ARCHAEOLOGY/ HISTORY
EASTER
In Christian circles, Easter is regarded as the commemoration of Christ's death, the act of salvation for humankind. Because Easter is so highly esteemed we decided to write a piece regarding the origination of this holiday. For those who are interested in knowing more than just the originations of the holiday, we've provided the URLs to the information so you can also read the church history of Easter.

Before we begin, we wish to acknowledge that the word "Easter" appears in the King James Version at Acts 12:4, which states:
"And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people."
Many people don't realize that this is actually a mistranslation of scripture. According to the online interlinear bible at http://www.scripture4all.org , the verse is actually rendered as:
"....intending after the passover to-be-up-leading him to-the people."
The interlinear is a literal word-for-word translation of the original bible text. Thus, in the original bible writing it was speaking of the Jewish passover celebration, not a newly Christian "Easter" observance. This mistranslation in the King James Version was corrected in the New King James Version, where it is written:
"So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after passover."
Having pointed this out, on with the information:

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05224d.htm
Easter Eggs
Because the use of eggs was forbidden during Lent, they were brought to the table on Easter Day, coloured red to symbolize the Easter joy... The custom may have its origin in paganism, for a great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring.
The Easter Rabbit
The Easter Rabbit lays the eggs... The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility (Simrock, Mythologie, 551).
The Easter Fire
The Easter Fire is lit on the top of mountains... kindled from new fire, drawn from wood by friction; this is a custom of pagan origin in vogue all over Europe, signifying the victory of spring over winter. The bishops issued severe edicts against the sacrilegious Easter fires ... but did not succeed in abolishing them everywhere.

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA 1911 EDITION
http://51.1911encyclopedia.org/E/EA/EASTER.htm
Easter: The name Easter ... is a survival from the old Teutonic mythology. According to Bede... it is derived from Eostre, or Ostdra, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring,...There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers.

EASTON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY:
http://www.ccel.org/e/easton/ebd/ebd/T0001100.html#T0001110
Easter - originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover.

As we can see from these references, Easter and its customs are originated from the worship of a pagan goddess, Eostre (pronounced "ess- truh") For those who choose to read the entirety of the quoted articles, you will see that these traditions became assimilated into the mode of Christianity as an attempt to draw the pagans into the churches. Since these rituals dedicated to a false-goddess were transformed into rituals designed to honor Christ, it may seem that the rituals have been "cleaned" and are now acceptable, especially since nobody worships Eostre anymore, making it pointless to be concerned about it.

So you think.

In truth, Eostre is still worshiped today, and during the Easter season, and by pagans: "Wicca" is a neo-pagan religion which worships deities connected with nature. Their basic motto is: Do as you wish as long as you harm nobody. Therefore, though there are many kinds of Wiccans, they generally keep common celebrations. One such celebration goes by the name of Ostara, or the Vernal Equinox. Here are some excerpts straight from Wiccan websites that describe this celebration. We have underlined the parts that parallel the Easter found in Christianity, and we've given the URLs to the sites for all to check our references:
March 21 Vernal Equinox, Ostara: The Germanic goddess Ostara, a.k.a. Eostre, After whom Easter is named, is the tutelary deity of this holiday....There are many fertility themes associated with Ostara. The origin of Easter Eggs is found here. Eggs and rabbits are very common symbols of fertility. This is also where we get the Easter Bunny.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1614/Celtwicc/Wicca/Wicca04.htm#Ostara
Ostara- March 20-23: Also called the Spring Eqinox or Vernal Equinox, celebrates the arrival of Spring. This Sabbat will fall between the above dates depending on which day the Sun is at its northern most point. Ostara marks the day when hight and day are in balance. Ostara symbols are the egg and the rabbit. Ostara is the Norse Goddess of fertility and it is She that is honored this Sabbat day.
http://www.magicwicca.com/wicca/ostara.htm
Ostara (pronounced "O-STAR-ah") is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats and is celebrated on the Spring Equinox, most often March 21st, but varies somewhat from the 20th to the 23rd. The variance, as with all Solar festivals, is due to the differences between the actual astronomical event and our calendar, so be sure to check the calendar each year.
Other names this Sabbat is also called by are the Vernal Equinox or the Spring Equinox, Oestara, Eostre's Day, Rite of Eostre, Equinozio della Primavera (Aridian Strega), Alban Eiber (Caledonii Tradition or the Druids), Bacchanalia, Festival of the Trees, and Lady Day. Christians celebrate their holiday - Easter - near this same time and it is based on basically the same principles as ours in the Old Religion. Easter is actually determined in a very Pagan manner... it is always the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox.
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/tigris/567/id18.htm

Although Wiccans don't keep a registry of their adherents, according to the ReligiousTolerance.org website, they estimate roughly 750,000 Wiccans lived in the United States in the year 2000. http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_hist.htm In our calculations, if you spread them evenly amongst all fifty states that averages a significant number of about 15,000 Wiccans per state.
It is difficult to get exact numbers because many Wiccans wish to avoid being "marked" by other groups, especially Christans. Therefore, although there isn't an exact number to follow, it is safe to assume there could be as many as one million (a thousand thousand) practicing Wiccans globally. Although this is a small number in comparison to other religious groups, it is obvious that the goddess Eostre/Ostara is still being actively worshiped in modern times. She is not a forgotten goddess.

What does this mean to a Christian today?

For a Christian to celebrate Easter in its modern tradition is to also honor the pagan goddess, Eostre/ Ostara. Does this really make a difference, since the Christian is only using the celebration for Christ and nothing more? Consider this: In the bible book of Exodus (Exodus 32:1-6) the Israelites made a golden idol and proceeded to worship it, turning it into a celebration for the Almighty God, Yahweh, who delivered them from Egypt. Did Yah look at this as an acceptable thing? NO. He was angered by it instead, and didn't stop the true worshippers from killing those involved in that hybridized worship (Exodus 32:7-9,25-28). Think of it this way: Would it be acceptable if the commemoration of Christ's death was named after Buddha instead? And perhaps instead of eggs and bunnies, people decorated with Buddhist images? Most Christians would consider that blasphemy or sacrilege, wouldn't they? Yes, they would. However, they are committing the same blasphemy and sacrilege today: Naming the day for a false goddess and using images of her worship within it. There is no difference from what happened with the golden idol in Exodus. This is completely against the biblical admonition to quit mixing false worship into their true worship at 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, which states (New International Version).

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters", says the Lord Almighty.

The scripture makes it clear: If we are to be true people of God, we need to wash ourselves clean of the pagan deities for they have no place in the worship of the True God. Other scriptures that support this can be found at: 1 Corinthians 10:14, 2 Corinthians 7:1, and 1 John 5:21.

This doesn't mean doing away with the commemoration of Christ's death completely. It simply means doing away with all the pagan details: Drop the name "Easter", the bunny, the eggs, and all that go with them. Put the focus on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and nothing else. Start new family traditions that keep to the teaching of the Messiah replacing the goddess influences. Read the biblical passages that tell about Christ, forsake the Wiccan goddess Eostre. If you do this, then we can be assured of what the above scripture states: "...Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you...."

May our God and Father bless you in your efforts to maintain a clean standing before Him.

BIBLE TOPIC
CHRIST FULFILLED PROPHECIES
Few people seem to realize how many prophecies were fulfilled by Christ during his human lifetime. Although we don't have the space to give an exhaustive listing, we will present several examples as evidence that this is true. We will present Christ's experience in normal type, and the prophecy foretelling it in italics:

Christ was to be born from a virgin (Matthew 1:20-23, Luke 1:26-37)....Isaiah 7:14
Christ was to be born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7)......Micah 5:2
Christ would be born in the lineage of Judah (Matthew 1:1-16).....Genesis 49:8-10, Micah 5:2
Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to protect Christ when he was a baby (Matthew 2:13-15)......Hosea 11:1
Christ stated that prophecies regarding him from the book of Psalms were to be fulfilled (Luke 24:44,).......Psalms Chapter 22
The area Christ preached in was prophesied (Matthew 4:13-15).......Isaiah 9:1
Christ's speaking in parables was foretold (Matthew 13:34-35)....Psalms 78:2
Christ was prophesied as coming to cure, heal, and give salvation (Luke 4:17-21)....Isaiah 61:1, 53:4
It was prophesied that not all people would put faith in Christ (John 12:36-41)......Isaiah 53:1, 6:10
Christ fulfilled the "sign of Jonah" (Matthew 12:39-40, John 2:18-22) .......Jonah 1:17
Christ came to Jerusalem mounted on a colt just days before his death (Matthew 21:1-3)......Zechariah 9:9
Christ overturned the money tables at the temple (Matthew 21:12)......Psalms 69:9
Christ was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-6)......Jeremiah Zechariah 11:12
Soldiers cast lots over Christ's garments (John 19:23-24).......Psalm 22:18
Soldiers jabbed Christ's side with a spear (John 19:33-34,37).......Zechariah 12:10
Christ was not to have his bones broken during his murder (John 19:36).......Psalms 34:20, Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12
One of Christ's close friends would betray him (Matthew 26:14-15).......Psalm 41:9
Christ was given gall and vinegar to drink while nailed up (Matthew 27:34)......Psalm 69:21
His friends scattered when Christ was arrested (Mark 14:50)......Zechariah 13:7
Christ was to be scourged (John 19:1-5)......Isaiah 53:5
Christ refused to answer some questions during his arrest (Matthew 27:14 ).......Isaiah 53:7
Other various prophecies made regarding Christ: (Matthew 12:9-21 with, Isaiah 42:1, Matthew 26:48-54 with Daniel 9:26, Luke 4:16-21 with Isaiah 61:1 )

Though this is not an exhaustive list, it shows the undeniable connection Christ had to the prophecies in the Old Testament. For anyone who wants an interesting bible project, one can do self-research to look up as many Christ-fulfilled prophecies as one can. The results will amaze you on how many were accomplished through our Saviour!

GUEST COLUMNIST
WHO WAS JESUS?
-- The authors of this article stated "Only God can claim a copyright on the truth". Therefore, we will credit God's infallible Word --The Bible -- for supplying the following information
All bible references are from the 2001 Translation -- American English Bible, found at:
http://www.2001translation.com/index.html

There may be no greater debated Christian theology than who Jesus actually was. Why, even during the First Century, Christians apparently argued this subject, for John (the Apostle) says at 2 John 1:7, ‘Many have strayed [back] into the world and won’t admit that Jesus the Anointed One came in the flesh. These who have strayed are the Antichrists.’ So, even at that early date, there was some question as to whom Jesus was, and even if he ever existed. That is why John in his latter years devoted so much of his writing to this subject.
The name Jesus is a Greek pronunciation of the name Joshua. In fact, in the Septuagint translation, Joshua is called Jesus (Iesus). The first part of the name (Je or Jo) is a shortened form of Jehovah. The second part of the name (sus or shua) means savior or salvation. So, depending on the point that individuals are trying to make, the name has been rendered as either Jehovah is Salvation, or, Jehovah Savior.
During the centuries following the deaths of the Apostles, Christians continued to argue the nature of Jesus. This resulted in a great theological debate, which ended in the formation and adoption of what is called ‘the Trinity Doctrine.’ In this teaching, which is often referred to as a ‘Divine Mystery,’ Jesus is said to be a part of a three-person Godhead – one of the three personalities of God – that consists of ‘the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.’ This doctrine was first accepted by the Catholic (or Universal) Church, and was then adopted into many Protestant religions as they spun off from Catholicism. In this teaching, Jesus isn’t referred to as the Son of God, but as God the Son.
Of course, not all Christian religions have adopted the Trinity doctrine. And as the result, many other teachings have emerged. Some believe that Jesus is simply (as he said) a son of God. However, others believe that he is in fact the same person as Jehovah God of what they call ‘the Old Testament.’ So, no trinity is implied.
Even among those who believe that Jesus is just a son of God, there is further disagreement. Some believe that he was once a mighty spirit son of God whose life was transferred (by God) into a human fetus, so that he was born a human. Others think of him as a ‘god-man’ or an ‘angel-man’ (superhuman), and there are those who think he just came into existence when he was born as a human. To find out which, if any, of these teachings is true, let’s look at some of the scriptures that bear on this subject.

Was God Jesus’ Father?
Matthew 1:20-23, ‘What has been fathered in her is from [God’s] Holy Breath. She will give birth to a son and you will call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. This whole thing happened so that what was spoken by [Jehovah] through the prophet would be fulfilled: {Look!} The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel (which translates as, God is with us).’
Matthew 3:16, 17, ‘After being baptized, Jesus came up out of the water. Then {look!} the heavens opened and he saw God’s Breath coming down on him like a dove. And {look!} there was a voice that came from the sky, which said, This is my loved Son and I’m very pleased with him.’
Matthew 16:15-17, ‘Then [Jesus] asked: ‘But, who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered: ‘You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘You are blest, Simon son of Jonah, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, by my Father in the heavens.’
Matthew 26:63, 64, ‘By the living God, I put you under oath to tell us whether you are the Anointed One, the Son of God!’ And Jesus answered: ‘You said it yourself!’
Luke 2:49, ‘But he replied, Why did you have to search for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in the [House] of my Father?’
Luke 22:69, 70, ‘However, from now on the Son of Man will be sitting at the powerful right hand of God.’ Well, at this, they all asked, ‘So, are you the Son of God?’ And he said, ‘You yourselves are saying that I am.’
John 1:34, ‘I have seen it and I testified to the fact that this is the Son of God.’
John 19:7, ‘We have a law. And according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself God’s Son.’
2 Corinthians 1:3, ‘May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort, be blest.

Where Was the Father When Jesus Was On Earth?
Matthew 7:11, ‘So, if you in your wickedness know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?’
Matthew 10:32, 33, ‘For everyone who admits that they are with me in front of men, I will admit that I’m with them in front of my Father in the heavens. But for whoever denies knowing me in front of men, I will also deny knowing him in front of my Father in the heavens.’
Matthew 11:25-27, ‘It was concerning this that Jesus prayed: I praise You publicly Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have uncovered them to the childlike. Yes, Father, this is the way You approved. My Father has given everything to me. And nobody really knows the Son like his Father, nor does anyone really know the Father but the Son (and anyone else who the Son is willing to show Him to).’
Matthew 11:50, ‘Whoever does all that my Father in heaven wishes, is my brother, sister, and mother.’
John 12:27, ‘Now, I am deeply disturbed. What should I say: Father, save me from this hour? That’s why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name!’ Then a voice came out of the sky, ‘I glorified it and will glorify it again.’

Was Jesus Human or Spirit?
Matthew 9:6, ‘I want you to know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins here on the earth.’
Matthew 22:41-45, ‘Now, while the Pharisees were all there in front of him, Jesus asked, What do you believe about the Anointed One? Whose son is he? They replied, David’s. So, he said, Then, why did David (through the Breath [of God]), call him Lord, saying, [Jehovah] said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet? If David called him Lord, how can he be his son?’
Luke 22:22, ‘The Son (who is for a fact from men) is going the way that was marked out for him.’
Hebrews 2:9, ‘He was made a little lower than [God’s] messengers. And it was because he suffered and died that he was crowned with glory and honor.’
Hebrews 2:16, 17, ‘So, [when he came], he really didn’t take on [the shape] of one of [God’s] messengers somewhere, but he took [the shape of] Abraham’s seed. He was obligated to become like his brothers in every way, so he could become a merciful and faithful High Priest before God and offer a sacrifice to cover over peoples’ sins.’

Where Did Jesus Come From?
John 1:1-3, ‘In an ancient time, there was the Expression of a thought. This Expression was with God and the Expression was Powerful. He was with God long ago. Everything came into existence through him. Life came into existence through him and the life was the light of men.’
John 1:15, ‘John witnessed about him. He’s the one who said it; he yelled it out loud, The one coming behind me has come before me, because he was first, before I was.’
John 1:18, ‘The only-created god (gr. monogenes theos), who is the Father’s favorite [son], has explained him.’
John 1:29, 30, ‘The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look! The Lamb of God who lifts sin from the world! This is the one I meant when I said, The one coming behind me has come before me, because he was first, before I was.’
John 5:30, ‘I’m not looking to do the things that I want, but to do the will of Him who sent me.’
John 5:36-38, ‘I am doing the work that my Father assigned me to finish. These are the things that testify about me [and prove] that the Father sent me. Why, even the Father who sent me has testified about me. You’ve never heard His voice or seen His shape and His words don’t stick with you, because you don’t believe the one who He sent.’
John 6:57, ‘The living Father sent me and I live because of the Father.’
John 7:28, 29, ‘He who sent me is real and you don’t know Him. I know Him, because I came from Him, and because He sent me here.’
John 8:26, ‘The One who sent me is truthful, and I’m telling the world the things that I heard from Him.’
John 8:29, ‘The One who sent me is with me. He didn’t send me off alone, because I always do things to please Him.’
John 8:42, ‘If God were your Father you would love me, because I came here from God. I didn’t come here on my own. He sent me.’
John 8:58, ‘I tell you the truth, I existed before Abraham was born.’
John 13:3, 4, ‘And knowing that the Father had put everything in his hands, and that he came from God and was returning to God, he got up from the meal and laid his outer clothing aside.’
John 16:27, 28, ‘The Father cares for you, because you cared for me and you believed that I came as the Father’s representative. I am from the Father and I came into the world. I am also leaving the world and returning to the Father.’
John 17:4-8, ‘I have glorified You on the earth and perfectly completed the work that You assigned to me. So, now Father, glorify me beside You with the glory that I had beside You before there was a world. I have made Your Name shine among the men You gave me from the world. They were Yours, but You gave them to me, and they have obeyed Your words. They now realize that everything You gave me came from You, because I passed along to them all the things that You told me, and they welcomed them. They know it as a fact, that I came as Your representative and they believe that You sent me.
Colossians 1:13-18, ‘He drew us to himself from out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love. And the ransom price, which frees us from our sins, has been paid through him. He’s the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (gr. protokos pases ktiseos – first/taken all creation). Through him, everything in heaven and on the earth was created, both the things that are visible and those that are invisible. Everything has been created through him and for him, regardless of whether they are thrones, or rulerships, or governments, or powers. He was before everything and everything came into existence through him. He’s the head of the body of the congregation. He’s the earliest and the first one to be born from the dead, so that he would be first in everything.’
Hebrews 5:5, 6, ‘Now, Moses was truly a faithful attendant over His whole House, as a witness to things that hadn’t been explained yet, while the Anointed One was a Son in His House.’
Revelation 3:14, ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in Laodicea, ‘This is what the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the earliest creation of God (gr. he arche tes ktisios tou Theou – the ancient of/the creation of/the God)’

Why Did Jesus Come Here?
Matthew 20:28, ‘This is how the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his living body as a ransom for many.’
Matthew 21:9 ‘Part of the crowd walked ahead of him and those who followed were shouting: [God] save the Son of David! Praise the one who comes in [Jehovah’s] name! May [God] in the highest places save him!’
Luke 1:31-33, ‘{Look!} You will get pregnant and give birth to a son who you are to name Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and [Jehovah] God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over the house of Jacob into the ages and there will be no end to his Kingdom.’
John 3:16, 17, ‘This is how God loved the world: He gave His only-created Son so that everyone who believes in him won’t be destroyed, but will have life through the ages. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge it, but for the world to be saved through him.’
John 3:35, 36, ‘The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into his hands. The one who believes the Son has life for the ages. The one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, because God remains angry with him.’
John 5:19-23, ‘Then Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, the Son can’t do anything on his own, other than what he sees the Father doing. Whatever [the Father] does is what the Son does. And because the Father cares about the Son, he shows him everything he does. Besides, [God] will show him greater works than these, just to amaze you. As the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, the Son can also make whoever he wishes alive. And the Father doesn’t judge anyone, but he has left all the judging to the Son, so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.’
John 5:26, ‘For just as the Father has life in himself, he has also given the Son life in himself and authorized him to do judging. This is because he is the Son of Man.’
John 6:37, ‘Everything that the Father gives me will come to me. I won’t reject anyone who comes to me, because I didn’t come from heaven to do my will, but [to do] the will of the One who sent me.’
Hebrews 4:14, 15, ‘So, in view of the fact that we have a great High Priest who has passed up through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s keep talking about him. We don’t have a High Priest that can’t sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every way, just like us (however, [he didn’t] sin).’
Hebrews 7:22, ‘So, Jesus has become the promise of a better Sacred Agreement.’

How Did He Get Here?
John 1:14, ‘So, the Expression became flesh and lived among us; and we saw his glory, the glory of the only one born to a Father’ (gr. doxan hos monogenous para patros, or, glory as only/generated next/to father).
Philippians 2:5-11, ‘Keep this attitude in you that the Anointed One Jesus had: Although he once existed in the same shape as God, he didn’t consider trying to make himself equal to God (gr. oux harpagmon hegesato to einai isa Theo, or, not snatching he/considered the to/be equal God). Rather, he emptied himself into the shape of a slave and became a man. And when he found himself shaped as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient until his death; yes, death on a pole. This is why God promoted him to a superior position (gr. Theos auton upperrupsosen, or, God him put/high/over) and kindly gave him the title that is over all others. So, in the name of Jesus, every knee in heaven, on earth and under the ground should bend, and every tongue should confess that Jesus the Anointed One is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Is Jesus Just Another Personality of God?
Matthew 23:9-10, ‘And don’t address anyone on earth as Father, because there’s just one who is your Father, the heavenly One. Nor should you be called Leaders, because you only have one Leader, the Anointed One.’
Matthew 24:36, ‘Nobody knows the day and hour – no, not the messengers of heaven or the Son, but only the Father.’
Matthew 26:39, ‘And going a little way forward, he fell on his face praying and said, ‘My Father, if it’s possible, let this cup pass from me; however, not my will, but Yours.’
Matthew 26:53, ‘Why, don’t you think that I can ask my Father to send more than twelve legions of messengers immediately?’
Matthew 27:46, ‘Jesus called out in a loud voice: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is, My God, my God, why have you let me down?’
Luke 4:6-8, ‘Then the Slanderer said, I will give you power over all of these and the glory of them, because they’ve been given to me and I can give them to whoever I wish. They will all be yours, if you will just bow in front of me.’ But Jesus answered, ‘It’s written, you must worship [Jehovah] your God. He’s the only One you should worship.’
Luke 6:12 ‘It was around that time that he went up a mountain to pray, spending the whole night in prayer to God.’
Luke 18:19, ‘Jesus replied, ‘Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.’
Luke 23:34, ‘Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing,’
John 3:45 ‘Don’t think that I’m going to accuse you to the Father. He who accuses you is Moses.’
John 6:27, ‘The Son of Man . . . was sealed by the God and Father.’
John 6:44, 45, ‘Nobody can come to me unless the Father who sent me attracts him and I will resurrect him on the last day. The Prophets wrote, They will all be taught by God. So, everyone who listens to the Father and learns comes to me.’
John 6:46, ‘Of course, no one has seen the Father other than the one who was with God. This one has seen the Father.’
John 14:28, ‘You heard me tell you that I’m going away and I am coming back to you. If you loved me, you would cry out in joy that I am going to the Father, because, the Father is greater than I am.’
John 20:17, ‘Jesus said to her, Don’t touch me, because I haven’t ascended to the Father yet. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’
Acts 2:24-26, ‘But God resurrected him, freeing him from the cords of death, because it wasn’t possible for [death] to hold him. David said this about him, I have put [Jehovah] in front of me always. Since He’s at my right hand, I will never be shaken. Because, my heart is cheerful and my tongue is rejoicing, my body will rest in hope. You won’t abandon me in the grave, and you won’t allow your loyal one to rot. You’ve shown me the ways of life and you will fill me with joy as I look at your face.’
Acts 2:34-36, ‘[Jehovah] said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet. So, let the entire House of Israel know for sure, that God made Jesus (who you impaled) the Lord and Anointed One.’
1 Corinthians 15:24, 28, ‘Then, in the end, after he has brought all governments, authorities, and powers to nothing, he will hand over the Kingdom to his God and Father. However, after everything has been put under him, then the Son will submit to the One who put everything under him, so God can be everything to everyone.’
Ephesians 1:20-23, ‘He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavens, far above every government, authority, power, lordship, and every name that has been given not only in this age, but also in the one that’s coming. He has put everything under his feet and made him the head over everything to the congregation (his body), to fill him with everything that belongs to the One who does the filling.’
Hebrews 1:2-4, ‘In the last part of these days, He spoke to us through a Son who he made the heir to everything... the one that he used to create this era. He shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His being, and He is responsible for everything that’s said through His power. And after he cleansed us of our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places. He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’
Revelation 1:1, ‘A revelation that God gave to Jesus the Anointed One, to show his slaves the things that must soon happen.’
Revelation 6:2, ‘At that {look!}, I saw a white horse, and the one who was sitting on it had a bow. He was given a crown and he came out to conquer and to complete his victory.

What Scriptures are Used to Support the Trinity?
Matthew 28:19, ‘So, go and make disciples from all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and [God’s] Holy Breath.’
John 8:18, 19, ‘I testify about myself and the Father who sent me testifies about me.’ Then they asked, ‘Where is your Father?’ And Jesus answered, ‘You don’t know me or my Father. If you knew me you would also know my Father.’
John 10:25-30, ‘The things that I am doing in my Father’s name testify about me. But you don’t believe it because [none of] you are my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I will give them life for the ages, and none will be destroyed in this era, nor will anyone take them out of my hands. My Father who gave them to me is greater than everyone and nobody can take them out of the hands of the Father. The Father and I are united.’
John 10:36-38, ‘How can you tell me (one who was made holy and sent into the world by the Father) that I blaspheme, because I say I am God’s Son? If I’m not doing what my Father wants, don’t believe me. But if I am doing that, even if you don’t believe me, believe in what I am doing. Then you will come to know (and keep knowing) that the Father is one with me and I am united with the Father.’
John 12:44, ‘Whoever believes in me doesn’t just believe in me alone, but in the One who sent me. And whoever sees me also sees the One who sent me.’
John 14:6-10, ‘And Jesus replied, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father unless it is through me. If you men had known me, you would have recognized my Father also. >From now on, you have known him and have seen him. Then Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ And Jesus said, ‘Have I spent so much time with you, and yet, you haven’t come to know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So, why are you saying, Show us the Father? Don’t you believe that I am in unity with the Father and the Father is in unity with me?
John 14:20, ‘In that day, you will know that I am in unity with my Father, you are in unity with me, and I am in unity with you.’
John 17:22-24, ‘I have also given them the glory that You gave me, so they can be in unity as we are in unity, I in them and You in me. In this way, they can be perfected into one, so the world may know that You sent me and that You love them just as You love me. Father, as to what You have given me: I want them to be where I am, so they can see the glory that You gave me, because You have loved me from before the founding of the world.’
Acts 4:12, ‘Salvation doesn’t come from anyone else, because there isn’t another name which has been given to any man under heaven that we need to save us.’

For more information, see the linked document, The Importance of Being the Firstborn:
http://www.2001translation.com/Firstborn.htm

Also, for a well researched paper written by a non-religious person, please see the linked document ‘The Trinity.’
http://www.2001translation.com/Trinity.html

To read even more articles from these authors, please click the following link:
http://www.2001translation.com/Linked_Commentaries.htm

Further Reading Links
For the interest of our readership we'd like to provide links to the CommonTruth articles which are connected to Christ and the New Covenant he inaugurated:
http://www.commontruth.com/SonLamb.html (Evidence that Christ was "The Lamb")
http://www.commontruth.com/Jesus3.html (The last days of Christ's earthly life)
http://www.commontruth.com/NewCovenant.html (The New Covenant)

May we keep the Messiah in our hearts.