What about Elohim in Genesis 1?

When faced with the scriptural statement that God is one, trinitarian Christians will sometimes point to the use of the Hebrew word “Elohim” in Genesis 1:1,26 & 27. They assert that because Elohim is a plural noun used with singular verbs for God that it indicates that God is both singular and plural. In addition, they teach that the combination of God saying “let us make man in our image” in verse 26 (a plural reference) and “God created man in his own image” in verse 27 (a singular reference) demonstrates their point that God is a trinity, both three and one. They view it as evidence that the trinity is clearly taught in the bible. However, if we look at these assertions more deeply, we will see that Read More

What about 1 John 5 v7?

Is the “trinity” in the bible? I say “No”, but many Christians say “Yes, it is”. One of the main verses that they refer to is 1 John 5:7. Does this verse speak of the trinity? Have you ever looked up this verse in your bible? This is a very intriguing verse because it is missing from some bibles and present in others. Did you know that? Do you know why that is? Some say that Satan is trying to corrupt the scriptures by removing this verse from modern bibles. Others say that the verse is a forgery that was added to the scriptures. So, which is it? And furthermore, what does the verse actually say? Does it really define or support the trinity? We’re going to look at all of these questions. Let’s dive in. Read More

In the beginning of what?

When you open a bible to the first book of Genesis, the first three words you read are “In the beginning”. It’s a great start to what many of us consider to be a great book. Interestingly enough, there is another book in the Bible that starts with those exact same three words, this is the Gospel of John in the New Testament. What is most interesting is that many Christian scholars, clergymen and bible preachers promote the idea that because both books start with the same three words, it means that the writer of the Gospel of John is directly referring to the Genesis creation account. This is something I heard all my life, but is this really the intention of the writer of John’s gospel? Is the beginning that John is referring to the creation in Genesis or is it the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the Gospel. Well, let’s explore this. Read More

Common sense issues with trinity doctrine

I have had discussions recently with people who believe in the trinity doctrine. What I have noticed is that most persons assume and some assert that the trinity is in the bible. I have even listened to debates where one side defends the trinity by quoting verses in the bible, and the other side debunks the trinity by also quoting verses in the bible. Oftentimes, both side quote the very same verses. Difference in meaning, interpretation, and text are often highlighted and argued. However, one thing that is often missing from discussions on the topic of the trinity is common sense reasoning. Reason and logic are present and contend in any discussion, but simple common sense is usually missing. For me, this is where I start. I want to express and share some of what I consider to be common sense thoughts on the trinity. Let’s get into this. Read More

Opposing Opinions: Responding to trinitarian evidences

Several months ago, I asked a trinitarian family member why he believed in the trinity, since no “trinity” or “triune God” or “God the Son” or “God the Holy Spirit” are in the bible. He then asserted that God is triune, Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God. My follow-up was to ask for scripture references that confirm his assertions. He provided my with a short list with brief comments, and I also gave my response, which was more lengthy. Unfortunately the dialog didn’t get too far as my response was met with dismissal, and I was told that I was “splitting hairs to prove a point”. Thinking about it, I thought it might be beneficial to share my responses on my blog. Will others think my reasoning is unworthy of consideration or valuable for understanding the truth? Let opposing opinions be heard. Read More

Are we nothing?

A few of weeks ago, a brother gave a prayer at church, and in the middle of the prayer, he said, “Father, we are nothing”. As soon as I heard this, the first thing that popped into my mind was, “Does the bible really say that?”. I reflected on it a bit, and realized that I have heard this or similar statements before from different people in different churches at different times. The idea that ‘we are nothing’ is something that has been perpetuated in churches for a long time. Persons say it out of a sense of piety, humility or self-deprecation. Others say it because they believe the bible teaches it. Either way, I find it to be counter-productive to faith and confidence of mind. The question I want to ask is whether the bible actually says it. So, let’s dive in and find out. Read More

Who raised Jesus from the dead?

If you were asked about what you think is the most critical belief someone must have to be a Christian, what would that belief be? I don’t know about you, but for me, it would be that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. This is the main claim of the Gospels, and the Apostle Paul reiterates this point. We have accounts of how this happened, but the follow-up question that could be asked is, “Who raised Jesus from the dead?” I have heard claims that Jesus raised himself from the dead, because he was God and had the power to do so. However, how can a dead person raise himself? Also, if Jesus raised himself from the dead then why did the apostles not proclaim this clearly throughout the New Testament? Let’s examine Jesus’ words and the apostles’ words to see if we can figure this out. Read More

Jesus’ God and Thomas’ God

For most of my life, I have been told and believe that ‘Jesus is God’. We sing it in church. It is declared when affirming a creed. We hear the preacher make this statement. You can read it in many books and articles defending Christianity and the Trinity doctrine. You can also hear it being touted and defended by many theologians all over the world. The only problem with the expression, ‘Jesus is God’, is that it is not found anywhere in the bible, any bible, regardless of the translation. Isn’t that interesting?! But, shouldn’t it be somewhere in the bible? Well, there are some passages that seem to suggest that Jesus is God, and one such passage regards the apostle Thomas and his response to the risen Jesus appearing before him. Read More

Tricky Translation: little or few

Have you ever been to a church or maybe known individual Christians who discouraged people from being involved in sports or exercise? Or maybe you grew up in a church that discouraged people from participating in martial arts or joining a gym. Or maybe you haven’t and you find this introduction really weird. Yes, it is a little weird, as most people would never think that there is any conflict at all between sports/exercise and Christianity. However, I have met persons who have experienced this very conflict. The source of conflict is from an interpretation of a particular verse in the KJV Bible that compares “exercise” with “righteousness”. I came across this verse the other day, and decided to look at the original Greek, and found a very interesting translation twist. We have another tricky translation to unravel. Let’s check it out! Read More

Thoughts on Bias and the Bible

I have been attending church meetings since the first Sunday right after I was born. I have heard hundreds of sermons in church, on the radio, television and more recently on Youtube. I have given sermons at church, taught bible classes, and have been reading and studying the bible personally for many years. Interestingly, it has only been recently that I have noticed differences between what I hear about the bible and the actual words in the bible itself. Even more interesting is that I am also noticing differences with what English bibles state compared with what the original Greek New Testament or Hebrew Masoretic Text state. None of these observations are even touching the field of textual criticism between differing Greek text, but I digress. In this post, I want to share some of my thoughts on a few common things Christians say versus what the bible says or doesn’t say. Read More