In this episode I interact with a video by Lutheran Pastor Joshua Sullivan at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kerrville, Texas. A listener asked him for his views on “Socinianism” and this so-called “biblical unitarianism,” and why they contradict the Bible.

He replies with some descriptions and definitions, and then gives some arguments as to why these sorts of views are unbiblical.

I interact with his video, agreeing, disagreeing, and adding a lot of information – historical, theological, and sociological.

Topics include:

• “Socinians” and Socinus
• “Arians”
• “biblical unitarians”
• “unitarian Christians”
• Whether unitarian Christianity can be defined by a “rationalistic” methodological stance.
• Whether unitarian Christians think Jesus is in any sense “divine.”
• Traditional catholic views on generation and procession, and why most unitarian Christians don’t accept these – like some present-day trinitarians!
• unitarian views on atonement and salvation
• unitarian views on “the holy spirit”
• Characterizations of unitarian Christians as “deniers” of various things.
• How anti-Calvinistic today’s unitarians are
• 18th-19th British and American unitarian Christianity
• Traditional catholic appeals to “mystery” in the face of theological problems.
• So-called “classical theism”
• Various traditional catholic claims which are neither self-evident nor taught in Scripture, but which are widely assumed in trinitarian circles.
• How to prove an impossibility claim, e.g. it would be impossible for a non-divine Jesus to “fully” reveal God.
• Whether worshiping a non-divine Jesus is the sin of idolatry.
• 2 (literal) definitions of “idolatry”
• Whether Scripture teaches that it is wrong to worship anyone unless they are fully divine.
• The implications of Jesus’ exaltation to God’s right hand.
• Whether Jesus claims essential equality with the Father.

Pastor Sullivan argues that if unitarian Christian views were true then:

• the Father wouldn’t be a real father and the Son wouldn’t be a real son
• the Son wouldn’t be the brightness of God’s glory or a true image of God
• God would have changed, so would not be essentially immutable
• the Son wouldn’t be able to “fully” reveal God
• Jesus couldn’t truly say that if you’ve seen him you’ve seen the Father
• Jesus would basically be like other prophets, and not in a class of his own
• Jesus would have been unable to do any miracles.
• Jesus could not truly be called our “savior.”
• It would be wrong for us to worship Jesus

I explain why, for various reasons, these are not powerful objections to the views of unitarian Christians.

Links for this episode:

Pastor Sullivan’s video

The Racovian Catechism

An Interview With Dr. Dale Tuggy – by J. Dan Gill

Biblicalunitarian.com

podcast 357 – Seminary student takes Trinity class, becomes unitarian – Part 2

podcast 356 – Seminary student takes Trinity class, becomes unitarian – Part 1

podcast 189 – The unfinished business of the Reformation

The Tuggy-Brown debate: Dale’s opening statement

podcast 358 – Baptist Justice: Samuel Eddy on Scripture, Church Discipline, and the Trinity

Clarifying Catholic Christologies – by Dr. Dale Tuggy

podcast 235 – The Case Against Preexistence

Debate – “Is Jesus Human and not Divine?” – Dr. Dale Tuggy vs. Chris Date

podcast 145 – ‘Tis Mystery All: the Immortal dies!

The aloneness argument against classical theism

podcast 227 – Who Should Christians Worship?

podcast 167 – Lamson’s History of The Unitarian Congregationalists

Biblical Unitarian Podcast 204: An Introduction to the Theme of Misunderstanding in the Gospel of John

Biblical Unitarian Podcast 211: Jesus’ Misunderstood Father (John 8)

What John 1 meant

podcast 70 – The one God and his Son according to John

podcast 52 – John Locke’s The Reasonableness of Christianity, Part 1

podcast 286 – Is the Trinity Essential? – Three Views

What is essential to the gospel, according to Luke?

John 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians4:4-6: John 10: John 20:17; John 5:23; Phil 2:10-11; Act 2:22; John 14:10; John 3:34; Malachi 3:6; Revelation 5; Exodus 20:4-6; Matthew 4:10; John 8:40; John 5:15-47.

This week’s thinking music is “I dunno” by grapes.