William Branham and the Trinity Doctrine: Difference between revisions

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 {{Template:Trinity}}
-The Trinity is an explanation of the [[The Godhead]] that has historically been accepted by most of the world's Christian churches.  The word "Trinity" was first used circa. A.D. 200 by Tertullian, a Latin theologian from Carthage.
+The Trinity is an explanation of the [[The Godhead]] that has historically been accepted by the vast majority of the world's Christian churches.  The word "Trinity" was first used circa. A.D. 200 by Tertullian, a Latin theologian from Carthage.
 The doctrine of the Trinity is shown in John 14:23, when Jesus says:
-Jesus answered and said unto him, pIf a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and '''we''' will come unto him, and make '''our''' abode with him.<ref>The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Jn 14:23.</ref>
+:''If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and '''we''' will come unto him, and make '''our''' abode with him.<ref>The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Jn 14:23.</ref>
+<br>
+=The historical context of the doctrine of the Trinity=
+The problem that non-Trinitiarians must address from a historical context is that '''no significant leader in the Christian church in the last 1700 years has been non-Trinitarian.'''  They all believed and stood for the doctrine of the Trinity.
 =William Branham's Critique of the Trinity=
-William Branham's arguments against the doctrine of the Trinity are referred to as '''"straw man"''' arguments:
+William Branham's arguments against the doctrine of the Trinity can be referred to as '''"straw man"''' arguments:
 :''They also state, "God, according to the Bible, is not just one person, but He is three persons in one God. That is the great mystery of the Trinity".  It sure is. How can three persons be in one God? Not only is there no Bible for it, but it shows even a lack of intelligent reasoning. Three distinct persons, though identical substance, make three gods, or language has lost its meaning entirely.<ref>THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST  - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.1</ref>
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 :''Therefore, if any Trinitarian here would just let yourself loose a minute, you can see that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is not three Gods. It's three attributes of the same God. See, it's expression. Father, He was, wanted to be a Father. He was a Father, He was a Son, and He is the Holy Ghost. And the Father and the Holy Ghost is the same Spirit. Don't you see? You get it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Not three gods. The devil has told you them things, to make an idolater out of you. See? <ref>CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.OF.GOD.REVEALED_  JEFF.IN  V-3 N-7  SUNDAY_  63-0728</ref>
-A straw man is a common type of argument and is an informal fallacy based on the misrepresentation of an opponent's argument.  To be successful, a straw man argument requires that the audience be ignorant or uninformed of the original argument.
+A straw man argument is when someone establishes a position, claims it is the opponent’s position, and then attacks it, when it is not, in fact, the opponent’s position at all.<ref>Norman L. Geisler and Ronald M. Brooks, Come, Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990), 194.</ref>
-The typical "attacking a straw man" argument creates the illusion of having completely refuted or defeated an opponent's proposition by replacing it with a different proposition (i.e., "stand up the straw man") and then to refute or defeat that false argument ("knock down the straw man") instead of what your opponent actually believes.
+The straw man fallacy was so named because of the ease with which a straw image can be knocked down as opposed to a real man made of bone and muscle. A straw man may be an extreme or exaggerated version of another’s position or an oversimplification of it.  It is always easier to dispose of an exaggerated or simplistic argument than a well-balanced and substantive argument.
-This technique has been used throughout history in debate, particularly in arguments about highly charged emotional issues where the defeat of the "enemy" is more valued than critical thinking or understanding both sides of the issue.
+William Branham alleged that the doctrine of the Trinity was unbiblical because it teaches three Gods. However, this objection is a straw man because, in fact, the doctrine of the Trinity affirms the existence of only one God.<ref>Kenneth Richard Samples, A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007), 66–67.</ref>
-William Branham also criticized Oneness theology by saying "you get off the wrong track when you try to think that God is one like your finger is one. He can't be His Own Father."<ref>59-0823, Palmerworm, Locust, Cankerworm, Caterpillar</ref>  If Jesus could not be his own father, then it is difficult to see how William Branham could reject the doctrine of the Trinity.
+William Branham also criticized Oneness theology by saying "''you get off the wrong track when you try to think that God is one like your finger is one. He can't be His Own Father''."<ref>59-0823, Palmerworm, Locust, Cankerworm, Caterpillar</ref>  '''If Jesus could not be his own father, then it is difficult to see how William Branham could reject the doctrine of the Trinity.'''
-It is important to notice that William Branham's critique of the doctrine of the Trinity is not backed up by a lot of scripture.  So first, he misrepresented the doctrine of the Trinity (no Trinitarian believes in three Gods), and then critiqued his own misrepresentation of the Trinity.
+It is important to notice that William Branham's critique of the doctrine of the Trinity is not backed up by a lot of scripture.  So first, he misrepresented the doctrine of the Trinity through a straw man argument (no Trinitarian believes in three Gods), and then critiqued his own misrepresentation of the Trinity.
 =The Historic Doctrine of the Trinity=
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 =The Limitations of the Doctrine=
-The doctrine of the Trinity is the result of continuous exploration by theologians of scripture and philosophy, argued in debate and treatises. However, William Branham felt that he could reject almost 2000 years of thought and study out of hand:
+The doctrine of the Trinity is the summary expression of what Christians have to say in answer to the question who God is and what God is in the divine life and in relation to what is not God.<ref>Colin E. Gunton, The Doctrine of Creation : Essays in Dogmatics, History and Philosophy (London;  New York: T&T Clark, 2004), 155.</ref>However, William Branham felt that he could reject almost 2000 years of thought and study out of hand:
 :''So they say... He said, "Well, Mr. Branham, you know, even the--the theologians can't explain it."