In any study of the Godhead, in order to be fair one must realize that there are many different interpretations and understandings of what is often called the “Trinity.” The average person on the pew in the average church instinctively believes in one God; such a person does not imagine that he or she will see three thrones in heaven with three separate beings on the three thrones. Most automatically think of God as one, and expect to see one God on one throne at the judgement. Such a person is in reality “Oneness,” since he sees the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as simply three separate forms that one God has taken throughout history. In this sense, it could be argued that the majority of Christians are, in fact, oneness, even though they have no problem professing a belief in a Trinity. They simply do not see the Trinity as three separate beings.

However, many in positions of leadership in many churches do not define the Trinity in this manner. They dogmatically insist upon three separate individuals (“persons”) whom they call Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They believe each of these “persons” has a consciousness of his own, and expect to see all three (or at least two) when they stand before God (who, in their mind, is actually a group, not an individual). This extreme belief in a Trinity is in fact tritheistic, resulting in a belief in three Gods. It is to this form of trinitarianism that we devote our attention today.

I have heard some people say God is a trinity of three persons. Is God a person, a group of persons, or a spirit?

God is a Spirit. He is not literally a person (except as the incarnate Christ) and definitely is not a group of persons as the word “person” is defined in modern usage.

John 4:24 God {is} a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship {him} in spirit and in truth.

In fact, the Bible refers to God as a “person” only three times, in Job 13:8, II Corinthians 2:10, and Hebrews 1:3. In each case the word “person” is singular, and the last two times clearly refers to the incarnate Christ. So God is only a person in the sense that Jesus Christ, who was God manifest in the flesh, was fully man as much as any other man. However, God is most definitely never referred to as more than one person.

Some people speak of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ. Just how many Spirits are there?

There is only one Spirit of God. There are not two Spirits, or three Spirits:

Ephesians 4:4 {There is} one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

Notice that “Spirit” is spelled with a capital “S,” which denotes the Holy Spirit; there are many evil spirits, spelled with a lowercase “s,” and human spirits as well. Since there is only one Spirit, God and/or the Holy Spirit and/or the Spirit of Christ are all one and the same. Since God is a spirit, He has no flesh or bones:

Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Has anyone ever seen God?

Not as a spirit, in His Glory. This is because a spirit has no flesh or bones.

Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared {him}.

John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, {be} honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom {be} honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

If no man has seen God at any time, then who was Jesus?

He was God incarnate, or God manifested in the flesh; He was God revealing Himself to us in a way we could comprehend. Jesus is the image (picture) of an invisible God:

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

The man Christ Jesus was simply a human manifestation of the Father; the Father dwelling in a fleshly body:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Colossians 1:16 For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether {they be} thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

John 10:30 I and {my} Father are one.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou {then}, Shew us the Father?

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

God prepared Himself a body through which He would reveal Himself to us, though in His essence He is a spirit:

Ephesians 4:4 {There is} one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

That body was the Son that was begotten (born):

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This Son walked the earth for thirty-three years. During this time, it was the Father/God/Spirit that gave the Son/man/flesh life and power. While most proponents of the doctrine of the Trinity teach that the Father and Son are coequal and coeternal, the Scriptures teach that the Son was born (John 3:16) and was lesser in power than the Father:

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come {again} unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and {to} my God, and your God.

God, the Father, who cannot die, did not die on the cross; rather, His fleshly body or manifestation of Himself, the Son, died on the cross. Furthermore, if the Father volunteered a second member of a Trinity to go to the cross, that would not be love, but cowardice. However, to manifest, or wrap, Himself in flesh and die for our sins represents the highest form of love:

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

So it is evident that Jesus is the Father in the Spirit, the Son in the flesh:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou {then}, Shew us the Father?

John 10:30 I and {my} Father are one.

Where does the Holy Ghost fit into all of this?

The Father of the child Jesus was also the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Obviously, Jesus did not have two Fathers, yet the Bible clearly declares that the Holy Ghost was His father! The only logical conclusion is that the Holy Ghost and the Father are one and the same Spirit! It follows that if Jesus is the Father, then he must also be the Holy Ghost, since the Holy Ghost and the Father are the same Spirit. This is proven in John 14:16-18, 26:

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
John 14:17 {Even} the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Since there can only be one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit are identical:

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Jesus was both God and man, divine and human. At times he spoke, ate, acted, slept, rested, felt pain, all as a man; at other times, he spoke and acted as God.
We are created in the image of God:

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his {own} image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Since we have a dual nature, both spiritual and fleshly, God must also have this same nature. However, we are not each three separate persons, and neither is God. He has simply manifested himself in a variety of ways throughout history (a pillar of fire, a cloud, a burning bush, etc.) and manifested Himself as a man in the person of Jesus Christ.
There is only one Saviour:

Isaiah 43:10 Ye {are} my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I {am} he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isaiah 43:11 I, {even} I, {am} the Lord; and beside me {there is} no saviour.

However, Luke 2:11 clearly calls Jesus the Saviour, so Jesus must be the Yahweh of the Old Testament, the only Saviour!

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Some common questions:

Question: Who is God talking to in Genesis 1:26 when He says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”?

Answer: This passage is intriguing in the sense that it is the only verse in the creation account that utilizes the plural pronoun. One has to wonder why plural pronouns are not used elsewhere. For example, why doesn’t the Bible say “and the darkness they [not he] called Night (verse 7)”? Why doesn’t God say, “Behold, we [instead of I] have given you every herb bearing seed…” in verse 29? For that matter, why are singular pronouns overwhelmingly used of God in the entire Old Testament?

While several possible explanations of Genesis 1:26 have been offered, including that God was talking to the angels (who had already been created at this time), it is my opinion that the answer lies in a proper understanding of the concept of the Logos, which means God’s wisdom, thoughts, concepts, reason, or plan.

We know that God’s plan, or Logos, was with Him in the beginning (John 1:1). As someone once said, nothing ever “occurs” to God. There has never been a point at which He did not know of His future plan for mankind, including the plan for a redeemer. In fact, God’s plan for a Son (His self-revelation in human flesh) was the first of all plans; the Bible calls the Son the firstborn of every creature:

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Elsewhere the Son is called the “firstbegotten” (Hebrews 1:6), and the “beginning of the creation of God” (Revelation 3:14).
Now, God did not actually “create” the Son prior to the creation of the world; these verses simply mean that God conceived of the Son before anything else in creation, and created all things with the Son in mind. The Bible declares that God created the worlds by Himself:

Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

However, since God exists in eternity and is not bound by time nor space, He exists in the past, present and future. Thus the Bible can speak of the Lamb as being slain “from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8) even though the crucifixion occurred approximately two thousand years ago. In the mind and plan of God, Jesus Christ was crucified before Genesis.

Since Jesus was crucified in the plan of God before man was created, He must also have been born in the plan of God. Thus God could speak of creating man according to the pattern of His Son, and could speak as though the Son was with Him, since the Son did in fact exist as the Logos or plan of God. When Adam was created, he was created according to the plan (Logos) God had in mind for the Son:

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

The Bible calls Adam the “figure” of Him who was to come. In other words, Adam was created using the future incarnate Christ as the pattern!
Some may argue that it is unusual for God to speak as though He is in the future by referring to the Son when creating Adam (using “us”). However, the Old Testament is filled with prophecies which speak of future events in the past tense, as though they had already occurred. One example is Isaiah 53:5:

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

At the time of the writing of this verse, Jesus had not yet even been born, yet Isaiah speaks (under inspiration from the Holy Ghost) in the past tense, as though the crucifixion was past already. Again, it is important to understand that this is because God “calls those things which are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). God exists in eternity, not time. Time only has meaning to finite humanity.

Question. If there are not three persons in the Godhead, why does Matthew 3:16-17 speak of Jesus (as the one being baptized), the Spirit (in the form of a dove), and the Father (the voice from heaven)?

Answer: We know that God has been manifested as a burning bush:

Exodus 3:4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here {am} I.

A cloud and a pillar of fire:

Exodus 13:21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

And a man:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Is it any great wonder that He can manifest Himself in three ways at once? This does not prove the existence of three different beings who are God, but merely that God is both omnipotent (all-powerful) and omnipresent (everywhere at once). For example, God may be in one church in South Carolina on Sunday morning, and simultaneously at other churches in Florida, New York, Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Does this prove the existence of six Gods, or six persons in the Godhead? Of course not.

Question: Who was Jesus praying to in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Answer: Keep in mind that most proponents of the doctrine of the Trinity believe that the three persons in the Godhead are co-equal as well as co-eternal. If such is case, why is the Son praying to the Father? Remember, Jesus himself said that His Father was greater than He:

John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come {again} unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Again, we have to understand that Jesus was both divine and human. As God, he was divine, and hence raised the dead, opened blind eyes, etc. As man, however, he grew tired, felt pain, and hungered. The Son is the humanity of Jesus Christ, while the Father is the spiritual nature. We, who are created in the image of God, have both a fleshly and spiritual nature as well. If God is three persons, why are we not three-headed? So we can see that in the Garden of Gethsemane the Son (flesh) prayed to the Father (Spirit) because it was the Son who would suffer and needed strength, not the Father. The Son died on the cross; the Father, as a Spirit, never died nor can die since it is God himself. This also explains Jesus’ otherwise inexplicable dying words on the cross, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Jesus, in his greatest moment of suffering and exhaustion, felt the Spirit (God or the Father, whichever you prefer) leave his body so that he could die. As long as the Spirit inhabited the Son, which was no more than an outward fleshly shell, the body could not die.

Question: Why does Matthew 28:19 tell us to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

Answer: First, note that the word name is singular, denoting one, not two or three names. Second, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are all three titles, not names. Thirdly, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are all four versions of the same stories. How do the other three writers interpret Matthew 28:19? Mark 16:16 commands baptism, but doesn’t mention a baptismal formula:

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Luke 24:47 states the following:

Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

According to Acts 2:38, remission of sins is accomplished through baptism:

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, Luke 24:47 is clearly referring to baptism in Jesus’ Name. John 20:23 mentions remission of sins again in a clear reference to baptism:

John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; {and} whose soever {sins} ye retain, they are retained.

Obviously, Jesus’ disciples could not forgive sins, but they could remit sins by baptizing converts. Furthermore, not one person in the King James Version of the Bible was ever baptized in the titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Everyone in the Book of Acts (the only book of the Bible which is a historical record of the early church) was baptized either in the name of the Lord, the name of the Lord Jesus, the name of Jesus, or the name of Jesus Christ. Any truly honest person will have to admit that the disciples of Jesus obviously understood Matthew 28:19 to mean the name of Jesus, the only name which signifies the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Finally, verse 18 of chapter 28 tells us that all power is given unto Jesus in heaven and in earth:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

If there is another person in the Godhead, he has no power. When Jesus starts verse 19, he says “Go ye therefore.” Therefore means “because of this”, or “for this reason”. In other words, “because I have all power, go baptizing in my name”.

Question. Acts 7:55-56 states that Stephen saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God. What does this mean?

Answer: When the Bible speaks of the “right hand” of God, it is always figurative, since God is a spirit and does not have flesh and bones. For example, when the Bible speaks of the heart of God, it is referring to His intellect and His emotions, not a blood-pumping organ:

Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart…

If we interpret every physical description of God in the Bible as being literal, then we must believe that God has feathers and wings, and that He has horns coming out of His hands:

Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Habakkuk 3:4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

Other figurative verses speak of smoke coming out of His nostrils (which do not exist in a literal sense):

2 Samuel 22:9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

The “right hand” of God is a figure of speech used to emphasize His power, as is often done even today. For example, when we speak of a strong supporter, he is called a “right-hand man”. Many verses in the Bible refer to God’s right hand in a figurative manner. Some examples:

Isaiah 52:10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Of course, the preceding verse does not mean the God literally rolled up His shirt sleeve and every person in every nation was able to see His arm; the writer is speaking figuratively about the visible manifestation of God’s power. Other examples:

Exodus 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

Psalms 17:7 Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

Psalms 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Psalms 98:1 A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The right hand of God is even spoken of as having a mind and will of it’s own:

Psalms 21:8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

Psalms 45:4 …thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

Moses blessed Israel with a song about the Law coming as a bolt of fire from God’s right hand (another figurative passage):

Deuteronomy 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

God’s right hand spans the universe (if these verses are to be taken literally, and not figuratively), so Stephen would have had to be able to see billions of miles to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God!

Isaiah 48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

Now let’s review some key points. First, as has been clearly proven, no man can see God’s glory and live (Exodus 33:20). Second, no man has seen God at any time (John 1:18 and I John 4:12). Third, God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and a Spirit hath not flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) and hence can’t be seen. If all of this is true, how could Acts 7:55 say Stephen saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God? Simple; Acts 7:55-56 is figurative, like the passages referenced previously. Stephen saw only a vision of God. What did the vision represent, since it could not possibly be literal without directly contradicting scripture? Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62 both speak of the “Son of Man” sitting on the right hand of power:

Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Since the phrase “right hand” has always represented power, and the term “Son of man” throughout the Bible represents the humanity of Jesus, Stephen saw a scene symbolically depicting the man Christ Jesus taking His rightful place on the throne of God. Anywhere in the Bible where it appears to refer to a Father and Son as two separate persons, it always includes a word or phrase to clarify that the Son referred to is the man Christ Jesus. Note that Acts 7:56 states that Stephen saw the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (not the right hand of the Father, since it is understood that the Father, and only the Father, is God). The phrases “right hand of the Father” and “Father’s right hand” do not appear in the Bible. The only such phrase ever found in the Bible is the phrase “right hand of God.” The exclusive use of this phrase in the Bible is in perfect harmony with Oneness theology, since we understand the symbolism of the phrase to be referring to the humanity of Christ exalted to a position of power and authority with His deity. However, it contradicts Trinitarian thought because Trinitarians speak of the Son as being “God the Son” which then confuses the issue of which person Jesus, as the Son of Man, is standing or seated next to.

Thus we can only conclude that this passage symbolizes the status inherited by the Son when he ascended into heaven; that is, he inherited all of the power accompanying the Spirit or Father. Jesus spoke of this happening in Matthew 28:18, and gives us the reason we are to baptize in His (Jesus’) name, which encompasses the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Question. Why is it important to believe in the Oneness of God?

Answer. No one in the Bible was ever baptized in the titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; everyone was baptized either in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, or the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 19:5). The name of Jesus is the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved:

ACTS 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

ACTS 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

The name of Jesus in baptism brings remission of sins (Acts 2:38 and 10:43). Furthermore, we are the Bride of Christ if we are in the Church, and a bride always takes on the name of her husband. A person who is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ is acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the one true God, and there are no competing “persons” for His glory.

Questions for Trinitarians

So far in this study we have devoted ourselves to a defense of the Oneness of God. In so doing, we have answered every major question posed by the proponents of a trinitarian Godhead. However, can the Trinitarian concept of God be defended Biblically? This next chapter will present a series of questions which have no logical explanation outside of a Oneness understanding of the nature of God.

The proponents of the doctrine of the Trinity teach that there is one God in three distinct and separate persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. According to the doctrine of the Trinity, these three are one in unity (agreement), co-equal in power, and co-eternal (all three have always existed). Jesus, God the Son, is but one of the three, and is separate and distinct from God the Father and God the Holy Ghost. All three have a will that is in perfect agreement one with another.

The doctrine of the Oneness of God, on the other hand, teaches that there is one God, and only one person in the Godhead, whose name is Jesus Christ. Jesus has a dual (two-part) nature, that is, He is both God (the Father) and man (the Son). Since Jesus is both divine (Spirit) and human (flesh) and we are created in His (God’s) image, we are also dual in nature – we have a body and a spirit. This God has manifested, or revealed Himself, to mankind in many ways (burning bush, pillar of fire, etc.), and the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are simply three manifestations, or offices, of this one God.

If either doctrine is true, then all of the following questions are answerable with an answer consistent with the doctrine.

1. If Jesus is not the Father, explain Isaiah 9:6:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

2. If Jesus is not the Father, explain John 14:8:

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou {then}, Shew us the Father?

3. Are Father, Son, and Holy Ghost names or titles? If they are titles, then what is the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

4. How many names are mentioned in Matthew 28:19, above? Remember, the word “name” is singular, not plural.

5. If Jesus is not the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, then why did all of His disciples interpret Matthew 28:19 (where the term “name”, not “names” is used) to mean the name of Jesus Christ when they baptized?

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 19:5 When they heard {this}, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6. Why is not one person in the entire Bible ever baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, if this is the correct formula in baptism?

7. Some attempt to explain the baptism in Jesus’ name throughout the New Testament as acceptable, but not necessary. They teach that baptism is acceptable as long as it is administered in either the name of the Father, the Son (Jesus), or the Holy Ghost. If this is true, it would be logical that about one-third of the baptisms in Acts would have been administered in the name of the Father, about one-third in Jesus’ name, and about one-third in the name of the Holy Ghost. However, all were administered in Jesus’ name. Why?

8. If the baptismal formula is not important, as some teach, then why is it important that we immerse people in water rather than sprinkling them? Is it because that’s the way they did it in the Bible? If so, then why do we not baptize in Jesus’ name, since that’s the way they did it in the Bible?

9. We know that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are four versions of Jesus’ life and ministry. Why does Luke, in his version of Matthew 28:19, interpret the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be Jesus?

Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

10. The following passage teaches that there is no saviour besides Jehovah (the Father). How is this possible unless Jesus, the saviour, is also Jehovah, the Father?

Hosea 13:4 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.

Isaiah 43:10 Ye {are} my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I {am} he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isaiah 43:11 I, {even} I, {am} the Lord; and beside me {there is} no saviour.

11. The Bible teaches that the man Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost (Matt. 1:20). If this is true, then the Holy Ghost is the father of Jesus. Yet he refers to the father as “my Father” many times (Matt. 7:21, 10:32-33, 11:27, 12:50, and 16:17 to name a few). If the Father and the Holy Ghost are not the same Spirit, then who is the real father of Jesus?

12. Oneness doctrine teaches that the Father is the divine nature of Jesus, and that the Son is the human, or fleshly nature of Jesus. If the Father and Son are both persons in a triune Godhead equal in power and might, explain the following verses:

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and {to} my God, and your God.

John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come {again} unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
John 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am {he}, and {that} I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and {that} hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

13. If the Father and Son are equal, who is Jesus praying to in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he asks for the cup to pass from Him?

14. If the Son is God, who died on the cross? Did God die? Or was it a man (the fleshly, human manifestation of the one God)?

15.. If the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are all three spirits, then there is more than one Spirit. Explain Ephesians 4:4:

Ephesians 4:4 {There is} one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

16. Under Oneness doctrine, Jesus’ dying words on the cross (in Matt. 27:46) are explained easily in that before the flesh could die, the Spirit had to leave. Explain Jesus’ dying words on the cross under Trinitarian doctrine:

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

17. If the Son is eternal, how could he be born (begotten)?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

18. If God the Father is a loving Father, why would he offer His son to die, rather than Himself? Or is the truth that he manifested himself as a man, in the person of the son, to die for us?

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

19. A commonly quoted (and misquoted, as well as misunderstood) passage of scripture used to “prove” the Trinity is Acts 7:55-56, where Stephen saw the son of man (note the emphasis on the fleshly nature of Jesus) standing at the right hand of God. If this verse is literal, and not symbolic, and if Stephen truly saw God the Father and His glory, as proponents of the doctrine of the Trinity teach, explain the following verses.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared {him}.

John 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom {be} honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

20. If Jesus is part of God, how can He ever be at the right hand of Himself? Note that the passage did not say, “the right hand of the Father”, but “the right hand of God.”

21. If Jesus does not contain all that is in the Godhead, explain the following verse:

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

22. If there are three persons in heaven in the Godhead, why did John the Revelator see only one throne?

Revelation 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and {one} sat on the throne.

23. If the Son is eternal as a second person in the Godhead, explain the following verse:

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

24. If God the Son is our mediator with God the Father, then why does the following verse use the phrase, “the man Christ Jesus?” Is it because in reality, as taught by Oneness doctrine, the man Christ Jesus is our mediator with the Spirit, who is God the Father?

1 Timothy 2:5 For {there is} one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also {is} the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, {which is} by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

25. If the baptismal formula is not important enough to be re-baptized over, why did Paul instruct John’s disciples to be re-baptized?

Acts 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Acts 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Acts 19:5 When they heard {this}, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

26. If Jesus is God the Son, and is equal to God the Holy Ghost, then why is it unforgivable to blaspheme the Holy Ghost but not the Son? Could it be that the Son is the human nature of Jesus, and therefore lesser than the divine nature of Jesus, as taught by Oneness doctrine?

Matthew 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the {world} to come.

27. If Jesus was God the Son before his birth, and already had all power as God, why is all power given to the Son in Matthew 28:18, and who gave it to Him? If it was the Father, then He had to have more power than the Son in the beginning.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

28. Who is the Comforter promised in John 14? Is it the Holy Ghost, as taught by Trinitarian doctrine? If so, then why does Jesus say it is Himself in verse 18?

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
John 14:17 {Even} the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

29. In Revelation 22, who sends His angel to His servants, the Lord God of the holy prophets or Jesus? Is this because Jesus is the Lord God of the holy prophets?

Revelation 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings {are} faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, {and} the bright and morning star.

30. Since we are created in the image of God, why do we not consist of three persons each?

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his {own} image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

31. Since Trinitarian theology asserts that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are completely and totally one in unity, and thus have only one will, why did Jesus pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not my will, but thine be done” to the Father? If, as the Son, he had no will outside that of the Father, then this prayer would have been meaningless. If however, the will of the flesh differed from the will of the Spirit, this verse can be easily explained.

32. Additional verses for study:

Isaiah 44:6 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 {there is} no God.

Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared {it}? ye {are} even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, {there is} no God; I know not {any}.

Isaiah 45:5 I {am} the Lord, and {there is} none else, {there is} no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isaiah 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that {there is} none beside me. I {am} the Lord, and {there is} none else.

Isaiah 45:21 Tell ye, and bring {them} near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? {who} hath told it from that time? {have} not I the Lord? and {there is} no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; {there is} none beside me.

Hosea 13:4 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.

Psalms 71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, {even} thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy one of Israel.

Psalms 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

Hosea 11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I {am} God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

Habakkuk 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

Romans 3:30 Seeing {it is} one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

1 Corinthians 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol {is} nothing in the world, and that {there is} none other God but one.

Galatians 3:20 Now a mediator is not {a mediator} of one, but God is one.

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God {is} one Lord:

Psalms 89:18 For the Lord {is} our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is {our} king.

Isaiah 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, {so} their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 10:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, {that} the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Isaiah 29:19 The meek also shall increase {their} joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Isaiah 30:29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night {when} a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because {they are} many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!

Isaiah 41:14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, {and} ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, {and} shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

Isaiah 43:3 For I {am} the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt {for} thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isaiah 43:14 Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry {is} in the ships.

Isaiah 43:15 I {am} the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

Isaiah 45:11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

Isaiah 47:4 {As for} our redeemer, the Lord of hosts {is} his name, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 48:17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I {am} the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way {that} thou shouldest go.

Isaiah 49:7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, {and} his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, {and} the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Isaiah 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord {am} thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Isaiah 60:9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

Isaiah 60:14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 60:16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord {am} thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Jeremiah 50:29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

Jeremiah 51:5 For Israel {hath} not {been} forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

Ezekiel 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not {let them} pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I {am} the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.

Habakkuk 1:12 {Art} thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

Zechariah 14:9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments {is}, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

©2004 Michael E. Crocker

Posted under Bible Studies