Program 273
“What must I [believe] to be saved?”
The Athanasian Creed declares that Christians must believe Christ is divine in order to be saved. Scripture, however, never requires this because Christ is not divine.
Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of WLC Radio Ministry, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.
For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]
WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.
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Part 1:
(Miles & Dave)
Miles Robey: After an earthquake at midnight opened the prison doors and released all the prisoners, the jailer was about to commit suicide, thinking to save himself the humiliation and disgrace of a public execution. Suddenly, Paul and Silas called out: “Don’t hurt yourself! We’re all here.”
The Philippian jailer was so shocked that he dropped to his knees before Paul and Silas, begging, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [Acts 16:30] The apostles promptly responded: “Believe on the Lord Yahushua Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
The jailer’s question is one Christians have been asking ever since. But the answer, over time, has changed. Many sincere people believe that in order to be saved, one must also believe that Yahushua is God incarnated into human flesh.
Hi. My name is Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio where we cover a variety of topics related to Scripture, prophecy, practical piety, Biblical beliefs, and living in constant readiness for the Savior’s unexpected return, whenever that might be.
If you’re listening to our show, I think it’s a rather safe bet that you really do want to know what you must do to be saved. You want to know what you should believe in order to be saved. So: is it necessary to believe in Christ’s divinity if you want to be saved? If so, where did this belief come from and where can it be found in the Bible?
Later, Jane Lamb will share a promise for everyone looking and longing for Yahuwah’s kingdom which, I’d say, is all of us, so you’ll want to stay tuned for that.
But beliefs. They’re important because our beliefs largely dictate our thoughts and direct our actions. Today, Dave Wright is going to lead us in a study on just what Christians need to believe in order to be saved.
Dave? Welcome.
Dave Wright: Thank you, Miles.
You’re right that our beliefs are important because, as you pointed out, our course of action is largely dictated by our beliefs. In fact, a lot of fears over the centuries can be traced back to incorrect beliefs regarding, of all things, technology!
Miles: Oh?
Dave: Well, today, people are afraid of getting hacked, or … being deceived by AI. Even videos can be deep-faked, nearly impossible to tell that they’re not really true. So, people are understandably concerned about such things.
Miles: It seems people are always afraid of more advanced technology. When steam locomotives first came out, some people warned that the human body could not stand such high speeds as 50 miles, or 80 kilometers an hour. They warned human bodies would simply melt at high speeds.
Dave: Not only that, but they worried specifically that the female body was not built to withstand such high speeds. They worried that women’s uteruses would, quote, “fly out of [their] bodies as they were accelerated to that speed.”
Miles laughs: I wonder how many women had the opportunity to ride on trains but declined for fear their uterus would fly out and about!
Dave laughs: Probably not many. I’m guessing train tickets were prohibitively expensive for most people back then, but the point is, our beliefs do influence our actions. This should concern us because, obviously, incorrect beliefs can lead to incorrect actions.
Miles: Absolutely. I remember when I first realized that the law of Yahuwah is still binding and we’re to still worship on the Sabbath. At the time, I assumed that was Saturday. That was all I knew, but I was wrong. Saturday isn’t the Bible Sabbath no matter how carefully I observed it.
Dave: Perfect illustration. What Paul and Silas told the Philippian jailer was simple and straightforward: “Believe on the Lord Yahushua Christ and you will be saved.” And that’s still the truth …
Miles: I’m hearing a “but” in there.
Dave: Well, yes and no. No, because this is still the truth; but yes, because some people erroneously believe that in order to be saved, it’s necessary to believe in Christ’s divinity. And, as we’ve covered in other programs, the Savior wasn’t divine. He was fully human. He had to be in order to die for our sins.
Miles: So, when was this added on as a requirement of salvation?
Dave: As far back as the fourth century, the Nicene Creed asserts that Yahushua was divine, but the Athanasian Creed, a couple of hundred years later, really established that believing in the divinity of Christ was necessary for salvation. In other words, it wasn’t until 500 years after Christ, that this became standard orthodoxy.
Here … I’ve printed off the creed. We won’t take time to read the entire thing, but I’ve highlighted a few parts I’d like you to read. Just the part highlighted in yellow.
Miles:
In this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man … This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.
Dave: That’s quite the adamant statement: unless you believe Christ is God, you cannot be saved.
The problem is, nowhere does scripture teach that Christ is divine. That was an assumption that came in hundreds of years later. In fact, what was Christ’s favorite way of referring to himself?
Miles: Son of man?
Dave: Right! And if you look up that phrase in the Greek, what he’s calling himself over and over and over again is … “human being.” That’s what that phrase means.
Now, while not all churches recite this creed every Sunday, most still believe it is true.
John Piper is an American theologian and Baptist Reformed pastor. He’s the founder of Desiring God Ministries and is perhaps best known for his podcast called Ask Pastor John. In an interview, he made a claim that I think is germane to our discussion.
He starts out by quoting this same statement in Acts 16: “Believe on the Lord Yahushua Christ and you will be saved,” but then in expounding upon that simple statement, he adds to it. He claims, quote: “[God] has sent his Son into the world. You have got to believe in the deity of Jesus.” Unquote. Then in a follow up question, Piper was asked: “In order to be saved, must someone understand the trinity.”
I’ve printed off his response. Would you read that for us, please?
Miles:
They certainly wouldn’t have to know that word. They wouldn’t have to be able to articulate it very well. But what they need to do is not deny essential things about it. So, a person may never have heard of such a thing as the Trinity and be saved. But if you said to them: Now, the Jesus you are believing in, is he divine or just a man? If they said he is not divine, I think that is a major problem.
Dave: He’s adding to the word of Yahuwah and we’re not to do that.
And he’s not alone! In an article on Charisma News entitled “Evangelist: You Can’t Say You’re Christian if You Don’t Worship Jesus,” Evangelist Chris Mikkelson claims “if people miss the reality that Jesus was more than a prophet—that He is actually part of the Trinity, and therefore God—then they’re not truly Christians.”
Miles: Again. Adding to Yahuwah’s word.
Dave: Exactly. If believing that Yahushua is divine were necessary for salvation, Paul and Silas would have said so. They certainly had the vocabulary to express that thought. But they didn’t.
I have here a copy of Systematic Theology: A Pentecostal Perspective. Chapter 5 is called “The Holy Trinity.” Would you please turn to page 168 and read the bracketed paragraph? It’s by Kerry McRoberts.
Miles: Uhh … “In reflection, one may ask whether it is necessary to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity to be saved. In response, historically and theologically, the Church has not usually required an explicit declaration of faith in the doctrine of the Trinity for salvation.”
Dave: Bible scholars know this. So why don’t their parishioners?
Miles: That’s a good question.
I know that we’ve spent a lot of time in other programs going over the biblical evidence, as well as the historical evidence, that shows the trinity doctrine came from paganism. It’s not actually in the Bible. But for those who may have missed those programs, could you spend just a few minutes reviewing some of the evidence for us? That the trinity doctrine isn’t found in Scripture?
Dave: Sure! I would encourage our listeners, though, to visit our website and study up on this topic if they haven’t already done so. We’ve got lots of articles, videos, and radio programs on this subject.
Interestingly enough, plenty of Bible scholars openly admit that you can’t prove a triune godhead from Scripture. They know this! So, again: why don’t their parishioners?
Miles: Good question. I know I, for one, never heard this until I started studying for myself. It was just the “party line” on repeat.
Dave: I’ve compiled a list of quotes from various Bible scholars I’d like you to read. And, as you go through these, I want you to bear in mind that some, if not all, of these scholars are themselves members of churches that believe in and teach a trinity doctrine! It’s actually quite common for an intellectually honest scholar to admit that the trinity cannot be found in Scripture … even if he or she believes in a trinity!
Miles: Wow.
Dave: So, what’s your first quote there?
Miles: Uh, this is by A. W. Argyle?
Dave: Ah, yes. Aubrey William Argyle was a Christian author. He was also a Lecturer in Divinity at Oxford University.
Miles: Soooo, very well-educated.
Dave: Extremely. What did he have to say about the trinity doctrine?
Miles: This is from page 173 of his book, God in the New Testament. It says: “The fully developed Christian Doctrine that God is three persons in one Godhead is nowhere explicitly stated in the New Testament.” Unquote.
That’s interesting. He says the “fully developed Christian Doctrine.” It’s like the doctrine developed in stages over time.
Dave: That’s exactly what happened.
Who’s next?
Miles: William N. Clarke.
Dave: He was a Baptist minister and theologian. He lived from 1841 to 1912. The thing to remember is that Baptists are trinitarians. They believe in a triune godhead. But what did Reverend Clarke have to say?
Miles: From pages 230 to 231 of The Christian Doctrine of God, he writes:
The word Trinity is never used, and there is no indication that the idea of Trinity had taken form. It has long been a common practice to read the New Testament as if the ideas of a later age upon this subject were in it, but they are not. In the days of the apostles the doctrine of the Trinity was yet to be created … after the lapse of three or four centuries, there was wrought a doctrine of the Trinity … This historic doctrine differed widely from the simplicity of the early faith.
Wow!
Dave: That’s an amazing statement of fact, isn’t it? His acknowledgement that it’s long been standard practice to impose on our interpretation of the New Testament ideas that were actually developed later is a very good one. We run into this over and over on any number of different doctrines.
And he’s not alone! Many scholars agree with him. Keep going.
Miles: Uhh … A. T. Hanson, on page 87 of The Image of the Invisible God, writes:
No responsible New Testament scholar would claim that the doctrine of the Trinity was taught by Jesus or preached by the earliest Christians, or consciously held by any writer of the New Testament. It was in fact slowly worked out in the course of the first few centuries in an attempt to give an intelligible doctrine of God.
Dave: Did you catch that? No responsible New Testament scholar is going to claim that any Bible writer even consciously held this view of the divine nature. That’s saying something!
Any more?
Miles: One more. John McKenzie. In his Dictionary of the Bible, he says, quote: “The Trinity of God is defined by the Church as the belief that in God are three persons who subsist in one nature. The belief as so defined was reached only the 4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief.”
Dave: See, on things like this, Catholic scholars have no problem stating the truth. For Roman Catholics, church tradition is as valid as Scripture. So, for them, it doesn’t matter that it’s not in the Bible.
Miles: I know, but these other blokes? Protestants? How can they believe something is valid when they admit it’s not in Scripture? Whatever happened to the Protestant Reformation’s slogan of sola scriptura or the Bible alone?
Dave: Well, those are good questions.
Another good question is—
Ah! I see you pointing at the clock. Okay. We need to take a quick break, so we’ll get into that when we return.
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It is easy for Christians today to view worship as an act of devotion that should ever be offered to Yahuwah. And, as our Creator, Yahuwah is the only one who should ever receive our complete adoration and worship. But the act of receiving worship does not, in turn, make the recipient divine.
Yes, Yahushua is worshipped, and rightly so. He is, after all, our Redeemer. But this does not prove he is divine. Did you know that Scripture speaks of other humans being worshipped? And not in any idolatrous sense, either. While only Yahuwah may be worshiped as the divine creator, other individuals who worked for Yahuwah, and some who didn’t, were also worshiped. So, the act of being worshiped is never proof of divinity.
Listen as Miles and Dave explore this often-misunderstood topic. Look for Program 261 on WorldsLastChance.com. Just click on the WLC Radio icon, select your language, and scroll down to find it. That’s Program 261 entitled “The Insignificance of Worshipping Yahushua.” Once again that’s “The Insignificance of Worshiping Yahushua” on WorldsLastChance.com.
* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)
Dave: So, in our last segment, you just read all those statements from New Testament scholars that attest to the fact that the doctrine of a triune godhead simply does not exist in Scripture. Furthermore, no Bible writer even conceived of such a doctrine. They were all strict unitarians.
The next question we need to consider is: Does Scripture teach the doctrine of the incarnation? We know it doesn’t actually teach the Savior is divine, but are there any passages that teach the idea that the Savior was incarnated?
I have another quote here I’d like you to read. It’s from Volume 1 of The Christ and the Spirit by James Dunn. Would you read that, please?
Miles: It says:
Within the earlier strata of the Jesus tradition, there is substantive evidence that Jesus laid claim to speak with divine inspiration and authorization as in some sense the representative of God. But there is nothing of consequence to support the thesis that Jesus saw himself in some sense as God, as the incarnation of the deity… It is unlikely, therefore, that the thought of incarnation was part of earliest Christian faith.
Dave: His point is that, like the doctrine of the trinity, the idea that Yahushua was incarnated was something that developed over time.
Miles: Well, that makes sense. If you knew he was fully human, you wouldn’t be seeing him as divinity incarnated in humanity. You’d have to have the doctrine of the trinity first, I’d think.
Dave: Exactly. The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, 1996 edition, affirms this. It says, quote: “It is only with the fathers of the church in the third and fourth centuries that a full-fledged theory of the incarnation developed.”
Miles: Interesting. Sounds like it developed simultaneously with the doctrine of a trinity. One sort of necessitates the other.
Dave: Yes, but: How can belief in a triune godhead and the incarnation of Christ be a requirement for salvation if it only developed centuries after Christ? Were the early believers lost because they didn’t believe in it? Is it even a valid belief since we know it’s not found in Scripture?
Miles: Good questions. And then to make it a point of salvation? That’s really presumptuous.
Dave: It really is. And even if your regular church member doesn’t know this, the scholars do. Millard Erickson is an American professor of theology and Evangelical Christian Theologian. He insists that the trinity is, quote “indispensable to the Christian faith,” but then turns right around and admits that it is, quote, “not clearly or explicitly taught anywhere in Scripture.”
Miles: Where does he say that?
Dave: On pages 11 to 12 of his book, God in Three Persons. The subtitle of that book is revealing. The subtitle is “A contemporary interpretation of the trinity.” It’s got to be contemporary because none of the Bible writers actually taught that! It developed later.
And that’s a problem. If you’re going to claim some point of doctrine is “indispensable,” shouldn’t we expect to find it in Scripture?
Miles: Yeah. Can’t we rely on Scripture to teach us everything we know for salvation?
Dave: We should! Turn to Acts 20. I want you to read what Paul said of his teachings. Read verses 20 and 27.
Miles: Okay, uh … “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. … For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of [Yahuwah].”
Dave: You cannot find the trinity doctrine anywhere in Paul’s writings. It’s just not there. Neither is the doctrine of the incarnation. And yet, Paul’s stating that he taught the “whole will” of Yahuwah.
Miles: He couldn’t have honestly said that if he’d left out doctrines that are essential for salvation.
Dave: No, he couldn’t have. Which means that these doctrines are error. He didn’t teach them because he didn’t believe them.
Miles: So, then what does Scripture actually say?
Dave: Let’s look at that. We can’t get into all of the passages that cover this, but we’ll look at John, Acts, and Romans.
Let’s turn first to John chapter 3. This is Yahushua’s conversation with Nicodemus. Nicodemus, as a member of the Sanhedrin, was well-educated and was himself a theologian so Christ could jump right into a deep conversation. What did he tell Nicodemus in verse 3?
Miles: Ummm … “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Dave: This word “again,” comes from a Greek word, anôthen, which means, literally, “from above.” So eternal life hinges upon belief in Yahushua. This point repeats through the chapter.
Read verses 14 and 15.
Miles: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Dave: And verse 16?
Miles: “For [Yahuwah] so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Dave: And verse 18.
Miles: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of [Yahuwah’s] one and only son.”
Dave: This entire passage is about what one must believe in order to be saved. If belief in Christ’s divinity and incarnation were necessary for salvation, this would be the place to find it, but we don’t. There’s nothing said here about either a triune godhead or an incarnation.
Drop down now to verse 36. Here, John is linking belief in Christ to obedience. Go ahead.
Miles: “He who believes in the son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the son will not see life, but the wrath of Yahuwah abides on him.”
Dave: Some versions translate that as “whoever rejects the son will not see life.” The point he’s making is that a cold, intellectual assent isn’t enough. Genuine belief will show itself in obedience.
Miles: Going off on a bit of a tangent here, what does it mean to believe Yahushua is the son? As a trinitarian, I assumed this meant believing that he was the second person of the godhead, but without that, what does this mean?
Dave: The answer to that is in John 11. Martha had told Yahushua that her brother wouldn’t have died if he’d been there. What does Yahushua say in response? Verses 25 to 27.
Miles:
Yahushua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Dave: Again, a very logical place to insert an explanation of a triune divine nature or an incarnation, but nothing is said about that. Instead, we’re to believe that Yahushua is the anointed, the son of God.
Being the “son of God” is not the same thing as “God the Son.” The phrase “son of God” refers to Yahushua as the anointed of Yahuwah. But it doesn’t mean he’s divine any more than other passages that refer to “sons of God” make other beings—human and angelic—divine. Being a “son of God” doesn’t make anyone divine.
Miles: So, it’s the belief that Yahushua is the long-awaited Messiah that brings salvation, not that he is divine.
Dave: Right. Because Scripture never makes that claim.
Turn now to John 20. Here, John explains why he wrote his gospel and he reiterates just how salvation is obtained. Read verses 30 and 31, please.
Miles: “And truly Yahushua did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Yahushua is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
Dave: This is such an important point that John repeats this in his epistle. Would you read 1 John 5 and verse 20, please?
Miles: “We know also that the son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His son Yahushua Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
Dave: He’s not saying that Yahushua is the true God. He’s saying that Yahuwah, or “Him who is true,” is the true God. That’s what we’re to believe. Nothing here about believing in a triune divine nature or incarnation.
Miles: That’s pretty clear.
What about the early church? Could you lead us through some passages that showed what the apostolic Christians believed? Because if belief in a triune godhead or incarnation were as important as people today claim, then we should find some recording of it as the gospel began to spread to the gentiles.
Dave: You’re right, so turn to the book of Acts, chapter 14. This is fascinating because in the city of Lystra, Paul healed a man who was lame. The people of Lystra assumed that … wait for it … Paul and Barnabas were gods incarnate in human flesh! What does verse 11 say?
Miles: “When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’”
Dave: That’s incarnation. They thought Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes and, naturally, they wanted to honor them. Read verse 13.
Miles: “The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.”
Dave: Paul and Barnabas were appalled! I want you to read what happens next and, as you read, notice that Paul refers to this belief in gods become human as a “worthless” belief. Verses 14 to 18.
Miles:
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
Dave: That’s how deeply engrained was the belief in incarnation among these pagans.
Turn now to Acts 2. I want to look at Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. Again: if belief in a trinity or incarnation is required for salvation, then we’ll find it here.
But, again, we don’t. Instead, Peter starts off his sermon with a long quote from the book of Joel to explain the baptism of the Holy Spirit everyone was witnessing. This passage from Joel then states what’s important for salvation. Verse 21.
Miles: “And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of Yahuwah
Shall be saved.”
Dave: From there, Peter goes on to talk about Yahushua, how he was anointed to do a special work, was crucified and raised again.
Let’s read the summary of his message. Verses 36 to 38.
Miles:
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Yahushua, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Yahushua Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom [Yahuwah] our God will call.”
Dave: Peter’s use of the title “God” is revealing. He’s drawing a distinction between Yahuwah and Yahushua, showing that Yahuwah is divine; Yahushua isn’t.
This is the place to establish Yahushua’s divinity! This is the place to preach about God becoming incarnate. And yet Peter is completely silent upon this point. Why? Because he did not believe that Yahushua was divine or “God incarnate in human flesh.” It’s that simple.
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It has been said that only love awakens love, and it’s true! When we see that someone loves us, when we recognize and acknowledge the undeserved kindness and compassion shown us, our hearts soften and open to the One who loves us so much.
This is why it’s important to spend time getting to know Yahuwah as your compassionate Creator, your loving Father. You can’t help but be drawn to someone who loves you so much He was willing to sacrifice anything for you. Look for Program #3 entitled “Yah’s Love for You.” Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on the WLC Radio icon. Scroll down to find “Yah’s Love for You.” Listen and see with new eyes the Father’s love for you.
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WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.
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* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)
Miles: Could we talk about what it means to call upon the name of Yahuwah? I’m not surprised Peter and the New Testament writers quoted it as that command appears so often in the Old Testament. We’re told over and over to “call upon the name of the Lord” although, of course, it doesn’t actually say “the Lord.” In the original Hebrew, it says to “call upon the name of Yahuwah.”
But why would Peter, in Acts 2, apply that to Yahushua who, we know, wasn’t divine?
Dave: That’s a very insightful question. I’m glad you’ve asked it. The first thing we need to remember is that the original audience was not modern readers. The original intended audience was the Jews. The Scriptures were written by—and originally for—Jews. So, we need to account for their unique perspective: how they’d interpret things.
A first-century Jewish audience, hearing Peter take Joel’s quote—which originally applied to Yahuwah—and apply it to Yahushua would not suddenly assume that Peter was announcing Yahushua was part of some triune godhead. They didn’t reason that way.
Miles: No. They were strict unitarians.
Dave: That’s correct. So, hearing this, they would have correctly understood that Peter was setting the Messiah forth as Yahuwah’s agent, His divinely anointed and appointed representative.
Miles: Okay. That makes sense. We recently had a program on Yahushua as Yahuwah’s agent. That’s a legal designation.
Dave: Correct. That’s where a unitarian mind goes: Yahushua is Yahuwah’s legal representative.
Do you see that book there? It’s called Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Would you please grab it and turn to page 377. There’s an entry there under “Gospel of John.” This was written by Dr. Marianne Meye Thompson. She’s an American theologian and Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. She was even one of the translators for the Gospel of John for the New Living Translation Bible.
Miles: Wow.
Dave: She’s very knowledgeable. I’d like you to read the bracketed quote on page 377.
Miles:
In the rabbinic writings, there is a reference to the figure of the saliah [or shaliah], which literally means “one who is sent” … A saliah was a surrogate sent on a task or a mission with specific instructions and authority to carry it out. According to the Talmud, a saliah could, among other things, carry out business transactions, make binding treaties, and arrange marriages. A common saying in the rabbis was “the one who is sent is like the one who sent him” or “a man’s agent is equivalent to himself.” Because the saliah may act on behalf of the one who sent him, when one deals with the saliah it is as if one is dealing with the one who sent that person.”
Dave: This is a very important aspect of Yahushua that we, modern readers, haven’t understood. Yahushua, as we covered in a recent program, is Yahuwah’s agent. He’s Yah’s human agent. So, when people dealt with Yahushua, they were, in a very real sense, dealing with Yahuwah because Yahushua was Yah’s stand in: His agent.
I’ve got another quote for you to read that confirms this. This one is from The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion. Would you read that for us, please?
Miles: Yeah, page 15, under “Agent” it says, quote: “The main point of the Jewish law of agency is expressed in the dictum, ‘a person’s agent is regarded as the person himself.’ Therefore, any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principal.”
Wow. So, going off on a quick tangent, you could say that Yahuwah loved us so much He died for us. Our Redeemer had to be human—which Christ is—but acting as Yahuwah’s agent, he died for us. Basically, Yahuwah died for us in the person of His agent.
Dave: Isn’t that beautiful?
Miles: Can you share with us any other examples in Scripture where someone acted as Yahuwah’s agent?
Dave: Sure! Turn to Exodus 23. Read verses 20 to 23.
Miles:
See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.
Dave: Here we have an angel acting as Yahuwah’s agent.
Notice in verse 21 Yahuwah explains that His name is in the angel. Again, underscoring that this angel was Yahuwah’s active agent. It’s why the people were to treat him with respect.
Miles: It’s the same sort of thing we get with ambassadors. They’re treated with respect because they represent their nation. Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is treated with respect. Why? Because while he isn’t king—yet—he represents the crown.
Dave: Good example. And Yahushua, as Yah’s agent, also had Yahuwah’s name. That’s another detail we’ve missed because, to our modern minds, we haven’t understood the significance of what it means to have Yahuwah’s name.
Turn to John chapter 17. This is just before Yahushua’s betrayal and he’s praying to Yahuwah. What does he say? Verses 11 and 12.
Miles:
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Dave: So, clearly, applying Yahuwah’s name to someone is not intended to indicate that the person who has Yahuwah’s name is divine. It doesn’t work that way. I’m not divine. I know you’re not divine!
Miles laughs: You know me well!
Dave: My point is that for Peter to quote Joel—that everyone who calls on the name of Yahuwah will be saved—and apply that to Yahushua is simply to underscore Yahushua’s role as Yahuwah’s agent. Yahushua is the divinely appointed means to salvation.
Miles: Soooo … calling upon Yahushua is basically the same as calling upon Yahuwah because Yahuwah appointed Yahushua to act in His stead, as His agent, His stand-in.
Dave: You’ve got it. That’s correct.
I’d like you to turn now to Acts 4. This is when Peter and John were taken before the Sanhedrin. You remember – they’d healed a crippled man and used the opportunity to share about Yahushua. They were arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin. Let’s read what Peter said. Verses 8 to 13.
Miles:
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Yahushua Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Yahushua is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Yahushua.
Dave: Again: notice the deliberate use of a title here. “God” (Yahuwah) … raised Yahushua … from the dead. Consequently, Yahushua can’t be “God.”
Isaiah 43:11 says, “I, even I, am Yahuwah and beside me there is no Savior.” So when Peter is quoting that there’s no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved, it’s because Yahushua was Yahuwah’s stand-in, His agent. He had been given Yahuwah’s name. He wasn’t divine, but he had Yah’s name.
Miles: Those are good points. I noticed, too, that Peter didn’t say “God raised God” from the dead.
Dave laughs: Well, no. Because, by definition, divinity is immortal. That’s why Yahuwah had to use a fully human agent to receive His name and act in His stead.
Drop down now to the next chapter, Acts 5. Peter and some of the apostles had again been arrested. When the Sanhedrin demanded that they quit talking about Yahushua, what was their response? Verses 29 to 32.
Miles:
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Yahushua whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Dave: Once again, an interesting and judicial use of the title “God.” It was God—Yahuwah—who exalted Yahushua to His right hand. Two co-equal manifestations of the same “God” cannot be in a position for one to exalt the other.
Miles: Okay, but what about the Philippian jailer? Paul and Silas told him to believe on the Lord Yahushua the Christ.
Dave: Let’s go there: Acts 16.
Miles: Why didn’t Paul and Silas tell him to believe on Yahuwah? That’s what I would have done!
Dave: Me, too. But that’s because we’re former trinitarians who haven’t understood the significance of Yahushua acting as Yahuwah’s agent.
But they did. We’re told that the jailer and his entire household believed and were baptized. Read verse 34 now.
Miles: “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.”
Dave: This statement is not claiming that the jailer believed Yahushua was divine. Rather, we can know that the jailer believed in Yahushua because he understood the principle of agency. So, when Luke summarizes this whole thing, he correctly states that the jailer believed in … God. Yahuwah.
When we believe in Yahushua, it’s Yahuwah’s divine power behind him that we’re really believing in.
Yahushua himself said so. Read John 5:24.
Miles: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
Dave: He repeats this same sentiment in John 12 verse 44. Would you please turn there next?
Miles: “Then Yahushua cried out and said, “He who believes in me, believes not in me but in Him who sent me.’”
Dave: That’s agency, standing in the place of Yahuwah. When you believe in the agent, you’re actually believing in the one that the agent is representing.
Augustine, one of the early Church Fathers, said that anyone who denies the Trinity will lose his salvation. However, anyone who tries to actually understand it will lose his mind.
Now does that sound like something Yahuwah would do? Or teach?
Miles: No!
Dave: Turn to 2 Timothy 3 and read verses 16 and 17.
Miles: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of [Yahuwah], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of [Yahuwah] may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Dave: The doctrines of Scripture are sufficient to bring us salvation. We don’t need to add new doctrines to them.
I want to close with Romans 10, verses 9 and 10.
Miles: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Yahushua is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Dave: Simple, straightforward, and true. There’s nothing here about needing to believe in a trinity or incarnation. Because that is error.
* * *Daily Promise:
Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.
Deuteronomy 28 verse 12 tells us: “Yahuwah will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.”
Many years ago, back when Zimbabwe was still called Southern Rhodesia, an American missionary by the name of Ira Schultz and his family were sent to take the gospel to the Rhodesians. Ira worked closely with a local Rhodesian man and the two became good friends. I don’t know the other man’s last name, but Ira knew him by just two initials: S.J. And that’s how everyone knew him. His wife, his friends and co-workers, church members … everyone called him S.J.
One day, as the two men were working together, Ira asked S.J., “So, what do your initials stand for? I don’t think I’ve ever heard your actual name.”
S.J. gave him a lop-sided smile that was more of a grimace and said, “That’s because I don’t tell anyone my actual name.”
“Oh, come on,” Ira urged him. “It can’t be that bad!”
Finally, after a lot of prompting, S.J. agreed to tell Ira his name if he promised not to laugh. His name, S.J. reluctantly revealed, was “Strawberry Jam.”
I think we can all understand why S.J. preferred to use his initials! Still, I think the story behind why he was named Strawberry Jam is very precious. Apparently, years before when S.J.’s mother was pregnant with him, someone had given her a small jar of strawberry jam. It was the most delicious thing the young woman had ever tasted so, when her son was born, she couldn’t think of a better name to call her precious baby boy than the same words of the most delicious thing she’d ever eaten.
When Ira’s niece told me that story, it reminded me of 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9 which says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which Yahuwah has prepared for those who love Him.”
I can just picture it, can’t you? Yahuwah and the angels: soooo excited, just waiting with indescribable eagerness for when Yahuwah moves His kingdom to earth, to open the gates of the Holy City and welcome His children home. It will be beyond anything any of us can imagine, let alone describe. And it’s just waiting for those who will accept the gift of salvation.
Even now, we have a foretaste of the joy that is to come. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the ecclesia and in Christ Yahushua throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” [Ephesians 3:20-21]
Even now, Yahuwah can do far more than we could ever ask or imagine, and He does it just because He loves us so much.
We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!
* * *Part 4: (Miles & Dave)
Dave: I believe it was Abraham Lincoln, America’s president from 1961 until his assassination in 1865 that said, quote: “When a man who is honestly mistaken hearts the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest.”
Miles: What a powerful statement! That is so true.
Dave: Yes, he was very good pithy statements, wasn’t he? The point I’m wanting to make, though, is that being sincere doesn’t save you from being wrong. We’ve all, in ignorance, held beliefs that are wrong. Chances are good that even now, some of the beliefs we hold are incorrect and we won’t find out which ones until more light comes our way.
It's not a sin to be mistaken. But if you’re truly sincere, if you value intellectual honesty, then when you are shown your error, you’re going to give up the error, surrender past beliefs—however cherished and dear they are—in order to embrace and follow the truth.
Miles: That’s called following the Lamb wherever he goes.
Dave: Exactly. And it may be scary to do so. We like to surround ourselves with people of like minds. It affirm—to ourselves—that we’re right if people we know and like believe the same way we do.
But, folks. As nice as it is to have that affirmation, you don’t really need it. All you need is the affirmation of that still, small voice saying, “This is the way. Walk ye in it.”
Miles: Following truth can be a very solitary walk.
Dave: Absolutely it can be, and often is. This is why so often Christ’s parables emphasize the costliness of discipleship.
- The man who found treasure hidden in a field had to sell all that he had in order to purchase the field.
- The merchant, wanting to buy a pearl of great price, had to sell all that he had in order to obtain it.
And there are other illustrations, too. The woman who lost a gold coin didn’t rest or give up until she scoured her house and found it. It took perseverance and she persevered. That’s what we’re to do, too.
Miles: One thing I will add, though, is if your friends or family don’t agree with this new light, don’t argue with them. Don’t cut them off. If you cut them off, you’ve effectively removed yourself from any position that might be able to witness to them in the future.
Dave: That’s an excellent point. And we shouldn’t assume that, just because they don’t agree with us, they lack sincerity. You’ve told us several times how, there was one point of doctrine, some years back, that you just didn’t agree with. The arguments presented didn’t convince.
Miles: That’s right. And then, roughly three years later, other evidence was presented that, to my mind, was ore compelling. But if the person who first tried to share with me had cut me out of his life, if he’d denounced me, I certainly wouldn’t have been open to anything more he had to say later!
Like Christ in sharing the truths he did, we should always err on the side of kindness, compassion, and sympathy.
Well, our time is up for today. I want to thank you for tuning in. If you’ve enjoyed today’s program and would like to share it with others, you can find it uploaded on WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon, select the language you want, and then scroll down to Program 273 called “What must I [believe] to be saved?” That’s “What must I [believe] to be saved,” Program 273, on WorldsLastChance.com.
We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!
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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.
In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.
WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.
