Question: Help us new generation of believers to understand the Doctrine of the ‘Trinity;’ and can you briefly explain the ‘Oneness’ Doctrine?
Question: Help us new generation of believers to understand the Doctrine of the ‘Trinity;’ and can you briefly explain the ‘Oneness’ Doctrine?
Answer: I’m tremendously honored to see the statistical trend, even news articles, about the Millennials attending churches in large number!
The Bible says, ““Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.” (1Timothy 3:16)
What Apostle Paul is saying to us, as believers, is, our God operated in our Salvation as a triune being, and having received this revelation to share with the body of Christ, is a most difficult thing to do, in terms of fully understanding it or trying to fully explain it. His conclusion is: one thing I do know about the Trinity – One God manifesting Himself in three persons: God the Father in creation, God the Son in redemption, and now, God the Holy Spirit operating in the Church, to bring us to glory.
Noted theologians and Bible scholars, alike, acknowledge that the word ‘Trinity’ is not found on the pages of sacred Scripture, but the concept of the word is found throughout the pages of the New Testament, and I dare to say, even in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament. In Chapter 1:26, where Elohim (the fullness of Jehovah God) is found, “Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” This could certainly be considered a ‘hint’ at the preparation for the introduction of the ‘Trinity’ in the pages of the New Testament, when Jesus [The Messiah] came on the scene, and at His baptism, we see the fullness of the Godhead [Father Son and Holy Spirit] present, in Matthew 3:16-17, “After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy.”
Many of Apostle Paul’s epistles give honor to the ‘Trinity.’ For instance, 2 Corinthians 13:14, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
The latter part of your question deals with The ‘Oneness’ Pentecostal Movement. In its early formation, it started with a group of believers within Pentecostalism that rejected the mainstream teaching of the Trinity. Today, Oneness Pentecostals differ from “Reformed Doctrine,” in that evangelicals in the Reformed Movement believe in these five truths: Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and glory to God alone: and that only “FAITH” in Jesus Christ is the essential element for SALVATION. Oneness Pentecostals defines the truth of salvation as, repentance, water baptism (in the name of Jesus Christ) and baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.
Hope this explanation summary helps.