Why is it important that we have a biblical understanding of the Trinity? The teaching of the Trinity deals with the very nature of God. Denying the Trinity is a denial of the basic nature of who God is. Those (like Finis Dake) who worship three separate and distinct God’s are not worshiping and serving the same God as shown to us in the Bible. Finis Dake as a result taught a false god(s) and a corrupt and unbiblical view of the essential nature of God. While the Dake Bible and Dake’s “God’s Plan for Man” also deny that God is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Immutable and other essential aspects of God’s essential nature, this paper will focus on his denial of the biblical understanding of the Trinity.<\/p>\n
Finis Dake: Heretic or Biblical Teacher?<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\nThe teaching of the Trinity by the church is based on three specific and easily understood biblical teachings:<\/p>\n
1. The Bible repeatedly tells us that there is only One God<\/h3>\n
(not three separate Gods). Some verses that there is only one God include:<\/p>\n
\nDeut. 4:35; 6:4; 1 Kin. 8:60; Isa. 44:8; 45:5, 14, 22; 46:9; Dan. 3:29; Joel 2:27; Mark 2:7; 10:18; 12:29,32,33; Luke 18:19; Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:5, 6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19<\/p>\n
This ‘Oneness’ is not just three separate god’s working together in unity (which would be tritheism and which is what Dake teaches), but means that the essence, substance, what it is that makes God, God, in singular in nature. As the Athanasian Creed says, the essence or nature of God cannot be divided into portions .<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
2. The Bible also teaches that there are Three in One:<\/h3>\n\n- The Father is recognized as God. No debate exists here, and a number of passages teach this (John 6:27; 1 Pet. 1:2).<\/li>\n
- Jesus Christ is recognized as God. He Himself claimed attributes that only God possesses, like omniscience (Matt. 9:4), omnipotence (28:18), omnipresence (v. 20). He did things that only God can do (and the people of His day acknowledged this, though sometimes reluctantly), like forgiving sins (Mark 2:1\u201312) and raising the dead (John 12:9). Further, the New Testament assigns other works that only God can perform to Christ, like upholding all things (Col. 1:17), creation (John 1:3), and future judging of all (5:27). The last phrase of John 1:1 correlates true and full deity with the Word (Christ). The phrase is best translated \u201cthe Word was God.\u201d Consistent exegesis forbids the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses\u2019 translation \u201cthe Word was a god.\u201d The word \u201cGod\u201d does not have an article, and if it is to be understood as indefinite (\u201ca god\u201d) this would be the only time in John\u2019s Gospel that this form was used, making it highly improbable on grammatical grounds that it is indefinite here. John could not have chosen a more precise way of expressing the truths that the Word was God and yet was distinct from the Father.<\/li>\n
- The Holy Spirit is recognized as God. He is called God (Acts 5:3\u20134), He possesses attributes that only God has, like omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10) and omnipresence (6:19), and He regenerates people (John 3:5\u20136, 8), an exclusive work of God. Ryrie, C. C. (1999).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Athanasian Creed<\/strong> (written around A.D. 325).<\/p>\n“. . . That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence<\/strong>. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal.<\/strong> As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated<\/strong>; and one infinite<\/strong>. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God<\/strong>. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord<\/strong>. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Trinity is not the belief that God is three persons and only one person at the same time and in the same sense; that would be a contradiction. Rather, it is the belief that there are three persons in one nature<\/em>. This may be a mystery, but it is not a contradiction. That is, it may go beyond reason\u2019s ability to comprehend completely, but it does not go against reason\u2019s ability to apprehend consistently. Further, the Trinity is not the belief that there are three natures in one nature or three essences in one essence. That would be a contradiction. Christians affirm that there are three persons<\/em> in one essence. This is not contradictory because it makes a distinction between person and essence. To put it in terms of the law of non-contradiction, while God is one and many at the same time, he is not one and many in the same sense<\/em>. He is one in the sense of his essence but many in the sense of his persons. So there is no violation of the law of non-contradiction in the doctrine of the Trinity.<\/p>\nA Model of the Trinity.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\nBy saying God has one essence and three persons it is meant that he has one \u201cWhat\u201d and three \u201cWhos.\u201d The three Whos (persons) each share the same What (essence). So God is a unity (one) of essence with a plurality of persons. Each person is different, yet they share a common nature. God is one in his substance. The unity is in his essence (what God is), and the plurality is in God\u2019s persons (how he relates within himself). This plurality of relationships is both internal and external. Within the Trinity each member relates to the others in certain ways. These are somewhat analogous to human relationships. The Bible\u2019s descriptions of Yahweh<\/em> as Father and Jesus as Son says something of how the Son relates to the Father. Also, the Father sends the Spirit as a Messenger, and the Spirit is a Witness of the Son (John 14:26). These descriptions help us understand the functions within the unity of the Godhead. Each is fully God, and each has his own work and interrelational theme with the other two. But it is vital to remember that the three share the same essence, so that they unify as one Being.<\/p>\nSome Illustrations of the Trinity<\/strong>.<\/em> No analogy of the Trinity is perfect, but some are better than others. First, some bad illustrations should be repudiated. The Trinity is not<\/em> like a chain with three links, for these are three separate and separable parts, but God is neither separated nor separable. Neither is God like the same actor playing three different parts in a play, for God is simultaneously three persons, not one person playing three successive roles. Nor is God like the three states of water: solid, liquid, and gaseous. For normally water is not in all three of these states at the same time, but God is always three persons at the same time. Unlike other bad analogies, this one does not imply tritheism, however, it does reflect another heresy known as modalism. Most erroneous illustrations of the Trinity tend to support the charge that trinitarianism is really tritheism, since they contain separable parts. The more helpful analogies retain the unity of God while they show a simultaneous plurality, and there are several that fit this description.<\/p>\nA Mathematical Illustration.<\/em><\/strong> One aspect of the problem can be expressed in mathematical terms. Critics make a point of computing the mathematical impossibility of believing there is a Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead, without holding that there are three gods. Does not 1 + 1 + 1 = 3? It certainly does if you add<\/em> them, but Christians insist that the triunity of God is more like 1 x 1 x 1 = 1. God is triune, not triplex. His one essence has multiple centers of personhood. Thus, there is no more mathematical problem in conceiving the Trinity than there is in understanding 1 cubed (13<\/sup>).<\/p>\nA Geometric Illustration.<\/em><\/strong> Perhaps the most widely used illustration of the Trinity is the triangle. One triangle has three corners, which are inseparable from, and simultaneous to, one another. In this sense it is a good illustration of the Trinity. Of course, the triangle is finite and God is infinite, so it is not an imperfect illustration. Another aspect of the Godhead is that Christ is one person (shown as one corner of the triangle), yet he has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. Some show this aspect graphically by symbolizing Christ\u2019s divinity by the corner of the triangle and using another geometric figure, a circle for instance, to illustrate the human nature. At the point of the person of Jesus Christ, the circle is welded onto the triangle, human nature touching, but not mixed with, divine. Human and divine natures exist side-by-side without confusion in the Son. His two natures are conjoined in one person. Or, in Christ there are two Whats<\/em> and one Who<\/em>, whereas, in God there are three Whos<\/em> and one What<\/em>.<\/p>\nA Moral Illustration<\/strong>.<\/em> Augustine suggested an illustration of how God is both three and one at the same time. The Bible informs us that \u201cGod is love\u201d (1 John 4:16). Love involves a lover, a beloved, and a spirit of love between lover and loved. The Father might be likened to the Lover; the Son to the One loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love. Yet love does not exist unless these three are united as one. This illustration has the advantage of being personal, since it involves love, a characteristic that flows only from persons.<\/p>\nAn Anthropological Illustration<\/strong>.<\/em> Since humankind is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), it would seem reasonable that men and women bear some snapshot of the Trinity within their being. One illustration that causes more problems than it solves is to visualize the human being as a \u201ctrichotomy\u201d of body, soul, and spirit. Whether the trichotomist position is accurate, this is not a helpful illustration because body and soul are not an indivisible unity. They can be (and are) separated at death (cf. 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil 1:23; Rev. 6:9). The nature and persons of the Trinity cannot be separated. A better illustration based in human nature is the relation between the human mind,<\/em> its ideas,<\/em> and the expression of these ideas in words.<\/em> There is obviously a unity among all three of these without there being an identity. In this sense, they illustrate the Trinity.<\/p>\nThe main focus of thedakebible.com and this article is to point out the false teachings of Finis Dake. Since Finis Dake teaches Tritheism, our focus in this article will be in pointing out the many, many times that Dake denies that God is one in essence and nature. Dake teaches a ‘oneness’ only in relationship not in the essence of God. As a result Dake teaches Tritheism or the believe in three completely separate god(s). If you would like to read information that discusses all aspects of the Trinity, click the link below and choose an article to read. We do not want to repeat all of the information we have written on the Trinity and instead will try to focus specifically on Finis Dake’s corruption of the meaning, function, and essence of the Trinity in this paper.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\nOnly One God<\/h3>\n
The first principle of the doctrine of the Trinity is that there is only one, true, eternal, living Being who is God by nature and Maker of heaven and earth<\/em>. The doctrine of the Trinity is thus a rigorous form of monotheism and is absolutely hostile to polytheism in any form. Trinitarians do not believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate gods. Such an idea is tritheism which is a form of polytheism. Neither do Trinitarians believe that angels or men have been or will ever be God by nature. If these Trinitarian beliefs are true then what would we expect to find in the Bible?<\/p>\n\n- 1. We would expect to find in the Bible where God Himself says that He alone is God and that the gods of other religions are false gods.<\/li>\n
- 2. We would expect to find in the Bible where prophets, priests, kings, and apostles state that there is only one God and the gods of other religions are false gods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When we turn to the Bible, what do we find?<\/p>\n
Only One God<\/h3>\n
God dogmatically stated on many occasions that He alone is God and that there were no other gods before<\/em> Him; there are no gods besides<\/em> Him now; and there will be no new ones in the future<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n- \u201cSee now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me<\/em>. It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; And there is no one who can deliver from My hand<\/em>.\u201d (Deut. 32:39)<\/li>\n
- \u201cYou are My witnesses,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cand My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He, before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 43:10)<\/li>\n
- Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: \u201cI am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 44:6)<\/li>\n
- \u201cAnd you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.\u201d (Isa. 44:8b)<\/li>\n
- \u201cI am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God<\/em>.\u2026That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other<\/em>\u2026\u201d (Isa. 45:5-6)<\/li>\n
- \u201cI am the LORD and there is none else<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 45:18b)<\/li>\n
- \u201cDeclare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me<\/em>, a righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 45:21-22)<\/li>\n
- \u201cRemember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other<\/em>; I am God, and there is no one like Me<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 46:9)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is crystal clear from the passages above that God Himself states in unequivocal terms that there are no other gods before Him, besides Him or yet to be in the future. This is exactly what Trinitarians expected to find in the Bible. Thus, it is no surprise to find that prophets, priests, kings, and apostles taught exactly the same thing.<\/p>\n
\n- \u201cFor this reason Thou art great, O Lord God; for there is none like Thee, and there is no God besides Thee<\/em>.\u201d (2 Sam. 7:22)<\/li>\n
- \u201cso that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else<\/em>.\u201d (1 Kings 8:60)<\/li>\n
- \u201cO LORD, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee.\u201d (1 Chron. 17:20)<\/li>\n
- \u201cThou art the God, Thou alone<\/em>, of all the kingdoms of the earth.\u201d (Isa. 37:16)<\/li>\n
- \u201cSabeans\u2026will make supplication to you: \u2018Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, no other God<\/em>.\u2019\u201d (Isa. 45:14)<\/li>\n
- There is none like Thee, O LORD. (Jer. 10:6)<\/li>\n
- There is none like Thee. (Jer. 10:7)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one<\/em>. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God<\/em> (1 Cor. 8:4-6). There is one God (1 Tim. 2:5). The evidence is so overwhelming that even the demons understand that there is only one God (James 2:19). Yet, such cults as the Mormons teach that there are actually billions of gods and that they themselves will become gods and goddesses.<\/a>1<\/p>\nThe Only True God<\/h3>\n
The God of the Bible is the one \u201ctrue\u201d God in opposition to the \u201cfalse\u201d gods of the heathen:<\/p>\n
\n- \u201cAnd for many days, Israel was without the true God<\/em> and without a teaching priest and without law.\u201d (2 Chron. 15:3)<\/li>\n
- But the Lord is the true God<\/em>. (Jer. 10:10)<\/li>\n
- \u201cthat they may know Thee, the only true God<\/em>.\u201d (John 17:3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God<\/em> (1 Thess. 1:9). This is the true<\/em> God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols (1 John 5:20, 21). These texts demonstrate that such gods as Baal, Molech, Allah, Siva, Zeus, Ra, Thor, etc., are all false gods. They are not different names for the one true God of Israel. They are false gods because they are no gods at all. They are the creations of man.<\/p>\nThe Only Eternal God<\/h3>\n
The God of the Bible is the one true God because He alone is eternal while all the gods created by man have a beginning and will have an end. They are creatures of time and space while the true God is timeless and spaceless, i.e. infinite in all things.<\/a>2 The eternity of God is taught in the Old and New Testaments in such places as Gen. 21:33; Deut. 33:27; Isa. 40:28; Jer. 10:10; Rom. 16:26; 1 Tim. 1:11.<\/p>\nThe Only Living God<\/h3>\n
The one true God is a living Being and not a lifeless idol of wood, stone or metal. He has \u201clife in Himself\u201d and is thus eternally self-existent (John 5:26). He is called the \u201cliving God\u201d many times in the Bible in contrast to the lifeless gods of the heathen:<\/p>\n
The teaching of the Trinity by the church is based on three specific and easily understood biblical teachings:<\/p>\n
1. The Bible repeatedly tells us that there is only One God<\/h3>\n
(not three separate Gods). Some verses that there is only one God include:<\/p>\n
\nDeut. 4:35; 6:4; 1 Kin. 8:60; Isa. 44:8; 45:5, 14, 22; 46:9; Dan. 3:29; Joel 2:27; Mark 2:7; 10:18; 12:29,32,33; Luke 18:19; Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:5, 6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19<\/p>\n
This ‘Oneness’ is not just three separate god’s working together in unity (which would be tritheism and which is what Dake teaches), but means that the essence, substance, what it is that makes God, God, in singular in nature. As the Athanasian Creed says, the essence or nature of God cannot be divided into portions .<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
2. The Bible also teaches that there are Three in One:<\/h3>\n
\n
- The Father is recognized as God. No debate exists here, and a number of passages teach this (John 6:27; 1 Pet. 1:2).<\/li>\n
- Jesus Christ is recognized as God. He Himself claimed attributes that only God possesses, like omniscience (Matt. 9:4), omnipotence (28:18), omnipresence (v. 20). He did things that only God can do (and the people of His day acknowledged this, though sometimes reluctantly), like forgiving sins (Mark 2:1\u201312) and raising the dead (John 12:9). Further, the New Testament assigns other works that only God can perform to Christ, like upholding all things (Col. 1:17), creation (John 1:3), and future judging of all (5:27). The last phrase of John 1:1 correlates true and full deity with the Word (Christ). The phrase is best translated \u201cthe Word was God.\u201d Consistent exegesis forbids the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses\u2019 translation \u201cthe Word was a god.\u201d The word \u201cGod\u201d does not have an article, and if it is to be understood as indefinite (\u201ca god\u201d) this would be the only time in John\u2019s Gospel that this form was used, making it highly improbable on grammatical grounds that it is indefinite here. John could not have chosen a more precise way of expressing the truths that the Word was God and yet was distinct from the Father.<\/li>\n
- The Holy Spirit is recognized as God. He is called God (Acts 5:3\u20134), He possesses attributes that only God has, like omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10) and omnipresence (6:19), and He regenerates people (John 3:5\u20136, 8), an exclusive work of God. Ryrie, C. C. (1999).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Athanasian Creed<\/strong> (written around A.D. 325).<\/p>\n
“. . . That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence<\/strong>. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal.<\/strong> As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated<\/strong>; and one infinite<\/strong>. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God<\/strong>. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord<\/strong>. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Trinity is not the belief that God is three persons and only one person at the same time and in the same sense; that would be a contradiction. Rather, it is the belief that there are three persons in one nature<\/em>. This may be a mystery, but it is not a contradiction. That is, it may go beyond reason\u2019s ability to comprehend completely, but it does not go against reason\u2019s ability to apprehend consistently. Further, the Trinity is not the belief that there are three natures in one nature or three essences in one essence. That would be a contradiction. Christians affirm that there are three persons<\/em> in one essence. This is not contradictory because it makes a distinction between person and essence. To put it in terms of the law of non-contradiction, while God is one and many at the same time, he is not one and many in the same sense<\/em>. He is one in the sense of his essence but many in the sense of his persons. So there is no violation of the law of non-contradiction in the doctrine of the Trinity.<\/p>\n
A Model of the Trinity.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
By saying God has one essence and three persons it is meant that he has one \u201cWhat\u201d and three \u201cWhos.\u201d The three Whos (persons) each share the same What (essence). So God is a unity (one) of essence with a plurality of persons. Each person is different, yet they share a common nature. God is one in his substance. The unity is in his essence (what God is), and the plurality is in God\u2019s persons (how he relates within himself). This plurality of relationships is both internal and external. Within the Trinity each member relates to the others in certain ways. These are somewhat analogous to human relationships. The Bible\u2019s descriptions of Yahweh<\/em> as Father and Jesus as Son says something of how the Son relates to the Father. Also, the Father sends the Spirit as a Messenger, and the Spirit is a Witness of the Son (John 14:26). These descriptions help us understand the functions within the unity of the Godhead. Each is fully God, and each has his own work and interrelational theme with the other two. But it is vital to remember that the three share the same essence, so that they unify as one Being.<\/p>\n
Some Illustrations of the Trinity<\/strong>.<\/em> No analogy of the Trinity is perfect, but some are better than others. First, some bad illustrations should be repudiated. The Trinity is not<\/em> like a chain with three links, for these are three separate and separable parts, but God is neither separated nor separable. Neither is God like the same actor playing three different parts in a play, for God is simultaneously three persons, not one person playing three successive roles. Nor is God like the three states of water: solid, liquid, and gaseous. For normally water is not in all three of these states at the same time, but God is always three persons at the same time. Unlike other bad analogies, this one does not imply tritheism, however, it does reflect another heresy known as modalism. Most erroneous illustrations of the Trinity tend to support the charge that trinitarianism is really tritheism, since they contain separable parts. The more helpful analogies retain the unity of God while they show a simultaneous plurality, and there are several that fit this description.<\/p>\n
A Mathematical Illustration.<\/em><\/strong> One aspect of the problem can be expressed in mathematical terms. Critics make a point of computing the mathematical impossibility of believing there is a Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead, without holding that there are three gods. Does not 1 + 1 + 1 = 3? It certainly does if you add<\/em> them, but Christians insist that the triunity of God is more like 1 x 1 x 1 = 1. God is triune, not triplex. His one essence has multiple centers of personhood. Thus, there is no more mathematical problem in conceiving the Trinity than there is in understanding 1 cubed (13<\/sup>).<\/p>\n
A Geometric Illustration.<\/em><\/strong> Perhaps the most widely used illustration of the Trinity is the triangle. One triangle has three corners, which are inseparable from, and simultaneous to, one another. In this sense it is a good illustration of the Trinity. Of course, the triangle is finite and God is infinite, so it is not an imperfect illustration. Another aspect of the Godhead is that Christ is one person (shown as one corner of the triangle), yet he has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. Some show this aspect graphically by symbolizing Christ\u2019s divinity by the corner of the triangle and using another geometric figure, a circle for instance, to illustrate the human nature. At the point of the person of Jesus Christ, the circle is welded onto the triangle, human nature touching, but not mixed with, divine. Human and divine natures exist side-by-side without confusion in the Son. His two natures are conjoined in one person. Or, in Christ there are two Whats<\/em> and one Who<\/em>, whereas, in God there are three Whos<\/em> and one What<\/em>.<\/p>\n
A Moral Illustration<\/strong>.<\/em> Augustine suggested an illustration of how God is both three and one at the same time. The Bible informs us that \u201cGod is love\u201d (1 John 4:16). Love involves a lover, a beloved, and a spirit of love between lover and loved. The Father might be likened to the Lover; the Son to the One loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love. Yet love does not exist unless these three are united as one. This illustration has the advantage of being personal, since it involves love, a characteristic that flows only from persons.<\/p>\n
An Anthropological Illustration<\/strong>.<\/em> Since humankind is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), it would seem reasonable that men and women bear some snapshot of the Trinity within their being. One illustration that causes more problems than it solves is to visualize the human being as a \u201ctrichotomy\u201d of body, soul, and spirit. Whether the trichotomist position is accurate, this is not a helpful illustration because body and soul are not an indivisible unity. They can be (and are) separated at death (cf. 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil 1:23; Rev. 6:9). The nature and persons of the Trinity cannot be separated. A better illustration based in human nature is the relation between the human mind,<\/em> its ideas,<\/em> and the expression of these ideas in words.<\/em> There is obviously a unity among all three of these without there being an identity. In this sense, they illustrate the Trinity.<\/p>\n
The main focus of thedakebible.com and this article is to point out the false teachings of Finis Dake. Since Finis Dake teaches Tritheism, our focus in this article will be in pointing out the many, many times that Dake denies that God is one in essence and nature. Dake teaches a ‘oneness’ only in relationship not in the essence of God. As a result Dake teaches Tritheism or the believe in three completely separate god(s). If you would like to read information that discusses all aspects of the Trinity, click the link below and choose an article to read. We do not want to repeat all of the information we have written on the Trinity and instead will try to focus specifically on Finis Dake’s corruption of the meaning, function, and essence of the Trinity in this paper.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\nOnly One God<\/h3>\n
The first principle of the doctrine of the Trinity is that there is only one, true, eternal, living Being who is God by nature and Maker of heaven and earth<\/em>. The doctrine of the Trinity is thus a rigorous form of monotheism and is absolutely hostile to polytheism in any form. Trinitarians do not believe that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate gods. Such an idea is tritheism which is a form of polytheism. Neither do Trinitarians believe that angels or men have been or will ever be God by nature. If these Trinitarian beliefs are true then what would we expect to find in the Bible?<\/p>\n
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- 1. We would expect to find in the Bible where God Himself says that He alone is God and that the gods of other religions are false gods.<\/li>\n
- 2. We would expect to find in the Bible where prophets, priests, kings, and apostles state that there is only one God and the gods of other religions are false gods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When we turn to the Bible, what do we find?<\/p>\n
Only One God<\/h3>\n
God dogmatically stated on many occasions that He alone is God and that there were no other gods before<\/em> Him; there are no gods besides<\/em> Him now; and there will be no new ones in the future<\/em>:<\/p>\n
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- \u201cSee now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me<\/em>. It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; And there is no one who can deliver from My hand<\/em>.\u201d (Deut. 32:39)<\/li>\n
- \u201cYou are My witnesses,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cand My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He, before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 43:10)<\/li>\n
- Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: \u201cI am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 44:6)<\/li>\n
- \u201cAnd you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.\u201d (Isa. 44:8b)<\/li>\n
- \u201cI am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God<\/em>.\u2026That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other<\/em>\u2026\u201d (Isa. 45:5-6)<\/li>\n
- \u201cI am the LORD and there is none else<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 45:18b)<\/li>\n
- \u201cDeclare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me<\/em>, a righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 45:21-22)<\/li>\n
- \u201cRemember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other<\/em>; I am God, and there is no one like Me<\/em>.\u201d (Isa. 46:9)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is crystal clear from the passages above that God Himself states in unequivocal terms that there are no other gods before Him, besides Him or yet to be in the future. This is exactly what Trinitarians expected to find in the Bible. Thus, it is no surprise to find that prophets, priests, kings, and apostles taught exactly the same thing.<\/p>\n
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- \u201cFor this reason Thou art great, O Lord God; for there is none like Thee, and there is no God besides Thee<\/em>.\u201d (2 Sam. 7:22)<\/li>\n
- \u201cso that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else<\/em>.\u201d (1 Kings 8:60)<\/li>\n
- \u201cO LORD, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee.\u201d (1 Chron. 17:20)<\/li>\n
- \u201cThou art the God, Thou alone<\/em>, of all the kingdoms of the earth.\u201d (Isa. 37:16)<\/li>\n
- \u201cSabeans\u2026will make supplication to you: \u2018Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, no other God<\/em>.\u2019\u201d (Isa. 45:14)<\/li>\n
- There is none like Thee, O LORD. (Jer. 10:6)<\/li>\n
- There is none like Thee. (Jer. 10:7)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one<\/em>. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God<\/em> (1 Cor. 8:4-6). There is one God (1 Tim. 2:5). The evidence is so overwhelming that even the demons understand that there is only one God (James 2:19). Yet, such cults as the Mormons teach that there are actually billions of gods and that they themselves will become gods and goddesses.<\/a>1<\/p>\n
The Only True God<\/h3>\n
The God of the Bible is the one \u201ctrue\u201d God in opposition to the \u201cfalse\u201d gods of the heathen:<\/p>\n
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- \u201cAnd for many days, Israel was without the true God<\/em> and without a teaching priest and without law.\u201d (2 Chron. 15:3)<\/li>\n
- But the Lord is the true God<\/em>. (Jer. 10:10)<\/li>\n
- \u201cthat they may know Thee, the only true God<\/em>.\u201d (John 17:3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God<\/em> (1 Thess. 1:9). This is the true<\/em> God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols (1 John 5:20, 21). These texts demonstrate that such gods as Baal, Molech, Allah, Siva, Zeus, Ra, Thor, etc., are all false gods. They are not different names for the one true God of Israel. They are false gods because they are no gods at all. They are the creations of man.<\/p>\n
The Only Eternal God<\/h3>\n
The God of the Bible is the one true God because He alone is eternal while all the gods created by man have a beginning and will have an end. They are creatures of time and space while the true God is timeless and spaceless, i.e. infinite in all things.<\/a>2 The eternity of God is taught in the Old and New Testaments in such places as Gen. 21:33; Deut. 33:27; Isa. 40:28; Jer. 10:10; Rom. 16:26; 1 Tim. 1:11.<\/p>\n
The Only Living God<\/h3>\n
The one true God is a living Being and not a lifeless idol of wood, stone or metal. He has \u201clife in Himself\u201d and is thus eternally self-existent (John 5:26). He is called the \u201cliving God\u201d many times in the Bible in contrast to the lifeless gods of the heathen:<\/p>\n
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