Instead of M and S, S brought her mom, P, this past Tuesday. M is training to be a pioneer, which is a full time missionary for WT. This is part of our conversation after a video about Charles T Russell. They brought it over because i had mentioned something about WT starting with CTR and not the disciples.
S-what did you think of the video? does WT still seem like it starts from just one man?
Me-i think the dvd was really good. it really shared a lot of Russell's faith journey.
S-like it said, trinity is not in the bible and yet churches teach it like it's truth.
Me-you're right.... hmmm... but the word bible is not in the bible either....how come the dvd teaches that trinitarinism like it's modalism?
Smom-what's modalism?
Me-what the dvd and the WT teaches. that Jesus is God is the Holy Spirit.
Smom-that is the trinity.
Me-no it's not. that's modalism. united pentacostal churches teach that. but that's only one church.
Smom-it doesn't matter, they are all the same.
Me-no, that's not true. modalism is God, Jesus, Spirit as 1 person 3 roles. the trinity is where 3 completely different persons, 1 divine nature. God the Father is greater than Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the helper. They are 3 different persons.
Smom-i have many Christian people explain to trinity like this: I am Pandora, I am a mother, a daughter and also a grandmother.
Me-that's modalism. Trinity is, Adam and eve, 2 persons, 1 union. also we are a church, ears, eyes, feet, hands, but 1 church.
Smom-that's not what our other christian friends explain it to us. we have never heard trinity being explained that way.
S-do you believe in the trinity?
Me-my community teaches...
S-no, you, Joanna.
Me-I do. because when i read the scriptures, nothing contradicts. God the father sends Jesus the Son. Jesus dies and resurrects, then Jesus the Son sends the Holy Spirit.
S-so do you believe Jesus has a beginning?
Me-In the beginning He was with God the Father.
S-was he made?
Me-if God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Spirit are 3 persons in 1, how could Jesus have been made if YWHW was not made?
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This is my plea!!! Preachers, Pastors, Teachers, USE God's Word to preach God's Word! This seems elementary, but so many of you have been wussified. You have sold your Bible for numbers. You have sold your calling for popularity. I wanted you to read what my conversation was because it shows how Christians cannot explain what the Trinity is right off without using another horrible modalism illustration. I am not talking about the church goers. I am talking about preachers, pastors, their wives, Sunday school teachers, leaders, and PARENTS. Great if you went or go to seminary and you do. Truth is, the largest percentage of conversions are Baptists turned JWs. I have talked to at least 10 JW's who used to be Baptists, or their parents are Baptists. They all said, I had a question about the trinity, or death, or hell, or being saved... and no one answered me. Or, they drew this diagram on a paper, told me they will get back to me, and never did. Or, it didn't make any sense and they didn't show me where in the bible. Again, it's not whether or not these questions were answered. It's about you selling out on Sundays, holding the Holy Bible of 66 books, and using several verses or even worse I've seen, ONE verse to "preach God's Word"! You only have 1 day, for what, 20 minutes, a week to speak to many of these people. What a GRAVE responsibility, at that pulpit that you hoard, to read Straight from His Word, His Mouth, and His Heart! How many of those words you preach every Sunday is your opinion on a specific topic? Let your people have His Words! They want it! If they don't want it, they don't want Him. If they reject you, they are rejecting Him. If you don't preach straight from the Bible, why should you expect your congregation open theirs any other days of the week? Just think about it. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Preach, the Word. End of rant. Thanks for reading.
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If you want to read more:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/2011-church-membership-southern-baptists-decline-cults-growing-48984/
This should make you mad at ourselves, specifically at the end when he lists that we believe in the "trinity -3 gods in one." A Jehovah's Witness's writing on wiki answers on the difference between Baptists and WT beliefs.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_Baptist_and_Jehovah's_Witnesses
