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The Trinity on Trial An in-depth examination of a doctrine

Peter's God


Carefully consider the following evidence from Scripture and for each verse ask yourself if Peter's God was a three person being or a one person being.

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Matthew 16:16).

Men, Israelites, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This Jesus, according to the pre-determined will and foreknowledge of God, was delivered up by the hands of lawless men, was crucified and you killed, whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.....This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, 'The Lord [YAHWEH] said to my Lord [Messiah], Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a stool for your feet.' Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him, this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:32-36).

"Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or godliness we made him walk? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers [Yahweh], glorified His servant-son Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had judged him to be released. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised out of the dead. To this we are witnesses. And upon the faith of his name, this man you see and know was made strong by his name, and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I know that you behaved in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foreproclaimed by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and be turned/converted, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send him who was foreproclaimed to you, Christ Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoration (apokastasis) of all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. Moses indeed said, "The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel, and those who came afterwards also, foreproclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God established with the fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant-son, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness." And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the Leader of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection out of the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them under arrest until the morrow, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. On the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the ruling priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or in what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are being examined today concerning a good work done to a lame man, by what means this man has been healed, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man that had been healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had bid them to go aside out of the Sanhedrin, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a known sign has been performed through them is manifest to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any one in this name." So they called them and charged them not to utter or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all men glorified God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing had occurred was more than forty years old. When they were released they went to their own and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Master (despota), You are the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who by the mouth of our father David, Your servant-son, did say by the Holy Spirit, "Why did the nations rage, and the people conspire? The kings of the earth stood together, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against His Christ.' For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant-son Jesus, whom You anointed (chrisma), both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the nations and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your predetermination had willed to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness, in that You stretch out Your hand unto healing, and signs, and wonders through the name of Your holy servant-son Jesus." (Acts 3:12-4:30).

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Company, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, "Cornelius." And he stared at him afraid, and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter, he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.".... The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became hungry and desired something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance (ekstasis) and saw the heaven opened, and a tent/tabernacle descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "No, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common." This happened three times, and the tent/tabernacle was taken up at once to heaven. Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate.... And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his kinsmen and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up, I too am a man." And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me." And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, saying, "Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter, he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.' So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been prearranged by the Lord." And Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. You know the word which he sent to Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. You know the word which came to be throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee with the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one set by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets testify that every one who believes in him receives remission of sins through his name." While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, "Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.... Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God.... If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us having believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the nations also God has granted repentance unto life. (Acts 10:1-11:18).

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To the chosen exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by the power of God power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may be found to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.... He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable Seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God. For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord abides for ever." That word is the Good News which was proclaimed to you....Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious to God, and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:1- 2:5).

As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of graceful things of God. Whoever speaks, speak as one who utters oracles of God. Whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies, in order that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom is glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.... For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God to do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:10-15).

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)

For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased" (2 Peter 1:17).

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