Babylon Forsaken Ministries |
"Come out of her My people" - Jesus Christ Doug Batchelor's Trinity Comic |
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| Does the SDA Believe that Jesus is the Son of GOD?
Babylon Forsaken Ministries investigates the Booklet: IS THE TRINITY BIBLICAL? By Pastor Doug Batchelor and Kim Kjaer The following study is given to show conclusively that Doug Batchelor and the Seventh Day Adventist Denomination are not "orthodox" trinitarians, but are Tritheistic [Believers of three role playing gods]; and worse of all they deny that Jesus is truly the Son OF God and deny his full death on the cross. Continue to read for absolute proof of their confused doctrine. DOUG BATCHELOR: An Amazing Fact: Science tells us that light is constituted of three primary rays, or groups of wavelengths. Clearly distinct from each other, none of them without the others could be light. Each ray has its own separate function. The first originates, the second illuminates, and the third consummates. The first ray, often called invisible light, is neither seen nor felt. The second is both seen and felt. The third is not seen but is felt as heat. Like light, our “One God” is revealed in the three distinct persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7 NKJV). MARTIN REPLIES: Dear Reader, As we begin to investigate Doug Batchelor’s study on the “trinity”. The first thing we notice is he compares the Almighty God to creation, and we will see that Doug’s doctrine indeed makes God a thing, instead of a personal being. DOUG CONTINUES: [Jesus] is self-existent (John 1:1–4; 14:6); only God is self-existent (Psalm 90:2). MARTIN replies: The Doug and the SDA Church, he represents, denies the TRUE ontological and Filial relationship that has always existed between the Father and the Son. The Bible teaches [as has the Christian Church for 2000 years] that the Father beget the Son from his own person before all creation, that the life, divinity, and power of Christ is derived from the Father. This truth keeps in tact that there is but one "Godhead". The SDA Church denies that Jesus is truly the Son of GOD and instead teaches that Jesus entered into the "role" of the Son. To the SDA Church there are three gods who entered into three roles, and put on a 'play'. Notice these quotes from the SDA Church. Gordon Jensen: "A plan of salvation was encompassed in the covenant made by the Three Persons of the Godhead, who possessed the attributes of Deity equally. In order to eradicate sin and rebellion from the universe and to restore harmony and peace, one of the divine Beings accepted, and entered into, the role of the Father, another the role of the Son. The remaining divine Being, the Holy Spirit, was also to participate in effecting the plan of salvation. All of this took place before sin and rebellion transpired in heaven. By accepting the roles that the plan entailed, the divine Beings lost none of the powers of Deity. With regard to their eternal existence and other attributes, they were one and equal. But with regard to the plan of salvation, there was, in a sense, a submission on the part of the Son to the Father." Adventist Review, October 31, 1996, p.12 (Week of Prayer readings) J. R. Spangler: To me this signifies the interchangeableness of the members of the Godhead since they are on in action and purpose." - Review & Herald, Oct. 21, 1971 Don't let these people deceive you into believing this "Grand Lie" the Bible plainly teaches that Christ's life was indeed derived from the Father [see John 5:26]. And don't worry! Christ being begotten from his Father before creation PROVES Four things. #1. He is TRULY the Son OF God. #2. He is Truly equal to the Father in nature and substance [sense he shares in the Father's Godhead]. #3. He is the Eternal Son [seeing he was begotten before time - which is a creation- began]. #4. And this keeps in tact the fact there is One God the Father and One Godhead [shared by Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You can better understand these Biblical and Historical Truths by studying in our Godhead section. DOUG STATES: Medieval Error? Probably the most widely held Christian view of God is known as the "trinity." This popular belief teaches that the Godhead consists of three distinct persons who have existed together from eternity past and are named the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Each one possesses original, underived, and unborrowed life. They are all equally God and are one in nature, character, and purpose. They are not three “gods,“ but one God in a combination of the three distinct persons. Some have implicated trinitarianism as heresy because they claim the wayward medieval church was the culprit to first introduce it. In fact, to distance themselves from the Catholic version of the trinity, many Protestant leaders from the 19th century preferred the more biblical term "Godhead" when referring to the triune God. However, just because an apostate church believes in the trinity, or any other doctrine for that matter, does not automatically make it unbiblical. The converse is also true. A position is not accurate just because some of the early church leaders advocated it. Even the Apostles misunderstood the nature of Jesus’ first coming. Doctrinal validity must be based on biblical authority and not upon whom advocates it or rejects it. MARTIN REPLIES: For 1800 years all Christians (except for the Sabellian sect), agreed that Jesus Christ was the BEGOTTEN SON of the ONE TRUE GOD. Doug actually DENIES the ancient teaching of the Church and promotes the heresy of Tritheism, while denying the eternal "Sonship" of Christ. Here is the Creed of Nice. “‘We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made.” (Creed of Nice, 321AD) The orthodox Trinity teaches that Jesus is begotten from the Father. He is derived from the Father by the process of filiation. But he is not a separate "Godhead" from the Father for they are consubstantial (United in substance). Doug on the other hand teaches that the Father and Son are two co-equal beings, who are unrelated. My friends, this is PAGANISM, and Polytheism at its core. He does not believe in "One God the Father" and his Son [who is of the Father's substance and nature] as true trinitarians do, but rather he teaches the two are one in purpose; and this is a generic unity that would be condemned by any knowledgeable Trinitarian. The SDA Denomination is at its very roots a “Tritheistic” Church; that believes in three role-playing Gods. DOUG CONTINUES: Unity or Quantity? Most of the confusion regarding the number of beings composing the Godhead springs from a simple misunderstanding of the word “one.” Simply put, “one” in the Bible does not always mean numerical quantity. Depending on the Scripture, “one” can often mean unity. MARTIN REPLIES: You see dear reader Doug is not a Trinitarian, but a Polytheistic person. No true Trinitarian would say there are a number of beings that compose the Godhead. And a Trinitarian believes in the Numeric Oneness of Substance, not a generic oneness of purpose. He then begins to teach that GOD is not really ONE GOD but an union of three Gods.. Do you see what he is doing? God to him is not a personal being; it is a shared purpose, a club, with three members. The One GOD to Doug Batchelor and the SDA Denomination is a THING. Not a HE. And that "Thing" has three Actors. DOUG BATCHELOR: Who Outranks Whom? Let us now venture a little deeper onto sacred ground. As we consider the mysteries of the Godhead, we notice that there seems to be an order of authority concerning the three persons in the trinity. Keep in mind that while all three are the same in properties and attributes, and equal in power and glory, it appears that the Father is recognized as the ultimate authority. “And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's” (1 Corinthians 3:23). “But I would have you know, that …the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). The Son constantly receives His glory, power, throne, and prerogatives as Judge from the Father. The Son constantly receives His glory, power, throne, and prerogatives as Judge from the Father (John 3:35; John 5:22). Indeed, it was God the Father that “gave” the Son. In fact, while it might not be wrong, we are never told to pray to Jesus or the Spirit—but instead to the Father in the name of the Son. Yet just because the Father seems to have supreme authority, it does not in any way diminish from the divinity of Jesus and the Spirit. That would be like saying that a corporal is less of a soldier than a sergeant. Among the three members of the Godhead, we do not see a clamoring for preeminence, vying for recognition, or reveling in power. Instead, the exact opposite is true. In fact, the Father, Son, and Spirit always seem to be trying to out give.. each other. MARTIN REPLIES: In the above statement we actually see the bible truth, that the SON always receives from the Father; the Father is GOD, the source of all. Now please show me dear reader where the Son gives anything to the Father besides glory, honour, worship, respect, obedience and praise? For example: Did the Son give the Father his authority? His power? His throne? His life? His Kingdom? Nowhere in the bible will you find this. How about the holy Spirit. Did Jesus pray to it? Did Jesus worship it? I would love to ask Mr. Batchelor if he worships the holy Spirit, or if he prays to the holy Spirit? If he said NO, I would ask, Why neglect this third person? IF he said yes, I would ask, Where is your biblical example? DOUG CONTINUES: Love at Calvary The truth of the triune God can also be found in the gospel itself. In essence, when we consider John, we read that God the Father so loved the world that He sent God the Son that we might be born of God the Spirit (John 3:8, 13, 16, 17). MARTIN REPLIES: There is no such titles as “God the Son, and God the Spirit”; Satan uses this term to deny that Jesus is truly the Son OF God. For instance if is say: I am the son of Ed; you know that Ed and I share a Father and Son relationship. But if I say, I am Ed the Son, then that relationship is denied. The bible says that Anti-Christ denies the Father and Son (1st John 2:22). DOUG STATES: But it is especially on Golgotha’s hill that the doctrine of the trinity explodes with meaning and becomes more than denominational jousting. Before earth's creation, the triune God discussed the potential of man's rebellion and fall. Through the lens of divine foreknowledge, He saw the terror that sin's rape of the world would cause. And there, before man was formed, it was decided that Jesus would leave the throne of heaven and become humanity’s substitute. Jesus was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19, 20). If Jesus was merely a created super-being, then His death for man's redemption is no better than an angel dying for us. If Christ is not deity itself, then any angel or sinless created being could have served the purpose. This would have virtually sustained Satan's charge that God is selfish by demonstrating that He is only willing to sacrifice His creation and not Himself. MARTIN REPLIES: How selfish is Doug Batchelor’s Gods? One decided to play the role of the Son; he was sent to earth to live inside a human body for 33 ½ years. At that time the body was nailed to the cross and died, while the divine person from heaven remained alive and then resurrected the body after three days. How does this compare to the true gospel? God so loved the world that he gave his Son… Who was born before all creation; Begotten in the express image of his Father; fully divine. Whom the Father loved greatly. This Son came to earth, and became a man, and was crucified in our place. The Judgment and wrath of God was poured out upon him, and he was separated from his Father’s presence. He then died fully and completely. Three days later His Father raised him from the tomb. DOUG STATES: A Tearing in the Trinity… Another point to consider is that sin causes separation from the Creator (Isaiah 59:2). The iniquities of the human race were placed upon the Son of God (Isaiah 53:6). When Jesus hung on the cross, suffering for our sins, every fiber of His being was torn as the eternal relationship with His Father and Spirit was ripped apart. In agony He cried out, "My God [for the Father], my God [for the Spirit], why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). If there had been only one person in the Godhead, there would not have been this excruciating pain of separation to wring the life out of the heart of Jesus. The real risk in the redemption plan, besides the loss of man, was the breakup of the Godhead. Had Jesus sinned, He would have been working at cross-purposes with the Spirit and His Father. Omnipotent good would have been pitted against omnipotent evil. What would have happened to the rest of creation? Whom would the unfallen universe see as right? One sin could have sent the Godhead and the universe spinning into cosmic chaos; the proportions of this disaster are staggering. Yet the Godhead was still willing to take this fragmenting risk for the salvation of man. This reveals the depth of God's amazing love. MARTIN REPLIES: Doug is trying bring out the reality of the cross here, but there is no reality when viewed through the eyes of the Tritheist.. He tells us that Jesus was GOD, yet he could of sinned. How can GOD be separated from GOD by sin? My friends, if Jesus would have sinned, he would have DIED, and remained dead. He had laid aside his divine attributes to become a man, what non-sense! Doug is telling us that it was possible for Jesus to sin (and I agree it was possible), but because he believes Jesus is Almighty God, there would be an Almighty evil GOD, and two Almighty good Gods! (Doug, would that still add up to be one God?) I have read more truth in comic strips. DOUG BATCHELOR: The testimony of Scripture indicates that the Godhead can neither be separated into three Gods nor merged into one person. This three-in-one not only created us, but they love us and devised an amazing plan to save a lost world from sin to restore us to His presence in paradise. MARTIN: You just said that Jesus was separated from the Godhead at the cross. But earlier you said, “the removal of any one component results in the demise of the whole”. Isn’t that separating? And then you said that one of them could of become an evil Almighty God! … oh never mind.. MARTIN’S Conclusion: The truth is out there! It is in your bible; but it is not in Doug Batchelor’s Trinity book. Shame on you DOUG! In love I ask you to repent of this false doctrine and accept the truth. Don’t let the position you hold in this confused denomination keep you from the ONE TRUE GOD and his precious Son Jesus Christ. Sincerely, Brother Martin. Learn about the Biblical and Historical Jesus here: THE TRUE GODHEAD |