100% conjecture, and contrary to the context. Jesus is CLEARLY comparing two essential doctrines;
1) The Father is "the ONLY true God".
2) Jesus was "sent by" the ONLY true God.
No, it’s not conjecture at all. The passage is referring to the the adjectival oneness aspect of God, which is divinity. That’s clear since it’s referring to God. The divinity of God is the ousia, which the essence as wealth of existence. It’s the “what-ness” of God. The “who-ness” of God is designated by the hypostasis, which is the underlying individual reality.
This is the very basic minutiae of the Trinity doctrine. It’s not hard. There is “who-ness” and “what-ness” for both God and man who was originally created in the Imago Dei (Image of Divinity). Your own personal individuality is distinct from the general humanity you share will all other members of the human race.
You’re referring to the “only-ness” of the Divinity. This is not the same thing as the “who-ness”, but the “what-ness”. You claim to have 60 years of bible study, and yet you have no idea what these words actually mean or represent. So your surface understanding means you reject these much deeper truths that authentically represent such distinctions as your own invidiuality and your humanity.
You don’t WANT to understand the Trinity doctrine for what it is and make a determination from there. You want to read into the text your objections and assertions based on a surface cursory reading of the text with the expectation that God can somehow be understood by humans with this simplistic skim-style reading.
You’re a human, and your logos and spirit are human. God’s Logos and Spirit are Divinity, just as the Father is. That’s because all three are aspects of the one true and living God. You just refuse to listen to what the Trinity doctrine actually is.
This is why I spent years as an anti-Trinity apologist. Trinitarians seldom understand the Trinity for what is truly is. But then I realized the opponents of the Trinity are even more woefully ignorant and resistant to truth, especially those who ignore the clear indications of scripture that the Son is eternal and uncreated divinity.
You demand that scripture state these things directly in a manner that English speakers can just regurgitate from a verse. That’s not how doctrinal systematics work according to hermeneutics and proper exegesis. Yours is the shallowest and most fragile means of reading the text, and it’s despicable.
Again, your attempt to dig down to the "minutiae" is obscuring your view of the FOREST~~~!!!
No, the minutiae IS the forrest. All you see is the single “tree” that is the humanity of our Lord and the divinity of the Father. (And of course you never address the Holy Spirit.)
That's a VERY reassuring position, in the light of Scripture;
Matt 7:13-15 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
With your subjective opinion-based techniques, anyone can say this about anyone else. So I’ll just turn them back on you. Unitarians are some of those represented by these verses. Now what? We’ve both made bare assertions in false context.
I know better than to think these verses refer to Unitarians or others in this context. These verses are referring to a proleptic apocalyptic theme. I know that because I’m a lingustic and hermeneuticist and exegete rather than someone who cursorily reads the text to insert my own subjective doctrinal error/s.
These verses aren’t about Theology Proper, and you can’t provide any valid point to insist that they are. They’re Christological and Anthropological for an Eschatological point that is being made. These are neither pro- NOR anti- Trinity verses. And it’s absurdly stupid to attempt to use them for that ridiculous purpose, by you OR me. Just stop.
And, the majority have followed a false "Christ".
Prove it. Prove Jesus Christ is ONLY human. The passage in Philippians I referenced ALONE disproves it. The Son was in the morphe (form) of God and took on the schema (form) of a servant. Morphe and schema absolutely prove the divinity AND humanity of the Lord.
Your opinions on this are irrelevant. These words used in the inspired text by the Holy Spirit are irrefutable.
Address this. Address morphe (form) and schema (form). You won’t because you can’t.
Acts 20:28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Yep. Unitarians, Arians, Sabellians, and other non- and anti-Trinitarians.
This apostasy was led by the "ELDERS" in the church ... not all of them, but like Justin Martyr, who was a disciple of Greek philosophy, they began to pollute the Church with "another Jesus", a "false Christ".
More bare unsupported assertions. Speculative nothingness based on presupposition in contrast to actual history. Modern historical revisionism.
Rev 17:1-6 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Rev 17:17-18 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
So now you’re attempting to proof-text from the apocalyptic and epistilic writing of The Revelation with NO understanding of language OR literary criticism. LOL. This is pathetic.
In Biblical prophecy women represent a spiritual group that SHOULD be believers.
Prove this bare assertion.
Israel, and the "bride of Christ" are classic examples.
Shallow inference, even if true.
The "great whore" is a spiritual group, that SHOULD be believers .... which committed fornication (spiritual adultry) with the kings of the earth.
Spare us the ridiculous inferences.
Verse 18 is graphically clear we are talking about Rome.
Maybe and maybe not. And if so, not necessarily exclusively so.
It is true that pagan Rome reigned over the kings of the earth, and was guilty of the blood of martyrs ...... but they were not a "spiritual group that SHOULD be believers".
I don’t defend the corruption of Rome. Nor do I deny the fact that the inspired canon came by God’s inclusion of its compilation and “ratification” during this time and by this means. You really know nothing of history or textual tradition or much else. This is all less than shallow.
So, let's turn to history/church history.
You can’t. You know a handful of things predetermined by your limited study of history from a skewed perspective with presuppositions. You’re no historian.
What "spiritual group" is centered in Rome, and which reigned over the kings of the earth ..... like making a king wait barefooted, in the snow, for 3 days, in order to beg for forgiveness .... or, that exercised their power to APPOINT kings, and demanded the right to crown kings, etc.?
So? Rome is corrupt and the Pope is antichrist. Many know that. This isn’t about Rome.
What "spiritual group" that is centered in Rome has slaughtered ANY that opposed them for more than 1,000 years, with burning at the stake, inquisitions, and crusades ..... taking MILLIONS of lives?
Though partially true, this ignores much for the sake of selectively making certain points. And I consider exile and/or execution of heretics to be something that should remain to this day. Such things should not be allowed to pollute the faith, like Idolatrous Unitarianism which worships humanity to the point of denying the eternal and uncreated Son.
Yawn. Drama queening and preening. Few here are defending the Roman Church and her corruptions. The Pope is antichrist, and so are you.
There is space for you to repent. Just lay aside your pride and ignorance. God is gracious and merciful.
I did so many years ago unto salvation; and I did so for all my anti-Trintiarian apologetics that were well-meaning but misplaced.
You have NO historical validation for your false assertions. History tells a different story than your wild speculative self-justification to elevate humanity and diminish Messiah.
You are anathema.
Are you Christadelphian? Inform us of your affiliation.