Is the Trinity "True or Not?" Debate #1: Are Trinitarians Polytheists as Jehovah's Witnesses Say?

Anti-Trinitarian & Oneness adherent Steve McCalip debates Trinitarian Mark McNeil (former Oneness Pentecostal & one time member of the United Pentecostal Church) on whether the historic Christian concept of God is true or false. As the Athanasian Creed states, "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal ... He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity." McCalip attacks the Trinity with practically every argument used by Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Mormons & every other cultic sect known. Mark McNeil, however, is able to answer every argument Biblically proving why the doctrine of the Trinity has stood throughout time. Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/ Christian Debater (YouTube channel: CANSWERSTV, websites: BIBLEQUERY.ORG, HISTORYCART.COM & MUSLIMHOPE.COM) produced & directed this debate.

When dealing with cultists who do not have the Holy Spirit within them through a "born again" experience as Jesus said must happen (John 3:3-8, 2 Corinthians 3:3) then you're dealing with people who have not the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:7), who can't see the truth (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) & are in the snare of the devil UNLESS God grants them repentance for they cannot do it themselves (2 Timothy 2:24-26) because it requires a supernatural & sovereign act of God to free them (John 1:12-13, Ephesians 2:8-10). We can't talk or argue anybody into the kingdom of God by our own power but we can certainly debate the issues with the heretics who think they know God (Titus 1:9-16).

The Holy Spirit is given in a once in a lifetime occurrence called being "born again" (John 3:3-8), thus you are permanently sealed by the Spirit into Christ until the day of redemption (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30).

WHAT MAN'S WORKS 'CANNOT' DO:
1. SAVE - EPHESIANS 2:8-10, TITUS 3:5
2. JUDICIALLY JUSTIFY - ROMANS 3:27-31, 4:2
3. FORGIVE SIN - ROMANS 4:6-8
4. RECEIVE THE SPIRIT - GALATIANS 3:2
5. ELECT YOU TO SALVATION - ROMANS 9:6, 11:5-6
6. FULFILL THE LAW - ROMANS 8:3, JAMES 2:10
7. CALL - 2 TIMOTHY 1:9
8. GIVE YOU REGENERATION - JOHN 6:63, TITUS 3:5
9. OBTAIN FAITH - ROMANS 9:32
10. KEEP ONE SAVED - 1 CORINTHIANS 3:15
Works manifest that a person is a professing Christian (Matthew 7:20, 12:35, James 2:18) & express a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) but they DO NOT earn salvation with the God of Heaven (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:15, Romans 10:4, Isaiah 64:6), get it? If you believe your works earn heaven then you are cursed by having a different gospel than the one the Bible preaches (Galatians 1:6-9).

Where the God of the Bible, the blessed Trinity is found in Scripture:
1. INCARNATION OF JESUS - LUKE 1:35 (ALL THREE)
2. BAPTISM OF JESUS - MATTHEW 3:16-17 (ALL THREE)
3. GREAT COMMISSION - MATTHEW 28:19 (ALL THREE)
4. DOXOLOGY - 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14 (ALL THREE) SEE ALSO: GAL. 3:11-14, 1 PETER 1:1-2, 1 THESS. 5:18-19
5. RESURRECTION OF JESUS - FATHER RAISED JESUS - ACTS 3:26, 1 THESS. 1:19 JESUS RAISED HIMSELF - JOHN 2:19-21, JOHN 10:18 HOLY SPIRIT RAISED JESUS - ROMANS 8:11, 1 PETER 3:18
6. CREATION OF THE WORLD - FATHER - PSALM 1003, NEHEMIAH 9:6 SON - COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 HOLY SPIRIT - JOB 33:4, JOB 26:13, GENESIS 1:2
7. EACH PERSON OF THE TRINITY IS ETERNAL- FATHER - PSALM 93:2 SON - MICAH 5:2, ISAIAH 9:6 HOLY SPIRIT - HEBREWS 9:14
8. ALL THREE HAVE INSPIRED SCRIPTURE - FATHER - 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 SON - 1 PETER 1 :10 HOLY SPIRIT - 2 PETER 1:21
9. ALL THREE ARE CALLED GOD - FATHER - 1 CORINTHIANS 8:6, JOHN 6:27 SON - JOHN 1:1, JOHN 20:28, HEBREWS 1:8, ROMANS 9:5 HOLY SPIRIT - ACTS 5:3-4

There is much more than this & to save some time here please go to our websites: BIBLEQUERY ORG (answers over 7900 Bible questions) & HISTORY CART (analyzes early Christian church history & what they taught). On the homepage of our BIBLEQUERY ORG there is a box to the left entitled, "Experience" & if you click on to that box & scroll down you'll find our newsletter section with one newsletter totally devoted to scriptural references to the Trinity (see also our newsletter on "Oneness Pentecostals" who also deny the Trinity). Church history (see our website HISTORYCART COM) proves the doctrine of the Trinity was taught long before Council of Nicaea. The Trinity was established in Scripture long before any of these other entities arose. Once again to see our videos on the Trinity (including debates) on the internet simply type "LARRY WESSELS BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY" in the YOUTUBE search box.

Part #1 of a 2 hour debate.

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[Gr8eskape]

I see why the Jews are confused at christian doctrine, the shema prayer says "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One", its safe to leave it at that.

[CAnswersTV]

@Gr8eskape Deuteronomy 6:4 (Shema), does not disprove the Trinity. The Trinity is the teaching that in the one God there are three distinct, simultaneous, co-eternal, and co-powerful persons known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The verse is saying that YHWH alone is God and is teaching monotheism. Also, the word for "one" in Deut. 6:4 is "echad," which is often used for describing a composite unity such as one cluster of grapes. See also Genesis 2:24 (1 yet 2).

[moogandfender]

This debate appears to be two Trinitarians arguing over the defnition of what "3 persons in 1 God" actually means. If Trinitarians can't agree upon their theological definitions regarding what is actually meant when talking about "3 persons in 1 God", the unbeliving and non-Christian world is certainly not going to settle the argument for them.

[CAnswersTV]

@moogandfender You're obviously very confused! Perhaps you're unaware of "oneness" advocates (see our newsletter on this at our website BIBLEQUERY ORG, once on our homepage click the "Experience" box & scroll down). "Oneness" advocates believe Jesus is the Only God playing all 3 modes by Himself but Trinitarians deny this (Steve McCalip would take great offence at you). See the second hour of this debate for a better perspective. McCalip hates the Trinity just like Jehovah's Witnesses & Muslims.

[EzekielTheWatchman]

Man i wish Mcneil would have ripped him apart when Steve said that Jesus didn't speak in a language that was hard to understand. Jesus spoke parables that even the Pharisees couldn't understand!

[CAnswersTV]

@EzekielTheWatchman Excellent point! You may be interested to know that Steve McCalip participated in a 4 hour debate with Christian Answers director Larry Wessels & your point was brought up during that debate. Check out "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #4: WHY DOES JESUS SPEAK IN PARABLES?" (copy & paste this title into the YOUTUBE search box to see it). Even though Mark didn't catch Steve on this point here, see what happens when Wessels & McCalip go after it.

[dsullfbc]

God the Father gave His Son? And you don't owe Him anything? Oh my may He have mercy upon your feeble words.

[EzekielTheWatchman]

@CAnswersTV Alright i'll watch it right away :D

[zmode82]

LOL! I began laughing when Steve brought up the "Who's on First?" chart.

[georgehuddo]

@ChristusVlCTOR John.3:16 says God so loved the world, that he gave His Only Begotten son so that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but should have eternal life. It doesn't say that God so loved the world that He gave Himself. He gave His Eternal son Micah 5:2. If I was to give my son as a sacrifice to save your life I wouldn't be giving you myself, but my Genes my Son would have, Christ is God expressed. The exact image of the Father.in the flesh, Son of man, Son of God See Phil 2:6-9