Program 158: The Trinity & the Problem of Confirmation Bias

The Savior had to be fully human in order to redeem the world. Scripture teaches that Yahushua was not divine but was subordinate to Yahuwah.

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: No one deliberately or consciously chooses to believe a lie. But sometimes we believe error without even realizing it. Hi, I’m Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio.

One way even honest-minded people get sucked into believing error is through confirmation bias. “Confirmation bias,” of course, is the tendency we all have to interpret new information in a way that supports or confirms what we already believe. You can see this everywhere in the on-going debate about whether or not the vaccine for Coronavirus is safe. Some people insist that it’s perfectly safe and it’s our civic duty to take the vaccine to protect others. Other people are just as adamant that the vaccine is dangerous and killing those who take it.

Dave Wright: “East is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet.”

Miles laughs: You’ve read Rudyard Kipling! But, yeah. At this point, no one is going to convince anyone else to change their point of view. Instead, people tend to look for news reports and anecdotal evidence that supports what they already believe.

Dave: That’s human nature to do that. In the 1960s, some psychological experiments were done that suggested people are biased when it comes to confirming what they already believe.

Miles: That’s the truth! I’ve run into this repeatedly, and I know you have, too, Dave, when sharing some new Biblical truth or idea. If it challenges the person’s already existing beliefs, he or she isn’t going to be open to the new idea. People tend to assume it’s wrong by default if it goes against what they already believe.

They may claim they studied it with an open mind, but what they often do is study to prove it wrong.

Dave: Well … yeah. Uh, the results from these tests done in the 1960s were re-evaluated later. What they found was that people tended to test new ideas in a way that focused on a single possibility, while ignoring other alternatives. Basically, testing new ideas in a very one-dimensional way.

Miles: Confirmation bias.

Dave: Yes. And I’m concerned that we do that in spiritual matters, as well. As you said, you try to share a new concept, a recently restored truth with people and if it contradicts what they’ve always believed to be the truth, their “study” of the subject will too often consist of studying to prove it wrong.

Miles: So how do you get past that? How can you make sure that you’re not succumbing to confirmation bias when encountering new ideas?

Dave: Well, being aware of the danger is the first step. Also, being aware that studying with an open mind means that you are willing to believe if the spirit of Yah shows you that it’s truth.

Another way is to have additional evidence confirm to you that the new idea is true. And for Christians, of course, there is no greater evidence, no higher authority than the word of Yah. So today, I want you to grab your Bible. For those of you listening at home or at work, grab your Bible or pen and paper and get ready to write. We’re going to be looking at quite a number of Bible verses and they’re going to blow out of the water any confirmation bias you may have in favor of a triune godhead.

Miles: Yeah, that’s a big one to overcome. Most of us, and I know for myself, were raised believing in a trinity, a three-in-one godhead consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It took a lot of diligent study and, well, time to overcome my mental block. The Bible speaks of a “Holy Spirit” and you’re trying to tell me the trinity is a fabrication? A doctrine that came in hundreds of years later through paganism? It took a while for me to wrap my head around that one.

Dave: Well, me, too. But, as we’ve covered in previous broadcasts, the evidence is there if you’re willing to consider it with an open mind. Scripture simply does not support the nature of God being three-in-one. And the Bible passage most frequently quoted to prove it—1 John 5, verses 7 and 8—is known to have been

added over a thousand years after Christ!

Miles: Right. Right.

Dave: The problem is, if you’ve been raised to believe in a trinity, you take that bias to your study of Scripture and you project that, that … paradigm, that particular mindset, or assumption of belief, onto how you interpret what you read.

Now, the trinity doctrine says that God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all the same. One in purpose, one in essence.

Miles: Right. One God existing in three co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial beings.

Dave: That’s the definition of the trinity and it’s that understanding that gets projected onto Scripture to “prove” this belief. So, today, what I want us to do, is to take that definition of the trinity—three co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial beings all co-existing as one—and compare that concept with what Scripture has to say about Yahuwah and Yahushua. Because if the Father and the son are truly co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial beings, then we should expect to find that in Scripture, shouldn’t we?

Miles: Sure! Of course, yes.

Dave: All right. So. Grab your Bible and let’s turn first to 1 Timothy, chapter 1 verse 17. We have here an excellent definition of divinity. So if the trinity doctrine is true, then both the Father and the son must be divine, right?

Miles: Right.

Dave: Okay. What does verse 17 say.

Miles: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Dave: The only God, or “theos” as it would say in the Greek. He is eternal, invisible—was Christ invisible?

Miles: No.

Dave: And, what’s the last characteristic? Eternal, invisible and …?

Miles: Immortal.

Dave: Was Christ immortal?

Miles: Well, he died! Obviously.

Dave: Turn to 1 Corinthians 15 and read verses 1 through 4. What does that say?

Miles:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Dave: So, we’ve got a rather detailed statement here that Paul explicitly states is part of the gospel message, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was buried, and resurrected the third day.

Miles: Okay, but I can just hear our trinitarian listeners. They’re saying the same things I would have said: Yahushua’s divinity didn’t die. Only his humanity. He laid aside his divinity when he died on the cross so only humanity died. How would you address that?

Dave: That is projecting onto Scripture divinity that Christ himself didn’t claim. It’s the old confirmation bias we were talking about a minute ago. There is nothing in Scripture that explains Yahushua having a dual nature: part human and part divine. Or, as I was taught, wholly human and wholly divine. But there is nothing in Scripture that says his humanity died while his divinity yet survived. And if his divinity didn’t die, could he truly be considered to have died? You get into this confusing morass of conflicting ideas when you accept the impossibility of a triune god.

What does Romans 5 verse 10 say?

Miles: Uhhh … it says: “For if, while we were [Yah’s] enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

Dave: We are reconciled to Yahuwah through the death of Yahushua. I’m going to repeat that and listen to what I say: we are reconciled to Yahuwah … through the—death—of Yahushua. Now if any part of him did not die, was he truly dead at all?

Miles: No.

Dave: So then we wouldn’t be reconciled at all, would we? We are reconciled through his death. Now, in order for him to die, he couldn’t be divine, because divinity brings with it immortality. Scripture itself says so. You just read it in 1 Timothy 1:17.

Miles: Okay, yeah. That’s a good point.

Dave: All right, moving on. And this is an important point. Yahuwah, as our all-powerful Creator, is self-sufficient. Naturally. Of course He would be. By contrast, Yahushua was and is dependent upon the Father.

Miles: But isn’t that just to be our example? He had the power, he just chose not to exercise it?

Dave: Nope! Again, confirmation bias. Reading into Scripture what supports the trinity does not make it so. Let’s look at what Scripture actually says. If Yahushua did indeed have divine power and simply chose not to exercise it, the Bible will say so.

Miles: All right.

Dave: Let’s start with Acts 2, verses 32 to 36. This is from Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. Go ahead.

Miles:

[Yahuwah] has raised this Yahushua to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of [Yah], he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘[Yahuwah] said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: [Yah] has made this Yahushua, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Dave: A couple of points. First, verse 33. Yahushua is “exalted” to the right hand of Yahuwah. Second, the word “therefore.” This is an interesting word. “Therefore.” Because of this reason, Yahuwah has made Yahushua Lord and Messiah.

Also, notice just Who made whom “Lord and Messiah.”

Miles: Yahuwah made Yahushua Lord and Messiah.

Dave: The greater elevates the lesser. The lesser does not have the power to elevate the greater.

Okay. Acts 5 verses 30 and 31. What does that say?

Miles: “The God of our fathers raised up Yahushua whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Dave: Again, the greater elevates, or exalts, the lesser, not the other way around. Let’s go now to John chapter 5. John 5 and verse 22.

Miles: “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the son.”

Dave: Again, we see the same dynamic at work. The greater giving or bestowing a particular responsibility on the lesser. The Father and the son are not co-equals. The Father is divine. He bestows honors, He gifts, He exalts. The son, not a co-equal divinity, but fully human, receives what the Father gives.

Drop down now to verses 26 and 27. What does that say?

Miles: “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the son also to have life in himself. And He has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”

Dave: Now, don’t get tripped up on that phrase that Yah has granted the son to have life in himself. Let’s not project onto Scripture the bias of a triune godhead. The point being made is that anything the son has, has been given by the Father, including life and the authority to execute judgment.

Now. If the Father and the son were indeed actual co-equals, each one-third of a triune godhead, the Father wouldn’t need to gift or bestow or exalt anything, because the son would already have it all by virtue of being a co-equal divine being himself!

Miles: Yeah, that’s a good point.

Dave: While we’re still here in John, go to chapter 17 and read verses 1 and 2. This is a really interesting passage because it is one of the last quoted prayers of Christ before his betrayal in Gethsemane. John 17, verses 1 to 2.

Miles: “Yahushua spoke these words, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your son, that Your son also may glorify You, as You have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as You have given him.”

Dave: The first Adam was given dominion over the entire earth, the animals, fish, birds. The second Adam has been given dominion—or authority—over the entire human race. Again, this is something he would not need to be given if he were already divine and on equal standing with the Father. To claim otherwise is to project onto Scripture something that just isn’t there.

All right, uh … 2 Corinthians 13 verse 4.

Miles: Okay … give me just a second here … Uh, it’s talking about Yahushua here. It says: “For though he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of [Yah]. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of [Yah] toward you.”

Dave: By. The power. Of Yah. This isn’t play-acting here: Yahuwah and Yahushua just pretending that Christ has less power. Instead, this is explaining a crucial theological point. In all things, the Saviour was less than—not equal too, less than—the Father.

Miles: I never really thought about it before, but you’re right. Through projecting a triune godhead onto Scripture, we’ve assumed the Saviour was play-acting. But that’s not what the Bible teaches!

Dave: Another area where Father and son differ is that Yahuwah is eternally self-existent. By huuuuge contrast, Yahushua is … what? We say it all the time. He is the only–?

Miles: The only begotten son of Yah.

Dave: The very definition of beget is to bring into existence, to cause to exist. If Yahushua were any part divine, he could not, by definition, honestly be said to be begotten of the Father. Scripture confirms this. Read Galatians 4, verses 4 and 5.

Miles: “But when the fullness of the time had come, [Yah] sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.”

Dave: And Matthew 1:1?

Miles: Uh … “This is the genealogy of Yahushua the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Dave: A person’s genealogy is his or her origins. The New Testament starts in Mathew 1, which gives an account of Christ’s origins, and they are entirely human. Another Bible verse that clearly emphasizes the Saviour’s human origins is found in Luke chapter 1 and verse 31. This is the angel’s announcement to Mary that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. What does that say?

Miles: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Yahushua.”

Dave: This is how human beings come into existence! It’s how we’re “begotten.” Gods are not begotten. Be definition, they can’t be begotten since eternal self-existence is an attribute of deity. Divinity doesn’t need to be begotten because the divine is naturally self-existent.

The fact that Scripture takes the time to go into such detail regarding the differences between the Father and the son is to establish, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the true nature of the son. It is not divine. It is not co-equal with Yah. He is fully human, brought forth into existence when he was conceived in Mary’s womb. As such, everything he did, everything he had was a gift from the Father. None of it was the Saviour’s by virtue of being divine.

Miles: Because he wasn’t divine. It’s amazing how clearly this is presented in Scripture when you remove your trinitarian eye-glasses and take Scripture as it really reads.

.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I’ve never sat down and compared all the differences between Yahuwah and Yahushua, but once you do, once you remove the trinitarian filter we’ve used to interpret Scripture, it’s amazing how different they are, and I never really noticed before.

Dave: None of us have, but clearly they’re not both co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial members of some mystical godhead. Another difference that, again, when you think about it is quite profound, is that Yahuwah is invisible but Yahushua is not.

John chapter 1 verse 18 declares: “No one has seen [Yahuwah] at any time. The only begotten son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared Him.”

Now. Take that clear statement, “No one has seen [Yah] at any time,” and compare it with John 1:14. This is just four verses earlier than the one that says no one has seen the Father at any time. What does it say?

Miles: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Dave: That’s a big difference! From “No one has seen the Father” to “We beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father.” He’s drawing quite a contrast here.

Paul says the same thing. Turn to 1 Timothy 1 and read verse 17.

Miles: Okay. It says: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only Yahuwah, be honor and glory forever and ever.”

Dave: Immortal. Something that Christ not only wasn’t but couldn’t be and still die for our sins. And invisible. Again, something that Christ was not and couldn’t be to fulfill his mission to reveal to us the Father.

Miles: That actually reminds me of another passage of Scripture. Exodus … uh, 33? When Moses asked Yahuwah, “Show me thy glory”? The Father told him that he couldn’t see his face because—and he spells it right out—“You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

How can we say Yahushua is the same divine essence as the Father when, clearly, his face was seen? And you can’t argue that that was his pre-incarnate self that couldn’t be seen because those who teach that the angel of the covenant was the pre-incarnate Christ admit that the angel of the covenant was seen by sinful human eyes. You’ve got Jacob wrestling with the angel whom some say was the angel of the covenant.

Manoah and his wife.

Dave: Moses in the tabernacle of meeting.

Miles: Right! So clearly, if humanity cannot behold divinity, then Yahushua was not divine. He didn’t have a pre-incarnate existence, either, because even if you say Yahushua was the angel of the covenant—which he wasn’t but if you do—the angel of the covenant was clearly seen by humans. It just doesn’t work. You can’t make Yahushua divine.

Dave: Another very obvious difference is that Yahuwah is holy, but Yahushua—wait for it—became sin for us!

Miles: Huh! That’s right!

Dave: What does Leviticus 11 verse 44 say about Yah?

Miles: Leviticus … Leviticus. Okay. It says: “For I am Yahuwah your Elohim; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.”

Dave: 1 Peter 1, verse 15 to 16 says, quote: “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Unquote. Now turn to 2 Corinthians and read chapter 5 verse 21 and compare the two.

Miles: All right. It says: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of Yahuwah.”

Dave: We all know that Yahushua was sinless. He conquered where the first Adam fell. But the point remains that he was made to be sin for us. All of these particulars contain beautiful truths Satan has tried to hide. Yahushua could not be divine and still be our Saviour. It would have defeated the purpose in sending a Messiah to have him in any particular be divine.

Okay, moving on. And this is a big one. We say that Yahuwah is omnipotent, omnipresent, annnnd??

Miles: Omniscient.

Dave: Right! All-knowing. But the Bible clearly states that Yahushua is not! Job 21 says, “Will any teach Yahuwah knowledge, seeing that he judges those that are on high?” [Verse 22.]

Yah is omniscient. We aren’t, and Yahushua wasn’t.

Miles: Psalm 147: “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.” [Verse 4.]

Dave: Exactly. Now let’s see what Scripture says about Yahushua. Read Mark 13:32. What does that say?

Miles: Uh … “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

Dave: It’s impossible to argue with such a clear statement. Now turn back a few chapters to Mark 5. This is the story of the sick woman who couldn’t get close enough to Yahushua to ask him personally for help so she just brushed the edge of his garments with her fingertips. What was his response? Mark 5 verse 30.

Miles: “And Yahushua, immediately knowing in himself that power had gone out of him, turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’”

Dave: Now, the disciples reacted like we would. They said, “We’re in a crowd! And you want to know who touched you??”

Miles: Verse 32 says that he actually looked around to see who’d touched him. Clearly, he didn’t know.

Dave: And the Father would have. Another very clear statement proving that Yahushua doesn’t know everything is Luke 2:52.

Miles: … It says, uh … “And Yahushua increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with [Yah] and men.”

Dave: You can’t increase in wisdom if you already know everything.

Miles: Good point.

Dave: Next point of difference between the Father and the son: Yahuwah is not a man. Yahushua is. Turn to Numbers 23. This is where Balaam, under inspiration of Yah, prophesied and blessed Israel even though Balak had told him to curse Israel. As we know, Balaam wanted the riches offered by Balak, so he didn’t really want to bless Israel. But he could only speak the words Yah allowed him to speak. So then read verse 19. What does it reveal about the nature of Yahuwah?

Miles: “God* is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

Dave: Let’s turn to the New Testament now. James 1:17. Would you read that please?

Miles: Um, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Dave: There is no variation or shifting shadow when it comes to Yah. We just read in Numbers where it states flat-out that “God” is not a man. And since the “God” being spoken of is Yahuwah, He can’t be a triune godhead because, according to James 1:17, He doesn’t change or shift and yet Yahushua was a man! Scripture says so repeatedly!

Let’s look at that. Luke 4 verse 4. Here, the devil is tempting the Saviour, saying, “If you’re really the son of Yah, prove it! Turn this stone into bread.” What’s the Saviour’s response?

Miles: “But Yahushua answered him, saying, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”’”

Dave: So this is a quote. Yahushua’s quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 and in doing so, he is classifying himself as, what? Divine? An angelic being?

Miles: No. A man.

Dave: The New Testament writers concur. In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, when he’s telling the throngs gathered there that the Messiah has already come, he makes a point of stating that the Messiah was a man. A human being. Why don’t you read it? Acts 2:22.

Miles: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Yahushua of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know.”

Dave: Okay, the word “God” here is actually “theos.” That’s the Greek word for “God.” So, you want to talk about the divine? It’s not a three-in-one godhead because a contrast is being drawn between Yahuwah, who is theos or “God,” and Yahushua of Nazareth who’s a man.

Miles: And because there is no variableness or shifting shadow with Yah, He can’t be both God and man.

Dave: No. That’s just the spin we’ve put on it, trying to reconcile all the problems that come up when you embrace the error of a triune god.

Let’s take a look at what Paul says. Turn to 1 Timothy, chapter 2 and read verses 3 to 6. What does that say?

Miles: All right, give me just a moment to find it; 1 Timothy is one of those little books that are hard to find.

Here we go. It says: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Yahushua, who gave himself a ransom for all.”

Dave: There is only one divinity, one theos or God. And that’s Yahuwah. There is also only one mediator. I know Catholics like to call Mary a co-mediatrix with Christ, but Scripture says there’s only one. And who is it?

Miles: “The man, Christ Yahushua.”

Dave: “The man, Christ Yahushua.” This is what Scripture says about the nature of Yahushua. You have to really spin, really project onto it, to see any divinity in how Yahushua is presented in Scripture. Over and over he is presented as a man.

Miles: Well, and you’ll remember Yahushua’s favorite way to refer to himself was as the “son of man.” That’s his favorite term. “The son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” [Luke 19:10] “The son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!” [Luke 7:34]

Dave: Matthew 16:27: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

We think of this phrase as applying only to the Saviour himself, but it actually appears throughout Scripture. One of the most common places is in the book of Ezekiel. And Ezekiel, of course, was a human being. Just as in the other passages throughout Scripture where the phrase is used. It’s like Yahuwah knew He needed to emphasize this point: Yahushua, the Messiah, is fully human!

And, like all humans, Yahushua did what humans do. He prayed.

Miles: You know, that’s a good point. I’ve actually had that thought before. If Yahushua and Yahuwah were two-thirds of a triune godhead, wasn’t Yahushua praying to himself when he prayed?

Dave: It doesn’t make sense, does it?

I know. I know. People are going to say that he was teaching us how to pray by example. And that’s all well and good when that’s what he was actually doing. Luke 11:1. What does that say.

Miles: Let’s see … “Now it came to pass, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, that one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’”

Dave: So then he gives them what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer.” You know: “Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name,” etc. But what was he doing when the disciples asked him to teach them to pray?

Miles: Praying! By himself.

Dave: This is but one more thing that sets Yahushua apart as different from Yahuwah. He prays! Yahuwah, the all-powerful, unchanging sole deity, does not. That would be talking to Himself. But Yahushua prays.

Read for us what Hebrews 5:7 has to say about Yahushua’s prayer life. That’s Hebrews 5 verse 7.

Miles: All right, um … “During the days of Yahushua’s life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

Dave: This is, of course, referring to the Garden of Gethsemane. Let’s take a quick look at that. It’s in Matthew 26. Just glance through until you find it.

Miles: Uh, here we go. Starts in verse 36.

Then Yahushua went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” [Matthew 26:36-39]

Dave: This isn’t play-acting. Yahushua wasn’t just going through the motions, playing at charades. He was truly suffering as the weight of the sins of the world pressed down upon him.

Same with his prayer on the cross. It’s just in the very next chapter Matthew 27 verse 46.

Miles: “And about the ninth hour Yahushua cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?’”

Dave: This was a very real, very desperate prayer wrenched from the breaking heart of a dying man. And to say otherwise, is to diminish what he went through.

Miles: Thinking along these lines, speaking of not diminishing what Yahushua went through for us, here’s another difference: Yahuwah cannot be tempted and yet Yahushua was!

Give me just a second to find this. I’m going to have to look it up …

Okay, here we go. It’s James 1:13. Listen to this: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

Dave: Now, with that fact firmly in mind—that Yahuwah cannot be tempted—read Luke 4, verses 1 and 2.

Miles: “Yahushua, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

Dave: To say, “Oh, that was only his human nature being tempted. His divine nature wasn’t tempted,” is to read into Scripture what simply isn’t there. We can’t be doing this, folks. We can’t be reading into Scripture what Scripture doesn’t say. Remember, the Bible writers had a full working vocabulary. If they had wanted to say that they certainly had the ability, the words, to do so.

Miles: That’s true.

Dave: Another point, to use modern terminology: Yahuwah has no god. Yahushua does.

Miles: … Say again?

Dave: Sounds odd, doesn’t it? But it’s a profound point.

Yahuwah … has … no god.

Yahushua … does. And his god is Yahuwah.

Remember the story of Yahushua’s resurrection? Mary Magdalene was so ecstatic to see him, that she clung to him. What did he tell her?

Miles: Uh … Let me go?

Dave: Basically, yeah. He 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.’”

This was a very gracious thing for him to say, to include her, and all believers, really, in the statement: my Father and your Father and my God and your God.

The disciples loved this. You can find it throughout the New Testament. Read it for us in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 31.

Miles: “The God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.”

Dave: Ephesians 1:3?

Miles: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Dave: Ephesians 4:4 to 6?

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

Dave: And finally, 1 Peter 1, verses 3 and 4.

Miles: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Yahushua Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”

Dave: In elevating Yahushua to co-equal divinity with Yahuwah, we have imposed a lot of meaning on Scripture that just isn’t there. Yahuwah—and Yah alone—is the Almighty. Yahushua is the son of Yah. He’s never described as “almighty.” Instead, the words used to describe him are ones like servant, anointed, appointed, and sent.

Let’s take a look at a few of these places. Turn to John 20 and read verse 21 for us. This was the evening after the Saviour’s resurrection. The disciples were huddled together afraid of the authorities when suddenly, Christ appeared to them. Let’s read what he said. Verse 21.

Miles: ^“Again Yahushua said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Dave: The greater sends the lesser. Yahuwah is greater. He sent Yahushua.

Go now to Luke 4 and read verses 18 and 19. This was near the beginning of the Saviour’s public ministry. He’d returned to Nazareth and was invited to give the reading on the Sabbath. He selected a passage from Isaiah that prophesied of his ministry. Verses 18 and 19 are quoting that prophecy.

You have it? Go ahead.

Miles:

The Spirit of Yahuwah is on me,
because He has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of Yahuwah’s favor.

Dave: Great. Now read Matthew 12 verse 18.

Miles: Okay, uh …

Behold! My servant whom I have chosen,
My beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon him,
And he will declare justice to the Gentiles.

Dave: Yahushua is different from Yahuwah in that Yahuwah is never referred to as a servant.

To close, I’d like you to read 1 Corinthians 15 verses 20 to 28. And, as you read, I want you to listen to the way Yahushua is described and ask yourself if this description would be possible if Yahushua were truly divine, or is it only possible because he’s human. You have it? Go ahead: 1 Corinthians 15:20 to 28.

Miles:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

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 [or theos] 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: Follow the action here. Yahushua was raised from the dead as the first fruits of all who shall be resurrected at his return. When the end of sin and sinners finally comes, Yahushua will hand the kingdom over to Yahuwah. He’ll reign during the millennium here on earth, but afterward, he’ll return the kingdom to the Father. Paul spells right out that Yahuwah put everything in subjection to Christ. Now, if Yahushua were divine, a co-equal with Yah, that could not be an accurate statement, could it?

Miles: No.

Dave: So we have here one of the clearest statements in Scripture that absolutely obliterates any idea that Yahushua was equal to or a co-partner in divinity with Yahuwah.

To be the Messiah, Yahushua had to be fully human, and Scripture supports that. We really must quit projecting our own ideas on to Scripture and read it just as it’s written. Incredible truths will be seen when we do that.

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

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

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today’s question for our Daily Mailbag segment is coming from the country that has the longest cave system in the entire world.

Dave: Ahhhh . . . pfft! You’ve got me. Where is it?

Miles: The United States. The US has the longest cave system in the entire world.

Dave: Huh! That’s interesting. I enjoyed a bit of spelunking in my uni days. You ever done any caving?

Miles: No—well, actually, yes. One time. A time I prefer not to think about, actually!

Dave: Why? Did something go wrong?

Miles: No, but it could have! Could have had a massive earthquake down there and the whole thing could have collapsed down on top of me!

Dave: Are you generally claustrophobic?

Miles: No, no. It’s just more the thought of how much is over my head that could come crashing down, you know?

Dave: So you have speluncaphobia.

Miles laughs: What? You’re making that up!

Dave: No, it’s a real word for a real thing. People afraid of going into caves.

Anyway, what’s our question today?

Miles: Well, it’s about money matters. Although the specifics of the question are more common in the United States than in many other countries, I think the question can be generally applied and it’s a good one that we can all learn from.

Jeff and Haylie write: “Dear Miles and Dave, Like a lot of other millennials, we graduated college—” that’s ‘university’ for the rest of us—

Dave: Right. What we call college, they call high school. Go on.

Miles: “We graduated college deeply in debt. Unlike a lot of our peers, we’ve actually been able to recently pay off the last of our student loan debt. It’s come at a cost, though, as we’ve put money toward student loans rather than buying a home or starting a family. What advice can you give us when it comes to money matters? We want to honor Yahuwah and we really don’t want to ever go into debt again if we can at all manage it.”

Dave: That’s a good question. Well, money problems—financial issues—look different for everyone. Someone earning 10,000 pounds a month is going to have different financial issues than someone earning, say, 20 pounds a day.

Miles: That’s true. But I’ve noticed a person that earns more, usually has more expenses, too, so the need for income still remains.

Dave: Of course. So, even though financial issues are all relative to the individual, individually most people still feel pressure in that area.

Before we go on, though, I just want to say that even the best money managers sometimes find themselves in debt through no fault of their own.

Miles: Well, yeah. Haylie and Jeff live in the US. I’ve read that a large majority of people in America that go bankrupt, do so because of owing overwhelming medical bills. If you don’t have government supplied medical care, that’s something that can run you into debt.

Dave: Of course. So, while it is a good practice to try your best to stay out of debt, I disagree with those believers who say it is a sin to be in debt. Most people who have financial problems do so because their outlay is more than their income. This can be due to, as you said, medical expenses, gambling, lack of savings, heavy debt, or simply being unable to meet basic living costs on their income. No one should ever judge another.

Miles: We never know their circumstances.

Dave: No. So let’s look at some Biblical principles regarding money. I think the first every believer should be aware of is the role greed can play when it comes to people getting into debt. Greed can present itself in many different ways. Perhaps it’s the latest model vehicle, or fashion, or maybe it’s the newest gaming release, or gadget. Greed is the on-going desire for more, more, more! Even after all the needs have been met.

To always want more and more, beyond what you need, is where greed comes in. This is something the Saviour actually warned us about. Turn to Luke chapter 12 and read verse 15. That’s Luke 12, verse 15. What does that say?

Miles: Uhhh … it’s quoting Yahushua here. It says: “And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Dave: Goes right along with the tenth commandment.

Miles: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.” [Exodus 20:17]

Dave: Exactly. We covet when we want what another has. Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t try to provide the best we can for our family and ourselves. When we have more, we also have more to give. But greed is a response to coveting.

Miles: I think gratitude is the … antidote, if you will, for greed. I’ve noticed that people who are greedy are never grateful for what they do have.

Dave: Right? Believers should always be mindful and aware of Yah’s blessings and be grateful for them.

Turn now to Ecclesiastes 5 and read verses … uh, why don’t you go ahead and read verses 10 to 12. See, money has its proper place in our modern world. I know there are some societies where barter is still used: I’ll give you this item if you give me that in exchange. But for the rest of us, money has replaced the barter system. So there is a place for money, but it’s important we keep money in its proper place, not only in our lives, but in our estimation as well.

Go ahead. Ecclesiastes 5, verses 10 to 12.

Miles:

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity.

When goods increase,
They increase who eat them;
So what profit have the owners
Except to see them with their eyes?

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet,
Whether he eats little or much;
But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

Dave: Money, in and of itself, is not something any of us should desire. It’s simply a useful tool we can use to provide for our families and others in need. Sometimes extremely wealthy people will focus on accumulating more—not because they need more, but simply because it becomes a score card.

Miles: “He who dies with the most toys, wins.”

Dave: Yeah, that’s the attitude. But for believers, there is more to life than that. Money should only be viewed as a useful tool with which to accomplish Yah’s will.

Miles: Sooo . . . you don’t subscribe to the school of thought that wealth is bad or a sin.

Dave: Of course not. The Bible says that Job was the wealthiest man of all the men of the east. Abraham was also extremely wealthy. Nicodemus. There were others. Lydia. It’s what we do with it that either honors or dishonors Yah.

Now, that said. Financial stability is a good thing. It does honor Yahuwah and it allows us to do more with the funds we have.

Miles: That’s all well and good, but you never achieve financial stability without a plan. So let’s talk about how to get there. How do you achieve financial stability?

Dave: Well, everyone’s plan is going to look different depending upon their circumstances, but yes. There are some basic principles based on Yah’s word that apply whatever your situation. First, what does 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7 tell us?

Miles: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for [Yahuwah] loves a cheerful giver.”

Dave: Tithes and offerings can be used to help others. This is a Biblical principle but the way it was taught in Scripture is actually quite different from how modern churches try to enforce it.

Miles: I find the context of this verse very interesting. Let me read it again with the verse before and after it as well. It says:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for [Yahuwah] loves a cheerful giver. And [Yahuwah] is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. [2 Corinthians 9:6-8]

Unquote. This goes right along with the assurance given in Proverbs that says: “He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahuwah, and He will pay back what he has given.”

Dave: Aw, yes. Proverbs 19:17. Yes. Yahuwah is aware of our needs and when we give to others, He makes sure that we ourselves do not lack. This should always be coupled, though, with 1 Timothy 5:8. What does that say?

Miles: Let’s see … “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Dave: We have a responsibility to provide for our own family. We also have a duty to pay our bills. Romans 13 advises us on this. Read Romans 13 verses 7 and 8. Go ahead once you’ve turned there.

Miles:

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Dave: Finally, part of any plan to achieve financial stability should be to save. Even if it’s a very small amount, those small amounts add up. Proverbs 21 says: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” [Proverbs 21:5] It’s always good to save, even if it’s only a small amount from each pay cheque.

And again, how this looks for each person is going to differ based on their individual circumstances. But with prayer, mindfulness, and Yah’s blessings, you can achieve more than if you give in to greed and the constant drive to acquire more and more and more.

Miles: Well, when you’ve got Yahuwah in your heart, you don’t have the same drive to fill your life with earthly treasures.

Dave: That’s true, too.

Miles: That’s all we’ve time for today, folks. If you’ve got a question, comment, or even a prayer request, send it in! Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on contact us!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: I’d like to close today’s program with one final Bible verse. This is John 17 verses 1 to 3. Christ and the disciples have had the last supper, they’re walking to Gethsemane where he’ll be betrayed, and the Saviour is trying to cram in every last little bit of instruction he can. Go ahead and read verses 1 to 3 of John 17.

Miles:

Yahushua spoke these words, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your son, that Your son also may glorify You, as You have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as You have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yahushua Christ whom You have sent.

Dave: Notice who’s doing the asking and who’s doing the giving.

Miles: Yahushua is asking: glorify me so that I can glorify you.

Dave: Exactly. And Yahuwah is doing the giving.

What knowledge brings us life eternal?

Miles: Uh … the knowledge of Yahuwah as the only true God.

Dave: And Yahushua whom He sent. And the only way we can have that vital knowledge is if we accept the Father and son as they are presented in Scripture. The Almighty as the only true God, and the fully human son, appointed and sent by the Father. This is life eternal.

Miles: Amen. The depths of beauty to be found in the truth simply aren’t there in Satan’s errors. Thank you for today’s study. You lay it all out like that, and the evidence for a fully human Saviour who was subordinate to the Father is just overwhelming.

I also want to thank our listeners for tuning in. Please 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.