1 John 5:7:
Some say this verse emphatically proves God is a Trinity. However, contrary to Matthew 28:19, this verse is a complete unauthentic fraud! This verse is a hoax meant to do nothing less than deceive many (Revelation 12:9). Trinitarians grasp at this verse as a “last ditch effort” to support their teachings on this subject because no other scripture can be directed to in order to lend credence to this pagan concept of a “triune” God! It is vital to note that this verse is not found in any of the ancient Greek texts. Where did 1 John 5:7 come from? Who added this fraudulent verse noted in the KJV and NKJV? The editors of the “Critical and Experimental Commentary” were forced to undeniably admit this verse is not found in any ancient manuscripts of the Bible! Notice what they write: The only Greek MSS., IN ANY FORM, which support the words, “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one: and there are three that bear witness in earth,” are the Montfortianus of Dublin, copied from the Complutensian Polyglot; a NS. At Naples, with the words added in the margin by a recent hand; Ottobonianus, 298, of the Fifteenth Century, the Greek of which is a translation of the accompanying Latin. All the old versions omit the words. The oldest MSS. Of the Vulgate omit Wizanburgensis, 99, of the eighth century.
In his respected commentary, Adam Clarke acknowledges: “But it is likely this verse is not genuine. It is wanting in every MS of this epistle written before the invention of printing, one excepted, the Codex Montfortii, in Trinity College, Dublin: the others which omit this verse amount to one hundred and twelve.” Clarke continues, “It is wanting in both the Syriac, all the Arabic, AEthiopic, the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, Slavonian, &c., in a word, in all the ancient versions but the Vulgate; and even of this version many of the most ancient and correct MSS. have it not. It is wanting also in all the ancient Greek fathers; and in most even of the Latin.”
Says the New Bible Commentary Revised: “…The words are clearly a gloss and are rightly excluded by RSV even from its margin” (p. 1269).
Peake’s Commentary on the Bible is known universally as a liberal work; yet, notice its incisive comments: “The famous interpolation after ‘three witnesses’ is not printed even in RSV and rightly… No respectable Greek MS [manuscript] contains it. Appearing first in a late 4th century Latin text, it entered the Vulgate and finally the NT of Erasmus” (p. 1038).
Can it really be true that such an outright, deliberate and deceptive attempt would be made to finagle this false doctrine upon a gullible world? Would a 4th century A.D. monk copyist really insert spurious words into the Bible in an attempt to prove this major, false and pagan doctrine? Indeed, early Trinitarian teachers were at such a loss to Biblically substantiate this doctrine that they resorted to simply adding words to the text! Quite an admission of the un-biblical nature of the Trinity doctrine!
As a side-note, is this seen with any other pagan doctrine that has infiltrated “mainstream” Christianity? Absolutely! Notice Acts 12:4 in the KJV: “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” In actuality, the New Testament reveals that Jesus, the apostles, and the New Testament Church, both Jewish and Gentile-born, observed the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) and God’s annual Sabbaths (Lev. 23), to include the Passover. The word "Easter" here is a flagrant mistranslation! You should strike the mistranslated word "Easter" in Acts 12:4 and write in its place the true meaning, “Passover.” You will find this error corrected in the Revised Standard Version (NKJV). Point being, this is another outright and deliberate attempt to swindle a false doctrine upon a credulous world. There is a real reason that Satan the devil, the “deceiver” and “accuser of the brethren” wanted this counterfeit verse (1 John 5:7) added into the Authorized Version. The Trinitarian doctrine completely clouds the message Jesus Christ taught—the gospel—the “good news” of the coming Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15) and our potential role in that kingdom. The true gospel has been replaced by most “professing Christian” churches with a message about the Messenger—and not His message! Satan has deluded the world with his diabolical Trinitarian notion in order to hide the truth about man’s destiny! For more information on this subject write or call for our free booklet “Your Ultimate Destiny.”
Again, how did this text slink into the KJV and into traditional Christianity? The history of this question is remarkable:1 John 5:7… is not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the fifth century. It is not cited by any of the Greek ecclesiastical writers; nor by any of the early Latin fathers, even when the subjects upon which they treated would naturally have led them to appeal to its authority. It is therefore evidently spurious; and was first cited (thought not as it now reads) by Virgilius Tapsensis, a Latin writer of no credit, in the latter end of the fifth century, but by whom forged, is of no great moment, as its design must be obvious to all (The Emphatic Diaglott).
Clearly, scholars recognize that this verse is not a part of the originally inspired canon of the New Testament text. Even more recent New Testament translations such as Moffatt, RSV or The Living Bible (paraphrase) do not contain the words. The words found in 1 John 5:7 do not appear in any of the older Greek manuscripts and have been properly deleted in modern translations such as Moffatt, Revised Standard Version and Goodspeed. It is expedient for us to understand that God is not the “author of confusion” and He pronounces a curse on anyone who adds to scripture for causing such confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). We are commanded, “You shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32). Take heed! Continue, reading 1 John 5:8, “And there are three that bear witness on earth; the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.” What do these three bear witness of? A trinity—a closed Godhead clique of three beings? Actually, this verse is describing just the opposite. John clarifies in verses 11-12: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” The Spirit, the water and the blood bear witness to the wonderful reality that Jesus is now living His life in us through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:9-10, 6:1-6, 816)! If we remain faithful, to the very end, allowing Christ to live in us we then have the down payment for eternal life and at Christ’s second coming we will be resurrected to spirit life (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Timothy 4:8). The analogy given throughout the first epistle of John and in different places in the Bible is that we are now begotten “sons and daughters” of God and if, we don’t disqualify ourselves in this growth process, we’ll later become born “sons and daughters” of God (2 Corinthians 6:18). That is, we’ll be actual members in the very family of God.
The trinity doctrine states that there can only be three God-beings. However, isn’t it ironic that this spurious verse used to establish a God-clique, is the very place God is showing the tremendous process by which He is expanding His family! God’s Spirit, which is the power of God, is the earnest of begettal, given to the true believer by God as a promise to show that He is serious and will later finish what He started when we are finally born into the Kingdom of God as spirit beings (Philippians 1:6). The water baptism is a symbol of the death and burial of the “old self” so that a new creature can begin to exist (Romans 6:4), a new individual that can grow into a “son or daughter” of God. The blood was shed by Jesus Christ, which reconciles or justifies us before God. Christ paid our death penalty incurred for our sins; thereby permitting us to go on to become “sons and daughters” of God (Romans 3:24, 5:10). Every true Christian who is on the journey to becoming a full member of the God family must participate in the three effects that “witness” to the fact that God desires all mankind to be “saved” to become part of His eternally ruling Family (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9)—baptism, the receiving of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands and the annual Passover, which commemorates the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. These three occurrences in one’s life is powerful proof positive that we are begotten of God on the way to becoming literal born “sons and daughters” of God.
The 3 in 1 concept:
Jehovah's Witnesses: "Trinity is defined as three gods in one. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, all three equal in power, substance and eternity." (Let God Be True, page 101, 1946)
Mormons: "Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father; his Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost. These three Gods form the Godhead, which holds the keys of power over the universe. Each member of the Godhead is an independent personage, separate and distinct from the other two, the three being in perfect unity and harmony with each other." (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Godhead)
Again, from the article “The Blessed Trinity” those who profess this doctrine admit, “In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word trias (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180. He speaks of "the Trinity of God [the Father], His Word and His Wisdom ("Ad. Autol.", II, 15). The term may, of course, have been in use before his time. Afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian ("De pud." c. xxi). In the next century the word is in general use. It is found in many passages of Origen ("In Ps. xvii", 15). The first creed in which it appears is that of Origen's pupil, Gregory Thaumaturgus. In his Ekthesis tes pisteos composed between 260 and 270.”
The fourth word in the Bible is God as noted in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This name “God” comes from the Hebrew “Elohim,” which is used 31 times in the first chapter of Genesis. All authorities agree that this Hebrew name for “God” is plural in form: Grammatically, the form ‘Elohim’ contains the plural ending –im. The function of ‘Elohim’ as a true plural (“gods”) is reflected in numerous biblical texts (Exodus 12:12). In this function ‘Elohim’ can be preceded by a definite article… In Hebrew ‘Elohim can be accompanied by plural and construed with plural verbal forms (Psalm 97:7). The striking feature of the OT text lies in the use of this plural form ‘Elohim’ in order to designate the one God of Israel (“Names of God in the Old Testament”, The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 4, p. 1006).
So we see in the very first verse of the Bible the plurality of God is revealed; although a clear distinction is made in the New Testament between God the Father and Jesus Christ. One of Jesus’ main objectives in coming as the Son of God was to reveal the Father and to show a family relationship that exists in the Godhead (more on this later). In John 1:1 we are told, “In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” and in verse 3, “All things were made through Him [Word]…” (see also Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:12-13, 15-17). Additionally, “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:8). Unless Jesus had revealed the Father to mankind, there would be no way for us to know Him (Matthew 11:27). We see then in the scriptures that two all powerful Beings are revealed—two Beings “without beginning and without end” (Revelation 21:6). God the Father gives a command, the Word or Spokeman voices it and it is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit (more on this later). Adam and Eve were speaking to the Word. Abraham spoke to the Word. Moses spoke to the Word. The Word was the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night (Exodus 12:21-22, 1 Corinthians 10:4). What many fail to understand, is that the Word (who became Jesus Christ) was the God of the Old Testament (John 1:18)! Yet, in all of these verses no third person or hypostases is mentioned—only two! A second Being is revealed. This is further proven in Matthew 26:36-46 by the three prayers of Jesus Christ. Who did Christ pray to? In all three examples He is found to be praying to “O My Father.” In the New Testament we see that Christ revealed the Father—He was not praying to Himself! In the gospel of John, Jesus says to Mary Magdalene, “…Go to My brethren and say to them ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God’” (John 20:17).
Many people come up with creative ideas (candles, eggs, water, clovers, etc.) to show this false nature of God—three in one! Some use the water analogy to show the Trinity, i.e. one substance being found in liquid, gas or frozen form. Yet, if we want to, we can also apply the principle of duality in much of God’s creation. God created a pair of humans. He made two sexes. He gave us two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two hands and feet. Much of Bible prophecy is written in duality. There was the first man Adam and the second man Adam, who was Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). Regardless of whatever tricky arguments or analogies people like to use there yet remains one tremendous problem! We are limiting our God (Romans 4:17), which is blasphemous! The Trinity doctrine has hidden the true purpose of mankind. Have you ever wondered why you were born? It has hidden the Biblical truth that we can someday be full members of the very God family (Ephesians 3:14-19). The three in one belief is a closed concept choking out the truth that “true Christians” can be literal “sons and daughters” (1 Corinthians 6:18) in the glorious family of God (1 John 3:2)—if they “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13) and are “born again” as spirit beings at the resurrection (John 3:3-10, 1 Corinthians 15:53). A closed “triune” concept is actually the furthest thing from God’s mind, His plan and His purpose for creating human beings on the face of the earth, in the first place! The false Trinity doctrine only blinds mankind from the awe-inspiring purpose of human life—your ultimate destiny! The Bible simply does not teach a closed concept. How can this be? What does this mean? Let’s take note of some clear Biblical truths.
In praying for His disciples, Christ gives an astonishing admittance when stating, “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in [not of] the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11). Wow! In the closed Trinitarian concept how could the disciples possibly be “one” as Christ and the Father are “one”—it’s not biblically possible? Also, at this point, Jesus must have had a momentary lapse of memory because He left the Holy Spirit out of the equation. Wait, there’s more! Notice what Christ said in John 17:20-21, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” It is beyond the scope of this series to guess the number of Christians in the past 2000 years since the death of our Savior, but our guess is more than three! How can this be? How is it possible for the disciples and later true Christians to be “one” with the Father and Jesus Christ?
We are one in mind, which stem our thoughts and we are one in heart, which is our intent or motivation. This is in conjunction with the fact that God is writing His same laws on our hearts and in our minds (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:1-10). However, we are truly “one” in nature and character when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—this is how we can understand spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:9-14). Paul says this is the real beginning point of being a Christian, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9) and “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (V14). We are “one” as Christ lives His life in us (Galatians 2:20)! This was first made available to the Church of God on the Feast of Pentecost 31 A.D. (Acts 2). In John 10:30, Christ stated, “I and My Father are one.” Here Jesus revealed that there is one Godhead, or one God Family, and that its members work together with one mind and purpose. Our late church leader Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong taught this in full: That Family, however, is presently comprised of two individuals, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This is clearly stated in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The "Word" or "Spokesman" was the One who later became Jesus Christ (see verse 14). Hebrews 1 also shows conclusively that Christ was and is now God: "God ... Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 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" (Hebrews 1:1-3). God says of Christ, "Let all the angels of God worship him" (verse 6). Only a member of the God Family is worthy of worship. But, the God Family is not limited to God the Father and Jesus Christ: "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). Hebrews 2:7-8 shows that man, like Christ, was made for a while "a little lower than the angels," but that he is to be crowned "with glory and honour." Everything will be put "in subjection under his feet," but "now we see not yet all things put under him" because the resurrection to immortality has yet to occur. The Family of God, then, will eventually be expanded to include all who choose God's way. Christians "now are ... the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2). Paul adds, "This mortal must put on immortality" (I Corinthians 15:53). This plainly says that resurrected Christians, like Christ, will be immortal. When we are changed, our mortal bodies will become spirit bodies like His (Philippians 3:20-21). The Father and Christ are one -- one united, holy Family. At the resurrection, we will be born into the one God Family and become one with them.
God the Father and Jesus the Son work in perfect unison by the power of the Holy Spirit. It truly is a magnificent feat to behold. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) and yet He also stated, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44). The Father and the Son (the Elohim of creation) have allotted a seven-thousand year plan of salvation for mankind. Six thousand years of human self-rule, allowing mankind to indelibly write the lesson of human suffering under the sway of Satan. Then comes the Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4)—the one-thousand year rule of Christ. However, the Father calls out of this world a select few for the purpose of ruling with and under Christ in the coming Kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10). The Son follows that lead in perfect harmony. He guides, leads, educates, blesses and chastens those few firstfruits that the Father has chosen to call out of this world now. God is active, alive and He is real! It is the Father who wields total control over His entire family—He decides whom to call and when. He invites us to be drawn to Jesus Christ, His Son, who in turn directs us back to the Father in heaven. What splendor! What unity! There is no conflict seen between the Father and Son. We do not see a Jesus Christ who rebels against His Father and teaches that His laws are done away. We see total and complete agreement, we see peace and unity and the perfect work of spiritual creation of which the Father is in direct control—the time of our salvation is in the hands of God the Father. Jesus stated, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you…” (Luke 24:49). Notice the promise is from the Father. Theologians were driven to explain these concepts—some found their explanation by fabricating the Trinity doctrine. God is a family and there is only one God family with currently two members, and in the future there will be countless more. What is the relationship in the Godhead?
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