Is God a "Trinity"—3 persons in One Being?
Almost all professing Christians answer "yes."
Long the litmus test of traditional Christianity, the triune god is deemed a mystery, unable
to be understood.
Questions arise: Does the sacrifice of Christ fit with a "3-in-one" god?
How did Jesus—a third of one being—"extricate" Himself from the Father and Holy Spirit to
die as Savior?
Millions assume the Bible proves the trinity.
But does it?
If God is not a trinity, what is He?
Have scholars, theologians and Bible students missed anything?
Here, made plain in this series, are the facts of what the Bible really teaches about What
and Whom is its Author!
The World to Come.
The Restored Church of God presents David C. Pack.
The subject of God is mysterious—confusing to most people.
Yet the single most important knowledge in the universe would be that of the true God.
What could be more important than which god one worships?
Billions have asked Who and What is God?
This question has confounded man for millennia.
With the explosion of new and different brands of Christianity, confusion about God has not
lessened.
And the so-called "great religions" of the world have only made it worse.
Yet, correctly identifying the true God is the central issue towering over everything
in life.
It is at the core of all that is truth.
For those who believe that God authored the Bible—Christians!—the question comes into
sharper focus.
Who and What is the God of the Bible?
Have you ever asked why people believe as they do?—why have so many come to accept
the doctrines they hold as having come from the Bible?
Why have you believed and accepted the things that you do?
Most who consider themselves Christian have carelessly assumed from childhood the answer
to the greatest question they could ever address—that is, do they have, and are they worshipping,
the RIGHT GOD?
Most come into adulthood having accepted without question what they heard, read or were taught
in Sunday school.
They are unwilling to challenge what their peers have also accepted without question.
Strangely, such people often vigorously defend their beliefs, feeling no need to examine
proof of why they hold them—to consider how they came to such beliefs.
Human nature follows the crowd.
And this has been the case with virtually every popular teaching, tradition and practice
in orthodox Christianity—even though all have been taken almost entirely from paganism,
false customs and human reasoning.
This is why the masses have followed a god conceived and developed outside the pages
of the Bible.
Millions of professing Christians believe in, speak of and sing about God as a trinity—"Father,
Son and Holy Spirit."
Acceptance of this god has become the greatest litmus test of traditional Christianity.
If the "trinity god" is false—if it is not the God of the Bible—in its place
must come understanding of the true God.
Let's ask.
Which would be better: having correct knowledge of every Bible doctrine, but having neither
true knowledge of, nor contact with, the God of the Bible?—or, having no knowledge of
Bible truth on any subject except the identity of the true God—and contact with Him?
Consider further.
The Bible contains many truths: the gospel, salvation, baptism, what is the true Church,
whether one should keep holy Saturday or Sunday, whether one should observe the Holy Days of
Lev 23 or humanly-devised holidays, financial laws, the purpose of marriage, principles
of proper childrearing, the afterlife, repentance, conversion, the unpardonable sin, dietary
laws, healing, scores of prophetic truths, the law of God, the role of Christ, and many
more.
Ask again: Would it be more important to correctly understand all these truths while at the same
time lacking knowledge of who is the true God?—or to know nothing of these truths,
but have direct contact with the true God?
Think!
If one learned of and sought the true God, he would automatically be led into all the
right knowledge offered by that God, revealed only to those who have a relationship with
Him.
The true God would not leave one in ignorance about how He was to be worshipped—in other
words, knowledge of all the many truths contained in His Word.
The true Plan of God, the location of the true Church—and every other divinely-revealed
point of understanding—flows from direct contact with the right God.
On the other hand, possessing all the knowledge about every Bible doctrine—were this even
possible—would be utterly useless if one were worshipping the wrong God!
God has to reveal Himself to all potential followers!
He must distinguish Himself from other supposed gods or deities.
The apostle John described the devil as having "deceived the whole world."
Satan's goal has been to keep man from a relationship with his Creator.
The apostle Paul called Satan "the god of this world" who "has blinded the minds
of them which believe not."
Is it strange to think of the devil as this world's GOD?
Does this seem impossible to believe?
Yet there it is in your Bible.
As arch-deceiver, the devil would most want to blind mankind to the true God.
The highly educated of this world ought to know who God is!
But they don't, because this is spiritual knowledge, divinely revealed by the very God
these scholars and educators have been unable to discover on their own—and Whom they could
never discover on their own.
These modern educators have been steeped in the false understanding of the theory of evolution.
Because they have believed this fable, they have taught it to millions of unsuspecting
minds, and conditioned those minds to reject God's revelation of Himself at the very
beginning of Genesis.
Then, having rejected the Creation account, inspired by the God of the Bible, these have
become blinded to the identity of the true God—leaving them utterly unable to find
their way out of the maze of confusion they have created for themselves.
Evolution has taught them self-reliance, and ultimately cut them off from the knowledge
that would have freed them from ignorance in all the most important matters of life.
There they sit, without answers to life's greatest questions.
Because intellectual vanity—pride!—would not let them seek a power greater than their
own minds, these have literally trapped themselves in confusion, with no idea where to turn for
light.
If the Bible is as it has been called—"The Book nobody knows"—then the One who authored
it is truly the God nobody knows!
Not what He intended, this God has remained concealed from a humanity willing to follow
no end of humanly-devised deities, including a "mystery god" that cannot be understood.
A world-famous evangelist admitted, "When I first began to study the Bible years ago,
the doctrine of the Trinity was one of the most complex problems I had to encounter.
I have never fully resolved it, for it contains an aspect of mystery.
Though I do not totally understand it to this day, I accept it as a revelation of God!
To explain and illustrate the Trinity is one of the most difficult assignments to a Christian."
With at least 10 recognized versions of the trinity, no wonder it can't be understood.
Mystery books are often bestsellers.
Everyone seems to like the proverbial "Whodunit?"
Mysteries in which a crime was committed involve critical elements that must eventually come
to light—perpetrator, witnesses, weapon, motive and other evidence.
When this happens, there is satisfaction.
Who would read a mystery book or watch a mystery movie knowing in advance it was not going
to be solved in the end?
But the mysteries of men's religions always remain mysteries.
In the end, they are never explained—never solved—and followers are told they must
accept this.
Think of the triune god.
Why would billions of people accept—and for a lifetime—a mystery about God, when
they would not accept this of a mere book or movie?
Yet they do.
If the trinity represents the true God, we could ask: Why is there such widespread confusion
and division—such disagreement—about this God?
Why is not the subject of God clear—plain!—to the common man?
The Bible declares, "God is not the author of confusion."
God never wants His servants confused.
Why then have so many been willing to accept without question this disagreement and confusion
about God?
So many say, "God just doesn't seem real to me."
But they seem willing to let Him remain this way.
Not only do the masses stand in ignorance of life's most important knowledge—including
the true God and correct understanding of the many truths He teaches—most do not appear
to care.
Billions don't seem to want to know—to want to solve the mysteries of God and His
Word.
They seem willing to read a mystery book, knowing in advance the mystery will not be
solved.
You may have some difficulty understanding parts of this series.
But that will actually be good!
Remember, the trinity god is deemed unable to be explained or understood—a "god"
that makes no real sense.
Therefore, the more in-depth parts of this series—those that go deeper inside the idea
of the trinity—might be hard to follow.
Speaking of Russia before WWII, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill accidentally offered
the best description of the trinity: "It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an
enigma."
All Bible mysteries can—and should—be understood!
What would be the point of God recording the many statements about Himself in His inspired
Word so no one could ever grasp their meaning—never comprehend them?
More than any other doctrine, God desires His servants be able to differentiate Him
from all other gods.
This means knowing how to identify and separate Him—the true God—from the endless array
of false gods within men's religions.
The Bible is a coded book.
It is written as a kind of jigsaw puzzle creating a series of smaller pictures within an overall
picture that only becomes clear in meaning when one properly pieces together all passages
on a subject.
The prophet Isaiah describes God's Word as written "here a little, there a little,
line upon line…and precept upon precept."
Also, the Bible interprets itself.
You will see this.
Because professing Christianity has not understood these two things—either of them—it has
remained deceived, led by the counterfeit god of this world, who has substituted himself
in place of the true God.
Again, mankind has been deceived about God's awesome purpose for it.
Notice what Paul records: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him."
Here comes a crucial early fact.
Paul goes on to explain how men can understand the truths and mysteries of God.
Let's read: "God has revealed them [spiritual things] unto us by His Spirit."
Spiritual knowledge is not revealed by any supposed 3rd Person of the trinity, called
the Holy Spirit.
GOD reveals the truth of the Bible to those He is calling.
And He uses His Spirit to do it.
(Read John 6:44.)
You will learn that the teaching of the triune, "3-in-one" god comes from the great, false
universal religious system.
This "woman church" has used the trinity to infiltrate and deceive all of traditional
Christianity.
You will learn this.
Originally introduced with much controversy, she has been able to successfully use this
teaching to limit God to a supposed 3 persons.
This seduction involves what the Bible calls "another Jesus," who is the centerpiece
of "another gospel" that replaces the true gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the
kingdom of God.
All this deception in turn comes from "another spirit"—called by John "the spirit of
error"—that of the god of this world, active thruout this world's churchianity.
The kingdom of God offers the only real future for a world otherwise without hope.
Only the arrival of God's soon-coming, world-ruling supergovernment will solve humanity's worst
problems, troubles, evils and ills.
Most assume the word trinity is in the Bible.
Yet this word is nowhere in Scripture.
The term and its meaning—like the words triune & 3-in-one—are all inventions of
men.
With this cobbled-together god, the God of the Bible has literally been excommunicated
from orthodox Christianity!
Who and What then IS GOD?
This series pulls back the veil concealing the true God from mankind and introduces Him
to you.
It explains the origin and history of the trinity—and will cover the principle scriptures
cited to supposedly "prove" it.
It exposes the logic—actually the utter illogic—of trinitarian theology.
It will explain the nature and role of the Holy Spirit.
It will also answer "Who and what is Christ?"—and is the Christ of the Bible the same as the
one worshipped in modern Christendom?
And it will bring absolute proof—the truth—from God's Word about the real nature of the
God of the Bible and Creation.
This in turn will open the door to God's true plan for mankind.
You will be stunned.
This subject is compelling and unlike what you might expect with one that appears to
be esoteric or only able to be understood by scholars and intellectuals.
In fact, you may also find yourself wondering how anyone could possibly believe the trinity—so
easily seen to be wrong, and of pagan origin.
The most difficult thing for any person is to admit being wrong.
Unlearning false knowledge and learning true knowledge in its place is not easy.
This can be a painful, even shattering experience.
But you must set aside all bias.
The book of Acts describes those of the Greek city of Berea as "more noble than those
in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched
the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
These new converts were open-minded—but wanted proof.
In all points, they turned to God's Word as their sole source of truth.
God commands every Bible student regarding every Bible doctrine: "Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good," and "Prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God."
Such proof would surely include Who and What is God.
Everyone has heard of the 10 Commandments.
America has been embroiled in a legal battle over whether its constitution—requiring
the separation of church and state—allows for God's Law to be displayed publicly in
courts and gov't buildings.
But a Supreme Court Justice summarized it best: "Probably 90 percent of the American
people believe in the Ten Commandments—and 85 percent couldn't tell you what the 10
are."
How many could even paraphrase 5 is another question.
Therefore, largely lost in this astounding account in the book of Exodus is the all-important
1st Commandment, establishing which God it was Who gave these laws to ancient Israel.
I repeat: This lies at the heart of all religion.
Moses recorded God's words: "You shall have no other gods before Me."
If the Bible is the inspired Instruction Book of an all-wise and all-powerful Creator—the
only true God in the universe—His first command could hardly have been otherwise.
No true God could want other gods worshipped in His place.
Now God's 2nd, longer command: "You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them:
for I the Lord your God am a jealous God."
This commandment is a broad, sweeping and explicit prohibition covering every form of
false worship involving every kind of supposed "god"—and representation of such—that
human beings with creative imagination could invent.
Like any parent whose children went home to a different house and different parents after
school, the Parent who made all human beings—His children—would be jealous if they went after
idols and false gods.
God's 3rd Commandment is tied to the first 2.
It describes the careful reverence with which God wants His name to be used at all times:
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless that takes His name in vain."
The meaning here is when people even reference the true God, they should be very careful—read
Psa 111:9!
They should think about the purpose—the reason—for which they mention God's most
holy name.
The 4th commandment is also tied directly to the God of the Bible: "Remember the sabbath
day, to keep it holy.
Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of
the Lord your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter,
your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within
your gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in
them is [no matter what deceived evolutionists claim], and rested the seventh day: wherefore
the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it"—not any other day!
The world has discarded the 7th-day Sabbath in place of Sunday, the 1st day of the week.
This extraordinary command creates a special problem for the evolutionist—even the one
who professes belief in God, including the God of the Bible.
Here is how: God expects all His servants to observe the Sabbath.
Why?
So they would never forget which God it was Who "in six days" created—the context
means "re-created"—"heaven and earth," and who sealed this by resting on "the 7th
day."
In this way, the God who authored the Bible directly ties all 10 Commandments to Creation,
which, in turn, leaves no room for His servants to drift into worshipping other gods.
By observing the Sabbath every 7 days, the adherent is forced to be cognizant of the
sole God of Creation.
God leaves no room in His first 4 commands for other gods or wrong forms of worship.
He expects to be worshipped as He is, including on the day that He—not man!—has selected
for worship.
He permits no room for human opinion—He accepts no substitution of the false for the
true.
The evolutionist has a big problem explaining belief in a God who created all life in 6
days.
(Incidentally, much science—that you never hear about—supports Creation and fights
evolution, in fact, makes it impossible!)
But, having rejected the Creation account of this God, it becomes much easier for the
evolutionist to go on to the next step—the rejection of that God, and possibly that there
even is a God!
Faithful Sabbath observance every 7 days eliminates this problem.
You should take time to prove there IS a God.
Read our informative booklets Does God Exist?, and Evolution -- Facts, Fallacies and Implications.
Unlike anything you have read, these establish a foundation to build a right relationship
with God.
And take time to read The Ten Commandments -- "Nailed to the Cross" or Required for
Salvation?
The God of the Bible speaks plainly—He says what He means and means what He says!
Do the first 4 commands sound like laws of a God who takes lightly those who worship
any but Himself?
Do they seem like mere wishful instruction on the part of this God—things He only hopes
His followers will do?
Do they sound like the words of a God willing to let people worship idols or false gods,
as long as the proponent proclaims such to be the true God?
NO THEY DO NOT!
A relationship with, and understanding of, the Bible's God begins with accepting the
first 4 commandments.
These describe how to love God, and the last 6 how to love one's fellow man.
Put another way, the first 4 explain how to establish a relationship with the true God
and the last 6 how to build relationships with human beings.
The world is filled with gods of every sort.
It is as though mankind has reserved the very best of its creative powers to invent every
conceivable god and goddess—whether composed of physical matter or defined by ethereal
concepts of the mind.
The world's billions of people worship literally millions of gods.
Paul expresses it best: "Though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or
in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many), but to us there is but one God, the
Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are
all things, and we by Him.
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge."
So many gods, and so much confusion.
Another fact to consider.
How interesting that Paul references "the Father" and "Jesus Christ," thus differentiating
them from all other "gods" and "lords," but—missing the perfect opportunity—fails
to mention the Holy Spirit, the supposed 3rd member of the trinity.
You will learn later Paul always fails to do this.
The Romans worshipped and built temples to an endless array of gods and goddesses.
It is said that the ancient Greeks worshipped as many as 30,000 gods.
Not to be outdone, the Hindus today are said to have 5 million, including their own trinity—Shiva,
Brahma and Vishnu!
The Egyptians, as did other civilizations, also had their own brand of a trinity— Horus,
Isis and Osiris, or Seb.
These trinities send a unmistakable message about where the idea of a 3-in-one god came
from.
Then there is Tao, Confucius, Buddha, Allah and a host of other gods, goddesses and idols
worshipped today, including totem poles, nature, snakes, animals and fish, volcanoes and mountains,
fire, wind, rocks, sun, moon, planets, stars and even certain human beings who are considered
divine.
Finally, what about all the metaphysical concepts of gods adored and worshipped in the mind—often
depicted by symbols and representations by artists.
This describes the trinity.
While most are probably unaware of this, vastly more people believe in the 3-in-one god of
mainstream Christianity than any other god.
Foundation is now laid to begin examining supposed proof of the trinity and real proof
of the true God in Part 2.
But you may wish to study ahead by reading this book, The Trinity -- Is God Three-in-one?
Until next time, this is David C. Pack saying, "Goodbye, friends."
This program was made available by Restored Church of God members and donors from around
the globe.
Explore our vast library of literature and other World to Come programs, which are all
made available free of charge.
To order literature featured in this program, call toll-free 1-855-828-4646.
That number again: 1-855-828-4646.
For more infomation >> "Questions the Bible Asks: What Is Truth?" Rev. Vaughn Hoffman - Duration: 22:36. 
For more infomation >> Lupe & Ashley D. - Duration: 1:25:38. 
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