First Century Christianity

The Trinity

The Trinity was the last biggie that I took on. This doctrine is so widely accepted that when I saw it challenged, I was surprised. This doctrine teaches that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all the same entity. Yes, I know that is an oversimplification, but this is the basis of the belief. The problem is that the Bible refers to one God many times. However, the volume of scriptures indicating that Jesus and God are separate beings is overwhelming.

The biggest and most fundamental problem I have with the doctrine of the Trinity is that its ultimate conclusion is that Jesus did not actually die and was not actually resurrected by the Father. If one is to believe that Jesus was immortal at the time of His crucifixion, then He sacrificed nothing and his death and resurrection were merely an act or a facade’. I believe that Jesus voluntarily left the Father, voluntarily became man, and voluntarily gave His life - 100% of it, died for our sins, stayed dead for around 72 hours, and was resurrected by the Father. I find this scenario impossible to reconcile while holding the doctrine of the Trinity.

The first big question I had when examining the Trinity doctrine is borne out of the following scripture and others like it:

Who is he condemning? It is Christ who has died, but rather also who is raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

(Romans 8:34)

Christ is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. One cannot sit at the right hand of oneself.

For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus,

(1 Timothy2:5)

Jesus is the Mediator between God and man.

And He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will .

(Matthew 26:39)

Two points I glean from the scripture above:

1) Jesus prays to the Father. He does not pray to Himself.