Introduction
The Protestant Reformation was a split from the Roman
Catholic Church (RCC) about 500 years ago. However, it wasn’t a complete break
because it kept the RCC’s views of God and man—that God is a Trinity of co-equal
Persons, and that man is an eternal spirit (non-physical) being living inside a
physical body that leaves the body at death and goes to live forever either in heaven
or hell. Assuming these to be the true views of God and man, the reformers proceeded
to develop out of them the systems of theology that have become the foundation
of Protestant Christian churches today. They claim that their systematic theology
is “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jde 1:3), but it’s
simply a revamp of what was developed and delivered by the RCC.
The apostle Paul likened individual Christians to stones in God’s
temple that are built upon the established foundation, “And are built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building
fitly framed together groweth unto an
holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:20-21), with the main stone in the
foundation being Jesus Christ Himself. And Paul said the same to the
Corinthians, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ ... Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you?” (1Co 3:11, 16).
The Old Testament written by the prophets and the New
Testament written by the apostles is our foundation with “Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone.” The Scriptures
can only be properly understood by starting with what Jesus Christ Himself
taught. He is the foundation, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Co 3:11). But rather than beginning with the foundational doctrines of
Jesus Christ and building upon them, the reformers used for a foundation the doctrines
of the RCC and built upon them instead. The finished product is the systematic
theology of modern Protestant Christian churches.
If we’ll pay close attention to the methodology of modern
Protestant preachers we’ll notice they start with assuming their system of
theology is true, then impose that system upon how they understand and teach
the Scriptures. The result is much confusion and contradictions because they’re
trying to harmonize their false system with the truth of the Scriptures. The
correct approach, on the other hand, is to start with understanding the truth
Jesus taught, then use the truth itself as the rubric for understanding
everything else in the Scriptures. This is the only way harmony and agreement
across the Scriptures can be achieved.
The devil is a master deceiver. He wants Christians confused
and giving up hope of ever finding the truth. Therefore, he wants to keep us
bound in the false systems of theology taught today. But we don’t have to remain
confused and disheartened about the truth because “the truth is in Jesus” (Eph
4:21).
Religious leaders
don’t want the truth
The Jewish
people had been devoid of a Messiah or King for hundreds of years but their
Scriptures promised that the Messianic line would continue again at some point
with the King being a descendant and rightful heir to the throne of David, born
in the town of Bethlehem. What they hadn’t understood from their own Scriptures,
however, is that the King would also be God’s only begotten Son from heaven!
That their Messiah is the Son of God was what the religious leaders—priests, scribes,
Pharisees, Sadducees—didn’t want to acknowledge and confess because it meant
repenting and submitting to Him. Since He is the Son of God, then everything He
taught is the truth and final authority, thereby implicating their teaching as
false and compelling them to either submit to Him or get rid of Him.
Christ’s
Sermon on the Mount was particularly directed at exposing their lies and
hypocrisy. What they had been teaching lowered God’s standard of righteousness,
“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:20). Repeatedly He stated what
they said followed by what He says: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of
old time … But I say unto you” (Mat 5:21-22), “Ye have heard that it was said
by them of old time … But I say unto you” (Mat 5:27-28), “It hath been said … But
I say unto you” (Mat 5:31-32), “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by
them of old time … But I say unto you” (Mat
5:33-34), “Ye have heard that it hath been said … But I say unto you” (Mat 5:38-39),
“Ye have heard that it hath been said … But I say unto you” (Mat 5:43-44).
Saul of
Tarsus had been one of those corrupt leaders, trying to rid the world of Jesus’
teachings by destroying His followers. However, his Damascus Road experience
brought him face-to-face with the Son of God and with his own hypocrisy. He
would later write about the extent of what he forsook to follow Christ, “Circumcised
the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of
the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a
Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless. But what
things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” (Phl 3:5-7). His
list doesn’t necessarily hit home with those of us far removed from his culture
and historical setting. But what he had to renounce was essentially everything he
had invested his entire life into achieving. Not only did he lose it all but he
also exchanged it all for a life of suffering, persecution, and shame. Of
course, the sacrifices he had to make is the farthest extreme yet still serves
as a model and example to us, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in
me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life
everlasting” (1Ti 1:16).
Only the
apostles and a small remnant of the Jewish people were willing to forsake
everything to gain Christ while the majority remained steeped in the false
teaching of the religious leaders. And this schema has proven to have emerged today
with mainstream Christianity bound by the false views of God and man compelled
upon them from modern scholars and theologians. They want us listening to them,
reading their books, studying their systems of theology, and graduating from their
seminaries.
Like the
religious leaders 2,000 years ago, the more invested into the system modern theologians
have become, the harder it is for them to walk away from it. For fulltime
ministers especially, denying the Trinity means not only being unemployed but
unemployable. There’s nowhere to go! Therefore, they justify to themselves
staying quiet and staying put. This is even more likely for those that believe the
doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved. They rationalize that they can’t lose
their salvation, therefore it’s not worth losing their job and reputation.
Besides, people are coming to salvation, marriages are being saved, and children
are learning about Jesus. They suppose that they can accomplish more by staying
than by leaving.
Additionally,
the more highly educated and scholarly they have become, the harder it is for
them to submit to the truth. As the saying goes, “The bigger they are, the
harder they fall.” They have a Doctorate degree in Theology, they’ve written published
books and commentaries, they’ve taught in seminaries, they’ve taught thousands
of lessons, and they’ve even pastored for decades. They just can’t contemplate having
to go tell everyone, “Oops! I was wrong about God. Sorry!”
It’s the quandary
of what to do with the monster that was created. If they keep feeding it, it’s just
going to get bigger and stronger. On the other hand, if they stop feeding it,
it’s going to feed on them. Therefore, out of self-preservation, they keep
feeding the monster. We would be quite stunned to learn just how many people in
mainstream Christian churches, including even the pastors and elders
themselves, have serious doubts and frustrations about the doctrine of the
Trinity and many other confusing doctrines. But it’s comfortable and convenient
to stay, and difficult to depart. Therefore, they just keep feeding the
monster.
The truth is in Jesus
Truth is
reality. It’s the actual state of existence. It’s the way things really are. Truth
always comports with logic and sound reason. Therefore, illogical and
unreasonable teachings implicate themselves as untrue. Truth
is consistent and harmonizes the whole. Therefore, inconsistencies, absurdities,
and confusion are indicators that what’s being taught isn’t true. Truth is generally simple and easy to
understand. Therefore, complex and sophisticated arguments using big words and
theological jargon are red flags that what’s being argued isn’t true.
The truth is
found in Jesus Christ: “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jhn 1:17); “And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jhn 8:32); “And if
I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” (Jhn 8:46); “I am the way, the
truth, and the life” (Jhn 14:6); “Every one that is of the truth heareth my
voice” (Jhn 18:37); “the truth is in Jesus” (Eph 4:21). The teaching and
preaching of Jesus Christ is the truth. It’s the required starting point and
basis for knowing God, ourselves, and everything else in life.
“In the
beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form,
and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And
the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen 1:1-3).
The very first words of Scripture narrating the creation account were also
prophetic about the ministry of Jesus Christ. God showed from the beginning
what the spiritual condition of mankind would be 4,000 years later—darkness
would be upon the hearts and minds of humanity but the Creator Himself would
come into the world and shine light through His teaching, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made
that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the
darkness comprehended it not.” (Jhn 1:3-5).
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom
the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)
Paul taught
the Christians at Corinth this same truth. God commanding the light to shine
into the darkness, in the beginning, was prophetic of the gospel that Christ
preached to the world. And this was also his message to the Christians at
Ephesus.
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of
God through the ignorance
that is in them, because of the
blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over
unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not
so learned Christ; If so be that ye
have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.
(Ephesians 4:18-21)
When we don’t understand something or we’re ignorant of certain
knowledge, it’s like being blind and in the dark. The solution is to attain
understanding and obtain the correct knowledge so that we’ll no longer be
confused and ignorant. Because we’re all blinded by the deceptions of the devil
through false teaching, coming to the understanding and knowledge of the truth
is like having light shine into our darkened hearts and minds, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2Co
4:6), “Having
the understanding darkened … through the ignorance that is in them … the
blindness of their heart … the truth
is in Jesus” (Eph 4:18, 21). Our goal with studying the Scriptures is
to no longer be confused and ignorant but to come to the understanding and knowledge
of the truth, then govern our lives by it.
We shouldn’t
be surprised by the false systems of theology dominating modern Christianity because
it’s precisely what Paul foretold would happen, “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables [myths]” (2Ti 4:4). The concepts of God as a Trinity of co-equal
Persons and man as an eternal spirit that goes to heaven or hell after
death are just myths,
fiction, and imagination. But if we love Christ we’ll stand on the
side of the truth and live by it, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me”
(Jhn 18:37 NIV). And if
we love people, we’ll teach them the truth.
Jesus taught the
truth about God
The correct view of God is what Jesus Christ taught about
Him, not what any theological system alleges. Nobody but the Son of God has
seen God, “No man hath seen God at any time; the
only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”
(Jhn 1:18), “Not that any man hath seen
the Father, save he which is of God, he
hath seen the Father” (Jhn 6:46). Since He is the only one that has seen
God, then what He declared about Him is the truth and
the final word. Anything contradicting what He taught is false.
Speaking to
His Father, Jesus called Him the only true God, “And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (Jhn 17:3). He
identified and categorized His Father as the only true God while excluding
Himself from the only true God.
Jesus called His Father “my God” twice before He died, once after
His resurrection, and four times after having been seated at the Father’s right
hand, “My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?” (Mat 27:46; Mar 15:34), “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to my God, and your God” (Jhn 20:17), “Him that overcometh will I make
a pillar in the temple of my God,
and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” (Rev 3:12). According to Jesus
Himself, His Father is the one true God and His Father is His God.
Jesus
affirmed the Shema written by Moses, “And Jesus answered him, The first of all
the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord [kyrios] our God is one Lord [kyrios]” (Mar 12:29). The Greek kyrios appears about 750 times in the New Testament and is a lord,
master, or ruler. Since Jesus taught that “The Ruler” is “one Ruler,” then God
is not three co-equal Rulers as Trinitarian theologians teach, but one Ruler.
Jesus taught
that God is one Person. The Greek word theos
for “God” or “gods” is grammatically in the singular or plural form depending
on the number of persons. One person requires theos to be singular while multiple persons requires plural. This
is simple grammar. And since Jesus always used theos in the singular when speaking about God, then God must be one
Person. This is further bolstered by the fact that when He spoke about men as
gods—more than one person as theos—He
used the plural, “I said, Ye are gods [theos]? If he called them gods [theos]”
(Jhn 10:34-35). He even used this word in both plural and singular form within
the same statement, “I said, Ye are gods
[theos]? If he called them gods [theos],
unto whom the word of God [theos] came” (Jhn 10:34-35). And the
apostle Paul also used both forms in the same statement, “For though there be
that are called gods [theos], whether in heaven or in
earth, (as there be gods [theos] many, and lords many,)
But to us there is but one God [theos], the Father” (1Co 8:5-6). Paul even emphasized that the
plural is “many” but the singular is “one.” Both Jesus Christ Himself and His
apostle understood and taught that theos
is either plural or singular based on the number of persons. Therefore, the
singular Theos can’t be multiple
Persons. But Trinitarian theologians claim just that! They contradict what Jesus
Christ taught and violate basic rules of grammar to do so.
Jesus taught the
truth about Himself
Jesus taught that He is the Son of God: “For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (Jhn 3:16); “Dost thou believe
on the Son of God?” (Jhn 9:35); “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath
sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the
Son of God?” (Jhn 10:36); “that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (Jhn
11:4). He never called Himself “God the Son” as Trinitarian theologians do. In
fact, the term “God the Son” isn’t found anywhere in Scripture. Jesus Christ
called Himself “the Son of God” which is not calling Himself “God” but His Son.
God is not His Son but has a Son, and His Son is not God but is His Son. This
is simple and easy to understand because truth generally is.
Jesus taught that He is the only begotten Son of God that
came out from God: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ... He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jhn 3:16, 18); “If God were your
Father, ye would love me: for I
proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent
me” (Jhn 8:42); “For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me,
and have believed that I came out from God.
I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave
the world, and go to the Father.” (Jhn 16:27-28); “For I have given unto them
the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me”
(Jhn 17:8). Trinitarians teach that Jesus has always existed but this isn’t
what He taught. Jesus taught that He was begotten of God and came out from God.
Jesus taught that He
was with the Father in heaven before coming into the world: “For the bread of
God is he which cometh down from heaven” (Jhn 6:33); “For I came down from
heaven” (Jhn 6:38); “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jhn 8:58); “I came forth from
the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the
Father” (Jhn 16:28); “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (Jhn 17:5); “for
thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (Jhn 17:24).
Jesus taught that His Father is greater than Himself and
that His power and authority are derived from Him: “All things are delivered
unto me of my Father” (Mat 11:27); “All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth” (Mat 28:18); “Hereafter
shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Luk 22:69),
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” (Jhn
3:35); “for my Father is greater than I” (Jhn 14:28), “and am set down with my
Father in his throne” (Rev 3:21). Jesus never taught that He is co-equal with
the Father as Trinitarian theologians do.
Jesus taught that He couldn’t perform miracles Himself but
that His Father did the works: “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he
seeth the Father do” (Jhn 5:19); “I can of mine own self do nothing” (Jhn
5:30); “the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (Jhn 14:10). His
apostle Peter that witnessed many of His miracles testified the same, “miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did by him” (Act 2:22), “healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for
God was with him” (Act 10:38).
Jesus taught the
truth about the Holy Breath
Jesus taught
that the Holy Spirit [Hagios Pneuma] is
breath by literally breathing on His disciples, “And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive
ye the Holy Ghost [Hagios Pneuma]”
(Jhn 20:22). The Holy Spirit [Hagios
Pneuma] is not a personal being but simply breath. Much confusion could
have been avoided by simply translating the Hebrew ruwach and Greek pneuma
throughout the Scriptures as “breath” instead of “spirit.” The Greek pneuma is where our English word “pneumonia”
is derived which a respiratory infection in the air sacs of the lungs that
causes difficulty in breathing and can be life-threatening. This is also the
root of the word “pneumatics” which is the scientific study of compressed air.
In John chapters 14-16, Jesus spoke about Himself as the
Holy Breath in His future role as our Advocate or Intercessor at the right hand
of God (Jhn 14:16, 26,
15:26, 16:7). And He stipulated that He was speaking figuratively,
“These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs” (Jhn 16:25). Although Jesus
Himself qualified His speech as figurative, Trinitarian theologians say
otherwise and take Him literally instead. Of course, they do take Him figuratively when He called the Holy Breath
“rivers of living water” earlier, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture
hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water. (But this spake he of the
Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.)” (Jhn 7:38-39). They apparently take His speech however it works in
their own best interest.
Although He had been speaking figuratively of the Father’s
Breath before His death, He also told His disciples that the time would come
when He would “shew you plainly of
the Father.” That time came after His resurrection, “Then said Jesus to them
again, Peace be unto you: as my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive
ye the Holy Ghost [Breath]” (Jhn
20:21-22). It was now that He taught His disciples plainly about the Father’s Breath
by literally breathing on them. Paul and John would both later affirm that
Jesus Christ Himself is indeed the Advocate or Interceder of which He had
spoken, “the Spirit [Breath] itself maketh intercession for
us … It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom 8:26,
34), “And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous” (1Jo 2:1).
Many years after His ascension and seating at the right hand
of God, Jesus gave seven messages to seven churches, concluding each one
with “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [Breath] saith
unto the churches” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22). He called Himself the
Breath not just once or twice but seven times! And Paul said the same, “Now the
Lord is that Spirit [Breath]” (2Co
3:17). Trinitarian theologians, however, teach otherwise.
Jesus taught the
truth about eternal life
Jesus never
taught that we go to heaven after death. In fact, there’s nowhere in the
entirety of Scripture that teaches we ever go to heaven. It’s simply an RCC
doctrine. Since Jesus didn’t teach this, then it’s not true. What Jesus did teach is bodily resurrection from
the grave to live forever: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life … Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which
all that are in the graves shall
hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (Jhn 5:24, 28-29); “raise it up again at the last day … I
will raise him up at the last day …
I will raise him up at the last day …
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life … Whoso eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal
life; and I will raise him up
at the last day” (Jhn 6:39, 40, 44, 47, 54); “Martha saith unto him, I know that
he shall rise again in the resurrection
at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:24-25).
Jesus taught the
truth about death
The
Scriptures speak of life as seeing light and death as darkness: “To
bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living” (Job 33:30); “He shall go to the
generation of his fathers; they shall
never see light” (Psa 49:19), “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psa 56:13);
“In him was life; and the life was the
light of men” (Jhn 1:4); “These are wells without water, clouds that are
carried with a tempest; to whom the mist
of darkness is reserved for ever” (2Pe 2:17), “Raging waves of the sea,
foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever”
(Jde 1:13).
Jesus taught light or darkness in conjunction with the body:
“The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore thine eye be single, thy
whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mat 6:22-23); “The
light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light;
but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.”
(Luk 11:34-35). He taught that if we’ll commit the light we see now in this
life with singleness of heart and loyalty to Him, then our whole body will be
full of light forever. But if we’re using this life and the light we see for
evil, then our whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, we should take
heed to not squander the precious light we have and end up in full darkness.
He taught that humans are physical beings either alive
seeing light or dead in darkness bodily. He never spoke of man as a spirit
(non-physical) being that can live disembodied after death. Rather, life and
death are in conjunction with the body.
Jesus spoke of death as darkness: “But the children of the
kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 8:12), “Then said the king
to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him
into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Mat 22:13), “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 25:30).
It’s called “outer darkness” because the dead are cast outside the renewed
Jerusalem, banned from the tree of life, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city. For without
[outside] are dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a
lie.” (Rev 22:14-15).
The Greek geenna
or gehenna is the word translated as
“hell” in the New Testament. Jesus spoke about this place in six different
passages: Matthew 5:22-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15-33; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 12:5. He
taught that it’s a material place where people are thrown bodily:
But
I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,
shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be
in danger of hell [geenna] fire. ... And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for
thee that one of thy members
should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell [geenna].
And if thy right hand offend
thee, cut it off, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one
of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body
should be cast into hell [geenna]. (Matthew 5:22, 29-30)
And
fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell [geenna]. (Matthew 10:28)
And
if thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out, and cast it from thee:
it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell [geenna] fire. (Matthew
18:9)
And
if thy hand offend thee, cut
it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell [geenna],
into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the
fire is not quenched. And if thy foot
offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than
having two feet to be cast
into hell [geenna], into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee
to enter into the kingdom of God with one
eye, than having two eyes
to be cast into hell [geenna] fire: Where their worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43-48)
According to
Jesus, geenna is a material place
where people are thrown bodily or physically which corresponds to the lake of
fire where the resurrected dead are cast: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and hell [the grave] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they
were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell [the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:13-15)
Jesus also said that the lake of fire is where people are
cast after they have been killed, “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:
Fear him, which after he hath killed
hath power to cast into hell [geenna]; yea, I say unto you, Fear
him” (Luk 12:5). The lake of fire isn’t a place of eternal torture for
disembodied spirits, but a mass grave where dead bodies are thrown to be
cremated and annihilated.
Jesus also contrasted eternal life with annihilation: “That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish
[apollymi], but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish
[apollymi], but have everlasting
life.” (Jhn 3:15-16); “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish [apollymi],
neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand” (Jhn 10:28); “He that loveth his life shall lose [apollymi] it;
and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (Jhn 12:25). According
to Jesus, the two destinies of man are either eternal life or annihilation. And
He taught that the
majority will be annihilated while only a few will have eternal life, “Enter ye
in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction [apoleia], and many there be
which go in thereat: Because strait is
the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it” (Mat 7:13-14).
Jesus taught the
truth about salvation
Jesus taught
that we must live to His standard of righteousness to enter His kingdom, “For I
say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:20). His
standard is His teaching and commandments embodied in the Sermon on the Mount.
We must hear Him and do what He says, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him
unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock ... And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon
the sand” (Mat 7:24, 26).
Jesus taught
faithfulness to Him as Lord: “No man can
serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon.” (Mat 6:24); “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant
above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and
the servant as his lord.” (Mat
10:24-25); “Then the lord of that
servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the
debt” (Mat 18:27); “Who then is a
faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his
household, to give them meat in due season?” (Mat 24:45); “His lord said unto
him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of
thy lord ... His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord” (Mat 25:21, 23); “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his
household, to give them their portion
of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when
he cometh shall find so doing.” (Luk 12:42-43); “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in
much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who
shall give you that which is your own?” (Luk 16:10-12); “Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were
commanded him? I trow not.” (Luk 17:9); “Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities”
(Luk 19:17); “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there
shall also my servant be: if any man
serve me, him will my Father
honour” (Jhn 12:26); “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent
greater than he that sent him” (Jhn 13:16); “Remember the word that I said unto
you, The servant is not greater than his
lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they
have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (Jhn 15:20).
Jesus taught
that we must deny ourselves and lose our life for His sake, “Then said Jesus
unto his disciples, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall
lose it: and whosoever will lose his
life for my sake shall find it.” (Mat 16:24-25), “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall
save it.” (Luk 9:23-24).
Conclusion
Jesus taught
that we can’t be ashamed of Him or ashamed of His words, “For whosoever shall
be ashamed of me and of my words, of
him shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he shall come in his own glory, and in
his Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luk 9:26). What will we do with the
doctrine of the Trinity? If Jesus Christ is truly our Lord and we’ve come to
the knowledge of what He taught about God and man, how can we continue to
embrace modern systematic theology founded upon RCC doctrine? How can we be
ashamed of His words and still be serving Him?
It’s one
thing to embrace something false that we sincerely believe is true, but quite
another to learn the truth Jesus taught yet continue to embrace what is false.
How can Jesus Christ be our Lord when we’re refusing to humble ourselves and
submit to His teaching? We can be sincerely deceived and God will forgive us
when we repent. However, we’re in grave danger when we’ve come to know the
truth Jesus taught but willingly fight against it, “For whosoever shall be
ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed.”
Jesus taught that the religious leaders of His day worshipped God in vain by teaching their own doctrines as commandments, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mat 15:9), “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mar 7:7). Trinitarian theologians teach that the doctrine of the Trinity is essential for salvation and that it’s a closed case not open for discussion. They’re commanding unquestioned loyalty to their doctrine to be saved. But why don’t they want to discuss it? Why don’t they want it questioned? Why do they hush and censor those that disagree? Could it be that they don’t want their doctrine exposed as false? Truth doesn’t demand silence because it silences, “And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions” (Mat 22:46).