The Plain Truth About the Trinity Doctrine

Then Simon came to the apostles Peter and John, offering money as a bribe, asking them to give him the power to lay hands on people and have them receive the Holy Spirit. Peter rebuked him strongly. But Simon proclaimed himself a Christian apostle, nevertheless, and called the pagan Babylonian mystery religion “Christianity.” He accepted the doctrine of “grace” for the forgiveness of sin (which the pagan religions had never had), but turned grace into license to disobey God (Jude 4). He aspired to turn his pagan religion, under the name “Christianity,” into a universal religion, to gain thereby the political rule of the world.

Simon, the “Pater” (Peter) of his counterfeit religion, did not accomplish this in his lifetime. But succeeding leaders, with the headquarters moved to Rome, did, later, gain political control over the Roman Empire and its medieval successor, called “The Holy Roman Empire.” This empire is in process of again being resurrected in Europe now!

Counterfeit Gospel

By the sixth decade of the first century, much of the Middle East had turned from the true gospel to a counterfeit (Galatians 1:6-7). As late as the a.d. 90s,the Apostle John was still living. He wrote the book of Revelation on the Isle of Patmos.

A little later the church started by Simon in a.d. 33, was trying to turn the true Christian Passover (Christ had changed its form from that of sacrificial lambs to unleavened bread and wine) into Babylonian ceremony, now called, in English, “Easter”—named after the goddess Astarte or Ishtar (pronounced “Easter” in some Semitic dialects).

After the death of the Apostle John, a disciple of his, Polycarp, waged a controversy over the Passover-Easter question with the bishop of Rome, by then leader of the church started by Simon.

Still later, another disciple of Christ’s true Christianity, Polycrates, waged a still hotter controversy over the same Passover-Easter question with another bishop of Rome. This theological battle was called the Quartodeciman Controversy. Polycrates contended, as Jesus and the original apostles taught, that the Passover should be observed in the new Christian form introduced by Jesus and confirmed by the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 11), using unleavened bread and wine—instead of sacrificing a lamb—on the eve of Nisan 14 (first month in the sacred calendar, occurring in the spring). But the Rome church insisted that it be observed on a Sunday.

About the same time another controversy was raging, between a Dr. Arius, of Alexandria, a Christian leader who died a.d. 336, and other bishops, over calling God a trinity. Dr. Arius stoutly opposed the trinity doctrine, but introduced errors of his own.

In a.d. 325, the Emperor Constantine called the Nicene Council to settle these controversies. Constantine was not then yet a “Christian,” but as political ruler he assumed control. The Council approved both the Easter-Sunday doctrine and the trinity. Constantine, then civil ruler, made it a law. But he was not able to make it truth!

Satan has deceived the entire world in regard to the very nature of who and what God is—as well as of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Also of the government of God, based on the spiritual law of God. And further, of what and why man is, what salvation is, how it is received, what is the true gospel, what and why the Church is and what of the future!

What Is God Like?

The word trinity is not used anywhere in the Bible. I am going to make completely clear, as we proceed, God has not limited himself to a “Trinity.” The surprising truth, once understood, is the most wonderful revelation the human mind could receive or contain!

The very first idea or teaching about God being a trinity began in the latter half of the second century—a hundred years after most of the New Testament had been written. The counterfeit Christianity spawned by Simon the sorcerer was promoting it vigorously along with the pagan Easter. But the true Church of God vigorously resisted it. The controversy became so violent it threatened the peace of the world. The then pagan Emperor Constantine called this Nicene Council to settle it. The Roman Emperor’s supporters greatly outnumbered the persecuted true Church of God.

You will find a prophecy of these two churches in the book of Revelation. In the 12th chapter is the prophecy of the true Church of God, greatly persecuted. Jesus called it “the little flock.” In the 17th chapter you will find the prophecy of the counterfeit church—a very great church, named by God “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots” (verse 5). She lined up with and sat astride the political governments. The whole world will gasp in wonder (verse 8) when this religio-political medieval “Holy Roman Empire” is brought back to life! It is now in the preliminary stages of forming, starting from the European Common Market!