found 20 items matching John 17.3
Jesus Confirmed the Shema [3 pages]
by Sean Finnegan rated at 1.6 (6 votes so far)
[Fact 1] All Jews believe that God is one [Fact 2] Jesus is a Jew [Fact 3] Jesus explicitly confirmed that God is one [Conclusion] Followers of Jesus should believe God is one not three.
Gabriel Was Not a Trinitarian [7 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 1.6 (6 votes so far)
I suggest that this Christological statement from the angel Gabriel be taken as the basis for identifying who Jesus is. It should be understood as a clarion call for unity, a rallying point for divided Christendom. What better way of calling Christians back to their first-century roots? The message is simple and clear. The Son of God of Gabriel's announcement is none other than a divinely created Son of God, coming into existence--begotten--as Son in his mother's womb.
John 1.1 Caveat Lector (Reader Beware) [13 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 1.6 (6 votes so far)
In all probability John has been "turned on his head." What he intended was to stave off all attempts to introduce a duality into the Godhead. For John the word was the one God Himself, not a second person. The later, post-biblical shift from "word" as divine promise from the beginning, the Gospel lodged in the mind and purpose of the one God, to an actual second divine "person," the Son, alive before his birth, introduced a principle of confusion and chaos from which the church has never freed itself. This shift was the corrupting seed of later Trinitarianism. God became two and later, with the addition of the holy spirit, three. It remains for believers today to return to belief in Jesus as the human Messiah and in the One God of Israel, his Father, as the "one who alone is truly God" (John 17:3). God is one person not three.
Testing for Truth -- A Critical Question about Your Creed [8 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 1.6 (6 votes so far)
John’s Truth-test (I John 4:2, II John 7) is critically relevant to our times. Belief in Jesus as the Christ, a real human descendant of David is still the Biblical criterion for proof that one is drawing inspiration from the spirit of Truth. It remains as true as ever that the fundamental doctrinal test of the professing Christian has to do with his view of the person of Christ. The denial of the humanity of Jesus is the fatal flaw detected by the Johannine test. God’s Son is the Son of Mary and of David. Of sonship prior to His conception in history the Bible has nothing to say. Such a notion is destructive of Jesus’ genuine humanity and genuine descent from David. Jesus, the Jewish-Christian Messiah, needs urgently to be reinstated at the heart of Christian devotion. Belief in Him and in His Father, the only true God, leads to salvation (John 17:3).
Does Everyone Believe in the Trinity [11 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 1.4 (6 votes so far)
It is customary for students of the Bible to refer to Jesus as God and to insist that belief in a Trinity of three co-equal, co-eternal Persons in the One God is the hallmark of true faith. Many recognized Bible scholars do not think, however, that Jesus is called God, in a Trinitarian sense, in the Scriptures. Distinguished experts on the Bible, past and present, maintain that the doctrine of a Tri-personal God is nowhere taught in Scripture.
Debate: Unitarian vs. Trinitarian [117:52]
by Sean Finnegan vs. Brant Bosserman rated at 3.9 (32 votes so far)
Presented by Brant Bosserman and Sean Finnegan at the One God Conference, in Seattle, WA on June 1st 2008. The debate was over whether God is a single individual (the Father of Jesus) or if he is a Trinity (three persons in one essence). The debate followed this format:
Introduction by Ken Westby and Tom Bosserman [10 min]
Sean's Opening Statement [20 min]
Brant's Opening Statement [20 min]
Sean's Rebuttal [15 min]
Brant's Rebuttal [15 min]
Sean Cross-Examine Brant [10 min]
Brant Cross-Examine Sean [10 min]
Sean's Closing Statement [5 min]
Brant's Closing Statement [5 min]
The discussion was lively and considerate and I thank Brant for his willingness to engage us on this issue. Unfortunately the recording has some microphone interference during the concluding statements but most of what was said can be understood. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Trinity Discussion on London Radio [22:07]
by Alex Hall rated at 2.9 (14 votes so far)
Listen to this fast-paced London call in radio show discussion about the Trinity. Alex Hall (theocrat) ably answers many questions while asserting that God is one not three. You can visit Alex's website at GodFellas.org.
The Doctrine of God and Christ [52:40]
by Steve Katsaras rated at 2.0 (7 votes so far)
Citing more than 60 verses, Steve Katsaras of Australia thoroughly explains the biblical doctrines of God and Christ before telling the story of how these truths were corrupted in the ecumenical counsels of the fourth and fifth centuries.
Yahweh is one, not two or three, and there is no God besides him. The Bible uses singular pronouns in reference to God thousands upon thousands of time, a fact that clearly teaches God is a singular individual. This one God is the eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent creator of heaven and earth.
Jesus is the human mediator who called God his Father. Jesus had a beginning in time and is the miraculously born son of God. Jesus recognized his Father as the only true God who was his superior. Jesus admitted to possessing limited knowledge; he was a mortal man who experienced temptation, hunger, thirst, weariness, suffering, death, and resurrection.
The doctrines of God and Christ mutated over time and continued to develop in new and unbiblical ways after the New Testament was written. Steve talks about the first four ecumenical counsels (Nicea in a.d. 325, Constantinople in a.d. 381, Ephesus in a.d. 431, and Chalcedon in a.d. 451) to demonstrate how these doctrines evolved over time.
Debate: Is God One or Three in One? [143:07]
by Sean Finnegan vs. Russ Dizdar rated at 3.3 (18 votes so far)
Sean Finnegan and Russ Dizdar participate in a debate over the question of who God is. Mr. Finnegan took the affirmative position that the Father is the only true God (cf. Jn 17.3) and Mr. Dizdar, took the traditional position that God is three persons in one essence--the Trinity. The tone was very civil and both sides were able to present their positions.
Unfortunately, the moderator, GeorgeAnn Hughes (founder of The Byte Show) was not able to participate very much because she was having some trouble with her voice. As a result, the participants had to keep track of their own time and took turns presenting their cases. The format of the debate was as follows:
Opening Statements
20 minutes -- Sean Finnegan
20 minutes -- Russ Dizdar
Rebuttals
15 minutes -- Sean Finnegan
15 minutes -- Russ Dizdar
Direct Question and Answers
approximately an hour
If you would like to get in on the discussion visit this blog entry.
God and Jesus: An Overview [46:54]
by Sean Finnegan rated at 3.2 (13 votes so far)
The Bible teaches that Yahweh alone is the true God. Yahweh is a singular individual who created all things. Jesus is the human Messiah, virginally begotten and commissioned by God to rule the world. This brief overview of the two main individuals in the Bible clarifies the true identity of God and Jesus. To download the slide show that accompanies this sermon, click here.
Let Us Make Man: A Study of the "Us Texts" [42:55]
by Sean Finnegan rated at 3.1 (12 votes so far)
Who was God talking to in Genesis 1.26; 3.21; 11.7; Isaiah 6.8? Should these four texts be used to support the notion that within God are multiple persons? Sean Finnegan demonstrates conclusively that this is simply not the case. Through careful examination of relevant passages and by quoting leading trinitarian study Bibles one simple conclusion emerges: God says "us" in the same sense that "us" is used in any other context--he refers to himself and others (members of his heavenly court).
Shaliah: An Introduction to the Law of Agency [15 pages]
by Raymond James Essoe rated at 2.9 (11 votes so far)
A common feature of the Hebrew Scriptures is the concept (some even call it the "law") of Jewish agency. All Old Testament scholars and commentators recognize that in Jewish custom whenever a superior commissioned an agent to act on his behalf, the agent was regarded as the person himself. Without this understanding we may unintentionally misread texts that refer to Jesus as God.
Only the Father is God [3 pages]
by Sean Finnegan rated at 2.6 (10 votes so far)
According to John 17.3 & 1 Corinthians 8.6 there is only one God: the Father. This simple definition of God, although called heresy by most Christians, seems to be the most biblically accurate. Read this article to find out why.
Who is Jesus? (Booklet) [25 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 3.9 (20 votes so far)
It is a striking fact that Jesus never referred to himself as "God." Equally remarkable is the New Testament's use of the word "God"--in Greek ho theos--to refer to the Father alone, some 1325 times. In sharp contrast, Jesus is called "god" in a handful of texts only--perhaps no more than two. Why this impressive difference in New Testament usage, when so many seem to think that Jesus is no less "God" than his Father?
The Nature of Preexistence in the New Testament [12 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 2.0 (7 votes so far)
The so-called "preexistence" of Jesus in John refers to his "existence" in the Plan of God. The church has been plagued by the introduction of non-biblical language. There is a perfectly good word for "real" preexistence in the Greek language (pro-uparchon). It is very significant that it appears nowhere in Scripture, but it does in the writings of Greek church fathers of the second century. These Greek commentators on Scripture failed to understand the Hebrew categories of thought in which the New Testament is written.
According to Jesus, God is Strictly One Person, not Three. [1 page]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 1.6 (6 votes so far)
According to Jesus, God is strictly one Person, not three. Christians who value Jesus as the supreme revealer of truth should consider his classic words, uttered in a final prayer. "You, Father, are the only one who is truly God" (John 17:3). He defined salvation as belief in that One and only true God, and in himself as the Messiah (John 17:3). It is a serious hijacking of the words of Jesus if one adds to Jesus' creed. For Jesus, his Father is "the one who alone is truly God, the only one who is truly God, the one true God" (see also John 5:44 and Mark 12:29).
Commentary on 1 Peter 1.11 [1 page]
by John Schoenheit, Mark Graeser, and John Lynn rated at 1.4 (6 votes so far)
The fact that this verse says the "spirit of Christ" was upon people in the Old Testament has caused people to believe that Christ himself was present in the Old Testament. But, as we will see, such is not the case.
God Alone [35:24]
by Jeff Fletcher rated at 1.0 (5 votes so far)
What is the foundation of our faith? Why were we created? We bring God glory through the worship and service of him alone. There is no mixing loyalty. We must live out our belief. Scripture references: Genesis 2:18; Isaiah 43:7; Deuteronomy 6:1-6; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6-7; James 2:18-20
Hearing the Text of the Bible: Only One God [2 pages]
by Anthony Buzzard rated at 1.0 (5 votes so far)
While churches and ministries unite under the conviction that "there is One God existing eternally in three Persons," Paul thought otherwise. It is surprising that Bible readers do not hear the difference between "There is One God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" (historic creeds) and "There is One God, the Father" (Paul, in I Cor. 8:6).
Commentary on 1 John 5.20 [3 pages]
by John Schoenheit, Mark Graeser, and John Lynn rated at 1.0 (5 votes so far)
Many Trinitarians claim that the final sentence in the verse, "This is the true God," refers to Jesus Christ, since the closest noun to "This" is "Jesus Christ." However, since God and Jesus are both referred to in the first sentence of the verse, the final sentence can refer to either one of them. The word "this," which begins the last sentence, is houtos, and a study of it will show that the context, not the closest noun or pronoun, must determine to whom "this" is referring. The Bible provides examples of this
books
These books, written by people from diverse backgrounds, express the simple truth that God is one. Some of them are more scholary while others are more autobiographical. In addition, a few of them are available to read online. If you would like more in depth treatment of christian monotheism, these books are the next step to take. Note: if you know of other books, not listed here, please leave us feedback.