Οpposition to the Validity of the Triune Form of Μatthew 28:19

Οpposition to the Validity of the Triune Form of Μatthew 28:19

Writter: Evangelos D. Kepenes (October 24 2025, 20:38)

‘It is impossible to research and accept the truth for anyone who thinks they possess it.’

The present research examines the genuineness of the texts concerning the historical water baptism, as well as its practice and symbolism in the First Apostolic Church, which experienced the transitional period from the Old ministry of the death of the letter and the carnal symbolic ceremonies to the New ministry of the life of the Spirit and to the due worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24), as is proper for the s o n s of God, the t r u e worshippers (John 1:12-13).

The transition from the shadowy, dead ritual of the Old Covenant (O.T.) to the new, living, personal relationship with God was completed with His executed wrath upon the ungodly among the descendants of Abraham, “for the law worketh wrath,” and “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth [of Israel] and wrath to this people” (Rom. 4:15. Luke 21:23).

The wrath upon the transgressors of the Law was typified by Noah’s flood (Matt. 24:37-39), from which those who had entered the ark were saved. For the First Church, the water baptism served as the antitype of salvation from the impending judgment of God upon their generation, as the Apostle Peter testifies to the circumcised: “which also antitype [Noah’s flood] the baptism saves you n o w [in their generation], not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” and again, “Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ […] Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (1 Peter 3:21 Greek text. Acts 2:40b).

And John the Baptist, to whom God had revealed His impending wrath “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees” (Mat. 3:10), preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4) to the descendants of Abraham, announcing the Kingdom of Heaven and the wrath of God for those who rejected the ‘salvation of God,’ Christ, who became a curse for the Jews under the Law, bearing the curse on the cross (Gal. 3:13). He was telling the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to be baptized, while they were feigning repentance: “Brood of vipers! who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7-12) and Jesus confirmed the same thing: "Serpents, offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna (not Hell)?"

Note: The word Gehenna (Grk: Γ έ ε ν α) in the New Testament is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Ge-Hinnom (Valley of Hinnom). This was a literal valley outside Jerusalem, which was historically associated with a place of fire (originally a place for child sacrifice and later a garbage dump where brimstone kept the fire unquenchable). 

Paul assured those who had accepted Christ, the ‘salvation of God’: “Much more then, having  n o w (in their generation) been justified by His blood, we shall be saved through Him from the wrath” (Rom. 5:9).

“Christ is the end of the Law” (Rom. 10:4)

The celestial Truth, Christ, fulfilled the Law, the prophets, all righteousness, and the judgment mandated by the Law upon the murderers of the prophets and of the Author of life, and the persecutors of His body, the Church (1 Thess. 2:14-16); and He put an end to the types (shadows / prefigurations) of the Old Testament, to the earthly Temple, and to the antitype of Noah's Ark: water baptism.

Salvation, on the other hand, was eternally established through faith in the name of Jesus, and the worship of God is set in "the Holy Spirit" for all who are "in Christ," that is, inside the heavenly body of Christ, the true Temple. (Rom. 1:5, John 2:21, 1 Cor. 12:13)

The physical Water

The use of water, as a natural element and as the chemical compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H2​O) in modern science, constituted the typical religious, physical method of purification and repentance by washing or baptism for all the descendants of Abraham, the priests, the people, and the social classes of Judaism (Essenes - Pharisees - Sadducees), as well as for the purification of garments and vessels (Exod. 19:10. Num. 8:7. Deut. 11:32).

The ceremonial carnal regulations concerning feasts, days, foods, drinks, and various washings and baptisms of the Law, however, could not make the worshipper perfect in conscience, but were given until a time of reformation (Heb. 9:6-10). On the contrary, the public execution of these regulations led to the birth of Pharisaism, which was governed by self-justification and hypocrisy, which Jesus exposed and condemned: “So you [Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites] also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:28).

Washing or immersion in clean ‘living’ water (not stagnant or pooling), for the same typical religious reasons, was common even in the pagan world. The Sibylline Oracles (verses 160-166), addressed to idolaters, said: “Wretched mortals, repent, wash your whole body with the burden of its sin in living streams, lift your hands to heaven in prayer for forgiveness, and heal yourselves of impiety with the fear of God.” Similarly, the priests in Egypt had to wash twice every day and twice every night in cold water and keep other typical religious customs, countless in number (Herod. 2.37.3).

Baptism and Regeneration in Jewish tradition

The Jewish Encyclopedia, under the entry “Baptism,” states that in mystical Jewish tradition, the baptism of the proselyte had the purpose of cleansing him from the impurity of idols and restoring the purity of a “new born man”. This can be learned from the Talmud (Sotah 12b) in connection with Pharaoh’s daughter and her bathing in the Nile. Bathing in water constitutes regeneration (Yeb 48b) and must be done ‘in the name of God’ [L’ shem shamayim = in the name of Heaven], “that is, to take upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of God imposed upon him by the one who led him to baptism, otherwise he is not accepted into Judaism” (Gerim vii. 8). For this very reason, the Israelites, before the acceptance of the Law, had to undergo the rite of baptismal purification, according to Philo on the Decalogue (“De decalogo,” ii., xi), as well as according to the rabbinic tradition (compare 1 Cor. 10:2, “and were all baptized into Moses [the Law] in the cloud and in the sea”).

Given that Rabbinic Judaism largely echoes the traditions of the Pharisees and Scribes of Christ’s time, and the fact that Jesus was subject to the Law (Gal. 4:4) to redeem those under the Law, we can understand the subversive power that the physical water baptism in the name of “Jesus Christ” had, a name that took the place of the ‘name of God of tradition’ [L’ shem shamayim = in the name of Heaven]. Regarding regeneration, according to the apostolic teaching, baptism in the Holy Spirit was essential (Acts 8:16-17): “Who [Peter and John], when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Furthermore, the power of John the Baptist’s words was also subversive in relation to what was previously mentioned about the antitype of Noah’s ark, water baptism (1 Peter 3:21), and regeneration: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt. 3:11). John, whose mission was to prepare the ways of the Lord, indicated that water baptism was a symbolic precursor to a higher, true purification of the inner person, not with natural water but through the Holy Spirit. According to the Hellenized Jewish Talmudic Rabbi Abbalu (279-320), the true baptism is performed with fire (Sanh. 39a), without further explanation.

The emphasis, therefore, is placed on the revealed truth of “I am the truth” and on the baptism in the Holy Spirit of God. Undeniably, the one who saves and sanctifies is not the physical water but the Lord and obedience to Him.

“And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,” (Lev. 22:32)

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Worthy of note is Paul's phrase: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.” (1Cor. 1:17)

Biblical Practice of Water Baptism in the First Century

In 63–69 A.D., in the letters of the "beloved physician" Luke, Paul’s fellow traveler, who compiled his information not by hearsay but by firsthand investigation, “having traced the course of all things accurately from the first” (Luk. 1:3b ERV) addressed to the most excellent Theophilus so that he might receive accurate confirmation of the things in which he had been instructed, Luke narrates:

“Peter said to them [the men of Israel]: “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38)

The Questions that Arise

a) Is Matthew 28:19 authentic or an interpolation? What did the multilingual, former tax collector Matthew truly write in 40–60 A.D.: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” or “Go and make disciples of all nations in my name,” as is frequently testified by the early writings of the historian Eusebius (Eccl. Hist. Book 3, chapter 5:3), Luke, the other New Testament texts, and the baptismal practice of the First Church?

Moreover, all the apostolic testimonies refer to the name of the Lord Jesus. (Col. 3:17. Acts 4:18. 8:16)

b) Was the monotheistic Matthew, a called apostle of Jesus who wrote to his compatriots “and they shall call his [Jesus’] name Immanuel, which means, God with us,” a Jewish occultist or a Hellenist, or the “father” of the mystical trinitarian dogma of Greek Orthodoxy, or the forger of the verse (28:19)?

Why the Challenge

The challenge to the validity of Matthew 28:19 is a major issue in the redefinition of the historical truth of God, which He Himself revealed through His only begotten Son, who was the manifestation of Himself. The phrases “the truth ‘came in to being’ [ε γ έ ν ε τ ο  in Grk txt] through Jesus Christ” and “I am the way, the truth, and the life” revealed by Jesus constitute “the truth” that remains forever, and not the ecclesiastical occult traditions and the imposed doctrines of the Greek Orthodox priesthood of the early centuries, which aimed at the preservation of Hellenism and the powerful influence it had on Roman civilization and the Hellenized conquests of Alexander the Great, and which received the seal of 'validity' and their 'protection' from mortal Roman Emperors.

It is well-known that the Greeks respected trinitarian ‘ontological’ compositions and reshaped their gods with their own thinking, while the Jews and the First Church believed in the prophets sent from God and worshipped the God who had been revealed to them divinely. The First Church, therefore, certainly knew that:

“To Him [Jesus] all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:43

The Trinitarian Form of Matthew 28:19 and Trinitarianism in Ancient Mysticism

The trinitarian form of Matthew 28:19 (the book is in Greek, Matthew’s original in his native language is lost) is in harmony with the ancient trinitarian syncretistic mysticism of the primordial priesthoods. Ancient mysticism combined the stars with gods and heroes and worshipped the Sun (among the Platonists and Neoplatonists, the sun represented the Intelligible Light, from which every level of existence sprang), and its sister, the Moon, from which, as they claimed, magicians drew their power and astrologers their art.

The ancient mystics considered the number Three (3) sacred because they observed the Sunrise, the Midday culmination and the Sunset of the Sun, and the three faces of the Moon —the manifestation of the Great Mother. The three faces of the Moon symbolized the three phases of a woman's life: the New Moon symbolized the Maiden (the beginning, the seed of power), the Crescent Moon symbolized the Mother (the generative form), and the Full Moon symbolized the Crone (the old and the wise). Men prayed to the Sun, while women were considered Priestesses of the ‘Mother-Earth’ and prayed to the Moon. The term ‘Mother-Earth’ referred to Gaia, the personification of the Earth, which was the womb of all things.

In the Roman Pantheon, Artemis (Diana) was the crescent or new moon, Selene (Luna) was the full moon, and Hecate was the darkness when the moon was unseen at the end of the lunar cycle or during eclipses.

“This triple form of the Moon is directly related to the Triple Goddess (Maiden, Mother and Crone), which according to academics was inherited by the Celtic and other pre-Christian European tribes from ancient Greece […] The Maiden Goddess carried the symbol of the lunar meniscus (crescent) in its waxing form due to her young age, the Mother Goddess was the full moon (the prime), and the Crone carried the symbol of the lunar meniscus in its waning form, which is combined with the archetype of the martyr. It should be noted here that the lunar meniscus (crescent) became a specific symbol of the city of Byzantium in Constantinople, which was subsequently adopted by the Ottoman Empire and then transmitted to all Muslims and is used on many national flags, coats of arms, and Arab royal symbols.” (Yiota Houliara: “The Lunar Deity in Antiquity”)

 In mysticism, and based on the sacredness of the number Three (3), the following epithets and names also arose:

• Hermes Trismegistus (Thrice-Greatest) "Hermes Trismegistus was the name used in antiquity by the Greeks for the Egyptian lunar god Thoth, patron of astrology and alchemy, who was identified with the Olympian god Hermes.". He was the father of trinitarian monotheism: “... he spoke concerning the triad, saying that in one triad is one Deity” (Suda).

• Dionysus the Trigonos (thrice-born).

• Dionysus the Triouchos [(thrice-possessing), the sacred hymns to Dionysus referred to him as 'monas triouchon' = triadic monad]

• Triple-Form or Triple-Body Goddess Hecate (with three forms or bodies).

• Triptolemus, [the celestial hero of agricultural omnispermia (tris+ptolemos) – from poleo meaning to plow circularly three times].

• Triparadeisos (a city in North Syria).

• Triskataratos (the thrice-accursed of God).

• Trisomatos Daimon (Three-Bodied Daemon, found in the Acropolis Museum and adorned the Temple of Athena).

• Three-Headed Chimera (mythological monster).

• Trisomatos or Trikephalos Geryon (mythical giant with three bodies or three heads defeated by the demigod (two natures) Heracles in his tenth labor).

• Three-Headed or Triple-Coiled Serpent (monument of the Greek victory against the Persians in the Battle of Plataea in 479 B.C.).

• Three-Headed Cerberus (guardian dog of Hades).

• Trittys (Apart from its administrative significance, it means a triple sacrifice for solemn oaths involving three victims, either of the same or different species, usually a bull, a goat, and a boar).

Also in ancient Greek myths, we encounter the sacred number three (3) in worship, beliefs, and magic, such as:

• The three Fates (Klotho – Lachesis – Atropos), who determined the destiny of newborn Greeks and spun the thread of their lives.

• The three Graces [(Pemphredo – Enyo – Deino), sisters, primordial deities with white hair, one tooth, and one eye, who dwelt in darkness. They were also sisters of the three Gorgons, Scylla, and Charybdis.]

• The three Gorgons (Stheno – Euryale – Medusa), triplets who resided in the inaccessible place of great darkness known only to the three Graeae.

• The three Erinyes (Furies) (Alecto – Tisiphone – Megaera), hideous figures who inflicted justified or unjustified revenge on behalf of the enraged Gaia – Mother and every mother, according to the primordial laws of Matriarchy.

• The three Sirens (Thelxiepeia – Aglaope – Peisinoe), hybrid deities who sweetly sang and enchanted sailors, leading them to their death.

• The three Harpies (Aello – Ocypete – Celaeno), hybrid deities who snatched children and, according to mythology, the immortal souls of men.

• The three Hesperides (Hespera – Aegle – Erytheia), nymphs, daughters of the great night who guarded the tree that produced the golden apples in the eponymous garden of the gods, a gift from Earth to Hera. Whoever ate the apple gained immortality.

• Three were also the goddesses who possessed the Oracle of Delphi (Gaia – Themis – Phoebe).

• The Three Graces, (Agleea – Eyphrosyne – Thalia) goddesses who personify beauty and grace.

• The three Hours (Horae). The number of Horae varied according to different sources, but was most commonly three: either the trio of (Thallo – Auxo – Carpo) goddesses of the order of nature, or (Eunomia /goddess of good order, Dike / goddess of Justice, and Eirene / goddess of Peace.

The Trinitarian Form of Matthew 28:19: A Postern Gate for the Capture of the Truth that God is One

The trinitarian form of Matthew 28:19 is nothing but the postern gate for the capture of the Truth “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deut. 6:4), and the hybrid seed for the birth of ‘Hellenizing Trinitarian Christianity’ through which ancient mythical mysticism has survived to this day. This is found within ‘Orthodox’ trinitarian religious deterministic systems which preach that fragments of the divine eternal truth can be sought in all religions of Humanity, contradicting the apostolic truth “the world through wisdom did not know God.” (1Cor.1:21)

These systems also have a primary kinship with the birth of similar esoteric and theosophical systems and schools such as Hermeticism, Jewish Mysticism, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, Sufism, Rosicrucianism, Martinism, Freemasonry, Theurgy (which is magic), the Urantia Foundation, and others.

Partial Presentation of Ancient Mystical Systems with Trinitarian Beliefs

Hermetic Mysticism

In the cosmogony of Hermeticism, the number three symbolizes the Divine Triad and begins with the existence of the All, which created the elements and the universe from its own constituent parts and life. “Subsequently, the All divided into male (Divine Father) and female (Cosmic Mother), which brought forth the Logos to give form to a Second Mind, creator of the world, who in turn created seven powers or deities: namely Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Zeus, Pluto, the Sun, and the Moon, which travel in cycles, governing fate.” [Source: kosmos-zine.gr]

In summary, the number three in Hermeticism, as in Pythagoreanism, is a powerful symbol of creation, completion, and unity, reflecting the complexity and harmony of the universe and of man. Alchemy, Astrology, and the Tarot are the legacy of Hermeticism.

Ancient Greek Mysticism

The mysticism of Ancient Greece believed in a primordial confrontation for the dominance of the universe between three anthropomorphic male deities, with Uranus as the primal element, the son of Gaia whom she bore without fertilization with Eros. Gaia was considered the beginning of life, Gaia Meter (Mother Earth), or even Pammetor (All-Mother). Gaia Meter symbolized the material side of the world and contributed to the beliefs of matriarchal societies.

In Greek mysticism, there were three pre-existences: Eros (or Phanes), Chaos, and Gaia, which were born sequentially from the Cosmic Egg that originated from ‘μ η δ έ ν’ (the zero, the nothing) or from Nyx (Night). Chaos symbolizes the space of the Universe. Eros symbolizes the power of movement that unites and transforms everything that appears, hence the epithet Phanes (The Manifested), The All.

Uranus – Kronos – Zeus:

Uranus, who, according to Apollodorus, “first ruled the whole world” (1, 1, 1), was the personification of the Celestial Dome. He was neutralized by his son Kronos, whom he had with Gaia, who in turn was neutralized by his son Zeus (or Dias), whom he had with Rhea. Zeus remained the sovereign of the world, the sole possessor of the thunderbolt and the father of mortals and gods: “father of both men and gods” according to Homer. Patricide in ancient mysticism was of secondary importance because the order of gods and men, as well as the blood lineage, was defined by the laws of Matriarchy.

The three of them—Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades—divided the world after their victory over the Titans. Zeus took the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the Underworld of the dead. According to Mythology, the dead went to the Underworld to live another form of life, remembering, speaking, desiring, eating the roots of the corpse-flower asphodel, hearing, and being tormented; some had access to cold water, and others moved in and out of the Underworld. Thus, the definition of ‘Mortal’ (θ ν η τ ό ς  or  β ρ ο τ ό ς) was upgraded to ‘Immortal-Mortal’ or ‘Living-Dead’.

Generally, in ancient mysticism, complex trinitarian deities with a hierarchical order and distribution of powers prevailed. The mythological symbolism of the Pythagorean sacred number three (3) was the number of the ‘All’. “The All  and everything are defined by threes”. It influenced the epistemology of the philosophical worldview, anthropology, the explanation of causes, and the mythical trinitarian manifestations of female or male deities. The Pythagoreans taught the occult Dissolution of the Monad into a triad or triads, thus introducing the theory of trinitarian Monads.

“In the fourth century B.C. Aristotle wrote: ‘All things are three, and thrice is all: and let us use this number in the worship of the gods, for, as the Pythagoreans say, everything and all things are bounded by the triad, for end, middle, and beginning have this number in everything, and these compose the number of the Triad’ (Arthur Weigall, Paganism in Our Christianity, 1928, pp. 197-198).”

Solar trinity

“The nature of the Sun’s celestial revolution was considered triple by the ancient sages. According to the initiates of antiquity, there are three suns in every solar system corresponding to the three centers of life: mind, soul, and body. They called them the triple light or triple word—Spiritual Sun, Psychic Sun, and Physical Sun. In the hierarchical structure of Emperor Julian, the Supreme Sun precedes, identified with the Idea of the Universe, the intelligible cosmos to which the higher principles and the generative causes of the manifestation of the entire creation belong. Then follows the Intelligible Sun, the fertile source of the intelligible light, while the Physical Sun constitutes the visible reflection of the eternal world of Ideas. This gives us the Solar Trinity or, according to the Ancient Greek system, Hyperion-Zeus, Apollo-Phoebus, and Dionysus (a triad)—the leaders of the three worlds of Iamblichus.”

Source:  https://www.schizas.com/ilios-aktinovolos-noito-noero-kai-fysiko-fos/

According to Greek Orthodoxy, the Three Hierarchs (John Chrysostom – Basil the Great – Gregory of Nazianzus) continue to protect Ancient Greek education and its students, a privilege also enjoyed by the Egyptians for their education from the lunar deity Thoth. Furthermore, they always mediate for us to the Holy Trinity: “For they ever intercede with the Triad on our behalf”. These men, excellent connoisseurs of ‘Greek mysticism,’ married their secret knowledge to the apostolic teaching, which they considered the superior philosophy, and earned the title of the Thrice-Greatest Luminaries of the Solar trinity. According to them, “Light is the Father, Light is the Son, Light is the Holy Spirit; God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit.” “The source of the light is the Father. The radiance, the rays, is Jesus Christ. The light that is diffused everywhere is the Holy Spirit.”

Chinese Mysticism

The trinitarian power of cosmogony is also supported by Taoism, a Chinese folk religion after Buddhism and Confucianism. It is based on the ancient philosophical tenets of Lao Tzu and the poetic collection of Zhuangzi, where the Three Pure Ones are the highest deities who symbolize heaven, earth, and the underworld, and are identified with the past, present, and future. These are the manifestations of the primordial impersonal Heavenly Energy, the Tao, which has many meanings such as “way,” “path,” “reason,” etc.

The Tao gave birth to the One (the great monad); the One gave birth to the duality of Yin and Yang (which is the principle of opposition: male – female, positive – negative, light – darkness, and every antinomy). The unification of the duality/antinomy gave birth to the Triad, and the three gave birth to all existing things, which contain the antinomy of Yin and Yang (from the book of Taoism, Tao Te Ching = Treatise on Virtue and the Way). The goal of Taoism is “harmony,” (See: "The harmony of opposites" Heraclitus) which is achieved by mixing opposites and through stillness and apathy. Later, Taoism degenerated into a system of magic, alchemy, and occult mysticism.

Jewish Mysticism

The ancient oral ‘mystical Jewish tradition of the Throne or the Chariot’, which developed from the first chapters of Ezekiel and Genesis, was called Maaseh Merkavah (Work of the Chariot) by the Jewish mystics of the early centuries.

Around 200 A.D. in Palestine, this occult oral teaching—a secret interpretation of the Law, which according to Jewish mystics was passed down by God to Moses along with the written Law—was recorded and published in the book the Mishnah by Judah ha-Nasi, along with his explanatory book, the Gemara. Both together are known as the Palestinian Talmud (which means "teaching" or "study"). Around 500 A.D., the Gemara was supplemented in Babylon, and together with the Mishnah, it is known as the Babylonian Talmud. Both Talmuds are published separately.

The culmination of this occult Jewish tradition is the Kabbalah (Qabalah), which emerged in the Middle Ages and means “receiving” or “tradition” of the secret teaching concerning God and the universe, originally given by angels to Adam. It contains polytheistic aspects and strong influences from Plato, Aristotle, Hermes Trismegistus, and the religious syncretism of the Hellenistic East, which was shaped by the mystical and magical traditions of the Babylonians, the Gnostics, and the Neoplatonists.

The occult knowledge of the Kabbalah was recorded by rabbis in books such as the Zohar (Book of Splendor), the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), the Sefer Ha-Bahir (Book of Illumination), and others. In Kabbalistic theology, God is presented as an impersonal trinitarian energy, “which essentially means replacing prayer to a personal God with meditation and magic through the manipulation and control of impersonal spiritual forces” (Dr. of Theology: Theophilos Lemontzis).

The Kabbalah teaches that “The Conscious God projects with all His energy, and then two more Emanations follow, forming the luminous triad with the symbol of a radiant triangle with the Sephirot as its manifestations.” The Tree of the Ten Sephirot, or the “Tree of Life” of the Kabbalists, is the medium through which the multi-personhood and attributes of God are taught. It is based on the three (3) Veils of Negative Existence, which essentially obscure God rather than revealing Him, like all veils.

“These three symbolic veils are not separate or distinguishable from one another. Like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they are a ‘Triad consubstantial and indivisible,’ and the highest initiate of this solar system (and even greater ones than him) cannot penetrate their secrets.”

The three veils are:

1. Ain: Non-active (negativity). To define itself, it manifests as:

2. Ain Soph: The God without limits, the infinite. It then manifests as:

3. Ain Soph Aur: The absolute, limitless light.

These three Veils of Negative Existence become the source of the first three Sephirot:

1. Kether (Crown): In the language of Hebrew occultism, the first Sephirah. It is infinite existence, the Ancient of Days, where the three veils are contained. It is the source of Life and Creation with an androgynous nature.

2. Chochmah (Wisdom): Emanates from Kether and is the second Sephirah (the King, named Yah).

3. Binah (Understanding): Emanates next and is the third Sephirah (the Mother, the root of substance, symbolizing the female aspect within us).

These three Sephirot reveal the Heavenly Triad.

Regarding the polytheism of mystical Rabbinic Judaism, the scholar of Jewish religion and history, Israel Shahak, states:

“... whatever is said about the Kabbalistic system, it can in no way be considered monotheistic, unless we are also prepared to consider Hinduism, later Greco-Roman religion, or even the religion of ancient Egypt as ‘monotheistic’ religions.” (Jewish Religion, Jewish History: The Weight of Three Thousand Years, pp. 107-111).

Pythagorean Numerology

All ancient and modern philosophical theognosies where complex trinitarian deities (triadic gods) dominate are based on ancient mysticism and Pythagorean numerology, which held that beings, phenomena, and ‘cosmic music’ depend on their numerical relationships, and that the basis of kinship between gods and humans is the number three (3). This was considered a sacred and perfect number because it is the first to possess a beginning, a middle, and an end.

These mystical traditions exerted a great influence on the sacred texts of the Gnostics, Rabbinic Judaism (the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds), and the Qumran community. They also influenced the classes of ‘Christians’ and the formation of the Greek Orthodox dogma and the anti-biblical trinitarian doctrine through targeted interventions in manuscript copies of texts. Furthermore, they influenced the occult teachings that form the basis of Magic, the secret fraternities of knights, the secret fraternities of Freemasons, the political forms of globalization by the elitists, and generally the history of the world to this day.

The Scriptures

Jesus Christ and His Apostles recognized the written Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms as the Scriptures. These Scriptures had to be fulfilled in their generation through Jesus Christ (Matt. 24:34, 5:17) and not extended or replaced with new written prophetic promises.

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’” (John 1:45)

“Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’” (Luke 24:44)

Paul, in his defense, said: “Having therefore obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come.” (Acts 26:22)

And Peter, who was sent to the Jews of the Diaspora, recommends the ‘prophetic word’ as a surer path than heavenly experiences or philosophical doctrines.

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a lamp that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;” (2 Peter 1:19)

The Content of the New Testament

The content of the New Testament letters, as we know it today, consists of written testimonies of Jesus’ actions and teachings, or written interpretations of the prophetic word of the Old Testament, or exhortations and teachings from the Apostles, or narratives from their fellow travelers and colleagues or evangelists like Luke and Mark, or teachings from anonymous faithful writers such as the epistle “to the Hebrews,” about which Origen said: “Who wrote the letter ‘to the Hebrews’ only God knows.” (G. Gratseas: “The Epistle to the Hebrews», Thessaloniki, P. Pournaras Publications, (1999), p. 66).

"However, these letters were not preserved in their original form because no one took care of them or was instructed to collect the letters or to preserve them for the following generations. This was because, for their recipients, the time when everything written would be fulfilled, and the carnal ritualisms, the mortal ministers (priests), and the earthly vessels and the temple that served them would cease and be consumed by fire, was 'near'— 'the end of all things is at hand' (1Pet. 4:7). Furthermore, the promise of the New Testament and the new order of the world was not decreed 'in letter' like the Old Testament, but 'in Spirit' “For the present form of this world is passing away”, and again “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”. (2Cor. 3:6, 5:17. 1Cor. 7:31)

 “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (2 Cor. 3:7-8; Heb. 8:7-13)

At present, we have no text available in its original form. In the texts dating before the 4th century A.D., almost the entire twenty-eighth (28th) chapter of Matthew is lost, a fact that makes researchers suspicious about the authenticity of (28:19).

“Again [...] in the only codices that would even be likely to preserve an older writing, namely the Syriac Sinaiticus and the oldest Latin Manuscript, the pages containing the end of Matthew have disappeared.” (F.C. Conybeare)

Another reason why we do not have the texts available in their original form is that the fanatical persecutors of the new Jewish sect burned them at every opportunity, as the historian Eusebius testifies: “I saw with my own eyes the houses of prayer being torn down and leveled from their foundations, and the inspired and sacred Scriptures being delivered to the fire in the public square [...] This was the nineteenth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month Dystrus, which the Romans would call March. Then, as the feast of the saving Passion approached, royal edicts were published everywhere, ordering that the churches be demolished, and the Scriptures be destroyed by fire, and decreeing that those honored with office should lose them, and those in the service of high officials should be deprived of their liberty, if they persisted in the confession of Christianity.” (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. Book VIII 2:1, 4)

The Collection of the Letters

In the 4th century A.D., for ecclesiastical reasons, texts were selected from already existing copies of the letters, and the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus were compiled. These contain the books of the New Testament and a part of the Old Testament books, and in them, Matthew 28:19 is referred to in its trinitarian form.

Three centuries of violent Christological disputes preceded this, during which the New Testament texts were ‘tampered with’ according to the form of faith in the ‘dispute.’ Finally, with institutional ratification, the ‘Hellenization’ (see: trinitarian dogma) of the One God of the Hebrew Bible and His redemptive work through Jesus Christ prevailed, and the Platonic and Gnostic doctrines gained dominance through the decisions of imperial Ecumenical Councils (See: Dogmatic Symbol of Faith ‘Nicaea – Constantinople’ of Greek Orthodoxy). However, these decisions did not have the power to suppress the disputes; on the contrary, they continued and persist to this day.

The ‘decisions’ had legislative validity, were taken by majority or consensus, and were ratified by the Roman Emperor. Invited ecclesiastical officials—bishops, archbishops, or their representatives—and 'lay' advisors participated in the Councils through royal letters. These attendees always sought ‘alliances’ because they usually disagreed among themselves and accused one another according to the form of their dogmatic theology. However, all were familiar with the philosophical trends of their time, especially with Platonic dualistic doctrines, with Theanthropic Redeemers, and with the occult Dissolution of the Monad into a Holy Triad or Triads, which was a standing teaching of Pythagoras, the father of the theory of trinitarian Monads. The majority of the official members of the councils strongly supported these views, “and concerning the Holy Trinity, that in a Triad is a Monad,” philosophizing, they theologized. (Socrates Scholasticus, Eccl. Hist. Vol. A, chap. 5).

N.B. Theanthropos (God-Man) (θ ε ά ν θ ρ ω π ο ς) = A synthesis of uncreated and created: God or infinite + man or finite, where the antinomies “Heavenly-Earthly,” “Infinite-Finite,” “Immortal-Mortal,” “life – death” etc., are abolished.

Those ecclesiastical men who participated, were supported in various ways and prevailed in these theological discussions/disputes, were named “Fathers” of Greek Orthodoxy or “saviors and continuators” of the classical Greek spirit. (Patrology Styl. G. Papadopoulos Vol. A, p. 69).

The various attempts to finalize the “canonical books” never gained widespread acceptance. The selections were always influenced by national, political, dogmatic, personal, proselytizing, and expansionist expediency for the fulfillment of great ideas that harmed the unity of the Church and distanced it from the mindset of sound teaching: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 2:3)

Athanasius and the Alexandrian Theosophical School

The Alexandrian Patriarch of Alexandria, Athanasius, recognized as a “father” and “pillar of Greek Orthodoxy,” certified the 27 books of the New Testament as canonical (as we know them today) in his 39th Festal Letter in 367 A.D. He himself had previously cited passages from the Shepherd of Hermas, which was not ultimately included as canonical.

This Great Man, according to Greek Orthodoxy, strongly participated in the resolution of the Christological disputes. Indeed, to enforce his views, he was accused by his opponents of threatening Constantinople with a food crisis due to his authority, as he could impede the shipment of grain from Alexandria to the city. Because of this, he was exiled: “But a slander is effective when the slanderer is credible. Therefore, the Emperor, carried away by this and moved to anger, subjected Athanasius to exile, ordering him to reside in the Gauls.” (Socrates Scholasticus, p. 89)

Athanasius studied at the Alexandrian School (298–393 A.D.), which was initially directed by the Alexandrian theologians Pantaenus, Clement, and Origen. Their goal was to elevate the apostolic teaching to a philosophical theory compatible with Hellenism. The school operated as a crossroads for seekers—Christians who were friends of philosophy and other thinkers—similar to the school of the philosopher Justin in Rome or other Gnostic schools. The school was founded during the Hellenistic period, and Alexandria was the birthplace of Gnosticism. A Jewish spiritual community had also flourished in the same city, the fruit of which was the translation of the Hebrew Bible (O.T.) into Greek, and the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo Judaeus (or Philo of Alexandria) originated there.

“The Alexandrian theologians did not consider Greek philosophy a threat or foreign to Christianity, but its handmaiden (Θ ε ρ α π α ι ν ί δ α). Consequently, Christianity needed to be enriched with philosophical elements. The Alexandrian school sought the reconciliation of Christian teaching with Greek philosophy, especially Neoplatonic thought.” (Theologian: kostas koumoukelis)

These “canonical texts” of the New Testament were selected from a multitude of anonymous or named written copies of first-century manuscript texts, which were preserved and transmitted from generation to generation by various scribes, who copied them either out of goodwill or with the intention of distorting the texts to support their own dogmatic views.

Today, paleography and textual criticism in the investigation of authenticity recognize numerous scribal errors and alterations, such as the insertion of the three witnesses: “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth,” in 1 John 5:7-8, known as the ‘Johannine Comma’ (Ἰ ω ά ν ν ε ι ο  κ ό μ μ α).

“It appears that ‘the Johannine Comma’ was added to an earlier Latin version of 1 John as a marginal note, probably out of concern that not a single verse in the New Testament directly supports the doctrine of the Trinity.” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation, Revised ed., Zondervan, 2006, Vol. 13, p. 494)

“No other text in the New Testament betrays the trinitarian sophistication of the Comma, which not only mentions three divine entities (as Matt. 28:19 does) but also that they are one.” (Raymond E. Brown, The Epistles of John, Anchor Bible, Doubleday, 1982, p. 776)

The scientific work of paleography and the investigation of the authenticity of the texts are of the utmost importance because they help us have a more correct understanding of the New Testament content. According to Professor Savvas Agouridis: “The total number of variations, intentional and unintentional, of the sacred text is estimated by most researchers at 150,000, and by others at 250,000. However, the majority of these are otherwise insignificant to the meaning and essence of the text.” (Introduction to the New Testament, 3rd ed., Grigoris, Athens 1991, p. 36)

[N.B. The smaller portion of the variations, however, which lead from biblical monotheism to mythological trinitarian polytheism, is significant to the meaning, the essence of the text, and the truth.]

Additions, subtractions, and alterations to the epistles were known even from the apostolic and post-apostolic eras.

The Apostle Paul sounded the alarm about the danger of counterfeiting the truth, noting: “not to be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Christ has come” (ἐ ν έ σ τ η κ ε ν). (2 Thess. 2:2)

The concern of the physician Luke was the investigation and confirmation of facts: “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.” (Luke 1:1-4) Origen, commenting on the prologue of the Gospel according to Luke, "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand..." (Luke 1:1), states: "By 'the many' he means the writers of apocrypha who 'took in hand' but were unable to write 'gospels,' because they wrote 'without grace/charisma.' (Homily I on Luke)

Origen (185–253/4) also testifies: “Now, the corruption of the copies has become widespread, either from the laziness of some scribes, or from the audacious wickedness of some in correcting the writings, or even from those who add or subtract what seems right to them in the correction.” (P.O. 13 12934)

Also, the historian Hegesippus (110–180 A.D.), in his work Hypomnemata III (Memoirs), due to the confusion created by heresies, and particularly Gnosticism, states that “there were some who attempted to corrupt the sound standard of the saving proclamation.”

And Irenaeus (2nd–3rd century) mentions in his work “Against Heresies” that groups of Gnostics had fabricated and used “an untold multitude of apocryphal and spurious writings.” (1, 20, 1)

Furthermore, the pagan Celsus, a critic of Christianity, states: “And I know that some of your believers, as if recovering from a drunken fit, take to altering the original Gospel and modify it three or four times, and many times, in order to be able to counter criticism.” (“A True Discourse” 176)

Regarding the Gospel of Matthew in particular, Papias wrote: “So then, Matthew compiled the Sayings (Logia, Q, the source of the Sayings) in the Hebrew dialect, and each one interpreted them as he was able.” (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 3:39, 16)

And Dionysius of Corinth wrote in 170 A.D.: “Indeed, I wrote letters at the request of the brethren. But the apostles of the devil have filled these with weeds, some removing, and others adding; woe awaits them. It is not wonderful then that some have attempted to falsify even the writings of the Lord, since they have also conspired against those of lower rank [i.e., those not of the Lord].” (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. Book D 23, 12)

The Codex B. (Vaticanus) “would have been the best of the extant manuscripts had it been preserved complete, less corrupted, (less) corrected, easier to read, and not altered by a later hand in more than two thousand places. Eusebius, therefore, is not without cause when he accuses the supporters of Athanasius and the newly-arising doctrine of the Trinity of forging the Bible more than once.” (Fraternal Visitor, in The Christadelphian Monatshefte, 1924, p. 148. WHISTON)

“We know certainly of a great number of interpolations and alterations brought into the Scriptures [...] by Athanasius, relative to the doctrine of the Trinity, more than in any other case. While we have not, that I know of, any such interpolations and alterations made in any of them either by the supporters of Eusebius or by the supporters of Arius.” [Second letter to the Bishop of London, 1719, p. 15. SMITH'S DICTIONARY OF CHRISTIAN ANTIQUITIES (Art. Baptism Sec. 50)]

Eusebius and the Eusebian Form of Matthew 28:19

Eusebius was an exegete and historian, and the father of church history—he was ‘the Christian Herodotus.’ He was an admirer of Origen and a product of the Origenist theological tradition, in which the Son was indeed God, but inferior to God the Father. This conviction led him to defend Arian theology, becoming a leading figure of the moderate Arian movement, the Homoiousians (those who believe the Son is of similar substance to the Father).

As a friend and obedient follower of the Roman Emperor Constantine, he influenced and directed his ecclesiastical policy for a long time. Eusebius did not take a clear stance in the disputes between Arians and Greek Orthodox, which he considered insignificant (α σ ή μ α ν τ ε ς): “disputing with one another over trifles and things of little importance” (Socrates Scholasticus). At times, he consented to the condemnation of Arians, and at other times to the condemnation of the Greek Orthodox. For this reason, he was characterized as ‘double-tongued,’ and Photios would say of Eusebius: “concerning the Arian heresy, he reports nothing clearly.”

Eusebius was a student of Pamphilus, who founded the Library of Caesarea with the help of collaborators and scribes, and which functioned as a publishing house and text correction center. Eusebius was responsible for the catalog of books in this library as well as the bibliographic workshop from which copies of the Holy Scriptures were produced. Pamphilus, together with Eusebius, also worked to correct errors in the Septuagint translation.

Therefore, since Eusebius had access to three centuries of corrected copies of the manuscript letters, the form of Matthew 28:19 that he quotes in his book ‘Evangelical Demonstration’ (3.6.32)—“Go and make disciples of all nations in My name, teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you”—is more authentic than the one that appeared in the fourth century when, finally, the Hellenization of the Hebrew biblical truth had received the approval of the imperial Ecumenical Councils and the trinitarian mythological dogma triumphed with institutional sacred violence.

In the same book, ‘Evangelical Demonstration,’ Eusebius proceeds to a strong clarification about the power of the name of Jesus, saying: [For He did not simply and indefinitely command them to make disciples of all nations, but with the addition “in His Name.” For so great was the power of His Name that, as the apostle also said, “God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” It was therefore reasonable, since the power in His Name was not perceived by many, for Him to say to His disciples “Go and make disciples of all nations in My Name” (3.7.12, 13)

The power of the name of Jesus is also testified to by the historian Socrates Scholasticus, referring to the healing of a paralyzed Jew who received healing when the Bishop of Constantinople, Atticus, baptized him: “Having catechized him, therefore, and having preached the hope in Christ, he ordered him to be carried with his couch to the baptistery (Grk: Φ ω τ ι σ τ ή ρ ι ο ν). The paralyzed Jew, having received baptism with sincere faith, was immediately relieved of his disease upon rising from the pool of the baptistery, and thereafter was among the healthy. Christ’s power wished to show this healing to men even in our own times, through which many Greeks believed and were baptized.” (Z:4)

N.B. ‘Φ ω τ ι σ τ ή ρ ι ο ν’ Photistirion = baptistery). Baptism was also called “enlightenment” (φ ώ τ ι σ μ α) because heretically, people believed, as some do today, that whoever is baptized in natural water is enlightened and also receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘Photistirion’ was the name given to the ‘place of Enlightenment" where people were baptized in water during the early centuries.

The Imposition of the Trinitarian Baptismal Form by State-Backed Greek Orthodoxy

The imposition of the trinitarian form and mode of baptism, and specifically with triple immersion, against the practice of the First Church which baptized with single immersion and in the name of Jesus which is above every name, is evidenced by the Fiftieth Canon (50) out of the eighty-five (85) established by the Quinisext Ecumenical Council (Council in Trullo), which deceptively named them ‘Apostolic Canons.’ This canon commands:

“If any bishop or presbyter does not perform three baptisms for one initiation, but one baptism, that given into the death of the Lord, let him be deposed. For the Lord did not say, ‘Baptize into My death,’ but, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’”

It is quite clear that the ecclesiastical men of Greek Orthodoxy applied the policy of “covering up” the truth and baptized with the trinitarian form and with three immersions, reinforcing the divine multi-personhood in contrast to the apostolic New Testament word of the first century, where baptism was performed as a type of Noah's ark in the name and death of Jesus, who took the curse/anathema of the Law. (Gal. 3:13)

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:3-4)

“The triple immersion is undeniably very ancient in the church [...] Its object is, of course, to honor the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity in whose name it is performed.” (Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 262)

Those who baptized in the name of Jesus Christ into His death were considered counterfeiters, such as the Eunomians, about whom Socrates Scholasticus says: “Except that they corrupted baptism. For they baptize not into the Triad but into the death of Christ.” (5:24)

Other Testimonies against the trinitarian form of baptism

According to Conybeare, a biblical textual critic:

“Eusebius quotes this passage [Matt. 28:19] again and again in works written between 300 and 336, that is, in his long Commentaries on the Psalms, on Isaiah, in his Evangelical Demonstration, in his Theophania […] in his famous History of the Church and in his panegyric on the Emperor Constantine. After a moderate search in these works of Eusebius, I found eighteen citations of Matthew 28:19, and always in the following form: ‘Go and make disciples of all nations in My Name, teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you.’”

Conybeare continues, in the Hibbert Journal, 1902:

“It is evident that this was the text Eusebius found in the very ancient codices collected fifty to one hundred and fifty years before his birth by his great predecessors. He had never heard of or known any other form of text until he visited Constantinople and attended the Council of Nicaea. Then, in two controversial works written late in life, titled, one ‘Against Marcellus of Ancyra’ and the other ‘On the Theology of the Church,’ he used the common (trinitarian) reading.”

The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics says of Matthew 28:19:

“It is the central piece of evidence for the traditional trinitarian view. If it were unchallenged, this would of course be decisive, but its credibility is disputed on the basis of textual criticism, literary criticism, and historical criticism.”

Furthermore, contemporary research proves that early Christian worship has minimal relation to what the major Christian Churches uphold today, and that the greater part of it consists of later additions and interpretations by the respective Fathers and decisions of the various Ecumenical Councils.

Moreover, it is known that: “The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed was gradually used as a baptismal symbol in ecclesiastical practice, while from the fourth (4th) century it was already included ‘in the synodal symbols of a general and compulsory nature for all baptized Christians,’ which remains in force to this day.” (From: Orthodox Wiki)

And the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" (Didache) of the 2nd century A.D., where the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:19 is mentioned, is classified by Eusebius among the spurious works: "and the so-called Teachings of the Apostles let it be placed among the spurious works" (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History 3.25.4)

And Athanasius mentions that the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" is among the works that are "interpolated and spurious and rejected"  and that "none of these, especially the apocryphal ones, is approved or profitable" ((Synopsis Epitome of the Holy Scripture 28.432. See also Ioannis D. Karavidopoulos, Apocryphal Christian Texts, Vol. 1st, Thessaloniki 1999, Pournaras Publications).

Conclusion

However, the greatest proof challenging the trinitarian form of Matthew 28:19 is found in the writings of the reputable Apostles and the baptismal practice of the First Apostolic Church, where all were baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ which is above every name.

This means one of three things:

a) Either the Apostles forgot the command of Jesus.

b) Or the Apostles disobeyed the command of Jesus.

c) Or such a command was never given by Jesus, which is the most certain conclusion.

Research does not choose the truth but leads to it.

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