REFUTING THE ANTI-TRINITY ARGUMENT OF THE MANALO MINISTERS ON THE ALLEGED SUBORDINATION OF THE SON AND THE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER

Icon of the Most Holy Trinity

After some days of absent due to APOLOGETIC SEMINARS that Bro. Carlos Antonio Palad, Atty. Marwil Llasos, and I had given to the seminarians of San Pablo Seminary and the concerned lay people of Baguio City. The apologetic apostolate was made possible by Bro. John Emperador the organizer and Bro. Alex Tan, the president of Defensores Fidei Foundation. Now I am ready again to defend the faith, online.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "KALABISAN BA SA PAGIGING TAGAPAMAGITAN NI CRISTO A...": 

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Hello po Fr. ABe, di ko po alam kung saan i-post yung tanung ko kaya dito na lang po,sana mabasa niyo...Nung isang araw po nakinig ako dun sa "ang tamang daan" ng INC tungkol sa trinity po, i know well the church doctrines kaya tawa lang ako ng tawa sa mga sinasabe nung INC minister. Pero natigilan po ako nung may binaggit yung INC minister na quotes from the bible, yung una po verse from the bible kung saan sinasabe ni God na ipapadala niya ang Holy Spirit at yung pangalawa po ay yung sinasabe ni Jesus na ipapadala niya ang Holy Spirit. Tapos po nun, binasa niya yung sinabe ni Jesus sa bible na yung ipanapada ay hindi nakakahigit sa nagpapadala. So sabe po nung ministro na panu daw magiging pantay ang Ama at anak kung ipanadala ng Ama ang Anak. Di rin daw po pwede na pantay ang HS at anak dahil ipanadala lamang ng Anak ang HS daw po. Saka di rin daw po panatay ang HS sa Ama dahil pinadala rin ng Ama ang HS. Pasensya na po kung di ko na maalala yung mga exact bible verses, gusto ko lang po talaga malaman kung panu dapat sagutin ang mga INC sa argument nilang iyon..thanks po 

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Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your question.

Not everyone sent is inferior to the sender. But, it is a pity that you were not able to get the Bible text they used to support their argument. It is important that we examine it. [Hindi lahat ng ipinapadala ay mas mababa. Nakakalungkot kasi hindi mo nakuha yung verse na ginamit nila para mausisa natin.]

But based on my own research the INC minister refers to this text [Subalit ayon sa aking sariling pagsasaliksik ang tinutukoy na talata ay ito]:

John 13:16 [KJV] "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The SERVANT is NOT GREATER than his lord; neither he that is SENT greater than he that SENT him."

In Tagalog, "Ang ALIPIN AY HINDI DAKILA KAY SA KANIYANG PANGINOON; ni ang sinugo man ay dakila kay sa nagsugo sa kaniya."

Now, let us examine the text. 

Obviously, the statement refers to the Master-Slave relationship and between the Boss-Subordinate level of relationship. The one with authority is greater than his inferior. Jesus is here talking about HIMSELF and THE APOSTLES whose feet he just washed. JESUS IS ASKING THE APOSTLES TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLES BECAUSE THEY ARE HIS SUBORDINATES. IF THE MASTER SERVED THEY MUST SERVE OTHERS AND EACH OTHER AS WELL.

That is the CONTEXT and the MEANING of the statement.

It is nowhere stated there that Jesus is lower than the Father because He sent Him and it is also not mentioned that the Holy Spirit is lower than Jesus because He sent Him. Obviously, the INC pastors are violating the Scriptures in their use of text application John 13:16.

Now, between the Master and the Slave, of course the Master is higher than the slave, between the king and the envoy the king is higher, between the president and the ambassador that he sent, the former is surely higher. But, is that analogy applicable and correct with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? NO! Because the Son is not the slave of the Father and vice versa. And in the same manner, the Holy Spirit is not the slave of the Son.

Not everyone that is sent is inferior. For example. If the businessman requested his partner to represent him in a convention or negotiation or even social obligation the one sent is not an inferior but an equal. The same thing if the one sent is the wife. Of course, she is an equal partner of the husband and not a subordinate.

It happened to me already several times. I was suppose to celebrate Mass in an event then an unavoidable circumstances came. My good friend, the priest from another parish was the one I sent to represent me. He explained to the Mayor, the guest of honor, that I was not feeling well. That priest was not my subordinate but a good friend, an equal in dignity and ministry. I remember also that when my old, former parish priest celebrated the Jubilee of his priesthood I was invited but I couldn't go. So, I asked my father to represent me as well and I sent him with my greeting card and gift. Surely, my father was not my subordinate. 

I know of companies that the owner is the father, but this old father let the son to be the CEO. Of course, virtually speaking the father is still the owner of all thing and is higher than the son but the son orders the father to sign documents, and even sending him to negotiate on his behalf or to visit some places that he cannot go to. When the son is asked about the Company, he humbly says: "O, this is my father's. This is not mine. I'm simply running it for him. My old man established all these from its humble beginning." But, every time the father is around with his son he says: "Son, this is yours. This house is yours. That office there is yours. Command the people what you want and plan what you want for your future. I trust you to be better than me. Now I offer these to you and lead this company to greater height." Who is the boss there? BOTH.

The Father and the Son love each other perfectly so that Christ offers His Life and the Conquered World to the feet of the Father. And the Father gave ALL authorities in heaven and on earth to the Son.

SO, EVEN IN OUR HUMAN SITUATIONS THAT REASONING OF THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO MINISTERS DOESN'T HOLD WATER.

IS THE SON SUBORDINATE TO THE FATHER? NO!

Because THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THEM BOTH AS GOD.

Jn 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was GOD."

And God the Father, Himself, called the Son as God:

"Your throne, O GOD, will last forever and ever..." [Hebrews 1:8].

The Father even added that the one who made the universe is THE SON:

"In the beginning, O LORD, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." [Hebrews 1:10]

Much more, the Father referred to Jesus as Eternal and Unchanging:

"But YOU remain the same, and your years will never end." [Hebrews 1:12]

DEFINITELY THAT IS NOT THE DESCRIPTION FOR A SUBORDINATE OR ONE WHO IS INFERIOR. CLEARLY, THE FATHER HIMSELF EXALTS THE SON TO HIGH HEAVEN AND IS GIVING HIM TITLES RESERVE FOR HIM ALONE. SHOWING THE SUBSTANTIAL UNITY BETWEEN THEM.

HOW ABOUT THE CLAIM THAT THE FATHER MERELY SENT THE SON HERE ON EARTH?

The Father sent the Son not as subordinate but to be the PERFECT MANIFESTATION OF HIS BEING:

Hebrews 1:3 "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the EXACT REPRESENTATION OF HIS BEING, sustaining ALL THINGS by HIs powerful Word."

Also, the sending of the Son is not by force of subordination but THE SON'S VOLUNTARY EXPRESSION OF LOVE OF THE FATHER:

Hebrew 10:5-7 [NIV] "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body You prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'HERE I AM - as it is written about Me in the scroll - I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" 

Is that an image of a person simply forced to do something? No. Jesus is not like the angels who simply minister before God. He is a Son who freely and voluntarily offered Himself to the Father. The analogy here is like a Powerful King [the Father] saying: "I need someone to do the most difficult mission on how to defeat the enemy [Satan]." Then the Son, came forward on His own: "Here I am Father, I will do it." Then the Father appointed Him and sent Him. But, that doesn't mean that he is subordinate because he is equal with the Father and he could refuse the Father. Remember that JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS [cf. Revelation 19:16].

NOW LET US PROCEED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Is the Holy Spirit subordinate to Jesus? NO. Because the Spirit is God also:

John 4:24 [King James Version] "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

O, ho... The King James Version scholars even capitalized the word "Spirit" in 'God is a Spirit' in order to signify the oneness of God and the Spirit. The Spirit is God and God is the Spirit. That is interchangeable. That is why the Holy Spirit is also THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

* In Genesis 1:2 it was THE SPIRIT OF GOD who moved the waters before He spoke "Let there be ligh."

* In 1 Samuel 10:10 it is the Spirit of God that made the prophets prophesied. [1 Sam 19:20]

* In 2 Chronicles 15:1 and 24:20 the coming of the Spirit of God is the same as the coming or presence of God.

* The Holy Spirit is Creator like the Father and the Son:

Job 33:4 [KJV] The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

* Only God is good but the Spirit of God is good:

Psalm 143:10 [KJV] Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

* The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. If the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the two then, the Spirit of God is a slave of Christ and the Spirit of Christ is the slave of the Father. ABSURD!!!

Romans 8:9 [KJV] But ye are not in the flesh, but in THE SPIRIT, if so be that THE SPIRIT OF GOD dwell in you. Now if any man have not THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, he is none of his.

Is the Holy Spirit the Spirit of the Father or the Spirit of the Son? BOTH! Ha, ha, ha... to claim that the Holy Spirit is subordinate means the Spirit of the Father is inferior to the Son. C'mmon! He, he, he... 

* The Spirit searches EVERYTHING EVEN THE DEEPEST THINGS OF GOD. Why? He is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. He is God.

1 Corinthians 2:10 [KJV] "...for the Spirit searcheth ALL THINGS, yea, the deep things of God."

HOW CAN THE HOLY SPIRIT BE SUBORDINATE TO CHRIST WHEN WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT ALSO 'SENT' JESUS?

Mark 1:12 [New International Version] "At once the Spirit SENT him out into the desert..." [In King James Version: "The Spirit driveth him away..." and in Tagalog ANG BIBLIA: "Itinaboy siya ng Espiritu"]

The English King James Version is terrible. It says the Holy Spirit drove Jesus away. Imagine that. Ha, ha, ha... Does it mean that Jesus is inferior to the Spirit? Absurd.

The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus and sent Jesus to preach:

Luke 4:18 [NIV]"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. HE HAS SENT ME to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed," [Isaiah 61:1/ 48:16-17 NIV]

Wait, I thought that the Father was the One who sent and anointed Jesus. How come it is stated here by Jesus Himself and by the prophet Isaiah that it was the Holy Spirit who SENT AND ANOINTED HIM? He, he, he... It means that the Father and the Holy Spirit are ONE.