Whose Name Saves?

Waldmark, 03 June 2008

There are many reasons why Christian believers should firmly reject the concept of the Trinity. Here is one such argument, following from the name by which mankind may obtain eternal life.

To Christians who believe in the doctrine of the Trinity:

The man-made doctrine of the Trinity teaches that there is a Godhead consisting of Three Persons who are all coequal and copowerful, added to which is the teaching that Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God simultaneously.

It is a fallacious doctrine. First of all, those who want to learn about the Trinity I strongly advise to consult a dictionary or an encyclopaedia, for only these will give concise answers of 2 or 3 sentences. If, however, one needs their questions answered by a Christian, whether speaking for a Protestant or Roman Catholic church or institution, then be prepared for a lot of reading: there is no simple definition from Christian sources available.

The doctrine is not just very complicated but also defies almost everything the Bible itself teaches about God and Jesus Christ and their relationship (a Father – Son relationship, not an I-am-you-and-you-are-me sort of thing). Because the doctrine is so complicated, no Christian who believes in it is able to explain it using less then an entire article!

Besides, one will notice that most Christian attempts at explanation revolve around listings of what the Trinity is not. It is somewhat similar to when I want to explain what a flower is and because I cannot think of relevant characteristics or attributes, I would explain flowers by mentioning that they are not trees and not grasses, even though trees and grasses may have flowers. Would such an explanation be regarded as knowledge and insight regarding flowers?

One of the reasons to reject the concept of the Trinity is the question: which name is it that the Bible teaches saves a sinner?

In 1 Timothy 1:15-18, the Apostle Paul explains how he is an example for others of how Jesus Christ saves sinners. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. People who believe on him (Jesus Christ) receive eternal life.

This basic concept of the Gospel is repeated over and over again in the Bible: belief in Jesus Christ leads to forgiveness of sins and eternal life. This concept, however, is married to another message, often neglected: only the name of Jesus Christ will save a person. No other name under Heaven can save a sinner.

Here is an account of the apostle Peter – one of the people who spent years in the close company of Jesus Christ – when he speaks to rulers and elders of the people of Israel. We read this account in Acts 4:8-12. Pay attention to the fact that it says that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he spoke these words. The Holy Spirit, if one recalls, is supposedly one of the three Persons constituting the Trinity, so it must be valid what Peter says here.

“It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed … Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

There we have it. Clear and unambiguous. The apostle Peter, the Rock upon whom the Church is founded, proclaims to the leaders of the nation Israel, while being filled with the Holy Ghost, that only the name of Jesus saves.

Now Jesus Christ has a personal name. It is Yeshua, or Jesus. God the Father also has a Name, a Holy Name which I revere too much to use in argument, whereas the Holy Ghost, as far as I know, doesn’t have a name.

When Peter says ‘no other name,’ and if the account in the Bible is true, than not even believing on the Holy Name of God the Father Himself will save a sinner on the last day. Only the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; not the name of Mary nor the name of Buddha nor the name of Menno Simons nor the name of Ken Ham nor the name of Zeus nor the name of the Trinity.

The man-made doctrine of the Trinity explicitly states that God is three persons and that they are copowerful and coequal. Well, I challenge supporters of this doctrine, please explain how three persons can be of equal rank and equal status when the Bible teaches that the name of only the second person ensures eternal life for humans but the name of the first does not and the name of the third is not even known and the name of the Trinity doesn’t even feature in the entire Bible!

The Trinity is a man-made doctrine. It contradicts the most important messages of Scripture and believing in it will not bring a person closer to God, only to the acceptance by like-minded men and women (which is not bad in itself, but it shouldn’t have any bearing on the business of Heaven).

Tags: trinity, doctrine, false teaching