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1. Basic (Trinitarian) Christian Principles

2. Christianity defined: - a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior. - with an estimated 2.1 billion adherents in 2001, Christianity is the world’s largest religion. - the major divisions of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. - it is in a direct sense an offshoot of Judaism . Christian ethics derive to a large extent from the Jewish tradition as presented in the Old Testament, particularly the Ten Commandments .

4. beliefs: (basic concepts of the Christian faith) - also called ancestral sin, hereditary sin, birth sin, or person sin. It is the sin of Adam and Eve, the essential event of the Fall of Man. - according to the most common teaching of Christians, all descendants of Adam and Eve — that is, all people — share in this sin and are, from the time they are conceived, in a state of sin. American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3rd Edition 1) Original Sin

5. - belief that Jesus, through his crucifixion and resurrection, atoned for original sin. All who believe in Jesus and accept baptism are freed from original sin and experience salvation. American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3rd Edition beliefs: (basic concepts of the Christian faith) 2) The death of “the Son of God” on the cross in atonement for the original sin of Adam

6. - belief that Jesus is the only Son of God, eternally begotten and of one being with the Father. beliefs: (basic concepts of the Christian faith) 3) The divine sonship of Jesus

7. - belief that there are three persons in one Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. beliefs: (basic concepts of the Christian faith) 4) The Trinity

8. Trinity in-focus: “ The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion – the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together . The word trias (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180 .” - From the Catholic Encyclopedia

9. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “ I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

10. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. Isaiah 43:1;10-11 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. "You are My witnesses," says the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.

11. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: (The first of the 10 Commandments) Exodus 20:1-5 “ And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall have no other gods before Me. you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...’”

12. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: (Moses called to the worship of ONE GOD) Deuteronomy 6:4 “ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is ONE!”

14. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: The true followers of Jesus continued to affirm the Oneness of God – the Creator until about A.D. 90.

15. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 150 Justin Martyr, introduces Greek Philosophy. - The word ‘logos’ was viewed as a separate person from the Father . It was later equated with the Son , a created divine being of second rank.

16. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 180 The word “Trias,” introduced by Theophilus of Antioch, appears in Christian literature. - Some assert that the he used it to signify the triad of God’s activities : t he first three days before the creation of the heavenly bodies are types of the Trinity -- the first place in Christian writings where that terminology is known to occur: i.e. "God, His Word and His Wisdom."

17. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 200 “ Trinitas” is first introduced by Tertullian, the father of Latin Church/Theology. - Wrote the Adversus Praxean , wherein the doctrine of the Trinity comes into clear focus for the first time . He taught that God, who made the world out of nothing through his Son, the Word, has corporeity though he is a spirit. However Tertullian used 'corporeal' only in the stoic sense, to mean something with actual existence, rather than the later idea of flesh . His use of trinitas (Latin: 'Threeness') emphasised the manifold character of God. - Tertullian was a forerunner of the Nicene doctrine, approaching the subject from the standpoint of the Logos doctrine, though he did not fully state the immanent Trinity.

18. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 260 Sabellius: “Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three names for the same God.” - He taught the doctrine of economic Trinity, a belief that God was indivisible, with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being three modes of the same being. He used the sun’s characteristics as an analogy of God’s nature: just as the sun has three energies (light, warmth and astrological impact), so God has three aspects (Father, Son and Spirit).

19. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: Note that through these phases, there were arguments/discussions concerning these new philosophies on the nature of the Son (Jesus) in relationship to the Father. Everyone, including a regular Christian man/woman had his/her opinion regarding this matter that the citizens of Alexandria was said to have amused themselves with theatrical satires and plays depicting the people involved.

20. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 318 Arius, an early Christian theologian, taught that the Son of God was not eternal, and was subordinate to God the Father (a view known generally as Arianism).

21. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: Arius first became controversial under the bishop Achillas of Alexandria, when he made the following reasoning: “ If JESUS was in reality the 'SON OF GOD', Then it followed that the FATHER must have EXISTED BEFORE HIM (THE SON). Therefore, there must have been a TIME WHERE THE SON (JESUS) DID NOT EXIST. Therefore, it followed that the son was a creature composed of an essence or being which had not always existed. Since GOD IS IN ESSENCE ETERNAL AND EVER-EXISTING , JESUS COULD NOT BE OF THE SAME ESSENCE OF GOD .”

22. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: Athanasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, headed the opposing party which held that the Father and the Son are of “one substance,” coequal, and coeternal. They asserted that the doctrine of Arius lowered the Son making him less worthy of worship than the Father.

23. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 325 The Council of Nicaea - Roman Emperor Constantine I called together the First Council of Nicaea in order to resolve the disagreements in the Church of Alexandria over the nature of Jesus in relationship to the Father ; in particular, whether Jesus was of the same substance as God the Father or merely of similar substance. Alexander of Alexandria and Athanasius took the first position; Arius took the second.

24. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 325 The Council of Nicaea It was held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day Turkey) year 325 A.D. It resulted in the first uniform Christian doctrine, called the Nicene Creed. With the creation of the creed, a precedent was established for subsequent 'general councils of Bishops' to create statements of belief and canons of doctrinal orthodoxy — the intent being to define unity of beliefs for the whole of Christendom.

25. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: The Council finally declared that the Father and the Son are of the same substance and are co-eternal, basing the declaration in the claim that this was a formulation of traditional Christian belief handed down from the Apostles. This belief was expressed in the Nicene Creed. A.D. 325 The Council of Nicaea

26. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 381 The Council of Constantinople - Also known as the Second Ecumenical Council, was called by Theodosius I in 381 to confirm the Nicene Creed and deal with other matters of the Arian Controversy. Up until about 360 A.D ., theological debates mainly dealt with the Divinity of Jesus, the 2nd person of the Trinity. However, because the Council of Nicaea had not clarified the divinity of the Holy Spirit , the 3rd person of the Trinity, it became a topic of debate.

27. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 381 The Council of Constantinople - This council developed a statement of faith which included the language of Nicaea, but expanded the discussion on the Holy Spirit to combat heresies. It expanded the third article of the creed dealing with the Holy Spirit, as well as some other changes. About the Holy Spirit the article of faith said he is "the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified". The statement of proceeding from the Father is seen as significant because it established that the Holy Spirit must be of the same essence (ousia) as God the Father.

28. historical dev’t. of the trinity concept: A.D. 381 The Council of Constantinople - This Council's decision regarding the Holy Spirit also gave official endorsement to the concept of the Trinity. By the end of the 4th century , the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius “issued a decree that the doctrine of the Trinity was to be the official state religion and that all subjects shall adhere to it.”

29. We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. The Nicene Creed: the most widespread or ecumenical Christian statement of faith.

30. The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “ The formulation 'one God in three Persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century . But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.” - (1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299.

31. The Encyclopedia Americana: “ Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian [believing that God is one person]. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicaea was scarcely a straight one. comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: Fourth century Trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching.” -- (1956), Vol. XXVII, p. 294L.

32. “ . . . it is not a biblical doctrine in the sense that any formation of it can be found in the Bible, . . .” comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: “ . . . it did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century .” New Bible Dictionary 1982 “ The word trinity is not found in the Bible . . .”

33. The New Encyclopedia Britannica 1976 “ Neither the word trinity , nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is ONE . (Deut. 6:4) By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”

34. Encyclopedia Britannica 1968 “ The Council of Nicaea met on May 20, 325. Constantine himself presiding, actively guiding the discussion, and personally proposed the crucial formula expressing the relation of Christ to God in the creed issued by the council. ‘ Of one substance with the father.' comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: Over-awed by the emperor , the bishops , with two exceptions only, signed the creed, many of them against their inclination. Constantine regarded the decision of Nicaea as divinely inspired. As long as he lived no one dared openly to challenge the creed of Nicaea.”

35. Babylon Mystery Religion 1981 Ralph Woodrow “ . . his [Constantine's] conversion is to be seriously questioned. Even though he had much to do with the establishment of certain doctrines and customs within the church, the facts plainly show that he was not truly converted- not in the Biblical sense of the word.” comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: “ Probably the most obvious indication that he was not truly converted may be seen from the fact that after his conversion he committed several murders- including the murder of his own wife and son!”

36. The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity’s Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony F. Buzzard Charles F. Hunting [speaking of Constantine] “ . . . years after winning this heaven-inspired triumph, history divulges that the alleged follower of Jesus comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: murdered an already vanquished rival, killed his wife by having her boiled alive in her own bath – and murdered an innocent son.”

37. The Rise of Christianity 1985 W.H.C. Frend “ Like all great conquerors from Alexander to Napoleon or even Hitler, his [Constantine's] aim was unity and unification on a worldwide scale.” comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept:

38. A History of Christianity Volume 1 1997 Kenneth Scott Latourette “ To enforce the decisions of the Council of Nicaea, Constantine commanded, comments on the dev’t. of the trinity concept: with the death penalty for disobedience, the burning of all books composed by Arius, banished Arius and his closest supporters, and deposed from their sees Eusebius of Nicomedia and another bishop who had been active in the support of Arius.”

39. pagan roots & parallels: Worship of the Roman sun-god was very popular during the third century CE among the pagan Gentiles as it had been for centuries before that. For this reason, in order to please Constantine, the Trinitarian church compromised with him on the following points: As had become the popular custom, Emperor Constantine (who presided over the council of Nicaea) was popularly considered to be the "manifestation" or "incarnation" of the supreme Roman sun-god.

46. The book sacred to Christians, which they consider to be the inspired word of God. The Bible includes the Old Testament, which contains the sacred books of the Jews, and the New Testament, which begins with the birth of Jesus. The Bible: There is no such thing as one Bible. The number of books in the Bible depends upon the Church one is following. The Roman Catholic Church has 73 books, Protestant Church has 66 books, etc.

47. There are several hundreds of versions of the Bible: King James Version, New Int’l. Version, New American Standard, New Living Translation, New Revised Standard, Third Millennium Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible, and the list goes on... The Bible was not written in English. Most of the books of the Old Testament were originally composed in Hebrew (with a few portions in Aramaic ), while the entire New Testament was originally written in Greek (although some books may also incorporate Aramaic sources). Thus, what most people read today is not the original text, but other people's translations of the Bible. - Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. (Roman Catholic Priest) http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/English_Translations.htm The Bible:

49. 3. Important old manuscripts were found in the last 200 years! Recent discoveries of older manuscripts (esp. the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Codex Sinaiticus) have helped scholars get closer to the original text of the Bible, so that modern translations can be more accurate than medieval ones. (emphasis added) 4. The meanings of some biblical texts are unknown or uncertain! Some Hebrew or Greek words occur only once in the Bible, but nowhere else in ancient literature, so their exact meanings are unknown; and some biblical phrases are ambiguous, with more than one possible meaning. Why are there so many different English translations of the Bible? - Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. (Roman Catholic Priest) http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/English_Translations.htm The Bible:

50. Admissions of Christian Scholars and others regarding the tampering and corruption of the Bible: Introduction of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible by Oxford Press "Occasionally it is evident that The Bible: Here we can only follow the best judgment of competent scholars as to the most probable reconstruction of the original text." the text has suffered in the transmission and that none of the versions provides a satisfactory restoration .

51. George Arthur Buttrick (Ed.), The Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible, Volume 1, pp. 599 (Under Text NT) "The original copies of the NT books have, of course, long since disappeared. This fact should not cause surprise. The Bible: In the first place, they were written on papyrus, a very fragile and perishable material. In the second place, and probably of even more importance, the original copies of the NT books were not looked upon as scripture by those of the early Christian communities." Admissions of Christian Scholars and others regarding the tampering and corruption of the Bible:

52. The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, Bart Ehrman, p. 27 “ In any event, none of [the original manuscripts of the books of the Bible] now survive. The Bible: What do survive are copies made over the course of centuries, or more accurately, copies of the copies of the copies, some 5,366 of them in the Greek language alone, that date from the second century down to the sixteenth.” Admissions of Christian Scholars and others regarding the tampering and corruption of the Bible:

53. Secrets of Mount Sinai, James Bentley, p. 117 “ [the New Testament had] in many passages undergone such serious modification of meaning The Bible: as to leave us in painful uncertainty as to what the Apostles had actually written.” Admissions of Christian Scholars and others regarding the tampering and corruption of the Bible:

54. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration, 1964 Bruce M. Metzger “ The number of deliberate alterations made in the interests of doctrine is difficult to assess.” The Bible: “ The necessity of applying textual criticism to the books of the NT arises from two circumstances: (a) none of the original documents is extant , and (b) the existing copies differ from one another. The textual critic seeks to ascertain from the divergent copies which form of the text should be regarded as most nearly conforming to the original.” Admissions of Christian Scholars and others regarding the tampering and corruption of the Bible:

55. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 4, p.711, Abingdon Press “ The text about the three heavenly witnesses (I John 5:7 KJV 'There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one' ) The Bible: is not an authentic part of the NT.” Admissions of Christian Scholars and others regarding the tampering and corruption of the Bible:

56. Rev. Professor David Jenkins, the fourth highest-ranking Bishop in the Church of England and the Bishop of Durham had the following admission to make: “ The Five Gospels,” is a 550-page book containing translations of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It was the result of a six year study by 24 Christian scholars from a number of Western universities. The Bible: Their conclusion (page 5) was: "Eighty-two percent of the words ascribed to Jesus in the gospels were not actually spoken by him." They decided to produce a translation of the Gospels which would be uncolored by the translator's personal faith.

57. “ [some of the events in the early mission of Jesus] were not strictly true but were added to the story of Jesus by the early Christians to express their faith in him as a Messiah.” [London Daily Mail, page 12, 15/July/1984] The Bible: Rev. Professor David Jenkins, the fourth highest-ranking Bishop in the Church of England and the Bishop of Durham had the following admission to make:

58. Small sample of the thousands of contradictions in Biblical verses: Exodus 4:22 and Jeremiah 31:9 - Who was God's firstborn? 2 Samuel 8:4 and 1 Chronicles 18:4 - 700 or 7000 horsemen? 2 Kings 8:26 and 2 Chronicles 22:2 - 22 or 42 years old? Matthew 1:16 and Luke 3:23 - Who was Joseph's father? Matthew 20:29-30 and Mark 10:46-47 - One or two beggars? Matthew 21:1-2 and Mark 11:1-2 - What happened to the ass? Matthew 26:74-75 and Mark 14:72 - Before the cock crow once or twice? Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 - How did Judas die? John 3:16 and Psalms 2:7 - Only begotten son? John 5:31 and John 8:14 - Was Jesus' record true or not? Matthew 27:32 and John 19:17 - Who carried the cross? Simon or Jesus? Matthew 27:28 and John 19:2 - Was Jesus dressed in a scarlet robe or a purple robe? Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23 - Did the Roman soldiers put gall or myrrh in Jesus’ wine? Mark 15:25 and John 19:14-15 - Was Jesus crucified before the third hour or after the sixth hour? Luke23:46 and John19:30 and Matt.27:46,50: What were Jesus’ last words, was it "Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit." or "It is finished." or "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The Bible:

59. Some biblical verses that contradict the divinity of Jesus : Matthew 14:23, 19:13, 26:39, 27:46, 26:42-44 - Jesus prayed. Matthew 24:36 - Jesus was not all-knowing. Matthew 26:39 - Jesus and God had different wills. Mark 1:35, 6:46, 14:35-36 - Jesus prayed. Mark 10:17-18 and Luke 18:18-19 - Jesus denied divinity. Mark 12:28-29 - God is one. Mark 13:32 - Jesus was not all-knowing. Luke 7:16, 13:33, 24:18-19 - Jesus was a prophet. John 14:28 - One was greater than the other. John 5:19, 5:30, 7:28, 8:28 - Jesus was helpless. John 5:30 and 6:38 - Jesus and God had different wills. John 6:32 - The Father was the provider, not the son. John 7:16, 12:49, 14:24, 17:14 - Jesus' words were not his. John 10:29 - "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all." John 17:6-8 - "I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me." John 20:17 - Jesus had a god. Acts 2:22 - Jesus was "a man approved of God." The Bible:

60. Say: “O you mankind! Now truth has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self, and whosoever goes astray, he does so to his own loss...” The Noble Qur’aan 10:108

61. O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth. Say not: "Three (trinity)!" Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allaah is (the only) One God, Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allaah and His Word, ("Be!" - and he was) which He bestowed on Mary and a spirit created by Him; so believe in Allaah and His Messengers. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allaah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs. The Noble Qur’aan 4:171

62. Allaah is He Who created you, then provided food for you, then will cause you to die, then (again) He will give you life (on the Day of Resurrection) The Noble Qur’aan 30:40

63. And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be of service to you. The Noble Qur’aan 14:33

64. O mankind! Remember the Grace of Allaah upon you! Is there any creator other than Allaah who provides for you from the sky (rain) and the earth? How then are you turning away (from Him)? The Noble Qur’aan 35:3

65. John 4:23 (Jesus said,) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

66. سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت أستغفرك و أتوب إليك ‘ How perfect You are O Allaah, and I praise You. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.’ Closing Supplication http://abumussab.webs.com/ http://www.youtube.com/AUMA08 email: onewaytoparadise@gmail.com