Definitive
Statement on the Holy Spirit
as a
Third
Person of the Godhead
Amendment
of June 21, 2002: Although I do not agree with all the dogma connected with
the anti-trinitarial Websites I provide for search
into the errors of the Trinity doctrine, such as the Arian view of Christ, it
should be kept in mind that there are errors in the Trinity doctrine without
embracing the Arian error. One should study to find how the Trinity doctrine
has adversely affected the gospel and the acceptance of Christianity by the
world, and especially the Muslim religion.
In getting Rome
and the mainline Christian churches to focus on certain errors of the Trinity,
such as the co-equalness of the Godhead, Satan was
fully successful in getting them to adopt an antichrist, "super
human" view of the Human Nature of Christ. This fact makes the Godhead and
the Human Nature of Christ DIRECTLY RELATED and intrinsically contingent upon
one another. Related to the Trinity's concept of the co-equalness
of the Godhead, is the notion that Christ, as very God, did not, and could not
have lowered Himself to taking our sinful flesh at the Incarnation, thereby
condemning sin in that sinful, fallen flesh. This is counter to the gospel and
everything Christ achieved by the Incarnation, and is therefore antichrist.
Let me clear the
record by stating that I do not believe in the dogma of "the
Trinity." The Pioneers did not believe in the trinity doctrine for the
following reasons:
Adventists should
not even use the term trinity because neither the Bible or
Spirit of Prophecy align with such doctrine. The "Trinity" concept
contains the error that there are three members of the Trinity and the three
are one, not only in purpose—but also in person. That is an error. We do not
worship a "three in one" God. Instead, we believe in the doctrine of
the Godhead, which teaches that there are three fully divine Persons (separate
individuals) in the Godhead; and, although they are one in character, purpose,
eternity, and divinity, they are not one in person. Also, and very importantly,
Christ, as part of the Godhead, took on another dimension of form and existence
FOREVER at the Incarnation. He became combined with fallen flesh man. Mainline
Christianity does not teach this dimension of the Godhead, which has everything
to do with the purpose and objectives of the Godhead, as such relates to the
creation of man.
There are many
Spirit of Prophecy statements to sustain the teaching that the Holy Spirit is a
separate, distinct person and personality. However, it should not be regarded
as error to believe that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit share one and
the same spirit. That is what I have believed and taught.
For a short
period of time I thought that the Holy Spirit was the same as the Holy Spirit
of the Father. I thought that was part of the error of the trinity doctrine,
but that aspect of misapprehension was of my own personal opinion. Although
they share the same Spirit Substance, the Holy Spirit and the Father are very
separate and distinct individuals. In my study I made a mistake. We can never
be too proud to admit to any error. A willingness to admit to mistakes is a
test of pride and our character. What I was shown is that the doctrine of the
trinity was in error and that I should study to learn how and why.
In summary, let
me state uncategorically, that I do not teach that
there is no Holy Spirit, and that it does not exist separately as a distinct
Third Person of the Godhead. I do not teach the Arian error that Christ did not
exist eternally with the Father, or that Christ was a created being and not
eternal. I do teach that the third dimension of the Godhead was begotten when
the Incarnation took place. Why? Because Christ, the Everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace, was fashioned in the form of a man, sinful flesh and all,
according to Ellen White and Scripture. Having a member of the Godhead combined
or amalgamated with the flesh of fallen, sinful flesh humanity, is another
dimension of the Godhead, in addition to the Father and the Son. This third
dimension is intrinsically and contingently linked with the Godhead, and all
who do not believe that Christ came in the likeness of our sinful flesh, are
antichrist according to Scripture. If the Holy Spirit was eternally a separate and distinct third person of the Godhead, then
at the Incarnation, a fourth person would have accrued—the Son combined with
humanity forever.
A serious problem
related to the Godhead, is the Biblical statement that the death of the
Testator (Testament or Covenant) must occur for the Covenant to be ratified:
Hbr
9:16 For where a testament [is], there must also of
necessity be the death of the testator.
Hbr
9:17 For a testament [is] of force after men are dead:
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Ellen White says
that Christ and the Father were at Sinai giving the Law, the Testament, or the
Covenant. According to the above Biblical verses, the death of the testator was
required, and the testament was of no force while the Testator liveth. Something
had to permanently die at the Incarnation. At this point and time, I believe
that what the Son died to FOREVER was His Divine Only existence, as He existed
before being combined with human, sinful flesh at the Incarnation. In other
words, Christ's existence without being combined with our sinful human nature,
ceased at the Incarnation, and He then took on a new "third"
dimension as being combined and amalgamated with humanity,
and that combination was FOREVER, according to the Spirit of Prophecy.
So, one can
readily see a most important alteration in the Godhead at the Incarnation, as
regards the Human Nature of Christ. For anyone to maintain that this alteration
of one of the members of the Godhead, is not
significant and/or is a separate issue from the Godhead, is most naive. Thus,
in essence, a third dimension was added to the Godhead, and/or at least a very altered Third Person, and certain teachings of the
Godhead per the Trinity Doctrine, do not mesh with this alteration.
For example,
Christ, as this third dimension altered state of the Godhead, did not exist
eternally with the Father in this altered form. He existed in that altered form
from the time of the Incarnation, thus, the Son in a new sense was at that time
Begotten of the Father. Is the Son co-equal with the Father, when Scripture
says that the Son was given everything He has by the Father, and the Son says
that He could do nothing without the Father? This refers to the humanity of the
Son that could not utilize the powers of His Divine nature while on this earth
and still be an example for us to follow.
The Incarnated
Human Nature of Christ, has far more to do with the
Godhead than is realized by mainline Christianity, but there is high evidence
that Adventist Pioneers saw this connection. It is our purpose to refocus on
that all important connection as part and parcel of the repairing of the breach
in the Covenant and its Giver. Ellen White said that the Law or Covenant and
the Gospel are inseparable. Then so is the Godhead and
the sinful flesh Humanity of Jesus Christ. There has been a breach in the
Covenant, and there has been a breach in the correct teaching of the Godhead as
it relates to the alteration effected by the Incarnation.
God bless
Ron Beaulieu