YHWH. We know this name. We speak this name. We rarely stop to think about what this name means. Not what it means in the academic sense – etymology, pronunciation, theological significance. We have libraries full of that. I mean: what does it mean that the God of all creation chose to give us a name? That the Incomparable One, who needs nothing from us, who owes us nothing, decided to be...
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (ESV) Introduction: A Term That Sounded Wrong When I first encountered orthodox Christians referring to Jesus as the “God-man,” it sounded deeply offensive. After 50 years as a Christadelphian, the term felt like blasphemy...
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (ESV) Introduction: A Doctrine I Loved But Had to Leave Behind In my article on God Manifestation, I outlined the Christadelphian theology that shaped how I understood Jesus for 50 years. It’s a beautiful doctrine in many ways...
In this article, I summarise my conclusions on the Trinity review. For around 50 years I was a Christadelphian, being born into that faith, getting baptised at the age of 17. At the age of 48, I started a journey out of that faith, leaving as a 50 year old and now at 54 I am Baptist. Trust me when I say that 50 years espousing a form of Unitarianism is not something that is easy to release. Every...
Now here’s an exciting title (sarcasm intended), but bear with me. The topics of Monotheism and Modalism are key arguments put forward by groups who are unitarian to dispute the Trinity. I should say, the argument to Monotheism and the lack of understanding around Modalism are the key discussion points. The Monotheism and Modalism Argument The argument runs along the lines that Deut 6:4...
The argument that the Temptation of Christ was an indication that he was imperfect is common in Unitarian circles. Flaws The bible clearly teaches in Heb 4:15 that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. This is not evidence that Jesus was imperfect. In juxtaposing Heb 4:15 with Jas 1:13, Unitarians are arguing as follows. Jesus was tempted. God cannot be tempted. Ergo...
The incarnation of Christ is a fundamental doctrine in theology that asserts the union of Divinity and humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a key concept in the Trinity but a sticking point for unitarians. Therefore, the question we ask in this article is, does the Trinity mean that God changes? I think this is a pretty complex argument and I suspect that points made on either side of...
Critics of the doctrine of the Trinity, argue that the origins of the doctrine are pagan. They point to a variety of pagan religions where you can see three gods having primacy. Alternatively, they point to the school of Plato as being the source of Trinitarian thinking. In this blog, I will seek to refute these arguments. I will prove that the Doctrine of the Trinity is not pagan in origin. The...
One of the principal arguments supporting the doctrine of the Trinity is the simple, repeated reference to the Three who make up the Godhead. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are referred to in concert in many places in the bible. At the outset, I am aware of the unitarian arguments against each of the points I am about to make. As in my previous article, I will refrain from making the...
God Manifestation in a Unitarian Framework is a huge topic and I can’t do it justice in just 750 words. I will do my best to sum it up. That’s going to be difficult because, in my former life, I would have considered myself a well versed scholar of this doctrine. Underpinning Structure of God Manifestation The doctrine of God manifestation for non-trinitarians can be a truly beautiful...