Program 277
The Role of Philosophy in Religion

Believers are called to have an intelligent faith based on logic and proof.

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.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: If you open any modern dictionary and look up the word “faith,” you’ll find definitions like complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

The Collins English Dictionary says that faith is a “strong or unshakeable belief in something, especially without proof or evidence.” This idea that true faith is blind and if you don’t have strong, blind faith at all times, you’re somehow not a true Christian or you’re dishonoring Yahuwah is a more recent belief.

By contrast, if you’ve joined us before, you know that we prefer an older definition of faith I found in a copy of an old dictionary first published in 1828. This dictionary defines faith as, quote: “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.”

In other words, the idea that true faith is blind is … just wrong. It is evidence-based. And the evidence is your knowledge of the character of the person whose word you are accepting. Have your past dealings with him shown him to be honest, fair? Has she always kept her promises in the past? Basically, it’s a judgment call: based on the past experiences I’ve had with this person, I know him–or her—to be honest and trustworthy. True faith is never truly blind.

Hello, I’m 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. Today, we’re going to be talking about faith … philosophy … and the trinity. Dave Wright’s going to be clarifying some things we’ve misunderstood and sharing what Scripture has to say about faith and philosophy and how we, as believers, are to apply those to the doctrine of the trinity.

Later, Jane Lamb has a special promise for anyone who’s ever been guilty of making a mistake and in need of grace. I think that’s probably all of us, so I know you’ll want to stay tuned for that.

Dave? Faith and philosophy. They seem rather contradictory, don’t you think?

Dave Wright: I don’t believe so, no. Of course, there are different definitions of philosophy, but I believe that true spirituality should embrace philosophy.

Miles: Okay … well, then how do you define philosophy?

I guess when I think of philosophy, I’m more inclined to think of atheists, infidels and idolators, rather than true believers.

Dave: Fair enough. The word itself means, literally, the “love of wisdom.” Now there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, the first chapter of Proverbs has a long passage devoted to Wisdom.

I think, too often, we build up this false dichotomy in our minds: faith versus facts, or faith versus wisdom, or faith versus philosophy. But when we truly understand faith, and when we truly understand philosophy, there’s no contradiction there.

Turn to Acts chapter 17. When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, the Jews stirred the people and the authorities up against them, so Paul and Silas had to slip away. They went to Berea. Let’s read what happened there. Verses 10 to 12.

Miles:

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Dave: The believers in Berea didn’t just take Paul and Silas’s word for what they should believe. I think too often that’s what believers today do. It takes work, it takes commitment, it takes being willing to be uncomfortable to study out new ideas for yourself. But that’s what the Bereans did, and Luke describes them as having a more “noble” character for not just taking the apostles’ word for it. They were “noble” because they thought and studied for themselves.

Verse 12 is very interesting. It starts with the prepositional phrase as a result. “As a result, many of them believed.”

As a result of what? Listening to Paul and Silas preach?

Miles: No. As a result of examining Scripture for themselves to see if what Paul and Silas were teaching was correct.

Dave: That’s right. Unbelievers sometimes scoff at the idea of accepting ancient manuscripts as our rule of life. But Yahuwah expects believers to use their intellect. We’re not to just accept things blindly. Yahuwah values logic, and truth is always logical.

Do you remember His invitation in Isaiah 1:18? He says, “Come now and let us – reason – together.” Our faith isn’t to be blind. Our faith is based on evidence.

Miles: Do you think part of the problem is how people define “faith”? I mean, for a lot of people, they think of faith as the opposite of evidence.

For example, the Lebanese writer, Khalil Gibran, said, quote: “Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.” Unquote. That sounds like Gibran believed faith was blind.

Dave: It does. Have you heard of Rabindranath Thakur.

Miles: Uhh, no?

Dave: Well, I may not be pronouncing his name correctly. He had an incredible intellect and was respected by Albert Einstein. He was a Bengali polymath. He was a writer, poet, composer, philosopher, painter, and was even influential as a social reformer. He once said, “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

Miles: Are you saying his definition is wrong?

Dave: No. I’m saying his definition is incomplete. Incomplete definitions of faith give us the idea that faith is “blind.”

He’s not alone. Saint Augustine of Hippo said, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”

Again, this tends to emphasize the “blind” element of faith. But again: our faith isn’t blind. Our faith is based on knowledge and evidence.

The late D. Elton Trueblood had a better understanding of faith. He was a twentieth-century author and theologian. He also served as chaplain for Harvard and Stanford universities. I have here a quote of his I’d like you to read. I think it’s more in line with what faith really is.

Here … by the asterisk.

Miles: “Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.”

Dave: This is getting closer to what true faith is, because in order to “trust without reservation,” you have to have some prior experience, some reason to trust. And that’s what believers have. Yahuwah’s invitation to reason with Him is a pledge that He’ll provide all the evidence necessary to convince our brains of the truth.

I have a quote here from a book called One God & One Lord by John Schoenheit, Mark Graeser, and John Lynn. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles:

Not a Christian theologian, but a professor of logic, made the following astute statement regarding what is required for the logical interpretation of the Bible:

“Selecting texts to give a one-sided presentation of the truth is a widespread method of propagating erroneous views. Out of the Bible can be drawn phrases or verses that justify everything under the sun, including contradictories. Read in context, the Bible may be a liberal document, but it is not that liberal. What we need to know is if the Bible as a whole supports a given position.

“The disciplines of logical reasoning are fast becoming a thing of the past, an artifact of classical education. Feelings, emotions, and rhetoric are most often the basis of what passes for “reasoning” today.”

Dave: As we’ve said over and over again, to know if your beliefs are accurate, you’ve got to take into account everything Scripture says on the topic, whatever it may be.

Miles: Earlier you shared your opinion that true faith should embrace philosophy. I’ve heard some people go so far as to say that Christianity itself isn’t a religion but a philosophy. What are your thoughts on that?

Dave: I don’t actually have a problem with that.

Miles: Really?? Doesn’t that … I don’t know. Denigrate religion somehow?

Dave: Well, that would depend on the individual, wouldn’t it? I want to say more about this, but first let’s define philosophy. I’ve printed off the Cambridge Dictionary’s definition. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles: Sure, uh … it says philosophy is:

The use of reason in understanding such things as the nature of the real world and existence, the use and limits of knowledge, and the principles of moral judgment. … [It is] the study of the nature of reality and existence, of what it is possible to know, and of right and wrong behavior, or a particular set of beliefs of this type: The philosophy of a subject is a group of theories and ideas related to the understanding of that subject: A philosophy is also the beliefs you have about how you should behave in particular situations in life.

Dave: I don’t see anything in that definition that contradicts true spirituality. Do you?

Miles: No. In fact, I think a lot of believers could benefit from taking this approach to their beliefs.

Dave: Absolutely. And Scripture agrees with you. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 3 and read verses 15 to 17 for us. The important part is in verse 15, but I want to get it in context. This is an important principle every believer should take to heart.

You have it? Go ahead.

Miles:

In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is [Yahuwah’s] will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Dave: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” We’re talking knowledge here: reasons that can convince another. Logic. “Blind faith” isn’t going to convince anyone, and insisting unbelievers are lost when we’ve not given them any logical reason to believe is our failing, not theirs.

Do you see that white paperback there … yes. That’s the one. It’s by Jack Rogers and Forrest Baird. It’s called Introduction to Philosophy. Would you please turn to the yellow sticky note and read the marked paragraph?

Miles:

To properly study the discipline known as philosophy, it is not enough just to learn what great thinkers believed. You must learn to think for yourself. Accept something only if it seems correct to you after you have thought about it. Then you will be doing and not just learning about philosophy; you will be a philosopher.

Dave: This advice is equally applicable to religion as it is to philosophy. We don’t honor Yahuwah when we can’t provide an answer – a logical explanation – for our faith. Unbelievers aren’t going to believe just because we said so. They shouldn’t. And we’re not being good witnesses for Yahuwah when we expect it of them.

Paul, as a well-educated Pharisee, understood the importance and power of a good, logical argument. Let’s read what he told young Timothy. Read 2 Timothy chapter 2, verses 14 to 16.

Miles:

Keep reminding [Yahuwah’s] people of these things. Warn them before [Yahuwah] against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to [Yahuwah] as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

Dave: Ever since the first generation of believers and their converts have passed away, error has been making inroads into the faith once delivered to the saints. This got even worse after much of the error was formalized in various councils in the fourth and fifth centuries. And we can see the result in modern Christendom.

There are literally tens of thousands of different denominations.

Miles: I recently read there’s over 45,000 different Christian denominations.

Dave: And do you know why?

Miles: No one can agree on the finer points of doctrine?

Dave: That’s exactly right. Ever since the fourth century, when error was legislated into the church by the power of the state, there’s been nothing but in-fighting among Christians.

Sincere believers, desperately trying to cling to apostolic purity, have fought and often given their lives in the defense of truth.

Error isn’t logical. We can see that in the mental and verbal gymnastics they jump through trying to make sense of the nonsensical. And I’m not saying they’re not sincere. But you can be sincere and sincerely wrong.

Miles: It’s so sad to think of how many innocents have lost their lives in the most brutal of ways to defend the truth. And others, because they sincerely believed error to be the truth, have given their lives to defend error. It’s just so sad.

Dave: It’s what happens when you have knowledge without wisdom. When Scripture has been taken out of context and entwined with error. This is why there have been so many different schisms in Christianity over the last two thousand years. People want the truth, but it’s been so deeply buried that they haven’t known what is the truth.

Miles: And it leaves the doors wide open for infidels to point at the divisions in Christianity as an argument against it. They say, “Christians themselves can’t agree on what’s truth! How can we take their word for anything?”

Dave: Well, that’s just it. We shouldn’t ever take anyone’s word for anything. We need to be Bereans and study for ourselves. As we do this, the spirit of Yah then has the opportunity to lead our minds. This is how people from very different backgrounds can eventually come to Yahuwah’s truth. It’s through the agency of His spirit.

It's also why we should never cut off someone who disagrees with us. If we cut them out of our lives, we have cut off our chance to witness to them. Give the Holy Spirit time and room to work, and in the meantime, continue to be kind, loving and accepting of all just as Yahushua showed us through how he treated everyone.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: Isaac Watts was an English Congregational minister who lived from 1674 to 1748. He was a theologian, but he’s probably best known as a hymn writer. He’s credited with writing some 750 hymns.

Miles: Wow! That’s an immense number. You compare that to, say, Michael Jackson. Some sources say he wrote around 150 to 160 songs. One source claims he wrote about 200, but nowhere near 750! Wow.

Dave: And Michael Jackson was a full-time musician. Isaac Watts was a full-time minister.

One thing he’s not as well known for is that he was also a logician. He studied and was very skilled in logic.

I have here a statement he made that I’d like you to read. It’s quoted in William G. Eliot’s Discourses on the Doctrines of Christianity. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles:

But how can such weak creatures ever take in so strange, so difficult and so abstruse a doctrine as this [the Trinity], in the explication and defense whereof multitudes of men, even men of learning and piety, have lost themselves in infinite subtleties of dispute and endless mazes of darkness? And can this strange and perplexing notion of three real Persons going to make up one true God be so necessary and so important a part of that Christian doctrine, which, in the Old Testament and the New, is represented as so plain and so easy, even to the meanest understandings?

Dave: He’s not wrong. You try and explain the concept of three entities making up just one God, and you do find yourself lost in an endless maze of darkness, confused with an infinity number of subtle arguments and word plays, trying to find logic out of illogical chaos.

Miles: How does this even happen? How does error get built up to have so many defendants and so many arguments supporting it when, you take an honest look at it, and you start to see the logical fallacies?

Dave: Well, that’s a great question, Miles. I was actually wondering that, too, and I found a great answer in a book called The Young Earth by John Morris. He’s actually talking about something else, but his point—which, in context, is about young earth science—can be applied here, too.

Let me pull up the quote I’m thinking of here really quickly … uh … there. Can you read that for us? I’ve highlighted the part I want you to read.

Miles:

His listeners perpetuate his bigotry which he wrongly received from others before him, to this day, just as students repeat their classroom instruction and scientists parrot the ‘expert.’ We should be able to do better…By and large seminary trained theologians oppose or are indifferent to biblical and scientific creationism. But it does not take a seminary degree to know that the Bible teaches creation…In fact, it probably takes seminary training to accept the [popular] perversions of Scripture.”

Dave: Truth is simple; truth is clear. It’s logical. Yes, there are depths of meaning that the redeemed will study for all eternity, but it’s also so simple, even a child can understand it.

On December 30, 2024, the Rio Times published an article called “The Holy Trinity: Cornerstone of Christian Faith.”

I’ve got a copy here I’d like you to read, and as you do, I want you to notice just what they’re admitting. They claim it’s the cornerstone of Christian faith …? And yet, their other statements contradict that. Go ahead.

Miles:

The Holy Trinity stands as the central doctrine of Christianity. This belief holds that God exists as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person is fully divine, yet there is only one God. The concept evolved over centuries of theological debate and reflection.

Early Christians grappled with reconciling their monotheistic heritage and their experiences of God. They encountered God as the Creator, as Jesus Christ, and as the Holy Spirit. This led to deep discussions about the nature of God and Christ’s divinity.

The term “Trinity” first appeared in the late 2nd century. Tertullian, an early Christian writer, coined the word. He sought to explain the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His work laid the foundation for later theological developments.

The Council of Nicaea in 325 CE marked a turning point in Trinitarian theology. Church leaders gathered to address controversies about Christ’s nature. They affirmed that Jesus was “of one substance” with the Father. This declaration became part of the Nicene Creed, still recited in many churches today.

Later councils further refined the doctrine. The Council of Constantinople in 381 CE affirmed the Holy Spirit’s divinity. These gatherings helped shape the orthodox understanding of the Trinity. They aimed to maintain the unity of God while recognizing the distinct persons.

The Trinity doctrine sets Christianity apart from other monotheistic religions. Judaism and Islam reject the idea of God existing in multiple persons. This unique concept has been a source of both unity and division within Christianity.

Dave: Now, let’s consider what they’ve said logically: if the trinity is truth, we should expect to find it in Scripture, right?

Miles: You’d think, yeah.

Dave: They’re claiming the trinity is “the central doctrine of Christianity.” And yet, they turn right around and admit the term first appeared in the late second century in the writings of Tertullian which laid the foundation for later theological developments.

Miles: There’s also the statement that “later councils further refined the doctrine.” They’re describing a process here. A process that took centuries. So, yeah. How could this be the central doctrine of Christianity if the first Christians never believed it, never even heard of it?

Dave: That’s the question, isn’t it? Some Christian creeds go so far as to say that you have to believe in a trinity in order to be saved. Does this mean the apostles and the apostolic Christians are lost? Because they certainly didn’t believe in a trinity!

Miles laughs: Good question!

Dave: I brought a copy of Anthony Buzzard’s book, Who is Jesus? Would you please turn to where the page is turned down and read the marked paragraph?

Miles: Okay, it says:

We will have to be honest enough to admit that majority opinions are not automatically the correct ones and that tradition, uncritically accepted, may have gone far in burying the original faith as Yahushua and the apostles taught it. It may be that we should take seriously the observation of Canon H.L. Goudge when he wrote of the disaster which occurred ‘when the Greek and Roman rather than the Hebrew mind came to dominate the church.’ It was ‘a disaster in doctrine and practice,’ according to Canon Goudge, ‘from which the Church has never recovered.’

Wow! What a statement.

Dave: He makes a good argument. And I have to ask: Has the majority ever been right when it comes to matters of faith, spirituality, and religion?

Miles: No. In fact, the majority always tend to be wrong!

Dave: That’s right.

I’ve got another question for you: have you ever heard of the doctrine of the trinity mentioned in an evangelistic appeal?

Miles: Uhhh … no? No. Can’t say I have.

Dave: Well, why not? If you have to believe in a trinity in order to be saved, why is no mention ever made of the trinity during evangelistic campaigns? Why isn’t this the very first thing that is preached about?

The late Billy Graham was an American evangelist who held evangelistic crusades all around the world. He visited Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Egypt, uh … many countries in Africa, South America and, of course, all across North America.

Miles: I remember once he was even allowed to hold an evangelistic crusade in the Soviet Union.

Dave: Twice he visited China.

Miles: Really!

Dave: In 1988 and 1994. To be fair, he didn’t hold any official crusades there, but he did preach in churches and met with officials.

My point is: how many of his sermons were about the trinity?

Miles: I’m going to guess not very many.

Dave: If any at all! Personally, I have never heard this doctrine mentioned in any evangelistic endeavor. And I have to ask: why not? If it’s the cornerstone doctrine of Christianity, why isn’t this the focus of our preaching? Can these souls really be considered “saved” if they’re never taught a doctrine, the belief of which, is a prerequisite to be saved?

Miles: It’s not really consistent, is it?

Dave: I’ve got here a quote I’d like you to read. It’s from The Image of the Invisible God by Dr. Anthony Tyrell Hanson. He was a Professor of Theology at the University of Hull in England. He was also the senior editor of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament. So, a very well-educated man.

I want you to hear what he had to say. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles: Uh, yeah. It says: “No responsible New Testament scholar would claim that the doctrine of the Trinity was taught by [Yahushua] or preached by the earliest Christians or consciously held by any writer of the New Testament.”

Dave: And he’s not the only one.

Miles: Yeah, I remember in some of our other programs you’ve shared statements from other scholars admitting that you can’t find the trinity in Scripture and that no New Testament writer actually believed in a triune godhead.

Dave: So why are Christians today trying to claim it’s the cornerstone of Christianity? It didn’t even exist as a concept in the minds of the New Testament writers!

In his sermon on the mount, Yahushua gave an important principle, one that I want to apply to the doctrine of the trinity. Would you please turn to Matthew 7 and read verses 15 to 20. That’s Matthew 7, verses 15 to 20.

Miles:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Dave: So, what are the “fruits” of this doctrine?

Well, you have to look no further than the bloody history of the process by which this belief was forced upon the church.

Miles: Wasn’t John Calvin, the “great protestant reformer,” responsible for some blood shed over this doctrine? I seem to remember you talking about that in another program.

Dave: Absolutely. Calvin came up with the heresy of “once saved, aways saved.” He also held a bitter hatred for a Spanish physician by the name of Michael Servetus.

Servetus had discovered a number of Biblical truths that contradicted the pagan traditions of later Christianity. A full seven years before Servetus’ death, Calvin wrote a letter to Farel, a friend of his, in which he said, quote: “If [Servetus] comes to Geneva, I shall never let him go out alive if my authority has weight.” Unquote.

Miles: Wow. How very “Christlike” of you, Calvin! NOT!

Dave: Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church states, quote: “Calvin had him [Servetus] arrested as a heretic, convicted and burned to death.” I won’t go into any details. It’s gruesome. But the manner in which they burned Servetus was especially barbaric and torturous even for the times.

What was one of Servetus’ chief beliefs? He maintained that the trinity doctrine is not biblical. And for this he was killed in a truly evil manner. This is the “fruit” of this unholy doctrine.

Miles: That’s just horrible. And Calvin’s supposed to be this godly reformer? Wow.

Dave: I’ve got another quote here I’d like you to read. This is from The Jesus Wars by Philip Jenkins.

Miles: What a name!

Dave: Again, fruit of a satanic doctrine. It’s a fascinating book. You’ll come away shaking your head and wondering how this could ever be considered a “Christian” doctrine.

Gregory of Nazianzus was Archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth century. He's quoted in The Jesus Wars referring to the church bishops. And remember: these fourth century bishops are largely to blame for most of the error in Christendom today.

Here … read this. What did Gregory of Nazianzus have to say about the bishops?

Miles: “My inclination is to avoid all assemblies of bishops because I have never seen any council come to a good end nor turn out to be a solution of evils. On the contrary, it usually increases them.”

Dave: And this was said by a contemporary of theirs!

Miles: If anyone would know, he would.

Dave: Another name for Gregory of Nazianzus is Gregory the Theologian. What did he see, what did he know, that would lead him to hold such a dim view of fourth century bishops – the very ones we know were responsible for so much error that entered the church at that time?

Do we really want to accept the doctrines advocated by such men?

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

When you are in a situation where you don’t know what to do, you don’t know what to say, or what path to pursue, remember Proverbs 3: “Trust in Yahuwah with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

That’s a promise! Believe it. Claim it. And you will receive it.

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

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I’ve heard it said that parts of Scripture were actually changed or even destroyed to support the later paganized theology. Is this true?

Dave: Absolutely. A prime example of this is found in 1 John 5, verses 7 and 8. Why don’t you read that for us really quickly? 1 John 5:7 to 8.

Miles: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”

Dave: Now, this sounds like proof of a triune godhead. But the reality is that it doesn’t appear in any of the earliest manuscripts. In fact, it doesn’t show up until almost a thousand years later! Some smart priest realized they needed “proof” for this doctrine, and it got added in somewhere along the way. But we know it wasn’t in the original.

Miles: If someone wanted to study this out further, do you have any sources you’d suggest?

Dave: Yes. Dr. Bart Erhman is a rather prolific author. He wrote a book called The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture.

Miles: Sounds interesting!

Dave: It is. And the subtitle is very revealing. The subtitle is: “The effect of early Christological controversies on the text of the New Testament.”

Miles: Do you have a copy of that? Could I borrow it?

Dave: Sure.

Erhman isn’t the only scholar who denies a trinity. Sir Isaac Newton? The one who first came up with the theory of gravity? He was a 17^th-century polymath, extremely intelligent and a skilled mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and alchemist. That’s what most people today remember him for. But he was also a theologian.

Miles: Yeah, Albert Einstein really respected Newton.

Dave: Newton was a Christian, but he denied a trinity. We don’t have the time to read a lot of what he said, but I have here a quote I want you to read. I thought his reasoning here was quite insightful.

Go ahead and read that.

Miles: “In disputable places, I love to take up what I can best understand. It is the temper of the hot and superstitious part of mankind in matters of religion ever to be fond of mysteries and for that reason to like best what they understand least.”

Dave: Newton actually had quite a bit to say on the subject, but you can’t find those sources today.

John Milton is another respected 17^th-century intellectual who also denied the existence of the trinity. He even wrote a book on the subject called Last Thoughts on the Trinity.

Miles: The blind poet. He was a bit of jerk, to be honest. He taught his daughters to read to him in other languages, but didn’t teach them the languages themselves, so they didn’t understand what they were reading.

Dave: Aren’t you glad that Yahuwah forgives our foibles?

Miles laughs: I sure am!

Dave: Some of the greatest minds throughout history—especially those who knew their Bibles—have rejected the illogical ridiculousness of a triune godhead. John Locke, the 17^th-century English physician and philosopher, is widely regarded as one of the most influential minds of the Enlightenment. He rejected the trinity because he couldn’t reconcile the idea of a three-in-one God with reason or logic.

Walter Matthews was an Anglican priest. He was Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London from 1934 until 1967. He was also a professor of theology at King’s College London. I have here a copy of his work, God in Christian Thought and Experience. Would you please read where it’s marked? I’d like you to hear what he had to say.

Miles: It says: “It must be admitted by everyone who has the rudiments of a historical sense that the doctrine of the Trinity, as a doctrine, formed no part of the original message. St. Paul knew it not and would have been unable to understand the meaning of the terms used in the theological formula on which the Church ultimately agreed.”

Dave: Again, underlying the lengthy process by which this pagan idea became accepted as orthodox doctrine within Christianity.

But I have to ask you: knowing that Yahuwah wants everyone to be saved, knowing that He’s invited us to come and “reason” with Him, can you really envision Him making some impossible-to-comprehend doctrine a salvational issue?

Miles: No, that doesn’t make sense. And you’re right: no one can understand it. I even read what was declared at the fourth ecumenical council—the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE—where the whole point of their study was the nature of Christ. And it’s a mess! You can’t understand it! And it’s not that I’m ignorant of religious-speak. It’s that it makes no logical sense whatsoever.

Dave: The gospel is good news! But how can it be good news if you can’t understand it?

Miles laughs: That’s a good point.

Dave: We need to take the time to study Scripture. To see what it says for ourselves. We have got to lay aside our preconceived ideas: the traditions and assumptions we’ve been taught.

Because if you do this, I can guarantee you that when you go back and you read what Yahuwah told Moses about Himself, how the various prophets referred to and described Yahuwah’s nature, how Yahushua spoke of the Father, and what the other New Testament writers had to say . . . you’re going to be scratching your head, wondering why you ever believed they taught a triune godhead. Because they don’t.

We need to ask ourselves, as we read what Scripture actually says, “What is this saying—what is this literally saying—about Yahuwah and Yahushua? What is this literally saying about Christ in comparison to the Father?” Because the New Testament repeatedly presents Yahushua as inferior to the Father. And that’s not Christ play-acting; that’s him stating reality.

Miles: That’s true. And no taking verses out of context, twisting them to say something they’re not.

Dave: You want a “creed” to cling to? You can’t do better than Deuteronomy 6, verses 4 and 5. Why don’t you read that for us? And as you do, you’ll see that it is very clear and straightforward. No fantastical verbal or mental gymnastics required to understand what it’s saying.

Miles: All right. It says: “Hear, O Israel: Yahuwah our God, Yahuwah is one! You shall love Yahuwah your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Dave: The marginal reading for verse 4 says, “Hear O Israel: Yahuwah is our God; Yahuwah alone.”

Miles: That’s very clear.

Dave: Every Israelite knew this passage. It’s called the Shema and, to this day, is recited as a prayer twice a day. This is why none of the New Testament writers or Christ himself believed in or preached a triune godhead. They knew this passage. They had it memorized. They believed that Yahuwah alone is God.

Let’s look at some more passages. You want a logical faith? All right. Apply logic to this: can you really believe in a three-in-one God in the face of all these passages?

Let’s start with Mark chapter 12. The Pharisees and Sadducees had been trying to trick Yahushua, to trip him up. But they couldn’t.

Start with verse 28 and read through verse 34. I like this passage, too, because it shows Yahushua knew the true nature of Yahuwah. This was the perfect opening to claim his divinity, but he didn’t. Instead, he quoted Deuteronomy 6.

Go ahead.

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 God, Yahuwah is one. Love Yahuwah your God 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 [Yahuwah] 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 [Yahuwah].” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Dave: Isn’t it interesting that the teacher of the law states we’re to love Yahuwah with … what? With all our heart and with all our strength … but what else?

Miles: With all our understanding.

Dave: Again: we’re not called to a blind faith. We’re given a solid, logical foundation for our beliefs.

Let’s look now at Christ’s prayer in John 17. Would you please read the first three verses for us?

Miles:

After Yahushua said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son, that your son may glorify You. For You granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those You have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Yahushua Christ, whom You have sent.

Dave: Just because Yahushua has authority over all people doesn’t make him divine. He states right there in verse 2 that this is authority granted to him by his Father. It’s not his intrinsically.

Flip over a few chapters to John 20. This is where Yahushua meets Mary Magdalene right after his resurrection. What does he say? Verses 16 and 17.

Miles:

Yahushua said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

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: Notice that Yahushua has a God … and it’s not himself! If Yahushua were an integral part of a triune godhead, then he could not have a “God” that was separate from himself.

Miles: That’s true. But see … that’s why it’s a “mystery”!

Dave chuckles: That’s why it’s illogical foolishness!

Paul concurs. Read 1 Corinthians 8, verses 5 and 6.

Miles:

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Yahushua Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Dave: Saying there is “one God” … and … one Lord, means that that “one Lord” isn’t God. Only Yahuwah is divine. Scripture confirms this. What does Paul say in 1 Timothy 2 verse 5?

Miles: Uhhh … “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Yahushua.”

Dave: That not only sets Yahushua apart as separate from Yahuwah, but it emphasizes Christ’s humanity. There is one God—Yahuwah—and one mediator between God and humans … the human, Yahushua.

We find this same truth in the Old Testament. What does Malachi 2 verse 10 say?

Miles: “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?”

Dave: He repeats that in verse 15 where he says, “Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit.”

This time he’s added an article. It’s not just “one God,” but “the one God.” And Yahuwah is Yahushua’s “God,” too. Turn to Ephesians. There are several passages here I want to look at. Let’s start with Ephesians 1 and read verses 2 and 3. This is Paul’s opening salutation to the believers in Ephesus.

Miles:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Yahushua Christ.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Dave: Again: separation. You can’t read these and logically insist that Yahushua is divine. Not when he’s never referred to as “God,” and when he himself has his own God, which is Yahuwah.

What does Ephesians 4 verses 4 to 6 say?

Miles: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Dave: Throughout the New Testament, you’ll see Yahushua referred to as Lord. I think this is why many sincere Christians assume he’s divine because throughout the Old Testament, Yahuwah’s personal name was covered up with the generic title, “Lord.” But in the New Testament, that’s a title of respect—not divinity—that refers to Yahushua. There are a couple of places in the New Testament where “the Lord” is used to refer to Yahuwah, but the word “God” is never once used to refer to Yahushua. The title “God” only ever refers to Yahuwah in the New Testament.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul wants to emphasize that he’s making a truthful statement. How does he do that? Verse 31.

Miles: “The God and Father of the Lord Yahushua, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.”

Dave: Again: Yahushua is fully human. He has a “God” just like everyone else. That “God” is Yahuwah.

One passage we’ve not paid much attention to is the angel’s announcement to Mary. Now, the thing I want everyone to understand is that when Scripture states that Yahushua is the only “begotten” son of Yahuwah, that’s making a statement about his very existence which, in turn, reveals the truth of his nature. To be “begotten” means, literally, to come into existence.

If Yahushua were divine, he would have had to have had a pre-existence. But he didn’t, and we know this because Scripture repeatedly speaks of his being begotten.

Let’s read again what the angel told Mary and as you do, I want you to notice how this wouldn’t make sense if Yahushua were “God.”

Luke 1, verses 26 to 35. And leave in the titles as they appear in the Greek.

Miles:

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! [Yahuwah] is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him [Yahushua]. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Dave: None of this makes sense if Yahushua is God.

In 1 Corinthians 14:33, Paul states, “God is not the author of confusion.” And that’s all the trinity doctrine is. It’s error, and that’s why it’s confusing. We’re to use our brains, the intellect Yahuwah has given us and apply logic to our beliefs. And, in turn, Yahuwah has pledged to provide all the proof we need to be convinced.

Our part is to study with an open mind and be willing to follow the truth wherever it leads.

* * *Daily Promise:

Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.

One of my favorite hymns is called “Grace, Greater Than Our Sin.” The opening stanza says, “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!” The song ends with the triumphant chorus, “Grace, grace, [Yah’s] grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!”

Grace is more than physical beauty with good muscle tone. The original definition is unmerited, undeserved favor, and that’s something Linda Hemby experienced from an unexpected source.

Linda was in a bad mood. Her husband, Fred, was playing in a golf tournament in sunny San Diego, leaving her to open his restaurant for him. The weather matched her mood. A thunderstorm, virtually unheard of in southern California in August, poured down rain. After months of heat, the oil in the pavement had risen to the surface, making the wet pavement dangerously slick. One moment Linda was driving along just fine; the next, her car was hydroplaning, spinning a complete 360 degrees straight into on-coming traffic. Still without traction, the car slid sideways toward a steep cliff on her right.

Suddenly, a pickup truck appeared in the outside lane, going her same direction. Linda’s car slammed into the truck with such force, that her car was bounced back across the entire width of the road and into the ditch on the other side.

Dazed, Linda phoned her husband and explained the situation to him. Then, getting out of her car, she walked over to the driver of the truck to ask if he were all right and apologize for ramming into his vehicle. The man was standing outside the truck while his wife sat inside. He explained it was his wife’s birthday and they’d been going out to celebrate.

Linda had felt bad before but now she felt even worse. Then, the most amazing thing happened. The man smiled at Linda and said, “I’m glad I was there for you to hit, or you would have gone right over the edge of the road.” The sheer grace and compassion of his words took Linda’s breath away. How do you thank someone for being so kind and gracious? For being thankful you crashed into him, damaging his vehicle, on his wife’s birthday, just to save you from going off a cliff?

Second Timothy chapter 1, verses 9 and 10 tell us that Yahuwah “has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Yahushua before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Yahushua, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

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

* * *Part 4: (Miles)

Miles: Thank you for joining us today. If you’ve enjoyed today’s program and would like to share it with a friend, you can find it on our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Look for Program 277 called “The Role of Philosophy in Religion.”

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.