Youcef Nadarkhani is Head of a Non-Trinitarian cult

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MichaelLiao Jan 21, 2012

I felt a burden to post this because my pastor who is Iranian, his son has background information about Youcef Nadarkhani being one of the leaders of a growing cult in Iran that promotes a works-based salvation and is infecting much of the Church in Iran. The reason for this post is that many evangelicals in the west assume that Nadarkhani is being persecuted for his faith in Christ. Now of course this should not discourage us from praying for Nadarkhani, yet we must be aware of our brothers in Iran who are suffering under a Unitarian teaching and a works-based salvation. Here are the links:

http://mohabatnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3467:is-nadarkhani-an-evangelical-chrsitian-special-report-on-non-trinitatian-cult-inside-iran-&catid=36:iranian-christians&Itemid=279

http://parsaweb.org/index.php/english/news (There is a YouTube video on this link of Nadarkhani himself saying that he doesn't believe in the Trinity)

In Christ,

- Michael Liao

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PrimaDogma Jan 21, 2012

Here is the anti-Trinitarian Oneness Position as defined by its main exponent, the United Pentecostal Church:

"There is one God, who has revealed Himself as our Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and as the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is God manifested in flesh. He is both God and man. (See Deuteronomy 6:4; Ephesians 4:4-6; Colossians 2:9; I Timothy 3:16.)"

The Trinitarian Truth is that God is Three-in-One, whereas the Oneness heretics say that God is One-in-Three. If you didn't know any better, you would think both parties are saying the same thing in different ways. That is what makes the Oneness Heresy so pernicious: it sounds exactly like the orthodox position and is therefore beyond the detection of anyone but the most acute heresy-sniffer.

I will pray for Nadarkhani, not that he will be released from prison or spared execution, but that he will reconstruct his doctrinal formulations to align with American Fundamentalism before it is too late!

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MichaelLiao Jan 21, 2012

Hey PrimaDogma,

That's real subtle, the doctrine sounds almost the same. Yeah, my church has a lot of Iranians, so I just thought maybe they might have some updates on Youcef Nadarkhani, I was shocked when I heard he was one of the heads of a growing cult in Iran.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/new_details.asp?ID=32898

In Christ,

- Michael Liao

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Lysa Jan 21, 2012

MichaelLiao wrote:
I was shocked when I heard he was one of the heads of a growing cult in Iran.

Brother Michael, believing that Youcef is the ‘head of a growing cult’ is religious DOGMA and purely subjective according to whatever church you attend.

How happy the devil must be now that he has turned Christian against each other especially a Christian in bondage but I guess its ok since you did add, “Of course this shouldn’t discourage us from praying for him.” If he’s a leader of a cult, my question is why bother praying? Why pray if he’s doomed for hell according to Trinitarians?

I wonder how many of our prayers are nonsensical and wasted trying to get God to make other people to live the way “we think” they should live. (Wasted days and wasted nights)

God bless you brother,
Lisa

sermonindex Jan 21, 2012

Hi Michael,

The link that you gave ended the piece with this...

"New evangelicalism and Pentecostal theology is the major factor of the problems, as these groups tend to be Pentecostal in their theology and use similar language and practice the Pentecostal gifts."

Well brother, I guess I am part of some loose cult then. I am pentecostal in theology, I guess that means not being a cessasionist, and I have the gift of tongues........ brother Frank

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Lysa Jan 21, 2012

Well brother, I guess I am part of some loose cult then. I am pentecostal in theology, I guess that means not being a cessasionist, and I have the gift of tongues........ brother Frank

Thank you brother Frank for reading the article. I only listened to about a minute of the video before shutting it off but after you posted, I went to the article which was written by a supposed fellow believer.

In these end times, the Pentecostal believers may not have to worry about the anti-christ; it sounds like the non-Pentecostal's will be the ones to rat out their fellow believers. Pitiful.

God bless you,
Lisa

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Dlight Jan 21, 2012

Lysa,

I used to think that Oneness Pentecostals believed the same gospel that Trinitarians believe; but then I went to a Oneness Pentecostal church and witnessed their Christianity. It grieved me a lot to say the least.

It's easy to believe that there is only an insignificant difference between the two because, like PrimaDogma said, the doctrine sounds almost the same. But in order to deny the Trinity, you have to consciously deny and/or twist MANY verses in the Bible. Moreover, the difference in doctrine does not lie only in the doctrine of the Trinity but also in the doctrine of salvation, spiritual gifts, baptism etc. Also note that Oneness believers DO NOT believe Trinitarians to be Christians.

Now I don't know this man, but I would not be so fast as to defend anyone that denies the Trinity.

Lastly, I have read a few of your posts. I think this debate between Trinitarians and "Oneness" believers may interest you. It gets a little loud, but it's interesting to see how little scripture "Oneness" people have to back up their beliefs. Please do let me know if you watch it.

http://www.spiritualabuse.org/issues/onenessvtrinity.html

Daphne.

*I use "Oneness" because I heard this term a lot from an Apostolic acquaintance.

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Anamosa41 Jan 21, 2012

Michael, I want to begin this by saying that I myself am a believer in the Trinity doctrine; however, if you notice, Youcef said that he is not a "Jesus only" believer, but simply a believer in one God. I am acquainted with a person who believes like Youcef, and this man does not deny the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost, but he's not a "three in one" believer. This man is a very Godly man and strong believer in the Word of God. So to jump to conclusions with the information that with have right now and say that Youcef is a leader of a cult is not a right thing to do in my opinion. A man may not understand the Trinity, but believe the true Gospel and believe that there is a Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and be a born again believer. None of us completely understand the Trinity, but we try to as well as we can. Some simply don't believe the "three in one" but believe that God expresses and reveals Himself in three ways. Others, like me, believe in three Persons in One (Jesus being the image of the invisible God). But to say that a group who believes in either one of those is a cult doesn't seem right to me.

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Dlight Jan 21, 2012

Anamosa41,
I understand your concern completely, and this is the exact same way I thought when I first encountered the Oneness gospel. But please consider my previous post.

The difference in doctrine sounds VERY subtle on the surface, but if you did more research on the issue, you will find even bigger, irreconcilable differences.

Imagine watching a 30-second clip of a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon on the doctrine of God. They'll say they believe in one God, the Almighty God; Jehovah. If they did not mention their denomination, you would quickly agree that this is the very God you believe in. It's the same with this group. You have only watched a short video. Please consider that there is doctrine in the Oneness gospel that you may not know of.
Oneness Pentecostals, as do Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses, consider themselves to be distinct from other Christians, and the only true believers of Christ. The very people you are defending do not consider you to be a brother.

I have fellowshipped, albeit for a short period of time, with the Oneness Pentecostal Church; and in my humble opinion, their gospel is a false one.

sermonindex Jan 21, 2012

I am a Pentecostal believer who believes in the trinity. Most of the pentecostals that I know personally and men like David Wilkerson and Carter Conlon are Pentecostal trinity belivers. I wonder how much it would have mattered to the writer if this man was merely Pentecostal. I would guess not a lot. Loss, I actually believe that's exactly what will happen in the last days ......... Bro Frank

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Anamosa41 Jan 21, 2012

Dlight,

I am absolutely sure that there are many things that I would disagree with in the Oneness gospel and doctrine. I don't know if Youcef believes in the things that you have mentioned, but I do know that my friend that mentioned in my previous post is not part of the Oneness denomination and definitely does believe that believers in the Trinity are brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, he used to be a preacher in the Church of God denomination (much like Assembly of God), but left because of worldliness creeping in I think. He is now in a community church that used to be Church of God but changed, I believe, due to the same reason. So, some people can definitely believe the true Gospel but not believe in the same doctrine of the Trinity that we do and still accept the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as he does. As for Youcef, I do not know if he believes that way or not.

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Dlight Jan 21, 2012

appolus, I smiled when I read your post. :)

Pentecostal is different from "Pentecostal Oneness". "Pentecostal Oneness" is a group apart from Christian denominations. They do not even identify with Pentecostals. I encourage you to do your own research. I too had never heard of this group until I encountered it personally.

By the way, Carter Colon and David Wilkerson are men of God. They are Pentecostal, not "Pentecostal Oneness" believers. The difference is big.

Anyway, I'm removing myself from this thread shortly. I try to stay on the sermon side of this website, as the forum debates get a little overwhelming sometimes.

Best,
Daphne.

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Dlight Jan 21, 2012

Anamosa41,

I appreciate your quick response.

I do not know this pastor either. But because he pastors a Oneness church, I would assume that he adheres to Oneness doctrines.

I'm removing myself from this thread.

Wish you all the best,
Daphne.

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Anamosa41 Jan 21, 2012

Here is an article from Present Truth Ministries that may help us understand more of what Youcef does believe. Here is what it says:

My sources have reported that a person has been paid by the Islamic government of Iran to state that Pastor Youssef is a Jesus Only pentecostal. In Iran this is a forbidden sect. Pastor Youssef believes the bible and stands for the truth that there is one God who has fully revealed himself through his only begotten Son Jesus Christ. He does not believe in the trinity nor does he believe in the oneness doctrine. He believes in a middle, biblical ground. He is an independent Christian that is not associated with an organization or denomination, just with believers in Christ.
A lawyer will soon be working to gain his release. Please continue to pray for his safety.

Below is the link to the article.

http://presenttruthmn.com/blog/iran/youssef-nadarkani-update/

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MichaelLiao Jan 21, 2012

Dear Brethren who have responded to this post,

Just to clarify some misconceptions, I have nothing against Pentecostals, in fact I love Pastor Wilkerson and Conlon. I myself also have the gift of tongues and it happened without anyone laying hands on me. I guess it was unfortunate how Mohabat News (Iranian Christian News Agency) worded the article that way, as I have observed that Mohabat and Parsaweb seem to be Reformed in their theology.

What is concerning is the fact that it's not the Pentecostal teachings that are of Wilkerson, Conlon, Clendennen, Wigglesworth etc. It's ONENESS Pentecostalism, where it advocates the doctrinal error of modalism. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdOkUk3SB30 - Can You Be Saved and Deny the Trinity? - Tim Conway) In other words, modalism is saying that God was first the Father in the Old Testament, and then became the Son on earth, and when ascended became the Holy Spirit, when the fact is all three appeared at Jesus' baptism. Modalism is like God putting on three different masks (According to http://illbehonest.com/biblical-gospel - if you want more information).

Secondly, the articles posted on this post were also aimed at the revealing baptismal regeneration in the Oneness Pentecostal teaching is required for salvation (works-based) and it is affecting the church in Iran negatively.

I'm not denying any gifts of the Spirit on this post, I'm just advocating that we should pray for our brethren in Iran who may be affected by a works-based salvation teaching. I only got this information from my pastor's son and since there are many churches in North America who are misinformed about this situation, I thought it would be good to bring this up on SI so that we will be properly informed and know what to pray for exactly. I do apologize for the misconceptions that might have sprung up, but it was not my intent for it by the grace of God.

In Christ,

- Michael Liao

sermonindex Jan 22, 2012

"........which is linked with the Oneness Pentecostalism (Jesus Only) cult, which is non-Trinitarian, believes in baptismal regeneration, and is very closely linked and supported by the United Pentecostal Churches outside of Iran. They -with less than 200 members inside Iran- greatly admire and follow the teachings of an American preacher, William M. Branham, who claimed to be the last of God's prophets on earth, that the doctrine of the Trinity is from the devil, and only those who are baptised in Jesus' name are saved."

LOLOLOLOL. Is that it?

Dear Heavens.

If God is so against these people, why is it that He gives them the Holy Spirit?

And so what if they don't believe in the Trinity, I don't either.

Where does it say anywhere that you have to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

What they do believe is that all the fullness of the Godhead is in Christ Jesus, even God said, "This is my beloved in Son in whom I am well pleased, HEAR YE HIM".

"Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith". Sounds like God to me.

"I AM alpha and omega the beginning and the end". Sounds like God to me.

"Whom do you seek, we seek Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus said unto them, I AM". Sounds like God to me.

There is not enough evidence to conclude that this Pastor is doing anything wrong. However, what I have heard lately is that he won't recant Jesus Christ.

Whatever this man believes, I admire his faith and courage to endure what he is enduring right now. When he stands before God it won't be what doctrines he has under his belt, but what he did with his faith, so far, his testimony is more shinier than ours.

sermonindex Jan 22, 2012

If this man were a Muslim being tortured and threatened with death by a bunch of self-proclaimed christians or just the government of where he lived - I wouldn't pray any differently for "mercy" as I've prayed for this man, and the millions of others around the world being tortured and/or killed for only their beliefs - regardless of what they are.

WHAT does what anyone believe have anything to do with us praying for "anyone" that is being tortured and threatened with death because of their beliefs alone?

sermonindex Jan 22, 2012

HI Daphne,

I know about the pentcostal oneness movement :) I mentioned the names of Wilkerson and Conlon as examples of people who are not of the one-ness persausion but who are Pentecostal. My point is that there are so many factions in Christianity who cannot abide pentecostal people, period, because of their " pentecostalism." In my last post I was trying to agree with lisa from my android phone and it came out differently. Do I belive what this man believes in regard to the trinity? No. Do I believe that he is a brother in Christ, I have nothing to suggest otherwise, certainly not simply because he is of the oneness persausion. Just to be clear, I know many who believe that regular pentecostals are of the devil, oneness or otherwise. If cessasionist really believe what they say they believe, then how do they account for tongues? Would they be so bold as to say that this gift is not of God but of the devil? Anyway, I pray to the Lord that this brother in Iran glorifies God, however God chooses.............brother Frank

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Lysa Jan 22, 2012

by Approved:
Dear Heavens.
If God is so against these people, why is it that He gives them the Holy Spirit?

My sentiments exactly!!! Praise God, the Lord showed me that years ago when I worked with a oneness couple and found out they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as well; the husband was a preacher and I told him, "If God gave you the Holy Spirit and the gifts and He gave me the Holy Spirit and the gifts, then we can't be that far off, can we?" And he agreed!

To God be all the glory!
Lisa

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MichaelLiao Jan 22, 2012

With all due respect Approved, yes you must believe in the Trinity. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=NdOkUk3SB30 - Can You Be Saved and Deny the Trinity? - Tim Conway) [A Video on Oneness Pentecostalism]

Secondly, if a person is advocating a works-based (false) gospel that is affecting the Church in Iran in a negative way, then Galatians 1:8 says, "But even if we or angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." (http://youtube.com/watch?v=fVHu3z30K1Y) Yes, any man can die for their faith. It is possible for even a Muslim to die for their own faith, yet it is a wrong faith indeed. Mr. Nadarkhani may say he is not recanting his faith in Christ, but is it the Christ of the Bible?

In Christ,

- Michael Liao