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SUBJECT: 2 Corinthians 13:14
QUESTION: Can this verse be used to support the trinity?
ANSWER:
No, it cannot.
First the verse in question:
2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and
the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
There is nothing in the verse or context that would indicate
the Holy Spirit as being a person.
There is always a problem when someone attempts to prove a
false doctrine or any doctrine with 1, 2 or a small group of
single scriptures, especially when they fly in the face of
known facts. We know that the trinity is a man-made
doctrine. The single scripture "proof texts" they use go
against the greater scope of God's Word. In other words,
there are scriptures that show that the trinity is not a
concept, truth and/or doctrine of God.
The trinity believers will use the Oneness idea to help
prove their trinity beliefs, but their view of oneness is
different from the true Biblical concept of oneness. Read
through our booklet:
"Is God a Mystery" (http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/pubs/mystery.htm)
…or through our Doctrinal Statement (http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/STP/stp05.htm)
on the Holy Spirit to understand this.
Jesus and God the Father are One, not because of some
trinity concept, but are one, because they are one in
belief, glory, power, and relationship.
The word "oneness" denotes "unity".
Notice now the meaning of "communion" in 2 Cor. 13:14:
NT:2842
partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social)
intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction:
KJV - (to) communicate (-ation), communion, (contri-)
distribution, fellowship. ~Biblesoft's
New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary
Look at these meanings. It is clear that we are talking
about fellowship, social intercourse and mutual benefit.
The word "benefaction" means, "to do good to one". How
could these words have anything to do with the trinity
concept or making the Holy Spirit into a separate person or
being?
Now notice this explanation of 2 Corinthians 13:14 from an
article I found on the Internet. It is very sound:
COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The verse in 2 Corinthians 13:14 is used to say we may have
communion with him. I presume by this that these people mean
we may talk to him. But Christ Himself said no such thing.
He taught His followers to pray to the FATHER (Luke
11:2). Christ never once prayed to or had
communion with the Holy Spirit - and He set us an example to
follow Him (1 Peter 2:21).
Notice! This verse in 2 Corinthians 13 says "communion OF
the holy spirit" - not WITH the Holy Spirit; and there is a
vast difference between the two.
So what DOES this verse mean?
The Greek word used here for 'communion' is koinonia, which
is from koinonos and means: partnership, a sharer,
associate,
partaker (see Strong's Concordance
of the Bible).
Paul is saying to all Christians to let the partnership (all
God's children have the Holy Spirit in them, Romans 8:9-11,
being
partakers of God's Spirit)
be (remain) with all of
us.
This verse has nothing to do with praying to, or trying to
talk or communicate with the Holy Spirit.
The "Interlinear Greek - English New
Testament" by Berry,
translates this as: " ....and the fellowship
of the holy spirit [be] with all of you. Amen."
The writers of the Amplified Bible put it this way: "The
grace (favor and spiritual blessing)
of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
PRESENCE and FELLOWSHIP (the
communion and sharing together, and participation)
IN the holy spirit be with you all. Amen - So be it."
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