Sheep and Goats.
When you see a homeless person on the side of the road what do you automatically think? Do you feel prejudice toward him? Do you feel obligated to clothe him? Give him money? Lets see what the Bible says about our obligation to the poor:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
~Matthew 25:31-46
By this passage how comfortable do you feel being judged by this criteria? The question is not if it is fair to be judged this way or if we should because the text plainly says you will be judged this way. When my teacher asked this question no one raised their hand. Why? I’ll speak on behalf of myself, it’s because I don’t fill this criteria. When I get my paychecks I don’t think of how I can feed the homeless or free the slaves in Elgin. To be honest, the money is going to a evangelism conference that I’m going to in July. Don’t you find that ironic? I’ll be spending a considerable amount of money to go to this conference to learn how to share my faith while Matthew 25 clearly shows me what I need to do. I need to show the love of Christ to the least of these. I need to provide love and physical care to those in need. This is radical love that will change the world for Christ.
This clearly states I will be judged on this criteria but I’ve dismissed it as unimportant. I guess I’ve just assumed that Jesus being my Savior will be enough. A couple weeks ago I visited New York City. Statistics show that there are 30,000 homeless people in New York! I prepared myself to see poverty on the streets. When I actually saw the people it didn’t really affect me. I mean when I go into Chicago I’ve learned to ignore them. Is this right? Homelessness is a part of the world I’ve grown up in. It’s a bad thing but it is normal and many people view it that way. As Christians we should have the opposite approach. We should clothe them because it’s what our King has commanded us to do.
My teacher explained yesterday that the early church’s sermons consisted solely of the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Think about what these creeds have in common…they have an emphasis on mission and doing the Lord’s will. This is the true mission of the church. It’s not the feeling or “spiritual high” one gets from being a Christian. It’s actively living out the words that we say and are commanded to do.
What animal are you? Are you a sheep devoting yourself to the mission of God? Or are you a Goat?
Thoughts?
Moral Influence Theory
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” (Hebrews 6:4-6)
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” (Mark 4:3-8)
In other words, these verses are basically saying that once a person has left the path of righteousness he can not return. Today, we are going to look at these passages through moral influence theory. Moral influence theory is an idea of atonement. Basically, it states that the life and ministry of Jesus was to bring positive moral change to humanity. In essence, this theory teaches that the example of Jesus’ selfless love ought to be modeled by his followers. This theory was taught among the early church and many believe it today.
Let’s look at the previous passages through the lense of moral influence theory. The Hebrews passage basically explains that if one person is a Christian and walks away from the faith he can never return. One could easily argue that this person was never a Christian. To be a Christian there must be an obvious change in one’s life. He has tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of God’s word, and then they are transformed. When this is not the center of your life then you are not a Christian. If this has not happened then you are not a follower of Christ.
In the Mark passage, there are four seeds in four different types of soil, however, only one of the seeds sprouts. This is a metaphor for Christians. The three soils represent people who call themselves Christians. They claim to follow Christ but their actions never produce the selfless love of Christ and they wither away from Christ. Their lives were not centered on Christ and His redeeming work. The fourth one sprouted because they have been enlightened, chosen, and transformed by Christ.
For me there is a major problem with Moral Influence Theory. The theory basically explains that Christ is just a mere example of selfless love that we ought to follow. Mother Teresa was an example of this love! People can be an example of this love. This theory eliminates the importance of Jesus on the cross. He was a perfect King and Priest that died; he was not just a man.
Comments? Questions?
Atonement and Sin
Consider the question: does one’s view of atonement change his view of sin? Interesting question… I know! Before we begin, let’s take a look at these two scenarios:
It’s your birthday and your best friend gives you an ipad. Three months later you discover that your best friend got this ipad with the “five-finger-discount,” they stole it. You’re shocked! How could they do such a thing? You decide to return it to the store because it’s the right thing to do. In this example, it’s pretty obvious what the right thing to do here is. Now listen to the following example:
When the Pilgrims settled in the United States the land was already occupied by another people group, the Native American Indians. The settlers forced the Indians out of their home and into reservations. Now two hundred years later we must consider the question: should we give back the land that our forefathers stole from the Indians? Technically, they were here first and we unfairly stole the land. Many would say no. What is the difference between this scenario and the previous?
In both scenarios, a person stole something very valuable. What is the right thing to do when someone steals something? Return it! However, in the second scenario one is less likely to jump at the chance to return stolen land back to Native American Indians. When my teacher was explaining all this I kept thinking of Individualism vs. Community. The first scenario exhibits sin by and individual and the second by a community. We tend to view Atonement how Christ saved me from my sin and now I can be with Him. But, as we’ve learned earlier this year, one can be punished because of the sins of the community (Lamentations). We see the first scenario as sin because one person did it but the second was not sin because it was an act of a community.
Interesting… eh? Comments? Questions?
From Rebel to Worker
You are a rebel against the living God. Above your prison cell it reads “Condemned. Eternally separated.” You are headed for complete destruction. You’re doomed. The devil has legal rights to finish you off. Then your intercessor steps in. He takes the blow for you. The man that you once rejected died for you. The living God died for you. Your are justified, forgiven, and redeemed. This is atonement. Many people stop here when talking about atonement. Atonement today consists of Christ, the cross, and my sin. The living God died for my sin so I can be eternally with Him. I want to tell you that is unbelievable news, but it gets better!
After letting your intercessor, Christ, take the blow for you, He calls you out of prison. The jailer leads you to the kingdom of your Savior. Not only did God save you from eternal suffering but now He wants to call you His son or daughter. You were once a rebel to this man. You hated Him. He knew this and saved you anyway and now He wants to call you His child. You humbly accept His request. Now He asks you a favor. He wants to restore you to being His Eikon. (An Eikon the Greek word used in the New Testament for image or idol of God) He wants to make you His worker on this earth. He wants you to make His disciples, to tell all about Him. But He won’t leave you to do this job alone. He sends you His spirit to give you strength and to speak through you. You were once a rebel but your Intercessor redeemed you, calls you His child, wants you to do His work, and gives you a priceless gift, His spirit.
This is atonement. Words can’t describe how amazing and gracious this is. How could we ever forget this? Sadly, we forget half of it. Once we are redeemed and God calls us His child we don’t accept the duty to do His work. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) This is an amazing duty but why do we hold back? I know for teenagers it looking different and being mocked. A couple days ago my mom said this to me and it made me think: “It’s Jesus they’re mocking; not you. No need to be scared!” Then why are we scared?
Today’s Gospel
“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46-55)
When the angel appeared before Mary and announced to her the Son of God, the Messiah, the long expected King was going to be her son Mary burst in song. This was her song. This song not only explains the joy in her heart but also is the center of the mission of Jesus. Now let’s look at Zachariah’s song. This occurs right after John the Baptist was born:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Like 1:68-79)
Do you see similar characteristics or praises between Mary’s song and Zachariah’s song? They both thank the Lord for mercy, talk about the humble being exalted and the proud being reduced to nothing, and the Abrahamic Covenant being restored and fulfilled. Now let’s look at Luke 4:16-21:
“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them; today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This passage is the introduction to Jesus’ ministry. The same characteristics that Mary and Zachariah praise will be the core and purpose of Jesus’ ministry. The teachings of both Mary and Zachariah were taught to Jesus and greatly influenced His ministry.
This concept is atonement, a crucial aspect of the Christian faith. Atonement shapes our faith. Consider this quote by Scott McKnight: “The gospel we preach shapes the communities we create. The communities we create shape the gospel we preach.” In other words the way we preach the gospel influences the type of Christians that are produced and vice-versa. Christ originally came to free the slave, proclaim the good news to the poor, recover the sight of the blind and set the oppressed free. In my opinion, the American churches, specifically, have failed to do this. We evangelize to those we want safe from hell. That is not our call. Matthew 28:19-20 says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” If we were honest with ourselves, this isn’t the mission of the American churches. Why have we departed from this? It’s because the community we live in shapes the gospel we preach. Americans, in general, want anything that can benefit them. They also want this from the gospel. They try to take the stuff out of it that benefits them as long, as it doesn’t make them look “Christian.” We accept he message of the gospel and make our friends believers to comfort us. Then we don’t do anything about it. Why isn’t Jesus’ ministry being applied in the Church? Isn’t it the duty of the church to do what Jesus’ ministry was really intended for? Why isn’t that happening?
Is Hell Unfair?
Chloe was a pretty good person. She went willfully to church on the days was required too like Easter, Ash Wednesday, Christmas Eve, etc. She felt strongly against the cruelty of animals and volunteered at her local animal shelter. She was slow to anger and quick to forgive. When she was old and retired she was nice to the neighbor kids; giving them sweets and letting them go sledding in her backyard in the winter. All in all she was a fairly good person. When she died and stood before the Lord he didn’t let Her into his kingdom. Instead, He allowed the criminal next to her in because he confessed Jesus as his savior and repented from His sin. Is this right?
I distinctly remember my mom describing the same scenario to my brother. When she finished he blurted out in disbelief, “WHAT? That’s not fair!” Many share this opinion. How could God allow that? This must be a myth! Why would he send her to hell. The idea and even existence of hell for some is hard to grasp and frightening. To make hell more appealing or less scary we’ve developed doctrines like ‘Love Wins’, the idea that all will repent to irresistible grace after they die. Another view would be annihilationism, the theory that the punishment should fit the crime. For example, Chloe wouldn’t really have to spend eternity in hell just enough time to pay for her sin. After shes payed her punishment, she will cease to exist. Sounds fair, right? Let’s see what the Bible says in support of this. Oh wait! It says the complete opposite. Today we are going to look at three passages.
Luke 16:19-31 describes the climate and torture of hell. In this passage Jesus is contrasting two types of people. Lazarus, a poor man and a filthy rich man. The rich man is sent to hell and Lazarus is accepted into heaven. This passages describes the torture, agony, and everlasting punishment of hell. Additionally, the word for hell used here is Gahenna. Gahenna is a place where the Israelites began to sacrifice their infant children to god Baal. Afterwards, it was used as a garbage dump and a place where the sick were held. Using this word, gave Jesus’ listeners a visual comparison of what hell would be like.
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) This verse provides us with evidence that hell is eternal.
“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11) This passage gives us a picture of the unbearable torture. It also gives us a picture of God’s wrath being poured out like uncut alcohol or salt on a cut. It burns and is unbearable and you want it so badly to stop but it won’t.
The previous verses do not support annihilationism. Hell is an inescapable place with eternal agony and pain. Why do we make these theories like annihilationism or ‘Love Wins’ if they are not supported by the Bible? Its because we don’t want to offend anybody. We live in the era of of possibilities and choices. Making the path to heaven narrow and hard doesn’t seem appealing. So it’s not fair when good people go to hell forever. Shouldn’t there be a way they can make up for it? This is justice. This is God’s plan. God gave you an opportunity to trust in him. He gave you a lifetime!
The New Ekklesia
“I am the Son of God. I am Lord. I am the Savior that is to come.” Who said this? You would probably say Jesus. You’re right! However, another king, Caesar Augustus, claimed the same things about himself. Don’t believe me? Virgil, a poet, was inspired by Caesar and wrote many predictions about him. “Caesar will bring universal peace, he will free the people of fear, he will annihilate the evil of the past, he is the long awaited Salvation, and he is the Son of God. Most of these claims about Jesus were written in the gospels. Mark begins his gospel by saying, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) By starting his entire gospel in this fashion, Mark is intentionally insulting Caesar!
What would a faithful Roman citizen do with Mark? According to the law of the land, one is ordered to bring all who speak a “false” testimony about Caesar and report to the ekklesia. The ekklesia is a group of men paid by the Roman Empire, who profess Caesar is Lord, to faithfully represent their town and keep it faithful to Caesar. Also if any wrong is being done, one was commanded to go to the ekklesia and report it.
Not only did Mark adapt the terminology of the Roman Empire but Jesus did as well. Matthew 18:17 says, “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Reading from a twenty-first century perspective, it’s easy to recognize that the church is our local church government. However, when Jesus laid out these commandments there was no church body. Jesus describes this new ekklesia as a place where His followers talk, profess He is Lord, and worship Him; not the emperor.
Can you imagine how rebellious and different Jesus’ disciples looked? Firstly, they were young men with no religious education. Secondly, they left their job to follow Him. Thirdly, they are claiming a strange dead Rabbi as Lord and eternal Ruler instead of Caesar. Finally, they are forming a new ekklesia. Being a disciple at this time was not a “one-foot-in-one-foot-out” kind of deal. To be a disciple literally meant to become a rebellion of Caesar, the so called eternal ruler! Would you follow Christ? Last week I confessed that I struggled with wanting to fit in with my non-Christian friends. I told you I’m scared to let my light shine boldly for Christ. Jesus designed His ekklesia to be counter cultural. The church was designed to shine their light int he midst of persecution or when their ruler claims to be God. The church is called to walk boldly with Christ and let their light shine no matter their situation for Jesus, the eternal ruler!
The Cost of Discipleship
Growing up in the church I’ve always known that there is a cost to following Christ. Luke 14:33 says, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” What does that cost look like? How are we as Christians to follow Christ with our entire lives? The gospel of Mark gives excellent pictures of the cost of discipleship.
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. “Come, and follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. (Mark 1:16-18) To be a disciple means to have a sense of urgency to follow Christ. Immediately giving everything to Him to do His work. For many this consists of sacrificing their job as Andrew and Simon did. Have you ever heard of Paul? Prior to being one of the early Church’s leaders and writer of several New Testament books his job was persecuting Christians. When Christ changed his heart he immediately left his job and began to work in missions.
“As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” (Mark 1:29-31) This passage doesn’t say that Simon and Andrew were present at the sick woman’s healing. Which means Simon and Andrew were probably out telling about Jesus to their neighbors and friends Simon had to pay the cost of abandoning family to be a disciple of Christ.
Even today, to be a Christian requires some sort of cost. What is that cost? Many Christians don’t like to answer that question because the answer requires us to give something up that we may not want to give up, thus, preventing us from being a disciple of Christ. For the past several years I’ve struggled with how people view me, Christians and non-Christians alike. I’ve recently started the process of tearing down this lie. I’m so focused on what other people think of me that I don’t consider what God thinks of me. This has really prevented me from sharing the gospel. The fear of what people will think of me and how they will treat me if I share the gospel overtake my mind and scare me. Letting go of this insecurity is hard work because everything in me says that I need other people’s approval. It may be a long, hard road ahead of me but I want to be a disciple of Christ. I want to mimic Him with my life.
As I close, I want you to think about the questions: What is the cost of being a disciple? What are you still holding on too? What is preventing you from immediately following Christ like Simon and Andrew did? I’d like to hear your feedback!
Come And Follow Me
Before I begin this post I just want to say that I think God really wanted me to hear what we talked about in class yesterday. The guest speakers at my church coincidentally talked on the same thing! Today we are going to be talking about the Jewish Education System. This system is recorded in the Misnah, a collection of writings describing Jewish practices of the day. The Misnah records four major stages of the Jewish education system.
When Jewish children reach the age of five, both girls and boys, are sent to a Beth Cepher, this is basically a pre-school. At this stage of their life they are orally studying the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. After this stage, many are finished with schooling and pursue the family trade. However, the most promising students go to a Beth Midrash. Here they study Old Testament history, prophets, and writings. By the time these students graduate, at the age of seventeen, they will have memorized the first thirty nine books of the Old Testament. The most successful students at the Beth Midrash will then go and seek out a Rabbi to follow. When a Rabbi finds promise in a student he would command them to come and follow him. The students would then immediately leave their home and follow. Very rarely did Rabbis actively seek out disciples to study under, but it does happen. When I say follow I’m not talking about learning about who the Rabbi is and being his student. In this situation, follow means to mimic every mannerism, move, and teaching the Rabbi does. These students are called Taldims, which literally means disciples. This is a very humbling process because a student has met the expectation of the Rabbi and is now called to learn how to be like them in every way. Remember these kids are only 18 years old! By the age of 30, students then become a Rabbi and gain smikah, the authority to preach Old Testament scriptures, These Rabbis would go from town to town and visit synagogues and are supported by the hospitality of others.
Now reconsider the words Jesus commanded to Simon and Andrew: “Come and follow me, Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) Do you find it strange what the two do next? The Bible says, “At once they left their nets and followed Him.” (Mark 1:18) Why would they do that? Andrew and Simon are poor fisherman who probably only finished Beth Cephar (pre-school). They’ve been waiting all their lives to hear this command! It’s like Justin Bieber comes up to you and saying, “Hey, why don’t you come on tour with me. I’ll show you what it’s like to be Bieber and you can do whatever I do.” Assuming you’re a fan, you wouldn’t hesitate for one second! Jesus, a well respected Rabbi, calls these no bodies, uneducated teenagers to follow and mimic His ways. Pretty cool thought, right? As stated previously, disciples studied under a Rabbi for 12 years to gain smikah status. Reconsider this verse: “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) After two years of studying under Christ, the teenage disciples are sent out into the world to preach the good news. Rabbi Jesus chose teenagers to build the church! Furthermore, he used uneducated teenagers and trained them in His likeness. Isn’t that what we as Christians are supposed to do? The Bible commands us to make Taldims, disciples, to mimic Christ and spread the good news.
Hearing this message twice, I still get very excited about it. A king, a priest, a prophet, a Savior, a Messiah, and a Rabbi (all in one!) choose me to help build His kingdom. Furthermore, He gives me the authority to share the news about Him. He’s calling you too! He wants you to become His disciple and mimic His ways and whole-heartedly trust that you are a sinner and in need of Christ to take away sin. This is love.
The Trinity
The church has countlessly been destroying the perfection of the Trinity. The Trinity is the the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one person or being. Currently, Modalism is our topic of discussion. Modalism is the idea that God is one at all times; not three distinct persons. In the salvation story, God revealed himself successively. In other words, He first revealed Himself as the (Creator), then Jesus (the Son), and finally the Holy Spirit at he Day of Pentecost. When He did this, God was one aspect of the Trinity and the other “persons” of the Trinity cease to exist. This idea is rapidly shaping the church, however, there are three problems with this view.
- Denies God as love
- Denies key passages of Scripture
- Implies many problems
Today, we are going to go in depth into these three issues and reveal the truth about the Trinity and Modalism.
1. Modalism denies God as love.
In American culture, we use love VERY loosely. We use love to describe our feelings toward new movies, grilled cheese, Lady Gaga (okay… maybe not her), and Christ. I bet God is really happy to know that He is on the same level as grilled cheese in your mind. We’ve forgotten that love is a verb; it’s something you actively do. God is love. (1 John 4:8, Deuteronomy 7:9) In order to love someone, there must be a relationship. Same goes for the Trinity. God never had a beginning thus, in order for God to be love He must never have been alone.
2. Modalism denies key passages of Scripture.
In the New Testament, Jesus’ baptism records three distinctive parts of the Trinity present (Mark 1) God’s voice, Jesus, and the Spirit in the form of the dove are present. This is also revealed in the Old Testament. For example, Isaiah 61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” Here all three parts of the Trinity are distinctively present; the Spirit, me (which is Messiah Jesus), and the LORD. Luke 4:18-21 records that Jesus used this same passage at the start of his ministry and claimed to fulfill it. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21)
3. Lastly, Modalism implies many dangerous problems.
Modalism believes that God is the Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit at one time. When God is one part of the Trinity then the other two are absent. This implies a major issue. When Christ died for three days, Modalism implies that God was absent for those three days. The world without God for even three days is like Steven Tyler without drugs for three days; people, it doesn’t work!
In conclusion, the Trinity is a key aspect of Christianity. Just as CS Lewis said, it is the difference between Christianity and other religions. Modalism, and many other distorted views of the Trinity, are clearly wrong from support in both the Old Testament and the New.
