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Satan in the New Testament

The Bible has a consistent message from the beginning to end. God is the author, and He knew all things from the very beginning of Creation (Isaiah 46:10). In our previous investigation we considered the following points about ‘satan’ from the Old Testament:

  • ‘Satan’ is a Hebrew word that has been transliterated into English and into the Greek New Testament.
  • The word ‘satan’ means an opponent or adversary.
  • Satan can be ‘an adversary’ for good or for bad purposes.
  • The term ‘satan’ has been applied to the actions of angels, men and even in one instance – God.

For this investigation, we will consider how the word “satan” is used in the New Testament. The words devil, satan and demons occur much more frequently in the NT than they do in the OT, and there is a very important reason for this.

IS ‘SATAN’ USED OF HUMANS?

In the New Testament, is the word ‘satan’ applied to men or women, like it is in the Old Testament?

Yes – Peter! In Matthew 16:23 and Mark 8:33:

“But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Mark 8:33

By suggesting that Jesus should avoid going up to Jerusalem to be killed, Peter was being an adversary to Jesus. So, Jesus calls him “Satan” because that is exactly what he was at that moment! Peter tried to stop him, out of love for his Master, but nevertheless, Peter was opposing Christ’s resolve to go through with his painful mission from God. A friend’s appeal would be harder for Jesus to resist than if one of his enemies had suggested it, so Jesus speaks harshly to Peter.

With this basic understanding that “satan” is used to describe an adversary, and in particular anything that opposes the will of God working in our life, let’s look at how else this word is used.

THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST

Immediately after receiving the Holy Spirit from God, Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted by ‘the adversary’ – satan – also referred to as ‘the devil’ (meaning ‘a traducer, false accuser or slanderer’) We read about this in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-13; and Luke 4:1-13.

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8

Before considering who or what is tempting Jesus, consider these principles:

  • We know that Christ was tempted just like us, from Hebrews 4:14-15:

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

  • How are we tempted? By our own lusts! Temptation is not sin – giving in to temptation is sinful.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:14-15

  • We are tempted by our own hearts!

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:21-23

  • Just as we find in the OT, the Bible tells us it is the ‘imaginations’ of our heart (human nature) that cause us to go astray. Our nature is our own worst enemy or adversary (i.e. satan)! It is this nature that we battle against in our striving to serve the Lord, as Paul writes:

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Romans 7:14-25

Remember, that just before Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness, he had been given the spirit of God at his baptism (Luke 3:22; 4:1). He suddenly had supernatural power at his fingertips. Any human being, ‘tempted as we are’, would immediately battle within themselves over how to use such power. Is it right to use God’s Holy Spirit to create bread out of rocks for your own indulgence? Is it right to use God’s power for a supernatural rescue? And for Jesus, especially, who knew the expectations of all the Jewish people was that their Messiah would conquer the Romans and restore Israel’s dynasty – was it right to use God’s power to take the Kingdom before the Cross? All these temptations and others occurred in his life at later times, so it was important for Jesus to determine how he would overcome, before he faced these trials.

  • FOOD – It was not right to use God’s power for selfish ends, but it was good to feed multitudes – Matthew 14:15-23
  • SPECTACULAR RESCUES – Jesus did not allow himself to be thrown off a hill – Luke 4:28-31
    • Jesus chose not to use God’s angel army to avoid the Cross – Matthew 26:52-54
  • KINGSHIP BEFORE THE CROWN – Jesus escaped from those who wanted to make him king by force – John 6:14-16

It is possible that the ‘devil’ or ‘satan’ in Luke 4, could be an acquaintance who was suggesting these possibilities to Jesus – but this is certainly not necessary. If Jesus ‘was tempted like us’, his own human nature was very capable of enticing him with all these options and more. Jesus came to ‘destroy the devil’ in his death (Hebrew 2:14-15). His victory also involved never giving into the internal adversary in his life. The New Testament is about Jesus’ ultimate battle against sin – in all its manifestations – in order that he could be the perfect sacrifice that God required to save the world.

SATAN IN PARABLES

The Sower

In the well-known Parable of the Sower, Jesus used “satan” as a symbol for whatever opposes the ability of God’s Word to take root in our lives and produce fruit. 

“And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” Mark 4:15

The record in Matthew 13:19 uses the Greek word “poneros”, translated “wicked” instead of “satan”, indicating that the adversary is whatever evil, malicious, harmful or lewd thing keeps us from accepting the Gospel message. As we have seen earlier it is our own deceitful heart that does this quite well!

The parallel account of this parable in Luke 8:12, uses the Greek word “diabolos” to explain what hinders the growth of the Word in a person’s life. It is translated ‘devil’ in most Bibles, and we will focus on ‘The Devil in the New Testament’ in a separate study. Suffice it to say here, that in this parable Jesus links “satan” and the “devil”. As we have seen, this represents those things or individuals which make it difficult for the seed of God’s word to take root in our lives. So, the “diabolos” is another way of describing this impediment.

Beelzebub

In another incident the Scribes accused Jesus of being able to perform miracles because he was possessed by ‘Beelzebub’ – a Philistine idol, meaning, ‘Lord of the fly’, or the ‘dung god’. Jesus did not directly correct their false beliefs, but rather showed the ridiculousness of their argument by stating the obvious, in a parable:

“And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” Matthew 12:26

“And he called them [unto him], and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?” Mark 3:23

“And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.” Mark 3:26

“If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.” Luke 11:18

Jesus used parabolic and symbolic language to debunk the Scribes’ theory that he was possessed by the ‘the chief of the devils,’ and to show them clearly his main point, “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” (Luke 11:20) That is, Jesus has power and authority from God over all other forces – imaginary or real, so therefore, his claims of divine sonship are true. He is the Messiah!

HOW DOES SATAN ‘ENTER’, ‘POSSESS’ OR ‘TEMPT’ PEOPLE?

How then can we understand language that seems to indicate that “satan” enters, possesses, or tempts people?

If “satan” is representative of human nature – our fleshly desires that are an adversary, opponent or enemy to following God and His Son – then the following incidents make sense:

Judas the Betrayer

We cannot know for certain what motivated Judas to betray his master, but circumstances right before the Last Supper may have stirred up greed and pride.

In two places the scriptures describe this process as “satan entering him”.

“Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.” Luke 22:3

“And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.” John 13:27

By comparing the Gospel records in Mark 14:1-11 and John 12:1-10, we can see that it was Judas who complained about the waste of money when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with costly ointment. Jesus had to harshly rebuke him, and it was immediately after this that Judas “went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.” The anger he felt over the waste/loss of money, and his own hurt pride may have led to his evil decision to betray his master.  ‘Satan’ here could be Judas’ own lustful desires.

It is also possible that the enemies of Jesus (his adversaries) had planted a seed in Judas’ mind that bore fruit after the incident with Mary anointing Jesus. His own wrongful desires and the enticement to follow the schemes of the Pharisees, may be referred to as “satan entering into Judas”.

“Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.” Luke 22:1-5

From the passage above, it seems the Chief priests and Pharisees were looking for a weak link in the group of disciples and may have even tried to compromise Peter. Later on, in the same chapter Jesus says:

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:” Luke 22:31

 It should be noted here that the ‘you’ in this passage is plural and refers to the whole group of disciples. Jesus’ enemies were using any means possible to undermine his work. It seems they did get through to Judas. Jesus had been praying that his disciples might overcome! “But I have prayed for thee [Peter], that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:32

Satan and Ananias

Understanding ‘satan’ – the adversary – as a representation of human fleshly desires and lusts would also fit with the account of Ananias and Sapphira. This couple sold their land and pretended to give ALL the proceeds to the Church, when in fact they kept some back for their own use. Again, this action was motivated by a combination of greed and pride – wanting to ‘look good’ in front of the others.

“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” Acts 5:3

Peter goes on to say, “why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart” (verse 4), which links the description of satan filling our heart to a decision to give in to the wrongful desires of our heart.

THE ENEMY OF THE CHURCH

The concept that the Pharisees – and other adversaries to the work of the Lord – are referred to as “satan,” helps to explain passages that refer to the enemy of the Church in the First Century.

 “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” Romans 16:20

The believers in the Roman church were encouraged to stay strong and be patient, being assured that God was going to relieve them soon. With persecution by the likes of Emperor Nero who hauled faithful believers off to the Colosseum to face the lions, such encouragement would be well received!

It is also interesting that Paul uses the phrase “bruise satan under your feet”, since one of the greatest prophecies about Messiah in the Bible is in Genesis 3:15, which promises that one day the ‘Seed of the Woman’ [Jesus the Messiah] would bruise the serpent [fleshly thinking that opposes God] on its head, while sustaining a temporary wound to his own heel – an apt description of crushing a snake on its head while it bites you! This Jesus did to his own human nature by never sinning in his life and being faithful to endure a tortuous crucifixion as an innocent man. Death was only a temporary blow to his ‘heel’ as he was resurrected to immortality three days later. As an ‘immortal’ he will never be tempted to sin again – that battle is over! This is how Jesus “destroyed him that has the power of death, that is the devil”! Hebrews 2:14.

There are many instances where the enemies of the Church are referred to as ‘satan’ (2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Thess.2:18; 2 Thess. 2:9; 1 Tim. 5:15; Rev. 2:9; 13,24; 3:9) Sometimes the most dangerous enemy comes from within the group! When the ‘satan’ or adversary talks and acts like a believer ‘transformed into an angel of light’ the result can be devastating for the church. In such cases drastic measures must be taken.

SATAN IN MARRIED LIFE

Practicing abstinence in marriage may have some spiritual benefit, but Paul warns:

 “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (ESV) 1 Corinthians 7:5

This is a good description of the weakness of human nature, that despite the best of intentions and spiritual devotions, a lack of self-control could be disastrous!

So, we are warned and encouraged to be vigilant and mindful of our weak natures that oppose the will of God in our lives. Jesus himself knew this and said, “The sprit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41), so he told his disciples they needed to ‘watch and pray.’

Paul put it this way when speaking about the importance of forgiveness and not holding grudges. “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:11

DISFELLOWSHIP FROM THE BODY OF BELIEVERS

If a believer was acting or teaching in a way that was detrimental to the overall health of the church, or endangering their own personal salvation, Paul is inspired to command the church to ‘deliver such a person to satan’. This seems counterintuitive if ‘satan’ was the arch-enemy of God! Wouldn’t you want to protect weak believers from ‘satan’?

 “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 5:5

 “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” 1 Timothy 1:20

And surely you wouldn’t send someone to ‘satan’ to learn NOT to blaspheme!

What then can this mean, and does it relate to what we have seen so far?

When someone is doing something that harms the ‘body of Christ’ – the assembly of believers, or themselves – he or she needs to understand the seriousness of the infraction. Since they are following their own lust or pride, to be ‘delivered to satan’ means to be left to their own devices. Hopefully, when they realize that their thoughts and actions are contrary to the commands of Christ, and when they see the fruitlessness of their behaviour and begin to miss the fellowship of true believers, they will humble themselves, repent and return to God’s family. This was Paul’s hope and the reason for the command.

SICKNESS AND DISEASE

A sad manifestation of our fallen state (sinfulness) is disease and sickness. Paul spoke of a time after we are raised from the dead when this ‘mortal’ and ‘corruptible’ body puts on ‘immortality’ and ‘incorruption’. As such, it is appropriate to refer to such ‘fallenness’ as the work of ‘satan’, since it is sin that leads to death.  

 “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” Luke 13:16

 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” 2 Corinthians 12:7

In the case of Paul, he knew the Lord was in control, and he asked that the impediment might be removed. We are not sure what his ‘thorn in the flesh’ was, but it was hindering his work, like an adversary or opponent – a ‘satan’. Some have suggested he had weak eyes, as it seems that others penned his words for him in all the Epistles. Paul accepted the Lord’s will in this matter, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

What then did Jesus mean when he said: “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18

The context of this verse is the disciples rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit through them to heal people. Jesus knew that his life, death and resurrection was the solution to the painful affects of the introduction of sin and death in the Garden of Eden, including the devastation of sickness and disease. He could already see the beginning of his victory in the testimony of his disciples. The ‘reign’ of sin (the greatest adversary to mankind) was coming to an end. Through Jesus we will sing the victory song, “Oh, Death where is thy sting? Oh, Grave where is thy victory?!” This is the fall of “satan”, which began with Jesus’ ministry and will be fully accomplished when he returns.

THE INFLUENCE OF SATAN RESTRAINED IN THE MILLENIUM

When Jesus returns to establish God’s Kingdom on earth, he will reign in righteousness and justice over all the nations who survive Armageddon. The immortalized saints will help him rule and administer righteous judgement. As such the effects of sinfulness, lust, pride and corruption will be mitigated. Although there will still be a mortal population on the earth for 1000 years, the influence of sin will be restrained. In symbolic language the Apostle John is inspired to write about this in the following way:

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9

When Jesus establishes his throne, all other powers of men (democracy, dictatorship, communism, etc) will be ‘cast out’ of power – symbolically sent as it were from ‘heaven’ to ‘earth’.

 “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,” Revelation 20:2

This is the restraining influence of the righteous reign of Jesus.

 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,” Revelation 20:7

It would seem that at the end of the Millennium, freedom is once again given to the inhabitants of the earth for some form of ‘self-rule’. Perhaps Christ and the Saints take a step back for a time to see what choices everyone will make.

It would be appropriate to show once and for all, that even with the benefit of righteous rulers, and a correct understanding of God’s ways, peace, a beautiful and restored earth, human nature will still rebel against God and think that ‘they can do better’ and show resentment against the Lord by trying to assert their power over him. History repeats itself one last time before being crushed so that finally “God can be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28).

CONCLUSION

“Satan” in the New Testament is the same as ‘satan’ in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word ‘satan’ has been transliterated into the Greek and into English. ‘Satan’ is an adversary or an opponent. This adversary can come from our own nature (sinful human nature and it’s associated lusts) that tempts us to disobey God and follow our own ways. We are sometime our own worst enemy!

“Satan” can also be something or someone external to us. It can be an individual who tries to oppose us or hinder our walk of faith – like Peter to Jesus. Also when human nature becomes stirred up in a group (like the Pharisees’ opposition to Christ) then that group or power can be rightly called “satan”.

What the Bible does not teach is that ‘satan’ is a fallen supernatural angel; such a concept would diminish the power of God and call into question His sovereignty.

“I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7

Click here for a Discovery Lesson on ‘Satan in the New Testament’.

We will look at the Devil and Demons, separately, in future blogs, God Willing.

Why the Christadelphians are not a Cult


Wikipedia defines a ‘cult’ as “a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal.” For many people, the word ‘cult’ evokes scary and dangerous associations of brainwashing, extremism, mind-control, idolizing human leaders, strong emotional pressure tactics, isolation from family and friends, and being ‘robbed’ of ones’ finances. Since Google searches involving the name ‘Christadelphian’ bring up articles labelling this religious group as a cult, some investigation is required.

WEIRD NAME

The name ‘Christadelphian’ does sound strange until one understands that it is based on the Greek phrase ‘Christou adelphoi’ which simply means ‘brothers (and sisters) in Christ.’

“To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:” (Colossians 1:2)

DO THE CHRISTADELPHIANS EXHIBIT ‘CULT-LIKE’ BEHAVIOUR?

In order to answer this question fairly, we must keep in mind that any human establishment with real, living human beings, be it secular or religious, has the potential for some of their members to develop wrong motives and destroy the good intentions and moral standing of others. Human beings are complex creatures that aren’t always able to resist the temptations that come their way, especially if they are charismatic individuals that naturally draw others to themselves. Sometimes their popularity grows faster than their character develops. History is full of such accounts whether it be in world governments, secular companies, schools, families or churches.

The lurking desire for power, control and other selfish ambitions can turn fully committed followers of Christ into deluded, hostile leaders who wreak havoc everywhere they go. Often, such deluded individuals proclaim their motives and actions are based on doing ‘what is best’ for others or the ‘greater good’, when in reality they are only serving themselves. Generally, in religious groups, such members deftly twist the clear commands of Christ to justify their wrongful actions. This was even happening in the First Century when the Apostles were still alive and the New Testament was being written (2 Timothy 2:16-19; Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Corinthians 11:12-15). Corruption or insistence on extreme views – whether liberal or conservative – destroys the faith of many and brings heartache and bitterness to others. Corrupt or extreme individuals have at times disrupted individual Christadelphian congregations, just as they do in every other religious or secular organization. Such ‘cult-like’ behavior can occur within any group of people.

Judas Iscariot’s betrayal did not make everything that Jesus taught and did hypocritical, but rather demonstrated that he had not taken Jesus Christ’s principles to heart in his own personal life. In most establishments – secular or religious – you will find people who honestly want to hold to the principles of the group intermingled with those who are unable to overcome their own base desires. Jesus Christ warned that the ‘tares’ will grow with the ‘wheat’ until he returns and separates the two. (Matthew 13:25-30) Paul says, “For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” 1 Corinthians 11:18-19

It is always important to examine the foundational principles of an organization – and determine whether its principles are true and valid, or actually contributing to the wrong behavior within the group.

CHARISMATIC HUMAN LEADERSHIP DISCOURAGED

Across the world, Christadelphians recognize the human weakness to blindly follow strong personalities, and appreciate the importance of keeping the Lord Jesus Christ in his proper prominent position. Therefore, as a group they have purposely chosen not to have a paid ministry or Central organization in order to counteract the human lust for power and influence. Each congregation strives to follow First Century practices and teachings. Every member is expected to reason through their beliefs and hold speakers and writers to be accountable to the inspired message of the Bible.

Some claim that John Thomas is the leader of the Christadelphians, but this is misleading. In the 1800’s John Thomas founded the group, but he never claimed Divine inspiration or any special direct channel to God. He is not revered as a ‘prophet’, but gratefully acknowledged as a man who devoted his life to rediscovering the original Gospel message which had been lost during the Dark Ages. Several groups, by various names, throughout the last 2000 years have testified to the same simple Gospel as the Christadelphians do today and many lost their lives for this witness. The Polish Brethren, the Anabaptists, Socinianism, William Tyndale and Sir Isaac Newton all spoke against various Church teachings which they felt were sadly astray from First Century Christianity.

NO EMOTIONAL PRESSURE TACTICS

Christadelphians don’t use highly charged music or emotional appeals to pressure people into “on the spot” conversions. ‘Brainwashing’ and mind-control tactics are never used, instead members are encouraged to personally compare everything they hear with what they read in the Bible. The Bible – both the Old and New Testaments – is the only authority the Christadelphians acknowledge worldwide.

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11 (See also 2 Timothy 3:12-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

Giving one’s life to Christ is a very personal commitment which requires maturity. Within Christadelphian circles, those who choose to make the decision to be ‘baptized into Christ’ are encouraged to think it through carefully, prayerfully, and articulate a good understanding of the Gospel message. (Acts 8:26-38; 6:36-42)

As much as possible, monetary donations are made in secret without show, and without highly pressurized, emotional appeals. There is no mandatory ‘tithing’ or amounts ‘suggested.’ Members give as they choose to do so within their means.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6. See also Matthew 6:1-4)

NO DIRECTIVES TO GO INTO ISOLATION

As Jesus commanded, Christadelphians remain ‘in the world,’ sharing Christ’s message of hope, but keep separate from immoral practices and behaviour.

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one… As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:14-18; See also 1 Peter 4:1-5; Matthew 5:14-16)

There are never any highly charged appeals or directives to isolate in secluded retreats for long periods of time. Christadelphians do run wonderful, weekly Bible schools in the summer that are freely attended and enjoyed by those who want to take part… but there is never any pressure forcing members to attend.

CHRISTADELPHIANS ARE REGARDED AS ‘UNORTHODOX’

We acknowledge that even with these moderating choices in place, there have been some individuals who have lost sight of the principles of Christ and acted in ways that damaged or destroyed the faith of others. However, we feel strongly that the only valid reason for suggesting that Christadelphians, as a whole, are ‘a cult’ is that they differ from mainstream Christianity in their teachings. ‘Sect’ would be a more accurate description – ‘A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group.. any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and principles. Sects are usually created due to perception of heresy by the subgroup and/or the larger group.’ (Wikipedia) The early Christians were also labelled a ‘sect’ by the Jewish leaders (see Acts 28:22).

Christadelphians believe that the original Gospel message has been substantially altered during the last 2000 years, as Greek and Roman philosophies, practices and teachings were incorporated in order to make Christianity more appealing to the masses. The New Testament warns us that this was already happening in the First Century and would get even worse.

“…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come… They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” (1 John 2:18-19; See also 4:1-4; Acts 20:29-30)

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-8

WHAT GOSPEL MESSAGE DO THE CHRISTADELPHIANS TEACH?

The original Gospel message was based on two aspects – ‘the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ’ (Acts 8:12; 28:23).

THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

Christadelphians believe in a powerful Creator God – the Father, who has a Son – Jesus Christ, and whose power is referred to as ‘the Holy Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3).  Through His Holy Spirit power God miraculously caused a virgin to conceive without the involvement of a man (Luke 1:30-35). Through his mother, Mary, Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16; Revelation 22:16). This faithful Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, died for the sins of all mankind (Hebrews 2:9-18; Isaiah 53), willingly sacrificing his own life so that believers now have the hope of rising from the dead to immortality just as he did (1 Cor. 15:20-49; Romans 8:29). Having been the first to rise from the dead and receive immortality, the Lord Jesus Christ is ‘the firstborn from the dead’!! (Colossians 1:18; Acts 26:23; Rev. 1:5) He now shares God’s immortal nature (1 Timothy 6:16; 1 Corinthians 15:35-57). He has been ‘given the Name that is above all names’ (Philippians 2:9). Jesus Christ is the Creator of the new creation – a spiritual creation, reconciling men and women to His Father (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:10). Presently, he is at his Father’s right hand in Heaven awaiting his return to establish God’s Kingdom on earth and to be the King of the World. (John 18:33-37)

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Christadelphians hold the hope of resurrection which Abraham, Job, David, Isaiah and Daniel also expressed (Hebrews 11:8-16; Job 19:25-17; Psalm 17:15; Isaiah 26:29; Daniel 12:2), when believers will receive immortality, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did at his resurrection when he was made ‘the firstborn among many brothers’ (Philippians 3:20-21: 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15). This resurrection and judgment will occur when our Lord returns to judge the living and the dead (Daniel 12:1-3; John 5:25-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:5-7) commencing the Kingdom of God, when the Lord Jesus Christ will reign with his saints over the entire earth (Daniel 7:13-27; 2:44-45; Zechariah 14; Revelation 11:15; 5:10; 20:1-6).

Christadelphians are found in most countries of the world, although generally small in number. It is because they hold beliefs differing from ‘mainstream’ Christianity that other religious groups have labelled this movement a ‘cult.’ Misleading associations with this word ‘cult’, scare many away from a careful investigation with their Bible in hand. Sadly, the leaders of the Jewish world also used scare tactics to steer others away from the Christian movement and even from the Lord Jesus Christ.

‘Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.’ 2 Timothy 3:12-17

God doesn’t change. His inspired Word was recorded for our benefit and since it is ‘breathed out by God’, it won’t change either… it is still perfectly true today! Any attempts to ‘modernize’ Christianity might make it more popular but will only lead people astray from the real Gospel of salvation. Be like the Bereans and examine the Scriptures daily to see if ‘these things are so’. (Acts 17:11)

An excellent podcast interview on this topic is available on Apple Podcasts: “Why the Christadelphians are not a ‘Cult’.

Raptured! To Heaven or Somewhere Else?

Will Christians be raptured to heaven before Jesus Christ returns to the earth – or will we be taken somewhere else?

Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 are some of the most comforting and encouraging words in the Bible, especially for those who have lost loved ones. He writes, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

It’s quite clear from this passage, that Jesus will return to raise the dead and then gather those who are still alive. These events are also referred to in Matthew 24:30-31, “they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Where will we be taken?

In 1 Thessalonians 4, it says that those of us ‘who are left’ will ‘be caught up together’ with them in the clouds… “Caught up” is the Greek word ‘harpazo’ which doesn’t in itself indicate direction whether up, down, east, west, etc. ‘Harpazo’ simply means ‘to seize, catch, pluck, pull, take by force’. It is used in the New Testament when people wanted to make Jesus king and plotted to ‘take him by force’ (John 6:15), or of when a wolf ‘catcheth’ the sheep (John 10:12), or of Paul knowing a man (likely himself) who was ‘caught up’ to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2). Philip the evangelist, was ‘caught away’ after baptizing the eunuch and taken to Azotus. So, as you can see, ‘harpazo’ doesn’t indicate direction – it simply means being ‘taken’ or ‘seized.’

In 1 Thessalonians 4, the passage goes on to say that we will be taken away to be ‘in the clouds’ and ‘to meet the Lord in the air’. What is this talking about, if this is not heaven? Why would anyone think that it isn’t heaven? Well, because these events are interconnected with Jesus returning to earth – not believers going to heaven.

In order to investigate the correlation between Jesus’ return, the resurrection, the granting of immortality, and the beginning of the Kingdom on earth, the following ten passages are helpful:

Jesus will call the dead to life.

John 5:25-29, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.“

Jesus’ angels will gather the good and the bad, and then the righteous ‘will shine.’

Matthew 13:40-43, “Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

Jesus will come ‘with the clouds’ and ‘every eye will see him’

Revelation 1:5-7 “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

Those ransomed by Jesus will be priests and reign on earth

Revelation 5:9-10 “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

The earth is the ‘inheritance’ of the faithful

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Psalm 37:34 “Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.” (see also verse 9, 11, 22, 29)

The saints will be given an everlasting kingdom over all other nations

Daniel 7:27 “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

God’s kingdom will break all other kingdoms and ‘stand forever’

Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,”

All nations will serve, worship and bring gifts to the rulers of God’s kingdom

Isaiah 60 “For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious… they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory…Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.”

Jesus will be revealed to the world when he returns to the Mount of Olives with the ‘holy ones.’ This will be the beginning of his kingdom over all the earth.

Zechariah 14 “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle… Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward… Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him… On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem… And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one… Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts…”

We see from these ten references above, that Jesus is returning to raise the dead and grant immortality to his chosen ones. When he shows himself to the world and saves Israel from the nations that come against her, his ‘holy ones’ – the immortal saints – are with him. This deliverance will be the beginning of the ‘little stone’ of Daniel 2 taking over all the kingdoms of the world, and the saints inheriting the earth… not heaven.

So, where will we be gathered to, if not heaven? Why will we be in ‘the clouds’, and meet the Lord ‘in the air’?

The New Testament often speaks of Jesus returning ‘in the clouds’ (See Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7). In Hebrews 12:1, Paul talks about all the faithful believers mentioned in the chapter before, as ‘a cloud of witnesses.’ The ‘clouds’ may refer to all the saints being together. Believers are caught away to be with the Lord and all the others who have been caught away.

Where is ‘the air’?

The Greek word that is used here is ‘aer’. Thayer’s defines it as ‘the air, particularly the lower and denser air as distinguished from the higher and rarer air, or the atmospheric region’. Strong’s defines it as coming from the root ‘aemi (to breathe unconsciously, that is respire; by analogy to blow)’ Therefore the air cannot refer to heaven where God dwells… but must be somewhere in our atmosphere.

Judgment and the Marriage Feast

In other New Testament passages, Jesus told us that when he returns there will be a time of judgment, when the ‘sheep’ will be set on his right hand and invited to ‘inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,’ while those on his left will be told to depart (Matthew 25:31-46). Revelation 19:6-10 speaks of the ‘marriage supper of the Lamb’ – a time for the saints to meet their ‘bridegroom’ and begin an eternal relationship with him. (see also Matthew 25:1-10; Luke 12:36). So, when the angels gather believers from all over the earth, we are not told specifically where we will be taken, perhaps because Jesus wants this wedding feast to be a private event. However, we know that we will be together both with those who have been raised from the dead and those who have been gathered from all over the earth. We know that we will be in the air that we can breathe – somewhere in our atmosphere. Best of all, we know that Jesus is returning to set up an everlasting Kingdom on this earth that will subdue all other governments and bring in a time of peace, righteousness and godliness that will last for 1000 years (Revelation 20). May that day come soon!

The ‘Mountains of Israel’- God’s Gift to the Jews

Annexing Judea and Samaria has been a hot topic in the news lately and so it should be. Anyone reading Ezekiel 36 to 39 in the Old Testament Scriptures knows that God promised – thousands of years ago – that in the ‘latter years‘ the Jewish people would be regathered from all over the world. It has happened! God promised that He would make the Jewish people a nation again in their land, which happened in 1948. God promised that the mountains of Israel would become productive, their wastelands restored, cities rebuilt, and people and animals would multiply upon the hills. This is happening! And God promised that in these ‘latter years’ Israel would be dwelling safely and peacefully on these very mountains, otherwise known as ‘the West Bank’, or ‘Judea and Samaria’  (Ezekiel 38:8). This will happen, one way or another. At the moment, annexing Judea and Samaria appears to be a possible way for this state of ‘peace and safety’ to occur.

But, take a good look at the prophecy in Ezekiel 37: 21-22: “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all…”

Who is this King? Having a King is the next step in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Will democracy be overturned? And if so, by whom?

To answer this question, we must first ask, why is it that God’s favor is being poured out upon Israel in these ‘latter years’? The answers are given in Ezekiel 36 to 39. God has a plan which He is bringing to pass and this plan will eventually include the whole world! Through the miraculous fulfillment of God’s prophetic word all nations will come to believe in Him!

God’s plan was first promised to a man named Abraham who believed and trusted God implicitly. Because of this man’s faith, God promised to give him the land of Israel to Abraham and to his SEED… forever. He promised to bless all nations through Abraham and through his SEED… forever. (Genesis 13:14-17;17:3-8; 22:12-18) But Abraham never received this land in his lifetime. We learn in the New Testament that God has not yet fulfilled His promise to Abraham because this promise was given for the future. Abraham remained a wandering pilgrim living in a tent his whole life because he trusted that this promise would be fulfilled when he rose from the dead. (See Acts 7:2-5; Hebrews 11:8-16) Abraham looked for a ‘heavenly city’ that was to come, not a city in heaven or the promise will never be fulfilled, but rather God’s Divine restoration of the Promised Land here on earth! God’s will done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

We learn from the New Testament that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the primary descendant promised to Abraham. (Galatians 3:16) It is through the Jewish Messiah – Jesus Christ – that all nations of the world can find salvation, and be blessed through him. (Genesis 22:12-18) The Gospel message was first preached to Abraham! (Galatians 3:8-9) The Jewish Hope is the foundation of the Gospel message (Acts 28:20).

As promised, Jesus Christ will soon be returning to be the KING in Jerusalem. According to the Scriptures, Jesus must first deliver Israel from a terrible onslaught, returning to stand on the Mount of Olives, triggering a massive earthquake that will split the mount in two (Zechariah 14). According to the Scriptures, Jesus must turn the Jewish people to him when they see ‘him whom they have pierced,’ and ‘weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.’ (Zechariah 12). Jesus must receive the promised ‘throne of his father David’ in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:12-16 ; Luke 1:30-35). When Jesus has established himself as the King in Jerusalem, he will then call upon all nations to come up and learn of God’s ways. (Isaiah 2:2-4; Zechariah 14; Psalm 72)

With all these prophecies coming true one by one, we have every reason to believe we are living in the last days and that God is fulfilling His promises. May the Jewish people have the courage to accept God’s gift and find a way to live on the ‘mountains of Israel’ in peace and safety. May the whole world soon recognize that we are seeing incredible promises being fulfilled! God is at work!

Jesus – Son of God, Not God the Son.

Who is Jesus? During the past two thousand years, many passionately reasoned that to deny Christ’s divinity is to blaspheme God Himself. Others fatefully accepted a martyr’s death, fully convicted that Jesus was the Son of God, but not God the Son. And still others have been completely repulsed from ‘Christianity’ all together, because of the teaching that God is ‘three in one’. 

So, who is Jesus? And who is God? And does it matter what we believe?

No doubt a proper understanding of Jesus and his relationship to His Father is essential, based on John 17:1-3 and 1 John 4:1-4.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” 1 John 4:1-4

Jesus’ Victory Over Sin

Consider this: to say that Jesus is God, completely robs him of his victory over sin and death. For if Jesus wasn’t like us in every way (Hebrews 2:17-18) then his victory in overcoming human nature and temptation, and his submission to God’s will, was just a facade. 

“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Hebrews 2:17-18

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:14-15

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

These scriptures are clear. Jesus WAS tempted like we are, had OUR nature and struggled with a will that was DIFFERENT from His Father’s. This alone should be sufficient to show that Jesus cannot be God.

Relationship Between the Father and the Son

If Jesus is actually God, then the beautiful relationship of a Father and a Son becomes only an analogy, not a true relationship.

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17

“Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5

The Difficult Sacrifice

If Jesus is actually God, it diminishes the difficult sacrifice that God made for us. It is much more difficult for a father to give a faithful, obedient, loving Son over to death, than to give up his own life. Any truly loving father, given the choice of dying himself, or giving his son’s life – would choose to die himself. Giving up one’s son is a much harder choice.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:35-36

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8

These passages continue to show the wonderful relationship of a father and a son in perfect harmony, working together to resolve the problem of sin and death, and bringing salvation to all mankind.

Who is God in the Old Testament? 

The first commandment God gave to Israel was, ““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Deuteronomy 6:4.

In Isaiah 45, God emphasizes over and over that He is THE ONLY God. 

“I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God…” (Isaiah 45:5). 

“Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.” (Isaiah 45:21)

The Jewish and Islamic faiths have remained resolutely monotheistic since their inception thousands of years ago. Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, does not alter this timeless Truth. Only the concept of Jesus as God in the Trinitarian formulation contradicts God’s decree, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Old Testament Promises to Abraham and David

Abraham was promised a descendant through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). We are told in Galatians 3:8, 9 & 16 that this promised descendant was first and foremost Jesus. “… preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith… Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.”

David was promised, 

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.” (2 Samuel 7:12-14) 

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, he reiterated the promise to David, saying, 

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

Both Abraham and David were clearly told that God’s Son would be from their genetic line. This is verified in the genealogy of Jesus, in Matthew 1:1 “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Even now while Jesus is in heaven with his Father, he refers to this genealogy, saying in Revelation 22:16, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

If Jesus is actually God, then why did God promise Abraham and David that the Messiah would be their descendant? What is the point of this ‘human’ genealogy if Jesus is really God?

Consistent with the passages already referred to above, Jesus was a human being, with human nature, and human ancestors. The Trinity makes a mockery of these facts, which is why is it often referred to as a MYSTERY.

What did Jesus say about himself and his Father?

Jesus said he came to glorify God (John 17:4), which we are told he did through his willing submission and obedience (Philippians 2:9-11).  From Jesus’ own words we learn:

  • Jesus does nothing of himself (John 5:30, 19; 8:28)
  • It is ‘God’s word that Jesus speaks’ and not his own (John 8:26; 7:16)
  • Only God is good (Mark 10:18)
  • Only God knows the ‘day and the hour’(Mark 13:33)
  • His Father is greater than he is (John 14:28)
  • God was still Jesus’ God, even after the resurrection! The resurrected Jesus told Mary that he was about to go to, “my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
  • We are told that Jesus LEARNED obedience through suffering and was MADE perfect (Hebrews 5:7-9)
  • We are told that Jesus prayed to his Father (Matthew 26:53; John 14:16; Hebrews 5:7-9)
  • We are told Jesus is ONE with the Father (John 17), but a few verses later, Jesus requests that the believers also be ‘ONE’ with him and his Father. This indicates that the ‘oneness’ referred to, is a oneness of mind and purpose.

Even now that he is in heaven, Jesus is still referred to as:

  • a ‘man’ (1 Timothy 2:5) – the ‘mediator BETWEEN God and men.’ 
  • He still has a God (John 20:17; Ephesians 1:3; Romans 15:6)

How was Jesus Miraculously Born?

In Luke 1:33-35, we are told that God’s power – the Holy Spirit – overshadowed the virgin Mary. From one of the eggs in her womb, a baby boy was miraculously created without the involvement of a man. In this way, through Mary’s human genealogy, Jesus Christ was both the promised descendant of Abraham (Galatians 3:16) and David (Luke 1:33-35), and also the miraculous ‘Son of God’. He was a man, just like us, tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 4:15), yet through his single-minded focus on willingly serving his Father, God’s intimate conversations with him every day, and angels strengthening him in times of deep temptation – he NEVER sinned!

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” Luke 1:35  

To create a baby from an egg, without the involvement of a sperm, is a wonderful miracle – yet it is not the only time that God through his power – the Holy Spirit – has created miraculous births. God spoke and Adam was created from a pile of dust. Adam is also referred to as ‘the son of God’ (Luke 3:38). In the line of Jesus Christ – the ‘promised seed’, God restored the ‘dead’ womb of Sarah to bear Isaac, and healed the barren womb of Rebekah to bear twins.

What do Historians Say About the Development of the Trinity?

“The formulation ‘one God in three persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century.  But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma.  Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.” (New Catholic Encyclopedia.  New York: Guild Publishers; 1967-1974.  Trinity;14:299)

“The Trinity is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions and engrafted on the Christian faith.” (A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge.  Lyman Abbott; 1875.  Trinity;944)

“If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by Paganism.  The pure Deism of the first century Christians was changed by the Church of Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity.  Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief.” (Gibbon, E. History of Christianity.  New York: Arno Press; 1972)

“The term ‘Trinity’ is not a Biblical term, and we are not using biblical language when we define what is expressed by it as the doctrine that there is one only and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia – article on the Trinity by Benjamin B. Warfield)

“It must be admitted by everyone who has the rudiments of a historical sense that the doctrine of the Trinity, as a doctrine, formed no part of the original message. St. Paul knew it not, and would have been unable to understand the meaning of the terms used in the theological formula on which the Church ultimately agreed.” (Dr. W.R. Matthews, Dean of St. Paul’s in “God in Christian Thought and Experience” pg. 180)

And perhaps to summarize all that has been said so far, here is a quote from the Encyclopedia Britannica: (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trinity-Christianity)

“Neither the word “Trinity” nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Hebrew Scriptures: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4)… The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. Initially, both the requirements of monotheism inherited from the Hebrew Scriptures and the implications of the need to interpret the biblical teaching to Greco-Roman religions seemed to demand that the divine in Christ as the Word, or Logos, be interpreted as subordinate to the Supreme Being. An alternative solution was to interpret Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three modes of the self-disclosure of the one God but not as distinct within the being of God itself… It was not until later in the 4th century that the distinctness of the three and their unity were brought together in a single orthodox doctrine of one essence and three persons. The Council of Nicaea in 325 stated the crucial formula for that doctrine in its confession that the Son is “of the same substance [homoousios] as the Father,” even though it said very little about the Holy Spirit. Over the next half century, St. Athanasius defended and refined the Nicene formula, and, by the end of the 4th century, under the leadership of St. Basil of Caesarea, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus (the Cappadocian Fathers), the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”

The Name Above All Names

Yes, Jesus has been ‘GIVEN the name that is above every name’ (Philippians 2:9-11). Because of his faithful and obedient life, submitting his own will to the Father’s will, God has given Jesus a position higher than the angels, shared his immortal nature with his Son, and promised that he will be King of the world. 

Philippians 2:9-11 – “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Creator of the New Creation

God has elevated Jesus to be the Creator of a NEW creation. Those who give their lives to Jesus, guided by the Spirit of the Word, choose to ‘die’ to a life of sin and be born anew to serve God (Romans 6:2-10). This is the beginning of the new creation.   

John 3:5-6 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” 

Romans 6:2-10 – “…Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in NEWNESS of life. For if we have been PLANTED together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection…”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” (NKJV)

FIRSTBORN From the Dead

Jesus is the ‘firstborn from the dead’ (Colossians 1:18), the ‘first to rise’ (Acts 26:23) to receive God’s immortal nature. Our hope is to rise from the dead – like Jesus – and receive immortality (1 Corinthians 15:20-54). This will be the ultimate creation of immortal beings, of which Jesus is the author and finisher. Jesus has the power to create a spiritual mind in us now so that we can be fully like him in the future (1 John 3:1-3).

Colossians 1:15-18 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature (creation):…And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

Acts 26:22-23 “I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” 

1 Corinthians 15:20-54 – “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his order: Christ the first fruits; afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming…And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly…For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

God – All in All

Yet, even with this elevated position and the ‘name above every name’ that God has given Jesus, it is only for an allotted time. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:28, that Jesus will give back this position to God at the end of the kingdom. 

 1 Corinthians 15:28 – “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.”

Why Did the Trinity Become Church Teaching?

The book ‘When Jesus Became God’, by Richard E. Rubenstein (available on Amazon), tells the real story of the bitter infighting among many questionable ‘Christians’ in AD 300, as they all vied for power and Constantine’s approval for their own interpretation and creed. Constantine, an uncommitted Christian until his deathbed, had power to choose which creed he felt would best unite the empire, but he was not purely interested in preserving God’s truth, but rather in avoiding dissent and commotion to make his empire strong. He wavered back and forth between the teachings of Arius and his rival Athananius.

This little clip from the book ‘When Jesus Became God’ is very telling as to why Trinitarian teachings became the popular choice:

“While Arians tended to emphasize people’s potential to follow the moral example of Jesus, anti-Arians like St. Augustine focused on their continued self-enslavement, which implied the need for a Christ who was God. Only God could liberate His people from the crushing forces of habit and concupiscence. Only a Christ who was God could forgive them even if they remained helpless sinners…” Pg. 96

“most people’s primary need was the need for security. Only a strong God, a strong Church, and a strong Empire could provide helpless humans with the security they craved.” Page 74

Warnings in the N.T. About False Teachings

Throughout the New Testament the inspired writers warned that ALREADY in THEIR MIDST, wrong beliefs were being taught concerning the relationship between Jesus and God (1 John 2:18-23; 2 Peter 2:1; 2 John 1:7-9; Acts 20:30; Matthew 24:24). The First Epistle of John 4:1-4  warns that those who cannot fully assert that Jesus shared our nature (came in the flesh) are teaching doctrines which should be avoided. The Apostle’s Creed is so simple. It only uses language and ideas that are found in the Bible. The Nicene Creed, and its follow-on – the Athanasian Creed, are filled with ideas and language that are not found in the Bible. Take note that the phrase “God the Son” is never found in the Bible, neither is “God the Holy Spirit”, “consubstantial with the Father” nor the word “incarnate”.

“Restating the relationship between the Father and the Son, in other words, redefined both parties, not just the Son. As a result, Christians who accepted this triune God, distributed over three Persons, no longer shared Jehovah with their Jewish forebears or the Supreme Being with their pagan neighbours, nor could Jews or pagans claim to believe in the same God as that worshiped by the Christians.” When Jesus Became God, Richard E. Rubenstein. pg. 209.

“Indeed! Everything about this theory is beyond human understanding. The bishop ridicules the Arians for saying that Jesus, being a creature of God, had the power to grow or decline in virtue, and that he chose to be virtuous through the exercise of his uniquely powerful will. No, Athanasius says, Christ, being God, was perfect by nature and could not change as humans do. But how can Jesus be called virtuous if he had not the power to choose? How can he be a model for human behaviour if he was incapable of change? The answer: this is a matter that is beyond human understanding!

The problem is not only that Athanasius’s theory mixes God with His creation, but that it removes Jesus entirely from human society, for the universe of moral turmoil, and places him in the unchangeable heavens. If Christ is not a changeable, choosing creature at least something like us, how can we hope to imitate him? And if he is God himself, not our representative and intermediary, how can he intervene on our behalf? Athanasius apparently thinks that Christlike behaviour is to be limited to a few desert saints like Antony, while the rest of us sinners wait in hope of unmerited salvation. It substitutes the sacraments of the Church for sacrificial action in the world. What, one wonders, would Jesus have made of that?” Ibid, Page 119

Several times in the Gospel, Jesus encourages every believer to ‘deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me’ (Luke 9:23), he tried to help his disciples learn to overcome sin by following his example of prayer (Matthew 26:41) and filling our hearts with God’s written word to combat temptation (John 6:63) as he did in Luke 4 and Luke 22. This is not the message of “God did it all for you – so there’s nothing left for you to do”, but rather, to follow in Jesus’ footsteps (1 Peter 2:21), to be inspired by his example to overcome (Revelation 3:21). And yet, of course, keeping in mind that sometimes we will fail, and through confession and repentance we are blessed to be covered with the forgiveness and salvation that is only available based on the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:21 – “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

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