The Felony Forgery of Hebrews 1:3

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Hebrews 1:3 [kjv]
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

12 Felony Forgeries against Jesus Christ

Teaching Outline:

INTRODUCTION

Hebrews 1:3 is often the verse quoted when trinitarians try to prove that the trinity consists of 3 persons.

Once they quote this verse, I immediately know they haven't done their homework once again... <sigh>

Check out this article that reveals where the idea that God is a person comes from!

The Felony Forgery of Job 13:8: Is this where we got the idea that God is a person?

How do the oldest biblical manuscripts render Hebrews 1:3?

Screenshot below of Hebrews 1:3 in the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete Greek New Testament in existence, dating back to the 4th century.

screenshot of Hebrews 1:3 in the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete Greek New Testament in existence, dating back to the 4th century.

Screenshot below of Hebrews 1:3 in the Lamsa bible, translated from the 5th century Aramaic Peshitta text.

screenshot of Hebrews 1:3 in the Lamsa bible, translated from the 5th century Aramaic Peshitta text.

Screenshot below of Hebrews 1:3 in Google translate, from St. Jerome's Latin Vulgate in 405A.D.

screenshot of Hebrews 1:3 in Google translate, from St. Jeremy's Latin Vulgate in 405A.D.

Screenshot below of Hebrews 1:3 in both the Mounce Reverse Greek English interlinear and the NET [New English Translation] bible.

[The NET BIBLE is a completely new translation of the Bible! It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts].

Screenshot below of Hebrews 1:3 in 8 different critical Greek texts. The Greek word hupostasis [substance] is in the 8 red rectangles.

screenshot of Hebrews 1:3 in 8 different critical Greek texts.

Tregelles critical Greek New Testament - 1872
Who being an iradiated brightness of [his] glory and an exact expression of his essence, also bearing up all things, by the declaration of his power, having achieved a purification of [our] sins, sat down at [the] right hand of the majesty in high [places]

Codex Vaticanus is an important fourth century majuscule manuscript. It also uses the Greek word hupostasis [which means title deed; title of possession, not person]

I have also checked the SBLGNT [Society of Bible Literature Greek New Testament], the Nestle-aland Greek New Testament [28th edition], and the Apostolic Polyglot Greek New Testament interlinear and again, all 3 use the Greek word hupostasis, = title deed; title of possession, not person.

The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

So we can see here that no ancient manuscript, regardless of language or geographic origin, has the word "person" in the text. The definition of the word "person" contradicts the definition of the Greek word Hupostasis that we have seen above.

Definition of person
person [pur-suhn]
noun
1. a human being, whether man, woman, or child: The table seats four persons.
2. a human being as distinguished from an animal or a thing.

3. Sociology . an individual human being, especially with reference to his or her social relationships and behavioral patterns as conditioned by the culture.
4. Philosophy . a self-conscious or rational being.

5. the actual self or individual personality of a human being: You ought not to generalize, but to consider the person you are dealing with.
6. the body of a living human being, sometimes including the clothes being worn: He had no money on his person.

7. the body in its external aspect: an attractive person to look at.
8. a character, part, or role, as in a play or story.

9. an individual of distinction or importance.
10. a person not entitled to social recognition or respect.

11. Law. a human being (natural person) or a group of human beings, a corporation, a partnership, an estate, or other legal entity (artificial person or juristic person) recognized by law as having rights and duties.

12. Grammar . a category found in many languages that is used to distinguish between the speaker of an utterance and those to or about whom he or she is speaking. In English there are three persons in the pronouns, the first represented by I and we, the second by you, and the third by he, she, it, and they. Most verbs have distinct third person singular forms in the present tense, as writes; the verb be has, in addition, a first person singular form am.

13. Theology . any of the three hypostases or modes of being in the Trinity, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Look at definition #13! People talk about the 3 persons of the trinity.

By definition, God and the Holy Ghost cannot be persons because the definition of persons refers to a human being.

By definition, God [the creator of the universe] and the Holy Ghost [his gift of holy spirit] are not people, and therefore, cannot be properly or accurately called persons.

1 of the 13 definitions of "person" refers to the trinity, which in this context is based upon the forgery of Hebrews 1:3, which, by the theological definition of the word person, is based upon the known, proven forgery of Matthew 28:19, which is based upon an apocryphal [false & counterfeit] writing called the Didache, which is also based upon at least 2 other apocryphal [false & counterfeit] writings!

That's the devil's systematization of error - interlocking lies upon lies upon lies.

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

By definition and his own word, God is spirit AND God is not a man. Therefore, he cannot be a person, which by definition, refers to a human being.

If Jesus Christ is one of the persons of the trinity, and since the definition of person means a human being, then Jesus Christ cannot be God by definition, yet trinitarians say he is God anyways. Therefore, that's a contradiction and the bible does not contradict itself.

Since Jesus Christ is a person, by definition, there can only be one person in the trinity, since God and the gift of holy spirit cannot be people, and therefore, they cannot be persons. With only one person in the trinity, it can no longer be the trinity, which, by definition, must contain 3 persons.

Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament (MOUNCE) In verse 3, click on the word nature, which is the Greek word hupostasis

Greek-English Concordance for ὑπόστασις [hupostasis]
In the box on the right, click on the link for "See everywhere hypostasis appears in the New Testament via billmounce.com."

Here, you can see the definition, how many times this word is used, what scriptures use this word, etc.

None of the other 4 places Hupostasis is used translate it "person".

If you replaced the Greek word hupostasis with "person" in the other 4 places its used, the verse would not make any sense.

Hebrews 11:1 is a perfect example of this:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This is how the KJV translates this verse.
Now faith is the person of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This is what this verse would say if we were to translate the Greek word hupostasis "person" just the way it was forged in Hebrews 1:3.

The way it really should read is thus:

Now believing is the title deed of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

When we believe God's word, our believing is like a title to a car or house: its proof that we have it.

When we believe God's word, we are guaranteed to receive what we are believing for.

How do a dozen randomly-chosen modern bible versions render Hebrews 1:3?

King James Version (KJV); Young's Literal Translation (YLT); Wycliffe Bible (WYC); New International Version (NIV)
King James Version (KJV)
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
3 who being the brightness of the glory, and the impress of His subsistence, bearing up also the all things by the saying of his might -- through himself having made a cleansing of our sins, sat down at the right hand of the greatness in the highest,

Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
3 Which when also he is the brightness of glory, and [the] figure of his substance, and beareth all things [and bearing all things] by word of his virtue, he maketh purgation of sins, and sitteth on the right half of the majesty in heavens [sitteth on the right half of majesty in high things];

New International Version (NIV)
3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Amplified Bible (AMP); GOD'S WORD Translation (GW); Darby Translation (DARBY); Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the [c]out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,

GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
3 His Son is the reflection of God's glory and the exact likeness of God's being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he received the highest position, the one next to the Father in heaven.

Darby Translation (DARBY)
3 who being [the] effulgence of his glory and [the] expression of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, having made [by himself] the purification of sins, set himself down on the right hand of the greatness on high,

Revised Standard Version (RSV)
3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Contemporary English Version (CEV); Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB); Good News Translation (GNT); New Life Version (NLV)
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
3 God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side[a] of the glorious God in heaven.

Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB)
3 who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his substance and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Good News Translation (GNT)
3 He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, he sat down in heaven at the right side of God, the Supreme Power.

New Life Version (NLV)
3 The Son shines with the shining-greatness of the Father. The Son is as God is in every way. It is the Son Who holds up the whole world by the power of His Word. The Son gave His own life so we could be clean from all sin. After He had done that, He sat down on the right side of God in heaven.

Greek Lexicon of Hebrews 1:3

Definition of person in Hebrews 1:3
Strong's Concordance #5287
hupostasis: a support, substance, steadiness, hence assurance
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-os'-tas-is)
Short Definition: assurance, substance, reality
Definition: (lit: an underlying), (a) confidence, assurance, (b) a giving substance (or reality) to, or a guaranteeing, (c) substance, reality.

HELPS Word-studies
5287 hypostasis (from 5259 /hypo, "under" and 2476 /histemi, "to stand") - properly, (to possess) standing under a guaranteed agreement ("title-deed"); (figuratively) "title" to a promise or property, i.e. a legitimate claim (because it literally is, "under a legal-standing") - entitling someone to what is guaranteed under the particular agreement.

For the believer, 5287 /hypostasis ("title of possession") is the Lord's guarantee to fulfill the faith He inbirths (cf. Heb 11:1 with Heb 11:6). Indeed we are only entitled to what God grants faith for (Ro 14:23).

Definition of person - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Notes: (1) In Heb. 1:3, AV, hupostasis, "subtance," is translated "person;" see SUBSTANCE.

Definition of substance - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
<4,,5287,hupostasis<
for which see CONFIDENCE, A No. 2, is translated "substance"

(a) in Heb. 1:3, of Christ as "the very image" of God's "substance;" here the word has the meaning of the real nature of that to which reference is made in contrast to the outward manifestation (see the preceding clause); it speaks of the Divine essence of God existent and expressed in the revelation of His Son. The AV, "person" is an anachronism; the word was not so rendered till the 4th cent. Most of the earlier Eng. versions have "substance;"

(b) in Heb. 11:1 it has the meaning of "confidence, assurance" (RV), marg., "the giving substance to," AV, "substance," something that could not equally be expressed by elpis, "hope."

Definition of anachronism
a.nach.ro.nism [uh-nak-ruh-niz-uhm]
noun
1. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.
2. an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one: To assign Michelangelo to the 14th century is an anachronism.

Compare parachronism, prochronism.
Origin:
1640-50; < Latin anachronismus < Greek anachronismos a wrong time reference, equivalent to anachron ( izein ) to make a wrong time reference (see ana-, chron-, -ize) + -ismos -ism

Word Origin & History
anachronism
1640s, "an error in computing time or finding dates," from L. anachronismus, from Gk. anachronismos, from anachronizein "refer to wrong time," from ana- "against" + khronos "time." Meaning "something out of harmony with the present" first recorded 1816. Related: Anachronistic (1775). Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Encyclopedia
anachronism
(from Greek ana, "back," and chronos, "time"), neglect or falsification, intentional or not, of chronological relation. It is most frequently found in works of imagination that rest on a historical basis, in which appear details borrowed from a later age; e.g., a clock in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, an attendant to the Pharaoh shod in tennis shoes in Cecil B. deMille's The Ten Commandments. Anachronisms originate in disregard of the different modes of life and thought that characterize different periods or in ignorance of the facts of history.

SUMMARY