Sermon Tone Analysis

By Ben Rast

 

Contender Ministries

 

December 12, 2004

 

 

 

     Dr.

Pyuwarmer flipped the chart closed, took off his reading glasses, and let out a long sigh.

“John, there is a procedure that can save your life.

I’d like you to consider it.

John Skeptich rubbed his temples and looked up.

“Well, is it an invasive procedure?”

“Well, that’s hard to answer, John.

Yes and no.”

 

    “You call that an answer, doc?” John’s frustration was beginning to show.

“Either it is or it isn’t.”

“Well, it’s kind of both.

I’m sorry, but it’s hard to describe.

It’s a very advanced procedure, and I don’t really understand it fully myself.

However, I think you should have it done.”

“Do you have any literature that can explain it?”

“Well, yes, but it’s not very clearly spelled out.

You kind of have to read between the lines.

It’s all in there though.”

John could no longer hide his frustration.

He stood up, grabbed his coat, and fixed Dr. Pyuwarmer with a hard look.

“Look doctor.

You’re asking me to submit to a procedure you don’t understand and can’t explain.

With all due respect, I’ll take my chances!”

With that, John swept out the door, slamming it so hard that Dr. Pyuwarmer’s medical school diploma fell from the wall.

Putting yourself in John’s shoes, it’s easy to see how hard it would be to put your faith in something that your doctor didn’t even understand.

Just as in this analogy, Christians must be prepared to explain our faith with nonbelievers.

There are few things more important for Christians to understand than the nature of God.

Many of the differences between biblical Christianity and cults occur within the context of variant understandings of the nature of God.

If we are to worship God in truth (John 4:24) and share the truth with others, it is vitally important that we have an understanding of what the Bible says about God.

Perhaps the single most misunderstood doctrine regarding the nature of God is the doctrine of the Trinity.

Believers and nonbelievers alike have a difficult time comprehending God’s triune nature, and those that do understand have a difficult time explaining it.

As critics of the Trinity are quick to point out, the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, and no single verse provides a summary of the Trinitarian doctrine.

In an email we received, LDS apologist D.L. Barksdale said, “The homoousion Trinitarian dogma is heretical to anyone who cherishes the Bible.

It is an unbiblical doctrine…” 

 

Complicating the issue are various misconceptions about the Trinity within Christianity as well as from without.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons disregard the Trinity, believing that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct gods, with the Father being a greater God than the other two.

Jehovah’s Witnesses especially emphasize the subordination of the Godhead, believing Jesus to be Michael the Archangel – a created being, and a lesser “god” than Jehovah.

Mormon doctrine is polytheistic (worship of multiple gods), though some Mormons will stress that their belief is henotheistic (belief in multiple gods, but worship of only one).

Mohammad’s misunderstanding of the Trinity was apparently affected by the hyperdulia veneration of Mary seen in the Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, as the Qur’an accuses Christians of believing the Trinity to be composed of God the Father, Jesus, and Mary.

Indeed, the doctrine of the Trinity can pose a stumbling block for some people.

A Jehovah’s Witness sent us an email that included the following (the English is poor, but you’ll see the point):  “And when I can not find in any Bible that I read that there is a 3 headed god that will resurrect anyone on this earth, both now or ever.

If this 3 headed god is your belief?

I have never read about such a god in any Christian Bible that I have ever read!”

As I told this man, we agree that the Bible does not teach of a three-headed god.

That sounds more akin to the hydra of Greek mythology.

Yet this illustrates the extent of the misunderstandings.

Even Christian churches have been victimized by erroneous doctrines such as modalism, particularly Oneness theology.

We may never fully understand the nature of God until we get into heaven.

God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and eternal.

Our finite created minds are unable to fully grasp these characteristics of God.

However, it is possible to have a basic understanding of the triune nature of God, and to be able to defend this doctrine with the Word of God.

In this article, we’ll assess the Scriptural evidence and put the pieces together until they form a full picture.

A triune God will be the only possible verdict based on an objective analysis of the Scriptural evidence.

The doctrine of the Trinity can be summed up as follows:  Within the one Being that is God, there exist eternally three coequal and coeternal Persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.[1]

In order to prove this doctrine we must prove the following:

 

 

 

There is only one God

 

The Father is God

 

Jesus is God

 

The Holy Spirit is God

 

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons.

Each point above is very important, and we will clearly illustrate each.

Heresy arises when these distinctions are blurred.

For instance, modalism (also known as Oneness theology) would agree with items one through four, but item five is where modalism fails.

However, as James White said in regards to the doctrine of the Trinity, “For some reason many feel that there is a hierarchy of ‘error’ when it comes to the Trinity….

We are to worship God in spirit and in truth, and two-thirds of the truth is not a valid substitute, no matter which one-third of His truth we choose to reject.”[2]

There is a treasure trove of Scriptures to support each of the points we’ll be studying.

To keep this article at a reasonable length, where there are several relevant verses, I’ll limit the full verse quotation to two verses (in NIV, unless stated otherwise), and give the Scripture references for the rest.

1*.

There is only one God:*

 

Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are known as the big three monotheistic religions.

You won’t find many arguments among Muslims, Jews, and Christians that there is more than one God, except perhaps among some aberrant sects.

Nevertheless, let us establish this Scripturally before we move on to areas where disagreements will arise.

*A.

There is only one God:*

 

“You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.”

– Deuteronomy 4:35

 

"This is what the LORD says- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:  I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.”

– Isaiah 44:6

 

Other Old Testament Verses: Deut.

4:39; 32:39; 2 Sam.

22:32; Isa.

37:20; 43:10; 44:6-8; 45:5, 14, 21-22; 46:9.

“How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” – John 5:44

 

“…since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.”

Romans 3:30

 

Other New Testament Verses: Rom.

16:27; 1 Cor.

8:4-6; Gal.

3:20; Eph.

4:6, 1 Tim.

1:17; 2:5; James 2:19; Jude 25.

 

*B.

There is only one true God: *

 

“But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.

When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.”

– Jeremiah 10:10

 

“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.

And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ.

He is the true God and eternal life.”