THE TRINITY DOCTRINE

The trinity doctrine states that there is a Godhead composed of three personages: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost. According to the trinity teaching, these three are co-equal and co-eternal. These three are considered as one. Therefore, those who believe in the trinity (trinitarians) worship a triune god. However, what does the bible itself indicate when it comes to the nature of God? To start with, we’ll break it down into the three components: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. We also want to recommend using an original Greek interlinear text in order to clarify some points put forth on this page. You can find a free, downloadable interlinear bible at: http://www.scripture4all.org . We also used other bible study aids from www.crosswalk.com to further clarify some matters. We strongly urge you all to use such aids to help you understand the bible more thoroughly.

The Father:

The Father is the most powerful and the most knowledgable. He is the only one who knows when the time of the end will occur - even the Son doesn’t know it (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). The Father taught The Son all other things (John 8:26-27 ) The Father is the one who gives wisdom to others (Proverbs 2:6). The Father is the originator of every gift we receive (James 1:17 ). This includes the spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17). No human has ever seen the Father bodily (Exodus 33:21-23, John 1:18, John 6:46, John 5:37). God is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). Being the most powerful, it is He that decides who gets power at any time (Daniel 4:17, Matthew 9:8, John 5:26-27, Roman 13:1). The Father has a proper name, as is shown in the New World Translation, Darby Translation, The King James Version, The American Standard Version, The Living Bible, and the New Jerusalem Bible (Exodus 6:3, Psalms 83:18, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 26:4). In the bible, only the Father is mentioned as the one that is worshipped (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:6-7, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:9). Prayer is to be directed only to the Father (Jeremiah 29:7, Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2, Colossians 1:3).

The Son:

The Son does nothing of his own, he does only what the Father sends him to do (John 5:19,36-37, John 8:26-27, John 20:21, 1 John 4:14). The Son speaks only what the Father taught him, not anything of his own initiative (John 12:49-50, John 14:24). The only power that Christ has is that given to him from the Father Himself (Matthew 28:18, John 3:35, John 5:20-24). Although the Father subjected everything under Christ’s feet, the Father was the only exception, showing the Father’s complete sovereignty over all things. Then after a certain time, Christ is to give all authority back to the Father again (1 Corinthians 15:27-28). The Father is also considered to be Christ’s God as well (Matthew 27:46, John 20:17 Ephesians 1:17). The Son doesn’t know all the things that the Father knows (Matthew 24:36). Christ even stated that the Father was greater than he (John 14:28). Christ came to do, not his own will but the will of the Father (Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42). The Son has a proper name (Matthew 1:16, Luke 1:30-31). Christ was the “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15).

The Holy Spirit:

Scripture shows that being given holy spirit is a free gift from the Father (Luke 11:13, Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 12:4, 1 Corinthians 14:12). Blasphemy or speaking against the holy spirit is the only unforgiveable sin (Matthew 12:32, Luke 12:8-10). People can be filled with holy spirit (Luke 1:15, Acts 13:52) and receive holy spirit (John 20:22, Acts 8:17). Holy Spirit can cause one to prophesy (Luke 1:67). Holy spirit gives power (Acts 1:8). Holy spirit was seen in the form of a dove (Luke 3:21-22), and tongues of fire (Acts 2:3-4). There is no other visual manifestation of the holy spirit in the scriptures. People get revelations through Holy Spirit (Luke 2:26) Only the Father sends the holy spirit to wherever it goes (John 15:26, Acts 2:33). Nowhere in scripture does the holy spirit have a proper name.
Taking all the above information, notice what you have:
1 - The Father has a personal name, is the Most High of the three, and possesses all the power
2 - The Son also has a personal name, has no authority except for what the Father gives him, and does only the will of his Father, not his own.
3 - The Holy Spirit has no personal name, is a free gift from the Father, and many powerful works can be done through it.

These three main points show a trend here: The Father is at the top, the Son is in subjection to the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the power of God which can sometimes be given to us. These things indicate that the three are not equal. The above scriptures strongly show that it is the Father who is the sovereign of the three, and that is is only He that should be worshipped. So then, what about scriptures that seem to contradict this line of thought? Let’s take them one by one:

Philippians 2:6: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” (King James Version) This one is confusing because different translations render this verse in different ways. For example, the American Standard Version reads “who, existing in the form of God counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped.” And the New Jerusalem Bible reads “Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped.” The interlinear bible at www.scripture4all.org renders the orginal wording as this: “who in form of-God belonging not snatching deems the to-be equal to-God.” , agreeing with the idea that Christ is not equal to the Father. This agrees with scriptures such as John 14:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:3.This is where your God-given powers of logic come in: Since trinitarian versions of this scripture contradict scriptures that speak of the the Father’s superiority to Christ, and contradict the original wording of the verse, it stands to reason that the trinitarian renderings are in error.

John 1:1 ” The Word, (Christ), was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God”. (New Life Version) What are we to make of this, especially since Christ said that the Father was greater than he? (John 14:28). First, we will remember that the Father is the King (Isaiah 6:1-5, Daniel 4:37, Zechariah 14:17, 1 Timothy 1:17), and the Son is the Prince (Isaiah 9:6, Daniel 12:1). Though the King is Almighty, (Genesis 17:1, Exodus 6:2-3, 2 Corinthians 6:18) He sends the Prince to do His will and the Prince does just so (John 4:34, John 5:30 & 37, John 6:37 & 38, John 7:16). Thus, whatever the Prince says is considered the word of the King (Mark 9:37, Luke 10:16). Therefore, the Son is the Father’s chosen representative, and should be obeyed and respected as if he were the Father himself (Luke 19:38) until the Father takes back His authority (Romans 15:24-28). This is what John 1:1 is in reference to. Now, some bibles render these supporting verses in ways that confuse the issue (thus suggesting that Christ is the Almighty in some way). Again, to get the most truthful reading we recommend that you research other versions along with an interlinear bible and discover the truth for yourself.

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, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (American Standard Version) This prophecy is in relation to Christ coming to earth. Though this verse refers to Christ as being “Mighty God”, is does not say “Almighty God”. There is a difference. As for the reference of being “Everlasting Father”, when you look at the Interlinear on this scripture, the word for “Father” can denote a term of respect and honour for a ruler or chief. Since Christ was given a measure of authority from his Father, and he is to usher in God’s eternal Kingdom at some point, then the title of “Everlasting Father” could rightfully belong here without equalling him with God.

John 20:28 ” Thomas answered him, ‘My lord and my God!’”(English Standard Version) According to scripture, men with a high rank of authority were also called “lord” and “god” (John 10:33-34, 1 Corinthians 8:5). This was not an indication that such men were truly Lords and gods. In the entire bible will you not find where Christ states that he himelf is God Almighty.

Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is and who was, and who is to coming — the Almighty”. (Young’s Literal Translation) However, this is a serious mistranslation from the original Greek writing. In the Greek interlinear, the word “kyrios” is for Lord Jesus, and “Theos” is for God the Father. In this particular verse, the original Greek actually has the word “Theos” - God, not “kyrios“. Thus the translation of the verse is truly supposed to read “saith the Father” or “saith God”. To translate it as “Lord” is allowing one’s trinitarian bias to overtake the truth.

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” (Darby Translation )
Many people believe that this proves Christ claimed to be God. However, this cannot be, since the Father is greater than Christ (John 14:28), and the Father is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). Also, the Prince can never be as great as the King so long as The King lives. However, a King and a Prince can be one in purpose. This thought is strengthened by the scriptures that state the Father is superior to the Son.

John 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained him.” (New American Standard Version) Though people point to this scripture to prove Christ is God, they are not looking at what the verse is really saying. First, this scripture never claims that Jesus is Almighty God. Second, men of high regard during this time this were referred to as gods (John 10:34-35, 1 Corinthians 8:5). Again, this is in agreement with the scriptures which state the Father is superior to the Son.
John 14:6 “Jesus told him ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ “. (Holman Christian Standard ) This is also not a revealing of being God. Here Christ is simply saying that he is the way, or the path, to God. To better picture this concept: Say you plan a road trip from Mexico to Canada. Are you in Canada the moment you step past the Mexican border? No. You need to travel the highways through the United States before you reach your destination. Canada is the goal, the United States is the path, or way, to reach your goal. Therefore, if our goal is to reach God, then we need to accept Christ as our path, or highway to reach Him.
In the end, it is also worth noting two very blatant things:
1 - Christ never came to preach himself, all his work was focused on preaching God the Father.
2 - The bible states there is only one God - The Father, and then only one Lord, Christ (1 Corinthians 8:6). This differentiates God from the Son.

We’ve addressed the relationship between the Father and the Son. Next, we will address the scriptures regarding the Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit is a gift that God can give to us (1 Corinthians 14:12,32). We can be baptized with Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Matthew 28:19, Mark 1:8). Yahweh uses the Holy Spirit to make unusual things happen (Matthew 1:18). Holy Spirit can cause us to prophesy (Mark 12:36). Holy Spirit can cause us to speak (Mark 13:11). Holy Spirit can reveal things to us (Luke 2:26). Holy spirit has been seen in the form of a dove (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32) and as fire (Acts 2:3) but has never been seen as a personage like God and Jesus had been. Also, though God and His Son have proper names,(Psalms 83:18 King James Version, Luke 1:31) nowhere is the holy spirit shown to have a proper name. Blasphemy against the holy spirit is considered the unforgiveable sin (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:29). Now, this is interesting, for if the Father is the Most High as the scriptures indicate then why would blaspheming someone in lesser authority be the unforgiveable sin? To answer this, first we need to get a better idea of what the Holy Spirit really is:

Looking in the Greek interlinear bible, the Greek word used in the bible for “spirit” is pneuma (pronounced nyoo’ mah). Looking up the meaning of the word “pneuma” you get a definition as being “a movement of air” or “breath”. This is how we get the word “pneumonia” for a lung disease, and “pneumatic tools” for air driven tools. Also, a derivative of “pneuma” is used for referring to godly inspiration, such as at 2 Timothy 3:16, thus inspiration could translate as “God breathed”. This idea of “pneuma” connected with air or breath is also indicated in that a stiff rushing breeze was heard before Holy Spirit was poured out upon some of these believers, and the word “pneuma” was used to describe it. (Acts 2:2-4). In the scriptures, whenever the Holy Spirit is mentioned, it is from the Greek base word “pneuma”. Therefore, the Holy Spirit would in essence indicate God’s breath, word, force, or power. Therefore, it is in the name of God’s word or power that you’re baptized into (Matthew 28:19), it is God’s word/power that helps teaches you (Luke 12:12, John 14:26), and it is God’s word/power that helps you speak (Matthew 10:20). Some may disagree with me on this because the bible also tells of the Holy Spirit itself teaching, speaking, and things like these. However, it is worth remembering that other abstracts in scripture are also personified:
Sin (Genesis 4:7, Romans 6:12)
Wisdom (Proverbs 1:20-21, Proverbs 7:4 )
Law (Matthew 11:13, Romans 7:1, Galatians 3:24,)
Truth ( Isaiah 59:14)
Righteousness (Isaiah 59:14)
Blood (Genesis 4:10)
Stone (Habakkuk 2:11, Luke 19:40)

Thus, personification is no automatic indication of being its own person.

The concept of the Holy Spirit being God’s breath, power, or force makes sense when pondering Christ’s words regarding blaspheming the Holy Spirit at Matthew 12:31-32, which says: “That, I assure you, is why every sin, every blasphemy, will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever says anything against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever says anything against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (The New American Bible, St. Joseph Edition) The indication is that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blaspheming the force or word of God. It is speaking out against God’s holy power and strength (Matthew 12:31-32).This is a very serious thing, being that God is the Almighty Father and the Most High ruler.

Putting it all together, you can see what the bible’s truth is regarding the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

1 - The Father is the Almighty, having universal authority over all beings.
2 - The Son acts as God’s representative and is in submission to the Father.
3 - The Holy Spirit is God’s active force, power, and breath.

He Who Has Seen Me has seen the father

7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father living in me does his works.

John 14:7-10
World English Bible translation

John 14:9, especially, is often referred to as proof that Jesus is God Almighty. However, very few seem to present any information as to how this is supposed to mean that Jesus is God Almighty. If one reads many trinitarian writings, you will often see this scripture listed or quoted as proof of the doctrine, but with no serious explanation given as to how this is supposed to show that Jesus is a person of God Almighty. On the other hand, we can see that one could read into this that Jesus was saying that he was the Father, as do our “oneness”* neighbors.
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*While some “oneness” believers point to this scripture as proof that Jesus is the Father, some do not.

However, Jesus is certainly not saying here that he is his Father, which would be the logical conclusion one would reach if one were to read into this that Jesus is saying that he is God Almighty. He said: “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Did he mean that everyone who saw him walking around on earth had seen the Father? No, because he also had earlier said to the unbelieving Jews: “The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.” (John 5:37) And again in John 8:19: “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

This indicates that Jesus meant that if his disciples had seen him, that they also had seen his Father, for he did the works of his Father. (John 8:38) As John said: “No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.” (John 1:18) And Jesus also had said: “Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me. Not that any man has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.” (John 6:45,46)

However, Jesus in the context does tell us what he meant when he said that he who had seen him had seen the Father also: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father living in me does his works.” (John 14:10) Rather than claiming to be God Almighty, he is saying that he spoke the words of God Almighty his Father, and thus in this manner the Father could be seen in him. This is in harmony with the prophecy that Yahweh would put his words into his mouth, and that he would speak in Yahweh’s name. — Deuteronomy 18:15-19.

Jesus was stating in John 14:9 that he so reflected the Father’s character, that to observe and learn of him was tantamount to observing and learning of the Father. Literally, of course, “no man has seen God at any time”. — John 1:18; 1 John 4: 12; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15.

One claims that we

go beyond the statements Jesus made, it is clear no one sees him as the Father, since the Father did not have a physical body but was Spirit. The Spirit was in Christ, and so the Father was in Christ, making Jesus the Father, and one that seen Jesus would of seen the Father, only didn’t understand that. One reason Philip asked to SEE the Father, in verse 9.

According to this reasoning, every believer would be the Father or God, since the spirit of God is in him. When Jesus sent out his twelve apostles, he told them: “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Matthew 10:20) Should we assume from this that all of the apostles are the Father, since the spirit of the Father spoke in them?

And Jesus said: “Though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:38)

And he further said: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father living in me does his works.” (John 14:10)

Nevetheless, he also said: “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)

Are we to think that all of Jesus’ disciples are Jesus since he said that he is in them, and that they are in him?

Yet he also prayed: “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us.” (John 17:21) Jesus also says concerning the Comforter: “You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.” (John 14:7) John later says: “By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” (1 John 4:13) “he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ” (1 John 4:16) “If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father.” (1 John 2:24)

If the fact that Jesus uses the expression that he is in the Father and the Father in in him means that Jesus is God Almighty, or that he is the Father, then logically one should follow through and say that his disciples *are* also God Almighty, or the the Father, for they are in the Father and Jesus, even as the Father is in Jesus and Jesus in the Father, etc. Of course, this it is nonsense to think that the believer is God or the Father because the scripture says that the Father is in him.

Someone else objects that the word “seen” means to actually see with the eyes, and thus when they actually saw Jesus, they were actually seeing the Father with their eyes. The word translated “seen” is Strong’s #3708, which is defined as: “1. to see with they eyes; 2. to see with the mind, to perceive, know; 3. to see, i.e. become acquainted with by experience, to experience; 4. to see, to look to, a. to take heed, beware, b. to care for, pay heed to; 5. I was seen, showed myself, appeared.”* Thus we see that the word, like our English word “see”, can be used in both a literal and figurative sense.
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*Thayer and Smith. “Greek Lexicon entry for Horao”. “The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon”.
http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=3708.

No mortal being could literally see the God and Father of our Lord Jesus and live. (Exodus 33:20) Jesus’ statement in John 14:9 is to be understood in harmony with other scriptures. As it was impossible for the Lord’s followers to actually see God, the Heavenly Father, the only way then in which they could see God was in the representative sense. Our Lord Jesus, fully and perfectly represented the Father. According to many translations, Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. (1 Timothy 3:16, KJV) The Father’s love, and mercy, justice, and wisdom, were all manifest in the Life and teachings of the Lord Jesus. Those then, who became acquainted with the Lord Jesus, were made acquainted with the Father. The Lord Jesus never claimed to be the Heavenly Father personally; but always taught that He was the Son of God. The Scriptures declare that God sent His only begotten Son into the world. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself in the same sense in which He will be “all in all” when the Son shall have delivered up the Kingdom to the Father at the close of Christ’s millennial reign. — 1 Corinthians 15:17,28.

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