Discuss Theology

CBS broadcast a news project last week about illegal online gambling with the tag line, “Then why are millions of people gambling online?” That is a great question, Why are millions of people gambling on line?

Have you ever thought about the offering song in a traditional orthodox church? “Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost”.

I don’t think so. Booth said, “Some of my best men are women.”

Yes, read the story of Anania and Sapphira in Acts 5.

Yes, homosexuality like extra- marital heterosexuality is a sin. Of course, God desires to forgive these sins based on confession and repentance turning to Christ. This rules out both adulterers and practicing homosexuals from ordination in the Church of Christ. [See Leviticus 19-23, 1 Corinthians 6, Colossians 3, Ephesians 5, 1 Thessalonians 4, John 8]

I suppose if you asked Deborah, Huldah, Priscilla, Euodia, Synteche, Phoebe, Junia [of note among the apostles], the elect lady and [her spiritual children in 2 John]–they would all say that this is a no brainer. Of course, the Bible endorses women in ministry, in leadership and in pastoral positions.

For those who question the imporance of the doctrine of the Trinity consider these numbers. There are 489,000 listings for Trinity Lutheran Church on the web, 105,000 Trinity Presbyterian Church and 54,100 Trinity Methodist Church. I would call those numbers significant.

I am presently in South America and once again, I have been told that 3 very committed women have gone to a very remote city in the south of Chile to work in the city of Chulin. The story never changes though, they are unfit to lead ministries even though men will not go where they go to minister there.

David Hamilton writes: “Listen to Cato in 215 B.C. urging the Romans to return to the old ways, saying that unless they set bounds on “this untamed creature [the females]…what will they not attempt?…If you suffer them to seize these bonds one by one and wrench themselves free…do you think that you will be able to endure them? The moment they begin to be your equals, the will be your superiors.” [Why Not Women, p. 91]

ARE THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES RIGHT ABOUT THE TRINITY?

This is from the Christian Research Instiue website:
Jehovah’s Witnesses are the most vocal critics in our society of the doctrine of the Trinity. Are their criticisms of the Trinity right? The CRI perspective in a moment.

In 1989 the Jehovah’s Witnesses published a booklet entitled Should You Believe in the Trinity? Although the Watchtower Society has always attacked the Trinity as a pagan doctrine, this booklet was their first attempt at a systematic refutation of the Trinity. Let me briefly mention just some of the major flaws with the arguments that they use in this booklet.

First of all, the booklet continues the time-honored tradition of the Watchtower to misrepresent the Christian scholars and church fathers, with numerous quotations taken out of context. For example, the booklet actually tries to argue that the church father Tertullian did not believe in the Trinity, when, in fact, Tertullian was one of the first to use the word “trinity.”

Second, the book repeats the usual tired antitrinitarian arguments against the Trinity, for example, that the doctrine of the Trinity was developed in the fourth century. Of course, the Witnesses’ own doctrine concerning God and Christ was developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but that doesn’t seem to bother them — they undoubtedly don’t want to be confused by facts.

Third, the booklet contains the standard arguments against the biblical teaching that Jesus was, in fact, God, focusing especially on the fact that Jesus was in submission to God the Father — as if this has escaped the attention of the Christian church for all of these centuries! The Bible, in fact, teaches both that Jesus was God and that, as the Son of God, and especially as a man, Jesus submitted Himself voluntarily to the Father and seeks to bring glory and honor to the Father. Trinitarians affirm both of these biblical truths — Jehovah’s Witnesses do not.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ arguments against the Trinity might sound persuasive at first but, on careful examination, can be clearly seen to be without substance. As usual, they give you the skin of the truth stuffed with a lie. On the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Trinity, that’s the CRI perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Walter Martin has thoroughly addressed this topic in the tape: “JW’s, Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity” (C037/$6) and in his book Kingdom of the Cults (B001/$20). These resources are available through CRI. For shipping and handling information, please call CRI or refer to our Resource Listing. To place a credit card order, call toll-free (888) 7000-CRI. To receive a free copy of our Resource Listing, fax us at (714) 858-6111 or write us with your request at P.O. Box 7000, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688-7000.