ONENESS PENTECOSTALISM REFUTED: THE BIBLICAL PROOF FOR PLURALITY OF PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD
"Scripture statements concerning the nature of God...affirms His unity....But the Scripture as plainly affirms the distinction of persons in the Godhead. 'Unity in plurality and plurality in unity' is the great assertion here...it must not be forgotten or denied, that there are continually exhibited within [the Bible's] pages, in bold relief, truths seemingly opposed to each other...The twofoldness of truth as offered to our view in Holy Writ, is one strong argument of its not being the work of man. It is the glory of man's intellect to produce ONENESS. ..." (Robert Govett, "The Twofoldness of Divine Truth," Norwich, 1892)
The so-called "Jehovah's Witnesses" deny the plurality of Persons in the Godhead. They teach that the Father alone is the God of the Bible. In a similar fashion, the "Oneness" Pentecostals (UPCI, etc.) deny the Trinity (i.e. one God in three Persons). It is easy for the Oneness Pentecostals to confuse many Christians. Usually the cults that deny the Trinity also deny the Deity of Jesus. Yet, Oneness Pentecostals embrace the Deity of Christ, while denying any actual plurality of Persons in the Godhead.
Oneness Pentecostals believe that God exists in three "manifestations" (sometimes even successive "stages"), "modes," "roles" or "dimensions" (not three distinct "Persons"). The historic name for this heresy is "Modalism." This idea was first set forth by a 3rd century presbyter in Egypt named Sabellius. Most oneness advocates believe in baptismal regeneration only in the name of Jesus), and that true salvation must be accompanied by speaking in gibberish. When these oneness groups maintain that they believe in the "Father, Son and Holy Ghost," they do NOT mean that they believe in one Godhead consisting of three Persons.
Oneness Pentecostalism officially began amidst the chaos of Pentecostal "revivalism" in the early 1900's. In these early days of "revival," men and women would violently run and fall against pianos, hide their heads in shoe boxes (to escape their intellects), bark like dogs and make other animal noises, etc. Visions and "revelations" were common occurrences (see "How Pentecost Came To Los Angeles," by Frank Bartleman; or "The Earlier Years of the Modern Tongues Movement," by G.H. Lang). In 1913, in Los Angeles, R.E. McAlister preached a Pentecostal, campmeeting sermon on the need to follow the Apostles in the Book of Acts in regard to the baptismal formula. McAlister stressed the need to abandon the Trinitarian formula commanded in
Matthew 28:19. During this same time, John Scheppe claimed to receive a "revelation" from God concerning the power of the name of Jesus. In the constant search for something new and exciting, and with the intellect of the mind rejected as evil, Bible doctrine among Pentecostals became largely dependent upon supposed revelations:
"Advocates of the new [Jesus Only] issue unabashedly admitted: 'You'll never get this by studying it out like some other doctrine. This comes by revelation!'" ("The Assemblies of God: A Popular History," by Edith Blumhofer, 1985 by the Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, Missouri)
Frank Ewart (1876-1947) was influenced by McAlister's message (and the new "revelation") to take the whole idea of the name of Jesus even further; he began to systematically denounce the Trinity:
"The terms 'Father, Son and Holy Ghost' were titles for one Person, Ewart insisted..." (Blumhofer, Ibid.)
By 1914, Oneness Pentecostalism was fully born. In response, the Assemblies of God held a council in 1916 where Ewart defended his oneness views. The Assemblies of God rejected the movement and lost a quarter of its membership to the new heresy. Today, the doctrine is alive and well in preachers such as T.D. Jakes (The Potter's House Church of Dallas).
The Scriptural Proof for Plurality of Persons in the Godhead
There is not only unity, but plurality of persons in the Godhead. There are not three distinct "Gods," but three distinct Persons in one God:
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness...
There is nothing in the Bible that teaches that angels helped God make man. But the above Scripture says "Let US make." Whoever made man is plural in nature. This truth cannot be refuted by referring to the fact that God is "one." For it is true that there is only one God. Yet, what is the nature of this one God as revealed in Scripture? He is one God in three Persons!
Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven...
This verse makes perfect sense from a Trinitarian perspective.
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for US? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isaiah 48:15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent ME.
The Trinity is clearly revealed in these mysterious verses in Isaiah! God is talking. Yet God refers to the other Persons in the Godhead. Notice a similar passage in the New Testament:
Hebrews 1:5 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?
6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, HE SAITH, And let all the angels of God worship HIM.
8 But unto the Son HE SAITH, Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
God the Father is clearly talking to God the Son. They are NOT two different "gods." God is ONE. These Scriptures reveal two distinct Persons of the same, united Godhead taking to one another. It would be absurd to maintain that these are simply two distinct "manifestations" of the same Person.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
The above verse would be very ludicrous if this is simply two different "titles" of the same person talking to himself. The verse says "with thee." Someone was WITH Someone before the world existed!
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and SAW the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the SON OF MAN standing on the right hand of GOD.
Stephen's eyes were opened in his martyrdom to see TWO distinct Persons in the Godhead. One is called the "Son of man" (Jesus). When the Bible teaches that Jesus is seated or standing on the right hand of God, it is not speaking figuratively. He is literally seated in Heaven on His Father's throne (Rev.3:21).
Notice another similar passage of Scripture:
Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the ANCIENT OF DAYS did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the SON OF MAN came with the clouds of heaven, and CAME TO the ANCIENT OF DAYS, and they brought HIM near before HIM.
There are two "hims" in the above Scriptures. Jesus is called the "Son of man" in the New Testament (Rev.1:13,
Acts 7:56,
John 13:31, 12:34, 6:62,
Luke 21:27). The "Ancient of Days" is not symbolic; He occurs in the interpretation of Daniel's vision (Dan.7:22). Oneness Pentecostals frantically try to wiggle out of this passage by appealing to the NIV:
"The NIV translates the phrase in verse 13 as 'one like a son of man.'"
(David K. Bernard, J.D, "The Oneness of God")
This does reveal that using the NIV in serious debate is often like going to battle with a butter knife! An appeal to the NIV is unacceptable in matters of faith and doctrine.
1 John 5:7 For there are THREE that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are ONE.
Oneness Pentecostals focus on the "one" in this verse. But they must define the "three" as referring to "roles". Yet on what evidence? THREE are "bearing record". The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one God in three Persons. Oneness Pentecostals answer almost every Scripture verse by stating that it cannot refer to three "persons," since that would make three Gods. This is a straw man. It argues against the Trinity by redefining "person" in a way that MUST MEAN "separate God". But we do not define "Person" as meaning "separate God." The Bible teaches that "God" is one in three. We should expect the nature of God to be higher than our thoughts. If God's WAYS are often mysterious, why would not God HIMSELF be somewhat mysterious?
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Oneness Pentecostalism must WORK TOO HARD to exist! This is one way we know error when we see it. Did Jesus pray to Himself with no plurality in the Godhead (Mat.26:39)? The thought is irrational. Almost every Epistle begins with a reference to plurality in the Godhead (Rom.1:3, 1 Cor.1:3, 2 Cor.1:2, Gal.1:1-4, Eph.1:2,3, Phil.1:2, Col.1:2,3, 1 Thess.1:1-3, 2 Thess.1:1,2, etc.). To say that these references to God AND Jesus refer to various "roles" or "manifestations" is unreasonable:
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Hybrid Mode
