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Trinity Scriptures

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Let us examine what the Biblical evidence is. This will be done logically and with the scriptures shown as they are used by supporters of the trinity.

Titus 2:13,14

The first scripture to be examined is found in Titus.

Titus 2:13-14, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. (ASV)

A simple reading seems quite decisive in regard to its interpretation – from this, it would seem that Jesus is our great God.

Anyone who is familiar with the homepage will have noticed that I require many translations to verify difficult texts, that is texts that seem to produce a paradox. And so it will be done this time also.

Many different translations render it differently. In some cases it favors the reading seen, in others it favors another reading as demonstrated below. Thus to judge correctly, the rest of the epistle, the rest of the scriptures must be used to produce a harmonious picture.

"la manifestation de la gloire du grand Dieu et de notre Sauveur Jésus-Christ" – French Louis Segond, 1913
Translation: "
of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ."

"of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus" - The Riverside New Testament, 1923
 
All the translations below render the scripture as The Riverside New Testament does.

A New Translation of the Bible, James Moffatt,1913

The New American Bible, 1971, http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/titus/titus2.htm

The New Testament in Modern English, J. B. Phillips, 1958,
http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPNT.htm

As seen by these translations, scholars differ in their opinions as to what rendering is proper. What then should the individual Christian do?

What is more important than this one ambiguous verse then is, what is found in other places of this letter to Titus?

Titus 1:1, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (ASV)

1:4, “. . . Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.”

By fixing our attention on the occasional ambiguous wording and purposely ignoring the non-ambiguous occasions in regard to God and Jesus occurring in the same material, we damage our own understanding and reach conclusions that the writer never intended. 
    In these cases, in which more than one example of a critical rendering in regard to Jesus' divinity and God's individuality occurs, we need to pay attention to the entire message, to all of the
occurrences of these renderings.

2 Peter 1:1

2 Peter 1:1, 1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (KJV)

Here again, the same occurs as in Titus above as seen from the quote below.
2 Peter 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and the Saviour Jesus Christ: (ASV)
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and the Saviour Jesus Christ (ACV)

the God of us and a savior Jesus Anointed (Diaglott) (Several other Bible translations contain the same message)
Then again, what does the rest of Peter say? Without consulting First Peter, we find abundant testimony of what Peter intended!
II Peter 1:17, For having received from God the Father honor and glory from a voice of such kind brought to him from the Majestic Glory, This is my Son, the beloved in whom I am well pleased.
Including 1st Peter, we see this:
I Peter 1:3, Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who begot us again according to his abundant mercy for a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (ACV)
When we try for a harmonious interpretation by seeing what the author of a difficult scripture intended by reading the rest of the message, it becomes obvious what that is.

1 Timothy 3:15-16

1 Timothy 3:16, And without controversy great is the mystery of piety. God was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by heavenly agents, proclaimed among nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory. (ACV)
In this case, the original manuscripts differ on the phrase above.  Again, the method used will be as demonstrated above. However, the ASV has interesting footnotes. (Footnotes only shown for case considered in 16)
I Timothy 3:13-16, For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; 15but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; (1) He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.  (1) The word God , in place of He who , rests on no sufficient ancient evidence. Some ancient authorities read which.
Let's read the rest of the story.
I Timothy 1:1,2, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope; 2unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (ASV)
Once the rest of the story, the rest of the author's letter is examined, there remains no longer any doubt about what the author intended.

Revelation 1:8

The phrase “Alpha and Omega” occurs three times in Revelation.

The problem with that phrase is that in its last occurrence in Revelation, the word Almighty does not occur, and it’s subject / antecedent may be argued, and is by many.

The second problem is the word Lord in the NT. Even when the NT quotes from the OT in which the name Jehovah occurs, nearly all translations choose to exclude the use of God’s name in the quotation.

Thus great confusion has been introduced into the NT in regard to Lord’s antecedent. Another page that addresses the question of the Father is found here The Father

Returning to Rev 1:8: At least in this instance, the word Almighty is included in the phrase. This word has never been used in regard to anyone else but Jehovah.  Arguing that this proves that Jesus is Jehovah seems counterintuitive when reading 1:1, (ASV) “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants.” Clearly, the Bible, the glorified Christ himself, since he gave this revelation to John tells us that God, his Father, gave the revelation to Jesus. From this we may understand that Jesus is not the Lord, the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty in 1:8. Again, reading the peripheral text in question solves our conundrum.

If the  appellation  Alpha and  Omega  in the other two occurrences apply to Jesus is another question that at present remains unsolvable.  It is interesting to note that the word savior may be applied to both Jesus and to his Father, the Almighty God.  May Alpha and Omega also be applied to both?  There is no resolution to the conundrum presently.

John 20:28 (ASC)

Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus did not correct Thomas; instead he says that those who do not see and believe will be blessed (29)

What is interesting is that everybody quotes verse 28, and then goes no further. John who wrote Thomas’ explanation also wrote John 20:31 where it says, “but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name. (ASV)

We must not forget that John told us that Jesus is “a God” in John 1:1.  Jesus is a god. Jude tells us that Jesus is our only Lord and owner. Thus to say that Thomas was so caught up with emotion because of his disbelief staring him in his eyes that he exclaims to Jesus “My Lord and my God” is really not surprising.  A Mighty God Jesus is (Isaiah 9:6), just not an Almighty God.  As John 1:1 says, Jesus is a God. 

Of course, let us not forget John 20:17 in where Jesus  tells us who God is:
Jesus says to her, Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.

However, never has Jesus been said to be the Almighty God, Jehovah.
 
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