The United Pentecostal Creed Book tells us what their position is on “The One True God.” They believe God “has revealed Himself as Father, through His Son, in redemption; and as the Holy Spirit by emanation.”
They further explain, “The one true God, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, took upon Himself the form of man, and as the Son of man, was born of the virgin Mary.”
Further, “Unlike traditional trinitarianism, the UPCI (United Pentecostal Church International) affirms that God is absolutely one, with no distinction of persons. He has revealed Himself as Father (in parental relationship to humanity), in His Son Jesus Christ (in human flesh), and as the Holy Spirit (in spiritual action).”
Another Pentecostal source words it this way: “God is one person, manifested as Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Ghost in the church.” All three are the same person in different manifestations.
If there is just one person of God, how can that one person be the Son of God right now? In spiritual action, in the church, or in emanation, Pentecostals argue God is the Holy Ghost right now. Remember, they tell us there is only one person of God. No true Pentecostal can possibly believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God now – God who once was creator, became the Son in the flesh, and is at this moment the Holy Ghost, so says their Creed Book. To believe a thing that makes it impossible to say Jesus Christ is the Son of God today is frightful (John 8:24). Jesus, God incarnate, never ceases being God, but Pentecostalism simply removes his deity as the person of God and transforms him into an emanation of God which they call the Holy Ghost. Nobody can be more wrong on the Bible than that!
Jesus said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Pentecostals err when they add the word “person” to this verse –and they all do it. Jesus and the Father are one, but not one person any more than a husband and wife are one person (See Matt 19:6). Jesus prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; (emphasis added) as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:20-22).
The oneness of John 17 is a oneness that should exist among all believers and Jesus said it is the oneness that exists between him and the Father. Notice that he prayed that we will be one as he is one with the Father. Jesus did not pray that all believers become one person. The as is a comparison of the oneness of the Father and Son to the oneness of all believers. The oneness of the Godhead is a oneness of several dimensions.
Consider:
1. The Oneness of Purpose: (Eph. 3:11)
2. The Oneness of Doctrine (2 John 9).
3. The Oneness of Protection (John 10:28-30).
4. The Oneness in word and work (John 14:10,11).
5. The Oneness of Love (John 15:9-10).
6. The Oneness of nature — DEITY (John 1:1-3).
There is a glaring fallacy in the Pentecostal Creed. They use the term manifest as they describe God changing from one form to another. First, God does not change (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:12). Second, manifest does not mean identity. John the Baptist manifested Christ to Israel (John 1:31) but he was not Christ. Paul said he manifested God (2 Cor. 2:14) but he was not God. He manifested the mystery of Christ, but was not the mystery (Col. 4:3,4). God was manifest in the flesh but God was not the flesh; he was in the flesh temporarily (1 Tim. 3:16).
It is sad that there are so many Pentecostals who have been deluded and deceived by this false doctrine of only one person of God. May God help them to see the beauty and truth of the majesty of the divine three who make up the Godhead and into whose name scriptural baptism is to be done (Matt. 28:19-20).
We stand ready to discuss the issues raised in this series of studies with any representative of the United Pentecostal Church, or any “Oneness” representative. Just contact us by email or by the address on our home page.