Program 190: Christ, the Trinity, & Bad Faith

The fact that neither Yahushua nor the apostles taught the doctrine of the trinity is proof that they did not believe in a triune godhead.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, 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.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Did Christ lie to us? Did the apostles? Hi, I’m Miles Robey and this is WLC Radio.

I know the very question—Did Christ lie to us?—sounds blasphemous. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Of course Yahushua didn’t lie to us! What are you trying to imply, Miles?”

Well, I’m not trying to imply anything. I’m trying to get to the bottom of a noticeable … uh, absence, if you will, in Scripture. An extremely important point of doctrine has been omitted which begs the question of why. Was it an oversight? Was it deliberate? Or is it not there, simply because it’s not true?

I’m talking about the doctrine of a triune godhead. I’ll be honest, when someone first tried to share with me that there is no trinity, my first thought was, “What are you talking about? Of course there’s a trinity! Scripture repeatedly refers to a ‘holy spirit’ so there has to be a trinity!”

I’ve asked Dave Wright to shed some light on this for us today. Dave? What does Scripture have to say about the trinity?

Dave Wright: I’d like to back up just a bit. We’ve covered what Scripture says—and doesn’t say—about the trinity in other programs.

Do you know what it means to “show good faith”? I’m talking about in a legal context. What’s good faith versus bad faith?

Miles: Well, uh … in contract law, “good faith” is the presumption that both parties will deal with each other honestly and fairly. That’s said to be “acting in good faith.”

Bad faith would be the opposite: being dishonest. Um, it could include not providing full disclosure. It could also include intent to defraud. That would be acting in poor faith.

Dave: Some years ago, in either the US or Canada, I don’t remember which, there was an insurance company that decided it needed to drum up some business, so it sent out letters advertising a really good deal on life insurance policies.

Now it just so happened that one of these junk mail letters happened to be addressed to a university student. I don’t remember his name, so I’ll just call him, uh, Kevin. Kevin read through the letter, studied the “fine print” and noticed there was nothing in the policy that said it was only for humans.

Miles laughs: Tell me he didn’t!

Dave: What?

Miles: What’d he do? Buy life insurance for his dog or something?

Dave: Better still. He’s at university; lives in a dormitory. Can’t have a dog or a cat there, but he did have a pet. A guppy.

Miles laughs: A guppy? One of those little fish that sell for, what, two for a pound?

Dave: They are very common fish and have a general life expectancy of anywhere from two to five years if taken care of well. Anyway, Kevin decided to take out a life insurance policy on his guppy, naming himself as the beneficiary. It started out as a joke, but to his shock—and likely through some glitch in the system—he received confirmation that Mr. Fred L. Guppy (that’s what he’d named his fish) was indeed covered by a life insurance policy.

I don’t remember all the particulars, but about a year and a half later, Fred L. Guppy passed on to … the great ocean in the sky, or wherever fish go when they die.

Miles, dryly: The septic system.

Dave chuckles: That works, too. Anyway, Kevin promptly filed a claim, which was just as promptly rejected, and so he threatened them with a lawsuit. He told them that he’d been paying their insurance premiums in good faith lo, these many months and he expected them to now honor the deal.

Miles: So what happened?

Dave: Well, the insurance company sent out an agent to the university to meet with Kevin to determine whether or not he appeared to be the type of person who would press the issue. It was decided that he was, indeed, the type of person who would press the issue, so they settled out of court for, I don’t know … something like $600? That may not be the amount; it’s been years since I read about it, but he ended up getting quite a bit, considering the circumstances and the value of the dollar at the time.

Miles: Well, you know, they insure thoroughbred racehorses for millions of dollars.

Dave: Yeah, but a million-dollar racehorse is not the same thing as a guppy.

Miles: True, true.

Dave: The point I’m wanting to make is that, despite the policy being granted due to an obvious oversight, despite the insurance company never intending it to be used for a fish, Kevin still won because he actually did have an argument based on “good faith.” It wasn’t his fault that the insurance company screwed up. He’d been making monthly payments “in good faith.” For them to renege would have been an untrustworthy performance of their duties. It would have been neglecting fair dealing standards.

Under the letter of the law—maybe not the spirit of the law, but under the letter of the law—Kevin had a case and the insurance company knew it. That’s why they were willing to go ahead and give him some money because it cost less than taking it to court.

Miles: That’s brilliant! Why couldn’t I have ever thought of signing out a life insurance policy on a fish!

Dave: Well, I’m sure they’ve closed off that loophole by now. You can’t have something like this happen and the story not make the rounds of every other insurance company around!

But here’s the point I’m wanting to make: Yahushua was the long-awaited Messiah. He came to teach us the way of salvation. Now, in what universe does it make the slightest bit of sense that he would neglect to teach the most fundamental, foundational truth of the nature of Yah?

I’ve got a quote here from a Jesuit scholar by the name of John Hardon. It’s from a Roman Catholic website called CatholicEducation.org. I want you to read his opening statement from an article entitled “Catholic Doctrine on the Holy Trinity.” What does he say?

Miles: “The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the most fundamental of our faith. On it everything else depends and from it everything else derives. Hence the Church’s constant concern to safeguard the revealed truth that God is One in nature and Three in Persons.”

Dave: That’s how important, how basic, how fundamental the doctrine of the trinity is to the Roman Catholic Church.

Here’s another quote. It’s from a Baptist publication. What does that say?

Miles: “The Trinity is a fundamental truth of our faith.”

Dave: There’s that word again: fundamental.

The Church of England, called the Anglican or the Episcopalian Church in other countries, also believes in a triune godhead. That next statement is taken from ChurchOfEngland.org. What does that say?

Miles: “Belief in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit is at the heart of our faith.”

Dave: We could go on and on. Seventh-day Adventists, who have a membership of well over 20 million worldwide, believe in a triune godhead.

The United Methodist Church, or UMC, is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world. It also believes in a trinity. In describing the belief of Methodists in a triune godhead, the website ChristianityFaq.org states: “The doctrine of God, especially the Trinity, is central to biblical theology … Methodism believes, teaches and defends the doctrine of the Trinity with great conviction. … The UMC’s belief in the Trinity is central, strong, and clear.” Unquote.

Miles: A triune godhead really is the central, foundational belief for the majority of Christians.

Dave: The vast majority.

I want you to turn now to Isaiah 9. Isaiah chapter 9 and read the first two verses.

Miles: It says, uh …

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

Dave: This is actually a prophecy of the Messiah. I’d like you to now read Matthew 4, verses 13 to 17. This is just after Yahushua’s return from being tempted in the wilderness. It’s at the very start of his public ministry.

Miles:

And leaving Nazareth, he [Yahushua] came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

From that time Yahushua began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Dave: Yahushua’s message of bringing truth to people who are ignorant is compared to bringing light to people who are in darkness.

Let’s look at another prophecy of the Messiah. This one is recorded in Isaiah 42. Read verses 1 to 4.

Miles:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.

Dave: “In his teaching … the islands will put their hope.” So here again, we see clearly that one of the most important aspects of the Messiah’s ministry will be his teaching. His instruction in righteousness. And, of course, that’s what Yahushua is known for. Even among those who deny that he’s the Messiah, he’s still known for his wisdom and parables.

I’ve printed off some verses I’d like you to read through. Just read where it’s found and the verse and as you do this, I want you to notice what action is being recorded here. What’s Yahushua doing in each of these verses?

Miles: All right, uh, Luke 19:47: “And he was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy him.”

Luke 20:1: “On one of the days while he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted him.”

Luke 21:37: “Now during the day he was teaching in the temple, but at evening he would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet.”

John 7:14: “But when it was now the midst of the feast Yahushua went up into the temple, and began to teach.”

John 8:2: “Early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to him; and he sat down and began to teach them.”

Matthew 11:1: “When Yahushua had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.”

Mark 6:6: “And he was going around the villages teaching.”

Luke 13:22: “And he was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on his way to Jerusalem.”

Mark 2:13: “And he went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to him, and he was teaching them.”

Mark 6:34: “When Yahushua went ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”

Mark 10:1: “Getting up, He went from there to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds gathered around him again, and, according to his custom, he once more began to teach them.”

Dave: That’s enough. I got kind of carried away compiling these, but you’ve made the point. What’s the one thing Yahushua was constantly doing?

Miles: Teaching the people.

Dave: So now let me ask you this: If the trinity doctrine is the foundational belief on which Christianity is built as so many Christians believe, why wasn’t the triune nature of the divine the focus of his teachings? Why wouldn’t Yahushua teach that he himself was “God” if he indeed were “God the Son” as trinitarians believe? Why didn’t he ever explain this?

Miles: That’s a really good question. You can’t count his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. There, he’s simply comparing the work of the Holy Spirit to the wind. There’s no mention of a triune anything, let alone a triune godhead.

Dave: One of the primary duties of the Messiah was to teach, to instruct the people in the truth and righteousness. For Yahushua to come and spend all that time teaching and never once even allude to a triune divine nature means one of two things:

EITHER he was acting in “bad faith” …

OR he didn’t teach a triune godhead … because he didn’t believe in a triune godhead.

Remember, the legal definition of “bad faith” includes “untrustworthy performance of duties” and “evasion of the spirit of the bargain, lack of diligence and slacking off, willful rendering of imperfect performance.”

So. You tell me. Which one was it? Did Yahushua willfully render an imperfect performance of his duties, withholding vital information that would have laid the very foundation of Christianity? Or did he not teach a trinity because he didn’t believe in a trinity? Which was it?

Miles: Well, there’s no way the Savior, who was perfect, would ever act in bad faith. The only reasonable option is that he didn’t teach a triune godhead because he didn’t believe in a triune godhead.

Dave: That’s the only logical conclusion.

Christ not only did not teach a triune nature for divinity, but he actively did teach the unitarian nature of Yah, that He is one. Not three. Not “three-in-one.” Just … one.

Turn to Mark 12 and read verses, uh … 28 through 34. Mark 12:28 to 34.

Miles:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Yahushua had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Yahushua, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: Yahuwah our Elohim, Yahuwah is one. Love Yahuwah your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that [Elohim] is one and there is no other but Him. To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Yahushua saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of [Elohim].” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Dave: This “greatest commandment” Yahushua was referring to was the shema, a prayer formed from a passage in Deuteronomy. This was so important to the Israelites that they prayed it every morning and evening. Let’s read it. I’m sure our listeners will recognize it. It’s in Deuteronomy 6, verses 4 and 5.

… You know? Actually, let’s read it in context. Start at verse 1. There’s this big buildup to verses 4 and 5. Moses and Yahuwah wanted the people to take this very seriously. Go ahead.

Miles:

Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which Yahuwah your Elohim has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear Yahuwah your Elohim, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as Yahuwah, God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.

Dave: So there’s this huge build up where Moses basically tells them: “Pay attention! This is important. You’ve got to know this. There’ll be a test later.”

So now read what’s so important it warrants this huge narrative buildup.

Miles:

Hear, O Israel: Yahuwah our Elohim, Yahuwah is one! You shall love Yahuwah your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Dave: There it is. The most important statement in Scripture. The one that Christ himself said was the most important. And it’s a statement about the singular nature of the divine. There is no trinity. There’s just Yahuwah, all by Himself. His nature is unitarian because there’s only one: Him.

Yahushua wasn’t acting in “bad faith.” He was acting in “good faith.” He was doing precisely what he came to do, which was teach Heaven’s truths, and in doing that, he did not neglect to teach the extremely important truth about the nature of Yah.

He taught it! But he confirmed that it was unitarian, not trinitarian.

Miles: Okay, we have to take a quick break, but when we come back, I’ve got a question for you.

Dave: Sounds good!

Miles: Stay tuned! We’ll be right back.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I’ve got a question for you. Is it possible that Christ meant for the apostles to teach about the trinity? After all, in John 16 he says something really interesting. Listen to this. It’s verses 12 to 15.

He says, quote:

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you. [John 16:12-15]

So my question is, how do we know that he didn’t intend for it to come from the Holy Spirit to the apostles, and so forth to us? Maybe it was simply one of those things the disciples couldn’t “bear” at that point but which he planned for them to learn from the Holy Spirit.

Dave: Well, let me tell you a story. One that I think will answer your question.

The evening of June 23, 2021, started out like a thousand other evenings. People ate supper, cleaned up, read, watched the telly. Children begged to stay up later since the summer holidays had started. Adults planned ahead for the next day. Finally, lights in the condos of Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida began to go out as people went to bed.

Sometime in the early morning hours of June 24, the 12-story, beachfront condominium … collapsed. Ninety-eight people were killed. It was one of the worst disasters of its kind in US history.

Miles: Wow. That’s terrible. What caused it?

Dave: Well, the investigators concluded that there were a number of contributing factors but the primary one was … a faulty foundation. The New York Post reported that the building, which had been constructed in 1981, had actually “been sinking into the ground since the 1990s.”

There was a chain reaction—always is with something that big—but it all started when the ground level parking area and a pool deck caved in. The foundation gave way, and when the foundation gives way, the entire structure collapses.

Now, as you read in our last segment, many Christians view the trinity doctrine as the foundational doctrine of their entire belief structure. And that’s fair! You can see why the very nature of the Creator is a foundational doctrine.

So on something so very important, can you really see Yahushua delegating teaching that doctrine to anyone else? Including his disciples?

Miles: No. No, not really. He taught so many other very important lessons. I can’t see him remaining silent on this one.

Dave: You asked if perhaps this was a topic the disciples just weren’t ready for. My answer to that is no. The topic of the nature of Yahuwah was covered in Deuteronomy! They knew the shema prayer, morning and evening, which affirmed the nature of the Creator as one being. So, no. The topic of the divine nature was not something “too advanced” for the disciples to grasp. They already knew what the nature of Yah was.

Miles: That’s true. I see your point.

Dave: Here’s another point: the doctrine of a triune godhead doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible!

Now. Just for the sake of argument, let’s assume that, on this extremely important topic, he did decide to leave it to the Holy Spirit to teach the apostles. My next question then is why doesn’t this teaching appear anywhere in the rest of the New Testament? Because it doesn’t. It’s not in the gospels and there’s nothing in the writings of Paul, or Peter, or John, or Luke, or any of the other New Testament writers that teaches a three-in-one God.

Miles: That’s true.

And, for those who are thinking, “Wait a minute! What about 1 John 5:7?” let me just answer that. For those who don’t recognize that verse, 1 John 5:7 is the main proof people point to in Scripture for a triune godhead.

Dave: Give me just a second to find it and I’ll read it … it says, uh … “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”

Miles: Sounds pretty conclusive, right? The problem is, this verse doesn’t appear in any of the oldest manuscripts still in existence. In fact, it wasn’t until 1,000 years after Christ that someone decided the Bible should actually contain something about the trinity and added it in.

You had me read a quote from a scholar about that once, Dave. Do you still have it?

Dave: Yes. Give me just a second to pull it up on my monitor … Uh … nope. Um …

Here we go. In a lecture course entitled “From Jesus to Constantine: A History of Early Christianity,” Bart Erhman states that the doctrine of the trinity, quote: “Cannot be found explicitly stated in the earliest Christian writings. The only passage of the New Testament that declares the doctrine (1 John 5:7-8) was not originally part of the text but was added by doctrinally astute scribes at a later date (it is not found in any Greek manuscripts until the 11th century.)” Unquote.

Miles: I’ve always liked that: it was added by “doctrinally astute scribes.” In other words, they saw a hole in their theology. Scripture doesn’t teach a trinity, so they decided to supply the lack.

Dave: In the same course, Erhman also states, quote: “This doctrine does not appear to be a doctrine pronounced by the historical Jesus, Paul, or any other Christian writer during the first hundred years or so of Christianity.” Unquote.

So this brings me back to my original question. For this to be a foundational doctrine, can we logically expect that the very ones laying the foundation for Christianity—Yahushua and the apostles—can we really expect that they would have stayed silent on a topic as important as the very nature of the Creator Himself?

Miles: No. No, that’s ridiculous.

Dave: It defies logic.

Now, let’s take a little tangent here. I want to remind our listeners of the dictionary definition of faith. Grab your handy-dandy antique dictionary there and read for us the definition of “faith.”

Miles: This is my favorite dictionary. Its definitions are a lot deeper than you find in most modern dictionaries.

Okay, it says, “Faith: Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth.”

Dave: All right. Keeping that definition in mind, let me ask you a question. The creeds or “statement of beliefs” of the majority of churches say that you have to believe in the trinity in order to be saved. It’s one of their stated doctrines. So let me ask you this: Upon what authority are you going to rest this faith?

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: Upon what authority are you going to base your faith that this is a legitimate doctrine, and that it’s so important a soul can be eternally lost for not believing it?

It’s not in Scripture as we have well-documented in other programs. Yahushua never taught it. The apostles never did. So, on what basis are you resting your faith that this is sound doctrine?

Miles: Hmmm.

Dave: If this doctrine does not appear in Scripture—and it doesn’t—then whose authority are you accepting at their word? That’s what faith is: the assent of the mind that what someone says is true without requiring any other evidence. So, in what or in whom is your faith resting when you accept this doctrine?

Miles: Tradition?

Dave: Tradition. I printed off the definition of tradition. What does it say?

Miles: Uh … “A mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a custom or usage.”

Dave: With tradition, you have absolutely no guarantee that what is passed down is correct.

For example, take, uh … germ theory. In the 1860s, French microbiologist, Louis Pasteur, discovered germs. Shortly thereafter, English surgeon, Joseph Lister, applied Pasteur’s discoveries to his own medical practice, thus reducing the number of deaths from infection in his patients. But how many millennia passed and how many people died because, prior to Pasteur, they believed illness was caused by “miasma” or “bad air”?

Miles: A lot. That belief reaches back to Hippocrates in the fourth century BCE.

Dave: This belief had quite the provenance. It’s what everyone believed for thousands of years. But just because a belief is old, does that somehow make it true?

Miles: Of course not.

Dave: This is something that is going to be especially challenging for Roman Catholic and Orthodox listeners. Catholics teach that truth comes from two sources: Scripture and the traditions of the church fathers. But as we’ve said so often before, “age will not make error into truth.”

So each one of us has to ask ourselves: Who are we going to believe? The word of Yah found in Scripture? Or the beliefs and opinions of fallible humans?

Miles: Well, since we’ve all “sinned and fallen short of the glory of Yah,” I’d say the only safe course is to rely on Scripture alone for the truth.

Dave: I agree. There was a time when people were burned at the stake for rejecting the trinity. We can all be thankful that’s no longer done, but when you think about it, believers are at least threatened if they reject this heresy.

Miles: They’re threatened with excommunication.

Dave: Or being lost! Millard Erickson is a Christian Evangelical theologian. He’s also known for writing quite a number of books on Christian theology, including one entitled Who’s Tampering with the Trinity? In fact, several of his books are on the trinity doctrine.

I have a quote from him here I’d like you to read. And as you read it, notice what’s being threatened here for unbelief. Go ahead.

Miles: All right, it says: “Try to explain it and you will lose your mind; but try to deny it and you’ll lose your soul.”

Dave: So. Try to wrap your brain around this ridiculous idea of a three-in-one godhead and you’ll go crazy. But if you reject it, you’ll be lost. How’s that for a dilemma?

Miles: I have to admit that if the doctrine of a three-in-one God is true, then Yahushua and the apostles were criminally negligent in making it clear. It’s not clear at all. In fact, it’s not in Scripture at all.

Dave: For the sake of argument, let’s assume for a moment that Yahushua actually did intend for the Holy Spirit to teach the trinity doctrine after his ascension. For now, we’ll set aside the fact that the trinity contradicts what the Bible says about the nature of Yah and just accept that Yahushua intended this to be one of the lessons taught by the Holy Spirit.

Why didn’t the spirit of Yah teach the apostles then? Why did it wait literally hundreds of years? For a “foundational doctrine,” that doesn’t make sense!

Miles: And here’s another point: it was the very ones who compromised with paganism that gave us the trinity doctrine.

Dave: Why should any of us believe that such individuals, cowards who compromised for temporal power and influence, should be entrusted with the truth about the divine nature? That’s … that’s foolish! And yet, that’s what we’re supposed to believe.

I’d like you to turn to John 17 and read verse 3 for us. This was just before Yahushua’s arrest in Gethsemane. He was cramming in every last bit of teaching he could. What does he say in John 17:3?

Miles: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Yahushua Christ, whom you have sent.”

Dave: “This is eternal life.” That we know Yahuwah. Integral to knowing Him is understanding His very nature. Now why should information so vital, so basic and essential to our very foundation for being saved be information that is withheld for hundreds of years?

Miles: Yeah, no. That’s not consistent with how Yahuwah works.

Dave: Yahushua told Nicodemus, “For [Yah] so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that …”?

Miles: “Whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16]

Dave: He was explaining to Nicodemus the way of salvation.

Paul does the same thing. Read Romans chapter 10 verse 9 for us. Romans 10, verse 9.

Miles: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Yahushua is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that [Yahuwah] raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Dave: There have been so many evangelistic appeals based on this and other such texts and yet not once, not a single time is it ever suggested that Yahushua is Yahuwah or that he is also divine. That’s the interpretation we have imposed on the passages, but it’s not there when you read it just as it’s written.

In fact, let’s go back up a few verses. Read this again, but this time let’s read it in context. Start with verse, um … verse 4.

Miles:

Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Yahushua is Lord,” and believe in your heart that [Yah] raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [Romans 10:4-9]

Dave: The divine agenda has always been to provide sinners with all the information needed for salvation, and knowledge about the true nature of Yah certainly falls in the category of information that’s important.

Miles: I find it interesting that, as you said, evangelical appeals are based on these texts and yet, just as soon as someone expresses a desire to be baptized, more requirements for belief are trotted out. Paul says declare with your mouth Yahushua is lord and believe with your heart Yahuwah raised him from the dead, and you’re saved. And yet, most churches today make belief in a triune godhead one of several requirements for joining their church.

Dave: Yahushua went out of his way to demonstrate that he shared a similar relationship with Yahuwah that we do, that of creature to Creator. Not one of co-equal, co-eternal partners. But rather being to Creator. To put it bluntly, our “God” is his “God.” In fact, he said as much!

Turn to John chapter 20. This is the morning of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene had visited the tomb very early and, upon discovering it empty, she hurried away to tell Peter and John. They, of course, were concerned and ran and looked and saw it was empty, too. Not being able to do anything about it—they assumed his body had been stolen—they eventually left but Mary lingered behind, crying.

We all know the story. Yahushua appeared to her and asked her why she was crying. When she realized who was talking to her, she was so overcome with joy, she clung to him. Now read verse 20 and pay close attention to what the message Yahushua asks her to tell the disciples.

Go ahead.

Miles: “Yahushua said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’”

Dave: There’s nothing here about Yahushua being on a par, being equal with, Yahuwah. Instead, he firmly places himself subservient to, and less than, Yahuwah.

Paul does the same thing. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. There’s a fascinating passage here that highlights the unequal relationship between Yahuwah and Yahushua. Unequal in that Yahushua is clearly less than the Father.

Miles: Where do you want me to start?

Dave: Uh, why don’t you start with verse, uh, verse 24 and read through verse 28? When you read it, leave in the titles. We usually replace these with Yahuwah’s personal name, but this time leave in the titles because when you’re talking about the trinity, God the Father and God the Son are supposedly equals.

Let’s look for that in this passage.

Miles:

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When He has done this, then the son himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Dave: “God” here, of course, is “Yahuwah.” And Yahushua is the son, but not in the trinitarian sense of being equal with Yahuwah. Yahushua is Yah’s only begotten son, but that doesn’t make him co-equal with Yah. In fact, this passage emphasizes the fact that they’re not equal.

Notice the inequity between Father and son. Who put everything “under” Yahushua?

Miles: The Father.

Dave: So the Father is greater than the son, because the greater bestows honor and power on the lesser. Even if they were equal, it wouldn’t work. An equal wouldn’t be able to bestow honor and power on his equal. Only the greater can bestow on the lesser, and that’s what Paul’s explaining here.

Miles: I’ve got a question. Earlier, we talked about how Yahushua told the disciples he had more things to say to them that he couldn’t yet, but that the Holy Spirit would teach them when he was sent to them. Is there anything in Scripture that would suggest that’s already taken place?

Because it stands to reason that if the Holy Spirit was going to teach them advanced truths, and that would include the trinity doctrine because Christ himself certainly didn’t teach it, then it would be reasonable to conclude the Holy Spirit would teach them the nature of Yah when he came to them.

Dave: That’s a great question. And the answer is, yes. This has already taken place and it continues to take place because the Holy Spirit has never been removed from drawing hearts to Yah.

Turn to Acts 1. Acts chapter 1 and read the first two verses.

Miles: “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Yahushua began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.”

Dave: This is a really fascinating passage. Luke is explicitly stating that following Yahushua’s resurrection and right up until his ascension, he taught and gave instructions to the disciples, quote, “through the Holy Spirit.”

And, of course, there was the great outpouring of the spirit on Pentecost. We can even read Peter’s sermon on Pentecost and there’s not a single mention in there of a triune godhead. It’s not there because they already knew the true nature of Yah, that He is one. Not three. Not three-in-one. Just … one.

Miles: Yeah, that’s interesting. This was after his death and yet there’s not a single thing said about Yahushua being “God” or equal with Yahuwah. And there’s nothing in the rest of the New Testament, aside from that passage in 1 John that was added later, that says anything about Yahuwah and Yahushua and the Holy Spirit all being one and the same divine entity.

Dave: Are we honestly supposed to believe that it wasn’t until three hundred years later that Yahuwah decided to send the Holy Spirit to reveal the trinity to a Council of primarily Greek bishops, presided over by a pagan emperor who was the pontifex maximus of the heathen, Roman religion? Seriously?

Is there the slightest consistency that Yahuwah would choose to reveal such an important doctrine, one that has been called the “cornerstone of the Christian faith” to such people?

Miles: Or that He would do it so many centuries after Christ! No, that doesn’t make sense. He wouldn’t do that.

Dave: The Athanasian Creed came still later, in the late fifth or early sixth centuries.

I’ve printed it off and I’d like you to read some of it. And as you read, I want you to notice how, 500 years after Christ, this heresy has now become a salvational issue. Go ahead.

Miles: “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith—”

Dave: Okay, I’m going to interrupt you here really quick. The word “catholic” here does not refer to the Roman Catholic church. It simply means “universal.” In other words, it’s referring to Christianity in its entirety as a religion distinct from every other world religion. All right. Go on.

Miles:

Which faith unless every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And 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.

Dave: That’s enough. It goes on from there but drop down and read the last line. What does that say?

Miles: “This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.”

Dave: Wow. Quite a difference from what Paul said. Paul said that if you confess with your mouth that Yahushua is Lord and if you believe with your heart that Yahuwah raised him from the dead, you’ll be saved. But here, some 500 years later, all of a sudden there’s all this other stuff. There’s this convoluted, self-contradictory, utterly confusing mumbo-jumbo of a belief that, if we don’t believe that, even if we confess Yahushua is Lord and that Yahuwah raised him from the dead, we’ll still be lost.

Do you see how this contradicts Scripture?

Miles: Yeah! And not only in its teaching about the nature of Yah, but also in what we must believe to be saved!

Dave: It’s a very solemn thing to change the clear teaching of Yahuwah and bring in another gospel.

Friedrich Loofs was a German church historian. He was also a well-respected theologian. In 1922, a few years before his death, he lectured at Oberlin College in Ohio in the United States. While there, he stated that none of his colleagues in Germany believed that the traditional theology about the nature and work of Yahushua as taught at Nicea in 325 or Chalcedon in 451, was biblically valid.

Miles: Say again?

Dave: Loofs revealed that his colleagues back in Germany believed that the nature and work of Yahushua as defined at the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon were not Scriptural.

Miles: Wow. That’s quite a telling statement, isn’t it?

Dave: He went still further. He said that in the second century, a camouflaged polytheism entered the church. As we’ve covered in an earlier program, the early Church “fathers” were corrupted by Platonic ideas inherited from the pagans. This created a need for a second “God.”

Miles: Well, and as you’ve discussed before, a triune godhead itself came from paganism.

Dave: And the thing is, Biblical scholars know this.

Here. Read this quote. It’s from an article entitled, “The Lost Doctrines of Christianity: The Doctrine of the Trinity.”

Miles: It says: “Because the Trinity is such an important part of later Christian doctrine, it is striking that the term does not appear in the New Testament. Likewise, the developed concept of three coequal partners in the Godhead found in later creedal formulations cannot be clearly detected within the confines of the canon.”

Dave: Notice it’s an important part of later Christian doctrine. It wasn’t in the original.

What’s the next one?

Miles: Uh, it’s a quote from The Doctrine of the Trinity by Anthony Buzzard and Charles Hunting. It says, quote: “One of the great marvels of Christian history has been the ability of theologians to convince Christian people that three persons are really one God.”

Dave: I’d like to close our discussion of today’s topic with a passage from Revelation 22. Revelation, chapter 22, and verses 18 and 19. If you could read those for us, please.

Miles: “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, [Yah] will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, [Yah] shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Dave: Obviously, in context, this is talking about the prophecies of the book of Revelation. But the principle remains: we are not to add to Scripture, nor are we to take away from Scripture. We are to take the Bible, just as it reads; and what the Bible teaches is that Yahuwah is one God. He’s not a partnership of three equal beings. There’s just Him.

* * *

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WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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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 the program entitled “Yah’s Love for You.” [Program 3] Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on the WLC Radio icon. Scroll down to find “Yah’s Love for You.” You can also find it on YouTube. Listen and see with new eyes the Father’s love for you.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Dave: So what have you got for us from our daily mailbag?

Miles: Well, our question is coming from the country that owns Easter Island.

Dave: Chile?

Miles: Yep! You know we talk about the “Easter Island heads,” but it hasn’t been that long since they discovered that they weren’t just heads. They’ve got bodies, too!

Dave: That sounds funny. Most heads have bodies. But, yes, I know what you mean. That’s interesting. And last I heard, no one still knows the significance of them.

So, what’s today’s question?

Miles: Matías from Viña del Mar, Chile, writes: “Where does turning the other cheek end and allowing yourself to be taken advantage of begin?”

Dave: Hmmm. That can be a line that is difficult to draw. Well, first, let me say that Matías has asked a very insightful question. Too many Christians think that in order to be like Christ, they have to put up with abuse. And abuse comes in many forms. There’s physical abuse, of course, but there’s also verbal and mental abuse, all of which are also emotional abuse.

But there’s also being taken advantage of in business. People bad-mouthing you behind your back; people trying to sabotage … whatever is important to you, whether that’s a relationship or your work.

Miles: Are we really supposed to just sit there and take it? Or can we draw a line and, if so, where are we supposed to draw that line?

Dave: All very good questions. Yes, we certainly can draw a line. Christ himself did. Turning the other cheek means that we’re not to instantly seek revenge. Everyone has an off day. Everyone makes mistakes that need forgiveness.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with observing if a pattern of abuse and taking advantage is developing and, if it is, refusing to continue in that unhealthy pattern.

Miles: Does turning the other cheek mean you don’t get angry?

Dave: Not necessarily. We tend to view getting angry as a sin but Scripture says Yah Himself gets angry. Anger can be a righteous reaction to wrong. It’s how we react when we’re angry that determines whether we’ve slipped into sin or not, and that’s why I said that when we’ve been wronged, we’re not to seek revenge.

Turn, if you would, to John 7. In John 6 we read that many of Yahushua’s followers got offended and stopped following him. It got so bad he even asked the disciples if they were going to leave him, too. That’s when Peter said, “Where would we go? You’ve got the words of eternal life.”

Now, read the first verse of chapter 7.

Miles: “After these things Yahushua walked in Galilee; for he did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.”

Dave: Yahushua drew a boundary. He didn’t seek revenge; he didn’t try to hurt those trying to hurt him. He simply withdrew, and we can do that, too. From situations, from relationships. It’s all right to do that. Turning the other cheek does not mean you have to be a perpetual victim.

Miles: Thanks, Dave. I’ve wondered about this, too.

Send us your questions at WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We like hearing from you.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s word.

Back in 2008, Sonia Chauhan was working as an intern at a law firm in Delhi, India. One Saturday, she found herself at one of Dwarka’s isolated Metro stations. When she missed her connection, she had to wait. It was the middle of the afternoon on a weekend and the usually busy station was silent.

As Sonia climbed the stairs to the platform, she noticed that there was a group of middle-aged men standing on the other side of the platform. Seeing the young woman by herself, the men stopped talking. Then, with the casualness of a lazy cat playing with its prey, the men moved toward Sonia and surrounded her, passing comments back and forth about her. Sonia’s sixth sense was telling her she was in danger. She looked around, trying to find someone, anyone, but there was no one else there. Afraid, she decided to just leave the platform and come back later, but two of the men were standing by the stairs. She couldn’t escape.

Suddenly, a small, skinny young man seemed to appear out of nowhere. He walked up to Sonia and acted as if he knew her. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s stand at the far end.” They waited together and entered the metro together. Unfortunately, the group of men entered, too.

The stranger asked Sonia at which station she was getting off. She told him. It wasn’t where he was intending to go, but he stayed with her the entire trip, even changing metros, too, to escort her safely to her stop. He got off with her and saw her safely to a taxi before he changed platforms to return. It was an incredibly compassionate and thoughtful act.

When I heard Sonia’s experience, I was reminded of one of my favorite promises. It’s a promise that has been a great comfort to me whenever I’ve felt afraid or in danger. It’s Psalm 34 verse 7 which says, “The angel of Yahuwah encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”

Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 2 and 3 urges, “Pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But [Yahuwah] is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Thank you for joining us today. 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.