Other Articles on the Trinity Controversy

Beware of Polytheism

The Doctrine of Christ

The Lord Our God Is One

Trinity Doctrinal Chart

The Lord Our God
Is One

The Father of Glory Is The One Supreme God

CHAPTER 2

Whenever the Scriptures use the word "God" in the sense of Supreme Deity, they refer to the Father alone. Thus in prayer Jesus calls his Father "the only true God," excluding himself (John 17:3). The Bible, in fact, refers to the Heavenly Father as Jesus’ God (John 20:17). The Apostle Paul, contrasting the Christian position with the heathen worship of many gods, states that "to us there is but one God, the Father," although he attributes to Jesus a lesser position of Lordship (1 Cor. 8:6). For despite his present high position of exaltation and divine favor, our Lord Jesus is inferior to the Father and eternally subject to him, as the Apostle expressly states: But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.—1 Cor. 11:3 Then comes the end, when he [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.

But when he says all things are put under him [the Son] it is manifest that he [the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued to him [the Son], then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God [the Father] may be all in all.—1 Cor. 15:24,27,28 We, of course, do not deny, but rejoice to affirm, that Jesus Christ is now a divine being, worthy of our worship and adoration.

The appellation "God" may be properly ascribed to him. But even while the Scriptures refer to Jesus as a "God," they do so in contexts showing his distinct inferiority to the Father. And notice that it is not simply Jesus as a man, but Jesus as a "God" who is thus shown to be subordinate. —Heb 1:1-9

The beautiful oneness of the Father and the Son is declared by our Lord to be the same oneness that shall exist between himself and his church, as he prayed: Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one, as we are. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as you, Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them and you in me.—John 17:11, 20-23

The only scriptural support for the idea of three divine persons mysteriously being one God is the dubious passage of 1 John 5:7,8: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

The words underlined above are not found in any of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, nor in any of the ancient translations. That they are not a genuine part of the original text is the unanimous verdict of contemporary scholars, evangelicals included. Even as it stands, however, the forgery is a poor one, asserting that the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit are bearing witness in heaven that Jesus is the Christ. Who in heaven would be ignorant of such a thing? The proposition is pointless. No wonder Trinitarian scholars readily concede these words are spurious.

The claim is often made by Trinitarians that, since there is only one God, and since Jesus is referred to in the Scriptures as God, then the Father and the Son are the same God. This argument totally ignores the usage of the Greek and Hebrew words from which the English word "God" is translated.

The word "God" in the New Testament is most frequently a translation of the Greek word theos. It is sufficient to state here that this word does not always apply to Supreme Deity. Satan, for instance, is called theos in 2 Cor. 4:4, which reads, "In whom the god (theos) of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not."

The same word is used of Herod in Acts 12:22, where the people of Sidon and Tyre shouted after his oration, "It is the voice of a god (theos), and not of a man." They surely did not mean to say that Herod was the supreme God.

Whether the Father or the Son is meant by any particular use of theos in the New Testament is generally left to the reader’s judgment, the person referred to being indicated by context and sentence construction. An exception to this is John 1:1, where the Greek definite article is used to distinguish the Father as "the God" from the Son, who is called "a God." The Greek language, it is true, contains no indefinite article corresponding to the English "a." But the indefinite article is implied by the context and, therefore, must be included in the English translation. Benjamin Wilson gives the correct rendering in his Emphatic Diaglott: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word."

The unbiased reader should have no difficulty understanding these words.

True, a few Trinitarians stress Colwell’s idea that, whenever a definite noun in New Testament Greek precedes the verb, the definite article is usually omitted, but that when the noun follows the verb, the article is retained. This rule, though not valid, simply throws the whole question open. According to Colwell’s rule, the English translation is to be made according to whatever preconception the translator brings with him to the text, for whether a noun is definite or not cannot be grammatically ascertained. Thus if one believes that the word theos in the clause, "and the Word was a god," is definite (referring to the God), he will translate the words, "and the word was God," or, "and the Word was the God." But if he believes the noun to be indefinite, he will translate the clause, "and the Word was a god." The superiority of "and the Word was a god" is that it makes the passage consistent. If one translates the verse in the Trinitarian manner, he is involved in a contradiction, for how can the Word be "with God" if he is the God with whom he is? The context of John 1, consistent with the rest of the Bible, shows clearly that the Word was "a god," not "the God." For a more detailed examination of Colwell’s rule, see the Appendix.

In response to John 1:1, Trinitarians sometimes argue that John 20:28, where, according to the Greek text, Thomas calls Jesus, "the Lord of mine and the God of mine," proves that Jesus is the supreme God, because he is there called "the God." But even the devil is called "the God" in 2 Cor. 4:4, which says that "the God of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not."

The use of the article by itself proves nothing. What is significant about John 1:1 is the contrast between the Father, who is called "the God," and the Word or Representative of the Most High God, who is himself Appellations of Deity in the Old Testament. The word "God" in the Old Testament is generally a translation either of elohim (with its variations eloah, elah, and el) or Jehovah (the Anglicized form of Yahweh). Once it is a translation of Adonai (Hab. 3:19), properly rendered "Lord," and once of tsur, a rock.—Isa. 44:8

The assertion by Trinitarians that, because Jesus and the Father are both called elohim, they are, therefore, the same Being, is a very poor argument, displaying only the weakness of the position they are trying to defend. Notice the usage of this word in Scripture:

ANGELS CALLED ELOHIM

You have: made him a little lower than the angels (elohim), and have crowned him with glory and honor.—Ps. 8:5

ABRAHAM CALLED ELOHIM

And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, Hear us, my lord: you are a mighty (elohim) prince among us.—Gen. 23:5,6

MOSES CALLED ELOHIM

I have made you a god (elohim) to Pharaoh.—Ex. 7:1

JUDGES CALLED ELOHIM

His master shall bring him to the judges ( elohim ).—Ex. 21:6

THE CHURCH CALLED ELOHIM

I have said, You are gods ( elohim); and all of you are children of the most High.—Ps. 82:6 Elohim signifies a mighty one, prince, ruler, or judge; and since it is scripturally used to refer to men and angels, as well as to God, its use in referring to our Lord Jesus Christ does not in any way prove his equality with God.

Nor is there any validity in the assertion that, because elohim is plural in form, its application to God in the Scriptures indicates that there is more than one person in God. Ps. 45:6, "Your throne, O God ( elohim), is for ever and ever," is explained by Paul as a statement addressed by the Father to the Son (Heb. 1:8). If elohim referred always to more than one person, there would be more than one person in the Son! In the verse quoted above (Ex. 7:1) Moses is called elohim by God. Was Moses plural? Certainly not, for the word elohim, like our English word "sheep," can be either singular or plural, as the occasion demands.

Unlike elohim, however, the word Jehovah is applied only to the Father, * never to the Son. The translators of our common Bibles have done us a great disservice in leaving the word untranslated only four times, where the context would seem to permit nothing else. In the vast majority of instances it is translated either LORD or GOD. In our common versions, nevertheless, it can be easily recognized, since it is always printed in small capitals (GOD, LORD), while regular print is used to designate translations from other words (God, Lord).

* Or an angel speaking in his name. (Ex. 3:2,4,14; Jud. 6:12, 14; Zech. 3:1,2) The argument presented by Trinitarians is that both the Father and the Son are called Jehovah; therefore, they are both the same God. But the scriptures they cite to prove that Christ Jesus is Jehovah do not sustain their claim.

We are told that in Jer. 23:5,6, our Lord Jesus is called Jehovah, for that prophecy respecting Messiah reads, "And this is the name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ( Jehovah- Tsidkenu)."

They fail to point out, however, that in Jer. 33:16 the church, pictured by Jerusalem, is called by the same name: "and this is his name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness ( Jehovah-Tsidkenu)."

Certainly the church is not a part of Jehovah. To bolster their prejudice, the translators had the words printed in capitals in the first instance, but tucked it away with small letters in the second. Jehovah-Tsidkenu could more properly be translated, "Our Righteousness of Jehovah" —a fitting title for our Lord Jesus, who in execution of the Father’s will has become the source of justification for believers in his name. The title is appropriate also for the church, to whom is committed the ministry of reconciliation, the great commission of bringing sinners back into harmony with God.—2 Cor. 5:20; Re 22:17*

*For other examples of the use of Jehovah in a compound word, see Gen. 22:14; Ex. 17:15; Jud. 6:23.24.

Another citation—used to prove that Jesus is Jehovah is Isa. 40:3, which reads, "The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the LORD ( Jehovah), make straight in the desert a highway for our God." This prophecy is quoted in the New Testament (Mt. 3:3) and applied to John the Baptist’s work of preparing the Jews to receive Christ. But we remind the reader that Jesus came expressly to do the Father’s work, as he said, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34. Jesus was the Father’s instrument in the accomplishment of his gracious plan. Therefore, in preparing the Jews to receive Christ, John the Baptist was preparing the way for the accomplishment of the Father’s work.

The prophecy of Isa. 40:10 is regarded as sure proof that the Son is Jehovah: "Behold, the Lord GOD ( Jehovah) will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him." But notice here that the Father only is called Jehovah; Jesus is referred to as his "Arm." Likewise, in Isaiah 53:1 Jesus is called the "arm of Jehovah."

We are asked to believe that, since Jesus is our great teacher, he must be Jehovah, for Isa. 54:13 reads, "And all your children shall be taught of the LORD ( Jehovah); and great shall be the peace of your children." But Jesus himself merely claimed to be the Father’s representative, saying: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself—John 7:16,17 whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said to me, so I speak.—John 12:50 For I have given to them the words which you gave me.—John 17:8

All things are of the Father and by the Son (1 Cor. 8:6). It is no difficulty to us that both the Son and the Father are given credit for creation (John 1:3; Isa. 40:28); for Paul explains that the Son, as always, was the Father’s honored agency: "God has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." (Heb. 1:1,2). Similarly, both the Father and the Son are called "Savior," because the Father himself originated the work of atonement when he "gave his only begotten Son.—John 3:16 Those who insist on referring to Jesus as Jehovah, rather than the Son of Jehovah, are not able to make good sense out of many passages where Jesus and Jehovah are most clearly distinguished.

The Second Psalm (Ps. 2:7, 8) furnishes a good illustration: I will declare the decree: the LORD ( Jehovah) has said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

If the Son is Jehovah, he received his inheritance as a gift from himself! The above citation clearly calls the Father Jehovah, in contradistinction to the Son. In Ps. 110:1, likewise, we read, "The LORD (Jehovah) said to my lord (Adon), Sit you at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." That the Adon here referred to is Christ there can be no doubt, for he himself so states (Lu. 20:42-44). The Son, indeed, is a great Lord; but his authority and power come from Jehovah God, for the Scriptures plainly teach that Christ is Jehovah’s servant.—Isa. 42:1; 53:11

Another text chiefly relied upon by Trinitarians to prove that the name Jehovah belongs to Jesus is Zec. 12:10, in which Jehovah says: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Since Jehovah refers to Messiah, the one who is pierced, as "me," they simply cite Rev. 1:7 and consider their proof complete. The thoughtful reader, however, will at once notice a discrepancy: the speaker in this verse refers to Messiah as both "me" and "him" in the same sentence. An error, apparently, has crept into the text. A number of ancient manuscripts gave a more consistent reading; thus: "they shall look to him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him." The text, thus corrected, definitely does not teach that Messiah is Jehovah.

Before Abraham Was, I Am

John 8:58 is said to be another strong proof that Christ is Jehovah, for the name Jehovah is said by Trinitarians to mean "I Am" —"the Self-Existing One" —and Jesus in that verse says, "Before Abraham was I am." Jesus, however, does not apply "I am" to himself as a title; he uses the words as the subject and verb of an ordinary sentence, meaning simply that from before Abraham’s time until the present he had had a continuous existence. To make "I am" a title in this sentence is grammatically absurd. For Jesus to have said, "Before Abraham was, I was," might have been mistaken by his hearers to mean that he had existed at some time in the remote past, had ceased to exist for a time, and had come into existence again. To avoid this misunderstanding, Jesus used the words, "I am," to imply a continuous existence. Jesus existed long before Abraham’s time: and he continued to exist after Abraham until, as the Word made flesh he uttered those very words.

The word Jehovah, more correctly Yahweh, does not really mean "I Am" but "He Who Becomes," as J. B. Rotherham, an authority widely recognized among Protestants, has shown.

Yahweh is the third person, masculine, singular, imperfect tense of the root hawah, the sole meaning of which is "become." And so Jehovah, the Heavenly Father, is forever "He Who Becomes," the unfolding one, eternally revealing himself in creative power.