Decepto-Meter

Deceptive Quote & False Dilemma: Trinitarian

Although Henderson correctly says that the "Nicene concept of Trinity" is not in the Bible, he would say that early Christians and the scriptures clearly taught that Jesus was both pre-existent and fully divine!

Quoted by Anti-trinitarians

"The doctrine of the Trinity did not form part of the apostles' preaching, as this is reported in the New Testament." (Encyclopedia International, Ian Henderson, University of Glasgow, 1969, page 226)

The deception identified

1. Trinitarians agree! Surprise! Trinity is used in this quote to refer to the creedal definition of the trinity of the Nicene era 325 AD. All theologians (except for Arians/Jw's and modernists) agree that the New Testament and the earliest Christians viewed Jesus as God.
2. Although Henderson correctly says that the "Nicene concept of Trinity" is not in the Bible, he would say that early Christians and the scriptures clearly taught that Jesus was both pre-existent and fully divine!
3. The deception is in creating a false dilemma that attempts to say: If Nicene trinity is not taught in the Bible then that proves the Bible doesn't teach Jesus is divine.
4. But we could just as easily say this to Jw's: "The doctrine of the prohibition against blood transfusions did not form part of the apostles' preaching, as this is reported in the New Testament, but developed over many centuries... 20 to be exact!"
5. "The doctrine the church being governed from one world headquarters did not form part of the apostles' preaching, as this is reported in the New Testament, but first developed in 606 AD in Rome. (1300 years before Brooklyn and 2000 years to late to be in the Bible!) Jw's use this quote to create a false dilemma: They think that this quote proves trinity wrong. Actually the quote is right and the same encyclopedia openly states that Jesus was considered God in the Bible!