Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?

There are those who teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see in operation in the New Testament during the first century AD have ceased, and that they are no longer in operation. One of the Scriptures they cite is the following statement by the apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians: "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (1Co 13:8). This is known as cessationism, which was originated by Reformers such as John Calvin.

First of all, in its context, what Paul meant by that statement was to contrast love with the gifts of the Spirit. The Corinthians emphasized speaking in tongues, and Paul stated that one day the gift of tongues will no longer be needed and prophecy will one day cease, but that love will endure forever. He did not mean that at the end of the first century all the supernatural gifts of the Spirit would cease.

Having a Form of Godliness But Denying Its Power

The people who believe in cessationism deny the supernatural power of God without any proper Scriptural basis. Paul warned us about such people when he said they are those who are "having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:5).

Such people have often been known to accuse those who operate in the supernatural power of God and the gifts of the Spirit to be merely pretending to do so, or in some cases cessationists accuse such people of doing so by the power of demons. When they say such things to those who are genuinely operating in the power of God, they are attributing acts of the Holy Spirit to the devil, and in doing so are in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, if they have not already done so. While there are certainly counterfeit miracles and healings that the demons are able to perform through those who are under their control, there are also genuine miracles, signs, and wonders that the Lord is doing today. 

These Signs Accompany Those Who Believe

Jesus Himself said, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18). 

These are the signs that follow those who believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, these signs are seen in the lives of those who believe in Him. They do these things in His name: drive out demons, speak in new tongues, lay hands on the sick and they recover; and even deadly poison doesn't harm them if they drink it.

The fact that these signs still follow believers in Jesus to this day is well documented and supported by indisputable evidence. I have personally experienced the gifts of the Spirit and countless other signs and wonders operating in my own life, seen them in operation in others, and know people who have also experienced them in their lives. This includes but is not limited to healing, miracles (including raising the dead), word of knowledge, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits, deliverance from demons, gems coming down from heaven, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire, dreams, visions, encounters with angels, being caught up to heaven, visits to hell, prophecy, and much much more. To God be all the glory forever and ever. 

Why should anyone consider it incredible that God still raises the dead (Ac 26:8)? After all, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (Joh 14:12). This means that anyone who believes in Him will do the works Jesus did during His earthly ministry (that includes raising the dead), and even greater things than these! If you believe in cessationism, you are making God out to be a liar. The reason these signs don't follow you is because you don't believe.

Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever

Speaking of prophecy, cessationsists believe that the only prophecy that happens today is the preaching of the Word. They deny that anyone can still prophesy for the Lord as the prophets did in Bible days, but they are badly mistaken. The gift of prophecy is still in operation today, just as all the other gifts are. God changes not (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17). He has not changed from the way He worked in the days of the Bible. He is still a supernatural, wonder-working God. Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

Do Not Quench the Spirit or Despise Prophetic Utterances

That is why we are commanded not to quench the Spirit or despise prophetic utterances (1Th 5:19-20).  We are instructed in Scripture to test them all, and correctly discern the things of the Spirit.  The saints are to pass judgment on the utterance (1 Cor 14:29), and all things be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Mt 18:16).  We are instructed to test the fruit and verify the good character of the messenger (Mt 7:17-19; 12:33).  We are to search the Scriptures to ensure that the message is consistent with the Word (Ac 17:11). If the fruit (character) and message are consistent with the Word, then we should receive it as from the Lord.  We are to hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1Th 5:21-22). Genuine dreams, visions, revelations, signs, and wonders that come from God always confirm the Word, but do not add to it (Mar 16:20).

Last Days Outpouring of the Spirit

On the Day of Pentecost when the early church received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, as tongues of fire appeared over their heads in the upper room, the apostle Peter explained to the observers what was happening, by quoting the prophet Joel:

"No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Act 2:17-21)

This passage clearly says that God will pour out His Spirit on all people in the last days, which is the period we are now living in. The last days began during the first century (Ac 2:16-17; Heb 1:2; Jas 5:3; 1 Jn 2:18; 1 Pet 4:7) and continue until Christ's return. The evidence of the outpouring of the Spirit as stated in this passage (Act 2:17-21; Joel 2:28-31) includes people seeing visions and dreaming dreams, as well as prophecy, signs, and wonders. Since the last days did not cease during the first century, but continue to this day, that means the outpouring of the Spirit also continues and so do all of these signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit.

Continuation of Five-fold Ministry Gifts

In Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, he said that God gave certain ministries to the Church as gifts to equip the saints for works of service (Eph 4:11-13). These gifts include apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. 

Cessationists believe that only some of these gifts still exist today, namely pastors, teachers, and evangelists, but that apostles and prophets ceased at the end of the first century. However, if you read the Ephesians passage in context, Paul said that these gifts would continue until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Last time I checked, the church had not yet attained to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Therefore, there is still a need for all of these five-fold ministry gifts to equip the saints for works of service.

Even during the first century, there were more than just the Twelve apostles. Of course, there was the apostle Paul along with his fellow apostle Barnabas (1 Cor 9:5-6), but he even mentioned others in his writings that were apostles also, such as Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7). An apostle is a "sent one" and the Lord is still sending people today. Although there are still false apostles today as there were during Paul's day, there are still true apostles and prophets as well.

Speaking of modern prophets, some of the New Testament prophets included Agabus (Ac 11:27; 21:10), Judas and Silas (Ac 15:32), as well as other unnamed prophets (Ac 11:27-28), and ones that were named (Ac 13:1). There is nothing in Scripture that says this ministry was discontinued by God, as I have already stated earlier. Quite the contrary! In fact, Paul said, "And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues." (1Co 12:28). And he went on to give specific instructions for how prophets are to conduct themselves in the Church (1 Cor 14:29, 32).

Articles Disproving Cessationism

Many of my other articles address the topic indirectly. Here are some examples:

Supernatural Power for All Disciples

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

Holy Fire Baptism

The Holy Spirit's Role in God's Kingdom

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues

Discerning the Things of the Spirit

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?

By the Spirit of God Alone

International Impact of Pentecost

Anointed by the Holy Spirit

Healing is in the Atonement

A Warning to the Nay Sayers

Testimonies Disproving Cessationism

There are also countless testimonies and videos documenting the fact that genuine signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today. Here are just a few:

Forty Days in Heaven and Hell

Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell

Gems from Heaven (our personal experience)

Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies (see Howard Pittman's testimony)

The Body Parts Storehouse in Heaven (one of our graduates)

The Voice That Changed Everything -- the Testimony of Dr. Stenhouse (a personal friend of mine)

Amazing Healing and Deliverance in Uganda (one of our graduates)

Saved By a Vision of Second Coming (a personal acquaintance of mine)

The Night the Lord Came Into My Hut (one of our graduates)

Testimonies from Voila (a pastor I came to know in Romania)

Pastor Raised from the Dead (a Bulgarian pastor I know)

Boy Raised from the Dead After One Day (through one of our disciples)

Supernatural Encounter While Striving to Draw Closer to God (another one of our students)

Outpouring of the Spirit (our personal experience)

Michael Shigaba's End Time Message for Mankind

Dreams and Visions: Tsunamis, Asteroids, Nuclear, etc.

Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children

Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins (someone I know personally)

More Than Dreams

And the list goes on and on. For more examples proving cessationism is false, please see EternalDestinations.info and Testimonies from Eastern Europe.

Conclusion

Please check out those articles and testimonies carefully, and I think you will find plenty of Scriptural proof that cessationism is false. It is clear from Scripture, as well as abundant experiential evidence, that the gifts of the Spirit have not ceased to operate to this day. Our God is an awesome God, all things are possible with Him (Matt 19:26), and nothing is impossible for those who believe (Mk 9:23). If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, who has been saved through faith in Him, and you have not yet received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire, then I encourage you to pray and ask Him for that gift today. This will open up the door for the supernatural power of God to begin operating in your life, too, which is all part of the full gospel. For the kingdom of God is not merely a matter of talk, but of power (1 Cor 4:20)!

Attribution notice: Scripture quoted from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note:  I also recommend reading The False Gospel of Eternal Security, Accurately Handling the Word of Truth, Exposing Heresy. If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is it a Sin for a Woman to Cut Her Hair?

A common belief of Pentecostal Holiness Churches is that it is a sin for a woman to ever cut her hair at all, even to keep it manageable. They consider this true holiness. Of course, there is no Scriptural basis for that, which I will prove to you from the Bible in this article. In order to do so, let's examine 1 Corinthians 11, looking carefully at the Greek words. I found that in this particular case, the King James Version is the closest literal expression in English of the original language without adding words to smooth it out, although I do not believe the KJV is the best or only inspired version of the Bible. It says:

“For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.” (1Co 11:6)

Paul said it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, so I studied these two words. Here are the Greek word definitions:

• Gr. keirō, 4x: to cut off the hair, shear, shave, Act_8:32 (as a sheep before it’s shearer is silent); Act_18:18 (Paul had his hair cut, for he was keeping a [Nazarite] vow); 1Co_11:6 (2x).
• Gr. xyraō, 3x: to cut off the hair, shear, shave, Act_21:24 (take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads); 1Co_11:5-6.
• One word means to shear and the other means to shave, which are very similar. 
• To shear is a. to cut off the hair from. b : to cut or clip (hair, wool, etc.) from someone or something also : to cut something from shear a lawn. c chiefly Scotland : to reap with a sickle. d : to cut or trim with shears or a similar instrument. Webster’s defines the verb shear as follows: 1. To cut or clip something from the surface with an instrument of two blades; to separate any thing from the surface by shears, scissors or a like instrument; as, to shear sheep; to shear cloth. It is appropriately used for the cutting of wool from sheep on their skins, for clipping the nap from cloth, but may be applied to other things; as, a horse shears the ground in feeding much closer than an ox. 2. To separate by shears; as, to shear a fleece.
• To shave (according to Webster’s Dictionary) means: 1. To cut or pare off something from the surface of the body by a razor or other edged instrument, by rubbing, scraping or drawing the instrument along the surface; as, to shave the chin and cheeks; to shave the head of its hair. “He shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing.” Num 6. 2. To shave off, to cut off. Neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard. Lev 21. 3. To pare close.

Based on the way these two Greek words are used elsewhere in Scripture (not including our text in 1 Cor 11), they are both used in Scripture to refer to cutting off the hair close to the scalp, as Jewish men and woman initially did when they took a Nazarite vow. In the Hebrew Bible, a nazirite or a nazarite (Hebrew: נזיר) is a man or woman who voluntarily took a vow which is described in Numbers 6:1–21. "Nazarite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated". Among other aspects of the vow of separation or consecration to God, the Nazirite would begin the vow by cutting off his or her hair and laying it on the altar, and he or she was not to cut his or her hair for the length of the vow. The act of separation of the hair from the head and offering it on the altar to God was symbolic of the person consecrating or separating himself or herself to God for a period of time. The vow had a definite beginning and end to it. Thus it was voluntary and for a finite period, rather than mandatory and for a lifelong period, except in the case of Samson who was to be a Nazarite from birth until death (Judges 13:7). 

Since both men and women could take such a vow, we see that both the men and women who took the vow would begin by cutting their hair off, and since they would not cut their hair until the vow had ended, then at the end of the vow their hair would be long. Therefore, there is a time for everything, as it says in Ecclesiastes, and in this case there was a time for both a man or a woman to have both a shaven head and long hair, if they chose to voluntarily take the Nazarite vow.

Furthermore, in the context of 1 Corinthians 11, Paul was contrasting the long tresses of a woman’s hair to a man’s short hair. He said it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair, but that it is a woman’s glory to have long hair. “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.” (1Co 11:14-15). 

The whole reason he made this distinction was to teach that a woman ought to have her head covered with a veil when she prays or prophesies. He was drawing a parallel between the nature of things and spiritual things, between hair length and head coverings. He spoke in terms of the natural hair length of men and women, in order to teach a spiritual lesson about a veil or head covering while praying or prophesying, which is a sign or symbol of being under spiritual authority. 

We see Paul doing the same thing all throughout his epistles, including in 1 Cor 9, where he uses the ox who treads out the grain being entitled to eat the grain as an example to teach that a man who preaches the gospel should make a living from the gospel. We see him use the seed in 1 Cor 15 as an example to teach about natural bodies and glorified spiritual bodies. He also uses the sun, moon, and stars in the natural realm to teach about the glory that is given to different people in the spiritual bodies in the resurrection. So that is all he was doing in 1 Cor 11 by using the example of women cutting their hair off. 

He was not at all saying it is a sin or unholy for a woman to ever trim her hair to keep it manageable or to remove damaged and split ends or to keep it out of her eyes. If a woman never cuts her hair over a period of many years and decades, this becomes very unmanageable and damaged, not to mention that it will be extending below her chin on the front of her head and below her buttocks in back. In some cases, depending on hair type and how fast it grows, her hair would eventually become quite heavy and burdensome on her head, which could cause headaches and neck pain. It would present a number of practical burdens, including regular care to wash and dry it, as well as to tie it up so that it is out of the way. 

For African women, it would become tangled, as that type of hair does, when it is not trimmed from time to time. If an African woman never allowed scissors to touch her hair for her entire life, then it becomes difficult to comb or maintain, because it becomes thick, hard, coiled around itself, and does not grow well.

It is not the heart of God to put a lifelong mandate on all women that they can never allow scissors to touch their hair. If a woman chooses not to ever cut her hair, it should be by her own choice and not because it is a rule placed upon her.

Conclusion

We can learn from Paul’s contrast of men’s and women’s natural hair lengths, however, that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair and for a woman to have her hair sheared or shaved off, as is done in the special circumstance of a Nazarite vow. On the other hand, we learn that it is glorious for a woman to have long hair. We may also safely conclude that it is a disgrace for a woman to wear her hair short as men do, because there must be a distinction between men and women. 

Since the two Greek words in 1 Corinthians 11 for shear and shave are not used in Scripture to refer to merely a light trim of the ends of the hair to keep it manageable and healthy or to slightly shorten it a bit, then we should not conclude from this passage that it is a sin or disgrace for a woman to do so.

Therefore, the NASB translation of 1Co 11:6 accurately conveys the meaning of the original language: “For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.”

For any church or denomination to require all women in their congregations to abstain from ever touching their hair with scissors, saying it is a sin to do so, and calling it “holiness” if she never cuts her hair, is clearly error and bondage. It is nothing more than a manmade rule that has an appearance of wisdom, with its self-imposed worship, its false humility and its harsh treatment of the body, but it lacks any value in restraining sensual indulgence (Col 2:23).

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from King James Version, as well as New American Standard Bible, copyright Lockman Foundation, all rights reserved, used by permission. 

Author's note:  I invite you to also read my articles called Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering? and Refuting the Oneness Christology Heresy. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Refuting the Oneness Christology Heresy

Oneness Christology or Modalism, also known as Modalistic Monarchianism, is a false Christian theology upholding the oneness of God as well as the divinity of Jesus. It contradicts the Scriptural doctrine of the Holy Trinity, also known as Trinitarianism¹, which I have explained in my other article on this blog found at this link. Modalism teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different modes or manifestations of God. In the Western Church, this is called Sabellianism, and in the Eastern Church it is Patripassianism, which are both forms of theological modalism². United Pentecostals hold to this age-old heresy, denying the Trinity. But the following Scriptures prove modalism false.

1.   "Then God (Elohim) said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness," (Gen 1:6). Here it uses the Hebrew word “Elohim” for “God”, which is the plural (more than one) word for God. Elohim is like saying "Gods" because it is not singular.

 

Since the plural word for God (Elohim) is used in this verse and Elohim said, "Let Us (first person plural)" make man in "Our" (first person plural) image, and in "Our" (first person plural) likeness, why does Elohim refer to Himself in the first person plural as Us and Our?

 

2.   "I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain." I will proclaim the LORD's decree: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have become your Father. (Psa 2:6-7)

 

Why does Yehova God need to install His King on His holy mountain and declare the King to be His Son and Himself as the King’s Father, if there is no distinction between them at all?  How could this be possible if they are not distinct from one another?

 

3.   For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? (Heb 1:5)

 

Why would the Son say to Himself, “I will be His Father” if He is the Father?

 

4.   “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Mat 10:33)

 

If Jesus is the Father, how will He disown anyone before His Father?

 

5.   Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Mat 26:39)

 

If Jesus is the Father, then why did He have to pray this way to the Father, asking for the Father’s will and not His will, since it makes their wills distinct from each other?

 

6.   Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Mat 28:18)

 

How can the Father give all authority to Jesus unless the Son is another One?

 

7.   “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).” (Mat 27:46)

 

How could Jesus ask why God had forsaken Him if they are exactly the same Person?

 

8.   "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mar 13:32)

 

How can only the Father know something and not the Son unless they are two distinct Persons?

 

9.   Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.'" (Heb 10:7)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why does He present Himself before Himself and tell Himself that He has come to do His own will, and call Himself “My God”?

 

10.  “To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1Ti 1:2; cf., 2 Tim 1:2)

 

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:” (2Ti 4:1)

 

The Father and Son are both referenced in these verses. Why do so, if the Father is the Son?

 

11.  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,” (1Ti 2:5)

 

How can the man Jesus Christ be the one mediator between God and man, if He is the Father? How does He act as a mediator between man and Himself?

 

12.  Read the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17.

 

Why did Jesus pray to the Father in John 17 and many other places if He is the Father, since He would be talking to Himself?

13.  “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (Joh 14:13)

 

How can the Father be glorified in the Son if there is no distinction between them?

 

14.  "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.’” (Joh 14:28)

 

If Jesus is the Father, then why did He say, “the Father is greater than I”?

 

15.  Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (Joh 20:17)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why did He say He was ascending to the Father, and why did He call the Father “My God”?

 

16.  Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (Joh 7:16-17)

 

Why did Jesus say that His teaching was not His own, but that it came from someone else who is the Father, if He were the Father? If He were the Father, wouldn’t His teaching be His own?

 

17.  Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." (Joh 8:14-19)

 

Why did Jesus refer to Himself and the Father as two witnesses, if He is the Father?

 

18.  So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” (Joh 8:28)

 

If Jesus were the Father, how could He do nothing on His own, but only do what the Father has taught Him? That would be the same as saying, I the Son can do nothing on my own but only what I the Father have taught myself. However, doesn’t the fact that Jesus said He could do nothing on His own mean that He relies on One other than Himself, namely the Father? And in saying this, didn’t Jesus teach us that the Father is someone other than Himself?

 

19.  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.” (Joh 8:42)

 

Why does Jesus refer to God who sent Him as someone other than Himself, if He is the Father?

 

20.  “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.” (Joh 12:49)

 

Since Jesus did not speak on His own, but said only what the Father commanded Him to say, why did He refer to the Father as someone other than Himself that was commanding Him what to say, if He is actually the Father?

 

21.  “Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (Joh 14:10)

 

Why did Jesus refer to the Father’s authority as one other than His own if He is the Father?

 

22.  “Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” (Joh 14:24)

 

Why did Jesus say that the words He taught did not to belong to Him, but someone other than Himself, who is the Father, if He were the Father? If He were the Father, wouldn’t the words He spoke be His own?

 

23.  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Act 7:55-56)

 

If Jesus is the Father and the Father is Jesus, then how was Stephen able to see Jesus the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God?

 

24.  “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Col 1:15)

 

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,” (Col 1:19)

Since God, who is invisible to us here on earth, was pleased to have all of His fullness dwell in the Son, who is the image of the invisible God, why would Scripture refer to God and the Son separately if Jesus is both the Father and the Son?

 

25.  “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49)

 

Jesus referred to Himself in the first person singular as "I", and to "My Father" in the third person, and then to the gift of the Holy Spirit in the third person as "what My Father promised." Why do so, if Jesus is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?

 

26.  “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why did He sit down at the right hand of God the Father in heaven?

 

27.  “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Heb 1:3, cf. Heb 8:1)

 

If the Son is the Father, then why does it say that He is the radiance of God’s glory, and why again does it say He sat down at the Father’s right hand?

 

28.  In Romans 8:11, it says, "God raised Jesus from the dead,"

 

How did God the Father raise Jesus, if Jesus is the Father?

  

29.  “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” (1Co 15:24)

 

How will Jesus the Son hand the Kingdom over to the Father, if Jesus is the Father? How will He hand the Kingdom over to Himself? 

 

30.  “For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’ Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1Co 15:27-28)

 

In 1 Cor 15:27 it says that when God puts everything under the feet of Jesus Christ, that does not include God Himself. God is not putting Himself under Jesus' feet. That is very clear. In 1 Cor 15:28, it says that the Son will be made subject to the Father.

 

Why would Scripture say that God is not under the feet of Jesus and that Jesus will be subject to the Father, if Jesus is the Father, unless they are eternally two distinct divine Persons, with the Father always being the greater than the Son?

 

31.  “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,” (Rev 1:1)

 

Why did God the Father have to give the revelation to Jesus Christ, if Jesus is the Father?

 

32.  “John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” (Rev 1:4-5)

 

Why does it refer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit separately and distinctly if Jesus is all three?

 

33.  “and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” (Rev 1:6)

 

Why does it refer to God as “His God and Father”, if He Himself is the Father?

 

34.  “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father.” (Rev 2:26-27)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why did He need to receive authority from the Father?

 

35.  “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” (Rev 3:2)

 

In this passage, the resurrected and ascended, glorified Christ is speaking. Why the need for Him to call the Father “My God” if He is the Father”

 

36.  “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” (Rev 3:5)

 

Again, how could Jesus acknowledge anyone before His Father and His Father’s angels in heaven, if He is the Father?

 

37.  “The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.” (Rev 3:12)

 

Why did Jesus always refer to the Father as “My God”, even after he was glorified in heaven, if He is the Father?

 

38.  “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21)

 

Why would Jesus say He sat down with His Father on His throne, if He is the Father? Can one sit down beside oneself or with oneself?

 

39.  "The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne." (Rev 5:7)

 

How does Jesus take the scroll from the hand of the One (the Father) sitting on the throne, if Jesus is the Father? Surely He does not take it from His own hand and hand it to Himself.

 

40.  “And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9)

 

Why does the Lamb purchase men for God if He is the Father?

 

41.  “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’"  (Rev 5:13)

 

Why do they specify that their praise is given to both Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, if the Lamb is the Father and the Father is the Lamb?

 

42.  “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’" (Rev 6:15-17)

 

Why do these people seek to hide themselves from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, if the Lamb is the Father?

 

Why do they refer to “their wrath” (plural) if the Lamb is the Father?

 

43.  “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" (Rev 7:17)

 

Why refer to the Lamb and God separately here if the Lamb is the Father?

 

44.  The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." (Rev 11:15)

 

Why would they say it has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, if our Lord and His Christ were not two distinct Divine Persons?

 

45.  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Rev 12:10)

 

Why would it refer to both the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ if there was no distinction between them?

 

46.  “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” (Rev 12:17)

 

Why does it speak separately and distinctly about keeping God’s commands and holding fast their testimony of Jesus, if Jesus is the Father?

 

Two more verses:

47.  “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev 22:1)

 

Why does it say the river of the water of life is flowing from the throne of God and from the Lamb, if the Lamb is the Father and the Father is the Lamb?

 

48.  “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” (Rev 22:3)

 

Why does it say the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, if the Lamb is the Father and the Father is the Lamb?

Closing Words

Three modes of God do not talk to each other and sit beside each other. One mode does not refer to another as His God or as someone other than Himself. One mode does not command another mode to do something or give another mode authority. Modalism does not agree with Scripture and is a false teaching.

The Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, according to Scripture. But the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit; the Son is not the Father or the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. They are not three gods. They are three in One, a triune Godhead, God in three Persons, the blessed Trinity.

¹Wikipedia, Modalistic Monarchianism

²Wikipedia, Sabellianism

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan 2011, all rights reserved, used by permission. The "Trinity Doctrine" graphic may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see the following related posts:

The Holy Trinity
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Baptized with the Spirit
Holy Fire Baptism
Is Jesus God?
The Name of Jesus

You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.