ANTHONY BUZZARDS ARGUMENT AGAINST THE TRINITY

 Anthony Buzzard, a biblical unitarian theologian, holds that Trinitarian Christians are not true Christians
because they do not follow what he argues was the original belief system of Jesus and his apostles. This position is based on his conviction that the doctrine of the Trinity is a later, non-biblical development.

Buzzard's argument against the Trinity

• The Trinity as a later development: Buzzard argues that the idea of a triune God was a non-biblical innovation that emerged in the centuries after Christ. In his view, early biblical figures and Jesus himself would not have recognized this doctrine.
• Jesus as a human Messiah: Buzzard promotes a Socinian-like theology, asserting that Jesus was a human Messiah uniquely used by God, not a divine being himself. He teaches that the one true God of the Bible is God the Father alone.
• The "creed of Jesus": Buzzard calls for a return to the "creed of Jesus," which he defines as a Jewish theology of one God, the Father. His book Jesus Was Not a Trinitarian details his arguments for this position.
• Worship of Jesus: He asserts that the worship of Jesus by Trinitarians is a form of Christian idolatry that would have been alien to Jesus himself. While he acknowledges that Jesus is to be honored, he distinguishes this from the worship reserved for God the Father.
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Mainstream Christian perspective

Mainstream Christians strongly disagree with Buzzard's position.

• Traditional Christology: Historic Christian teaching, based on biblical interpretation and established over centuries, holds that Jesus is fully divine and part of the Triune God. Major creeds, such as the Nicene Creed, articulate the doctrine of the Trinity and Jesus' divinity as foundational to orthodox Christianity.
• Interpretation of scripture: Where Buzzard sees contradictions or later additions, Trinitarian theologians point to biblical passages they interpret as affirming Jesus' divinity and pre-existence.
• Heresy vs. doctrine: The church has historically regarded unitarian and similar non-Trinitarian views as heretical. Mainstream theology views the articulation of the Trinity as the faithful and necessary clarification of biblical teaching, not a departure from it. 
  

  Context of his position

Buzzard's views come from his affiliation with biblical unitarianism, a tradition rooted in the Radical Reformation. He was associated with the Church of God General Conference (Abrahamic Faith) and the Restoration Fellowship. The debate between Trinitarians and unitarians on the nature of Jesus has existed throughout church history. The Apostles never preached a trinity but rather affirmed there is only one God, the father.  1 Corinthians 8:6  along with the words of Jesus, John 17:3  Buzzard declares that due to incorrect translations as well as deliberate alterations are the source for the trinity doctrine. 


  Sir Anthony Buzzard on Christian mistakes - Trinities
Mar 16, 2016 — 

CONTRIBUTION BY GARY OF AUSTRALIA

 Thank you Lee, for inviting my comment on this much misunderstood subject, as I see it.

We have a law here in Australia that everyone who drives a motor car must keep to the left hand side of the road. It is not peculiar to Australia, but someone visiting from the States may find it a bit strange and off putting in relation to their personal experience of driving. And if a visitor might drive on the other side of the road inadvertently, they will be stopped by our highway police and dealt with according to the penalty system in place in Australia.

The Ten Commandments were given through Moses to the fledgling nation of Israel. (Ex 24:1-18; Deut 4:5-14) It was not obligatory on people of other nations unless those people visited or resided within Israel’s boundaries. (Num 15:14-16)

“While the Law was given specifically to Israel, its implications were intended to extend beyond the nation. Israel was called to be a "light to the nations" (Isaiah 42:6), demonstrating the wisdom and righteousness of God's commandments. The Law was meant to be a testimony to the surrounding nations of the greatness and holiness of the God of Israel.” (https://biblehub.com/topical/ttt/t/the_law_of_moses—given--to_no_other_nation.htm)

Driving on the left hand side of the road might be considered wrong in the USA, but it is not here in Australia. The issue is not ‘Who is right, or Who is wrong’. Rather, it is how we adjust our practices and attitude to drive safely and harmoniously in whichever country we are in.
 

The IMPLICATIONS of the Ten Commandments, it seems, are what Jesus drew attention to in his interchange with the scribe recorded in the gospel according to Mark:-

One of the scribes went to Jesus during the argument with the Sadducees. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of them all?" Jesus answered "The most important is, 'Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'The second most important commandment is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." The scribe said to Jesus, "Teacher, that was well said! You've told the truth that there is only one God and no other besides him! To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus heard how wisely the man answered, he told the man, "You're not too far from the kingdom of God." -(Mark 12:28-34)

So, I agree that being motivated by God’s love for people we should not need to rely on written rules to conduct ourselves lovingly, caringly and humanely toward others, nor insist others follow those rules just to satisfy our expectations.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY SHEPHERD THAT REMAINS

 Jesus is the only true shepherd left, there are no more shepherds since the Apostles died.  If you look at what claims to be Christianity in this world you should be able to see how divided it is.  Even in the days of the Apostles there were false Apostles and deceitful workers who were trashing the truth.  Jude, Paul, Jesus and Peter  wrote about them, Jude 1:4   2 Corinthians 11:13  Matthew 7:15   2 Peter 2:1,2,3  

There are many warnings about the great deception that already had begun when they were yet alive.  Imagine what happened after the Apostles were all dead.   Ezekiel 34:10  GOD and Jesus , after the deaths of all the Apostles, took over complete control of the Church.  Jesus said, John 10:11,14,15  also Isaiah 40:11  Ezekiel 34:11,12  1 Peter 5:4   1 Peter 2:25   Matthew 26:31   John 10:27,28  Psalm 23:1  Hebrews 13:20   Surly you can see there is only one shepherd of the sheep, the church, because all previous shepherds are dead.  Any human being claiming to be a shepherd is a liar.  These liars are the ministers of Satan in all the false Christian churches.  GOD calls out of these churches and out of the world the people HE calls HIS elect.  The elect saints do not attend any of this worlds churches, they are not attempting to fulfill the great commission, they are taught by GOD through Jesus Christ and have no need that any man should teach them, these elect are taught the truth by divine revelation just as the prophets and Apostles were, the confidence level of the saints is extremely high because they know these things having experienced them.  Others without the Holy Spirit who have never experienced what the elect have do not believe.  These carnal people truly think they have the Holy Spirit and know the truth but are in fact deceived.  These carnal people blaspheme the truth for this reason.  The things of GOD are foolishness to them, over spiritualized, hyper grace, put GODS justice over HIS love and attempt to keep the old covenant Ten Commandments thinking they bring life when they bring death.  Just like the Jews they are enemies of the gospel with cauterized minds that are not able in this age to be converted.  Their hope of which they do not understand is the second resurrection.  True Christians should not hate these people but as much as it depends upon us live in peace with them.  It has always been that GOD draws HIS elect saints to HIS son and then through HIS son teaches them the truth.  Jesus Christ is the only shepherd that now exists, no human leads any of the churches of the elect saints, they all acknowledge that Christ is the head of the church and that wherever two or three are gathered together Christ is there also.  Even though this writing is all true the vast majority of humanity will not believe it.

OUR WONDERFUL WORLD OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

 We are all so very blessed to have so many Christian churches to choose from.  There is the Jehovahs Witnesses, The Mormons, Lutherns, Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists , Baptists both northern and southern, Presbyterians, Methodists, Unitarians, Binatarians, Trinitarians.  How blessed we are to have such a wide and varied selection to chose from. 

There are so many I could not begin to list them all.  It does not matter that they have differences in doctrine we are all Christians just because we say we are.  There has been no mass deception by Satan so ignore Revelation 12:9  pay no attention to 2 Corinthians 11:12,13,14,15  and 1 Timothy 4:1  Paul really did not mean what he wrote in these verses.  All human ministers have been totally faithful in their handling of GODS word.  Why you and I could attend any one of them or even a group of them and we would do just fine.  It does not matter how many GODS you have or how you define what salvation is, any old gospel will do.  You can keep the whole law or just parts of it or throw the whole thing out.  We can all believe in whatever Jesus or gospel we want it does not matter at all.  Hey we are all Christians and we know that we are all in like flint with GOD, however you like to define HIM.  

I hope my readers realize that I am being facetious here in an attempt to show that all the churches of this world are false.  Hope I succeeded.

MODERN DAY HUMAN MINISTRY ARE NOT THE SUCCESSORS OF THE APOSTLES

 By OUTCAST

 Paul was the agent of Yeshua. He appointed Saul called Paul on the road to Damascus.

Paul did not assign anyone to be his agent. None of those "agents of Yeshua" appointed anyone to their their place. Man made that decision - and "the church" became wherever two or more followers of the teaching of the agents of Yeshua would gather and speak of the teachings they were given. Nobody was an agent after that - and therefor, no further texts could be added to scripture.

"As direct witnesses and messengers of the risen Lord, the apostles can have no successors…Apostleship in the sense of the original and fundamental ministry of the first witnesses and messengers died out with the death of the last apostle."

So, the Romans chose to make their own.

https://www.andrewcorbett.net/church-history/02second-century-church-history/

How could these errors be refuted by the early Church? The apostles had been the guardians of the truth and sound doctrine. But with their passing and the emergence of the second century, how could the Church truly know what was sound apostolic teaching? Ignatius (who lived toward the end of the first century and was martyred early in the second century [6] ) was the third bishop of Antioch. He was the first to suggest that the local bishop be regarded as the rightful source of sound doctrine.

Ignatius of Antioch sought to answer the problem of centrifugal movements by insisting upon the local bishop as the focus of unity; without him the lifegiving sacraments could not be administered. He gave this, so to speak, a vertical justification by claiming that the bishop is God’s representative on earth, an earthly counterpart corresponding to the heavenly Monarch, so that ‘we ought to regard the bishop as the Lord himself’. [7]

These comments came after Clement (30 – 100), one of the bishops of Rome, had written to the church at Corinth, in 96 AD, [8] and urged them to submit to their bishop. [9] Thus, it seems that the position of bishop initially changed in prominence for all good intentions. If bishops could be seen and promoted as the authorized teachers of apostolic doctrine, then the Church stood a better chance of repelling heresies, and perhaps more importantly maintaining unity.

But in striving to maintain sound doctrine and unity, the role of the bishop changed from its original concept of an elder/overseer. In the absence of the first century apostles, who formed the critical function in the leadership structure of the Primitive Church, the second century Church was now void of this vital functional leadership. The Church has always been reluctant to foist the title apostle on anyone other than those mentioned in the New Testament. But it will be seen that the leadership structure of the early New Testament Church was more than a foundational structure: it was a divinely ordered, prescriptive leadership structure. Consequently, when the first century apostles died, there arose a need to fill the void. And it was the bishops of the churches that organized themselves to fill the void.

Then, in the third century, the Roman church chose to change Yeshua as also being Yahweh. It has been a downhill slide ever since.

THE OLD COVENANT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

 Below are listed the blessings that do not apply to the old covenant Ten Commandments.  These blessings are only in the New Covenant.  Remember the Ten Commandments are the old covenant, and were not changed in any way by Jesus Christ.  Deuteronomy 4:13  Matthew 5:17,18   Moses put us under the curse of the Ten Commandments but Jesus became the curse for us and his covenant has no new condemnation, no more curse. Romans 8:1  Deuteronomy 27:26 

When the Ten Commandments were given to ancient Israel GOD said this, Deuteronomy 4:2 , Matthew 5:17,18   Joshua 1:7   Deuteronomy 12:32   Paul confirmed that once a covenant is made it cannot be altered.  Galatians 3:15   The new covenant cannot be changed or altered either.  The new covenant cannot be the old covenant or vice versa.  

Examine the scriptures given with each item below and hopefully you may see that the keeping of the Ten Commandments  provides none of the blessings that Jesus did in the new covenant.  We have GOD, Jesus and Paul saying plainly that the old covenant Ten Commandments and law of Moses can not be altered in any way which then would logically follow that all the better promises of the new covenant cannot be added to the old covenant.  

Righteousness Galatians 2:21  Philippians 3:8,9

Inheritance  Romans 4:14  Galatians 3:21,22  

Forgiveness  Hebrews 10:4  Romans 8:1  Colossians 1:14  Matthew 26:28

Mercy  Hebrews 10:28  Deuteronomy 17:6  

Justification Acts 13:39  Galatians 2:16  Galatians 3:11  Galatians 5:4

Faith Galatians 3:12  Deuteronomy 32:20KJV  Galatians 3:12  Romans 4:4,5 

Repentance       if there is no mercy or forgiveness under the Ten Commandments then this means repentance is not available in the Ten Commandments.

Holy Spirit       Ancient carnal Israel did not have the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 3:2

A Messiah       The old covenant had no messiah.

Everlasting life  Galatians 3:22  Romans 6:23 

GODLY love       Romans 5:5  Acts 2:38  John 3:16,17  Romans 13:10 

Shadow & symbolism with no substance  Colossians 2:17  Hebrews 10:1

Inferior promises Hebrews 8:6  Hebrews 7:22  2 Corinthians 3:6

No salvation Acts 4:2  John 14:6   Ephesians 2:8,9

No Baptism  There was circumcision required to keep the Ten Commandments but no baptism under the Ten Commandments.  Mark 16:16  Acts 2:38   Galatians 3:26,27

No Oath  Under the old covenant Ten Commandments the requirements to be in that covenant was circumcision and swearing an oath to keep the whole old covenant law, the Ten Commandments and law of Moses.  Jesus forbid oaths, Matthew 5:34   In the early church certain Jews wanted the Gentiles to do this; Acts 15:5  the Apostles ruled against their demands and wrote a letter ,  Acts 15:23,24KJV   This is not just about circumcision, because Moses did not give circumcision to Israel, John 7:22 Acts 7:8  

What does justify mean ?  It means to be absolved from blame.   GOD will impute righteousness to the person who is of faith. Romans 4:24  Impute means to be credited to a persons account.  Righteousness is what is imputed, what is righteousness ?  Righteousness is, being in a right standing with GOD.  Are the Ten Commandments able to make a person righteous? Galatians 2:21    The keepers of the Ten Commandments generate their own righteousness but not the imputed righteousness of GOD. Philippians 3:9  All human righteousness is filthy rags to GOD.  Isaiah 64:6  

 If you put yourself under the Ten Commandments you will have no inheritance with Christ.  Romans 4:14  Galatians 3:18,29   Titus 3:5,6,7   Everything written here is very plain.  If you want all the blessings that come from Christ you have to give up keeping the Ten Commandments, the old covenant, and enter the new covenant.   Christians do not sin with impunity as some have accused them but rather fulfill the intent of the Ten Commandments by the the two Commandments of Christ which Christians keep with GODS love.  Loving GOD and neighbor is not sin.  Christians begin to take on the divine nature of GOD and Christ, they no longer sin because of a commandment but because it is their nature.  2 Peter 1:4

TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO BE IN THE OLD COVENANT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The Ten Commandments are the core of the old covenant. Deuteronomy 4:13  Ancient Israel was commanded by GOD to accept a non Israeli who would agree to established conditions.  Exodus 12:48.  Numbers 9:14  Isaiah 56:6  Nehemiah 10:29

To enter the old covenant Ten Commandments a person had to swear an oath something that Jesus told Christians not to do.  Matthew 5:34,37,38  therefore Christians can’t enter the old covenant Ten Commandments.  Then it’s very obvious that physical circumcision for religious purposes is to be refused by Christians.  These facts just by themselves rule out Christians keeping the Ten Commandments, the old covenant.

The old covenant could never be altered in any way. Anyone who sinned by breaking the Ten Commandments would be killed.  Hebrews 10:28  there was no mercy with the Ten Commandments and they operate the same today, nothing has been changed just like Jesus said.  Matthew 5:18  the Ten Commandments death sentence for sinners still applies.  Anyone placing themselves under the Ten Commandments will sin and will die.  The Ten Commandments are not the gospel, do not produce salvation, have no faith mercy or justification.  The Ten Commandments are the ministry of death written on stone. 2 Corinthians 3:7  Christians are not under the old covenant of the Ten Commandments.  Ignorant people say, “then we can sin with impunity” because they cannot understand that GODS love fulfills the Ten Commandments.  Anyone under the Ten Commandments is solely responsible to keep them without any help from GOD, they are on their own.  The new covenant gives Christians the love of GOD by the holy Spirit that is the help we need to overcome our sins.  The Ten Commandments did not give GODLY love therefore no one under them could fulfill them.  

What the Ten Commandments demanded of us we could not do.  Romans 8:3   Jesus fulfilled the Ten Commandments with GODS love because GODS love is the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments.  This is how the saints keep the commandments of GOD and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Revelation 12:17   People that desire to be under the Ten Commandments will die in their sins because this is what the Ten Commandments were designed by GOD to do.  Romans 3:19,20   Christians are saved from the ministry of death , the Ten Commandments, by Jesus, who paid the penalty for our sins when we were under the Ten Commandments, so then, once the penalty is paid we are no longer under the Ten Commandments but are under the two greatest commandments Jesus gave, love GOD and love neighbor.  Because law keepers have never experienced any of these things they discount them and call them over spiritualizing or hyper grace.  Even though there are many scriptures that plainly explain GODS grace and love ends the Ten Commandments ability to kill Christians, these law keepers cannot believe or understand them.  

The Ten Commandments are the old covenant but it’s sad that multitudes of people still think they must keep the old covenant for salvation.  This line of thinking is not the new covenant and it is very obvious that law keepers are blind to this.