Bryan Denlinger is a KJV-onlyist with a pretty active youtube account as well as being the proprietor of King James Video Ministries. Denlinger, while professing to be a Trinitarian, employs a lot of sloppy language which results in a theology more akin to modalism, not Trinitarianism. Unlike more informed Trinitarians, the analogies and phrases he uses are questionable, to say the very least. While discussing the issue of the Godhead, we read the following:
The Godhead
We believe that the Godhead or “Trinity” consists of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Bible teaches that these three beings are separate and yet equal in their power and authority. While they are separate in their functions, they are all part of ONE single body. In other words, we do NOT believe in three gods but in ONE God made up of three persons (Body, Soul, and Spirit). (1 John 5:7-8)
God the Father
We believe that God is the Soul of the Godhead. He executes wrath (Romans 1:18) and judgment (Romans 2:16), as well as love, mercy, and grace. (Romans 5:8) The bible teaches that “no man hath seen God at any time.” (John 1:18) He resides in heaven and watches over the affairs of man. (Proverbs 15:3)
Jesus the Son
We believe that Jesus is the Body of the Godhead. The bible says that Jesus was and is “God manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). It was Jesus who came to this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay for the sins of mankind. (1 John 1:7) Today Jesus resides in heaven as the mediator between God and man. (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Soon Jesus will catch away his beloved church to be with him in heaven, so that they will be spared from the horrible outpouring of God’s wrath known as “the Great Tribulation”. (1 Corinthians 15:51-55 & 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) After this 7 year period of tribulation, Jesus will return to this earth to judge the nations (Matthew 25). Then Jesus will rule and reign PHYSICALLY in Jerusalem for 1,000 years, after which He will judge Satan and ALL of the unsaved living and dead at the Great White Throne Judgment. (Revelation 20:11-15)
The Holy Ghost
We believe that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Godhead. He is “omnipresent” meaning everywhere at ALL times. It is the Holy Ghost or “Spirit” that indwells the body of a believer in Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Evidence of the Holy Spirit in a believer is an understanding of the truth of God’s word (John 15:26 & John 16:13) and a oneness of thought among saved individuals. (1 Corinthians 1:10) We do NOT believe in the Jewish sign gifts (1 Corinthians 1:22 & Hebrews 2:3-4) of speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing for this time period. (Acts 2 & 1 Corinthians 14) We believe that those who manifest such “gifts” show their ignorance of the scriptures, and make a mockery of Christianity.
Man as a “tripartite” being
We believe that sinful man can never become a god or God. The bible does however teach that man is created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26-27) In other words, man is made up of three aspects, Body, Soul, and Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Our Body is the physical body of flesh that each of us is given at birth. This body is corruptible. It will grow old, die, rot, and return to the earth. (Isaiah 40:6) We believe that ALL true believers will one day be given an incorruptible body of eternally perfect flesh. This will happen at the resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:35-50)
Our soul is eternal, but unlike God the Father, our soul was created and was NOT eternally existing. It is the soul that will live forever with God in heaven, or with Satan in Hell.
Finally our spirit is made alive or “quickened” when we are born again. (Ephesians 2:1-6) Before salvation, your spirit is dead in trespasses and sins. This is why understanding of scripture is impossible without being saved. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) A saved man or woman is given the Holy Spirit as their guide and comforter. (John 15:26 & John 16:13)
While I will not discuss the proof-texts employed to support his theology (many of the favourite texts used to support this doctrine have been dealt with in some detail on this blog), one will note that he appeals to 1 John 5:7 and the "God was manifest in the flesh" reading in 1 Tim 3:16 due to his belief that the KJV is the infallible word of God in the English language(!) More responsible apologists for the Trinity will not rely upon these texts to support the Trinity (e.g. the apologetic works by James R. White; Robert Morey; Robert M. Bowman, let alone the more scholarly materials of Richard Bauckham et al.).
Furthermore, notice that Denlinger states that, while there is one God, there are three beings, not three persons. The historical definition has actually been three persons in one being, the "being" referring to the "substance" of God (basically, what makes God “God,” if you will).
On the issue of the Holy Spirit, we read that "We believe that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Godhead. He is “omnipresent” meaning everywhere at ALL times." However, such should be qualified, as the Father is spirit (only), according to Trinitarian theology; only the Son is embodied (Chalcedon stated His embodiment will be the case eternally, so he will forever be the "God-Man" [per the Hypostatic Union]).
Finally, likening the relationship the Father, Son, and Spirit have with one another to the "parts" of a human (body/soul/spirit) is not consistent with Trinitarianism but either modalism or the ever dreaded heresy of partialism:
This sloppiness in positively discussing and promoting the Trinity is something that more responsible Trinitarians try to avoid, much to their credit, and are much more careful in using analogies (if they use analogies at that--many will admit that there is no perfect analogy as nothing in nature would be comparable to the "being" of God and the relations of the three persons thereof [and they are correct, in my, while non-Trinitarian, hopefully informed, view]).
To be fair, Denlinger is a KJV-onlyist, and is not representative of the mainstream of Evangelical Protestantism (adherents tends to focus in on one issue and is very strongly anti-intellectual), but such shoddy argumentation is not rare in many circles. I do hope Latter-day Saints reading this will realise that not all presentations of the Trinity will be "on the ball" in terms of accurately representing the Trinity, even from those who profess belief in such; additionally, I do hope that Trinitarians will ensure that their fellow believers and those engaged in apologetics will try to be more accurate in their own understanding of the doctrine. Such will be the only way meaningful dialogue and debate can happen between Trinitarians and non-Trinitarians (not just Latter-day Saints).
Update:
In a video responding to another KJV-onlyist, Denlinger states that, if Christ truly died, then all three persons of the Godhead died, as Jesus is "three [persons]-in-one," something he discusses and defends, and even states that "Jesus" refers only to the flesh of the historical person, and that the persons of the Father and Holy Spirit were the "soul and spirit" of the person. The sound you hear in the background is that of informed Trinitarians facepalming . . .
In a video responding to another KJV-onlyist, Denlinger states that, if Christ truly died, then all three persons of the Godhead died, as Jesus is "three [persons]-in-one," something he discusses and defends, and even states that "Jesus" refers only to the flesh of the historical person, and that the persons of the Father and Holy Spirit were the "soul and spirit" of the person. The sound you hear in the background is that of informed Trinitarians facepalming . . .
