What we can prove

[iakov]

If we confine our thoughts to the book of the Acts of the Apostles in which we have a total of nine preaching lectures (Acts 2:22‐42, 3:12‐26, 7:2‐56, 8:30‐39, 10:34‐48, 13:1539, 17:22‐31, 24:14‐21, 26:2‐27), revealing a list of "core doctrines" presented repeatedly:

Nowhere within these nine discourses do we find trinitarian theology being taught or preached. In fact, its quiet the opposite.

The Trinity would have been the most important and groundbreaking doctrine of the day, yet we find no mention of it. Nor do we find any evidence of first‐century Christians persecuted for believing that Jesus is God. We do find them persecuted for believing Jesus is the Messiah, and that the Law of Moses has been superseded by a new covenant (e.g. Acts 6:11, 14). We do find riots and assassination attempts resulting from the Jews’ reaction to the Gospel message. But where is the uproar against the notion of a Messiah who is also a God‐man? Where is the backlash against a triune God? There is no such uproar; there is no such backlash; there is no outcry against Trinitarian concepts. On the Trinity and the deity of Christ, the preaching record and the Jewish response are both silent. In light of the Jews’ response to the Gospel message, this is inexplicable unless proto‐Trinitarian doctrines were not preached at all. And if they were not preached, why weren’t they preached?

Once again I enjoy your openeness and honesty, refreshing.

Why do you believe Jesus' divinity (his pre-existence), is an foundation doctrine when once again the subject is given no air time throughout the Apostles speeches?

The core message from Acts is Jesus, a human (Son of Man) raised and ressurected to life eternal.

In regards to Apollinarianism, I believe Jesus Christ was fully human and possessed a human mind though resisted its prompting to sin. The wrestling over the cup of suffering is one such instance were we see the battle of two minds. Jesus Christ accepting/submitting to the will of his Father and turning from his own will is something he did continually throughout his life. The Apostle James (and others) deal with the two minds in his epistle (James 1:8). Romans 8 is another chapter dealing with the two minds. How do we reconcile God being Jesus while in possession of a mind at odds against His own?

We find Trinitarians approach Scripture with a priori assumptions about its meaning and impose them onto the text. Personally I am interested in what the Bible is teaching rather than the teachings of men. The above list can be well established with strong Bible evidence and without special pleading.

F2F

<<If we confine our thoughts to the book of the Acts of the Apostles>>

Why would you do that when you have the entire Bible to instruct you?

<<Nowhere within these nine discourses do we find trinitarian theology being taught or preached.>>

So what? The Scriptures teach that there is One God (Isa 45:5,18,21,22); that the Father is God (Jhn 20:17); the Son is God (Jhn1:1, 14; Col 2:9), and the Holy Spirit is God. (Acts 5:3-4) That's one God in three persons. (That the Holy Spirit is person is attested to by the fact that He can teach, be grieved, be lied to, lead, comfort, give gifts...) It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the word "Trinity" describes that reality. (It shouldn't, anyway!)

<<The Trinity would have been the most important and groundbreaking doctrine of the day,>>

Wrong. The most important and groundbreaking doctrine of the day was the resurrection which gave the salvation of mankind from the power of death and the open gates of heaven to all who would believe, both Jew and Gentile.

<<Nor do we find any evidence of first‐century Christians persecuted for believing that Jesus is God.>>

First, the absence of evidence proves exactly nothing.
Second, The scriptures attest to the fact that Jesus is God. (John 1:1,14) and that the Jews understood that Jesus claimed to be God. (Jhn 10:33)

Also; who do you mean by "we"? You got a mouse in your pocket?

<<How do we reconcile God being Jesus while in possession of a mind at odds against His own?>>

Jesus is both God and man. As a rational man, He dreaded the ordeal to come. As God the Son, He was was perfectly submitted to the will of the Father.

Also see: On the Unity of Christ by Cyril of Alexandria.

<<Personally I am interested in what the Bible is teaching rather than the teachings of men.>>

That's the same lame excuse that so many heretics and crackpots use in the attempt to justify their non-Christian doctrines.

You are re-hashing nonsense which has been refuted well over a thousand years ago and arrogantly assuming that you are better able to understand the teaching of the apostles better than those who spoke the same language and lived in the same culture at the same time as the apostles and the greatest minds of the church.

So, we should pay any attention to your rehashing of ancient heresies and your conviction that you have hold of the truly true truth because you're so much smarter than all the great minds of the last 2000 years? GImme a break, already!