Many false prophets and false teachers have gone out into the world. Some of them deny the personhood and divinity of Holy Spirit.
For example, the Jehovah Witness cult, in their Watchtower publication claim the Holy Spirit is “not a person” but an “active force”. Quote from their “(Reasoning from the Scriptures 1985, 81”
“...the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will...”
The Mormonism teaches the Holy Spirit is not the Third Person of the Trinity in the sense being of the same substance with the Father and Son. In short, Mormon teaching has the Father, Son and Holy Spirit basically representing a polytheistic 3 god trinity, in addition to all their other god inventions. In fact, Mormonism has more in common with other multi-deistic religions such as Hindu polytheism than it does with Christianity.
Cult founder Mary Baker Eddy of “Christian Science” (which is neither Christian nor Science) says the Holy Spirit is “Divine Science”
Eddy, Science and Health, 331-332
Theological aberrations and distortions span the theological landscape.
But thru thick and thin the doctrine of the Trinity has been successfully defended against the attacks of various false cults and isms though the centuries.
False teaching comes disguised in various colors, shapes and styles of sheep’s clothing.
Anti-trinitarian false teaching has taken several disguises which include the following: the Monophysite heresy (claims Jesus had one nature ), Binitarianism (denies Deity of the Holy Spirit), Unitarianism (denies the Trinity), Modalism or Sabellianism (claims that God is one person but manifests himself in 3 modes), Arianism (denies the Deity of both the Holy Spirit and the Son).
Per Binitarianism (Father and Son only, excluding the Holy Spirit)
Some modern churches holding to the false teaching of Binitarianism include the United Church of God, the Living Church of God and some other sects separating from the Worldwide Church of God founded by Herbert W. Armstrong
A few other sabbatarian (7th day) sects also hold to the Binitarianism false teaching.
Yes the Bible teaches us to beware of false teachers. A false teacher is someone teaching to follow ways not taught by God. They will tell you your eternal salvation depends on believing their interpretations of the Bible.
For example; they teach you must believe the Holy Spirit is x, y or z - (take your pick) and if you don't believe the Holy Spirit is x, y, or z then you don't know God and are going to hell.
Allow me to ask you; Did Jesus teach such a thing? Did Moses teach such a thing? Did the Prophets teach such a thing? If they didn't (and they didn't) you can bet the one teaching such a thing is a false teacher.
Please don't waste time sharing your interpretations of Scripture, demanding all submit or be doomed to hell. But all means post what Y'shua, Moshe and the Nevi'im explicitly taught.
You are right when you say that the ridiculous **CO-EQUAL heresy was written about before AD 325. The Lutheran Church and many other Protestant churches have also adopted the **CO-EQUAL heresy.
The Roman Catholic Church was the first to adopt the doctrine of the trinity in AD 325 which stated that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy spirit are **ONE**, **CO-EQUAL**{???} and each is **GOD**??? Do you agree with the Roman Catholic Church?? Unfortunately many other churches have adopted this **EQUAL** definition of the Trinity.
We teach that the one true God. is the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but of one and the same divine essence, **EQUAL** in power,{???} **EQUAL** in eternity,{???} **EQUAL** in majesty,{???} because each person possesses the one divine essence. -- Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
**EQUAL IN ETERNITY**{???} Why are there only **2 THRONES** in the eternal New Jerusalem for Jesus and the Father???
Question: Is Jesus **CO-EQUAL** with the Father?
**WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY**??
John 14:28: Jesus says, "If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the **FATHER IS GREATER THAN I**!"
John 10:27-30: Jesus says, "My sheep listen to My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is **GREATER THAN ALL**;
John 6:37,39,44,65: Jesus says, "**ALL** that the Father gives Me **WILL** come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will **NEVER** drive away... And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall **LOSE NONE** of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the Last Day.... No one can come to Me **UNLESS** the Father who sent Me **DRAWS HIM**, and I will raise him up at the Last Day!!... No one can come to Me **UNLESS** the Father has **ENABLED THEM**!!"
John 17:17: Jesus says to His Father, "Sanctify them by the truth **YOUR WORD** is Truth!!"
Deuteronomy 18:17-20: The Lord said to Moses, "I will raise up fpr them a Prophet from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put My words in His mouth. He will tell them everything I command Him. I Myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to My words that the Prophet speaks in My Name!"
John 14:23-24: Jesus says, "Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and **WE** will come to them and make **OUR HOME** with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me!"
Matthew 28:16-20:: Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to **ME**. Therefore go and make disciplesof all nations... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age!"
Jesus is the **HEAD** of God's Kingdom in the NT era until His 2nd Coming and **THEN** He will hand over His Kingdom to God the Father!
I Corinthians 15:23-24: For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the Firstfruits, then, when He comes, those who belong to Him. **THEN** He will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father!
There are 7 passages in the New Testament whiich state that we should only pray to God the Father!
Revelation 1:1: The Revelation from Jesus Christ, which **GOD GAVE HIM**!
John 14:28: Jesus says, "If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the **FATHER IS GREATER THAN I!"
Question: Is the holy spirit **CO-EQUAL** to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ**??
Colossians 1:15-20: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or autthorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the **HEAD** of the body, the church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremaccy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
John 16:12-15: Jesus says, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when hem the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. **HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN**; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me because it is **FROM ME** that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why i said the spirit will **RECEIVE FROM ME**what he will make known to you!"
God the Father told Jesus what to say in the 4 Gospels while Jesus told the holy spirit what to inspire the writers to write in the other books in the New Covenant!
Ephesians 4:7; 11-16: To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.... It is He who gives some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!.... Speaking the trruth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the **HEAD**, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work!
Jesus is called **GOD** 7 times in God's Word and is called **LORD** over 200 times in the New Testament, and is **WORSHIPED** 12 times in the New Testament, and God's Word tells us to only **WORSHIP GOD**!! While the holy spirit is never called **GOD** or **LORD** in God's Word and is **NEVER WORSHIPED** in God's Word!!
And in Hebrews 1:1-3,6,8; Paul is inspired to write: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word... God says, "Let all God's angels **WORSHIP HIM**!!" and about His Son God says, "Your throne, **O GOD** will last for ever and ever!!"
John 1:18: No one has ever seen God, **BUT THE ONE AND ONLY SON**!! who is **HIMSELF GOD** and in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known!!
Titus 2:13-14: We wait for the **BLESSED HOPE**--the glorious appearing of our great **GOD AND SAVIOR**, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to glorify Himself a people that are **HIS VERY OWN**, eager to do what is good!
Luke 3:16: John the Baptist said, "I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire!!"
And so **JESUS BAPTIZES** with the holy spirit and fire all whom God the Father have chosen!
Note: Jesus Christ is called the **LAMB** 30 times in the book of Revelation and the holy spirit is called the **7 SPIRITS** 4 times in Revelation:
Revelation 1:4: Grace and peace to you from the Father and the **7 SPIRITS** **BEFORE HIS THRONE** and from Jesus Christ!
Revelation 3:1: Jesus says, "These are the words of Him who **HOLDS** the **7 SPIRITS OF GOD**!" {See John 16:12-15 below!}
Revelation 4:5: In front of the {Father's} **THRONE** 7 lamps were blazing. These are the **7 SPIRITS OF GOD**. {See Revelation 1:4 above}
Revelation 5:6: The **LAMB** had 7 horns and 7 eyes which are the **7 SPIRITS OF GOD** sent out into all the earth! {See John 16:12-15 below}
And so Jesus **HOLDS** the 7 spirits of God in His right hand which **HE SENDS** out into all the earth.
Revelation 3:1,14;19-21: Jesus says, "These are the words of Him who holds the 7 spirits of God... These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation... Those whom I love I discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I {MY SPIRIT} will come in and eat with him and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on **MY THRONE**, just as I overcame and sat down with **MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE**!! These are the **ONLY 2 THRONES** in the eternal New Jerusalem as per Revelation 22:3 below!!!
Revelation 22:3:: The **THRONE OF GOD** and of the **LAMB**will be in the City {In our Eternal Home in the New Jerusalem}
Revelation 21:22-23: I did not see a temple in the City, because the Lord God Almighty and the **LAMB** are its temple. The City does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the **LAMB** is its Lamp!!
It is interesting to note that the holy spirit or 7 spirits are not even mentioned once in the description of our eternal home in the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:1-27 and Revelation 22::1-5, and that there will be only **2 THRONES** for the Father and Jesus the **LAMB** in the eternal New Jerusalem!!
If what you quote has a simple literal meaning not requiring interpretation then it will be considered as "explicitly taught in Scripture" and will be universally accepted as such. (except by gnostics)
