Geoff on Criticism

(a slightly edited email from Geoff to Bruce 21 March, 2010 - posted with permission)
 As we see the increasing efforts to silence criticism of the trinity doctrine; John Carter, and others, had a meeting with all the pastors in Russia to counteract unauthorized people questioning the church's position on that and other issues. John Carter himself was going to address the issue of the trinity, at Lakeside church they were having a whole weekend of meetings on the topic, and the new pastor at Avondale Memorial is planning talks likewise, he has already stated that he believed Matthew was a trinitarian, and we have been urged to attend his meetings; it is with a feeling of sadness that we visit our friends in other churches, not to argue the point, but just to say, we still love you. 


 We have been warned to be careful not to have the same attitude as the Jews, who hardened their hearts in rejecting truth and evidence, and ended up rejecting Him who was the Truth. Every where you turn, you see groups engaged in activity and having a measure of success, assuming that all is well and they are enjoying the favour of God. It is a trap we can all fall into. But if that were the real test of our position, any number of divergent groups could claim God's sanction for their program. In fact the bigger pentecostal groups could claim greater evidence of God's favour.
 
 It seems the church is determined to not only reject the light themselves, but like the Jews, prevent others who might be inclined to listen, from hearing anything different as well. 

 The facts are that the trinity teaching has no part in the "faith, once delivered to the saints." as the firsttrinitarian leanings did not appear in the church till late in the second century. The doctrine of the trinity was not known among the first Christians.
 
 Did Jesus teach it? Matt. 11:27 "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."  If the Holy Spirit were a third equal being, would he not have known who the Father and Son were?  Would He need Jesus to reveal to Him who the Father was? 

 Did Paul teach it? Romans 8:6 "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."

 From the book, The Trinity by Whidden Moon and Reeve, "If indeed the Holy Spirit is a third equal person in the Godhead, then it only seems logical that we should pray to and worship Him."  Yes indeed, since we are admonished to worship God, then we must worship Him. But is that scriptural? Nowhere in Scripture is worship or prayer directed to the Holy Spirit. In fact in Jude 20 says that we are to pray "in the Holy Ghost." not to the Holy Ghost. Obviously their deduction is not correct, because it is not borne out in Scripture. Yet even in our church services we sing hymns that are prayers to the Holy Spirit, but because the trinity doctrine is so entrenched, no one seems to see the unscriptural nature of what they are doing, and Satan succeeds in his plan of hiding Jesus from view as "the Comforter."


 We can see that our beliefs will never be acceptable in the church, even though they are no different to James White and his two sons, whom the prophet affirmed many times as being especially blessed of God to correct the erring, and who were as true as steel to the cause of God. When we see a lying report that deceives the people, being advocated and promoted, while those who appeal for all the evidence to be laid openly upon the table,  are condemned as  being divisive, we can only conclude that our beliefs are not welcome, and that we could never function in any meaningful way within the church. As Mrs White said when Kellogg was advocating the trinity and receiving enthusiastic support, many had changed tracks, and were not even aware of it.

 I long that our fellowship could be on a deeper level than this.



With our love,

Geoff