Those that defend the doctrine of the Trinity use verses to prove that since there is “only one God”, then Jesus must in fact be capital “g”: God. (Just for reference sake, when I say “person” in this article I am not referring to a human being but a person in the grammatical sense of the word or as an entity, especially since God is a spirit, or whatever he is, and not human.)
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me no God… Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any]. (Isa 44:6-8)
I [am] the LORD, and none else, no God beside me… (Isa 45:5)
…and no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; none beside me. …Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and none else. (Isa 45:21-22)
…and thou shalt know no god but me: for no saviour beside me. (Hos 13:4)
These verses in the OT (Old Testament) make if pretty clear that God is one Lord, and there is no other god or savior, beside him. According to the OT, clearly there is no such concept as a triune god with anyone as the second person.
God is a title not a name
Jesus may have been with God as a creation of God, sent to Earth on a mission from God, but he was NOT God. God is a title not a name There are several problems with the argument about Jesus being God. For one, the word “god” is not a name it is a title or a word and it is used for a being or object that people consider superior. We write it with a capital “G” as if it were his name, but it’s not his name.
The Trinity: a Delusion
Though we know who the word is referring to, just the nature of the word easily lends itself to the doctrine of the trinity because of the traditions, and the history of the trinity doctrine. The dogma of the Trinity is a doctrine that has been drilled into us by religious institutions and has absolutely no basis in scripture, or the early church.
It seems this is a doctrine that came into being with the advent of Paul and the Greeks and the men who apparently decided to make Jesus into a god and an integral part of the “godhead”. The early Jewish Believers were non-trinitarian Adoptionists — the doctrine of the Trinity came along much later.
God does have a name
The Father of Jesus does have a name, it is Jehovah (Yahweh, plus many other names) — it is NOT “God”. The Messiah also has a name, and it is NOT Jesus, contrary to popular opinion, it is Yashuah, or properly translated to English it would be Joshua. By the way, this is one of those mysteries that most people don’t even know about, and worse yet, it has never been corrected and most translations of the bible use the Greek transliteration of the name, “Jesus”.
One plus one does not equal one
Notice how it uses the conjunctions “and” and “neither” to denote that there are two persons being talked about here. Yahweh is one person and Yeshuah is one person. One plus one equals two no matter how you add. The word “and” (or plus) signifies addition. It does NOT mean that they are one in the same person.
Even though it speaks of the Holy One of Israel and the Lord, that doesn’t mean that they are one in the same person — as in the triune God. These verses do not refer to the same person. The writers were usually talking about two different persons or gods. Take for instance in Genesis:
“And (the) God (s) said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (notice the plural form) (Gen 1:26)
Many Gods
Believe it or not, there are many gods. Jesus even said so: “I said, ye are all gods…” There are actually many gods — not just one Next, there are many scriptures that refer to gods — in the plural. The word that is used for God in the Bible is plural in over 2,500 places in the scriptures.
The fact is that there are many places in the Bible where other “gods” are referred to. So this knocks down the argument that there is only one god. Actually, there are many gods in the bible, not just one. However… there is ONLY ONE God (with a capital “g”).
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods. (Exo 18:11)
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exo 20:3, 5)
For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords. (Deu 10:17)
The Lord … is to be feared above all gods. (1 Chr 16:25)
I have said, Ye are gods. (Psa 82:6)
Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord. (Psa 86:8) Our Lord is above all gods. (Psa 135:5)
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me (Isa 45:5)
…and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; none beside me.
…Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and none else. (Isa 45:21-22)
Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. (Hos 13:4)
The Definition of the word “god”
If we take all of these verses in context, it appears that there is a contradiction here. The problem here is the word “God”. There were actually all types of gods: human gods, angel gods, demon gods, gods of rock or wood or whatever material — even extraterrestrial beings. There were even the gods of the sun and planets, etc. What the bible is saying here, evidently, is that Jehovah is the only Almighty God, and there is no other god like him.
The word “god” is not a name, but a title
The confusion comes when people call him God as his name. God is NOT a name. The Almighty God has a name and it is NOT God. But as far as saying there is only one god in the Old Testament is not true, and saying that it proves that Jesus has to be God since there is only one God is also untrue.
Again, God is NOT a name, it is a title, and there were more than one “god”. The name of the eternal God is Yahweh or Jehovah — not God. And the son of Joseph, who they call Messiah, is Yeshuah or Joshua — not Jesus (only in Greek, a transliteration).
The God and The Lamb presented in scripture in different places
These are two different persons with two different names and they are both at the throne with the Lamb at the right hand of the one who sits on the throne.
And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (Rev 7:10)
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Rev 7:17)
…at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Rom 8:34)
If Jesus is the mediator how can he be God his Father too? Speaking of intercession, another verse they like to use is:
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1Ti 2:5)
It does say that there is one God, however if Christ Jesus is the mediator between God and men then he couldn’t possibly be God (his Father) also.
A son can not be his own father
Like Jesus said, “ye are all gods…” Remember, the word “god” simply refers to a superior being, it is a title, NOT someone’s name. Everyone is superior to someone.
A son can HAVE a father, but the son can not BE the Father and the son at the same time — it’s just logical. The concept of the Trinity is not logical nor is it truthful.
The Baptism of Jesus
Finally, one of my favorite passages, that exists in all the synoptic gospels — the baptism of Jesus:
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mat 3:16-17)
There are three different persons in this scenario, in three different places, in three different forms all at the the same time. Jesus + a dove + a voice from heaven = three (not one).
They are NOT three persons in one as a triune godhead — each separate and distinct persons in different places at the same time. This is where I learned as a child that the concept of the Trinity was false.
Conclusion:
- There are many gods, but only one with a capital “g”.
- “God” is a title, not a name.
- “God” does have a name.
- The doctrine of the Trinity is unscriptural.
- God is not sitting at the right hand of himself on the throne.
- A son can not be his own father.
Next: Who Was Jesus Part 3 | Jesus Has a God