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Saturday, November 22, 2014

 

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The Doctrine of the Trinity:
P WhiteBook Title


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No word will be discovered in the New Testament exclusively applied as a name of God. There is only one word, omitting a few insignificant exceptions which do not effect the conclusion to be derived from this examination, translated God; and one, translated Lord. These two words are not confined to the true God Himself, but are also used in reference to the heathen deities. Accordingly, although the revelation of God by Himself had been accomplished in the Hebrew, no exclusive equivalent will be found in the Greek language for that sanctified name of JEHOVAH, or YAHWEH. The whole of the names are focalised in the words THEOS, God, and KURIOS, Lord; thus entirely destroying the Hebrew phases, which convey the peculiar and exclusive attributes applied to God in the original revelation.

Original words translated "LORD."

 

Considering the original words of "Lord," the first to be reviewed is:

DESPOTES

Dr. Young defines the word to mean, "a despot, master." The quotations given in the extract will quickly indicate the use of this word. When it is applied to God, it is in relation to His position as the supreme Master of the Universe, precisely in the same way as a master was the being of supreme power to the slave of old; for it is to this condition of life that the word is applied.

No support at all is to be obtained for the doctrine of the Trinity from this word.

KURIOS

This is the chief word in the New Testament, apart from THEOS, God, which is used in reference to God Himself. The meaning of the word according to Dr. Young is, "Lord, Sir, Master," and it has reference merely to the position of God, and frequently also of Jesus Christ. For example, the word is used in the prayer of Jesus Christ when He said:

"I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth" (Matt. xi. 25).

 

The word which He used in His parables was precisely the same word in the original. In the Parable of the Vineyard Jesus mentions:

" . . . the lord of the vineyard" (Matt. xx. 8).

 

and by the apostles it is said of the damsel possessed with the spirit of divination that she

" . . brought her masters much gain by sooth saying" (Acts xvi.16).

 

In each of these instances the word in the original is Kurios, and accordingly it will be appreciated that no stress may be laid on the mere appearance of such a word in application to God or to Jesus Christ, nor may any argument for the Trinity be obtained from it, considering the same word has been used so generally and so diversely.

RABBONI

The value of this word is apparent, and no comment is necessary in view of the original appearing, bracketted with its translation, in the Authorised Version.

KURIEUO

Very much the same may be said of this word as was noted of Kurios; it is, indeed, another phase of the same word. The two extracts in that section following the quotations of the translation of the word by lord, masters, indicates fully the particular reason of its use by the apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy, and in his epistle to the Romans.

MEGISTANES

This word is never applied to either God Himself or to the Lord Jesus, but is confined to its strict meaning of "great men."

Original words translated "GOD."

 

There are but three words translated "GOD," and only one which bears any significance at all in the subject. That word is

THEOS

This is really the only word translated with authority, "God." All words which appear in the Old Testament bearing whatever peculiar conception of God that they did, are centralised in this one word, and thereby all the value to be attached to those original Hebrew words is lost in this one universal word for "God" or "gods." From this summary it will be noticed that the word has been used to denominate the gods of the heathen exactly upon a plane with the God of Israel.

No authority accordingly is to be obtained from this word for basing any definition of the nature of the Godhead.

DAIMONION

This word is not applied to God Himself at all, and really should have been in each case translated by the word "demon."

KURIOS

A mistranslation has obviously occurred here, the meaning being without doubt, "lord." The reader is referred to that section for this otherwise very comprehensive word.

Every word translated by either "Lord" or "God," has now passed under review, and it will be readily perceived, it is thought, that no sanction for the doctrine of the Trinity is to be obtained from any word in itself in the whole of the Scriptures -- in the Old Testament as also in the New Testament. If that doctrine be the true conception of the God revealed in the Bible, then arguments must be adduced to demonstrate it; the names by which God has chosen to be known lend no support to any phase of the doctrine.

ANALYSIS TO SECTION 2, CHAPTER 3: Use of the Words "Holy Spirit," "Holy Ghost," And
"Spirit of God," In The Old and New Testaments

 


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