or something similar. This is because, in verse 17, Jesus referred to the Law stating that the testimony of two people is true. Jesus counts himself and his Father as two people when he says in verse 18, I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me., 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name., 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit do not represent different persons within the Godhead, but rather, there are different modes that God takes. Oneness Pentecostal theology affirms that there exists only one God in all the universe. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Oneness Pentecostalism (OP) is a form of modalism. If you would like to read a critique of some of these corollary views, I invite you to browse my series Oneness Pentecostal Heresy. There is absolutely no place in Scripture that says that everybody who has the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues. 4 They condemn other denominations for their baptismal formula. There is no place at all. What can we know about the nature of God? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Agents of God are called God. What is wrong with the oneness view of God? We are left to say that nobodys wrath was poured out, because the Father was the one who was dying. (Luke 22:42-43), God has no need to anoint himself. This is an idiom for power and authority that Jesus used. Does God need to learn anything? If Jesus was praying to the divine side of Himself, then isn't He still praying to Himself? It is for this very reason in verse 7 that Paul was appointed a preacher and an apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. It is summarized as follows: All the points above are critical to our understanding of the identity of God and Jesus and the distinction between the two. Thus, it is obviously not literally when Jesus said, Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.. 1 Timothy 2:5-6, summarizes the Gospel in one sentence, For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. It is this which Paul refers to as the knowledge of the truth in verse 4 that God wants all people to come to and be saved by. I will be with you always, even to the end of the age, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at, The Christian Trinitarian God Examined In Depth, https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal/the-distinction-of-persons-between-god-the-father-and-jesus, Responding to Andrew Tate on Islam and Christianity, Responding to Andrew Tate on the nature of God. They must be different considering that the Father sent the Son (Matt. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. But this makes little sense of the biblical data concerning the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son, such as the messianic statements in the psalms, like God, your God has anointed you. (Psalm 45:7). The humanity of Christ is essential to the gospel, as shown at the link below. . 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand. This means that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rather than being three distinct persons, are just manifestations of one person, in the same way that a man can be a father, a son, and an employee. The apostolic age, in addition to all of these signs and wonders, entails that there are apostles. To whom was the Father praying? I think everything should be questioned. This known as patripassionism and it is the pervasive view among many Oneness Pentecostals. Let me explain. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The Father is relaying that he will say these things to the Son in the future. 24 they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 28:20). the interpretation of the psalms given by the author of Hebrews seems to disconfirm any insight that would suggest the finitude of the Son. [2] [3] It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great When Jesus said, Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit, (Luke 23:46), what in the world was he talking about, if in fact, he is the Father? 2. Atonement is through the flesh and blood of the human Messiah (Christ). These references include Acts 2:23, Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:10, Acts 5:30, Acts 10:40, Acts 13:30, Acts 13:37, Romans 6:4, Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 1 Corinthians 15:15, Galatians 1:1, Colossians 2:12, and 1 Peter 1:21. Fair use is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. In Oneness-unitarian doctrine, the unipersonal deity (the Father), came down Himself, and put on or wrapped himself in flesh without actually becoming flesh- thus, the Father Himself dwells in the incarnate Christ. The hypostatic union is the teaching that in the single person of Christ are two distinct natures: divine and human. The infinite cannot be finite and remain infinite. When one speaks in tongues, then we can say that they are born again. (Acts 2:36), If Jesus is God, why doesnt say that Jesus gave himself according to his will, rather than the will of our God and Father (Gal 1:3-4). 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. He possesses all divine attributes. That is, a mediator is a third party. They deny the Trinity and teach that there is one person in the Godhead whom they call Jesus. 15 And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. The Hebrew term for an agent or legal emissary isShaliachwhich is comparable to the Greek worldApostolosand the English word Apostle. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. But, if God is one person from all eternity as Oneness teaches, then was it possible for him to experience fellowship or love if he was by himself - from forever ago? Jesus could be seen not as the Lord of Glory, but as an asinine individual with serious mental deficiencies, for if he is the Father, it comes unthinkable that he would say, The Father is greater than I.. It is not a contradictory notion. Bernard, The Oneness of God, pp . But his name was not Immanuel. Oneness Pentecostals often mistakenly think that this is what the doctrine of the trinity represents. What are we to call him? there is no God but one. 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earthas indeed there are many gods and many lords 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. However, the Unitarian understanding is supported everywhere in the New Testament and with the most explicit references. Denomination: Furthermore, the communication of the properties means that the attributes of both natures are ascribed to the single person of Christ. This is because prior to the incarnation of Christ Jesus, there was no Jesus. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (ESV) ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version),copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Furthermore, this negates the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Christ because it negates the divine quality of that sacrifice. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. They have realized that the doctrine is apparently supported by a handful of vague verses when interpreted in a particular way. These "forms" are not three distinct persons, but one person who occupied consecutive modes. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. Similarly if you do not speak in tongues, then you have not been filled with the Holy Spirit and consequently are not saved. This implies that God is not eternally self-sufficient in all areas. Although there are over 760 NT passages that make a clear distinction between God and Jesus, we will focus on the most compelling verses covering Jesus and the Father being separate witnesses, the explicit distinction between the person of God and Jesus, common distinctions in the New Testament, and verses that show a visual distinction. If this were a formula, we would see consistency. They teach people that they saved when in fact, they are not. This is problematic because the very nature of God is love (1 John 4:8). But the Trinity would solve this problem. Did the Father die on the cross? Nestorianism, the logical result of oneness theology regarding the person of Christ, leads to a scenario where the different natures of Christ speak alternately at different times even though theyre in the same sentence. 2 They teach people that they are saved when they are not. Furthermore, it denies the true incarnation by denying the hypostatic union, separating the persons into two and only the human person died on the cross, thereby negating the divine sufficiency of the sacrifice. (Heb 9:24) Did God go into heaven to appear in the presence of God? 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.. Justification by faith. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? 23 Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The Oneness folks have corrupted the word of God ( 2 Cor 2:17, Rom 16:17-18) by rejecting the Son of God, hallucinating that Jesus is the Father while swapping roles in heaven and denying His existence at the right Hand of God the Father ( Psa 2:7-9, Psalms 110:1-2, Heb 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, Mark 16:19, Eph 1:20, Acts 2:33, Rom 8:34, 1 Peter What is wrong with the Oneness view of God? 38 For I[DIVINE NATURE] have come down from heaven, not to do My [HUMAN NATURE] own will, but the will of Him who sent Me [DIVINE NATURE]. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me [HUMAN NATURE], that of all that He has given Me [HUMAN NATURE] I [HUMAN NATURE] lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. They are all each fully God, but they are the one God in the sense that they are united in one purpose. This entails that the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is Jesus. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. Jesus had a totally human nature and a totally divine nature. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 44. Were all three of these distinct persons who do something Jesus? 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. After He rises out of the water, the Holy Spirit comes down from Heaven in the form of a dove and rests upon Him. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. That is why so many Catholics also consider themselves Apostolic. How can you say, Show us the Father? The trinitarian will recite the Shema, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. The trinitarian believes that. Hello ThereforeGodExists audience! The main problem is the Oneness Pentecostal doctrine implicitly denies this absolutely fundamental truth. Oneness Pentecostalism teaches what is known as modalism. What is this? The Nicene Creed has defined historical orthodoxy for centuries. Why does Paul say blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ rather than blessed be our God and Father Jesus Christ? 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. Why would God need to learn obedience? 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. Amen. If so, why? 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. (1 Cor 8:6) Correspondingly, numerous scriptural references (15x) use the term God in reference to the Father and the term Lord pertaining to Jesus. How can you say, Show us the Father? Jesus is a servant of God who mediates for us. The Trinity is one God in three distinct simultaneous, coeternal persons. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions., 5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. Oneness theology has deep roots in Christian history and its weaknesses have a habit of showing up in surprising places. Rather, in the dawn of its history, it received no small criticism from Tertullian. 30 I can do nothing on my own. I should also note that not all who claim to be Oneness Pentecostals believe all of these things. 17 And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. Monotheism characterizes the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and . These "forms" are not three distinct persons, but one person who occupied consecutive modes. The problem is that a group's denial of an essential biblical teaching excludes that group from Christianity. Trinity, Oneness, Oneness Of God, 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, Help your church understand God's plan in pain, Call your people to experience a higher freedom, Proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. If there are two persons in the body of Christ then only the human person died. Within Orthodoxy There is only one God in all existence. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Understanding how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospels Read More Jesus is the Model for Us The Sinners Prayer teaches people that if they recite this prayer once in their life, then they are saved. They each had a will, and Jesus submitted his will to the Father, whose will was different than His. Problems with oneness: Eternal Fellowship and Love God is a personal being. monotheism, belief in the existence of one god, or in the oneness of God. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. 9 Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? This is the heresy of Nestorianism, which teaches two persons in the body of Jesus. Jesus is totally God. They deny the Trinity and teach that there is one person in the Godhead whom they call Jesus. Jesus came into existence 2000 years ago when He was born. Since Oneness theology and the doctrine of the Trinity are in agreement on these points, these have been omitted. When I ask who Jesus was praying to in the garden (Luke 22:42), they say it was human nature praying to the divine nature. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight ofGodour Savior,4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus is, by definition, one person with two distinct natures: a divine nature and a human nature. This passage shows they are two separate, simultaneous persons who each have their own will. They often say that Jesus is one person, but when cross-examined, they affirm two persons in one body. 10:40; John 5:23; 6:38-39; 8:42; 12:44-45, 49; 13:20). (1 Peter 2:23), Did God highly exalt Christ and give him the name that is above every name because he was obedient to himself? Jesus can be called God because he represents God. 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. There is only one God, so the mediator between God must have a separate ontological distinction from God. I see five main problems with Oneness Theology as it relates to God as Father, Son, and Spirit. Over the years, Ive spoken to many people within the oneness Pentecostal movement. It is just a traditional doctrine. It seems problematic. Similarly, the Father is totally God and the Spirit is totally God. The eternal relationship between the Father and the Son. As formulated by Doctor Bernard, it logically entails that there are two Gods. But the Oneness theology poses problems by restricting Gods ability in and of himself to have fellowship and to love and be loved until something other than himself exists. Muslims routinely claim that the Bible has been corrupted. Rather, we see him as the human Messiah that God made both Lord and Christ. 3:17; 16:17; 2 Pet. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. We greatly appreciate your consideration! The Oneness Pentecostal movements generally teach that to receive and maintain salvation, a person must adhere to four essential requirements. (John 8:54), If Jesus himself is the Father, what sense does it make to say that the Father loves Jesus because he lays down his life? Oneness Pentecostalism teaches what is known as modalism. Jesus is spoken of as the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the exact representation of His [Gods] nature. Is He a copy of Himself? 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.. How can this be if they are the same person? It negates Nestorianism, which states that in the body of Christ are two distinct persons.

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