Debunking Christianity in Less than a Minute - A Discussion

Key Points of the Lecture

• Central Claim: Attempt to debunk Christianity and the Trinity doctrine in less than a minute.
• Jesus' Teachings: Jesus teaches in the Gospel of John that the only true God is the Father (John 17:3).
• Perceived Issue: If the only true God is the Father, then Jesus cannot be God.

Doctrine of the Trinity

• Development: The doctrine of the Trinity was developed by building on scriptural teachings.
• Coherent Models: The Trinity models recognize the headship or monarchy of the Father.

Monarchical Trinitarianism

• Entities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share one divine nature and are termed God.
• One God: Numerically identical to the Father, who is the ultimate source of the Son and the Spirit.
• Priority of the Father: The Father is the sole, ultimate, unsourced source of everything, including the Son and the Spirit.
• Substance: The Son and the Spirit are of the same substance as the Father, making them God in a predicative sense.

Scriptural Support

• John 17:3: The Father is the only person possessing aseity.
• Eternal Generation: The Son and the Spirit are eternally generated by the Father.
• John 20:17: Used by Dr. Joshua Sijawadi to support monarchical trinitarianism.

Early Church Teachings

• John Zizioulas’ View: Among Greek Fathers, the unity of God is in the hypostasis (person) of the Father, who is the cause of the Son and the Spirit's generation.
• Craig Keener’s Analysis: Jesus pre-existed his birth with special glory alongside the Father.
• John 17:5: Affirms Jesus’ pre-existence with the Father in glory.
• Moses vs. Jesus: Jesus is paralleled with God’s own revelation in early Jewish thought, not primarily with Moses.

Conclusion

• Context of John 17:3: Supports the Trinitarian doctrine, rather than debunking it.
• Research Importance: Validating the Trinity requires thorough research and understanding of the scriptural and historical context before making dismissive claims.