The dogma of the Trinity in the light of the Bible
Introductory note
All Christians who believe in the Trinity I call here “the trinitarians.” I have adopted this name for convenience, to make it easier for the reader to understand my point of view.
Pastor Chauvette speaks about the Holy Trinity in a rather specific way. He goes so far as to use a simple statement in this lecture: “God is made of three parts.” Is it true? Is the God of the Bible, who is the Israeli God Yahweh, really divided in any way, internally or externally? Let’s look at what he says about himself through the mouth of Isaiah.
And now I will go into details.
Mr. Chauvette starts by saying:
“For the first 300 years after Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, we have what we call the Church Fathers – wonderful, great, great men who would write letters to the Church. Clement is one for example, and they would write letters in all their letters they would mention the Trinity without using the word… So we have the Church Fathers that come around and they put the word Trias, some Greek translation, some Aramaic translation, came to the Latin Trinitas, and now we have today the term Trinity. So officially the name, the word Trinity is not in the scriptures, but the principle of the Trinity is there from cover to cover. We see the Father, we see the Son, and we see the Holy Spirit manifested in the Scriptures from the beginning of time until the end of days.”
Really? I haven’t studied all the works of the Church Fathers, but I wonder where their numerous references to the Trinity can be found. Too bad that the Pastor does not provide even a single source that would confirm this. I would readily check it out.
However, I know that the Greek word Trias, which translates to Polish as Triada, is often used in the term “triad of deities”. We meet them in cultures much older than Christianity. And so in Egypt they were, for example: Osiris-Horus-Isis, or Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris, in Tibet – Amon-Mut-Chonsu, in Syria – Kadesh-Astarte-Anat, etc. Thus, the concept of the trinity, or triad of deities, is not of Christian origin, it was well known in antiquity.
Besides, the Pastor did not say anything about the attitude of the Jews towards the Trinity, which is a very important issue, considering that Christianity is a child of Judaism.
Let me remind you what I wrote about it in some of my articles edited a few or a dozen or so years ago:
In the article “Odkłamywanie pierwotnej ewangelii” (Veryfing the Original Gospel), I wrote:
“The concept of the Trinity was disgusting and scandalous to the Jews from the very beginning, because it contradicted the monotheism of their religion. To believe in the Trinity meant for many Jews practically the same as to renounce their faith and cease to be Jewish. The cornerstone of the Jewish religion was the words of Moses: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is o n e.’ If not from the beginning of their history, then at least for quite a few centuries the Jews have known only Yahweh, a merciful and at the same time envious, vengeful god who does not share his throne with anyone and demands obedience to his Law from his chosen people. The dogma of the Trinity, therefore, caused the final separation of both religions, that is, Christianity and Judaism.”
And next,
“The greatest responsibility for separating Christianity from Judaism and giving it a non-Jewish shape and character rests with the two pagan Roman emperors, the leaders of the Catholic councils, Constantine and Theodosius. Exercising their power, these emperors zealously adhered to political and ecclesiastical principles, but they completely forgot about the most basic ethical and moral principles. These emperors presided over the councils – Constantine the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), where Jesus was equated with God, and Theodosius at the Council of Constantinople (381 AD), where the dogma of the Holy Trinity was adopted in its final form, which is still valid today.
And did Jesus or his disciples speak about the Trinity? Of course not. They were typical Jewish monotheists. The concept of a triad of deities existed at that time, but it was completely foreign to the Jews. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, nor even the term “Triune God” that is so common today. Thus, it is highly probable that the passage from the gospel of Matthew 28:19, which occurs at the end of it: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” believed to be Jesus’ command, is a forged addition inserted into the gospel text later. In any case, it is worth wondering how could Jesus say such words, give this command? Didn’t he teach during his life in this world that God is one, indivisible? [Mark 12:28-34]. A trinitarian will answer immediately: – Yes, but Jesus was not equal to God for as long as he lived in human flesh. He became God again only after the resurrection.
OK, let me ask you then – why does the apostle Paul teach, after the resurrection of Jesus and his glorious ascension into heaven, that “the head of Christ is God.”? [1 Cor. 11:3] Doesn’t it imply that he considered Jesus to be lower in rank to God? Moreover, how could this apostle teach the Corinthians in this way, and write to the Christians in Rome “To the Israelis belong the patriarchs, and from them, Christ descended, who is God over all, the one who is forever blessed. Amen”? [Romans 9:5]
I have not yet met a theologian who could give me a satisfactory answer to these questions.
Then, in the article „Spadkobiercy i uzurpatorzy władzy kościelnej” (Heirs and usurpers of church power) I wrote:
“In the fourth century AD, the ecclesiastical and political interests of the empire were so intermixed that it made little difference that the leaders of the Christian Councils were pagan Roman emperors. On this basis, the dogma of the Trinity was adopted, which came into force by imperial decree. So we can imagine in how hard situation found themselves those, who knew Jesus as a typical Jew and the teachings he proclaimed during his lifetime.”
Other remarks on Mr. Chauvette’s lecture
Then he says:
“Jesus is speaking to all the people in Jerusalem; If you do not believe that I am you will die in your sins. They were offended. He said he was God. So Jesus confirms that he is not only the Son of God, but also God. And it shocks people who cannot understand this reality. How can he be the Son of God and God at the same time. That shocks a lot of people.”
Here he makes a far-fetched interpretation of this gospel passage, adding his own fantasies. From this passage we learn that Jesus was addressing these words only to the Jews, during a heated debate with them. There is no mention whatsoever in any of the four gospels that during his public speeches addressed to ordinary people in Jerusalem, or on any other occasion, Jesus said about himself I AM.
Then he says: “Jesus abandoned his divinity and became man, that’s why we call him the son of man.”
Indeed, that was how he often called himself during his earthly mission and activity, but this name was never popular among Christians. I know this because I have dealt with Christians for many years.
Next, Mr. Chauvette believes that those who do not believe in the Trinity are not Christians. Meanwhile, there is a source that gives the list of the Christian denominations that reject this dogma. They are:
Arians, Anabaptists, Bible Students, Polish Brethren, Saturday Day Christians, Christadelphians – Brothers in Christ, Epiphanists, Polish Brethren Unity, Judaism, Messianic Assemblies of God, Socinians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Free Bible Students, Unitarians, Assemblies of God of Seventh-day Christians , Messianic Jewish Congregations, Yahweh Assembly, Oneness of Deity Pentecostals.
Quite a long list, Mr. Chauvette, isn’t it?
Jehovah’s Witnesses did not fall for the doctrine of the Trinity. English-speaking followers of this organization call Jesus “godlike man“, and I think this name is the most accurate in light of what the Bible says about him. Catholics and Protestants, on the other hand, go much further, placing him on an equal footing with God himself, despite the fact that he often placed himself below God.
In connection with the above, the question arises: “If in the Hebrew Bible, the first and the last, i.e. Alpha and Omega, is Yahweh, then why is this term attributed to Jesus in the book of Revelation? (22:13). It is also worth noting that the same Jesus, Alpha and Omega, the Incarnate Word (John 1:14), by whom God created the universe (Heb 1:2), rebukes a certain man for calling him “good” (Mark 10:17; Luke 18:19).
Strange inconsistency, right?
Next, Mr. Chauvette recalls Jesus’ promise to send the spirit which will lead those who believe in him into all truth. It seems, however, that this spirit constantly whispers something else into the ears of Christians, because for so many centuries they have been divided into so many denominations and sects.
Besides, what the Pastor calls the voice of the Holy Spirit telling believers what to do and how to act is nothing more than the voice of human conscience. There are many honest Muslims, Buddhists and followers of other religions, as well as many non-believers who do not listen to any voice of the spirit, they simply follow the voice of their conscience. It’s enough.
Chauvette also believes that God’s words “Let us make man in our image” [Genesis 1:26-27] are addressed to the Trinity. If so, let me ask – does He do the same in the two other cases which I’ll mention in a moment? Let’s look at these three passages from the same book Genesis:
“In the beginning, God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.” [1:1]
Why is the word “Elohim” which means “gods” used in the context of the creation of the universe? The question then arises, how to understand it in the end – is it one god who is the creator of the universe, or the gods? The answer to this I gave at the beginning of this article, so I don’t need to repeat it.
And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” [3:22]
“But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” [11:5-7]
Is Yahweh also speaking to the Trinity in both of these cases? I don’t think so. Too bad that Chauvette did not mention these passages in his lecture. He probably found them too troublesome.|
According to many scholars, these four passages in Genesis [1:1; 3:22; 1:26-27; 11:5-7] show that the Jews were polytheists in their early history, they believed in various gods. They became staunch monotheists only after leaving Egypt and accepting the Mosaic law.
Final conclusions
Let me recall these Pastor’s words in his lecture: “To believe in the Trinity is sound, is biblical, and is actually factual.”
As I have shown, this belief is neither reasonable nor biblical nor factual. The Pastor is simply LYING.
Pope John Paul II taught during his pontificate that the mystery of the Trinity was hidden in the Old Testament. But anyone who knows the Bible a little bit, knows that there is no such mystery in it at all. I reckon, and probably every reasonable person will agree with me, that this concept is too important to be kept secret from Jews for several centuries of their history, and from Christians for at least the first three centuries of the so-called Christian era. In the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh always refers to himself in the first person singular. Even to Moses, with whom he allegedly spoke “face to face”, he did not say that he was “threefold” (Exodus 33:11).
To justify the doctrine of the Trinity, the priesthood made some forged additions and interpolations in the gospels and epistles. And the trinitarians, relying on these few forgeries, have reckoned them more important than many other passages in the Bible, which, as I have shown, clearly contradict the idea of the Trinity.
Let me quote three such passages favored by the Protestants:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14]
“And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” [1 John 5:20]
“To them (i.e. Jews) belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.” [Romans (9:5]
To sum up, let me briefly remind you the facts related to this topic:
• The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible.
• The number of biblical passages that contradict the idea of Trinity far outweighs the number of passages that support it.
• From the beginning, this dogma aroused disgust and scandal among the Jews because it contradicted the monotheism of their religion. For many Jews belief in the Trinity would be tantamount to denying their faith and their roots.
• Jesus never directly said that he was God, he even emphasized the unity and indivisibility of God [see Mark 12:28-31].
• This unity and indivisibility of Yahweh is also emphasized many times in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). In the New Testament there are some contradicting teachings and forged additions on this subject.
• Christianity is a child of Judaism, and the concept of the Trinity was absent from the early Christian church. The early Christians gathered in synagogues and were considered members of a Jewish sect, one of many. So they could not preach the Trinity – a doctrine completely alien to the Jews.
• This idea comes much later. As I have mentioned, it was first debated only at the Council of Nicaea, and finally adopted as a doctrine at the Council of Constantinople.
• The apostle Paul did not believe in the Trinity, the consubstantial nature of Jesus and God. As I said earlier, his teaching in 1 Corinthians [11:3] attests to this.
• Yahweh says many times through the mouth of Isaiah that he himself, without anyone’s participation or mediation, created this entire universe, and yet, the trinitarians search for places in the Bible that, in their opinion, prove that Jesus also participated in this work of creation.
Can the New Testament – a book that contains such contradictions in such an important issue as the essence of God, be called the Word of God? And would Jesus agree with what was written about him many years after his death. Let’s compare these passages:
Finally, let me quote what I wrote earlier on this subject in two of my articles:
“I hope that the above given facts and examples will help many modern people to understand how many crimes and forgeries have been committed to convince the world that what is today called Christianity is a faithful copy of the original teachings of Jesus and his disciples. But to learn the truth about this religion, one must turn to historical sources, and not rely only on the Bible and/or on later decrees of Catholic councils.”
“Contemporary Christians, ignorant of the sources and staring at the picture of the kingdom that priests paint for them, generally do not know, and often do not even want to know, that they are followers of a completely different religion than the original Christians who gathered in synagogues and never heard of Trinity, Mother of Church, Purgatory and many other things.
Jerzy Sędziak, June 2023
© Copyright by Jerzy Sędziak