Many have questioned this after reading different scriptures in the Bible.. Is is true? However, most Christian religions encourage this belief - on faith - as a mystery you can't understand. Remember that the word Trinity is not in the Bible - ever.
In 325 A.D. the First Council of Nicea took place. It was a council of bishops organized and conducted by the Roman Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantine. At that time, there were many debates on the issue of Who is Christ. Many sources recognize that the Emperor was not a baptized Christian. However, he wanted unity in his empire and actually suggested this concept of a trinity... It is worthy of note that many bishops refused to attend, refusing to acknowledge the authority of the Emperor to conduct this.
After a lengthy debate, the Roman Emperor won the vote and God became a trinity - something different from what the early Jews believed. Then this view was pushed through the empire, although there was still resistance to it. A trinity was not an unusual concept at that time - there were other gods that were worshipped as trinities, likely known to the Emperor.
Now the main question is whether this democratic process brought about an accurate interpretation of who Christ really is. Or did this change the nature of who God is?
Mark 2:10 Jesus's Authority to Forgive Sins - Does this show him to be God?
Yes, apparently Jesus was given this authority by his father. As an obedient son, however, he was careful not to overstep his authority and position. For example, Matthew 20: 20-23 shows that Jesus did not have the authority to grant his apostles positions to sit at his right and left hand. Only his father, Jehovah, had that authority. As firstborn of all creation and only begotten son of his father, he had a lot of authority. But apparantly, unlike his father, he did not have all authority. Philippians 2:9 and Hebrews 1:4 show that after his resurrection, Jesus was given a “superior position” and “greater authority” than he had before – above the other angels. If he was the one true God, he would not need to be given this… he would already have the highest position and all authority. Then how could the One True God be given a superior position to what he had? But because of Jesus's faithfulness unto death in a perfect human body, he was able to give a perfect sacrifice – one that can cancel out Adams debt (a perfect man who failed to keep faithful). Please note also that Philippians 2: 6-7 shows that Jesus respected his position and role that he was given – and made no attempt (unlike Satan) to consider himself equal to God. Why not? There is a reason. Hebrews 1:5 gives more clues when it points out “For example, to which one of the angels did he say ‘You are my son: I, today have become your Father’ ” Jesus’s pre-human life was that of an angelic creature – the first of God’s creations.
Also, in the Garden of Gethsemane, before his death (Mark 14:36), Jesus prayed, Father, all things are possible to you; remove this cup from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want. This shows that he and his father have different ideas of what to do - but that Jesus was obedient, even up to death - and wanting to do his Father's will over his own.
If the Father is greater than the son, and the son is obedient to the Father... how can they be different aspects of the same God?
The resurrection of Lazarus and his ability to heal
Consider John 5:19-20. Notice how Jesus cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, only what he beholds his Father doing. For whatever thing that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner. Why? Why does Jesus need to LEARN from his father? Apparantly, though they are close, Jesus is not all-knowing.
Take a look at Acts 10:34. God annointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power... Why would God have to annoint Jesus if Jesus was God? Didn't Jesus already have all-mighty power? Continue on to Acts 10:38 he [Jesus] went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Why would it be important to emphasize that God was WITH Jesus? This is the same type of phrase used when saying that God is with other obedient servants of God. If Jesus was God - does this make sense?
Jesus's power to heal truly showed that Jesus had God’s backing. Before he resurrected Lazarus, he explained this to his apostles. Note that at John 11:41 Jesus, after a prayerful request was given the power to resurrect Lazarus. He didn’t doubt that his father would hear him, but why did he have to ask? It was for the same reason that Elijah had to ask when he raised a child from the dead in 1 Kings 17:17. 1 Kings didn’t show Elijah to be God. Elijah too had to pray for God to do this for him.
Of course, Jesus was greater than Elijah and all the prophets – particularly because he had a special position in heaven before he came to earth. John 8:58, says "Most truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into existence I have been." This corresponds to Colossians 1: 15-16 which says that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation, because by means of him all other things were created… all other things have been created through him and for him.”. Consider, if someone is born, there is a birth – and a time before the birth… and a time when that person did not exist. Did the One true God did not become a dual God or Trinity when Jesus was born or created? Proverbs 8:22 says about Jesus “Jehovah himself produced me as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago”. Jesus did not always exist. Jehovah existed before Jesus. And Jehovah was still the one true God before Jesus existed.
Jesus was in the Image of God, Colossians 1: 15-16 & John 14:9
Don’t forget, Adam was created in God’s image… that doesn’t make him God. My eldest daughter is in my image and likeness – both in manner and looks. That doesn’t make her me. But Jesus was the first of God’s creations. Everything else God created, he used Jesus to participate. It is like creating a hammer before building the house. The primary credit for the building still goes to the carpenter. The hammer just does what the carpenter chooses. Read Proverbs 8:30 – it sheds more light on this – Jesus came to be beside Jehovah as a “master-worker”. After eons of working with his father – and continuing to try to imitate his behavior and qualities – Jesus can rightly be considered to be in his Father’s image. He wasn’t always working in this role… but he ended up at this role sometime during the creation of the heavens and the earth - and Jehovah became more and more fond of him with this continuing interaction. This understanding explains why Jesus is considered the only-begotten son of Jehovah. (He is not the only son… but he is the only-begotten son.) Jesus can’t be God if he is one of God’s creations.
Since no one can see God and live (Exodus 33:20, Matthew 5:8), but they can see the son, who is the image of the father, they can get to know the personality and traits of the Father - whom the son deliberately mirrored.
Jesus was tempted by Satan
Remember how Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations in the Desert. Satan was no dummy - he was a very powerful highly intelligent spirit creature. Look at the account of Matthew 4. Would this make sense if Jesus was God – or if Jesus was a spirit creature who was asked to take on a Man’s form and perform a task on Earth? Satan had swayed many other spirit creatures and humans to side with him before. But do you think he would try to get God to side against himself? To tempt a spirit creature is a possible scenario, though. If Satan could get Jesus to side with him, Jehovah would lose his case about man being able to serve him perfectly out of true love and loyalty. In Satan’s last test in chapter 4, he asked Jesus to fall down and do an act of worship to him. It would make no sense to tempt God to worship anything. All things must worship God. And look at the responses Jesus gave. He did not say – no, you worship me. Nor did Jesus did not use his own authority or cleverness to reply to Satan, but rebuffed him each time with God’s inspired words – showing where his true loyalty lay.
John 20:28 when Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!”
If read by itself, it can be confusing, for when Thomas realizes he is talking to Jesus he says “My Lord and my God!”. Some scholars believe this to be an exclamation of shock, amazement and of joy. For example, if you see a beautiful sunset and say “My God” out of awe and amazement – it is giving praise to God for a wonderful thing. You are not calling the sunset your god. Some scholars also look at this and consider that perhaps Thomas was talking to addressing both Jesus and his Heavenly Father with his thanks. Let us consider the surrounding scriptures – and what the Bible says in other books about such.
Although Jesus was a powerful spirit creature before his earthly role, and the apostles were aware of his pre-human existence from earlier discussions with him, the scriptures don’t support them to believe that he was the one true God. Did this exclamation prove that Jesus was the one true God – or part of a trinity? Note that only Jesus and his Father were noted here – not three parts of a divine trinity.
The Father - is Jesus's God...
Now, go back a little bit in the same chapter of John – John 20:17. Jesus said to her: “Stop clinging to me. For I have not yet ascended to the Father. But be on your way to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.” If Jesus is God- why is it important to wait until he ascends to his Father? If Jesus is God or part of a trinity God, why does Jesus have a God, or pray to one? Where is the Holy Spirit in this – is it identified as Jesus’s God too? Note that Jesus calls us (other created beings who serve God) his brothers. He doesn’t identify himself as our Father. And John 8:42-47 shows that those intelligent created beings who strive to do God’s will can consider our God as a Father. Those who don’t, have Satan as their Father. Following this logic, all creation who strive to do God’s will are Gods children – and brothers and sisters of Jesus. How can Jesus consider us (who are also created beings) as his brothers and sisters – if he is also God? Even the angels (who are created spirit creatures) can consider God as their Father (and brother to Jesus) - until such time when they become unfaithful. See Job 1:6, Genesis 6:4.
Jesus is not Equal to his Father
Does John 20:17 imply that the Father is worshipping his son also? Wouldn’t that be silly for the Father to worship someone lesser if the Father is greater than his son? (John 14:28) If Jesus is part of a trinity, why is he not equal to his Father? If he is not equal, how can he be a part of a trinity? How can he also be God? It seems that using this scripture to prove a trinity is out of context. It doesn’t seem to be what the apostles or Jesus really believed.
Philippians 2:6 also support this concept of Jesus not being equal to his father: “who though existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. “ We know that the Father is an all-powerful spirit creature who lives in the heavens. Jesus and the other angles are also spirit creatures who live in the heavens. Jesus, as only-begotten son is not equal in power to God. (John 14:28) So he cannot be God. The apostle Paul in his letter did say that Jesus was not equal to God… and identified who God was (Jesus’s Father). Jesus did not try or pretend to be God – or consider himself in that role. Now consider again, would Satan in Matthew 4 be more likely to try to tempt God to go against God – or one of God’s creations?
John 17:3 sheds further light on this. This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one you sent forth, Jesus Christ. Now did Jesus include himself as part of the “only true God”? No. He addressed himself as someone separate – the one sent forth. Jesus identified his Father as the only true God, and did not include himself as part of that. However, he did emphasize that it was essential to take in knowledge of both himself and his Father. If Jesus did not consider himself the one true God, and knowledge of Jesus is important for everlasting life, it may be wise to follow Jesus example in this.
Jesus Died - did God Die?
Also consider that Jesus died – and was dead for 3 days according to the scriptures. His Father resurrected him on the third day, but this did not mean that God died – or one third of God died. However, if Jesus really didn’t die, then there was no sacrifice for our sins. But if the only begotten son of the Father, who lived as a spirit creature, created by the Father died in the form of a perfect man – that would be proving the ability of Man and Spirit Creatures to serve the creator out of love. And as such he was a perfect sacrifice for the man who was unfaithful.
Is Satan God?
One other note you may find interesting. In 2 Cor 4:4 states “among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ who is the image of God, might not shine through”. This does identify Satan as “the god of this system of things”. However, mentioning Satan as a god does not make him the One True God – or the fourth part of the trinity. Obvously, this does emphasis Satan’s power – especially compared to humans – and probably in comparison to many other spirit creatures. I expect it is far greater than the fabled Zeus or any other Greek and Roman Gods.
Jesus is identified as the “image of God” – which is a lesser role than actually being the one true God. If Jesus had a pre-human existence as a powerful spirit creature – and Jesus modeled himself to pattern after his Father for eons – we would imagine that he would likely mirror his Fathers attributes quite well. But only as an image of them.. Not being equal to them.
This is harmonious with the rest of the bible.
John 1:1 - What does this show?
This is one of the most quoted scriptures supporting Jesus being the One True God. The greek word used here is theos (a god) in contrast to Ton Theon (the God). In this case, it is used without the definate article, so it is up to the translator to consider the context whether to say "is God" or "is a god". Of course, depending on the theology of the translator, this was applied accordingly. You can guess at the popular translation after 325 AD. Of course, as a spirit creature before comming to earth, Jesus was quite powerful - with god-like power. 2 Cor 4:4 shows how the bible can refer to Satan as a god in this respect, though Satan is not a part of the Trinity.
However, if this did refer to Jesus being the One True God, then it proves other scriptures false - in particular: Exodus 33:20 NO ONE Can See God and Yet Live. People have seen Jesus.
This one would also make no sense: "No man has ever seen God. But Christ has made God known to us." (John 1:18) If you understand Jesus as mirroring his Father's attributes and preaching about his Father - but not being God, it does make sense.
Using an incorrect translation of John 1:1 creates a lot of mystery out of things that should otherwise make sense. MORE INFO
