Jesus-Name doctrine

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Main article: Oneness Pentecostal

Jesus-Name doctrine is a term used to describe those who baptize only using the name of Jesus Christ. It is additionally expanded to include the Oneness doctrine, i.e., the oneness of God whose New Testament name is Jesus. Those in Oneness churches hail themselves as Jesus name. This identity is used by the United Pentecostal Church, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Apostolic Messianic and other groups. They explicitly reject the doctrine of the Trinity as an inaccurate interpretation of God. Those who hold to the Oneness doctrine use church history to prove the doctrine of the Trinity was slowly formulated over a period of more than three centuries.

Ancient Sabellianism or modalism is defined by some as the belief that the Godhead comprises one God that manifests himself in three different modes each at a different time (Father in creation, Son in redemption, and the Holy Spirit in regeneration). That definition is now disputed by those who are Oneness but who in recent years have chosen to be identified by a different theological ideology. Some modern Oneness Pentecostal scholars hold the words "at different times" objectionable. For example, modern-day Oneness Pentecostal theologian Talmadge French, in his book Our God Is One, points out the difference between sequential modalism and simultaneous modalism, and he indicates that modern-day Oneness Pentecostals do not teach or believe in sequential modalism. In Reality he is describing the beliefs of his Church, the United Pentecostal Church International.

The accusation of modalism by Roswell Flowler and E.N. Bell of the Assembly of God in 1914 forced the newly identified Oneness Brethren to explain their doctrine that Jesus was also the Father incarnate and the Holy Spirit. It is unclear who explained or how the sequential interpretation of three different modes of the Godhead was biblical. Most of the pioneer Oneness never heard of Modalism, Sabellius, Praxeas, Noetus, Monarchianism, or Patripassianism. The Assembly of God, the Baptist, the Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, the Methodist, searched for new and different ways to slander Oneness as a rebirth of ancient heresies. When they found what they believed was a heretical connection to Oneness, Oneness became labeled with all these different names and identities. Books on cults and heresies continued this slanderous bigotry against these Christians. Each time a new heretical name was thrown at Oneness brethren, or a new so-called ancient heresy was ascribed to them, they fought back. They soon learned in researching the slanderous names used against them that the trinity was invented over a two hundred year span from 100AD-325AD. They discovered the Nicene Council of 325AD when the trinity was ratified and made into church law by a creed. Sometime around early 1920 the sequential modalistic revelation of the Godhead was explained as “the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Spirit in regeneration.” This has been the interpretation of modalism by most Oneness afterwards.

– Dr. Gary Reckart^[1]

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Citing 1 Timothy 2:5, the Oneness doctrine holds that God is indivisibly one in number, and sees the biblical distinction between God the Father (the one Divine Spirit) and Jesus Son of God (humanity), as being a proper, observable father-son relationship distinction, except between an incorporeal transcendent eternal God as Father, and a corporeal human Son, in whom God manifested Himself for the purpose of salvation (1Timothy 3:16).

The Oneness doctrine confesses the Father and the Son but not in terms of the trinitarian philosophy taken from Plato. Oneness affirm the full deity of Jesus by holding that God chose to make Himself known to humanity in and through incarnation as Jesus (Matthew 1:23). According to this view, the deity of Jesus is confined to God the Father and does not refer to the human son born of Mary, nor does it refer to the flesh of Christ being divine as does the historic orthodox trinitarian doctrine.

In the sense that the one God and one man of 1 Timothy 2:5 co-exist simultaneously, the Oneness doctrine holds that God the Father exists simultaneously in the man Jesus. Oneness do not hold that Jesus was his own Father as this would mean the created flesh born in Bethlehem would be the creator of God. Trinitarians make this allegation but in many debates since 1914 they have been refuted every time. Jesus Christ of the seed of David, born of Mary, is considered the God-man because his humanity (body, soul, and spirit) is human in nature while his body, soul, and spirit is totally the incarnation of the Father.

Citing John 4:24 (God is a Spirit), the doctrine claims that the terms God the Father and Holy Spirit are references to the same one God, who is Spirit. In affirming that the Holy Spirit is God the Father, the doctrine holds that God’s own Spirit is not another divine person distinct from the Father.

Oneness doctrine holds that, according to Acts 4:12, the name by which man is to know God is Jesus. Other scriptures like Exodus 34:5-7, Isaiah 61:1-3, and Luke 4:18-19 are cited to prove that Jesus Christ is the epitome of the Father in which Father and Son are united and are the same by name and deity (thus the identity "Jesus Only."

One touchstone issue is the wording used when baptizing new believers. Adherents of this doctrine are taught that a person cannot be saved unless baptized by faith according to Acts 2:38 "in the Name of Jesus Christ. In contrast, the baptismal formula accepted by trinitarian Christianity is found in Matthew 28:19, which commands baptism in the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost. Oneness opponents of this formula point to several trinitarian scholars who now say the "trinitarian" clause was added to the Matthew text in the 2nd/3rd century.

A whole group of exegetes and critics have recognized that the opening declaration of Matthew 28:18 demands a Christological statement to follow it: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" leads us to expect as a consequence, "Go and make disciples unto Me among all the nations, baptizing them in My name, teaching them to observe all things I commanded you." In fact, the first and third clauses have that significance: it looks as though the second clause has been modified from a Christological to a Trinitarian formula in the interests of the liturgical tradition.

– G.R. Beasley-Murray^[2]

Oneness point to the book of Acts and baptisms there to prove none of the Apostles used the trinitarian formula because they did not know it. Thus, to Oneness, the development of baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is a post-Apostolic interpolation and corruption. Many Oneness Pentecostals believe Jesus actually said the words but believe the disciples understood and obeyed this command by baptizing in the triune name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Lord=Father, Son=Jesus, Holy Spirit=Christ). Thus to some Oneness like Andrew D. Urshan the three-in-one name of the trinity is seen in the one name of Jesus: viz. Lord Jesus Christ. Other Oneness see baptism only in the name Jesus Christ without reference to triune three-in-one names. See: ^[3]

Critics of the Oneness people refer to them as Jesus-Only, but most Oneness Pentecostals take that term as a trinitarian means to inflame anger and hate. Oneness prefer the phrase Jesus-Name when referring to their baptism beliefs or themselves as believers who were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ only (no reference to the Father or Holy Spirit). Oneness historians claim the usage of the term "Jesus-Only" is misleading many to believe they reject the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostal historian, Dr. Bernie L. Wade, explains that the reference Jesus-Only was devised as a slur to bring even greater division to the body of Christ. “Originally, Jesus Only was a reference to the ‘free’ pentecostal movement and later the ‘Latter Reign’ movement. Those who did not know the source or were uninitiated used the term as a red badge of courage. Trinitarian Pentecostals used the reference ‘Jesus Only’ to slur those who did not agree with them and attempt to discredit them as legitimate followers of Jesus Christ." ^[4] Rather than follow the lead of Pentecostal leaders such as Andrew Urshan ^[5] who encouraged ministers to come together and fast and pray for God to give us all wisdom on the subject, some trinitarians decided the answer was first to divide from the Oneness Ministers and then to hurl insults and rail against them. In modern times, writers such as Charisma’s, J. Lee Grady have written articles showing historically that those who disagreed with Trinitarian interpretations were called by their opponents "weird cousins" and other slurs. ^[6].

"We've been calling each other names since 1916," says a Fuller Theological Seminary professor who carries Assembly of God credentials. "It may take years, but we need to start arguing out our differences." ^[7]

"The reality is that Apostle Paul taught the New Testament Church to not allow schism to come to the body. He spoke of having a spirit that brings unity rather than division." ^[8] Dr. Wade, references the statement of faith of the International Circle of Faith ^[9], which censures any words that are not explicitly used in Scripture. "What our founders wanted was to create a place where those who truly believe in Jesus would be welcome and could 'come and reason together'. This is what the Scripture instructs us". ^[10] The ICOF censorship of non-biblical words includes both the words Trinity and Oneness (as well as Pope, purgatory, papacy, etc.) The ICOF would disagree that the word Jesus-name describes only Oneness groups holding that all followers of Jesus Christ should believe Jesus name. The ICOF would designate themselves "one God, Jesus name" ^[11]

All sides would agree that clarity is definitely needed when discussing this subject. Trinitarians teach three separate and divine persons in the trinity having each a separate will, body, and spirit. It is not semantics here that Oneness disagree with, it is making the name "God" to mean a nature whereas Oneness follow the Biblical revelation that God is one being, one Spirit, and one body. Trinitarians do not agree that this is just a semantic issue.

There are two groups who try to explain the division of the Trinity. Some understand the Trinity as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and "these three are three separate persons but yet one God. The reality is that these differ greatly from the Oneness interpretation who say these three are one God who manifest himself in three modes: Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Spirit in regeneration The real problem is the first group, the trinitarians who believe there are 3 separate beings in heaven. Dr. Wade describes the trinitarian view thus: "Or as I like to explain, “Two thrones and a bird perch” in heaven." These persons hold beliefs that are in opposition to Scripture ^[12][13]

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[edit] Footnotes/References

[edit] External links

• Oneness vs. Trinity links to differing views
• The Oneness of God Series in Pentecostal Theology, Volume 1 by David K. Bernard, J.D.
• [2] International Circle of Faith Doctrine
• Institute for Biblical Studies Oneness Pentecostal theological web site
• United Pentecostal Church International UPCI belief summary
• International Circle of Faith ICOF Statement of Faith
• Catholic Answers article on Trinitarian Baptism and other baptismal practices.
• The Trinity, the Definition of Chalcedon, and Oneness Theology
• Testimonies of Jesus Christ by believers of the Jesus-Name doctrine