Over the years, several have pointed me to a page that contains the text of a tract, evidently written by James L. Melton, for "Bible Baptist Publications". The tract is entitled "The Bible Vs. Jehovah's Witnesses".
Although I am not associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses, the tract, if applied to the things I have written would actually misrepresent what I have written, even as it appears to do with the JWs.
The author did not appear, however, to be too concerned about getting the facts correct, but zealously made many false statements as though fact. Some of these are not that important, but there some that are very misleading.
The tract begins with Charles Taze Russell, who, by the way, was never a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization. The tract claims that in 1879, Brother Russell founded a magazine called "The Herald of the Morning". This is false. The magazine with the title, "Herald of the Morning" was founded in 1874 by Nelson H. Barbour. The magazine Brother Russell founded in 1879 was "Zion's Watch Tower".
It is claimed that Brother Russell incorporated "Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society" in 1884; this also is incorrect. "Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society" was formed in 1881, and it was not "incorporated" as claimed. In 1884, Russell was the main founder of the legal corporation entitled, "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society".
I point these errors out to illustrate that the author is evidently not fully concerned with getting the facts correct.
I agree with the author that one of the reasons God has given us the Bible is that of DOCTRINE. Nevertheless, sound doctrine as presented in the Bible is often confused with the doctrine of man, which has been formulated by thinking beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), and which doctrine has to be explained or reasoned by applying a lot of assumptions that have to be added to, and read into, the Bible.Most who do this, however, do not seem to be aware that they are actually thinking beyond what is written; many often claim that they do so because it is the holy spirit that is leading them into the truth.
I believe that the reason that many have sent me the link to the site is evidently because I am in general agreement with JWs that the Bible does not teach the trinity dogma, and/or because I belive that Jesus, having sacrificed his body of flesh for our sins, was not raised from the dead as a human being but rather as a spirit being, and therefore, that Jesus' return is not in his former body, but that he returns as a spirit being. I am also in general agreement with the JWs that those who go into the second death are not physically tormented forever. In each of these areas, however, I may disagree with the details as the JWs may present them.
As for the scriptures presented in the tract, most, if not all, I have already examined before on my various websites; in such cases, I will not be going into too much detail in this response, but will simply be giving links to the applicable studies I have presented elsewhere.
Is There a Trinity?
Contrary to what is stated, the Bible no where presents any idea that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a triune God; such an idea has to imagined beyond what is written, assumptions formulated to support that dogma, and these assumptions have to be added to, and read into, the scriptures to make it appear that the scriptures support what has been imagined and assumed.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 - Contrary to what is stated, there is nothing at all in the verse that says that every human is a trinity. Paul was speaking of the spirit (Ephesians 4:4; Philippians 1:27), the soul (Acts 4:32; Philippians 1:27), and the body of the church (Romans 12:4,5; Ephesians 4:4)
See my studies:
Is Man a Trinity?
The Spirit, Soul and Body of the Church
Spirit, Soul and Body
Genesis 1:26; 11:7 - It is claimed that "us" and "our" in these verses "obviously refer to the Holy Trinity." In reality, there is nothing at all in the words "us" and "our" in these verses that gives us any reason to imagine, assume, add to, and read into these verses that these words have anything to do with the alleged "Holy Trinity" which is never found anywhere in the Bible. If I say to my son, "Let us build our house according to our plans," I am not saying that my son is another person of myself. See my related studies:
Let Us and Elohim
Who Is God Speaking To?
Let Us - God Speaks to His Son
"Let Us" and "One of Us"
Matthew 3 - It is claimed that Matthew 3 we find all three members of the trinity. We do find that God is mentioned, not as being three persons, but as only one person. (Matthew 3:9-16) At Jesus' baptism we do find that Jesus is mentioned, but he is not said to be God or a person of God, and we find that the God and Father of Jesus speaks, and we also find that the Spirit of God (one person) is said to descend as a dove. All three are mentioned, but there is nothing that says that they are all three persons of God. We also find that John the Baptizer is mentioned.
See my related study:
Jesus, Spirit, Heavenly Voice - Trinity?
Matthew 28:19 - This scripture is quoted, evidently with the assumption that, as it reads in the common texts, that it is speaking of the imagined triune God. However, I do not believe that Jesus spoke the words as we find them in the extant Greek texts of this verse. According to the Shem-Tob manuscript, Matthew 28:19 simply says, "Go" followed by verse 19: "and teach them to carry out all the things which I have commanded you forever". No mention is made of baptizing in anyone's name. Eusebius' earlier quotes of Matthew 28:19 does having Jesus telling his disciples to baptize in his name, but no mention of the Father or the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, even as it reads in the extant Greek manuscripts, there is nothing in the words attributed to Jesus that warrants adding to the scripture the idea of three persons all of whom are the one Supreme Being.
See my related studies:
The Baptismal Name
One Name
1 John 5:7 - It is claimed that this scripture tells of three that bear record in heaven, evidently with the thought that this is referring to the alleged triune God. Although I highly doubt that John wrote of the heavenly testimony as it appears in the Textus Receptus, even in the words of the Textus Receptus we find no mention of these three all being members of a triune God. Such a thought has to be imagined, assumed, added to, and read into those words.
See my related studies:
1 John 5:7 - Does This Speak of Three As One God?
1 John 5:7 - The Usage of "Hen"
Three That Bear Record
John 1:1-3,14; 1 John 1:1-3 - It is claimed that Jesus is the Word (Logos), to which I agree, although I am sure that Mr. Melton imagines that these scriptures are speaking of the triune God. In reality, neither scripture says anything about a triune God, or that the Supreme Being is more than one person. See my studies:
Jesus' Prehuman Glory
Is Jesus "God" Whom He was With?
The Logos Was Theos
That Which Was From the Beginning
The Logos of God
What Beginning?
John 1:1 and Trinitarian Assumptions
Three Gods and the Trinity - It is denied that trinity is three Gods. I do not claim that trinitarians believe in three Gods, but I will state that some of the things the trinitarians say, if followed to their logical conclusion, would lead one to believe such, and if applied scripturally would end up with more than one God, more than one Supreme Being. Nevcrtheless, regarding this, I have heard ministers who believe in the trinity refer to the trinity as three Gods in one God. Additionally, many Christians and others who do not believe in the trinity have indeed stated words to the effect that the trinitarian believes three Gods in one God, etc., but I have endeavored to discourage such. On the other hand, the fact some may mistakenly refer to the trinity as three Gods does not make the trinity dogma truth; it only means that those who say such are mistaken in what they said. Additionally, the trinitarian may often complain that a non-trinitarian is misrepresenting the trinity when actually, the non-trinitarian may be just following the logical conclusion of applying certain trinitarian ideas to certain verses. At any rate, the trinitarian dogma is not found anywhere in the Bible; it has to be imagined and assumed upon any scripture presented that is claimed to support the added-on trinity dogma.
See my study:
About Jesus and His God
Psalm 19:1 - It is claimed that, according to this verse, creation declares the Trinity doctrine. Actually, there is nothing at all in this verse about a triune God, or that creation declares such a God. The heavens do declare the glory of the God and Father of Jesus. -- Ephesians 1:3,17.
Romans 1:20 - The same is claimed for this verse as with the last verse: that it is saying that creation declares the Trinity doctrine. In reality, there is nothing in the verse that offers any reason to imagine and assume that "God" here is speaking of a triune God. Indeed, Romans 1:1-8 consistently presents "God" as being only person, and "God" is consistently distinguished from Jesus, the Son of God. There is no scriptural reason for thinking that Paul did keep using the word "God" to speak of that same one person throughout Romans Chapter One, including Romans 1:20. This is in harmony with John 17:1,3, where Jesus says that his Father in the only true God, and also 1 Corinthians 8:6.
Alleged Trinities in Creation - We are presented with a lot of things in God's creation that is claimed to be proof of the trinity. In reality, none of the things presented offer any proof whatsoever for the trinity dogma. For instance, it is claimed that the "universe consists of three parts: Time, Space, and Matter." Does the trinity dogma claim that God is "three parts"? If so, this would mean that the Father is not wholly, or fully, "God", but rather, if applied as equal parts, it would mean that the Father is one-third of God; and so forth. Likewise, with all alleged creation proofs of the trinity presented; not one of them provide any proof of the trinity. Nor is the number "three" the only number that can be found in God's creation. God's Word, however, never testifies that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person; Jehovah is always depicted as being only one person, and Jehovah is always distinguished from being the one whom he sent forth.
2 Corinthians 12:2 - Evidently, it is thought that since Paul mentions the third heaven, it is being imagined this offers some illustration of the trinity. Peter mentions the three heavens as well as the three earths in 2 Peter 3:5-13. For this to present an illustration of what is claimed for the triune God, each of these would have equal to some whole, whatever that whole might be. Each of these heavens and earths do represent a part (not the whole) of God's plan for man, but none could be said to represent the whole of that plan. See my studies:
The Third Heaven and Paradise
Jehovah's Plan of the Ages
The Sun and Its Rays - The statement is made that "The sun has three kinds of rays: chemical rays, light rays, and heat
rays. Chemical rays cannot be seen or felt, but they can be very
powerful. When one receives a sunburn, it is from the sun's chemical
rays. This is a type of God the Father. Light rays are sometimes visible
to the human eye. This is a type of Jesus Christ." I do not know of any scripture that presents any of this as being a "type" of the Father and Jesus, but assuming this to be so, if one attempts to apply this to the triune God philosophy, it would not fit, since the trinity dogma claims that both the Father and the Son are wholly, fully God, thus not a part of God. This same principle hold true for all the alleged examples of trinities that are claimed to exist in God's creation. In fact, there is absolutely nothing in God's Word or in God's creation that presents any concept of a trinity as defined by the self-proclaimed "orthodoxy".
Understanding the Trinity - While even many trinitarians have presented comments that the trinity is not understandable, that is not the basis for not adding the triune God dogma to the Bible. Trinitarians often think that because the imagine and assume this, and imagine and assume that, which they then place over many scriptures, that one should simply accept what is being imagined and assumed as being fact. The real basis for not adding the triune God to the Bible is simply that such a concept is nowhere presented in the faith once delivered to the saints, and contrary to what trinitarians often claim, the faith as presented in the Bible is fully at harmony with itself without adding all that the trinitarian has to imagine and assume in order to make the scriptures appear to support the added-on concept.
See my studies:
The Real Reasons for Not Believing the Trintiy
Genesis 1:26,27 and Trinitarian Assumptions
John 1:1 and Trinitarian Assumptions
Jesus Christ is Deity - I will first state that I do not have any objection to the deity of Jesus, as it is presented in the Bible as related to the Hebraic usage of the forms of the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as God or god. The basic Hebraic meaning of the words for God/god is that of might, strength, power. As such it is used not just of Jehovah and false gods, but also of men and angels, and of abstract strength, power, as have demonstrated from the Bible itself in my study:
The Hebraic Usage of the Titles for "God"
There is nothing at all revealed in the Bible, however, that presents Jesus as being the second member of the alleged trinity, or triune God.
Related to this, see my studies to:
The Deity of Christ
The Eternity of Jesus - It is alleged that "Jesus Christ stands co-existent in Eternity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit." "In Eternity" to the trinitarian usually means "outside of time", "timeless", or having no beginning or end. In reality, there is no Hebrew or Greek word used in the Bible that corresponds with such a meaning. Jesus, however, now that God has raised him from the dead, is eternal, since he will never die again. But, although, many translations render certain verses with bias that Jesus existed from all eternity past, if the verses are examined carefully, we find that none of them actually support what is being claimed.
Zechariah 12:10 -- See my study: The One Pierced
John 1:1 - Most trinitarians ignore any application the Hebraic Biblical usage of applying common might or power to the Word in John 1:1 and assume the Greek word THEOS as applied to the Word in John 1:1 is in the sense of the Supreme Being. If one were to apply this assumption to what is actually written, it would literally mean that John was speaking of two different Supreme Beings, one Supreme Being who is with the other Supreme Being in the beginning of the world of mankind. Of course, the trinitarians have come up with a many assumptions that they add to, and read into, John 1:1 so as to explain this in such a way as to make it appear that John was writing about two different persons of the same one the trinune God, which concept is never once presented any where in the Bible. In reality, Jesus and Paul both identify the Father as the only true God (as meaning Supreme Being), thus the default reasoning should be that THEOS applied to the Word in John 1:1 is not in the sense of Supreme Being. Therefore, applying the Hebraic usage to the Logos in John 1:1 as many translations do in many other verses, it would understood as "the Word was mighty".
For more details concerning this, see the links provided at the John 1:1 Resource Page
God willing, I will be adding more to this as I have time...
