In response to the May issue’s review of Bob James, a “oneness” Pentecostal, Cornelia Hutto replies as follows:

The Bible says the Holy Ghost overshadowed Mary and she conceived. Are the Father and the Holy Ghost the same? I submit that it is no harder to believe that Jesus is the expressed person of God, the manifestation, the embodiment of a Spirit (Who was the Father), in a word “His own Father” than to believe He could have TWO fathers. Col. 2 … in Him (Jesus Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily. The godhead is in Jesus, not Jesus in the godhead. Three manifestations of one God. No denial of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost. The Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Ghost in operation in the Church today. The Spirit (Father) had no body, created Himself a body … the Son (Jesus Christ). The Holy Ghost = simply the Spirit of God poured out upon the believers.

Cornelia Hutto

Hafley’s Response:

Who “poured out” the “Holy Ghost” “upon the believers”? Someone did (Joel 2:28; Jn. 14:26; Acts 2:17). Who was it? Perhaps Cornelia Hutto will tell us. Or did the Spirit of God pour out of (from) himself? If he did, let her, by citing pertinent passages, tell us that, too. Continue reading » Queries and Explications: More Comments on the Godhead

To material in earlier issues of Watchman regarding the number of persons in the Godhead, Mr. Bob James, replied thusly:

I notice your pagan false three god concept in your post. Your Mother Rome gave it to you and she will one day call you home. Your post on Jesus baptism is so full of error it would be a waste of time to answer it all.One mistake is at the very end where you use Heb.1:3 and the quote “they need to tell us how Jesus could be the express image of the Father’s ” person” if, in fact, according to their illustration, the Father is not a person.” Well only one ignorant of the original language and ‘hupostasis’ as being essence or substance and not person , not a person in godhead of three, not the false idea of creedal language and philosophers. You are in error as a trinitarian with a belief of three hupostasis instead of one , you even go against the Nicea Creed which anathamatizes you, exactly where you will be found on judgement day. Please try your false doctrine on those who don’t know better, it would be nice if you studied what we believe instead of what you here or think we believe.

Baptized in the only saving name of JESUS of which you don’t believe in or trust.

BOB JAMES

To Mr. James, I responded:

Dear Bob,

Thank you for your thoughtful letter. I always appreciate hearing from those who are willing to study the Bible. Accordingly, I suggest that we enter into a public, oral discussion of some of our issues of difference. Will you, or one of your brethren, be willing to study these vital issues with us so that we may all search the Scriptures? Continue reading » Queries and Explications: Comments on the Godhead

QUESTION: “According to Oneness (‘Jesus Only’) Pentecostals, the baptism of Jesus is against there being three persons in the Godhead. The voice of the Father and the coming of the Holy Spirit were manifestations, both audible and visible, for John the Baptist. There were two manifestations in Acts 2, tongues like as of fire and speaking in tongues (audible and visible). Would we say there were two persons there? No, because audible and visible manifestations do not make two persons any more than the smoke from an exhaust and the sound from an engine (audible and visible) would make two engines. So, they say, there was only ONE person at the baptism of Jesus. Would you please explain?

REPLY: If one has no theory to project or protect, the baptism of Jesus clearly presents to us three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead; namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Continue reading » Queries and Explications: The Baptism of Jesus

In this the first edition of Queries and Explications, I will endeavor to answer six common questions raised by “Oneness Pentecostals” who deny the Godhead in three Persons.

The answer is “no,” and here is why. First, the term, “name,” in John 5:43 does not refer to one’s proper name, like “John” or “Larry.” It refers to the Father’s authority. Jesus did not come in his own name; that is, he did not come by his own authority. Jesus did not speak by his own authority (Jn. 12:49). His doctrine was not his. It was not of his devising, but it was the doctrine which his Father gave to him to deliver (Jn. 5:30; 7:16; 8:28). In that way, he came in his Father’s name; that is, by his Father’s authority.

Second, see John 17. In verse six, Jesus says, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me….” In verse eight, he says, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me….” He made known the Father’s name, his power and authority, when he gave them “the words” which God had given him to speak. Further, he said, “I have given them thy word” (v. 14). Then, he said, “I have declared unto them thy name” (v. 26).

Third, in 1 Samuel 25:5-9, David sent some young men to Nabal and said, “Greet him in my name.” Verse 9 says they “spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David and ceased.” What does that mean? It means they spoke only those words which David authorized them to speak. They did not speak of their own accord, but they spoke the words which David gave them to speak. That is how they spoke “in the name of David.”

The Pentecostal might be asked if “the name” of the young men was “David.” Since they came in David’s “name,” does that mean that their name was “David?” No, it simply means they spoke only that which David authorized them to speak. Continue reading » Queries and Explications: Examining the “Oneness” Position