Ignoring Intentionally

At this point you will have noticed that the theologians who established the definition of the One God as “three distinct Persons in one substance” were men who drifted far from the Bible. These men forced the meaning of the Bible words hypostasis (person) and ousia (substance) into the framework of Greek philosophy. They even invented a new word homo-ousia (the same substance) which essentially became their definition of their “Three-in-One God,” who some King James Bible fans, as they drift further and further from the Truth, have deemed "the Godhead."

Brazen and reckless with Scriptures, these men redefined the God of their fathers. Shamelessly, they rebranded the God the Apostles, the Apostolic Fathers, and the Nicaean bishops worshipped. Their work redefining God was at the price of ignoring Bible words. That is, they cut out of their discussions Biblical vocabulary which would otherwise have been key in defining God’s nature.

These words have never been hidden. They’re in very well-known books: Acts, Romans, Colossians, and 2 Peter. So, we can only deduce that the theologians who redefined God ignored the words intentionally. These men willfully cut out of their new theology key Bible terminology which sheds light on God and Christ.

We’re calling these three "the wayside words" because the Cappadocian fathers left them by the wayside. These men, men who established the Church’s understanding of God as "Three in One" for generations to come, neglected these words. They invented the idea that God is a Being of Three. To do that, they were obligated to ignore the Bible words for divine nature, Deity, and divine.

Divine Nature (theiotés)

In our research, the theologians who developed the doctrine of the Trinity never discussed the Greek noun theiotés—an immensely important word. It can be translated as divinity, godhood, divine nature, or deity. In the next verse, the NIV translators render it as divine nature.

... since the Creation of the World, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made... (Romans 1:20)

The role of a pastor is to teach the Word of God. If the Cappadocian fathers, supposed pastors, had invested some time explaining the Greek word for divine nature to believers, they would have affirmed that the One God’s godhood is apparent to all people. The Scriptures say that it is clearly seen by observing the Creation. In other words, they would have shown the divine nature for what it is: something simple to understand and easy to see.

Any observer of what has been made can deduce that there is a God because his eternal power is evident. It’s a logical deduction that everything cannot come out of nothing. So, the Someone from who all things have their origin is God, the Supreme Being who has eternal power and a divine nature. Every human being is a witness to God’s divine nature because his fingerprint is on the things around us.

The One God has revealed himself as an omnipotent Creator. He has revealed himself as the One who has a nature superior to all created beings—those who have a beginning. Indeed, God’s nature is powerful enough to create life and to bring that which does not exist into being. It is the creative force inherent in God. To know God is to know the Son of God, who is also a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).

For just as the Father has life in himself, so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself... (John 5:26; NASB)

Deity (theotés)

The theologians who developed the doctrine of the Trinity also ignored the Greek noun theotés—a word that helps us to understand what is in Jesus. What dwells in him? Theotés which is best translated as godhood or deity.

... in him [Jesus] all the fullness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9; LEB).

So, there is something living in Jesus right now. This sentence is in the present tense, so we’re not talking about when he was with the Apostles in the flesh. We’re talking about the now resurrected and glorified Christ. In him is the fullness of deity, a complete measure of godhood. In other words, Jesus has within him now, the full measure of the divine nature.

If he were the One God, why say that about him? Why say about God that he has the fullness of deity or godhood? He already is God so he doesn’t need the fullness of himself. That’s like saying about a woman that she has the fullness of womanhood. Or a child that he has the fullness of childhood. Or a man that he has the fullness of manhood. Of course a woman has the fullness of womanhood! She has the XX gene, she has the anatomy of a woman, and she thinks like a woman because she is a woman.

God is the same way. He has the fullness of deity or “complete godhood” because he is God. But Jesus is different. He gets his deity (his divine nature) from God. So, in case you were wondering how much of his authority, wisdom, power, and eternal life Jesus has within him—here’s the answer: 100%. God was not stingy with Jesus. He gave him complete godhood. That’s why God is supposed to get the glory for Jesus’ exaltation and place in the Universe.

God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that… every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

Jesus confirmed that had full divine authority when he spoke with the disciples, calling it all authority. That’s synonymous with fullness of deity. It means complete power. And Jesus added that God had given it to him. He didn’t give it to himself.

All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18).

It's the same thing when Jesus was transfigured. On that day he also received glory from God. He did not glorify himself. Jesus was very much against the idea of glorifying himself.

... we were eyewitnesses of his majesty having received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain (2 Peter 1:16-17).

If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me (John 8:54).

Divine (theios)

Finally, the theologians who developed the doctrine of the Trinity ignored the Greek adjective theios (alternatively appearing as theion or theias depending on its gender). Here’s another word that helps us to understand what God has and what he shares: He has divine power which he uses to make us partakers of his divine nature. God has some divine stuff!

The most accurate translation of theios is divine, an adjective; but it can also operate as a noun. Let us explain: When the divine nature becomes the overwhelming proportion of what we see in God, and his godhood stands out so prominently and gloriously, we can call him the Deity. That’s exactly what Paul called God when he addressed a group of philosophers on his famous visit to Mars Hill in Athens:

So since we are God's offspring, we should not think the Deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination (Acts 17:29; NET).

We’ve found no record that the theologians of the Post-Nicaean age discussed the word theios. Even if they did, they left it out of their definition of God, ignoring that he has a divine nature which he will share with us. If he will share it with people like us—people who at one time were sinners—then how much more readily will he share it with his one and only Son, Jesus?

In the next passage Peter uses the word to describe the kind of power God has—divine power. And then he uses it to describe the nature God shares with us, the divine nature.

His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4; NASB). 

This use of divine in combination with nature renders the expression divine nature, something that comes from God, something he gave to Jesus, and something of which God will make you and me partakers. The word for nature is physeōs and carries the idea of someone’s underlying constitution—their “make-up.” When we are resurrected, our constitution will change. We will undergo a physical metamorphosis.

This one verse does more to reveal what God has shared with Jesus than any other. And it leaves no doubt to the fact that the Father remains the One God regardless of the nature Jesus has. When Jesus came in the flesh, God remained the same in nature. When God resurrected Jesus and Jesus became divine, God remained on the Throne.

Phrases Meaning Deity

The idea of Jesus having a divine nature or the possession of deity/godhood is not only expressed through certain vocabulary contained in the Bible. It’s also explained semantically by means of descriptive phrases. Two examples are the phrases existing in the form of God and equality with God. Paul tells us that Jesus, before the Creation of the World, had these things. These things are, in fact, the definition of deity.

… [Jesus] existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (Philippians 2:6; LEB).

So, Jesus, having deity, did not consider deity to be something to hold on to. That is, Jesus, having the divine nature, did not consider it necessary to cling to the divine nature. He surrendered it by humbling himself and becoming a man—100% man, that is, with the human nature.

John tells us about Jesus’ divine nature when he says that the Word was God. The idea behind the expression the Word was God is that Jesus was Divine. We could translate it ‘The Word was Deity’ because that’s the idea, but we'll leave the passage as it is in most versions: The Word was God.

Notice that the Word was not the One God. The passage is clear on that. You cannot be with 'the God' (that's what the Greek says) and be the same God with whom you are with. Rather, Jesus received from the One God a glory and power which the One God delights to give. Yes, God shares his glorious divine nature with those he chooses. In Jesus’ case, God gave him the divine nature because Jesus was so close to God. Remember what the passage says: The Word (who is called this One to emphasize how privileged he was) was with God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [the] God, and the Word was God. This One was in the beginning with [the] God (John 1:1-2; LEB).

Jesus mentions that the glory he had before the Creation of the World was something God had given to him. In other words, God gave Jesus the divine nature. The following passage speaks of the divine nature or godhood Jesus received from God. Jesus calls it my glory.

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the Creation of the World (John 17:24).

Jesus notes for us why he received glory—because God loved him. God, in an act of love, prior to the Creation of the World, gave Jesus the glory of a divine nature. God gave Jesus equality with Himself.

Willful Negligence

Why were these verses ignored in the redefinition of God in the two centuries following the Council of Nicaea? Why are they ignored today when we explain who God is and who Jesus is?

Why were the words deity, divine nature, and godhood not properly defined, and included in the new definition of God? We’d be naïve to think that theologians were just trying to make the knowledge of God palatable for the people of their generation in a sincere attempt to evangelize. They were not simplifying. That was not their goal.

We would also be naïve to think that three theologians (Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus) in error capitulated to the philosophy of their age. Capitulation would also be a sin, but what happened was much worse.

Those three men were guilty of willful negligence—an intentional blurring of the knowledge of God. It’s scandalous. Men called to pronounce Truth promoted heresy. To redefine God--the One God--in a way that contradicts the fact that he is the Father is heresy.

Back to the Bible

We need to return to the Bible. It’s not enough to combat this error by saying "the word Trinity is not in the Bible." Everybody already knows that. We don’t need to be told what is not in the Bible. We need to explain the words that are actually in the Bible.

The idea that the One God is a Being of Three, a Trinity, is deviation from the Scriptures. It's not just error. It's an intentional contradiction. Those who promote this doctrine and its vocabulary (words like substance, coequal and coeternal) shut out the vocabulary of the Bible. They exclude the vocabulary of the Bible to make room for their snobby theological vocabulary.

They have hijacked the Truth, but we're taking it back again. The Truth belongs to those who read, study, and declare the Bible.