Consequence of the Great Apostasy, we live in a most interesting condition today where "the Christian believers" are in many ways as varied in their doctrine as one religion is from another. We are scattered throughout what we call "sects" of Christianity. Each Sect or denomination of necessity establishes what it considers to be foundational principals or doctrines.Since Martin Luther took hammer and nail to the Cathedral Door in 1517, "naming" of churches really started to rise. Before the reformation if you were a part of Christianity, you were by default a part of the Apostate Roman Catholic Church. I think it is important to realize that before any of this happened, and even before Christ came to earth during the Meridian Dispensation, whenever the Lord has had a Prophet and believers on the earth, His church has been here. Perhaps the church didn't have a "name" like we would expect today. But the truth has been here. The "church" or "organization" has changed forms over time based on size and time period, but its function has always been the same... to facilitate the teaching of the truth about the existence and purpose of man in his relationship to God, and to administer the ordinances required for Salvation.
Today a doctrine I am studying is that of the nature of God the Father and His Only Begotten Son. Many Christians are confused by the scriptures mention of the Father and the Son's "oneness." And through the ages where prophetic revelation and direction were nowhere to be found, corrupt creeds were catalyst to a now widely accepted interpretation of such verses, which is that God the Father and Jesus Christ are corporally and spiritually one being.
If one pursuing the truth had nothing more than todays bible as a resource for determining God's nature and that of His Son, maybe it would be difficult. It would not however be impossible. In fact, if this learner had not been exposed to the worlds generally accepted false definition of the "trinity" maybe finding the correct definition would be easy? What do you think? Please comment..
Here is a great passage that articulates clearly the sound doctrine of The Holy Trinity.
[God] in these last days [has] spoken unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds....[who is] the express image of his person...[and] when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a son. (Hebrews 1:2-5)
When the light rested upon me I saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description... (Joseph Smith History 1:17 emphasis added)
I don't think it would be difficult really. As someone who had only the Bible to go on for a long time, I found the doctrine of the triunity of God difficult to understand and accept. It didn't make sense. While there are a lot of OT scriptures that discuss the one God, I think that in the NT there's a lot that supports not polytheism but a significant distinction between God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is a man-made doctrine that we explain away by saying that it is something that is beyond mortal understanding. But I don't think so. I think Jesus was really clear about the fact that he and God the Father and the Spirit are one in purpose but that they are separate. Acts 1:32-33 I think is a super scripture for this. Or like in Matthew 24 when they're talking about the day that the Lord is coming, it says only the Father knows not even his Son knows. Anyway there are a lot of places where I think it is perfectly clear that Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are separate.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I think.