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The doctrine of Trinity, which is one of the fundamental constituents of Christian dogma, was absent from Christianity during the lifetime of Jesus Christ. The maximum one can grant is that this doctrine started taking shape after the Crucifixion. It took many centuries for it to reach its final well-defined but inexplicable form. It went through a long process of extremely bitter and controversial debates between Christian theologians and philosophers representing different religious, cultural and traditional backgrounds.
It was greatly influenced by the myths and the traditions of various lands which hosted "Christianity" in its early period. The main stem of Christianity, however, which took care of and nurtured the development of "Christian beliefs" and philosophy in its early formative part was of Jewish stock. Jewish influence remained predominant throughout the early part of Christian history. The disciples of Jesus who were instructed and understood Messianic Judaism (Christianity) directly from Jesus and witnessed it in the form of his life, belonged to this stock. They were the primary custodians of Christianity with deeply embedded roots in the holy soil of Jesus' instructions and way of life. It was they who witnessed the Crucifixion and had seen Jesus after the crucifixion.
Early Christians (Jew and Gentile) appear to have been fundamentally divided over both the nature of Jesus and whether to adhere to the Mosaic Law or not. In the second phase of Christian development (after 50 C.E.), St. Paul became the most pivotal character in giving Christianity a new philosophy and ideology and was primarily responsible for this confusion concerning Jesus and the role of the Law following Jesus' death. Besides that the very message of Jesus was to be compromised by Paul in his mission to the non-Jewish world. These variations from accepted basic Biblical Judaism will cause continual contention between James and the Jerusalem Church and Paul as can be seen throughout the New Testament. To say it mildy there were serious fundamental differences of religious beliefs between Paul and James the Righteous. James was concerned that the message of Jesus was being compromised and changed by the preaching of Paul. While James primarily looked after the Jerusalem Church, Paul was preaching in the West, particularly to the Gentiles. But events would occur that would make James have the pleasure of Paul's presence in Jerusalem on two different occasions in order to rectify the problems concerning Paul and "his gospel." When it was all said and done the Western Church evolved along Pauline doctrinal lines, whereas the Church in Jerusalem developed along monotheistic teachings.
One offshoot of James' ministry were the Ebionites, a sect whose name derives from the Hebrew "ebionim" meaning 'the meek' or 'the poor'. They were the Jewish Christians, for whom Jesus was looked to by them with Messianic hope for their nation. They hoped that in Jesus they would realize the Messianic hope of Israel, but they held no beliefs that Jesus was some sort of 'Son of God' in some Greek way of thinking where he was "deity in the flesh." There is a big difference between "son of God" in Jewish understanding and "Son of God" in Gentile theology. They followed the Mosaic law with great zeal, and had their own "Gospel" known in various contexts as the 'Gospel of the Hebrews', 'Gospel of the Ebionites' or the 'Gospel of the Nazarenes'.
In his book The History of the Church written in the 4th century AD in Caesarea, Eusebius mentions the Ebionites in the book Vespasian to Trajan. Eusebius, the most renowned church historian, mocks the Ebionite views (remember he is a Gentile in the Western Church), saying that their name comes from their poor and "mean" opinion of Jesus. That comment of Eusebius is typical of Gentile fathers of the early church and shows perfectly how the Gentiles are incapable of understanding correctly let alone conveying the truth of the Jews let alone interpret their writings and their culture at such an early date. Such is the blindness of anti-semitism that shaped the early centuries of the Gentile Church.
According to Eusebius, the Ebionites regarded Jesus as mortal (human and not divine) and esteemed him as righteous through the growth of his character (notice these earliest Jewish believers held no ideas of any "incarnation" or that Jesus as God in any way). . As Jews, the Ebionites observed the Sabbath; every detail of the Law, and did not accept the Pauline idea of salvation through faith alone.
Eusebius also talks of another group of Ebionites (that would develop somewhat later under Essene influence of the Angel Messiah) who accepted the virgin birth and the Holy Spirit, but refused to accept Jesus' pre-existence as "God the Word and Wisdom". They followed a 'Gospel of the Hebrews' which could possibly have been St Matthew's Gospel (written in Hebrew but lost to us today). They observed the Sabbath and the Jewish system, but celebrated the resurrection.
In his book describing the background of the Ebionites, R Eisenman in The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered writes that James (the 'Zaddik' or 'Zadok', meaning Righteous) was the leader of the Jerusalem Church in the middle of the first century (40-60 AD approx.) The branch which was retrospectively called Jewish Christianity in Palestine. The Ebionites developed from this branch.
The Community who followed James were known as 'the Poor', (Galatians 2:10, James 2:3-5) a designation mentioned both in the Sermon on the Mount and in the Dead Sea Scrolls. In many ways, Eisenman feels that the Ebionites were similar to the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They honored James the Righteous, and believed Jesus to be their mortal Messiah, while Paul had become an "Apostate from the Law". They observed the Law and the Sabbath with great zeal.
They earliest Jewish follower of Jesus held James in the highest regard, while Paul was considered 'The Enemy' as spoken and warned of by Yeshua (Matt 13:24-43):
Matt 13:24 (KJV) Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. {measures: the word in the Greek is a measure containing about a peck and a half, wanting a little more than a pint} 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one]; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; {things...: or, scandals} 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Thus according to the Jewish Christians, or Yeshua's church, Paul was one who deviated from the Mosaic Laws and Commandments and was as far as they were concerned the "adversary" (devil). This may be hard for Christians to understand, yet believe considering what you have heard taught from pulpits Sunday through Sunday your whole life, but what you have heard does not change the facts that have surfaced from both archeology and in-depth Bible study. Somewhere you have to come to terms with James and the early church's view of Paul as handed down to us for those who wish to inquire. One cannot discount their extra-Biblical writings that have come down to us that severely impugn the "Gospel" Paul preached to Gentiles, and this explains his resentment to the apostles in Jerusalem as recorded in the epistles (reputed pillars...note the sarcasm in his tone when addressing the leadership of Jesus' church) in Galatians chapter 2. When you study out this passage in it's historical context you see clearly that this is Paul's defense of his theological position after the Acts 15 Church Council where James ruled the day. But make no mistake about it; the subject of the following tirade by Paul was against the Jerusalem church and it's apostolic leadership because they censured Paul and would do so again in Acts 21. The message of the Jesus, the Jerusalem Church, and the Ebionites was not to be changed or destroyed. It was the hope for the world.
Gal 2:4-9 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. (KJV) You must remember that this is Paul's self-vindication of his position to the Gentiles of Asia Minor (who knew nothing of the events of Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council) and his presentation of the events of Acts 15 where the Laws of God were reinforced for Gentile inclusion into the Israel of God. In fact James said these "Law" of the Covenant of Noah were "necessary" and "seemed good to them and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 15:28-31).
Acts 15:28-31 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you (the Gentiles) no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: 31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. (KJV)
Well they all "rejoiced" but one. This does not set well with Paul and with his "under grace, not under the Law" message owing to his special revelation about Jesus. But it seems odd to me that the rest of the church of Jerusalem did not share in Paul's understanding of Jesus or his death as they continued to bring blood sacrifices and atonement offerings long after Jesus' death (Acts 21 and Numbers 6). Again we see that they did not share in, what Paul will say, "my gospel."
Acts 21:23-24 23 Do therefore this (instructions to Paul from James the leader of the chruch) that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow (Nazarite) on them; 24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them (means buy their sacrifices for them), that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. (KJV)
What is important for our study here is that when you study out the passage in Number chapter 6 regarding the Nazarite vow that requirements of this vow require animal sacrifice, blood offerings, and atonements offerings through blood sacrifice. Notice if you will that this event in Acts 21 occurred around 60 A.D. which is roughly 30 years after Jesus' death and we find the leader and hand picked pastor of Jesus' church instructing that this be done and such instruction is given to Paul no less who obliges. Evidently what we have been taught about Jesus' death being the final sacrifice for sin was not something that James and the Jerusalem church believed and it was these people again let me remind you that knew Jesus best. Even Paul was forced to obey the Torah even though when thousands of miles away he will preach his own version of a "Torahless Gospel" and lead the Gentiles to believe that "his gospel" was what Jesus and the Jerusalem Church supported. Now you see that they did not! These were the earliest Jews who often are connected with the Ebonites. This event helps show us what these Ebionites believed about Jesus and his death.
According to Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln in The Messianic Legacy, the source of the original teachings of the Ebionites, Gnostics, Manicheans, Sabians, Mandeans, Nestorians and Elkasites has been described as the Nazarene philosophy. They refer to Nazarene thought as: "An orientation towards Jesus and his teachings which derives ultimately from the original Nazarene position, as articulated by Jesus himself, then propagated by James, Jude or Judas Thomas and their immediate entourage." Their basic beliefs were:
There is a collection of Arabic manuscripts kept in a library in Istanbul which contains quotes from a 5th or 6th Century text ascribed to the `al-nasara', written in Syriac and found in a monastery in Khuzistan in south-west Iran near the Iraq border. It reflects the views of the Nazarene hierarchy escaping from Jerusalem after the destruction in 66 AD. It refers to Jesus as a human being and stresses the Judaic Law (notice that this is the belief of the first century church and those closest to the historical Jesus).
The inescapable conclusion of the scrupulous student of history, language, and Scripture is that Paul's followers "abandoned the religion of Christ and turned towards the religious doctrines of the Romans."
Of all the various doctrines which evolved during the formative stages of Christianity, only those who believed in the Nazarene philosophy can justifiably be given preference. These early Christians were taught the meaning of Christianity by Jesus himself.
From the time of St Paul onwards, as Christianity spread to alien lands and pagan faiths within the Roman Empire, it began to be powerfully influenced and bent by the cultures and mythologies prevalent in those lands and went further away from its nascent purity. St Paul did his bit in influencing the deterioration of the "original Christian thought" by introducing his own brand of mysticism. He was neither of Jewish stock (Gentile convert to Judaism) nor did he have any direct contact with Jesus, except through his claimed vision. He was already, it seems, under the powerful influence of the alien cultures.
Apparently there were two options available to St Paul, either to fight the strenuous battles against a world of superstitions, myths and legends prevalent in the lands of the Roman Empire from times immemorial or to give in to them and let Christianity change to suit their requirements and ambitions. This gave the Gentiles the message that Christianity was not essentially different from their legends and myths. Paul only recast Biblical Judaism in terminology which was already familiar to the Gentile to whom he preached. Thus Paul found the adoption of the second option far more profitable and convenient and let Christianity change to suit the ambitions and philosophies popular in the gentile world.
This strategy worked well in as much as it gained a great number of converts to the new faith which otherwise would not have been easily available. But at what cost? Unfortunately, it ended up only in an unholy competition between noble Christian values and pagan myths. What St Paul changed was only the names of the pagan gods and replaced them with Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Ghost. It was not him in fact who invented the myth of Trinity and introduced it to the pagan world in the name of Christianity, on the contrary he borrowed the myth of the Trinity from pagan mythology and bonded it to Christianity. From then on it was the same old paganism but with new names and new faces. Instead of the message of Jesus going into all the world we have Paul's special revelation "gospel" about Jesus that went into all the world. Paul's gospel was not the same as Yeshua's gospel.
Pauline Christianity, therefore, did not succeed in changing the doctrines, myths and superstitions of the pagan world but only ended in changing "original Christianity" (Messianic Judaism) in accordance with them. If the mountain did not respond to his call, he decided to go to the mountain.
Of course it is anybody's prerogative to choose between Pauline Christianity and that of James the Righteous and other early leaders of Christianity who were the disciples of Jesus Christ himself. But here we want to establish the point that the main stock of Christianity continued to develop along Jewish lines and kept itself aloof from the later innovations which generated the rigmarole and complexities of Christian dogmas we see today for Gentile imaginations such as the godhead of Jesus as the Son, the Trinity, Inherited Sin, Redemption, the rejection and replacement of Israel by the church, etc. The views of the early leaders of the original Church, among whom James the Righteous was prominent, were simple and honest and had no internal contradictions or paradoxes hiding behind a smoke screen of mystery as we confront today in the Pauline churches of our land. A study of the history of Judaism in Christianity establishes beyond question the fact that the Unity of God, uncomplicated by the slogan of Trinity, remained the official doctrine of the true Church of Christ in its pristine purity. The faith of Yeshua was Jewish, is Jewish, and will always remain Jewish. It is us who need to reevaluate what we have been taught and believe in light of fact and reason.
Please remember that this short treatise is not an attempt to convert Christians to any faith other than that of the faith both held and practiced by Yeshua (Jesus). It is simply a genuine effort to invite the Christians back to the pure unadulterated faith and practice of Jesus himself. It is a sincere attempt to revert the fiction back to the facts of Christianity. Facts that are certainly as beautiful as they are realistic and satisfy both the head and the heart.