SPELLING EDITED

W-2. THE DOCTRINE OF ONENESS EXPLAINED!

First, I would like to explain what the Oneness doctrine teaches. The word doctrine means teaching. So here is the Oneness teaching is in my own understanding from what I have researched by listening to Oneness teachers. It is their doctrine so they should know what they are teaching. And the way that I myself understand from Oneness websites is that Almighty God Himself MANIFESTED Himself to become the Son, Jesus. In other words, as I understand it, Oneness believers teach that Jesus is Almighty God Yahweh Himself in the flesh. And thus, to them, Jesus IS the FATHER, as in, ONE and the SELF-SAME divine eternal being as Yahweh. To say this another way, Oneness believers teach that there is only ONE God in ONE person and that ONE God in ONE person is JESUS. And thus, to Oneness Christians, Jesus is the Father and the Father is Jesus, as in, they are ONE PERSON whose NAME is JESUS.

Now, if so be that my understanding of the Oneness doctrine is not correct, then to all my Oneness brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ please accept my apologies and please write to me so I can correct any errors that I may have which might misrepresent what Oneness Christians teach.

Again, from what I have researched concerning the Oneness “interpretation” of 1 Timothy 3:16, this verse seems to be the foundational verse of Scripture that Oneness believers use to prove the teaching that Yahweh HIMSELF manifested HIMSELF to become the Son, Jesus. Now, before we read this verse let me say to all my Oneness readers that I myself am NOT a Trinitarian Christian. I used to be a believer in the doctrine of the Trinity, but I am now NO LONGER a Trinitarian. I believe as the Oneness believers, in that, it was Almighty God Himself who manifested Himself into the Son of man, Jesus, BUT I am NOT an Oneness believer. I do, indeed, believe that the ONE TRUE God is ONE God in ONE person. But I believe that the ONE TRUE God in ONE person IS the Father ALONE whose name is Yahweh. I believe that the ONE God in just the ONE person who is the Father alone begot Himself a literal real SON whose name is Jesus. I believe that Jesus is a SEPARATE distinctly DIFFERENT PERSON from the Father who ALONE is the ONLY TRUE God?

Some of you may be wondering how can I say that I believe as the Oneness believers that Yahweh Himself became flesh and yet say that I am NOT an Oneness believer? This question and many more will be answered in this study of God’s word or WHY I am NEITHER a Trinitarian NOR an Oneness believer. Let us begin this study in God’s word by reading 1 Timothy 3:16 and then we will “correctly” interpret this verse in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God by allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.

1 Timothy 3:16.

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was MANIFEST in the FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Now the Greek word “phaneroo” translated as “MANIFEST” is Strong’s #5319 and it means to render apparent, to make manifest. And it is translated in other verses as appear, show, manifestly declared, be manifest, and manifest forth. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the English word “MANIFEST” as meaning, clearly apparent to the sight or understanding, and to show or demonstrate plainly.

So then, the word “MANIFEST” means to SHOW, to MAKE KNOWN, to clearly and plainly REVEAL. In other words, God was clearly and plainly REVEALED to us in the FLESH.

The word manifest also means to APPEAR, as in, a “manifestation”.

Now the question becomes HOW was God clearly and plainly revealed to us in the FLESH? To this question, we have no less than three possible INTERPRETATIONS. There are more interpretations, like for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses have of Jesus being created in eternity past, but I will not deal with those interpretations in this study. I say “interpretations” because the original Greek text itself does not state as a fact that Yahweh Himself changed Himself into the Son Jesus, but rather, that is just one “INTERPRETATION” of what this verse means.

#1. The ONENESS interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:16.

Yahweh Himself as being one God in ONE person literally became the Son Jesus and remained the fully divine Yahweh in a bodily FORM or MODE, as in, a MANIFESTATION of HIMSELF. And thus, to them, Jesus is not truly separate person as a person of his own, but rather, Yahweh created a human body to cloth Himself in.

#2. The Trinitarian interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:16.

Yahweh being three separate distinct persons in the one God where the first person of the Trinity sent the second person of his divine being, called God the God, down from heaven to the earth to become flesh. And God the Son after incarnating himself to become flesh still yet remained the fully Almighty God Yahweh in the FLESH. And thus, the Son of man, Jesus, from his virgin birth to all eternity future has two natures at the same time, one divine and one human according to the doctrine of the Trinity.

#3. The Biblical Unitarian interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:16.

Yahweh brought into existence as a human being born of the Virgin Mary just like the PROPHECY written in the Old Testament foretold BEFORE the spoken word of PROPHECY was MANIFESTED or FULFILLED to be made FLESH. And then, the Son of MAN, Jesus, manifestly DECLARED the ONLY TRUE God to be the FATHER alone. Biblical Unitarians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the one PROPHESIED that Yahweh would raise up from among the PEOPLE. So we see Jesus MADE a little LOWER than the angels just like the prophecies teach. And then, AFTER the CROSS the Son of MAN, Jesus was HIGHLY EXALTED to BECOME Deity and granted to sit on his God and Father’s throne to rule and reign FOR Yahweh for 1000 years in the world yet to come.

Now, according to my own understanding, Oneness believers teach that Yahweh ALONE has always existed with NO pre existing SON by his side in eternity past where the Son never had a beginning. In other words, Oneness Christians believe that it was Yahweh ALONE and by himself who created all things and that the FLESH of Yahweh came into existence at the BIRTH of Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary which is when Yahweh Himself “MANIFESTED” Himself to become flesh.

And Trinitarians claim that it was the Son of God who was ALWAYS existing as God the SON. And to them it was God the Son, the second person of God who is God became flesh.

And BOTH the Oneness Christians and the Trinitarian Christians dogmatically demand that when God “MANIFESTED” Himself to become flesh he REMAINED fully the DIVINE ETERNAL Almighty God Yahweh in the flesh having TWO natures at the SAME time DURING the DAYS of his FLESH.

Now, I know for sure that Trinitarians teach that Jesus had TWO natures at the SAME time during the days of his flesh, one divine, and one human which is commonly called the doctrine of the Deity of Jesus. And I understand that Oneness believers do indeed teach that Jesus is DEITY because they teach the Jesus IS the FATHER and we all agree that the Father is the divine Deity who has always existed without beginning or end. But what I am not sure of is whether or not the Oneness Christians teach that Jesus has TWO NATURES, one divine, and one human? For you see, Oneness Pentecostal Christians do NOT believe that Jesus is a separate person from the Father and that the Father clothed Himself in a BODY of flesh. So I am not sure how they can say that Jesus had two natures at the same time if Jesus was not a real person but on a body that the FATHER clothed Himself in. So to me, it would be the Father who had two natures because the Son, to them, was just a MANIFESTATION of the Father.

I mean, surely the Oneness believers must believe and teach that someone DIED on the cross. But all the teachings that I myself have heard Oneness Christians teach dogmatically demand that it was Almighty God HIMSELF who died on the cross. And that, to ME, means that Deity or the DIVINE nature died on the cross. But the Bible itself teaches us that the Son of MAN died on the cross and the Father raised the Son of MAN from the dead.

Now to some Unitarians, and definitely to Biblical Unitarians, and also believers like myself, we all understand and agree that the ETERNAL God means ETERNAL and, therefore, to us, the ETERNAL God cannot possibly DIE.

And this is WHY the doctrine of the Deity was created in the first place in the FOURTH-century. The TWO natures of Jesus doctrine called the Deity of Jesus was created or INVENTED to explain away the questions of HOW could an ETERNAL God DIE? This dual nature doctrine was also fabricated from the Greek word “hupostasis”  to explain or reason AWAY the questions concerning how God could do and know things that the human Son of MAN could NOT do of himself and things he did NOT know. Please read the study “37 FACTS TO PONDER ABOUT JESUS BEING GOD!”, which puts forth no less than 37 QUESTIONS concerning Jesus being THE ONE TRUE and only ALMIGHTY God Himself. And to me, that would make Jesus to be the Father. But the Bible ITSELF clearly teaches us in SIMPLICITY that the Father is the God OF Jesus which proves that Jesus IS a separate person from the Father. Now, I firmly believe that Jesus is called God by his God and Father, but this does NOT mean that Jesus is THE God Yahweh Himself. Jesus said that he came forth OUT FROM Yahweh.

Now, rather than spending any more time explaining what Oneness believers already understand and know what they believe and teach, let us move on to the heart of the matter, which is to find out from God’s word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible itself if the Oneness doctrine is SOUND BIBLICAL teaching having absolutely NO contradictions to any other part of God’s word.

IS THE ONE DOCTRINE BIBLICAL?

Let us begin this section of this study by restating the Biblical Unitarian interpretation #3 of 1 Timothy 3:16 or HOW God was “manifest” in the FLESH.

#3. The Biblical Unitarian interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:16.

Yahweh brought into existence a human being born of the Virgin Mary just like the PROPHECY written in the Old Testament foretold BEFORE the spoken word of PROPHECY was MANIFESTED or FULFILLED to be made FLESH. And then, the Son of MAN, Jesus, manifestly DECLARED the ONLY TRUE God to be the FATHER alone. Biblical Unitarians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the one PROPHESIED that Yahweh would raise up from among the PEOPLE. So we see Jesus MADE a little LOWER than the angels just like the prophecies teach. And then, AFTER the CROSS the Son of MAN, Jesus was HIGHLY EXALTED to BECOME Deity and granted to sit on his God and Father’s throne to rule and reign FOR Yahweh for 1000 years in the world yet to come.

Now, I say “Biblical” Unitarian interpretation because this interpretation uses the WHOLE meaning of the Greek word “phaneroo” that is translated as “MANIFEST” as opposed to the ONE-SIDED meaning chosen by the Oneness believers to say that Yahweh APPEARED in the flesh. In other words, to Oneness Christians the word “MANIFEST” means that Yahweh Himself literally became FLESH as OPPOSED to Yahweh CREATING His Son as FULLY HUMAN. Remember that the word “manifest” means BOTH to APPEAR and to SHOW PLAINLY or to CLEARLY and PLAINLY REVEAL.

In other words, I myself believe that the Bible ITSELF teaches us that Yahweh HIMSELF “APPEARED” in the FLESH, as in, Yahweh the Father sent down His own Holy Spirit to DWELL IN the FLESH of the Son of MAN, Jesus that He CREATED. In other words, I myself and many other Christians who are known as Biblical Unitarians do NOT believe that the Bible ITSELF teaches us that Jesus HIMSELF was the one true and only ALMIGHTY God Yahweh Himself being fully human at the SAME time having TWO natures, one divine, and one human. NOR do we believe that Jesus HIMSELF was the fully divine Yahweh Himself having no human nature. For you see, I have heard SOME Oneness Christians say that Yahweh created Himself a BODY to dwell in which means that Jesus was NOT a SEPARATE person from the Father.

But rather, I myself and many other Christians who are known as Biblical Unitarian Christians believe that Yahweh APPEARED IN the flesh, as in, Yahweh himself DWELT IN the HUMAN BODY of the Son of MAN who was given the name Jesus by Mary who obeyed the word of Yahweh spoken to her by the angel Gabriel when the spoken “word” of Yahweh was CONCEIVED in her womb the moment the Virgin Mary BELIEVED the SPOKEN word of Yahweh spoken to her by the angel Gabriel.

In other words, I myself and many, many other Christians believe that the spoken word of Yahweh LITERALLY became FLESH just like John 1:14 clearly teaches us as a statement of FACT. Please read the studies “WHAT DOES JOHN 1:14 TRULY MEANS?” and “WHAT DOES GOD INCARNATE TRULY MEAN?” for a deeper understanding that Jesus, the Son of MAN, was fully human and God DWELT IN the Son of MAN. And thus, it was NOT the so-called God the Son who became flesh, but rather it was Yahweh Himself who “manifested” His spoken word of PROPHECY to become flesh through speaking His word out from His own mouth to CREATE His human Son in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Also, please read the study “DID GOD CREATE ALL THINGS OUT OF NOTHING?”, which will show you that God created all things out from Himself being the unseen invisible SPIRIT who is present everywhere and gives life to all living things. But for now please read Colossians 2:8-12 and then we will come back to 1 Timothy 3:16 that says God was manifest in the FLESH.

Colossians 2:8-12.

“BEWARE lest any man spoils you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and NOT after Christ. (The word Christ means ANOINTING so BEWARE that any man deceives you through philosophy and man-made traditions and NOT after the ANOINTING who DWELLS IN the Son of MAN Jesus)

9.  FOR (Or BECAUSE) IN him DWELLS all the fulness of the Godhead BODILY. (Or IN the FLESH body of Jesus after the cross NOW DWELLS the fullness OF the Godhead. The Godhead is Almighty God the Father ALONE, the eternal Holy Spirit. So then, Jesus is NOT Almighty God the Father Himself, but rather, Almighty God the Father DWELT IN him just like the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, teaches us in SIMPLICITY. Now please keep in mind that whenever explaining WHO Jesus is you must consider who Jesus WAS BEFORE the Virgin birth, who Jesus WAS DURING the days of his FLESH, and who Jesus is NOW AFTER the CROSS. Also, keep in mind that the New Testament was written AFTER the cross, which was AFTER Yahweh GLORIFIED the Son of MAN and HIGHLY EXALTED the Son of MAN to become the ETERNAL Son of Almighty God the Father. Please read the study “WHEN DID JESUS BECOME GOD'S ETERNAL SON?” So then, the FULLNESS of the Godhead did NOT dwell in Jesus DURING the DAYS of his FLESH. But rather, it was AFTER the CROSS that Yahweh the Father GLORIFIED the Son of MAN, Jesus to be having the FULLNESS of the Godhead DWELL in him in a BODILY form. This was WHEN Jesus came to be in the FORM of God, according to Philippians 2:6-8. Please read the study “WHAT DOES PHILIPPIANS 2:6-8 TRULY MEAN?”)

10.  And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (We were NOT complete in the human Jesus during the days of his FLESH before the CROSS. But rather, we are complete in the NOW GLORIFIED Jesus AFTER the CROSS)

11.  In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12.  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also, you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, WHO has raised him from the dead.”

In other words, Jesus is the WORKMANSHIP OF Yahweh the Father who ALONE is the ONLY TRUE God in ONE person. The New Testament is FULL of verses that clearly teach us in SIMPLICITY that the Son of MAN Jesus is a SEPARATE person from Almighty God the Father. The above verse teaches us that it was Almighty God the Father who was the one who raised the Son of MAN from the dead. There are so many verses in the New Testament where Jesus is referred to as a MAN, a HUMAN being called the Son of MAN that it is hard for me to comprehend how I myself once believed in the doctrine of the Trinity, which wrongly teaches that Jesus was equal in every way with the Father from eternity past. And it is even harder for me to imagine that anyone can dogmatically demand that Jesus is NOT a separate person from the Father.

Please read Philippians 2:8-11.

“And being found in fashion as a MAN, (This is speaking of Jesus DURING the days of his FLESH as the Son of MAN) he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9.  WHEREFORE (Or because of this very reason of the Son of MAN becoming OBEDIENT unto his God and Father EVEN to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of the world and NOT for himself) God also has HIGHLY EXALTED him and given him a NAME which is above every name: (Speaking of a NEW NAME like a surname much like a human father would give their son their OWN first name where the father is called senior and the son is called junior. Please see Isaiah 45:1-14 where men will say of the anointed Son of MAN, surely God is IN you. And in verse 3 Yahweh calls his NAME the God of Israel. Then in verse 4 it literally reads that Yahweh is calling TO the Son of MAN the TITLE of Yahweh’s own name saying I am entitling you. But WHY would God GIVE His OWN NAME to a HUMAN?)

10.  THAT (Or SO THAT) at the NAME (Again, speaking of the NEW NAME) of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11.  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, TO the glory OF God the Father.”

So then, it was AFTER the cross that the Son of MAN was HIGHLY EXALTED and GIVEN a NEW NAME or TITLE that is above every name or title so that every knee should bow to the NAME or title given to the Son of MAN TO the GLORY OF the FATHER who ALONE is the ONLY TRUE God in ONE person.

In other words, Almighty God Yahweh the Father MADE the Son of MAN become both Lord and Christ to be given the HONOR to represent the NAME or title of “God of the whole Earth” to rule FOR Yahweh during the seventh 1000 year long day while Yahweh rests on His Seventh-day of Sabbath rest. That is why Jesus is called the Lord OF the Sabbath.

Remember the question that we are answering which is “HOW did the NOW glorified Jesus get to where he is NOW up in heaven in the bosom of the Father sitting at the right of Almighty God on Yahweh's throne?” HOW was God MANIFEST in the FLESH? I believe that 1 Timothy 3:16 has TWO sound Biblical interpretations that do not contradict any other verses of Scripture.

INTERPRETATION #1 of 1 Timothy 3:16.

The one true and only Almighty God was “manifestly DECLARED” in the flesh of the Son of MAN, Jesus, as in, the human Jesus SHOWED us that the Father ALONE is the ONLY TRUE God, according to John 17:1-3. And we must believe in BOTH the Father AND the Son in order to receive eternal life in the world to come.

INTERPRETATION #2 of 1 Timothy 3:16.

“A” God under and subject TO Yahweh the Father was manifest in the flesh, as in, Yahweh the Father CREATED Himself a human Son whom He MADE to become in His own IMAGE AFTER the CROSS by highly exalting and glorifying the Son of MAN, Jesus because of his OBEDIENCE to his God and Father.

Please read the study “WHAT DOES 1 TIMOTHY 3:16 TRULY MEAN?” The Bible itself clearly teaches us that Jesus BECAME the FIRSTFRUITS of all who OBEY God. And the PROOF that we are given by God that Jesus became the firstfruits is the RESURRECTION from the dead to NEVER die again which is WHEN Jesus was DECLARED to be the Son of God, according to Romans 1:3,4.

Romans 1:3,4.

“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was MADE of the seed of David according to the flesh; 

Rom 1:4  And DECLARED to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, BY the resurrection from the DEAD:” 

The crucifixion of Jesus would mean nothing WITHOUT God raising the Son of MAN, Jesus from the dead and GIVING him the DIVINE NATURE of ETERNAL LIFE to be having in himself even the SAME eternal life that the father has always possessed in Himself as being the SOURCE of all life both mortal and immortal. Now, please read Acts 1:3 and Revelation 1:18 while remembering that the Son of MAN was HIGHLY EXALTED and he was GIVEN to be having LIFE in himself, the very same IMMORTAL life that the Father has always possessed in himself, according to John 5:26,27.

Acts 1:3.

“To whom also he showed himself alive AFTER his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

Revelation 1:18.

“I am he that LIVES, and was DEAD; and, behold, I am ALIVE FOR EVERMORE, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

The resurrection is our assurance that we also will be resurrected and given the right to eat of the tree of life to partake of the DIVINE NATURE of IMMORTALITY as our brother and fellow servant Jesus did being the FIRSTFRUITS of us. Jesus is the FORERUNNER of our faith who went before us, according to Hebrews 6:20. Let us now take a look at the Scriptures teaching us about Jesus being the firstfruits of us. 

Please read 1 Corinthians 15:19-24.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (Meaning IF SO BE there is NO resurrection then we are the most miserable of all men for suffering persecution for our faith in Jesus as the Messiah)

20.  BUT (Or be assured dear children of God for the anchor of our soul is SURE. For you see,) now IS Christ risen from the dead, and BECOME the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept. (Meaning the dead IN Jesus Christ shall ALSO become FIRSTFRUIT to be made partakers of the same divine nature of IMMORTALITY that Jesus was given at his RESURRECTION when his God and Father GLORIFIED him with a new immortal body of flesh and bones)

21.  For since by MAN came death, by MAN came ALSO the resurrection of the dead.

22.  For as in Adam all die, even so IN Christ shall all be made alive.

23.  But every MAN in his own order: (And here is that order #1.) Christ the FIRSTFRUITS, (Or the FIRSTBORN of every creature among many BRETHREN. And here is order #2.) afterward, they that are Christ's AT his coming. (This teaches us that the FIRST resurrection will take place AT the second coming of Jesus where ONLY those who are IN Jesus Christ, the church of the FIRSTBORN from the DEAD, shall be given the divine nature of ETERNAL LIFE. And then comes order #3 at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus)

24.  Then comes the end, when he (Speaking of the NOW highly exalted glorified Son of MAN, who was given the name or title “God of the whole Earth” to rule FOR Yahweh for a 1000 years in the NAME OF Yahweh. And then, at the END of the 1000 years where Jesus reigns as the Lord of the SABBATH rest of Yahweh, then he) shall have delivered up the kingdom TO God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”

Now, IF SO BE that Jesus is NOT a separate distinct different person or being from Yahweh the Father then HOW do Oneness believers explain AWAY the clear, plain, and simple word of TRUTH that the SON commits or delivers up the kingdom BACK into his God and Father’s hand after the 1000 year reign of Jesus? To ME, Oneness Christians are forcing the Son OF God to be ONE and the self-same being as Yahweh the Father in order to try and reconcile the FACT that there can only be ONE TRUE God who is always clearly identified as ONE God in ONE person but yet Jesus is called God?

The answer is SIMPLE. The one true and only Almighty God Yahweh “MANIFESTED”, as in, He CREATED Himself ANOTHER God in His OWN IMAGE. Please read Hebrews 1:1-9 to learn WHEN Jesus was MADE in the IMAGE of His God and Father, the ONLY TRUE God.

Hebrews 1:1-9.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (In other words, Almighty God the Father USED His creation to make Himself known to the humans in the Old Testament time. But NOW, in the New Testament time, Almighty God Yahweh)

2. Has in these last days spoken unto us BY His Son, whom He has appointed HEIR of all things, by (Or FOR) whom also He made the worlds; 

3.  Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

4.  Being MADE so much better than the angels, as he has by INHERITANCE OBTAINED a more excellent NAME than they. 

5.  For unto which of the angels said He at any time, You are my Son, THIS DAY have I begotten YOU? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 

6.  And again, when He BRINGS in the FIRST-BEGOTTEN into the world, He says, And let all the angels of God worship him. 

7.  And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 

8.  But unto the Son He says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 

9.  You (Speaking of the PRE-GLORIFIED Son of MAN, Jesus, BEFORE Jesus OBTAINED his NEW NAME to now be highly exalted ABOVE the angels) have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; THEREFORE, God, even your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.” 

The Son of MAN, Jesus, was MADE a little LOWER than the angels DURING the DAYS of his FLESH. And then AFTER the CROSS his God and Father CROWNED him with GLORY and HONOR to OBTAIN a NEW NAME more excellent than the angels BY INHERITING everything God GAVE to him as the JOY set before him to ENDURE the cross to obey his God and Father’s WILL.

So then, there are THREE harvests of RIGHTEOUS NEW CREATURES that become the FIRSTFRUITS unto God. Jesus was the FIRST of the FIRSTFRUITS. Then we who are IN Jesus Christ in this present word will become the SECOND harvest of FIRSTFRUITS unto God AT the second coming of Jesus. And from Revelation 20:4-6 we learn or the FINAL harvest of FIRSTFRUITS being brought into the family of God. And that final harvest of God's NEW CREATION of RIGHTEOUS people will take place at that the SECOND and final resurrection where another book of life will be opened. And those found written in that book of life will be resurrected and given ETERNAL LIFE while the REST of the dead are resurrected to be JUDGED GUILTY and worthy of the second death which is the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 20:4-6.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned WITH Christ a thousand years. (We are JOINT-HEIRS WITH Jesus Christ our BROTHER, according to Romans 8:17 and many other verses of Scripture)

5.  But the REST of the dead lived not again UNTIL the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6.  Blessed and holy is he that has a part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God AND of Christ, and shall reign WITH him a thousand years.”

Now let us read James 1:16-18.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren.

17.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

18.  Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of His CREATURES.”

Hebrews 11:40 teaches us that we will not be made PERFECT until we are all made perfect TOGETHER at the SECOND coming of Jesus. In other words, Jesus the Son of MAN is the ONLY begotten Son of God right NOW. And because Jesus is the captain of our salvation, the FIRST human to be raised from the dead and GIVEN the divine nature of eternal life, God gave Jesus to have PREEMINENCE over and above all except for Yahweh his God and Father. And then, at the second coming of the Son of MAN Jesus, many more sons and daughters will be added to the family of God to become ONE with Jesus and the Father EVEN AS Jesus and the Father are ONE, according to John 17:16-26. And then at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus, the rest of God’s NEW creatures IN Jesus will be added to the family of God.

Hebrews 11:39,40.

“And these all, (Speaking of the Old Testament saints who were preached the gospel by Jesus himself when Jesus was in the belly of the Earth for three days and three nights. Please read the study “WHAT and WHERE is PARADISE?”) having obtained a good report through faith, received NOT the promise: (Of eternal life as YET. But WHY?)

40.  God having provided some better thing for us, that they WITHOUT US should NOT be made PERFECT.”

In other words, Almighty God by His OWN will decided it would be BETTER if we all receive the PERFECT GIFT of His divine nature of immortality at the same time AT the second coming of Jesus. Now some of you may be wondering why I keep calling the perfect gift of eternal life as the DIVINE NATURE of Almighty God the Father?

Well, the ONLY place in the entire Bible where the words DIVINE NATURE are used together is found in 2 Peter 1:3,4 where WE, as faithful obedient believers IN Jesus Christ, are given the hope of one day being a PARTAKER of this DIVINE NATURE.

2 Peter 1:3,4.

“According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto LIFE and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue:

4.  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these YOU might be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

My main point right now is for you to see WHEN Jesus was GIVEN the DIVINE NATURE of the FATHER which is WHEN it pleased the Father that the FULNESS of the Deity should dwell BODILY in the Son of MAN, Jesus as his reward for enduring the cross. For you see, BEFORE Yahweh GAVE the Son of MAN, Jesus the divine nature of immortality it was Yahweh the Father who ONLY has always possessed immortality in himself according to what the Bible ITSELF teaches us in 1 Timothy 6:13-16.

1 Timothy 6:13-16.

“I give you CHARGE in the sight of God, WHO quickens (Or who makes alive or gives LIFE to) all things, AND before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

14.  That you keep this commandment (Or I give you CHARGE that you keep this instruction or this TEACHING) without spot, nonrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

15.  Which in his times (Speaking of the first and second coming of Jesus) he (Jesus the Son of MAN during his ministry and NOW the glorified eternal Son of God in the world yet to come) shall show, WHO is the blessed and ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

16.  Who ONLY has immortality, (Meaning who ONLY has always had immortality as being the SOURCE of all life. Jesus the Son of MAN was GIVEN the divine nature of immortality to be having in himself even as the Father has life in Himself. So the “WHO” in this verse that is the ONLY one who has always had immortality is the INVISIBLE Almighty God Yahweh the Father) dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”

The LITERAL translation reads who no HUMAN has seen nor can see and that is because God would not allow a mere MORTAL human to see all of his glory lest they would die. But I am quite sure that when we are given the right to partake of the divine nature to become IMMORTAL divine beings that we will indeed see our heavenly Father AND his Son Jesus our Lord. Clearly mortal men HAVE seen Jesus and WILL yet SEE Jesus again when God BRINGS His FIRST-BEGOTTEN Son from the DEAD back into the world to be WORSHIPED even AS we worship the Father TO the GLORY OF Almighty God the Father.

The Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was commissioned by God and sent out into the world at his baptism to show us the FATHER. Jesus never exalted HIMSELF. Jesus always spoke of the Father as being GREATER than himself. The phrase “who ONLY is the Potentate” who Jesus came to SHOW to us is speaking of the ONE TRUE and ONLY ALMIGHTY God who is OVER and ABOVE all including being OVER His Son Jesus. So this passage of Scripture is teaching us that ONLY the FATHER has always had eternal life or the DIVINE NATURE of IMMORTALITY from all eternity past in Himself as being the SOURCE of all life, both mortal and eternal life. Every perfect gift comes down from the Father of light who can NOT be TEMPTED and Jesus was TEMPTED.

And as we have already seen from John 5:26,27, the Father GAVE the Son of MAN to be having eternal life in himself even as the Father has life in himself. And according to Acts 2:26, it was Yahweh the Father who MADE Jesus Lord. Everything Jesus is or has was GIVEN TO him BY his God and Father. And HOW does a “manifestation” of God that is NOT a separate person FROM the father HAVE another God OVER him? To ME, Jesus must be a REAL genuine Son who is NOT one and the self-same being or PERSON as the Father in order to be SUBJECT and UNDER his God and Father. It makes no sense to say that Almighty God is OVER Himself and also SUBJECT to Himself. And that is the major reason why I will never believe in the Oneness doctrine. It is almost as confusing as the doctrine of the Trinity and God is NOT the author of confusion. Please read the study “VERSES THAT PROVE JESUS IS NOT THE FATHER!”

So again, my main point for right now is to see the truth about God's NEW CREATION, as in,Yahweh the Father's NEW CREATURES that He Himself created IN Jesus Christ, the FIRSTBORN from the dead among many BRETHREN of this NEW CREATION of Almighty God to become the BEGINNING of God’s CREATION, according to Revelation 3:14. This is what Revelation 3:14 means in light of the WHOLE word of God.

Revelation 3:14.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS, the BEGINNING of the CREATION OF God;”

Now, to all Oneness Christians, why would Yahweh the ONE God in ONE person need to be the faithful and true witness to Himself when he was ALONE and by Himself when He created the universe? I mean, if so be, that the word creation here is referring to the original creation in the eternity past then you contradict your own doctrine because you teach that there was no Jesus or Son of God in the eternity past. And again, it makes no sense for the Father to be a faithful and true witness to Himself before He began creation, And to all Trinitarian Christians, why would God the Son need to be the FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, if so be the word creation here is referring to the original creation in eternity past? To ME, the word creation here in Revelation 3:14 is speaking of God’s NEW creation where Jesus was the FIRST FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS to overcome the world to BECOME the BEGINNING of God’s NEW creation of righteous IMMORTAL humans.

In other words, the NEW CREATION is the creation OF Yahweh, Almighty God the FATHER who has ordained His NEW creation to be created IN HIM, IN His Son Jesus, the FIRST FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS. Jesus is the FIRSTBORN of every CREATURE to be made in the IMAGE OF his God and Father to become the BEGINNING OF this NEW creation of Almighty God the Father. 

Now BOTH Oneness Christians and Trinitarian Christians argue that Jesus as being in the IMAGE of God means that Jesus IS God Himself. But, according to the Bible ITSELF, we are being conformed into the IMAGE of God’s Son and that does NOT make us be Jesus himself. In other words, IF Jesus as being the IMAGE OF Yahweh makes Jesus BE Yahweh Himself then when we are made in the IMAGE OF Jesus, we will also BE Yahweh Himself.  Being in the IMAGE OF God simply means that we will be ONE with Jesus EVEN AS Jesus is ONE with the Father, according to John 17:16-26. We do not become Almighty God, but rather we become Gods WITH Jesus to rule and reign WITH Jesus for 1000 years. To know and understand that Yahweh the father is the God OF Gods please read the studies “ARE THERE TWO GODS?”,  “OUR GOD IS ONE GOD IN ONE PERSON!”, and “THERE IS BUT ONE TRUE GOD!”

But for now, let us continue with this study to explain the doctrine of Oneness and WHY the Oneness teaching is NOT sound Biblical teaching. Please read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15 where we are called NEW creatures IN Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17.

“Therefore, if any man is IN Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become NEW.”

Galatians 6:15.  

“For IN Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a NEW CREATURE.”

Jesus is the FIRST NEW CREATURE, the first human being to be given the DIVINE NATURE of IMMORTALITY.

Jesus AFTER the CROSS is NOW the FIRSTBORN of every NEW creature or creation of God by being the FIRSTBORN from the DEAD to be GIVEN the divine nature of eternal life.

Jesus is the BEGINNING of God’s NEW creation by becoming the FIRSTFRUITS of us, the FIRSTBORN from the DEAD among many BRETHREN.

Now let us read John 1:14-19 while keeping in mind that the New Testament was written AFTER the FACT as a record of what ALREADY took place.

John 1:14-19.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15.  John (Speaking of John the Baptist) bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me (Meaning that Jesus was highly exalted to be above John having PREEMINENCE over all humans and the angels. Jesus was given a new name to be above everyone except for Yahweh Himself. And Jesus was BEFORE John the Baptist, father Abraham and every other human being including the first Adam in the MIND and PLAN of Almighty God having that LAST Adam in His thoughts BEFORE God recreated the earth to once again be habitable)

16.  And OF his fullness have all we received, (Speaking of the SAME ANOINTING who dwelt IN Jesus DURING the days of his FLESH now dwells IN US as believers IN Jesus the Christ, the SON OF the living God. The phrase OF his FULLNESS is speaking of Jesus being GIVEN the fullness of the Godhead AFTER the CROSS to BECOME the Father of eternal life. In other words, AFTER the CROSS, Yahweh the Father GAVE Jesus the power and the authority to NOW give the divine nature of eternal life to whomsoever the Son chooses as being WORTHY to receive the divine nature of immortality. And that is why Isaiah 9:6 PROPHESIES that the child BORN shall be called by the NAME everlasting Father. Jesus was MADE perfect after the cross to BECOME the author of eternal salvation; Jesus was GIVEN the power and authority to JUDGE and then give eternal life to whomsoever he judges to be worthy to receive eternal life in the world to come) and grace for grace.

17.  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came BY Jesus Christ. (Or because OF the anointed HUMAN Jesus becoming obedient to do all his God and Father’s WILL)

18.  No MAN has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, (Or the only “manifested” Son) which is IN the bosom of the Father, he has declared Him. (Meaning the ONLY begotten Son of MAN from the dead to be given the divine nature of immortality, who came back down from heaven to show himself ALIVE forevermore by many infallible PROOFS. And we have seen his GLORY or his GLORIFICATION to become the FIRSTBORN of every creation as being the ONLY begotten Son of God right NOW, the FIRST one to be born from the dead among many BRETHREN. And right now Jesus is WITH Yahweh the Father IN His bosom who has MANIFESTLY DECLARED to us the FATHER to be the ONLY TRUE God. according to John 17:1-3)

19.  And this is the RECORD of John (Or this is what John RECORDED or wrote down as a written record after the FACT or AFTER Jesus was GLORIFIED) when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?”

You see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, the CHRIST, during the days of his FLESH, Jesus was the ANOINTED Son of MAN. And it was only AFTER the CROSS that his God and Father GLORIFIED the Son of MAN, Jesus, so that the Son of MAN could become the God of the whole Earth to sit upon the throne of David to rule FOR Yahweh during the SEVENTH 1000 year long day of the Lord.

When we work BACKWARD, as in, we start with the understanding of where Jesus is NOW in his GLORIFIED state after the cross having been MADE Lord to be called the God of the whole Earth in order to see the END first, then it is much easier to see the FULL and COMPLETE humanity of Jesus DURING the days of his FLESH. I mean why would Hebrews 5:7 even be in the Bible if so be there was NEVER a time when Jesus was TRULY fully and completely FLESH being void or without ANY divine nature?

Please read Hebrews 5:5-9.

“So also Christ GLORIFIED NOT HIMSELF to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, You are my Son, TODAY have I begotten you. (This is a quote of the PROPHECY prophesying of a future day in which Yahweh would beget Himself a Son in His OWN IMAGE)

6.  As he says also in another place, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.

7.  Who IN the DAYS of his FLESH, (Or who DURING the days of the word being made FLESH) when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death (Or when the Son of MAN Jesus prayed being tempted in every point as we are tempted cried out to his God and Father to SAVE him and not leave his soul in hell) and was heard in that he feared;

8.  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9.  And being MADE PERFECT (Speaking of the Son of MAN being GIVEN the DIVINE NATURE of IMMORTALITY to be GLORIFIED of the Father), he (The NOW glorified eternal Son of God) BECAME the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him;”

In other words, the Son of MAN Jesus was highly exalted by his God and Father to BECOME the father of eternal life. To FULFILL the PROPHECY in Isaiah 9:6 who SHALL be CALLED by the NAME the everlasting Father. Jesus was GIVEN the power and the authority to now give eternal life to whomsoever he will. The King James Version translates Isaiah 9:6 as the everlasting Father but it should read the father of eternal life. Some translations say the father of the future. Let us read Isaiah 9:6,7 and I want you to notice WHO gave the prophecy to Isaiah and WHO PERFORMS His OWN spoken word of PROPHECY. I also want you to notice the ORDER that the events are PROPHESIED so you can see that Jesus will not be called the Mighty God and the father of eternal life UNTIL the world to come WHEN the government shall be LAID upon his shoulders.

Please read Isaiah 9:6,7.

“For (Order of event #1 that has already been FULFILLED) unto us, a CHILD is BORN, (THEN comes Order of event #2 that has also already been FULFILLED) unto us a son is given: (Speaking of the HUMAN Son of MAN, Jesus as the Son given as the ONE sacrifice for the sins of the world. Yahweh provided His own Lamb that was slain in the mind of God from the foundation of the world. God chose His Lamb to be made inferior to the angels so He made the human race a little lower than the angelic beings) and (And THEN Order of event #3 is YET FUTURE and it is YET TO BE FULFILLED) the government shall be upon his shoulder: (Which is the WRATH of God executed by Jesus. That is WHEN the kingdoms of this present world will become the kingdom of God's dear Son to begin the 1000 year reign of Jesus) and (And THEN will come Order of event #4 that is YET FUTURE and it is YET TO BE FULFILLED WHEN the government will be set upon the shoulder of Jesus IN the world to come, at which TIME) his NAME shall be CALLED Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, (Or more precisely, according to Hebrew 5:9, the Father of everlasting life or the AUTHOR of eternal life. For you see, it was BECAUSE, OF the Son of man, Jesus obeying his God and Father's Will that Jesus made it possible for whosoever believes in him shall be saved. Jesus was MADE perfect and he BECAME the Father of eternal life AFTER the cross. For you see, the Son of MAN, Jesus, was GIVEN the authority and the power AFTER the cross to JUDGE and also to give eternal life to whomsoever he chooses. This is why Psalms 2 prophesies to kiss the feet of God’s Son whom He ordained to be his King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is also called) The Prince of Peace. (And, according to Revelation 1:5, Jesus is our Prince right now standing at the right hand of God. But at his second coming, Jesus will SIT on the right hand of Yahweh to rule and reign FOR Yahweh as the Lord of the Sabbath. And at that time, the kingdoms of this present world will become the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. And)

7.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Also, please notice WHO is doing the PERFORMING of His own spoken word of PROPHECY that came forth OUT FROM His mouth. It is Almighty God Yahweh the creator who is performing His own word. So to me, Jesus is the FULFILLMENT of the spoken word of PROPHECY. Jesus began as a THOUGHT in God’s mind as God's secret plan of salvation. Not just the salvation of mankind that He had not yet created, but also the RESTORATION of the entire universe back to being at PEACE having no WAR. God created the human race to put an END to evil. Please read the studies under the heading >>>WHY ARE WE HERE-IS GOD AT WAR?<<< 

So WHEN did Jesus BECOME the FIRSTBORN of every creature? In Acts 13:33,34 we read WHEN was the “TODAY” when Jesus was BEGOTTEN of the Father to becomes God’s, ETERNAL Son.

Please read Acts 13:33,34.

“God has FULFILLED (Or God Himself PERFORMED His own word of prophecy the He Himself spoke forth OUT FROM His own MOUTH to FULFILL) the same unto us their children, IN THAT He has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, THIS DAY have I begotten you.

34.  And as concerning that He raised him up from the dead, NOW NO MORE to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.”

So then, on the very DAY that Almighty God the Father, the eternal Spirit raised the Son of MAN from the dead and GAVE the Son of MAN the right to partake of the DIVINE NATURE of IMMORTALITY was the very SELF-SAME day that the Bible itself states as a FACT with absolutely NO interpretation needed that Jesus was BEGOTTEN of the Father to BECOME God’s ETERNAL Son, the firstborn Son from the dead among many BRETHREN.

Now as far as Oneness believers NOT yet seeing that Jesus is a SEPARATE person from the Father is beyond my comprehension because of the VAST amount of verses that clearly teach us of TWO separate distinctly DIFFERENT beings. Yes, I fully understand how a single person can be both a father and a son at the same time but a father who has a son are TWO different people. And no matter what kind of word manipulation you use, the son of the father can never make the son OF a father as being one and the self-same being as the father. A son is ALWAYS a SEPARATE person from his father. So please, I implore you to read ALL the studies under the heading >>>IS THE ONENESS DOCTRINE BIBLICAL?<<< And for my Trinitarian readers, below is a list of all the verses used to try and prove that Jesus pre-existed in eternity past WITHOUT having any kind of a beginning.

Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.

Your Brother in our Lord Jesus the Christ,

Brother Mark.

RETURN TO HOMEPAGE

AT

AMatterOfTruth.com