Is Oneness Pentecostalism Biblical?

According to the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, “Oneness Pentecostalism is a religious movement that emerged in 1914 within the Assemblies of God of the early American Pentecostal movement, challenging the traditional Trinitarian doctrine, and baptismal practice with a modalistic view of God, a revelational theory of the name of Jesus, and an insistence on rebaptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

First, Oneness Pentecostals believe that unless you are baptized using the correct formula, you are not truly saved. In their view the formula is “I baptize you in the name of Jesus,” not “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Conversely, when Peter said we are to be baptized “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 2:38) or when Jesus said we are to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), they were not prescribing different formulas. Rather, they were saying that we are baptized by the authority vested in the one true God revealed in Scripture. Thus, to be baptized in the name of Jesus is to be baptized on the basis of our belief in His death, burial, and resurrection.

By way of analogy, when a police officer commands someone to “stop in the name of the law,” the power is not in the phrase, but in the authority it signifies. Likewise, when a physician provides someone who is sick with a prescription, that person’s trust is not in the paper on which it is penned, but rather the potion to which it points. So it is with baptism. The power is not in a prescribed formula but in the heavenly Physician to whom the act of baptism points. Baptism is not essential for salvation; it is, however, essential to obedience.

Furthermore, error begets error; thus, the belief that one must be baptized only in the name of Jesus has led Oneness Pentecostalism to the further error that Jesus is Himself the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They do not hold to one God revealed in three Persons who are eternally distinct, but to three manifestations of one God revealed in Jesus. Indeed, according to Oneness, the doctrine of the Trinity is pagan polytheistic philosophy.

In truth, the Trinity is neither pagan polytheism nor pagan philosophy. Rather, it is biblically based. Scripture plainly reveals personal self-distinctions within the Godhead. As such, the Father says of the Son, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8), and the Son says of the Father, “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me” (John 8:18). Moreover, the very fact that Jesus prayed to the Father demonstrates that Jesus cannot be the Father. While I am frequently told by Oneness adherents that this is explained by the notion that Jesus’ human nature prays to His divine nature, this is clearly not the case. Natures can’t pray; only persons can.

Finally, Oneness Pentecostalism holds to a litany of legalistic proscriptions, including the test of rebaptism by their formula with evidence of speaking in tongues. No tongues, no salvation. As one can imagine, this has placed tremendous socio psychological pressure on adherents to conjure up the gift of tongues. Those who do not speak in tongues are thought to be lacking in faith or even to be entirely unrepentant....

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[charleswalsh]

Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner

[achristian]

Amen, look as this verse, and the word "both": 2 John 1:9 Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.

[Post-Trib]

To be baptized in the name of Jesus is to obey the command of Jesus and to fulfill Matt 28:19

[elianemg]

Questions to the Oneness Pentecostals: how do you explain I Cor 15:24-28 using the oneness theory?

[pipnipipa]

I was baptized at age 13 and I don't recall him that did my baptism say in the name of father son an holy spirit

[dscottplays]

"First, Oneness Pentecostals believe that, unless you are baptized using the correct formula, you are not truly saved."

Why wouldn't you believe that? Scripture places so much importance on water baptism that we should practice it exactly as scripture commands. And the name of Jesus is uniquely associated with all the purposes of baptism, such as burial with Christ, identification with Christ, and remission of sins.

Wouldn't you yourself suggest I be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that I am baptized incorrectly if I'm not?

[WiseChristian]

Hank I am Oneness Pentecostal in my view of the Godhead. I was brought up on a Oneness church, preached in a Oneness church but did not preach nor was obsessed with the Oneness doctrine like so many around me were, I was 18 years old during this time in 1978. I do believe in one God, revealed through the Father, Son and Holy Ghost as 1 John 5:7, states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”. I also believe Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Him (Jesus), dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. One God revealed in three. Jesus said you seen me you’ve seen the Father, I and my Father are one. Jesus was the fleshy incarnation of our Heavenly Father who came down to earth and took on the form of a man, and dwelt among his creation for thirty-three and a half years. Was crucified on a cross between two common thieves, gave salvation to one of them as he was dying for the sins of the world, he gave up the ghost and died, his spirit went back to the Father in Heaven and his body was buried in Joseph’s new tomb and lay in the heart of the earth three days and nights and on the third morning he arose from the tomb, bringing salvation to all who would believe in him and serve him, was seen by as many as 500 witnesses after his resurrection, and ascended back to the Father on a cloud and now sits at the right hand of God, interceding for the Saints of God on earth and is coming again one day soon to claim his church, one church, one body, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We should not let non essential elements of the Gospel separate us from one another. If you have Jesus and his Holy Spirit you have everything you need for a home in Heaven one day. Amen. Much love to you Hank, I am a big fan of a lot of your teachings. God bless you!

[Post-Trib]

So, who coined the word trinitas or trinity and who formulated the doctrine of the trinity?

Is Jesus the mystery, the revelation and the glory of God or is it the trinity?

[philos_theos]

Bro. Hanegraff, thank you for the presentation! Would you consider "Oneness Pentecostals" to be among saved Christians? Or would their denial of the trinity forfeit their salvation?

[Apostolic]

Water Baptism STUDY - - ;
BRITANNICA ENCYCLOPEDIA
11TH edition, Vol 3, Pg 365-366
The baptismal formula was changed from the name of JESUS CHRIST to the words Father, Son, & Holy Ghost by the Catholic Church in the second century.
BRITANNICA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Vol 3, Pg 82
Everywhere in the oldest sources it states that baptism took place in the name of Jesus Christ.
CANNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION
Pg 53
The early church always baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus until development of Trinity doctrine in the 2nd century.

[Apostolic]

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
Vol 2, Pg 263
Here the Catholics acknowledged that baptism was changed by the Catholic Church.
HASTINGS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION
Vol 2, Pg 377
Christian baptism was administered using the words "In the name of Jesus"
Vol 2, Pg 378
The use of a Trinitarian formula of any sort was not suggested in early Church history.
Vol 2, Pg 389
Baptism was always in the name of Lord
Jesus until the time of Justin Martyr when Triune formula was used.

[onwave]

It’s best not to downplay the invocation of the Name, whether it’s Father, Son, Holy Spirit or the Holy Name: Lord Jesus Christ. It’s the same Name and invocation of the Name is not empty of power. Using His Name in vain is a severe sin.

The primary problem with modalism is, when you boil it down, they deny the eternal sonship of Christ, and therefore, they deny the deity of Christ.

They make the eternal love relationship between the Father and Son into a charade. The Father doesn’t truly love the Beloved Son, since it’s just a mask or mode of the same person. It’s just a hypo-drama, not the eternal life of the Father and the Son.

So, they actually deny the incarnation and deny that the Man Jesus of Nazareth is God.

This is why calling Mary Theotokos is a good test. If one can’t call Mary the Mother of God, they likely hold to some doctrine that denies the true physical incarnation of the Word, the Eternal Son of God.

[Apostolic]

A HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
(Otto Heick)
(1965), 1, 53
At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE
(1898), 1, 241
[One explanation is that] the original form of words was 'into the name of Jesus Christ'. Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development.
A HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN
CHURCH
Williston Walker, (1947), Pg 58
The Trinitarian baptismal formula ... was displacing the older baptism in the name of Christ.

[cryptofugazi]

Great video there are definitely some holes in the doctrine of oneness Pentecostal
The idea of Jesus being the one representation of the Almighty God and holy soirit all combined in one is absolutely scripturally incorrect. Any adherants of this religion should read their bibles carefully. Amen 🙏

[JoshD]

Jesus is God and the Trinity isn't in scripture.

[JudeOneFour]

Trinitarians and Oneness occultists are in the same sinking ship. Both doctrines are foreign to Scripture!

[Steve_IkI]

Stop limiting Our LORD and God Jesus, He is the Father Son and Holy Spirit. There's no other He in the Godhead.
Like Body Soul and Spirit
Isaiah 42:1

[jeffconnolly]

Silly trinitarians...how they have been deceived....by philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudimentary of the world, and not after Christ.
Trinitarians have been deceived to teach that God is triplets.
When The Holy Scriptures teach that God is One.
The First Commandment of them all is, The Lord our God is One Lord.

[euston]

Water baptism is a prerequisite for salvation: unbiblical.
Repenting from sin is a prerequisite for salvation: unbiblical.
Speaking in so-called "tongues" is proof of salvation: unbiblical.
A saved individual can lose his salvation: unbiblical.
Jesus has a "dual nature", and one nature prayed to another: unbiblical.
Oneness Pentecostalism: unbiblical.

Yet...

If the Father and the Son are two distinct persons, then the Father's sacrifice of the Son is not the sacrifice of self (which is love), but rather the sacrifice of someone else (which is evil).

The revealed mystery is that the Father "came down from heaven" _without leaving heaven, _ and manifested *_himself_* on earth in genuine human form, as *_his own_* Son, so that he could lovingly sacrifice *_himself_* for us...after which he raised *_himself_* from the dead to give eternal life to all who believe on *_him_* - the one true _unipersonal_ God whose name is revealed to be the name which is above _every_ name: *JESUS.*