Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-07-06
Pastor Russell's Sermon

III tue Atbu CuHpiSi VI Ut JOhh AO9
pei.
As for the holy Spirit the spirit of
Truth, the spirit Of God. the spirit OF
Christ, the spirit Of holiness, the spirit
Of a sound mlnd-it ls the antithesls,
or opposite of a spirit Of error. a spirit
Of vacillatlon, the spirit Of Satan, or
opposition to God, spirit Of un-
righteousness. or unhollness. These
are not different spirit beings, but
emanations from spirit beings. AS the
spirit Of Satan Is a spirit Of evil, or an
evil influence. mind or disposition. pow
sr emanatlng from Satan. so eontrariwise,
the spirit OF God is a spirit OF holiness,
righteousness truth. the emanatlon and
display OF the Divine Will. purpose. ener-
gy and power And this Holy Spirit pro-
ceeds from God the Father.
And our Lord Jesus Christ, being In tho
fullest harmony with the Father His
Spirit iB the same spirit OF holiness and
truth. And all Of Gods consecrated peo-
pie, to the extent that they have the mind
OF Christ. the Spirit Of Christ have the
Holy Spirit. and shed forth this holy in
1uence upon all with whom they come In
contact.
Thus we SEQ that there Ia a trinity Of
the Scriptures very different from the
trinity Of the creeds-a beautiful trinity.
Before we proceed to demonstrate tho
Bible trinity and to give an array Of
Scripture texts proving It, lot us glance
backward and note well the conditions
and circumstances which gave rise to the
erroneous theory OF the trinity set forth
in our creeds, namely. as stated by some,
that there are three Gods in one person
God the Father, God the Son, God tho
Holy Spirit Or, as stated by some other
persons. There Is one God In three per-
sons, or trinity Of Gods with one aim
and object
The Origin of the Error.
II will not be disputed that for more
than four thousand years there was no
suggestion Of a trinity OF Gods, nor Of
more than one God. amongst the Israeli
ties. The heather nations recognized gods
many--polythelsm--a at least one Of
these as having a trinity. But Gods peo-
pie were warned against all these, being
instructed IN these words, Hear, o Is
rael, the Lord our God Is one Lord-Jo-
hovah. Thou shalt have no other gods
Lmighty ones rulersl before me-" Deu-
teronomy vi. ~ II should be noted that
our Bible recognizes earthly gods or rul.
ers but none Of these were ever to rank
with the great Eternal One, whose Word
and authority must stand supreme with
those who would bo His people. Indeed,
the word clohim, as used In the Bible, and
translated gods. signifies merely mighty
ones.
Jehovah, being the Mightiest One Of all,
10 frequently referred TO by this word
eIohim. And sometimes, by way Of show
Ing His pra-emnence over other mighty
ones (olohip) HO 10 styled the ALI
Mighty One. Tho word oloMm 10 also
used In tho Bible in respect to angels,
because they are mightier than men, es-
peoially when they came 10 men as Di-
vine agents, bearing the Divine messago.
In one instance the term elohiHi, or gods,
10 used in referring 10 men-men placed
IN positions OF might or authorlty--the
seventy elders OF Israel.-Exodus xxi, 8;
xii, g. 0, q; Psalm lxxxii, Q.
As we shall shortly show, tho words Of
Jesus and the Apostles fully corroborato
tho teaching Of the Old Testament. adding
that Jesus 10 tho Son OF God, and that
the call OF this Gospel Ago 10 for tho
gathering Of the Church, 20 bo under and
associate sons. 'partakers OF the divine
nature"-If Peter 1, T.
II was after the death OF the twelve
Apostles that without Divine authority,
tho bishops OF the church were proclaimed
to bo the successors OF the Apostles, and
to possess Apostolic authority. as teach
ors In tho church. and whose words were
10 b0 taken as Of plenary inspiration. II
was these bishops In council who declared
tho doctrine that sxl Ia ono-that God 10
ono being OF three personalities or man
ifestationa all three being equal In power
and In glory. Tho question 10 Why did
they make such a gtatomentf Why should
they concoot so unscrptural and 80 un-
reasonable proposition? The answer is
that II was done to combat certain errors
prominent In their day They now from
ono extreme 70 another.
Al soon as Christianity became promi-
mont enough In the world 10 attract the
attention OF tho Grecian philosophers,
they confessed some OF It's teachings TO be
grand and noble, but they attacked the
thought that Jesus was moro than a man
and that His death was In any sense Of
the word necessary aH the Atonomont
price for tho sins OF the world In pro-
portion as they endeavored TO dlscredit
the Redeener and TO deny His prehuman
existence. proportionately did the othoF
party oxalt and oxtol Him. until they
claimed for Him that which neither lie
nor tho Apostles ever claimed. namely,
that lie was tho Father aa we'll az the
son--thAt He was not only equal 70 the
Father In power and glory, but was the
same In person. etc. etc.
hearken to tho Words Of Jesus.
| A ttNtla nnsi,Nttr. L.. et..rtk Nnr mara Nka -
great deal OF reasoning much more
than all the statements In all tho eroeda,
because tho Word OF God 10 TruNl, and
tho testimony OF our croeds has long ago
been proven untrue In many particulars
We viii take tho words of Jesus first OF
whom the Father said. 'rhs 10 My bo-
loved Son. IN whom am well pleased
Near w Himr-Mauhow ~. n; Luke *, IS
Jesus declared, MY Father Is greater
than L"-John xiv, &
MY Father 10 greater than an"-John
LN
"of Mine own Self can do nothlng,"-
John " g0
"As tho Father hath sent Me. 20 send
you "-John Ak. "a.
n came not to do Mine own win. bul
the win Of Him that pent Ma"-Johr
VI &
Thore is a unity hero manliestod-an ab
aolulo unity OF mind and purpose, heeaua'
the Redeomer sought not to DO Hts owl
will, but the Fathers viii Hence thoy
were one even ~ we will be ono with
each other II we az disciples are IN har'
mony with the Fathers VIII aud Word
and IN harmony with our Redeemer''
counaola
Hear josu0 agaIa' After Hlp death, af,sl
Ills resurrection, when speaking 10 Mary
He said, u have not yet assembled TO NJ,
Father, sse / ascend 10 My Father ant
10 your Father, TO MY God and 10 YOU
God" tjohu Xxx, NJ SAY yo OF Him WHOM
the Father hath ahnctlhed and sent int
the world, Thou hlasphemcnt because
said, em tho Bon OF OodP'-John 4, o.
Perhaps the strongest testimony Of tn
Scriptures rcapccting the exalted position
held by the ilodcemor N the word o