Christ is God
The “Godhead” doctrine, however is true, as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each one, is called “God”.
The following is a letter I sent to the man who translated the Polish version of the 1858 Great Controversy. That was in 2002, and he was the first one to introduce me to the error of the “Anti-Trinity” doctrine. In my experience, everyone who believes this error not only says the Holy Spirit is not a separate person, but they all ultimately put down Jesus Christ to something less than “God”. I call on everyone to turn from this deadly error, and leave this worse than useless wrangling over exactly what the Holy Spirit is, alone, just as Ellen White has told us.
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I appreciate your prayers on my behalf. Surely we must all press together and show love for each other on the platform of truth.
It seems like the concept of what “Trinity” means is not very clear. Was my drawing understandable? I tried to show that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are all God, with the Father superior to the other two. Each member of the Godhead is a separate entity, separate person/being, but each one is also God. The position of the Trinity that teaches that each member of the Godhead is exactly like the other, one and the same, is erroneous, and as our Adventist forefathers did – should be rejected. I personally know of no one who teaches this view of the Trinity now, altho this view was popular 200 years ago. If this is the view you are concerned about, you are right in opposing it. But the view of the Trinity that shows each of the 3 beings as being separate, yet each one being God, is truth, and is one of the pillars of the Christian’s platform of truth. No, it’s not a pillar that is peculiar to Adventists, but it is a pillar nonetheless.
We must be humble, and keep this advice in mind when studying this subject, 1PH Testimonies and Experiences Connected with the Loma Linda Sanitarium: “Those who seek to define God are on forbidden ground. We are to enter into no controversy regarding God,–what He is and what He is not. He, the Omniscient One, is above discussion. Those who express such sentiments regarding Him show that they are departing from the faith.”
God is above us. We will ever be learning all thru eternity, and still never realizing 100% of what God is. So any discussion we have on this is by it’s very nature – limited. We see thru a glass darkly.
That the three eternal beings are not all equal is evident as Christ calls his Father greater than himself (John 14:28). Also, since the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, is sent by the Father and by Jesus (John 14:26, 15:26), it stands to reason that the Holy Ghost is subject to them since the sender is greater than the sent.
Many, many places in the Old Testament when it uses the term ‘Lord’, or ‘God’, it is referring to Jesus Christ. When we read of the Lord leading the children of Israel etc., we must remember that it was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ who led them. Thus, when it mentions ‘Lord’, it is referring to the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.
2RH 1881-9-27: “It was Christ who spoke the law from Sinai. It was Christ who gave the law to Moses, engraven on tables of stone. It was his Father’s law; and Christ says, “I and my Father are one.” 2RH 1881-03-01: “The Father and the Son spoke to Moses from the rocks.”
To answer your letter point-by-point, it is important up front to understand that the current concept of ‘Trinity’, is not that of 3 eternal beings all exactly the same. Many years ago when the Seventh-day Adventist church was starting, the common belief regarding the Trinity was that all 3 beings were one and the same. This of course is false, and the early pioneers rightly described it as being false. Unfortunately, many of them also rejected the pre-existence of Jesus Christ. Ellen White tho, did believe in the pre-existence of Jesus Christ, 6ST 1900-08-29: “In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God.” So we see that Jesus was not ‘created’ at some point in the distant past, but has ALWAYS been with the Father.
Ellen White wrote not only of the pre-existence of Christ, but of his ‘self-existence’. This belief shows the idea that there was a time in the distant past when Jesus did not exist, and then he was created by the Father, to be totally false. YI 1900-06-21: “But Christ is equal with God, infinite and omnipotent. He could pay the ransom for man’s freedom. He is the eternal, self-existing Son, on whom no yoke had come; and when God asked, “Whom shall I send?” he could reply, “Here am I; send me.” He could pledge himself to become man’s surety; for he could say that which the highest angel could not say, I have power over my own life, “power to lay it down, and . . . power to take it again.”” Notice that Jesus is called “omnipotent”.
You write that “First SDA pastor who spoke about trinity was Kellogg”, then a few lines later write: “First man who introduced trinity to the church, Le Roy Froom…”. I purchased a original Church Manual with a publishing date of 1932, in Loma Linda last March. On page 180 it says: “That the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished; the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the work of redemption. Matt. 28:19.”
Please notice this was before 1942 when you say Le Roy Froom prepared something to introduce trinity to the church. It is a long time before 1980 when you say the “first church trinitarian statements of belief is made in 1980”.
Kellogg introduced pantheism to the church, a doctrine that says that God is in everything. This rejection of a personal being who is God leads into belief in nature being supreme. If the Holy Spirit is just God’s “breath”, then this doctrine of God in everything could be true. No, no, the Holy Spirit is an actual being. If you follow this false doctrine to its ultimate conclusion, you will see that it will lead to ‘Holy Flesh’. If God is in everything, then he is in us, then we all are holy. This is probably what the Omega of apostasy is (panentheism). I understand that some SDA pastors are already preaching this perversion.
Do you have ALL the original Spirit of Prophecy books? Wow!!! That’s great! I don’t know anyone who has all of them. Even on the White CD-ROM which supposedly has all the material she ever wrote, there is a little bit missing. Do you have the 1854 Supplement? Those early books are sure a blessing aren’t they?! Praise God for giving them to us!!!
I’m sure you know of the Arian doctrine, that Christ was a created being. The early Christian church fought to get rid of this terrible doctrine that demotes Jesus. 5ST 1895-6-27: “And that doctrine that denies the absolute Godhead of Jesus Christ, denies also the Godhead of the Father; for no man knoweth the Son but the Father.” Jesus is absolutely God.
You write: “rejection of trinity doesn’t means reject deity of Jesus.” This statement shows a demotion of Jesus from being God, to being a “Deity”. Actually, this is polytheism, the very thing that many Jehovah Witnesses unwittingly believe in! No, Jesus is the very God. Your explanation that Jesus is called ‘Mighty’, but never ‘Almighty’, is very amusing. This is really twisting the Word of God to suit a particular belief. Please re-read Isaiah 9:2-7. Revelation 1:8 says that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. R&H5 1896-2-18: “What a Saviour we have! It was he that revealed himself to John on the Isle of Patmos, and proclaimed, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.“”. So we see that yes, Jesus Christ is the Almighty! Hallelujah!
You say: “Never in the Bible Holy Spirit has name”. Well, just the fact that “Holy Spirit” is capitalized is enough to show me that this is one name. Also he has the name “Comforter” (used 4 times), and “Holy Ghost” (used 90 times). Jesus said this about the Comforter: John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” The Comforter is not Jesus, and is not a breath, Jesus calls the Comforter “he”.
It is true that 1John 5:7 is found in only a few, late manuscripts. But even without using that verse, it is very, very clear that there are 3 beings called ‘God’. It is amusing to think that Jesus would have his followers baptize people in the Father’s name, his name, and the name of the breath of them! No, no, there are 3 beings who are God, that is why we must be baptized in all their names.
Should we be using the Spirit to “place it in very proper place”? No, the Spirit uses us, not us placing him where we want. The concept of making the Holy Spirit having a physical body like Jesus has is not correct. Of the Godhead, only Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. Yes, the Holy Ghost does, and MUST fill us with his person. Without the Holy Ghost, we will fall into sin.
Page 17 of the 1858 Great Controversy does not talk about the Holy Spirit. That does not prove anything about the position of the Holy Spirit among the Godhead. This is the biggest problem in this whole idea of demoting Jesus and the Holy Spirit — the people who do this take texts out of context, and try to support their ideas by twisting something to go directly contrary to the obvious meaning. Because page 17 doesn’t talk about the Holy Spirit, somehow that is supposed to mean that the Holy Spirit is not a member of the Godhead? R&H 1894-02-06: “A portion of the joy which was set before Christ, was the joy of seeing his truth armed with the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit,…” 1888 Materials p.1493: “Evil had been accumulating for centuries, and could only be restrained and resisted by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead,…” The Holy Spirit is omnipotent GOD!
You ask me to show one trinitarian text in the originals. Ellen White never wrote the word “trinity” it seems. But the truth of 3 beings all being God is very evident in her writings as shown above. Here is one more quote, a long one from Redemption or the First Advent of Christ with His Life and Ministry – 1877 (vol.1), with underlining of important places in our discussion: “Man could not atone for man. He was created lower than the angels, and his sinful, fallen condition would constitute him an imperfect offering, an atoning sacrifice of less value than Adam before his fall. God made man perfect and upright, and after his transgression there could be no sacrifice acceptable to God for him, unless the offering made should in value be superior to man as he was while in his state of perfection and innocency.
The divine Son of God was the only one of sufficient value to satisfy the claims of God’s perfect law. The angels were sinless, but of less value than the law of God. They were amenable to law. They were messengers to do the will of Christ, and before him to bow. They were created beings, and probationers. Upon Christ no requirements were laid, as upon created beings. He had power to lay down his life, and to take it again. No obligation was laid upon him to undertake the work of atonement. It was a voluntary sacrifice that he made. His life was of sufficient value to rescue man from his fallen condition. The Son of God was in the form of God, and he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He was the only one, who as a man walked the earth, who could say to all men, Who of you convinceth me of sin? He had united with the Father in the creation of man, and he had power through his own divine perfection of character to atone for man’s sin, and to elevate him, and bring him back to his first estate.
…..The salvation of fallen man was procured at such an immense cost, that angels marveled, and could not fully comprehend the divine mystery that the Majesty of Heaven, equal with God, should die for the rebellious race.” It is clear that Christ was not created, and that he is equal with God!
Lynnford Beachy has many quotes in his study titled: “The Truth About God”. Unfortunately his basic premise is false, and thus his conclusions are false. He thinks that only the Father is called Jehovah, but in fact Jesus Christ is called Jehovah too. So Mr. Beachy’s conclusions are wrong.
Here are 2 other quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy on this subject. There are many more, but it is just too plain that Jesus too is God. 1RH 1872-12-31: “The Son was the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of his person. He possessed divine excellence and greatness. He was equal with God.” 1888 Materials p.395: “You do not recognize him whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. The king of glory appeared in the form of a servant, clothed in the garb of humanity.”
You write that you “know all the modern trends in SDA church”. It is sad that the SDA church has steadily retreated towards Babylon, and is promoting many bad things, but the SDA church is Laodicea, one of the churches of God, and not fallen Babylon yet like all the Sunday Protestant churches are (with their harlot mother).
That would be great if a brother in Germany could translate the original 1858 Great Controversy!!! Please keep in contact, and may we work for our Master and baptize all in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen. (^-^)
When I prayed and asked for understanding on this. The very first verse I was listening to was the audio Bible. It skipped the genealogy and started reading Matthew 1.18 onwards. It was the immediate answer to the question. Is the Holy Spirit only the “breathe” of Jesus? This chapter answers the question, Could Jesus be born a person because the Holy Spirit who is a Person caused Mary to be pregnant?
Let’s just read the words of Jesus about the Holy Ghost?
John 20:21, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Joh 20:22 , And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: It is very obvious from the words of Jesus himself, the Holy Ghost is His own breath the came out of His mouth!
What did the Psalmist say about the breath that came out of the mouth of our creator?
Psalms 33:6, By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. It is clearly Biblical that the Word is also the breath that come out of the mouth who created the heavens and all the host of them.
What about the word, or the breath in Genesis? Let’s just read how powerful the word of God is? Genesis 2 : 7, And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Very evident that out of the mouth of the LORD God which is His breath that made a living soul! And what about His word? Genesis 1 : 3, And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. God said (using His words from his mouth while exhaling-to breathe out), and it immediately came to existence.
There is power in His word, in his breath, which is His gospel, the power of Christ to save us all! 1 Thes 1 : 5, For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. Romans 1 : 16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
My personal conviction from the Word of God, that the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of the Father, came to us by His Son, so it’s also called the Spirit of Christ, is the also the Word of God, the Power of God, the breath of God, that came to us by His Son Jesus Christ, hence it is also the Word of Christ, the Power of Christ, the breath of Christ.