The Challenge of the Christian Theology and more …
/ Ewald Frank
Sprache englisch
Andere Sprachen
9. History confirms it
- Preface
- Introduction
- Does all happen by chance?
- The time is near
- The only valid measuring rod
- The old dispute
- Self-evidence?
- The testimony of historians
- History confirms it
- God’s confession
- God manifests Himself
- In heaven and on earth
- The Lord visits His prophet
- The »I am«
- Was the Son born in heaven?
- Spirit and Truth
- Very peculiar
- Respect for the Great Mystery
- Everyone defends his or her own doctrine
- The rock
- The Great Commission
- Thou shalt have no other gods …
- Maryology
- Believe as the Scripture says
- An unbelievable tragedy
- The end-time
- A challenge to all
- No one can bypass Jesus Christ
- New creation
- The Son and the sons and daughters of God
- The two beginnings
- The course of church history
- No man’s influence
- Conclusion
One can hardly comprehend it, but history and secular writers truly confirm the Bible to be correct, not the interpretations of theologians.
The various sources about the subject in question agree and comply with the Bible. We can no longer avoid such statements, at least not with a good conscience. We must be allowed to ask what dealings a Christian has with the images and concepts of the Godhead, which came from ancient heathenism where knowledge redeems, instead of the sacrifice. This should be our concern. In the Mithras cult wherein the triune doctrine is being taught we have the following thesis , »In a second creation the ›Father of Greatness‹ has begotten the living Spirit. The ›Father of Greatness‹ has sent a third one who conquers the demons.« (Chronik der Menschheit). By looking at the multiple pictures of the trinity, especially in a book titled »Die dreiköpfige Gottheit« (=»The three-headed Godhead«), written by Willibald Kirfel, one finds many similarities with the trinity doctrine within Christianity. From the Catholic oriented Herder Lexikon we only illustrate one page. These photos show different Trinitarian pictures and should alarm us. We see from the actual developments that God let not only fall Himself into the hands of men as Immanuel, but also His Word has fallen into human hands. »I cannot trust a testimony that according to my conviction is against a set, unmovable truth. According to the teachings of the New Testament (at least as it is found in official books and explained in their teachings) I must believe 1) in a Trinity in the Divine Being, 2) in the coming into humanity of a God of the Godhead, 3) in the suffering of one person of the Godhead which has relinquished Himself of the Divine Majesty, 4) in the satisfaction and gratification of the first person in the Godhead through the sufferings and the death of the humiliated second person, and many more such similar things: I reject them even if I will loose eternal salvation. If I found these teachings in the Old Testament, I would have to reject also the Old Testament. Although a worker of miracles would try to confirm them before my very eyes and would raise all the dead which have been buried for centuries, I would say, ›The worker of miracles has raised the dead, but his teaching I cannot accept.‹«(H. -J. Gamm, »Das Judentum« — »The Judaism«). Helmut Schmidt said in an interview, »I believe that God is the Lord of history, but why He should be triune has not become clear to Me.« (ACP Magazin 4/1997).
Hands off God! We don’t shape Him; He shapes us! He is not as we portray Him; He is as presented and introduced to us by Himself!
Not only theologians and historians but other high-ranking personalities have something to declare about the Trinity. In our country we have a list of prominent men from Moses Mendelssohn right to the ex-chancellor Helmut Schmidt. M. Mendelssohn wrote,
Clarity can only come from truth. Whatever is false will remain unclear. God contradicts all »Trinity« doctrines by the apostolic word: »Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.« (Gal. 3: 20). It is a fact: not a single time in the Bible do we find it written that He is tri-une. That may shock some, because until now that is all they have heard. The word Trinity is the most frequent word used in the »mother church« and the »daughter churches« as well; it is the holiest of their theologies. But in the expressions of God it doesn’t even exist and is directed against Him.
Dealing with the subject of the Godhead we must be aware of the fact, that we are stepping on holy ground, called »revelation«. This subject is not within reach of the mind, it remains hidden. Of all the different schools of doctrine within Christianity each make reference to the Bible. Referring to God’s Word is utterly important. But if it is done with a mind lost in thought, whereby Bible quotes are taken out of context and placed into one’s own realm of concepts, it is equivalent with what the enemy did in the garden of Eden with the words spoken by God.
The Word of the Lord was very clear, »Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat …« The enemy turned it around adding one word to it, »Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?« The enemy always remains with the subject, but never in Truth. It also reminds us of Satan speaking to our Lord during the temptation. He said, »It is written!« but it was incorrectly applied and taken out of context, to cause Jesus to fall. Jesus answered him, »It is also written …« That is so very important. We must never use Bible verses for empty decoration. Those who merely emphasise certain verses do this. Everyone should find passages in the Scriptures, which they try to avoid, and then the picture will become complete.
Not a single word, or even one utterance in the Bible can be exchanged and taken out of context. Everything belongs where it is and must remain as it is. For instance, if it is written »God« one cannot replace it with »Lord«, it must remain the way it was written. If there is »Father«, you cannot replace it with »Son«, because »Father« belongs in that context. And the same for »Son« etc. The Father didn’t die for us, but the Son, Who is also the Lord.
But we are not children of the Lord or of the Son, we are children of God and have the privilege to call Him, »Abba« »Father«. The same applies to the »Son of man«, »Son of God«, »Son of David« and all other titles or names: They should remain as they are. Whoever does not respect this divine order does not yet comprehend that God has placed everything in His Word as He intended it to be. To take it out of this order and design will only result in confusion.
Sooner or later everyone is confronted with the subject of God. Especially theologians, trying to comprehend and explain Him. But theologians are not prophets and apologists are not apostles. They have the letter of the Word and try to master it with their intellect. But it remains for ever, just as Paul wrote concerning mysteries, »… God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.« (1 Cor. 2: 10).