Also known as “Oneness” Theology
COMPLETE ARTICLE
There are many discrepancies in the “Oneness” doctrine that some mainline Pentecostal organizations are teaching and preaching today. In order to find the roots of this theological error, you must go first to the history behind it, and discover when it appeared and how it transitioned over the years into its current form of expression.
In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees and lawyers of the “law” knew that the Messiah was coming, as the book of Daniel foretold of the weeks of years in the prophecy of the 70 weeks. In that prophecy, Daniel was given the timeframe for the appearing of the Messiah. Daniel 9:25 says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” They knew from the commandment to rebuild and restore Jerusalem would be 69 x 7 or 483 years. The year of the Messiah came and you can bet that the scholars and teachers of Jesus’ day were bumping elbows in Torah class, saying to each other, “This is the year that was prophesied! Our Messiah will be making his appearance!” Not only did they know the year, but the signs in the heavens, of a star that “appeared” to proclaim his arrival, along with a group of travelers from a foreign country a few years later, looking for the great king that was born, all pointed to the fact that Daniel’s prophecy had indeed come to pass! With the Torah truth, and with the signs of the star, the shepherds, and the traveling “wise men from afar”, there was assuredly no doubt in their minds that the Messiah did indeed come! The problem was his arrival! The problem was how he chose to present himself to the people! They expected some glorious moment when he would miraculously proclaim his kingdom, remove the heel of Roman oppression from off of their collective backs, and restore the kingdom of Israel to its former days of glory as in the kingdoms of David and Solomon!
To dispute Jesus, the first thing they did was to proclaim that there was only ONE GOD! Jesus never proclaimed that he was GOD, but most assuredly did proclaim to them that he was the Son of God! In Matthew 27, the Jews are mocking him as he hung on the cross, and said “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” In John 10:36 Jesus says to the Pharisees and scribes again… “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” It is sad to see how the Jew’s rejected the Son of God and oneness theology accepts the Son of God but rejects the Father! To say that Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all in one is to reject the distinct, absolute existence of the Heavenly Father who brought forth His only begotten son Jesus, by whom all things were created, and to diminish the promise and gift of the Father, the Holy Ghost!
I know the point of Oneness theology that would insert itself about now, of “God was the Father in Creation, the Son in Redemption, and the Holy Ghost in regeneration!” So all of this would flow together, right? Wrong! Proof that the above statement is theologically flawed is found in Hebrews 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
The Son of God was used by the Father to create all that was made, and being the express image of the Father, and upholding all things by the word of power of the Father (the son is the word) and the same word sits at the right hand of the Father…So, the Son was the creator…not the Father!! Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Let us move onward with our main point, the beginning of this false doctrine. The Jews were the first one to proclaim that Jesus was blaspheming God, by proclaiming that he was the Son of God, and that he shared glory with his Father, the True and Living God!
The early church founders and fathers, specifically the apostles along with Paul, wrote the books of the New Testament! Not one of the apostles in their writings indicate that Jesus was the Father in bodily form! It was not until the 3rd century, after the formation of the Catholic church, that the doctrine of “Oneness” pops up! I will clarify later on in this writing the meaning of the unity of Christ with his Father and how the word of God explains the Oneness of the Godhead, specifically mentioned in I John Chapter 5. In the third century A.D, within the Catholic church, there arose a heretical doctrine known as Sabellianism, and also Monarchial Modalism. This idea came about through a monk named Sabellius, who proposed the thought that the Godhead was a Monad, expressing itself as the Father in creation, the son in redemption, and the Holy spirit in sanctification. Sound familiar? More naïve forms of this thought took shape and became known as Monarchial Modalism. Basically, this doctrine states that God will switch into different “modes” as necessary, presenting himself as Father when needed, switching modes to become the Son when required, and of course always available to be the Holy Spirit in between the other “modes” of operation.
Another argument that I know begins to arise… “Well, He is God, isn’t He? Can’t he do or be who he wishes to be at any time that he would desire?” Yes, he can, but has never presented himself outside of the express “WORD OF HIS POWER”. In other words, he will stick to his word and not try to fool you or anyone else desiring to know HIS true nature! In the book of Exodus chapter 33, Moses desired to see God, and God said to him, “no man can see my face, and live”. Yet in the same chapter, verse 11 we find that Moses spoke with God face to face, as a man speaks with a friend! And not only Moses, but in Chapter 24, seventy of the elders of the children of Israel saw God, and did live to tell about it! The scriptures say, “they saw God, and did eat and drink”!
Who did they see? Was it the glory of the Father? Or the Humility of the Son? The answer should be obvious, as the word of God does not contradict itself. The Son of God, who shared glory with his Father from before the world began, (John 17:5) was the back side, or humility side, of the Father that Moses was able to see, and the elders of Israel were able to see! It was Christ the Rock that followed Israel through the wilderness, the Son of God! (I Cor. 10:4) Jesus, the Son of GOD, came in the name and the authority of his Father! (John 5:43)
Oneness theologians will assert at this point the all to familiar phrase to explain their unexplainable. “This is a theophany!” The definition of a theophany is an expression of God, or a manifestation of God. But I present to you the true theophanies of God, such as a burning bush that is not consumed, the pillar of fire by night that stood over the tabernacle in the wilderness with the children of Israel, or the pillar of cloud by day, and many, many others. But not the “express image” of the personage that Moses spoke with! That was no expression or manifestation of God….IT WAS GOD THE SON! What we have to do is rightly divide the word of truth to know if it was God the Father? Or was it God the Son? Again, this rhetorical question needs no answer, as it is obvious NO MAN has seen the Father and lived! John 6:46. However, the many thousands of people who walked, talked, and fellowshipped with Jesus, the Son of God, while he walked the earth in the days of his ministry, did not perish! If he was truly the Father indeed, the WORD of God would have to be fulfilled and all that saw him perish!
Another of many, many points to be made in the distinction between the Father and the son is the defined expression of the Wisdom of God, Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 1:24 “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
We must now go to the book of Proverbs Chapter 8, to see the beginnings of the Wisdom of God, the Christ! Read all of it to recognize that the Son of God was indeed brought forth in eternity past by his Father, and also in these last days in the flesh, being born of a virgin, for our redemption and sanctification! Notice these verses in Proverbs 8:
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
Or, how about this psalm of the king and prophet David, which are affirmed twice in the New Testament?
Psalms 2:7
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Acts 13:33
God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Hebrews 1:5
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
The fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of GOD, being exalted above all things by his Father, yet not having all things put under his feet…shows us a distinct difference in the personages of the Father and the Son!
Hebrews 2: 5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren…..
(If Jesus was the Father, all things would be under his feet! And if not all is put under his feet, who will with greater authority put those things there? Again, this answer is rhetorical in nature, but for sake of understanding, the Father will put all things under the feet of his Son!)
I Cor. 15:24-28 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to GOD, even the FATHER; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Paul was stating the obvious here, that there is one exception to “all things being put under Jesus” and he said it this way….”But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.” (The Father is the one who will put all things under Jesus…of course, with the exception of Himself!)
The Godhead Bodily
Now we must explore the words of Jesus himself! In the Gospel of John Chapter 10, Jesus proclaimed to the Jews that “I and my Father are one!” But a simple lack of understanding of his statement fuels the oneness theology to the extreme. Jesus was not stating that he and his father were bodily one, but that in purpose, plan, and performance of the will of God, they were one. What the Father decreed and purposed in his plan, the Son would perform. In no way would he deviate from the things his Father said and did. In John 8:28 Jesus said, “but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” Again in John 8:38, “I speak that which I have seen with my Father:” John 10:18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 15:15 “for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” These and many more verses in the gospels from the lips of Jesus , the precious Son of God, relates to you and I the truth of One God and Father of all, and One son of God, Jesus Christ the righteous, and One Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth!
Jesus was praying for his about to be formed church in the garden of Gethsemane. In John 17:22, he cried to his Father “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.”
The prayer of the Lord Jesus here is really clear. He desired His body the church to be ONE, even as he and his father are ONE! The church is the body of Christ, and we are one in him, yet made of MANY members! We as the body of Christ are only ONE body in unity, and in purpose, not in the literal bodily form. Just as Jesus and his Father are one in purpose and unity, so should be his Church! “EVEN AS WE ARE” Jesus wanted his church to be one with him and his Father, and one in each other. He was not speaking of bodily oneness obviously, as his church is made up of many children of God, joint heirs with Christ!
As believers, we all know the clear instructions of truth which declares, that Jesus the Savior now lives within us, in our new hearts made after the image of the son of God!…We are In Jesus, and He is in us! Jesus declared, “John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” So as born again believers, Jesus is one with us, and we are one with him, as he abides in us and we abide in him! However, that does not make you JESUS. There is only ONE BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, and that is JESUS. HE is the true vine, and we are only the branches, and because we are grafted in to him, does not make us HIM, but connects us to him by his body! So also is the truth of the Godhead. Within Jesus dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead! Within that mortal body of flesh that the Father had prepared for his Son whom He begat and brought forth in eternity past, dwelt His Father and the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth from the Father! Hebrews chapter 1 verse one and two tells us that in these last days the Son was revealed in that mortal body, being born of a virgin, to speak the glad tidings to the world, of the salvation plan of GOD!
Another beautiful picture of the Godhead is found in Genesis, when God said, Let US make man in OUR image. This is not the attributes of God talking with one another! This was the Father speaking with His Son, Jesus the Christ by whom He made all things! As Adam female came out from the side of Adam male, so did the Son of God come out from the side of the Father! He was brought forth from Him in Eternity past! The Son of God created man in their image! Two portions of mankind called Man, and Two portions of the Godhead called GOD, the Father and the Son!
We see another point made in the “oneness” of a man and his wife. Jesus spoke in Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
The word “One” is referring to the way God views a man and his wife. As no longer two, but one. This word “one” in the Greek is the same used in the verse in I John 5:7 “and these three are one”. It is the word heis in the Greek which means severally or one by one. The Three that bear record in heaven are one…one Father, one Word, one Holy Ghost! Just like if you are married in God’s eyes you are ONE, does not make you one bodily! You are One man, and One woman, joined together by GOD and are now ONE!
THE TRINITARIAN VIEW OF THE GODHEAD
Before we go any farther, lets address the view of the “Trinity”. First of all, the word trinity is not in the bible! The inferences of many in the “oneness” theology is anyone who breathes the word “trinity” is the despicable apostate who believes in three Gods! There is no Christian belief structure that I have found in my research that teaches that there are three Gods. When the word trinity is used in Christianity, it is being used to define the 3 distinct and different functions of the Godhead. In I John 5:7 we read, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. This is the Definition of GOD! God the Father, who brought forth and begat the Son of God, and The Holy Ghost, which is the spirit through which the Father and Son can take their abode with us!
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, (the church) and one Spirit, (the Holy Ghost) even as ye are called (the Holy Ghost is what draws us to Jesus!) in one hope of your calling; (into the gospel of truth)
5 One Lord, (Jesus!) one faith, (the gospel or faith once delivered to the saints!) one baptism, (one baptism here speaks of water baptism and there is only one way to be buried with Christ and risen with him in newness of life and that is by baptism. This is not saying there is no spirit baptism.) 6 One God and Father of all, (the Father!) who is above all, (John 10:29) and through all, and in you all. (Abides in you with the Son through the Holy Ghost!)
Where the “trinitarian” view of the Godhead goes sideways and has difficulty in explaining itself is in the “personhood” of the Holy Ghost. He is the comforter, the advocate, the one who is continually leading and guiding into all truth! There is no biblical evidence that the Holy Ghost takes on a bodily visible form! For God is a Spirit! Which portion of God is a spirit? That would be the spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost! Jesus had a body prepared for him…..the disciples beheld the glory of the Father in the person of the Son of God! John states this plainly in his gospel chapter one. “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, full of grace and truth”. Jesus, the son of God spoke of those who would not deny him would have the opportunity to be introduced to his Father! (Matthew 10:32, Phil. 2:11) Also in the book of Daniel 7:13 we read: I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
This is speaking of the Son of God, called the son of man we know as Jesus standing before the Ancient of Days, the Father, and receiving from HIM a kingdom which cannot be destroyed and finally ALL things being put under his feet!
To conclude this thought, we see bodily forms of the Father and the Son being revealed in scripture, and although we see the Holy Ghost revealed as doves, tongues of fire, and other expressions of the spirit, we do not see a “personhood” of the Holy Ghost displayed. This SHOULD NOT be taken as a minimizing of the Holy Ghost, but a recognizing that this portion of the revelation of GOD, as a spirit, should be observed as it is. There is not any references to being introduced or seeing in bodily form the portion of God called the Holy Ghost!
Since we see no scriptural references that the Holy Ghost will ever take on a bodily form that we will be able to observe, we must conclude that it is indeed the “Spirit” of God sent from the Father to do a specific work in the lives of men. We also know that the Holy Ghost was with God the Father in eternity past, as was the Son. We do know that we shall “see” Jesus even as he is: Isaiah 53:2, I John 3:2, and we have a promise of being introduced to the Father and his angels by Jesus Christ, the Only begotten Son of God! Matt.10:32, Luke 12:8.
THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN
In the book of I Timothy 2:5, Paul wrote “for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” This mediator was the one presented throughout the scriptures, only being revealed to us in these last days as Jesus, the Son of God when he came in the flesh to be the final sacrifice for sin for all time. However, it must not be overlooked that he was the mediator between God and men from the book of Genesis onward! This Son of God, who shared glory with his Father from eternity past, was the one who walked with Adam male and female in the garden in the cool of the evening. A reminder from the book of Proverbs 8:30-31, he was the delight of his Father, and the sons of men was his delight! He was the one who wrestled with Jacob at the brook Jabook. He was the one who allowed Abram to negotiate with him over the number of righteous it would take to spare Sodom. He was the one who mediated with Moses in the mountain that burned with fire as the glory of the only begotten burned around about! He was the one Isaiah saw in the sixth chapter High and lifted up and his train filled the temple! He was the one whom Ezekiel the prophet saw in the first chapter verses 26-28. And with a little observation, you will notice that it was the same Son of God Daniel spoke with in Daniel 10:5, and John the Revelator spoke with in Revelation 1:13,4:3. Each of these men talked with the glorious Son of God in the Old and New Testaments. John saw him in Revelation with the glory that he shared with his Father from a time before the world was! John 17:5. So amazing and powerful to view, each of these men fell on their faces as though dead! But each time they were strengthened by that wonderful, precious, mediator that we know is Jesus Christ, the Son of God! Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord! Deut. 6:4 is another favorite verse used to proclaim a “oneness” doctrine. There is only one Lord, the mediator between God and men! There is only Jesus Christ, that precious Son of God, the Lamb of God given by the Father to a lost a dying world! And salvation can only be found in Him! There is no other way, no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved! Acts 4:12. The verse from Deuteronomy is not claiming that bodily the Father and the Son are one, but is claiming that we only have one Lord, the only mediator for men! From the Father came all things, including the Son, by whom all things were made! I Corinthians 8:6 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.
We can easily conclude by now, if we are rightly dividing the “word of truth” that the mediator of men is Jesus Christ the Son of God! Not only in these last days, but all throughout the scriptures, he intervened on behalf of men, with his grace and truth!
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES CLEARLY DEFINING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FATHER AND THE SON
Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (If Jesus was the Father, then he would have said he knew the day and hour.)
Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
(If Jesus was the Father, he would have stated it was his to give, but instead stated that position was not his to appoint, but his Father would appoint that place.)
John 20:31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
(The word was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God, not that he is the Father, and that we would have life through his name!)
Paul, in the book of Hebrews, starts with the very essence of the Godhead, The Father of all, and His only begotten Son revealed in these last days….
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Jesus the Son of God, who created all things, now given to man as the mediator for salvation Prov. 8:31, John 3:16)
3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (The Son of God was given the Name above all names, JESUS, the JHVH our savior from the old testament unpronounceable name, which is the family name of the Godhead! Jesus stated that he came in his Father’s name and they did not receive him. John 5:43)
5For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? (A son must be begotten from a father, as Jesus the Son was in eternity past from the Father)
6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (As the son of God, he was also to be worshipped and adored by all beneath him. The only things not beneath him is the Father! I Cor. 15:24-28)
7And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
8But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (the Father is referencing the eternal place of the Son of God in the Godhead, referring to him also as GOD)
9Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
10And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (The Lord is Jesus, as the creator of all things that we see in our visible universe with the exception of the Father and His creative works Col.1:16)
11They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
13But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? (Here again the Father is promising his Son that he will place all of his created works back under his feet. If Jesus was the Father, he would need no one to put anything back under him!)
14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
INTRODUCTIONS OF EVERY NEW TESTAMENT LETTER
In every New Testament letter from the apostles to the churches, the distinction between the Father and the Son is made precisely and clearly as this was the understanding of the early church leaders! Follow through with each portion of scripture, and allow your eyes to be opened to this truth!
Romans 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 1:3Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
II Corinthians 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Galatians 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ ,4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Ephesians 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Phillipians 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
I Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
II Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
II Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Philemon 1:3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
I Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
II Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
I John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
II John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
WHY IS THE ONENESS DOCTRINE DANGEROUS?
Any doctrine that deviates from the Word of God should be considered dangerous. Some false doctrines are less dangerous than others, and the way that “Oneness” is presented to many believers is inherently false. Its primary focus of combining in bodily form all 3 portions of the Godhead creates confusion in the minds of anyone desiring to know the truth of the scriptures. This aberration of truth is so ingrained in the mind of “Oneness” followers, that even when presented with the truth of the Word of God, they will inevitably fall back on the traditions of their families and religious backgrounds.
“My grandpa and grandma couldn’t have been involved in any false doctrines! They believed oneness and that is what I will believe!” I am amazed at how many times people will use these excuses as a basis for their relationship with their Savior! Holy Ghost filled people should allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide them into ALL truth! That was the purpose of the promise of the Father! When we choose traditions of men and our family heritages over the truth presented from the Word of God, we do despite to the spirit of grace, whereby we were called! (Heb. 10:29). I know from personal experience how difficult it is to pull away from religiosity and churchianity, and humbly allow the Spirit of God to reveal truth from the powerful Word of God! For the Word of God is quick and powerful! It is sharper than any two edged sword! It will divide truth from untruth, and separate you from half truths into the fullness of truth! And what a refreshing place to find in the Lord Jesus Christ! What a fellowship divine, understanding who my Lord and Savior was, is, and shall be throughout eternity!
Some recent publications from a major oneness organization went so far as to acknowledge that there must be 2 visible portions of the Godhead at the moment….but in eternity to come Jesus the Son of God will be done away with and absorbed back into the Father again so that of course, there will be no confusion and there will be only one God! How blasphemous! How desperate to prove a doctrine that doesn’t even exist in the scriptures! How far down the road of doing whatever it takes to prove your viewpoints are you willing to go? Don’t give supposition and cunning words of man’s wisdom to attempt to prove a point that is only partially true. There is a “Oneness” to the Godhead, but not in bodily form! There is a unity within the Godhead that can only be explained in the revelation of types and shadows from the scriptures, giving us a picture of how the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are unified! Look into the perfect law of liberty to find God’s answer to the Godhead, the total and complete understanding of who GOD is!
Pastor Stephen Dubois