[Taken from the God Papers  by Walter R. Dolen
 Copyright © 1977-2003 by Walter R. Dolen and/or BeComingOne Church]

Trinity, Godhead and the Law of Contradiction

Immortality and Death

gp25» According to the Bible God is immortal (1Tim 1:17). Thus, it follows from the Law of Contradiction that God cannot be immortal (not capable of death) and yet at the same time be capable of death. Either God is immortal or he is not. He cannot be both mortal (capable of death) and immortal (not capable of death) at the same time. Furthermore, if at first, God was immortal, then at no time later can he die. If a so-called immortal person ever dies, it merely means, he was never immortal. If one denies this, he either denies the Law of Contradiction or denies the meaning of the word "immortal." To deny the meaning of "immortal" is to play a word game.

"With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible"

gp26» Now some will think that yes God is immortal and yes those who are immortal cannot die, but "with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37, KJV). Thus, they reason, in so many words, God (or Jesus Christ) before his "incarnation" was immortal, but nevertheless died on the cross, for without this death no man could be saved. They reason that this contradiction is not contrary because "with God nothing shall be impossible." But this kind of "reasoning" makes a mockery out of reasoning. It is against the Law of Contradiction and against scripture

(They also use the argument that God is timeless, immortal, and immutable, and thus according to their theory, the fleshly body of the Son must have been "taken" because he could not literally be made flesh, for he was not mutable. See more against this argument in the Trinity v. BeComingOne Comparative Tables.)

Incorrect Translation

gp27» There is a problem with the above argument. They use Luke 1:37 of the Kings James Version (KJV), but this is a mistranslation of the Greek text. Luke 1:37 from the Greek language says: "for not shall be impossible with the God any word." The Greek word rhema (Strong's #4487) was not translated in Luke 1:37 in the KJV. The Greek word rhema means: "word, saying, any thing spoken." Thus in the very next verse, Luke 1:38, we find this same Greek word rhema translated as "word": "be it according to thy word" (Luke 1:38). What was being said in Luke 1:37, is that God's word that Mary would have the child Jesus even though she "know not a man" (Luke 1:34), was not impossible (Luke 1:37). Thus Mary believing the words answered the angel, "be it unto me according to thy word [Gk. rhema]" (Luke 1:38). The scripture that says in the KJV "with God all things are possible" (Mat 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27) is in context merely saying that even the rich men can be saved, for such things are possible with God.

God of Law, Not of Confusion

gp28» To say that God can go against the basis of reason, the Law of Contradiction, is mockery. God is a God of Law (Isa 33:22; etc.), not of confusion (1Cor 14:33). God is a God of His Word: "So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper whereto I sent it" (Isa 55:11). "I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it" (Isa 46:11).

God's Word Not Impossible

gp29» Luke 1:37 is saying that all God's words are possible with God (see Greek text). Nothing God speaks or says is too hard for him for he created heaven and earth by his word (Pss 33:6). "Ah Lord GOD [yhwh] behold; you have made the heaven and the earth by your great power and stretched out arm, and there is not too difficult for you any word" (Jer 32:17). Notice in the KJV of Jer 32:17 there is again a mistranslation, "there is nothing too hard for thee," instead of "there is no word too hard for thee." It says in the Hebrew that no word (Heb. dabar) of God is too difficult for Him. Why? It is because God does not lie. Therefore any word he speaks is true. "The sum of your word is true," or "chief is your true word," or "truth is the head of your word," or "the head of your word is truth," or "your supreme word is true" (Pss 119:160, see Heb. and various translations). He who is the liar is Satan (John 8:44).

Truth Is

gp30» The truth is: what is, at one point in time. What is false is: what is not, at a certain point in time. One statement cannot be true and false at the same time. God cannot be immortal and yet be capable of death. God cannot be alive forever, and yet die. God cannot go back on his word (Isa 46:11). It is impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:17-18; 1John 5:18; etc.). Considering everything, it is impossible for God to go against the Law of Contradiction.

It Follows Thus:

gp31» From the above arguments it follows that:

• God did not die on the "cross" (tree "stake" or "post");

• God did not change from immortality to mortality in order to die on the cross (God cannot change what has gone out of his mouth); OR an immortal angel (note Luke 20:36) was not "transformed" from immortality to mortality in order to die on the cross;

• he who died on the cross was not God, when he died;

• he who died on the cross was a mortal, for he died;

• he who died on the cross could not have existed as God or angel (angels do not die, Luke 20:36) before his birth as a mortal, because those who are immortal cannot change from their state to mortality;

• he who was born (or thus came into an existence through a physical birth) and died (through the 'cross') was a man;

• that man was/is Jesus Christ the man who with a resurrection went into his Father (God) and became one with the God and now sits on the right side of the Power of the God (GP 4-8).

Jesus Christ as a mortal man before his resurrection was a man, "the man Christ Jesus" (1Tim 2:5). He was a go-between (mediator) between God and man (1Tim 2:5). He was a physical son of God. But he did not exist (the one who died) before his birth (GP 4).

Trinity Belief Impossible

What is the Trinity Belief?

gp32» From the above, especially when you understand the Law of Contradiction, you know that three uniquely different persons cannot exist as one person at the same time (Trinity theory). The Trinitarians have been changing and redefining their theory on God from the beginning of their theory. But what many of them are saying is this:

• There is one God being who created all and who is immortal and all-powerful (p. 87, Systematic Theology, by L. Berkhof; p 155-156, The Trinity, by Bickersteth);

• There are three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in this one God being; these are not three different metonymical names for the same essence in the one God being (p. 87, ;

• The whole essence of God belongs equally to each of the three persons (p. 88, Systematic Theology; p. 155, The Trinity).

gp33» From, Logic and the Nature of God (1983), by Stephen T. Davis, the trinity doctrine is stated:

• "The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is notoriously easier to state than explain. Augustine states it as follows:

There are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and each is God, and at the same time all are one God; and each of them is a full substance, and at the same time all are one substance. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit; the Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. But the Father is the Father uniquely; the Son is the Son uniquely; and the Holy Spirit is the holy Spirit uniquely. All three have the same eternity, the same immutability, the same majesty, and the same power...." [p. 132]

gp34» Davis in his 1983 book further stated:

• "But is the doctrine of the Trinity coherent? Is there any good reason for a Christian to believe it? Let us say that the doctrine consists at heart of five statements:

• (1) The Father is God

• (2). The Son is God

• (3). The Holy Spirit is God

• (4). The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Father

• (5). There is one and only one God." [pp. 134-135]

What Mystery?

gp35» "Not surprisingly, Christian theologians almost with one voice have stressed that this doctrine is a great mystery, perhaps the greatest mystery in Christian theology" (p. 132). But some of them use scripture out of context to prove this. They quote Paul speaking about mystery:

• Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: [NRS 1 Timothy 3:16]

and misquote Paul:

• That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. [KJV, Col 2:2]

gp36» Paul wasn't acknowledging any mystery, this last verse is better understood from the NRS version:

• I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, [NRS Col 2:2]

gp37» Paul was praying for others to understand the knowledge of God's mystery like Paul understood it. Paul did understand the mystery and in fact revealed it to the Church:

• he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, [NRS, Eph 1:9]

• and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. [NRS, Eph 3:3-4]

• This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. [NRS Eph 5:32]

• Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, [NRS Eph 6:19]

• I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. [NRS, Col 1:25-26].

Therefore there is no mystery, for Paul was given the revelation to reveal it, and Paul did reveal it, as we will again, in more detail, reveal it in the God Papers.

Trinitarian Belief against the Law of Contradiction

gp38» Thus, Trinitarians are saying that three uniquely different beings are a one, single, unique being at the very same time they are three. This is against the Law of Contradiction and against Biblical scripture as we will see. We can understand three in one, or even two in one, or even a million in one, but this "one," in its totality, cannot be exactly the same as each of the three, or either of the two, or each of the million.

One in Number, but Three in Person

gp39» Either there is only one (single/individual) God or there are three (as one, as a unit, in some kind of unity or oneness) at the same time, but both "the only one" and "the three persons" cannot exist as the only one (single/individual) at the same time. When the Trinitarians are speaking of one God, they are not using one as a synonym for "unity." To them the oneness of God is not the same as the unity of God. When they speak of the "only one" they mean singleness, numerically speaking, of God. Yet to them there are three persons in this one (numerically speaking) God. This is the first real contradiction. A drop of water can only appear as either ice, or water, or vapor at any one time: all three states of the same water drop cannot exist at the same moment.

Immortal Person Dies?

gp40» There is another real contradiction in their theory. In the Trinity theory they have an immortal being dying. Someone who is immortal cannot die. Someone with the potential to die is mortal. Anyone who says an immortal being can die either doesn't know the meaning of 'immortal' or is playing a word game. God's essence is not like the god of the Trinity as commonly taught today.

God Not the Trinity

gp41» One reason God is not a trinity is because the Trinity idea is against the Law of Contradiction. For other reasons (documented in the God Papers) that God is not the Trinity, note the following:

• Jesus Christ the man was not God before his death and resurrection: he was the son of God.

• Jesus Christ the man did not exist before his birth. Jesus Christ was foreknown before his birth and death, but he did not exist before his birth, except in the mind and planning of the God (see Pss 139:16; Jer 1:4-5, NIV).

• But doesn't it seem to say in the Bible that Jesus Christ is God? Yes (see GP 5).

• Don't some titles of God in the Old Testament now appear on Jesus Christ? Yes (see GP 5).

• Doesn't the Bible seem to say that Jesus Christ is the Creator and God? Yes (see GP 5).

• BUT the Bible does not speak of Jesus Christ the man, before his resurrection and his going to his Father, as the God, or a God, or the Creator.

• When Jesus Christ was a man, before going to his Father, he spoke of his Father as the God of the Jews (John 8:54).

• He spoke of his Father as "my God" (John 20:17).

• He spoke of his Father or God as being greater than himself (John 14:28).

• And He prayed to his Father (John 17:1) as if his Father was a separate entity, which the Father was at one point in time.

In the God Papers the problem of God and his Son has been solved. Time plays an important role in the answer.

But what about the Holy Spirit?

Fourth Person in the Godhead?

gp42The Trinitarians argue:

• "First, we show that the Bible teaches that there is only one God. Second, we found that the Bible tells us that there are three persons who are called God. Hence, the inescapable conclusion: the three persons are the One God. Theologians have called this the Trinity"

(Of course, whether you know it or not, the theologians also deny that the three "persons" in the Trinity are in fact, persons. They use their own pseudo-word "hypostases" when they speak of the three persons in the Trinity, since they know that when we think of persons we think of distinct individuals, and three distinct individuals cannot be one in the sense the Trinitarians want to use "one." The Trinitarians wish to use "one" in a limiting sense that does not even coincide with the historical use and meaning of "one." See "One in History" below.)

The Trinitarians tell us that because three "persons" (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) are called God in the Bible that this is proof that they are God and are the three persons in the ONE God. And that this is the Trinity. But ...

Four or More Persons in the "Trinity"?

gp43Wait a moment. With the Trinitarians own logic we can prove that there are four or more "persons" in their "one" God. According to the Trinitarians own special logic the "Holy One" could be the fourth person in their "one" God:

• The Holy One is God (Pss 71:22, 78:41; Isa 29:23, 43:3, 48:17, 54:5, 55:5, 60:9; Hos 11:9; Hab 1:12)

• The Holy One is YHWH (Isa 15, 30, 48:17, 54:5, 55:5, 60:9)

• The Holy One is the Savior (Isa 43:3)

• The Holy One is the Redeemer (Isa 48:17, 54:5)

• The Holy One can be sinned against (Jer 51:5; Hab 1:12)

• The Holy One is (in a sense) Jesus (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34)

• The Holy One is a person, a "he" (Isa 49:7, 54:5)

How about Five Persons?

gp44» We just identified a fourth person in the Godhead using the Trinitarians' own logic. How about a fifth person? The "Almighty" in the Bible did the same things the Holy Spirit did.

• The Almighty is God (Gen 35:11, 49:25; Rev 4:8)

• The Almighty is YHWH (Ruth 1:21)

• The Almighty is prayed to (Job 8:5, 21:15)

• The Almighty answers prayer (Job 31:35)

• The Almighty is beyond finding out (Job 11:7, 37:23

• The Almighty gives spiritual understanding (Job 32:18)

• The Almighty does not sin (Job 34:10)

• The Almighty is the Father (2Cor 6:18)

• The Almighty is the Lord and God (Rev 11:17)

• The Almighty is the was, is, and will be (Rev 1:8, 4:8, 11:17)

• The Almighty is king (Rev 15:3)

• The Almighty is Jesus (Rev 1:8 cf. w/ 22:12-13, 20)

• The Almighty is a person, a "he" (Gen 43:14; Job 37:23; Ezek 10:5)

So as the "Holy One" could be one of the "persons" in the Godhead, so could be the "Almighty" according to the logic that the Trinitarians used to put the Holy Spirit into the Godhead.

Metonymy and the Holy Spirit

gp45The problem with the Trinitarian's logic is that the Holy Spirit, the Holy One, and the Almighty are merely words that describe different aspects of God and are being used in the Bible in a metonymical way. The phrase "Holy Spirit" or "Holy One" or "Almighty" are metonyms or words used in metonymy. Metonymy is a figure of speech. "Metonymy is a figure by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation" (. Or metonymy is the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as "scepter" for "sovereignty," or "the bottle" for "strong drink" (. Another example is the "White House" is used as metonym when we say, "the White House said today...." What we mean is "the President said today...." The White House is not a person or power, but is a name of an object closely related to the President. When we say "the White House said today," we are using language in a metonymical way (a figure of speech) to say "the President said today." When we say the "Holy Spirit dwells in us," (2Tim 1:14) we are using language in a metonymical way to say "God abides in us," (1John 4:12) or "Jesus Christ is in you" (2Cor 13:5; Col 1:27). The "Holy Spirit" is another name for God. God revealed his name of names to Moses in Exod 3:13-15 (see below)

gp46» The Bible uses hundreds of different figures of speech as Bullinger manifested in his book, Figures of Speech used in the Bible. One figure of speech the Bible used was the "Holy Spirit" for God, or the "Holy One" for God. The "Holy Spirit" is God's spirit. God possesses spirit because he is made up of spirit, for God is spirit (John 4:24). His spirit is the "Holy Spirit" because he is holy. The phrase "Holy Spirit" is a metonym for God, not a name of a different person of the Godhead, but a name of a different aspect of God. The phrase "Holy One" is a metonym for God because God is Holy. The "Holy One" is not a separate person of the Godhead, but it is just another name for an aspect of God. The word "Almighty" is not a different person of the Godhead, but it is just another name for some aspect of God for God is all mighty. In fact, concerning the "Almighty" the Bible actually says that it was just another name for the God:

• "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah [YHWH] was I not known to them...." [Exod 6:3]

Father is God; Jesus Christ is God; Holy Spirit is God

gp47» God has many names as we show in Part one of the God Papers. The Bible used metonymy when referring to God. That is, the Bible used many different names and phrases for God. The Bible used the "Father" as a name for God. The Bible, starting with Christ's resurrection, used "Jesus Christ" as a name for God. The Bible used the "Holy Spirit" as a name for God. The Bible used the "Holy One" as a name for God. The Bible used the "Almighty" as a name for God. But God's most important Name is YHWH. This is why you baptize into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is YHWH (Jehovah, or Yehowah, or Yahweh, or ... ). The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Holy One, and the Almighty are all just other names of YHWH.

Puzzle of the Godhead

gp48» Remember that Jesus did not say in Luke 10:22 that no one knew who the Father and who the Holy Spirit were, except the Son. No, Jesus said no one knew who the Father was except the Son, or no one knew who the Son was except the Father. The puzzle of the Godhead had nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, but only the nature of the relationship of the Father and the Son. The "Holy Spirit" is just as much God as the Son, because both the Father and the Son (after the son went to the Father) are Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not a different person of the Godhead, just as the Holy One or the Almighty are not different persons of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit is a metonym that manifests one aspect of God. It is just another name for God. The name speaks about one aspect of God: He is Holy spirit, or He is spirit that is Holy. God has many names and they all teach us something about God. But the main Name for God is YHWH (Yehowah) as revealed to Moses in the original language of Exod 3:14 ff.

An Example of Paradoxes and Time

gp49» In testimony at a trial, three witnesses testified that they saw drugs being sold from a certain house on a certain day. (All houses on the block looked the same, had no street numbers, but did have different colored garage doors.) Each witness described the house, but each witness described the color of the garage door at the house as being a different color. One said it was brown, one said it was red, and one said it was green. This contradiction almost led to the home owners (husband and wife) being freed, except for the last witness. The last witness, who lived across the street from the house in question, explained that the normal color of the garage door was brown, but at 11 am on the day in question the owner came out and sprayed it red. His wife came home from shopping that same day at 12 pm and the witness could hear the man and woman arguing. She apparently didn't like the color. So the husband at 1 pm that same day came out of the house and sprayed the garage door green. On the same day the color of the garage door was brown, red, and green, but never was the garage door all three colors at the same time.

gp50» What at first appeared to be a real contradiction, later just turned out to be explainable. Time played an important part in this story. At one time the garage door was brown. Later it became red. Still later it became green. The garage door was not brown, red, and green at the same time even though on the same day the door was all three colors. On this same day, in time, the door became different colors. Time played a significant role in this story, as does time play an important role in the understanding of the apparent paradoxes pertaining to God.

Time and Change Play Major Parts in the Answer

gp51» The immutability theory blinds all who examine the scripture so that they cannot see through the paradoxes and are thus forced to hold on to an obviously contradictory theory, and are forced to call it a mystery even though Paul's writings indicate that the mystery of Christ was solved (Rom 16:25; Eph 1:9, 3:3-4,9, 5:32, 6:19; Col 1:26-27; Paul's letters did not give all the details of the puzzle of the Father and the Son).

gp52» Knowing that time plays a major role, what we will see in the God Papers is this:

• At one time Jesus was a man (GP 4);
• At a later time Jesus was in the God (GP 5).
• At first only the Spirit of Jesus Christ existed (GP 3).
• Before Jesus Christ's physical birth, the flesh of Jesus only existed in the forethought of the God who had predestinated the Seed (through Adam & Eve and the patriarchs ), the fleshly Jesus Christ, to come into existence at the chosen time (GP 4 & PR 1).
• Later, when the fleshly Jesus was born, the essence of Jesus Christ was in some way split between his Spirit and his flesh (GP 4).
• At the death of Jesus, his Spirit was given up, thus separating the Spirit from the physical body for three days (GP 4).
• Only after Jesus' resurrection did he go back into the God and became one with the Spirit, and at that time for the first time Jesus was called God and was God (GP 5).
• On earth Jesus was the Son of God before his resurrection; he never claimed to be God before his resurrection and his return to his God, only the son of God.

For more about God click appropriate link top right to continue.