THE HOLY SPIRIT (‘Holy’ Is an Adjective, Not a Name)

THE HOLY SPIRIT (‘holy’ is an adjective, not a name)

GREETINGS, I am THEOPHILUS, a disciple of Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth who has been raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of His Majesty on High. I pray for Grace and Peace from God our Father, and from Yeshua (Jesus) who is God’s Anointed One, His only begotten Son.

I ask you to set aside your pre-conceived thoughts about “The Holy Spirit” in order to consider what I have to say. Yet, I pray you do not rely only on my words, but seek our God’s help in proving for yourself whether I have written truth. Please do not rely on me or anyone else, except Yeshua (Jesus) for His truth, for His instruction, or for His direction in your life. Otherwise, Yeshua (Jesus) will have to say on the last day, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

WHO IS GOD? “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” – Genesis 2:7

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He said His name is “Yeho-v’ah”. Most English translations read “The Lord” because of Jewish tradition. Rabbi’s substitute God’s name with “YHWH” (which is unspeakable because it has no vowels) so that when they read the Torah they will not accidentally says God’s name. Instead, they just say “The Lord”. Our English Old Testaments say “The Lord” over 6,800 times. The subtle effect of this is to dissolve the value of the Most High God by diluting his name with a common title of “Lord”. The title “Lord” is also applied to any man who hires or enslaves others to do his work, and “The Lord” applies to false-gods of any culture by any name.

I respect God’s proper name, “Yeho-v’ah”. It means “The One who is, who was, and is to come”. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Yehov’ah is the creator of the universe and all that is in it. He is the One who created

______

Theophilus, friend of God. All rights reserved. ‐ 1 ‐ THE HOLY SPIRIT (‘holy’ is an adjective, not a name) mankind in His own “image” and “likeness” and gave us His breath of life which makes us superior to all other creatures. He is the Father of the nation of Israel and the Father of Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth (the Son of God). Yehov’ah gave us His proof of all this by raising Yeshua (Jesus) from the dead and exalting Yeshua (Jesus) to sit at His right hand. God’s authority has been given to the Son of God over all the things in Heaven and on Earth forever.

WHAT IS GOD? John 4:24. God is spirit. Our Lord, Yeshua (Jesus) said: “God is spirit”

God is holy. God’s holiness, by definition, is one of a kind. He told Moses: “I, Yehov’ah (YHWH), am the one bringing you out of the land of Egypt (the land of slavery) to be your God – therefore you shall be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:45

God is love. God’s expression of His Love is Yeshua (Jesus). John, the apostle said: “Let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son [Yeshua (Jesus)] into the world, so that we might live by Him (His life in us). Not that we loved God, but that He (God) loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:7‐10

Here’s a summary:  God’s name is Yehov’ah (YHWH). (Ex 3:15)  God is spirit. (John 4:24)  God is holy. Leviticus 11:45  God is “love”. (1 John 4:8‐10) (GEN 1:27) Eph 4:24)  God created man in His image.  Man (Adam) sinned (and died spiritually) resulting in the universal curse. (GEN 2:16,17)  God so loved mankind that He sent His only begotten Son, in the form of flesh [and blood] (I COR 11:7) to be the sacrifice which could reconcile mankind with God.

Now, before you say anything, ask yourself this...

______

Do you agree Yeshua (Jesus) is God in the flesh? If so, you must agree He was full of God’s grace and truth (God’s divine nature, i.e. God’s spirit), and was tempted in every manner as we are tempted (in our flesh), yet without failing to maintain holiness in his life on earth. God’s spirit empowered Him to perform His Father’s will regarding his life in this world and his death on the cross for the atonement of those who choose to accept it.

And Yeshua (Jesus) did, in fact, give himself up to evildoers to be tortured to death as the sacrifice provided by God. This sacrifice of God’s own “unblemished lamb”, His Son, was holy enough to allow the forgiveness of our sin (our rebellion) in order to reconcile our relationship with God.

And by His sacrifice He destroyed the power of our enemy, “Evil”, which is the personification of our own lust for selfish gratification, and which brought about our rebellion against God in the beginning.

After his Son’s death for our sins, God raised Yeshua (Jesus) from the dead to be the first of many who can now become God’s children. As God’s children, we have the promise of being raised from death to eternal life, like Him.

As proof of His resurrection, Yeshua (Jesus) appeared in public to over 500 at one time in Jerusalem, and appeared many other times in private to His deciples. They talked with Him, touched Him (and his scars), and ate with Him.

______

BAPTISM INTO HIS HOLY SPIRIT

And then God gave these deciples of Yeshua (Jesus) a baptism (immersion) into God’s holy spirit (His Divine Nature) to help them spread the good news of God, and to empower them to live Holy lives in this world.

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His spirit.” I John 4:11‐14

Add these points to the summary:  God gave us His holy spirit as His “gift” which actually empowers us to “see” and “hear” with God’s eyes and ears and empowers us "that we might (ROM 8:29) Eph 4:24 be conformed (again)to His spiritual image”.  God expects us utilize His spiritual power to live a holy life as a child of (JN 1:12) God.

His spirit of holiness is given to us as a “gift”. It enlightens us, inspires us, and empowers us to transform (spiritually) into persons that resemble His Divine Nature that was fully displayed in His Son, Yeshua (Jesus). And God said His “gift” of His holy spirit serves as His “deposit” (a down-payment) on His promise to Eph 1:14 give us the same resurrection He gave Yeshua (Jesus) .

Therefore, I am here to share some facts I found in the Word of God about “the holy spirit” and the light which God has given to me as a result of seeking it.

GOD IS REASONABLE

Is 1:18 God said, “Let us reason together” . But, His thoughts are as far above our thoughts as the stars are above the earth.Is 55 And yet, He will teach us if we are willing to learn from Him.

______

Read Proverbs 1:20: “Wisdom calls out, she raises her voice in the public square; From the top of the city wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple‐minded love your simple ways? How long will you mockers delight in mockery and you fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn I will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Then you will call to me but I will not answer; you will look for me but will not find me, since you hated knowledge and did not choose to fear Yehov’ah [the Lord]. Since you would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, you will eat the fruit of your ways and be filled with the fruit of your schemes. For the waywardness of the simple‐minded will kill them.” Proverbs 1:20‐32

Who is this person called “Wisdom”? Is “she” really a person? No, “She” is merely a personification of the Wisdom of God. Wisdom is a body of thought which “speaks” to those who will listen and learn from it. This is much like “The Word” as written in the Gospel of John. The Word, or “Logos”, is defined in the Greek as a body of thought, concepts, and ideas, (i.e. the plan of God). God is personified in the New Testament as Yeshua (Jesus) and the Spirit of God is personified as “The Holy Ghost” (KJV 1611 a.d.), or “The Holy Spirit”, or “The Helper”, or “The Comforter”, or “The Advocate”, depending on your chosen translation of the Bible.

CAUTION: THE REMAINDER OF THIS LETTER CONTAINS STRONG SPIRITUAL MEAT AND IS NOT FOR YOU WHO ARE INFANTS IN CHRIST AND NURSING ON THE MERE MILK OF THE GOSPEL. IF THIS DESCRIBES YOU, PLEASE PUT THIS DOWN AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONSUME IT. THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS INDIGESTIBLE FOR YOU AND WILL MAKE YOU SPIRITUALLY ILL.

AS THE APOSTLE PAUL TOLD THE CORINTHIANS, “BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I COULD NOT ADDRESS YOU AS PEOPLE WHO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT BUT AS PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL WORLDLY — MERE INFANTS IN CHRIST. I GAVE YOU MILK, NOT SOLID FOOD, FOR YOU WERE NOT YET READY FOR IT. INDEED, YOU ARE STILL NOT READY.” (I COR 3:1‐2)

______

(Matt 13:11) Ok, you are still here, so here we go. It is written that “the secrets of the Kingdom” are given only to the disciples of Yeshua (Jesus). To those that do not sincerely seek God is given only parables so they cannot casually understand the Truth in their casual and flippant attitudes.

So, what is the Truth? “Jesus” is really an English transliteration of the Greek name “Iésous” (ee-ay-sooce') which is really from the Hebrew name of “Yeshua” (which means “God is salvation”) or “Joshua” in English. Yeshua (Jesus) was called “the Messiah” by his Jewish followers, and called “The Christ” by Greeks and Romans, but both are literally “The Anointed One of God” in English.

WHAT IS SPIRIT?

We must remember the basics about God and His Son, Yeshua (Jesus), in order to fully understand what is meant by “the holy spirit”. Here are the basics again:

 God is spirit. (JN 4:24)  God is holy. Leviticus 11:45  God is “love”. 1 JN 4:8‐10

 God created man in His image. (GEN 1:27) Eph 4:24)  Man sinned and died (spiritually). (GEN 2:16,17)  God so loved mankind that He sent His only begotten Son, in the form of flesh [and blood] (I COR 11:7) to be the sacrifice which could reconcile mankind with God.  God gave us His holy spirit (as His “gift”) which actually empowers us to “see” and “hear” with God’s eyes and ears and empowers us "that we might be conformed (spiritually, again)to His image”. (ROM 8:29) Eph 4:24

Question: If God is “Spirit”, then how could Adam have been made in God’s image? In what way did Adam resemble God (before his curse) that differs from our physical image? We have nothing in scripture saying our physical image is different from the original creation.

______

John 4:24 Remember, the Lord Yeshua (Jesus)said, “God is spirit”. .

Well, if God is spirit, then the change must have taken place in our spirit. What then is the image of God’s spirit that we lost? Moses writing about the Spirit of God :which is defined by Strong’s Concordance as ,(“ ַרוּח “) "in Genesis called it "ruwach

"breath; or wind (i.e., breathing); figuratively, [breath of] life, [breath of] anger [such as snorting of the nostrils]; by resemblance ‐ spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions), ‐ breath, mind, spirit."(2)

In the New Testament the Greek word “πνεῦμα” is transliterated as “pneuma” or “spirit”. It is translated as "ghost" in the Authorized King James Version of 1611. According to Strong’s Concordance, “pneuma” literally means:

"a current of air; i.e., breath (blast) or a breeze; or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. the rational soul (human), by implication, a vital principle (the life force), mental disposition; or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God: ‐ghost, life, spirit, or just the MIND."(2)

So, the word “pneuma”, just like “ruwach”, literally a force of air, can be translated as the MIND or MENTAL DISPOSITION. The “Mental disposition” means the "order, purpose, plan, direction, appointment, dispensation, natural 3 tendency; desire, INTENTION; or feelings."( )

Yeshua (Jesus) was put on trial by the Jewish religious leaders for His “crimes” against God. He was charged with blasphemy against God because He, being a man, stated He was the Son of God. In order to turn the Romans against Him, the Jewish religious leaders accused Yeshua (Jesus) of leading a revolution against Rome. The Roman Governor, Pontus Pilate, asked Him if He is the King of the Jews. Yeshua (Jesus) answered with these words:

______

“You are correct, but My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But, my kingdom is from another place.”(JN 18:36 NIV)

This statement by Yeshua (Jesus) was revealed to me as the key to correctly understanding everything He ever said in the scriptures. Whenever He spoke, it was not intended to teach us about worldly things, but about spiritual things(from above) because He said He and His words came from another place.

The best example of this is in Yeshua’s conversation with Nicodemus, one of the Jewish Pharisees and a member of the Jewish Ruling Counsel of Jerusalem. Yeshua explained to him the need to be “born again (from above)”.

Nicodemus asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Yeshua answered and said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit.” (JN 3:3‐6)

What does it mean to be born of spirit? It means to be born from above, “inside” you. And why did Yeshua have to explain that to a man like Nicodemus, who was a highly ranked Jewish Pharisee? Because God’s plan was to create a new thing in the world that had not been possible before. God created a way (in Yeshua Jesus)that all people can be permanently reconciled to God and live with Him in this world in spite of the weaknesses in their Flesh.

Paul describes this to the Colossians in Chapter 3: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your new life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: your sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (which is idolatry). Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

______

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and [you] have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” ‐ Colossians 3

This scripture refers back to Genesis, where man is created in God’s image. Paul also taught the Ephesians to “put off the old self” and put on the new self, [which was] Eph 4:24 created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness”.

When the Apostle Paul wrote "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind"(ROM 12:2), he was describing the act of repenting and being born from above by the pneuma (spirit)of God.

WHAT IS HOLY?

The Greek word for holy is Άγίος, ‘hagios’ (ha’-gee-os). It is an adjective describing what kind of spirit is given by God. The English definition is ‘holy’, but the Hebrew idiom of ‘holy’ is about being set apart as sacred for God’s service. By the way, the word translated from Greek as “saints” (another un-helpful translation) is actually “hagios” (holy ones). Those that serve God faithfully should be called the “holy ones”, not saints.

So, the holy spirit is actually God’s Breath of Life (mind-set, attitude, or life force), which is the holy presence of God. God puts His breath of holiness within us as a result of being washed by the blood of His Son. That is His gift, until we see His Son return.

______

THE DIVINE NATURE

The Apostle Paul spoke of these things about “The Divine Nature”:

ROMANS 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen…”

ROMANS 8:6‐7 “the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of pneumatos (His spirit) is life and peace;"

EPHESIANS 4:17‐24 “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about the Messiah (Christ) and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Yeshua (Jesus). You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Peter the Apostle also spoke of “The Divine Nature”:

II PETER 1:3‐4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

After understanding all this, it does not make sense to translate the Greek “pnuema hagios” to “Holy Ghost” nor to “Holy Spirit”. Those words look like proper names! They are at best, ambiguous, or at worst, they are deceiving. Why not translate “pnuema hagios” as the “breath of God”, or “breath of The Holy One”, or just call it “pneuma”?

In light of all this, please consider these scriptures. Let God’s thoughts guide you as you read:

______

 LUKE 1:15 "And he (John the Baptist) will be full of pneuma hagios: even from his mother’s womb”.

 LUKE 3:22 "and pneuma hagios came down upon (Yeshua (Jesus))"

 JOHN 20:22 "Yeshua (Jesus) breathed on them and said, 'Receive pneuma hagios."

 II CORINTHINANS: 3:17 “And the Lord is the pneuma, and where the pneuma of the Lord is, there is freedom".

 II CORINTHIANS 3:18 "But we all are being transformed into the same image as from the Lord, the pneumatos."

WHAT ABOUT GOD’S GLORY?

What if God considers it offensive to attribute any of His Glory to something or someone other than the Father or His Son?

“Thus says God, YHVH [Yeh‐ho‐v’ah, the Lord], who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: …I am YHWH (Yeh‐ho‐v’ah); that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. ‐Isaiah 42

It’s just a question. But wait, there’s more.

THE TRINITY?

“God in three persons, Blessed Trinity”, so says the song. What does it mean for God to be in three persons? By definition, a person is a separate entity. Why would anyone want to divide God into three persons to worship three Gods? Does the scripture point to three Persons who are Gods?

______

BUT WAIT! They say “The Holy Ghost” is the third person after “God the Father” and “God’s Son”. And yet they say these three are one and the same God. It is as if they wanted to have three Gods like the Greeks, Egyptians, and others before them. When someone pointed out the logical fallacy of “three persons are one god”, they said “We know your human minds can’t comprehend it, but you must believe it - it’s a great mystery of God.”

Really? Is The Trinity a tag-team that rotates as needed for prayer? You may have seen the following diagram that is intended to explain it:

The diagram shows The Father is God, The Son is God, and The Holy Spirit is God, but the Father is not The Son or the Spirit, The Son is not the Father or The Spirit, and The Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. But the three have to be all One God. If each is not the other, are they not three Gods? But those who defend The Trinity say, “That is the great Mystery of God!”.

That sounds like a textbook example of the psychopathic “gas-lighting” technique.

______

Psychologists use the term “gas-lighting” to refer to a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is trying to get someone else (or a group of people) to question their own reality, or perceptions. Gas-lighting is used by dictators, cult leaders, and abusers to brainwash and gain power over others. Google it sometime.

The scripture tells us about “THE GREAT MYSTERY OF GOD”. It is written in Paul’s letter to the Colossians in Chapter 2:

“the mystery of God, which is Christ,”

So, to those preaching The Trinity as the great Mystery of God, I ask, “What about this great Mystery: how can The Father who is Yeho-v’ah (YHWH), be the Father of Yeshua (Jesus), if The Holy Spirit is the Father of Yeshua (Jesus)? Look it up. (See Matt 1:20, Luke 1:35, Jn 4:28)

Another reason the diagram above cannot be true is because it disagrees with God’s own testimony in the scriptures. Scriptures such as this:

"Is this the way you repay Yeho‐v’ah [YHWH], O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father who bought you, who made you and formed you?" (Deuteronomy 32:6)

“I am a father to Israel (as a nation) … I will comfort them, … the days are coming, declares Yeh‐ho‐v’ah [the Lord], when I will make a new covenant… I will put my law (instructions) within them, and I will write it in their minds and on their hearts and I will be their God, and no more shall everyone teach his neighbor or brother saying ‘know Yeho‐v’ah’, for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest, says Yeho‐v’ah.” (Jeremiah 31:9‐34)

Regarding Yeshua (Jesus), our Father says: “Behold My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen [Anointed One], in whom My soul delights; I have put My spirit upon him;” (Isaiah 42:1)

The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible and did not come into use as a Christian ‘doctrine’ until after the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, centuries after the last books of the New Testament were complete. It is not a biblical concept. The

______

“Trinity” was not taught by Yeshua (Jesus) nor His Apostles. Instead, Paul the Apostle tells us:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world (greek philosophy) rather than Christ.” (COL 2:8)

The Apostle Paul probably wrote the New Testament Epistles (Letters) to the various congregations in Greek because they were writing to Greek Gentiles and Greek speaking Hebrews. And in the last days of the 20th century many texts of the Gospels have been found written in Hebrew to the Jews. I defer to the one who actually found them, Nehemia Gordon. Google his name for the details.

Many English translations of the scriptures have been made, but do not always (II TIM 2:15 NIV) “correctly handle the Word of Truth” as intended by the original authors. What then are we to say - the Word of God contains error? God forbid! The Word of God abides forever, but it has been translated into English by men with some preconceived ideas which they wanted to promote. The translations are subject to adulteration and must be confirmed or restored to the original intent of the Holy Ones of God who wrote them.

For example, the King James Translators (47 of them) based their work (1611) on the Bishop's Bible (1568) which was based on another version called The Great Bible (1539), based on the Matthews Bible (1537), the Coverdale Bible (1535), and the Tyndale Bible (1525). If it could make matters worse, all of those translations came from the Roman Catholic Latin Vulgate Bible (400 AD) which itself was not based on the original Greek texts, but based on Latin translations of the Greek texts. Interesting.

Here’s why this is important. In order to understand “holy spirit”, we must understand what it is NOT. Of the 5,000 ancient manuscripts of Greek scripture, 80%

______

Here’s the “three in one” text as quoted in the Authorized King James Version:

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”. I John 5:7

There is a footnote in the New International Version which states, “the King James Version of I John 5:7 came from “Late manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate [Roman Catholic Bible] … and [verse 7] is not found in any Greek manuscripts [the original copies] before the 16th century.” Interesting.

Peake’s Commentary on the Bible is very incisive in its comments:

“The famous interpolation after ‘three witnesses’ is not printed in RSV and rightly [so]. No respectable Greek [manuscript] contains it. Appearing first in a late 4th century Latin text, it entered the Vulgate [the 5th‐century Latin version, which became the common medieval translation] and finally NT [New Testament] of Erasmus [who produced newly collated Greek texts and a new Latin version in the 16th century]” (p. 1038).

Theology professors Anthony and Richard Hanson, in their book Reasonable Belief: A Survey of the Christian Faith, explain the unwarranted addition to the text this way:

“It was added by some enterprising person or persons in the ancient Church who felt that the New Testament was sadly deficient in direct witness to the doctrine of the Trinity which he favored and [he] who determined to remedy that defect … It is a waste of time to attempt to read Trinitarian doctrine directly off the pages of the New Testament” [Because it is not in there] (1980, p. 171).

My research tells me the term ‘Trinity’ was coined between 195 A.D. & 225 A.D. by a zealous man from Carthage, North Africa, named Tertullian. He was a Roman lawyer and a Catholic Priest, and wrote many papers in Latin about many things. He is most famous for being the earliest writer to use the term Trinity, with his new ‘Christian’ theology based on "three Persons, one Substance".

______

A study of ancient religions shows a Trinity God was not a new idea. The pagans from Babylon, Egypt, Canaan, and Greece had religions with three persons and one substance. Tertullian originated this new ‘Christian’ theology to the early Roman church, but it was not well received, because it resembled so many pagan religions.

In the decades after Yeshua’s (Jesus’) ministry, death and resurrection, and spanning the next few centuries, various academic ideas sprang up as to Yeshua’s (Jesus’) exact nature.  Was He God?  Was He a man?  Was He God appearing as a man, like a ghost?  Was He an illusion (like a hologram)?  Was He a mere man who became God?  Was He created by God the Father, or  Was He existing eternally with the Father?

During this time, Christian faith spread, and so many of the Roman citizens had become Christian that it became useful to the government as a unifying force to prevent factions from rebelling. Emperor Constantine, considered to be the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, was actually a sun-worshiper who was only baptized on his deathbed. During his reign he had his eldest son and his wife murdered. He was also vehemently anti-Semitic, referring in one of his edicts to “the detestable Jewish crowd” and “the customs of these most wicked men”—customs rooted in the Bible and practiced by Yeshua (Jesus).

In 325 A.D., Emperor Constantine called the great Council of Nicea for his political purposes, but there was a raging debate over the true nature of God’s Son. The controversy was labelled - the Arian Controversy. Bishop Arius held Yeshua (Jesus) was created by God, so He could not be as old as The Father. A Deacon named

______

Athanasius opposed the Arian views by asserting the view that The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were one and at the same time distinct from each other.

Under the emperor’s direction, the Council rejected the view of Arius as heresy and, having nothing definitive with which to replace it, approved the view of Athanasius (three-in-one), which was the minority view of the Council. The majority did not accept the notion of “three persons, one substance”, but the emperor demanded it because it would not offend all the Greeks and Romans who worshipped other gods of the same kind.

The official ‘Church’ was left in the position of officially supporting the three-in- one decision made at Nicaea to endorse a belief held by only a minority of those attending, from that point forward. Since then, the subject of The Trinity has been debated ever since in the Roman Catholic Academic Literature to find a way to justify. Here is a synopsis of the various writers struggling with The Trinity in the centuries that followed after Tertullian:

200 AD Tertullian wrote "which three are one" based on the verse in his Against Praxeas, chapter 25. 250 AD Cyprian of Carthage, wrote, "And again, of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost it is written: "And the three are One" in his On The Lapsed, On the Novatians, (see note for Old Latin) 350 AD Priscillian referred to it [Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Academia Litterarum Vindobonensis, vol. xviii, p. 6.] 350 AD Idacius Clarus referred to it [Patrilogiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina by Migne, vol. 62, col. 359.] 350 AD Athanasius referred to it in his De Incarnatione 398 AD Aurelius Augustine used it to defend Trinitarianism in De Trinitate against the heresy of Sabellianism 415 AD Council of Carthage appealed to 1 John 5:7 when debating the Arian belief (Arians didn't believe in the deity of Yeshua (Jesus) Christ) 500 AD Several orthodox African writers quoted the verse when defending the doctrine of the Trinity against the gainsaying of the Vandals. These writers are: A) Vigilius Tapensis in "Three Witnesses in Heaven" B) Fulgentius in "The Three Heavenly Witnesses" [Patrilogiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina by Migne, vol. 65, col. 500.] 500 AD Cassiodorus cited it [Patrilogiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina by Migne, vol. 70, col. 1373.] 550 AD The "Speculum" has it [a treatise that contains some Old Latin scriptures.] 750 AD Wianburgensis referred to it 800 AD Jerome's Vulgate has it [It was not in Jerome's original Vulgate, but was brought in about 800 AD from Old Latin manuscripts.] 1400 AD Waldensian (Vaudois) Bibles have the verse

Do you remember my earlier comments on ‘Gas-lighting’? There usually tends to be

______

Theophilus, friend of God. All rights reserved. ‐ 17 ‐ THE HOLY SPIRIT (‘holy’ is an adjective, not a name) a power dynamic when gas-lighting happens. The manipulator holds enough power that “the target of the gas-lighting is terrified to change up [the relationship] or step out of the gas-lighting dynamic because the threat of losing that relationship - such as the threat of excommunication from ‘The Church’. Anyone opposing the official position of the Church was in fear of excommunication. So ‘Church Fathers’ of the official Church competed with each other in their academic world to find ways to explain the official ‘Trinity’.

BACK TO THE SCRIPTURES

In today’s world, we now have these Bible translations, and many others:

1884 the Revised Standard, 1901 the American Standard, 1963 the New American Standard, and 1984 the New International Version, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

The NIV reaches back directly to the most ancient copies of the Scriptures from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Here’s the actual text of IJohn 5:7 from the oldest manuscripts:

“For there are three that bear record, the spirit, the water, and the blood: and these three ‐I John 5:7 agree.”

BUT, WHAT ABOUT THE PRONOUNS (AND THE PARAKLETE)?

But, you may ask, didn’t the Apostles intend to portray the “pneuma” (spirit) as a person like The Father and The Son? No, they did not. The pronouns “He” and

______

“Him” used by the English translators try to indicate Holy Pneuma was intended to be a name of a masculine person. The problem with “He” and “Him” regarding the holy “pneuma” is this: Greek nouns have genders. The Greek pronouns can be either male, female, or neuter, but the translation of the pronoun must match the gender of the noun.

The noun “pneuma” is neuter. So it is not honest to translate “pneuma” as if it were a “He” or “Him”, unless you have a preconceived DOCTRINE of it as a person, and you just call it “He or Him” because you are an expert and no one should question you. The word “pneuma” is neuter, so pneuma is an “it”.

As to the Paraclete, I question why Yeshua (Jesus) would need to turn us over to “another Helper” or “another Comforter”, or “another Advocate” (depending on how you translate the Greek word “paraclete”). Yeshua (Jesus) did not intend to introduce a third person. What He said was,

“another paracleton, the pneuma (spirit) of truth, will be with you always and shall teach you all things.”‐(JN 14:16)

So, Yeshua indicated His Spirit of Truth would remain with us after He returned to Heaven. Elsewhere Yeshua (Jesus) said He (Jesus) will be with us “always” and at (Matt 23) another time He said He is our “only” teacher . Why would He say such statements if He wanted to teach a third person would be sent to us?

The apostle John clarified this even further when he wrote,

“If any man sin, we have a “paraclete” (an advocate) with the Father, Yeshua (Jesus) the Anointed One, the righteous One.” I John 2:1

That means Yeshua will be our “Paraclete” (Advocate) and intercede with the Father for us. Yeshua seemed to say He Himself was indeed a “Paraclete” while

______

Theophilus, friend of God. All rights reserved. ‐ 19 ‐ THE HOLY SPIRIT (‘holy’ is an adjective, not a name) walking with His disciples in the flesh, but He would be “another (different kind of) paraclete” in spirit, after His resurrection and ascension to heaven while sitting at the “right hand” of the Father. He is using a figure of speech to personify His spirit “dwelling” among us. He seems to explain to His disciples that “the paraclete, the pneuma of truth” would be Yeshua (Jesus) Himself, in His spiritual form. Most bibles use the pronouns “He” and “Him” in the English translations to indicate the “paraclete” is a person, but it is not. It is only a personification of Yeshua’s pneuma (spirit).

Here is the way I would translate the Paraclete verses:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another (kind of) paracleton, that it may be with you forever — the pneuma of truth. The world cannot accept it [the pneuma of truth]*, because the world neither sees it [the pneuma of truth]* nor knows it [the pneuma of truth]*. But you know it [the pneuma of truth]*, for it* lives within you and will be in you forever.” ‐JOHN 14:16‐17 (*‘the Pneuma’ is the subject and neuter.)

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the paracletos, the pneuma, the holy one, which the Father will send in my name, it will teach you all things that I have said to you.” ‐JOHN 14:25‐27

When the paracletos comes, that [or which]* I will send to you from the Father, the pneuma of truth, which* goes out from the Father, that [pneuma] will bear witness concerning Me.” ‐JOHN 15:26‐27

“Unless I go away, the paracletos [the pneuma of truth] will not come to you; but if I go away I will send it to you. When it comes, it will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin [lawlessness] and righteousness and judgment;…” ‐JOHN 16:7‐8

“But when that thing, the pneuma of truth comes, it shall guide you into all Truth. It will not speak of itself, but will speak what it hears, and it will tell you what is yet to come. It will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the pneuma [of Truth] will take from what is mine and will make it known to you.” ‐JOHN 16:13‐15

______

Remember the speech by “Wisdom” at the beginning of this letter? “Wisdom” is not considered as a real person. If it was, we would have to call God a four-sided entity (a ‘Qaud’) instead of a ‘Trinity’. “Wisdom” (“She”) is merely a personification of the Wisdom of God which “speaks” to those who will listen and learn from it. “pneuma” is also personified as the spirit of God - “He” in some New Testament scriptures, as in “The Helper/Comforter/Advocate whom the Father will send”… as described in John’s Gospel.

John the Apostle said (1Jn 2:20),

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth… I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from Him(God, the Holy One) remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it (the anointing) has taught you, remain in Him (God). (I JOHN 2:20‐27) (Note: the Anointing of the Holy One is personified as a teacher)

Remember, the Greek word “pneuma” (spirit), just like the Hebrew word “ruwach” (spirit), can be translated as DIVINE NATURE, MIND or MENTAL DISPOSITION. The “Mental disposition” means the "order, purpose, plan, direction, appointment, dispensation, natural tendency; desire, INTENTION."(3)

When the Apostle Paul wrote "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (ROM 12:2) by renewing your mind" , he was describing the act of being born again (from above) by the pneuma (spirit of God) and continuing to be made more holy as you grow in the Christ.

______

BAPTISM of THE HOLY SPIRIT

Another scripture that is used to support The Trinity is Matthew 28:19. It has been translated as follows:

”Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mat 28:19 KJV)

This verse is contained in every Greek manuscript that is known! But, there is one big problem with it. The apostles were never recorded as doing baptisms in three names. The book of Acts only records them baptizing in the name of one person - Yeshua (Jesus). And, the rest of the New Testament does not even hint at the idea anyone else did baptism in three names. If Yeshua (Jesus) actually commanded it, then why did no one do what He commanded?

The answer may be that the verse was not really written this way by Matthew.

Evidence is known to strongly support the fact that someone inserted it at a later date to support their agenda. The church historian Eusebius lived from 265 to 340 a.d. During his life, Eusebius worked in one of the greatest Christian libraries of that day. He became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima about 314 AD. Together with a fellow named Pamphilus, Eusebius was a scholar of the Biblical canon and is regarded as one of the most learned Christians of his time. He wrote many books, including “Demonstrations of the Gospel”, “Preparations for the Gospel”, and “On Discrepancies between the Gospels”, all of which are studies of the Biblical text. If any manuscripts were known during his lifetime which quotes Matthew 28:19 the way we have it now, Eusebius would have known it. But, he quoted this scripture 18 times in his writings and every time, wrote it like this:

“Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all nations.” ‐Matthew 28:19 (Eusebius of Caesarea)

______

Yeshua (Jesus) did not say to make disciples in the name of anyone but Himself, or His apostles would have been recorded doing it. What Eusebius reported is supported by Luke’s report in the Book of Acts. The apostles told Luke that just before ascending to Heaven, Yeshua (Jesus) gathered them together and commanded them:

“Do not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father which you heard from Me; for John baptized (immersed) with water, but in pneuma you be baptized (immersed) with power not many days from now, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."‐Acts 1:8

In Acts it is also written,

“Peter said, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, into the name of Yeshua (Jesus) the Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the hagios pneuma’ (the holy spirit)”. ‐Acts 2:38

“Peter and John came and prayed for them, that they might receive pneuma hagion (holy spirit), for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Yeshua (Jesus)”. ‐Acts 8:15‐16

(JN 10:30KJV) Look, Yeshua (Jesus) said: “I and My Father are One.” He did not say “I and My Father are two out of three”.

His Apostles were not Trinitarians, either. Why should we be taught any doctrine they did not teach? Reading scripture without the doctrine of the Trinity will enable a clear understanding of what Yeshua actually intended us to hear in all His teachings – that we are temples of God’s spirit and He dwells in us. We are his vessels to do His will.

In support of all this, each of the Apostle Paul’s letters is started with a greeting - “Grace and Peace, from God our Father and from The Lord Jesus Christ”. No greeting of Paul’s is from “The Holy Ghost nor the Spirit”. These are Paul’s greetings:

______

Romans 1:7 – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ”. I Corinthians 1:2,3 – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. II Corinthians 1:1,2 – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Galatians 1:2,3 – “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 1:1,2 – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:1,2 – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:2 – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father.” I Thessalonians 1:1 – “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.” II Thessalonians 1:1,2 – “Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” I Timothy 1:2 – “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” II Timothy 1:2 ‐ Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Titus 1:4 – “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” Philemon 1:3 – “Grace and peace to you a from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.

If The Trinity is Truth, then The Holy Spirit person is completely unrecognized and disrespected by Yeshua and His apostles. Paul was either grossly negligent to not include the 3rd Person of the Trinity in his greetings to the Churches he founded, or Yeshua (Paul’s Teacher) didn’t explain it clearly enough to Paul.

I believe the Trinity Doctrine is the invention of worldly men who maneuvered into the leadership of the worldly churches (like wolves in sheep’s clothing) and they have suppressed the truth about holy pneuma being the Divine Nature of God which is dispensed by Him to us like living water and given as a gift to “Help” us in becoming Holy like His Son.

I believe the Pneuma of God is planted (born) within us, and it grows from a seed into a great tree (like a mustard seed) if we cultivate it (asking, seeking, knocking), nourish it (with prayer), and protect it (from worldly pollution). It is the GOD-like MIND breathed into us, reflecting the IMAGE OF GOD, filling our hearts and minds to help us perform GOD'S WILL, in accordance with GOD'S WORD. I believe the holy pneuma is a portion of God’s own mind and energy implanted in us (at the level we can handle at any given time) to comfort us and teach us God’s will as we struggle throughout each of our lives.

______

I believe we are not to be conformed to anyone else’s expectations. We are individually responsible for our relationships with God. Seek His knowledge and power to live by asking, seeking, and knocking at His door.

I pray you do not rely on my words, but seek your Father’s help in proving for yourself what I have written. Do not rely on me or anyone else, except Yeshua (Jesus) for your truth, for your instruction, or for your directions. Otherwise, He will have to say to you on the last day,

“Depart from me, I never knew you.”

May Grace and Peace be with you from God our Father and His Son Yeshua (Jesus).

Your friend,

Theophilus

______