On the Law of average, the majority of Christians believe in Trinity. However, what makes Trinity scandalous is that it has no Scriptural basis, except the consensus, at the Naecean Council of AD 325. There is vast difference between what is revealed by God and what comes from Scholarly arguments.
Trinity was firstly reasoned out by the Roman Catholic Church. I suppose this is what made Trinitarian considerations easy to penetrate, even among the protestant movements. Jesus never preached Trinity. Just as the early disciples did not have Trinity as one of their doctrines.
In theology there is a term called heresy. This refers to teaching anything outside what was established by the Naecean Council—which implies unorthodox teaching. Having taken over the authoritarian position, Theologians assume the right to distinguish between what is heretic and what is not.
Those labelled as heretics are those assumed as teaching what is outside Orthodox Christianity. Yet Christians are supposed to help one another, where error needs to be removed, rather than condemning the believer.
However, this post should not be viewed as intended to condemn everything taught by Trinitarians, some of which can be factually Scriptural. It would be wrong to assume that those believing in Trinity have nothing truthful to say about Christianity.
Nevertheless, it is imperative to appreciate that precision helps in avoiding error and confusion. And Jesus is the focal point in Christianity. In this essay, more emphasis is, not only on the significance of Jesus, but also on the true identity of who Jesus is, and how He was projected in Old Testament Scriptures.
There is no dispute in that in Jesus we have got both a physical human being and God who is not physical. The difference is that a human being was created, while God is the Creator who, therefore, cannot be likened to physical human beings, or anything that was created (Exodus 20:4).
“….For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:15-17) (ESV).
This Scripture highlights two men—the originator of death and the originator of life. The difference between the two being that, while the first man bore condemnation, the second Man bore redemption. The first man lost his true identity, after trespassing at the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24).
God had initially warned Adam of the consequences of eating a forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:16-17). The death being referred to by God is separation from the original source. This is just as we know that it can be impossible for a plant to survive when uprooted from the ground, where it sprouted. A fish, when taken out of water can also not survive long.
Connection with the original source is, therefore, of utmost importance, according to the Laws of creation. Empirically, death for humanity implies separation from the original source. For human beings, life implies being attached to God, in whose image, humans were created.
The man died at the exact point of eating a forbidden fruit—just as God had warned. All humans, were pronounced dead, after Adam ate a forbidden tree. Being born into this world ensures degeneration into physical demise, whether one likes it or not.
Every human being who ever lived is subjected to death, due to the sin of Adam. This is why Jesus said what can be adjudged as unacceptable in our ways of looking at things, today: “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22) (ESV).
Without Christ all human beings are dead. Genealogically, we all came from Adam. But how many of our forefathers do we link up with, to be able to relate with them today? I was privileged to see my grandfather when I was young.
But there is nothing that I do today that can relate to how my grandfather perceived things then. There would be very little in common, between me and my grandfather if he were to be resurrected today.
There are those who believe in ancestral spirits. But, scientifically, those people cannot prove how they relate to their ancestors, who lived before the current technological advancement. In short, all people, in the lineage of Adam are no longer there to be effectively communicated with.
The process of birth, followed by death is common phenomenon that engulfs humanity. This is not different from the process of other species. No-one lives forever, as all are born to live today, but to certainly die tomorrow.
Unlike God who is not governed by time, human beings exist within the framework of time. You can be here today, but tomorrow you would be no more. But, God, our original source, is not governed by time.
Had we not been separated from our original source, we would also have been living outside time. Just as our original source, in whose image we were created, is outside time, we would also be outside time. In Jesus we see terms like: reconciliation, redemption, resurrection or revival. All these terms imply starting afresh—after having missed the mark.
Prior to the first century, we did not have Jesus, who came as the second Adam to bring us back to our original source (1 Corinthians 15:45). But we had a natural man, as our ancestor, called Adam—who subjected us to sin. Jesus, as the Son of Man, is our brother, born to us, but in whom God dwelt.
The miracle of Jesus is that He was born, not of the corruptible seed of Adam. In other words, in Jesus we have an ideal Man, created in the image of God. This particular man was a direct gift from God, as clearly stated: “…..To us a Son is given….” (Isaiah 9:6).
Nevertheless, the attributes of the Son that is given is God Himself, who created all things: “…..And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b) (ESV).
This was a prophecy to reveal what would happen in the future. But this does not mean that the Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace had not existed before this prophecy was given. See [The Authority of Jesus].
Scholars can speculate as well as they like about whether the term God is multilateral or unilateral. But the undeniable reality is that no-one knows the nature of God, who declared that He could not be likened to anything created in this world (Exodus 20:4).
We can only know God through our observation of creation and His dealings with humanity, as we read the Holy Scriptures. The only begotten Son that Jesus referred to, in John 3:16—as having been given by God is Jesus—a child born to us.
But without a child born to us, we would not have had the only begotten Son given to us. In Jesus we have the child born to us (the Son of Man). This is the Man who bore the cross on our behalf.
However, in Jesus we also have the same God—known to have separated with humanity, at the time of Adam’s sin. From the time of Adam, God could no longer dwell in sinful humanity. It was only in the miracle of Jesus, that God could, once again, be able to dwell in physical human bodies.
From Adam to Jesus, God dealt with humanity through the prophets and other selected human beings. Unlike with Jesus, God could not co-exist with humanity, whose bodies were sinful. While Jesus wore a sinful body, His personality was not associated with the corruption of the sinful body, as is the case with humanity.
In Jesus we have an ideal Man—as created in God’s image—though dwelling in a sinful body. His mission was to carry the sinful burdens of humanity, so that sinful humanity could, once again, access their lost dignity, through Him.
In Jesus we have what it takes to represent God’s image. This is why Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). The behaviour of Jesus, is what needs to be adopted, by those intending to attain Salvation. Jesus—a brother to true Christians—addressing Himself as the Son of Man—is not necessarily God.
But in Jesus we have God who needs to be worshipped—yet Jesus doesn’t need to be worshipped. Which is the reason why Jesus declared that He came to serve, and not to be served (Mark 10:45). Everything that Jesus, the Son of Man practiced, needs to be emulated—though being careful not to behave like robots.
The attitude of Jesus—implying His behaviour, as He related to humanity—is the one that needs to be emulated. Paul instructs that this is possible when we subject our minds to transformation, so that we no longer conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2).
Even though having done extraordinary works, to show that He was the Christ, Jesus did not elevate Himself ahead of anyone. He did not project Himself in such a way that ordinary people could worship Him. The revelation of Him being the Christ, was only known mostly by His disciples.
In Jesus, ordinary people saw an ordinary person who addressed their survival needs. This is why a kiss had to be used, as a sign, for those who sought to apprehend Him for purposes of His murder. See [Created to solve, instead of creating problems].
The reason why Jesus caused offence, among those from His own City, Nazareth, is that Jesus displayed extraordinary knowledge. Yet, in Him, those people saw an ordinary person, identifying with the despised of society.
The identity of Jesus being the Christ, Son of the living God, was a secret—known only by the inner circle, among His disciples (Matthew 16:20). Jesus was a problem solver. Yet, after having done some extraordinary miracles, Jesus would charge those benefiting, to keep that to themselves.
Any piece of information meant to be a guarded secret can easily spread, among humans who love to spread whatever is said to be secretive. While, obviously, the more those people were charged not to tell anyone, they ensured that the miraculous activities of Jesus were spread all over.
However, while Jesus’ name was known all over the surrounding areas of Judea and abroad, His true identity of being the Christ, Son of the living God was not known by everyone. But even to His enemies—when asked who He was—Jesus did not hide the fact that He was the Son of God.
The term of Jesus being the Son of the living God, ought not to surprise anyone. All human beings ought to have known that they were, actually, the sons of the Living God—having been created in God’s image. But Jesus was the Christ—the prophesied Messiah who would deliver all humanity from their sins.
The physical aspect of Jesus was well-known by everyone. But the identity of Him being the Christ, needed God’s revelation—to whoever God would choose to reveal it (Matthew 16:17). Otherwise, Jesus was like anyone of us—among ordinary human beings—as He sought to take the position of the lowest servant.
These are the missing details about Jesus, leading to the worst scandal, the world has ever known, as devised by Scholars. The scandalous nature of Trinity, is in that Jesus, the Son of Man, is given the position of being a third person in the Godhead, when in actual fact, Jesus, the Son of Man was one of us!
The Man who said “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18) is the Son of Man who was one of us—having been a child born to us. This is the same Son of Man who the disciples saw ascending into the sky—who the Angel declared would come again (Acts 1:11).
That Man is our brother, onto whom all authority in Heaven and on earth was given. The reason why all authority was given to Him is that the same Man did not have that authority before it was conferred on Him.
Nothing can be plainer than that? The same Jesus is coming again to take up the throne of David to rule on the planet earth—as King of kings and Lord of lords. This is clearly revealed in Revelation 19 & 20. See [Jesus the Servant and Christ the Lord].
This Son of Man identifies with humanity in every sense of the word, as having been a child born to us. There is nothing Trinitarian about this Man. Though, in Him is God who created all things.
This is just as in all true Christians, dwells God who created all things. However, without Jesus paving the way—it would not have been possible, for God, to ever dwell in those Christians.
This is why our eyes ought to be fixated on Jesus, for our redemption. This is also why it is necessary to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. All this depicts processes necessary towards salvation. Our brother, Jesus, facilitates the necessary Holy Spirit—towards our reunification with our Heavenly Father.
While Jesus Christ plays the double role of being our brother and God at the same time, He remains the same, yesterday, today and forever—as God who created all things. This is why He was a stumbling block to the Jews, who clearly understood God as one (Deuteronomy 6:4).
It would not be fair to condemn the Jews for killing Jesus, as their written Laws could not allow letting anyone claiming to be God, to go unpunished. Basically, the position of Jesus having to be condemned to die was not an error.
Jesus took our position to die on the cross, on our behalf. The insults heaped on Jesus, as He hung on that dehumanizing cross, was on behalf of all of us (Luke 23:36-38). Humanity, ought to know that the person that was spat at, on that cross, was representing each and every one of us.
When Jesus, the Son of Man, said God was His Father, he was saying so, as one of us. The disciples who were also later to be condemned would follow Him. But He was the pioneer in this way of life. This way is not for the ordinary Jack and Jill—waking up in the morning claiming to represent it (Luke 14:25-33).
The same God who dwelt in Jesus, the Son of Man—during His sojourn on earth—is the same God who would dwell on Peter and the other disciples. He is the same God who dwells among true Christians today. But certainly, not those still occupied with the way ordinary people behave in this world.
Please take note of this: Trinity was never in the vocabulary of Jesus. Just as it was never in the vocabulary of the early disciples. And will never be in the vocabulary of true Christians, even in our time. Anyone would do well, not entertaining it in one’s thoughts, because it is the scandal of all time.
While appearing as not scandalous, to talk about Trinity, the conglomerate deception across Christianity results from the doctrine of Trinity. This misunderstanding is the one that causes people to conjure funny ideas, in the way they worship God. See [Trinity has got no pedestal on which to stand].
The newcivilization.co.zw is one of the blogs that exist for anyone desiring more understanding concerning the mystery associated with Jesus. Free communication is also open, for those with questions that need answers for further clarity. Understanding is vital for truth to sink. Bear in mind that it is the truth that sets people free, according to Jesus (John 8:31-32).
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing reliefs to those having witnessed strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
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