What's wrong with the word "trinity"?
This is a small article that appeared on page 7 of the December 1948 Pentecostal Herald and was written by Bro. Howard A. Goss who was General Superintendent of the UPC at that time.
GODHEAD
The name of Jesus people teach that there is one true God and this one true God has manifested Himself in the New Testament dispensation especially as Father, Son and Holy Spirit--not three eternally separate, distinct persons or Gods, but three manifestations of the one true God. We believe that we are the true trinitarians because the word trinity means tri-unity--three in one. The people that hold that there are three eternally separate and distinct persons in the Godhead or deity are tritheists which means three Gods or persons.
Those that believe that Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh are the true trinitarians. Paul says in
Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
1 John 5:7 says, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Jesus said-"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father--.
John 14:9.
The Lord Jesus Christ is Father, Son. and Holy Spirit, so the Lord Jesus Christ is the one true God.
Howard A. Goss.
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This is from pages 2 and 3 of the Manual of the Pentecostal Church Incorporated. I don’t know what year this is from. In 1945 the Pentecostal Church Inc. (PCI) merged with The Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ (PAJC) and formed the United Pentecostal Church (UPC).
GODHEAD
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
Romans 1:20
There is one ever-living Eternal God, who is Spirit (
Isa. 44:6-8;
Mark 12:29;
John 4:24;
1 Cor 8:6)
He manifested himself in the Old Testament in various ways and under different names, such as God Elohim, God Almighty, El Shaddai and the “I am the I AM,” Jehovah, and especially Jehovah Lord, the redemptive NAME.
In the New Testament this one true God was manifest in the flesh or in His son, Jesus Christ “For when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law”; “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them”; “for in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”; “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell”; “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.”
Man is triune spirit, soul, and body. God is triune, a trinity. Three manifestations of one God, not three eternally distinct persons or Gods, as that is tritheism.
Jesus in His humanity, was man; in His deity, was God. His flesh was the Lamb or sacrifice of God. (
Heb 10:10-20).
The Son of God is the only hope of the world. The Man, He is, is the mediator between God and man. (
1 Tim 2:5)
God is multiple. That is, He has many names, offices, titles, many manifestations, such as God, Son of God, Son of Man, Lord of All, King, Shepherd, Priest, Holy One, Lamb, Alpha and Omega. He is all and in all. Amen
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