The Forgotten Trinity

Great book. I believe White accomplishes what he sets out to do in helping the lay person grow in a deeper appreciation for the doctrine of the Trinity and ultimately for God and how He has revealed Himself in the Bible. He gives enough information that can be simply understood and does not present information in an apologetic way.

James White is a very bright Christian scholar who unfortunately has not just given his heart to Jesus (which is great) but also has given his mind to traditional theologies like Calvinism and Trinitarianism (which is very sad). This book was very helpful to me, a Bible teacher who has been researching the Trinitarian doctrines for several years. The book is honest and well written. I am a believer in Oneness theology and found the many honest admissions in this book very helpful in my efforts to expose the roots of the mystery religion of the Trinity. Dr. White claims he "loves the Trinity." He is among a very few that feel that way. But he also loves Calvinism, since he has defended it so vigorously. I've read his books on that subject as well (but only to be a well-informed Arminian). Dr. White is a master at dogmatics and clever-sounding Greek minucia. He knows nothing of Apostolic hermeneutics. The Apostles, if they could speak English, would have no idea of what he talks about. He can love these senseless, illogical theologies only because he has unfortunately dedicated himself to the irrational, in the great tradition of other Gnostics. He and his kind all relish the unreasonable, thinking as the chief founder of these theories did, that "...if you understand, it is not God"(Augustine). I just would not want to be in his shoes when he stands before Yahweh and has to give account for all this foolishness (James 3:1). There is no Trinity in the Bible. There is only one God, Yahweh. And there is one Messiah, Jesus, God's divine son.

The Trinity: possibly the most difficult concept of all the orthodox Christian doctrines. You have likely heard one or more of these explanations of the Trinity:

- The Trinity is like an egg, which consists of the shell, the white, and the yolk.
- The Trinity is like water, which can exist as ice, liquid, and steam.
- The Trinity is like a man who is simultaneously a father, a son, and a husband.
- The Trinity is like an equilateral triangle.

When it comes right down to it, no earthly, man-made analogy can adequately explain the Trinity; they all break down and ultimately convey doctrinal error. And what can be expected when man tries to explain the unexplainable? Should it be surprising to us that our God is so complex and so far beyond our understanding that there are aspects of Him that we simply cannot grasp or explain? Unfortunately, because it is so difficult to understand, the doctrine is often pushed to the side and neglected by the church.

We often hear people say they love God, or they love Jesus, or they love the Bible; but when was the last time you heard someone say, "I love the Trinity"? While all orthodox Christian groups hold to this doctrine, many individuals don't have a clear grasp of the doctrine and are not grounded enough to be able to defend it, but merely hold to it out of fear of being labeled a heretic.

So why is this doctrine so important? Dr. James White says, "Since God went through a great deal of trouble to make it clear to us, we should see the Trinity as a precious possession, at the very top of the many things God has revealed to us that we otherwise would never have known." Practically speaking, a good understanding of the Trinity will help us keep our worship in balance, not elevating one Person of the Godhead over the others. White explains,

"True Christian worship is founded upon Christian truth. We have to have knowledge of our God to worship Him correctly... Almost every single imbalance in worship is due to a corresponding imbalance in our view of God...The doctrine of the Trinity calls us back to the balanced center point...Christian worship will be vital, consistent, and powerful when the proper attitude toward the triune God is maintained."

Dr. White begins by offering this solid but brief and basic definition of the Trinity:

"Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Dr. White cites Hank Hanegraaf as pointing out that,

"when speaking of the Trinity, we need to realize that we are talking about one what and three who's. The one what is the Being or essence of God; the three who's are the Father, Son and Spirit. We dare not mix up the what's and who's regarding the Trinity."

Within the above definition, White identifies three fundamental truths about God:

1. There is only one God.
2. There are three divine persons.
3. The persons are coequal and coeternal.

He observes, "Every error and heresy on this doctrine will find its origin in a denial of one or more of these truths."

The first truth states the belief in monotheism. This is the least problematic for Christians; in fact, even some false religions such as Islam and Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as Judaism, accept this doctrine. But even here some Christians, because of their lack of instruction and misunderstandings regarding the Trinity, may fall into erroneous ideas such as modalism. Modalism, also known as Sabellianism is the belief that God is one person who takes on different roles at different times for different purposes, similar to an actor who plays different parts in a play.

The second truth, which becomes a major difference between orthodox Christianity and cults, is the deity of Jesus Christ. To address this doctrine, Dr. White spends time looking at the Prologue to the Gospel of John in John 1:18, passages in Scripture which testify of Christ's equality with God, the "I am" statements of Christ found throughout John's gospel, and passages which show Jesus as Creator as further proof of His deity. He also examines the fact that the person of Jesus is equated with Yahweh of the Old Testament, and that while on earth He was worshipped and accepted worship for Himself.

In discussing the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity, White points out that there are two issues that must be addressed from Scripture:

1) The Holy Spirit as a person and not merely an impersonal force or power, and
2) The Holy Spirit as eternal deity, equal with the Father and the Son.

White moves on to discuss the issue of the separateness of the three persons, thus hoping to correct the possible tendency toward modalism, the error that the "Jesus Only" or Oneness movements fall into. "Scripture leaves no room for confusing the Father, Son, and Spirit," states White, and then proceeds to use numerous scripture passages that prove that these three cannot be the same person, as demonstrated by the ways in which they interact with one another and the ways in which they are spoken of.

Next White addresses the third foundational truth of the co-equality and co-eternality of the three persons of the Godhead. He goes a bit deeper to consider when the Trinity began to be first understood and taught, and to further discuss the nature, relationship, and role of the three persons of the Godhead as revealed in Scripture. White explains,

"The Trinity as a doctrinal truth has always been true. But when did it become knowable to men? What "revealed" it to the human race? The answer to that question is simply the Incarnation and the coming of the Holy Spirit. That is, the Trinity is revealed by the Son coming in the flesh and the Spirit descending upon the church...

"The Trinity is a doctrine not revealed merely in words but instead in the very action of the Triune God in redemption itself! We know who God is by what He has done in bringing us to himself! The Father, loving His people and sending the Son. The Son, loving us and giving himself in our place. The Spirit, entering into our lives and conforming us to the image of Christ. Here is the revelation of the Trinity, in the work of Christ and the Spirit."

White ends his book by taking a look at the historical evidence for the belief in a triune God, as found in the earliest writings of the Christian church. While we do not hold the teachings of men above the Word of God, the examples provided from the first few centuries of the Christian church help to show that orthodox Christian believers have always understood God to be a trinitarian Being as described and taught in the Scriptures.

White's purpose for writing The Forgotten Trinity is to help make more understandable a Biblical doctrine which he believes is often ignored and greatly misunderstood, and to inspire Christians to have a greater love for this aspect of our God. As a theological scholar, teacher, and expert apologist, White takes the trouble throughout his book to help his readers become more knowledgeable on the topic he is addressing by including relevant information on the original languages used, and the history, culture and prevailing philosophies of the time in which the scriptures were written.

By way of reminder of the significance and importance of this doctrine, White states the following,

"To know Christ truly is to know the Trinity, for God has not revealed himself in such a way as to allow us to have true and balanced knowledge of the Father outside of such knowledge of the Son, all of which comes to us through the Spirit...We must know, understand, and love the Trinity to be fully and completely Christian."

"True Christian worship is founded upon Christian truth. We have to have knowledge of our God to worship Him correctly. If we have defective knowledge, or worse, if we have wrong information and have been deceived, our worship is either lessened...or it is completely invalid, as the worship of idols and false god...Knowledge does not save, but true worship does not exist without knowledge."

It does matter what we believe about God. It affects our worship. It affects our message. It affects our spiritual walk and our daily life. The Forgotten Trinity is an excellent book which I believe every Christian would profit from.

This book is necessary for the Christian reader on levels that perhaps even our dear brother, Dr. James White may even be aware of. Now, obviously, he is already aware of its importance and necessity, so my argument only serves to hopefully impress on more people to purchase and read this excellent book.

The doctrine of the Trinity is so vital to the life of the Christian that without the Trinity, there is no Christianity. White is 100% correct to point out that the Trinity is a revealed doctrine, and it is revealed between the Testaments in the Incarnation of the Son, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is something he references regularly both in his writings and speaking on the subject.

Having watched all of his public debates on the subject, I was convinced that I must read the book as well. Having done so, I can't imagine why I did not purchase it before now. I especially appreciated the fact that James took the time to focus on the Holy Spirit as well because the Spirit is often the forgotten person of the Trinity. I also appreciated White's time that he spent distinguishing the difference between being and person, as this is very important to understanding the revelation that is the Trinity in the inerrant Word of God.

I thank Dr. White for his work here and I hope that this is an encouragement to many others to read this book about the most vital fundamental to Christianity.

- Andy Cain
www.andycain.org

The Trinity is one of the most debated theological issues in church history, but all orthodox Christians have held to it. Dr. James R. White does a fantastic job of looking at the essential bible verses on Trinitarian theology and does a masterful job of exposition. Dr. James White also shows that many of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, and the works that they can do, are things that can be only attributed to God. This book contains some great quotes from Benjamin B. Warfield's work on the Trinity. This is written in clear and understandable language, and is one of the best modern books on the Trinity. He also shows how every group who holds to a heretical view of the Trinity, also teaches a false gospel, showing that our view of God, affects how we view sin and God's wrath, and His remedy for sin. Highly recommended.

Dr. James White has written an excellent defense for the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. He shows how there is one God and three Persons in the one Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Dr. White teaches us that there are many errors regarding the Trinity from modalism to pantheism but the biblical view is that there is one God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4) while showing that the Father is not the Son nor the Son the Father nor the Spirit the Son, etc. Dr. White shows us that the Bible testifies to the oneness of God while showing us that all three members of the Trinity make up the one God. His writing is sharp enough for a theology student to read while the average reader can still follow his logic as he works through the Scriptures to defend the Trinity.

This is an excellent work! A must read for disciples of Jesus who desire to know the one true and living God (John 17:3).

Unlike the self-proclaimed anti-trinitarian reviewer "rstamp," I read the book. Apparently, he read chapter 6's title and modified a "canned" WT response. He pretended White admitted a weak link between the One God, Jehovah (YHWH), and the same One God, Jesus, the "I AM," of the Gospel of John. In reality, the chapter is an exciting addition to Christological research. It unfolds like a detective story and nails shut the anti-trinitarians' canned red herrings.
It is all the more exciting for apologists because White traces the "Jehovah"--ani hu--ego eimi link through Isaiah 43:25 and 51:12 and then ends up at Isaiah 43:10. Let me explain why that is filled with ironic drama! 43:10 is the verse that JW's claim their name comes from. And everyone familiar with the context knows the threat of Isaiah 43:11 (the following verse) if the JW is wrong about Jesus not being Savior. Also, see the treatment of 1 Jn 2:23 at White p. 154, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father..."
Now let's get down to the heart of the book review:
If you missed the drama of scholarly sleuthing in your first reading, it's because the point of this book is not to bash anti-trinitarians. I daresay Dr. White's book cares less about "proving God" and more about worshiping the One Triadic God. The title, "Forgotten..." is meaningless to anti-trinitarians like rstamp: one cannot forget what one never knew. Pity. But all the more pitiful to Trinitarian disciples, students and pastors who would merely worship One of Three instead of Three in One.
The Forgotten Trinity also re-tells the stories of those earliest Christians proclaiming monotheism in three equal, divine persons. Many bore torture scars because they would not recant or forget the Ultimate Being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The poignancy of the stories of Melito of Sardis (180 AD), Ignatius (d. 108) and Athanasius remind modern Christians that truth has a cost, and we are the beneficiaries of their insistence on a precise formulation for understanding Who God is. Let no man ever say that "trinity" was unknown before the fourth century!
As to style, The Forgotten Trinity matches accessibility with masterful coverage. The first two hundred pages read almost like a novel, but don't pass up the endnotes; they are full of exciting gems and delightful teaching points. White's handling of the important Bible passages is the most understandable you will ever find-especially considering that cults and modalists have been abusing them for years; White simply gets back to what they really said.
To love God includes loving the hard parts-to resist dumbing-down what scripture has to say about God's self-revelation. To recover the heart of Christian belief encompasses fidelity to the reality of Jesus' deity as well as the Holy Spirit's. Trinity, then, fulfills monotheism's highest relational revelation, and it embraces the earliest Christians' witness of the unique Divine Triad. That is what White really presents. My favorite book of 1999 so far.

James While is an accomplished Bible scholar, apologist, skilled debater, respected theologian, and much more. Notwithstanding, while the popularity of Trinity and those who promote it is the standard of truth for many, the Bible still stands alone as the only wellspring for drawing out pure exegetical truth.

You may find it shocking that the doctrine of the Trinity is not found in the entire Bible. It’s not the absence of the word “Trinity” that is alarming, the Triune God (defined as such) is nonexistent.

Because some may doubt this, here are some Trinitarian sources that admit that no such doctrine exists:

“Nowhere does the Bible explicitly teach this combination of assertions” (New Bible Dictionary, third edition, 1209, 1996).

In the book, God in the New Testament, Trinitarian A. W. Argyle, stated, “The fully developed Christian Doctrine that God is three Persons in one Godhead is nowhere explicitly stated in the New Testament” (173, 1966).

The Dictionary of the Bible, says for the word “trinity,” “The belief as so defined was reached only in the 4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief” (John L. Mckenzie, 899, 1965).

These sources authenticate that no Christian alive today became a Trinitarian from studying the Bible alone. So, this doctrine is “learned theology” that is read into Scripture. It’s highly unlikely you learned this alarming fact in church.

The bad news gets worse. The doctrine of the Trinity was not believed by the early New Testament church. Many early Christian writings exist that are not part of the New Testament (ante-Nicene Fathers). But the doctrine of the Trinity is absence. Most Trinitarian scholars such as Dr. White evade discussion of this black hole, unless confronted.

It wasn’t until hundreds of years after the death of the Apostles that the doctrine of the Trinity was born. But sadly, your church also didn’t inform you (most likely) that the doctrine of the Trinity came out of the Roman Catholic Church.

In the year 325, Dictator Constantine (the Roman Emperor) ordered a church council that he presided over to settle a dispute between some Christians over the question of the eternal pre-existence of Jesus and His relation to the Father. Once the Roman Catholic Church decided that Jesus was equal to the Father in essence, further Catholic church councils refined this doctrine into the doctrine of the Trinity.

Chapter One, Why the “Forgotten” Trinity?

On page 15, Dr. White writes, “we must know, understand, and love the Trinity to be fully and completely Christian.”

Without any biblical accreditation (there is none), that one must be a Trinitarian to be saved, Dr. White creates additional biblical revelation. Dr. White might want to add his special revelation to end of the book of Revelation where it is forbidden.

Most Christians can’t even recite the doctrine of the Trinity (thankfully). I don’t know of any Trinitarian church that includes this doctrine in their plan of salvation (thankfully). The doctrine of salvation is found in hundreds of verses and God didn’t forget to include the Trinity in His inspired Word.

On page 16, he continues, “It is so misunderstood that a majority of Christians, when asked, give incorrect and at times downright heretical definitions of the Trinity.” We are only in the first chapter and have uncovered “double talk.” Now, Dr. White seems to admit that one can be a Christian and not know the Trinity.

Chapter Two, What is the Trinity?

This is an important chapter because it defines the doctrine of the Trinity according to Dr. White. I write this because many Christians are unaware that different definitions of the Trinity exist.

A notable absence in this chapter are Bible quotes or references. In case you skipped the introduction, the Triune God as defined by the doctrine of the Trinity is absent from every chapter and verse of the Bible. Jesus, the Apostle Paul, nor anyone else, prayed to, or identified God as triune.

Here is Dr. White’s definition of the Trinity: “Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (page 26, 1998).

Dr. White teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each persons, while the Triune God is not a person, but a Being. This description of the Trinity is not universal. Many Trinitarians believe that the Triune God is a Person and make no mention that He is not a Being. The New Bible dictionary quoted from earlier calls the Triune God, “one God.” If Dr. White’s definition is correct, it would be found in most Bible Dictionaries, church doctrinal statements, and early church creeds. Because there is no biblical affirmation of this doctrine, Trinitarians are free to draft their own rendition of the Triune God as they please.

Dr. White teaches (implicitly) that there are four Gods. Let’s count them: “one Being that is God” (one God), Father (two Gods), Son (three Gods), Holy Spirit (Four Gods). His four God implicit view (a fact of the Trinity) while rarely acknowledged, is indisputable.

After listing four beings who Trinitarians admit are fully God, Dr. White writes, “First, the doctrine rests completely upon the truth of the first clause: there is only one God” (page 26). The doctrine of the Trinity is unbiblical and contradicts self-evident, God given common sense. If there is one God as Dr. White affirms, there cannot be three other persons/beings who are fully God. But the Trinity doctrine affirms that there is one God while currently affirming that there are three or four Gods.

One hallmark of false doctrine is “double talk.” This method of deception is a trait held by many pathological liars. This deception is simple. A statement is made and another statement is also made that is directly contrary to the first statement and impossible to be true at the same time under the same conditions.

Dr. White teaches that each person is fully God, yet there is one God. If you want to keep your God given sanity, don’t try to intellectually reconcile this doctrine. While you can learn about it, your God given reason will reject it based on contradictory premises.

Dr. White affirms there is one God because the Bible makes this affirmation throughout (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 6:4; 32:39; 2 Samuel 7:22; 2 Samuel 22:32;1 Kings 8:60; 19:15; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 18:31; Isaiah 37:20; 43:10; 44:8; 45; 45:14; 45:18; 45:21; 46:9; Zachariah 14:9, etc.) The New Testament continues this major doctrine: John 5:44; Mark 10:18; 12:29; Romans 3:30; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20. But this (one God) declaration is always for the Father (never a Triune being) and never includes the Son and/or the Holy Spirit. So, when the Bible affirms one God, it is always the Father (Yahweh). This is also because the number “one” always means one person (not three or four).

I prayerfully ask that you pause, open up your Bible and read these passages for yourself that always identify the Father (Yahweh) as the one God. I dare you to find one passage in the entire Bible that describes the one God that includes Jesus. This truth should break all your Trinitarian anchors and navigate you closer to a biblical defined theological framework for the identity of God the Father (YAHWEH). So please, I beg you, get alone with God and allow the Bible to define your theological framework. Very soon, when we stand before God, the Bible properly understood, matters for eternity. How we understand God today, influences how we live our lives.

While Dr. White wrongly stated that our eternal destiny hinges on being a Trinitarian, nevertheless, what the Bible states about the identity of the Father (Yahweh) is very important!

While clarifying his definition of the Trinity, Dr. White writes, “It not only asserts that there is only one God—the historic belief, shared by Christians and Jews known as monotheism but it also insists that God’s ‘Being’ (capitalized so as to contrast it with the term ‘persons’ found in the next clause) is one, unique, undivided, indivisible” (page 26).

Let’s unpack this further. While describing the one God of Trinitarianism, Dr. White calls this “the historic belief, share by Christians.”
The words “historical belief” makes it sound like this was held all the way back to the Apostle Paul —but this is untrue. Secondly, the phrase, “shared by Christians” is also misleading. There are many Christians who are not Trinitarians. You can Google “Biblical Unitarians” (not to be confused with Universal Unitarians). The excellent book, “Should the Trinity Be Abandoned,” lists several Christians who lived during the Roman Catholic Church’s reign of terror who were martyred for their faith. Here is the description of one: “Joan Bocher was burned to death in England in 1550 AD. Her crime? The Encyclopedia Britannica (1964) says: ‘She was condemned for open blasphemy in denying the Trinity, the one offence which all the church had regarded as unforgivable ever since the struggle with Arianism’” (Michael A. Barber, location 190, 1998-2014).
Dr. White’s definition of “God’s Being” has now changed to “indivisible”. But this word contradicts his earlier definition of the Triune God who he described as “…three eternal co-equal persons…” How can God be three, but indivisible? This contradiction didn’t come out of the Bible, but from the Scripture-less, Roman Catholic definition of God.

One more questionable knob should be probed. Dr. White, while describing his version of the Trinity, again, wrote, “…the historic belief, shared by Christians and Jews known as monotheism…” Dr. White conveniently left of that the definition of most Jews and Trinitarians for monotheism is very different. The word monotheism comes from two words. Mono means “one,” while theism means “God.”

Judaism correctly believes that there is one God (above all others) who is the Father (Yahweh). This belief remains unchanged from the Old Testament. Yet sadly, Judaism continues to reject their Messiah who is the only way to the Father.

Trinitarians also claim to believe in monotheism. But they have re-defined it to conform to the Trinity —one Triune God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But since Trinitarians believe that each person is co-equal and fully God, their view of God could more properly be called polytheism (worship of more than one God).

In reality, most Trinitarian Christians think the Trinity is just belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (this makes me a Trinitarian). Since most Trinitarians are ignorant of the Trinity —thankfully, they don’t worship the Triune God (?). Instead, they worship the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit that indwells them :).

He continues and writes, “Each is fully God, coequal with the others, and that eternally” (27). The statement that “each is fully God” needs some clarification. But for now, He must mean that each person is equal to the Father (Yahweh). But not only is this view not substantiated biblically, it’s impossible for two distinct persons to be equal. After all, a distinction makes two persons unequal. But this disagreement will be covered later.

Dr. White also writes about the three persons of the Trinity, “and that eternally.” He means that each person of the Trinity has always existed. The Bible doesn’t teach this. While God and His Spirit are eternal, there is much biblical evidence that Jesus Christ, while a divine person is begotten. But this point will be stacked for later.

On page 27, there is a diagram with three foundations. The first foundation is that there is one God. For now, it’s worth addressing this first column.

While the Bible explicitly states there is one God (many verses; always Yahweh), it also states there are other gods. Trinitarians usually side with the verses that state there is one God and dismiss verses that state a plurality of gods (good and evil). Because there are no contradictions in the Bible, how is this resolved?

While there are many verses that teach the exclusiveness of Yahweh (the Father), these verses emphasize Yahweh’s unmeasurable greatness in contrast to other gods. For example, compare these partial verses: “besides me there is no god. 7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it” (Isaiah 44:6b-7a). Because of the magnitude of Yahweh greatness and because no other God is like Him (“Who is like me?”), He stand alone!
So while verses exist that teach Yahweh’s exclusiveness as the only God, they should be interpreted to emphasize Yahweh’s uniqueness, greatness, power and other attributes that set Him apart, unlike any other god. So while there exists a plurality of gods as we are about to see, these gods are so far out of the Father’s league of just Himself, that they offer no threat to Yahweh’s ultimate, and total sovereignty. This is why He is entitled to claim He is the only God. To follow is overwhelming evidence that other lesser gods indeed exist.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word “elohim” (God) can describe the one true God (Psalm 114:7, etc.) false gods (2 Kings 17:31, etc.), foreign gods (Daniel 11:39), good angels (Psalm 8:5, etc.), good Judges (Exodus 18:19; 1 Samuel 2:25; Psalm 82:1), Moses speaks as a god (Exodus 4:16), David or Solomon as god (Psalm 45:6-7), a ghost (1 Samuel 28:13), etc.

In the Koine Greek New Testament, the word “theos” (God) can describe the one true God almighty (Matthew 3:9, etc.), Jesus Christ (John 20:28, etc.), a person thought to be god (Acts 28:6), the false prophet (2 Thessalonians 2:4), a false idol (Acts 7:40, 43), divine beings (John 10:34; background is Psalm 82:6), Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), etc.

You were just presented with enough evidence that should convince any reasonable member of a jury within a court of law that the Bible explicitly affirms that there exists a plurality of gods in the Bible. But Trinitarians scholars (not all) regularly circumvent Mt. Everest (if you will) because of the doctrine of the Trinity is strong and wrongly teaches (not every Trinitarian holds this) that because the Bible states that there is only one God, there really is only one God who is (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Yet each member is a person and fully God.
Please make a mental snapshot of this truth for future chapters. There are more verses that assert that other gods exist, but this review must move on.

Finally, page 30, makes a very important point you should not miss: “It is important to emphasize that we are not saying that the Father is the Son, nor that the Son is the Spirit. That is not the doctrine of the Trinity, despite how many people in honest ignorance think otherwise. No true Trinitarian believes the Father was a ‘ventriloquist’ at the baptism of Jesus, nor that Jesus was praying to himself in the Garden.”
Dr. White is describing a rule held by every Trinitarian scholar, but also violated by most every Trinitarian scholar. Dr. While will take this rule back many times in the chapters to follow by claiming that Jesus is Yahweh Himself. Please know, dear believer, that when wrong doctrine is read into the Bible, it creates contradictions that are reconciled with “double talk.”

For four (4) additional chapter reviews, please visit the website under my profile. May God bless you richly as you follow God’s Son to the Father’s house. Thanks for reading this long review.

It almost becomes unnecessary to write a review of a book that has such an outstanding collection of endorsements by so many astute scholars (Archer, Pacwa, Geisler, Armstrong, MacArthur, and Packer). "The Forgotten Trinity" is one of the best books on the subject and is written for laity as well as men of letters. The author, James White, is well-known for defeating his theological or philosophical antagonists in written debates on a wide variety of topics (from Mormonism to textual criticism). Moreover he delivers a cogent, persuasive, and understandable exposition of the Triune nature of God.

White writes with a love for the true God in Trinity and confesses that Jonathan Edwards was a profound influence in stirring up this passion (p. 18-19). Furthermore the author quotes G.T. Shedd that the "doctrine of the Trinity is the most immense of all doctrines of religion. It is the foundation of theology" (p. 21). White distributes numerous quotes and a broad range of citations throughout his readable volume (220 pages).

Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

The author defines the Trinity: "Within the one being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (p. 26). He then discusses the difference between polytheism and monotheism as he refutes modalism. He offers clear exposition of Isaiah chapter 40 and chapter 46 and a myriad of various Bible passages.

This Greek scholar's insights that the reader receives from his lengthy exegesis of John chapter one is more than worth the cost of the book (p. 47-93). This section (as is the case in much of this treatise) is littered with Greek words defined and expounded in context.

White closes out this exceptional work with the following profession: "I believe in the Trinity and the deity of Christ because it is the teaching of the Scriptures... I accept homoousian because it accurately reflects the teaching that there is one God..." (p. 190).

The Trinity is the most consequential doctrine of Scripture and White "is to be congratulated for his thorough and meticulous refutation of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses" (Archer- back cover).
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The Forgotten Trinity is an excellent treatment of a bedrock doctrinal truth. It is simple and direct and easy to understand. White furnishes his readers with three basic biblical truths which formulate and safeguard the doctrine of the trinity - 1. There is one God, 2. There are three Persons in the Godhead, and 3. The three persons are equal. These points are established and defended from exegesis of Scripture. Several key texts are looked at indepth including the prologue of John and Phil. 2:5-11. Much attention is given to establishing the Deity of Jesus Christ. This is an excellent book for refuting the heretical doctrines of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. White sticks to the basics about the doctrine of the Trinity and avoids the more metaphysical speculative aspects of the subject. Excellent for those wanting a basic overview of this important truth!

Dr James R. White has provided Christians a good beginner-to-introductory text for understanding, appreciating, and loving the centrality of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity of divine persons. Though not intended to be an exhaustive study of all the exegetical and historical issues involved, The Forgotten Trinity nevertheless provides the reader with a good grasp of the central issues concerning the being of God, the work, claims and person of Christ, the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, and the historical/exegetical disputes in Church history and today surrounding the divine godhead. Also provided -- at the reader's pleasure -- are longer expositions of several particularly vital issues in the end-notes. Though The Forgotten Trinity could certainly be expanded to include more discussion about proposed counterarguments against White's arguments, overall this book is a thoroughly recommendable text for every layman and elder.

In this book, James White does an excellent job of surveying the entire range of Scriptural data concerning that which is related to the doctrine of the Trinity.
The first three chapters introduce the argument of the book, and seek to establish the Biblical case for monotheism.
By my count, there are six chapters that deal with the person of Jesus Christ (chapters 4-9), and all of them are outstanding. The various passages that are covered in these chapters deal with topics such as the following (using my language, not White's): John's view of Jesus; Old Testament passages as they are applied to Jesus by the New Testament writers; and a look at how Paul and the other writers of the New Testament viewed Jesus.
The chapter on the person of the Holy Spirit (10), and the chapter on the "three persons" (11) both help to round out the study.
The last two chapters (a historical sketch of the Trinity [13], and a practical look at the devotional elements of the Trinity [14]) essentially serve as appendices to give extra force to the position advocated throughout the book.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Take the time to follow the arguments (it would be helpful to follow the passages in your Bible) and it will be apparent that the Trinity, in all of its complexity and majesty, is a doctrine drawn from the consistent teaching of the Word of God.

I have almost every book Dr White has written because he is one of my favorite teachers on the theological subjects he writes about. This book is a wonderful introduction to a cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith-the Trinity. His concise definition of the Trinity is worth the price of the book. It isn't often that you find a teacher who can take very complex issues and explain them in language that lay people can understand. Dr White accomplishes that in this work.

James White is a true teacher and scholar. A mark of this is his ability to take complex subjects and make them readable on a layperson's level. The Forgotten Trinity is no exception. Page by page, White defines the Biblical basis for the Trinity, bringing back into focus the MAJOR point of division between Christianity and the cults (Mormons, JW's, UPC, The Way International, Christian Science, etc...)- the nature of God. Dr. White writes on a level that even a beginner could understand, which makes this book an excellent resource for a new believer. This book is not written as an apologetic tool, but moreso to demonstrate what the Trinity IS- which even many Biblical Christians cannot define correctly or misdefine. Highly recommended!

James White did a very good job of introducing the doctrine of the Trinity to the believer. Most of the book was focused on the Deity of Christ and very little to the Holy Spirit. But, still was very well done. It was a great commentary on John 1:1 and also other texts involving proving the Trinity. So deep where it needed to be and quoting Scripture and moving on in other parts.

He also did a good job of answering objections by those who are polytheists, modalists and docetists so that the believer will be ready to answer, through Scripture, tough questions.

Very good book and would recommend to any believer.

Past,Present,Future. Legislative,Executive,Judicial. Solid,Liquid,Gas. Length,Width,Height. Body,Soul,Mind. Wave,Particle,Plasma. Proton,Neutron,Electron. Top,Middle,Bottom. Holy,Holy,Holy. Was,Is,Is to come. Alpha/Omega,First/Last, Beginning/End. Father,Son,Holy Spirit. Excellent portrayal of the Biblical and natural truth of God as Three Persons. Fully documented with powerful Scriptural references. Cogent, articulate and not too scholarly to be used as an apologetic resource for countering the cults and sharing with skeptics, sages, seekers and saints in need of this foundational truth. Belongs in every Christian's library.

The Trinity will always remain, in my mind, the most unfathomable mystery of the nature of our God. It is all together puzzling and beautiful, a testament that we have such a limited comprehension endowed to us. Perhaps that is why many have found the concept so unbelievable that they have dismissed it.
In response to the denial by groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses and the LDS, as well as many questions some Christians have about the Trinity, James White wrote The Forgotten Trinity to defend the doctrine biblically as well as to clarify it and emphasize its importance to the believer. To put it more nobly, he invites "you, my fellow believer, to a deeper, higher, more intense love of God's truth." The book is not about gaining theological ammunition, but increasing the desire to know God more.
White starts with a brief intro into the nature of God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible. Then he dives right into some Christology as he demonstrates that the New Testament, beyond the shadow of a doubt, confirms the deity of Jesus, from the gospels to Revelations. White also discusses how Jesus associated himself with YHWH in the Old Testament, and how Paul described His role in the act of creation. Then the book examines the nature and personality of the Holy Spirit as a being and not a "force" as Jehovah's Witnesses claim. After detailing the witness of the church fathers to the Trinity, White closes the book by commenting on the relevance of the Trinity to worship, to the gospel, and to the believer.
This book was refreshing for me in clearing up some of my own confusion concerning the Trinity, as well as strengthening my belief in the doctrine. James White provided a detailed glance at the supporting Scripture that confirms the truth of one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you have questions or doubts concerning the Trinity, or have tended to ignore it, then I suggest you read this book. And if you read it then may it help you find a deeper understanding for, and love of, our wonderful God.

This is a very thorough book, with sound theological arguments and excellent scriptural support. To its credit, it is not exhaustive in covering all matters pertaining to the doctrine of the Trinity, but is a great primer and introduction to this doctrine and biblical teaching.

As was stated by another reviewer who did not give a favorable review, the point of this book is NOT to defend the Trinity against all of the confusing and misleading tendencies of scholars that are already decidedly agaist its revelation in scripture, nor try and answer every conceivable question or problem ever discussed. Rather, this author aims to provide a concise and specific demonstration of its strong presence in scripture, and to clarify some difficult passages regarding this doctrine. Attempts to limit and communicate this doctrine as simply being a couple of old guys in a room who needed a story to cover for Jesus being the incarnate God or that it was historically constructed much later and is bereft of biblical support and in opposition to significant portions of the canon of scripture is analysis gone awry.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to the theological student, or reader that has an interest in digging deeper, but recommend its technical nature for those who really want to examine things in a specific and grammatical manner.

What I learned: Passages supporting the doctrine of the Trinity, its presence in scripture, and techical "walk-throughs" of some greek NT passages showing the Trinitarian theology.

James R. White shows that the Trinity is not just an abstract notion, and that the concept of divine Trinity is as clear as day in Scripture.
White clearly demonstrates that the historic Christian doctrine of the Trinity is fully and inescapably biblical; and I found his refuation of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons very useful.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the blessed Trinity - is the foundation of all being, and I believe God has never been "forgotten", as the title of this book strangely implies. If He has, then it must be due to the outward focus of society and science, which has been the main influence of the 20th century. I believe that society and scientists will soon start realising that the answers are to be found within.
The Ultimate foundation of all being will never be forgotten. Praise be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Excellent book. One of those books you read over and over again for learning or for fun. Very user friendly, logical and easy to read.

Jehovah Witnesses say Jesus is not Almighty god but Mighty god. Is Mighty god a False god? "in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was a (False) God? I don't think so! If he is not a false god, then he must be a True god! So do Jehovah Witnesses now have 2 True Gods ???
This is the dilemma with Watch Tower theology. This Book Brilliantly defends the Trinity.

Excellent book. One of those books you read over and over again for learning or for fun. Very user friendly, logical and easy to read.

Jehovah Witnesses say Jesus is not Almighty god but Mighty god. Is Mighty god a False god? "in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was a (False) God? I don't think so! If he is not a false god, then he must be a True god! So do Jehovah Witnesses now have 2 True Gods ???
This is the dilemma with Watch Tower theology. This Book Brilliantly defends the Trinity.

White masterfully, and cogently explains the doctrine of the Trinity. This book is edifying for any Christian who loves the Lord, and seeks to worship Him in Spirit and truth. It is rather unfortunate that those involved in a cult which does not recognize the true God, would comment on a book that unfolds the biblical revelation of Him. Do not be put off by their review. One would not expect an individual who denies the Trinity to prasie a book about the Trinity. White's audio debate tapes with Oneness Pentecostal, Robert Sabin (who also denies the Trinity) is an excellent compliment to this book. Highly recommended.

This book promised to inspire the reader to desire greater knowledge about God, and at times did so. But the book is rather dull and tedious to read. Mr. Whites arguments are vary indepth and insightful. His use of scripture is excellent and I would recommend this book as a reference. But I would only recommend the first half of the book for casual readers.

I found the book by James White excellant for reading and defending the faith against various cults. I enjoyed his scriptual admonition on a offense of Proverbs 8. Colossians 1. and Revelation 3. I felt the book was written for in laymen terms for the better part. Mr. White's foot notes were ecellant for a rather small book. I really enjoyed his comments on Greg Stafford's book, "Jehovah's Witnesses, Defended." I would like to see more of such books on the market that continue to be scholarly, but yet not to complicated. Thank You

Well-written, sufficient explanation of the issues from the original Greek without being overly academic, and chap 4 on "Intro to God" is phenomenal - moved me to worship immediately. Highly recommended.

James White has done an excellent job in this book. This book provides an excellent case for the Deity of Christ. I really thank our Almighty Father to enable James White to author this book. One just need to look at all the scriptures in the Bible to see the Deity of Jesus Christ. This is an extraordinary guide for anyone who wants to seek the truth in the Bible.

This book give a better understanding of who God is and like the above says it has really increased my Worship experiance. Thanks Dr. White, to all those who think this book does not who it is reaching is aboviously not for them

Based on Mr. White's earlier work "King James Only..." and his web site, I was expecting a rather detailed, logical, and all encompassing look at a defense of the Trinity. Surprisingly, this work doesn't appear to be any of the above. I've been waiting for this book to come out ever since I heard the author mention it on the Bible Answer Man show nearly a year ago. Suffice it to say that I am vastly dissappointed.

I find it fascinating that an educated man cannot understand the simple and logical truth that three is not one and one is not three. It is in the nature of man to take a simple truth and arrogantly put his own spin on it. That the trinity has lasted this long in Christianity (roughly since the first few centuries after Christ's death) speaks to the unwillingness of people to search for the truth themselves and to the fact that narrow is the way and few there be that find it.