I’ve noticed a not so recent trend by many BUs or non-trinis who place the “one God” or “oneness of God” above all others. So much so that it’s presented as the Gospel itself, the one defining mark of Christianity and your Great Commission work.
This view has fractured the so-called “Biblical unitarian,” aka non-Trinitarian movement into various ministries with varying degrees of other beliefs.
For example, you can now find unitarian ministries pushing Old Covenant laws like Sabbath keeping and even circumcision of the flesh!
- Kingdom in Context, Sean Griffin;
- Ministers of the New Covenant, Matthew Janzen
Other ministries are pushing Amillennialism (no future Millennium) or Kingdom Now, i.e., “spiritual” building/spreading of the Kingdom; Dispensationalism
- Allegiance to the King, John Truitt;
- Spirit & Truth Fellowship, John Schoenheit
And yet other organizations that are more than happy to fellowship, partner, work alongside them:
But the fact is that the word “gospel” means “the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus, the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom: Mark 1:15.” Thayer’s Lexicon
The word gospel is also popularly understood and translated as “the good news.” And the word “news” is defined by the Online Dictionary as “newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events.” That is, “information not previously known to someone.”
The point is that the Gospel about the coming KOG on earth is the Real News biblical writers are breaking. In other words, the Bible never calls the fact that God is one, the Father, the Gospel!
Paul in Romans 1 says:
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Paul is here perhaps echoing Ps 14.1; 53.1:
Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!
So, knowing there’s a single Creator is an already KNOWN fact by even those who REJECT it because if there is Creation there has to be a Creator. Even the demonic world is fully aware of this fact which once again shows that it’s not Breaking News!
James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that.
I appeal to fellow unitarians to stop elevating the one God above all other beliefs because they might think this is the Gospel! Because, as I have said before, Christianity is not a single-issue religion!
