PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST/WILLIAM WHISTON

"FROM RENOWNED ACADEMIC TO OUTCAST"

After careful research, Whiston concluded that the Trinity was not taught by early Christians but was later adopted when pagan philosophy  infiltrated Christianity.  His friends warned him about the perils of publishing his findings, but Whiston could not ignore what he perceived to be a perversion of Jesus' true nature as the Son of God and a created being. 

The University of Cambridge barred from office any who taught ideas contrary to Anglican doctrine, which meant that Whiston could lose his chair. Nevertheless, he did not keep silent-unlike Newton, who also considered the Trinity to be a false teaching but was covert in expressing his views.  Whiston wrote:  "No worldly motives whatever . . . shall dissuade me.

In 1710, Whiston was expelled from Cambridge. Because he refused to compromise his beliefs, he "went from renowned academic to outcast."  Even then, he was cowed. In fact,  while being accused of heresy, he wrote a series of essays called Primitive Christianity Revived-"primitive" meaning original Christianity, that practiced by Jesus' early followers.  Later, Whiston founded the Society for Promoting Primitive Christianity, which  met in his London home.

Although losing this professorship and suffering financially for a time, Whiston continued  to write and to lecture in coffee houses in London. In 1737, as  a contributor to the understanding of early Christianity's  historical context, he published his translation of Josephus' writings. It has been in print ever since. 

Because of his courageous but unpopular stand, Whiston is viewed by many today as "an eccentric figure."  says author James E. Force.  Others, however, admired him as a  Bible scholar, as a sincere searcher for religious truth, and a man determined to live by his beliefs. 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT/DREAMS FROM GOD -Has God used Dreams to communicate with Humans?

From the Awake! magazine