Is the trinity decisive in judging denominations' legitamacy?

Question

Cults like Jehovah's Witnesses are branded "NOT Christian" often with the short explanation "They do NOT believe in the Trinity".

How sure are we about the Trinity, never named in the bible?

What if a seeker gives his heart to the Lord but isn't sure about the concept of the trinity, are they unsaved?

Is doubt about the concept of the Trinity a "deal breaker"?

This is a partial list of early "christians" who rejected the Roman Catholics belief in the Trinity.
* Natalius, ~200
* Sabellius, ~220
* Paul of Samosata, 269
* Arius, 336
* Eusebius of Nicomedia, 341 (baptized Constantine),
* Constantius II, Byzantine Emperor, 361
* Antipope Felix II, 365
* Atius, 367
* Ulfilas, Apostle to the Goths, 383
* Priscillian, 385 (considered first Christian to be executed for heresy)

Were they "Church Fathers", or is this a list of hertics?

Answer 1

Although the Bible may not call it the Holy trinity (us humans came uo with it as an umbrella term), it does say that God is three in one. God was one but divided himself into three parts of the same being. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Sprit are all God but presented in three forms for different reasons.

Jesus [the Word] is divine from the beginning and became a man. It's in the Bible, John 1:1,14, NIV. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… . The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Why was it necessary for Jesus to take on human nature? It's in the Bible, Hebrews 2:17, NIV. "For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people."

The Holy Spirit is the source of truth. It's in the Bible, John 14:16-17, TLB. "He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him, for it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you do, for He lives with you now and some day shall be in you."

The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead. It's in the Bible, Acts 5:3,4, NIV. "They Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.'"

The Holy Spirit is God living in and among those who believe. It's in the Bible, Matthew 18:19-20, TLB. "I also tell you this—if two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask for, My Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are Mine, I will be right there among them."



I hope this helps in answering your question.

Answer 2

How then do we account for the fact that the Bible says very simply that no man has ever seen God?

King James says: "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

Everything Jesus did was representative of his Father. In fact Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus was the "exact representation" of the Father.

A representation is not the same as the original, but an exact representation is as good as the real thing. That is why Jesus said that "if you have seen me you have seen the Father," because he was just like Jehovah in every respect—'a chip off the old block'—as the expression goes.

Answer 3

Honestly I don't think so. I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I don't believe in the trinity. The Bible freely recognised that people would have other religions. Remember when Paul gave that beautiful speech, he said he came on behalf of the unknown God, one of their recognised deities. Not once did he say You are CULTISTS as they didn't believe as him. Also as you mentioned NO where is the trinity mentioned. According to the belief that if a person disagrees with the trinity they are in a cult, that precludes ALLOT of faiths, but also says that allot of clearly Pagan groups are not because they have some concept of the trinity in their beliefs.

Answer 4

Rejecting the Trinity has to count against a Christian organization. The Council of Nicea was virtually unanimous in recognizing that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit comprise one God. But it is not necessarily a deal-breaker.

There are two clear marks of illegitimacy in a group that claims to be Christian.

First, approval of abortion. No group that claims allegiance to Christ could possibly accept maternal homicide as consistent with the faith that suffers little children to come to Christ, and which says, "You will not kill."

Second, approval of sexual immorality. No Christian organization could excuse serious sin that, in Christ's words, "makes a man unclean."

Answer 5

From the beginning, the revealed truth of the Holy Trinity has been at the very root of the Church's living faith, principally by means of Baptism. It finds its expression in the rule of baptismal faith, formulated in the preaching, catechesis and prayer of the Church. Such formulations are already found in the apostolic writings, such as this salutation taken up in the Eucharistic liturgy: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

Answer 6

Cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Mormons don't just deny the doctrine of the Trinity. Both of them claim to honor Jesus while demeaning the person of the eternal Son of God by assigning to Him the equivalent position of Satan.

JW's say that Jesus is really the arch-angel Michael and they would deny that they make Jesus like Satan, but what does the Bible say?

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Mormons claim that Jesus and Satan are "spirit brothers" and that God was once a man. So, it's more than what a person believes about the Trinity. It's what they believe about Jesus.

Answer 7

Believing in the Trinity does not make one a Christian. Believing that Jesus, the promised Christ, came to this earth on his father's behalf to die for all of humanity, does.

I totally appreciate what Jesus has done for me. I love Jesus' father, the only true God, for asking Jesus to come and do it.

There is no Triune God. There is only one almighty God, and Psalm 83:18 tells us who his name is.

Jesus himself said over and over he is not God. He came here to do his father's will. We must pray only to his father. In fact, in what people call the Lord's Prayer, He told us to sanctify his father's name. To do his father's will. Jesus clearly spoke of his father as a seperate entity.

It is man that has made the Trinity concept and the reason it is so confusing is because it was never taught in the Bible.

Oh, and for all those that use the scripture that says, "I and my Father are one," you totally miss the point. Jesus always does the things pleasing to his father. They are one, one in thought, in purpose. Jesus totally agrees with his father.

Gen 2:24 shows what Jesus meant. "That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh. "

How can a husband and wife become one flesh? By being on the same page and by putting each other first.

Answer 8

You need to research the bible and make up your own mind as to the trinity, Start at Psalms 83:18, Isa. 42:8 There are many verses that point to the truth.
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Answer 9

I think the acceptance of the Trinity isn't what it is important here. Acceptance of Jesus as Lord is the most important.

All religions have a grain of truth in them. It is my opinion, that this is the grain of truth found in the Catholic belief system.

God is Supreme, but he is a 3 in one deity as well. The other two, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, he created so he could be mobile and everywhere. God's position is fixed and absolute. He has given movement to his form through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and us. He is within each of us.

Answer 10

Trinity was never accepted by the Jews , Islam or early Christians. It was introduced by Constantine the great about 325AD . He was a high priest of a pagan religion and was not baptized christian until his death bed.
Trinity is not in the bible and Doesn't fit with thr teachings of Jesus.