The Trinity:
There are many excellent books and websites
that go into greater detail on why the Trinity---or the Three-in-oneness of
God---is a Biblically sound doctrine. Here we will touch on just a few
points.
There is what is called a "plural of
majesty," such as when Queen Victoria, referring to herself, would say, "We are
not amused." This denotes the greatness of God in His majesty, holiness, and
dignity. We also see in the Hebrew that the word used for God in Genesis 1:26-27
is "Elohim" (plurality), but in the latter part of the same sentence singular
descriptions are used. This is no grammatical error. The phrases "our image" and
"our likeness" in Genesis 1:26 are concluded with "His own image" and "in the
image of God." It does not read, "in their own image"
or "in the image of Gods." It would have been so easy for God to say,
referring to Himself, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, "We are three separate gods,
but are one in purpose," as Mormonism teaches, if it were true!
However, the Bible repeatedly refers to "God" as
being one. Christians understand that as one in essence, not "one in purpose."
LDS might say that the concept of the Trinity
is incomprehensible. Why is that a problem? Isn't it incomprehensible in
Mormonism that their god had a father who had a father who had a father and
there was never a first father? The fact that we cannot comprehend God does not
negate His existence or His Triune nature. God exists outside of time and space.
Science has shown that there are more dimensions than the three (four, if you
include time) we can see and understand. Why is it so hard to believe that God
is more than the three-dimensional humans He created? We watch shows like Star
Trek and other sci-fi programs where people jet through "worm holes" to the
other side of the universe; where characters find an alternate dimension where
their counter-parts have been living in other realities; and we think, "Yeah,
why couldn't that be possible? Maybe it is." So why is it hard to believe that
God is a unique being Who exists in many more dimensions than we can comprehend
at this time?
I can't comprehend how invisible waves go
through the air and transmit a picture through my television screen, but that
doesn't keep me from enjoying TV. I don't understand how all around me there are
radio waves and television signals all on different frequencies yet I can't see
them or hear them unless I tune in to a certain dial or channel on my radio or
TV, but I don't refuse to believe these are real.
God tells us He is three persons, yet one
God. There are three persons in the Godhead, but one God. I just take Him at His
word. knowing that one day I will understand.
The
Father:
Isaiah
40:28, The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah
43:10, Before me there was no god formed, nor will there be one after
me.
Isaiah 44:6, I
am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Isaiah 44:8, Is
there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not
one.
Isaiah 45:5, I
am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.
Isaiah 45:18, I
am the LORD and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:21,
And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none
but me.
Isaiah 45:22,
For I am God and there is no other.
Isaiah 46:5, To
whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we
may be compared?
Isaiah 46:9, I
am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.
God the Father is
Spirit
1 Timothy
1:17, Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be
honor and glory forever and ever.
Colossians
1:15, He is in the image of the invisible God...
Luke
24:39, Look at my hands and feet...Touch me and see; a spirit does not
have flesh and bones, as you see I have.
John
1:18, No one has ever seen God, but God One and Only, who is at the
Father's side, has made him known.
LDS will refer to
Exodus about no one able to see God and then Moses seeing him. In Christian
theology that is known as a "Theophany;" which Nelson's Bible Dictionary defines
as;
"any direct visual manifestation of the
presence of God....But even in a theophany a person does not actually see God
Himself. This is an impossibility according to Exodus 33:20; 1 Timothy 6:16; and
1 John 4:12. ...The most frequent visible manifestation of God's presence in the
Old Testament is the 'Angel of the Lord.' Other theophanies are the Burning Bush
(Exodus 3:1-6), the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22),
the cloud of fire of Sinai (Ex. 24:16-18), and the cloud of the glory of the
Lord (Ex. 40:34-38)...Theophanies are never given for their own sake, to satisfy
a curiosity about God, but to convey some revelation or truth about Him." (Nelson's New Illustrtated Bible Dictionary, 1995,
Thomas Nelson Publishers, p. 1242-1243)
Jesus Christ is the
Eternal God
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 8:24, This is why I
said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not trust that I AM
[who I say I am], you will die in your sins. (CJB)
John 8:58, Yeshua said to
them, "Yes indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!" (CJB)
Philippians 2:6-8, [A]lthough He existed in the form of
God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied
Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross.
The Bible tells us that Jesus created
ALL things, including the angels; so how could Lucifer be Jesus' "spirit
brother" when Jesus created all the angels, including Lucifer? "By Him
were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him" Colossians 1:16. Throughout the Bible, when it
speaks of "principalities, powers, and dominions," the writers are referring to
ranks of angels.
"In the rabbinical (Jewish) thought of the
first century, these words were used to describe different orders of angels (see Romans 8:38; Ephesians 1:21; 3:10; 6:12;
Colossians 2:10,15; Titus 3:1). Apparently there was a heresy
flourishing in Colossae...that involved the worship of angels. In the process of
worshiping angels, Christ had been degraded. So, to correct this grave error,
Paul emphasizes in Colossians 1:16 that Christ is the one who created all
things---including the angels---and hence, He alone is supreme and worthy of
worship....Lucifer and Christ are of two entirely different
classes---the created and the Creator." (Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons, by Ron Rhodes,
1995, pp. 275-276)
2.
The Fall
of Man
God tell us in His word that Adam's
fall was sin. It was rebellion against God, in that He commanded them
to not eat the forbidden fruit. The Mormon Church uses semantics to "prove" it
was not sin, by saying that Adam's eating of the fruit was a "transgression,"
not sin. Both Hebrew and Greek use the words sin and transgression
interchangeably. The Hebrew lexicon (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance) defines
"transgression" in its two uses in the Hebrew as "unfaithfulness," "rebellion,
revolt, sin, transgression against human or divine authority." Even in the Greek
context of Adam's transgression (Romans 5; 1 Timothy
2:14), the usage of the word is not in the context of Adam's
transgression being a good thing!
1 John 3:4
Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; [that is what]
sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violation of God's law by transgression or
neglect---being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will). (Amplified Bible)
If Adam and Eve were not yet
"mortal" and could not reproduce, as LDS theology dictates was necessary for
their progression, then why would God pronounce things "very
good?"
Genesis 1:27-31, God created man in His own
image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God
blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said,
“Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of
all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food
for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to
every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green
plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was
very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth
day.
Adam and Eve warned not
to disobey
Genesis 2:17, The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you
may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely
die.”
The moment Adam ate of the fruit, he
died a spiritual death, being separated from God's presence. He also became
subject to physical death; the ongoing decay and winding down of life that
actually begins at birth. The first several years of of lives are marked by
growth and development, nevertheless, death is programmed into our
genes.
Halley's Bible Commentary explains the fall in
this way;
"The tree of the knowledge of good
and evil was 'good for food,' 'pleasing to the eye,' and 'desirable for gaining
wisdom.' Whatever the exact nature of this tree---literal, figurative, or
symbolic---the essence of Adam and Eve's sin was this: they wanted to transfer
control of their lives from God to themselves. God had, in substance, told them
they could do anything they wanted to, except for that one thing. As
long as they were in right relationship with God---in other words, as long as
they recognized God as their creator and master---they experienced life as God
had intended it to be, and they were truly the crown of God's creation. They
were completely satisfied with this life until Satan, in the form of a serpent,
deceived them into thinking that if they were like God and knew what he knows,
life would be even better. Once the seed of deception had been planted, they
became dissatisfied. They wanted to 'be like God.' They wanted to be their own
master and sole master of God's creation. Is that not the essence of human sin?
From the beginning, God designed humans to live forever; the one condition was
obedience to God.....Is there any other way He could have made them? Could there
be a moral creature without the power to choose? Freedom is God's gift to
humanity: freedom to think, freedom of conscience---even freedom to disobey
God." (Halley's Bible Handbook, with the New
International Version, Zondervan publishers, 2000, pp.
91-92
Adam's sin brought
condemnation
Romans
5:18-21, Well then, as one man's trespass [one man's false step and
falling away led] to condemnation for all men, so one Man's (Jesus) act of
righteousness [leads] to acquittal and right standing with God and life
for all men. For just as by one man's disobedience (failing to hear,
heedlessness, carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man's
obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to god,
brought into right standing with Him). But then law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting
opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God's
unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and
superabounded. So that, [just] as sin has reigned in death, [so] grace (His
unearned and undeserved favor) might reign also through righteousness (right
standing with God) which issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ (the
Messiah, the Anointed One) our Lord. (Amplified
Bible)
Eve was
deceived
2 Corinthians
11:3, [A]nd I fear that somehow your minds may be seduced away from
simple and pure devotion to the Messiah, just as Havah [Eve] was deceived by the
serpent and his craftiness. For if someone comes and tell you about some other
Yeshua than the one we told you about, or if you receive a spirit different from
the one you received or accept some so-called "good news" different from the
Good News you already accepted, you bear with him well enough! (CJB)
There are a couple of noteworthy
things in this passage. First, the fact that Eve was deceived. If eating the
forbidden fruit was a good thing, as Mormonism teaches, then she could not have
been deceived by Satan who is telling her to do what "God" really wanted her to
do in the first place. Yet, here is Paul telling us she was, in fact, deceived.
Second, notice how Eve was deceived. Satan came "preaching" his own
gospel to Eve. He came preaching a god different from the God who created them,
by portraying God as a liar. He presented the very same lies to Eve that are
taught in Mormonism today!
Satan began by placing doubt on God's
word; "Did God really say
'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" (Genesis 3:1). Satan does not want people to trust God's
word. He puts doubt into the minds of unbelievers regarding the veracity of the
Bible, as in Mormonism. Mormons are taught that the Bible was not translated
correctly and therefore new scriptures are needed (Mormon scriptures).
It is interesting that the LDS Church has not come out with a new Bible
translation given the fact they have a "prophet" and Joseph Smith's "seer stone"
in a Salt Lake City LDS Church museum. Of course, that is because the Bible has
indeed been translated correctly and there are over 5,000 manuscripts
authenticating the New Testament books!
The serpent said to the woman, “You
surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes
will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis
3:4-5)
What was Satan's greatest
aspiration? To become like God! In fact, he wanted to BE God! Isaiah 14:13-14 tells us, speaking of Lucifer;
You have said in your heart, "I
will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit
enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred
mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like
the Most High."
Likewise, Mormon doctrine teaches the
same lie; that we can be as God; in fact, that we can become
gods!
Because of Adam, all
die
1 Corinthians
15:21-22, For since by a man came death, by
a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ all will be made alive.
For since death came through a man,
the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die,
so in Christ all will be made alive.
This does not just encompass physical
death. Adam caused the spiritual death of mankind; i.e., eternal separation from
God. That is not a good thing. It is an awful, horrific thing, for it
would have meant the grave and hell forever if Jesus did not redeem
us!
Sin and death entered the
world by Adam
Romans
5:12-17, Here is how it works: it was through one individual that sin
entered the world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed tthrough
to the whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned. Sin was indeed present in
the world before Torah [rendered "law" in Greek] was given, but sin is
not counted as such when there is no Torah. Nevertheless death ruled
from Adam until Moshe [Moses], even over those whose sinning was not exactly
like Adam's violation of a direct comand. In this, Adam prefigured the one who
was to come.
But the free gift is not like the offense.For is,
because of one man's offense, many died, then how much more has God's grace ,
that is, the gracious gift of one man, Yeshua the Messiah, overflowed to many!
No, the free gift is not like what resulted from one an's sinning; for from one
sinner came judgment that brought condemnation; but the free gift came after
many offenses and brought acquittal. For if, beause of the offense of one man,
death ruled through that one man; how much more will those receiving the
overflowing grace, that is, the gift of being considered righteous, rule in life
through the one man Yeshua the Messiah! (CJB)
Adam's sin brought condemnation to all men. Although the Law was not in effect from Adam to Moses, death
still reigned; the punishment for Adam's sin---physical and spiritual
death---was upon ALL mankind, even on those who did not sin by breaking a
command of God as Adam did! Look at how awesome God is though! Judgment on ALL
followed ONE sin, bringing condemnation. But the gift of salvation (being
spiritually reunited with God now and through the eternities, allowing us to
forever dwell in His presence) followed many trespasses and brought
justification. We are justified before God, not by our works, but
through Christ's work on the cross! Wow! God is so good! This leads perfectly
into the next topic;
3.
Christ's Atonement on the Cross
Complete
Nowhere in the Bible does it
tell about two different kinds of salvation, nor does it refer to the
resurrection as a "general salvation." Nowhere in the Bible, when read in
context, is it implied that we are God's spirit children by birth to heavenly
parents and that we can progress to godhood. Salvation, as taught in the New
Testament, always refers to a believer's position in Christ as an adopted child,
allowing him/her to live in God's presence and with Jesus forever. There is only
one heaven and one hell. Our final destination is an either/or proposition; we
either live forever in eternal torment, separated from God, or we live forever
in heaven with God
Christ's atonement is for
all
1 Timothy
4:9-10, It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it
is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living
God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1-2, My little children, I am writing these
things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself
is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but
also for those of the whole world.
Christ's atonement provided for our
salvation, allowing us to live forever in the presence of God in heaven. It gave
us an Advocate before the Father, so that when we do mess up (and we
often do) we come to God to confess our wrong-doing and by His grace we
are cleansed and made righteous! He, Jesus Christ, is the atonement for our sins. Our works, our sorrow, our efforts to be good do not bring
forgiveness. It is Christ's work alone that gives us Right Standing before
God.
Salvation is a GIFT, no
"laws and ordinances" required
Ephesians 2:8-9,
For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered
from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith.
And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not
through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not
the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the
result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take
glory to himself]. (Amplified
Bible)
Colossians
2:13-14, When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our
transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of
decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross.
Verse 14 in the
KJV; "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us."
Galatians
3:23-25, Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the
Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be
revealed (unveiled, disclosed), So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our
trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came],
that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God)
by and through faith. But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a
trainer (the guardian of our childhood). (AMP)
4. The Gospel Not a Set
of Principles and
Ordinances
1 Corinthians
15:1-4, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are
saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in
vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried,
and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures,
A careful study of the New Testament
reveals that "the gospel" is a message about a Person; Jesus Christ; that He
lived, died, and was raised from the dead, and that through His substitutionary
death on the cross in our place, we are saved by grace through faith.
Keep in mind what Paul said, "The
message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians
1:18). Cultists and unbelievers bristle at the Biblical doctrine that all
it takes is saving faith in Jesus and trust in His work on the cross in our
behalf. Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, was a propitiation for our sins. They say
it is too simplistic to just "ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life." They
insist that we must add works to our faith in order to be saved. Now, does a
true follower of Yeshua make sin a lifestyle or use grace as a license to sin?
Not at all! Good works follow our salvation because the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit enables us to walk in God's ways.
It is interesting to read the account
of Moses and the children of Israel when the fiery flying serpents came and bit
them, causing many to die. the people cried out to Moses for deliverance. Moses
was told to make a serpent of brass and place it on a pole, then beckon the
Israelites to look upon it. Those who looked, lived; those who refused, died.
This event is an awesome foretelling of the gospel! The serpent is a symbol for
sin. brass is a Levitical symbol for judgment. The serpent being raised on a
pole was a visual of sin being judged.
Now, fast forward to the gospel of
John (John 3:14-15) where Jesus
points to this saving event in the wilderness, saying, "As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." In a way we
cannot even comprehend, Jesus, Who had no sin, was "made sin" for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For our sake He made Christ
[virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might
become the righteousness of God." Jesus took our sin upon
Himself, taking judgment upon Himself, so that we will be saved if we just look
to the cross. If we look to the cross, we will live eternally in heaven with
Him. There will be those who, like many of the Israelites, will refuse to look
to the cross alone to be saved because too is "too simple."
5. Christians get their
authority directly from God, by virtue of their
adoption
A common question asked by Mormons
is, "Where do you get your authority?" As you read the Bible you will see that
the "authority" to preach, prophecy, or teach came directly through the Holy
Spirit or by Jesus Himself. The Old Testament shows that there were often many
prophets in Israel at the same time, as opposed to the LDS teaching that there
can be only one Prophet on the earth at a time who "holds all the priesthood
keys to the kingdom."
Unlike LDS theology, which teaches
that only adult male priesthood holders can hold the office of a prophet, there
are several Biblical accounts of female prophetesses. Deborah was a prophetess
who led Israel in battle. She was also Israel's fifth judge (see Judges 5).
Women of the Bible also prophesied of many wonderful events. Consider Moses'
sister Miriam, Hannah, Anna in the Temple, Elizabeth, and Mary. 1 Corinthians 11:5 assumes a sanction for women to
prophesy.
Ephesians
1:11-14, "In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according
to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of
his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for
the praise of His glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in
Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession---to the
praise of His glory." (NIV)
1 Corinthians
6:19, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Once we become redeemed believers,
the Holy Spirit indwells us ("born from above"). With the Holy Spirit living in
us, we therefore have God's authority to act in His name. Each person in God's
family is given a gift, some severally. With the gifts comes the authority to
use them as the Holy Spirit directs us. It is interesting that the majority of
Mormon "priesthood holders" are from the tribe of Ephraim according to their
"patriarchal blessings," yet according to Mosaic Law one cannot be a
priest unless he is from the tribe of Levi!
6. Jesus did not organize
"a church" as defined by LDS
Nelson's Bible Dictionary
explains,
"CHURCH --- a local assembly of believers
as well as the redeemed of all ages who follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
In the four gospels of the New Testament, the term "Church" is found only in
Matthew 16:18 and 18:17. This scarcity of
usage in those books that report on the life and ministry of Jesus is perhaps
best explained by the fact that the church as the body of Christ did not begin
until the day of Pentecost after the Ascension of Jesus (Acts
2:1-4). That the church began on the day of Pentecost may be
demonstrated in various ways: (1) Christ Himself declared the church to be yet
future (Matt. 16:18); (2) it was founded upon the death,
resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and such an accomplished fact was not
possible until Pentecost (Eph. 1:15-23); (3) There could be
no church until it was fully purchased with Christ's blood (Eph. 2:13) (Nelsons New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1995, p.
275)
You will find members of Christ's
church among every mainstream Christian denomination and within the Messianic
Jewish community. Membership in Christ's true church is based on relationship,
not religion. "The Church" is the body of redeemed believers. A Mormon might
ask, "If there is only 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism,' then why are there so
many denominations?"
One Lord means only one Savior; Jesus
of the Bible. One faith does not mean "one religion" or "one denomination." One
faith means faith alone in Christ alone. One baptism does not mean that there is
only one way to baptize someone through "proper priesthood authority in only one
church." Baptism is a public demonstration of a private commitment to Jesus
Christ. Baptism by immersion is also symbolic of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. It does not matter if one is baptized in a
Methodist church or a Baptist church, in a font or in a river. One might just as
well why does Baskin Robbins have 31 flavors? Every Christian is different in
the way he worships. Every Christian is fed a little differently. Some believers
prefer formality; others prefer flexibility. Some like traditional hymns while
others respond better to modern praise and worship. A familiar idiom among
Christian churches is "in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in
all things charity."
You are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor
female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26-29
To put that in a modern context,
"There is neither Baptist nor Lutheran, Calvary Chapel nor Nazarene, Methodist
nor Pentecostal, Jew nor Gentile, for we, as the redeemed, are all one in Christ
Jesus." Denominations may differ in some regards, but our salvation comes
through saving faith by a relationship with Jesus alone. That is what makes us members of
His "church," His community.
7. Gifts are given to
glorify God and edify the body of Christ (the church)
Spiritual gifts are given to the
children of God (born-again believers) as the Holy Spirit sees fit. These gifts
cannot be earned, for God is "no respecter of persons." We are encouraged,
however, to seek after, or earnestly desire, the best gifts.
1 Corinthians
12:4-12 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there
are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects,
but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the
word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge
according to the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit, and to
another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of
miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits,
to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of
tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to
each one individually just as He wills.
The gifts of the Spirit are given
freely by God. Some people have one gift, others have several; but either way,
the gifts are to build and edify the body (the community of the redeemed). The
gift of tongues can be as on the day of Pentecost when the disciples were
speaking in the languages of the various nations who were represented there.
Three thousand people were saved that day! There are also those who speak with
the "tongue of angels" (ecstatic utterances known only to God) usually during
their own private prayer time, although sometimes publicly. This gift is one
which glorifies and exalts God, as well as speaks the innermost desires of the
person's heart which cannot be expressed sufficiently through an earthly
tongue.
Whether a Christian is given the gift
of knowledge (knowing something about another person that only God could
reveal); the gift of wisdom (such as the supernatural wisdom that King Solomon
had); prophecy (the forth-telling/expounding of God's word or less frequently, a
predictive message); the gift of healing (being able to heal a sick or afflicted
person under the direction of the Holy Spirit); or any of the other gifts, these
are to be used to build and edify the church and be motivated by love.
8. The Bible is inerrant
and complete
Has the Bible been translated
correctly? Can it be supported? Are key doctrines missing?
The question often arises when
discussing the biblical records, "How can a document
that has been copied over and over possibly be reliable?" While it is
true the documents have been copied many times, we often have misconceptions
about how they were transmitted. All ancient documents were copied by hand
before the advent of the printing press in the 16th century. Great care was
exercised in reproducing these manuscripts. When we think of copying manuscripts
we often assume that one copy was made and then another from that and another
from that and so on, each replacing the copy it was reproduced from. This is not
how manuscript copying worked. Copyists were usually working from one or two
documents that were very old. They would make many copies of their source copy,
all the while preserving their source and comparing the copies they have made.
Jewish historian, Josephus (an
eyewitness), tells how the Jews copied the Old Testament;
"We have given practical proof of
our reverence for our own Scriptures. For although such long ages have now
passed, no one has ventured either to add, or to remove, or to alter a syllable;
and it is an instinct with every Jew, from the day of his birth, to regard them
as the decrees of God, to abide by them, and, if need be, cheerfully to die for
them" (Against Apion, Book I, sec., 8, p.
158).
Josephus' statement is no
exaggeration. The Jewish copyists knew exactly how many letters were in every
line of every scroll and how many times each word occurred. This enabled them to
check for errors (Shelly, Prepare to Answer, p.
133). The Jews believed that adding any mistake to the Scriptures
would be punishable by Hell. This is not like modern secretaries who have many
letters to type and must work hard to keep their jobs, consequently feeling that
mistakes are inevitable. Great care is exercised with scripture when someone
holds a strong conviction about their sacredness.
But even with the great amount of
care exercised in copying, errors have crept into the manuscripts. No
one questions that spelling errors, misplaced letters, and word omissions have
occurred. What is not true is that these errors have gradually built up
over time so that our copies look nothing like the originals.
"In 1947 the accuracy of these
documents was confirmed by the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls were found in
caves in the dessert near the Dead Sea by a shepherd boy. Before the discovery
of these scrolls, the earliest Old Testament manuscripts we had were from about
980 A.D. The manuscripts discovered in the caves dated from 250 B.C. to shortly
after the time of Christ. In careful comparison of the manuscripts it was
confirmed that the copies we had were almost precisely the same as those which
date over 1000 years earlier! Old Testament scholar Gleason Archer said that
even though there is such a difference in dates of the manuscripts, "they
proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more that
95 per cent of the text. The 5 per cent of variation consisted chiefly of
obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling." No other historical
literature has been so carefully preserved and historically
confirmed.
"When we come to the New Testament we
see a similar phenomenon. There are over 5,000 Greek New Testament
manuscripts in existence. This is by far more than any other historical
documents, which usually have maybe a dozen copies from very late dates. The New
Testament manuscripts are many and old and they are spread over a wide
geographical area. What this enables the New Testament historian to do is
collect manuscripts from Jerusalem and Egypt and Syria and other places and
compare them for variations. And variations do exist, but as with the Old
Testament they are relatively few and rarely important to the meaning of the
text. What these manuscripts demonstrate is that different families of texts
existed very early that were copied from the original or good copies of the
original. This allows us to trace the manuscripts back to the source as one
would follow the branches of a tree to get to the trunk. Aside from the
manuscripts themselves, "virtually the entire New Testament could be reproduced
from citations contained in the works of the early church fathers. There are
some thirty-two thousand (32,000) citations in the writings of the Fathers
prior to the Council of Nicea (325)" (Excerpt
above from Moreland, Scaling the Secular City, p.
136).
9. God has revealed all
that matters in regard to salvation
Why don't Christians accept the
possibility that other books, such as the Book of Mormon, are also scripture?
Doesn't God still deal with His people today? Those are good questions.
Christians do, in fact, believe that God deals with humankind today and
that His hand has been upon mankind since He first created the world and
everything in it. Christians believe in and experience miracles. They receive
personal direction and guidance from the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit
are actively manifest in God's children.
The belief among Mormons is that God
loves His children as much today as He did in Bible times, which leads them to
conclude that continued revelation through prophets and additional scripture is
necessary, especially in troubling modern times such as these. It certainly is
true that God loves people! He has loved them from the very beginning of their
creation! He loves us so much, in fact, "that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Because of this, He made the "gospel" (the message, the good news about the
Person of Jesus Christ) very simple; so simple that even a child could
understand and believe.
God laid out His plan for the
redemption of mankind in the Holy Bible. Old Testament prophets proclaimed the
need for a Savior and foretold His coming. The Law was given to be a
schoolmaster---to show us our sin and depravity. As Paul said, "Indeed, I would
not have known what sin was except through the law" (Romans
7:7). The commandments and the requirements of the Mosaic Law brings us
face to face with our unrighteousness. And just in case we try to justify
ourselves by saying "I keep the commandments," Jesus comes along and reveals our
hearts and true nature by saying, "If any of you even looks at another
person with lust you've committed adultery."
The Torah reveals the character and nature of
God. The entire Old Testament (Tanakh) reveals our sin nature and
need for a Savior. It shows that only a Perfect blood sacrifice (nothing less
than God Himself) can put us into right standing with God and allow us in His
presence. The New Testament records the fulfillment of those prophecies in
Christ Jesus. The whole Bible testifies of our need for redemption and gives man
the solution; 1) recognize and confess our sin to God; 2) believe on Christ
Jesus and His atoning sacrifice; and 3) accept His gift of salvation through His
substitionary death on the cross (He died in our place). That's it!
That is why we don't need more
scripture. That is why we no longer need prophets to lead us. Jesus paid it
all; He is everything we need for eternal life with God, and the Bible lays out
everything we need to know about the plan of salvation.
10. The Ten Tribes are not "lost"
More info coming
11. The truth of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed and the
"doctrines of demons" exposed
