Anti-Trinity Proof Texts Refuted

 

 

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John 8:42

"I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me."

 

 

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False Arian argument stated:

The expression "proceeded forth" indicates that Jesus was created by God who was the source of Jesus existence.

 

 

What John 17:3 is actually saying:

  1. The expression, "proceeded forth" in John 8:42 means nothing more than "Jesus came from the presence of the Father, being sent". The text teaches that Jesus was a human messenger that pre-existed his physical birth and came to the world by the incarnation.
  2. The Greek word for "proceeded forth" (exerchomai) is never used in scripture in the sense of creation point or origin.
  3. The same Greek word for "proceeded forth" (exerchomai) is used in both John 8:42 and Mk 5:8. Did the demons have their creation point in the man? Obviously not. So even if the actual meaning of John 8:42 was that Jesus came from inside the Father, it clearly doesn't mean that it was Jesus creation point any more than the demons from the man. But the expression "proceeded forth" in John 8:42 does not mean Jesus came from the Father as a source, but merely that the Father sent him forth.
  4.  

    John 8:42 "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth (exerchomai)and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.

    Mk 5:8 For He had been saying to him, "Proceed forth (exerchomai) from the man, you unclean spirit!"

  5. But more importantly, the following verses will prove beyond any question, that the meaning of John 8:42 means nothing more than "Jesus came from the presence of the Father, being sent".
  6.  

    John 17:8 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me;

    John 7:28 I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 "I know Him; because I am from Him, and He sent Me."

    Jn 12:49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me

    John 17:8 for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me.

    John 16:27-30 "because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth (exerchomai) from the Father. 28 "I came forth (exerchomai) from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father." 29 His disciples *said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly, and are not using a figure of speech. 30 "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from (exerchomai) God."

  7. Analysis of John 16:27-30 proves that the expression "proceeded forth" means being sent by God, not a creation point. Three times the Greek word "exerchomai" is used in this text, twice by Jesus and once by the disciples. The disciples were having difficulty believing that Jesus was sent by the Father as a messenger of the Gospel. The Arian argument would have the disciples grappling to believe that Jesus was created by the Father. The text would therefore read according to the false Arian view, "I was created by the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father. ... "Now we know that You know all things ... by this we believe that You were created by God." To imagine that the disciples were having a "faith problem" believing Jesus was a creature, is something even anti-Trinitarians could not maintain. If they failed to believe Jesus was a creature, they must have been under the false impression that Jesus was God. So here we have a passage where, according to Arian logic, the disciples already believed Jesus to be God and Jesus was trying to convince them he was not God, but a creature. Of course the truth is that the disciples were grappling with the fact that Jesus was a human messenger that pre-existed his physical birth. They were grappling with the incarnation.

 

 

 

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